Page 156 of My Undead Love Life

“Charming armed strangers.”

“Debatable.” She turned and gestured for us to follow. “Now we fix the rest of your problems.”

Keith helped me stand, and Oxi steadied Luck when he put weight on his foot again. Luck winced.

Mad noticed instantly. “Lean on me.”

“I’m okay.”

Mad stared.

Luck leaned on him.

“Good choice,” Oxi said.

Luck muttered, “I am surrounded by tyrants.”

“Helpful tyrants,” Sofia said without looking back. “The best kind, relatively speaking.”

The kitchen wasn’t what I expected. Nothing about this place was.

It wasn’t cozy, but it was organized in a way that made my chest hurt. Shelves lined one wall, stacked with labeled containers of preserved foods and vacuum-sealed packages. Metal counters gleamed beneath overhead lights. A small stove unit hummed softly. There were water tanks, filtration lines, and a sink with actual running water.

But the grow lights stopped me. Against the far wall, trays of green plants grew beneath soft artificial light. Lettuce. Herbs. Tiny tomatoes. Something leafy I didn’t recognize. Fresh produce.

“Holy shit,” I breathed.

Keith stopped beside me, his face transforming with wonder. “You have a grow system.”

“Yes,” Sofia said, like that was obvious. “Several. This one is culinary. Hydroponics are down the hall.”

Luck leaned toward me. “I knew she was a prepper,” he said louder.

“Scientist,” Sofia corrected. “Preparedness is just a side effect of intelligence.”

Oxi murmured, “Can’t argue with that.”

Sofia handed each of us a metal bowl and pointed toward a table bolted to the floor. “Sit.”

We did.

A delicious aroma curled through the kitchen and wrapped around my empty stomach with an almost painful force.

Sofia ladled something thick and steaming into our bowls. It looked like stew. Actual stew. Pieces of meat, vegetables, potatoes, herbs, and spices darkening the broth. It was real food.

I hadn’t had something like this since I left the Oasis.

“I didn’t poison it,” Sofia said as she set a bowl in front of me. “I wouldn’t waste my medicine on you if I were going to kill you.”

Luck stared down at the stew. “You have a gift for ruining beautiful moments.”

“I prefer clarifying them.”

I didn’t realize how hungry I was until the first bite hit my tongue. Flavor exploded through me. I chewed the tender vegetables. The meat didn’t taste like metal or desperation. A small sound slipped out of me before I could stop it.

All four men looked at me.

My face warmed. “What?”