Selene ran a finger around the rim of her cup. “Yes, I have some questions. I know very little about the Light. Taegis said something the other day that I have been wondering about ever since.” She looked up. “Did the Light give all of the Great Houses their gifts or only House Maris?”

Cohen blinked in surprise, then coughed to clear his throat. “That is an interesting question coming from . . .” He hesitated.

“Coming from me, since I am from House Ravenwood.”

“Yes, my lady. It is my understanding that your house follows another way.”

Selene shifted uncomfortably and waited.

“To answer your query,” Cohen continued, “yes, every Great House was given a gift in which to rule and support their people.”

“By the Light?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“When the nations first formed under the Great Houses, they were small and weak, so seven families were given a way to help their people. House Maris protects the people of the Northern Shores with the power of water. House Merek was able to earn the trust of the wyverns with their gift of courage. House Luceras wields weapons of light offensively and defensively.”

“Are you sure the Light and not some other higher power gave every house their gift?”

Cohen rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you referring to the Dark Lady?”

Selene turned her attention back to her cup. “Yes.”

“The, uh, Dark Lady is capable of many things.” His voice grew more confident. “But the giving of gifts is not one of them.”

Interesting. Cohen conceded that the Dark Lady was real and had power. But not that kind of power. That was reassuring, in a way. “So the Light also gave House Ravenwood our gift?”

His face fell. “Yes. But much has not lasted since the birth of the Great Houses. I’m afraid your gift is one of them.”

Selene pursed her lips together. She could neither tell Cohen, nor wanted to tell him, that her gift still existed. However . . . “How do you speak to the Light?”

His brow furrowed. “Speak to the Light?”

“Yes. You said the Light doesn’t speak to you directly, but he does speak to you, correct?”

A flush crept up Cohen’s cheeks as he ran his hand through his hair again. “Yes. We have many sacred texts passed down by previous monks. Through those the Light speaks to us. And sometimes he speaks directly to the abbot, Father Dominick.”

Like the priest and the Dark Lady. But there were times her mother was able to speak to the Dark Lady. And Taegis said Damien prayed to the Light. “Can anyone speak to the Light?”

“The library is open to everyone. But the texts must be handled carefully and can only be read here in the abbey since some are very old.”

“I understand. But what about actually talking to him? I want to ask him a question.”

“I see. What is the question? I might know the answer, or Father Dominick might.”