Lady of Eden

A rustle of wings sounded within the nursery. The infant lying down on the crib made a joyful, gurgling noise as it reached out it’s chubby little fingers. Shadows fell across the moonlight before a bright light exploded into the room. “Hush, little one,” came the gentle voice of the man standing over the crib. The golden locks that fell over his face as he peered into the crib were like drops of molten sunlight. The baby girl struggled to reach for it, but the man held out his hand instead. A strong grip latched onto him as wide, dark eyes looked met his curious gaze. “Auriel, are you certain this child is the one?” The man with the golden locks turned. He did not hear the arrival of the other shadow who sauntered into the room. Soft, blue light met his golden rays as his brother stepped closer to him. “I see all, Mikhael,” came the reply. “But this child has evaded even my sharp eyes.” That did not bode well for the other man, and he turned his piercing blue gaze towards the crib. The young, human seemed harmless enough, but he knew from experience that his Father’s creations were more than meets the eye. “How will we find her when the time comes?” The brown eyes of the baby flickered to Mikhael, as if she knew she was the topic of conversation. The darkness he saw in her gaze was a bit unnerving, but he shrugged it off as he had faced worse horrors. “All will be revealed through His will,” Auriel answered cryptically, but Mikhael was used to it. It was true that their Father worked in mysterious ways, and they had all gotten used to being patient. Millennia of being alive taught him that the world and the humans who lived in it moved at a sluggishly slower pace than his world did. “Besides,” Auriel added, breaking Mikhael’s eye contact with the baby, “that which hides her from us also protects her from those that would hunt her down.” “For a time,” Mikhael pointed out. “For a time,” Auriel agreed. The trees whooshed outside as a flurry of other wings could be heard. Both brothers turned towards the window they had gone through. “The others have arrived. It is time.”     Eighteen Years Later   Grace Whitehall threw open her curtains and smiled at the sunlight streaming in through her window. It was officially the start of summer, and she was looking forward to having a good time with her friends. The sound of waves met her ears as the ocean greeted her on her first morning back in the Hamptons. They had left home as soon as Grace got back from school. A soft knock turned the young girl’s attention away from the view just as a maid entered the room with a tray of food. “Good morning, Miss,” the woman greeted softly. “I have your breakfast ready.” “Thank you,” Grace replied not unkindly. She flounced over to her bed and plopped down onto the soft mattress to join the maid. “Do you have any idea where my mother is this morning? She wouldn’t have sent up my breakfast if she were here.” The maid had already taken the lid of her silver platter and was awaiting for any other instructions from the young heiress, who she was happy to provide any information for. Grace Whitehall was the kindest one in her family. “Your mother is busy overseeing her annual Summer Soiree to kick off the season.” This didn’t surprise Grace in the least as her mother loved to throw auspicious events or take part in them whether they were in the Hamptons or back in her hometown of Galesburg, Michigan. It seemed she would have to call her friends sooner rather than later. “I guess I have the day to myself then,” she murmured, still trying to force a big smile onto her face. If the maid noticed her fake cheerfulness, she didn’t comment on it. “Do you need any assistance, Ms. Whitehall?” she asked instead. Grace shook her head, her coffee mug still sitting empty in her hand. “No, I’ll be fine. Thank you for asking and for bringing up my breakfast.” “Of course,” the maid replied with a kind smile of her own. Grace took that as a sign of goodbye, and the maid quickly left her to her own devices. The elation she felt when she had woken up vanished. She let herself fall onto her back like a deflated, sad burrito. She may have been on vacation, but her parents still didn’t have any time for her.     After a quiet breakfast, Grace had changed into one of her bathing suits and decided to head down to the beach with a book to read. Maybe she could use this time alone as a chance to focus on some of her readings. Thankfully, their beach house was right near the shore although the term house could’ve been an understatement. The renovated structure that her parents had bought on her twelfth birthday was a massive cottage with three floors, twelve rooms, eight bathrooms, two studies, a giant library, a sprawling backyard and half an Olympic pool. In a week, Grace would turn eighteen, and she wondered if she could get her parents to sit down to dinner instead of buying some other, overpriced piece of property. With a sigh, she opened the front door and began the trek to the beach. The salty breeze tousled her brown locks as she scanned the crowded shores for a more quiet spot. It seemed a lot of people were also eager to kick start their summer, but she thankfully found a secluded spot near a cluster of trees. Since people were out on the beach for some sun, she assumed she’d have some lasting privacy near the shade. Dropping her bag onto the sand, she spread out a soft blanket and slipped off her sandals. Calmness washed over her as the waves licked the spot near her feet. Satisfied, Grace opened up her book and began to read. Sitting near the ocean made her feel less alone as she devoured the words on the pages, imagining a different world that was filled with more adventure and camaraderie than her own. Unfortunately, she wasn’t half-way through the first chapter when a shrill voice rang out. “Gracie! You’re here! Oh my God!” Grace knew who it was before she turned. The crazy, blonde tornado hurtling towards her from across the beach, screaming like a banshee, was her best friend. Ivy Routledge and she had been friends since her first summer in the Hamptons- back when both of them still had braces and found boys disgusting. A lot had changed since then, but Grace was thankful their friendship remained strong. Even if Ivy crashed into her harder than she would’ve liked and probably left bruises in her wake.  Thin, poking arms wrapped around Grace’s neck like a vise, squeezing the life and love out of her, but Ivy was too busy gushing in her ear to notice. “I can’t believe you didn’t text me. I have so much to tell you. This last school year was the worst! And you haven’t told me which universities accepted your application!” While Grace was trying to focus on her best friend’s words despite the oxygen deprivation, Ivy finally let go only to swat her in the arm. With her lungs functioning again, Grace managed to smile at the teenage girl sitting beside her. “Sorry. My mom and I got in pretty late last night. I wanted to do a bit of reading this morning before meeting up with you,” she explained. “Oh,” Ivy replied, relaxing beside Grace as she mellowed out of her excited state. “Well, luckily, you don’t have to worry about texting me since we’re both here.” Closing her book, Grace had to chuckle as she looked out over the horizon, thinking how funny the universe was. Here she was, finally able to enjoy her solitude only for it to come to an abrupt halt with the arrival of her best friend. “Yes, lucky.” “My family and I have been here for almost a week since our classes ended earlier than yours,” Ivy continued, not noting the faraway look on her best friend’s face. She latched onto Grace’s arm, snapping the other girl back to the present. “I almost forgot! I have to introduce you to someone! They moved into the beach house right next to yours!” This perked Grace’s interest. No one had lived in the house beside theirs for the past three summers. The rumor was a new family bought the house from the previous owners because they were murdered. Some say they bought the house to prevent anyone else from staying there, but Grace often saw a caretaker managing it and keeping the place orderly. “Only one week, and already you’ve replaced me?” Grace joked out loud instead, turning away from the ocean to meet Ivy’s dazzling green eyes, which her best friend rolled at her over the teasing statement. Ivy stood up to dust herself off. “Don’t be ridiculous. I could never replace you. Besides, he doesn’t seem too interested in making friends. I just offered to give him a tour of the area.” Grace knew her best friend better than that.  Ivy wouldn’t offer to give anyone a tour and take the time to show them around unless there was another reason. And when Grace caught sight of the guy walking towards them, she understood. “Does he happen to have gorgeous blonde hair and piercing blue eyes?” she asked, turning back to Ivy with a smirk. Ivy opened her mouth as if to deny it, but she glanced over her shoulder and saw the man in question. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked back to Grace and sighed in defeat. “Yes, that’s him.” Grace laughed her first real laugh of the day as she also stood from the blanket. “How nice of you to give him a tour then,” she continued to tease as the man walked closer towards them. “Oh stop teasing, Gracie! He might hear you!” Ivy scolded as a flush spread across her cheeks. “Just because you don’t find anyone attractive-“ Grace was too busy laughing at her best friend acting like a little girl to actually pay attention, but she managed to regain her composure just as the man reached their spot. “I was wondering what got Ivy so excited,” the man said in greeting, a small smile playing on his lips. Despite the light tone, Grace noted the serious look on his face which hadn’t changed. “You must be the Grace she speaks so highly about.” Ivy just stood next to the tall man with her face on fire. Thankfully, her healthy tan made it less obvious, but Grace was still fighting to keep in her laughter. Usually, it was the boys who were flustered over Ivy and not the other way around. “Ivy is my best friend, so don’t believe everything she might’ve told you. Its kind of a secret rule that she has to say nice things about me,” Grace joked, reaching out her hand to the stranger. “I’m Grace Whitehall, your new neighbor.” “Grace,” the man repeated, taking her proffered hand. “I’m Matthew.” “Well, Matthew, welcome to the Hamptons. I should let you get back to your tour,” Grace said. Obviously, her best friend really liked this guy, and who was she to get in the way of a summer romance? Just as she began fixing her things, both of them began to protest. “Gracie, why don’t you join-” “Oh, no. It’s really no prob-” Grace waved her hand dismissively, halting their words. “Don’t worry about it, you guys. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again. Besides, my mother might be expecting me back soon.” “Oh yeah! Your mom must be busy with planning her party. She always kills it!” Ivy said, turning to Matthew. “Her mom throws the best parties every summer.” Just like that, another lightbulb went off in Grace’s head. Since she didn’t have any romantic interests, she thought she might as well further her best friend’s love life and help out. “Why don’t you bring Matthew and his family to the Summer Soiree?” Grace suggested to Ivy. “You guys will love it, and it’ll give you a chance to meet the other residents.” Ivy and Grace looked at Matthew hopefully, who seemed woefully on the spot. He reminded Grace of a classmate who had forgotten to do his homework and stood in front of the class unprepared. “It sounds fun. I’ll have to consult with my family first, of course.” “Of course,” Grace agreed with a bright smile. Matthew raised his eyebrows at her exuberance, probably wondering what her excitement was all about. “I’ll make sure to send an invite to your house.” With that Grace, gave them a wave and scurried off, her job as a fairy god-best friend accomplished. Now, she needed to make sure that everything went smoothly during the party. As Grace rushed off towards her house with renewed purpose, and Matthew and Ivy resumed their tour, no one noticed the two figures watching from the front porch of a nearby beach house. Their enhanced vision and clear hearing didn't miss anything, and they turned to each other as the three teenagers separated ways. "It is nearly time."