Celta: Heart Secret Part 13

Garrett stroked Rusby. aIall need a recall collar for this guy.a aOf course.a She turned and opened a drawer, displaying collars of all sizes.

I want the sparkly one! Rusby demanded.

aSparkly is for girls,a Garrett said.

aThis is a temporary collar,a Danith said, whisking out the white one with bits of glitter. aA recall collar if you get in trouble. It will activate to bring you here.a Garrett sucked in a breath between his teeth and eyed Rusby. Surely soon head grow so he couldnat fit into housefluff burrows. Garrett would stuff the little one with food.

Every two septhours.

Danith addressed Rusby. aAs all Fams know, a real collar is given to the Fam in three months if the Fam is good.a Garrett figured Danith meant if the kitten didnat chase housefluffs. aThe Famas companion decides whether the Fam is good. That means no adventures on the beach,a he said.

aOh.a Danith pursed her lips. aIad forgotten you lived in MidCla.s.s Lodge.a Her gaze slid toward him. aIad heard you spent some time in the Turquoise House.a aDidnat agree with me,a he said. Then, reluctantly, aI wasnat asked to stay.a aMaybe you should have asked the Turquoise House. Mitch.e.l.la DaBlackthorn will start redecorating tomorrow and TQ should be ready for occupancy the day after.a He wondered what the rent would be. TQ was in a middle-n.o.ble-cla.s.s neighborhood. Probably too rich for his blood and his gilt.

aTQ is farther from my office than MidCla.s.s Lodge.a aCanat lose anything if you donat ask to stay.a Danith muttered cleansing spells and a slight wind picked up . . . and carried the fragrance of disinfectant herbs that made Garrettas stomach squeeze hard. He took the three paces to the door and opened it to regular animal smells in the hall. The walls of the examination room swirled with color and Rusby squealed, hid his head in Garrettas neck, and dug his claws into his shoulder.

Garrett yelped.

Danith snorted. aYour Fam has only been within white walls of a House. He demanded white.a Looking at the sweeps of pastel, Garrett didnat blame him.

The animal Healeras lips compressed. aAlready at five weeks, heas set in his ways.a Her gaze drilled Garrett. aAs you are. You should live in more upscale lodgings if you want to grow your business.a That flicked a nerve. aI like MidCla.s.s Lodge. I do get some business from the residents.a Danith grimaced. aYou want n.o.ble clients or middle-cla.s.s clients?a Despite his Famas fear of pastels, Garrett moved back into the room, leaned closer to Danith. aBoth. I donat want to be exclusive to the n.o.bles, to only people who can pay me a lot of gilt.a If Dinni had been n.o.ble or had had a lot of gilt, they wouldnat have turned her away from the clinic. Head never base his services only on price.

Danithas eyes widened.

aMama, you all right?a asked a rough voice from the door.

Garrett turned and saw that Gwydion Ash, at fourteen, had grown since the last time theyad met. He was already centimeters taller than his mother, and Garrett judged head be taller than his father, and with as heavy a build as the blacksmith. Still a boy, though.

aGentleSir Primross and I just disagreed about living with a lot of people.a Her smile was rea.s.suring for Gwydion and the boy relaxed. Garrett noted he was like his mother and didnat have an up-front killer instinct like his father . . . or Garrett himself. Though there was no doubt that Gwydion would have had the best fighting training possible.

The youngster was an Animal Healer. No matter how much he grew to look like TaAsh, head have a soft spot inside if life didnat harden him. Gwydion was a second son accepted by his mother into her practice. Blessed and didnat know it.

For some reason Garrett wanted the boy-man to keep that soft spot.

Danith continued, aGentleSir Primross is happy at MidCla.s.s Lodge.a A dimple creased Gwydionas cheek as he smiled back at his mother with easy love. aAnd you wouldnat be,a he teased.

Lifting her small nose, Danith said, aThatas what happens when you grow up in Saille House for Orphans.a Garrett stiffened. He hadnat known that part of her past. Both mother and son remained casual, so it wasnat a touchy topic. He relaxed with an easy smile. aSo if you were in my shoes, GreatLady, youad ask to stay at the Turquoise House.a Gwydion laughed. aShe wouldnat be able to take a step in your shoes.a He joined Garrett, measured feet. aThought so. Mine are almost as big as yours and she canat walk in mine.a Danith sniffed but still smiled. aI told GentleSira"a Garrett offered his arm to Gwydion to clasp. aCall me Garrett.a Nodding, Gwydion squeezed Garrettas arm with just enough firmness. aI heard that Iall be taking over any Healing of your motley ferals.a He beamed.

aAnd he might have a racc.o.o.n for us!a Danith said.

aGreat.a Gwydion rubbed his hands.

All this ac.o.o.n, ac.o.o.n, ac.o.o.n, Rusby grumbled, stretched along Garrettas shoulder. You woke Me and didnat even admire My collar.

aSparkles,a Gwydion said, hiding a grimace.

Past time for Us to go home! Rusby said.

aThatas right.a Rusby licked Garrettas ear and he flinched. aDonat do that. Iall feed you when we get home.a We need glider. The cat twitched whiskers at Danith DaAsh.

aIall arrange that,a Gwydion said.

aThanks, Danith,a Garrett said, though he was feeling considerably less flush in the pocket.

aYouare welcome. And teleport next time!a Garrett moved tense shoulders. aWas under orders not to do that.a aOh.a She looked like she wanted to talk about the experiment. He reckoned everyone in the FirstFamilies knew what was going on. But Danith wasnat as close to the Healers as others. aScry and weall send a glider whenever you need it,a she said.

He wouldnat be doing that. Wouldnat do that now except weariness insidiously seeped through him. aLater.a He walked with careful steps to the office exit and into the sunlight. The adrenaline push head gotten with the discovery of the body had definitely crashed.

The glider door lifted. He frowned as he saw TaAshas coat of arms painted on the thing, something people at MidCla.s.s Lodge would note. But he didnat have much time to worry about that because when he slid into the vehicle, he pa.s.sed out.

More than one of his neighbors helped him into the building and to his door. Vaguely he heard someone ask if it was true that head been on a top-secret mission for the FirstFamilies. Whispers about the experiment were getting out. He wondered how soon the news about the murder would surface.

To his surprise, Rusby was able to manipulate the spells.h.i.+eld and lock to open his door, then hissed with mental threatsa"which Garrett didnat think anyone could heara"as Garrett was shoved on his couch.

His body sank into depressions head previously made in the permamoss cus.h.i.+on. Wonderful.

Garrett woke at twilight. His body was fine, but in his muzzy state, his mind reached for his HeartMate. Unlike the previous few nights, she wasnat with him and a quick, sharp fear spurred him awake.

A couple of seconds pa.s.sed in disorientation, then his stomach rumbled and firmly grounded him. Of course his HeartMate wasnat near. Shead gone to her own home, wherever that was. Instinctively he tested their bond. It was wider than usual and he narrowed it.

He did sense she was disturbed. Without thought, he sent calm and affection down the bond, realized what he was doing, and shut it down. Not before he noticed that her anxiety had eased.

He was hungry. The apartment had a small kitchen with three no-times stuffed with food . . . another result of the most miserable days of his life, he realized. He always kept a lot of unspoiling food on hand.

By the time head taken a few paces toward the kitchen, his body was moving all right and he became aware of the scritch, scritch, scritch sound that had awakened him. Glancing at the wall timer, he saw it was NightBell. He sighed and rubbed his face. At least it wasnat TransitionBell. He hated waking then. And at least he was home tonight.

Scritch, scritch, rripp.

His chin angled and he abandoned the thought of food for now. His kitten was up to something! Crossing to the bedroom, he saw a dark kitten shadow on the windowsill, claws out. The spells.h.i.+eld was thin there, as if Rusby had already worked on it. Garrett had left the window slightly open, enough for a small kitten to flatten himself through if he could get through the reinforced screen. That Rusby was working on shredding.

Garrett scooped up the cat and got a snarl and scratches on his hand for the effort. He ignored the pain. aTime for food. You look hungry. I am, too. Iall program access for you to a no-time.a Head have to limit the portions.

Rusby eyed him, gave a big smile, revealing his baby teeth. DaAsh says I can have little furrabeast steak bites.

Garrett wasnat even sure where the sphere and the papyrus with instructions were. He put his Fam on the top of the small round kitchen table. aStay there and Iall get you some furrabeast and milk formula for you.a Formula is for babies, I am not a baby! I am a FamCat!

aYeah.a But Garrettas neck was burning with the guilt Rusby wanteda"head missed at least two feedings. He stepped to the no-time food storage unit and looked at the feastday meal section and opened it for Samhaina"New Yearas. The scent of prime furrabeast drifted out and his mouth watered. He heard little mouth-smacking noises from his Fam.

They both wanted that feastday meat, and, h.e.l.l, they both deserved it. The meal was blessed, of course, by the cooks whoad made it and transferred it to his apartment. Garrett cut off a portion of steak and put it on a small dish, set a knife on the meat, and said a spellword. There was a loud grinding noise, then the meat was in tiny bits. He shoved the plate at Rusby, sat down, and cut his first bite, popped it into his mouth, and nearly moaned at the taste.

aOur first meal together.a Garrett cut his next bite. aEnjoy.a You are the BEST FamMan.

They ate quickly and in silence. As he saw the kittenas belly stretch, Garrett decided head given the cat too much and Rusby wouldnat have enough room to squeeze in formula milk. The kitten burped, then curled up on the table.

Garrett programmed the lowest no-time to open at the tap of a tiny paw and stocked it with the smallest portions he had. Then he set his wrist timer to remind him to wake the cat in two septhours, tidied the kitchen, found DaAshas stuff, and put the formula tubes in the no-time and the instructions on the table.

He took Rusby into the bedroom and deposited him on a pillow on the floor near the waterfall rooma"he needed a litter boxa"and went to the window. Long black shadows of the tall trees swayed in the courtyard. He preferred the courtyard view to the ocean, more fun to observe people.

As he tinkered with the screen, and Artemisiaas image rose again in his mind, something tugged at his brain that he couldnat pin down. Finally he gave up trying to prod the d.a.m.n bit out and returned to bed. It wasnat as comfortable as the couch, and dreams and warped memories slithered in to chomp on him.

Artemisia reported the good news that there was hope for a cure of the Iasc sickness to her Family and BalmHeal Residence at dinner. After the meal she spoke of the murder and the pylor. Her parents were interested but not concerned. Her sister, Tiana, recommended a soak in the Healing pools and Artemisia withdrew from the pressure of Family with a little relief. Tiana followed, carrying a couple of huge towels.

aWe donat have anyone in the sanctuary?a Artemisia asked. The time away felt odda"like shead been gone for years but had returned to find all was the same.

aNo,a Tiana said.

aJust Family, then.a Artemisia smiled, took the thick towel, and hugged it to her, liking the feel of the plush fabric, the smoothness under her fingersa"and the fragrance of herbs and not the dreadful remembered scent of pylor.

Tianaas gaze lingered on her face. aYou seem a little different.a aThe circ.u.mstances were tense.a Artemisiaas muscles twinged at the recollection. aI was afraid,a she admitted.

aOf what?a aLosing Garrett.a There! Shead said it.

Seventeen.

As Artemisia wished, her sister, Tiana, took the revelation at face value.

aWatching a patient die of Iasc would have been horrible,a Tiana said.

aYes.a Artemisia squeezed the towel harder. It reminded her that her pillow was in her duffle. A pillow that would smell of TQ and decontamination and the ozone of tech forcefields and maybe even a trace of Garrett. She should never have taken her own pillow. Why had she done that?

Because shead wanted something of comfort from home and hadnat realized it would soak up new memories.

Shead already put the silver coins Garrett had given her in her jewelry box. At least theyad be out of sight.

Then the main Healing pool was before them, huge with curving bays. Sparkling blue, even in the late evening. A sigh sifted from her lips as relief trickled through her. Another true blessing at the end of the day.

She and Tiana shucked their clothes and slipped into the indentation of the pool that faced the gate to the northeast. Most desperate people found that gate into the sanctuary. If anyone came tonight, it would probably be from that direction.

The Family had cleared a path to the Healing pool and a few shelters theyad made near it.

Tiana moved to an underwater seat and Artemisia joined her. The hot liquid of the pool, infused with natural herbs and minerals, slid silkily across her skin in the most comforting reminder of home. Again her breath sighed from her. They wouldnat lose this home, this sanctuary. They were the caretakers. The s.h.i.+elds melded with illusion spells on the stone walls around the estate were the strongest in the city, and so the strongest on Celta itself. And an intelligent Residence was a formidable being.

No one could get in to hurt them.

She said, aNot many people know weare here. Only those the estate have sheltered.a Tianaas usually serious expression lightened. aYes, our parents are safe. If worse comes to worst and Fatheras pseudonym were revealed, he would only lose the publication aspect of his new life. Head still continue to write legal theses and philosophy, but not see them in print. That would be fine with him. And some of those people wea"and this estate and BalmHeal Residencea"helped have great influence, are in the FirstFamilies.a Artemisia said, aNone of those people can come back, but they do know of the sanctuary and us.a aWhy do you think this strange murder would have anything to do with us?a Tiana asked.

Artemisia would have said shead felt it in her bones, but now her bones soaked up heat and seemed almost pliable. She shook her head and her nape was caressed by water, lovely, so she tilted her chin up and saw the thick, bright spangles of stars flaming into view as the sky deepened into night black. aThe smell of pylor brought the whole nasty situation back to me.a She waved a languid hand on the top of the pool, sending ripples to the center. aThe fear and cold and hopelessness.a aYes, that time was bad for us. But perhaps you thought the worst because you had recently endured a dangerous situation.a aThe Iasc project? Perhaps.a aThat and seeing your patient fight for his life in another dreadful situation,a Tiana continued. aThe Turquoise House kept BalmHeal Residencea"and usa"briefed.

aHe must have gone into detail.a aYes. BalmHeal Residence missed you dreadfully.a aIam sorry.a aYou felt you had to do this project because you were asked?a aBecause FirstLevel Healer Ura Heather asked and thinks me expendable.a That shot out with more force and bitterness than Artemisia had expected.

Reaching over, Tiana tugged at a wet tail of Artemisiaas hair. aLet it out. It scares me that you think you must always be serene.a aI like a serene life. And being calm around patients rea.s.sures them.a Artemisia couldnat just sit there. She floated to her feet, then marched back and forth against the pressure of the water, splas.h.i.+ng her discontent. aI hated that time in our lives when everyone was against us. When we begged our distant cuzes to take us in and were rejected. When we sold everything for tiny and cold and uncomfortable rooms. People treated us like pariahs, like criminals, and we did nothing to deserve that.a She aimed an index finger at Tiana. aDonat tell me that Mother doesnat still have scars. She would rather be working in a busy HealingHall.a Artemisia threw her arms wide, above the level of the pool. aInstead she is here, tending to the few utterly desperate who find the sanctuary despite themselves.a Tiana nodded. aIs that why you want to work in a HealingHall, so you can tell Mother about it and the gossip?a aMaybe I do it for her, but I do it for myself, too,a Artemisia replied. The short exercise had stimulated her blood and she wanted to swim.

aAnd FirstLevel Healer Ura Heather reminded you that you were at Primary HealingHall on sufferance.a Artemisia pushed out her lower lip and huffed a breath to get a strand of wet hair away from her eyes. aShe didnat treat me well.a Garrett Primross had been irritated with her, too, but shead thought that had been personal. He didnat like her for some reasona"but he was aware of her as a person and an individual.

Ura Heather didnat even seem to notice Artemisiaa"as if the woman had taken one look at her when theyad met two months back, determined Artemisia was a daughter of the disgraced Mugwort Family, and, therefore, was beneath Heatheras august notice.

After another huff of breath, Artemisia said, aWell, I can let my bitterness boil out here, but must watch my step at Primary HealingHall, before Heather and the others.a aYour career is so important to you?a Tiana probed softly.

Artemisia grinned. aNot as important to me as yours is to you. But my people are more sn.o.bbish. You can use our true surname and still rise to the top of the pyramid. That wonat happen to me. I am only SecondLevel in Healing. You have the ambition in the Family.a She began to swim to the far end and back, and found her sister gone by the time she reached the seats.

Artemisia had regained her serenity. Shead always have the pool and the estate and grouchy BalmHeal Residence and her Family to help her keep that inner calm, which, in turn, she could share with her patients.

Shead cleared out the scent of pylor from her nostrils and banished through a vigorous summer nightas swim all past cold and scary winters.

Shead overreacted. The murder would have nothing to do with her or her Family.

Screaming filled his restless sleep, dragging him to the surface of wakefulness. Where he didnat want to go, because something terrible was there.

He jerked up, covered in cold and clammy sweat, blinked against the bright white walls and the horrible smell. The quiet. Soon head walk the halls of the clinic and find everyone dead and decomposing. Soon head see Dinni. He retched but nothing came out of his mouth.

But it wasnat light. Night painted black and gray shadows in the room. No smell of his own p.i.s.s or s.h.i.+t or worse, rotting humans, slammed into his lungs. No, it was memory that hit like a hammer.

Dinni was dead. Everyone in the clinic was dead. Years ago and he didnat need to remember her like that. The last head seen of her had been only the sh.e.l.l of her body that shead left. Her sunny and sparkling spirit had moved on to the wheel of stars and her next life.

No, no, no!

The d.a.m.n nightmares were worse than suffering through the whole incident with Dinni and her baby and driving the quarantine bus to the clinic again. At the time . . . even reliving it . . . head had hope. He had fought his hardest to do his job, save his girl.

Now, in the aftermath, bitter memories shuddered through him. No hope. Head fought and lost.

And with the night, the scars in his memory had ripped open and throbbed and bled anew.

Mind scrabbling to find something else to think about, disparate facts fell into place and he had a clear idea of Artemisia and how shead lied to him.

Anger sizzled through him, his fingers fisted until his knuckles showed white.

Artemisia used the last name of Panax, a distant relation of the Healer Family, the Ginsengs. But her true surname was Mugwort. As in the Mugworts who had been implicated in the Black Magic Cult murders. Murders that had used pylor.

She must have recognized the scent, and she was a good enough Healer to know what had happened to the mana"the blow to the head, the drugging, the blood loss that killed him. She hadnat said a word about that to Garrett.

For three days and nights head trusted her. With his body. With his life. Trusted her to be there, close, when he struggled through memories and dreams. Grew to depend upon her, had respected her.

She hadnat trusted him.

Shead lied to him. Hurt and rage roared through him, scouring him.

Shead lied to him!