The Guardian of Eden: Quests of Shadowind, #6

By L.A. Miller

A tree of life. A guardian of death. One destiny rings true.

Stories tell of a life-giving tree—a perpetual fountain of youth. But its branches and fruit are shrouded in mystery and cloaked by an unearthly force. Anyone who dared to claim the promise of immortality died suddenly and violently. But there are rumors of a way past it.

Logan and Mindy get a ghostly clue from within a haunted farmhouse. With the aid of fellow villagers, the humans launch themselves across the globe to decipher the mystifying riddle—an ominous secret about an invincible, timeless warrior posted by God Himself. But a horrible creature has arisen within Computerworld's dark, seething army. It's bent on stealing eternity, and will stop at nothing to annihilate the frantic teens before they can prevent the world from crumbling into insanity.

And all the while, Shadowind is imploding. A mutiny is raging across her decks, and her systems are wheezing their final gasps of life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Millhouse Press
• Release date: Feb 16, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224947577

L.A. Miller

L.A. Miller has been writing for more than forty years. His backgrounds in science fiction, astronomy, technology, and classic literature inform his work, which has included novels, short stories, and music. He is the owner of Wood n Nails Music and lives in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with his wife and two dogs. Sky Shifter, The Grounding Stone, and Veil are the first three, respectively, of eight books in the Quests of Shadowind series.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Al-Qurnah, Iraq, Computerworld

Amotorcade of desert -camouflaged motorbikes and cars escorted a black limousine down a long, parched street. Black-and-red flags whipped above the limo’s dusty front fenders as the vehicle passed rows of ancient apartments. The vehicles purposefully approached a walled park on the left, and there they stopped. Farther up the strip of dry concrete stood the Al-Qurnah Hotel. Vivid colors adorned the two-story structure’s long façade, contrasting the drab residences and the vast western desert. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers converged nearby, watering a smattering of trees and shrubs.

The limo’s engine continued to run as the driver’s door swung open. A tall woman with short hair curtly stepped out. She wore a crisp, black uniform with a matching military cap. A red armband stretched across her upper left sleeve, bearing the white circle and black lightning bolt of the Whirling Axis. After straightening her white collar and black necktie, she reached for the passenger door, swung it open, and saluted. A machine gun emerged first, followed by a hulking man in identical attire. Another soldier stepped out, but his suit’s collar and epaulets displayed the silver braids of an officer. A third man leaped onto the pavement, led by an automatic rifle. The weapons swung left and right, following their wielders’ scanning eyes. From the accompanying vehicles, more similarly dressed men and women gathered around, brandishing pistols, shotguns, automatic rifles, submachine guns, and grenades.

The officer stooped and spoke into the passenger compartment. Please wait here, sir, until we secure the area.

Are you sure this is the right place? the passenger asked.

Yes, sir. Adam Park.

And the tree?

It’s directly inside, sir.

The general paused only briefly. Close the door, he said. It’s like a blast furnace out there.

Yes, sir. The officer clicked his heels, complied, and led the heavily armed squad across the street. The driver slid into her seat and shut her door against the insufferable desert heat.

The white-haired general coughed and wheezed. He watched through his darkly tinted window as weapons and soldiers approached a white gate with slender spires. Dull, watery eyes gazed intently as two soldiers parted the metal doors, allowing the band to enter. A straight walkway consisting of hexagonal bricks led to a short wall. A large plaque stood next to a solitary tree, but from the back seat of his limo, the general could see only its uppermost branches swaying some thirty to forty feet above the ground. The park’s outer wall blocked the rest of his view.

That’s most unusual, he remarked, thinking out loud. I would have expected it to be greener—full of life. It looks half dead!

Yes, sir, the driver duly replied.

The general’s aging heart quickened in anticipation. Did he stand on the threshold of immortality? His trembling fingers traced across a small, circular object in his breast pocket. Without so much as a blink, he peered at his troops. They climbed over a cordon—stanchions linked by twin lines of hanging chains. The general leaned forward, angling for a better view, but he lost sight of the soldiers behind the brick wall.

Pull ahead, Bailey! he ordered the driver, pounding a weak fist against the back of her seat. I must know! Is this the tree or not?

Before the woman could shift the car into gear, bright light flashed behind the wall, briefly illuminating the entire park. Heated to searing temperatures, the air clapped sharply. A deep rumble of thunder rolled across the Iraqi sands. Sounds of bristling electricity crackled loudly enough to penetrate even the armored limo. The general’s jaw dropped open, revealing rows of yellow, uneven teeth. His eyes widened into saucers and nearly popped out of his protruding skull. Wild bursts of gunfire had erupted. Screams and shouts of panicking soldiers pierced through the hidden chaos. Amid the exploding muzzle blasts, a yellow light flashed back and forth through the park. Both the general and his driver sat petrified.

Then, as quickly as it had begun, the pandemonium ceased. An eerie silence fell heavily enough to squelch even the gurgling rivers. After long moments, the general licked his dry lips. His voice came in a fearful hush.

Take me closer, he said.

The woman couldn’t speak but managed a shaky nod. Trembling hands put the car into gear. The limo crept cautiously across the street until stopping at the open gate. The chauffeur flicked her wide eyes to the rearview mirror.

You’re not going in there, are you, sir?

I must see it with my own eyes. Perhaps there is still a chance for me...

You don’t need me to come with you, do you, sir? she more or less stated, placing the shifter into park.

Wait here, he said. The general grabbed his cane and opened the door. It was even hotter outside than he had first sensed.

The woman sighed heavily with relief. Be careful, sir. Who knows what happened? And it’s nearly one hundred twenty degrees out there.

Grunting mightily, the Axis officer slowly raised himself to his feet. When he finally achieved a vertical position, he leaned heavily on his polished cane.

Get the door, will you? he said, not bothering to look back. As quickly as his wobbly legs could take him, he hobbled anxiously across the threshold. Behind him, he heard the car door click shut. Then he beheld his journey’s end. He gasped in horror.

Dear God, he muttered.

First he saw the fabled tree—Adam’s Tree. It looked even worse now that he could see it fully. Decades of desert winds had sandblasted its bark, stripping most of it raw. A few branches higher up bore small clusters of browning leaves. The general overlooked the plaque erected at the foot of the tree’s wide trunk, unable to rip his eyes from the sea of human carnage at its base. The bodies of his elite soldiers littered the ground, mutilated beyond recognition. The once crisp, black uniforms were now shredded and bloodstained. Not a single heavily armed man or woman had survived to tell what had happened. The general shuddered.

He didn’t want to find out.

He had seen similar sights on numerous battlefields but nothing this bad. The mysterious confrontation had ended in a lopsided massacre.

The Guardian... he murmured.

Taking a steadying breath, he reached into his breast pocket. Fingers shaking in fear and hope scooped deeply inside until retrieving an artifact. It was an onyx ring of thick gold bearing a seal that looked something like a broken x. With great care, he slid it on an index finger. Gazing at the tree, his eyes widened with awe at the magnificent sight. He forgot to breathe. When the air finally returned to his lungs, he averted his sights to stare hollowly at his fallen comrades.

What have I overlooked? he asked of them. Something is still missing! But what? We had the weapons and the ring!

But if he didn’t know the answer, who would? He had spent years researching the fabled tree and its promise of immortality. Many legends abounded, but the one he trusted most spoke of two requirements to appease the deadly Guardian: a weapon and Abraham’s signet ring. Even now, the general knew that the powerful spirit lingered, just waiting for him to cross some invisible line so that it could cut him to pieces.

Heaving a painful sigh, he mournfully shook his head. Somehow, he must unravel the lethal yet life-giving mystery. If an elite band of soldiers with overwhelming firepower had perished when the Guardian unleashed its supernatural power, then no one could survive. Ever. Not without first solving the ancient secret. Returning the four-thousand-year-old ring to his pocket, the general resolutely turned and hobbled to his limo.

CHAPTER 2

Logan blinked.

Or at least he thought he had.

What was that? Mindy gasped, glancing around wildly.

They had just returned from their latest adventure. Both she and Logan had hoped to relax for a day to collect their wits and get some much-needed rest. The two simple rows of houses that comprised Delta Village looked inviting and peaceful after enduring disasters laced with calamities. Dark Forest swayed lazily in the early morning breeze, and the lapping waves of Open Waters Lake only added to the serenity, further lulling them to sleep. Captain Aimery, Shadowind’s caretaker, had informed them of Lord Fuleric’s impending return. The evil Nulenacs’ arrival would certainly come soon, but no one knew exactly when. Surely they had time to get a good night’s sleep. They had earned it after fending off death yet again. The Grim Reaper had swung his sickle more often than their friends had swung a baseball bat, but the legendary figure’s game was deadly serious, and had gone into extra innings. Couldn’t the siblings enjoy a normal day of recreation? But on Shadowind, normal meant playing leapfrog or hopscotch over open graves.

Samantha joined Mindy’s frantic search of the sky. You saw it too? she asked.

Logan shifted his weight and blinked again. But this time he really did blink. He cast a questioning glance at the others. Saw what? he asked. What happened?

Everyone in the village had gathered to welcome the Oakeses back to their temporary home. A Nulenac spaceship had abducted them all from their quiet suburb and dumped them inside Shadowind. The hollowed-out asteroid served as Lord Fuleric’s holding tank. The gator-beings planned to sell the youths to galactic slavers and the adults to meat markets across the galaxy. To make matters worse, Shadowind’s life-support system—Computerworld—had become unstable. As it deteriorated into utter chaos, its supply of food, clothing, lights, and air would cease. The inhabitants of the planetoid would find themselves entombed in breathless pitch blackness. Logan didn’t know which was worse: dying or becoming a ruthless alien’s slave. He also feared that Fuleric would someday turn his fierce anger on Earth, carrying off as much humanity as his massive fleet would allow and destroying whatever he left behind.

But no one wanted to think about that, especially the younger kids. Zac, a freckle-faced boy of twelve, joined the conversation. I think the lights went out! he said excitedly, doing his best to reenact the scene. "But just for a second—a split second. It’s like... It’s like..."

It’s like the sun blinked, Connor said, filling in the blank. Like a jet went over it. No biggie. Let’s get back to the game.

Logan and Mindy’s return had abruptly ended his baseball game. And his team was losing. Logan could jump in and take Beef’s spot in the lineup. Beef was as big and strong as an ox, but his stubby legs were more like a hippo’s. First base might as well have been a mile from home plate.

No biggie? Samantha, Connor’s older sister, challenged. "Maybe you can play baseball in this creepy place, but I can’t! Wake up! There are no jets around here. Something else happened to cause that flicker. Something bad! The sun doesn’t just blink. Am I the only one freaking out here?"

It’s not the sun, Logan corrected, Not really. The sun is two hundred fifty million miles away. It’s more like a moving skylight.

Mindy thrust her hands onto her hips and gazed skyward. We all know that, big brother. But still—even if it did blink—that’s not something that just happens for no reason.

Logan’s lips twisted. He felt an argument coming on—a common occurrence between the siblings. "Not everyone knows it," he challenged.

I didn’t know it, Samantha said, batting her eyelashes at Logan.

Mindy rolled her eyes. Oh, brother, Sami Jo!

What? I’m trying to find out what’s going on around here, Samantha retorted. I think Logan knows more about it than the rest of us. Go ahead, Logan. Tell us what you think.

Embarrassed by Samantha’s fondness of him, Logan blushed and cleared his throat. I’m not saying that I know everything—

Well, that’s good, Mindy interrupted. Because you don’t.

A burst of anger deepened Logan’s red hue. Where was a roll of duct tape when he needed one? If duct tape was considered an essential part of a handyman’s toolbox, then a strip of it—preferably a large strip—strategically placed, might come in handy for fixing his sister’s mouth. Like a ruptured pipe, she spouted off whenever he tried to turn on the charm.

And I didn’t say it didn’t happen for no reason either, Logan said in his defense. I didn’t know anything happened. I thought I had blinked.

That was some blink, Lo. Either we all blinked at the same time, or the sun—excuse me, the skylight—did. Either way, it doesn’t just happen.

Sure it does, came a gravelly voice from behind. It happens with regularity...sometimes.

Logan’s heart caught in his throat. He and everyone else whirled around. They immediately spotted the shadow of a man wearing a trench coat and a fedora. The Silhouette stood motionlessly on the siding of the nearest house. Logan’s skin bristled at the unnatural sight. He would never get used to the eeriness of a moving and talking shadow. Especially since none of the villagers knew if the self-dubbed Sillies were helpful or evil.

Glad to see you’re back, the Silhouette said, politely tipping his hat at Logan and Mindy. Oh, wait. That’s your front.

No one laughed. But everyone shivered.

I thought it was you, Pete, Logan replied, eyeing the specter warily. How’d you know we were back already?

Pete lifted his dark shoulders. Me and the boys were out for a stroll, see? We just happened to be in the neighborhood, and thought we’d drop by. Coincidence.

Mindy looked at the phantom and scowled. "Is anything with you coincidence?"

That sounds rather accusatory, friend. Before you know it, you’ll be accusin’ me of messin’ with them lights.

The furrows in Mindy’s brow deepened. Are you?

That cuts me deep, friend. But me and the boys know a little somethin’ about it, Pete lifted a hand to his mouth and called out. Ain’t that right, boys?

Yeah, that’s right, boss! came a chorus of voices from the shadowy trees.

You’re intelligent kids, Pete went on to say. Bright as beacons. Sure, your headlights go out sometimes when you do somethin’ stupid, but most of the time you’re steady. Rock steady. Right, boys?

Right as rain, boss!

Right as rain, Pete echoed. There’s nothing quite as right as rain.

You mentioned the lights... Logan prompted.

Ri-i-ight. The li-i-ights. Sometimes they wink out, see? Everyone knows that we’re floatin’ around with the asteroids. So you see, every once in a little while, another asteroid floats between us and the sun. Most of the time, they’re small—like a rock—and you never notice. But sometimes really big ones float by and block out the sun completely. That’s what happened. Me and the boys have seen it dozens of times. Ain’t that right, boys?

Yeah, yeah! That’s right, boss!

There, you see? Pete continued. I think that sums it all up. It’s nothin’ to worry your pretty little heads about. Happens all the time. Consider that little bit of info FOC. That’s shadow lingo for free of charge.

Mindy eyed the black, moving mass. Her voice trembled with a churning mix of fear and doubt. So it has nothing to do with Computerworld wigging out?

The computer is a mess, Pete replied. Ain’t no mistake. No silver linin’ there, friend. I wouldn’t go back in there, if I was you. Computerworld is fallin’ apart bit by bit...or byte by byte, if you catch my drift. If you go back in there, pals o’ mine, and it implodes—and we all know it’s gonna—then you will be DOA.

Dead on arrival? Logan queried.

"Ri-i-ight! Or more precisely, dust on arrival because you’ll be blown to smithereens. That’s just some friendly advice. Take it or leave it. But I would take it, friends. Well, my time’s up. I’d like to chat with me chums more regular like, but me and the boys gotta finish our rounds, see? The sun ain’t gettin’ any lower this mornin’. But remember...mornin’ or evenin’, we’re here to help. It’s our pleasure, really. Pete amiably tipped his hat. So long, friends. Until next time..."

The villagers watched as Pete hopped ever lower into the shadows until they swallowed him whole.

"I wish there wouldn’t be a next time," Samantha said, vigorously rubbing the goose bumps from her arms.

That guy gives me the creeps, Mindy said with a shiver. She turned to inquire of her brother. Do you think he was leveling with us?

Logan released a pent-up breath but could only offer a shrug. He really didn’t know what to make of it. Maybe, he finally said. I guess it makes sense. Problem is, with Pete, you never know for sure.

"Maybe the lights do go out a lot, Connor suggested, and we just never noticed it before. Just like he said."

No way! Zac announced. I would have seen it for sure!

Maybe it mostly happens at night, Logan offered.

Mindy tried to still her heart, but it kept hammering. Between the blinking lights and the talking shadows, she had joined Samantha in the FOC—the freaked-out club. I’m with Zac, she said. It happened pretty fast, but everybody saw it. Well...everybody but Lo. He doesn’t notice much of anything.

I saw it! Logan argued.

Skeptical, Mindy raised her eyebrows. Did you, big brother?

Logan let his guard down. No, he answered flatly but truthfully. But I’m with Conman. It’s probably nothing.

Of course you’d say that! Mindy exclaimed. You and Connor are as thick as thieves. Neither one of you are proactive about anything.

I’m active, Logan said.

Connor tossed a baseball into his glove. And I’m gonna be a pro some day! he insisted.

Logan grinned. There. You see? Together, we’re proactive. Logan and Connor laughed and bumped fists.

Oh, brother! Mindy grumbled. Believe me. You don’t know what being proactive is.

Logan eyed his house at the far end of the row. The path of crushed stones ended at his front yard and seemed to beckon him to cozy confines...and to a quick meal. I’m starving, he said, splitting the crowd. I gotta get something to eat.

Mindy shouldn’t have been, but she was appalled at her brother’s procrastination. She shouted after him, Being proactive does not mean stuffing your face while things are falling apart!

Logan turned but kept on walking. I do my best thinking—

Over a bowl of cereal, Mindy griped, finishing his trademark sentence. If that was true, Sami Jo, she complained, we’d be off Shadowind by now.

Within earshot of the group, Kyle, the village’s security chief, had listened intently to Pete’s explanation. Despite their rocky past, the black specter’s wisdom had caught his ear. Pete had once betrayed him to the wiles of a Deep Shadow. Not that Kyle despised that action. He was a bully by nature. He took matters by the horns, blew a tune through them, and then hung his hat on them. Most parents accused him of growing horns...like a devil.

Mindy watched as Kyle nodded to himself. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of him. What’re you thinking, Kyle? she inquired.

He returned from his thoughts. Nothing. I was just thinking... I don’t see anything flying around, he commented while jerking his head skyward. When the lights went out, it reminded me of living near the airport. Jets used to block out the sun like that all the time.

You’re right. Mindy smiled.

Oh sure, Connor mumbled. "When I said it, everyone thought it was stupid."

"Too bad there aren’t any jets around here, Mindy went on. It would make finding our parents a lot easier. That’s for sure."

"Which is exactly why there aren’t any, Samantha added. So do you really think it was a chunk of rock out there, floating by?"

Kyle flipped his hands. "Who knows? Could be, I guess. Something happened. And I wanna find out what it was."

Samantha gave him a sidelong glance. You’re not thinking about talking to Pete some more, are you? That’s like playing with fire.

Maybe... Kyle confessed. Maybe not. He doesn’t scare me.

Mindy sighed heavily. I still think it’s the computer wigging out. Ever since it got infected with the virus, it’s been getting worse. You should see it from the inside. It’s crazy! There’s an army taking over the whole world. Captain Aimery said that if they win, we lose. And by lose, I mean everything.

Food too? Samantha asked. That ought to get Logan fired up. A twinkle shone in her blue eyes.

Mindy bit her lip. She glanced at Kyle to see if he had noticed Samantha’s stars. He hadn’t. He seemed absorbed in his thoughts. Although Mindy had strong feelings for him, she knew he had feelings for Samantha, who liked Logan, who liked... She had never figured out that mystery. Westley was another link in the complicated relationship chain. He acted as the village’s interim leader in Logan’s absence. Whenever Mindy and he were together, his face cast a warm glow outshined only by the sparkle in his eyes. Mindy thought Westley was a great guy—selfless, caring, intelligent—and he had a head full of curls. But she preferred someone a little...edgier.

What a mess! she thought. Will we ever have TIME to work these relationships out?

To be honest, Mindy finally confessed, "Lo is fired up. He wants to find everybody’s parents and get back home just like everyone else. But he just got over being sick—really sick. He hasn’t had much sleep, and he’s hungry too, so I’m sure he’s extra crabby."

I don’t think he’s crabby, Samantha commented dreamily.

"Seriously, Sami Jo? Even I’m getting crabby. I wish we had more time to chill. As soon as Captain Aimery tells us to, we gotta go back inside the computer...no matter what Pete says. Mindy shuddered, recalling the Silhouette’s dire warning. She had no desire to find her body split apart and scattered bit by byte. I wish there were another way, but Computerworld has to be set straight before we can find our parents."

Too bad the rest of us can’t help, Kyle griped. I could go inside the computer for you, and give you guys a break.

Mindy smiled and gazed at the handsome teen. Or maybe we could go in together, she suggested. Then her shoulders slumped. But that’s impossible. Only Logan and I can go inside. Our DNA is somehow tied in with the Transfer Element. I guess Captain Aimery can join us, and maybe Crazy Bill, but no one else that I know of.

Samantha’s twinkle winked out. I wish we could do something here to help, she offered sadly.

You guys have already done a lot, Mindy reminded her. You got Logan those herbs that he needed. He’d still be sick without that. You guys helped us knock out a spider bot too, remember? Yeah, you and Watcher Danby have done a lot already. Hey, where is he? Has anybody seen him?

Last we heard, Kyle said, he’s at Beta Village. I guess the watchman there needed his help.

Mindy knitted her eyebrows. I thought watchmen weren’t allowed in each other’s quadrants.

Kyle shrugged. This place is falling apart. Some rules are meant to be broken.

Look who’s talking, a curly-headed youth pointed out, grinning. Westley’s face brightened at the sight of Mindy, but he quickly doused it and faced the young security chief instead. You used to be a Zen master at rule breaking. There could be a whole stack of rules, and you’d karate chop right through them.

Kyle grinned and nodded approvingly. Maybe I still am a Zen master, Kyle said, proudly puffing his chest.

Westley’s smile wavered. I didn’t mean it as a compliment.

Mindy cocked her head of thick, dark hair at his astute remark. Still, what you said about him chopping through rules was pretty clever, Wes.

To look at Westley’s beaming face required sunglasses.

Mindy’s growling stomach reminded her that she hadn’t eaten in a long time. I better grab a bite before Captain Aimery calls, she said. Hopefully, Lo is done by now. Watching him eat is only good if you’re on a diet. He curbs your appetite in a hurry.

I’ll walk with you, Westley said, joining her. He tried to think of something important to discuss. So...what was Shadowind’s ship like? he asked. I heard that you were there.

Mindy continued to stroll toward her house. We really didn’t see much. Just one room full of monitors—surveillance stuff, I guess. We were inside some vents, and a tunnel. And then another ship, a really small one. That was kinda cool. Being out in space was scary...knowing that you’re trillions of miles from home. This place is far-out enough. I like adventures and all, but this is so crossing over the line."

Westley nodded. You got that right, he agreed.

You two are nuts, Kyle said. He and several others were following Mindy. "I like it here. But it’s boring sometimes. I want more action."

Samantha shook her head at the notion. We’ve seen enough action. And I don’t like being so far from home either.

C’mon, Sami Jo, Kyle said, nudging her tenderly. I’m here. What’s not to like?

Mindy waited for Samantha to utter a comeback. Fortunately, none came. Mindy liked Kyle’s feisty nature. She would never have thought it of herself, but she enjoyed hanging around a bad boy. They were so different from each other, and yet their opposing forces made her feel electric.

Arriving at the front porch of her house, Mindy bounced up the steps and reached for the door.

Let me get that for you, Westley said, jumping in front of her.

She thanked him and walked through. Westley found himself as the doorman for everyone else too. Mindy walked through the living room and then into the kitchen. Logan was