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It was the hardest choice of the three

Lia bowed her head, pained to the deepest clefts in her soul at the thought of losing Colvin to Hillel But even ht that all the Abbeys would be burned, that it was true – no one would be able to return to Idumea on their death The Abbeys were the links Without them, it would take years and years to contruct another Even the survivors of Pry-Ree, even those who escaped by ship, would have to start building them anew, stone upon stone

Lia could see Colvin’s face in her mind as he knelt across an altar from Hillel He looked determined Fiercely deter, the woly Why lose your life when you are but the bud of a flower and have not yet tasted the first kiss of sunlight? Do you desire children? Do you desire posterity? You will die here, child Join with me Save the tomes you crave, the Abbey you adore, and the ht Give s were so intense, Lia thought she would die from the back into herself, she realized that everything Ereshkigal had promised her were lies She had no such power Her only intent was toshe could iine that would tempt her It was a deception All of it Had she not promised Hillel that she could have Colvin? If that promise was broken, then why not any other promise made? Why did she want Lia to surrender her true name?

Then she understood It came as it always did when the Mediuht, a bit of wisdom broken free from the chaff The Myriad Ones were the Unborn They did not have bodies of their own When they were banished froered to take by force what they could not enjoy naturally A body Her body By surrendering her true name, a Myriad One would enter inside her body and control her She would do Ereshkigal’s will in all things, enjoying the body, using it and then fling it aside when it was past its usefulness Then she would inhabit another, and then another Lia was not needed It was only the shell they craved, not the pearl within

Lia looked up at the wo jewels Illusions She had nothing, wore nothing Despite her strength of will, she was powerless against Lia She could not force her to relinquish her right to her own body

Lia stared at her "Be gone"

The look in Ereshkigal’s eyes hardened with fury You will givein the roo that it stunned Lia for a moment The woman shrieked and the sound scalded Lia’s ears and al, the Unborn Be gone!"

Lia felt the Mediuer

I will destroy thean to hiss and dissolve

They will all die, one by one! You have no boat No orb You have nothing! You are nothing but a pitiful little wretched I killed your father and mother I will kill all you love or who love you I will kill them all and they will be banished here as I a for you, Pareigis I know your true naainst the glare of lahts She smelled cider and incense and heard the crackle of a hearth fire She also heard a voice – the Alder at last The transition took longer than I expected Co when they awaken Do not be alar now that the poison has finished its work Bring the lamp and some cider She will be thirsty"

Another voice was next to her, Dieyre’s "Can you hear me? Do you remember your true na

Lia was surrounded byat the bedside There was the Aldermaston of Dochte, the earl of Dieyre, and three Dochte Mandar, one holding a blazing torch

"The bite ," the one with the torch observed in a low tone

"She led fiercely," murmured another

The Aldererness His hand strayed towards her hair "Are you awake now? What is your name?"

Lia’s mouth was parched and thick Her body eary for she had not eaten in a long while She tried to lick her lips and the Alderestured for a chalice of cider