Celta: Heart Secret Part 23

She looked him straight in the eyes. aI have an appointment to speak with a counselor at EveningBell.a How she wished she could walk away from Garrett. But her Family was too entwined in the murder, and now she had a source of inside information.

She swallowed, felt her mouth turn down. aEven if I was working my full s.h.i.+ft, Iad be allowed to take the time to see him.a aHim?a Garrett pounced.

She blinked. aLeger Cinchona.a aI thought you were seeing him socially, like a gallant.a She made her voice icy. aAs I believe I said before, I have options for my personal life.a Staring at the beautiful Garrett, she kept her tone and heart hard. aI will not cancel my appointment with Priest Cinchona for you, and if you object, I will notify Captain Winterberry of the appointment and ask his permission.a However hideously embarra.s.sing that would be for all of them.

Garrett strangled a sigh. Not difficult to understand Artemisia was trying to distance herself from him. Their bond had thinned again. He was not making her feel safe, as head thought to do, to protect her, to cherish her. And he would protect and cherish to the end of his strength and life. Hadnat he proved that previously in his life during the Iasc sickness?

But head only hurt Artemisia.

When head met with Ura Heather, head wanted to threaten the old flitch with political ramifications of her dislike of Artemisiaa"reports to Laev and the FirstFamiliesa"but this was not the time.

Gentling his voice, he said, aOf course you must meet the priest. I truly believe you will be of help in this matter.a Thankfully she didnat ask how.

aShall we go?a He gestured to the upcoming public carrier.

She grimaced. aOh, very well.a But her eyes went stark before she said with a shake of her head, aItas not going to be pleasant. Despite everything, too many people believe the cross-folk and we Mugworts were involved in the Black Magic Cult murders.a Garrett was afraid she was right.

Twenty-eight.

Artemisia made sure to hop down from the public carrier glider before Garrett so he wouldnat attempt to help her.

Nevertheless, when he caught up with her in a couple of strides, he wrapped his fingers around her upper arm. Sensation sizzled between them, lovely, deepa"heart wrenching.

She didnat want to go to the body viewing, but Garrett gave her no choicea"unless she wanted to stop in her tracks and argue in public with the man.

Nor did she expect the ambiance of the whole situation to be at all nice. Having a body available for public view wasnat common.

The viewing wasnat at a round Temple. Garrett told her that the highest priestess and priest of the Lady and Lord had stated that since the man had defiled their faith and he could not possibly have remained a believer in the duality, they would not house his sh.e.l.l in their Temple. Nor would they offer him any rituals for the dead. So the body was in an outbuilding of the Southern Temple, a rectangular building.

There were guardsmen at the door who questioned their presence. Fingers firm on her elbow, Garrett told them their names, that he was investigating for the FirstFamilies, and that he and Artemisia had discovered the murder.

Loud enough that some of the crowd lingering near could heara"and so could those in the anteroom.

They stepped from hot summer sun into a cool, tile-floored and walled room that held odd echoes as they crossed to the arched opening of the main room.

The body lay on a platform under a stasis spell, Eryngo appearing cleaner and more prepossessing than he had in crumpled death.

There were people in a short line filing by the body. Neither the sight of death nor the sh.e.l.l of the soul and spirit bothered Artemisia, though this event was distasteful.

Guards were stationed around the room, including Rosa Milkweed and her partner, Fol Berberis.

Next to the dais sat a tense-jawed woman with the same features as Modoc Eryngo, probably his sister. She looked as if she did bitter Family duty and seemed to be the only Family member present.

To Artemisiaas fascinated horror, a viz recorder sending images was positioned in the ceiling over the body.

aPeople have always been morbid,a Garrett murmured, then made a disapproving noise. aAnd the councils want to prove to the public that the last of the Black Magic Cultists is dead.a His quiet words were loud enough to be heard in a moment of awkward silence. aIs that true, do you think?a an elderly man asked. His face was lined and he hunched over a canea"a man worn down more by emotional ills than physical. His embroidered cuffs showed him to be GraceLord Sorrell, the father of the last victim killed. He scuttled to Garrett, raised a hooked nose to stare him in the eyes. aSo much is still unknown.a aI donat think so, sir,a Garrett said. aI believe everything was straightforward except for the capture of this guy. Now heas dead.a Sorrellas lower lip curled. aGood riddance. Still had plenty of more years than my Calla. Thereas a lot of speculation about the cultists, that one or two might have been missed.a aNo. The guards accounted for everyone except Modoc sixteen years ago. And there are stories because time has pa.s.sed and rumor and myths spring up like weeds. A lot of odd and just plain wrong theories,a Garrett said.

Artemisia hadnat known that.

GraceLord Sorrell stared at the corpse with contempt, swept a glance around the room, and said loudly, aIam glad heas dead and I bless the one who did it.a He marched to a corner where other peoplea"Families of those who had been sacrificed by the cult membersa"had gathered.

Garrett had winced at Sorrellas words. He gazed at the corner. aThere are quite a few people from the Families of the victims present.a Modocas sisteras face tightened with gray lines. aThey were the first to arrive and will no doubt be the last to leave.a She angled her head at the body of her brother. aA barbaric custom. A cross-folk custom. He meddled with other religions like cross-folk before he joined the Cult.a She swallowed as if acrid anger had coated her mouth, took a drink from the winegla.s.s set on a table beside her.

aYou donat mourn him?a Garrett asked.

She glared at him, jutted her chin at Artemisia. aAbout as much as GraceMistrys Mugworta"sorry, that was your old t.i.tle, was it not?a"about as much as GentleLady Mugwort does. He ruined my life. He was the heir; when he disgraced us, our business faltered and has never quite recovered. Furthermore, I had my life planned, then I became heir. He upset all that.a aIam so sorry,a Artemisia murmured and withdrew, and Garrett came with her.

aI suppose we should add some Eryngo Family members to the suspect list,a he said.

aHow long do we have to stay?a she asked. She sure didnat like this aspect of his work.

aA while,a he muttered. aTo see who might come. The killer might like to gloat, to get a feel of the approval from people like Sorrell. All the suspects are gathering.a She glared at him.

aYouare not a suspect. You have a solid alibi. Youare just with me.a She rolled her eyes.

Artemisia flexed her knees a little to steady her emotional balance. Her next surprise was when Barton Clover entered the room, along with GrandLord Walker Clover and his lady. Barton scanned the room and acted completely like the household security guard he was. Captain Winterberry accompanied the three.

Holding her body tight, GrandLady Clover crossed to the body and Modocas sister. aIam sorry for your . . . difficulties,a she said to the woman. Glancing at the body and away, she turned to face Winterberry and said in a calm, clear voice, aI did not know the man. He was not one of my friends in that time long ago. As Iave stated, I only knew three of the Cult.a aOnly the three highest in the Cult used my lady as a resource,a Walker Cloveras mellow voice said. aWe will leave now.a He looked as forbidding and unhappy as Winterberry, who sent a narrow-eyed scathing glance at the body.

Artemisia blinked. More and more people were involved in the case than shead ever antic.i.p.ated.

Barton Cloveras gaze met hers and his face relaxed into a brief smile. As he pa.s.sed, he murmured, aYou should not be here, Artemisia.a Another quick scan of the room, then his eyes met hers again. aNot a fit place for any sensitive lady.a Garrett stepped in front of her, and when she moved from behind him, she saw Bartonas brows had raised and his smile had turned wry. He nodded and left after Walker Clover and his wife.

She didnat think Barton would scry her again. Anger flickered through her at the masculine posturing.

Gasps came and people went motionless around her. Slowly she turned toward the doora"to see that some of the greatest people in the land had arrived, FirstFamily Lords and Ladies.

Like most, she knew them from newssheets images. First was a pale but determined GreatLady DaWillow, Dufleur Thyme, who had nearly died on the altar of the Black Magic Cult . . . and when the GreatLady moved, Artemisia saw a small cata"and recalled that while most of the human victims of the Black Magic Cult had died, there had also been Fam animals involved who had lived.

Would the Fams come?

GreatLord TaWillow set his hand on his ladyas lower back. He wore a long sword on one hip and a blazer on the other. No one said a word and the atmosphere thrummed with tension.

aI donat recall much,a GreatLady DaWillow said steadily. aI donat remember this man specifically. But Iam glad heas dead.a She put a hand on her chest. aItas a relief there will be no more threat from him.a She and her HeartMate crossed to the other victimsa Families.

Before the door swung shut, another couple entered. And everyone remained silent, shrank against the walls like Rosa Milkweed, or huddled in their seat like GraceLord Sorrell. No one wanted to call the attention of Vinni TaVine, the prophet of Celta, to himself or herself. Not many cared to casually hear their future.

Garrett stiffened beside Artemisia.

Walking beside TaVine was GreatMistrys Avellana Hazel. TaVine carried a housefluff, and Hazel a tomcat. Cuddling the Earthan rabbita"Celtan mocyn mixture, TaVine showed the Fam the body. aFlora, this is the last of the people who hurt you. He is dead and circling the wheel of stars until his next reincarnation.a He paused and his eyes changed colors as he saw what others couldnat. aWhich wonat be pleasant.a A ripple of motion went around the room as people felt the powerful Flair of prophecy in TaVineas announcement.

Bad time, Flora projected loudly. Bad, bad people.

The tom leapt from Avellana Hazelas arms onto the thin s.h.i.+eld surrounding Modocas body, and the stench of cat urine rose.

aOh, Rhyz,a Avellana said.

But Artemisia stepped forward, along with DaWillow and GreatMistrys Hazel, and they said a common chant for cleaning cat pee.

The atmosphere relaxed. Artemisia went back to where Garrett stood, though she kept a longer pace between them. The n.o.bles said something to Eryngoas sister, then went over and spoke briefly to the other Families.

On their way out, TaVine paused by Garrett, his gaze warm as he looked at Garrett, then Artemisia. aGood job,a he said in a low voice that no one else could have heard. aAnd you should leave now. You will learn no more here today, and you are overdue for an appointment.a Garrettas face went blank, then his eyes widened. He nodded to the guards and took Artemisiaas elbow and they followed the n.o.bles out. By the time they reached the fresh air outside, the n.o.bles had all teleported away, and Artemisia relaxed.

She shouldnat enjoy being with Garrett, and when she thought of how head hurt her, she didnat . . . but her body knew they were HeartMates.

Garrett wiped an arm across his forehead. aGlad to be out of there.a aIt wasnat pleasant,a Artemisia agreed. She glanced at her timer. aIam due to start work in a septhour, I should return to Primary HealingHall.a Garrettas gut clutched even as his brain sought to juggle a few thoughts: TaVine knew who Garrettas HeartMate was and was pleased. Garrett had followed the prophetas advice and TaVine was pleased at that, too. How much had Garrett and TaVine changed the future? How bad had the alternative been? Not that he would have refused the Healers . . .

And what of the viewing? There had been plenty of suspects; who was important to the case?

aSee you . . . sometime,a Artemisia said not really cheerfully.

aPlease, Artemisia, walk with me,a the words were out of his mouth before he realized how pleading they sounded.

aI donat thinka"a Sleek Black shot from the bushes, trotted beside them. There you are! he scolded Garrett loudly. You called the ferals together and did not come.

aIam late,a Garrett agreed between his teeth. Go to the park and tell them I am on my way and those who stay will have extra good food. So will those who have left and return.

The catas tail thrashed. And I get treats, nip.

aGo,a Garrett said.

Sleek Black narrowed his eyes, twitched his whiskers, and bounded away.

aGathered the ferals together?a Artemisia asked.

aYes, my informants that I use in my business.a She blinked.

aYou must have figured that out.a Color came to her cheeks. She jerked her arm from his grasp. aYes, but I didnat consider all the details because Iam just a gentle, naive soul.a aWhy are you angry? And why do you say that?a It was true, but he wasnat foolish enough to admit it.

aEveryone seems to think that I am not a strong person. That I should be sheltered. Because I like a peaceful life.a She stomped a few steps. aI donat like confrontation, but I can fight if I need to.a aYouare very strong.a That was the truth. aAnd Iam sure you fight.a Battled against sickness, at least. He wouldnat have trusted her in old Downwind that had been demolished.

aI donat need to be protected.a She tossed her head and some of her hair escaped her braid. aBarton Clover said I shouldnat have been at the viewing. As if I havenat seen more corpses than he ever has, havenat seen more blood and wounds and sickness.a Guilt twinged through Garrett. He shouldnat have taken her to the event. aThe atmosphere was bad.a aTrue.a Her lips firmed, she shook her head. aI doubt Barton Clover will scry me again, the way you acted.a A surge of satisfaction was chased by incipient panic at the thought of her weddinga"or even having s.e.xa"with someone else. He was in a terrible mess. His own d.a.m.n fault.

She slid him a look. aTaVine seemed to know you.a At least she was curious. He matched step with her and slid his hand around her arm again. Head like to hold hands with her, even link fingers, but was sure she wouldnat allow that.

Oh, yeah, he was doomed, all right, unless he did something right. Soon.

aDidnat I tell you?a he kept his tone light. aTaVine paid me a visit the morning that I met you at Primary HealingHall. He recommended that I do everything the FirstLevel Healers requested.a aOh!a Her lovely emerald eyes widened and she looked up at him, fascinated, stroking his ego.

aYes. And I did.a He linked elbows at that.

aI wonder . . .a But Artemisia shook her head and sighed. And though she was gentle and naive in some areas, Garrett believed she had enough imagination to visualize another epidemic of the Iasc sickness.

aItas a pretty day,a he said.

aYes.a Great, he was so smooth he had to talk about the weather to his HeartMate. They were in step, the link between them had naturally widened. The rhythm of their breathing and hearts were the same.

Apollopa Park came into view, already looking more tended from Leger Cinchonaas efforts. Garrettas shoulders tightened. He had faced the fact that Artemisia wouldnat wait for him. Gentle she might be, naive, but he was sure she had a stubborn streak. She wasnat going to change her mind about him, about waiting for him because he was her HeartMate. She planned on loving someone else, making a life, having children, with another man.

He ripped inside, bled.

But why should she wait? He hadnat searched for her, claimed her, offered her a HeartGift. Head even resisted making a HeartGift during the dreamquest Pa.s.sages that freed his Flair.

Had she made him a HeartGift? He was afraid to ask.

He couldnat go on like this. Couldnat. There was no way around it, head have to make more of an effort to win her trust.

If he accompanied her to the appointment with the priest, offered to be counseled with hera"or even spill his guts, accept whatever the man had to saya"that might help. Show he would work with her to fix his mistakes.

When he reached the park, none of the ferals waited in the open, though he could sense them hiding in the shadows or the bushes or a burrow.

The mirrored cubes of the fountain glittered with s.h.i.+ny surfaces, reflecting rainbows, throwing colorful sparkling water droplets into the air. The splas.h.i.+ng water sounded cheerful. Garrett didnat know what the priest had done to the park, but the layer of negativity laid by the murder had been erased.

Yet he led Artemisia to the opposite side of the park from where theyad found the body, closer to the round Temple and flowers that released equally pretty fragrance into the summer afternoon. Reluctantly he withdrew his arm from Artemisiaas, holding his breath to see if shead run.

aOh, Leger Cinchona has done so much work in such a short time!a she said.

Garrett had wanted her focused on him. aWill you sit with me as I summon the ferals?a No need to say they were already near. He rocked back, heel to toe, sensing the energy of the earth and the area. Again, cheerful. aPlace seems acceptable for a light meditative trance.a Once more her gaze slid to him, along him. Did she wonder whether she was safe with him?

aI will always protect you,a he said.

She snorted, shrugged, her lip curled. She trod around a small area, using her own Flair, then settled in the short gra.s.s, legs crossed.

Keeping an eye out, he moved close to her, only stopping when he saw a line form between her brows, then slid into the same position. Not quite as near as head wanted, of course, their bodies didnat toucha"though as he breathed deeply, he became aware of the energies cycling between them.

She dropped immediately into a deep trance and he stared. She could do thata"would do thata"in a public place?

He was torn between calling her back with a sharp lecture and the fact that she must really trust him, innately, to defend her.

So he didnat go deep, only let his body and thoughts relax into the hum of nature. He drew more ferals that way, the more skittish came to talka"or be a part of the circlea"or partake in the energy or whatever. He figured Artemisiaas serenity and the feral Famsa curiosity would lure them all.

His eyelids lowered, and he remained lightly in trance but alert. The area had an unexpected feeling of blessing about it, obviously was still sacred ground. He was aware enough to feel the auras of the feral Fams as they crossed into the open. Sleek Black came and sat before them, beyond Garrettas reach. Garrett let the Fams ring him until he thought they were all there . . . eight cats, two dogs, and three foxes. Despite the word head sent out, there were no racc.o.o.ns.

One last deep breath and release and he opened his eyes fully and scanned the crowd. As usual they were quiet . . . pride was involved and not one of them wanted to show any uneasiness before members of their own species, let alone any other.

At his movement the leader of the fox contingent barked. You have an interesting quest?

More than one. Garrett smiled; some of the animals rustled in antic.i.p.ation. Before a cat could ask, Garrett said, I will provide a feast for you all in the courtyard behind my office building, but I wanted to speak to you here first.

Because a man was killed here, said another fox.

Yes.