Shadowbook

Chapter 18: The Ombra Observatory

"Where were you?" Jasmine snapped. "I've been entertaining Nyx's friends for an hour."

"You have to see the garden, Nyx!" said Lilah. "It's so pretty!"

"Astor and I just whipped Karrine's butt," I said.

"Literally?" Noire gasped.

"No, better than that!" I told them what had happened.

"Oh, damn!" Senka cried.

"She got hers!" said Amaya. "Finally!"

"Lord Ladykiller wins again!" Orphe cried drearily. I hadn't realized he was standing in the dark behind us.

Lilah turned back to me. "So that's what you and Astor were doing?"

"We shared a few- ah- evil kisses to celebrate."

"I still can't believe that all this is real!" said Noire. "It's so pretty here!"

"Come on! Come see the garden!" said Lilah.

"Our garden has some kind of Indian theme," said Astor. "It is full of tigers and peacocks. Now all it needs are elephants."

"What, you do not like the exotic animals?"

"I like the tigers," said Astor with a shrug. "And the cubs are adorable. But the peacocks seem a little bit excessi-"

"Excessive! I thought you would like them! They remind me so much of you!"

My friends and I laughed. Astor sighed.

"She's got a point, Mister Fluffyfolds," said Orphe.

Jasmine's garden was absolutely, serenely beautiful. It created a startling juxtaposition to the gothic stone palace. It was huge, sprawling out around the hill that the palace was set on and into Nocturne Park. It was full of paths that twisted and turned through the trees to different areas of the garden, each little enclosed spaces. The garden was abundant with night-blooming flowers, which Jasmine named for us. Evening primroses, star-shaped moonflowers, night gladiolus (which had a spicy smell), colorful Casablanca lilies, purple four-o-clocks (that somehow continued to bloom, though it was about 4 AM rather than 4 PM), Indian Brahma Kamals, and night-blooming jasmine everywhere. There was a small pond full of striking red, pink, and purple water lilies that Jasmine said were called Nymphaea Red Flares. The pond also had little bright golden things swimming in it.

"Those are Iridescent Salamanders," said Astor. "We call them 'Illuminewts'."

"I have some flowers that don't grow in the Conscious world," said Jasmine. "These are Crepuscs." She pointed towards glowing blue and purple flowers. "And these are Shimmerbulbs." Bright, round, glowing golden flowers that hung above our heads.

"Those are flowers!" Noire cried. "I thought they were lanterns!"

"And those are Spissus." Jasmine pointed towards black flowers with thick, velvety petals.

The garden was full of intricate statues, flowing fountains, willow trees, and a beautiful brook that led to the pond. There were indeed tigers, majestic white tigers that wandered around and watched us with interest. Little tiger cubs tumbled and played among the flowers (they were the cutest things I'd ever seen). Dazzling white peacocks strutted around, spreading their extravagant tails.

"Nyx, follow me," said Astor. "I want to show you the Secret Garden."

"There's a secret garden?"

"Of course there's a secret garden." He pushed aside a curtain of vines to reveal a tunnel going through the bushes. In wonder, I pushed aside the vines and followed him. The leaves arched up over our heads. It was magical.