Eden Forest (Part one of the Saskia Trilogy) (9 page)

Marta -Saskia, Present day-

I
open my eyes. I am back in the cell. Tears break through the

crusted blood around my eyes, making my tears flow red.

I think I am back in the cell a day. I try to move, but the

pain shoots through my body. A choked sound escapes my lips.

I can hear the rattle of my cell door. Then footsteps approach

me. I close my eyes tight and pray it will be over quickly. I know

I will not live through another beating. I am not afraid of dying;

I am afraid of not living.

I can hear the shuffle of clothes as someone kneels down

beside me. “Drink some water.” I open my eyes and look up at

a guardian with a pitcher of water in his hands. I don’t answer,

just nod my head. He lifts me up and brings the pitcher to my

lips. It could be poisoned, but I don’t care. It will make my

death come faster. I take a deep gulp of water. It tastes so good.

When I have my fill, I look up at the guardian, who is studying

me. He has piercing green eyes that really stand out against his

tanned skin.

“What is your name, guardian?” I ask through cracked and

dry lips.

“Tristan, my lady.” I recognise his name. He is Morrick’s

head guardian. “Can you stand?” he asks while scanning my

battered body.

“No, I don’t think so.” I try to move, but he stops me.

“I will carry you.”

“Carry me where?”

“I am under orders from King Morrick not to say.”

I feel sick. Morrick knows I am here. “How did the king find

out I was here?” I ask in a whisper.

“I don’t know, my lady.” I don’t get to ask any more. He

lifts me effortlessly. Then he looks down at me in his arms.

“We must be quiet, but darkness has fallen so we should pass

unseen.” I just nod my head. He carries me up the stone steps

and pauses at the door, listening. “What about the queen’s

guardians?” I ask, feeling afraid now that I might be saved. The

fight to survive comes surging back.

He gives me a small smile; the corner of his lip turns up

slightly. “I have them kept busy with a fire in the stables.” All l

can say to this is, “Oh”.

Listening at the door, he moves when he thinks it is safe.

He carries me through the village. I can see the red glow in the

night sky from the fire. We keep to the shadows in the village,

moving slowly. It feels at times like we are waiting forever

while villagers get water from the well and run towards the

stables. I can hear the panic of the horses. I hope they all get

out unharmed.

As if he can read my mind, Tristan answers my unspoken

question. “Don’t worry. The horses are safe. They are just

playing up, creating a lot of noise.”

As we move through the village and onto the outskirts, I black

out a few times with exhaustion. Soon I can feel the movement

of a horse underneath us. I didn’t even remember saddling a

horse. Tristan must have saddled one while I was out. I try to

open my eyes, but they are too heavy to open. After a while, the

horse slows down.

When I open my eyes again, we are at the Amour Caves. We

enter the mouth of the cave, Tristan still carrying me. Five men

could stand on each other’s shoulders it is that high, though it

reduces in size to about nine feet the farther in you go, so it is

comfortable at all times to stand in. The torches are lit along

the cave walls.

Tristan walks down the hall of the cave until it branches off

to the left. I know the room he is taking me to. It is the room

where Morrick and I used to meet in secret. Now it feels such a

long time ago.

We enter the large room. Flames from the small fire dance

along the walls. Tristan moves straight across the room and

places me on the ground gently as he pushes the correct stones in

to reveal the hidden door. When a breeze flutters into the room,

his arms are around me again. We make our way down a cold

tunnel. It is lit up with torches placed every few feet. The tunnel

opens up into the main room, which is finished luxuriously. A

large fire burns in the centre of the room; smoke billows out

through a pipe that has been drilled through the ceiling. The

flooring is bare, but the furnishings of large armchairs are

placed all around the room. The walls are covered in large

paintings of royals and draped with beautiful red material that

makes the room feel warm.

Tristan lays me beside the fire on a large couch covered in

sheepskin. I search the room for Morrick and my stomach

tightens when my eyes fall upon his face. He is sitting in a large

armchair in the corner of the room, still as handsome as the

first day I set eyes on him. He looks at Tristan and beckons him

just outside the room entrance. They talk in hushed voices. The

longer they are gone, the more nervous I feel. I don’t know what

to say to Morrick. I never truly believed I would see him again.

As I wait, my eyes become heavier and I finally fall asleep.

When I wake, Morrick is dishing out a bowl of soup from a

large pot set over the fire. My movements alert him.

“How do you feel?” he asks while topping off the bowl. Just

hearing his voice makes me want to cry, but I have to be strong.

I push back the layers of blankets that are on top of me.

“Sore.” I start coughing and it feels like I have not used my

throat in a long time. It is dry, as if my mouth has been filled

with sand. Morrick comes to me with water and lifts my head

while I drink greedily from the goblet. When I finish, he studies

my face, running his fingers along my cheekbone.

“Did she do this to you?” he asks, his voice full of torment.

“It does not matter. I am safe now.”

He holds my face with both hands. “Nobody will ever hurt

you again.” He stands then and brings me a large bowl of soup.

It is in a porcelain bowl, something I have never eaten out of while in Saskia. I am accustomed to wooden bowls and spoons.

“Eat. It will help your strength.” I do as I am told, as I am

starving. I eat two bowls of soup. When my belly is full, I lie

back down and the heat of the fire sends me off to sleep.

I am awoken a short time later by voices. I feel a lot stronger.

We heal quickly, so I am very lucky. Being part immortal has its

benefits. Any mortal would have died a long time ago.

Tristan, two other guardians, and Mirium are sitting around

the fire with Morrick. They all sit on large armchairs with high

backs. They must have taken them from around the room.

Morrick rises when he sees I am awake. “Marta.” Pushing

the blankets back, he helps me to the fire as Mirium places

another chair in their circle. “Marta, this is Legis and Liber, my

men.” I acknowledge them both with a nod.

“And you have meet Tristan.”

I give him a grateful smile. “Hello.”

“And you know Mirium.”

I do, but I can’t understand what the oracle is doing here. His

eyes are alight, as if he knows a secret I have not yet discovered.

More than likely, he does.

I incline my head with respect. “Greetings, Mirium.”

He looks amused. “Greetings to you, Marta.”

“Marta.” Morrick’s voice makes me look away from Mirium.

“Tristan is the best man we have here in Saskia and I trust him.

So he will retrieve our child from the mortal world.”

He goes to speak again, but my breath catches in my chest

as the memory of Lucian wanting my daughter rushes back.

“What do you mean retrieve our child?”

Morrick looks aggravated. “To protect our child. I can only

protect it here, with me.”

I stand then, even against the dizziness. “Don’t you dare go

near her. She has no idea.”

Morrick stands too. “Her? So I have a daughter.” His anger

pours out. “Why did you leave? You took my child from me.”

His voice gets louder and harsher as he walks towards me. “You

broke me.”

Mirium interrupts us then. “Morrick, you know why. This

will do no one any good.”

Morrick swings around, his shoulders held straight with

anger. “I want to hear it from her lips,” he says while pointing

an accusing finger at me.

I try to get my own anger under control, but I know my own

words are laced with it. “Morrick, I had to protect Sarajane. I

did what was right.” His face falls; he just looks devastated.

Morrick and Mirium share an unspoken understanding.

What the hell is going on? But I never get to ask.

“Sarajane, what a perfect name. Princess Sarajane.” His

voice now sounds gentle. “What is she like?” I don’t think I could

feel any worse. Morrick just looks lost, not a look I ever thought

I would see on a king’s face.

“Morrick, I am so sorry. I had to protect her.”

He clears his throat. “It does not matter why. Now we must

just keep my daughter safe.”

“She is safe. No one knows. I told them nothing. I know

you’re hurting—”

He cuts me off. “They know, Marta.” He comes to me and

holds my arms. “Corrona told Bellona.”

I push Morrick away. My anger flares. “Why would you say

that? She would not do that to me.”

“Marta, she told me herself. How do you think I knew where

to find you?”

“No.” I couldn’t believe this. “Why would she?”

Morrick’s face was torn with sympathy. “Bellona gave her

son back.” I know then what he is saying is true.

I push past him and run down the hall of the cave. I have

to get to Sarajane. I stumble against the walls as the dizziness

washes through me. Morrick grabs me from behind. “Let me

go,” I roar.

He holds me until I calm down. “We will get to her. She will

be safe.”

My body goes limp against him and I cry. “My baby girl,” I

say through sobs.

Morrick strokes my hair. “We will get her. Amour meus

aeternus.” I am taken aback by the Latin. It is not used

anymore, but the meaning startles me even more. My eternal

love. So he still loves me after all this time. I straighten up

and walk back with Morrick to the other guardians and

Mirium. Pulling myself together, I sit down near the fire once again.

Morrick explains his plans to retrieve Sarajane.

Tristan lit the fire in the stables for two reasons. One,

to draw attention away from me so he could get me out

of the cell, and two, so the horses would be unsettled and

Dominic would take his time trying to settle them down. So

the queen’s men could not leave until morning. Dominic, the

horse master, has a way with the horses. I don’t know if it

is a gift, but they do as he tells them. So it gives Morrick’s

men a head start.

“Morrick, there is a man looking for Sarajane also.” I look

into the fire as I speak, even though I can feel all eyes on me.

I don’t want them to see my fear. “Bellona took me to him.” I