Garden Of Avalon Novels & Stories

Chapter 4 My mind whirred as I thought of everything I had heard about him. He was rumored to be the most unattractive among his brothers. He was also the youngest brother and apparently the one most likely to be found between a woman’s sheets. But what had earned him his nickname was his eyes. Rumored to be darker than midnight, they portrayed exactly how weak he was. In our continent, Avaloria, the power of the royal family is reflected in our eyes.

It had all been right there, if I'd only dared to see it. Just then, his phone rang. It was his assistant. "Mr. Bradley… there's been a second avalanche on the snow mountain. Your wife… she really didn't survive it…"

Meeting Avalon there, she asked, "Where is she?" Avalon’s gaze remained unreadable as she pointed toward a direction. "A witness said they saw her over there. I’ve already sent people to search the area, but so far, there’s no news." Suzy glanced toward where Avalon was pointing. Her brows furrowed as she stepped forward. The area was a small village nestled at the foot of a mountain, and Avalon’s direction led to an expansive forest. The winter forest was barren and desolate. Even without the leaves obscuring the view, there was nothing to see in the eerie stillness.

Any attempts to steal or cultivate them outside the temple would prove futile, as they would refuse to grow in any other land. Their presence was exclusive to the Temple of the Moon Goddess, a testament to the divine blessing bestowed upon this sacred ground. Even the other man-built divine temples, though they could cultivate lavender gardens, could only work with ordinary varieties, unable to capture the enchanting essence of Mother's chosen flower. In addition to the Temple of the Moon Goddess, there was another exceptional place where the sacred lavender flowers thrived—the royal palace. This distinguished location held a unique privilege of being exempted from the limitations faced by o

“This isn’t business, Alpha Vale. This is getting to know each other. And a way to show off my vast estate. Come, take a walk with me, I would love to show you around.” I held his gaze for a long moment, trying to read what was underneath. But his eyes were calm and steady, and they gave nothing away. “Fine,” I said, taking the glass. “A tour.” The garden was even more beautiful than I’d imagined – paths winding through hedges trimmed into impossible shapes, fountains that caught the moonlight, flowers that bloomed white and silver in the dark. The Northern King walked beside me, close enough to be companionable, far enough to be polite.

He looked around, his brow furrowed in a rare display of confusion. They weren't in a dark court or a prison. They were in a garden. But it was a garden of silver. The trees were made of spun platinum, their leaves tinkling like wind chimes in a breeze that smelled of ozone and lilies. The sky was a deep, permanent twilight, filled with stars that were too large and too bright to be real. "The Eighth Circle," Vane whispered, his hand going to the hilt of his hidden blade. "The Garden of Lost Intentions."

JASMINE My twentieth birthday was three days after the alpha ceremony. It was the perfect fall day—the trees in northern Vermont had turned into a palette of red, orange, and yellow, and the weather had now cooled. I had the day off from work and spent it on schoolwork. It wasn’t a very exciting birthday, but I wanted to be sure I stayed ahead in school. At four in the afternoon, while my parents were at work, I heard the doorbell chime. descended the stairs to the first floor and looked out the window to see that Blake was waiting on the doorstep. I took a deep breath and opened the door, wondering why he was here.

That was the point she moved from Tuscarawas to Losantiville. ### “Olivia, I think you’d spend years chopping that cabbage.” Ava took the chicken lap from a bowl and started rolling it in the bread crumbs. She tried to push back a strand of her hair that seemed to be disturbing her view, with the back of her palm. She had noticed that her friend, Olivia, who had visited wasn’t as bright as she used to be. She looked gloomy and trying to pretend all was well. “Oh, yeah? I’m chopping it after all.” Olivia blurted. Ava was taken aback. She stopped and looked at her. “I’m just not happy Ava.” Olivia dropped the knife.

“It’s… 1438 AE, Your Majesty.” My stomach dropped. No. No. No. “What kingdom is this?” I asked, though I already knew the answer. “Earldom, my Queen.” My voice cracked. “Who rules this kingdom?” “King Alaric,” she said softly. I froze. The Raven King. The man I’d just insulted in class that morning. The tyrant who burned the world over a betrayal. “Shit,” I whispered under my breath. “This has to be a joke.”