The Garden of Eden by L.L. Hunter Page A

eyes my mother has.
    “Uncle Adam?”
    “In the flesh. Now let’s get out of here.”
    I chuckled as I turned back around and threw a ball at the highest scoring hoop. It went in. “I am not going anywhere with you.”
    Adam clapped. “Good shot. But it’s not surprising, seeing whose blood you carry in your veins.”
    “Do you mean yours and Mum’s, or…”
    “Or Lakyn’s?” He finished for me. “Either way, you have so many abilities you are not even aware of yet, Eden. And some of them are quite dangerous.”
    “How do you know this?”
    “I was there when you were born. Trust me, I know.”
    I tossed another ball in, this time in a lower scoring hoop and it went in, as well. “I’m still not going with you.” As I picked up a third ball and pushed it towards the hoops, it froze mid-air. I gasped and looked back at my uncle. He shrugged.
    “Game over.”
    As he walked away, the ball remained frozen.
    “Wait, how did you do that?” I asked, glancing back and forth from the ball to him.
    “If you come with me, I’ll tell you.”
    “My mother sent you, didn’t she?”
    “She might have.”
    “So what you just did, can I do that?”
    “Everyone’s traits are different, but probably. If you come with me, you can find out more.”
    “I can’t just leave my friends.”
    “Yes, you can. You can always make new friends.”
    I stopped walking and looked at my friends as they played the Daytona. Mike was showing Zoe how to drive, which was really cute. And then I looked at my uncle, waiting patiently outside the mouth of the arcade by a black town car. If I stayed, I would never know what my traits would be, and I would never learn how to use them. But I would be a normal teenager, going to school and hanging out at the arcade with her friends. If I went with my uncle, I would no longer be normal. I wanted both lives. But the idea of having amazing powers intrigued me most. In the end, I chose door number two. Looking back, I regretted leaving my friends. But I knew they would never understand. I knew deep down that I was made for a higher purpose.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter One
     
    Eden
     
    “I don’t understand, Mum. Why are we here?” I asked as I stepped out of the cab. The sun was bright and glary so I had to take my Ray Bans off my head and put them on. I squinted at the towering structure before me. It was overwhelming.
    “Because it’s safe, and because these people will be able to help you,” Mum told me, pulling our bags from the trunk of the vehicle. I scowled and began mumbling, hoping she wouldn’t hear me.
    “But Lakyn can help me. I don’t understand why you brought me here.” Unfortunately, she caught it. “Lakyn cannot help you. Come on, let’s go in.” Mum practically shoved my bag into my arms. Gosh, she was pushy today. Obviously, the break-up wasn’t treating her too well. We approached the building, which was mostly made of sandstone but every window and arch was coated in gold. Impressive. It looked like Heavenly gold.
    “I thought these people were Human?” I asked out of curiosity, speaking aloud exactly what was on my mind.
    “They are,” her eyes found what I was looking at, “but they do have a connection to our world. They have to.” She lifted a heavy looking gold doorknocker and tapped it three times. There was silence and about thirty seconds later the ornate wooden and iron doors lurched inwards and a man in robes appeared.
    “Do you have an appointment?” the elderly priest asked. He was thin and his face told that he had seen a lot of the world.
    “Yes, we do,” said my mother.
    “And your names are?”
    “I am Rachael and this is my daughter, Eden.”
    “Ahh, yes. The Nephilim who are seeking refuge. We’ve been expecting you.” The priest pushed the doors open wide enough so we could enter.
    I don’t know what I was expecting—a Cathedral, or maybe a mansion? But never this. It was light