Page 125 of Enchanted Kisses
Without thought, I stepped inside.Twisting and turning through high walls of ivy, I was soon lost. Forward seemed backward and backward seemed forward, similar to the way my life felt. I couldn’t go back to the beginning, and I doubted I’d ever find the end. Maybe now was the time to contact Mom and Dad and join them. But how? Maybe the answer was in my poetry book. I had to get home.
Home.
The word stuck in my mind. I had no home. Dad’s house would be listed on the market soon. I had no place to go. Raysa would take me in; I knew that. But I didn’t see it as an option because Caiden was her appointee. I couldn’t handle seeing him again.
Seeming to be walking in circles, I stopped. How would I get out of this maze? I put my hands to the leafy walls, feeling for a break in the ivy as I walked. Maybe I couldn’t see it. Moonlight didn’t shine as brightly in here and the hedges looked like long, endless walls. But what if there were hidden openings?
My fingers brushed something hard and splintery. Wood? I felt around. The piece was large, like a door or gate.
I pushed on it, part of me hoping it led to a different world. Nope, just a square courtyard illuminated by—I didn’t know what. Rose-colored light shined everywhere, only I couldn’t find the source. I stepped farther inside, toward a three-tiered fountain in the center. Water softly trickled from the tulip-shaped top.
Despite my mood, my shoulders relaxed. Wild blooms lined the outer hedges, their sweet scent soothing my nerves. Every now and then, a breeze swept through, tinkling the wind chimes and rustling the leaves. It was beautiful, peaceful, like home.
I sat on a stone bench, closed my eyes, and just breathed. I could stay here forever. Maybe I would.Yes. I wouldn’t leave here until someone found me. If no one ever did, then I’d die here. At least I’d be at peace.
I didn’t remember lying down or covering myself with flowers, but I woke up that way.
“I found her, Raysa. She’s in the center of the maze,” Caiden said from somewhere in the garden.
He wasn’t yelling. I assumed that meant he was with Raysa. Good. I wanted to cross out of here before setting eyes on him.
I sat up and stretched. Flowers fell from my arms onto my dress and onto the pebbled ground. The sky was a faint shade of blue. Was it morning or twilight? I couldn’t see the sun, so I didn’t know. The thickness of the air made me think morning.
“I knew you’d find her.” Raysa’s voice sounded muffled.
Caiden entered the garden, holding his phone to his mouth, talking on speaker.
I stared. I couldn’t help it.
“Take her to my flat, please.” Raysa’s voice sounded through the phone. “And thank you for finding her. Remember what I asked of you, Caiden. Fulfill your end of our deal, and I’ll fulfill mine.”
He shoved the phone into his pocket.
I turned away before our eyes met. I couldn’t stand to see the hate in them. It hurt too much. I glanced around the small courtyard, looking at everything but him.
“This place is magical, you know?” His soft voice surprised me. His shoes crunched against the pebbles as he strolled around the garden. “You look like you belong here. When I came in, you looked like an angel. Are you?”
I closed my eyes to keep a tear from sneaking down my cheek. This kind of sweet-talkingwouldbe the death of me.
“Please go away,” I said softly.
More crunching of pebbles, then all was silent, except for the trickling of water.
Had he left?
I opened my eyes.
Caiden sat on the bench across from me. The fountain blocked my view, so I could only see half of him.
“This is confusing. I feel like I know you,” he said. “Which is ludicrous, because I met you only some days ago.”
I didn’t respond. What could I say? He wouldn’t believe me. I picked up a flower mixed in the lilac tulle of my dress, inhaled its sweet fragrance, and tucked it in my hair above my ear.
“How did you know I was tortured?” he asked. “And how do you know my brother?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” I drew my long hair forward, careful not to lose the flower. Curls spilled over my right shoulder to my waist. I picked up a few strands and feathered the ends lightly over my lips.
Suddenly, Caiden was kneeling before me. It happened too quickly for me to flinch.
