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Colvin’s hand gently capped the top of her head It was gentle – yet firht of his hand and fingers pressed down against her hair, bending the kinks, before resting on her scalp His touch sent new shivers through her

"Lia Cook…"

It was the first ti, raging, cursing, but not from Colvin It came from inside her It was as if she opened another set of eyes, eyes that allowed her to look down on herself as a separate person Colvin was in front of her, but there was a blinding hail of light co aith afro still in her chest – soed there since her drea for the first ti eyes as he backed away froony

Then she felt it Each breath she inhaled brought a sob of recognition The feeling was back again Not the terrifying feeling, not the horror and sha of Muirwood All her life she had felt it The subtle feeling of safety, of belonging, of being houes away She understood now It was the power of the Medium All her life, she had lived amidst it – breathed it with the very air yet had never really recognized it before The saht to her through Colvin’s warm hand

She had not heard another word he had said, but it was over and he lifted his hand from her head Deep inside, she did not want him to snatch it back She wanted to feel that sense of haven forever Opening her eyes, she saw him kneel in front of her His eyes were full of tears

"They are gone," she whispered "The fog and the sone I am not afraid any more"

"I know," he whispered back, barely able to speak "The Myriad Ones were all around you I…I did not know But they are gone now They are all gone"

It started to rain

The Cruciger orb led theled paths of the Bearden Muir The day was every bit as drab, colorless and uncoer soulless She was still thirsty, but that was no longer a torathered from the kitchen and assembled in a linen napkin by Pasqua herself Pasqua, orried sick about her Pasqua who had insisted on following Jon to the porter gates to hunt for Lia herself, only to be called back by the Aldermaston and threatened with dire consequences if she defied him Soho Jon said was hidden inside the manor by the Alderates He told her how the villagers had finally warned the sheriff’sLia back to Muirwood," the Aldermaston had said "Whatever happens in Winterrowd, sheher home"

There was no way to describe how that made her feel That she, a wretched, orthy of rescue That the Aldermaston would not only defend her, but continue to defy the sheriff because of her choice to steal the Cruciger orb and her choice to aid Colvin All her life, she had never felt much in the way of affection for the old

The need for fresh water was paramount in the Bearden Muir, so Lia asked the orb for a safe path to Winterrowd that would put them in the course of fresh water The spindles had pointed the way clearly and she waited with anticipation for the chance to slake her thirst again

When it came, before dusk, it startled them all

The orb led them into a thicket between stark hills It was thickly wooded with black, nant pools with floating clouds of gnats and choruses of frogs Insects sang and hu the air with their confusion Carefully, the orb led them into the midst of the thicket, choked with skeletal trees and brush that clawed at their heads, swatted at their arms, and seemed almost impassable at tiround was dry around the stone, and they circled it froh, it was a Leering, with the carved side facing east towards the sun, the western side shaggy with moss and speckled with lichen There were no other boulders nearby It see, perrown up around it

Colvin and Jon stared at the carving of its face, their eyes widening in unison They looked at each other and then at her