Dark Forest (Watty's 2017)

Part 18

A/N: So this is technically the beginning of the new ending I've been working on. All the parts from here on out will be new! Also, there was a big change at the beginning (regarding Ronan's past) that is going to play an important role. So go back and reread parts 1-3. Thanks as always! PS- Just a reminder that my science fiction romance novel, Chasing Shadows, is now up for sale! It's on Amazon and Kindle, but until Sunday you can get it off my publisher's website at a discounted price! Just use this link :http://www.pulsepub.net/chasing-shadows.html

xoxo!

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There were no dreams. No pictures, colors, lights, or anything at all. Just darkness and shadow, shrouding her consciousness like a heavy, black cloak. Each time she struggled to wake, it wrapped around her once again and pulled her back under. It could've been mere minutes, or perhaps even days by the time her eyes fluttered open and the world returned to her piece by piece. Zara's vision swam and she struggled to keep her eyes open, focusing instead on wiggling her toes and fingers. Her fingernails scraped against soft, damp earth and she could smell the scent of pine needles.

"Sleeping beauty, awake at last."

Hearing his voice was like having a bucket of cold ice dumped over her. It's effect was instant, snapping her back to awareness. Her eyes opened and the first thing she was Ronan, slumped against the trunk of a tree in front of her. His long legs were stretched out in front of him, one arm clutching his stomach. Dark dried blood was smeared beneath his chin, the same shade as the stains on his shirt. Her heart clenched, wondering what they had done to him while she was unconscious. His eyes met hers and she almost recoiled from the anger in his eyes, and it took her a moment to realize it wasn't direct at her but toward the man standing between them.

Her eyes flickered toward Ardon while her hand instinctively went toward the sword at her hip— only to find it was no longer there. She cursed beneath her breath, hand falling limply into her lap. Ardon was suddenly crouching in front of her, waggling a slender finger and clucking his tongue.

"You didn't think I would be foolish enough to let you stay armed, now did you?" He asked with a low chuckle.

Her eyes narrowed. "What did you do to me?"

He shook his head. "Nothing permanent. Just a little nocturne position to knock out any remaining resistance you may have had lurking inside you."

Several tall, lanky figures moved behind him, some pacing the forest floor while others leaned impatiently against nearby tree trunks as they awaited instruction in their human form. She recognized the dark haired and white haired men from earlier among them. She squeezed her eyes shut again as the last words Ardon had said to her fluttered back into her mind. Welcome to the family, my niece. It sent a wave of nausea rolling through her. It couldn't be true. It was impossible. How could she be related to that-that monster? Just the idea made her feel dirty, as if she were tainted with something. When her eyes opened again, he was watching her with anticipation.

"You're wondering if I'm telling the truth. Let me assure you, I wouldn't bother with if it weren't true," he said in a low voice, head cocked to one side. "It's unfortunate that the strongest of blood magic requires just that— the blood of a direct descendant. Unfortunate for you at least...You are going to be of great use to me. Your blood anyways."

Zara let her head fall back against the tree trunk, still feeling weak from the effects of the potion. Blood magic had been forbidden even before the essence had been sealed away, considered too dark, too dangerous, for practice. It opened doorways that would be better off shut, turned people into shadows of their former selves, and never ended well. Rarely did anything good ever come from its use, though she supposed that depended on the user and his intentions.