Heart Journey Read Online Free Page A

striving, her parents had distanced themselves from the middle-class branch. Del herself hadn’t met them very often. But she’d always known they were there, carrying on the Family name if something had happened to her.
    Now she was the last of her Family. How much would that affect her plans and her life? Never much wanted the title, but she’d gotten it. Resentment and anger flared inside her. She didn’t want to be the last of her Family! Didn’t want to have other people’s, city people’s, expectations dragging her down.
    There was a slight whoosh and the scent of the night air. Shunuk landed next to her and she raised her head. He stared up at her with dark, concerned eyes. Something is wrong.
    Del moved cold lips. “All the rest of my Family has died.”
    Shunuk’s tail plumped in distress and he swished it. That is not good.
    “No.” How “not good” she still didn’t know. But she grieved for the people who had also carried the Elecampane name. Her Heir, G’Aunt Inula, and her husband; their two children, older than Del; then the third generation, young Elfwort and his wife and child . . . Del swallowed. The baby had been named Helendula, very close to her own name, Helena. She shuddered. She’d only seen the newest Elecampane once.
    Lying down next to her hip, Shunuk was added warmth, but he must have touched the sphere, because Straif’s voice rumbled into the silence.
    “All but one died, but one did survive.” As Straif paused, Del lunged toward the sphere. Shunuk yelped and leapt away.
    One had survived! Lady and Lord’s blessing! Who? They’d be cursing her at not being there to help, though they should have had enough funds to do whatever was needful. Had they been hurt much? Were there medical bills to pay?
    “. . . Little Helendula’s room was at the end of the wing. Her door was closed and she was sleeping on a floor bedsponge. The fire mages got to her in time. She was taken to the Maidens of Saille House for Orphans until you returned.”
    When? When had this happened? Del had been out of touch for nearly a year and Straif sure wasn’t telling this properly. Letting her think she was the last.
    But she was the last adult.
    “As soon as I heard I arranged to take over your affairs here in Druida . . .” Good! She’d owe him. Her fingers curled over the sphere, she sat up with a grunt and stared at Straif. Shunuk sat next to her and did the same.
    Straif looked grim and raked his hands through his hair. A touch of red lined his cheekbones. He cleared his throat. “The NobleCouncil took my word we’d been lovers and I’d know what you’d want.” Well, he was a FirstFamily lord, they would take his word. But with him wed to his HeartMate, that must have been interesting. Del definitely owed him. “You’ve probably got a formal notice from the FirstFamilies Council that you are the last adult of your line.”
    Again he looked aside. His shoulders set and he stared directly back at her. “When my wife and I heard of little Helendula’s circumstances we went to the Maidens of Saille House for Orphans and removed her into our care.”
    Del’s hand went limp again and the sphere rolled away, onto the bedsponge and down to the floor, where it bounced on a rag rug. Del watched it go, as did Shunuk. His tail flicked. He turned to meet her eyes.
    You have a kit, he said.
    She had a child.
    She ripped open the envelope. In stilted, formal, legal terms, it told her what Straif had. She let it, too, flutter to the floor, stunned.
    The last of her Family, herself and a child a little over a year old.
    Shunuk put a paw on her knee, looked her in the eye. Kits must be cared for until they are old enough to fend for themselves.
    Yeah, that made her gut feel worse. He rubbed his paw along her leg in comfort. We can do that.
    “We’ll ride at dawn. Then we can make it to Gael City before the last express airship leaves for Druida.” She flipped up the covers, slid between soft linens,