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The cleft opens into a perfectly square chaolden aura washes the shadows into the corners Mother sits in the center of the room with Cook on one side and Maraya on the other The baby suckles at her breast Amaya rocks back and forth, arroans in pain Coriander stands guard over the oracle, who hides her face behind her hands
"There’s no door," says Coriander "Hoe leave?"
Ro-eht falls full on one corner "We climbed up this shaft"
There is no shaft, just a square depression with a grate lying beside it and grooves in the stonehere the grate would fit over a hole, if there were one
"Where did the shaft go?" Kalliarkos prods the stone "It must have closed after we came up"
The two men thump at the blocked depression as I walk a tour of the chaht into every corner For the life ofIt was too easy after all Or the masons betrayed us I sink down next to Mother What do we do now?
"We’re going to die down here," Amaya whimpers
"Just shut up, Amiable Let me think" There has to be a way
"Jessamy, let me look on him," Mother whispers
I push the linen folds away froilds his perfect features He has his father’s eyes and his
"He will not be cursed to lie alone in a tomb until he is dust" Tears slide down her cheeks "Poor child His father would not have loved that face"
"How could anyone not love such a beautiful face?" I retort, for I do not like to think that Father did not love o of your anger, Jessamy It eaken you if you allow it to rule your heart"
My lips press closed over the things I would like to say but will not trouble her with I love Father but I know Maraya is right: he could have turned his back on ambition, and he didn’t
Maraya walks over to the twobehind you to trap you here?"
Ro-emnu scratches at his shaved head and looks surprised when his fingers find no hair "I don’t think so The masons who know about this place never enter it It is forbidden to disturb what lies beneath They say angry spirits eat intruders but I think fear makes a man see spirits where there are none People are just afraid of the past"