Dragon Blood

Sixty-One: Valerie

"It isn't your fault, Orion. You can't possibly think that what happened to me had anything to do with you."

"If I'd gotten there sooner, I could've-,"

"You would've been in danger as well, and I would never have allowed that. Besides, you were only seventeen, hardly more than a boy! Younger than Olly is now," Valerie insisted. "Speaking of that, you've grown so much. You look just like your father. Even more than you did seven years ago."

"I am a Nogard," he replied.

"There was never any doubt about that," she chuckled. "The question was always if you had any of me in you at all!"

They were quiet for a moment as Valerie just held him close, stroking his hair. "Skylar is a lovely girl. I'm so glad she found you."

That caused Orion to lift his head and look down at her. "You know about Skylar?"

"Of course, love. I never left you, not really. None of you," his mother assured him. "You're happier than you've ever been with her. Happier than you ever would have been with Cassie. That was a match that I did not approve of, by the way, but your father insisted. You know how he can be."

Now it was Orion's turn to chuckle. "Yes, I do. He's come around though."

"Good. It might take him a while to come to his senses, but he always does eventually," Valerie smiled fondly.

Orion opened his mouth to respond when his entire body jerked, and he felt a familiar yet new pull in his stomach. His dragon snorted in surprise as he felt the same pull. They quickly identified it for what it was. Skylar was calling him. Somehow, someway, their mate was calling them back. He wanted to follow it, wanted to go to it, but he couldn't pinpoint where he was supposed to go.

Valerie frowned and looked around the pleasant meadow. She had felt the power as well. "That's not possible," she said to herself. "You've been gone too long."

"What happening?" Orion asked her.

"Dark magic," Valerie snapped. "Someone very powerful is trying to bring you back, but you've been gone long enough that your soul found its way to this plane. Somehow they found you here and they're trying to pull you back."

"I can feel Skylar," he told his mother. "I'm being pulled to her."

Understanding dawned on Valerie's face. "Of course. You've marked each other. A piece of your soul resides inside of her. Her blood could lead you back. But whoever is performing the magic can't possible being you all the way back to that plane."

Another jerk shook his body, the pull even stronger, even though he had no idea how to follow it. All he wanted to do was follow it. Skylar was waiting for him somewhere, and he needed to get back to her.

"Mom, I have to go back to her."

Valerie's eyes saddened. "Orion, it's dangerous. Besides, there's no way out of here unless this witch, I'm assuming that's who is performing the magic, can make her magic even stronger. The only way to do that is with dark magic, which is what this is anyway."

Orion shook his head. "I need to find Skylar. I'm nothing without her. We hardly had any time, and I don't think I'm strong enough to wait for her."

Valerie nodded and reached up to touch his cheek. "I know. It's not fair of me to want to keep you here when everyone else you love is on the other side."