Despite my enticing surroundings, I knew I couldn’t stall any longer. I licked my dry lips and cleared my throat, addressing Michael. “So. How’s this going to go down? What can I expect at the Garden?”
Michael’s broad shoulders tensed a bit when I spoke. He’d been dreading this conversation, I could tell, but there were too many theories buzzing around my head as to why.
“We’re gonna have to steal the fruit.”
I stopped rowing. “I’m sorry, what?”
He kept his voice flat, eyes forward. “The Garden is guarded by the angel Uzziel. Do you really think it’s going to end well for us if we tell him we’re bargaining the fruit that could unleash the Leviathan for the life of a four-year-old girl, whose father is an archdemon?”
“No, but aren’t you the Commander? Can’t you order him to let us in?”
Michael shook his head. “Uzziel is not bound by heavenly authorities. His eternal task is to watch over the Garden until the Rapture. Since the order was ordained by God, there’s nothing I can do about it. If Uzziel were to find us, I’d have to fight him to the death and I refuse to kill one of my brothers just for doing his job.”
A worrying thought wormed its way into my brain. “Does that mean you’re going to get in trouble for helping me?”
“It’s likely.”
My gaze softened on him. “I’m sorry.”
“You’ve already said that.”
“And I meant it that time too.”
The birdcalls and splashing water around us didn’t hide the sound of his sigh. “Forget it. It’s the least of our worries. We’re going to have to get in and out as quickly as possible.”
“Well, you’ve been there before. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?”
“Not for me, no.”
I frowned. “Don’t like the way that sounds. Elaborate.”
“This is the Garden of Eden, Jordan. Do you know what that means?”
“I thought I did, but your tone is really starting to make me think twice.”
“It’s paradise. Literal, actual utopia. The longer you spend there, the more you’ll start to lose your grip on reality. The Garden has an atmosphere that can alter your mind because it was meant to be perfect in every way. I’m going to have to lead you in and you can’t leave my side for any reason or you’ll lose yourself in it.”
“I don’t get it. Why didn’t the Bible or Paradise Lost say anything about that?”
“Because neither is told from a first-person account of it. Adam and Eve were born in the Garden, so they were able to handle it. You weren’t. Therefore, it’ll be hard to resist.”
My mouth felt dry. I suspected it had nothing to do with the heat of the sun. “Okay. I’ll do my best to prepare myself, then.”
Finally, we reached a shore. An African darter watched our tankwa glide up to the muddy beach, cocking its brown head to the side. Michael stepped out and the darter took off into the air, scattering a couple of slick black feathers in its wake. I couldn’t resist tracking its flight into the sky, flapping its wings with long, slow strokes against the wind. Some part of me envied it.
Michael turned and held his hand out for me to grab so I could climb onto the shore. For some reason, seeing him standing there, waiting for me, ready to potentially throw his life away even after all I’d done, made something inside my chest constrict. I took his hand.
He helped me out, his brow furrowing at the pained look on my face.
“Jordan, are you—”
I let go, refusing to meet his gaze. “I’m fine. Here, help me lug this thing out of sight.”
He didn’t press the matter. Smart man.
We hauled the tankwa into a secluded spot by the nearby trees and began the long trek up the hill. I didn’t know exactly where we were going, but I didn’t need to, after all. Part of me always felt more at ease with Michael in control. Even though my life was hectic, I could always trust and depend on him. Even before we were romantically involved, he had the air of leadership perfected. Gabriel told me that while Michael hadn’t been the nicest fellow a few centuries ago, he had been a fair and worthy leader regardless.
Before long, sweat beaded on my forehead. Tendrils of hair stuck to it, and I started to lose track of time until I looked at my watch. We had been hiking for close to half an hour. I opened my mouth to ask Michael how much farther we had to go, but then I got my answer. I could hear a faint roar in the distance. The air became much more humid. Every other gust of wind blew a fine veil of moisture against my overheated skin and then I knew where we were.
My boots crunched against the sparse grass and rocks as we reached the edge of the cliff that spilled down into the Blue Nile Falls. The sight nearly took my breath away. Lush green forests bordered both sides of the waterfall, the bottom of which was hidden due to the thick mist the falling water kicked up. I couldn’t remember ever seeing anything so beautiful in my life.
“Let’s go.”
I snapped out of my thoughts, glancing at the angel by my side. “Huh?”
He gestured towards the falls. “The entrance is that way.”
I stared at him. “If you’re saying we have to jump into this river, you’re on your own.”
He rolled his eyes. “Of course not. But we do have to climb onto the cliff side.”
I ventured a nervous peek over the side. “That sounds like a horrendously bad idea.”
Michael shot me a sarcastic look. “Where have I heard that before?”
“Point taken. Lead the way. I’ll follow. Probably.”
He walked to the edge and lowered himself one careful movement at a time. I began to get more and more skittish as he descended a couple feet onto the craggy face of the waterfall.
“Wait, shouldn’t we have some sort of support rope?”
“Jordan, I can fly. If you fall, I’ll catch you. Now come on, we haven’t got all day.”
“Alright, keep your pants on, Indiana Jones,” I said, mentally preparing myself for what I was about to do. What was it they always said in the movies? Don’t look down? Right. Piece of cake.
The pounding of my heartbeat in my ears drowned out the sound of the waterfall only several feet away as I inched my way over the side of the cliff, testing each place I’d put my foot with my toe first. I made sure to follow Michael’s movements exactly, keeping my breath slow and steady so I wouldn’t panic. The rocks were damp to the touch but not slippery, though the thought didn’t make me feel any better. It was a long way down. Some part of me giggled at the thought of dying right now, if only because I had survived so many brushes with death that biting it via cliff-diving would be just plain silly.
About halfway down the cliff, Michael reached into his pocket and withdrew a large silver feather. I knew it had come from his own wings as no other angel had that magnificent color—a mixture of pearl and aluminum. He held it up in front of a long seam and I felt a rolling wave of vibration emanate through the ground. Pebbles tumbled from above as the seam slowly split apart, revealing the entrance to a cave. It opened enough to the width of Michael’s body—no more, no less. He swung himself once and jumped inside with the grace of a gymnast. Damn perfect angel.
I took a deep breath and maneuvered myself to the spot where he’d been, praying that I could emulate an ounce of his muscle control. I swung towards the cave and he held one hand out, steadying me as soon as my feet hit the earth. With the sun at my back, I could only see a couple of feet in front of us, leaving the rest in a gaping black abyss.
“Don’t suppose you brought a flashlight?” I asked.
Before he could answer, the cave rumbled again and I whirled around to see the seam closing up by itself. We were instantly swallowed in darkness and I lost what little sanity I had left.
“Michael, what the hell was that?”
His large, strong hand wrapped around mine in the dark. “Calm down and look up.”
I started to argue, but then I noticed a soft blue light glowing from above. I
raised my gaze to the ceiling and found that it came from what looked like stalactites made of crystal. They formed a line through the inky space in front of us, leading the way. I thought Michael would let go now that I could see, but he tugged me along after him as if it were an unconscious habit. He’d remembered I wasn’t too fond of tight spaces. Damn him.
The path he led us through dipped down after only a few steps, heading at an angle away from the surface. The air cooled considerably and I could no longer hear any signs of the river around us. For a while, there was just the crunch of our boots against the soil, Michael’s warm fingers around mine, and the ethereal light within the cave.
Then, I could see a white light at the end of the tunnel. It looked like a speck at first, but before long we were coming up to whatever was at the other side. I squinted, letting Michael lead me out. I stumbled a bit and he caught me on reflex, leaving us in a momentary caustic silence as it pressed the front of my body along the line of his. Even here, he was still so warm. I missed the way it felt to lean against his chest.
I tore my gaze away from the conflicted expression on his face, sliding out of his arms and focusing on the sight before me. I had been wrong about the Blue Nile Falls. What lay in front of me was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
The cave’s exit hovered above a gushing waterfall that wasn’t as large as the falls, but was still mighty and impressive. The water was crystal clear and flowed downward at least ten feet into a pool. The pool spilled out into a river that led across a grassy plain and surrounded the grounds like a moat. The gates of Eden were huge and made of gold, glimmering so brilliantly that it looked like it had just been polished only a moment ago. The gates connected to huge white stone walls that enclosed the compound. Enormous torches held by elegant sconces on the surrounding cave walls lit the entire area. The most curious thing of all was that the fire licking up from these torches was pure white. It gave the illusion of sunlight, which made sense. Down here, the plants and animals of the Garden would need sunlight to survive.
From here, I caught a glimpse of Eden itself—mostly huge treetops bursting with bright green leaves that spanned for acres. The cave had to be several miles wide and that was just the entrance. It was spectacular.
It took me a moment to remember that we had a job to do, but strangely Michael didn’t rush me. Maybe he knew what an honor it was to be able to see this since only two other human beings had that privilege. As soon as I remembered we were about to steal from this place, shame consumed me. The mother and father of the entire human race had been born here. I was about to boost some fruit from the holiest place on the planet. Only in my life would something like this happen.
“Where’s Uzziel?”
“He’s not just the guard. He’s also the caretaker so he doesn’t stay at the gate all the time.”
“Can he sense us?”
“You’ve learned how to shield yourself, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’re fine, unless he sees us. Speaking of which, we’re obviously not going to use the gate. This river circles the entire garden. That’s how we get in. Follow me and don’t stray.”
I nodded. He leapt in first, disappearing in the frothing pool. I waited until I saw his dark shape heading towards the outflow and jumped. The water was so cold it almost shocked the air out of my lungs, but I focused on the sight of Michael ahead of me and swam in long, strong strokes to catch up with him. Slowly but surely, we made it past the front gate with no sign of the angel guarding it and circled towards the right side of the grounds.
It wasn’t hard to keep up with Michael since the river’s current was strong, but I could feel my lungs burning with the need for air. I didn’t know how much farther I would have to stay under and the thought made fear creep through my stomach. My head started to pound with pain and I fought the voice in the back of my head screaming that I was going to drown before we made it there. My vision blurred and my chest started to shake, but I kept swimming until my arms went numb.
Then, miraculously, we made it beneath the wall and swam up to the surface. I sucked in a huge mouthful of air, wiping water out of my face so I could see. Michael pressed an index finger to his lips, miming for me to keep quiet while we headed for land. The part of the river we came out into was an oval pool. I spotted a couple of deer on the opposite side drinking. They raised their heads when they saw us, but to my surprise, they didn’t run away.
Michael checked the area thoroughly before motioning for me to follow him onto land. The pool was framed by grass on all sides and the clearing was surrounded by shrubs that reminded me of the forests up north. Interesting. Maybe Eden was set up like a wildlife preserve where each set of animals had their own specially made environment. After all, it made the most sense.
I squeezed all the water I could out of my shirt and crouched behind the same shrub as Michael. He closed his eyes and I could tell he was listening for footsteps or the sound of a voice. I couldn’t hear anything yet other than the faint lapping of the deer’s tongues in the water.
“Coast seems clear,” Michael said, looking at me. “How are you feeling?”
I shrugged. “Normal, I guess. Maybe a little cold.”
“I noticed,” he said, glancing at my chest, and I smacked him in the arm.
“You’re in the Garden of Eden. Have some class.”
He rolled his eyes. “Wear a bra with padding next time. Now come on.”
Again, he took my hand and led me from behind the shrubbery into the woods. We made a quiet, careful path through the trees, keeping our eyes peeled for any signs of the angel. Still, I couldn’t help getting distracted by the sheer beauty of the plant life. The treetops stretched higher than I could see and the leaves were a rich green I couldn’t recall having seen before. Birds wheeled overhead, casting playful shadows across the ground as we crept through the underbrush. Flowers tickled my calf muscles and the sweet scent of nectar teased my nose. It took me a second to realize I had starting smiling from out of nowhere. Weird.
The forest gradually turned into jungle terrain. The air became humid and the sounds around us changed from chirps to rolling growls and monkey chatter. I could hear insects humming in clusters nearby and the hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention as I heard leaves cracking underfoot behind us. I had seen environments like this on National Geographic. However, it was one thing to watch crazy white people wander around predator-infested jungles and another to be doing it myself.
“Is it just me or are we being followed?” I asked, my voice hushed.
Michael didn’t turn around, which worried me. “We are, but relax. The animals are the least of our worries.”
I wanted to believe him, but the way the twigs snapped in our wake made me think our stalker was something large. I could hear husky breathing every few seconds. It chased away the temporary wonderment I’d felt earlier. I didn’t like being followed, and being hunted even less.
Finally, I stopped and tugged on his arm so he had to look at me. “I’d feel a lot better if we got rid of it.”
Michael gave me an even stare, his face neutral. “I wouldn’t turn around if I were you.”
“Wow. Now I have to look.”
He sighed, but didn’t stop me as I turned my head to peek over my shoulder. My throat closed up.
There was a Bengal tiger staring at me from about two feet away.
I heard a squeak escape my lips, then realized I hadn’t formed an actual sentence. I swallowed, trying to remember my language skills. “Um…is there a polite way to tell a four-hundred-pound killing machine to back off?”
“I told you, it’s not going to hurt us. The animals in Eden are under the effect of paradise as well. They view humans as something to be respected, not eaten. She’s just curious.”
A rather illogical thought entered my head. “…does that mean I can pet her?”
A dry laugh escaped the archangel. “Probably, but I wouldn’t press your luck.
”
Now that we’d seen it, the tiger’s behavior shifted fully into inquisitive. Its wide pink nose flared as it sucked in my scent, taking a step closer until it could sniff the toe of my boot. This felt too surreal for words. I kept waiting for it to open its massive jaws and swallow me whole, but after a few seconds, the tiger yawned and loped off into the jungle. Guess I wasn’t as fascinating as I thought.
We resumed our hurried pace through the rain forest and once more I lost track of time. There were so many sights and sounds around me, draining the attention I should have been paying to the path we were making. At some point, I became lightheaded. It didn’t feel the same as when I was nauseous or having a migraine. In fact, it was almost pleasant—like my brain was detaching from the worries that plagued me.
At last, the jungle foliage thinned. We were coming up to a clearing. The heat slackened, leaving the air cool and comfortable. The grass was low and felt as soft as moss as we stepped inside the secluded spot. There were two trees side by side in the clearing, both with trunks the size of SUVs. The thick branches stretched upward, seeming to go on forever.
The tree on the left had shiny dark-green leaves and a peculiar blood-red fruit hanging from it. The fruit grew in clusters like grapes yet they were about the size of strawberries. Too big to be cherries. I’d never seen it before.
The other tree had triangular leaves that were light green and vines woven about the trunk like snakes. The fruit that hung from the branches was about the size of a pear, but its skin was a beautiful color somewhere between gold and peach.
I stood between the two trees, inhaling the sweet scent of both, and finally understanding why Eve had been unable to resist. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. The aroma filled my lungs and sent a wonderful calm through me. What did I have to worry about? I was here, in the Garden, safe from harm, safe from anything that could possibly hurt me. I was home.
Michael’s hand squeezed mine as he led me towards the tree with the golden fruit, pointing. “It’s this one. Hurry, Uzziel can’t be too far from here.”
Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More Page 243