Page 31 of Rifted Hearts
“Are you going to tell Rhys what happened?” Remi blurted out.
For a moment, all Kaveh could think about was the soft press of Remi’s lips against his and the warmth of their two bodies melding as they held each other. Rhys had no right to know or care about Kaveh’s personal life anymore. The truth about Remi’s background, on the other hand, was very much something his family would want to know about.
“I’m inside a drakone riftland, and the only means of transportation I have is a repoequus who’s off hunting jackrabbits.” Remi drew in a breath, a tremble entering his voice. “I’m scared, Kaveh.”
Maybe Remi had lied to him. But Kaveh had withheld a lot from Remi as well. He hadn’t told him that out of his entire clan, Kaveh was the drakone Remi should fear the most.
Remi had his chin up, meeting Kaveh’s gaze, but it wasn’t hard to tell he was truly frightened. It also wasn’t unreasonable for him to be afraid. There would be no way to explain to his clan that a half-ratkind reporter from back East wasn’t a threat. His clan would assume he worked for the Colony and was a threat to Kaveh’s human partner-to-be.
Rhys in particular wouldn’t take it well.
“I’m not going to tell my clan anything right now, and Ipromise I’ll get you safely back to the ranch.” Kaveh had made his decision. If he agreed with mistrusting someone based only on their family background, the first person he shouldn’t trust was himself. “I need to go inside to find out if I’m going to be marrying someone in the saloon. I’d like to have you by my side if you’re still willing to help me.”
A relieved smile broke out over Remi’s face. “Well, I did win a bet against the komainu to tell me what they knew. Plus, I have people lining up to see if they’re your match. I wouldn’t be much of a dating coach if I didn’t see this through to the end.”
A few emotionally exhaustinghours later, Kaveh had an answer. The Matchmaker had not chosen someone in the monstertown as his partner.
Remi had transformed a dreaded and humiliating process into a party. Everyone was chatting about romance and love, and the number of Kaveh’s usually stodgy patients kissing or holding hands shocked him. Recorded music wasn’t an option, since they were fully in a fragment of the Riftworld universe, but the more musically talented put together an impromptu live music show, with plenty of slow dances.
No one refused to try on the bracelet or expressed the anxiety Kaveh would have had about the request if he had been in their shoes. As the gold jewelry remained unchanged, his friends and acquaintances laughed and offered up advice, memories, or amusing anecdotes about their love lives. No one seemed to consider the process a personal rejection either.
Remi pushed a beer across the table. “I think you deserve a drink.”
“That’s everyone, you think?” Kaveh nodded and took a long sip.
“Other than that group, who I’m quite sure aren’t in the running.” Remi waved to a group of children who had taken advantage of their parents’ inattention to run wild. Lyall was in the midst of it all, racing around like he had downed several shots of espresso while Snow flapped around the bar trying to sneak a sip from people’s drinks. “No sign of the guardians. I hope they’re not going to renege on our wager.”
Kaveh leaned back in his chair and watched as a humanoid Riftworld woman moved slowly toward their table. She had leonine features and grayish skin, and there was a sense of absolute stillness about her even while she in was motion, as if she had been made of stone.
Which she had been not that long ago. Kaida, one half of the paired komainu guardians at the gate, had arrived in the saloon in her Earth alter form.
“Kaida and Raion take debts seriously.” Kaveh rose to his feet, and a surprised Remi did as well, once he saw who was approaching.
“Good afternoon, Kaida-san.” Kaveh gave the komainu a respectful bow. He held the position as Kaida bowed back with agonizing slowness, not straightening until the komainu completed her bow. “As always, I’m grateful for your teaching and guidance.”
Remi pulled off a similar bow, shooting Kaveh an impressed look, as if he hadn’t expected him to have such a thorough grasp of Japanese etiquette.
Kaida took her seat, and Remi and Kaveh followed suit. The dryad saloon owner swooped in with a cast-iron pot of hot tea and filled three steaming cups before leaving them to their conversation. Kaida and Raion didn’t take humanform often, but when they did, they enjoyed certain Earth customs, tea being one of them.
“A pleasure to see you as well, Kaveh-san,” Kaida replied, before turning with grinding slowness toward Remi. “I am here, however, to resolve the wager your ratkind companion made with my sibling and myself.”
“Glad to hear you agree I won.” Remi kept his tone light and a smile plastered on his face, but Kaveh could see the tension in his face as the guardian casually identified Remi’s Riftworld background.
Kaida stared back at the vid streamer, her expression giving new meaning to stone-faced. She reached out, her speed unbelievable given her glacial movements otherwise, and took both his hands in hers.
Remi sucked in a breath but didn’t resist.
She released him a second later, pulling back into her unnatural stillness. “Ah. I see.”
“My friend chose an unorthodox method of requesting your wisdom, but please know I asked for his assistance.” Kaveh should have realized the guardians would have a far greater ability to identify Riftworld species than he would. He could hardly ask the two komainu to withhold this information from his clan, but he wanted to get Remi to the relative safety of the ranch before Rhys, in particular, found out. “I’m aware of his clan background, as he is of mine.”
Kaida raised one wrinkled brow. Kaveh hadn’t lied exactly, but the guardians knew he was Azdaha and not another air drakone. Could they also tell he hadn’t shared that fact with Remi?
“I’m loving this mysterious wisdom thing you’ve got going on, but I believe the two of us had a bet.” Remi managed to make that outrageously rude interruption sound like a playful tease.
“You want to know who the Matchmaker has chosen as a mate for Kaveh Salehi.” Kaida lifted a cup of tea to her lips, the motion taking what seemed like an eternity. She sipped the hot liquid then rested it back on the table. “Kaveh’s intended is in the monstertown.” She had an odd inflection to her words, as if she was echoing a larger intelligence beyond her own. “And they are not. His match is at the ranch, and yet they are not. Kaveh’s love is with him and hopelessly out of his reach.”
Remi’s smile didn’t falter, but his tone grew sharp. “What the fuck kind of answer is that?”
