The Garden of Death (4 page)

Asher

I could hear voices.

They were swarming around me, spinning
faster and faster, making me dizzy. I sat up and threw up my
stomach contents.

“Oh, great. Now we have to contend with two
sick teenagers,” I heard a male voice say.

“Asher? Asher, look at me,” a familiar voice
said close by. I felt a hand on my face, and I flinched. I was
still blind.

“Wha… what’s happening?”

“Easy, Ash. Lay back down. You hit your
head.”

I did as I was told and discovered I was no
longer on the cold cement ground. I was on something soft. I
moaned. I felt nauseous.

“What’s going on? Why can’t I see?”

“Oh, sorry.” Someone removed the darkness
that was blinding me and my irises were suddenly filled with light.
I squinted and put my hand up to cover my eyes. “Oh, don’t touch.
Sorry, the bandage was a temporary precaution. A piece of glass had
to be removed from your left eye. Mr. Blackbell so nicely removed
it and healed you.”

“Mr. Blackbell?”

“Yes. How are you feeling?”

I blinked until my vision came back to me,
and my sister’s face was no longer blurry. I looked over toward the
source of the male voice and saw a strange man standing over a
sleeping figure on a table in the center of the room. The sleeping
figure I soon realized was Eden. This man must be Eden’s
father.

“You, you’re Eden’s father.” My tone sounded
accusatory, but I didn’t care. I knew how much Eden disliked her
father and the fact that he was the cause of the demon blood in her
veins.

“I am. Look. I am not here to cause harm to
you or any of the Michaelites. I am simply here to try to heal my
daughter. I’m thankful to you for looking after her,” Lakyn
explained.

I tried to stand, but my head was spinning,
so I stayed seated. “But you’re the leader of the Lucifites. You
shouldn’t be allowed past the protection wards surrounding the
Sanctuary.”

“I know. The Michalites let me through
because I had Eden.”

“How did you find her? She died in the Realm
of Death.”

“She did. Abraham brought her to me.”

“And what about me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I was there with her. We were running away
from the Hellhounds, and we fell. I landed on top of Eden and the
Soul Sphere, which held my soul, broke. There was a really bright
light, and when it cleared, I was back here in the Sanctuary.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know how to explain
that. That would be a question for Abraham.” Lakyn looked back down
at his daughter lying unconscious on the table in front of him. He
pushed a strand of hair out of her face, and I was suddenly envious
that he could do that, that he could touch her, and I couldn’t.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“I’m not sure. It seems like she’s in some
sort of coma.”

“From the Death Blossoms?”

“Possibly. I’ve studied this plant, and I’m
certain the side effects do not involve a coma. I don’t understand
why my healing efforts aren’t working.”

Lakyn lifted his hand again and held it over
her chest. A faint blue light was emitted from his palm, but as
soon as the rays of light touched Eden, she stirred.

“Eden!”

“Eden? Can you hear me?”

She didn’t seem to hear us or open her eyes,
but she did start moaning and uttered something.

“She’s talking! What is she saying?” asked
Cecelia. Lakyn and I put our ears close to her mouth so we could
listen.

All of a sudden, Eden started thrashing
about. Lakyn pinned her arms down, but she was too strong and
resisted him.

“Eden? Eden!” I screamed and shook her
shoulders.

“The souls. Save the souls. She’s messing it
all up. It’s unbalanced.”

“What’s unbalanced, Eden?” Lakyn asked.

“Who’s messing it all up?” I said.

“Save the souls. It’s unbalanced,” she
screamed. She sounded frantic. She repeated it a few more times
before going still again.

“What the hell was that?” I demanded.

“I’m not sure. That’s what we have to try to
figure out.”

Eden

The ferry trip happened much the same as
every other time I had made the journey across the water, but this
time, I somehow felt nauseous.

“Oh, I don’t remember getting sea sick the
last time we did this.” I leaned over the side of the boat as if I
were about to vomit. I tried to sit up, and saw Abraham do a double
glance in my direction.

“What? Don’t worry I won’t throw up in your
boat.”

“That’s not what I’m concerned about. I’m
afraid you’re feeling sick because you’re not actually here.”

“Yeah, because that makes perfect sense,” I
said in deep sarcasm.

“No, I mean, you’re not here in the flesh.
You said you woke up ten years into the future, am I correct?”

“Yeah…”

“It’s what I feared. Someone has put you
into an alternative reality.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that, in real life, you are in a
coma somewhere, probably wherever your father took your body after
I gave it to him, and you’re stuck inside your head.”

“Whoa. Hold up. You gave my body to my
father?” I realized I was yelling, but I didn’t care.

“He was the only one I could call, the only
one whom I could get in contact with.”

“But did it have to be him? Why couldn’t you
have given my body to Asher?”

“Because I couldn’t find Asher.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I mean, he disappeared from the Realm when
his Soul Sphere shattered.”

No, this could not be happening.

“Are you trying to tell me that Asher’s soul
is lost?”

“Yes. Want to hear the good news?”

“There’s good news?” I glared at him.

“There’s always good news.”

I crossed my arms over my body. “Well, I’m
waiting. What’s the good news?”

“The good news is that your boyfriend’s soul
both drifted into you and is mingling with your soul inside your
head, which explains the coma and the sea sickness…” he says with a
smirk as he sits back, and I could see he had fun toying with
me.

“And, what’s the other thing? You said
either
…”

Abraham grins wildly. “Or it drifted back
into his body when his soul was spat back out of the Realm of
Death.”

I felt my jaw drop and my eyes bulged out of
my head.

“How was that good news?”

“Just calling it how I see it. You should be
happy that you get to spend the rest of eternity with your beau. I
guess you really are soul mates, after all,” he said before he
broke out into hysterical laughter. I glared at him fiercely.

“Oh, hilarious. Has anyone ever told you
that you should have your own comedy show?”

“All the time. Thanks, sweetheart.”

“Anytime,” I muttered as I leaned over the
side of the boat again.

I really hoped that what Abraham had said
wasn’t true—that Asher’s soul wasn’t stuck inside with mine. I knew
how catastrophic it could be for anyone from what I had read in
Abraham’s textbooks. I would be lying to myself if I said I didn’t
like Asher’s soul dancing around with mine inside my head. If that
were the case, it meant he was close to me, but wouldn’t that mean
I could see him, as well? If the other example were true, which I
thought could be the most likely scenario—that Asher’s soul had
been spat back out of the Realm of Death, then that meant he was
back home and safe. A wave of horror washed over me. It also meant
that he was back home within reach of the bitch, Jazmine. If I ever
got out of this situation, I would go home and scratch her eyes
out, in my fake reality and my real one.

Asher

I stepped closer to Eden and leaned over
her. Underneath her eyelids, I could see her eyes moving back and
forth.

“She’s dreaming,” I blurted.

“Yes,” replies Lakyn, immersed in his phone.
As I notice this, I shot him a glare.

“Shouldn’t you be trying to wake her up? If
she’s dreaming, then that means she isn’t in a coma.”

Lakyn’s head shot up, and he fixed me with
the most piercing icy blue eyes I had ever seen. I stifled the urge
to gasp. I couldn’t let him know he scared me. I had to hold my
ground and protect Eden. Even though he was her father, I still
didn’t trust him.

“Don’t you think I’m trying? I am trying my
hardest to wake her up. I don’t know if she’s unconscious from the
poison she inhaled from the Death Blossoms, or something else.
That’s why I’m calling for backup.”

“Backup? Who would you be calling for help?
I didn’t want anyone else near her.” I stood behind Eden’s head and
placed my hands on her shoulders, holding my ground like a tiger
guarding its prey.

“Relax, sport,” he snickered. “You are
weirdly protective of my daughter, aren’t you?”

“So, what’s it to you?”

“Asher…” warned my sister. I ignored
her.

“If I were a normal father, as her mother
would like me to be, I should be asking what your intentions are
with her.”

“If Eden were awake, she would be shooting
you down. You know that, right?”

He chuckled and scratched the two days’
worth of growth on his chin. “Yeah, I know. Her mother says she
gets that from me, which I don’t disagree.”

I was tempted to say he was so full of
himself. I would have if the door hadn’t opened at that very
moment. A familiar woman who resembled Eden entered.

“Oh, thank God, you found her.”

Eden’s mother panned her eyes over each of
us before finally settling on her sleeping daughter in the middle
of the room.

Eden

The Ferry docked at the other side of the
vast and gloomy lake that always haunts my dreams, and we stepped
out. Abraham walked ahead, the lantern casting an eerie golden glow
over the path in front of us.

“So when are you going to tell me what
happened to us after I… you know, died?”

“Soon. First you have to see something.”

I didn’t ask him any more questions or even
talk until we reached the mausoleum entrance. This time Abraham
reached up and pulled the torch down for me once opening the door.
He handed it to me and entered the dark mouth of the mausoleum.
When we reached the base of the stairs and entered the Realm of
Death, immediately I heard the distant pounding of something large
running toward us. It grew closer and louder with each pommel of
dirt.

“What…” Before I could move to stand behind
Abraham, which was the automatic reaction, two large black dogs
galloped up and began jumping up on Abraham and licking him. There
was nothing else I could do, but scream. I squeezed my eyes shut
and wished for the dogs to disappear and that they wouldn’t jump
on, bite, or lick me.

The next thing I heard over the heavy
panting of two enormous beasts was the low rumble of laughter.
Abraham was laughing. Abraham was laughing at me.

“Open your eyes, Eden.”

“No, they’re… they’re Hellhounds! You just
let the Hellhounds that almost killed Asher, and I lick you!”

“They’re perfectly fine, Eden. They only
chased you last time because you were leaving against my wishes. No
one leaves this place without my knowledge. They were just doing
their jobs. But they’re big friendly mutts, really.”

Going on Abraham’s words, and a little of my
own courage, I opened one eye at a time. Standing in front of their
master are two Dogue de Bordeaux’s, otherwise known as French
Mastiffs. I didn’t really get a good look at them before because I
was too busy trying to save my own butt. I realized the creatures
are weirdly cute. Abraham appeared to adore his two slobbering
beasts, because he was laughing and scratching them behind their
ears.

“See, they’re really big wusses.”

“I’m sure they are. I’m not really a dog
person, though.” I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped my
foot. “Can we go inside?”

“Sure.” Abraham quickly planted a kiss on
each of their massive heads and followed me inside the house. As
soon as the front door shut behind him, I confronted Abraham.

“Why do you have Hellhounds as pets?”

“Why not? They make the best guard dogs.
What else could guard a Realm full of souls?”

“I guess. I bet they would take out the
Scariest and most unique pet categories at any dog show.”

“Pilot actually has in the annual Hell Dog
show,” he stated as a matter of fact. My jaw dropped as he walked
past and headed toward the library doors.

“You are being sarcastic, right?”

“Not at all. Caesar has yet to win,
though.”

“Oh, you
are
being serious. And
what’s with the names?” I asked as I followed him into the
library.

“They’re named after two of the most
relentless dictators in history, Julius Caesar and Pontius
Pilot.”

“Michaelite history, you mean.”

“No, demon history.”

For the third time that night, I found
myself shocked.

“What?”

“Yeah, that’s why they were so ruthless.
They meddled in demon magic, dark magic.”

“So, they were possessed?”

“Yes. They were.”

I sat in one of the chairs opposite
Abraham’s desk and pondered what he had just said. If they had
meddled in demon magic, how many other human dictators had, as
well? The thought of it sent a shiver down my spine.

“So, you wanted to see what your death
started?”

My head snapped up. “Show me.”

“Follow me.”

Abraham led me through the hidden door to
his secret library, down past the rows of dusty books, to the Soul
Room at the back. I could see immediately that something was
wrong.

“There’s no glow, no light.”

“Yeah.”

Mesmerized and shocked, I stood in front of
the open door to the Soul Room and looked in. What I saw chilled me
to my bones. I turned to Abraham.

“They’re gone. The souls are gone.”