Winter's heart fluttered as she pushed open the massive glass door to the menagerie. Sounds of wildlife spilled into the corridor- squawking birds in their palatial cages, monkeys chattering from overhead vines, white stallions neighing in distant stables.

She shut the door before the heat could escape and scanned the forked pathways, but there was not sign of Jacin. The menagerie took up several acres of this wing and the palace, a labyrinth of barred cages and glass enclosures. It was always humid and perfumed with exotic flowers, and aroma that barely covered up the animal scent...

She tucked an unruly curl behind her ear and moved away from the door. She passed a chilled home of the artic fox, who was curled atop a birch log, hiding his face behind a bristled tail. The next cage geld a mother snow leopard and her litter of three prancing cubs. on the opposite side of the mossy path was a sleeping white owl. It peeped its huge eyes open as Winter passed.

(From Winter, ch.28)