Relief began to trickle through her and she welcomed it. As she picked up the spoon and sat to eat, her tiredness changed from struggling to give her best to a patient to the satisfied triumph of seeing a sickness beaten.

Furrabeast stew wasnat her favorite, but the smell tantalized and the big chunks of vegetables in it made her mouth water. Her fingers wanted to dip the spoon into the bowl faster and faster, taste the rich broth, so she controlled them. As she ate, she let the familiar sounds of Healers around her, the robe, and the simple meal rea.s.sure her down to her quietly pumping heart that she was safe, that shead done well, and all would be well in the future. Her current trial was done.

And Lark Holly was pampering her. Lovely. Artemisia wanted to hope her job was secure, but couldnat forget the chill in Healer Ura Heatheras eyes.

TaHeatheras gaze was on Garrett as he ate his clucker soup. Garrett was full but hadnat given up because head eaten only a tiny amount. Odd how having nutrients transferred into his blood directly made a manas stomach shrink. He wouldnat be eating a large and thick steak for a while and that was perturbing. He liked his meat.

The kitten had eaten as much as he. Right next to him on his bed. Didnat look like head be getting rid of the thing anytime soon.

It was good spending time with a guy, listening to the older Healer. Garrett had figured head like TaHeather if he got to know the man.

aSo,a TaHeather said casually, atell me why you wanted SecondLevel Healer Artemisia Mugwort out of the room.a Garrett choked. On broth.

Thirteen.

Garrett coughed until the Healer put a large hand on his chest and tweaked his insides and Garrett breathed easily again. aNice trick,a he gasped out.

The man shrugged heavy shoulders. aSimple.a TaHeatheras shrewd gaze seemed to look inside Garrettas head. He wasnat used to talking with older FirstFamily Lords with such great Flair. Then TaHeather raised a hand. aI know why you avoid Healer Mugwort. You are very attracted to her and donat want to be.a She is kind, said the kitten.

Grunting, Garrett picked up a small hunk of bread, sopped up the last of the clucker soup, and stuffed it in his mouth. When he was done chewing, he said, aThanks for coming by.a The GrandLordas face was serious as he responded. aYouare clear, son. You have done all of Celta a great service.a I know, said the kitten.

Garrett felt himself flusha"with embarra.s.sment this time, not fever, thank the Lord and Lady. aAnyone would have done the same.a aMaybe, maybe not. The FirstFamilies wonat be forgetting this, I a.s.sure you.a aGood to know.a Lark Holly strolled in from the sitting room. aNor will history. I am sure that with all the information this project provided us with, as well as your blood samples, we will be able to control the Iasc sickness.a She curtseyed deeply to Garrett. aThank you.a aWelcome,a he said.

WELCOME, said his Fam.

She turned to TaHeather. aWith your permission, I would like to return home.a aGo,a the lord said.

A nod to Garrett, then she walked back through the decontamination spellshield and forcefield, and when TQ declared she was clean of any Iasc cells, she teleported away.

Before Artemisia could return, Garrett flung off the thin sheet and held out a hand to TaHeather. aHelp me into that d.a.m.n waterfall, will you?a The Healer eyed him professionally. aLooks like you dropped some weight, still a good figure of a man, shouldnat worry about scaring the ladies.a The lord yanked him up smoothly and set his thick arm under Garrettas. aExcept for your face, of course. Grim, son, grim.a Garrett snorted.

TaHeather grinned. aIall wait in the dressing room while you cleanse.a Me, too, said the little cat, trotting after them. The lord deftly kept them from tripping on the Fam.

Garrett scowled. aI donat need anyone.a TaHeather laughed. aOh, son, you are so wrong.a aI donat need you, either.a Garrett glared at the kitten.

The tiny spotted cat lifted his nose. I am Rusby. I named Myself with a Primrose name. My friend TQ listed Me names and I liked Rusby best.

aIam a distant offshoot of the Primrose Family. I go by Primross,a Garrett said.

The cat sniffed.

He stared into little yellow eyes. aI donat need a Fam.a The small white and spotted muzzle lifted. I want a FamMan and you will do.

TaHeather coughed. aIave found that young cats can be stubborn.a Yes, Rusby said.

Garrett had found that all cats could be stubborn and they all wanted their own way. Sometimes you could negotiate, sometimes bargain, sometimes cajole, often blackmail. Didnat make living with them any easier.

aGet in the waterfall and wash some sense into your hard head,a TaHeather said.

Smoothing her new robe, Artemisia stepped into the bedroom. Already it looked less of a sickroom. She moved quickly through the dressing rooma"overfull with Garrett in the waterfall, TaHeather examining her medical setup, and the cat on one of the cabinets.

TQ had new linens for her bedsponge and she dumped the old ones in one of his canisters.

While Garrett luxuriated under a strong and pulsing waterfall, she remade both beds. Soon everything in the rooms would be asha"a pity about the furniture, but Artemisia was glad shead had the expensive bed. It had been so much better than a cot.

She and Garrett were exhausted, but TQ would watch them this last day and night, then they would leave at noon. Since the man was back to politely avoiding her, she didnat think she would see him again. Stupid to miss someone shead known only a couple of days, and not much of that when head been healthy.

She hoped his nightmare memories had finally burned out. That his reliving the loss of his lover was a final ending to his grief. Oddly enough, Artemisia thought shead sensed some of those dreams, they had been so intense . . . and she had been the only other person in the House, and caring for him.

Or would the experience have stirred the loss up for him again?

She didnat know. There had been grief in her life, but death had never claimed someone shead loved. Shead been lucky in that. Her whole Family had. A blessing she hadnat realized.

Looking inside herself, she believed shead changed, too, grown a little tougher. In the depths of the night, when she was weary and fearful, shead had only herself to rely on. TQ was there, if shead wanted to talk, but he had respected her aloneness. Not loneliness, exactly, but aloneness.

Shead been alone for the first time in her life. Her previous lovers had lived in a building with others, or in their Family homes. Being alone had been an odd feeling, but satisfying. She had come through the pressures of the experiment. And if those pressures hadnat been too difficult, they were still more than shead ever faced. She would have to thank her Family for the blessing ritual again.

She heard the waterfall turn off and male voices. Before she could hurry to help, GrandLord TaHeather filled the doorway, thick finger pointing at her. aYou,a he said.

She squeezed her abused pillow tight. aYes?a aGood job, Mugwort. Leave the boy alone for now and go to sleep. Thatas an order.a She blinked, shrugged, glanced at her tempting bedsponge. aItas the middle of the day.a TaHeather chuckled. aIave been on round-the-clock jobs; surprised you know the time. You need sleep, girl; take some. Youall be busy enough once you get back to Primary HealingHall.a A little b.u.mp of the heart, of hope. aYes, GrandLord.a He nodded, stepped back, and closed her door.

Garrett surfaced to clogged-hearing silence. Yawning, his ears popped and night bird tweets trilled.

Yes, too quiet. The quiet of no one in his room. His HeartMate was gone. He was alone in the dark. He uncurled from a fetal curl, groaned, and struggled to an elbow.

aYou are awake again,a said the smooth voice of the Turquoise House.

aYeah. Light?a He coughed.

aSay when,a TQ said as a glow began around the ceiling, banishing the night to dimness.

aWhen!a Garrett blinked stinging eyes. A little more than when.

The lights faded.

aDonata"a aYou were blinking. For many sicknesses it is appropriate to press recovery, but not the Iasc, and not when youave fought the sickness every second of three days.a Garrett tried to sit up, couldnat, couldnat even get his elbow propped back under himself, and flopped back into the softness of the bedsponge. Head thought head be stronger the second time he came around.

But the bedsponge was dry.

He sniffed. He didnat smell too bad. And he didnat recall any dreams. The fever must really be gone, and he hadnat sweated. Probably still had a grim face.

Though his nose might be as plugged as his ears had been.

aThree days . . . that makes this?a His mind was too sluggish; he should be sharper.

aTwinmoonsday.a aUh.a He looked at the very white ceiling. Yeah, that hurt his eyes, but he thought head pried against crust to open his lashes and he didnat want to close them again. He lifted his hand to rub his eyes and hit himself in the nose. aDammit.a aYour muscles are weak,a TQ said.

aYeah, like I didnat notice.a aThat is sarcasm.a aThat is right.a aIt is good that you are no longer in so much paina"a aWho says Iam not?a Shifting on the sheet made every strand of muscle in his body ache in different ways. Some were too tight, some too lax, some cramped with outrageous strain.

aa"and it is good that you are coherent.a Garrett grimaced and felt dried drool around his mouth flake off. Maybe snot, too. A little reminder of the sickness.

aWhereas Artemisia? Isnat she supposed to be caring for me?a aShe is feeding the feral animals. They have gathered from all over Druida the last few days to . . . sit vigil for you.a aHuh.a His pleasure at the attention of the Fams mixed with irritation that Artemisia was giving them food and winning some loyalty. That reminded him. aWhat of my self-appointed Fam?a aThe kitten is keeping Artemisia company. He likes her very much.a Garrett hissed out a breath as he straightened his cramped leg. aYeah, well, of course. Sheas the only other human around.a aBut your Fam loves you.a aUh-huh.a d.a.m.n that hurt, enough for his eyes to start stinging again. aCan you call her in?a aYou need help! Artemisia, Garrett is awake.a Too late to spare his ears from the stentorian announcement out of speakers that the whole block must have heard.

And suddenly she was there, teleported into his room, her thinner face lined with concern. Shead lost weight, too, but she didnat look grim. Nope, she looked gorgeous.

aYouare awake,a she said.

aYes, and hungry.a aOf course.a She went into the sitting room and got two bowls of clucker and noodle soup.

While she was gone, head struggled into a nightshirt and had wiped his face with a wet cloth that had been next to a basin on the bedside table.

She put a tray on his lap, then took her bowl. His mouth watered and the kitten, whoad teleported into the room, hurried up to sniff at Garrettas meal.

He pulled it closer. aMine.a A word cats understood very well.

aYou just had some food, kitten.a Artemisia frowned.

Not enough, some milk from My dam, and other food was DRY. His stubby tail lashed.

aThis clucker soup is imbued with Healing Flair and energy.a Want some.

Artemisia lifted her brows at Garrett. aIt shouldnat harm him. I have a dish in the dressing room. Do you want to give him some broth?a The cat sat expectantly, ears forward. Of course he does.

Garrett didnat, but also didnat want to appear churlish. aSure,a he said, eating fast. He felt the zing of energy, the soothing as the broth slid down his rough throat and into his stomach.

He was glad he got noodles this time.

But she didnat tip any soup from her bowl or his; instead she got some more from the no-time. Made Garrett wonder what might be in there. Probably not steak.

Still, he was stronger when he was done, and as soon as she removed the tray, he set his jaw and struggled into pants, then used his Flair to help him stand, more, to walk the length of the room.

She hurried back and offered her shoulder.

aNo, thanks,a he said. aIave done this before.a He didnat want to recall waking alone and walking through the mountain clinic littered with the dead. Better to remember the whole place going up in flames a week later, cleansed.

He made several circuits of the rooms. Artemisiaas bedroom smelled more of her than Healing chemicalsa"secrets . . . a hidden garden? He didnat know. But by the time he returned to bed, he thought head gotten his strength and balance back. When he woke again, head be fine, he was sure.

He settled back against pillows. She didnat leave but took her chair, leaning back and closing her eyes as her lips moved in a prayer. When she opened her lashes, her emerald gaze met his and he saw a true smile from her. aWe made it,a she whispered.

His turn to raise his brows as he shifted, petted the kitten on his lap. aYou didnat think we would?a aYes, I really did.a aIt wasnat easy.a He didnat want to think of the days and nights past, the memories, the old and new suffering.

aNo.a Dragging in a deep breath, he said, aItas over. Finally.a He wouldnat let the idea that nightmares might return bother him.

She nodded solemnly. aI hope so.a Her jaw firmed. aWe should learn from this and the whole epidemic will finally be ended.a aArtemisia, please join Garrett on the bedsponge,a TQ said.

aWhat!a she asked.

aI wish to suction all of the Iasc microbes from these rooms into the sitting room and seal it. The spell is much like a whirlwind spell. You will need to hold on to each other.a Garrettas pulse picked up. When she sat next to him and he wrapped his arm around her waist, he vaguely remembered them touching, body to body. When? And why? Medical necessity, he supposed. Too d.a.m.n bad.

aWhat about the food in the sitting room no-time?a he asked.

aI am having specialties delivered tomorrow morning for our celebration,a TQ said, then, aKitten, are you anch.o.r.ed?a YES! All the catas claws were hooked in the cover. Garrett curved his fingers around the kittenas middle.

The wind started. Artemisia grabbed Garrett with both arms. He liked that.

aFocus on the mural,a TQ said.

The scene of the sacred grove flashed on the opposite wall.

Whee! the kitten cried.

For an instant Garrett could have sworn that there was no air in the room. All went freezing for half a second, then unbearably hot, then freezing again. The door to the sitting room slammed, and when he glanced that way, foam filled the cracks around the door.

Sealed for sure.

Artemisia gasped, then coughed. She tugged against his hold and he let her loose. She got up to pour some water for herself and Garrett. He missed her presence in his bed, but drank gratefully.

Tilting his head at the grove mural, he said, aA very beautiful spot.a aYes, it is,a she said, and he got the idea she knew it. He wouldnat ask. Instead, he translocated two silver slivers from his duffle at the end of the bed and sent them rolling with skill, not Flair, over his knuckles.

She smiled. aWonderful.a aGetting back to normal,a he said.

aYes.a She sighed.

He forced words from his throat. aI havenat thanked you for being here and helping me. So, thanks.a Her eyes rounded. aJust doing my job.a He grunted. aNot a nice job.a He sucked in a breath all the way to his gut; some muscles still ached. aThanks again.a She inclined her head. aYou are quite welcome.a Good, courtesy was done, but he wanted to give her more. He took her hand and slipped the silver coins in it, curled her fingers over them. aPlease, take these. A token of my . . . grat.i.tude.a aThank you.a She smiled and it was the most carefree head seen. aIave never had magic coins before.a aNot really magic,a he said.

She chuckled. aIam sure I canat manipulate them like you do.a aIf you want to appreciate my party tomorrow, you should sleep now,a TQ said.

A mulish expression pouted Artemisiaas face. aBut we just got up and I wanted to spend a little time with Garrett.a aItas the first weave been alone and healthy in a few days. We should have a moment of quiet celebration right now,a Garrett said. He couldnat deny her. Not this, weakened, minute. The simple pleasure of her presence enveloped him.

A pleasant fragrance swirled into the room and Artemisia gasped; her eyes went wide at the wafting scent.

Rusby gave a tiny mew and turned limp.

aThe Healing and strengthening broth works best if you sleep after eating,a TQ said. aYou should be asleep in one and a half minutes, Artemisia. Two for you, Garrett.a She stared down at him wildly. aTQ drugged us.a aDammit.a Garrett put no force into the word. Only shallow breaths. He stroked the tiny body of the kitten with his finger. aDid you hurt him?a aAbsolutely not!a TQ said, then went on. aThe kitten is fine, and both you and Artemisia are weary. You both have suffered disturbing dreams. The incense will calm you and is guaranteed to promote excellent sleep with pleasant dreams, as well as the Healing and strengthening.a aHow could you!a Artemisia demanded.

aIt is best for you.a She stiffened. aThere are rules, you know. About sentient Residences and Houses drugging their people.a aI know the rules!a Score one for the Healer, shead irritated the House. Good, serve it right.