She had been preparing for this ritual for several weeks before she knew for sure. Boy or girl, the child growing within her was the Heir of her Gift and as such she had to complete the Inheritance before birth. The deepest of magics, the most fundamental of all that the Gift can do, and yet the simplest of rituals; the Inheritance required only quiet, a willingness to bequeath the Gift to the Heir and enough time for a single candle to burn itself out.

In a way, she saw it as an opportunity to rebel against Paul. After all, this was something he could never be part of, never understand. After all, he lacked the Gift. She settled back in the glimmering light of a single candle; the only sound in the room the gentle pops of the candle as it worked its way through the fuel it had. Through the power of the Gift, she was granted glimpses of Arthur’s childhood. A quiet boy but surrounded by love. The glimpses worked their way earlier in Arthur’s life; this alone should have warned her about what would happen.