Mara found Ping sitting in one of the wing chairs in the study, reading a book. He looked up and smiled when she sat on the nearby couch.
“Why are you hiding out up here? Didn’t you even get breakfast?” she asked.
“I went down for some coffee earlier and decided to stay out my counterpart’s way. It’s a little disconcerting for both of us, and I thought some distance would be a good idea so we don’t accidently touch,” he said. “How is Abby doing?”
“I think she’s coming around. She needs time to get her wits about her. Dad thinks limiting her exposure to a strange realm might be a good idea, considering all she’s been through.”
“That seems like sound advice. Distance from me might help as well. At the hotel she kept mentioning the dragon, and I wanted to isolate myself from her back then
