Heart Quest (33 page)

“I'd be legally bound to you. Not just having an affair with my HeartMate, but essentially your wife.”

He picked up her hand and kissed her fingers. The bond between them flowed with tender emotion. “My HeartMate. I couldn't deny it. I was ready to accept the HeartBond.”

“You
did
accept the HeartBond.” She studied him. “How do you feel?”

With his free hand, he probed his temple. “Fine. I hit my head on the corner of that iron scrytable of yours.”

“You'll have a scar there, something that looks like a white starburst.”

“That seems appropriate for the time I spent in the space between life and death and rebirth.” He sat up. “I was dodging racing animals. My Fam chased yours away from my HeartGift.”

Greyku stared at them with huge, innocent eyes.
Just looking.

“Hell you were,” Ilex said. “You were going to rearrange it.”

The kitten huddled to make herself appear even smaller and more helpless.

Vertic barked.
Meddling cat.

“Yes, a happy Family,” Ilex repeated. “I take it Zinga Turmeric is out of our lives.”

“Yes. She died.”

“I would have wished she'd suffered more.”

Trif remembered the twitching body, the scent of the woman who'd soiled herself. But Ilex's expression was hard and cold—the fighter, the guardsman, the man—all aspects of him had wanted punishment for Zinga. Had yearned to destroy the one who'd hurt his HeartMate. That Trif knew from their bond.

But she wanted to change the subject, and curiosity burned. “What is it?”

“What?”

“My HeartGift,
what is it
?”

Ilex raised his brows. “Perhaps we should go and see.” He gestured to papyrus resting on a table. “Lark was here and dismissed me. I was only waiting for you to wake.” He sighed. “The Fams have been noisy.”

Greyku sniffed.

He slid from bed, and tugged on her hand. “I've had enough of HealingHalls lately.”

“It's a nice place,” she said, finally noticing the expensive and exquisite furnishings.

“It's not our place.” He lifted her fingers to his lips. “We will never live apart again, thank the Lady and Lord.”

She cleared her throat. “I had hoped that we could live in my house in Clover Compound.”

“Yes.”

Some inner tension she didn't know she carried relaxed.

Greyku and Vertic sat waiting for them on the landing pad. Ilex pulled her against him and it was like the first time they'd kissed.

He was aroused and ready.

Her heart pounded in her ears.

“Why don't you take us hom—back to your rooms at Mid-Class Lodge.” His voice was husky, she felt his lips brush her hair.

“One,” her voice shook with yearning. “Two.”

His arms caught her tight.

“Three!”

Overwhelming passion inundated her, loosened her muscles, sent warmth flooding into her core, preparing her for his penetration.

“HeartGift Flair,” he rasped. His arms dropped from her and he lurched to the table, found a scrap of papyrus, and stuck it on a small tray. “This must have come off.”

Stiffening her buckling knees, Trif caught her breath. The place had been cleansed—very soon after the events, she sensed, and by several GreatLords and Ladies. Nothing of evil or death remained.

The HeartGift was shielded so the atmosphere was no longer hot and heavy, pulsing with desire—though Ilex made no attempt to hide his erection. He stood next to the table in a soldierly stance. Her gaze went to the tray she'd noticed years before—yesterday—and she walked to the table to study it.

“Ohhh.” Her breath went out on a long sigh.

“Oh?” He tensed.

“It's lovely.” She touched a fingertip to a irregularly shaped red sandstone rock, looked up at him. “It's a—a special garden. I don't know what they're called.” She glanced aside.

He touched her cheek, gently persuading her to meet his gaze. “We're HeartMates now. There is and never will be any reason for you to think you are less than perfect for me—that you are—”

“—stupid and gauche?”

“No! You are fresh and delightful.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “And you are sophisticated and fascinating.” She heard a little thump and saw a small paw reach toward the patterned sand in the box. “Don't you do that!”

“What?” Ilex raised a brow.

“Behind you.”

He turned and took her with him and they stared at Greyku, who was licking a forepaw. He chuckled. “Ah, a temptation for the kitten.” His gaze laughed down at Trif. “Young ones have problems resisting temptation.”

She snuggled against him and liked how his breath caught. “And it's a good thing I do, isn't it, HeartMate.”

“Oh, yes…and I don't have any willpower in resisting temptation when it comes to you either.” He bent his head.

She stepped back. “We'd better take care of the…”

“Zen garden.”

“Zen garden.” She grinned. “Exotic words for a fabulous HeartGift. Exotic and fabulous, just like you.” Trif stared at it. Somehow, the arrangement of sand and stones seemed familiar. Then she laughed. “You know what this looks like, don't you?”

Ilex stared, blinked. “No. I made it when I was twenty-seven, didn't much look at it since.”

She pointed at a square-looking rock, the uneven edge of sand that looked like it had been lapped by water. “It's the beach beyond MidClass Lodge. The rock is where the fish vendor usually stands.”

“Lady and Lord, you're right.”

Tenderness clogged her throat as she gazed up at him. “Where we first kissed.”

He took her hands, eyes locked on hers, and pulled her slowly to him. The warmth between them spiraled into heat until her nipples peaked and every inch of her wanted to be pressed against him, feeling the hardness of his muscles.

This time when he kissed her, she melted into him, opening her mouth, moaning when his tongue swept against hers, sending pure, sizzling delight down every nerve.

Greyku yowled.

Their kiss broke and they saw her glaring at the garden and holding her forepaw gingerly.

Ilex laughed. “Just a small shock, FamCat. There are several spells in that papyrus; one is to keep the garden the same unless Trif or I wish to change it.”

The kitten flicked her tail and hopped off the table, not deigning to answer.

Vertic chuckled. Trif looked at him. “Oh! That's the first time he's curled on my twoseat.”

I am Family now,
Vertic said.
I like the Clover Compound, but my den will be in Clover Grove or the park.

She smiled, then her gaze caught on the zen garden again. “Lovely gift, thank you.”

“Let's have our HeartMate marriage on the beach.”

She could only sigh. “Yes.”

“Soon, within a couple of eightdays, before it gets too cold.”

“Yes.”

Now he let out a deep breath, kissed her mouth, her eyelids. “I love you, Trif. Always. To death and beyond.”

She swallowed hard. “I couldn't have lived without you Ilex.” She stroked his cheek. “I might have survived, but I wouldn't have lived. I love you, to death and beyond.”

Greyku purred.
And We all get More.

I
lex stood hand in hand with Trif, their wrists lightly teth
ered together with a meter length of ribbon, watching the tide come in and listening to the final notes of their Heart-Mate song. They were in the middle of a Ritual Circle, surrounded by their friends and families who sang the tune composed by D'Holly—the last formality of their HeartMate wedding.

“We pronounce these two individuals legally bound!” said the Birches, who officiated as Goddess and God. “The Circle is now open, let the merriment begin.”

A cheer went up; then the large circle broke into small clumps of people, talking.

“This is perfect.
Perfect.
” Trif spun around, her gauzy dress whirling. Ilex quick-stepped with her, then caught her close, savoring the fast beat of her heart against his chest. She'd never looked so beautiful.

He'd never been so happy.

“Perfect,” she said once more before she brushed her lips against his.

She was almost right. Everyone sent blessings toward them, as was expected in a wedding. He was especially pleased his brother, nephew, and nephew's pregnant wife attended. Family.

But Ilex didn't need any Flair to notice the roiling emotions of all the Hollys—and former Hollys—present. No hope for it, they'd had to invite them.

D'Holly was Trif 's teacher, and had just formally notified the guildhall that Trif had mastered Journeywoman status. Naturally, they'd had to invite D'Holly's HeartMate, GreatLord T'Holly.

Lark Apple, HeartMate of the former Holm Holly, son of T'Holly and D'Holly, was Trif 's best friend.

The former Tinne Holly was now Tinne Winterberry and Ilex's brother, as Genista Winterberry was Ilex's sister.

It was enough to make his head ache—and his heart, if he hadn't been so happy.

Trif was his.

Bound together in every way, and now by long, formal, legally witnessed HeartMate Ritual.

“Let's dance!” demanded Trif. She waved at some of her musician friends, who picked up instruments and mixed lively music with the sound of wind and wave. She began a traipsing line dance down the beach, then grabbed D'Holly's hand. “You first!” she ordered Ilex, and with complete joy he led them down the beach.

D'Holly clasped her husband's hand and the chain lengthened. Trif 's eyes sparkled up at him in a glance.
Circle round Lark and Holm now, like we planned.

Ilex took the revelers to Lark and Holm Apple, slightly slowing. The atmosphere leadened around them, charged with electricity.

T'Holly hesitated, then grabbed Lark's hand—the woman he'd disowned his son over. He brought her fingers to his lips, and after he kissed her hand, his voice boomed, “Blessings upon you and my son Holm, daughter-in-law, Lark Holly!”

A visceral shout tore from everyone. Ilex felt it rise from his gut at the lifting of the curse, the mending of the Broken Vows of Honor.

Tears rolled down Lark's cheeks.

Ilex stopped, and so did everyone else.

Holm Holly stepped forward and embraced T'Holly. “Father,” he said. He turned to his mother. “Mamá.”

“Blessings upon your marriage and your HeartMating, beloved Holm,” D'Holly said.

Tinne and Genista Winterberry approached the Hollys. T'Holly stiffened.

“I made it a stipulation of my loyalty oath to D'Winterberry that should this moment come to pass, both Genista and I would no longer be Winterberrys, but Hollys.”

T'Holly closed his eyes, opened them, and his arms. Tinne hugged his father. Genista air-kissed T'Holly's cheek, her manner cool. The actions were repeated with D'Holly.

D'Holly raised her voice. “Music! Let's dance.”

This is a perfect complement to our wedding,
Trif said along their link.
What a blessing we have been given, that we have mended such a rift on our day.

The musicians started “Greyku's Jig,” and the kitten ran in front to lead the dance. Ilex followed her, smiling at the sight of her multicolored pastel fur gleaming in the sunlight. He wound around others, gathering them into the chain, into the joyous celebration of his marriage.

The air sparkled with the additional benediction of a Family made whole.

Raucous Clover children played with Fams and raced up and down the beach. Vinni T'Vine spun off to join the adult dancers. He took Ilex's hand and led the dance in a gleeful caper.
That was very well done, Trif and Ilex Winterberry.

Trif answered,
It came to us both, in a vision.

Then you are both blessed.

We know,
Ilex projected at the same time Trif did.

And they laughed together.

Her bright eyes and radiant face raised to his, and his breath stopped at the beauty of her, and his future. “I will love you always, to death and beyond.”

“To death and beyond,” she said, and their words echoed around them in a song.