Dragon Lords of Valdier Boxset Books 1-3

Chapter 5-2

Zoran felt a huge sense of relief as he checked his symbiot. It survived the month of hiding and the sudden departure with minimal damage. Abby unknowingly helped to heal it. When she touched it, she gave a part of her essence to it, giving it the needed strength to heal.

He watched the images flash through his mind as his symbiot replayed how Abby came twice a day, spending close to an hour just talking to it. She would run her hands all over it as she stroked it while whispering words of reassurance. He heard her talk about him. She had been worried about him. She was afraid he might not recover and afraid of having to call someone to come look at him.

She didn’t want others of her species to know about him because it would be too dangerous. She told his symbiot she was doing everything she could to help him and would protect him from harm until he was strong enough to leave.

She did not understand, however, that he would not be leaving alone. He had no intention of leaving her behind. Pushing what he was going to have to do out of his mind, he focused on opening communications with his brothers. He knew they should be close and wanted to warn them of the possible hostile environment.

“Zoran!” Kelan called out. An image of his brother’s warship came into view. His symbiot was curled up in the shape of a huge golden cat near his chair.

“Kelan.” Zoran paused to clear his throat. He feared he would never see his brothers again. “How long before you intercept?”

“We should be there in seven days’ time. We have been monitoring communications from this galaxy. They only have one planet in this solar system that is habitable and do not appear to have space travel,” Kelan responded.

“Who else is with you?” Zoran asked.

“Trelon. Mandra remained behind under protest. Creon is gathering intelligence on those who captured you and supervising plans to attack them.”

“I am transmitting my position. It is remote. Come in using caution. This planet is not familiar with other species,” Zoran said, sending the information.

“Information received. It is very primitive there. Soon you will be enjoying our home world’s luxuries again,” Kelan said. “It is good to see you are safe, Brother. Until we meet in seven days. V’ager, out.”

Zoran acknowledged he would be at this site in seven days’ time. He felt a wave of relief at the knowledge he would soon be on his way home. He missed his world, and he knew his symbiot did also. Moving out of the ship, Zoran felt a moment of panic when he did not see Abby. He sent a call out to his symbiot attached to her and felt relief when it replied it was close. He followed the call until he came upon Abby sitting on a large boulder with her eyes closed.

Abby had been sitting for about fifteen minutes when the combination of the sun’s warmth and the relief from the stress of wondering if her visitor was going to be okay swept through her, making her drowsy. She hadn’t had much sleep since the storm blew through three days before. Now, she just wanted to curl up and take a nap. She felt herself drifting, not really asleep but not awake either.

She dreamed she was being lifted into Zoran’s strong arms and his lips were brushing against hers. She moaned as she felt the warmth of his body and lips against her. She raised her arm to wrap it around his neck, pulling him further down when he moved away.

It took a moment for Abby to realize it was not a dream, but that she was really kissing Zoran. Then it dawned on her that she was no longer on the rock, but lying in his arms. Abby’s eyes popped open, and she gasped as she stared into Zoran’s golden eyes.

Zoran took advantage of Abby’s startled gasp, letting his tongue slide between her lips. He deepened the kiss, as he felt Abby’s fingers thread through his hair and pull him closer. By the time he pulled back, Abby was staring at Zoran with a dazed expression on her face and breathing heavily.

“Wow. I wasn’t expecting that!” Abby whispered, unable to look away at first. Then, as she realized what she had said, she turned her face into his chest and groaned.

“I can’t believe I just said that. Please let me go. I must have taken a catnap.” Abby was mortified by her behavior. She had never behaved so wantonly before.

Pushing against Zoran’s chest, Abby looked everywhere, but at him. “Were you able to contact your family?”

Zoran frowned. He had not said anything about his family. How could Abby have known he was contacting them? A dark suspicion flashed through his mind that Abby might be a part of the Curizans’ plans to get more information out of him. He had been unconscious since his arrival. Was it possible they were staging this in an attempt to get him to talk? Or worse, to capture his brothers? Zoran’s arms tightened around Abby to the point of pain. He had no way of asking her unless she really did understand him and was just pretending not to.

“Ow! You’re hurting me,” Abby said, struggling to get free. Zoran’s fingers just tightened even more on her arms. “Ouch, Zoran. Please, you’re hurting me.”

Abby looked up into Zoran’s furious face, tears of pain in her eyes. “What’s wrong? Why are you so angry with me?”

“What do you know of my family?” Zoran demanded in a harsh voice. “Are you working with the Curizans? Tell me now and I will spare your life; if you do not, I will show you no mercy when I kill you.”

Abby just looked at Zoran with a confused and frightened look. “Zoran, please… I don’t understand. What did I do to upset you?”

Zoran felt a wave of frustration. He did not sense Abby was lying to him, but how had she known his family was coming for him? Suddenly, both of the symbiots on Abby’s wrist moved up under his hands and flashed him a shock that knocked him back off the rock and onto the ground.

Abby looked on in stunned disbelief as the two gold bracelets around her wrists suddenly moved with lightning speed to strike out at Zoran. When she felt the shock reach through him and saw him falling backward she cried out in alarm. She didn’t understand why he was so mad at her, and yes, he had frightened her, but she didn’t want to see him get hurt.

Crying out, she reached out to him, her gaze moving back and forth between Zoran and the gold bracelets on her wrists. “Please don’t hurt him. He didn’t mean to hurt me. Please.”

Abby turned tear-filled eyes to look at Zoran as he stood up, frowning at her as the symbiot moved back down around her wrists.

“I don’t know why they did that. I didn’t ask them to. I…” Abby brushed a tear from her cheek. “I thought you were trying to see if your people were coming for you. That’s what I would do if I were you. I didn’t mean to make you mad or hurt you.”

Zoran felt a rush of shame flash through his body as he heard the truth of Abby’s words. She had not known what he was doing. She just guessed that he would be contacting his family. He should have known that his symbiot would never have gone to her, claimed her, if she meant to harm him. It would have known if she was doing anything that would betray him.

Zoran stood for a moment, unsure of what to do. He wanted to apologize for his behavior, but knew Abby wouldn’t understand what he was saying. Running his hand through his long hair, he looked at her with regret in his eyes. Spreading his palms out to show he meant her no harm, he tried to explain.

“I apologize for my behavior. I should have known you meant no harm to me,” Zoran said softly.

Abby didn’t know what Zoran was saying, but she could tell he regretted his behavior. She gave him a tentative smile to let him know no harm was done. She couldn’t really blame him for being suspicious. If she had been beaten as badly as him, she would probably be afraid and suspicious too.

She gripped his hand and gave it a squeeze. “It’s okay. I understand. If I had been in your position, I probably would have reacted the same way. I need to go to town to get my mail and pick up some supplies. Would you like to stay here with your ship or back at the cabin?”

Zoran frowned. He did not want Abby out of his sight. The thought of her traveling to a town made him nervous. He wanted her with him. Shaking his head, he frowned at her and motioned that she should stay with him.

Abby shook her head. “I need to go to town. I go at least once a week, sometimes twice if I have additional packages to mail off. If I don’t go, someone might come looking for me. I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to go with me. You don’t have the right clothes and just the fact you are a stranger is going to cause people to notice you. I won’t be gone long, a few hours. I’ll be back before dark.”

Zoran’s lips thinned at the idea of Abby leaving, but he understood what she was saying. If he did not let her go, others of her kind might get suspicious and come looking for her. He needed to remain hidden for the next seven days. With a reluctant nod, he motioned for Abby to walk back to her cabin.