The Lost Garden: The Complete Series

by D. K. Holmberg

  “Could it work?” she whispered.

  Eris’s breath caught as she waited.

  The image of the garden Eris had seen in her dreams drifted to mind. With a surge of power, she fed that image through the svanth tree, through the flowers, and prayed Lira would understand.

  Lira took a dozen steps into her garden. Dahlias and camogines reached toward her. Her fingers brushed the tops of the soft petals. Power surged through the flowers, drawn partly from the svanth tree behind her.

  She gazed at the neighboring garden, staring for long moments before turning away and looking farther north. Another field blossomed, the flowers only just being placed. They pulled at Eris, the fledgling energy drawn from them hinting at what was to come. Lira turned again, this time to the east, head cocked as if listening to the wind.

  A smile parted her lips. “It could work. I can see it.”

  Eris followed Lira into her garden and stood next to her. She didn’t need the Mistress of Flowers to describe what she saw. It would be the same image she had, the one with Lira’s garden drawing strength from its placement alongside another, each garden part of a larger pattern. Eris didn’t understand the pattern—that wasn’t her strength—but she recognized the need for the pattern.

  “How much time do we have?” Lira asked.

  We, Eris noted, not you. “There were others coming behind. They might be a week, perhaps more.”

  “Or less.”

  Eris sighed deeply. Seeing how quickly the soldiers had moved left her with little doubt the priestesses could do the same. “Or less,” she agreed.

  Lira’s back straightened. She smoothed her hands across her stomach. Her eyes drifted toward the svanth trees and then back to Eris. “Then we must work quickly.”

  Chapter 89

  Eris crouched near the edge of the forest, her gaze scanning through the trees to the flowers growing in the garden. Once organized, Lira had the keepers working quickly, each planting their garden in such a way that the pattern drew even more energy out of the earth. With each passing hour, Eris felt the power increasing, augmented by the pattern of Lira’s creation. Soon the garden would surpass even that of the lost Gardens of Elaysia, if only they had enough time.

  The keepers worked from the outer edges of the forest toward the center. From what Eris had managed to understand, they worked together, nothing like what they had done when Elaysia existed. Lira had taken Eris’s suggestion and expanded, deciding that what was needed was not individual gardens, but rather a single garden, all interwoven, using the strengths of each of the keepers. Even Eris had not been left out. Lira instructed her to continue planting svanth trees all along the outer edges of the gardens. Eris had twenty planted now, one for each gardener who had returned. Around each tree were shade plants that thrived, funneling energy back and forth between the Source.

  Terran came to sit by her. “You haven’t looked away for an hour.”

  Eris pulled her gaze away from the gardens. “What they’re doing. It’s amazing. All know what is coming, and none turned away from the challenge.”

  “You should be pleased,” he suggested. “Instead you sit here as if…” He trailed off and shrugged. “As if you haven’t done anything. Really, you’ve done everything. You gave them purpose. This is all because of you.”

  “It’s because of Lira. Without her, none of this would be possible.”

  “You deserve some of the credit.”

  “What if it doesn’t work?” she asked. She leaned her head on Terran. Since stopping the priestesses, he acted differently, more reserved. He had refused allowing her the attempt to heal him, but he had worked along with her, planting the trees, and when needed, working in the rest of the gardens, helping Master Nels or the other remaining gardeners. They were fewer than the keepers, but enough that Terran no longer was alone.

  “You don’t think it will work?”

  Eris glanced over to Shadow. He lay with his back pressed against the nearby svanth tree. The other keepers struggled with his presence almost more than they had coming to terms with what Lira suggested. With that, they saw the sense in the suggestion. Some who understood patterns nearly as well as Lira offered ideas of their own. None had ever seen a guardian before. And none had ever seen a creature quite like Shadow.

  “If what I promised doesn’t work, I’ll be the reason these keepers lose everything again.”

  Terran pulled her close and ran a hand through her hair. As he did, Eris withdrew upon herself, reaching for the connection she felt between them buried deep within. It was times like these that connection offered reassurance. Without thinking about what she did, she pressed some of her energy through the connection, moving it slowly. Terran sighed and hugged her tightly.

  “I don’t think they can lose what they didn’t have,” he said. “I’ve overheard the other gardeners talking. I know some of what has happened with them since Elaysia was destroyed. Most of the keepers scattered, disappearing to the north or the east. Gardens were restarted, but none flourished, not quite like here. Those who established their own gardens feared letting them grow to any significant size, always afraid of drawing attention. But now?”

  He pulled her face away and kissed her on the forehead. “Now they have something again. The gardeners understand what has been missing. Purpose. A shared goal. The beauty of the gardens. With Elaysia returning, they have come home. They have others to share it. You did this. You helped them.”

  He leaned back, and Eris leaned with him, wanting to stay close. The sense of calm she felt reminded her of what they’d known while in Rochelle’s garden before they knew the danger they truly faced. There it had been fleeting, as she knew it would be fleeting here. The peace would not—could not—last, not while the magi prepared to attack. She only hoped they had enough time to make everything ready.

  “I think they’ll do everything they can to not lose their garden again,” he said.

  “It’s different this time.”

  He nodded. “Yes. They have you here to help.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “That’s not what I mean. The Darkbinders coming; the attack they plan, it’s different. When the magi came the last time, all they wanted was to destroy the gardens. They thought that was all they needed to do. Plenty of keepers died then, but the gardens, I think, were the goal. This time, they want the keepers.”

  Terran touched her face, running his fingers through her hair. “They don’t want the keepers. In the time I was with them,” he said, shuddering as he remembered, “there was no sense that they wanted the keepers. They want you. They now know the power of the Svanth Forest, how you draw from a deeper well when you use it. That’s the reason they went after Shadow. They thought if they could kill your guardian, your link to the forest would fall.”

  Eris shivered thinking of losing Shadow. As she watched him, he stirred, ears twitching and turning to her. The attack had left him injured. Time might restore him to full health, but she wondered if he would ever be as strong as he once had been. What if the darkness that worked through him left a permanent change? Would he still be able to serve as her guardian?

  He seemed to sense her concern and looked to her, golden eyes blinking open, a low growl coming as he stretched and yawned.

  “The gardener is right, keeper. They seek the darkness. For them to succeed, they must destroy the light.”

  “The Source?”

  “It and others.”

  “I thought you didn’t know. That you couldn’t tell me anything.”

  Shadow’s tail twitched. “The longer I am here, things begin to change.”

  “With what you can tell me?”

  Shadow’s eyes narrowed. “With me.”

  Eris leaned away from Terran and looked over the gardens. If what she intended worked, the Darkbinders would find this a much more difficult target, maybe enough to protect the Source. “You might be right, Shadow, but I intend for this garden to be another bright light. Hopefully, it wil
l be bright enough we can stop the Darkbinders for good.”

  Shadow snorted. “You have not been paying attention, keeper. You can’t stop darkness.”

  Eris looked at him. “Perhaps not. But I can shine a light so bright the darkness withdraws to nearly nothing.”

  Terran squeezed her arm. Shadow growled approvingly.

  She rested quietly for a few moments. As she did, she reached through the roots of the svanth trees, using them to connect to her distant Svanth Forest and then beyond, tracing toward the border, reaching across Saffra. There, she sensed something different. Trees like her svanth, but also unlike them. They twisted and tied to the connection she shared with the forest, roots plunging deep into the ground and reaching for the Source. Eris followed these roots, a smile coming to her. They were the trees she’d planted in Rochelle’s garden.

  Sensing them, she felt a surge of hope she hadn’t known since seeing her sister again.

  * * *

  Night came, and Eris felt a shift in the gardens around her.

  She sat upright, immediately on edge. Had the magi come already? She’d thought they would have more time. Another week, possibly more. She hadn’t felt anything moving across Errasn, but with the Verilain Plains destroyed, she might not.

  Terran reached for his sword as he sat up, but he didn’t have one, not since his capture. “What is it?” he whispered.

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. Something is different. Wrong.”

  Terran shifted to his knees and searched the darkness. A few stars twinkled, but no moon shone, leaving nothing but blackness around them. A perfect night for the magi to attack.

  “Shadow?” she said.

  She felt him, but he was distant, ranging away from the gardens, moving slowly and carefully. It was good he could walk. For the last few days, he had done little more than lounge against the svanth trees, almost as if waiting to die. Eris felt the strength still within him. The attack had left him weakened, but not so much he couldn’t survive.

  As she began to release her connection to him, she hesitated. There was a reason Shadow moved slowly. He was not alone.

  Eris jolted to her feet, now completely awake. She started toward where she felt him, afraid the magi had found him again.

  Terran ran after her. “He’s not alone?”

  “No.”

  “Is he harmed?”

  They reached the edge of the newly reborn gardens. Trees thinned and opened into rolling hills still untouched by trees and flowers. Eris reached through her connection to the roots to feel for Shadow, but there was nothing, not enough for her to read. She felt him, but it was a vague sense, barely anything more than the fact he still moved.

  She pulled through the grasses as she walked, hurrying toward where she sensed her guardian. Terran raced after her, but began to fall behind. She slowed enough for him to catch up and turned, knowing he should not have difficulty in keeping up with her. What did it mean that he did?

  Moving more slowly, methodically almost, she found Shadow crouched in a field of wild daisies. He stood over something. Someone.

  Eris ran toward him.

  “Keeper,” he growled.

  “Who is it?” she demanded. “One of the magi? Another priestess? Did you find Ferisa?”

  Eris had felt conflicted about not finding her sister after the attack on the Svanth. She suspected her sister survived, but where had she gone? Had she been injured, slowed enough Eris wouldn’t have to fight her again, or had she simply returned to the magi?

  Shadow stood and moved away. With the darkness, Eris couldn’t see well.

  She drew power through the grasses, demanding those around the figure on the ground glow with a soft light. As they did, she gasped.

  Rochelle.

  Long cuts worked across her cheeks. Her forehead seemed to be missing a chunk of flesh. Blood seeped from dozens of holes along her arms, as if something had pierced her. Her long gown was tattered, leaving much of her chest and stomach uncovered. Healed scars ran along her stomach and over her breasts. Bruises of various ages purpled her skin.

  Eris reached toward Rochelle and scooped her arms underneath her. Shadow refused to move from his position, as if guarding something. “Rochelle? What happened?”

  She moaned and rolled her head over to look at her. “Eris?” Her voice came out in a ragged whisper. “It’s Ferisa. She knows—”

  “Shh,” Eris soothed. “I’ve already seen Ferisa. She tried to trap me in your garden. She attacked my guardian. My Terran.”

  Terran reached her and scooped Rochelle up in a swift motion without bothering to check with Eris. He turned to her. “She needs healing. More than you can do here.”

  Eris delved through Rochelle briefly, repeated what she had done with her mother when the illness had worked through her. The injuries Rochelle sustained were extensive. Possibly more than she could survive.

  But Eris had to try. This was her Aunt Rochelle. This was her mother.

  She nodded. “Let me—” She sent a surge of energy through Terran. He gasped softly as she did and took a deep breath. “Hurry.”

  They ran back toward the gardens. Terran kept pace, but barely. The strain of the lingering effects from the magi and the effort of carrying Rochelle worked at him. Eris fed him a steady trickle of energy as they made their way back to the gardens, but it wasn’t enough. Too much had happened to him, leaving him weakened.

  As she began to worry he wouldn’t be able to go on, another gardener appeared out of the dark. Eris sensed him before she saw him. She didn’t know his name, but he had a long crooked nose and thick black hair. He worked with a frail woman who preferred roses, digging efficiently through the dirt as they worked. He grabbed Rochelle from Terran without a word, and together, they raced toward the heart of the garden.

  A tingle washed over Eris as they crossed into the gardens, the sense much like she felt when first crossing into the Svanth Forest.

  They rushed across newly planted flowers. In the faint light of the stars overhead, Eris couldn’t see what flowers were planted, but she didn’t need to. With her connection through the svanth trees, she felt a bond to these trees. With each passing hour, the bond grew, much like the strength within the garden grew. Hopefully, it would be enough to stop the magi.

  “What happened, Shadow?” she asked.

  He managed to keep pace, but like Terran, he slowed as they neared the gardens. There was no one to take his burden, though. The strain he felt would have to be carried by him alone. She tried drawing what she could away from him and bolstering him as often as possible, but there was only so much she could do.

  “I found her this way.”

  “You know who she is?”

  Shadow growled softly.

  The other gardener glanced over and took a few steps away to give more space between him and Shadow.

  “It was her garden in Saffra,” Shadow answered.

  “She’s my mother.”

  “She is.”

  They reached the edge of the flowers. Beyond here, the center of the garden opened up before them, full of stretches of grasses and slowly sweeping hills. “Not here,” Eris said.

  The other gardener glanced at her. “Where do you suggest, keeper?”

  She motioned toward the middle of the gardens. From what Eris remembered, the middle of Elaysia had been a place of power. She didn’t understand why that would have been then. Nothing from what she learned while tracing the roots of the Svanth had explained anything to her. But the gardens would be different this time.

  Lira used the flowers of each garden to create a specific power. A garden on a scale nothing like they had seen before. And that power focused toward the center.

  When they reached the center, the dark-haired gardener set Rochelle gently onto the ground. Eris knelt next to her, taking her hand and carefully delving her injuries, doing what she could to understand what had happened to her. If she could understand it, she might be able to reverse it
and heal her. If she was strong enough, and if she could draw enough power.

  Another figure knelt on the other side of her. Eris looked over to see Lira crouching across from her. Chestnut hair sent flickering shadows into the night. Her eyes were piercing and seemed to glow as she looked from Eris to Rochelle.

  “What happened?” Lira asked.

  Eris shook her head. “I don’t know. Shadow found her like this. We carried her back, but I’m not sure what happened.”

  “Can you heal her?” Lira asked.

  “I don’t know where to begin.” Eris delved as she answered, reaching through the grasses in the field around them and sending that energy working through Rochelle. The injuries were extensive.

  “But you healed your mother!”

  “When I healed her, I could focus on what was wrong within her. This is…this is different.”

  Lira reached across Rochelle’s body and shook her head. “This is no different. She is injured. Her body is sick. Focus on what you sense wrong within her. Use that to guide the flows.”

  “And if I can’t?”

  “Then the Sacred Mother will welcome her back.”

  “Can you help?”

  Lira offered a sad smile. “Eris Taeresin, you exceeded what I could teach you long ago. Maybe I could still offer you something when it comes to patterns, but more than that?” She shook her head. “Any energy I may add to the flows will be inconsequential compared to what you control. There is only one other keeper alive who might be able to do what is needed here. And she lies, unmoving, in front of us.”

  Eris closed her eyes and focused on what she learned by reaching through Rochelle. Power resided within her, but it was damaged, too. She frowned, focusing on what she could sense. The delving told her that Rochelle’s superficial injuries were not what threatened her, but something different, something deeper.

  Energy surged through Eris and into Rochelle as she drew it from the nearby svanth trees, the grasses around them, even borrowing from flowers planted by the returned keepers. She pressed this energy through Rochelle, letting the sense of wrongness guide her. Wounds and flesh knit together, leaving her skin healed. Eris waited, delving, but the deeper injury didn’t change. Rochelle still didn’t stir.