Heart Fortune

preferred to licorice red, the gold of simple and elegant curlicues gleamed in a pattern that settled into her as much as the Flair coating it had. The most innately pleasing design to her.

“Your pattern, no one else’s,” Jace said. Stiffly he leaned down and plucked it from the envelope, offered it to her. A gold filigree clasp showed on the front. “My HeartGift for you, to you.”

She took it, tears dewing her eyes. “Thank you.”

He inclined his head in a dignified nod. She tucked the pursenal in her tunic.

“One last thing to do.” She flung all of her bonds wide. Family and friends. Jace and Zem, Lepid and I are trapped in the ship Lugh’s Spear with little hope of rescue. We are teleporting to my bedroom on three. If you can help us, give us Flair boosts down our bonds, please do.

Madness! cried her mother. No, we must talk—

Shut up! Her father cut off any more of her mother’s protest to Glyssa.

I love you, I will help, Camellia said.

I love you, but WAIT! Tiana Mugwort said. I can put an emergency circle together here at GreatCircle Temple to help you. We can channel the light of the Lady and Lord. Give me twenty minutes, please!

The Licorices are leaving for GreatCircle Temple NOW, Glyssa’s sister said. By glider with the emergency alarm running, to save our energy and help my sister and HeartMate.

Glyssa looked at Jace. He appeared stunned and blinked rapidly. “A GreatCircle Temple ritual to help us.”

“You met my friend Tiana, she’s a priestess there.”

“I’d forgotten.” He grimaced, rubbed his hands over his arms. “Twenty more minutes.”

I will form a circle here at the Deep Blue Sea, Laev’s voice came even more strongly than her close friends, he was so much more powerful in Flair. Twenty minutes. As a FirstFamilies GreatLord, he was accustomed to leading rituals for his Family several times a month and at GreatCircle Temple at least once a year. Like Tiana, he could put together a ritual in a hurry. I have alerted my allies in Druida City. Those who are willing and able to participate at GreatCircle Temple are on their way

Thank you ALL! We will wait for twenty minutes and I will try to connect to you all, Glyssa said.

Jace looked at her questioningly.

She shrugged. “I don’t know if this works. I don’t even know if Tiana or Laev knows if this will work, if we can get Flair from them, help from them through emotional bonds.”

Stroking her face, he said, “I am phenomenally lucky to have you in my life. Even knowing there are others ready and willing to help us, eases my mind.” He led her to a large, soft-looking sack in the corridor. “Let’s all cuddle together, get warm, save our strength and energy for the teleportation.” Once again she sent out mentally to all she was linked to, Please let us know when you are ready, our energy is fading keeping ourselves warm and with light.

She received a shocked exclamation from her mother, grim determination from Laev . . . and settled down against Jace.

With all of them together, her spell light as faint as she could make it and still give comfort, she settled on Jace’s lap and Lepid crawled on hers.

“Put the light out,” Jace said.

So she did and let herself relax and quieted her mind. Not only light was comforting. Sharing the darkness with the others—tunneling her fingers in Lepid’s thick fur to keep her hands warm and reassure him, smelling Jace, her HeartMate, and the forest scent Zem carried on his feathers—all satisfied a deep need within her. And, oh, how she’d rather be lost in the forest than trapped in this ship! But she’d tensed up again and had to ease her muscles. To her surprise, though Jace’s vitality was still evident, his muscles, too, were loose.

“This is nice,” he said, his voice a little sleepy.

“Yes.”

She let thought go, thin to tendrils and just felt, enjoyed the moment, this precious moment.

Sometime later, she received Tiana’s thought. We are ready for you. I will lead the ritual but the high priestess of GreatCircle Temple is here and will help. The high priest could not make it.

Our circle is ready, Laev added immediately.

Glyssa stirred and sat up straight. “They’re ready.” Her pulse sprinted faster, her heart picking up beat. Fear. No, excitement.

“I heard,” Jace said. He sounded completely calm. She peeked at their link. He was calm. More than she.

Zem’s feathers rustled. I heard, too. I am ready. It will be good to get out of this metal tube.

I am ready for another adventure! Lepid sounded energized by his nap. We will be heroes again.

“Well, we’ll certainly be famous,” Glyssa said drily. “One way or another.” She wondered if their bodies would be fou—No! No negativity.

She lit a spellglobe. Adjusting her sling for Lepid, she placed him in it. He stretched up and licked her face and she giggled.

Jace smiled back at her, slipping Zem into his own sling.

She faced her man, her lover, her HeartMate and their hands met and fingers entwined.

Still holding his gaze, she said, “I think it’s time to go.” She leaned in and kissed Jace, cherished the softness of his mouth, his taste. Then Jace embraced both her and Lepid. She looked at Zem in the makeshift sling strapped to Jace. “All right and tight?”

He bobbed his head.

Sucking in a deep breath, she returned her gaze to Jace’s. That his face might be the last she ever saw pleased and consoled her.

She squeezed his hands. Kept her stare locked on his. “We do this together.”

“Yes.”

“And give it our last iota of strength. Everything. All or nothing.”

He winked, as if once the decision was made and he was ready to roll the dice, he was more settled in the matter. A thousand doubts plagued her each second.

“All or nothing.” He grinned.

All or nothing! piped up Lepid.

All or nothing, said Zem. He closed his eyes.

Glyssa did, too.

For the last time, she opened herself, gasped at what her inner sight showed her. The huge link between her and Jace had enlarged to more than heart-sized and flowed with sensations from all aspects of themselves, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. They were linked together, and there was the HeartBond, lying in golden coils.

Jace said telepathically, I thought the HeartBond only showed up during sex.

Glyssa shrugged. I don’t know that anyone has ever studied that aspect of being HeartMates. She let her smile show her love, her unconditional trust. We might check that out together when we get home.

He nodded, serious now. “I want to HeartBond with you now.” His shoulders shifted. “I have the energy from my HeartGift jazzing in me. It was originally sexual, I bet that will help forge a HeartBond without sex.”

She thought about the whole matter. “HeartBonding would be good, maybe give us all even more of a chance to teleport well.”

To survive.

“More,” he whispered. “Because it is right that I show you how much I care.”

He took the golden loops of the HeartBond and threw them to her, and she let them wrap around herself, bring her close together to him . . . and, yes, there was the fizz of lust, of sexual need. Not to be fulfilled