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tails.
    “Thank you. That was what I needed to know.” She followed it with a mental warmth of thanks, and the fliers took to the skies once again.
    Billie breathed deeply of the clear air of Chysan before she turned to re-join the others.
    Gwen and Aciel were in the doorway, mouths open in surprise.
    “Billie, what were you doing?”
    “Asking the fliers a question. They gave me an answer I can look forward to, so it will be easier for me not to panic now.”
    Aciel looked positively pale. “You asked them a question?”
    “Sure. Just ask Arcros, I talk to everything, but I rarely get an answer. In this case, they replied right away. They are very friendly and just happy that someone is here to listen.”
    Aciel looked faint. “I see. Well, that is something extraordinary.”
    Gwen grinned, “Isn’t it just.”
     

 
     
     
    Chapter Eight
     
     
    The Dlenner family home was large, well appointed and full of curious relatives.
    The Mathijens joined them for dinner, and it was their last meal on Chysan before they had to return to Raxos.
    Etien Mathijen had been one of the men that Arcros had been speaking to in the morning.
    “It is a pleasure to meet you, Billie.”
    “And you, Etien. It takes a man with patience and will to manage not only an Enforcer, but a Matchmaker as well.”
    “I pride myself on being serene, but every now and then, my composure cracks and hand-to-hand combat ensues. I will confess to enjoying the inevitable victory and her very pleasant surrender.”
    Billie blushed as his heavy-lidded gaze was directed to his wife on the other side of the table.
    Billie and Arcros were separated by his brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins. There was no chance of a quiet moment alone, but when their gazes met across the table, she felt the heat of his touch start in her mind and creep down under her shirt.
    Her shivers started and kept going throughout course after course of food. Her dining companion looked at her sympathetically and smiled. “The first days of the mental connection can be the worst.”
    “So I have been given to understand. When the herbs wear off, it should fade, or so I am told.”
    Etien smiled, “For some it fades, for others, it grows stronger. It depends on the structure of your mind. The Oefric are not commonly telepathic, but since I bonded to Gwen, it is something I cannot escape.”
    “How do you deal with it?”
    “She keeps her mind separated from mine for most of the day, and we come together when we are alone. The luxury of knowing what your partner is thinking and what they enjoy is quite the compensation for the breach of privacy.”
    Billie blushed hotly. “I suppose that would be a bonus.”
    “It would have been handier when we were on assignments together, but it is still useful on occasion.” His grin was pure enjoyment.
    “How did you know that she was the one?” The words were almost soundless, but Billie couldn’t hold them in.
    Etien pressed a hand to the back of her wrist. “Because there was no one else from the moment that I saw her. She called to me in a thousand ways, and I yearned for her. It took a while before I could get authorization from the Alliance, and she had to undergo her training in the Citadel, but everything worked out in the end, and after the butterflies stopped showing up on our roof, even Gwen calmed down.” His chuckle was deeply amused.
    “Butterflies?”
    “On Raxos, we have a species of butterflies that is attracted to women in love. At a wedding, a batch is released, and they seek out the most likely woman to find a mate. They haunted Gwen. No one on my world had ever seen such a butterfly cloud. She wanted me badly, and she had only to give in to my charms to have her world right itself.” He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest.
    Billie looked over at Gwen, and her expression was amused and exasperated in one. She obviously knew the topic, so Billie mouthed butterflies, and Gwen nodded. Giggles started in