Page 61 of Zinnia and the Zombie
“No,” she said truthfully. “I know we don’t know what’s going to happen, but we’ve made it this far. I think we’re going to have a happy life together.”
His arm came around her, drawing her closer.
“We will,” he said firmly.
The trip to Kaisar aboard The Dancing Lady had proven to be more enjoyable than she’d expected. Faith was almost frighteningly intelligent, but she was also very friendly and genuinely interested in everything that had happened to Zinnia. They spent a good deal of time in Faith’s lab talking about plants.Faith also filled her in on the Kaisarian Empire and the political situation.
Athtar was more than willing to share his own, much more biased, opinions but she’d quickly learned that his bark was much worse than his bite.
“He just misses his Precious,” Faith teased when he was ranting profanely about taxes one night.
“His Precious?”
“His puppy,” Faith said innocently, and Athtar growled at her.
“She’s a Pardorian war beast.”
“Why didn’t you bring her with you?” she asked and Faith sighed.
“We left her with the children. She’d never let anything happen to them. Of course, we didn’t know we’d be away this long.”
“Fucking Doren. And I miss the children just as much,” Athtar said.
“You have children?” she asked, looking from Faith to her huge mate.
“Two of them. And next time, we’re not leaving them behind,” Faith said firmly, but her lip quivered.
“No, we’re fucking not.” Athtar rose and scooped Faith up into his arms. “Come on, baby. I know how to cheer you up.”
The two of them disappeared and she smiled at Jaxx.
“It appears we’ve been deserted.”
“Do you need cheering up as well, my Zinnia?”
“Definitely,” she said, and he carried her off as well.
Athtar and Jaxx had also developed a friendship. Unfortunately part of that friendship involved what Athtar called training exercises but looked to her like straight out combat. Even though Jaxx could more than hold his own, she couldn’t stand to watch them—although they seemed to bring out Jaxx’s warrior side in the most delicious way afterwards.
But now the journey was coming to an end. They would reach Kaisar the following day, and in spite of her overall confidence about the future, she found the thought of meeting an emperor extremely intimidating.
“I’m terrified,” she told Jaxx with a rueful smile. “I’m a florist from a backwater town on a backwater planet. I have no idea how to talk to an emperor.”
“You’ll speak with the same honesty and courage you’ve shown since the day I met you,” he said firmly.
She leaned into him, drawing strength from his certainty. “I’ve never even been to a big city on Earth. Now I’m going to an entire planet that’s basically one giant capital.”
“And you’ll adapt, as you have to everything else.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re stronger than you know, my Zinnia.”
“I love you, my zombie.”
“I love you too.”
The next morning Faith offered her a formal gown. “You don’t have to wear it, but I thought it might make you more comfortable.”
She eyed the elegant gown nervously. It was beautiful—a flowing creation of deep green silk—but also intimidating in its elegance.
“I’ll probably trip on the hem and fall flat on my face in front of the Emperor,” she muttered.
