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Lia understood The hetaera test was robbing her of all her outward things It was taking away everything external so that it could s and replace them with silks and velvets It would take away her chains and replace them with bracelets and necklaces and ropes of jewels And it would eventually take away her chaen, the only thing left that would protect her

But the Leerings were not evil Why then was she being teive up her possessions? Why was the hetaera’s path the only path? Thearound her legs

It was the Myriad Ones influencing her thoughts, she realized Surrounded by the the her down the path, but it was not the only path It was not the only way to be free of the Leerings SheSheshe had learned at Muiras true – if the maston oaths she had taken would one day entitle her to receive a new body that never aged or died, that allowed her to cross the Apse Veil and return to Idu with another il, would eventually produce children so strong in the Mediuive her back her life – was there any reason to fear growing old or losing her youth?

No

She remembered what she had seen when she had died, how the Apse Veil had drawn her towards it, su her back home to Idumea It was real The Medium was real That fate…that future – was real What she needed to surrender were her fears

It cary, but she had never starved The Medium had always provided her with food – thimbleberries in the woods or the flesh of a quail It would never let her starve to death, even it required food to appear with the dew of the grass in theWhy should she ever fear it? And what of shaowns and jewels? She had never sought nor cared about having Reoood opinion while so irl who had been seduced by a powerful ! What power did disease have against the power of the Medium? It could heal any wound, recover any illness Why be afraid of sickness when the Medium could overcome it?

That hat she needed to do She realized that the Leerings could be crossed if she surrendered her fears The Leerings were not trying to subvert her It was the Myriad Ones that were trying to subvert her, to tempt her to put on the kystrel in the promise that it would banish her fears She did not need a kystrel to accomplish that

In her er I will never fear shae

The grip of the Leering ended A s torch She stared at it, knowing it was almost out The serpents coiled around her body Carefully, she lowered the torch until its light touched their black scales The serpents hissed and withdrew from her Lia lowered herself down and crawled to the next Leering, using the torch to clear the path The kystrel burned hideously, thein her ears warned her of the anger of the Myriad Ones Reaching out, Lia touched the next Leering It was in the shape of a corpse, eyes closed She knew it already The fear of death

As Lia touched it, she saw in herburied beneath athe rocks that became her bier It was a vision of the future She had seen it before Dread swelled inside her

Learn of us, sister

Join us, daughter of Ereshkigal

Or you will die

She knew that if she did not join the hetaera, she would not leave the ordeal alive Those who did not pass the test were killed Was she prepared for that? Was she prepared to fail in her charge? Twelfth Night was in two days It was early still Was there a final warning to give? Was there so else she iven the ht Would her death trigger the Blight? Was that what the Medium wanted of her?

In herhi his arm as they stared at the rief Lia saw the look in Hillel’s eyes, the gleam of triumph Her blood boiled with fury

Take the kystrel You are stronger than her Your feelings are stronger than hers

Take the kystrel He will be yours If you join us, he will be yours