Read The Ciphers of Muirwood for Free Online Page A

regret all the rest of her days. These girls had been raised under the protective shadow of two loving Aldermastons, a tender man and his equally kindhearted wife. They had learned to read and engrave from a young age.
    Part of her heart wanted to resent them for all the benefits they had enjoyed while she had been locked away in the attic of her stepmother’s Family manor. She smoothed her hand over the polished empty page of her tome.
    “We practice with these,” the Aldermaston’s wife said, pushing a wooden sheet toward her with a sheen of clear wax set inside a frame. “Before you scrive in gold, you must practice your hand until you can write flawlessly. This will not be difficult for you, Maia, but it will be tedious at first. You must spend a portion of time each day reading as well as practicing . My husband will teach you the doctrines of the Medium during the day. I will instruct you at night on how to hear its whispers.” She closed her hand on Maia’s arm. “I look forward to this opportunity, Maia,” she said in an undertone so the others could not hear. “I love you already. I spoke with your mother for many long hours over many painful years. I will share with you everything I knew of her. She was, in my view, one of the most noble women who ever lived.”
    Maia felt her heart quiver with pain as tears stung her eyes.
    “She sacrificed her life and happiness,” the woman continued, her throat thickening, “for yours. You may feel out of place, Maia, but you were meant to be here. These girls are your family now. You are the oldest. And they are your sisters.”
    Maia wiped her eyes quickly. She did not like to cry, but her grandmother had taught her that she needed to learn to accept her emotions rather than bury them. Her father had always urged her to do otherwise, so it was a hard lesson to learn.
    “I do not think Suzenne likes me very well,” Maia said softly, watching the other girl as she went from table to table and coaxed the other girls in their efforts. “She is afraid of me.”
    The Aldermaston’s wife patted Maia’s hand and wisely said nothing.

CHAPTER FOUR

    The Queen’s Garden
    W ith the sun came a different schedule—a different life. The first official lesson was in languages, and though Maia sought to remain in the background, the teacher, who was from Dahomey, knew who she was. In his excitement to converse with another fluent speaker, he had addressed her immediately, speaking fast and excitedly. Maia had answered him as briefly as she could, but her response still showed her ability with the language. The lavish way he praised her in front of the class made her wince. Maeg’s eyes narrowed with envy, and throughout the class she whispered to some of the other Ciphers behind her hand, undoubtedly spouting unpleasant things about Maia.
    Maia met some of the boys at the school in the language class. While she recognized some of the Family names from her youth, none of the students themselves looked familiar. There was one boy who was aloof from the others and seemed rather impatient with the pace of the class. She was too uncertain of herself to ask who he was.
    Languages was the only class shared with the boys, as they were busy reading and engraving tomes in the cloisters for the rest of the day. Maia found embroidery to be painfully tedious, but the archery lesson was enjoyable. The studies on law, medicine, and history were also quite interesting.
    When the classes were finally over, the students were allowed to wander the grounds and enjoy themselves, unless the weather was blustery. The days were short and the wind brisk and scented with pending rain. Suzenne walked alongside her as they left the classroom, and Maia saw several young men waiting for the girls at a cluster of trees.
    Maeg had a mischievous smile as she began bantering with some of the youths. Then she turned to look at them. “Suzenne, are you coming, or must you tend to the poor waif all