“I have never been so frightened,” Suzenne choked back her tears. “Never have I felt such . . . blackness. How did you have the strength to stand against him? I quailed!”
Maia stroked Suzenne’s hair and hugged her. “I have faced worse. They were odious men. Caspur was affected by my words. I could see it in his eyes. But the others are quite hardened.”
“Ugh,” Suzenne moaned. “I feel sick. The Myriad Ones were here. You could feel them . . . sniffing about us like we were dead flesh to vultures. It was disgusting.”
“It is over,” Maia said. “They are gone.”
Suzenne straightened, brushing some of her hair over her ear. “The difference between this city and Muirwood . . . It is almost too vast to describe, like comparing noon with midnight, but Maia, there is no peace here. Even in the daylight, it seems as if the sun were veiled. What a horrid feeling.”
Maia nodded in agreement. “I have often wondered what it would be like to live in Assinica, where they know nothing of war. I cannot imagine it, to be honest. And think of the shocking transition the Assinicans will have to make when they come to our realm, chased by the Dochte Mandar? Suzenne, how will they endure it? Yet perhaps they are our only hope.”
Suzenne nodded in agreement. She looked slightly calmer, but her eyes were still anxious. “Will they kill us?” she whispered, gripping Maia’s hands.
“I think . . .” Maia paused before continuing, wanting to soften the blow without lying. “If the Medium wills it . . . perhaps. Yes.”
Suzenne swallowed and bit her lip. “Do you . . . think it is the Medium’s will?”
“I do not know.” She stared down at their entwined hands. “When I left Comoros for Dahomey, we reached the shores that are still cursed by the Blight. I kept hearing whispers that said it was the land where death was born. Back then, I thought it was the Medium speaking to me. And it seemed to suggest that I would die there.”
“But it was not the Medium,” Suzenne said, perplexed. “You wore a kystrel. It must have been the Myriad Ones who spoke to you.”
“Yes, I think so,” Maia answered, but a nagging little doubt remained in her mind. “Whether or not that is true, I have suspected for years that I might die before my time. When I was younger, I learned to read, knowing that if my ability were discovered, I would be put to death. When I went to Dahomey, I feared I would not survive the journey. When I went to Naess, I believed the Dochte Mandar would kill me because of the mark on my shoulder.” Maia sighed tiredly. “I suppose I have been dreading it so much, it would not surprise me if it happened. The Medium gives us the results of our thoughts. Perhaps I have served my purpose by restoring the Apse Veil.” She frowned deeply, keeping her gaze lowered. “For some of the things I have done, I deserve to die.”
Suzenne shook her head violently. “That is not true, Maia! You are not accountable.”
“But I still carry the consequences,” she replied, and began pacing again and wringing her hands. “I destroyed an abbey and killed its Aldermaston. I cannot help but feel awful about it, despite the circumstances. And what of my marriage! My husband is not a maston. I wanted to marry one to preserve the lineage of my Family, as we were taught as children. Yet Collier and I were married by the customs of the Dochte Mandar. I have done everything wrong.” She sighed again. “I cannot kiss my husband because of what I am . . . and I cannot even say what I am because the Medium binds my tongue. And Suzenne, even if I were innocent, it might not help. The Medium did not protect my mother from dying. Nor did it protect Dodd’s father or his brothers.” She came to a stop before Suzenne and glanced up into her eyes. “Yes, I am sorry I brought you with me. I should have come alone.”
Her eyes moist with tears, Suzenne reached out and hugged Maia fiercely. “I am afraid, Maia. But I made my vows to the Medium in the abbey. If this is how I can best serve, then so be it. Perhaps Dodd and I will join his siblings in Idumea tomorrow. At least that is possible because of you. And Maia, I would have come with you even if I knew that would be our fate.” She pulled away enough to look deep into Maia’s eyes. “You inspire me, and you have made me a better person by your example. Do not lose hope, Maia. If we die, we die together. Friends, if not sisters.” She punctuated her comment with a timid smile.
Before meeting Suzenne, Maia had never had a friend her own age and sex. Staring into Suzenne’s eyes, she felt the warmth and compassion that had always been denied her. It was not hollow or false. This was true friendship. “Thank you, Suzenne. I am sorry if that is our fate, but I appreciate you more than you know. Having you here with me gives me the courage to face anything.”