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We came to the edge of the gardens, which were enclosed by a six-foot marble wall that stretched to either side as far as we could see. The central entrance was unlocked and the gate open but even so, as we passed the borders, I could sense the separation between the main city and the sunken gardens. For one thing, the temperature rose a good thirty degrees once we passed the main gate.
Marble steps led down through terrace after terrace of roses, jasmine, and lilies. Flowers and foliage entwined in an exotic embrace, while walkways guided pedestrians through the blossoms. The gardens were fifteen tiers deep, and both ramps and stairs led to the bottom terrace. Benches along the way, wrought in brass and stone, offered the footsore a place to rest and meditate. At the bottom, a railing enclosed a large fountain, where an amber water, lit by some form of magic, sprayed out from a large series of geometric cubes.
"It's so warm here," Morio said, glancing around.
"Think of it like an outdoor greenhouse with an invisible ceiling, heated by magical energy. There are public bams here, if I remember right." Camille glanced around as we began to descend the stairs. She looked totally blissed out.
"Enjoying the contact high?" I asked, grinning.
"Oh yeah," she said, closing her eyes for a moment as she soaked up the energy. "Magic runs like wine and I'm getting tipsy. I could enjoy living here, I think."
"Not likely," I said. "I doubt you'd mesh in well. You're too full of life to be comfortable around such sedate energy, no matter how magical, and you know it." I flashed her a smile as we wended our way along the path. Occasionally we passed someone sitting on a bench or on the grass, but no one looked up or gave any sign they noticed us.
A sudden screech startled me. An owl, perched on the limb of a willow tree, watched us. I could feel its stare burrowing through the night.
"We're being examined," I muttered in a low voice. "Owl at two o'clock in the willow."
Camille's gaze flickered up to examine our voyeur. "That's no owl," she said. "Possibly a familiar, but no ordinary owl."
Morio concurred. "Not a Were either. It might be some other form of shapeshifter, or perhaps a shadow-scout—an illusion set to spy on us."
"I think we should ignore it for now." Camille let out a low breath. "If we interfere with it, we'll alert whoever's watching. We have no idea who sent it, and if they're not one of the bad guys, we might hurt our alliances by being obnoxious about it."
"What alliances?" I snorted. "We're just hoping that something will come out of the meeting with Jareth. We don't know for sure that this trip is going to be anything except a big waste of time."
"Queen Asteria seems to think otherwise. And there's no sense in breaking an alliance that's barely begun." Camille frowned, thinking. "For now, let's just keep our eyes open. If somebody's following us, they'll slip up eventually."
As we crossed through the gardens the owl followed us, silently gliding from tree to tree. I tried not to focus on it. Most likely the three guards who'd given us our identification decided that we weren't to be trusted and had sent the owl to follow us. Whatever the case, we were almost to the other side.
The climb up fifteen tiers of steps took a little longer than going down, but Morio was in excellent shape and neither Camille nor I were tired. Living Earthside had done little to diminish our endurance. At the gate, I saw the owl veer off.
Interesting. Perhaps our sentinel merely wanted to make sure we were going where we actually said we were.
As we exited the gardens, I hesitated. The thought of just finding a soft space in which to rest and relax was so tempting that I was reluctant to leave. When we had time and energy, maybe my sisters and I could come here and enjoy the lulling hush.
The park opened out onto the Hall of Temples, which was actually another avenue, this one filled with one great marble structure after another. The name was spot on. I could see at least fifteen different temples stretching in either direction. I wondered how the priests managed all that disparate energy swirling around in such close proximity but no doubt the founders of Aladril had thought of a solution for that, too.
"What are we looking for, again?" Camille asked.
"The Temple of Reckoning," Morio said with a grin. "And may I add that the name doesn't inspire feelings of confidence?" He stared at the massive row of temples. "I've never seen anything quite like this, not in all my journeys. I wonder if this is what ancient Greece or Egypt looked like?"
"I dunno, but I agree with you on the name thing. I wonder what gods this Jareth follows?" Camille looked at me, but I shook my head.
"I have no idea. Religion has never been my strong suit. It's not something to which I aspire," I added. The gods had ignored me in my time of need and I'd pretty much made up my mind that they only meddled in mortal affairs when it suited their private agendas. If you relied on them, you'd be left holding the bag of tricks at precisely the wrong moment.
The streets were sparsely populated, unlike the main thoroughfare, but there was enough activity to ensure we should be able to ask someone for directions. The temples ranged in style from Grecian architecture to Egyptian design, providing a surreal, avant-garde feel to the area. Aesthetically the Hall of Temples jarred the eye. Energywise, it whirled like a vortex.
"The magic here is incredibly thick," Camille said in a raspy voice. "I can barely speak—it's clouding my senses."
"Maybe I should go alone," I said, glancing at her. "You look out of it." And she did. Both Morio and Camille had glazed looks on their faces, almost bewildered, as they stared at the row of buildings.
Camille tugged at the hem of her top. "I don't know. I don't like the idea of you wandering around by yourself."
"I'm in Aladril. Who's going to bother me here as long as I behave myself? Roz couldn't get in through the gates. The energy repelled him. I doubt if Lethesanar's welcome here, and Dredge's crew… well, if they hesitated letting me in, I scarcely think he'd be given free reign." I gave her a little shove. "Go back and wait in the gardens where it's warm. I'll find the Temple of Reckoning and talk to this Jareth dude."
She hesitated, but Morio took her hand.
"Menolly's right," he said. "I can barely focus on walking, let alone on our mission. We have to shield properly before we can handle the energy up here. We can do that while we're in the gardens.">"Magical orbs designed to catch the attention. Not exactly charm magic, because they're usually used as warning signals, but… like the bright yellow yield signs back over Earthside." She glanced at Morio. "Do you know the enchantment that makes them? They seem right up your alley."
