City of Secrets ( Saskia Trilogy, #2)
Author: Aoife Marie Sheridan
Publisher: Synerg e-books
Blurb:
Sarajane finds herself in the middle of a war… a war over her. While in the City of Secrets, she must learn to use her powers that God gave her to defeat a fallen angel, who wants nothing more than to walk on earth. But will she stop Lucian, the fallen angel in time… even with Tristan and Carew at her side?
A war awaits her arrival,
A warrant for her arrest.
She must rise as a princess,
And Darkness shall fall.
But will their love survive this battle?
For Tristan and Sarajane?.
Step back into Saskia.
A warrant for her arrest.
She must rise as a princess,
And Darkness shall fall.
But will their love survive this battle?
For Tristan and Sarajane?.
Step back into Saskia.
PURCHASE LINKS:
E-BOOK
PAPERBACK:
CHAPTER EIGHT
SARAJANE
I knew the minute I stepped inside the gold doors I was in the presence of something more powerful than mankind itself. Three beautiful white angels lay in glass boxes. The light that radiated from them was causing my eyes to water. I wanted so bad to touch them. But the closer I got, the light became blinding as I was surrounded in light. A gentle hand grabbed my waist and pulled me back.
“Don’t get too close,” Mirium said. He was in awe also of what lay before us. “How is this possible?” I asked to no one in particular. But when I looked around at the occupants in the room I wasn’t surprised. Mirium, Marcella, Avitus and Draco all looked at me. Mirium gave me a warm smile. “They are our founders,” then his smile faded.
“They are dying, Sarajane, which means Lucian has started to raise.” The hairs rose on my arms and the back of my neck. I looked back at the angels. I was in the presence of angels.
“What are their names?” I knew it was irrelevant but I wanted to know.
“Jeremy is to your left. Veronica is the angel in the center, and Sara is to your right.” I just nodded, not able to avert my eyes from them. Their wings were barely visible through the light, but what I could see was snow white feathers that looked so soft.
“How much time do we have?” I asked, again to no one in particular.
“We honestly don’t know” Marcella answered, in the serious voice I wasn’t used to. “We thought you might be able to tell us,” she said with hope in her voice. I felt like crying. How the hell I would be able to tell was beyond me. I was only a girl and felt it in the presence of something this almighty. But I closed my eyes and asked the question out loud, “How long have I got, in order to save Saskia?” The angel Veronica stirred, sending my heart rate into over drive. Her glow became less intense and I could see her face. Her beauty made tears come to my eyes.
“Come to me Sarajane” she whispered in my head. When I reached her, I fell to my knees. In awe of her, I couldn’t take my eyes away from her angelic face. Her beauty was so unnatural that it did not belong to this world. “Closer,” she whispered again inside my head. I moved closer, leaning against the glass, as tears slipped from my cheeks, landing on its surface, and then the glass was gone from under my palms and I fell through it. All around was white. I felt as if my life was slipping away. Maybe it was, but I felt so peaceful. I lay on Veronica’s soft wing.
“My child,” my heart skipped a beat at the golden voice that rang in my ear. I couldn’t seem to open my eyes but I didn’t mind. The breath that brushed my face was as warm and fresh as the most beautiful summer's morning. More tears came to my eyes. “I will tell you the future of what I see, and I see it so clearly. There are two paths. The first is that you will win this war, but you will die, and in doing so save Carew. Or he will die saving you. Your second path is a more unfortunate one. You will try to save a loved one’s soul, but in doing so you may lose your soul, and if that happens the world will be no more.” Both sounded awful, but the second one, of course, more so.
How would I lose my soul? I could feel the angel stir underneath me, her hand reaching out to my face. I didn’t need to see to understand what she was doing. The warmth that washed through me was enough. I felt as if the angel had touched my very being. “You have been touched by the hands of God,” and then there was a burst of light so strong that I was sailing through the air.
The wind was knocked out of me when I hit cold, concrete ground. I didn’t want to open my eyes, as the warmth was leaving my body. I knew I was no longer in the presence of the angels. I was lifted and could feel movement around me. A door closed, more walking, then another. I was laid down on a bed no comparison to the angel’s soft wings.
“Veronica,” I called out like a child wanting its mother on a cold and frightening night.
“Get some water,” someone commanded. My face was held by old hands. “Sarajane come back to me,” Mirium's voice said gently. I knew he would be worried but I didn’t want to come to this world. But I had to. I opened them slowly, expecting to be blinded by light. But only one candle burned in the dark room. Mirium's worried face smiled at me. He didn’t said anything only kissed my forehead.
“What did she say?” Marcella asked unable to control herself. Everyone looked at me, waiting. But my eyes filled with tears not of fear but in want of the angel. Mirium brushed my tears away, and smiled sympathetically as if he understood what I missed.
“It can be unbearable to leave them, when we are in their presence. I can not imagine what it must be like to be touched by one.”
I went to explain, but my mouth opened and closed, but no words would do the angel justice. Mirium nodded in understanding and then Avitus appeared with water, waiting patiently as I sat up. “Thanks” I whispered. I stared into nothing, thinking about what Veronica had just said, the shifting bodies in the room made me look up. Marcella, Draco and Avitus waited patiently. Everyone was waiting for my answer. I took a deep breath and told them exactly what the angel told me, without meeting anyone’s eye. I could feel them watching me. Mirium let out a heavy breath.
“Okay this is good then. We could win this,” he said turning to Marcella and Draco, who also looked optimistic.
“We just need to keep the war outside at bay” Marcella said in her new voice. She could see the disbelief in my voice. “I’m a good actress darling,” she said in her old crazy voice.
“Why?” I genuinely couldn’t understand.
“It keeps people away from Humus, the crazy leader with no brain. It keeps my people safer.
No one sees me as a threat,” she explained. It seemed a bit over the top, but an amazing deceit. Draco went into military mode. “We must attack back now at the gates before they try to overpower us again.”
I zoned out as they talked, and Mirium joined them. I couldn’t stop thinking of all the implications of what Veronica had said, even if we won this war against Lucian either me or Carew would die. My heart felt heavy, and yet I was confused with my own feelings. Why did it bother me so much that Carew might die, what hold had he over me?
Avitus moved to my bedside. “I am going to organize our new lodgings so you rest and Mirium will walk you over later” Avitus patted my hair, with such tenderness. I fell asleep for a few hours; when I awoke only Mirium was in the room. He took me back to Avitus' new home, not far from his own. I was greeted with open arms. Avitus had a fresh bed made up for me, along with clean nightwear.
“Goodnight,” he said as he closed my bedroom door. I changed and fell into bed, feeling warmth around me that sent me into a deep sleep. “Veronica” I whispered just before my mind went blank.
Aoife Maire Sheridan is twenty eight years of age. She lives in Kells, Co. Meath, a small town just outside Navan. Aoife was raised in Navan but left with her family at the age of sixteen. Aoife has always had a passion for writing but mostly poetry. This is her first time to write a novel.
Aoife Marie Sheridan studied Accountancy and qualified as an accountant technician. She worked in this profession for several years but with the economic downturn she was made redundant.
Aoife Marie Sheridan now works in retail as well as spending endless hours reading and writing.
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