"Sure." Not a fan of politics. Got it.
We walk for a bit, admiring the huge mushroom and giant hybrid trees that dot the landscape and create a fantasy feel. As we get closer to the exhibit Corinne wants to see, a man we noticed a few times around the zoo looks over to us, his eyes focused on Corinne.
He walks over, picking up his pace as he gets closer. "Hey, are you—?"
"Is there a problem?" Corinne snaps at him in a tone I didn't think this petite girl could muster.
The man backs away, hands in the air. "No. No, sorry." He rushes off, and I stare at my new roommate.
"What was that about?"
Corinne shrugs. "I often get mistaken for someone I'm not." There's something sad in her eyes, and I wonder what secrets she carries. We all have them it seems.
"Let's go see the lizards." She grabs my hand and pulls me forward, and I follow without further comment. Who am I to pry when I have secrets I would never be able to share with her?
There's a long line to see the genetically modified lizards, and by the time we make our way to the front, I understand why.
They're magnificent and gruesome; beautiful and divine. It's like seeing a piece of pre-historic history come to life. Dinosaurs. Smaller, more tame, but essentially the same.
"This is incredible," I say.
A small creature with big eyes catches my attention. It sits by some stones in the corner of the exhibit surrounded by water and trees. It looks… lonely.
"It's like playing god, though, isn't it?" I ask.
Corinne looks at me, a slight frown on her lips. "What do you mean?"
"These animals were created for a profit," I say. "Their whole lives have been controlled. They are experiments we keep for money and amusements."
"They aren't just that," she argues. "These animals helped initiate some of the biggest scientific breakthroughs for Hospitallers. When Zenith abilities became mainstream, we had to find ways to control them. These animals served as early experiments, yes, but to help protect humanity. They helped us discover how to modify genetics. Those modified animals, and their offspring, were eventually sent to these zoos to give them a peaceful life."
I've heard stories about these discoveries. How they gave humans an edge in the Nephilim War by endowing elite Knights with unnatural strength and speed.
"We shouldn't have been doing these experiments to begin with," I say. "Zenith abilities are a natural evolutionary shift in humans, an awakening of the Angel blood we were all born with. The Orders shouldn't be experimenting on animals or humans. Zeniths should be left alone."
"Even if they are natural, which isn't proven," Corinne says, "they're dangerous in the wrong hands. They give a select group of humans abilities that could destroy all of humanity. The Orders want to understand Zenith abilities so they can be controlled. Given or taken away, like weapon control, to keep people safe."
I think about her words and watch the dinosaur-lizards as live animals are dropped into their habitat.
The dinosaurs savagely tear into the animal sacrifice, blood splattering on the protective glass that separates us from the carnage. The small one that watched me earlier makes off with the bulk of the meat. With a bloody mouth it looks at me again—with knowing eyes.
I shiver. "Some things can't be controlled."
***
After the zoo, with its haunting philosophical conundrums, we make our way back into the heart of the city to attend Nox Aeterna. I have no idea what to expect and can't remember the last time I went to the theater.
The sun sets, and the cool of twilight feels refreshing against my sun-kissed skin.
"The show will be starting soon," Corinne says, walking faster.
The lights of the city turn on and a giant white cathedral on the corner gongs its bell at the hour. I stop to admire the beauty of the steeple and architecture as the hum of the bell rings through the city.
"Do you attend often?" Corinne asks, stopping beside me.
"No." I never did. I remember once, long ago, my parents taking me to the Mandatory Preaching at the church back home.
Jax sat close to me, our legs pressed together in the uncomfortable pew as a man at the front droned on and on about the bloodsuckers here to steal our souls and bring an end to the world.
Jax poked an elbow into my ribs. "His voice is the end of the world."
I couldn't stop giggling, and my father hushed us both with a stern warning, but I could see in his eyes that he heard and thought it was funny. He wouldn't be there either if he'd had the option.
I reached for one of the tiny pencils on the back of the pew next to the hymnal and Bible, grabbed a prayer card and wrote, If the world was ending today, what would you want to do? I handed Jax the note.
He read it and smiled, then wrote back.
Spend the day with you.
—Friends to the end
I felt a swelling of something I didn't understand. It was warm and filled my chest. I wrote back.
—Friends to the end
Corinne pats my back, pulling me into the present and away from old memories. "Want to go in?" she asks.
"No, we'll miss our show." I turn from the Cathedral—and the memories—and walk away.
***
Corinne picks up our tickets from Will Call as I hang back and observe the crowds. I'm definitely underdressed. This crowd favors Eden Fashionables and formal attire. Even Corinne, who dressed semi-casual, looks at place here with her touches of modern-chic style.