Abducted Read online

  “You look gorgeous,” I growled, pulling her to me to nibble her neck. Her flaming red hair looked beautiful contrasted with the emerald green gown. Thanks to our permanent link, I could now see color all the time—even when I wasn’t with her. It was amazing what a big difference such a little change could make. I caught myself staring at ordinary, mundane objects now, just because I was able to see their true shades for the first time.

  “And you look handsome,” Zoe purred, smiling up at me. “But what’s wrong?”

  I didn’t want to scare her but the bond between us meant it was difficult to hide anything. Sometimes we caught each other’s emotions—sometimes we even got thoughts. But mostly we could tell if the other was holding anything back.

  “Doloroso’s ship has disappeared,” I said reluctantly. “I sent a salvage crew back to collect it but it’s gone. Vanished.”

  “We think someone stole it,” Grav put in.

  But Zoe was shaking her head, her face so pale that every freckle on her pert nose stood out in high relief.

  “No…nobody took it,” she whispered. “It’s Doloroso—he’s still alive.”

  “That’s fuckin’ impossible,” Grav growled. “I killed that bastard myself after he hurt you, Lady Zoe. You saw it yourself.”

  The way his shoulders bunched and his big hands clenched into fists made me think he was reliving the incident. The kill should have been mine by rights—after all, Zoe was my female to protect and avenge. But I knew Grav couldn’t stand to see a female hurt. I wondered again what had happened to my old friend to make him so protective of the opposite sex.

  “I know you killed him—but that doesn’t matter. He came back—somehow he came back! Don’t you see?” She ran a hand through her long, red hair and started pacing. “He was talking about ‘downloading’ himself into another body. What if he found a way to do that?”

  “Zoe,” I said, trying to calm her. “I know you said he claimed to be one of the Assimilated but believe me, they were all wiped out fifty cycles ago. The Majoran empress made sure of that.”

  “What if she missed one? What if he’s on his way right now?” she demanded, her eyes wide with worry.

  She was so upset, I could feel her terror through our link. Wanting to reassure her, I pulled her in for a hug.

  “It’s all right,” I murmured. “It’s going to be all right, sweetheart. He can’t get to you here—you’re safe.”

  “It’s not me I’m worried about!” she protested. “You said—and Doloroso said too—that my best friends were probably La-ti-zals, like I am! And that’s what he needs for his crazy plan—a girl that’s from a closed planet who’s a La-ti-zal. Charlotte and Leah both fit that description!”

  “He can’t get to them either,” I promised. “You know I sent a courier to pay their contract price in full. The Commercians can’t sell them, no matter how much he offers.”

  “What if he doesn’t offer a price?” she demanded. “What if he just beams down and…and takes them?”

  She pulled out of my embrace and went to her desk (she had one beside mine since we shared everything) to get her crystal memory cube. She had used a remembrance sieve to download her memories of her friends onto the cube. Now she pressed the button and I saw the three of them—Zoe and two other females—laughing and eating the confection she called “cheesecake.” Or was it cakecheese? I always got it mixed up, though she had tried to teach me.

  “Leah and Charlotte could be in trouble right now and it would be all my fault,” she whispered, stroking the cube as she watched the happy scene. “All my fault.”

  I looked at the cube and sighed. Her two friends were lovely—though not as gorgeous as my new mate. (Of course, I might be a little prejudiced in Zoe’s favor since I love her to fucking distraction.) One of them had blonde waves pulled back from her face and the other had long, silky hair that fell past her shoulders in a sleek brown waterfall.

  Grav came forward to look too and I saw his eyebrows go up when he saw the other two Pure Ones.

  “Fuckin’ gorgeous,” he murmured. “Especially the little morada.”

  “The what?” Zoe looked up at him, frowning.

  Grav gestured to the brown haired girl. “That’s what my people call a female with long hair. It’s rare on Brax and considered very beautiful.”

  “Oh. That’s my friend, Leah,” Zoe said. “She works with Autistic children. She’s so nice.” Her face darkened. “Too nice for her own good, really. That’s how she ended up with her controlling jerk of a fiancé, Gerald.”

  “Oh, is she promised to another male?” Grav looked disappointed, then he shrugged. “Figures. She is a Pure One, and a La-ti-zal. It’s not very fuckin’ surprising she’s spoken for.”

  “She doesn’t know she’s a Pure One or a La-ti-zal,” Zoe told him. “We don’t know about any of that stuff on Earth, remember? And my own La-ti-zal powers didn’t even manifest until I got out into space. So that won’t help either one of them. Not that being able to pick locks would help anyway, since neither one of them is a burglar.”

  “Your powers didn’t manifest because the atmosphere of your planet was inhibiting them, I think,” I said. “And not all La-ti-zals have the same powers. You’re an Opener, Zoe.”

  “An Opener?” She frowned at me.

  “Yes, I’ve been talking to one of the wise women in the temple of the Goddess about it and that is what she named you. Think about it—you opened the Force Locks, which were keyed to Vorn DNA. Then you opened the door on Gallana which was meant only for one of Majoran heritage. You also opened the jewel which contained the substance holding the Stars captive to Hurxx’s will. And don’t forget the most important part…”

  “Which is?” She raised an eyebrow at me.

  I took both her hands in mine and kissed them.

  “You opened my heart, which was shut tight with grief and pain and loss. You’re an Opener, Zoe. But there’s no guarantee your friends would be the same. One might be a Healer…or a Seer…or any number of other things.”

  “Well, whatever they are, they’re in danger,” she said stubbornly. “I just know it! Don’t ask me how—I get a terrible feeling when I think of Count Creepy McGrabbyHands. I just know he’s not dead and I don’t want him anywhere near my friends.”

  I stroked her cheek. “If it will make you feel any better, I’ll send someone to the Commercians’ station to watch over them for a time. I think we can assume that if Doloroso is still around, he’ll want to act fast to secure a new La-ti-zal.”

  “The sooner we get to them the better,” Zoe agreed. “And can we send a message letting them know I’m all right? It’s been weeks since I left and I know they must be worried sick about me. I wanted to contact them earlier but things have been so crazy around here, between the coronation and everything else….”

  “I’m afraid it’s been more like several of your solar months for them,” I told her. “As fast as my ship is—and it’s very fast—time moves differently when you’re traveling in space as opposed to being stuck on a planet.”

  “Months?” Zoe’s eyes went wide. “They probably think I’m dead. I wish I could visit them myself. I miss them so much.”

  “I know, sweetheart,” I murmured. “But you know the Star of Compassion can’t leave Eloim and you need to stay here for at least a full solar year to bond with it.”

  “I know.” She reached up to touch the slender silver circlet she wore. “I’m already getting used to its little voice in my mind. It’s become my conscience—like wearing Jiminy Cricket on my head.”

  I ignored her cultural reference, which passed me by as always, and offered a practical solution instead.

  “Maybe whoever we find to watch over your friends can deliver a message that you’re well. You could record it on a crystal memory cube.” I frowned. “Of course, whoever goes will have to wear a mask and drink the saphor compound…unless we can come up with something better