ZEDD
The day has gone well - almost the same as it was before I got that feeling and then went to fetch Thomas. The evening meal is relaxed and fun. I'm sparring with Pina now as Dar and Thomas work together. We all stop when Dar's communication cuff goes off. He looks at the code and frowns. "Proximity alert - one ship. We aren't due to get any visitors."
I shrug lightly. "Perhaps it's some things that I ordered finally arriving." I let my eyes sparkle at Thomas, who grins back.
Dar shakes his head. "Wrong configuration. In fact-" He pauses as the device feeds him more information. "What the hell is he doing here?"
"Who?"
"Doilor."
Surprised myself, I explain to Thomas, "He's part of the alliance, much as we were. I don't know if he got caught in the wave or not though as we haven't spoken in years."
"Well that's not exactly true," Dar cuts in with a frown. "I at times use him for information concerning some of our clients that have rather shady natures. However I've yet to see him actually leave the safety of his current world these past few years…not to mention he might have been one of the ones that made mention about what we discussed in the kitchen the other day, you know where certain rumors are concerned." Oh really now? Now uncertain if I'm eager or not to see him as anyone who has aided in the stories of Thomas being my new plaything is definitely on my hit list, I unfortunately don't have enough time to mull it over.
"His ship's going to land in a minute, Zedd."
Looking at Thomas before turning back to Dar I heave a sigh. "What do you think?"
"Might as well see what he wants" Dar suggests. "It may be business related."
We all move for the front of the castle and are waiting when the ship lands. I'm in front with Thomas just behind and to the side of me and Dar and Pina on either side of us, swords sheathed for now. It's not long before he disembarks from the ship looking the same as I recall him, monstrous form still in place. "Weapons, Lord Zedd?"
"Simply keeping our skills up, just because we're no longer actively seeking battle, doesn't mean it doesn't come seeking us at times. And it's just Zedd now."
"Reasonable enough. Just Zedd? You've made a name for yourself in many galaxies, why not use the title you've earned?"
"I'm not overly proud of the name I've made these days."
"You should be, people still talk about you." And apparently about my mate as well.
"People talk too much, and about things they truly know very little about. It's bad manners. As is dropping by someone's home unannounced. What do you want, Doilor?"
"Oh, come now. You didn't always call me that."
"What are you talking about?"
"You used to call me Amado," he answers, transforming as he does.
My mouth falls open as I'm totally dumbfounded at the man standing before me. "Annwyl?! How?"
He shrugs. "A bit of deception on my part, I'm afraid, mostly due to youthful folly."
I feel my hand tighten on my staff. "What?"
Smiling, he shakes his head. "You always were adorable when rendered speechless. Look, Tercinta-"
I flinch at the old nickname. "Don't call me that" I snap. "You no longer have the right."
"As you wish. I'd heard that you'd ended things with Rita. My sources said she visited you recently with Zordon in tow." Cursing Zordon's name in our own tongue he however continues calmly. "I thought perhaps it was in an effort for her to reclaim you, but I learned soon after that that wasn't the case. I'm glad it wasn't."
"Why? You and I have no connection anymore. Even when I was unaware who you were we barely spoke. What do you care if Rita and I are together or apart? Unless of course you hold some interest in her, in which case by all means have at it."
Rolling his eyes, he shakes his head. "You always were so dramatic, love. I've no interest in Rita, Zedd. As for us having no connection any longer, Zedd honestly you didn't really give me a choice. The fact is you were getting out of control and you were dragging me down with you. I had my own ambitions and my relationship with you was getting in the way. I was young and, well, I had no idea how to end things between us without placing blame. It seemed like the best way - in your absence I bonded with someone else and the mating - just happened."
I hear Thomas' low growl behind me, but my attention is too focused on the man before me. "But you were with Musuh - I saw you."
"Oh, yes - he was more than willing to play the part. Mostly to get back at you I think for whatever you two had fought about before I came along. However neither he nor I expected that you'd be so angry over it that you'd torture him the way you did. Bravo by the way on the skill you used in the matter."
"But - I didn't. I wouldn't have. I loved you and believed you to be bonded to him. Hurting him would have hurt you and - as angry as I was, I still wasn't willing to do that."
He waves this away. "That's sweet. Not that it matters anymore. My parents believed me affected by the bond as well - at least in the beginning. Once I'd heard that you'd left the planet, I left myself with my parents claiming me to be in a care facility. It was for the best Zedd, a fresh start, you know?"
"Why are you here, Annwyl?"
"As I said, I heard about Rita, and also about your new pet. I was planning on seeing you again in time, but I realized after these recent developments that time might not be on my side. I realize the mistake I made when I broke things off between us, Zedd. In all these years, there's rarely a day that goes by when I haven't thought of you." His tone softens. "I want you back, Tercinta."
My mouth falls open once more at the gall of him. How dare he? After the pain he caused me and letting me think that he's been comatose for all these centuries, he just wants to come waltzing back into my life. At the escalating snarl behind me and the fury I feel through the bond, I snap out of my dazed state just in time to spin and catch my enraged mate as he goes to launch past me and attack Annwyl. "No, Thomas."
Looking far too amused for his own good, Annwyl's chuckle is not helping the situation in the least. "Your pet is rather protective of you, Zedd."
Restraining Thomas once more, I respond, annoyance clear in my voice. "He's no pet. He's my mate - bonded to me and I to him."
"I didn't think you were into forced bonding. Do you get into forced bondage as well?"
My hackles raise at the mere idea of treating Thomas that way. "Enough, Annwyl, or I'll set him loose on you."
He laughs. "I'm not worried about a mere human, Zedd. By all means, set him free and when I kill him then you'll be mine again. Well after I give him a try to see what fascinates you. It has been a good while you know and you are clearly not the youngling you used to be. In fairness neither am I though, so I'm certain we'll have a good bit of fun finding out what each other has learned over the years."
Thomas breaks free of me and lunges toward my former lover. I start after him, only to be restrained by Pina and Dar. "Let him do this, Zedd."
"But he'll kill him! I can't let Thomas have that kind of blood on his hands!"
Dar sighs. "You better hope he didn't hear you say that or he'll think you have no faith in him."
"He's not in control, the bond is!"
They don't release me and I watch helplessly. Thomas is moving far faster than I've ever seen him move. A difference of this magnitude couldn't only be from the alterations. Therefore, I was right and he was holding back when we were sparring. Returning my attention to the battle before me, I see Thomas disarm Annwyl, the sword arcing high in the air before falling to the ground. Another minute and Thomas has him pinned to the ground, much as he did me only a few days ago. The main difference is that now Thomas' staff lays across his throat, glowing softly. He snarls at the prone man under him, "How's that for 'just a human', jackass. Give me one good reason why I don't remove your head right now."
"Zedd, get him off me!" There's a satisfaction at the panic in his voice.
Slowly, I cross over. "Why? Afraid of the mere human?"
"Zeddic, call him off." Choking slightly as Thomas presses the staff further against his throat, I'll assume by the look on his face he gets the point.
Lightly, I touch Thomas' shoulder, though don't actually try to force him to release his captive. "You proved your point, Thomas. Come on, love. Let him go."
He presses harder on his staff. "Why should I? If I kill him, then he'll never have the chance to hurt you again."
"He won't. He's my past, not my present or my future - you are. Plus if you kill him I'll have to deal with the body and his ship, and any relatives he has, it will be this whole big inconvenient thing and really I'm not up for that, love."
"Even death is better than he deserves" Thomas snarls. "Perhaps I should just break a few limbs then, a warning should he have any further thoughts of returning." I realize abruptly that he's controlling his rage better than it appears. Oh, he's still very angry, but nowhere near as out of control as he seems to be. Hell, that is hot.
"You could, but again it might be a bit of an inconvenience for us. Besides if you continue to frighten him, he'll lose control of his bodily functions and we don't want that. Let him go."
Thomas leans closer. "If you ever come near my mate again, I'll make sure you wish that I'd killed you today because I will make- you- suffer. Horribly. For a very, very long time." He stands up and allows Annwyl to escape. "Get. Off. Our. Planet."
I hear Dar and Pina draw their weapons even as I draw a little extra power into my staff. Granted, if he still has access to the dark power as I do, then it will do very little damage to him if I have to use it. My only hope at this point is that I'm still more powerful than he is. I keep an eye on him as I murmur to Thomas, "Move back."
He turns and heads over toward Dar and Pina even as Annwyl climbs unsteadily to his feet and retrieves his sword. He turns back toward us, fury on his face. Before I can even comprehend what he's up to he raises his sword and fires a bolt of energy directly at Thomas. I barely react in time, putting myself in between them and taking the hit myself. I grunt in pain as I drop to my knees. It hurt, but there's no real damage. Thomas is at my side in a moment. "Zedd!"
"I'm all right, Thomas. It's dark power."
"But this isn't." Swiftly he points his own staff at the intruder and lets the energy loose. Annwyl howls in pain. "Coward!"
Cursing in Eltarian and holding his shoulder, he backs into his ship. "I'll see you dead, human!"
I respond before Thomas can. "I still have contacts in the alliance, Annwyl, and I still occasionally do business for some of them. It wouldn't be all that hard for word to get around about what happened here today - how you were beaten by a mere human." He curses again, which roughly translates to 'fuck you'. "Never again, Annwyl - never again."
We all wait and watch until his ship takes off and is out of sight. Through the bond, I can feel how much Thomas wants me right now and I want him just as much. He growls at me. "Bedroom, now!"
Swiftly, we head for our room, leaving the other pair behind, more than amused, I'm sure.
