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CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT:

Grave

As Lia walked through the blazing hive of fire, she heard her name shouted The roar was so loud, it took ait The door in her mind slammed shut and the power of the Mediu into the cracked re boulder As soon as the power of the Mediu to keep upright Her hand bit into the charred earth, but it did not burn her

Colvin was there, catching her He cradled her and walked away fro trees She looked up at him, ah strength in herSweat dripped down his face, which was pink froainst his chest and she slept, still clutching the orb in her hand

When she awoke later, still tired, the pattern of the stars revealed it was past ht and the world was still and cold Mist came from her mouth as she breathed A calid, but there was no worry at the night noises All the world see her head, she found Colvin asleep near her, his ar his neck His mouth was open a little, his face spattered and bruised, lips brittle with scabs She was still exhausted, but she ed to rise and cover his body with her cloak He had slept every night without a blanket Though she had seen hi closer to hiain and fell asleep with hardly a thought

When she awoke again, it was day Her strength had returned, so she pushed herself up on her elbow During the night, he had returned her cloak and it ar his head up with one ar her His face was a mess of dried blood and purple bruises

"Are you well, Lia?"

She nodded, sing The look he gave her was tender

"I thought the fire was the sheriff’s doing I was so afraid I had failed you, that you had perished in those flames But I kneas the Mediu with fire, I just did not realize you were that strong"

Lia s your cloak When I woke this , you looked cold You need it more than I do I do notdown

"Strange though," he said, ru a bit of her cloak that was near his hand He took a fistful of it and sed from the fire, there was not even the scent of smoke on you or your clothes I still cannot se, she could see the nearby thicket Part of it lay s at his hand so near that it nearly brushed her arm She wanted to touch his hand, to squeeze it and thank hi ht"

"I do not deserve any praise," he replied, fidgeting with tufts of swarass "I arrived too late to save you You saved yourself"

"How did you escape the sheriff’s h the Medium I awoke after they dumped me on the stallion, trussed up I knew you were alone and afraid I had to go back for you The Mediuth I felt, Lia I have never felt that before, like I could crush a stone in my hand I slew the sheriff’s men and rode back until I saw the blaze and nearly lost hope"

She smiled shyly at him "Not you You never lose hope"

"Al to keep fro "I knohy the Mediuht It delivered the sheriff into my hands for all the eance for their blood"

"It does that I have studied accounts of it before It is not chance that it delivered them to you Your faht you about the Mediuth is not about who you are Whoever your parents were, they were strong I think they are dead Have you asked the orb yet, to confirht of that Should I?"

"I do"

"Where did I put the orb?" she asked, looking around the folds of the cloak