Eden Forest (Part one of the Saskia Trilogy) by Aoife Marie Sheridan Page A

here to face
    charges for betraying her with Morrick, but I don’t say this. I just kept quiet. “You see, the person I was ordered to retrieve was meant to be very powerful.” She looks at me questioningly. “Are you powerful, Marta?”
    “No, my lady.”
    She nods her head. “I didn’t think so. But you must have
    found a way to gain more power. Is this correct, Marta?”
    “No, my lady.”
    She turns on me, her face fueled with anger. “Do not lie to
    me!”
    I cringe back in the chair. “I am not, my lady. I only have one
    affinity.”
    She looks at me with her cold eyes. “We will see about that.”
    She rises. “Taurus,” she calls and he enters. “Take her to my
    chambers. I will be there shortly.”
    Taurus escorts me to Bellona’s chambers. I have no idea what
    is going on. I stand in her room, waiting for her arrival, while
    Taurus stays outside the door.
    When Bellona comes into the room, she takes me through a
    bookshelf and down a flight of stone steps into a stone chamber.
    “Since you will not tell me the truth, you will tell Lucian.” She
    smirks and kneels, cutting her palm with a knife. Then she starts
    speaking in a language I don’t understand. I stand frozen with
    fear as the room temperature drops and a feeling of forbidden
    touches my very soul. A man appears out of a black fog.
    Bellona is still on her knees and drops her head. “My king.”
    But his red eyes stay on me. I feel stripped in front of him and it
    is hard to meet his eyes. I can feel nothing but evil in the room.
    After a few moments of silence, Bellona rises off her knees.
    “Is this the one you seek, my king?”
    He places a finger with a long black nail over his lips to silence
    her and moves towards me. I stand frozen with fear. He runs the
    nail along my face, causing my blood to rise to the surface. He
    licks it with a long, pointed black tongue. I sob with fear, but
    cannot physically move. He tilts his head back, closing his eyes.
    Bellona is watching with a look of anticipated fear.
    “She is not the one.” Lucian speaks clearly and turns on
    Bellona.
    “But, my lord… she was there… where you said she would
    be.” She stutters through her sentence.
    Lucian tilts his head to the side. “She is not the one.” I can
    see Bellona, her face stretched with fear. Lucian walks towards
    her like a lion approaching its prey. I am afraid for Bellona,
    which is something I never believed I would feel for her. “But
    she is the reason the one exists. Go back and retrieve her.”
    “Yes, my king.” Bellona looks eager for this to end.
    “Bellona.”
    She’s terrified now. She can’t speak, just nods stiffly.
    “Don’t disappoint me again or your heart will not beat
    much longer.” Then he looks at me. “Keep her alive; she will be
    useful.” And then he vaporizes into the black fog and is gone.
    When we are back in Bellona’s chambers, she paces the floor.
    “Why did you leave Saskia?” She stops pacing.
    “I was afraid.” I didn’t feel as afraid of Bellona now after
    seeing Lucian. He said the one he wanted existed because of
    me. That could only mean one thing—my daughter. And I
    would never tell her, even if she killed me, but I needed to warn
    someone so they could protect her.
    “Afraid of what, Marta?” Bellona is getting annoyed.
    “You,” I say.
    She laughs. “Why? Because you defied me by sleeping with
    Morrick?”
    I knew she had to have known, but hearing her say it causes
    my breath to catch in my chest. I try to look calm. “Yes.”
    “Taurus.” He enters. “Take her to the chambers. Have Clive
    make her talk. I am too tired.”
    Taurus takes me to the chambers where Clive is waiting for
    me. I can see the excitement in his face. He is no more than a
    bully.
     

 
    Chapter Three
    Ireland ~ Present Day
    (Sarajane)
     
     
    I wake for work the next morning with a pounding headache.
    I feel groggy all morning.
    “Are you all right? You didn’t look good after