Naamah's Blessing

was an earnest prayer and a willing heart, Sister Gemma had told me. Kneeling before the lamp, I gazed at the homely flame.
    I saw the future unfurl before me. Like the eyes of the Maghuin Dhonn Herself, the flame contained worlds, worlds of ordinary pleasure and ordinary pain. There was the pleasure of lovemaking and the grace inherent in Naamah’s blessing, the bright lady’s smile. There was the pain of childbirth, and the multitude of joys and terrors attendant on motherhood; the first words, the first steps, injuries and illnesses. There was all the immense pride and delight, and all the helplessness and horror.
    There was the terrifying prospect of further destinies that might claim my own children, sending them across unknown seas; and there was the peaceful prospect of a quiet hearth and home. There were quarrels fought and forgiveness rendered. There were hearts broken and mended, there were tears and laughter. There were children and grandchildren, and the wisdom and infirmities of old age.
    There was life, in all its mortal, messy splendor. And always and always, there was love.
    “Moirin?” Bao said behind me.
    I blinked, and the flame was only a flame once more. “Aye,” I murmured. “I am here.” Lifting the wax taper, I took a long, slow breath and uttered the prayer. “Eisheth, I beseech you, open the gates of my womb.”
    And with that, I lit the candle.

OTHER BOOKS BY
J ACQUELINE C AREY
    Naamah’s Curse
*
    Naamah’s Kiss
*
    Santa Olivia
*
Kushiel’s Legacy
    Kushiel’s Mercy
*
    Kushiel’s Justice
*
    Kushiel’s Scion
*
    Kushiel’s Avatar
    Kushiel’s Chosen
    Kushiel’s Dart
The Sundering
    Godslayer
    Banewreaker

Copyright
    This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
    Copyright © 2011 by Jacqueline Carey All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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    First eBook Edition: June 2011
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    ISBN: 978-0-446-57605-5