Page 38 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

“Disturbing, unsettling and extremely powerful.”

“Yeah, the power is immense.”

“Have you touched it?” he asks quietly.

“No…” I say, a sliver of worry rushing through me. “Ahren? What is it?”

He shakes his head. “Nothing… I guess we perceive things differently. Or we, as different types of demons, do.” He gulps down his drink, and I stare ahead in silence. “Don’t touch it; I don’t think it forgets.”

It?

“Ahren, you’re being cryptic. Too many days spent with Dante, maybe?” I point out with a small smile.

He smiles faintly. “Well, we do spend an unhealthy amount of time together,” he chuckles.

“The mysterious quests,” I tease.

“Of course.”

“But really, what do you mean it doesn’t forget?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “I think the assumption that demons made that barrier is true. No, I’m pretty sure it’s true,” he murmurs.

“You think there are demons within it?”

“I can’t say; I need to research it a little more. But for that, I have to go back to England; there’s something I need to look into. Are you sure you’ll be ok here? You know things will only get harder with your heat,” he says, giving me an apologetic smile when I roll my eyes.

“How many times have I said I don’t like you guys talking about it?” I pout.

He chuckles. “Yeah, I get that, but I had to ask the question.”

I sigh. “I don’t know, but I have to make use of the time I have.”

“Yeah, there’s only so much you’ll be able to take.”

I nod. “I know…” The mood becomes sombre as we both stare out at the darkness.

“Sienna.”

I look up at him. It isn’t often he’ll call me by my name.

“Yeah?” I ask.

“I touched that dome, and I felt so ravenous for it – for the power it held.” His voice is low, barely a murmur in the wind. My heart skips a beat as I watch him. He isn’t done yet, and I remain silent, waiting with bated breath. “And… I had the urge to rip it down, to seek the source of that power and claim it. Only the gods know if I would have succeeded, but I wanted to… And then I heard a voice.”

“A voice?” I ask.

He nods. “She said, ‘Don’t do it’. That was it… I’ve never heard that voice before, but I felt like I knew her, that I needed to find her, and the moment she spoke, I was able to pull away from the dome and come back to my senses.” He now looks at me with uncertainty in his eyes. “What do you make of that?”

I frown thoughtfully as I look at the snow in front of me. “It could be a variety of things… Maybe if you allowed me access to the information you have on demons and what our abilities can manifest into, I could help,” I point out, reminding him he had promised he would.

“And I will, the moment you get back to England, just… keep this between us.”

“Why are you so doubtful about sharing it?” I ask curiously.

He hesitates, as if unsure whether he should answer the question I’ve asked him before, but he’s always deflected it.

Unless you swear secrecy, Sienna, I won’t say anything more.