Heart Fate (50 page)

Tinne stood outside the gate of the Turquoise House and looked
across the courtyard to where it glowed. It seemed satisfied with itself, growing into maturity. Just as Lahsin had. They suited each other, better than he had suited the place.

But he'd helped its development, had helped Lahsin. He could take pride in that.

He'd received a scry from TQ that the majority of those at the meeting had approved of offering the Mugworts the BalmHeal care-taking position. Notes of research results had been included, testifying to the honor and decency of the Family, and nothing of problems. Tinne had crafted a Vow of Honor for the four that Ruis Elder and his wife, SupremeJudge Ailim Elder, had approved.

He'd just come from speaking to the Mugworts under a secrecy spell. The relief that had flowed from them had been nearly overwhelming. They were pitifully grateful for the opportunity, and all had eagerly sworn Vows of Honor to care for BalmHeal Residence and safeguard it and the estate. They would interfere in no way with people who entered, unless those wished help.

Tinne had wanted to talk to Lahsin about it, missed discussing matters with her. Anything regarding FirstGrove and BalmHeal Estate was not something he could speak to many about. Furthermore, she'd promised to key the spellshields individually to each Mugwort and the Family in general, so he'd wanted to tell her to meet them at the northern door at RetireBell.

But she wasn't here. TQ had excitedly told him Lahsin was out procuring supplies for a ritual to spellshield its HouseHeart. So Tinne had left a message.

Lady and Lord, he hurt! Every minute was a struggle to endure. How could he have fallen in love again so fast? Except now that he looked back at his marriage, he saw that it had been over much longer than he'd believed.

He wanted Lahsin more than he'd ever wanted anything else in his life. More than he'd wanted to survive when the lifeboat had crashed. He'd had his brother then and had known they'd prevail. Now he wasn't sure he could make it another day without her.

Didn't that sound desperate! He snorted an ironic laugh. Here he was languishing outside his lover's, his HeartMate's, home. He wouldn't come back here, or go to FirstGrove.

Of course he wouldn't die without her. He'd continue to put one foot in front of the other, keep going until he found some emotional balance, then walk that tightrope of balance until he built habit and might someday find contentment in his daily life.

He would survive, live the best he could one septhour at a time.

But the agony wouldn't be going away soon.

 
 
Dressed in a flowing white ritual robe, Lahsin opened the hidden
door that led to the Turquoise House's new HouseHeart.

She'd assured Mitchella D'Blackthorn and the Turquoise House that she could work a full spellshield on it, and was told that even more was necessary. The House was willing to let her touch the HeartStones that held its personality and memory and being. She was to protect them and the new HouseHeart. It was a great honor that made her nervous. She'd boosted existing spells, revived and revamped the ancient BalmHeal ones, but had never created brand-new ones. This would be a true test of her Flair.

She walked through the passageway started by moles and finished by a machine from the starship. The moles probably knew where all the HouseHearts were located and didn't have much contact with people. The machine had no memory bank to keep any information about the project. The HouseHeart had already been decorated according to its own specifications by Mitchella D'Blackthorn. The HeartStones and space had been consecrated by the high priestess and priest of GreatCircle Temple. Lahsin would provide the spellshields. Both she and Mitchella had consented to memory-dimming spells. In a week, she wouldn't recall much about the HouseHeart or details of the HeartStones.

For now she said a blessing and the simple opening spell before the door and took off her shoes. Then she stepped into the room and was impressed. Each wall had a different holosphere mural, which would eventually sink into the wall itself and become permanent. The north wall showed a profusion of exotic plants surrounding a turquoise pool where animals had gathered. “Gorgeous,” Lahsin said.

“It is a garden in the Southern Continent,” TQ said.

“Very beautiful.” She smiled as she saw one of the animals was Strother. There was a small creamy pinkish tomcat and an elegant-looking fox. Then light brightened as if the sun rose, and flowers opened. Lahsin stood and stared. As she did, figures projected from the trees. She recognized Mitchella D'Blackthorn and her son, Antenn, several years younger than he was now. There was Tinne . . . and herself! Hand in hand. She swallowed.

“All my residents whom I can recall,” the House said proudly.

“Ah, yes.” Lahsin turned away.

The west wall showed the rolling tide on Maroon Beach south of Druida. As she looked at it, Lahsin became aware of the sound of the surf that permeated the room like its own pulsing heartbeat. The south wall was a huge stone fireplace, the opening nearly as tall as she. Crackling flames gave even more comfort. She went to the wall and touched a roughened stone slab. Real. Held out her hands to the fire. Definitely real. Near the right corner was a tall storage frame for the wood.

“I wanted a real fire,” TQ said.

“You got it.”

“Yes. Other Residences told me they have a special feature, most built by their Family to reflect certain characteristics or nature. Since I don't have a Family yet, I chose for myself.”

“You did very well.”

“Thank you. Mitchella said so, too, and she is the best at decorating. I have ambience and atmosphere.”

“You certainly do.”

“Or maybe it's atmosphere and ambience.”

She turned and saw the wall that held the door. The wall was a pale silkeen of yellow with bright red and blue flowers, in each corner was a tree with branches flowing in a gentle wind. Chimes stirred gently. She stopped and stared.

“I saw this pattern in your head when you were talking to me mentally about BalmHeal Residence. I liked it very much,” the Turquoise House said.

Lahsin swallowed. “I recognize the old paper in the great hall.” How much could residential entities read minds?

“It was a strong impression,” the Turquoise House said. “I liked it. And I wanted my own Fam.”

“Your own Fam?” She still mulled over its previous words.

“Look closely.” Humor laced the House's tones.

She studied the wall. There, off to one side, sat a holographic cat. It was a small gray and white tabby with some red and blue tinting to blend in with the pattern.

“My FamCat will be with me forever. I have already given her a little memory and information on cat habits. She may begin to move in a decade or two—”

The House certainly sounded like it had accepted the truths of its existence, had become an adult just as Lahsin had.

“—and right now she is the best of FamCats, she doesn't speak!” The house chuckled.

Lahsin smiled.

Then the fire died. She whirled. “Why—”

“Oh.”

“Oh.” Lahsin looked in, saw five pebbles and a shiny black rock with sharp edges that was roughly pyramidical.

“Excellent deterrent.”

She bent a little, the thick hearth was hot on her soles. Mind-speaking was more secure.
Can you cool this area so I can get your stones? Then we'll begin the shielding.

It only took a moment before the fireplace emanated a chill instead of warmth.

The House made a shocked noise.

“You are allowed to fight and hurt someone who is trying to hurt you,” she said firmly.

I have already harmed one who harmed me.
The words were barely a whisper in her head.

“So have I. We're alike that way, and we had no choice, did we?”

She reached and scooped up the pebbles. When she grasped the obsidian it slipped a little and sliced her. She watched as her blood slicked down her hand and a couple of drops dripped into the corner.

Another odd sound from the House.

She said,
This will make my spellshields even more powerful
, but knew that memory of this place, gone or not, she'd be linked with the House as long as she lived.

The HeartStones felt odd in her hands, humming, alive. She swallowed again, went to the altar, and set them upon it. She prayed and drew on her Flair and bespelled them individually, then as a unit, then replaced them in their corner and put ash over them. The House sighed in her mind. Next she touched the inner walls of the fireplace, felt the blessing of the priestess and priest, smiled as she wove a spell to work with the blessing and safeguard the stones.

She stepped away from the fireplace, watched the fire ignite and rise again, put a couple of logs on it, and shielded the wall.

Finally it was time for the true test of her Flair, to fashion a spellshield for the entire House.

She had just enough Flair to complete the project. She drew in a long breath, leaned against the wall next to the door, and thought she felt the slight brush of the holographic cat's fur. Visualizing the layers of the spell that would shield the House from the inside out, with the strongest here in the HouseHeart, she set her hands against the wall and summoned her Flair.

She sent spells once, thrice, a dozen times through the House, until it was encased in a glittering diamond sheen in her mind's eye. Impenetrable, protected.

Lahsin let her knees collapse and crawled, panting, over to a large fat cushion by the fire and let the heat dry her skin.

“You have made me very, very beautiful!” the House caroled. “Come outside and look!”

After she'd cleaned up and changed, she went out and stared at the House. The Turquoise House was permanently that deep color and shiny like it had been fired in enamel.

“Lovely,” SupremeJudge Ailim Elder said, walking up.

Lahsin tensed and pasted a smile on her face. “Thank you.”

A corner of Elder's mouth quirked. “I believe T'Ash has requested full Residence spellshields, too?”

“Yes.”

“It will be interesting to see his reaction to having his pale yellow armourcrete Residence shiny as the inside of an egg.”

“Maybe it won't turn out like this,” Lahsin said doubtfully.

They studied the House, met each other's eyes, and chuckled. Knowing her duty, Lahsin said, “Please come in for a hot drink.” The day was bright, but cold, another snowstorm was on the way.

Ailim Elder shook her head. “Thank you, no. I wanted to inform you that D'Yew contested my actions and verdict with regard to her father's death.”

Stomach tightening, Lahsin wished
she
had a nice warm drink in her hands. Preferably with alcohol. “Oh.”

“A panel of three judges examined the matter and agreed with me.” Ailim smiled. “I know the law, and I'm a telempath, my rulings are rarely overturned. This is not one of those times.”

Breath she hadn't realized she was holding whooshed from Lahsin.

The SupremeJudge's brows knit a little. “Then the FirstFamilies Council got into the act.”

“Of course. Politics. Alliances.”

“Of course,” Ailim sighed. “
They
scrutinized my actions, but they, too, are careful around me.” Steel laced her tones. “The vote for accepting the verdict of accidental death was unanimous. D'Yew was not allowed to vote.”

“Oh.”

“D'Yew could be a vengeful, unpleasant enemy.”

“I know.” No one knew better.

“But I wanted to update you, especially since some articles will be in the newssheets.”

“Thank you.” She curtsied.

Ailim inclined her head. “You are most welcome.” She glanced at the Turquoise House and shook her head, smiling. “Merry meet.”

“And merry part,” Lahsin said automatically.

“And merry meet again. You'll be getting an invitation to the annual open house and report on the state of
Nuada's Sword
.”

“Thank you.” She didn't know if she'd go. Last year had been hideous.

“Better get in, the weather's changing,” Ailim said, lifting a hand before she teleported away.

 
 
The next day Lahsin sat in a huge, soft chair looking out the
mainspace window at heaps of drifted snow. Neither she nor the House knew the proper spells for snow removal or patio and courtyard drying and maintenance. The House had dithered until Lahsin said that she liked the look of it. And the quiet.

She was more used to the quiet of her own thoughts now. Burdock Residence had been crowded and shabby and noisy, T'Yew Residence cold and quiet and formal, FirstGrove empty.

If she extended her Flair she could sense the other minor Nobles and upper-middle-class people who lived in the large homes around her, or the passing of the PublicCarrier on the street. She liked the feeling of being among but not with others.