Winter of the Passion Flower (The de Vargas Family) by Seaton Annie

Author:Seaton, Annie [Seaton, Annie]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-12-31T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4

Indigo and Zane sat silently on the log, each lost in their own thoughts, until the first fingers of sunlight touched the rainforest. Melodious birdsong contrasting with the rough barking of the spider monkeys surrounded them as the light filtered through the dense canopy above. Indigo moved across to the edge of the pit and looked down at the skeletons below.

“I am sure the bodies are evidence of a failed attempt to breach the plantation, but we must remain on guard,” she warned. “We have dug pits around each of the entry points. Make sure you follow me closely when we go in.”

Zane nodded. He’d barely said a word since they’d left the boat and she wondered what he was thinking about. His touch had been platonic as he’d checked her for injuries. She did not hurt anywhere, and was confident she had suffered no ill effects from her fall. Indigo had sat quietly as his warm strong hands traversed her body, biting down on her cheek when her heartbeat picked up, warmth lingering where Zane touched her with gentle fingers. Her body trembled and she knew it had more to do with his touch than from the fall. The buzzing of mosquitoes interrupted her thoughts and she leaned over to pull the netting down on Zane’s hat, covering his face and neck, before doing the same to her own.

“Jungle fever,” she explained moving back from the edge of the pit. “We didn’t have time to take the preventative pharmacological.”

Within minutes the sun filtered through the treetops, lighting up the rainforest around them. Indigo moved to the perimeter of the trees and peered out through the dense foliage. All was still and the lack of movement reassured her intruders had not breached the plantation.

She reached for her water bottle, taking a large drink of the cold liquid.

“Ensure that you drink regularly as we work. The heat of the jungle will sap your energy and we must finish quickly. There is a waterfall on the other side of the plantation where we can replenish our bottles.”

Zane’s gaze held hers as he tipped the bottle to his mouth. Indigo looked steadily back at him, fascinated by the muscles in his strong throat working as he drank deeply.

“When we have picked the flowers, how will we carry them back? We left the bags at the beginning of the track.” Zane’s brow wrinkled in a frown.

Indigo looked away from him, wanting to touch him, yet angry at herself.

“We only need gather the stamens. We will have to forgo gathering the whole bloom this trip. The stamen will suffice but it is critical that we keep them in the light,” she replied tersely. “Don’t worry. I have it under control”

“I’m sure you do,” he replied with a smile.

“It will be a long morning. We must risk harvesting in the heat so we can see what we are doing. We have to return to the Artemis before the time window closes.” Indigo was worried and she stared off into the distance as she did the calculations.

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