Page 67 of Zinnia and the Zombie
“And you, Mistress Zinnia.” He turned back to Ella. “Can Bethie spend the night? And her brothers,” he added as an obvious afterthought.
“If her mother approves.”
“She will,” he said confidently and raced away.
Ella watched him go, then gave Zinnia a rueful smile.
“In case you couldn’t tell, my son is very… devoted to the daughter of one of Karthajin’s advisors.”
“Is that a problem?”
“She’s also human, which means the court would not be pleased. Karthajin and I would support whatever decision he made, butwe’re both aware that it would make his life more difficult. I thought he might grow out of it, but it doesn’t seem to be happening.”
“Her mother is also human?”
“Yes, as is Tanaca’s wife.”
She found the idea that the cold formal male had a human wife difficult to imagine, and Ella must have read her expression because she laughed.
“I assure you she has him wrapped around her little finger. But neither she nor Sophie are particularly fond of palace life—which is another reason I worry about Bethie and Dar.”
“He’s still very young.”
“I know, but he’s his father’s son. He knows his own mind.”
“He looks exactly like Karthajin,” she said cautiously.
“And not like me, you mean?” Ella grinned at her. “More than one person at court has implied that he couldn’t possibly be mine, but I assure you I gave birth to him.”
“So humans and Kaisarians are compatible?”
“Human women seem to be compatible, as you put it, with a number of other races,” Ella said dryly. “Are you considering having a child?”
“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “Definitely not right now.”
And not here, she thought. If they had still been in their sunny apartment on Veridia Prime… She had a brief vision of a golden skin toddler playing hide and seek in the rooftop garden, but she pushed it away and shook her head.
“This is not the time. Jaxx wants to find his people. And if the Grorn are still looking for a Zathix, any child of ours might be in danger.”
Ella reached over and squeezed her hand.
“I know what it’s like to be targeted by religious fanatics. We will do everything we can to help.”
“Thank you,” she said sincerely.
They talked for a while longer before a discreet servant told Ella that the security meeting had concluded.
“Would you like to stay and share a meal with us or would you prefer to be alone with your mate?” Ella asked, then nodded knowingly when she hesitated. “I understand. It can all be a bit overwhelming. Another time.”
“Thank you,” she said gratefully. She’d been trying to think of a polite way to refuse.
A servant escorted her through a maze of corridors to a luxurious set of rooms arranged around a small, manicured garden, the pristine arrangement of moss and stone nothing like the wild chaos of Ella’s garden. He provided a selection of food and drink and showed her how to contact him if she had any requests, then bowed politely and left.
A wave of nerves hit her as soon as she was alone, but she pushed it aside and decided to inspect the rooms instead. A huge bed draped with gold silk dominated the bedroom and she wondered if they had been chosen specifically as a reference to Jaxx’s Zathix heritage. She found a selection of male and female clothing behind a concealed panel. All of the female clothing was her size and the servant had said that everything in the roomswas for their use so after a brief hesitation, she stripped off her borrowed coveralls and chose a long silk gown in a pretty shade of blue.
A bathing pool filled with gently steaming water had sliding screens that opened to the garden. She briefly considered taking a bath but decided she’d rather wait for Jaxx. Instead she returned to the sitting area, poured a glass of sweet-smelling liquid from a crystal decanter and picked at a selection of beautifully arranged finger foods as she waited for Jaxx.
A huge sigh of relief escaped when the door finally opened and his tall figure appeared. He looked just as relieved, his skin glowing a soft gold as he crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. She relaxed against him with a contented murmur, then smiled up at him.
