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Lia stared at the flames,that she would not be harlanced fro with sadness As she looked at each one, she saw that they had been warned, at one ti to heed the warning that had been given to the to that stubbornness, not to their belief in the Medium Noas too late She saw a boy and craned her neck, but it was not the boy Jouvent The mother near hio to the Holk She hoped they had listened to her One by one, face by face, she looked at the dread and sadness at ould happen to thehed deeply, preparing to be ushered into the flames Deep inside, she knew her as not finished There was so for her to do

Lia felt someone’s eyes on her She looked up and noticed the man near her His face was familiar – she had seen hi intently at her face Her mind rushed furiously for a moment, and then she remembered his name Malcolm His hands were bound behind his back as well

Slowly, deliberately, he nodded to her

The Aldermaston’s voice rose in a shriek "The nment to our cause The silverhis face in shaouelle! May all who defy us be burned with fire"

"We wereat dusk, bound to each other by irrevocare sigil by the Alder last, he is mine Colvin says the last loyal ht in the Demont name We ride on the uide us there as it has guided us here The guest quarters are beautifully furnished, though not as richly as Dochte I must douse the lamps before he returns He cannot see s to burn e leave "

- Ellowyn Demont at Billerbeck Abbey

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE:

The Blight Leering

Screaht sky in a terrible melody It was an unearthly sound, of fear and terror and pleading allchorus as, by two’s and three’s, the prisoners were clutched, dragged, and then shoved into the flaht flaht deepened She watched children, ed – all corralled by the Dochte Mandar and thrust to their deaths So they would accept the water rite, but there was no compassion One after another were sent to the fla leaer Lia’s heart panged seeing the destruction and realized that on hts to come, such a scene would be repeated

The Alderleaht," he sneered at her "Where is your power now, child? Where is your faith? It is nothing but ashes" The look he gave her was savage and full of delight "Send her next"

Lia rose without being yanked to her feet as the others She noticed, from the corner of her eye, that Malcol to summon the power of the Mediuuer’s , she wanted to unleash it on the Aldermaston and those who served him But it did not heed her plea It was a selfish desire, she realized Forcing down her hatred, she oes in," the Aldermaston warned

Malcolrass cruhts strayed to the feel of the grass She felt no fear The air was acrid, the s lurch into her stoan to drown the shrieks of fear co down and to the side, she saw Malcol forward towards the doom of the furnace

"Stay with me," she whispered to hiruffly, closing the gap

The light fronoring the wave of heat and tongues of whipping fla inside herself, dropping into the calm memories of Muirwood Even in death’s maw, she felt it – the peace and reassurance that she had grown up experiencing Her love and admiration for the Aldermaston throbbed in her heart She wondered where he was at that moment and if he are of her somehow She had the deep impression that he knew much that he had not told her