Heart Fortune

Her sister snapped up straight. “With the current information we have regarding the SecondLevel Librarian’s field project and paper, we can determine whether they are acceptable and can be continued or whether they are unacceptable. Further, we can promote or demote her instead of wasting any more time on this issue now or in the future. So, I call the question of the SecondLevel Librarian being approved to become FirstLevel. And if she fails, that she be remanded to the Gael City Library immediately.”

Glyssa gasped. Why would her sister do this to her?

Her parents appeared surprised. Her mother recovered faster and wiped expression from her face, turning impassive.

Her father looked appalled. “Enata,” her father snapped, then shut his mouth, but his brows went down over his eyes.

Enata flushed and lifted her chin. “It’s an acceptable action.” She coughed. “I have doubts about SecondLevel Librarian Licorice being at the excavation of Lugh’s Spear, about the importance—uh, her recording of that project, since nothing much seems to be occurring. As for her transcription of Captain Hoku’s journals, she has help with that.”

“I have help with telling Captain Hoku’s story, creatively.” Glyssa lost her temper. “I thought writing such a story would be easy for me. It’s not. It’s not one of my talents, is that what you want to hear?”

“SecondLevel Librarian!” Her mother’s voice was frigid.

Glyssa pulled the old shell of professionalism around her. Too small and tight, it hurt. It hurt being the person she’d been before the camp, before Jace. She stood straight and stiff. Her eyes burned and she shifted so her whole body faced her sister.

Who looked defiant and scared and . . . miserable? Glyssa hadn’t checked on her bond with her sister lately—it tended to be prickly. Her sister was unhappy and blaming her unhappiness on Glyssa. Why? Glyssa searched her face. She couldn’t tell. All she could feel was that discontent. Her own irritation died, though it wouldn’t have a month before. She’d have fought and fought her sister hard, lined up arguments. Her mind would have scrambled for defense, words cool and logical would have emerged from her brain, issued from her mouth. Her brain would have lined up options . . .

Instead, with the experience of the additional close bonds of Lepid and Jace, she did what she’d do with them—her young FoxFam and her touchy HeartMate. She opened her bond with Enata wide and sent love. Just complete acceptance and love. The situation would work out some way or another in the future, Glyssa didn’t have to handle that now. She only had to love her sister.

Enata’s eyes rounded and her mouth opened in surprise.

“The question of promoting SecondLevel Librarian Glyssa Licorice to FirstLevel has been called,” their mother said. “The vote must be unanimous.”

“I believe this vote is untimely and untoward,” their father said. He stared at Enata. “But I vote that SecondLevel Librarian Glyssa Licorice be promoted to FirstLevel Librarian.” There was a rare note of challenge and warning in his voice that Glyssa had heard only a few times and that had her standing straighter still. Her father supported her.

The silence from her mother stretched longer than Glyssa anticipated, giving her time to become nervous as she yet looked at her sister, continued to send the woman love, mixed with a little wish for forgiveness if Glyssa had hurt her feelings somehow. Glyssa didn’t look at her parents, thought there might be a private, mental discussion between them.

“Ah.” Her mother began, paused a few seconds, then spoke. “With regard to the promotion of Glyssa Licorice from SecondLevel Librarian to FirstLevel Librarian, I state her work is acceptable by . . . our . . . standards and affirm her promotion,” D’Licorice said.

Now Glyssa’s feet unstuck and she turned to see her frowning mother. Glyssa could barely hear over the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears.

“I . . . I . . . vote for Glyssa to become FirstLevel, too,” Enata said. There was a clunk as her heavy empty water glass tipped over when she pushed back her chair and rose from the table. She rushed from the room.

Glyssa goggled.

D’Licorice’s gavel hit. “SecondLevel Librarian Glyssa Licorice has been considered and raised to FirstLevel. The board has spoken and it is done.” Another bang of the gavel. “Congratulations.”

This was supposed to have been a progress report hearing. Now she was a FirstLevel Librarian! Wonderful!

But how would this change her life, and her relationship with Jace?

Twenty-nine

The door slammed open, and Jace, legs stretched out and staring at the window at the far end of the hallway, came to his feet. But the running woman wasn’t Glyssa, but her sister. He held out his hand to her. “Can I help?” dropped from his mouth before he could stop it.

“You!” she spat at him, then hurried down the hall. “No, no, no!”

He carefully set the book he’d been looking at aside. The meeting had to be over. And if Glyssa’s older sister looked like that, his lady must have won the skirmish.

D’Licorice and T’Licorice exited next, his arm around her waist, very unprofessionally. “We will deal with our children, Rhiza.”

“But she wants to return to the wilderness . . .” D’Licorice nearly wailed. “Why can’t Glyssa be happy here? And what was Enata thinking?”

T’Licorice nodded at Jace. “Bayrum will take care of Glyssa.”

“Maybe now she’s a FirstLevel PublicLibrarian, she’ll stay?” whispered D’Licorice, not glancing at Jace.

“No, dear,” T’Licorice’s voice was soft. They turned down the hallway, too, in the same direction Enata had gone.

Jace took three paces to the door and opened it. Glyssa was leaning against a big wooden table, looking dazed. She held out her arms to Jace and he gathered her into his arms. Her voice was muffled as she spoke. “Enata exploded the whole meeting. She forced everyone to decide whether I was ready to be a FirstLevel Librarian or not.”

His heart jumped in his chest. “Are you staying here?”

She blinked. “No.” Inhaled. “No!” Then she tilted up her head and gave him an amazing kiss.

A quiet hum and a vibration rubbed against Jace’s thigh, making him flinch. Glyssa’s expression went blank for a minute, then she said, “My scry pebble.” She frowned, snapped in disapproval, “Who would be scrying me when they know I would be in a meeting?” She fished in her sleeve and pulled out the pretty marble, sighed. “Laev T’Hawthorn. He’s leaving a message.” She slid her thumb over the pebble and a full-sized Laev holo jumped into the room.

“. . . and I have news of the cook, Myrtus Stopper.” He winked at Glyssa. “Greetyou, FirstLevel Librarian!”

“You know already?” she asked.

“Your surprise leaked to Camellia and Tiana. Camellia told me.” He nearly smirked. “Camellia is baking a cake, I think.”

“Oh.”

“News about Myrtus Stopper?” Jace asked.

“Yes, I’m going to visit a business acquaintance and thought Glyssa . . . or you, would like to come?”

“How do you know of Myrtus Stopper?”

Laev raised his brows. “The Elecampanes asked Straif T’Blackthorn to track him, but when Straif found the money trail, he called me in to—ah—deal with a low-level entrepreneur.” Laev smiled. “Because I am competent with finances.” Then his expression turned serious. “Every one of us in the FirstFamilies takes the theft and sale of colonial artifacts seriously.” Laev’s eyes gleamed. “Want to come? This could be fun.”