Heart Journey (31 page)

Plucking her from Straif’s arms, Del smiled down at the child a moment. “He’s a handsome one, isn’t he? Raz Cherry.”

“Wwwwzzzz. Ch. Ch. Ch!” Doolee said, fluttering her lashes at him.

He took her, not recalling the last time he’d held a child in his arms. His sister when they were both young, maybe. None of his friends had children. Most of his friends were unmarried actors.

Doolee gave his cheek a wet kiss. “Mmmm,” he said, and though he was amused, he’d wanted to finish his dance with Del.

He spun in a quick dance step, around and around, good training, knowing that Straif T’Blackthorn couldn’t match him in those steps.

Doolee shouted with delight.

When he returned the girl to Straif, T’Apple was checking his wrist timer. “I have to go.” He nodded to Raz and Straif, rubbed Doolee’s plump cheek, bowed to Del. “It was a fascinating experience.” His eyes glinted. “I accept the commission. I consider it a challenge.”

Del flushed, shifted, lifted her chin. “We’re active.”

“I can see that.” He glanced around the playhouse.

Del offered her hand. “Thank you. Great meeting you.”

T’Apple shook her hand. “I can fit in another ‘sitting’ next week.” He raised his brows at Doolee hopping up and down. “And perhaps you and Doolee can actually sit.”

Del’s dimples creased as she smiled. “We can try.”

“Good. Merry meet.”

“And merry part,” Del and Straif and Raz replied. Doolee said, “Mmmmp.”

“And merry meet again,” T’Apple said. He tucked his supplies away in a satchel and stepped outside. The man’s presence was such that Raz felt it when he teleported away.

At that moment the tinkle of a child’s tune sounded. “Scy!” Doolee yelled and shot toward a scrybowl on a chest in a dim corner.

Del frowned and strode behind her. “I didn’t know there was a scrybowl here.”

“H-h-hr,” Doolee said as she touched the bowl.

“Ah, GrandLady D’Elecampane, at last!” Then the man sputtered, his ruddy jowls quivered as he bridled. Del sighed and picked up Doolee. She stared down at the bowl. Raz joined her.

“Greetyou, T’Anise,” Del said expressionlessly.

He beamed at her, then at Raz. “Greetyou, GrandLady D’Elecampane, GrandSir Cherry.” The man’s face vanished as he bowed. “I would like to invite you to a social event tomorrow night at the Antiquarian Club so we can discuss the agenda for the next New Twinmoons ritual.”

“I’m going out of town,” Del said. “I don’t know when I’ll be back. I’ll let you know when I’m available—”

“The Bloom Noble Circle needs you. As a noble you have a responsibility to this city and planet—”

“I’ve always fulfilled the terms for my NobleGilt, so I’m a responsible noble. I’ll be in touch when I’m available.” Del flicked a finger on the scrybowl water. Her body was tense.

“I’ve heard they do good work,” Straif said neutrally. He came over to take Doolee, who was sputtering at the scrybowl.

“I’ll be out of town for a few days,” Del repeated.

Raz tucked her fingers around his arm. “We’re going to Gael City.”

Straif looked serious. “I’m sorry for your troubles.”

“We’ll get through them,” Raz said.

“Yes,” Straif said. He kissed Del on her cheek and Raz didn’t like the casual gesture, even from a man with a HeartMate. Doolee gave Del several smacks. “Bye!”

“Fare well.” Del brushed a hand through the child’s locks, kissed her back.

“Bye!” Doolee grinned at Raz and he kissed her, too. She smelled like child and city and . . . Blackthorn. He didn’t say so.

“Good-bye,” Raz said.

“Take care,” Straif said, looking at Raz, who knew he’d be held accountable if anything happened to Del.

 

 

R
az was back. Here on her estate, for her. Del’s whole being had
shivered in delight when she’d seen him. No break of their relationship. This time. The misstep she’d made in her wooing had only cost her a few septhours of misery. Enough to tell her that if this affair didn’t transform into a HeartBond soon, she would be aching for a long time.

Before she tried again.

Take the trail for years, maybe.

But that hadn’t happened, and perhaps it wouldn’t, if she was careful. Though she was damn tired of being careful. She was glad when everyone else left . . . even Shunuk, taking a last tally of his food caches before they left Druida.

There should have been awkwardness, but there wasn’t. They’d managed to get over a disagreement with one brief scry, and she wasn’t even good at this. Amazing.

Raz scanned the place. “Interesting.”

Del chuckled. The playhouse had one large room, a little no-time area, and tiny toilet closet. Old furniture, much of it child-sized, was pushed up against the walls. The walls themselves were covered with drawings in various tints against a creamy background, none that would give T’Apple any competition. There were maps. Her maps, both imaginary and real, one was a rough drawing of the estate, with the dark block of the house. “I think Doolee likes it here.”

“It’s a good playhouse for a girl,” he said.

She turned and stared. He shrugged. “I always liked tree houses better.”

“Tree houses,” she said, watching him. “You know, all sorts of things can drop down on you from tree branches.”

“So? You
do
sleep under trees in the wild, don’t you?”

“I have a good tent,” she said.

He chuckled and rubbed his cheek against her head.

They sat on a twoseat and had about two minutes of peace before Shunuk barked and a mew came as did a small mental kitten-voice.
Me, Me, ME! Time for Me to be a surprise. I am in the box, now.

“What was that?” Raz asked, tilting his ear, probably also sensing something through their link.

Del stood. “Time for your third present, before we leave.”

His eyes lit. “Something good for the trip?”

She smiled, hoping it was mysterious. “I’ve always found one good on the trail.”

Shunuk hummed appreciation in her mind.

Not much quiet time for her and Raz today. Maybe there never would be. He was outgoing, his energy high when he was around people. Now they both had Fams, and if they became a Family . . . four individuals. Much noise.

Shunuk ran through the open door and hopped onto the large rounded arm of the twoseat, his tongue out and happy anticipation in his eyes.

Del went into the small room that held the no-time cabinet. Atop it was a white box about four times the size needed for the kitten, wrapped with a big red bow, the kitten’s choice. There were large air holes in the bottom.

I am ready!
the kitten prompted.

With one last big breath, Del picked up the box. She was sure Raz would love the kitten, but Familiars and humans should be matched and . . . Danith D’Ash had known the kitten would be for Raz. Mind simmering with a trace of anxiety, Del took the box in. Shunuk nudged Raz with his muzzle.
You will like this.

Well, one of them knew this was a good move. She put the kitten box on Raz’s lap.

He opened the lid, looked sincerely surprised. “A kitten!”

The kitten hopped out with glee, landing on Raz’s chest, squeaking,
I am here and you are MY FamMan!
She curled all of her claws into his shirt. Del hadn’t thought of that, but it wasn’t one of his expensive silkeen shirts. Anyway, he’d learn that having a Fam could be expensive—emotionally as well as financially.

“A kitten Fam. I saw you with your sister’s,” Del said.

He tilted his head back to look at the little being—who was purring and kneading his chest—in the eyes. “She’s beautiful.”

Leave it to Raz to know at a glance, or in one sentence of a mental voice, that his Fam was female.

He picked her up in both hands and Del got a mental flash of comparison of this Fam with his sister’s. His was chunkier, would not have the delicate, sinuous lines of his sister’s Fam. But this kitten was much more colorful with its mixture of furs, her loud mental voice . . . though her purr wasn’t as loud.

“She’s beautiful,” he repeated. “What’s her name?”

The kitten glanced at Del and she was touched the Fam would let her pick her name. “Rosemary,” Del said. She smiled. “For remembrance.”

Raz stilled and looked at her. “You’re not going anywhere soon?”

“Only with you and Rosemary to Gael City.”

Shunuk yipped.
I am ready to go!

Rosemary lifted her nose, as parti-colored as the rest of her, a third pink, a third brown, and a third black.
I was ready before YOU!
She grinned up at Raz, showing little pointy teeth.
You are a beautiful person; you will fit with ME.

Raz turned her around, looked at her straight, short black tail, her white mask, her mostly blue gray self. “My theater friends will love you, Rosemary.”

She butted her head against his hand.
I am a Cat of many colors,
Rosemary purred.
I am SPECIAL.

All cats think they are special.
Shunuk lifted his head.
Are we going soon or not?

The fox looked down his nose.
May be adventure for you, but regular traveling for me.

I am hungry. I need more FOOD,
Rosemary said.

Del went into the playhouse and pulled two bowls of milk from the no-time, set them down.

“You certainly are special.” Raz set her carefully on her feet in front of the smaller bowl. Shunuk lapped at the other. Raz cocked an eyebrow at Del. “How much does she eat?”

“Don’t know.” Del indicated a papyrus pamphlet and a viz record sphere in the box. “Instructions from D’Ash on how to care for your new FamKitten in two formats.”

“Looks like quite a lot of information.”

D’Ash knows EVERYTHING,
Rosemary said.

“Sure,” Raz said. “I won’t be memorizing this, however.”

As soon as the kitten had finished and Del had stowed the dishes in the cleanser, Raz picked up Rosemary and met her gaze. “You and I will make up our own rules, too. Like never going outside my dressing room at the theater.”

The kitten glanced aside.

With another yip, Shunuk bounded off toward the house, where Del’s duffle was. “Did you come by glider?” Del asked.

Raz nodded. “I’ll drive it to Southern Airpark and someone will take care of it.” His smile showed white teeth. “Probably my father.” Then he frowned, cuddled his kitten closer on his chest. “We’ll be taking a large airship down to Gael City, thirty twoseat couches, seven and a half septhours. Is it all right for Rosemary to be with so many other people?”

“Good for the kitten, D’Ash said. To be socialized.”

Raz snorted. “As if she wasn’t socialized by being in D’Ash’s menagerie or will be in the theater.”

When they reached his glider, Raz put Del’s duffle in the trunk, lifted the passenger door, sat, closed the door, and said, “You can drive if you want.”

“I don’t know how to drive a glider,” Del said.

“And I don’t have time to teach you now. Cherry is fully automatic, so just tell her where to go.”

Hoping she didn’t show her sudden nerves, Del took the driver’s seat.

“Just push the steering bar out of the way.” But Raz did that for her, clicking it into the console. He said the Word to envelop them in the web safety shields she’d rarely noticed. “Go ahead,” he said.

“Southern Airpark,” Del muttered. She wasn’t sure she wanted to learn how to drive a glider. Gliders were useful only in cities. Though they could go off gliderways and roads, they didn’t handle rough terrain well, and this sports model . . . definitely a status symbol.

Shunuk hopped in on Raz’s lap, laughing at his expression and the kitten who sat on his shoulder. Rosemary hissed at the fox, but he only waved his tail at her.

When the vehicle raised its landing stands and moved smoothly along the gliderway, Del acknowledged that the ride was a lot easier than on a stridebeast, or even a horse. No jolting at all. From what Raz had said, he’d become attached to his glider as much as she was to her animals. She didn’t know how that could be.

You are crowding ME!
Rosemary snapped at Shunuk. He ignored her.

The driver’s area, even with the steering bar lifted, was a little too cramped to hold Shunuk on her lap.

Rosemary hopped through the webbing to the little ledge at the bottom of the window and sat in the middle, back turned on them all, staring out. The tip of her tail twitched.

Del turned her head to see Raz’s lips pressed together, laughing silently, but telepathically she heard,
Thank you very much, dearling. She will be constantly amusing.

Deciding to let Rosemary enjoy her sulk, Del continued to talk mentally with Raz. Shunuk could overhear if he wanted, but he was watching Druida City speed by.
How did you like the tapestry?