Part 21 (2/2)

A knock came at the scry room door. aSecondLevel Healer, are you all right?a asked Gwydion Ash.

She had been in the cubicle longer than shead expected and now she noticed it was stifling. She opened the door with a smile. aYes, Iam fine.a aGood.a The large teen, slightly clumsy in his body, smiled back at her.

aCan you tell me where the main guardhouse of Druida is in relation to here?a His brows went up and he shook his head. aNo, I donat know. But Iall have one of our gliders take you there.a Before she could disagree, he hustled away.

She petted Randa, liking her chirruping sound. It was very tempting to keep Randa with her, but Artemisia had no illusions about how the guards would treat a person bringing in a murder weapon a couple of days after the killing.

The whole situation would be tense. She rocked with Randa before speaking mentally to her, Danith DaAsh wasnat scary.

No. Randa snuggled.

But the guard station may be.

We will not go. Randa sat up and patted Artemisiaas face.

Artemisia sighed. I must, but you donat need to. Hold still and I will translocate you home.

I love you. I will help with the aporting.

Artemisia fixed the image of the teleportation area in her sitting room in her head, the faded colorful pattern of the rug, the cream-colored walls of old silkeen that showed trailing pastel flowers, and projected the scene to Randa.

Randa added her mental imagea”similar enough that Artemisia was sure that the Fam would have no trouble.

aOn three,a Artemisia whispered.

aOne, Randa ac.o.o.n, two, BalmHeal home, and three.a She pushed her Flair to send Randa to their room, felt her Famas Flair meld with her own.

I am here!

Another sigh, this of relief, broke from Artemisiaas lips. She stood, lifted her chin, and strode with a false smile to the glider outside.

The guards would suspect her, of course. So might Garrett.

Garrett found Artemisia sitting on the edge of a carved wooden bench, back completely straight and hands folded in her lap. When she saw him, she flinched, then her expressive face went stiff. He didnat like either reaction. He sat down next to hera”closea”and she tensed.

His teeth hurt from clenching them. She could affect him faster and more than anyone else in his entire life.

Several other guards head met previously were there, including Fol Berberis, Rosa Milkweed, and Captain Ilex Winterberry. The Captain sat behind a desk angled across a corner.

aI understand that FirstLevel Healer Ura Heather reported a missing knife from the cross-folk altar in Primary HealingHall right before GentleLady Panax arrived with the item?a Garrett asked.

aMy name is Mugwort,a his HeartMate said without looking at him.

aThatas right,a said Rosa Milkweed. Her forehead wrinkled as she glanced at Artemisia and away. Garrett got the gist of that look. Her boss would have stood behind her; the guard respected Artemisia and wasnat sure why Artemisiaas superior wasnat supporting her.

Winterberry may have seemed casual, but his penetrating gaze was on Artemisia. aA little odd that of all the places that the knife could have come from, it was the Primary HealingHall chapel.a Artemisia swallowed, wet her lips, then answered. aUnlike many cross-folk chapels, the one at Primary HealingHall is not secured.a Winterberry nodded slowly. aAnd most cross-folk chapels are secured. Especially since the accusations that they were in a conspiracy with the Black Magic Cultists sixteen years ago. Odd how things circle round.a Artemisiaas deep breath wasnat audible, but Garrett noted it. She said, aThe cross-folk were wrongly implicated sixteen years ago by the press and your current victim. Iam sure they arenat involved now.a aYou sound as if you are still angry,a Winterberry said. aBut then your Family was the one that suffered the mosta”your home was mobbed, your parents lost their careers. How is your mother, by the way? Is she concerned about thisa”and how you now seem to be the main . . . target?a Hopping to her feet, Artemisia went to Winterberryas desk and planted her hands on the gleaming wooden surface. aNaturally my parents are concerned about me. But I have an alibi. I was in quarantine with GentleSir Primross. The Turquoise House has vouched for me.a aAnd your mother?a Winterberry pressed.

aMy mother has not stepped onto the streets of Druida City for many years.a aInteresting phrasing,a Winterberry said as Garrett thought the same.

Artemisia stepped back. aMy mother isnat in Druida.a But there was a shadow of a lie in Artemisiaas voice, and Garrett thought every guard in the room heard it.

Her lips pursed, then flattened, and she swept the room with a glance. aThe press whipped up a scared mob, and the n.o.bles of our rank who envied us our . . . our happy Family life and the status of our careers were the ones who savaged us before. Thatas far past. As for now, FirstLevel Healer Ura Heather would be concerned about anything missing from Primary HealingHall. It is her purview. Has she accused me of anything?a aNo,a Winterberry said.

Artemisia jerked a nod. aAs a Family, years ago, we Mugworts didnat appeal to the FirstFamilies Council for an investigation.a This time her breath sucked in. aBut I have an alibi for the murder and so does my sister, Tiana. She was partic.i.p.ating in a vigil in GreatCircle Temple. Neither Mother nor Father were anywhere near Apollopa Park. We will fight this time.a She lifted her chin. aI donat know what FirstLevel Healer Ura Heather will say about me, but she is not the only FirstFamily Lady or Lord that we know.a Now the truth in her words rang.

Winterberryas lips curved, but his eyes remained steady and serious. aI hear you.a Garrett wasnat lulled. The man was acting pleasantly to Artemisia but didnat believe in her.

Garrett would protect her and keep her close. He said, aThe FirstFamilies have their own ideas and ideals, their own viewpoint on matters, and their own standards of behavior.a Rosa Milkweed nodded and snorted, relaxed a bit, as if trying to lessen the tension in the room. aThat they do.a Fol Berberis shot a glance at his Captain, then looked down into Artemisiaas eyes. an.o.body wants the FirstFamilies meddling in this.a Garrett slid his gaze to Artemisia. aSomeone once told me that those greatest n.o.bles do the best they can for everyone.a Artemisia stiffened even more as the guardswoman laughed. Captain Winterberry raised a brow. At that gesture, Garrett turned to him.

aYou have an optimistic friend,a Winterberry said. aThough, in general, I have found the highest n.o.bles to be . . . odd but honorable.a aUh-huh,a Garrett said.

aReally?a Fol Berberis asked.

Winterberry inclined his head. aYes.a A shrug from both Garrett and Rosa. aWell, you should know.a This time a faint smile pa.s.sed across the Captainas lips. aI have been on more cases regarding them than I care to think about.a The corners of Winterberryas mouth turned up even as his eyes narroweda”evidently he had mixed feelings about something and Garrett figured head hear about it.

aI think in the future, they may be considering having a more private consultant than me. Guards have rules that we donat care to bend,a Winterberry said.

Icy chill slithered along Garrettas spine. He was all too afraid that Winterberry was right and the new liaison between the guardsmen and the FirstFamilies would be himself. He stood. aJust because they might pay meaa”and head make sure that he got a good rate from whichever FirstFamily Lord or Lady needed his servicesa”adoesnat mean that I will break laws and bend my own rules, betray my own honor.a Though laws were sometimes less important to him than his own rules.

aI didnat mean to imply that you would act less than honorably,a Winterberry said.

Garrett noted that the man didnat say anything about lawful behavior. Good thing, since Garrett was painfully aware that he would break quite a number of laws to protect the woman standing near him. A woman head already deeply hurt.

But if there was anything he was certain of, it was that Artemisia was as honorable as he, had her own code, and was definitely more compa.s.sionate and optimistic.

A woman worth protecting and defending.

He turned his head to meet her eyes, but she wasnat looking at him. Her stare was fixed on the notice board crowded with papyrus on the wall opposite them.

Suppressing a sigh and loosening his jaw again, he stood and moved in front of her.

She didnat look up.

aArtemisia,a he said as softly as Winterberry had done.

Another flinch, and Garrett could feel the observant interest of every guard in the room as they watched. aDid you take the knife from the altar of the cross-folk chapel in Primary HealingHall?a She lifted and dropped a shoulder. aNo.a It was flat, as if she resented him even asking the question. He wanted to tell her it was more for the guardsa benefit than his owna”that he trusted her. But would she believe him?

Gesturing to one of the recordspheres on Fol Berberisas desk, she said, aIave already reported how I came to have the knife.a Her lips firmed. aAnd Iave answered all the questions from all three of these guards.a Garrett inclined his head, picked up a copy of the sphere, and tucked it in a belt pouch. He and Rusby had been in n.o.ble Country, on his way to see Laev TaHawthorn, when Garrett had gotten the scry from Captain Winterberry. Rusby had not been pleased with the change of plans, and Garrett had teleported the kitten to the TaHawthorn breakfast room pad so Rusby could play with the Hawthorn Fams.

Though Garrett had spent some time in this guardhouse, it wasnat enough that he could safely teleport to the place. It had taken him a while to get here after Winterberryas scry.

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