Page 14

Zorn

At first, I thought my lack of connection to Zoriss was because my attention was focused on Annora’s plush body wrapped around mine when I awoke. Now, though, as I relieve myself outside the van, I can’t convince myself of that.

I step farther away, walking on soft, silent grasses as I lift my head, scenting the air with my tongue. Our connection is dead.

I freeze, not wanting that word to even float through my head. My chest feels heavy, as if it turned to stone.

I reach out to him with my mind. I’m not sure how it works, it’s something I’ve done naturally since we were hatchlings. The fingers of my mind stretch out to him, and he grips onto the connection. But now—nothing.

I have no idea how to control the zing of panic that rips through me. Could my clutchmate be dead?

Annora steps out of the van and approaches me. Her gaze doesn’t meet mine. She’s shy, embarrassed after what happened last night. I would be, too, except I’m too worried about my brother to be able to think of anything but our lack of connection.

I know I should reassure her, but the first thing that blurts out of my mouth is, “I can’t feel Zoriss.”

She immediately recognizes the seriousness of my fears.

“How long? How long since you’ve felt him?”

“It was faint yesterday, but I felt him. This morning? Nothing.”

“Let’s get in the hover and go,” she urges. “I’ll keep heading northwest. We’ll get closer. You’ll pick up the . . . signal again.”

“No. What if he’s gone somewhere else?” I ask when what I want to say is, “what if he’s dead?” “There’s no sense wasting time when we might be traveling in the wrong direction.”

She looks at me and shakes her head, her eyes large in her face. “We can’t just sit here. We have to do something.”

“We need to wait where we are.”

She twirls her finger, indicating she wants me to turn around so she can have privacy. When she’s done, she says, “I’ve got an idea,” as she strides to the van.

“See this map?” she asks as she shows me a computer pad when we’re sitting in the van. “This area here is called Yellowstone Park. I’ve always wanted to see it. It’s not that far away. Want to explore today? It might keep you busy. You’ll worry less.”

I examine the map. It’s close to our original course. She’s right, just sitting in the van all day, waiting to connect to my brother is not a good plan. Keeping my mind occupied is a smart idea.

“All right,” I tell her. When we hover from our spot, I ask her to tell me about it.

“Before the one-world government, we had different countries. I believe Yellowstone was called a nationwide park. The government set aside all that land for the use of its citizens. It still retains a similar designation. Never to be used for profit, it will forever remain a wilderness.”

“What’s there?”

“Remember the buffalo you ate the other day? We’ll see those. And the park has a lot of geothermal activity. Maybe you’ll enjoy all the hot stuff there.”

Annora

Zorn’s quiet. And sad. And worried. I thought today he’d be preoccupied with what happened between us last night. Instead, he thinks his brother is dead, or sick at the very least.

I want to keep his mind busy. I prattle on about things he’ll see in the park, but he’s not listening. I don’t blame him.

“It’s a government park?” he asks the moment I take a long breath. “Will we be in danger?”

“I doubt it. Park rangers aren’t military. I think women who go into that line of work are usually laid back and friendly. Your papers are first-rate. I think we can just take this as a vacation day and have some fun.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard a word you’ve said about the park,” he admits shyly. “I’ve been trying to find Zoriss.”

“No problem. You’ll just be surprised when we get there.”

Growing up in Windy City, I’ve never been to this part of the district. I read a series of books about Yellowstone when I was a kid, though, and I can’t wait to explore.

“Maybe I should take off my clothes and use my camouflage to hide in the back. I tried to use it the other night at the roadside stop. I took my clothes off and couldn’t fade. I don’t think I had recovered from my torpor. I’m glad I came up with the idea of becoming a sexbot. How’d I do?”

“You heard those women, right? Two’s their new favorite number.”

“And you, Annora?” his voice dipped into bass territory. “What’s your favorite number?”

“Two’s good with me,” I keep my voice chipper and try to give him a flirty look, but my eyes skitter away at the last moment. Trying to change the subject, I ask, “Camouflage? I don’t remember reading that you guys could do that.”

“We’re a very talented species.”

When he tosses me that devilish look, I could melt.

“If I can’t fade, I could pretend I’m a sexbot when we go through the gate,” he says as we approach the entry. Poor guy still doesn’t believe that it’s me who’ll be in trouble if the shit hits the fan.

“I just don’t want you to get in trouble,” he explains. Maybe he does believe me and this is his way of protecting me. That brings my first smile of the day.

“You’re sweet. Trying to protect me? Or did you just want to get naked with Jason and Eric again?” I cock a naughty eyebrow at him.

“It’s not Jason and Eric I want to get naked with,” he says so softly I’m not sure he wanted me to hear him.

I don’t have time to give that too much thought because I’ve pulled up to the ranger station.

“Oh, first time to one of our national parks, Sir?” the ranger asks. She’s quite excited to see the Draalian. Most of the first wave of aliens went to the larger cities. Perhaps they haven’t taken the time to explore the park system yet.

She leaves her little station, walks around the hover, and motions for him to open his window. Am I hallucinating, or did she unbutton the top button of her drab, sexless camo outfit on that short walk? She hands him a pad with a map of the park.

“You’ll see here where the herds are at any given time.

All the animals are chipped and show up on these interactive maps.

For example . . .” she leans in, giving us both a lovely view of her cleavage, “these blue dots are a big herd of buffalo, the red are elk.” As if she wasn’t being helpful enough, she reaches in and points to things on the pad.

“These yellow dots,” she presses the pad onto his lap and indicates a few yellow dots with her finger as if perhaps the big blue reptile hadn’t learned his primary colors yet, “are wolves. You’ll be lucky if you see any of those.”

“Thank you, Ma’am,” he drawls as he lifts the pad toward her to give her less excuse to invade the van.

“I’m sure,” she simpers, “I don’t have to warn you not to eat any of our animals.” She tosses her pretty blond head as she wags her finger at him flirtatiously.

“No,” he says firmly, “that won’t be necessary. Thank you.”

“That will be twenty credits for you,” she spears me with a hard look. “Newcomers get in free.”

Zorn nods, a tight smile pasted on his face, and we hover to a place where we can pore over the map.

“She was flirting with you,” I announce, trying to sound light and breezy as if little pieces of my soul aren’t shattering inside me like glass. Really? Why would I care if pretty, thin, blond ranger-woman, tossed her hair and thrust her breasts at Zorn?

Because you like him , my inner voice informs me as if she’s scolding a toddler.

Because you passed from repulsion to attraction days ago, and now you really like the guy.

You contemplated getting naked with him last night.

Your mouth was watering— watering —wondering what he would taste like.

Play games with him all you like, but don’t lie to yourself.

I don’t like you very much right now , I tell her.

Tough! The truth hurts.

“Flirting? Is that what she was doing? I didn’t like it.” He’s scowling.

I glance at him, notice his stiff, military posture and the tight way he holds his mouth. He’s telling the truth; he didn’t like it. I try not to psychoanalyze myself as I realize this makes me want to kiss him.

Was I jealous? This is a new emotion. I’ve experienced envy before—wanting what others have. I think it’s part of the human condition. But jealousy? Nope, I’ve never felt this. I’m not proud of it. It’s almost like I feel I own him and don’t want anyone else to have him.

Well , that snarky inner voice says, isn’t that true?

She’s right. I didn’t want that brazen blonde to have my Draalian. Holy shit! I just called him mine. This isn’t good. He’ll be leaving after he finds his brother. I hope Zoriss is alive.

Noticing that he’s shivering, I slip out of my seat and grab his crimson coat from the back. “Cold?” I ask as I hand it to him.

“Need to bask,” he answers, “but I didn’t want to waste the time.”

Cupping his cheek, I squat to be at eye level with him. “Taking care of you is never a waste of time, Zorn.” Why are my eyes leaking, I wonder.

I slide into my seat and hover off before I do what I’d really like to do, which is kiss him. “Let’s warm you up.”

Instead of going to Old Faithful, the famous geyser that has erupted about every ninety minutes as long as people have been making note of such things, we go to one of the lesser-known areas I remember from the books I used to read.

As we approach the mud pot trail, Zorn perks up, his blue eyes flicking from steam plume to steam plume.

“That will warm you up,” I assure him.

The mile-long trail has what they call ‘pots’, small steamy geysers that look like they’re just what the doctor ordered. There are a few hovers at the trailhead, but this isn’t the most well-attended area of the 2.2 million acre park.

“Ohh,” he manages to make the sound into a moan. “This is going to feel so good.”

I don’t know how he tolerates wearing the heavy coat, but he’s hell-bent on getting even warmer. After passing several steaming areas, Zorn finds one to his liking.