Heart Journey Read Online Free
Author: Robin Owens
notice from the FirstFamilies Council was serious business.
Two
A septhour later Del was leaning against fluffy pillows, her legs stretched out on the bedsponge, a meter of softness under her butt. Luxury. A fire was nicely tamed behind glass and pretty to look at. She never got tired of watching campfires.
She’d had her soak in peace. As she’d sunk into the heated and mineralized water, she’d let her mind drift until she was in a meditative trance, setting all concerns, even the papyrus envelope from the FirstFamilies Council and the holosphere from T’Blackthorn, aside. It had been a long time since she didn’t have to keep her wits keen for predators in the night around her.
Something to be said for cities, though they had their own predators. Still, other humans were sometimes easier to face than beasts that would rip you apart with a slice of their claws.
She was dressed in a civilized silkeen nightshirt that slid across her skin. No sleeping in her clothes tonight, either, another luxury.
Now it was time to open the envelope or look at the sphere, and a prickle of dread went through her, vanquishing the last bit of peaceful contemplation from her mind. Which to open first? Straif T’Blackthorn’s probably had a job offer in it, maybe a long journey that he didn’t want to take now that he was settled down with wife and babies. He had a HeartMate, too. She smiled. If he could make a marriage work, then maybe she could. He’d been on the road as long as she had, longer, and running from problems, unlike her.
Yeah, if Straif T’Blackthorn, her occasional lover a while back, could take a partner and be happy, she could, too.
Though she didn’t want to settle down like Straif, especially not in Druida City, nor did she want babies. She just wanted her HeartMate and her maps and the trail curving around the next mountain or through the next stand of trees.
She took the small sphere, remembering Straif T’Blackthorn. They’d had good, fast sex and longer, interesting conversations. He was a FirstFamily lord now, not journeying much. Could hardly get more restricted than the duties of a FirstFamily lord.
Flicking the gray sphere with her thumb, she smiled as his tall, broad-shouldered form solidified in the holo. He was wearing expensive clothes, looking more like a lord than the rough tracker she’d known. His expression was stern, his sandy brows down, his muscles tense as if facing a threat.
Another frisson passed through her.
“Greetyou, Del. There’s no easy way to tell you this news.” He paused and her gut clenched. She wanted to put the holosphere down, now. Sweat sprang to her palms and caused the thing to roll a little. The image stayed vertical. Straif’s nostrils widened as he took a big breath.
Del braced.
“I’m sorry to have to tell you that your Heir, your G’Aunt Inula, and her Family have died in a fire . . .” His lips compressed, then he went on. Cold crackled into ice inside Del. No!
“They didn’t burn, most perished of smoke inhalation, suffocation,” he said as if trying to comfort her. He glanced away as if he could see her shock and grief.
Even more horrible, their name-plant, Elecampane, was known for freeing congestion in the lungs. Did Straif recall that? Probably not. Del’s own chest tightened. Tears welled in her eyes, trickled down her cheeks, and the rushing in her ears had her missing the rest of the message. Straif’s image was lost as the holosphere rolled from her hand onto the bedsponge.
She brought her knees up, curling, put her head on them, and let grief tears follow shock tears as she tried to make sense of things. Celta was hard enough with sicknesses and low birthrate keeping humans scarce. Why did other things like this have to happen?
Her mind grappled with the news, even as a small portion of her knew this information was hitting her harder than she might expect.
She wasn’t close to her Family, never had been. In their social
Two
A septhour later Del was leaning against fluffy pillows, her legs stretched out on the bedsponge, a meter of softness under her butt. Luxury. A fire was nicely tamed behind glass and pretty to look at. She never got tired of watching campfires.
She’d had her soak in peace. As she’d sunk into the heated and mineralized water, she’d let her mind drift until she was in a meditative trance, setting all concerns, even the papyrus envelope from the FirstFamilies Council and the holosphere from T’Blackthorn, aside. It had been a long time since she didn’t have to keep her wits keen for predators in the night around her.
Something to be said for cities, though they had their own predators. Still, other humans were sometimes easier to face than beasts that would rip you apart with a slice of their claws.
She was dressed in a civilized silkeen nightshirt that slid across her skin. No sleeping in her clothes tonight, either, another luxury.
Now it was time to open the envelope or look at the sphere, and a prickle of dread went through her, vanquishing the last bit of peaceful contemplation from her mind. Which to open first? Straif T’Blackthorn’s probably had a job offer in it, maybe a long journey that he didn’t want to take now that he was settled down with wife and babies. He had a HeartMate, too. She smiled. If he could make a marriage work, then maybe she could. He’d been on the road as long as she had, longer, and running from problems, unlike her.
Yeah, if Straif T’Blackthorn, her occasional lover a while back, could take a partner and be happy, she could, too.
Though she didn’t want to settle down like Straif, especially not in Druida City, nor did she want babies. She just wanted her HeartMate and her maps and the trail curving around the next mountain or through the next stand of trees.
She took the small sphere, remembering Straif T’Blackthorn. They’d had good, fast sex and longer, interesting conversations. He was a FirstFamily lord now, not journeying much. Could hardly get more restricted than the duties of a FirstFamily lord.
Flicking the gray sphere with her thumb, she smiled as his tall, broad-shouldered form solidified in the holo. He was wearing expensive clothes, looking more like a lord than the rough tracker she’d known. His expression was stern, his sandy brows down, his muscles tense as if facing a threat.
Another frisson passed through her.
“Greetyou, Del. There’s no easy way to tell you this news.” He paused and her gut clenched. She wanted to put the holosphere down, now. Sweat sprang to her palms and caused the thing to roll a little. The image stayed vertical. Straif’s nostrils widened as he took a big breath.
Del braced.
“I’m sorry to have to tell you that your Heir, your G’Aunt Inula, and her Family have died in a fire . . .” His lips compressed, then he went on. Cold crackled into ice inside Del. No!
“They didn’t burn, most perished of smoke inhalation, suffocation,” he said as if trying to comfort her. He glanced away as if he could see her shock and grief.
Even more horrible, their name-plant, Elecampane, was known for freeing congestion in the lungs. Did Straif recall that? Probably not. Del’s own chest tightened. Tears welled in her eyes, trickled down her cheeks, and the rushing in her ears had her missing the rest of the message. Straif’s image was lost as the holosphere rolled from her hand onto the bedsponge.
She brought her knees up, curling, put her head on them, and let grief tears follow shock tears as she tried to make sense of things. Celta was hard enough with sicknesses and low birthrate keeping humans scarce. Why did other things like this have to happen?
Her mind grappled with the news, even as a small portion of her knew this information was hitting her harder than she might expect.
She wasn’t close to her Family, never had been. In their social
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