Heart Fortune

A good opening, Glyssa picked up speed, joined the two, just as Del stopped to sweep an arm across the opening of the owners’ pavilion. “I want justice, too. And I can vouch for Jace’s whereabouts last night.”

Snorting a laugh and shaking her head, Del said, “That’s fast work. Come on in and tell us.”

Lepid sent Glyssa mentally, I am going to the stables to talk to my stridebeast friend, Alaba.

She’d have liked him with her, but Del’s FoxFam, Shunuk, sat just inside the tent, glaring at Lepid, and Glyssa didn’t think it an appropriate time to talk about clashing Fams. Have a good time.

I will! Alaba is going with the cook for mushrooms and other foods in the forest. Maybe I will go, too. He ran off.

Ah, food was involved, Lepid’s interest explained.

I think the cook is dishing out breakfast now. Maybe you can wait at the breakfast tent for me. Glyssa almost felt Lepid skid to a stop.

I will go there after seeing my friend.

Fine.

The Elecampanes settled onto a twoseat. “You can confirm Bayrum’s whereabouts last night?” Del prompted.

“It’s not exactly what you think,” she said.

Raz raised a brow.

Glyssa flushed again, knowing the blood in her face clashed with her hair. She straightened her shoulders. She would never be as expressive with her body as the actor, hardly anyone would be. She wouldn’t let that undermine her self-confidence.

Clearing her throat, she said, cheeks flaming again, “We, ah, experienced sex dreams.” A big breath. “Legally, I can tell you in confidence that we’re HeartMates.”

Now she received sincere surprise from them both.

“That’s why you’re here!” Del’s brows lowered.

“Sexy dreams, eh?” Raz Cherry Elecampane patted his lady’s knee and winked at Glyssa. “We know about sexy dreams.”

But Glyssa hadn’t known that Del Elecampane could blush so. “Ah,” Glyssa said, directing her gaze to Del. “I’m also here for the exact reasons I told you yesterday. I have contracted with the Hawthorns to do a paper—a story—on Captain Hoku, and I will submit that story as my field paper, as part of my work for my FirstLevel Librarianship.

“Hmm,” said Raz, inclining his head. “We continue to accept you and your duties and activities as we agreed yesterday, then.” Another raised brow and smug look. “No wonder Zem called Jace restless.”

The Elecampanes laughed.

“Yes,” Glyssa said.

After a short pause, Del said, “So, about this dream sex.” She didn’t look at her husband or Glyssa. “In our experience—” she stopped, cleared her own throat. “You said you could vouch for him all night.”

“We have a bond,” Glyssa responded stiffly. “And this is the first time I’ve seen him in years.”

“You knew him before?” Raz asked.

Glyssa hated revealing all this. “Yes.”

“Hmm,” Raz muttered.

“I went to bed late, early this morning, and we spent much of the time together or linked. I would have known if he’d left his tent, been excited by descending into the ship by himself, taking a box. I’d have felt such an . . . adventure.”

“Would you have?” Del questioned.

“Yes.”

“Truly?” Del pressed.

“Yes! I am very sensitive to him at the moment.”

“I deduce that Jace Bayrum doesn’t know that he’s your HeartMate?” Raz asked.

“No.”

“Nothing wrong with a woman going after her love,” Del D’Elecampane gritted out.

“No, indeed,” Raz said, picking up his wife’s hands and kissing her fingers, then he grinned at Glyssa. “Especially if it includes dream sex.”

“Here,” Jace called out from the threshold.

Glyssa jolted and turned, seeing his shadow on the canvas. Her pulse thumped hard. How much had Jace heard?

“Come in.” Del pulled her hands from her HeartMate’s, flicked her fingers, banishing the security spellshield and the tent flap opened.

Jace strode in without Zem, stopped and glared at Glyssa. “You! Didn’t I ask you not to interfere in my business?”

“GrandMistrys Licorice had information she thought she should tell us.”

“Dream sex.” Del’s lips curved.

Raz shrugged, all casual. “Dream sex isn’t so unusual between couples who’ve had a fling.”

Glyssa didn’t know how he’d figured out she and Jace had only had a brief affair, but she knew Raz Elecampane was trying to minimize the connection between Glyssa and Jace, helping her keep the secret that they were HeartMates.

Raz bent a stern look on Jace. “You aren’t the only one affected by the theft.”

“No, just the one affected most.” Jace held out a worn leather roll. “My small trim knife is missing.”

Del took the case, opened it. One of the slips was empty. She stroked her fingers over the soft, butterscotch-colored leather. “I don’t feel any spellshields on this.”

“It only had the minimal, easily broken,” Jace said.

“Like your tent shield,” Raz said.

“That’s right.”

“I see,” Del said.

Raz stared at them thoughtfully. “Perhaps it would be best if we decided, despite all your protestations of innocence, the statement by GrandMistrys Licorice, and your Fam’s ‘evidence,’ to keep you, Jace Bayrum, aboveground and away from the action for the moment.”

Jace flinched.

All the blood drained from Glyssa’s head. She’d made things worse, not better for Jace.

Raz continued smoothly, “And though we’ll privately keep an eye out for GrandMistrys Licorice, we’ll show the utmost confidence in her and let her roam as she will.”

A noise strangled in Glyssa’s throat. This was so bad!

“This should help us flush out the wrongdoer or wrongdoers.” Another hard and direct look from the actor. “What is between you two is none of our business. Our business here is this project which we have funded and which we run. Our primary goal remains the same, to excavate this last starship for history and for profit.” Raz stood and Del rose with him.

“I understand,” Jace said. Fury emanated from him, snapped down his connection with Glyssa. Sweat beaded on her neck and slithered down her spine. She didn’t look at him, he was so angry.

Jace jerked a bow to the owners. “Until later.” He audibly inhaled, stared at them. “I did not go into the ship last night and steal a box. I am as committed to this venture as you—”

“Not really,” Del said. “We have a fortune invested in this excavation.”

“I have spent two years of my life here. Not only because I’ve found you to be good employers, but because I’m interested in more than the money. I’m interested in the ship and our ancestors themselves.”

“You think your ancestor arrived on Lugh’s Spear?” Del asked, real curiosity in her voice.

Jace stood tall. “I don’t know. My family didn’t keep track of our line.” Another sucked-in breath. “But I know the ship is very important to the history of Celta, and I liked working on the project, being a part of this.”