“In that case, maybe everything in our world should be capable of reproduction. All the plants and creatures.”
“You think so?” Lila brightened.
“It’s a novel idea. I wonder why the Creator didn’t do that with us instead of creating each angel individually. Seems like it would save time and effort. But then, who can know the mind of the Creator?”
Lila shrugged.
“You will soon.”
“That’s true.” He smirked.
“I would say ‘congratulations,’ but I don’t think He’ll like you.” Lila chuckled.
“Why wouldn’t He like me?”
“Because you’ll think you know better than Him.”
“I prefer to think of us on equal footing.”
“Well, there’s your problem already. No one else would dare.”
“No one else is me.” Luc caressed the side of her face, but she tugged his hand aside.
“I want to talk about the plants.”
“Now?Why?” He wrinkled his nose.
“Because I wrote down this idea, and I’ve been dying to share it with you.” She dug into the folds of her robes and produced a small scroll. “Besides, I told you our time is up.”
“I don’t remember a time limit being part of our original agreement.”
“I think our original agreement only involved kisses. Your argument is invalid.”
“Whose fault is that?”
“Theplants”—Lila unrolled her scroll—“that have flowers will produce a substance that…well, when it’s mixed with this other part of the flower”—she turned her scroll toward him, and he saw a neatly drawn diagram of a camellia flower; she tapped its center—“it will produce something like a soul.”
“A soul?”
“Well, not asoul,but…something small that contains all the essentials of what that plantis.Then, with the proper amount of care, that small thing will grow up to be the plant it came from. Does that make sense?”
Luc rubbed his jaw. He understood what she meant theoretically, but he was trying to conceptualize it in a concrete way.
“This substance…” he ventured. “Will it only work on the flower it came from or on other flowers as well?”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Mm, it could be something that’s carried on the aether and spread that way.”
“Like incense smoke?”
“Yes, like that.”
“I’ll write that…” Lila rummaged in her robes. “Oh, I forgot my pen.”
Luctsked.
“Whatever will we do without your pen?” He slid his hands around her waist and pulled her closer.
