Nine Gates — Jane M. Lindskold

Exiled from the mysterious Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice, each of the Thirteen Orphans is mystically connected to one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, with the multifaceted Cat as thirteenth.

When rivals from the Lands come to Earth to lay claim to the Orphans' powers and are stranded here by civil war back home, they are forced into a reluctant alliance with those they had hunted. They decide to construct and -- carefully -- open the Nine Gates that will allow travel between Earth and the Lands.

An attack that severely injures several of the Orphans and their allies is a harsh reminder that the gates must be opened as quickly as possible, before Earth becomes a battleground.

Making matters worse, the indigenous magical traditions of our world will not stand idly by and let the Orphans work unimpeded. Rivalry, theft, and blackmail become the order of the day, and one of the Orphans or their new compatriots may be secretly working with these Earthly enemies.