Heart Search by Robin D. Owens

Author:Robin D. Owens
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Feeling warm and satisfied after a Master Melee session in the Green Knight Fencing and Fighting Salon, Laev said “merry parts” to friends and began walking toward the teleportation pad in the atrium of the building. Antenn Moss-Blackthorn had not been at the fight, might not have arrived in the city yet.

Laev rolled his shoulders and congratulated himself that he felt fitter and wouldn’t ache as much as he had before. His body had finally become accustomed to sparring and exercise again.

“T’Hawthorn?” A big man puffed out Laev’s name as he hung a coat and scarf up on one of the pegs. He’d arrived by glider instead of teleporting.

“Yes?” Laev struggled to place him, then realized the GraceLord had lost weight and toned since Laev had seen him last. The man had about fifteen minutes before review drills started. This was Camellia Darjeeling’s sparring partner. “T’Lemongrass?”

“Right. Honored you recalled my name. A moment of your time, please.” His tone had a compressed intensity that caught Laev.

“Of course.”

“Think I have something of yours—Hawthorn’s,” Lemongrass said.

Laev’s blood chilled and chugged sluggishly through his veins. He forced himself to remain casual, though he wanted to roll his shoulders again to loosen muscles that had tightened into bands. “Yes?”

“Yah. Glad you’re here. I was going to have Tinne lock them up until tonight. You usually attend melee and I can’t tonight—our Family was one of the lucky ones invited to participate in the annual Great Labyrinth Weekend Celebration and Fair.”

“Sounds fun.” Laev hadn’t attended that new fair. The celebration had started after he and Nivea had moved to Gael City, and bloomed in the years when they were gone. Nivea had never gone, either.

“Yes, the Family is very pleased our name was drawn, but it’s a responsibility to show the best of who we are. Need to spruce up our Family shrine. The descent into the bowl of the crater and chant is tonight,” Lemongrass enthused. He slanted a look at Laev. “You should come. You know all of the FirstFamilies are automatically invited.”

Had Primross said that, it would have been a sneer at privilege. Lemongrass stated it as a fact of life he had no intention of arguing about.

Laev smiled. “Maybe I will.”

A chime sounded and Lemongrass winced. “Running a little behind and I came early and all to have them stored proper.” His face set into a weighty expression and a sigh rumbled deep from his belly. “Suppose it must be meant that I meet you here and now.” He opened and closed his fingers. “M’Flair’s telemetry—sensing an object’s past—and I could tell that the things were stolen, but they are so damn beautiful.” He rubbed his face. “But they gotta go back to you.”

Lemongrass had said they. Disappointment twisted Laev’s gut that it wasn’t his HeartGift, and he flipped through his memory for a missing they. Only the desk set . . .

But Lemongrass was pulling a box half a meter square from a bag he’d kept under his coat. The dark wood gleamed richly.

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