Page 23 of Zinnia and the Zombie (Alien Abduction #26)
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Z innia folded the last of the clothing they had scavenged and tucked it into the makeshift bag she’d woven from some of the tougher vines in the garden.
A bittersweet ache filled her chest as she looked around the apartment that had been their sanctuary.
In just a few short weeks, it had become more of a home than any place she’d known since her little apartment above the garage.
Home. Such a simple word for such a complicated feeling.
She ran her fingers along the smooth surface of the countertop in their kitchen.
They’d eaten here, laughed here, made love against this very surface one particularly memorable evening.
These walls had witnessed her transformation from terrified captive to partner of a powerful alien warrior.
From a lonely florist to a woman who had helped fight off their attackers.
“Ready?” Jaxx’s deep voice came from the doorway, pulling her from her reverie.
She turned to find him watching her, his expression soft with understanding. He could read her so well now.
“Almost,” she said. “Just saying goodbye.”
He crossed to her and brushed a strand of hair from her face, his touch impossibly gentle for someone so strong. “We have time for one more visit to the garden if you’d like.”
She nodded gratefully. “I’d like that.”
They climbed the stairs to the rooftop in companionable silence, his hand warm against the small of her back.
When they stepped through the door, the vibrant life of the garden embraced them—lush greenery, colorful fruits, and the sweet perfume of flowers still blooming despite the absence of the civilization that had created them.
“I’ve been thinking,” Jaxx said as they walked between rows of exotic plants. “You should take some cuttings with you.”
“Cuttings?” She looked up at him in surprise.
He gestured toward some of the fruit-bearing plants they enjoyed.
“These plants have adapted to survive with minimal care. They might thrive elsewhere. And…” he hesitated, a rare moment of uncertainty crossing his face, “they’re part of this place. Our beginning.”
How had she been lucky enough to have found this male who understood her heart so completely in the vast emptiness of space?
“That’s perfect,” she whispered, reaching for his hand.
Together they carefully selected cuttings and seeds from the most useful plants, wrapping them in moist cloths and tucking them into a small container he’d found. She worked quickly, mentally cataloging their properties and needs.
“This one for fever,” she murmured, selecting a plant with silvery leaves.
“And this for its fruit.” She paused at a patch of night-blooming flowers—the same ones that had surrounded them during their last night of peace.
After a moment’s hesitation, she gathered seeds from these as well, avoiding his knowing gaze.
When they had finished, she stood in the center of the garden one last time, breathing deeply of its rich, earthy scent.
“It will continue growing,” he said softly beside her. “Long after we’re gone.”
The thought was oddly comforting. This place that had sheltered them would go on, the plants flourishing in their carefully designed ecosystem, waiting perhaps for the next lost travelers to find refuge here.
“I’m ready now,” she said, and she meant it.
They walked back to the apartment, where he gathered their belongings—the weapons and communication device he’d scavenged from the Grorn, their clothing and the few personal items they’d collected during their stay.
She took one last look around before closing the door behind them for the final time.
Their journey to the Grorn ship was silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
The city spread out around them as they walked, magnificent even in its abandonment.
She found herself memorizing details—the way sunlight filtered through the crumbling spires, the sound of water flowing through the ancient fountains, the rustle of the plants that had reclaimed the streets.
He kept her hand firmly in his, his thumb occasionally stroking her skin in a familiar gesture even as he remained alert for any remaining hazards from their traps.
That small contact was enough to keep her darker thoughts at bay, though she couldn’t help the shudder that ran through her when they finally reached the ship and as they passed the site where the Grorn had performed their ritual sacrifice.
The ship itself was larger than she’d expected, a serpentine mass of dark metal that seemed to absorb rather than reflect the sunlight.
It didn’t have the bulky lines of the Ithyian vessel they’d been imprisoned on, nor the simplicity of the flyer they’d escaped in.
There was something almost organic about its design, as though it had grown rather than been built.
“Stay behind me,” he murmured as they approached the entry ramp, which still gaped open like the maw of some enormous beast.
The interior was dimly lit and smelled of something acrid and unpleasant. Just inside the entrance was a small shrine—another religious symbol similar to the one the priest had carried, surrounded by offerings that made her stomach turn. He quickly sealed the door to that compartment.
“We won’t need to go in there,” he said firmly.
Beyond that initial chamber, the ship was surprisingly functional, although everything was in shades of black or red.
Utilitarian corridors led to various compartments—sleeping quarters, what appeared to be a communal eating area, storage rooms filled with supplies, and a larger temple which he also sealed.
He moved through the space with the confidence of someone familiar with spacecraft design, though she knew he’d never been aboard a Grorn vessel before.
“The bridge should be this way,” he said, leading her down a wider corridor.
The command center was a stark contrast to the religious trappings near the entrance. Here, everything was efficient, designed for a single purpose—navigation and control. Rows of instruments lined the walls, their displays glowing with symbols she couldn’t begin to decipher.
He settled into what was clearly the pilot’s seat, his golden fingers moving over the controls with increasing confidence.
“Can you fly it?” she asked, taking the seat beside him.
“Of course. The fundamentals are similar enough to vessels I’ve piloted before,” he replied, his focus on the displays before him. “The Grorn have made some… unusual modifications, but the navigation systems follow standard principles.”
He bent back over the controls, exploring the ship’s systems. She watched him work, admiring the intensity of his concentration, the sureness of his movements. After several minutes, he paused, giving her an odd look.
“Zinnia…” he began, then hesitated.
“What is it?”
“I’ve accessed their navigation logs.” His eyes, those beautiful amethyst eyes, held a mixture of emotions she couldn’t quite read. “There are coordinates for many systems. There is a possibility we might be able to find your home planet.”
The words hung in the air between them for a long moment.
Earth. Home. Her shop with its riot of colorful flowers. The quiet routine of her days. Mrs. Jensen’s cooking. The familiar streets of her small town.
All of it suddenly seemed like a half-remembered dream, belonging to some other woman who had lived some other life.
The Zinnia who had tended those flowers and walked those streets would never have recognized the woman she had become—a woman who had survived abduction, crash-landing on an alien planet, and an attack by religious zealots.
A woman who had found love in the most unlikely of places.
She looked at Jaxx, his golden skin glowing softly in the cockpit lights.
This extraordinary being who had protected her, respected her, and loved her with a passion and tenderness she had never imagined possible.
He was watching her now, his expression carefully neutral, but she could see the tension in his shoulders.
He was giving her a choice. Earth, with all its familiar comforts and safety. Or the unknown, with him.
No choice at all, really.
A slow, certain smile spread across her face. “You are my home now,” she said simply.
The tension melted from his posture, replaced by a warmth that made her heart swell.
“Instead of searching for Earth,” she continued, “why don’t we go in search of your people?”
The flash of naked hope in his eyes nearly broke her heart. “Zinnia, are you sure? Earth is your world, your?—”
“My past,” she interrupted gently. “You’re my future. And I think finding your people—or at least discovering what happened to them—is more important right now than returning me to a planet I don’t even belong on anymore.”
He reached across the space between them, taking her hand in his. “If we find my people, there’s no guarantee they’ll welcome a human among them.”
“Then we’ll face that together, just like everything else.” She squeezed his hand. “Besides, I’ve gotten pretty good at adapting to alien customs.” Her teasing smile made his lips quirk.
“That you have,” he agreed softly.
“So,” she prompted, “do you have any idea where to start looking?”
He turned back to the controls, all business once more. “Before all this, my crew and I were investigating rumors of a Zathix outpost in a remote system. It was our last lead when we were attacked. I still have the coordinates in my memory, although they were only a starting point.”
“What about that data crystal you found?” she asked. “The one you said was Zathix technology?”
A shadow crossed his face. “I’ll need specialized equipment to access it. Equipment we might find at the outpost, if it still exists.”
“Then that’s where we’ll go,” she said with a confidence she didn’t entirely feel.
He finished the pre-flight check and turned to her, his eyes shining with a mixture of gratitude and love so intense it took her breath away.
“Thank you,” he said simply.
She rose from her seat and moved to stand between his knees, framing his face with her hands. “Don’t thank me. This is where I want to be. With you. Wherever that takes us.”
He pulled her down into his lap, his arms warm and strong around her. “Then let’s find out where our path leads.”
As he bent his head to kiss her, she knew with absolute certainty that she had made the right choice. The garden apartment had been their first sanctuary, but it wouldn’t be their last.
She reluctantly returned to her seat as the ship’s engines hummed to life beneath them, vibrating with power as they rose slowly into the atmosphere.
Outside the viewport, the ruins of the ancient city began to recede as they climbed higher.
She watched it grow smaller, holding the memory of their time there close to her heart as they ascended toward the stars and whatever future awaited them.