The Garden (Into Shadow, #1)

by Tomi Adeyemi

did you know you were born with magic? deep inside your chest? did you know you carried power in your wombs the power to break tombs a power they wished did not exist?

did you know you could awaken this power take hold of all you are owed? ask yourself, dear, be bold— are you ready to transform?

How could Lęina tell him if she could, she would share every secret she had. she would unload them one by one set down her armor and remove every bullet from her gun. How could Lęina tell him Angelo made her feel safe. that he made her feel heard. but she feared he was listening because it was his job, not because he needed to hear every single word. How could Lęina tell him that when they spoke the light in her heart took flight and Lęina realized she might not want her journey to end after all? How could Lęina tell him that she was lost, just not more than most. How could Lęina tell him that her life wasn’t her own? How

could Lęina tell him that her heart belonged to her mother’s ghost?

“A place where the moon was always full. She spoke of a land where orchids bloomed at her feet and the air was wild and sweet, and the trees were always heavy with ripe mangoes. “My mother told me of a garden . . .” Lęina spoke slowly. “A place where the fern first learned to grow. A place where patterns formed from the chaos, and rivers ran with ancient knowledge, and even the smallest girl could summon the fiercest snow. “My mother told me of a garden . . .” Lęina spoke slowly. “A soil where every flower could grow. The only cost of admission was your old soul.

“My mother told me of a garden . . .” Lęina spoke slowly. “A place where the first rivers met. She spoke of a place where ravens danced with stars, and every woman released her scars, and queen bees traded their stingers for crowns. “My mother told me of a garden . . .” Lęina spoke slowly. “A place where the day twisted into night. A place where weary travelers could find refuge and reconnect their hearts to all of their darker lights. “My mother told me of a garden . . .” Lęina spoke slowly. “A place deep in the forest where you could always hear the crashing ocean waves. My mother told me of a garden . . . she followed it to her grave.”