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“Do you have a favorite part of this garden?” she asked. He gazed straight ahead, remaining silent so long she wondered if he would respond at all.
“Yes,” he finally replied.
“Will you show me?”
Again he sighed, but said nothing, though he did shift direction, cutting through a grassy knoll to lead them down another pathway. After several minutes of walking, they entered a large cobblestone plaza, surrounded by a blaze of color that took her breath away. Spread out before her was a gorgeous tiered landscape of groomed bonsai-like shrubs and flowers in full bloom. Soft blades of grass peeked out from the cracks in the stone beneath her feet. Overhead lay a blanket of hanging blossoms resembling wisteria, their fragrance light and airy. And at the center of it all was an inspired pond with jumping fish and miniature trickling waterfalls, bisected by a small masonry bridge.
She gasped and rushed forward to look over the water’s edge, spying schools of colorful fish—some the size of her arm. The pink ones were the most vibrant and noticeable, but there were blue and teal fish as well, along with a dazzling mirror-like fish that seemed to take on the colors of its immediate surroundings. “Look at them! So pretty!”
As though bored with the scene, Orik perched on a nearby bench, seeming content to let her investigate. As she crossed to the other side of the bridge, the fish followed her.Expecting food?
“Can we feed them?” she asked.
He replied simply, “It’s a closed ecosystem.” He was now the picture of ease, his arm draped over the back of the bench, one ankle resting on his knee. Pinpricks of sunlight pierced the canopy, casting him in flecks of light. She had to admit, he was crazy handsome for an alien.What would he do if I draped myself across his lap?
The stray thought startled her.
He stared at her with watchful eyes, as though waiting to see what she’d do next.
A soft clicking noise drew her to the far end of the garden, where a bug-like creature balanced on a thin branch. The size of her finger, it had a hard shell around its middle section, almost like a turtle with a similar coloring, but its extremities were that of a tiny sloth, and it moved like one as well, from one twiggy branch to the next. A mossy substance seemed to be growing over theslurtle’scarapace, which likely aided with camouflage.
Sensing no threat from the beady-eyed creature, Jessie stretched out her hand and allowed it to crawl across the backs of her fingers until it was fully perched on her knuckles, then she carefully sauntered over to show Orik. “Look at this adorable little creature.”
Brows arched, he observed, “You have no fear of such things?”
Theslurtlecraned its tiny head toward her, almost as if it were interested in her answer, too. “Should I?”
He shook his head. “Of a nobit? No. I just remember June being terrified the first time she saw one.” He leaned forward. “They don’t usually like to be held, though.”
“Nobit,” Jessie repeated the name. “I guess it’s better thanslurtle.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.” Gently, she deposited the nobit on a nearby shrub so it could be on its way. It glanced back at her and made a pleasant clicking sound. She imagined that was nobit-speak forthank you.“You’re very welcome.”
Orik stared at her now as though she were a little batshit. She regularly spoke to animals as if they could understand her. It was one of her quirks. But if they ever actually spoke back, she’d know it was time to commit herself.
“Why is this your favorite section of the garden?” Not that it wasn’t obvious.
“It’s peaceful. Solitary.”
She moved to examine a leaf. “You like to be alone?”
He followed her with his gaze. “On occasion.”
“Me too. Nearly every weekend I’d go on these little adventures. I’d hike to my secret campsite or go kayaking down the Black River. I can’t wait to get my hands dirty in your jungle.” Wait. Why did that sound dirty? “Sooo, what’s it like being a dragon?”
“I don’t know. What’s it like being human?”
Cagey male. She tapped her finger on her chin. “Some days are easier than others. When I’m discovering a new path to hike or a fighting against raging rapids or bungee jumping, it’s wonderful.” What sucked was doing it alone when she wanted someone there with her. “But you canfly, right? That must be exhilarating.”
“It can be.”
“How could itnotbe? Up in the air, soaring like the birds.” She slapped her palms together, her lips spreading into a wide grin. “You should take me flying!”
“Absolutely no’!”
She jumped at his vehemence. “Was that a party foul? I didn’t mean to be rude.”
