Heart Fortune

past of a wild weekend affair, and the potential for a lifelong love.

She tilted her head as she traced the golden bond.

“Now you can find him?” Camellia asked.

“Yes. Now I know where he is.” Determination fired within Glyssa, giving her the energy to sit tall. Determination and extreme curiosity. Her vision sharpened. “Camellia, my HeartMate, Jace, is at the excavation of the starship Lugh’s Spear.”

Camellia grimaced. “Your HeartMate is there, and my husband and HeartMate wants someone to be there on my behalf.”

“And your Laev is right,” Glyssa said. “You are a descendant of the Captain of that starship, by law you are entitled to a third of the artifacts, or the proceeds from the sale of the artifacts.”

Camellia’s mouth turned down. “That doesn’t matter to me as much as him being remembered and honored for the hero that he was.” They stared at each other for a minute.

“You’re going to your guy, aren’t you?”

“Yes. And I’ve been wanting to visit Lugh’s Spear, too. I can make it the field trip needed as part of my final process to become a FirstLevel Librarian.” She nearly wiggled in her seat—such an adventure for herself, too! A project of awesome discovery.

“Your parents aren’t going to like this.”

“No.” She’d work around that somehow.

Camellia tapped the empty hole where the shattered sphere had been. “And how much trouble is this going to be for you?”

Glyssa let out a puff of sigh. “It was the index of the other recordings kept in this crate. Lucky. I can say that a patron of the library wanted to see it and dropped it, and then make a new one.”

Smiling, Camellia said, “Not a lie. You are a patron of the library.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Well if you’re going to the excavation, you can be the source of information Laev and the rest of the FirstFamilies council have on that project. I’ll have him contact you. You can go on our behalf if your Family nixes your field trip and paper on the expedition.”

A chill slipped through Glyssa at the thought of not making FirstLevel Librarian, failing in the career she’d started at ten years old. She swallowed hard.

Camellia picked up one of the spheres, read the title and made a face. “Another boring history.” She stared at Glyssa, then perked up. “You could write a paper on my ancestor Captain Netra Sunaya Hoku.” Camellia’s eyes brightened as she put the ball back into its cushioned nest. “Better, you could write something more popular than a paper. A . . . a novel or a play, or something.” She nodded decisively. “Yes, that’s what I want. I want regular people to read about my ancestor, understand how he saved so many lives.” She grabbed Glyssa’s hands. “Say you will.”

“I don—”

Glyssa, what happened! chimed in her other friend, Tiana Mugwort, mentally. I was attending a lecture by the high priest and couldn’t respond before now, but felt your need.

So Glyssa and Camellia shared their thoughts with her.

“Incoming scry from GreatLord T’Ash, at T’Ash Residence, for SecondLevel Librarian Glyssa Licorice,” said the voice of the PublicLibrary.

Camellia looked at her. Glyssa shrugged. She didn’t know why the lord would call her. She’d never met the man. “I’ll accept it,” she said.

The nearby wall scry screen cleared, then showed a large and scowling T’Ash holding a fox kit by the scruff of his neck. Off screen came the hisses of a very angry cat.

“Glyssa Licorice?” T’Ash snapped.

“That’s me,” she said.

“My HeartMate informs me that this one.” He gave the young fox a tiny shake. “Is your Fam Companion. Come get him. Now.” The scry went black.

Camellia laughed. “Sounds like GreatLady Danith D’Ash has given you a Fam.”

Two

Glyssa rubbed her temples. “This isn’t the right time to get a Familiar. I can’t take a young thing out to an excavation.”

“You shouldn’t,” Camellia agreed. “But do you want a Fam or not?”

“Oh, I do!” Energy surged through Glyssa. Need for a companion, since she’d be leaving her two best friends, her Family . . . all that she knew.

“You should buy one of those automatic teleportation collars that will send him to D’Ash if he gets hurt,” Camellia said.

“It can’t teleport him thousands of kilometers!”

“They must have a Healing clinic,” Camellia said. “You can set the collar for that.”

Glyssa’s mind whirled. “I must leave as soon as possible.”

“Well,” Camellia pointed out, “T’Ash did say now.”

Glyssa had meant for the excavation.

“My Family expects me to be at home . . . sick.” Though a Fam would perk anyone up.

“T’Ash is not a man you want to cross,” Camellia pointed out.

“All right. I’ll ’port to our garage and take the glider.”

Camellia hugged her. “Laev will be scrying you about being our rep at Lugh’s Spear.” She kissed Glyssa on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.” She went to the teleportation pad and left.

Glyssa put away the recordspheres—with a new index—and headed out.

A few minutes later the glider pulled up to Danith D’Ash’s offices. She was the animal healer and person who usually assigned Fams and was awaiting Glyssa’s arrival, holding and petting the little fox.

From what Glyssa could see, the young Fam didn’t need soothing. His tongue lolled out of his slightly open muzzle and his eyes gleamed with wild glee.

The glider stopped and the door lifted. Glyssa began to slide out when Danith D’Ash hustled up and the foxling jumped from her arms onto the seat. Glyssa winced at the little claw holes in the upholstery.

You are my FamWoman! The excited telepathic voice was accompanied with a few small barks from the red and white fox. His red fur was about the color of Glyssa’s hair.

Then he was in her lap, putting his paws on her shoulders, licking her face with a rough tongue and sending fox breath her way. He felt . . . simply wondrous, small and lithe and trembling with excitement.

In an instant he’d dropped to her lap and curled up, draping a fluffy tail over his nose.

“I need a programmable collar,” Glyssa said, dazed.

Danith D’Ash handed her one.

The fox lifted its head. I do not like that.

“It will break away if you’re caught on anything,” Glyssa said.

He snapped his teeth at D’Ash, so she floated it into the glider and to Glyssa. “The collar will return your Fam here . . . I’ll give you the exact coordinates for my son’s office.” The lady’s cheerful smile held an edge of strain.

“I’m actually leaving for the excavation of Lugh’s Spear for my field trip to obtain my FirstLevel librarianship,” Glyssa said, petting the young fox. “I suppose I shouldn’t take him.” She didn’t want to give him up.

D’Ash’s brows came down. “No, you shouldn’t—”