The Ciphers of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood #2)(87)

“I have seen you in visions, Maia. But to behold you now . . . such a strange sensation. My father was the ruler of Pry-Ree, and he had the Gift of Seering, looking into the future. He was able to see my future, just as I have been able to see your life. When I left these shores,” she continued, staring up at the vaulted ceiling of the chamber, “I saw you coming. Your grandmother and I noticed each other, for her Gift shows the past, while mine focuses more on the future. I am here, Maia, to help you.” She clasped her hands again.

The relief Maia felt was intense. “We have not known what to do,” she said. “You will help us, truly?”

“Yes. I knew this day would come. Now that you are a maston, you will receive another Gift. You already have it, though you probably do not appreciate what it is, just as I did not appreciate my Gift of Seering before it was revealed to me by Maderos.”

“Maderos?” Maia asked in startled surprise. “The wanderer I met in Mon?”

Lia nodded. “He is still engraving the history of my Family. And he will continue to do so until Ereshkigal is bound for a season. That is the destiny of my Family, Maia.”

“Is it part of mine?” she wondered.

The smile quirked on Lia’s mouth. “I will only tell you what you need to know to move forward. My entire path was not revealed to me after taking the maston test. The Medium will continue to guide you. Now, kneel.”

Maia did so, kneeling in front of the woman who should be as old as the trees, but instead looked so young. She was confused by this, wondering how it had happened. Then she remembered hearing that Lia had disappeared on Sabine’s mother’s nameday ceremony. Lia had left behind her tome and the Cruciger orb. Surely . . .

Lia put one hand on Maia’s head and lifted her other arm in the maston sign. Maia quickly closed her eyes, folding her hands in front of her. As she felt the warm touch on her scalp, the power of the Medium built in the room, making the stones tremble. The feeling slit through her like a knife, penetrating her to her core.

“Marciana Soliven,” Lia said, “I bestow upon you a Gift. You are strong in the Medium. You have always been strong. It is part of your lineage. You have great faith and a willingness to seek out the Medium’s will. With such great power comes the duty to use that power to serve and help others. I bestow upon you the Gift of Invocation. You have already felt these powers stirring inside you. It is the Gift of understanding Leerings, knowing their powers, knowing how to control them, how to make them, and how to unmake them. It is a rare Gift to be found for one who is not already an Aldermaston. This Gift is yours and will help you in the purposes the Medium would have you fulfill. By Idumea’s hand, make it so.”

Upon hearing the benediction, Maia opened her eyes. Lia helped her to her feet, her grip strong and steady.

“How are you here?” Maia whispered, staring at her in awe.

Resting a hand on Maia’s shoulder, Lia gestured back to the Apse Veil. “This is the most sacred part of the abbey, Maia. Crossing the Apse Veil requires power with the Medium. In my day, a maston could effortlessly travel between abbeys anywhere in the realms. But as the abbeys were destroyed through rebellion and the hetaera’s powers, the Apse Veils ceased to function. Through my Gift of Seering, I knew of the threat to Muirwood and the maston order. I knew about your father and what he would do if unchecked. I departed this afternoon from Assinica. Time has not passed for me as it has for your ancestors. It was my granddaughter’s name day and I kissed her little brow and whispered good-bye, promising I would help her great-grandchild. The Apse Veils allow us to travel not just from abbey to abbey, but also within time itself or between worlds. The Covenant of Muirwood must be fulfilled. We have come to help it.”

“We?” Maia asked, eyes widening.

Lia gave her that knowing smile again. She turned and walked back to the Apse Veil and thrust her hand through the fold. A shadow appeared on the other side and then a man stepped through, his hair as silver as a wolf’s pelt. He was about as tall as Collier and even wider at the shoulders. Though he was an older man, he was fit and strong and wore a maston sword belted to his waist and the collar of a knight around his neck. He was handsome and stern, but he smiled when he saw Lia.

“We have returned,” he murmured softly, his voice deep and solemn, glancing around the chamber and then at Maia. He smiled affectionately at her and stepped forward to pull her into an embrace.

“You are . . . Colvin?” Maia gasped, blinking back tears.

He nodded, squeezing her hard as he stared down at her in awe. She saw a small scar on the corner of his eyebrow, another on his chin. He turned to Lia. “We must bring the others through.”

“The mastons from Assinica?” Maia asked, her heart bursting with joy. She wished her grandmother were in the room with them.

Lia shook her head. “No, not yet. We must bring through my guardians, the Evnissyen, and some of my household knights. The people of Assinica, in your time, are peaceful. There has not been war among them for a hundred years. Some have read about it in tomes, but they are not familiar with the hatred of mankind. What you need now, Maia, is help from us, from those who fought to preserve the maston order a century ago.” She nodded at Colvin. “Bring them through.”

Maia’s eyes blinked. “My father,” she gasped.

“Is no longer fit to rule Comoros,” Lia said gravely. “He brought few soldiers to subdue Muirwood, believing it to be defenseless and meek.” Her gaze hardened. “You must summon the abbey’s defenses, Maia. You must protect and preserve these hallowed grounds. I will help teach you as we go. Come with me.”