What One Finds In Secret Garden #3
Orán jerks in place. His face flicks to the side, and then he steps closer. He lays his hand gently on my elbow. “Please repeat that. I seemed to have lost my hearing while locked in a cell for days on end.”
“You heard me correctly.”
He’s not upset. Instead, he’s giving me a bewildered expression as if he wants to know every detail.
“You, dear Eridessa, are a mystery I could spend eternity trying to unravel.” He pauses, his thumb brushing absently along the rope at his wrist as his eyes stay fixed on mine. “And still, I don’t think that would be enough time to discover all of the fascinating things about you.”
I pat his chest lightly and spin to walk into the house, calling out behind me, “Flattery will get you nowhere.”
“No, probably not, since that only got me locked up to begin with. But nevertheless, I won’t give up hope that it will one day win you over.”
Inside the doorway, the scent of waffles, eggs, and sausage wraps around me. Orán is close behind, his presence filling the space in a way that makes the house feel significantly smaller.
Inhaling deeply, he says, “Wow. It smells amazing in here.”
Lila, wearing a striped blue-and-white apron, plates two more waffles as she calls out, “I hope you’re hungry. I made enough to feed a horse.” She grins wickedly. “Get it, Horseman?”
He chuckles. “Yes, uh… I got it.”
“Lila is a wonderful cook. I’m lucky to have her around. Before she arrived, I mostly lived off vegetables and venison. Now, I have to be rolled out of the kitchen afterward.”
“Oh, you do not. You never gain a pound.”
I palm my own belly. “But I feel it. If my body didn’t metabolize like an immortal, I’d be forty pounds heavier.”
“And still just as beautiful.”
My head turns slowly.
He’s watching me—smiling, full wattage.
I nearly roll my eyes, but that would be more of a Lila thing to do. Instead, I cross my arms, suddenly aware of how close we stand to one another and the uncomfortable silence. My gaze pings from Lila to him and back again.
Lila tries, and fails, to stifle a laugh.
Spinning on my heel to get out of whatever this is, I leave and call out. “I’ll go get you some things so you can wash up.”
Their low murmurs follow me as I dig through my closets, pulling out some spare clothing, a towel, soap, a spare toothbrush, and toothpaste.
When I return, I dump the items into Orán’s arms, getting my own enjoyment from catching him off guard. “I found some clothes that should fit you. Best to get cleaned up before breakfast. It’ll be a few minutes. Right, Lila?”
“Actually—” I cut her a look, and she coughs. “Yes. About ten minutes or so, I’d say. But there’s no rush. Take your time.”
Orán looks at her, then back at me. “Alright.”
He leaves, and the minute he’s out the door, I scold Lila. “Don’t encourage him.”
“Why ever not?”
“Just… because. There’s a mountain of things we stand opposed on, and I’m not ready to even consider letting him back into my bed. I only did that so I could bind his powers.”
Lila plates the eggs, not even looking at me. “Uh-huh. Is that what you’re trying to convince yourself of?”
“Oh, shush.”
“I’m just sayin’. The chemistry is practically visible. There’s steam rising, and it’s not coming from the kitchen. It’s coming off the two of you every time you stand within a foot of each other.”
A laugh bursts out of me. “There is not.”
“Okayyy.” She drags it out, lips twitching. “If you say so.”
“I do.”
When Orán returns, the table is set, and Lila has piled his plate high enough that there’s no hope of him finishing it.
He’s in an off-white Henley and grey jeans, both fitted enough to trace the lines of his shoulders and chest. He smells faintly of pine, which disturbs my equilibrium a bit, though I know it shouldn’t.
His long hair is combed back, still damp, and droplets are slipping down to darken the fabric at his collar.
“This looks amazing, Lila. Thank you.” He takes the seat I direct him to, which is next to me and across from Lila. She grins at him like this is all one great conspiracy, and the side of his mouth lifts in answer.
“It’s no problem. I love doing it. It keeps my mind off…other things.”
He lifts his fork and stares down at his plate. He goes for the eggs first, seeming to savor every bite.
“I thought maybe you could help out around here today,” I offer, “and spend some time outdoors, if you’re up to it.”
He glances over at me. “As opposed to going back to my dark and dreary cell? Yes, I vote for that option.”
Lila cuts me a look—condemnation, mixed with an I told you so.
I refold the napkin in my lap. “Alright. Just stay where I can see you.”
Orán salutes me with his fork in jest. “Your wish is my command. Simply tell me where I can help and what to do.”
I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, but something about seeing this side of him throws me off. He’s far different from the serious and determined lover, yet I can’t say that this playful side of him doesn’t pique my interest as well.
We finish the meal, and the awkwardness lingers, but Lila does her level best to fill the silences with benign conversation.
Afterward, Lila and I fall into our usual rhythm at the sink as we clean the dishes. Orán offers to help, but I wave him off. We have a system, and it works. Plus, the farther away he is, the more capable I am of acting rationally.
While we clean, he stays within sight but does wander through the kitchen and front room, peering at all the things I’ve acquired on my journeys.
My house is a mismatch of odds and ends, furniture, knickknacks, and supplies.
It’s small but cozy, and I can’t help but wonder what he thinks of it as he takes it all in.
As I dry my hands after the last dish is put away, I ask, “Now it’s meal time for everyone else. Ready to be put to work?”
“Sure, what can I do?”
Lila takes a seat on the couch and puts her feet up on a little footstool. “Are you going to introduce him to our little village creatures?”
“That’s the plan.”
Lila grins. “Tell Naga hi for me.” To Orán, she says, “Be careful not to let her get too close. She’s a biter.”
“Naga?”
I wave him off. “You’ll see.”
We start in Lila’s room and work our way through the house. Naga, Lila’s boa constrictor, does hiss, but she doesn’t attempt to take a bite out of Orán. In fact, she calms when Orán raises his hands in front of her, even resettles back down into her enclosure.
“So you have a way with nature. Nature and animals.”
“With all living things.”
“You might come in handy then.”
I have him hold different bags of food and a jug of water.
He seems happy to help, surprised, and enamored by all the creatures he didn’t realize lived here with us.
When we finish up in my room, he remarks again about my propensity for creatures that can jump.
“But why not a rabbit or a kangaroo? I mean, it would really round out your collection.” It’s a joke, but I simply smirk and wave him to follow me.
I guide him through the house and out the back door by the kitchen. There’s a small sun room, and a few of the insects that prefer warmer climates are in here, where I have a heater and sun lamps set up. He inspects each one as I feed them all.
Then I open the screen door into the garden. I cross my arms and wait. He delivers just as anticipated. The gasp is one filled with surprise and awe.
“Eri.”
One half of the garden, which is quite large, is fenced off with chicken wire to keep the animals out of the food. The other is full of different bushes and flowers, and little rock paths for them to traverse while they go about their day.
Orán doesn’t say another word. He simply sets down everything in his arms and walks forward before crouching down. He holds out his palm and attempts to make friends with Talbert, whose nose is twitching as he hops closer and inspects the hand, which smells faintly of food.
He’s a large bunny with golden fur, and his family is hiding out somewhere, slower to approach the massive stranger. Some of them are easy to spot since their white fur sticks out among the foliage, while the others stay well hidden.
But I spy a tiny pink nose peeking out from under a yellow rose bush, and the opal fur.
“How many in total?” Orán asks.
“Honestly, I’ve lost count.”
“How many have been changed?”
“A little more than a dozen.”
“And the born ones. They're different. Like their mother?”
I nod. “Yes, a test to see how the babies, how a hybrid, might be changed by the elixir.”
He shakes his head and peers back at me. His expression holds wonder and astonishment but also trepidation. There’s knowledge there, too, about why this experiment is important to me.
“Like I said. I’d need an eternity to discover all the facets of you.”
“I’m really not that interesting or complicated.”
He reaches forward and pets Talbert. A moment later, he holds out his hand to the other bunnies, venturing closer. “You might believe that, but it’s wholly untrue.”
A white butterfly chooses that moment to fly in front of my face and land on a nearby red rose. Orán’s gaze follows it, and he shakes his head again.
“That”—I laugh—“is not my doing.” I don’t see his amusement, but I hear it in a low chuckle.
“I can see why you needed help. And why you can't disappear for days without someone managing this place.”
“Lila—”
He stands. “No, that’s not what I meant.
It’s admirable, and it’s a lot of responsibility, and I'm glad you have someone here to help you. These creatures, I can feel their joy. They’re not simply existing here.
They're happy here. The love they have for this place.” His gaze sweeps over the garden.
He palms his chest. “I can feel what they feel, and it’s kind of a beautiful thing.
Such peace that many creatures of this world never find. ”
My mouth parts and words form, but nothing spills from my lips.
“This is why you’re fighting as hard as you are to see the world continue…because the end of it…means the end of this…of them.”