A Slip Of Darkness

Chapter X

I can hear the crunch of gravel beneath Caelinus's shoes and Rhea's wheels behind me, letting me know that they're following. A large, silver archway with black dahlias crawling up the sides greets me, guarding the way into the garden. I step through it, and can immediately feel the heels of my black shoes sink into the soft grass.

The wind whistles sharply from the south, carrying with it the sounds of the revel. The music and laughter carries an eerie, disconcerting tone, as if the sounds come from a different reality. The lurking shadows cast by the looming sequoia trees don't help either, and a shiver runs down my spine as a nearby bush rustles in the levanter.

A little pond of murky water rests in the centre of the palace gardens, rippling water distorting the reflection of the night sky. A few lily pads drift lazily on the surface of the water, and beyond them, at the bank of the pond, a couple cattails and ragwort stalks.

I maneuver around the pond, taking care not to get the hem of my dress muddy. The entire garden is bordered by the sequoia trees, but the inside is divided into eight sections with the circular pond in the middle. Each part is sectioned off by immaculately trimmed hedges of dark green bushes, spotted with silver, glowing flowers. The flowers are made up of many, many flowering delicate petals that shine like moonlight, so bright and glowing that they hardly look real. It's as if someone collected the stars from the midnight sky and placed them here one by one, like lanterns to illuminate the garden. And that's exactly what they're doing. The shining flowers are the only source of light in the entire garden, each casting a pale glow onto the cobblestone pathways and soft grass of the garden. Although I've never seen these flowers before, or heard of them at all, I'm still grateful for their light as I crouch down near a bed of soil filled with green shrubs.

Reaching my hand into the overgrowing plants, I pull out various different herbs and flowers from their roots, my eyes scanning the leaves to find the best ones. I can feel Rhea and Celio breathing down my neck, staring at me as I work.  I'm sure they're confused, but i pay them no mind, instead going through calculations and lists in my head. They'll find out soon enough, anyway.

I get up from my crouched position with a bundle of limp pants in my hand, dirt falling from their upended roots. I press them into Caelinus's hand before moving to the seventh section of the garden ,where I spot flowering pink and black buds. Again, Caelinus and Rhea follow me, but this time I can hear them talking.

"What are you doing, Etharen?" Celio asks, panting slightly from running to keep up with me. I pause for a moment and look at the two of them. His crown lies askew among his raven, waving hair. It's silver colour glints in the moonlight and his pale, glowing skin makes him look like the moon itself. Next to him, Rhea sits in her wheelchair, her dark hair and Skin making her look beautiful and mysterious. Her silvery eyes flit around, an amused and intrigued smile tugging at her lips. Standing side by side, the twó siblings look as different as night and day but a warmth and familiarity radiates between them. It's quite obvious that they're family.