The Garden

by Emily Shore

  “I’ll miss you, Gale.” I stand up and hold out my arms, approaching Nightingale, but she raises her hand, stopping me.

  “Life goes on. What’s done is done.”

  When she rises and pecks my cheek, it isn’t a kiss of friendship. Nightingale is far too emotionless for that. For her, it’s just business. She let down her guard in the Aviary, but she’s returning to her routine. From an early age, a life spent dancing and singing before countless Family business transactions and poker wars has bred this appetite in her. I have to let her go, even if I will never understand.

  Luc must notice the rage bubbling inside me because he pivots to address Fawn, “Stay with Nightingale for a moment.”

  He ruffles the girl’s hair, then secures a hand around my wrist and begins to tug, getting me just within reach of the door. Once the inferno starts, he has to drag me. Slamming the door behind him, Luc thrusts me against the wall, wrestling against my crazed arms and pressing his strong hand to my mouth to swallow my owl-like screech.

  “Don’t do this,” he warns, jutting his arm farther into my chest like it’s an iron bar. “It’s not your choice.”

  I bite down on his hand, my words scratching him, “You can convince her! You’re the one who rescued her from that club. She’ll listen to you.” I dredge up the memory, hold it over his head.

  “You can’t change her mind like this. It’s her way of life. For most, it’s all they know and all they can ever know! But this isn’t the District. Jade will care for her here. Nightingale has lived her entire life with eyes following her. You can’t erase that overnight. And you can’t force her. It’s her choice.”

  “It’s the wrong choice.”

  “It’s the only one she knows how to make. Better a life she understands than one that’s unknown.”

  “Want me to punch him, Serenity?”

  “Shut up, Neil,” I yell at the man who stands a few paces away, enjoying the display.

  Luc settles his eyes on Neil, advising him, “Your fist wouldn’t even land, Bloode.”

  Jade is the one who interrupts the three of us. “If you’re quite finished saying your goodbyes, Serenity, I would advise you to leave before I change my mind.”

  “But we know that won’t happen. Will it, Mummy?” Neil ambles away from the wall to strap an arm around Jade’s shoulder.

  Slowly, with the grace of a feline, she unwinds Neil’s arm and replies, “A gardener always tends to her Flowers or they will wilt.”

  “Wouldn’t want that to happen,” he purrs before motioning to me. “Ready?”

  As soon as Luc releases me, I address Jade, my voice bordering on menace. “Kyle.”

  “We will orchestrate his release into your custody together. I trust Luc Aldaine can more than handle him.”

  “I’ll handle him,” I warn her, keeping the inner secret to myself for the present. Secure in her assumptions, Jade wears a satisfied smile. One of the last images I will cherish of leaving the Garden will be the expression on her face.

  It’s more than I could have hoped for. I hold the flogger Jade placed in my hand, which she apparently considered a gift, but I fling it to the ground as soon as Jade unhooks the chains. I savor her surprise from my action.

  At first, I think Sky will slump to the ground from his aching muscles, but he doesn’t. Instead, the first thing he does is grab Jade by the shoulders and heave her against the Shed wall. Pursing my lips, I breathe in the moment, savoring the brutality in his eyes that catches her off guard. Those eyes form ranks like soldiers gearing up for battle. And his voice is a sword at her throat.

  “You are very fortunate I was raised a gentleman because I will never hit a woman,” he announces, his shadow besieging her.

  I let Sky have his moment, let him unearth his strength that has been buried far beneath the Shed for almost a month. The Garden has had its eye on us both, determined to entomb us in different ways, but Sky and I will always go on. A vast mountain overlooking deep water—a protective sentry taking the beatings of my storms—but no matter what happens, those storms will never drive him away.

  Though initially surprised by Sky’s behavior, Jade rights herself as soon as he releases her, stumbling a little, still weak from his wounds. “Skeleton Flower will handle you now.”

  She reaches out to touch his cheek, but this time, it’s me who seizes her hand, shirking it away.

  “Yes, I will.”

  Malice toward her pouring from my skin, I take Sky’s arm, wrap it around my shoulder, and glorify in her expression from my too-intimate action, the tension around her eyes that has turned her irises to emeralds on fire, brows lowering, nostrils flaring when I finish, “Just like he’s always handled me.”

  Now she knows more has united us than just the Shed.

  For the first time, Sky leans on me for support as I help him to the Shed door, leaving behind the wilted stench forever but hearing Jade’s last words lashing my back.

  “I named you well, Skeleton Flower. No flesh. Nothing but bones.”

  I slam the Shed door.

  “Good to see you, brother.” Sky nods to Luc before I bristle at the sight of my own half-brother.

  “Any other secret bodyguards you want to bring with you?” Neil inquires while lighting a cigarette and blowing the smoke in my direction.

  I shake my head. “No. Just these two.”

  I appraise both men, flicking my gaze back and forth, considering them. The man who slaughters for me. The man who suffers for me. Then, I turn my eyes on my half-blood brother and order, “Get us out of here. Now.”

  26

  T h E F a n T a s y M u s E u m

  It’s everything Neil promised and more.

  Whether that’s due to its location on an island Neil owns in upstate New York that we have to reach by boat or because it’s a fully furnished, red-roofed castle sitting on top of a flourishing hill, I can’t determine. Perhaps both! After having traveled most of the day, it’s sunset when we arrive, but the spectacle is no less awe-striking.

  Neil begins with a tour as he leads the three of us up a winding stone drive with a retaining wall on our left because of its location on the St. Lawrence Seaway. As soon as we left the Garden, Sky arranged for Fawn to be taken to the Sanctuary. Part of me wonders if I will ever see the mysterious Sanctuary. If Bliss will ever go there with me…and my mother. Patience isn’t a strong suit of mine, but I contain myself, distracted by Neil’s castle story.

  “My father deeded this was part of my inheritance since I would never receive the Temple. Some stock, of course, but that is the extent. This was originally constructed as an elaborate hunting estate. It has four stories, twenty-eight rooms, a boathouse, a tower, turrets, tunnels, and even dungeons and secret passageways.” He almost whispers the last part as he leans closer to me, knowing I’d find the notion impressive. “Tons of granite were quarried right from a nearby island to build this beauty. Come, the children will be getting ready for bed now.”

  He leads us through double rough-hewn doors into the massive medieval entryway complete with stone archways and columns, rolled tapestries, and armored knights standing guard near the enormous marble fireplace. It’s like stepping into a modern Dark Ages since the fireplace is undoubtedly a gas one, along with electric lights. We don’t linger long in the entryway as Neil guides us under a tunnel-like arch to the staircase.

  Since the Museum is still weeks from its grand opening, it’s a relief to see no lines forming outside, and I don’t have to worry about whether I can come and go. Drained from the journey, exhausted from everything that has occurred over the past month, I am equally relieved when Neil announces, “I’ve reserved the royal suite for you, Serenity. It can house up to six, so I think you’ll find it worthy for the Swan. I have other dormitories built for the children, but the rooms in the Castle are designated as exhibits. I think you’ll be pleased to know they are moving exhibits.”

  I love everything about the castle. From the stone archways
and iron candelabras to the arched windows and rich textile rugs. Alone, the breakfast room enthralls me, and I know I will never eat in my bedroom again. With all its glass windows spilling the Canadian sunset—an overflowing orb reflecting off the seaway and casting colors of lush gold and red along the hardwood floors and white stone walls—the room would lure anyone. Not to mention the iron candelabra chandelier hovering over the table like a golden crown. On each side, open doorways spill into a music room with bookshelves that Neil explains is for the children’s use. Mostly digitally animated books. The flying kind, too.

  “Our island is self-sustainable,” Neil boasts. “We grow our own food and breed our own animals with some help from the island just across from us.” If he were any prouder of himself, he would have to grow a rooster’s comb. He has more than enough right.

  “I will give you a guided tour of the exhibit rooms tomorrow after you’ve rested, but I will show you to the royalty suite now.”

  Before embarking forward, Neil cups my elbow, earning the rigid spines of both Sky and Luc, but Neil bristles and states, “I know the concept is extremely unsettling, but I would prefer to escort Serenity by myself.”

  I nod to Sky and Luc, reassuring them, “It’s fine. Sky. Just bring my carrier up later, please? With my mother’s chest,” I request. That’s the most I’ve spoken to him since we left the Garden.

  They really have no need to worry. Between my earlier promise to Neil and the looming figures of Sky and Luc, there is no chance that Neil will try anything. So, I permit him to escort me. Part of me considers it ironic. Despite the Family’s close ties with its biological members, blood doesn’t hold the same sway as it used to. Culture has loosened its bindings, turning the strength of DNA linkage to something thin. In a world where child brides are common, it isn’t such a rare notion to consider brothers and sisters sharing themselves. Raised in the depths of such a world, Neil’s lack of respect for our combined DNA is understandable. Inexcusable but understandable. As far as I’m concerned, our hatred for our father is all that unites us. I can more than handle Neil. Right now, he doesn’t overwhelm me like Sky and Luc.

  Needless to say, I fall in love with the royal suite—the ghostly white drapes in front of several grand windows giving me an unlimited view, the queen-sized bed with a pure wood canopy, the writing desk on the side of the room, the hardwood floors and splendid white rug before the couch situated in front of the bed, and, above all, the bathroom with its deep white tub and an untarnished view of the water from beyond the open glass panels of the window. Other than the lake house our family has visited, this is my dream home. The prospect of a bath under starlight with the melody of the waves in the background is irresistible.

  “The royal suite makes up part of the entire wing on this floor. My room is the other, so I’ll be close by if you need anything,” Neil informs me.

  Fanning my arms out and dropping to the bed, I proclaim before he can leave, “Thank you.”

  “What was that now?”

  “You heard me.” I roll my eyes.

  He smiles once and then advises, “Get some sleep. You’ll have an active day tomorrow.”

  I rise to my elbows. “What are you plotting?”

  “That would be telling.” He winks and closes the door.

  The sound of the water tantalizes my skin when I toss my clothes to the floor and dip into the steamy bath, remaining under the water for a solid six minutes, timing myself and stretching my ability to hold my breath. It’s a simple task—one I can easily focus on, one at which I can better myself. When I surface and look outside, the cold sea air chills my face, neck, and chest so curls of steam escape my skin.

  What on earth am I going to do about Sky and Luc? No, I can’t think about them. Too much time has passed already since my mother fell back into Force’s hands. If we are going to act, it needs to happen soon. As I submerge all but my nose into the water, I remember another time in another bathroom when I was still a little girl…

  “Serenity!” my mother exclaims when I open the door, not realizing she’s just finished her bath.

  “Sorry, Mom,” I apologize, ready to close the door even as she twists a towel around herself.

  “Do you need to go?”

  I shake my head. “I just wanted to borrow your brush. Mine broke.”

  “Again?” My mother chuckles, securing the towel and holding out her hand. “Come here.” She reaches for her hairbrush propped on the counter, and I lower to the bath ledge so she can tame my tangled strands. “Your hair is a wild beast,” she remarks. I wince when she tugs, but her touch softens from my action.

  I peer up at her from the side, my eyes straying to the marks on her shoulder. Ashamed of them even after all these years, my mother moves parts of her hair to each side of her shoulders to eclipse the whip marks. Some have faded to silky fine lines—so faint the sunlight can catch and erase them like mist.

  “Do they still hurt?” I ask the question I’ve wanted to for years now.

  “They are scars, yes. They are the reason we have to keep running.”

  “I know,” I say in my simple child’s voice, accepting what will always be. “What if he finds us?”

  My mother shakes her head, pauses from brushing. While she still clutches the handle, she wraps her arms around my body. “He won’t. I’m going to keep you safe. You’re my Serenity.”

  “Don’t worry, Momma. If the Vampire takes you away again, I’ll find you. And I’ll yank his fangs out with my hands. And I’ll put them in a glass jar so we can look at them whenever we want.”

  My mother kisses my cheek. I can feel the smile in that kiss. Smell her sweet breath on my skin. And I seal the promise all around her and in my heart forever.

  I never understood why she seemed so sad right after that kiss. Now I do. I reminded her of him.

  Minutes later, I’m standing in a silk robe, curls wet and limp down my back, as I knock on Neil’s door.

  He groans right before he opens the door, shirtless and wearing nothing but boxers. “I told you to go to sleep,” he almost snarls.

  “I can’t.” I shove myself through the door and into his room, a smaller version of mine.

  “Make yourself at home.” His sarcasm prickles me, but I ignore it.

  I stop when I notice all the photographs on the walls. And on the ceiling. Mostly black-and-white with only a few colored ones sprinkled through in the spaces like pops of magic. Everywhere I look, there are girls. All shapes and sizes wearing costumes made from delicate lace or dried roses to chains of diamonds or autumn leaves. Others wear even less. My eyes center on a black-and-white photograph near the center where a girl stands in the middle of a winter-infused landscape in naught but her skin, the only dab of color coming from her scarlet berried lips.

  I glance at Neil, motioning with one finger. “All yours?”

  He nods. “All mine. Beauties. All of them. The photographs, too.”

  His wink holds more malice for me this night. Impossible to separate his profession from who he is, but I still try. Because whatever else he may be, Neil is still my…brother. Plus, he got us out.

  “These are some of my best works, but unpublished.”

  I sigh. If there was time, I’d come up with stories for each. All ending with a trip to the Sanctuary. Here, they are like genies in bottles. Their magic free for him to view whenever he pleases.

  “Are you going to put me up there?” I stare hard at him.

  He tilts his head, places one hand against the wall, and smirks. “I might. Depends on how well I can do you justice.”

  “What sort of exhibit do you have in mind?”

  “Aldaine and I have concocted a brilliant scene for you. Since you’ve stepped onto the pages of a fairy tale, what better position for you than a queenly one?” He comes off the wall and starts toward me, but I step away, knocking into a stately armoire as he reveals, “You’ll make a wondrous Snow Queen, Serenity.”

  “And our bargain?�
�

  “Protection and privacy as promised. Only certain clients will be privy to your exhibit to keep knowledge of your whereabouts to a minimum.”

  “What about my family?” I stiffen, straighter than a quill when he flattens his back against the wall right in front of me, printing his skin against a nearby collage.

  “Give me one month. My scientists have already unearthed some breakthroughs. One month, and I’m confident I’ll not only have secured a vaccine, but also the connections I need to deal Force a worthy blow. I’ll give his Centre shared control of the vaccine in exchange for Serafina and Kerrick.”

  “And Bliss…er…Mara?”

  “I doubt she will ever leave the Temple, but I can arrange an introduction. And after your mother and her husband are free, we will unveil the Snow Queen exhibit to the world. One night only. Your grand finale. At the end, you can ride off into the sunset with your family and whichever pathetic sap has secured your heart.”

  I shake my head, but I keep it soft, try to hide that it’s dressed in fear. “What if we don’t have a month? My mother—”

  Neil reaches out to brush the crests of his knuckles over my cheek to assuage my fears, “Force spoke of no other woman but your mother. No virgins he’s dressed in jewels or taken to his bed have ever captivated him. Serafina stole part of his heart when she left with you no matter how black it is.”

  That’s true. She stole it even though she never wanted it. And it poisoned her until she walked right out of the Temple doors. Left only it’s memory in her scars. Except now…

  “He’d never kill her,” Neil says. “And if her daughter’s strength is just a shadowy reflection of hers, then she will endure.”

  Is that a compliment? I collapse into it. Into him. Neil is warmer than I expect, and I feel his muscles tighten around me, squeezing like I am a plump berry he wants to suck the juice from. His pushing me away a second later comes as a surprise.