𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐍 The Reapers Mate

Twenty-Five

Eden

I follow Melinoe down a long corridor, before she stops in front of two massive doors adorned in brilliant green jewels.

"Here we are." She turns to look at me with a large grin before opening the doors dramatically, revealing a path that leads to an ethereal garden surrounded by flames.

"It's beautiful." I breathe out, my eyes dart around stunned by the strange plants I've never seen before.

Strange trees with wispy deep purple leaves and aspen-like trunks line the walls. Flowers of golden yellow, deep reds, and royal purples scatter themselves among the deep green foliage that covers most of the garden.

"Aren't they lovely? I tend to the flowers myself. They can be used to make medicine, herbs, tea, things like that. I like to grow new ones every now and then to experiment." Melinoe says to me as I admire the glittering golden flower.

"What kinds of medicinal properties do these yellow ones have?" I ask, examining the flower to find it's stem covered in prickly blue thorns that I make sure to avoid.

"Those are golden deceits, they're beautiful, but their thorns will cause immense pain if you get pricked, though they're not deadly. I use their roots for fever medicine, the rest of the flower is useless. But the root can cure any fever, no matter the cause or severity." She tells me, seeming to get lost in her enjoyment of her flowers and herbs she tends to.

"I can see why they're named that, I almost went to touch one." I admit, laughing at myself.

"Sorry! I should have said something sooner." She laughs before continuing. "Don't touch anything, at least not without checking with me. I'd hate for the snake plants to eat you."

"Snake plants don't eat people.." I say, almost questioning. The plant I have in mind is harmless.

"My snake plants are different." She says, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"I don't think I want to see those just yet." I say with a smile.

I do not like snakes, and something tells me I won't like an apparent snake plant that can possibly eat me.

"Very well, another time then. For now I'd like to show you my favorite flower, it's what I made that purple juice with that you loved." Melinoe says excitedly before walking over to one of the purple flowers and picking it off it's stem.

As I get a closer look at the flower I can see how pretty it really is, it's petals are large and soft, in the right light they seem to shimmer ever so slightly.

Melinoe comes up and places the flower in my hair above my ear, it's floral smell is absolutely delicious.

"It's beautiful, and smells amazing. What's it called?" I ask as I reach up and touch the soft petals with my hand.

She turns and goes to grab another one, bringing it to her nose and inhaling deeply. "These are called The Flower of Shadows." She says sweetly.

My eyes widen and I feel my heart drop.

No.

"Melinoe? You had me drink the nectar from the flower of shadows?" In that moment it hits me. My legs begin to feel unbearably weak and I stumble backwards in a feeble attempt to escape this woman.

"I'm sorry, Eden. I really wanted to be friends, it's so unfair I was the only one who could do this." She begins to tell me, but I don't care about what she's saying as fear takes over as I realize I'm slowly losing control of my own body.

The flower of shadows seals you away inside your own body, making way for a new host to take over. I'd only heard of them, I've never actually seen one before now.