Page 26 of Zinnia and the Zombie
The corner of her mouth lifted in a tired smile. “I believe you.”
She leaned back against the bench and was asleep before he’d gone more than two paces.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Zinnia woke to dappled sunlight filtering through the trees above the reflecting pool. She was no longer on the bench but on the soft moss beneath the trees, the cloak Jaxx had found for her covering her. By the angle of the sun she’d only slept for a few hours but she felt ten times better. She sat up slowly, mindful of her injured arm. The wound twinged slightly beneath the sealant, but only slightly and the fiery pain was completely gone. She flexed her fingers, pleased to find them fully responsive.
She went in search of Jaxx and found him standing at the garden’s edge, looking out over the city, his golden skin gleaming in the sunlight. He turned as she approached and she realized he always seemed to know when she was near.
“You’ve rested well?”
“Better than I expected.”
“And your injury?”
“Much better.”
He gave a satisfied nod and smiled at her, and she suddenly wanted to close the distance between them and kiss him again.
“I’ve been thinking,” she said instead. “This garden is perfect for food, but it’s not exactly a house. Maybe we should look at the floors below for something more protected.”
“I had the same thought,” he agreed. “But I wanted to wait until you were awake so we could explore together.”
She smiled, charmed by his thoughtfulness. “Let’s have something to eat first. I’m starving.”
“I have already gathered a selection of produce for you to try. “
He’d laid out an impromptu picnic next to another one of the reflecting pools. The alien food was delicious—some sweet, some tangy, all bursting with flavor. She savored each new discovery, describing the closest Earth equivalents to him. He ate as well but he seemed to take more pleasure in her enjoyment than his own meal.
As they ate, she found herself watching his hands—those same hands that had tended her wound with such gentle care. Her thoughts drifted to the previous night, to their brief, heated encounter. Why had she been so afraid? This was Jaxx. He would never hurt her or betray her.
They finished eating and he stood, offering her his hand. She took it, smiling up at him, and a golden glow rippled across his skin.
“Is that because of me?” she whispered, tracing a line from their joined hands to his chest.
“Yes, my Zinnia.”
She looked up at him, trying to find the right words to tell him she’d changed her mind, but they wouldn’t come.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, but she blushed and shook her head.
“Just… planning our exploration.”
His expression suggested he didn’t believe her, but he didn’t press. “We should begin soon. The day is advancing.”
They decided the ground level was too open and unprotected to be a suitable location and agreed to begin on the second level instead.
The second level landing was dim, illuminated only by what light filtered through small, dirt-encrusted windows. He immediately moved ahead of her, his stance alert. She found it both endearing and reassuring how naturally he adopted a protective position.
Level two proved to be a series of large, open spaces with collapsed interior walls and vegetation creeping in through broken windows.
“This was some kind of meeting space,” he observed, examining remnants of what might have been furnishings. “Perhaps for public gatherings.”
“Like a conference center,” she suggested, picking her way carefully across the debris-strewn floor. “Too open for our needs, though. I’m hoping for something with actual rooms. Walls. Maybe even doors that close.”
“Your security requirements are reasonable,” he agreed, his serious tone making her smile.
They continued upwards. Level three looked more promising the moment they stepped from the stairwell. The floor was divided into a series of smaller chambers rather than the open spaces below, and she suspected it had been office space originally. While some internal walls had crumbled, many remained intact. Vegetation was less prevalent here, with only tendrils of vines creeping through the windows.
