Eden Forest (Part one of the Saskia Trilogy)

by Aoife Marie Sheridan

and pregnant with you.” I feel sorry for her.

  “So they brought you back here because you fell in love

  before you were allowed to. And did you bring me here in case

  they tried to take me back also?”

  She swallows and meets my eye. “Yes,” was her reply, but her

  eyes say no. I don’t push her; she looks too distraught. I wonder

  who my father is. It doesn’t matter. Soon we will go home, and

  in my eyes, John is my dad.

  Panic boils in my stomach. John isn’t my dad. And then a

  calm washes over me. Everything will be okay, I tell myself, but

  thinking of John gives me a pang of homesickness.

  “When are we going home?” I ask.

  “Morrick is sorting out a few matters. It could take another

  two weeks.”

  My eyes widen in alarm. “Two weeks?” I put on my socks

  and boots roughly. Two more weeks.

  “Sarajane, we don’t have a choice.”

  I exhale, my anger resides and a calm falls over me again.

  “Sorry, I-I just miss home.”

  She embraces me. “Me too, love.” When we gather everything

  up, we continue walking. “I want to show you something.”

  We walk through long grass that brushes our knees. There

  are trees every fifty feet. It’s not like a forest, as the trees are

  too spaced out. As the sun shines, it gives a golden light to our

  surroundings. It is beautiful. The colours are so bright and

  strong and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. We start to climb uphill

  and when we reach the top, the view takes my breath away with

  the sheer beauty of it. No painting or picture could do it justice.

  There are loads of trees, but they have thick brown trunks

  about the width of five men. They shoot up into the air at a

  magnificent height. All the leaves are snow white; they flutter

  to the ground, giving the illusion of falling snowflakes, yet the

  trees never go bare. Under the trees sit snow-white wolves. You

  wouldn’t notice them if not for their bright blue eyes.

  “Will they harm us?”

  My mum glances at me. She’s in awe of what she sees too.

  “No. As long as you do not harm them.” I have to laugh at the

  stupidity of attacking a wolf.

  We walk down the hill and as we come to a slight bend, a

  spring comes into view, set into the side of a large red bank.

  Water pours from above and sparkles, crystal clear. I stand

  there and just admire it.

  “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful,” I say, mostly to

  myself.

  “Our world is full of beauty. One day you will see it all.”

  We turn back to the wolves and make our way across the

  grass. As we get closer, the wolves become very alert. They all

  rise, their blue eyes fixated on me. It’s a terrifying and amazing

  moment, to capture the attention of such creatures.

  Mum seems taken aback also as she stops in her tracks. “I

  have never seen them behave this way.”

  “Maybe they know I’m a stranger?” It sounds like a weak

  excuse. Maybe they’re hungry. The thought sends a chill down

  my spine. I start to get nervous, fiddling with my hands.

  Mum notices and reassures me. “It is all right. I would not let

  anything happen to you.”

  We move slowly under the trees. Mum sits down, pulling me

  gently with her.

  The wolves are huge up close. Their coats look so soft and

  shiny. They all fall on their front legs as if in a bowing gesture

  and their eyes are all set on me. One by one, the wolves rise.

  It’s the most unnerving moment of my life. They gather around

  me and one of the wolves reaches me and lies down, placing his

  head in my lap. I hold my breath.

  “It is all right; you can touch him.” Mum assures me, yet her

  face says something else. She looks confused. “I have never seen

  them like this. It makes no sense.”

  I reach out with a trembling hand and let my fingers sink into

  the wolf’s fur. “Wow.” He doesn’t even move. I let out a sigh of

  relief. “This is amazing. I’ve never seen a wolf before, let alone

  touched one.”

  I look all around me. There are wolves under every tree, their

  blue eyes staring at us. This all feels so surreal. “Why do they sit

  under the trees?” I ask Mum.

  “They protect them. The trees are known as weeping

  willows… The story goes that a man named Willow lived out

  here on the outskirts by himself. He didn’t want to live amongst

  us. To the villagers, he was odd as he always had a pack of

  wolves with him. He was known to have a very powerful earth

  affinity. They say he created the spring you just saw by reshaping

  the landscape.”

  “Wow, that seems hard to believe.”

  “Willow was intrigued by the mortal world, but he felt

  very sorry for them, as their lifespans were so short, so he

  started planting trees in their memory.” Mum moves her

  hand around us, motioning to all the trees. “So for every

  leaf that falls, a soul has passed from the mortal world, but

  the trees will never go bare, as mortals will always reproduce

  and exist. So when Willow died, they say he whispered into

  the wolves’ souls and made them promise they would always

  guard his trees. They have never left the trees unguarded

  since Willow died. They are friendly as long as you mean

  them no harm, but they would kill in an instant if you posed

  a threat to them.”

  I sit there thinking about Willow speaking to wolves,

  whispering into their souls. It all seems like something from a

  fairy tale. This world was so full of magic and beauty. “Why

  did Willow feel sorry for us?” I ask.

  “Because an average mortal lives between seventy and one

  hundred years.”

  I roll my eyes and point at myself. “I know. I’m a mortal, but

  everyone dies, right?”

  Mum begins to look uncomfortable. “Yes, of course everybody

  dies, Sarajane, but you are just like us, part immortal.” She rises

  abruptly, startling the wolf that looks up at her with sharp eyes

  but then just strolls away sensing no danger. “We must return.”

  I pat the wolf on my lap and say my good-byes before leaving.

  I follow Mum. She’s walking very fast now, making it hard to

  keep up with her. “What’s wrong? What did I say, Mum?”

  She stops. ”You are saying nothing. That’s the problem.

  It… it’s just not like you.” She walks back to the caves. I don’t

  understand what she means, yet a voice in the back of my mind

  tells me I understand her perfectly well.

  By the time we arrive, it’s getting dark. The main room is

  alive with laughter. Kiar, Neve and Alana lounge on the chairs.

  When Alana notices us, she jumps to her feet. My mother

  stops her. “Stay, Alana. I am going to lie down for a while.”

  “Are you all right here?” she asks me.

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  Neve pipes up. “I will mind her.” He winks at me playfully.

  I roll my eyes.

  Kiar and Neve become my friends over the next couple of

  days. My mother is never around,
always off with Morrick.

  Tristan and Legis are off on a secret mission nobody will tell me

  about, and Alana avoids me like the plague. When she’s around,

  she’s just plain nasty.

  I explore the caves with Neve and Kiar whenever we’re left

  alone, which seems like always lately. The cave tunnels are a

  maze and I would get lost if I were on my own.

  One of the days, I ask Neve about his fire affinity. “Could

  you show me?”

  Neve and Kiar exchange looks and both of them answer in

  unison with a big grinning yes. We find a small room and place

  our torches in holders on the walls. Neve takes centre stage and

  tells Kiar and me to stand back, which deserves an eye roll.

  Neve and drama go hand in hand.

  “Welcome, all.”

  The annoyed look on our faces makes him less dramatic.

  “Fine. Fine. Okay.” He holds out his hand, palm up, and spreads

  his fingers. “Lux,” he says. A small ball of fire hovers above his

  hand. I stumble back in astonishment. Kiar steadies me. Neve is

  delighted with himself. “I can’t believe I did it on the first go.”

  Kiar answers my confused look. “He is not very powerful

  with fire. Air is his main affinity.”

  “I can be good with fire. Watch,” Neve says, self-assured.

  “Neve, don’t,” Kiar warns. But it’s too late. The room

  becomes engulfed with flames. The flames cling to the walls

  and ceiling, sweeping through the room.

  Just before it hits us, Kiar grabs my hand and pulls me into

  his chest. “Aeirus,” he roars, and then the heat is gone. I stand

  out of Kiar’s arms but still hold his hand. We are in an air

  bubble. I can see Neve in his own bubble of air, but sweat soaks

  his clothes.

  “He is hurt,” Kiar says while pushing our air bubble through

  the flames as we make our way towards Neve.

  The fire is circling around the room. It reminds me of our log

  fire at home. Dad would have it roaring on cold winter nights.

  The doors of the fireplace have glass so you can see inside. The

  flames cling to the roof of the log fire, but that’s because no air

  can get to it. When Dad opens a little vent, the air rushes in, and

  the flames return to normal.

  “Why are the flames not leaving the room?” I ask Kiar as we

  continue to make our way over to Neve.

  “Because Neve called it here.” Kiar is sweating by the

  time he reaches Neve and encapsulates him in our bubble.

  Neve collapses to the ground; his hands are badly burnt.

  I drop to my knees. “Neve, can you hear me?” No reply.

  I check for a heartbeat. It flutters under my fingertips. He is

  unconscious. “We need to get help, Kiar,” I shout up at him,

  starting to panic.

  “Hold my hand and try to help me.”

  I start to feel frantic. “Help you how, Kiar? Shall I fly us

  out of here?” My voice has reached a hysterical pitch, making

  me sound unrecognisable. Kiar is panting now. “Neve is the

  one with the strong air affinity, not me . So please just take my

  hand.” He’s as frightened as I am. I grab his hand. “Close your

  eyes and picture our bubble expanding into the room until all

  the flames are out.”

  Kiar’s hand is slick with sweat. I try so hard, but when I open

  my eyes, I see our bubble is getting smaller.

  Kiar collapses to his knees. “I can’t hold it much longer.” The

  strain is visible on his face.

  I pull Neve’s heavy body closer with a serious amount of

  effort and it drains all my energy. I have to lie down as the

  bubble is caving in, making it hard to breathe. Oh God,

  we’re going to die, I think. Kiar’s breath is becoming shallow

  and Neve is still unconscious. “Kiar… do… something.” My

  own breath is hard to catch. The air is so hot now.

  Kiar lies beside me, still trying to hold the air around us, but

  it’s starting to shimmer. Dots appear in front of my eyes. The

  heat is intense. My own body is covered in sweat. I lick my dry

  lips. Water, sweet water, I think.

  Cracking noise erupts above us. I look at the ceiling and

  can see small cracks appearing. A drop of water trickles

  from the first crack. Am I seeing what I want to see, or is

  this real? Then more cracks start to appear, getting wider;

  water starts to sprinkle from the cracks, dousing the roaring

  fire slightly. Then I hear a thunderous crack just before a

  part of the roof collapses.

  I grab Kiar’s hand as a wave of water pours out, rushing

  towards us. The impact bursts our tiny bubble and sweeps us

  against the wall. My back bashes against the rock, taking my

  breath away and filling my lungs with water. I’m too weak to

  react. Darkness sweeps in.

  I wake to Kiar screaming at me. He rolls me on my side and

  I painfully cough up water. My back is in agony. We’re still

  sitting in water, but it’s reduced to small puddles. Kiar shakes

  Neve awake. I sit up carefully.

  My eyes fall on Morrick standing in the entryway. Neve

  grunts with pain from his hands as he examines them, but when

  his eyes fall on Morrick, he turns as white as a ghost. None of

  us move.

  “What the hell happened here?” Morrick’s anger at this

  moment reminds me of Tristan’s. Deadly. I don’t want Neve or

  Kiar to get into trouble. This was my idea, after all.

  “The roof collapsed,” I say while standing on wobbly legs.

  “We’re lucky to be alive.” My voice quivers, not with fear, but

  the cold. Morrick doesn’t reply.

  “Get up and go back to the main room,” he says to Neve and

  Kiar. As Neve passes, Morrick touches his shoulder. “Get your

  hands looked at.”

  Neve’s face pales even further. “Yes, sir.”

  Damn, I forgot about his hands. How to explain that one

  away?

  Morrick doesn’t seem interested in further explanation. He

  turns and leaves, calling back to me over his shoulder. “Come

  on, Sarajane.”

  I follow him back to the main room. My mother is rubbing

  ointment into Neve’s burnt hands. When I arrive, she throws

  me a worried glance. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. Fine. Just need to change.” I lie and make my way to

  my room. I can hear my mother telling Alana to help me. The

  last thing I need or want is her help. Slamming the door of my

  room, I hope Alana gets the message that she isn’t welcome, but

  it doesn’t stop her.

  “So did you have fun?” Her words are laced with mockery.

  I ignore her and start to remove my tunic. The ache in my back

  is torture. Alana goes to throw me another smart comment, but

  the sight of my back silences her. Turning to the mirror, I glance

  over my shoulder. My back is a mass of colours. It looks like

  someone has splattered colourful paint all over an easel. Jesus,

  it looks bad.

  Alana starts filling the bath quietly as I examine myself.

  “The bath will ease the pain and the lavender will relax you.”

  I have to look at her twice, but she seems genuin
e. She’s right.

  The lavender soothes me.

  Chapter Eleven

  Saskia

  (Sarajane)

  Morrick keeps Neve and Kiar busy for the next two

  days so I never get to talk to them. My back is healing

  really fast. I wonder what Alana really put in my bath.

  I never ask, as she’s back to being her usual obnoxious self. My

  mother has become distant, and whispered conversations cease

  when I’m close by.

  Today it’s only Alana and me left with Liber guarding us.

  “I’m going to my room,” I announce. Alana continues her

  cleaning and Liber just nods.

  The door across from my room is left slightly open. Normally

  this door is locked. On days of exploring, I tried this door, but

  it was always locked. It’s a study filled with really old books

  and scrolls. A writing desk is tucked away in the corner. After

  retrieving a torch from the hall, I place it in its holder, giving

  light to the room. A sheet of paper is lying on the desk. Two

  small stones keep it in place. I walk closer to take a look. My

  name is circled at the top of the page. I read down farther. The

  handwriting is squiggly and hard to understand, but I can make

  out some of it.

  Shows signs of water affinity, level three. But uncontrollable.

  Beside this is a list of five elements:

  Air

  Earth

  Water

  Fire

  Spirit

  Wateris ticked off. Then it continues on to say, She is not

  aware of her path yet, but in time, her destiny will be revealed

  to her.

  I look over my shoulder and listen carefully to make sure no one

  is coming. When satisfied, I continue to read. The handwriting

  changes. It’s easier to read now, but more disturbing.Experiment 1

  Calm was influenced upon day three, five drops in tea.

  Successful.

  I clutch the page, pushing the stones aside. I knew the tea

  tasted funny. The day my mother and I went for the walk, I

  knew my emotions felt suppressed. My mother was right;

  something was wrong, and now I knew Morrick was drugging

  me. For how long? And why?

  “What are you doing?” I jump and let out a screech. Liber

  looks at me, full of suspicion.

  “I was looking at the books.” I hide the paper behind my

  back and lower it back onto the desk.

  “You’re not allowed in here.”