Asher's Beloved

Chapter 9

Chapter Nine - Secret Haven

"Here we are."

We're outside a wooden door but the walls on either side of it are floor to ceiling length windows. The only problem is that it's like they're covered because I can't see anything through them. I look to Asher for an explanation but he's concentrating on the door.

"Dezvaluiți ceea ce este ascuns." He murmurs in a foreign language, I'm guessing Romanian. (Reveal what is hidden.)

He smiles and points for me to open the door. Staring at him in suspicion, I step forward and twist the handle. My jaw drops as I step in, slightly flinching at the bright light since my eyes had adjusted to the usual darkness. Everything is made from glass and steel with both the walls and the ceiling letting the warm sunlight in. There's flowers and trees everywhere, bright green grass stretching out in front of me with a winding path leading to a white gazebo at the end. There's a wooden swing tied to a tree branch and I can hear birds chirping and bees flitting from one flower to the next in search of nectar. Tucked away in a corner is a pond with water lilies, ducks swimming around on top of it. It resembles a greenhouse with its glass ceiling but it's a huge garden.

"What...how?" I smile widely, tilting my head upwards so that the sun's rays can kiss my face.

"The Fae and Vampire realms are two polar opposites." He takes my hand and intertwines them as we walk around. "My mother hated the constant darkness and missed her home terribly, so my father enlisted the help of a witch to create this garden for her. Everything is magic yet it all feels and smells very real."

"It's amazing!" I laugh in delight, trailing my fingertips over the rows of tulips. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

We roam around the garden, taking everything in until I spot a picnic basket on top of a blanket. Asher pulls me to it and we sit down while I watch him take out the food. There's fruits, lemonade, chocolate and sandwiches. I peek inside the basket and chuckle when I notice the many other snacks he's brought along.

"I didn't know what you'd like." He admits, a slight pink tinge to his cheeks.

"Everything looks great." I admit, taking a chicken sandwich from him. "Will you eat too?"

"It doesn't do anything for me but it's not bad." He shrugs, taking a sip of lemonade. "Tell me more about yourself, your family, your life back home."

"Well, I'm Ivan's twin. He's older than me by a few minutes and we're the eldest, then it's Valentina and another set of twins; Misha and Mikhail."

"Wow, your house must be crazy." He chuckles, making me smile as I remember countless memories of my siblings and I wreaking havoc. "Does Valentina ever feel left out since twins are more connected?"

"No, we always make sure that she's included in everything we do. But Valentina is like the life of a party; her energy is contagious and everyone wants to be around her instead of the opposite." I laugh, thinking back on how many times my sister got scolded by my parents for doing something reckless or wild. "She's really independent, which is a nightmare for my parents sometimes."

"Is she a hybrid too?"

"No, Valentina is fifteen and she hasn't shifted yet. There's only two more months to go so, she's pretty excited." I laugh, taking a sip of lemonade.

"And how old are Misha and Mikhail?

"Eleven. Those two look exactly like our mom with their black hair and grey eyes." I laugh, remembering how mom would always tease that she loves them more.