of the lower floors had been. Down there, danger announced itself. People shouted. Zombies screamed. Weapons fired. Doors slammed. Up here, the building seemed to hold its breath.
Bai Li glanced at the glowing roots winding along the wall.
"It is almost beautiful."
Yan Cijin looked at them.
"Almost."
"That means it is not beautiful."
"It means I am waiting for it to bite us."
Bai Li laughed.
"Fair."
They reached another landing.
A broken sign hung overhead. Most of the letters had fallen away, but one word remained.
SKY.
Yan Cijin stared at it.
"That is probably our direction."
"Probably."
A sudden gust of hot air came down the stairwell.
It carried the scent of the fruit with it.
Both women became still.
The smell was stronger than before.
The sweetness was almost intoxicating.
Somewhere above, something roared so loudly that the stairs trembled.
Bai Li looked upward.
"It knows we are coming."
Yan Cijin stepped beside her.
"Then it can wait."
