Page 60 of Perfectly Perplexing Zombie

The most beautiful female stood in my bedroom. Her hair was so pale it was nearly clear. Flowers bloomed throughout its haphazardly perfect strands. Eyes swimming in peach seas fondly gazed at me through equally pale lashes. Equal to my height, the female was barely covered in a gauzy dress that touched the floor. Her elongated, tipped ears peeked through her thick hair and were tucked behind something that looked like an iris.

“Hello, Wendall,” she said, her voice liquid-smooth and soft as silk. “I apologize for not coming to see you sooner. As Queen of Fairy, it is difficult for me to leave and be away for any length of time. When we were attempting to settle the Earth, I found it necessary to leave more frequently. I am pleased to say that, at present, it is no longer an issue.” Her full lips smiled wide, crinkling the skin around her eyes.

“Queen Silvidia?” I asked with hushed awe.

“Just Silvidia. We are related, after all.” She cocked her head to the side, and her peach eyes danced with mischief. “My nephew. Had I known of your existence…” She ended with a pain-filled sigh. “Things would have been much different.”

Still squeezing Trinket, I remained plastered to my bedroom door. I couldn’t believe the Queen of Fairy was standing in my cramped little bedroom. I could list a thousand others who would cut off their right arm to be where I was.

Her gaze traveled around my small bedroom. I couldn’t exactly interpret her expression, but when she turned her attention back to me, she said, “It is a little starker than I imagined.”

I’ll bet.Plants were literally growing and blooming from her body. Compared to my sterile little room, Queen Silvidia looked like a freaking greenhouse.

“Shall we sit and maybe talk for a moment? I’m afraid I don’t have much time, but I would like to know you better.”

How could I say no to the fairy queen? Short answer: I couldn’t.

“S-sure,” I managed and was glad I’d made my bed before leaving for work. At least I didn’t look like a complete slob.

“Lovely.” Less than two steps brought Silvidia to the edge of the bed. She sat with fluid grace and patted the spot next to her. I kind of felt drugged for all the resistance I managed. I didn’t think I sat with nearly as much grace and instead kind of dropped down onto the bed. Up close, it was easy to scent Silvidia’s bountiful floral bouquet. It should have been overwhelming, but it wasn’t. She smelled exquisite. Much better than my necrotic, antibiotic-covered flesh.

“My sweet Wendall.” Her delicate fingers cupped my face before shifting through my damp hair. “Hanan would be very pleased.”

“My…” I wasn’t sure what number of greats you’d place before his name. I finally settled on “My fairy side.”

She nodded, and her grin fell into soft reflection. “He was my brother, and I loved him dearly. There was no sibling rivalry between us. Hanan never wanted to rule.” She laughed, and it sounded like music. “Truth be told, neither did I. However, I was the strongest and, perhaps, the scariest of us.” Silvidia grimaced. “Inciting fear can be a double-edged sword, and I’ve played both sides of that sharp blade.”

I had so many questions, and yet my mind drew a blank. All I could do was stare into the swirling depths of her eyes. Thankfully, Silvidia didn’t need me to speak.

As her fingers traced the bandage on my neck, Silvidia’s lips thinned, and her eyes briefly flared brighter. “I have not felt this useless in millennia. I can end life with a thought and revive it with only slightly more effort. But I can do nothing for you.”

“Why not?” My words sounded far away, as if my head were stuffed in a bag.

“Sadly, there is no life left in you to resurrect. My power requires a spark to reignite. Once something is truly dead, there is nothing I can do, and you, my dear, are well and truly gone. Physically, at least.” Her smile returned, and she pushed my hair behind my ear. “Thankfully, your mental capacity remains. Who you are, at your very core, your personality persists. For that, I am eternally grateful. If she will accept my gratitude, I must reward the priestess who reanimated you. It is my understanding that she has looked after you since. Is that true?”

“It is. Muriel’s been great. She’s like a mother to me.” She was so much more, but that was the fondest compliment I could think of.

“That is fortunate.” Her fingers slipped from my face and gripped my hand. She didn’t squeeze, just wound our digits together. Trinket cooed and licked her skin. Silvidia offered a contented and maybe an amused sigh.

“She is a lovely scuttlebutt. I am pleased Hellfire thought to gift her to you.”

“Me too. Trinket’s been great.” Again, I felt like I was downplaying my words.

“I advised Ray to woo you, but I was surprised by his chosen route.”

Speaking Ray’s name brought me out of my fog, and I almost withdrew my hand from hers. “You shouldn’t have ordered Ray to do that.” I was confident no one else spoke to the fairy queen the way I just had, but I couldn’t help it. “Ordering Ray to bond to someone for an eternity, to link him in that way to another he didn’t even know or have feelings for… That was cruel.”

Head tilted to the side, Silvidia stared at me with wide, amused eyes. “You believe so?”

“I do.” How could she not? Was that what power did to someone? Did it erase your compassion? Did it remove your ability to see another’s perspective? If so, then I was happy I’d never been granted an ounce of power in my short life.

“Hmm, perhaps. Then again, it seems he has grown fond of you.”

I would have flushed if possible. “That’s not the point.”

“Isn’t it?” She shrugged as if it weren’t important. “Regardless, I believe it will all work out for the best.”

This time, I did pull my hands away, wrapping them around Trinket and pulling her close again. “I won’t accept the offer,” I stated. “So unless you plan on forcing the issue, then it’s a moot point.” Fear flooded me. I hadn’t considered that a possibility until the words fell from my mouth.

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