Page 107 (1/1)

She nodded, re the Aldero?"

He shook his head "No None of my persuasions ever convinced hiht after one of his servants had perished by the plague He stripped the ave them to me and replaced mine with his He said he would announce to the world that I was dead and that I could leave that night"

Lia wrinkled her forehead "Surely he was letting you go to follow you to Marciana," she said, suddenly concerned

Colvin nodded "Naturally Which is why I went to Forshee first instead of here I went there for two reasons To findI wanted you to have"

"What is it?" she asked, leaning forward curiously

He retrieved the pouch with the Cruciger orb and pulled it out Then fishing at the botto band

"This was my mother’s," he said "You remember I told you that she was buried in an ossuary at my manor house? That I had feared she was buried alive?"

Lia nodded, her eyes widening in wonder

"I opened the ossuary and there was nothing left but graveclothes and this ring As you pointed out to s in Idumea, then we may as well use them here" He walked up to her and took her hand "Will you wear this, as a sy?"

Tre on her finger It fit well It was beautifully crafted by an expert golds the band

"In return then," she said, reaching into her bodice and re she had found as a child "Would you wear this ring? When you gave it back to me in the cell below Dochte Abbey, I fashioned a little necklace from some threads and wore it beneathon his ed on his hand

"I have carried that ring since I was a child," sheit was meant for you"

Colvin leaned down and kissed her warmly She enjoyed it immensely

"You still have not finished your tale How did you escape yourat his shirt front "Dieyre is not known for being generous or a fool I am certain he had hisNuric That is his Pry-rian name I knew him as Theobald, my father’s steward He was an Evnissyen who served your father His mission was to deliver you to Muirwood Abbey as a baby Because of the binding sigil, he could not speak of it, but he hinted as best he could As I child, I had heard his stories about the Prince of Pry-Ree’s hter I assumed he had family in Pry-Ree, not that he was of Pry-rian descent Do you see, Lia? Your father sent Nuric to Forshee to serve my father He was my advisor and a friend He knew about you and where you were, but he could not say until the binding was broken Reht that Hillel and I went to the Holk, I was given the roo to the crewman Malcolave me your father’s tome He was the one who kept it safely all these years"

Lia srateful to her father and his Gift of Seering "And the password?"

"The toe, by your father He explained that to get the password, I needed to take the orb fro it to Maderos He would be able to read it and ht, the naiven in thethe journey hoht came That hen you betrayed Hillel and banished the Myriad One ith her You cannot banish it permanently, because of the mark on her shoulder, but you drove it away for a while and could explain to Hillel who she really was and what she had done"

Colvin nodded, rubbing his chin "Nuric helped me escape Forshee undetected He is a skillful man and helped me cross to you undetected He knew I should visit you alone and has gone ahead of us to the Holk and will leave with the ships for the new land He is so anxious to meet you, Lia He served your father faithfully so ain It was dawn "I suppose it is time to leave for Pry-Ree" She smoothed her hand across the trestle table "I will always remember this kitchen My earliestill never see it again"