Heart Fortune (Celta) (9 page)

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C
ome quick, come quick! Bad people saying bad things about FamMan. They got him!

“Huh?” Glyssa batted away Lepid’s scratchy claws on her shoulder.

He screeched in her ear, had her jolting up.

Hopping around her, he shouted mentally.
BIG BAD THING HAPPENED. THEY THINK FAMMAN DID IT.

Glyssa shook her head, but excited and noisy voices came from outside her pavilion. She grabbed underwear and slipped into it, frowning that she smelled like her own dream sex, and yanked the first folded clothing from the top of the stack inside her trunk. A licorice red ankle-long tunic with several pockets, including long, square, sleeve pockets. Not really appropriate for running through a camp, but good enough.

Running to the commotion made her more out of breath than she liked. She needed more exercise. Besides dream sex. Besides regular sex, even.

Near the hole to the ship, two rumpled and angry men held Jace, who appeared livid—pale under his tanned skin.

“I did not do this,” Jace stated.

The Elecampanes showed up. “We were told we had a break in security and a theft?” Del asked.

“That’s right. Someone took us out,” said one of the big guys holding Jace.

“Took you out?” Del frowned.

An angry shrug. “Drugged us or something. We don’t sleep on the job!”

“Yeah, we don’t. But we did,” said the other man.

“You checked the hole and the contents when you woke up?”

“Yeah. One of the smaller boxes is gone,” said the man. “We found evidence that this guy—this Jace Bayrum—was there.”

Nine

H
e dropped stuff at the bottom of the girder.” One meaty hand offered
a hawkcel’s feather, a small specialized-looking knife, some leather scraps, and a partially tooled leather pouch.

Glyssa’s breath caught. She had a finely tooled and engraved wallet that Jace had made with his creative Flair.

“I didn’t drug or hurt either of these two. I didn’t steal any box. I didn’t do it. I’m
innocent
,” Jace snapped as he straightened tall. “I left the pouch and scraps in the workshop tent. Someone is deliberately implicating me.”

“These are serious charges,” Del said.

Her husband nodded. “That they are. Andic Sanicle, you went down with Jace yesterday to survey that first room with a viz recorder. Will you do so again, now?”

Andic cocked a brow at Jace, more in doubt at his protestation of innocence than backing him up, Glyssa thought. Without a word Andic took out another recording sphere from his pocket, clambered down the angle of the girder into the ship, stayed only a couple of minutes, and returned. He handed the new sphere to Del Elecampane, shaking his head. “Someone’s been down there, all right. Smears of footprints. And at least one smaller box is missing.”

“It wasn’t me,” Jace insisted.

Glyssa stared at him and when he met her eyes, she raised her brows. He shook his head. Even under these circumstances he didn’t want to acknowledge their relationship. She opened her mouth to say he’d been with her—and he had, in dreams, connecting even in sleep now and then throughout the night, but he scowled. She backed off. For now. She would have to say something, despite Jace, but not in public.

I can solve this mystery,
Shunuk, Del D’Elecampane’s FoxFam said, projecting telepathy loudly enough that those with pretty good Flair could hear him.
I know all here. I will use my superior nose to identify the culprit.
He pointed that nose at Lepid and lifted the skin of his upper muzzle to show teeth in a sneer.

Lepid yipped beside her, sitting but wiggling his butt.
MY NOSE IS BETTER THAN YOURS.
From the gasps of people around her, more could hear Lepid than Shunuk. Glyssa had been told that with each younger generation of Fams, their telepathy and Flair got better. Just as humans.

Del D’Elecampane’s fox sneered at Lepid.
Can’t be.

Lepid growled, his expression angry.
I could not smell the intruders. You won’t be able to, either.

We will see.
The older fox trotted the short distance to the hole, sniffed lustily, yipped and hopped away so fast he turned top over tail in a somersault.

“What is it?” Del demanded.

Sitting paws over nose, Shunuk broadcast loudly.
Someone or someones put nasty, hurt-nose-smell around the hole! Can’t smell! Bad!

“Huh.” Del walked over to where her Fam had sniffed, crouched down and sifted some of the soft dirt into her hands, frowning. “Looks like some kind of chili pepper to me.”

“That would frustrate Fam noses,” said the female Healer.

Del stood, hands on hips. “I don’t want to stop our project.” Her face hardened as she scanned the camp, eyes flinty. “Nor do I want to call in an expert such as the tracker Straif T’Blackthorn or one of his sons.”

A few people gasped. Glyssa wondered if the perpetrator was one of them. The initial shock was dissipating, Glyssa’s temper went on a slow simmer. Her HeartMate had been falsely accused!

“I—” she started.

Zem screeched. People shifted, Jace struggled in the grip of his captors. Glyssa looked around, saw the fluttering BirdFam on the ground where he’d fallen from Jace’s shoulder.

“Watch out!” she ordered, moving over and picking him up, going close enough to Jace that she could smell the scent of him. Still unsmiling, jaw flexing, he nodded to her as she set Zem back on his shoulder.

Another teetery balance and flapping wings and the hawkcel settled, turned his colorful head to stare at the Elecampanes.
I was with my FamMan all night.
Zem snicked his beak.
He was restless.

A flush tinged Jace’s cheeks.

Del looked down at her fox, Shunuk. “Fams have been known to lie.”

I do not lie.
Zem extended his wings and cawed.

“Nor do—” Glyssa started, caught Jace’s furious gaze. She frowned back at him, compressing her lips.

Raz Cherry Elecampane picked up his own FamCat, set her on his shoulder and petted her. “I am willing to reserve my opinion at this moment since I recall seeing the craft items on one of the workshop tent’s tables.”

“Not the knife,” Del said. “He doesn’t leave his tools there. Nobody smart does.”

“Are we sure it’s his knife?” Raz stroked his FamCat.

“I keep my tools in my tent.” An ironic smile twitched on and off Jace’s face. His shoulders had stiffened and he avoided looking at Glyssa. “But I have a simple security spell on the tent, like most of us.”

The Elecampanes linked hands, and when they spoke, it was in unison and pumping enough Flair into the atmosphere around them that brilliant auras surrounded them. “We will not tolerate theft during this excavation. When we find the culprit who removed the box, we will file charges and ship him back to Druida City to stand trial.”

Del D’Elecampane stated, “I’ve already sent a mental notice to Straif T’Blackthorn alerting the FirstFamilies of this theft.” Her lips curled, then she added, “Those nobles will ensure all of Druida City knows that any ‘found’ colonist antiques must be scrutinized and the origin proven beyond any doubt.”

Her stare swept the tense crew, fixed on Jace. “I repeat, whoever stole from us—from all of us, since we all have a stake in this venture—will certainly pay. Let Jace loose. GentleSir Bayrum, please bring your tool kit to our pavilion.” The Elecampane couple turned and strode away, Shunuk FoxFam trotted beside them, sneezing and whining.

Glyssa knew she shouldn’t approach Jace, but couldn’t help herself, especially since the rest of the staff scattered, no one coming near him.

She kept pace with his angry stride, reached out to touch his arm, let her hand drop when he snarled at her. “Keep out of my business, Glyssa. Let me handle this. I can take care of myself.”

She stopped, gulped. Anger for him transformed into anger at him and she flushed with heat, fisted her hands. He yet ignored her.

Too bad.

She turned on her heel and caught up with the Elecampanes. The owners were also being given a wide berth by everyone else. Lepid followed her, though at a greater distance, watching the waving tail of the older fox.

“This is not going to help morale,” Raz Cherry T’Elecampane said.

“We should have anticipated this more than we did,” Del D’Elecampane said.

“We have plans,” Raz soothed. “We found an entrance to the ship sooner than we’d expected. Time to implement higher security.”

Glyssa heard Del’s teeth grind. “At considerable cost.”

“We are on budget. But perhaps it is time to offer shares to our crew.”

Del grunted. “Get them more invested in the project.” Her nostrils widened. “Turn everyone into a spy on everyone else. I
hate
that.”

“We’ll figure something out. Maybe it’s time to present another tension-releasing concert or play.”

Del laughed shortly, elbowed her mate in the ribs.

“That’s your first response to bad morale.” Her mouth thinned. “But I want justice.”

A good opening, Glyssa picked up speed, joined the two, just as Del stopped to sweep an arm across the opening of the owners’ pavilion. “I want justice, too. And I can vouch for Jace’s whereabouts last night.”

Snorting a laugh and shaking her head, Del said, “That’s fast work. Come on in and tell us.”

Lepid sent Glyssa mentally,
I am going to the stables to talk to my stridebeast friend, Alaba.

She’d have liked him with her, but Del’s FoxFam, Shunuk, sat just inside the tent, glaring at Lepid, and Glyssa didn’t think it an appropriate time to talk about clashing Fams.
Have a good time.

I will! Alaba is going with the cook for mushrooms and other foods in the forest. Maybe I will go, too.
He ran off.

Ah, food was involved, Lepid’s interest explained.

I think the cook is dishing out breakfast now. Maybe you can wait at the breakfast tent for me.
Glyssa almost
felt
Lepid skid to a stop.

I will go there after seeing my friend.

Fine.

The Elecampanes settled onto a twoseat. “You can confirm Bayrum’s whereabouts last night?” Del prompted.

“It’s not exactly what you think,” she said.

Raz raised a brow.

Glyssa flushed again, knowing the blood in her face clashed with her hair. She straightened her shoulders. She would never be as expressive with her body as the actor, hardly anyone would be. She wouldn’t let that undermine her self-confidence.

Clearing her throat, she said, cheeks flaming
again
, “We, ah, experienced sex dreams.” A big breath. “Legally, I can tell you
in confidence
that we’re
HeartMates.”

Now she received sincere surprise from them both.

“That’s why you’re here!” Del’s brows lowered.

“Sexy dreams, eh?” Raz Cherry Elecampane patted his lady’s knee and winked at Glyssa. “We know about sexy dreams.”

But Glyssa hadn’t known that Del Elecampane could blush so. “Ah,” Glyssa said, directing her gaze to Del. “I’m also here for the exact reasons I told you yesterday. I
have
contracted with the Hawthorns to do a paper—a story—on Captain Hoku, and I will submit that story as my field paper, as part of my work for my FirstLevel Librarianship.

“Hmm,” said Raz, inclining his head. “We continue to accept you and your duties and activities as we agreed yesterday, then.” Another raised brow and smug look. “No wonder Zem called Jace restless.”

The Elecampanes laughed.

“Yes,” Glyssa said.

After a short pause, Del said, “So, about this dream sex.” She didn’t look at her husband or Glyssa. “In our experience—” she stopped, cleared her own throat. “You said you could vouch for him all night.”

“We have a bond,” Glyssa responded stiffly. “And this is the first time I’ve seen him in years.”

“You knew him before?” Raz asked.

Glyssa
hated
revealing all this. “Yes.”

“Hmm,” Raz muttered.

“I went to bed late, early this morning, and we spent much of the time together or linked. I would have known if he’d left his tent, been excited by descending into the ship by himself, taking a box. I’d have felt such an . . . adventure.”

“Would you have?” Del questioned.

“Yes.”

“Truly?” Del pressed.

“Yes! I am very sensitive to him at the moment.”

“I deduce that Jace Bayrum doesn’t know that he’s your HeartMate?” Raz asked.

“No.”

“Nothing wrong with a woman going after her love,” Del D’Elecampane gritted out.

“No, indeed,” Raz said, picking up his wife’s hands and kissing her fingers, then he grinned at Glyssa. “Especially if it includes dream sex.”

“Here,” Jace called out from the threshold.

Glyssa jolted and turned, seeing his shadow on the canvas. Her pulse thumped hard. How much had Jace heard?

“Come in.” Del pulled her hands from her HeartMate’s, flicked her fingers, banishing the security spellshield and the tent flap opened.

Jace strode in without Zem, stopped and glared at Glyssa. “You! Didn’t I ask you not to interfere in my business?”

“GrandMistrys Licorice had information she thought she should tell us.”

“Dream sex.” Del’s lips curved.

Raz shrugged, all casual. “Dream sex isn’t so unusual between couples who’ve had a fling.”

Glyssa didn’t know how he’d figured out she and Jace had only had a brief affair, but she knew Raz Elecampane was trying to minimize the connection between Glyssa and Jace, helping her keep the secret that they were HeartMates.

Raz bent a stern look on Jace. “You aren’t the only one affected by the theft.”

“No, just the one affected most.” Jace held out a worn leather roll. “My small trim knife is missing.”

Del took the case, opened it. One of the slips was empty. She stroked her fingers over the soft, butterscotch-colored leather. “I don’t feel any spellshields on this.”

“It only had the minimal, easily broken,” Jace said.

“Like your tent shield,” Raz said.

“That’s right.”

“I see,” Del said.

Raz stared at them thoughtfully. “Perhaps it would be best if we decided, despite all your protestations of innocence, the statement by GrandMistrys Licorice, and your Fam’s ‘evidence,’ to keep you, Jace Bayrum, aboveground and away from the action for the moment.”

Jace flinched.

All the blood drained from Glyssa’s head. She’d made things worse, not better for Jace.

Raz continued smoothly, “And though we’ll privately keep an eye out for GrandMistrys Licorice, we’ll show the utmost confidence in her and let her roam as she will.”

A noise strangled in Glyssa’s throat. This was so bad!

“This should help us flush out the wrongdoer or wrongdoers.” Another hard and direct look from the actor. “What is between you two is none of our business. Our business here is this project which we have funded and which we run. Our primary goal remains the same, to excavate this last starship for history and for profit.” Raz stood and Del rose with him.