important.
Five
T hat evening Del barely ate due to unusual nerves. Tonight she’d make contact with her HeartMate. She wanted to be perfect.
After a hefty donation to the Flair for the Arts of Druida City organization, her scry cache had clogged up with invitations, including the one she’d wanted. The Spindles, owners of the Evening Primrose Theater, were giving a party to celebrate the one hundred and twentieth performance of the mystery Raz Cherry starred in. Del got the idea that it was just an excuse for a summer party like all the rest.
The donation had been a good investment, and Lady and Lord knew she had more than enough gilt from all the inheritances she’d received—the Family had been wealthy since they’d sold the scrybowl spells and business a couple of generations back.
Elfwort had also sold his spell for personal scry pebbles the year before. That had made him, and his side of the Family, and now Del, very rich.
When she’d studied the accounts, she’d felt guilty about how much she’d received from Inula and the others, and the insurance, and how little outlay she had for her own tiny household of two.
One of whom she hadn’t seen all day and wasn’t at dinner, and she wanted his company.
Even as she thought of him, Shunuk trotted through the Fam door and into the kitchen where she ate at the cook’s table.
“Done anything interesting?” Del asked Shunuk.
He yipped at the pet no-time and a tray extruded with crispy clucker strips. Laughing up at her, he said, Yes. Your HeartMate is a nice-smelling man.
Del’s fork fell from her fingers. “You went to see him.” She wanted to know everything. “How is he?” As if Fam judging would be like human. She couldn’t even think well, let alone talk.
Shunuk buried his nose in the food and ripped at it, bushy tail waving. Without looking at her, he said, Our lives are changing. Your kit lives here in the City. Your HeartMate lives here in the City. Good fox community here in the City. We may stay.
Del’s throat constricted. “I will not live in this city. I don’t like it and things will be expected of me from other folk that I won’t do.”
Now Shunuk slid her a glance. Like wearing shiny clothes, going to gatherings with many strangers.
“That’s right, and attending rituals to keep the City and the planet and our culture going.” A good idea, but she didn’t want to be part of it. “Lots of rules in the City.” She gave her Fam a thin smile. “People care if cluckers go missing, people want to know who prefers clucker meat. Fams of noble houses have rules and duties and responsibilities, too.”
He chewed, gulped. I could have mate, kits. Nice den.
“You are welcome to stay and do so.” He wouldn’t leave her, he loved the wild, of course he wouldn’t leave her.
You will not stay.
“I can’t imagine anything that would make me stay here.” Del thought of taking and raising little Helendula while she continued her exploring. She’d find a way.
A calendarsphere materialized with a chiming that made her flinch in surprise. “Time to leave for the Spindles’ party.”
Del set her teeth, rose, put the dishes in the cleanser, washed her hands in the sink. She strode barefoot down the long corridor to the modest entry hall. A section of wall was a mirror and she stared at herself, winced.
The first time she’d dressed formally in over a decade. But she wanted her HeartMate to look at her and see an attractive woman, not a dusty frontier gal who could take on a slashtip.
She could hardly believe the reflected image was her. Long, firm limbs, yeah, those she recognized. Her hair was shorter than ever in tight blond curls due to the closeness of the ocean.
Her pale green eyes had tinted color on the lids, and her eyelashes were dark and long. She’d reluctantly practiced enhancing spells several times. Her long gown was thin silkeen, the bodice was square cut and showed the tops of her breasts. The whole thing
Five
T hat evening Del barely ate due to unusual nerves. Tonight she’d make contact with her HeartMate. She wanted to be perfect.
After a hefty donation to the Flair for the Arts of Druida City organization, her scry cache had clogged up with invitations, including the one she’d wanted. The Spindles, owners of the Evening Primrose Theater, were giving a party to celebrate the one hundred and twentieth performance of the mystery Raz Cherry starred in. Del got the idea that it was just an excuse for a summer party like all the rest.
The donation had been a good investment, and Lady and Lord knew she had more than enough gilt from all the inheritances she’d received—the Family had been wealthy since they’d sold the scrybowl spells and business a couple of generations back.
Elfwort had also sold his spell for personal scry pebbles the year before. That had made him, and his side of the Family, and now Del, very rich.
When she’d studied the accounts, she’d felt guilty about how much she’d received from Inula and the others, and the insurance, and how little outlay she had for her own tiny household of two.
One of whom she hadn’t seen all day and wasn’t at dinner, and she wanted his company.
Even as she thought of him, Shunuk trotted through the Fam door and into the kitchen where she ate at the cook’s table.
“Done anything interesting?” Del asked Shunuk.
He yipped at the pet no-time and a tray extruded with crispy clucker strips. Laughing up at her, he said, Yes. Your HeartMate is a nice-smelling man.
Del’s fork fell from her fingers. “You went to see him.” She wanted to know everything. “How is he?” As if Fam judging would be like human. She couldn’t even think well, let alone talk.
Shunuk buried his nose in the food and ripped at it, bushy tail waving. Without looking at her, he said, Our lives are changing. Your kit lives here in the City. Your HeartMate lives here in the City. Good fox community here in the City. We may stay.
Del’s throat constricted. “I will not live in this city. I don’t like it and things will be expected of me from other folk that I won’t do.”
Now Shunuk slid her a glance. Like wearing shiny clothes, going to gatherings with many strangers.
“That’s right, and attending rituals to keep the City and the planet and our culture going.” A good idea, but she didn’t want to be part of it. “Lots of rules in the City.” She gave her Fam a thin smile. “People care if cluckers go missing, people want to know who prefers clucker meat. Fams of noble houses have rules and duties and responsibilities, too.”
He chewed, gulped. I could have mate, kits. Nice den.
“You are welcome to stay and do so.” He wouldn’t leave her, he loved the wild, of course he wouldn’t leave her.
You will not stay.
“I can’t imagine anything that would make me stay here.” Del thought of taking and raising little Helendula while she continued her exploring. She’d find a way.
A calendarsphere materialized with a chiming that made her flinch in surprise. “Time to leave for the Spindles’ party.”
Del set her teeth, rose, put the dishes in the cleanser, washed her hands in the sink. She strode barefoot down the long corridor to the modest entry hall. A section of wall was a mirror and she stared at herself, winced.
The first time she’d dressed formally in over a decade. But she wanted her HeartMate to look at her and see an attractive woman, not a dusty frontier gal who could take on a slashtip.
She could hardly believe the reflected image was her. Long, firm limbs, yeah, those she recognized. Her hair was shorter than ever in tight blond curls due to the closeness of the ocean.
Her pale green eyes had tinted color on the lids, and her eyelashes were dark and long. She’d reluctantly practiced enhancing spells several times. Her long gown was thin silkeen, the bodice was square cut and showed the tops of her breasts. The whole thing
Similar Books
