Heart Fate Read Online Free Page B

his chin. “It lies northeast.” His nostrils flared as he sniffed. “It smells green. The greenest place in Druida. Look for the sign of BalmHeal, the Family who took care of FirstGrove.” Then he turned his back.
    Lahsin just stared at him for a long, long moment, until she saw his spine stiffen, like he was going to turn or move again.
    A shrieking alarm split the air. T’Yew Residence! She knew that sound.
    The Hawthorn guard spun.
    Lahsin bolted.
    Northeast.
    And prayed to the Lady for signs of BalmHeal.
    Â 
 
Tinne let the hot waterfall pulse over him. He hadn’t been able to go to his bedroom where he and Genista had made love so often.
    That hadn’t been the only place, of course, they’d been sexually crazy after their marriage. There wasn’t a room in his suite or hers where they hadn’t mated. Even here he kept his eyes closed. How was he going to live in these rooms?
    He was dressing in his sitting room when he heard echoes of his Mamá’s musical voice outside his door, uncommonly shrill. Obviously she and everyone else now knew of his failure.
    â€œTinne? The Residence told me you were up. We think we should have a Family meeting.”
    â€œThe white room in five minutes. Talk to you then,” he said.
    A few minutes later he entered the room, glad he’d chosen a different place than the one most often used—the green room, where he’d brought Genista to announce their marriage.
    This confrontation was going to be bad, one of the worst things he’d ever faced. After many years his father, T’Holly, had finally achieved his dream of being Captain of the FirstFamily Council and thus All Councils. The whole Family—except Genista—had been making the social rounds last year, discreetly campaigning for T’Holly.
    If Tinne and Genista’s marriage was found to be shattered and Tinne actually went ahead with her wishes for a divorce—his gorge rose again, and he forced it down—it would be the first divorce in the FirstFamilies in all the years on untamed Celta.
    The scandal would be huge, would smear the Family reputation and honor for generations. A tarnished Family had to fight harder to survive.
    The scandal would definitely put an end to T’Holly’s dream of being Captain for more than the past year.
    Tinne kept telling himself that he’d live through this but still doubted it.
    He stopped inside the door, but didn’t sit. Everyone was there, his parents, his G’Uncle Tab, his brother Holm, and his sister-in-law Lark. They all sat stiffly, faces various shades of impassivity, eyes various shadows of shock.
    â€œGenista said she’d left messages for you explaining that she has requested a divorce.” He waved, and the documents that had been on his desk were ’ported to a table. He hadn’t touched them, didn’t ever want to touch them. Let the Family look at them if they wanted. “Here are the documents, the results of her seven tests and the legal forms from the SupremeJudge.”
    The faces of his relatives blurred. His eyes couldn’t focus. He didn’t care. “I have acceded to her wishes to undergo the testing regarding whether to dissolve the marriage. Naturally I hope my tests will reveal that we can reconcile.” Was that his own voice, so cool and composed while his belly felt like it contained writhing snakes?
    â€œBut if we can’t reconcile, there will be a divorce.”
    Shock swept through his Family like a tidal wave. Tinne felt each blow as his relatives understood what he’d said. His father aged in seconds.
    All sweetness vanished from his Mamá’s link, which filled with a terrible hurt. She was hurting because he did.
    He couldn’t bear that pain, so he angled his body away from her. He glanced at his G’Uncle Tab, a second father, his teacher, the man he would succeed. Tab’s expression had solidified to