Loose Ends - Book One

Ana ~ Magical

 "How long have we been walking?" I drag my own feet against the sticks and leaves on the ground, with Levi a few feet ahead of me.

"Eight minutes," he calls back, blandly.

"You're kidding. And would you slow down?"

Levi pauses in his tracks and looks back at me. "Sorry. I'm so used to moving quickly."

"Didn't you tell me this is your safe haven?" I finally catch up to him and rest against a tree. "Why are you moving so quickly?"

"This was my safe haven because I thought my mother and I were the only ones who knew about it." He begins walking, again, but slower. "Ever since I found out otherwise, I've been on edge..." A beat of silence goes by after he trails off. I can tell he's hesitating to say the next part.

"And?" I encourage him.

"And I also got knocked out here."

"What?!" I halt and my voice echoes through the woods.

"It was James, but he hasn't been here since that Finn guy showed up."

"How did he know about the garden?"

"I don't know." I watch his jaw tense. "He must have been following me for a while. Or maybe my father figured it out, first. I think they're being fended off by Finn's regular visitations, though."

"Finn..." I mumble his name, going into deep thought. "I wonder why he would run from you...what happened, exactly?"

"Nothing. He bolted the second he saw my face. I didn't get the chance to say or do anything."

"Strange," I mutter under my breath. "You think he associated you with your father?"

"Maybe. I feel like he'd stay if he thought of my mother. He clearly must be thinking of her, sometimes, to be caring for the garden."

"And you're sure he was running from you?"

"I was the only one there. Who else?"

***

After another eighteen minutes of walking amongst almost barren land, Levi and I reach a place that takes my breath away the moment we set foot in it.

A beautiful garden of lilies and hibiscus flowers, ranging from four to ten feet in height. It's bursting in color and healthy plant life; it seems so out of place in Kingston's woods. I feel as though this garden belongs somewhere magical and still, where only the strangest and most beautiful creatures reside in.

Levi leads me to an alpine tree so tall it's almost overwhelming. We sit against the bark, back-to-back, silently admiring his mother's creation. Only a beautiful soul can create such a mentally relaxing place.

After a few minutes, I finally break the silence. "This garden feels so..."

"Magical?" Levi finishes my sentence in the form of a question.

"Yeah... It captivates you and kind of quiets your mind for a moment." I reach out and touch a white lily that hadn't grown as tall as the rest.

"My mother would be happy to hear that. It's exactly why she created this place – so it could be a place of tranquility and hope. This place has the ability to keep you still, and make you want to get up and create something equally as beautiful, at the same time. It deserves to be marveled at."