Robin Owens - Heart Fortune

Glyssa stopped protest from escaping her mouth. Then recalled she’d spent years cultivating people who might talk, in general, about the HouseHearts in their intelligent Residences. Good luck to her sister in trying to pick up that.

“I don’t think so,” their mother said. “We will put that project in abeyance at this time.”

Glyssa’s sister scowled, but Glyssa’s stomach sank as she realized she was right. Her mother was setting her up for failure.

“Yip! Yip, yip, yip, yiiippp!” Lepid zoomed through the cat door, followed by the two library cats. He leapt onto the wide desk, scattered all the organized papyrus, then ran around the room and finally bounded into Glyssa’s arms, continuing to yip and taunt the cats.

“What is that?” Glyssa’s sister asked.

“A fox!” Glyssa’s father exclaimed, walked over, and scratched Lepid’s head, grinning at Glyssa. “You got a FoxFam!”

“Yes.”

We do not want him here, said the calico cat.

The PublicLibrary is OURS , said the long-haired brown cat. OURS only. Two Cats is enough. Glyssa thought the large building could accommodate five, and the annex one.

“I presume D’Ash gave him to you because he caused trouble,” Glyssa’s mother said.

Glyssa’s parents were very smart.

“He’s the same color as your hair,” Glyssa’s sister said, patting her deep auburn chignon.

“Calm down, everyone,” her mother said. “He won’t be staying here in the library.”

Hisses turned to cat mutters with a lot of whisker twitching. Tails high, the cats stalked to the Fam door and through it.

Lepid rubbed Glyssa’s father’s hand with his head. “He’s a charmer,” her father said.

Glyssa’s mother came around the desk. A small furrow showed between her brows. “Do you plan on taking such a young Fam to the excavation?”

“Yes,” Glyssa said. She touched the black collar around Lepid’s neck. “I can program this for the excavation’s clinic.” She’d checked that the camp had a medical facility.

“Very well,” her mother said in a smooth tone that had everyone looking at her. “We will deal with any further logistics when you and Lepid return.” She enveloped Glyssa in a warm embrace—as if that would ease the sting of being managed.

Her mother definitely didn’t approve of the trip. Glyssa set her chin. Too bad. Lepid wriggled out of her grip, jumping onto the floor.

“Tiana Mugwort is conducting a ritual at GreatCircle Temple for the success of my endeavors this evening at NightBell. You all will come, won’t you?” Glyssa asked.

Her sister sent her another look, eyes glinting with envy.

“Of course,” her father said. He put an arm around her mother’s waist, rolled his shoulders under his formal robe. “Glad this is over.” Bending, he kissed Glyssa’s cheek. “You can do this, pumpkin.” Then he kissed his HeartMate. “Last appointment of the day. Let’s go home and list items we want Glyssa to look into when she’s at the site.”

They all teleported away, though Glyssa was sure that her mother and father were heading for the bedroom as opposed to their study. Her sister left without a word.

Adventure! Lepid said.

There was that. Glyssa grinned, did a little dance step.

“And finding my HeartMate,” Glyssa murmured, picking up the small fox again. She hadn’t mentioned her HeartMate to her Family. They would strongly disapprove of her previous fling, and would be irritated that she was mixing the personal with the professional—as if they didn’t do that all the time. But though her parents were HeartMates, fortune hadn’t granted her sister a fated mate. Enata had not found a man she wished to have as her husband yet. So Glyssa rarely spoke of her own HeartMate.

Are there foxes where we are going? Lepid asked.

A brief wave of dizziness at the relief of being given what she wanted—the last step in the ladder of her career—washed through Glyssa, made her limp. Mixed with that was the nervy excitement of facing a completely unfamiliar experience. “I don’t know.” She was beginning to think she didn’t know far too much.

No. Don’t think of that. Despite everything, she would not fail. She’d claim her love, and write her thesis and a popular work for Camellia, and take that last step for her career.

Nothing would stop her, not even her mother’s maneuvering.

As they walked to GreatCircle Temple that evening, her parents were cheerful and Glyssa’s sister had gotten over her snit. A summer breeze cooled off the heat of the day and the sky was a soft blue with pink streamers.

The number of people who’d gathered inside the Temple to take place in the ceremony, to wish Glyssa well on her journey, surprised her. She’d expected her best friends to be there, Camellia D’Hawthorn and Tiana Mugwort, who was officiating the ritual. And she’d thought Laev, Camellia’s HeartMate would be there, too, but some of the other librarians of the main PublicLibrary and its branches attended, as well as a sprinkling of the greatest nobles in the land—the FirstFamilies. Those people descended from the colonists who funded the original space voyage.

That nearly made Glyssa giddy. Moving in such a social strata as an unequal could be dangerous. But a few of them had ties to the owners of the excavation project—the Elecampanes.

People lined up in twos, mostly married couples and HeartMates. Since Tiana stood as priestess and Lady in the center of the circle and Camellia and Laev were together, Glyssa was stuck with her thin-mouthed, damp-palmed sister.

But once the circle was joined and the energy cycled around, the pure delight of linking with others buoyed her spirits. Even her sister smiled.

And the ritual went well, the Flair and blessings sent out into the world in general, some to the PublicLibrary, most to the excavation—some draped around Glyssa, went sparkling into her blood, and transferred to her Family.

By the time of the last prayer and opening of the circle, joyful conversation and hope for more information about the starship, about themselves , filled the room.

Camellia had donated much of the refreshments, and the good food pumped up the atmosphere even more.

When people left, Glyssa and Camellia and Tiana stayed talking among themselves in close-friend-speak about men. Camellia was gloriously happy with Laev, Tiana remained disappointed that her HeartMate didn’t look for her, no doubt put off by the terrible scandal in her life. They both gave Glyssa personal blessings and tokens for her HeartMate search and claiming, and ordered her to link with them telepathically at least once a week to stay in touch. The three of them practiced their mental conversation until Laev came in and wanted to talk about the technical and business portion of the project—reminding Glyssa that she’d be leaving the very next morning . . . which had Lepid shooting around the room again, barking happy fox yips.

Finally they all teleported home and despite the lovely energy, Glyssa fell into bed and into sleep . . . and she rolled over and touched her lover—drawn once more into the hot bond with her HeartMate.

Yes, his skin was damp from the summer heat under her palms and he groaned in the way that made her catch her breath as she slipped her hands down his chest. Yes, she needed to touch him, feel the lean but strong lines of his muscles, know that he was whole . . . and though this was telepathic, his body would reflect the truth.

He slept and she knelt next to him, stroking up his sides, sliding her hands over his shoulders, tracing the line of his jaw with her thumbs, feathering over his cheeks. Beautiful man. She leaned closer, attracted by his spicy smell, touched her tongue to his collarbone to taste him.