Chapter 49: The Black Dress

Azia tried very hard to locate Zeke after that.

She combed through the Knowles compound from top to bottom, starting with all the various places she had located Zeke in the last few weeks. He wasn't there.

Next, she tried the more common places – the marketplace, the library. He was nowhere in sight. She eventually ran into Sam in a random corridor and he told her where Zeke was.

"He's over at your compound. Looking for you," he added with a grin.

Azia reached out and spontaneously hugged him in thanks. "I owe you one," she said, before she took off running.

She didn't stop running until she crossed through town, jogged through the forest, and climbed the long, shallow hill back to the Bronson compound.

Breathing heavily, Azia went to her private quarters, certain that Zeke would look for her there first.

But he wasn't there.