Aurora opened her mouth, but hesitated before speaking. "Doesn't that involve the forbidden art of extending one's life?" she finally whispered.
"If the desire for a longer life can lead one to abandon the Holy Scripture and walk a Path deemed Heresy," Murphy's voice was placid, "then why wouldn't the desire for power lead one to do the same—to abandon the fundamental spirit of the Holy Scripture and walk a different Path of Heresy?"
Aurora was stunned into silence by his questions, a tempest of shock churning in her azure eyes.
She wanted to argue, but her throat tightened.
'It was true. If faith was no longer the fundamental path to obtaining power, then the pursuit of power for its own sake—or rather, the pursuit of authority—was enough to lead a person astray, regardless of the holy mantle they wore.'
A brief, dead silence fell over the study, broken only by the faint crackle of firewood in the hearth.
