since emotions are running high, I will let this pass.” Then her
gaze fell on me, yet she was still talking to Dominic. “I will not
be so lenient in the future.” And at that, she left the cottage
with the maidens and Taurus.
Dominic pushed me away and crawled to his wife. He held
her in his arms, whispering over and over again. “I am sorry. I
am so sorry.” But Corrona was inconsolable. I sat on the floor
and cried for them. I cried for my own faith. I knew I had to
protect my baby. I had to leave.
Now back in the room, I wipe tears away. The memory still
feels so fresh. No one comes back that night. I fall into a restless
sleep.
The next morning Taurus wakes me. “Get dressed. The
queen is waiting for you.”
My stomach tightens. I get dressed while Taurus watches me
with a look of hunger in his eyes. I dress as quickly as I can so
his eyes won’t be on me too long. He marches me in silence to
the main library where the queen sits, waiting on me. “Thank
you, Taurus.”
Taurus bows and leaves, closing the double doors behind
him.
“Marta.” She gestures her hand to a chair beside her. I
approach slowly and sit, feeling sick in the pit of my stomach. “I
was given”—she pauses—“shall I say, orders to retrieve a person
from a specific area in the mortal world, and to my surprise,
what is brought back to me? You.” She raises an eyebrow as if
I can explain further. I only believed I was brought 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 yoga,”
Christine says.
“Yeah, just a headache. I think I might have the flu or
something, just don’t feel so good.”
Christine doesn’t look convinced, but leaves it alone. “Okay,
well if you want to talk, you know…”
I give her a little smile. “Yeah, I know. Thanks, Christine.”
Susan is in bad form also, but I don’t ask her what’s wrong.
More than likely, it has to do with Max and that is a conversation
I can really take a pass on.
Work drags by and when half past five comes, I am truly
grateful. I drive home with my wipers on full to keep the rain
off. Irish weather, we have, like, seventy percent rain most of
the year.
When I pull into the drive, I notice another car parked
outside our house and someone is sitting in it. I run for the front
door, but still get soaked. Rooting around in my bag for my
keys, I hear the other car door slam.
“Sarajane.” Linda, my yoga instructor, is walking up the
driveway with no jacket on. The rain is already dripping down
her face. She has never come to my home before.
“Linda, hi. What are you doing here?” I can’t help but ask.
“I needed to speak to you.” I get the key in the door. She
stands in the rain, looking at me.
I pull the door open. “Come in.” I grab a towel from the
bathroom and give it to her in the ha
ll so she can dry herself off.
“Thanks,” she says while rubbing her face with it.
“Go on into the kitchen. Just let me change. I’ll just be a
moment.” She nods and heads in the direction of the kitchen. I
run upstairs and change out of my wet clothes. When I return
to the kitchen, Linda is sitting down at the table, drying her hair
with the towel. I fill the kettle.
“Cup of tea or coffee?” I ask.
“Coffee, please, three sugars.”
“Three sugars, not worried about the calories?” I joke. Linda
looks like she works out all the time. She is muscular for a
woman. Not as in she has massive arms, but nothing moves and
it goes beyond being toned.
She smiles at me. “I love sugar.” I make two coffees and sit
down beside her, pouring milk into mine. I offer her some, but
she shakes her head. “No thanks, I like it strong.”
“So is everything all right?” I ask.
“Of course. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You
just seemed upset when you left last night.” She takes a sip of
her coffee.
“Yeah. Sorry about freaking you out.” I give an embarrassed
smile. “I just got upset, but I’m fine now… Well, except for a
severe headache I have all day.”
She puts her cup on the table and joins her hands together,
looking very serious. “I need to ask you something about what
you saw when we meditated last night.”
I wasn’t expecting this and my headache was getting worse.
“Look, Linda, I’m not being rude or anything, but my head is
pounding. I would prefer to forget it.”
She reaches across and pats my hand, looking truly concerned.
“Did the headache start after you left last night?”
I try to think back to last night, but the pounding in my head
is getting pretty severe. I stand and stumble against the table,
spilling my coffee everywhere. I jump back just before it hits the
floor.
Linda’s voice sounds like it’s far away. “Sarajane, are you
okay?”
I feel like I’m going to get sick. She grabs both my hands to
steady me. I close my eyes against the nausea that’s clawing
up my throat. A haze starts to fog my vision, and everything
becomes confusing. There’s a man’s face that I can see. He has
really long white hair and wears a long blue cape. He looks
like a wizard from a kid’s storybook. He opens his mouth and
speaks, making me jolt with shock. Linda clenches my hands
tighter.
“Adora, I have tried all day to communicate with you.”
Linda responds by speaking, but this is all going on inside my
head, only Linda’s voice is coming from in front of me where
she stands. I keep my eyes closed.
“Sorry, Mirium, to worry you, but I did some mediation
with Sarajane, and then I couldn’t contact you. I don’t know
what happened.”
Mirium frowns. “She is with you now? You know this is
dangerous.” Mirium lets out a heavy sigh, as if disappointed
with Linda. “We will deal with it another time, but did you find
out where Marta is?”
Then the image of my mother is there. Mirium is watching it
carefully. Then it’s gone.
Linda speaks. “Is it enough to find her?”
Mirium doesn’t answer straight away. “I think so. So this is
Sarajane?” He says this with a kind smile.
“Yes, this is her,” Linda replies with relief in her voice, to
hear he isn’t mad at her.
My headache starts to reside, the grogginess leaving. I’m
becoming more aware of everything and starting to freak out.
As if Mirium picks up on my feelings, his smile fades and his
face becomes serious.
“Vale, Adora.”
“Vale, Mirium.”
Then everything is gone, and I’m standing in my kitchen,
looking at Linda, who just stares back at me, still holding my
hands.
I push her away from me. “Get out.” I point at the door with
a shaky hand. Linda doesn’t move, just looks at me as if I just
slapped her.
“Sarajane, there is so much you don’t understand. There is
no need to be afraid.”
I look at Linda, disbelieving. “You are a freak, Linda, if that
is even your name. Now get the hell out of my house!”
She gives me a sad look. “One day you will understand.”
Before I can say any more, she leaves. I sit down, trying to
breathe. What the hell just happened? I run to the bathroom
and throw up. That is twice now she’s made me hurl. What did
she do to me? What did she do inside my head?
I’m freaked. I text Josh and ask him to come over. Dad and
Jessica have gone to the cinema to see the newest release of the
Twilight Saga, Eclipse, so I’m alone. I change my jeans that are
soaked with coffee. It must have spilt all over my chair that I
sat on.
Twenty minutes later, the front doorbell rings. I’m still
sitting in my bedroom, trying to get my head around what just
happened. I go downstairs and open the door to Josh.
“Are you all right? I came as soon as possible.”
I wasn’t even too sure what to say. “Yeah, come on in.” We
climb the stairs to my bedroom. I plonk down on my bed. Josh
studies all the photos on my wardrobe door, a lot of them of
us since we were young. He laughs at one of me when I was
“I remember that day. It was a classic. You were so mad.”
He’s still smiling when he sits down on my computer chair, but
his smile fades when he sees the disquiet on my face. I can’t hide
it any longer.
“Linda was here,” I say.
“Linda, as in your yoga instructor?” he asks, looking
confused.
“Yes, that Linda, or should I say Adora.”
Josh moves to the side of my bed. “I’m lost, Sarajane. Start
from the start.”
So I do. I tell him everything from the start and leave nothing
out. When I’m finished, we sit there in silence.
“So do you think she can see things?”
I get off the bed, feeling irritated. I asked myself the same
question several times. “I don’t know. I mean, of course not.” I
look at Josh. “Right? Like, those things don’t exist.”
“Look, you’re very stressed and it’s been a really hard time
on you—”
I cut him off. “I know what I saw, Josh.” I can feel the tears
rising. “And it really scared me.”
Josh pulls me into his arms. When he leans back, his face is
thoughtful. “So what are you going to do?”
“I need to see Linda and get some answers off her,” I say, full
of determination.
“I will drive you over to the hall.”
I shake my head “No. This is my problem. I’m doing this
alone.”
Josh is getting annoyed; I can see his nose flare. “Sarajane,
no. I’m bringing you or you’re not going at all.”
I know when Josh gets like this there’s no way to get around
it. I put my hand
s on my hips to let him know I’m so not happy
with him. “Fine.” He smiles with smugness. I grab his keys as I
walk out the door. “I’ll drive since I can’t go on my own.” That
takes the smugness off his face. It gives me a few moments of
satisfaction, which doesn’t last long.
Once we’re near the hall, I start chewing on my lip. “What if
she denies everything and says I’m crazy?”
Josh has been quiet in the passenger seat for the whole drive.
“Just ask her what exactly happened.”
I pull into the hall and get out of the car. Josh climbs out
after me. “No. Stay in the car.”
“What if she attacks you?”
I roll my eyes. “Oh, for Pete’s sake, Josh, she’s my yoga
instructor, not an axe murderer.”
“Fine, but if you need me just scream. I will stand outside the
car,” he says in a stern voice. I don’t know why, but I feel like
laughing. The smile is wiped off my face as I walk towards the
building. I look back at Josh who gives me an I’m right here if
you need me look. I take a deep breath and pull the door. It’s
open. I enter the hall. It’s eerily quiet, or maybe it just feels like
that because I’m nervous and freaked.
“Hello,” I call and then feel silly. I don’t know what I’m
going to say to her. A part of me wants to turn on my heel and
leave and pretend this never happened, but the more determined
part of me says I need answers. Someone touches my shoulder. I
swing around and scream in alarm; Linda screams back.
“Sarajane, you scared me.”
I laugh nervously. “You scared me too, Linda.” Right on cue,
Josh comes through the doors like a bull let out of a field. He
looks at Linda with hate. “Josh, it’s fine. I just didn’t see Linda
and I got scared.” God, I sound pathetic.
“Are you sure?” Josh asks, still looking at Linda as if she
were the devil.
I move my eyes towards the door to give him the hint to
leave. “Yes, I’m positive.” He leaves hesitantly, sending glances
back at me. I clear my throat. “Sorry about that,” I say.
Linda looks annoyed. “You told him, didn’t you?” It isn’t
really a question, more of an accusation. What the hell did she
expect?
“Yes, you, like, freaked me out completely, Linda… or is that
even your name?” I ask, irritated now.