She gave a huge sigh of relief, of hope fulfilled and heart overflowing... the disorienting twist of a changespell in action...
The blanket felt wonderful on her human shoulders, soft and caressing and full of bright colors her horse’s eye hadn’t been able to appreciate. But it did nothing to hide the swell of the child within her, the early months of the long equine gestation translated into a shorter human term.
Carey froze, taken completely by surprise. He knew where she’d been, who’d she’d been with, in those days of running from easternmost Camolen to Anfeald. He knew her mare’s seasons. He floundered, muscles stark in a clenched jaw—and then he glanced up to the window she’d watched for so long, looking at that room where he’d almost died. And he let out a long, slow breath, and he said softly, “Hey, Braveheart.”
She sat in the grass next to him, surprised by her body’s awkwardness and of the instant opinion it was best to be a horse if pregnant. She said simply, “We were horses. We did horse things.”
“Mm,” he said thoughtfully. He touched her long, ragged hair; he smoothed the thin healing scar on her shoulder, his touch unsteady. “Maybe that’s the way it had to be.”
She thought of the moments she’d sat beside the tree and cried, coming to accept this very thing. She looked away from him. “Yes. I think so.”
He wrapped her hand with his. “Ay,” he said. “How about you come stay with me for a while, and we’ll do human things?”
She said, “Yes.”
For Carey—finally—awakening.
For Dun Lady’s Jess...
Legacy fulfilled.
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A Note from the Author
There are so many good books to read...thank you for choosing this book collection! I appreciate your letters, emails, blog comments, and Facebook posts more than I can ever express. These days, readers hold more power than ever with their choices, and reviews and word of mouth are an author's best friend — always very much appreciated!
If you'd like to keep tabs on what I'm writing, here's my newsletter sign-up. It goes out several times a year with notices about releases and giveaways, but I won't fill your mailbox. Or feel free to come by and say hello at my Facebook page, where we have lots of other fun!
If you liked these books, you might enjoy the rest of the Changespell saga prequel:
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Barrenlands
Before there was Dun Lady’s Jess…
Magic, betrayal, and a twice-cursed exile--only one man's determination can untangle the deadly intrigue that binds them together.
When Ehren's sovereign and friend was killed, Ehren, First of the King's Guard, was far away -- sent on a wild goose chase by the First Level Ministry, whose number he now believes must contain at least one traitor.
When a First Level wizard orders him to stop searching for the assassins and instead to find and neutralize the dead king's distant family, his suspicions deepen to near certainty.
And Ehren is determined to find those exiles -- if only so that he may guard them with his life.
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And if you like dogs as well as horses, and appreciate heroines with Jess's heart, you might enjoy A Feral Darkness or Seer's Blood:
A Feral Darkness
Suspense, romance, and a Celtic dog bundled into a contemporary fantasy setting.
As a child, dog-loving Brenna Fallon naívely invokes an ancient Celtic deity to save her beloved hound--and inadvertently anchors the new-found power at a spring on her family's farm.
She doesn't know she's also left an opening for a far more malevolent force.
Years later, Brenna discovers the terrible potential of that gateway. With a devastating plague unfolding abruptly around her, she must depend on her wits, a stranger she doesn't trust, and a mysterious stray dog who becomes more than just a faithful companion as she struggles to drive back the threat of a modern Black Death.
Welded by a desperate sacrifice, woman, man, and dog face the feral darkness together.
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Seer's Blood
When Blaine Kendricks discovers strangers in Shadow Hollers, she thinks they've come to trade. She couldn't be more wrong.
When Dacey Childers comes to Shadow Hollers, Blaine's family thinks he's there to hunt game. They couldn't be more wrong.
When the Annekteh come to Shadow Hollers, they think the isolated community living there has no way to resist their invasion.
They're pretty much right on target.
But the last man of the lost seer's blood has returned, and is about to draw Blaine into his magic, his adventure...and the most dangerous hunt she could ever imagine.
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About Doranna Durgin
Doranna Durgin is an award-winning author (Compton Crook, best first SF/F/H) whose quirky spirit has led to an eclectic and extensive publishing journey across genres. Beyond that, she hangs around outside her Southwest mountain home with horse and dogs, and the dogs keep her busy in the sports of tracking, obedience, and agility. She doesn't believe in mastering the beast within, but in channeling its power. For good or bad has yet to be decided...
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About Book View Café
Book View Café is a professional authors’ publishing cooperative offering DRM-free ebooks in multiple formats to readers around the world. With authors in a variety of genres including mystery, romance, fantasy, and science fiction, Book View Café has something for everyone.
Book View Café authors include New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, Nebula, Hugo, and Philip K. Dick Award winners, World Fantasy and Rita Award nominees, and winners and nominees of many other publishing awards.
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