Chapter 27
Rylee
“Are we going to Tareena’s temple again?” I ask Axl, my hand in his as he guides us through Sapphire Cove.
We’ve spent the morning shopping, supporting the local businesses, and sampling from the markets along the way. Ash trails behind us, following us from a safe distance that’s almost comical. I’ve tossed him some fish, but he followed us long before I ever tempted him with food.
Axl woke up and demanded we have a few hours where we weren’t training, and instead just enjoy his city. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until now. There’s a hopeful contentment brewing in my chest. It’s been gone too long, with everything going on. I’m sure Axl knew that.
“No,” he says, taking a path near his mother’s temple. Instead of leading to the steps, it goes past it and to the right, splitting a hunter green hedge that stands twice my height. “I wanted to show you my mother’s gardens.”
The two enforcers standing guard at the entrance bow as Axl leads us through the hedge.
“Oh, Axl,” I say as the space opens up before us. The giant hedge stands as a beautiful, natural border, masking all the treasures inside. There are rows and rows of different types of flowers and plants, all broken into sections, split by the marble pathways around them. “This is stunning.”
He takes a deep breath, his hair down and blowing a little in the breeze. “I love it here.”
“I can see why,” I say as he squeezes my hand, taking us down the closest path.
“My mother started these gardens shortly after she met my dad,” he says as we walk. “They worked on them together.”
It’s hard to envision Lucas working with Tareena to build something like this, but there’s a glint in Axl’s eyes that keeps me from saying as much. He looks so happy here, breathing in the floral scent coating the air.
“He almost let them die,” he says, pausing in front of a patch of cylinder-shaped flowers. Rows of tiny sapphire petals spiral around the tubular green base, looking like little spikes.
“Why?” I ask.
Axl strokes one of the flowers, then continues to guide me down the winding paths. “After she went to sleep,” he answers, “my father just stopped coming. I didn’t know. When I finally returned here on my own when I was older, there were barely any flowers left.”
I look around, noting the lush and vibrant garden that stretches for what seems like forever. “You brought it back to life.” It’s not a question. I know him. Know his love for his mother. And this garden, it’s evident what a labor of love it is.
“Not bad,” he says, huffing a laugh. “Right?”
I tug him closer, hugging his arm as we walk. “It’s incredible. Ivy would lose herself in here.”
“Let her know she can come here whenever she wants,” he says. “I’ll make sure the guards know.”
“You’re the best,” I say, smiling up at him. “Do you know that?”
“Course I do.” He winks at me.
I chuckle. “This really is stunning,” I say as we walk. “What you’ve done here.”
“It’s mostly my mom,” he says. “She left the seeds for me. There are hundreds of plants in here that the Occuli healers use for their tonics.”
“That’s amazing,” I say, gasping when we round a corner and spot a patch of golden flowers. “Wow, these are . . . I’ve never seen anything like these.”
The soil is midnight rich, multiple sections of flowers stretching from thick stems in full bloom. Their petals are a burnished gold, the silk-like structures glistening.
“They remind me of your eyes,” I say, kneeling to get a better look. “And they smell like honey and cinnamon.” Even their leaves are a dark golden color. “Definitely the flower of a goddess.”
Axl kneels by me. “One of my favorites, too. They—” He cuts off abruptly. “Hey!” he yells at Ash, who prances between the flowers, plopping down and stretching out like the space is his own personal bed. “You can’t hiss at me every chance you get and then take a nap in my garden,” he grumbles.
“I think it means he likes you.” I chuckle, shaking my head at the cat.
“He hasn’t left to explore on his own once.
It’s funny, I didn’t think he’d domesticate for anyone other than Erin.
And even with her, Ash opted for independence.
” I nod to him. “And lounging like that? Pretty sure that means he’s no longer afraid of you. ”
Axl arches an eyebrow at me as we stand back up.
“Really?” He wraps an arm around my shoulders, and we keep exploring the gardens. “It’s about time. I haven’t had to work that hard to get anyone to like me since you came into my life.”
I playfully swat at his chest. “You didn’t have to work that hard.”
He draws me in closer, kissing the top of my head. “Sure I did.”
“You’re insufferably likeable,” I argue.
“You’re only saying that because you’re my mate.”
“Please.” I roll my eyes. “I was a goner long before I knew you were my mate.”
He glances down at me, looks like he’s considering arguing, then shrugs. “Okay. I’ll agree with that. I hooked you pretty quick.” He dips down, slanting his mouth over mine. “Still hooked?”
I melt into him. “Always.”