Heart Fortune

Thirty-seven

They’d stopped for lunch. Glyssa was given the task of finding dry wood to keep her from obsessing about Jace. Didn’t help her hurting heart, but kept her hands busy. Everyone seemed glad to take the break and that it would be long enough for a fire. The day had clouded over again, the blue sky septhours gone.

She was sitting on a log with Camellia, greedily eating a meat and veggie kebob wrapped in a flour flexbread when Jace said, Glyssa. I need you.

Tears welled and she battled them back.

Lepid shouted into her mind. FamWoman, FamWoman. HELP! We are trapped in the ship!

Glyssa bit her tongue, hard, nearly dropped her sandwich, squeezed it so hard a piece of onion popped out and lay on the ground.

What? she cried out mentally to her lover and Fam.

Trago is the mean person! He trapped me, and I called FamMan to help and he came and now we are both trapped in a little room in the ship!

Her vision simply went white, the news was so contrary to what she’d thought. Jace and Lepid sure weren’t following her to apologize.

“What’s wrong?” asked Camellia.

Glyssa realized she’d swayed and her friend had put an arm around her waist to steady her. “Just a minute, Lepid’s talking to me. There are problems.”

Glyssa, calm, Jace said. We won’t die soon.

His mordant humor didn’t comfort her. You are all right.

Hesitation, then, For now.

I’m sure calling me was your last resort. Her reply came out snappish with bitterness and fear.

That is true, Jace said.

She’d flung her bond with him wide and could feel the horror in the back of his mind. Her insides squeezed. This couldn’t be happening!

Unfortunately, it is happening, Jace responded to her thought. She sensed him petting Lepid who sat beside him on . . . a bed? She thought she felt him sigh, could almost see his lips curving in self-deprecating humor. But I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said. I would have contacted you soon anyway.

She shuttered her mind against her snotty answer. She was less good in a potentially fatal crisis than she’d hoped.

“Something’s terribly wrong,” Camellia whispered.

“Yes.” Putting her food beside her on the log, Glyssa stood and moved to where Del was standing, talking to the cartographer.

One glance at Glyssa had Del dismissing the man, sinking into her balance and waiting for bad news. “What’s up??

Glyssa couldn’t prevent herself from wetting her lips, even so, her voice came out more squeaky than she wanted. “Apparently Lepid followed Trago into Lugh’s Spear.” She wasn’t sure of the details, why hadn’t she asked? Too late now, she had to speak as if she knew what she was talking about. She made her voice strong and steady, matched it with a serious, honest expression. “Trago is the villain who’s been sneaking around and raiding the ship.”

She felt general agreement from Lepid and Jace tickle the back of her mind and continued.

“Your fox went down into the ship,” Del snapped.

“Yes, and Trago trapped him.” Glyssa lifted her chin. “Jace went after him.”

Del grimaced, made a chopping gesture. “Let me guess, Trago trapped him, too.”

“Yes, then packed up Jace’s tent and things and . . . disposed of them.” More affirmation from Jace and Lepid.

“Jace’s tent had a spellshield. If Trago got through that, he’s more powerfully Flaired than we all believed,” Del said.

“Strong enough to send a boulder, by Flair, into the girder hole and ruin the canvas and entryway for teleportation so my guys can’t get out of the room he trapped them in.”

“Sounds logical,” Del said. Her expression hardened. “I will scry our guards to arrest Trago, but I will not authorize my people to go down into the ship after Jace and Lepid. I’m sorry, I will not risk anyone.”

Fear jolted through Glyssa. She hadn’t expected this. She drew in a deep breath. “They’re my responsibility, I’ll go. I do want your permission to descend into the ship.”

Del hesitated.

Glyssa lifted her brows. “If it were Raz and Shunuk down there?”

“Raz and Shunuk—” Del pressed her lips together. Glyssa knew the Elecampanes well, all of them burned with curiosity as much as she, they were just older and wiser and had more to lose than Jace and Lepid.

“I’ll give you permission. I’ll let everyone know you’re coming and to give you help—short of going into the ship . . . at first.” Del raised her hand. “We let a lot of people go down there and we’re just asking for it to be looted.” She exhaled heavily. “More than, apparently, Trago has already. We cannot let the knowledge the ship contains be more contaminated than it has been. Lugh’s Spear might be able to answer many questions for us regarding our psi powers, our history, that Nuada’s Sword does not know. You go first. If there are problems, the Hollys and Raz and I will confer as to who else we might send.”

Glyssa stood straight. “I understand.” She looked at the line of stridebeasts. “I’ll go back.”

“I won’t turn this band around. Raz is expecting us at the Deep Blue Sea and it’s important to get these other settlers out of our way. Happy somewhere other than in our venture.”

“I’m still returning to the camp.” By herself, alone in the wilderness, for septhours. She swallowed her own incipient panic. This had to be done. She’d lectured Jace about facing his shortcomings, time for her to do the same. Only the celtaroon nest had been a threat in all the septhours they’d traveled.

We will be with you, FamWoman! Lepid said.

You’ve never been on the trip to the Deep Blue Sea, she said to her Fam.

I have. Jace remained calm. The path is always visible.

Del was speaking, “I’ll contact my HeartMate first, then my guards. Then we’ll decide what to do.”

“I’m leaving as soon as possible,” Glyssa said.

“I’m going with her,” Camellia said.

“No.” Del looked straight at Camellia. “You are a FirstFamily GreatLady, I dare not take any chances with your health. I forbid it.”

“That’s strong language,” Camellia said, taking Glyssa’s hand. “Glyssa’s my best friend.”

“I will not allow you to leave, D’Hawthorn. If you force me to take measures to keep you here, I promise you, neither you, your husband, nor any of his investors, settlers, whoever is associated with him, will be welcome in this part of the world. None of you will get the aid you will need from us.”

Glyssa turned and hugged her friend. “Stay safe with D’Elecampane.”

“I’ll worry about you.”

“I know, but we have a bond. As I do with the Elecampanes. Everyone can advise me.” All the voices in her head could drive her mad, too.

“Glyssa is barely able to make this trip on her own,” Del said. “She doesn’t know the area. She has no survival skills in traversing or camping in the wilderness.”