Heart Change Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-one

  Twenty-two

  Twenty-three

  Twenty-four

  Twenty-five

  Twenty-six

  Twenty-seven

  Twenty-eight

  Twenty-nine

  Thirty

  Thirty-one

  Thirty-two

  Thirty-three

  Thirty-four

  Thirty-five

  Thirty-six

  Thirty-seven

  Thirty-eight

  “If you’ve been waiting for someone to do futuristic

  romance right, you’re in luck, Robin D. Owens is the

  author for you.”—Jayne Castle

  Praise for the futuristic fantasy of Robin D. Owens

  Heart Fate

  “A touching tale of learning to trust again . . . Even for readers unfamiliar with the Heart world, Owens makes it easily accessible and full of delightful conceits.”—Publishers Weekly

  “A true delight to read, and it should garner new fans for this unique and enjoyable series.”—Booklist

  “[This] emotionally rich tale blends paranormal abilities, family dynamics, and politics; adds a serious dash of violence; and dusts it all with humor and whimsy. The intriguing result is the seventh in Owens’s popular Celta series.” —Library Journal

  Heart Dance

  “The latest Heart fantasy is one of the best of this superior series . . . Retaining the freshness of its heartfelt predecessors.”

  —The Best Reviews

  “I look forward to my yearly holiday in Celta, always a dangerous and fascinating trip.”—Fresh Fiction

  “The world of Celta is amazingly detailed, and readers will enjoy the bits of humor that the Fams provide. Sensual, riveting, and filled with the wonderful cast of characters from previous books, as well as some new ones, Heart Dance is exquisite in its presentation.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  Heart Choice

  “The romance is passionate, the characters engaging, and the society and setting exquisitely crafted.” —Booklist

  “Character-driven story, brilliant dialogue . . . Terrific writing with a very realistic and sensual romance make Heart Choice a fantastic read.” —Romance Reviews Today

  “Maintaining the ‘world building’ for science fiction and character-driven plot for romance is near impossible. Owens does it brilliantly.”—The Romance Reader

  “Well-written, humor-laced, intellectually and emotionally involving story which explores the true meaning of family and love.”

  —Library Journal

  “Heart Choice is a wonderful book to lose yourself in for a while! I’ll be anxiously awaiting the next book in this wonderfully imaginative series.” —Romance Junkies

  Heart Duel

  “[A] sexy story . . . Readers will enjoy revisiting this fantasy-like world filled with paranormal talents.” —Booklist

  “An exhilarating love story . . . The delightful story line is cleverly executed . . . Owens proves once again that she is among the top rung of fantasy romance authors with this fantastic tale.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “With engaging characters, Robin D. Owens takes readers back to the magical world of Celta . . . The characters are engaging, drawing the reader into the story and into their lives. They are multilayered and complex and grow into exceptional people.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  Heart Thief

  “I loved Heart Thief! This is what futuristic romance is all about. Robin D. Owens writes the kind of futuristic romance we’ve all been waiting to read; certainly the kind that I’ve been waiting for. She provides a wonderful, gripping mix of passion, exotic futuristic settings, and edgy suspense. If you’ve been waiting for someone to do futuristic romance right, you’re in luck; Robin D. Owens is the author for you.”—Jayne Castle

  “The complex plot and rich characterizations, not to mention the sexy passion . . . make this a must read . . . I just wish Robin D. Owens wrote faster. I hope she’s got a huge pile of ideas for future Celtan stories, and I for one can’t wait to go back.”

  —The Romance Reader

  “Owens spins an entrancing tale . . . A stunning futuristic tale that reads like fantasy and is sure to have crossover appeal to both SF and fantasy fans.” —Library Journal

  “Owens has crafted a fine romance that is also a successful science fantasy yarn with terrific world building.” —Booklist

  Praise for

  HeartMate

  Winner of the 2002 RITA Award

  for Best Paranormal Romance

  by the Romance Writers of America

  “Engaging characters, effortless world building, and a sizzling romance make this a novel that’s almost impossible to put down.”

  —The Romance Reader

  “Fantasy romance with a touch of mystery . . . Readers from the different genres will want Ms. Owens to return to Celta for more tales of HeartMates.” —Midwest Book Review

  “HeartMate is a dazzling debut novel. Robin D. Owens paints a world filled with characters who sweep readers into an unforgettable adventure with every delicious word, every breath, every beat of their hearts. Brava!”—Deb Stover, award-winning author of The Gift

  “A gem of a story . . . sure to tickle your fancy.”

  —Anne Avery, author of Fire & Ice

  “It shines and fans will soon clamor for more . . . A definite keeper!”

  —The Bookdragon Review

  “This story is magical . . . Doubly delicious as it will appeal to both lovers of fantasy and futuristic romance. Much room has been left for sequels.” —ParaNormal Romance Reviews

  Titles by Robin D. Owens

  HEARTMATE

  HEART THIEF

  HEART DUEL

  HEART CHOICE

  HEART QUEST

  HEART DANCE

  HEART FATE

  HEART CHANGE

  Anthologies

  WHAT DREAMS MAY COME

  (with Sherrilyn Kenyon and Rebecca York)

  THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

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  (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

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  (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

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  South Africa

  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  This book is an original pu
blication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  Copyright © 2009 by Robin D. Owens.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  BERKLEY® SENSATION and the “B” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  PRINTING HISTORY

  Berkley Sensation trade paperback edition / November 2009

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Owens, Robin D.

  Heart change / Robin D. Owens.—Berkley Sensation trade paperback ed.

  p. cm.

  eISBN : 978-1-101-15110-5

  1. Life on other planets—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3615.W478H38 2009

  813’.6—dc22

  2009029840

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  To all who love cats, and to Tommy and Dingo,

  my Du and Beadle.

  Characters

  Calendula SIGNET D’Marigold: The last of the GrandHouse of the Marigolds, Signet has great but unknown Flair. Her Fam animal companion is cat Du.

  The Hawthorns:

  Cratag Maytree: Distant kin of the Hawthorns, Cratag was born on the southern continent as the son of a shopkeeper, sold his sword as a caravan guard, and joined the Hawthorn household just as they were beginning a feud several years ago. He is now the chief of the Hawthorn guards. His Fam animal companion is cat Beadle.

  GreatLord Huathe T’Hawthorn: Head of the Hawthorns, Cratag’s sworn lord. His Fam animal companion is cat Black Pierre.

  Huathe LAEV Hawthorn: T’Hawthorn’s Son’sSon (grandson), a young man of seventeen who is like a younger brother to Cratag. Laev is experiencing his Second Passage to free his psi power, his Flair.

  Nivea Sunflower: A girl of seventeen, Laev’s first love.

  The Vines:

  GreatLord Muin T’Vine (VINNI): The thirteen-year-old prophet of Celta, his eyes have a disconcerting way of changing when he is experiencing his Flair. Vinni already knows his HeartMate is young Avellana Hazel. His Fam animal companion is houseflu ff (bunny) Flora.

  Hanes Vine: Chief of the Vine guards and bodyguard to Vinni.

  Arcto Vine: Vinni’s tutor.

  The Hazels:

  Great Lady Coll D’Hazel: The head of the Hazels.

  Great Lord T’Hazel: The GreatLady’s HeartMate and consort.

  Coll Hazel: A girl of fourteen, the Heir to the Hazels.

  Avellana Hazel: A girl of seven who had a fall at three resulting in brain damage. She is experiencing her First Passage, a dreamquest/ fugue to free her psi power. Vinni T’Vine’s HeartMate. Her Fam animal companion is cat Rhyz.

  Others:

  GreatLord Rand T’Ash: Jeweler/blacksmith, T’Ash has the premier testing stones to discover a person’s Flair (HeartMate). His Fam animal companion is cat Zanth.

  GreatLady Danith Mallow D’Ash: HeartMate of T’Ash, Danith is an animal Healer and the person who usually matches intelligent animal companions (Fams) with people. Her Fam animal companion is cat Princess.

  GreatLord Heather: The premier Healer of Celta.

  SupremeJudge Ailim Elder: SupremeJudge of Celta, she is telempathic (telepathic and empathic).

  Note: Other unnamed characters show up who regular readers might recognize.

  One

  DRUIDA CITY, CELTA 407 Years After Colonization Early Spring

  Signet D’Marigold stood on the crumbling edge of the cliff and dared fate to take her. The sky was more winter than spring, flat and gray. The ground, frozen and dead. The wind, bitter and mean. Her life was as gray as the light, as dead as the land. She had no doubt that fate was as mean as the wind.

  Far below, the ocean smacked spray at the sawtooth rocks, as they did every moment of every day, cold enough to suck the life out of her if she survived the fall.

  She really didn’t care.

  Today was her thirtieth Nameday and she had no one to celebrate it with, not even one acquaintance close enough to meet for a cup of caff.

  It had happened again. A couple of weeks ago she’d attended the celebration of Imbolc in the GreatTemple, had participated in the circle and felt vitality humming through her, enough to add pink to her pale cheeks and a slight golden color to her washed-out blond hair. She’d made a new acquaintance, Whinna Furze. They’d begun to take the steps to deepen the friendship, then Whinna’s life had changed dramatically and she’d left the City yesterday—leaving Signet with only an excited, offhand good-bye in her message cache.

  Signet was alone again. Thirty and no one to celebrate with: no friend, no man, no child. Soul deep loneliness ached inside her.

  Alone except for the D’Marigold Residence. She turned her head so she could see it—all pale peach walls and tall, arched windows framed in white, an airy fantasy of a house, looking as if laughter itself had shaped it. But it was empty. Like many of the Families of Celta, the Marigolds had dwindled, and now there was only herself.

  She could have opened one of the windows to the winter, leaned out . . . but the loss of the last Marigold in such a manner would have damaged the Residence, the sentient house, and she loved it. Instead, she’d walked to the cliffs and looked down on the endless movement of the sea. It whispered her real name, “Calendula.” She didn’t like that name, so she ignored it.

  There had been two messages in her scry cache when she’d returned from her cliff walk yesterday, something that hadn’t happened in years. One was Whinna’s. The other was from T’Ash.

  Signet was a challenge to T’Ash and his Testing Stones. His deep, rough voice had said his stones were better, stronger, more finely tuned this year—enough not only to measure the great strength of her Flair, her psi power, but to determine what her particular talent was.

  He said that every year.

  She wondered if she could dredge up the will to trudge to T’Ash Residence and be tested again for the gift that should have shaped her life, filled it with direction and purpose. This time, she didn’t think so. It was painful seeing how T’Ash’s life had changed, how his Residence, once as lonely and empty as her own, was now full of love from a menagerie of animals, a precocious child, and his HeartMate, Danith, glowing with the pregnancy of twins, twins.

  Signet was sure that if she didn’t make an appointment, T’Ash would forget her until her next Nameday rolled around.

  She glanced at her home, couldn’t bear going back to the loneliness there. She looked down to the sea, the same gray ebb and flow against black rock. The wind whipped her cloak around her, seemed to whistle through her. It called to her, too, mocking, “Calendula.” She couldn’t stay here, not today. She’d be tempted to do something irrevocable.

  She’d go to CityCenter and let the false cheer and warmth of people surge around her. She’d fill the hours and when she woke tomorrow, she’d feel better. That she knew.

  There was a new play with Raz Cherry, a tragedy. It would probably make her life appear good in comparison. Tomorrow would be better.

  A gust of wind caught her. “Calendula!”

  That wasn’t waves or wind. She pivoted. Dirt crumbled under her heels. She jumped forward, heart pounding at the skittering fall of rock behind her. A young teenaged boy shot toward her, arms waving. “Calendula.”

  Blinking at the sight of a visitor on her land, it took her a moment to understand he was coming too fast. “Stop!” she shrieked, but the wind snatched her words away. Sh
e set herself in his path, held out her arms, braced.

  The collision knocked her back, knocked them straight into air. The teen’s green brown eyes went wide with horror.

  But Signet knew every inch of her land, the strength of her Flair. His Flair, greater than hers, added power. She visualized them in the sacred Marigold grove and teleported them there.

  They slipped on the frosty ground, fell hard under the huge-boled, leafless trees, both expelling breath, then fighting for it. She recognized him, the thirteen-year-old prophet, GreatLord Muin T’Vine. She looked into his changeable eyes, now green.