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But Lia could not control her expression of dis but stare in shock at the little boy who, between mouthfuls of soup, had just revealed the worst news she could iine If the wretched who believed she was Ellowyn De, what impact would it have on Lia if the truth beca, whose father she had slain with a Pry-rian arrow Even though he had been under the guardianship of Garen Deis The thought of being forced toto learn that Dieyre was in Vezins When she thought of Reoh with her gladius Howhe had caused and continued to cause He was undoubtedly waiting for a ship to bring Marciana to hi? She could see the additional pieces of the Queen Dowager’s plan locking together At Muirwood’s cloisters, Lia had witnessed Dieyre pro He had tried to persuade her to aim for it

She realized with a very real throb of terror that she had very little time to thwart it

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:

Jouvent

Lia stayed up late baking bread, pizzelles, and even a sauests had settled for the night, sharing ladders to climb up to the loft curtains In the time she had spent with them, she had learned the innkeeper’s name – Huette – and also learned the Jouvent was not her natural son She had lost three children to fevers and sickness and then lost her husband to the sea Instead of despairing, she had started the inn to support herself On a stor woman from the Abbey had come She was very ill and very rich and very much with child and Jouvent had been born by the hearth that night The young woman was determined to abandon the child at the Abbey, but Huette had persuaded her to leave the child with her since bringing it out into the stor wo as she was rid of it She never left her naain Lia stared at the boy as the innkeeper shared the story Though a sickly thing at birth, he hadand sturdy ever since

The guests were all settled before ht, and Huette tamped down the fires, locked the door and s, and started sweeping up the spills and cru Jouvent stared into the chi carved into the wall at the back of it He stared at it, long and hard, but nothing happened

"Why do you stare at the gargouelle?" Lia asked him softly

He did not look at her He shook his head

"Tell me," she whispered

"Mother warned me never to tell of it Too s happen"

Lia stared at the Leering’s eyes and suh to ly "Thou art a maston," he whispered He did not ask her to confirm it He already knew

"When did you realize it?" she answered softly, watching Huette as she cleaned the tables and decided to join her and help

"I saw a peek at thy chaen," he answered, his eyeshers "Earlier I meant no disrespect, but I saw it and then I knehat it was"

"How did you know?"

"The mastons find us," he whispered "Somehow they know they are safe here Thou art safe here In the morn, I will take thee to the Abbey But I must warn thee The Dochte Mandar have promised fifteen crown for any maston turned in It is a lot of coin, my lady, and h to eat So thee in, there are blessings on our house"

Lia smiled at him and stifled a yawn

"Thou shouldst sleep," he said "Lay on my pallet, near the fire I shall help ue, for she was exhausted She stretched out on the pallet near the oven and stared at the winking embers as they died, one by one Little bits of ash sizzled and she breathed in the scents and flavors that rely of Pasqua’s kitchen In herladles and fussing over stubborn dough The guests at the inn had enjoyed her treats that night She had earned some lavish compliments and the extra coin had hout Huette’s ti beneath her cloak on the pallet, her thoughts drifted back to Muirwood again and she relished the one to bed The thru the wet season How curious that her skills in the kitchen had served her so well As she lay there, turning it over in herwould help her get inside Dochte Abbey Was she just going to arrive and try to declare herself? No, that did not make sense She wanted to find Colvin first, and if not Colvin, thenon that she needed to warn them about