is working with Commander Dani Eve Elder and the starship
They all looked fascinated at this, too. Her sister’s mouth dropped open.
“You have been busy,” her father said.
Glyssa nodded.
Her mother said, “I approve the field study. But I expect more than reports or notes as proof of progress. I wish monograph pages . . .” she paused, “and pages and chapters of a ‘popular work’ with every weekly communication sent from the camp.”
Swallowing, Glyssa nodded. Sounded rough to her, a setup for failure. She was a slow writer and everyone knew it. She’d have to make the most of every moment she had at the excavation.
“I agree,” her father said.
Her sister pursed her lips, let the moment hang. The decision had to be unanimous. All Glyssa’s muscles tensed.
“I suppose I agree, too.” She made her sigh low and drawn out and Glyssa nearly flinched. She’d always hated that sigh, which her sister knew.
“The student’s final research paper and the field trip for that research is approved,” Glyssa’s mother said.
“But she is not a FirstLevel Librarian until she turns in her paper,” Glyssa’s sister said, smiling widely. Leaning back on her chair, she lifted a hand and studied her nails. “And since the student is abandoning her initial project of HouseHearts, I will pursue that.”
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.”
“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.
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.
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
Camellia had donated much of the refreshments, and the good food pumped up the atmosphere even more.
