Free Heart Fate by Robin D. Owens Page A

is back. Please set her place in the corner of the dining room.”
    There was a hesitation. “Ilexa’s back?” A lifting of his Mamá’s voice and spirits.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œI’ll make sure she’s welcomed.”
    A delicious meal for his prodigal Fam then. Tinne was sure whatever he ate would taste like ashes.
    Ilexa came over to stand at the bed and gave a discreet lick of his cheek. You look like a scruff.
    Tinne grunted, the schedule of the day—all the testing—crowding into his brain and tightening his gut. He levered himself from the bed. He washed quickly, dressed in a plain linen shirt and brown trous. His shirtsleeves and trous legs were extravagantly bloused, gathered at wrist and ankle. The excessive material would serve several purposes. His clothes were bespelled to soak up sweat and transform it to regular water and send it into the air. He’d also set warming and cooling spells into the fabric so he wouldn’t suffer as much from clamminess and cold chills or flushes of heat like he had the day before.
    The only good part of the previous day was T’Heather’s pronouncement after his physical examination that he was in fine shape, if a little too thin. Tinne anticipated losing more weight during these fliggering tests. No one would like that.
    Even after the tests he was ambivalent about the future. He wanted to think—to hope—that somehow he and Genista could overcome their differences. And he wanted the pain he associated with Genista and the loss of their child gone. He didn’t think he could have both options.
    Most of all, he wanted this testing over .
    The results were looking poor but there was nothing to do but finish.

Six
    At Lark’s orders, breakfast talk had been trivial. Tinne ate fast and hoped to give his Family the slip, but they accompanied him to the front door. He’d be taking a glider to the tests today.
    â€œTinne, you look terrible,” his Mamá said. She was holding hands with his father as usual.
    Holm snorted.
    â€œOf course you wouldn’t sleep well. I’ll work on a Flaired lullaby for you,” his Mamá said.
    Holm snickered.
    â€œHolm, don’t be rude.” Their mother rounded on him.
    Holm raised his eyebrows. “Someone has to keep his spirits up.” Holm stared at Tinne. “Looks like you sank into the Great Washington Boghole then Ilexa dragged you all the way back here.”
    â€œThank you,” Tinne said. “You look . . . radiant.” He bared his teeth, but got a little satisfaction, as Holm looked aside and Lark smiled.
    â€œI have to go,” Tinne said.
    Lark curved her hand around Tinne’s cheek. “If I may?” But she’d already sent him a surge of energy that refreshed him more than the waterfall and banished the lingering bad dreams.
    â€œThank you.” He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. “Thank you all.” The energy Lark had sent him was not hers alone, but a mixture of the whole Family’s, given to him through her link with them.
    All with the hope that his and Genista’s marriage could be mended and the Family wouldn’t be the first of the greatest Nobles to have a divorce. The scandal would smear everyone.
    For generations. He looked at his brother who would have to work as the head of the Family under such a cloud.
    Holm inclined his head infinitesimally and sent on their brothers-only line, Be well, brother. Do whatever must be done.
    Tinne shuddered. Holm had said that same phrase when he was caught in the quicksand of the Great Washington Boghole and couldn’t get out. Tinne had managed to save them both. It could have been worse, Tinne could be next T’Holly. As always, he was glad that wasn’t his fate.
    Yes, he’d make everything harder on his Family for generations, but he didn’t know that there was anything he could do to stop the divorce.
    His Mamá was