~Lyra's POV~I brought the video to Xavier and Torvi within twenty minutes of receiving it.Neither of them spoke for the first thirty seconds after I played it. Xavier's expression went through its usual contained cycle, recognition, processing, the flat controlled settling that meant he was working. Torvi's reaction was different. It was immediate, and it was sharp."She did it," Torvi said. "She actually performed the rebirth on herself.""You sound surprised," "I'm not surprised she attempted it," Torvi said. "I'm surprised she survived it. The ritual requires a practitioner who can hold the working from inside the process, you performing it on yourself while it's happening, which is like performing surgery on your own brain while you're awake." She was still looking at the screen. "But she did it. Look at her."I looked at the screen.Seraphine in the front row of Ivan's assembly hall, straight-backed, clear-eyed, holding a small child with the easy comfort of someone who had ch
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