What happened to the dead? Where did they go? What is death, and more importantly would the afterlife be any better than the one you had to live at this moment? These were the questions that each man or woman had to answer for themselves. One of the pinnacles of conscious thought; when a soul or being began to consider the possibility that death ( Read more... )

The number printed on the key was faded with age and Lirael had to peer at it rather sternly in an attempt to make it out. As happens, keys are immune to the glares of fourteen year old girls and the number became no clearer. There were so many doors, doors with strange symbols, doors with numbers that stretched so far they took up a new line. Red ( Read more... )

( About the Charter/marks )

Fourteen today.

Annisele had been called. Annisele had the Sight, she would be crowned as an adult; belong. And Lirael would be forced to watch as the girl - no, woman now - took her place amongst the Sighted Clayr.

Not one thing about me belongs, Lirael reminded herself, driving the pain home with a familiar litany. No mother, no father, no ( Read more... )