page1 (1/2)
PART ONE — A WHOLE NEW WORLD
Snapshots of Beranabus I
Brigitta was sixteen years old and about to get married She had been promised to a prince since birth He was handso She had dreahty e and happy life
But the prince angered a powerful priestess For revenge, she su The beast killed itta She suffered terribly, but the demon didn’t kill her Instead, several nant
Brigitta was in shock, but the prince cared only about the sha upon his faitta to Crete on his fleet’s fastest ship Her mouth was bound and her face covered, so nobody could identify her
At the island she was led into the infamous Labyrinth, where her face and mouth were freed under cover of darkness She was left to roa pathways of the maze until the Minotaur found and killed her
Like hundreds of other dooitta tried to find a way out of the Labyrinth, but her quest was hopeless She could hear the harsh breathing of the Minotaur echoing through the tunnels, and the scraping of his hooves along the dusty floor She kneas following her, watching, waiting, savouring her anguish and fear
Brigitta was in the final stage of her pregnancy She hoped the Minotaur would kill her before the baby was born, to spare the child a ghastly death But she could not delay the birth forever Eventually she had to lie down and, in the blood-stained dirt of the ht, so she could not check if he was deformed He felt like a normal baby, but she would never know for sure
As she cradled her son to her breast, the Minotaur moved in for the kill He did not mask his footsteps The beast hoped she would run He liked it when his prey ran But Brigitta only sat there, hugging her baby and crying Just before the monster reached her, she leant over the infant and whispered, “Your name is Beranabus”
Then the Minotaur was upon her, and the corridors echoed with huht
When he had sated his inhuman appetite, the Minotaur turned his attention to the baby The child had been silent since the beast had separated hiitta’s severed head and picked up the baby, studying him with a vicious smile