Ash woke with a jerk, her eyes flung open. Panting. It took her a minute to realize she was with Xilon. His warm body enveloped her. For the first time since her parents had died, she felt safe, even on this blasted planet. And she couldn't wait for Xilon to show her the wonder of his world.

What would he think of her city? Of chocolate or pizza or crawfish? Would he like rollercoasters and bungee jumping? Or cave diving and race cars? She shifted her weight until she could ...