Praise for
ROBIN D. OWENS
âOwens takesâ¦elements that made Marion Zimmer Bradleyâs Darkover stories popularâ¦
and turns out a romance that draws you inâ¦.â
âLocus magazine
âOwens has crafted aâ¦successful science fantasy yarn with terrific world building.â
âBooklist on Heart Thief
âReaders of Owensâ earlier Celta titles, Heart Mate and Heart Thief, will enjoy revisiting this fantasy-like
world filled with paranormal talents.â
âBooklist on Heart Duel
âA new voice in romantic fantasy fiction has arrived and makes an outstanding debut. The alien world that talented newcomer Robin D. Owens has created is intricate, sensual and fascinating. I certainly would
welcome future trips to the Flair-driven planet of Celta.â
âRomantic Times
The Usual Suspects: Kay Bergstrom (Cassie Miles),
Janet Lane, Sharon Mignerey (www.sharonmignerey.com), Steven Moores, Judy Stringer, Anne Tupler, Leslee Breene (www.lesleebreene.com), Sue Hornick, Alice Kober, Teresa Luthye, Peggy Waide (www.peggywaide.com), Giselle McKenzie.
My Webmistress: Lisa Craig (www.lisacraig.com)
Excerpts of all my work available at
www.robindowens.com or www.robinowens.com.
Lladrana, early spring
When the Star Etalla glows bright and moves through the constellation Caen; when mists envelop the stone circle high atop Archerâs Mound; when the face of the Moon is hiddenâthen the walls between worlds are thin, and you may Summon saviorsâor demonsâfrom the Exotique Land. Send the Call. Choose well.
âSpring Prophecy
The rush of rain hit the stone pavement with hissing, tinny pings. Swordmarshall Thealia hurried through the Castleâs cloister walk, ignoring the silver fall outside the open, pointed arches. The incessant damp weather made her aging joints ache even under three layers of robes. Sheâd once loved to watch the rain. Once. Now she avoided looking at it, listening to it, and wished she could avoid smelling the miasma that rose from it.
Sheâd been called the tough realist, harping on the harsh facts of Lladranaâs desperate situation, demanding actionâbut she couldnât face the rain anymore.
Dread gripped her. Sheâd just stopped at the map room. She knew it was obsessive, checking the status of the land every morning and evening, but she couldnât help herself. She always hoped against hope that the tide of inhuman evil wasnât creeping into her country. That morning especially sheâd prayed something had changed, so the Marshalls wouldnât have to risk the Summoning tonight.
A futile hope. Sheâd scanned the animated map of Lladrana, noting the breaks in the magical boundary set by her ancestors against the Dark. Sheâd counted each glowing white fence-pillar. Even as she had watched, two pillars had blackened and vanished. The loss was escalating and the new gap in the northern defenses stretched miles.
Fingers of the first taint of evil, the small nasty poisonous creatures signified by gray sludge, slogged to the borderâand across. Stirrings of the more terrible horrorsâslayers, renders, soul-suckers massed, ready to advance to the new breach. Chill fear had penetrated her bones.
Now with fumbling fingers Thealia drew the heavy key through the slits of her robes and stuck it into the iron keyhole of the thick wooden door made of grown tree trunksâsacred oaks ritually harvested in bygone times. The door opened smoothly, though she hadnât said the spell or pushed her shoulder against it. The Knight Lord of the Marshalls must be inside. She wondered if he had brought his brotherâhis Shieldâtoo.
Her lips thinned in irritation. Sheâd wanted a moment or two in the chamber to soak in the sense of serenity that lived nowhere else in Lladrana. He couldnât appreciate the balm, even if he felt it.
Straightening her spine and shoulders, she set her steps carefully to glide with grace into the round stone Temple. The scent of rosemary and sage welcomed her.
Swordmarshall Reynardus paced the sanctuary, tall, broad-shouldered, the silver streak of hair at his right temple turned golden with age. Not even a small paunch softened the man. Lines bracketed his mouth. They had deepened over the past year as the Marshalls realized the ancient fence was failing and that they had no idea how to recharge the shielding posts, make new ones or lace the magical energy between them. Inhuman evil encroached upon Lladrana with sharp, monstrous teeth.
But didnât evil always encroach? It was Thealiaâs job to make sure the Marshalls guarded and defended Lladranaâeven when the steps might be drastic and deadly to herself and others.