Darkest Designs
on his way to us? And we should stay until he finds us?”
    Â 
    He landed at our old coordinates, where you found Dillon.
    Â 
    She laughed. “I knew he’d find us. Does he have the new coordinates?”
    Â 
    Paxton has just given them to him.
    Â 
    â€œGood.” She said with satisfaction. “Then he should be here any moment.” Then she frowned. And tugged Dillon several steps over. “Just so he doesn’t land on top of us.”
    Â 
    She stared and stared at the spot. Nothing happened. She glanced around in case he’d adjusted the coordinates slightly and still nothing. She turned back to look at the original spot.
    Â 
    And there was Eric.
    Â 
    His grin flashed, huge and full of relief.
    Â 
    â€œWoot!” She launched herself into his arms. “I knew you’d come!”
    Â 
    He picked her up and swung her around and around. “Oh, I’m so glad to see you.”
    Â 
    He put her back down and gave her a blistering kiss.
    Â 
    She pulled back slightly and beamed up at him. “Maybe I’ll have to disappear again, if you’re going to welcome me like that!”
    Â 
    â€œTrust you.” He glanced around. “Man is this is a weird place.”
    Â 
    She snorted. “Tell me about it!”
    Â 
    He smiled down at her, then froze and spun around. “What the…”
    Â 
    â€œYeah, what a surprise, huh?” Storey glanced at the sleeping Dillon. “I still don’t understand that whole 45 degree angle sleeping thing.”
    Â 
    â€œHe’s asleep?” Eric dropped his to a faint whisper. He bent over slightly to look closer.
    Â 
    â€œYes. I think he’s been asleep since he arrived. According to the stylus that was a long time ago.” She shrugged. “He’s spoken to me a couple of times, but then always nods off again.”
    Â 
    â€œUnbelievable.” Eric shook his head. “How did he survive here?”
    Â 
    Storey wished she knew. “I have no idea. I think he went into a sort of hibernation. The stylus doesn’t think he’ll survive if we try to take him home though. That his muscles, after not experiencing gravity in so long, won’t support him. And that’s just the beginning of the problems. The thing is, I can’t leave him.”
    Â 
    Eric stared down at her. “This isn’t a Louer child to return to her parents. This is an adult male Toran. If he dies while going home, surely that’s better than this quasi-dead existence.”
    Â 
    That whole death with dignity thing. She sighed. “I hate to kill the poor man. And speaking of family,” Storey winced, not sure how Eric would react. “He says he has a brother, named Paxton.”
    Â 
    Eric’s head swiveled to stare down at her in shock. Then back at Dillon. “It couldn’t be.”
    Â 
    â€œWhat?” When he didn’t answer right away, Storey poked him in the chest. “What couldn’t be?”
    Â 
    â€œPaxton did lose a brother when they were young men. He was playing up to the ladies while porting and fell In-between.”
    Â 
    She gasped and turned to stare at Dillon. “Oh no. Then we definitely can’t leave him.”
    Â 
    â€œNeither do I want to take him home to his brother to die.”
    Â 
    She didn’t know what to say. “Stylus. Is there anything we can do for Dillon?”
    Â 
    His body won’t be able to handle living in the other dimensions.
    Â 
    â€œBut he’s not alive here either,” she said in frustration. Then caught Eric’s look. Right. He couldn’t hear the stylus.
    Â 
    Quickly she explained what she she’d heard. “According to the stylus, Dillon can’t live in other dimensions, but it told me earlier he won’t be able to survive much longer here, either. I don’t want to believe that.”
    Â 
    â€œBut there is no other way.” Eric wafted his arm in

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