Heart Fortune (Celta) (23 page)

Carolinia lifted bloody whiskers and hissed at him.
Apologize to Zem!
she insisted.

But it was too late, Zem had lit on Jace’s shoulder, nipped his ear, then taken off to outside the tent without another word.

Slamming the no-time door shut, Jace stalked from his tent and toward the Elecampanes. Always better not to count on other people—beings. His mother had taken what he’d had and walked away . . . leaving him to suffer through Passage alone, find his way in the world without a silver sliver to his name. The last woman Jace had traveled with had made off with his tent and most of his supplies, abandoning him in the wilderness.

A jerk blew up someone else’s tent and everyone turned against you.

Not Zem. Zem had never let him down, wouldn’t. Neither had Glyssa, and she was his HeartMate.

No, he didn’t want to think of that. But he plodded to the Elecampanes’ tent all the same, only noting that the Holly guards seemed animated and everywhere.

Yeah, the camp had changed. He planned on staying the same. He liked his life the way it was.

When he appeared at their open door, Raz and Del Elecampane glanced up from their study table as if they’d been expecting him. Glyssa and Maxima sat in camp chairs, sipping drinks.

Raz smiled and gestured. “Come on in.” His brows went up and down as he glanced at a timer. “Before those fliggering Comosums wake up and we have to have another exquisitely prepared and delicious, but wretched-company breakfast with them.”

“They fliggering lied about the ship,” Jace found himself saying as he walked in.

“I don’t think so.” Del rose and offered him a mug of caff and as the wonderful scent teased his nostrils he salivated and took it. “I think they were so frightened of the whole experience their minds shut down and their Flair didn’t work right.” She scowled. “Paid them a fliggering fortune.”

“We’ll get some of the gilt back,” Raz soothed.

Del said, “Meanwhile two Fams and several people have been down in the ship fairly often. I’m going to ask our Healers to do a complete health examination of them all.”

She shot a look at Jace. “All right with you?”

“Yes, I’ll go to the new male Healer.”

“Fine.”

Raz continued for his wife. “And we’ll ask the Comosums to have a complete exam and send us the results. The hole has been open to the camp for some time, and no one is showing any kind of physical problems. I think we’re all right.”

Del nodded. “Like you said before, we’ll get more flexible people out here to do an atmospheric study, maybe even instruments from the other starship, in the spring. We can at least continue digging down the levels near the main entrance.” But Del sighed. “Dammit.”

Raz offered his hand, sat and pulled his HeartMate into his lap.

“Good morning, Jace,” Glyssa said.

“Good morning, Jace,” Maxima mumbled.

“We have news that we hadn’t quite gotten around to telling Glyssa,” Raz said.

Reaching out to ruffle Maxima’s hair, Del grinned and said, “As you may or may not know, a late cuz of mine invented the scry pebble. Maxima has the same kind of Flair.” She hugged the girl. “And we’ve arranged that she will work with the starship of
Nuada’s Sword
in Druida City to see if we—they—can figure out how scry pebbles can also link with the satellite.”

Maxima’s eyes rounded and her mouth dropped open. She turned and hugged her mother back. “Really? Really!”

“Yes. We’re sending you to stay with the Blackthorns and your cuz, Doolee, who lives with them.”

Maxima jumped up and down, joy on her face. “I will work with Dani Eve Elder and
Nuada’s Sword
and stay with my cuz!”

“That’s right.” Raz’s smile was indulgent. He nodded toward Glyssa. “We’ll be sending Maxima with you on the airship that comes to take the Comosums back to their comfort zone of the noble strata of Druida City.”

“Of course I am pleased about that,” Glyssa said. She sounded resigned.

“Truly no way to wiggle out of going back home now, eh?” Del said.

Glyssa sent a wry smile at Maxima. “No offense, but I was trying my hardest to drag my feet on that.” She slipped a glance to the Elecampanes. “You know you have very loving and supportive parents, right?”

“Yes! Letting me stay with the Blackthorns in Druida and work hard on something my Flair is really suited for!” Maxima enthused.

Sounded to Jace like her crush on him was a thing of the past . . . and the Elecampanes had just slipped their daughter into the highest of the high. The Blackthorns were a FirstFamily. If she developed any new infatuation, it would be with a man more her equal.

“GrandLady, GrandLord,” said the Holly in charge of the guards.

“What is it, Cornuta?” Del asked.

The guard stared at Jace and Glyssa.

Raz flipped a hand. “You can trust them.”

The Holly just raised a blond eyebrow, nodded, and reported, “The lower cooks in the mess are scrambling. Your chief cook, Myrtus Stopper, disappeared from the camp last night.”

Twenty-three

R
az seemed stunned.

Well, they all did.

“He had in his possession some artifacts from
Lugh’s Spear
?” the chief of the guards asked.

Del scowled. “What?”

“The subsistence sticks,” Glyssa said. “He gathered them all.”

“The subsistence sticks,” Raz repeated.

Del D’Elecampane grimaced. “Nasty, ugly, of little intrinsic value.”

“But artifacts from the lost starship, for sure,” Raz said grimly. He stood and rubbed his hands over his face, his head. “We were stupid about that.”

Glyssa’s mouth thinned, and she said in a stilted voice. “All of us were foolish in this matter.”

Raz made a wide gesture. “So innocuous. Things none of us liked and every one looked just like the rest. And a man we trusted.” Raz colored in anger and what Jace felt himself, embarrassment at being a stup.

“He’s been the villain all along!” Maxima said.

Cornuta Holly sent a stare her way. “He certainly planned well. He stole a stridebeast—the animal has returned by itself unharmed. My people found its track and followed it to a large clearing where it looks as if a small airship recently landed and took off.”

“Huh,” Del said. She gathered Maxima close and stepped up to Raz and linked her arm around his waist. Family solidarity . . . and affection.

Jace had never known that. Didn’t quite believe in it even as he saw it in the Elecampanes.

“Myrtus’d be able to trade a stick or two for a ride,” Jace said. “Contact someone in Druida City through the communications system or telepathy or with a letter given to one of the shuttle pilots.”

“I liked him,” Glyssa murmured.

“We all did,” Raz said.

“He didn’t actually hurt anyone with those explosions that sent the sticks flying. Some of those sticks were destroyed, but there are plenty still left in the ship. So he wasn’t much of a villain,” Maxima said, leaning her head on her mother’s shoulder. “He was just greedy.”

“Sorry to give you the bad news,” the Holly said with an expressionless voice. Jace thought that everyone in the tent heard her unspoken message that real security had been lacking at the camp.

“I like how the camp’s been run,” Jace said.

The guard captain gave him a flat stare and he smiled at her. “You’ll like working for the Elecampanes, too, and the . . . uh . . . energy of this place.” He hoped that didn’t change much.

“Go ahead and follow up, do what you think you need to do,” Del told the woman.

The Holly nodded, pivoted, and marched out.

Raz T’Elecampane blew out a breath, turned to Jace. “I want to put you on moving the communications array. We got word yesterday from the Elder Family and
Nuada’s Sword
that a different pattern might be more efficient and increase the clarity of transmissions.”

“All right,” Jace said.

“But I don’t think I’ll be able to concentrate on that until late morning. See me then.” A smile twitched on and off his lips. “After Glyssa and Maxima and those noblewomen leave.”

“All right,” Jace said, very aware of Glyssa, tense and silent beside him.

At that moment the tinkling of a silver bell came from Glyssa’s pavilion. Everyone but Jace flinched.

“That’s the noble Comosum sisters now,” Del said. “Another interminable meal.” Her tones were gloomy.

Glyssa managed a chuckle. “I don’t have to attend this one. Only those with titles.”

Maxima brightened. “That leaves me out, too. I think I’ll walk to the communications tent and see if anyone is using the viz. If not, I want to scry Doolee.”

Lepid shot through the door, along with the other fox and two FamCats.
Did you HEAR? Our friend Myrtus is GONE! He left us to bad cooks!

Glyssa managed a laugh and lowered to accept his licks. “I heard.”

“Wait, Maxima and Glyssa,” Del said, flinging out her hands. “We’re hosting the breakfast. Help us set up. I’ve got the food in the no-time.”

Jace lent a hand, and was impressed at the results. When they were done, the Elecampanes’ pavilion sitting room resembled something that he’d expect a nobleman’s dining room to look like, with nice chairs and proper linen softleaves, flatwares, and delicious odors rising from covered dishes.

Del grunted. “Well, it’s the best we can do. Go on over and escort those ladies here, please, Maxima.”

The girl left, and Lepid shot from the tent as if he wanted to avoid any chance of meeting the sisters.

“I think I’ll take a last walk around the camp,” Glyssa said, “then pack.” She sighed. “I was hoping against hope—”

“Sorry to box you into returning, but we trust you with Maxima, not those Comosums or even a Cherry pilot,” Del said.

Glyssa nodded.

“You do have a significant interest in this venture,” Raz said smoothly. “I have no doubt you’ll be back.” A slight pause. “We will need a historian, if
you
need options.”

“Thank you,” Glyssa choked.

Jace found himself taking her arm. “Let’s walk and talk.” He didn’t know what he’d say. Something.

And the light of the HeartGift he’d made Glyssa that was stuck in the safe glowed so brightly he didn’t know how anyone—including her—managed not to see it.

“I want to show you one of my favorite places,” he said.

And her smile for him glowed, too.

“Zem has his nest there.” Probably had observed Jace before they’d met. Jace took her hand and they walked, talking about nothing in particular for several kilometers, to a lake where Zem and Lepid already hunted and played. He gestured to a solid log where he liked to sit.

She didn’t speak or break the quiet, and words popped from his mouth. “You’re my HeartMate,” Jace said.

She gave him a long, cool stare. “Yes.”

“You came here because of me.”

“One of my reasons. As well as the project of
Lugh’s Spear
itself.” Her head turned back toward the lake. She’d gone tense beside him, but continued to look straight ahead.

He glanced at her hand that he’d held as they’d walked. She’d been rubbing the rough texture of the bark absentmindedly, but now her fingers had fisted.

Instinctively he reached out and curled his hands over hers. She didn’t relax, didn’t turn her hand over to clasp his, or intertwine fingers in the easy affection they’d been showing to each other.

And he knew with wonder, that pushy in many other things, she would not push here and now.

He said, “You didn’t give me your HeartGift. You could have offered it to me and I would have accepted it and you could have claimed me as your HeartMate and I would have had to go with you.”

She lifted and dropped a shoulder. “That’s the logical course of events with regard to a HeartGift.” Finally she turned her head and showed him a very serious face, so pale that her freckles stood out against her skin, brown eyes wide. She shook her head. “That would be forcing you into a situation you didn’t choose. I couldn’t do that. That would be wrong.”

“You didn’t even bring your HeartGift for me.” He’d have sensed it if it had been in the camp.

“No.”

For an instant his mind spun, whirling and flipping the situation.
He’d
discovered she was his HeartMate. He’d gone after
her
, and with his HeartGift.

He didn’t think that he’d’ve refrained from offering it to her. Imagined triumph surged into him when she’d accepted it and he claimed her. A flush had come to his skin, and he was both pleased that she hadn’t forced the issue and irritated at the fact that he might have.

She believed in rules, in strict standards of honesty. He liked to bend rules and . . . fudged on honesty now and again.

He nudged her with his shoulder. She was so stiff she toppled and he grabbed her and settled her close to him.

“Thank you.” Equally stiff words from Glyssa at her primmest.

“Yeah, you’d think claiming me with your HeartGift would be wrong, since I’ve made it clear I don’t care for anyone else but me deciding my fate. And I’m just not ready for this. At all. Don’t know when I will be. Sex is enough.” He touched her cheek—she wasn’t looking at him again, but staring at the blue, blue lake. “But I think part of what kept you from offering me your HeartGift was also your pride. You didn’t want a man you had to constrain.”

She sniffed.

This time he touched her cheek with his lips, brushing a kiss. “And even if it was your pride, I thank you for not putting me in such a situation.”

She relaxed a little into him, leaning against his side. He liked that more than he’d liked any woman leaning against him, and now he knew why. Fate. Destiny.

“Not ready,” he repeated. “I’ve been on my own for a long time. Just thought you should know.”

She said, “As if I couldn’t deduce that?” But her tone lost an edge. “We have excellent sex. We have great affection for each other. Sometimes we even make love instead of having sex.”

To his horror he heard tears in her voice.

“Yes,” he responded quickly to stem any soggy reaction, though he didn’t want to admit that. He stood and drew her up and kissed her, tangled his tongue with hers, luxuriated in her taste. Her city librarian taste that he would lose in a while. He’d miss her. Didn’t know how he’d manage nights without her, his body quickened so fast and fierce when he was with her.

She broke the kiss and stepped away, looking the most beautiful she ever was, after a lusty kiss. But those brown eyes of hers were steady. “You won’t come with me?”

He hesitated.

“You don’t want anything more from our relationship than sex?”

He winced. That sounded bad, when all he wanted was to go slow . . . really slow. But he swallowed and let the truth out. “I wasn’t even sure of that to begin with. We’re just getting to know each other outside of bed. This is a small community. I was concerned about gossip if we hopped right into bed together.”

“Concerned you might not get to have sex with others if you have a real relationship with me.” Her tone held bitterness.

But he couldn’t deny it, not even now, didn’t know that he wanted to. That had been his life, and he’d always treated his short-term lovers well. Better than some of them had treated him. He still shuddered at being left in the wilderness with a stridebeast and barely enough provisions to get him to the next town.

That woman was long gone, his mother and her betrayal more than a decade past. This was Glyssa. He turned his head to look at her, squashed his irritation. He
did
care for her. Facts and feelings got mixed up. “We never spoke about exclusivity.”

She flinched, turned pale.

He reached out with both hands toward hers that were clamped together, then dropped his.

Quietly he went on, “And I haven’t been with anyone else in camp since you got here. You know that.” After a short exhalation, strangled words came from him. “I haven’t wanted to be with anyone else.” He turned on the log to face her fully. Dipped his head so he could meet her downcast eyes. “The truth is, Glyssa, that I haven’t ever had any long-term relationships. Not in all of my life. I’m sorry if I’m hurting you.” Since he didn’t think she wanted to be touched, he rubbed the heel of his hand against his chest. “I gotta go slow, and showing up in Druida City and meeting all your Family and friends isn’t slow.” They’d judge him, people so different than he, people who’d spent their lives in the same place and a completely different social status. They’d definitely have expectations of him, his behavior, his intentions, that he might never figure out.

Again he fumbled to put feelings into words. “And you’re not just a few nights’ lover, Glyssa . . . I never forgot you. You’re a forever kind of person, Glyssa, and the HeartBond is a forever bond. I’m not used to forever kinds of people or HeartBonds and I’m not ready.”

Her brown eyes drilled him as she kept her gaze matched with his. “I don’t think this is too much to ask. I want you to come with me.”

And that shot him back into the past. His mother’s demands had always started, “I want you . . .” She’d never asked what his father or he wanted. And that last time, she’d demanded “You must!” How often did “I want you . . .” escalate into “You must . . . !”? He didn’t know, had tried hard to avoid finding out.

Glyssa wasn’t his mother, either, but her words echoed in his head and reminded him of all the bad times, dark thoughts clouded his mind, blackened his emotions. He shook his head but couldn’t dispel them. “I’m sorry. I won’t fit in. I can’t be what your Family will expect me to be.”

Now she flushed. “They won’t expect anything—”

“Won’t they? Didn’t they call you back to judge
you
? You bring me and they’ll judge me, too, think I’m not good enough for you. I’m not wealthy, I’m not noble.” He stood and offered his hand. “This is your career you’re defending. You’d have to defend me, too.” She would, she’d stand up for him and might even earn more demerits or whatever from her friends and Family and that would hurt her. Hurt, because of him.

“You’re my HeartMate!”

He slanted her a look. “I can barely think of that . . . that concept.” He slapped his chest. “And I sure don’t know what it means here.”