Heart Thief by Robin D. Owens

and shivered as if shaking the city off himself, finding himself liking the cool evening air. It seemed like freedom.
    But it only seemed. Because wherever he would roam, he would take his Nullness with him. In dealing with anyone on Celta, whether in Druida or the other cities and towns, or outside them, he would face the same fear and abhorrence.
    In those last days of freedom, before his capture, when he’d given the slightest vent to the reckless anger, he’d taken chances a reasonable man would have avoided. Now he was banished.
    He would master his anger.
    The contemptuous and arrogant nobles weren’t getting rid of him so easily. His life, his work and passion were in Druida City.
    He would stay.
    And Ailim D’SilverFir was in the city. Temptation to spend more time with her, the one person who didn’t care how he affected her, drew him.
    He would see her again.
    To kill him, the nobles would have to catch him. He knew the perfect place to hide, and it was in plain sight in Druida. He just had to ignore the superstitious stories about the place.
    There was a sleepy and careless guard at Eastgate. Ruis would return to the city by that route.
    But now he felt scoured of extreme emotions, only able to enjoy each moment and breath.
    His shoulder itched and he rubbed it against the rough stone wall, ruining the silkeen. He didn’t care. He couldn’t risk wearing a bright red shirt in Druida after being banished.
    The note D’Vine had passed him was from D’Ash, asking him to meet her here one septhour after twinmoons’ rise. His smile turned amused thinking of D’Vine and D’Ash conspiring to help him. Gentle ladies both.
    As was D’SilverFir. Her image rose to his mind, sympathetic smoky blue eyes, piquant heart-shaped face, and fine blond hair. It would be wiser to imagine her in judge’s robes, on the bench, a symbol of authority. Or to visualize her sitting at that FirstFamilies Council table, one of the nobles he’d always thought rapacious and dishonorable.
    Staying in Druida and courting execution wasn’t wise. But he’d decided not to be wise. Why not see the lady again, too?
    â€œRuis Elder?” D’Ash’s soft voice called.
    â€œHere,” Ruis answered, fingering her note in his trous pocket. His eyes found her, passing through Northgate several meters away.
    Behind her deep brown cowled caped figure followed another caped female. A flash of torchlight flickered on blond hair and a heart-shaped face—D’SilverFir. She walked slower, clearly not in D’Ash’s company.
    As D’Ash strode to Ruis, she didn’t seem to be aware of D’SilverFir behind her. Since D’SilverFir didn’t catch up with the other woman, Ruis could only believe Ailim had some private motive of her own for seeing him. His heartbeat quickened.
    GreatLady D’Ash walked toward Ruis, carrying a huge calico cat. She looked fully recovered from the stress of his Nullness during the trial.
    She met him with a smile. “Merry meet,” she said. “Here.” She gave him the animal. “She’s yours.”
    D’SilverFir stopped some paces away and slipped into the shadows of the gate tower’s walls.
    Ruis opened his mouth to swear at the weight of the animal, but stopped as he met the eyes of the cat. They glowed like green jade. A ruffled purring rose to his ears and vibrated into his arms, a soft, mellow sound he’d never heard closely.
    â€œHer name’s Samba,” D’Ash said. “She’s a Familiar, bred of Zanth, T’Ash’s Fam.”
    He grit his teeth. He wanted to give the cat back, but made no move to do so. Why was he having such a difficult time returning the animal? “I’m a Null. I can’t hear telepathic communication from a Fam.”
    D’Ash raised her eyebrows in reproof and tickled the furred, round cat-stomach bulging between his arms. “She’s