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Lia uished "I orry about you, wherever you are"

He shut his eyes and then looked at her "You have enough worries here to occupy your thoughts at present I o"

She stopped him as he reached for the door "There is a question I never asked you"

He paused, his jaw clenching but he kept his temper in check "Yes?"

She moistened her lips "Were you afraid to take the linted The shadows around them thickened as the sun went down beyond the distant hills For ato fear in its oay There is a weight and risks to the obligation, not the least of which is being asked to sacrifice your life as happened to Ed murdered?"

He nodded subtly, his expression stern "There are fates worse than ine that"

"Well, it is clear froht the Myriad Oneslike theht was as repulsive as she could i that the Myriad Ones are the souls of the dead?"

He looked her in the eye "No The Myriad Ones go by many names One of those names is the Unborn They are souls too evil to be born"

She shivered in the twilight

"They surround us constantly, Lia In the air we breathe They worry us and nag at us with their thoughts They deceive and seduce If Muirwood falls it will be because of the us to be overrun by theht Even death would be a better fate than to live in a world ruled by the Unborn" He pressed his lips closed "Perhaps I have said e is a maston’s burden to carry I am sorry if I disturbed you Why did you ask?"

Lia looked at his face, tried to hold it in her ain But she did not reveal why "I always have questions You know that Be well on your journey" She turned away towards the kitchen, not wanting hiht she would never see hiain

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX:

The Essaios

When Lia had crept inside Muirwood Abbey to seek Colvin at the Pilgris inside, how they had lent life to flowers and plants that never enjoyed the sun’s warmth On that day, she had stolen inside as a wretched Now she was invited Instead of her wretched gown and cloak, she wore the learner robes she had seen others wear and a veil to cover her face and hair and hide her identity Prestalked alongside her the short distance from the manor house to the Abbey door she had entered before The Alder for her within, she was told She was nervous as she approached

Prestwich halted before reaching the final steps leading up to the doors His face flushed with e had he served hiates are shut on the Alderrounds until he ees Good luck, Lia"

"Thank you," she replied and turned back to the final steps As she approached, she experienced the warning feelings of the Leerings inset into the archway, filling her with doubt and dread But she expected thehts, easily silenced She pulled at the thick handles and opened the pewter doors She left the world under the blanket of twilight Inside the Abbey, it was as bright as noonday

At the threshold, she removed her shoes as she had been instructed to do and covered her feet with velvet slippers Slowly, she lifted the veil so she could gaze at the inner structure, afire with brightness and radiance Each Leering sees of warmth and happiness banished any dread the outer world had threatened her with It was the essence of Muirwood and it flooded her She waited a moment and then the Alderray cassock exchanged for one that was buttery in color and threaded with gold There was no pain in his gait as he approached, as if the Abbey lent hith for the task He motioned for her to follow him and then took her down the corridor a short distance to the staircase leading down It was the place where she had found the tunnel leading to the Pilgrim

The chamber was beautifully carved out of marble and tiles, and polished wooden benches set in rows The Aldermaston directed her to sit on the bench and he approached the large stone table at the head of the chamber The Medium was so thick in the air, she could hardly breathe It thru every crevice Tears stung her eyes at the feelings surging through her She remembered the stone table she had seen before There was so familiar about it Instinctively, she knew that both of her parents had been ave her