Free Garden of the Moon by Elizabeth Sinclair Page B

clutched the locket close. The cold metal became hot against her skin, but she felt no pain.
    Her vision blurred. Weightlessness, more intense than she’d experienced in the bayou, lifted her body from the chair. Just as suddenly, she was thrown into a long tunnel that ended in a swirling vortex.
    Multi-colored, bright lights flashed all around her.
    The air grew thick and heavy, hard to breathe.
    She tried to grab something to stop the spinning, but her arms wouldn’t obey.
    Round and round she spun.
    Intense dizziness made her stomach churn. Nausea rose in her throat from the constant circular motion.
    Then as suddenly as it had started, the spinning stopped. To her utter shock, Sara was no longer in her bedroom. Instead she found herself sitting on the bench in the Garden of the Moon.
    But the garden was different. The plants were noticeably much younger. The magnolia tree that had towered over her and Julie earlier now barely reached above the back of the bench. Ezra’s Moongate was gone, as were the temple dogs that guarded the garden against evil.
    However, though shocking, the changes in the garden did not surprise her half as much as her clothes. The pale green nightdress she’d put on that evening had been replaced by a sky-blue silk, Empire waist dress, a style that had not been in vogue for a very long time.
    “What’s happening?” she asked the silent night.
    “You’ve come back to me.”

 
     
    Chapter 6
     
     
    The deep, male voice coming from the garden’s lengthening shadows startled Sara, yet it also brought with it an overwhelming sense of eager excitement and love. She strained to see the speaker’s face, but a cloud covered the full moon. All around her, everything – the garden, the night, the creatures – were poised…waiting, expectant, as though preparing for…something. Even though there was no moonlight, the white flowers glowed brighter, as if they were straining to illuminate the dark corners of the night. Their inexplicably intensified fragrance permeated the night.
    An owl hooted.
    A dog barked.
    Some nocturnal creature scurried through the bushes.
    A soft breeze whispered through the tree tops.
    And then a twig snapped.
    Sara spun in the direction of the sound.
    Nothing.
    Then that voice came again.
    “I’ve waited a long time for you.” The velvety tones slid over her skin like warm bath water.
    Suddenly, she knew she’d been waiting all her life for this moment. All the frustration and confusion that had filled her for days vanished on the gentle breeze.
    The bushes rustled. Then very slowly, the source of the voice stepped from the shadows. As if summoned, the moon slipped from behind the cloud cover, revealing the man’s face, a face as familiar to her as her own.
    Jonathan Bradford held out a small, black velvet box to her. “Happy birthday, my Maddy.”
    Oddly, she felt no need to correct him. In fact, she wasn’t sure if he should be corrected. As she stared at his handsome face, Sara Wade faded from her being, and Maddy’s spirit took over. In that soft, quiet moment she unmistakably became Madeline Grayson. Without conscious thought, she held out her hand and took the box.
    “Thank you, Jonathan.” Maddy lifted the lid and stared openmouthed at what she found. Nestled against a white silk background was a heart-shaped, gold locket engraved with two roses, their stems tightly entwined, their unity engraved in gold for all eternity.
    “Oh, Jonathan, it’s lovely.”
    “Open the heart.” He took a seat beside her on the bench.
    His nearness, the scent of his cologne, the warmth emanating from his body made her head swim. Taking a moment to regain her balance and using her fingernail, she freed the catch. The front of the locket sprang open. Inside an inscription read My Love Forever . Tears burned her eyes.
    Jonathan took her free hand. “It’s true, Maddy. No matter what happens, I will love you until time ceases to be.”
    Her pounding heart threatened to