Page 14 of Zinnia and the Zombie
“This ship?” he asked, trying to focus on anything besides his body’s reaction to her.
“I’m no expert, but I doubt it’s ever going to fly again. At least I managed to drag you out before it started smoking too badly.”
It hadn’t occurred to him until that moment that she must have pulled him away from the wreck, despite the difference in their sizes. The physical effort to move him must have been enormous.
“That was… impressive,” he said. “Thank you.”
She shrugged, looking embarrassed. “Adrenaline, I guess. I was afraid the ship was going to explode. Thank goodness it didn’t, although I’m not sure there’s anything salvageable.”
“We should check.” His protective instincts flared, but when he attempted to stand, his legs buckled. She immediately wedged herself under his shoulder and eased him back against the wall.
“Stop that,” she scolded. “You’re supposed to be getting your strength back, remember?”
He gritted his teeth in frustration. He knew she was right, but his weakness made him vulnerable—made them both vulnerable. “I cannot afford to be incapacitated. I need to secure a perimeter.”
“It can wait,” she said firmly. “You said there was no one nearby.”
He wanted to argue, but he knew she was right. Instead he let her warmth feed him as he calculated their odds of survival. The atmosphere was compatible and the richness of plant and animal life suggested a thriving ecosystem with an abundant supply of water. The ruins would provide shelter and possibly materials they could repurpose.
Their immediate survival, at least, seemed feasible. The longer-term problem of how to escape the planet would have to wait.He looked at the lengthening shadows outside their shelter and sighed.
“We should rest here tonight. Tomorrow, when I am stronger, we will explore more thoroughly.”
She hugged her knees to her chest, suddenly looking very small. “What are our chances, Jaxx? Of getting away from here, I mean.”
He considered lying to comfort her, but dismissed the idea immediately. She deserved honesty. “I don’t know. We would need to find technology capable of sending a distress signal powerful enough to reach civilized space.”
And the right recipients. The last thing he wanted was to attract the attention of more slavers.
“And is that likely? In a place like this?”
“This was once an advanced civilization so there may be technology we can salvage.” He paused, watching her face. “But I will not offer false hope. Our situation is… challenging.”
She nodded slowly, her gaze drifting to the deepening shadows around them. “At least we’re not alone,” she said softly. “I mean, we have each other.”
“I can think of no better companion,” he said truthfully. This fragile female who had awakened him from stasis, who had dragged his unconscious body from a crashed ship, and who had willingly offered him her energy, was a female worthy of any warrior.
A smile curved her lips and her eyes met his. “Likewise, my zombie.”
“Why do you call me that? I do not understand the reference.”
A hint of pink colored her cheeks. “Zombies are supposed to be people who have died but are not dead. They eat people’s brains for sustenance. It’s just a story,” she added quickly.
“A not entirely inaccurate analogy,” he said thoughtfully.
“It’s a silly nickname. You’re not at all like they are in the movies.”
“I do not believe I have ever had a nickname before. I like it.” He allowed himself to run a finger down the soft silk of her cheek. “You gave me life, my Zinnia.”
Her blush deepened and she glanced away, but he could sense her pleasure at his words.
Night had fully descended now, turning the ruins into a mysterious landscape of shadow and starlight. The alien sky above him was awash with unfamiliar constellations, beautiful and remote. Somewhere among those distant points of light was the rest of the galaxy—civilizations, trade routes, the vast tapestry of interconnected life. Here, it was only the two of them, bound together by a chain of circumstances neither of them could have imagined.
He put his arm around her and drew her closer, tucking her head beneath his chin. She came willingly, nestling against him with a quiet sigh.
“Sleep,” he whispered. “I will watch over you.”
“Goodnight, Jaxx,” she murmured before her breathing slowed into the steady rhythm of sleep.
