Sanicle grinned. Now he’d be the one doing most of the work, would get most of the cut. And if he was the thief and slipped a few objects on his person . . . Jace ground his teeth, jerked a nod at the man. “I’ll be right back.”
He ran lightly down the corridor, ducked under the wall that still slanted, and walked up the girder. As soon as he was on top, Raz T’Elecampane nodded at him and gestured another man down. “Go ahead and join Sanicle, continue with the work.”
Jace felt his face freeze into a mask to hide his anger.
“I promise you’ll get a cut,” Raz said.
But it wouldn’t be the same amount, for sure. Jace jerked a nod. “Right. Who’s scrying me?”
Raz’s eyes gleamed. “T’Licorice.”
Jace grimaced. “I’ll be right back.”
Raz lifted a brow. “Take your time.”
Jace jogged to the communications hut, noticing the avid eyes of Funa who hung around it, and inside if she could manage that, more often than not. He suspected she was the one who’d told everyone about Glyssa’s calls.
“You can leave now,” he said as he took the stool in front of the scry panel.
She sneered at him, flounced her plump ass as she ducked through the opening of the tent. “You’re welcome,” her voice drifted back. “I was just keeping the connection open for you!”
Jace swiveled to return the stare of the man looking out from the screen. At first glance, he didn’t look much like Glyssa with his sandy hair and washed-out blue eyes. But the shape of those eyes, and the intensity of the gaze, he had passed down to his daughter, along with freckles.
“I am Fasic Almond T’Licorice,” the guy said.
“I’m Jace Bayrum,” Jace responded.
More silence.
“I am sure that you have heard that my daughter will be returning to Druida City to”—the man’s gaze focused behind Jace toward the tent flap. Yeah, no doubt Funa was straining to eavesdrop—“to brief us on her discoveries there and the project.”
“I heard,” Jace said. And obviously the man had heard his daughter was sleeping with Jace.
“I would be pleased to invite you to visit us with Glyssa.”
Embarrassed heat fired up Jace’s neck. “No.”
The guy’s nose pinched. “We are a hospitable Family, you’d have your own suite.”
Didn’t want him in Glyssa’s rooms.
“And we’d respect your privacy.”
“I’m sorry,” Jace lied. “But I can’t get away now.” He ducked his head. “Thank you for the invitation.”
T’Licorice’s gaze drilled him. “I’m sorry you can’t accept. If you change your mind, please scry . . .
“Blessed be.”
Thankfully the panel went dark.
But Jace didn’t head out, seemed stuck to the wooden seat of the stool. How the hell had T’Licorice learned . . . well, the man was far from stupid. Glyssa and Camellia D’Hawthorn had been friends for years, which meant Camellia was on easy terms with Glyssa’s Family. Jace was sure Glyssa had reached out to her good friends for support.
He wasn’t sure what her friends might say to Glyssa’s Family, but was sure they’d be on her side. In any event, Glyssa’s friends might have mentioned his name. That’s all a quick man would need to figure out the rest.
He didn’t like knowing his affair with Glyssa was being talked about way back in Druida City. Lord and Lady knew what would be said of him, how he’d be judged, since he didn’t want to go along with her and be judged in person.
There came a shout, and just outside the tent, Funa exclaimed, “What, Andic? You’re done? All right, I’ll shower with you.” She laughed and her steps ran away.
Jace’s ass came unstuck from the stool and he followed. He’d missed the rest of the time down in the ship.
Too much thinking wasn’t good for a guy. Maybe he should back off from Glyssa. Maybe he should, but he didn’t think he could.
And the next two nights, despite himself, he spent rolling around with Glyssa on her bedsponge.
On Mor, the first business day of the week, a huge airship descended lightly onto the landing field. Two women walked off the ship, obviously mother and daughter, and wearing Holly green. They stood at the bottom of the airship ramp, examined most of the staff who’d come to see the newcomers, then gestured to those behind them. Thirteen more guards descended, all Hollys, both genders. The Elecampanes had hired the best guards in the business and they didn’t come cheap.
A ripple of comment went through the watching crowd and some clumps of people faded back into the larger encampment.
In quality, the security of the camp had just increased exponentially.
Jace got the idea that the casualness and lightheartedness, maybe the whole sense of community, had decreased by that amount, too.
Glyssa sniffed beside him with some meaning he didn’t understand.
“What?” he asked.
She slid him a glance. “I sense you’re blaming the Elecampanes and the Hollys for a situation someone
She had a point.
He could read her pretty well, too. “Think they’ll fall for your tea and flatsweets?”
“I’m sure most nobles appreciate good food and those who fight and burn up Flair and energy truly do.”
“Huh,” he said.
“They should be able to find out who the villain is.”
Lepid shot to the front of the crowd.
Though most of the staff were smiling and even a couple of the guards, the women’s stern expressions did not crack.
Raz, Del, and Maxima Elecampane strolled forward and Raz raised his voice slightly, “Glyssa?”
Glyssa straightened beside Jace, pulling on a manner he hadn’t seen before. Noblewoman manner to greet others of a noble Family. Though these Hollys weren’t part of the core FirstFamily members, they obviously had spent some time with them.
On a small and whispered sigh, Glyssa said, “Be right back.”
She joined the Elecampanes in bowing and curtseying to the Holly guards. “Lepid, to me,” Glyssa said and her Fam ran to stand beside her, uncaring that he’d ruined the serious and proper introduction the Elecampanes had planned.
The last people down the ramp were two noblewomen dressed in the highest of Druida City fashion, with long tunics—heavily embroidered in patterns that Jace would never copy for his leatherwork, too fussy—that had the equally long, rectangular pocket sleeves. They wore extremely bloused trous, gathered at their ankles.
Raz broke away from Del and the Hollys to give each of them an elaborate bow. The Comosums, who would test the atmosphere of
Jace knew right then that things had taken a turn for the worse, and his hunch was confirmed a septhour
