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Book: Adrasteia (Eternelles: A Prequel, Book 0) by Zee Monodee, Natalie G. Owens
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Authors: Zee Monodee, Natalie G. Owens
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Franco.”
“So you’re going respectable now? That’s why you were annoyed when I was having fun with the audience there?”
Was she? Adri almost froze as she contemplated that notion, but Ares’ strong arm around her shoulders propelled her forward. Gentle warmth greeted them on the threshold of the stables. Still, the cold refused to leave her bones.
For the first time in very long, she grew scared. Something was amiss.
In this moment, or in her life? Was she going all uptight and posh now? With dismay, she recalled the many commands she’d formed and sprinkled recently when she was in public. Thoughts she planted in people’s heads, like how she was nothing more than the mysterious, aloof, and very private heiress of the Dionysios family from Greece. In the past, she’d never hidden who she was and what business she’d been up to.
The heat around her suddenly grew stifling, and she shifted the cloak on her. In doing so, she dislodged Ares’ grip from her shoulder.
“Adri! Watch out!”
She blinked at him, but before she could form a word, a ball of fire erupted in front of her eyes and hovered before her. Was it her imagination, or did the flames wrap themselves around her while nothing—not even a strand of hay—burned at her feet?
Ares tried to reach out for her, but before he could even touch her, he pulled his hands back. Tendrils of smoke rose from his flesh.
How could she not be burning, not suffocating from the heat? She could now see nothing but fire, and a strange rumbling sound echoed in her ears. Like chants, in a language she’d long ago heard coming from the mouths of White Witches, the most powerful witches working in the name of Good.
Adri could only watch as her body heeded the call of that mystical message of which she understood not a whit. Her arms rose to form a cradle. Pain erupted from her womb, and her breasts grew tense and heavy.
Then before she could blink, a ball of fire formed in front of her, hovering above the dip of her extended arms. Surprise stung her when the flames leapt in the form of a phoenix’s wings, before they receded...to leave a screaming baby girl in their place. Other than a necklace with a tough-looking pendant around her neck, the baby bore no other identifying marks. Her body was still slick from the birth liquid, her hair matted on her head.
Adri tore her gaze from the infant. The fire still wrapped around her, but the flames didn’t burn nor sting. Across from her, Ares called her name with dread. He probably couldn’t see her beyond the blazing curtain.
Then, as suddenly as it came, the fire disappeared, leaving her with the squirming mass in her arms.
“Adri! What happe—” Ares jerked to a stop in front of her. “What is that ?”
“A baby,” she muttered.
“I can see that. But where does she come from?”
She glanced up at her brother. “I have no idea.”
He frowned. “Are you okay? How did that fire not burn you? I tried to pull you out but it singed my hands.”
She nodded. “I know.”
“Adri! You’re in shock! Who is this child, and where does she come from?”
That’s when she snapped out of her stupor. The events of the past few minutes flashed in front of her eyes again and she tried to make sense of them. White Witches’ chants, a newborn baby wrapped in flames that took the shape of a phoenix....
But the most astounding was her body’s reaction to this child. She’d seen many women give birth, had had many friends tell her how it felt like to bear life and bring it into this world. If she were to believe all their words, she was physically reacting like she had put this baby into the world herself. Her breasts hurt, pain like she had never experienced before, and wetness seemed to seep through the silk of her camisole and the bodice of her dress.
Instinct that chimed in from she knew not where directed her fingers to the front of her garment while she cradled the still-screaming baby with her other arm. A
“So you’re going respectable now? That’s why you were annoyed when I was having fun with the audience there?”
Was she? Adri almost froze as she contemplated that notion, but Ares’ strong arm around her shoulders propelled her forward. Gentle warmth greeted them on the threshold of the stables. Still, the cold refused to leave her bones.
For the first time in very long, she grew scared. Something was amiss.
In this moment, or in her life? Was she going all uptight and posh now? With dismay, she recalled the many commands she’d formed and sprinkled recently when she was in public. Thoughts she planted in people’s heads, like how she was nothing more than the mysterious, aloof, and very private heiress of the Dionysios family from Greece. In the past, she’d never hidden who she was and what business she’d been up to.
The heat around her suddenly grew stifling, and she shifted the cloak on her. In doing so, she dislodged Ares’ grip from her shoulder.
“Adri! Watch out!”
She blinked at him, but before she could form a word, a ball of fire erupted in front of her eyes and hovered before her. Was it her imagination, or did the flames wrap themselves around her while nothing—not even a strand of hay—burned at her feet?
Ares tried to reach out for her, but before he could even touch her, he pulled his hands back. Tendrils of smoke rose from his flesh.
How could she not be burning, not suffocating from the heat? She could now see nothing but fire, and a strange rumbling sound echoed in her ears. Like chants, in a language she’d long ago heard coming from the mouths of White Witches, the most powerful witches working in the name of Good.
Adri could only watch as her body heeded the call of that mystical message of which she understood not a whit. Her arms rose to form a cradle. Pain erupted from her womb, and her breasts grew tense and heavy.
Then before she could blink, a ball of fire formed in front of her, hovering above the dip of her extended arms. Surprise stung her when the flames leapt in the form of a phoenix’s wings, before they receded...to leave a screaming baby girl in their place. Other than a necklace with a tough-looking pendant around her neck, the baby bore no other identifying marks. Her body was still slick from the birth liquid, her hair matted on her head.
Adri tore her gaze from the infant. The fire still wrapped around her, but the flames didn’t burn nor sting. Across from her, Ares called her name with dread. He probably couldn’t see her beyond the blazing curtain.
Then, as suddenly as it came, the fire disappeared, leaving her with the squirming mass in her arms.
“Adri! What happe—” Ares jerked to a stop in front of her. “What is that ?”
“A baby,” she muttered.
“I can see that. But where does she come from?”
She glanced up at her brother. “I have no idea.”
He frowned. “Are you okay? How did that fire not burn you? I tried to pull you out but it singed my hands.”
She nodded. “I know.”
“Adri! You’re in shock! Who is this child, and where does she come from?”
That’s when she snapped out of her stupor. The events of the past few minutes flashed in front of her eyes again and she tried to make sense of them. White Witches’ chants, a newborn baby wrapped in flames that took the shape of a phoenix....
But the most astounding was her body’s reaction to this child. She’d seen many women give birth, had had many friends tell her how it felt like to bear life and bring it into this world. If she were to believe all their words, she was physically reacting like she had put this baby into the world herself. Her breasts hurt, pain like she had never experienced before, and wetness seemed to seep through the silk of her camisole and the bodice of her dress.
Instinct that chimed in from she knew not where directed her fingers to the front of her garment while she cradled the still-screaming baby with her other arm. A
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