Heart Search (28 page)
“No. Not right now.”
“Your gilt’s paying for the investigation. I’ve got a lead or two to tug, might head down to Gael City.”
“Good idea.” The buzzer announcing ten minutes before the melee sounded. Laev winced. “I must go now. Keep me informed.”
“Will do. Later.” The scry pebble went dark.
Laev hurried to change.
Y
ou’re doing very well,” Tinne Holly said to Camellia and Cymb
Lemongrass. “Both progressing fine, better than expected, in fact. I anticipate in two eightdays you will be ready to test for the next level.”
ou’re doing very well,” Tinne Holly said to Camellia and Cymb
Lemongrass. “Both progressing fine, better than expected, in fact. I anticipate in two eightdays you will be ready to test for the next level.”
“Fab . . . fab . . . u . . . lous,” Cymb Lemongrass panted from where he was collapsed on the floor beside her.
Camellia didn’t bother trying to speak, but rubbed at her sweaty scalp.
“And since you’ve both been very understanding about cutting practice time and drill review short today, I’d like to invite you to take part in the Best of the Best melee.” Tinne walked to the door of the practice room and stopped with his hand on the latch. “Neither of you would embarrass me now.”
“Thanks,” Camellia managed.
“Thanks,” Lemongrass huffed. “But my Family’s involved in the Great Labyrinth Fair this year. Gotta go.” He heaved himself to his feet, offered a hand to Camellia, and she accepted it to roll to stand.
“Good, the Hollys will see you there,” Tinne said. “We’ll make sure to drop by your shrine and booth.”
Lemongrass grinned and bowed. “My thanks. We’re three-quarters up the bowl in the southwest.”
“We’ll look for you. What of you, Camellia, want to try the bout?”
She didn’t but didn’t think it was an offer she could really refuse. “Of course.”
Tinne laughed as he left.
“Good job, partner.” Cymb put an arm around her and hugged. Like always, he smelled of citrus. Camellia could only wish she smelled so good.
“We did it.” She hugged him back.
“That we did, and I wouldn’ta made it without you, so thanks.” He smiled and a crease showed in his face. “And I’ve got more stamina, so my wife says to thank you, too.”
“Uh. Ah. ’Welcome,” Camellia muttered. Usually he was teleporting home by now, instead he was walking to the door with her. “Not’porting?”
“Not tonight. Not strong enough in Flair to ’port all the way to the Great Labyrinth, but m’Family and I can do it in three hops, don’t want to use anymore Flair than I have to. Came by glider.”
“Oh. Thanks again.” Impulsively, she kissed his cheek.
“’Welcome, partner.” He hurried off to the atrium, and after a big breath, Camellia straightened her shoulders and entered the main sparring room. She noted that the Best of the Best really was that. All the Hollys, even GreatLord T’Holly, were there. So was her teacher, Acacia Bluegum. Camellia walked to stand next to her.
Acacia scrutinized her. “You’re looking good.”
“Thank you. How’s the building refurbishing coming along?”
Rolling her eyes, Acacia said, “Slowly, but I’ll be able to get rid of a lot of frustration here.”
The thirty-second bell rang and the gym fell silent. With a quick glance, Camellia saw that Laev Hawthorn was fighting . . . and there was a group of cats in a corner. Not many people of her own rank were there, and hers was the lowest rank.
A buzzer honked and all stepped past the lines and bowed. Then the fight was on. The melee scrum was rough and scary, exhilarating. All levels took part, though those who were higher—like Laev T’Hawthorn and the Hollys—tended to wipe the floor with anyone lower who strayed into their area. Camellia was watching Laev from the corner of her eyes until she was taken down by another woman and she had to concentrate on getting her own back.
Like most of her rank, she was ruled “dead” long before those at the higher levels were finished fighting. Instead of going to the waterfall rooms like a few others did, she sat on the sidelines and watched with most everyone else. She saw the great T’Holly himself was there, and a few more men well known as fighters, such as T’Ash and Cratag T’Marigold. More, in the far corner away from the humans, cats were tumbling and playing. Mica was wiped from the challenge even before Camellia, and when she sat on the rolled mat, Mica crawled into her lap with a whimpering,
Hurt
.
Hurt
.
Danith D’Ash came up to them, said, “Let me look at you.” She ran her hands over Mica and pronounced, “You’re good enough. You need to eat better, though.” Danith shot a look toward Camellia, who raised her hands.
“I can control what she eats at home. She begs at the teahouses, and my staff are soft touches. She goes to other places outside my control.”
The animal Healer sighed and plopped down beside them, and said, “I understand that. I have a prime moocher in my household, T’Ash’s FamCat, Zanth.” She glanced over to the men still fighting and Camellia looked, too. Only men were on the floor, even Acacia Bluegum had been defeated.
“Oh, they’ve aligned according to generations.” There weren’t many men T’Holly’s age, and just before he went down, his sons broke from their own generations—Holm with T’Ash’s group and Tinne Holly with the younger Laev—and the Hollys took on all the rest.
Laev wasn’t the first to fall and Camellia took secret pride in that, and, again, he’d lasted longer than his Fam. Brazos was at the line designating the fighting area as Laev rose, rubbing his shoulder.
Zanth cheated!
Brazos projected.
Zanth cheated!
Brazos projected.
Camellia figured the black cat was lying. She was pretty sure that cats had few rules and none when fighting. Laev picked up Brazos and petted him.
You did very well.
And Camellia figured that was a lie, too. Laev wouldn’t have had time to watch his cat. But it was a good idea. Still petting Mica, Camellia said, “You did well, too.”
You did very well.
And Camellia figured that was a lie, too. Laev wouldn’t have had time to watch his cat. But it was a good idea. Still petting Mica, Camellia said, “You did well, too.”
Thrashing her tail, Mica said,
Yes, but I do not like to fight, I like to eat better. I will not play again.
Yes, but I do not like to fight, I like to eat better. I will not play again.
A groan and a swear ripened the air and announced the downfall of two more fighters. One was the uncanny Vinni T’Vine, the other a member of the new noble Family, the Clovers. The only non-Hollys now were Cratag T’Marigold and T’Ash, and a few minutes later they went down under the onslaught of the three men.
The Hollys broke into identical grins, slapping each other, then bowed to each other.
Laev dropped down on the other side of Camellia.
She tensed only a little.
Here he comes,
Brazos said.
The CHEAT.
Brazos said.
The CHEAT.
“Oh, dear,” Danith D’Ash said.
A large cat splotched with black and white swaggered around the floor, a ribbon in his mouth. The infamous Zanth, T’Ash’s FamCat. He came up to Danith and dropped the ribbon on her feet, revved a purr that reverberated off the walls.
ME WIN! ME ALWAYS WIN!
the cat shouted mentally, loudly enough that everyone in the room heard him. T’Ash joined his HeartMate. “Good job, Zanth.”
the cat shouted mentally, loudly enough that everyone in the room heard him. T’Ash joined his HeartMate. “Good job, Zanth.”
“Yessss,” Zanth vocalized, then moved to touch his nose to Mica’s.
YOU ARE PRETTY.
YOU ARE PRETTY.
Mica purred. Brazos growled. Zanth looked at Brazos and said,
YOUR SIRE FAT, BLACK PIERRE.
He sniffed.
YOUR SIRE FAT, BLACK PIERRE.
He sniffed.
Danith hopped to her feet, hauled the large cat up in her arms. “Not another sinus infection, Zanth. Sorry, we need to leave. Playtime’s over.”
T’Ash laughed, put his arms around his woman and Fam, and they vanished.
Many smiled at that and headed toward the waterfalls.
Laev’s arm wrapped around Camellia’s shoulders and he squeezed. Glancing down at Brazos, he said, “There is usually someone better than you. Get used to it.”
I am a wonderful YOUNG Cat,
Brazos said.
Brazos said.
“Yes,” Camellia soothed.
Mica leapt from Camellia’s lap, rubbed against Brazos.
I like you better. You have nice long fur.
I like you better. You have nice long fur.
I do,
Brazos preened. He stared at Laev.
You smell sweaty.
Brazos preened. He stared at Laev.
You smell sweaty.
Laev laughed. “I do, so does Camellia.” His eyelids lowered. “Essence of woman.”
“Which means I need to take a waterfall.” She stood, shook her limbs out before they stiffened too much.
He stepped close to her. Then he captured her hand and brought it to his lips, bowed and kissed it, meeting her eyes, his own gaze fathomless. “Come with me.”
“What?”
“I want to get to know you better. I’ll buy you a drink—tea, caff, whiskey. We can talk.”
Her mouth was hanging open, she knew. Surely one of the knocks on her head hadn’t cause hallucinations, had they?
He flung out an arm as if encompassing the whole world. “I’ve the urge to see the Great Labyrinth Fair. I’ve never been and would like to experience it with you. Come with me.”
So he was following urges—due to testosterone from fighting?—dangerous urges that might sweep them both up if she wasn’t careful.
Nineteen
C
amellia’s heart thumped fast and hard, near pain. He was getting far
too close emotionally. He threatened her peace. This could be the start of him thinking about an affair with her, and the more she withdrew, the more he’d pursue.
amellia’s heart thumped fast and hard, near pain. He was getting far
too close emotionally. He threatened her peace. This could be the start of him thinking about an affair with her, and the more she withdrew, the more he’d pursue.
As far as she could tell, he wasn’t interested in anything long term. Flirting, bed games . . . and he didn’t know they already had mental sex. . . . and he didn’t know they were HeartMates, did he?
HeartMates, bonded mates so close that if one died the other followed within a year. That should scare him as much as it did her.
But she wasn’t allowed to tell him that they were HeartMates. That was usually because a HeartMate wanted to claim the other, and to tell someone they were your HeartMate took away free will.
So even though she might use the fact to discourage Laev, if she told him, she’d still be breaking the law, and that didn’t sit well with her.
Maybe there was another way.
She looked around, the space was still busy with people going to and from the waterfalls and the teleportation pad. The Hollys had gone into their private office. No one appeared as if they were watching Laev and her, not even their Fams, who were interacting with the remaining cats.
She wetted her lips and his stare dropped to them. With the hand he still held, she drew him to the wall, lowered her voice, though she didn’t look at him. “You know those hot and sweaty dreams you’ve been having?”
He stiffened abruptly beside her, not looking at her.
“I’ve been having them, too.”
Slowly his head turned. His eyes had widened, his beautiful lavender irises nearly lost by the dilation of his pupils.
He understood what she was saying. He dropped her hand, nodded to her, and walked away.
It hurt, a lot. More than she’d anticipated.
Stup! That was what she’d wanted, right? Despite all the progress she’d made in the last few weeks, she didn’t want a real lover, true intimacy.
She’d given in to her fears.
But so had he.
L
aev kept walking. The knowledge was too sudden and huge. The
pain it could bring, also huge. He strode across the gym, into the men’s rooms, and to the cubby that held his clothes and the pistols. He’d said the strongest protection charm on the small space, along with placing an alarm on it that would have been heard throughout the building. The weapons were safe. He flipped open the box to see them and double-checked, closed it. And stood, wondering what to do.
aev kept walking. The knowledge was too sudden and huge. The
pain it could bring, also huge. He strode across the gym, into the men’s rooms, and to the cubby that held his clothes and the pistols. He’d said the strongest protection charm on the small space, along with placing an alarm on it that would have been heard throughout the building. The weapons were safe. He flipped open the box to see them and double-checked, closed it. And stood, wondering what to do.
If he went home to the Residence in this stunned state, his Family and the house itself would fuss. But there was nowhere else he wanted to be. Despite his earlier set-down of Alma and the Residence, they would still be nosey.
As he would have been if any other of the Family looked as if they received a blow that made them look . . . he went to see himself in a mirror and found he appeared a little wild-eyed but collected.
Still, the Family would sense his upset, even if he stayed in his rooms.
He could go to the Great Labyrinth, walk the path. Since he’d never been, there might be a lot of welcoming and socializing expected. No. He also recalled that some of his cuzes would be manning the Hawthorn shrine and booth.
Where else? He belonged to a couple of social clubs but needed to be alone. In a cave perhaps. The image of Darjeeling’s HouseHeart flashed before his mind’s eye and he knew that would be good—but impossible.
Which left his own Residence HouseHeart, a place he hadn’t been in a while.
Brazos, teleporting in one minute.
There was a hiss in his mind from his cat, then he shot through the doors.
Brazos, teleporting in one minute.
There was a hiss in his mind from his cat, then he shot through the doors.
Too much hurry.
Laev shrugged, tucked the pistol box under his arm.
You did not waterfall and change.
No, come along.
He’d only be in his bedroom long enough to dump his clothes in the cleanser and strip. Brazos hopped onto his shoulder.
He’d only be in his bedroom long enough to dump his clothes in the cleanser and strip. Brazos hopped onto his shoulder.
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