"Do not fear," the Mother whispered, placing a hand on his forehead. Her touch was cool, like river water. "We do not harm our guests. But you have strayed into a womb, Elias. And a womb protects what is inside."
Elias waited for nearly an hour. When the door at the far end of the hall finally opened, the temperature in the room seemed to drop. mother village ch 1 ch 2 v10 by shadow full