Heart Quest (6 page)

D'Hazel joined the children. “Avellana is sure.”

The little girl turned. “Vinni can have the housefluff.”

Vinni's eyes widened. “N—”

“A good idea.” Danith chuckled.

Ilex got the impression that the boy hadn't anticipated Avellana's action—interesting. Hesitantly, Vinni took the housefluff from Danith, grinning when the Fam snuggled into his arms. “Her name is Flora.”

Ilex eyed Vinni. A prophet. It wasn't often Ilex was in a prophet's company. His own occasional foreseeing gift was minuscule compared to this lad's.

Cuddling his new Fam, Vinni stared at Ilex as Danith spoke with the Hazels. “I can guess what you're thinking,” Vinni said. “Yes, we can talk, but I'll demand a price. Personal, from you.”

Raising a brow, Ilex said, “I don't think—”

Vinni jerked his head. “We'll talk.” Glancing back at the group of females, he said, “I'll be right outside.” He walked into the corridor and down to the reception area. Ilex followed. “I won't give you a reading about your case.” He sounded more serious than any young boy should.

“Why not?”

His fingers trembled as he stroked the housefluff 's fur and he shook his head. “I can't see it well. It's ever shifting, as if there are too many variables in the future, too many options.” This time, his smile was unamused. “And there's a darkness around the crimes.” He looked up at Ilex with fear in his eyes. “I don't want to look into the darkness.”

Ilex curved his fingers around the boy's shoulder. “Then don't. No one would ask you to, especially since the future is in flux.”

The shoulder under Ilex's hand relaxed. “Thank you.” With a sidelong look: “Now, my price for that information. You listen to my advice.”

“And that is?”

Vinni's lips curved; his green-brown eyes once again met Ilex's steadily. “Don't believe everything you
see.
”

 

I
lex spent the rest of that and the next day visiting the best
incense makers and shops, but didn't get a whiff of the unknown herb he'd scented while interviewing the Fams. He reported to his Chief and handed off the investigation to his night-shift colleague who'd been equally unsuccessful. His sense of smell was ruined for the day.

He entered MidClass Lodge, anticipation at giving Trif a teleportation lesson fizzing in his blood. He heard her piercing scream and felt her pulse of horror all the way down the corridor. He sped down the hallway and was at her threshold, blazer drawn, just in time to hear her gasp.

“What's wrong?” he demanded.

Huge tears rolled from her eyes. Her breath choked and she only pointed.

His FamFox, Vertic, sat at the threshold of her bedroom, a tiny limp kitten in his mouth, his eyes dancing with satisfaction.

Ilex's blood ran cold. He didn't know whether to holster his blazer or kill his own Fam.

The kitten twitched.

“Lady and Lord!” Trif screeched, then rushed into her apartment and dropped to her knees, shaking hands outstretched for her kitten.

Greyku hissed.

Vertic dropped the little cat into Trif 's hands and panted, tongue lolling.
Bad kit. I caught her running around the garden, about to slip under the gate to the road.

Trif held Greyku up by the scruff of her neck. “Is that true?”

Slowly blinking huge, innocent eyes, Greyku said,
Garden bo-ring.

Ilex holstered his blazer and propped a shoulder against the doorjamb, crossing his arms. Vertic loped over and Ilex bent down to rub his head.

“What about the apartment?” asked Trif. “You were the one who wanted to stay here.”

Home bo-ring.

Trif 's lips quivered, but she continued to scold the kitten. “You promised to
stay inside.
”

The window looked good, then the garden looked good, then the road beyond the gate looked good, and the beach beyond the road.
With her thought, Greyku projected overwhelming temptation.

Trif sighed and rubbed the kitten against her face. “I know what you mean.” She glanced at Vertic. “Thank you, Master Fox.”

Vertic dipped his head at her.
Blessings.
He glanced at the late afternoon light filtering through the window.
Time for me to nap. Then I will hunt and eat and visit my old den.

Ilex pushed off the door jamb. “I thank you for not hunting and eating the kitten.”

She Family.
The fox shook his head.
Too adventurous by herself.
He lifted a forepaw in good-bye, then trotted back into the bedroom. There was a slight
thump
as he jumped to the windowsill, then silence.

“I guess she is too bold,” said Trif, stroking her little cat.

The garden looked good,
Greyku repeated.

Ilex shook his head too. Both Greyku and Trif were young enough to succumb to overwhelming temptation.

Good thing he wasn't. “Well, as long as the current crises is over, I'll—”

“We had an appointment for teleportation lessons.”

“Yes. I thought you might reconsider.” He had. He was torn; he wanted to be with her, knew he shouldn't.

Her mouth set. “I want to learn how to teleport well. It will allay my family's fears when I search for a HeartMate.”

It would allay his fears too. “Did you commission a protective amulet from T'Ash?”

Her mouth turned down. “He'll make the jewelry at cost, but then I need a retrieval spell from D'Alder to automatically teleport me to a HealingHall. I can't afford it, not even if I worked twice my normal hours for the next three months.”

Ilex knew where he could get a good spell to return her. His gut tightened. He'd have to see his mother.

T
wo hopeful faces lifted to Ilex. He gave in. “Shall we
practice your teleporting?”

Her face lit. “Yes!”

Me too! I will help.

Ilex studied the kitten. “Perhaps you're right, for now. But Trif will need to know how to teleport without you—”

The kitten sniffed in disdain.

“—in case you want a treat from somewhere across town, say D'Ash's, and don't want to face Zanth when you go beg it.”

Frowning, Trif said, “Thank you for letting the kitten think she can make a servant of me.”

“All cats think people are servants.”

I am not afraid of Zanth. And I don't beg.
Greyku extended a forepaw and flexed her claws.

He'd offended both of them. “My apologies, ladies. But the point stands. Eventually, Trif must practice alone, to know in her bones that she's capable of mastering teleporting by herself.”

But I get to 'port now. Where are we 'porting to?
asked Greyku.

“You must teleport
from
somewhere very familiar
to
somewhere very familiar,” Ilex said.

Let's go to the Ship,
Nuada's Sword.
The Ship can be seen everywhere in Druida. I can show off my new FamWoman to Ship's Cat Samba.

“A major consideration,” Ilex murmured.

Trif smiled. “But it's impossible to teleport into the Ship because it dampens Flair. And I don't know the coordinates of Landing Park very well. So
not
the Ship.” She waved to a yellowed, cracked learning sphere on her dining room table. Ilex recognized it as
T'Bean's Teleportation Teacher
. Trif made a face. “It said the same thing, practice with well-known places I can easily visualize. That means the teleportation pad in Clover Compound and here.”

Ilex glanced around, committed the room's furnishings and placement to memory. Part of his Flair was an excellent recollection of settings. Extending his senses to examine his surroundings was his greatest Flair. “I don't know the teleportation pad at Clover Compound. I do know the park across from the main entrance.” Over the last several years, he'd spent a lot of time lingering in that park, after he'd tracked his HeartMate down, then discovered it was Trif. He'd watched the Family he wanted to call his own, but had never approached them, had seen Trif grow from a pretty teenager into a lovely young woman.

“The park across from Clover Compound?” She glanced at him. “The family owns that park, another to the south of our Compound, and a grove to the north.”

“I helped Straif Blackthorn plant trees and bushes from his estate in that park.” The words were out of Ilex's mouth, demonstrating his need of her approval, before he could stop them.

She beamed and warmth uncurled inside him. He said, “I'll hold your hand and we can practice teleporting to the park.”

“The learning sphere says that for best results, we should be close as possible.” She looked away and flushed. “My Flair is so temperamental, I don't think just holding hands will work.”

His pulse leapt, but his mind cursed. Trying to keep his reaction to her hidden would be tough. Why hadn't he remembered that he'd hugged his nephew close during their sessions—their short three sessions? Ilam had learned quickly after being tutored. Ilex had the impression that Trif, with her uneven Flair, would need more lessons. The notion was both an anticipated pleasure and delightful ache.

“Of course,” he said steadily.

“Good!” She set herself directly in front of him and he wondered how to hold her to give them a close enough connection, but not be too aroused. Impossible. “Let's try this.” Keeping his lower body from hers, he loosely clasped his arms around her waist, aware of the warm curve of her hips.

“That's fine.” She shifted a little.

“Tell me when you're linked mentally with Greyku.”

“When,” Trif said.

Done,
Greyku sent at the same time.

Ilex loosened his shoulders. “Just preparing.”

Trif made a sound of agreement.

“I'll be brushing your mind now.” This was the worst idea he'd ever had in his life. Connecting with her mind would be so intimate, so much what he shouldn't do if he didn't want to be haunted by her forever. He closed his eyes and was enveloped by her—her vibrant aura, the whisper of her breathing felt through his hands, up his arms, and into his lungs, the scent of her, young woman. He sent out a questing thought,
Trif
.

Ilex
. The mental lilt of his name—the respect and affection that came with it—staggered him as they slid easily into harmony.

I am here too!
said Greyku, her thought wriggling in his mind impatiently.
Let's go.

“I'll set the visualization. Clover Park. Late autumn. Evening.” He drew up the images, projected them to Trif. She joined him, showing her own vision, but it wavered. She tensed inside the circle of his arms.

“Easy,” he said. “I'll hold the image and sharpen it. Take my visualization.”

She relaxed as she accepted his vision, solidifying the scene. “It's very good! A better visualization than I've ever had before. I can see the bare branches of the trees as they shift in the wind, dark against the sky.”

“That's my Flair. We have an emotional connection to the park, you because you've lived and played and worked there, and both of us have planted growing things. Can't you
sense
the park, the reality of it as you've known it, as well as a present link to the actual location?”

“I don't know….”

“Relax, try, don't worry about teleporting, just
be
in the park. Breathe slow, deep breaths. No hurry.”

But
—cried Greyku.

“No hurry, kitten. Think of resting in the park.”

Greyku shifted around on Trif 's shoulder, then settled.

Ilex found that he stood easier himself. This was right, holding Trif, helping her. His breathing synchronized with hers—or hers matched his, he didn't know which, and it didn't matter. For one special moment, they were together, living in the moment. He wasn't worried about the future—hers, his, or theirs.

He savored the balance between them—and the kitten—one last instant, made sure her focus on their shared image of the park was solid, then spoke softly. “We will go on three.”

She tensed.

“I'll wait until you relax again, then we will go on three. There is no hurry.”

A few breaths later—a few more seconds of enjoying her in his arms—and he began the count. “One, Trif Clover. Two, Greyku cat.
Three
.”

They arrived in the park. No hesitation, no unbalanced landing.

“We
did
it!” Trif pulled from his arms, whirled around with Greyku shrieking in glee, small tail straight out for balance.

His heart squeezed at the youth of them. When was the last time he'd spun around in happiness? Maybe when he was ten. Before his father had died and his mother had become the woman she was—or revealed the woman she'd always been.

Trif ran up to him and grabbed his hand. “Let's go! We'll head for the landing pad that the family has put up in the corner of the Compound courtyard. Then we can teleport back. I'm
sure
I can hold the image of my mainspace in my head and guide you this time.”

“You are certainly more familiar with that than I.” He lengthened his stride to keep up with her running steps. They crossed the empty street; then Trif opened the door to a hallway leading to another, open, door and the courtyard. Ilex frowned. Neither of the doors had been locked. He'd have to speak to the Clover Family elders.

They were through the hall and into the open space before he could ask Trif who was the head of the Clover household.

She cried in rage, dropping Ilex's hand and shooting toward the far left corner of the yard where a tangle of children bounced up and down on a huge red pad that looked like an oversized bedsponge. The teleportation pad.

Pure horror scrambled his wits. If he'd known the location of the pad and they'd tried to teleport…they could have killed themselves by entangling their solidifying molecules with others—and taken a couple of children with them.
Stop!
He sent a mental command that could be heard throughout the Compound.

All activity in the rectangle stilled. Adults looked to him as he followed Trif to the pad. The children tried to scramble away. “Hold!” With a sweeping gesture, Ilex froze the lot of them. This too was part of his Flair and demanded a certain level—Noble level—and energy to use. But the energy to power it was easily found—fear at what might have resulted, and anger that the Clovers had not been more careful.

Now even the murmuring of the adults ended.

“What were you thinking!” demanded Trif of her younger family members.

“Let me handle this, Trif,” Ilex said, nudging Trif aside so he could confront the bespelled children. It looked as if the oldest was about ten, a girl. The youngest sat in a diaper on the pad, staring up at him all wide eyes and round mouth, eyes terrified that it couldn't move. “Get that one,” Ilex said, releasing the toddler from his “still” spell. A wail rose and echoed off the walls of the surrounding houses.

Trif scooped up the baby and cuddled it. It hid its face into her neck, hiccupping cries until it spotted Greyku; then a chubby hand lifted. A woman came and took the babe.

Ilex snapped fingers under the oldest girl's nose. “You may speak.” He angled his chin at the pad. “What is that?”

The girl gulped, swallowed again, but met his gaze. Brave child. “It's a teleportation landing pad.” Her eyes slid to Trif. “For cuz Trif. She's the only one of us who has enough Flair to 'port and she don't often get it right.”

Reddening, Trif said, “
Doesn't
often get it right.”

“Do you know the penalty for occupying a lit teleportation pad?” He nodded to a post next to the pad that held a bright light—signifying the pad was empty and it was available for use. He flicked it off.

All the adults had gathered behind him. He could feel their auras pressing against his.

“The penalty is all their allowances for the next month,
and
a favor-debt from each for you, guardsman,” boomed a voice.

Ilex's eyes widened. There must be twelve children caught in his spell. Debts from twelve young Clovers. This would tie him to the Family for some time to come.

A big man with a fat belly bowed to Ilex. “Greetyou, Guardsman Winterberry.”

Ilex bowed back. “Greetyou, gentlesir.”

“I'm Pink Clover, Trif 's father.” He scanned the children, looked back at Ilex. “What is the penalty for occupying a lit teleportation pad?”

“For a Family landing place, it is yours to decide, as you did. For a public place, it is a year outcast from Druida.”

Gasps came around him. Ilex met each child's stare in turn. “Realistically, it is death.” He shrugged. “Or could be death, in the worst-case scenario.” Ilex was used to thinking of worst-case outcomes.

Pink nodded. “I believe you've made your point. If you would release the children, please?”

Lifting his fingers, Ilex ended the spell. The children tumbled back onto the pad.

“You twelve will await us in the common room,” Pink said.

“Uh-oh,” breathed Trif beside Ilex.

The children ran to one of the doors as fast as their trembling legs could take them. Ilex turned fully to Pink.

The man's expression was grim. “Though it's our fault too.” He studied the rest of the adults, who all nodded. “We aren't used to having someone with Flair and were negligent in thinking of the consequences of an occupied landing place.” He bowed again. “Trif told us last night that you would be helping her with her 'porting.” He grimaced and tapped his temple with his finger. “Didn't sink in. I promise you, this will not happen again.”

“I appreciate that. I've never seriously harmed anyone in all my career, and I don't want to start with a Clover child now,” Ilex said.

“We all agree,” said a woman, throwing her arms around Trif and hugging her tightly. Ilex had met Trif's mother, Pratty, before. “Greetyou, Gentlelady Clover.”

“Oh, don't call me that. There are too many of us. Call me Pratty. And my thanks for helping my girl.”

“We
'ported
here,” Trif said proudly. “I mean, to Clover Park across the street. Ilex didn't have a good image of the teleportation pad…good thing too.”