She forced herself to concentrate on hiswords. “You mean it was a draw, right? I fell down, Rem.”
“Yeah, but you took a step and fired a shotbefore you fell. So we won. We won.” He cupped her chin inhis hand. “Wake up, baby, please? I need to know you’re okay.”
Charmed, she dared to believe him. Maybe theyreally had won. Maybe she really was alive. Cuddling closer to him,she murmured, “I love the way your arms feel. It’s like that dayyou carried me off the stage. You felt so warm and strong and safe.And romantic.”
“You were unconscious when I carried you,”Rem murmured. “But I’m glad you remember it that way. I just wish .. .”
She opened her eyes, ready to smile into hishandsome face, and was shocked to see a deep gash across hisforehead and a coating of blood everywhere. “Oh, Rem, you’rehurt.”
“It’s nothing,” he insisted, his voicehoarse. Turning his face away, he coughed roughly, then explained,“It was windy as heck out there.”
“But Rem . . .” She brushed her fingertipsacross his mouth and cheek, confused by the amount of grit mixedwith the blood. “If you were wearing a mask—You were, weren’tyou?”
“Don’t think about that. The only thing thatmatters is we won. And we’re together. And you’re alive. And in afew hours, you’ll be on your way home.”
A sob rose in her throat. “The air here is sobad, even Malarans won’t breathe it. Please don’t tell meyou ran hundreds of yards through it without a mask. Please . . .please . . .”
“Shhh.” He cradled her against his wheezingchest and stroked her hair lovingly. “It’s fine, Zee. Thehoverbot’s here now, so just go to sleep. If—if anything goeswrong, don’t let it make you sad. This was the greatest day of mylife because of you. So just go to sleep now, okay? And when youwake up, let Humber decide what you need to do next. Promise methat, okay?”
Chapter19
“What are you saying?” Charlottedemanded, interrupting Zia’s story for the fifteenth time thatafternoon. “Is Rem Stone secretly dead? The vids said he’llmake a full recovery!”
“Are you saying he breathed that yucky air?”Bea’s eyes were round with shock. “Humans can’t survive that,right? Oh, my God, ZeeZee, it’s so tragically romantic. Orromantically tragic. He ran through hell to save you. You might aswell sign up for a convent right now, because no guy is evergoing to top that for you. Not ever.”
Zia grinned. “Are you finished? Can Ifinish? No, obviously, he didn’t die. I’d be crying, wouldn’tI?”
“I don’t know,” Charlotte admitted. “You’re alot tougher than we ever knew you were.”
“True. But the actual fact is, that airwasn’t dangerous at all. Full of sand and dirt, yes, but he coughedall that out in a few hours. Or so I’m told, because I sleptthrough most of it, thank God.” She smiled fondly. “When my friendMaryak told me the air on Jairqua is so bad Malarans won’t gothere, she meant it’s bad for Malarans. Because it’s solow in particulates, it doesn’t meet their nutritionalneeds. But it’s borderline tolerable for Earthlings.”
“What a relief.” Bea sighed. “What happenedthe next time you saw him? Did he kiss you?”
“I never really saw him again,” Zia admitted.“At least not in focus. I kept drifting in and out because of myconcussion. And since Ambassador Humber was afraid the Vekzorimight go nuts over the great performance of an Earthling—meaningRem, obviously, not me—the Malarans pumped us full of drugs, stuckus in the suspension chambers and hustled us back to Earth rightaway. By the time I woke up again, I was here in my own bedroom,safe and sound. They put Rem in the hospital though, for crackedribs and a cut on his head and who knows what else.”
Charlotte raised her hand like a schoolgirlasking permission to speak. “Did he ride in that escort chamberwith you again?” When Zia nodded, she squealed with delight.“That’s so romantic. Two whole weeks, sleeping together. Have youtalked to him yet? When are you going to see him again?”
Jenni, who had visited Zia before and hadheard all of these stories already, spoke up. “Don’t talk about himso much. It makes her too sad. Ask about the mechs and the pinkfood. Anything else but Rem Stone.”
Zia was only half listening as Jenniproceeded to remind Bea and Charlotte about all the reasons Zia andRem could never be together on Earth. It was depressing, and shedidn’t really feel like being depressed. This was her third dayback home, not to mention the first day she really felt like herold self again.
Except you’re not your old self at all.You’re a completely different person. Too bad Rem’s the same guy healways was.
He had tried to reach her a couple of times,but she had asked the housekeeping staff to tell him she was stillrecuperating. She couldn’t put him off forever, though. There was ahuge celebration planned for the end of the week so that the publiccould see them, applaud them, and hear all about the victory onMalara. Rem would be there, of course. She was pretty sure it wouldbe the opening gambit in his bid for the presidency. MaybeCommander Logan would even resign at that event and announce hissupport for Rem.
If that happened, she’d announce her supportfor him too. It would be a pleasure to tell the world how brave hewas. How resourceful and unselfish and invincible.
And stubborn . . .
“Zee?” Charlotte nudged her with her foot.“Are you still loopy from the concussion?”
“No, I’m fine. Just thinking.”
“About him?”
Zia nodded. “But Jenni’s right. I don’t wantto talk about him. And I should probably rest. Can you guys comeback again soon, though? I really missed you. Plus, I give youpartial credit for helping me pilot my mech without dying. Becauseyou were such great opponents in sky paddle all those years, youhelped me have good aim and good balance.”
“But you were born brave,” Charlotte saidwith an admiring smile. “We’ve seen the vids from the challenge,Zee. You didn’t just
