Always Luna

eden

noun ~ an unspoiled paradise of great happiness

Once I had pulled my coat on, we followed Aldren towards the back of the house. He remained silent as we walked. The trio of men behind me were not so secretive in their attempt to move through the old house, Leo going as far to knock a few coats onto the floor.

The back door creaked as it opened, its old wood weathered beyond its lifespan. Aldren shot us a sympathetic smile as his feet fell into the freshly fallen snow. The snowflakes were light, barely clouding the sky, but they still held that bitter chill. I shivered as soon as my cheeks made contact with the outside air, immediately seeking my heater of a mate.

Phoenix laughed softly, wrapping his single-jacket clad arm around my waist. My frozen cheek pressed into his chest as we followed Aldren down the side of the house to the southernmost part of the building. I smiled at the sound of our feet crunching in the snow, the sensation oddly comforting beneath my boots.

Celimene bristled as we slowly came to our destination, causing the hair on my neck to stand to attention. Despite the mountains of white blankets, there seemed to be a patch up ahead and that strange shimmering energy of magic surrounding it.

My mouth fell ajar as we finally reached the garden in question. Aldren was quick to step inside, shaking off the snow from his thick winter coat and hat.

"Aldren..." I murmured as we came closer. "Is this a..."

"Magic garden, yeah." He mused. "Well, come on in."

I was the first to enter after him. Pushing Phoenix aside, I felt the gentle caress of energy before it encased my body in warmth. Oh, it had barely been a few minutes, but I was so glad to be warm again.

"Take a look around. I'm sure you will have questions for me." He smiled, moving to sit on a bench.

The magnificent magic dome of a garden was like something out of a fairy-tale. Towards the back stood rows of bamboo shoots with various vines and vegetables growing among them. Flowers sprouted from roots, sunflowers begging to climb to touch the burning rays of the sun. There were rows of fresh strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. Vines of grapes and pods of peas, even trees of apples and pears. In the leaf-sprouted ground, I could smell potatoes, broccoli, parsnips, carrots...

So much food. So much nature.

I felt like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory and Aldren was my very own Willy Wonka.

I sighed with content, falling into the bench beside Aldren once I was done exploring.

"So, you have questions?" He wondered, nudging my knee with his own.

Rolling my head towards him, I stared, astonished. "What even is this place?"

"My garden. I thought I had clarified that." He smirked.

I narrowed my eyes. "You sound an awful lot like my twin there."

He chuckled. "Well, when Angela met Celimene, they realised it was hard to grow plants in the mountains, so they created their own little garden of Eden. Each part of the dome is charmed so that each plant there can grow in its own, needed environment."

"That's pretty incredible." I breathed.

"Sounds like a lot of work." Leo grunted.

I eyed my big brother curiously as he came to a stop before us. "I thought you liked hard work?"

He growled at my teasing. "I do. But... this is magic. Someone has to keep this going all the damn time."

"Not necessarily. Angela is powerful enough. I bet it is just like breathing." I quipped.