part 34

Chapter 33

It has been a few months since Holly and Blake had disappeared through the portal and to say I missed them would be an understatement. They'd sent a message back saying they had discovered a demon who they knew had been charged to take Izzy but he had been slain by some unknown magic. Apparently it was pure earth magic. Whatever the hell that means. Riley and Maya have gotten close and you can really see the sparks between them. Will it work out well, I don't know but I'm hoping so, we need some happiness right now.

Nate and I have been extremely busy. That damn demon has been causing unbelievable amounts of havoc in the cities. He had destroyed some of the most important buildings in Antoria and had spread disease throughout the lower kingdom. To say it's been stressful would be a serious understatement.

Today however is going to be a day of rest and relaxation...well that's what Nate said but I don't know if I can believe him, these troubles just seem to follow us.

I waited in the lobby for Nate patiently, well it was patiently for the first half an hour now I'm pacing the floor because his lazy ass is taking too long.

"Sorry I just had to get the kitchens to make us some food." Nate said with an apologetic smile as he came through a door on the opposite side of the lobby from where I was stood. "Now come on there's something I want to show you." With that he walked over and grabbed my hand and then walked over to a wall in the lobby and as pushed in a brick which opened up another of the secret doors. "Make us some light Ari, I really don't want to trip and lose the food."

I didn't even think about it really and a ball of flames appeared in my hands. I split it in two and chucked the second one in the air. "There you go. Now can you please tell me where we are going?" I begged him. I've been doing this since I found out about the rest and relaxation day he planned but he never tells me anything apart from it's his favourite place to think and relax...like that helps.

I lost count of the number of turns we took and just followed behind Nate aimlessly. He eventually came to a white wall but this wall was different to the rest, instead of stone it was marble and was intricately carved and I'm guessing there is a door somewhere in it but I can't see it. The carving on the wall was beautiful, so realistic; I wish it was real because that place would be a beauty like no other. Nate swept his hand over a flower that was almost unnoticeable in carving but not now that my eye had been drawn to it I couldn't believe the detailing. Nate gently touched the flower and for a minute nothing happened and I was getting impatient.

"Nate are you sure this is the right-" I was cut off as the flower seemed to grow and the stem contorted until it create an intricate arch within the stone. That was bloody amazing. I don't think I'll ever get bored of magic.

"Right come on before the doorway closes again." Nate said grabbing my hand and pulling me to the arch. What the heck is he on about its bloody marble?!

"Nate. What the he-" I was cut off as he walked through the arch on the marble and disappeared from sight so that all that remained on this side is the hand still grasped around mine. Oh heck. I allowed him to pull me through and what I saw was incredible. I guess my wish came true because I saw an exact replica of the carving except this was the real version. It was even more beautiful than I imagine. The area was covered in trees and all kinds of exotic looking flowers but just ahead there was an opening which leads to a pool of water and a small water fall. "Wow." I said in a kind of dazed voice as I hungrily surveyed everything and anything.

Nate chuckled and continued to drag me forward towards the pool but turned to the right before we reached the water to a little grass clearing where a picnic blanket had been laid out. Nate let go of my hand and went over and set the basket down on the blanket before taking a seat. I quickly rushed over to join him.

"Nate what is this place?" I asked as I looked over at the waterfall. Is it me or does this place feel...magical...but not the same magic as Nate and I but a purer magic...more earthy...

"I call it the secret garden but I have no idea what its true name is, I was lucky to find it in the first place." He said as he too surveyed the place. "It feels...special though...pure..."

"I felt the same way...kind of earthy... pure earth magic...wait a minute you don't think this place belongs to the same people that destroyed the demon that had Izzy do you?" I asked as I regrettably removed my eyes from the waterfall and looked at Nate's face. He seemed to consider this before he spoke.

"It's possible, but who wields this magic...it is unlike anything I have ever seen before." He said wistfully.

"Let's not talk about this I want to enjoy your company so do you want to swim first or eat first?"

"Swim? I haven't got anything to swim in." I said as I looked down at myself. "And I can't swim in this I'll drown."

"Just go in your undergarments, no one else knows about this place." He said with a cheeky smirk. I just shook my head and smiled.

"Ok, then I guess we should swim first because I always feel rather hungry after swimming." I said with a smile. I got up of the blanket and tried to untie my dress but I just couldn't reach. I seriously hate all these gowns. They seriously are a pain in the butt to get out of, or in to for that matter. But on the other hand they look beautiful.

"Here let me help you with that." Nate said coming up behind me. He brushed my hair that was hanging down my back over my shoulder, accidentally brushing my neck as he went causing a shiver to run out of your body. I shook my head to regain my focus as Nate began to unlace my dress. I only noticed he was done when Nate slid his warm course fingers underneath the straps and slid them down my arms taking the whole dress with it so I was now standing in my undergarments which quite frankly left a lot to the imagination as I had decided on traditional Antorian wear today instead of my bra and French knickers I would have normally worn, my mistake because the material on the undergarments is too thick to swim in unless I want to drown. Ah hell, no one is around and I've never skinny dipped before.

I waited for Nate to remove the majority of his clothing before I grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the water's edge. There was a huge boulder a few feet away so I walked over and removed the rest of my clothes and placed them on the boulder before turning shyly to face Nate. I felt so self conscious...I've never been this completely naked in front of his unless it was by accident...yes he walked in on me having a shower...how it was possible for him not to know I was in there...I bet he did know bloody pervert I rambled not really noticing what was going on. For instance I hadn't noticed that Nate too had removed his clothes and was now encircling his arms around my waist.

When he kissed my neck I snapped out of it and felt my whole body tremble at the smallest of his touches.

"Come on beautiful let's swim!!" He said as placed another tender kiss to my neck and pulled me to the water. I dipped my toe in cautiously and was surprised to find it was warm like bath water warm...strange. Nate let go of me and ran and jumped into the water, when his head bobbed up a few seconds later the water was glistening off of his skin and his golden hair was plastered to his head, that's my angel. I smiled before taking a few steps back.

"Are you ready?" I shouted. I watched as he nodded eagerly before I started running for the water and then jumping off the ground by using a little extra force to propel myself forwards. I let out a girlish squeal before I was engulfed in the warm water seconds later. I couldn't help but revel at the feel of it against my skin; it just felt ...there were no words.

Nate swam circles around me lazily whilst gradually getting closer. I followed him with my eyes and then waited until he was directly in front of me before splashing him in the face. God the look on his face was priceless but I didn't get a chance to laugh because he dunked me under. Damn it. When I came back up I swam the short distance between us and wrapped my arms around him. "Thank you for this, it was just what I needed." I said before giving him a lingering kiss.

"No problem, anything for my queen." He said with chuckle. "Right I want to chow you something over by the waterfall." He pulled away from me and swam towards the edge of the water and pulled himself out, i couldn't help but admire him as he got out, and damn I am one lucky girl. I shook my head and swam over to him and pulled myself out of the water but let out a string of curses when I scratched myself getting out of the water.

"You ok?" Nate asked concerned. I looked down at my leg and thankfully I hadn't drawn blood.

"Yeah it was just a scratch." I replied before walking back over to the boulder and slipping the Antorian underwear back on. I hate these it looks like I'm wearing pyjamas. After we got dressed Nate turned to me.

"OK you've got to see this; some of the symbols are the same as what were in that book so I was thinking maybe you could understand it."Nate walked along the shore until we were past the waterfall and then pointed to what appeared to me a crack in the wall. "This way." He said and dragged me to the crack. I would have doubted him but when he laid his hand on the rough grey rock it morphed from a simple crack into a round opening big enough to walk through. "Give us a little bit of light."

I clicked my fingers and a ball of fire appeared in my hands. I love playing around with this, I'll do clap next time or maybe a nose twitch see if I can do it Bewitched style. As we walked through the tunnel in the rock, the path seemed to slope upwards and the walls flickered with the orange and red flames making it seem overly creepy as the shadows seemed to dance.

Thankfully not even a minute later we came out of the tunnel to the sound of rushing water. The light that immediately bombarded us filtered through the waterfall so that it glimmered across our faces. Nate took my hand in his and pulled me towards the other end of the water fall and pointed at the wall. I didn't register at first but then I made out words on the mossy stone. I read as I walked along but when I got halfway my brows furrowed and as I carried on I just shook my head.

"Ok well at that end, it's all ancient Antorian, in the middle it's a mix and at this end it's something else. From what I can gather this is in recognition of a meeting between the winged earth beings and the Antorians. One of the winged people was gifted with foresight and saw the coming of a great evil that would breach the barrier between all worlds and a daughter of both Antoria and the world of the winged folk would have to save them. How there can be a daughter of both I don't know because it was forbidden to have relations between the two species. The part in the middle is like an agreement between the two thus the mixture of the languages and the other end is all the other people. It would be my guess their side say the same as this one but in their language. The great evil they talk about sounds similar to the one we just caged but it even talks of them escaping which is bad news." I said as my eyes once again roved over the words. "I wonder if these people still exist."

"I don't know but either way we need to find out and if they do still exist we need to warn them that the time of evil could be upon us." Nate said seriously. So much for rest and relaxation.