Shadowed Eden (27 page)

He stared beyond her, taking in the garden and all its glory. “Uh-huh.”

“You cannot be here.” Rae's voice broke through her thoughts. It didn't ruin the experience, though. Oddly enough, his voice felt melodic in this place, like a song. For the first time in years, she wanted to sing.

Avery stepped forward, closing the gap between them. “Are you an angel? You've been trying to help us all along.”

Rae glanced around the group, his eyes darting between faces. A frown messed up the beauty of his face and she had the strangest desire to see him happy. Sadness didn't fit here.

“I have been trying to protect the sanctity of the garden, and that is all. Obviously I failed.”

Daddy stepped between them, his face eager. “How did you find me, Avery? Did you figure it out on your own?”

Something surged across his face, something so close to pride that Avery started shaking. She swallowed hard and nodded. “I've suspected for a few days. There are so many clues, and with everything I've heard you say over the years, I definitely had my suspicions.”

His grin spread across his face and he clasped her shoulders. “I always knew you had it in you!”

It was like the best dream she'd ever had. Daddy approved! He knew she'd been worth his time all along, she'd just needed to prove it. And here she was, doing just that.

He nodded and glanced around. “I had it pegged within a few days, and I knew I had to keep searching until I found it.” He spread his arms out and looked around with a deep breath. “Look at it! It'll be the biggest archeological find of the millennium!”

Avery felt her excitement fade, and she recalled the temple and the prophecy. “What? Daddy, you can't tell anyone about this place.” She spoke in hushed tones, almost like she was at a wedding. Disturbing the beauty around her was the last thing she wanted to do.

Daddy either didn't hear her or didn't care, and with sickening regret she admitted it was probably the second choice.

A deep laugh erupted from his chest, and he moved away from her and closer to the stream a few yards away. “Think about it! Scientists would go nuts testing this water. And those animals! Did you see them? Entirely new species. Why, we could name one after you, Avery!”

Avery stepped toward him, studying his face. His eyes burned with an inner fire, and while he seemed nuts, his eyes told her the truth. He was completely bent on going through with this. How was she supposed to stop him? Another thought nagged at her. She didn't have to stop him. She could help him. She could aid his efforts at broadcasting his big find, and he would be proud of her. He would love her.

“I cannot allow that.” Rae's voice cracked and Avery turned toward him. She'd almost forgotten he was there, but his demeanor now surprised her. His eyes drooped and his shoulders sagged.

Deep inside, she suspected he wasn't sad that Daddy planned to introduce the world to this place; he was sad because he wasn't going to let Daddy get away with it.

What was Rae going to do with them all?

Fear knotted in her stomach and snapped her out of her crazy thoughts about helping Daddy. She rushed to Rae. “You won't hurt him, right? Angels can't hurt people, can they? We can get him out of here.”

Luca stepped forward and nodded. “We will leave this place and never look back. Our group is ready to leave as we speak. They're waiting for our return.”

Rae looked between them and shook his head. “I cannot be sure that everyone in your group feels the same way.” He glanced again to Daddy.

Seconds ticked by as she considered what needed to be done. “Daddy, we have—” she started, but a noise drew her away.

Not a noise, more like a desperate cry.

Avery spun toward Benny and June.

Benny watched the whole thing unfold with wide eyes. His mouth dangled open.

But June knelt on the ground. Groans came from her throat and she bent toward the grass, holding her head in her hands.

Avery's heart clenched—she couldn't help it. The girl was obviously in agony. “What's wrong with her?”

“The Creator is not with her. She cannot comprehend the power of this place. It is overwhelming her.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Luca asked. “Do we need to get her out of here?”

Rae nodded once. “If she does not leave soon she will most likely die, though I could not say with certainty. I've rarely seen an actual human in the garden, let alone a lost human.”

June? Dear sweet June who was always the first to respond with kindness and the first to cry tears of tenderness?

Unless her eyes were blue, of course. No wonder she responded so poorly to the demons of this place.

Demons! Memories of the black beetles made Avery shiver.

For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Avery spun back to Rae and stepped close to him. “I saw him. I saw a demon as I came through the fire.”

Rae's eyes clouded and he nodded. “Yes, I felt his presence. He could not latch onto you because God's spirit is inside of you. He latched onto her, instead.”

Sorrow filled Avery as she glanced again at June. They had to save her. They had to save themselves.

“I don't understand any of this,” Luca said. He stepped toward Rae, blocking Avery from the angel. Avery could hear the anger dripping from Luca's voice. “You show up like you want to help us, you tell us now you've been trying to keep us out, and yet we can't seem to leave. What's going on?”

Avery ignored Luca's words. Pieces clicked together in her mind, and she realized the truth behind the prophecy. A battle would come if she couldn't stop him. She was the only one who could stop Daddy. He was the one the jungle needed protection against.

Tears clogged her throat as she considered it. She couldn't stop him. He would never listen to her, even if she begged and pleaded. Worst of all, she would lose the pride she'd so newly earned.

Rae watched her curiously, and after a moment, he began speaking. “I am not alone here, as you know. Rafa brought you here. He wanted someone, anyone, to find this place. He felt it was divine when your father made his discoveries and was interested in staying.

“As I said, it was my goal to keep you out. I could do nothing to help you leave, because Rafa worked against me at every turn. Helping humans is not my assignment. My assignment is protecting the garden.”

He stopped and swallowed hard. His eyes deepened, blazed, steeled. “You have seen what no human is allowed to see. I cannot allow the tale to be told.”

“I won't tell!” Benny threw himself at Rae, falling at his feet.

Tears burned her eyes as she watched Benny beg for his life.

Benny continued. “I don't care what you do to us. Take us and drop us off in the middle of the arctic. Get us out of here. Make us forget. I don't care, just don't kill us.”

June's moans grew louder, but Avery couldn't concentrate on her. “Wait, can you do that? Can you make us forget?”

Avery remembered Gabby and Katelyn's story. Her eyes widened. “You've done it before! Gabby and Katelyn found this place. It's where they saw you, isn't it? You led them away and made them forget.”

“Do you think they made it through that fire?” Luca asked. His voice dripped with doubt.

But Avery was determined. “Yes. They mentioned the tree. They had to have seen it.” She turned to look at the one tree. The beautiful tree.

The tree Daddy stood under at this very moment, his hand reached out to pluck the fruit.

“Daddy, no!” she screamed.

All eyes flashed toward him.

Rae was gone in a flicker of light.

Daddy's body flew through the air and landed with a thump against a tree trunk across the stream. He slumped toward the ground, blood pooling at the corner of his lip.

“Daddy!” Avery rushed toward him.

“Don't step in the water!” Rae shouted. He leapt forward and caught her.

Before she could protest, her feet lifted off the ground, and for the briefest second she floated. She landed on the other side and Rae was gone. Ten feet away. Breathing hard.

She didn't have time to figure out this strange angel guy. Instead, she rushed to Daddy and wiped the blood from his lip. “He's still breathing,” she said.

Luca raced to the edge of the stream. “Now is the time to get him out of here. He can't fight us. We'll take him back to our camp and we will leave.” He turned to Rae, his nostrils flared. “You have to help us. You have to trust us.”

Rae frowned again. He searched their faces. What could he possibly be looking for?

“Please!” Avery said. “He's hurt. We have to get him out of here, and that will take the threat away.”

“I'll have to bind your minds. You will not remember any of this.”

June groaned louder and started shaking.

Avery turned to Luca, then to Rae.

“Trust me,” Luca said. “We don't want to remember any of this.”

Finally, Rae nodded. Avery sighed in relief.

“You help June,” Luca said to her. “I'll get your dad.”

She launched across the water this time, careful to keep her feet from touching the water as she skipped large rocks. No need to get the angel all weirded out again.

June moaned and her head lolled back as Avery tried to help her stand. “What's happening?” Avery asked.

“She has lost consciousness,” Rae said. “We do not have much time.”

Avery's back strained as she tried to lift June to her feet. “Benny, help.”

Benny hurried over and slung June's other arm around his shoulders. “I can't believe any of this is happening.”

“You won't have to believe it much longer,” Avery said. “Let's move.”

Luca had managed to throw Daddy over his shoulder, and Rae led him to a part of the stream that he could step over without touching the water. Luca reached them and nodded toward the place where they'd come through the wall of fire.

Avery turned and gasped. A guy stood directly in front of her. His dark hair stood on end, and his dark skin glistened with sweat. “Going somewhere so soon? I had hoped to give everyone the grand tour.”

“Back away, Rafa!” Rae said. “Do you not think you have done enough?”

Rafa's eyebrows rose and he barked out a laugh. “Enough? No, brother, not nearly enough. The archeologist is going to broadcast our location to the world. This place will be swarming with people. Dirty, selfish, greedy people who care not for the sanctity of—well, of anything!” His face lit up with what Avery could only call glee. He was happy about all of this?

“What could you possibly gain from that?”

He turned to her, as if he were really seeing her for the first time. His eyes took her in. Made her want to squirm. Finally, he turned to Rae. “You can help me, my brother!”

“You lie,” Rae said through gritted teeth. “And you are not my brother. Give up now, Rafa. Even if you manage to bring others here, the Father will not allow it. You will kill innocents.”

The giddy look slid off Rafa's face and he scowled at Rae. “Innocents? I don't care about them. It is my mission to destroy the innocents.” He turned back to Avery and beat his chest. ”Why should I care what happens to humans?”

Avery seethed inside, but what could she say?

June's body began shaking in Avery's arms, rattling her teeth. “Please let us pass. She'll die.”

“Wonderful. It's precisely what I had in mind anyway.” Rafa raised his arms and small black beetles erupted around them.

“You can't bring them in here!” Rae said. He moved toward Rafa, his nostrils flared and his eyes shooting flames of anger. “I cannot allow it!” He gave a twist of his wrists and the beetles scattered.

Rafa laughed. “Is that so? What are you going to do about it?”

Rae moved as fast as lightning. His hands shoved into Rafa's chest, sending Rafa backwards and into a tree with a loud
thump
. Rafa didn't stay down like Daddy had, though. He shot up like a bullet and came at Rae with hands formed into claws.

“This is pointless,” Rae shouted. They wrestled on the floor of the garden. “The Creator will not let you win.”

“You think not?” Rafa flipped Rae onto his back and positioned himself on top. Grabbing Rae's head, Rafa slammed him into the ground.

June's body seized up and she gasped, then she slumped again with a moan. Avery and Benny looked at each other.

“We have to get her out of here,” Avery said. June wasn't the only person she was worried about. If this was any indication of the battle coming, Avery didn't want to stick around herself.

“They're distracted,” Luca whispered. “Let's get out of here. If we hurry we might be able to make it back to camp before they notice.”

Avery nodded. She took a deep breath and moved toward the exit of the garden. Black beetles swarmed them, only these weren't the small bugs from earlier. The huge creatures were as large as watermelons, and they skittered around them, above them, even over their shoes.

Luca kicked one, sending it flying. Thick beads of sweat popped out on his forehead and he grunted as he heaved Daddy higher on his shoulder.

“It's the demons tormenting June,” Avery said. “They attract the beetles. What do we do now?”

“Can you carry her by yourself?” Benny asked.

Avery frowned. “I don't know. What are you thinking?”

Rafa flew past them and hurdled into a tree high above them. The tree splintered. He slid to the ground with a sickening thud. Rae was on top of him in an instant. “Evil will never consume the good, Rafa. It pains me that you never learned this.”

Dirt smeared across Rafa's skin. Scratches lined his body. But no blood.