New York Times bestselling fantasy author Anne McCaffrey “interweaves an engrossing romance with a coming-of-age story”( Publishers Weekly ) in this novel in the Tower and Hive series. Damia is the daughter of Prime Talents The Rowan and Jeff Raven. Her own telepathic and telekinetic abilities manifested at an early age, unimaginable powers even greater than her parents’, challenging to wield much less control. As willful as her mother ever was, Damia defies her family’s attempts to tame and train her—only to bond with Afra Lyon, a Talent who serves The Rowan, and who becomes the object of her affection.   When she comes of age, Damia learns that a Prime of her capabilities and temperament has no time for love. Assigned to serve the farthest human colonized world from Earth, Damia leads a lonely existence until she telepathically connects with an alien presence in another galaxy—a potential threat not only to Damia, but to the love Afra wants to share with her... Praise for  Damia   “McCaffrey interweaves an engrossing romance with a coming-of-age story as she examines the issue of responsibility in a society where survival depends on the abilities of a gifted few.”— Publishers Weekly   “Plenty of eccentric characters…heartwarming moments.”— Locus   “[A] well-crafted universe...[ Damia ] both refines and extends characterizations, especially in interrelationships and the use of mental powers…A winning choice for the author’s legion of fans.”— Booklist   “Well-written...McCaffrey has created another memorable, independent female protagonist and fully fleshed-out, secondary characters who behave in a believable manner…A superb science fiction romance.”— School Library Journal “Anne McCaffrey has created worlds whose elements elude the imaginations of most other writers…[ Damia ] is a perfect example of what makes McCaffrey’s writing so much fun.”— The Globe and Mail   “McCaffrey’s special talent is creating sympathetic and endearing characters.”— The Toronto Star Anne McCaffrey , one of the world’s most popular authors, is best known for her Dragonriders of Pern® series. She was the first woman to win the two top prizes for science fiction writing, the Hugo and Nebula awards. She was also given the American Library Association’s Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Literary Achievement in Young Adult Fiction, was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, and was named a Science Fiction Writers of America Nebula Grand Master. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1926, McCaffrey relocated to Ireland in the 1970s, where she lived in a house of her own design, named Dragonhold-Underhill. She died in 2011. CHAPTER ONE AFRA felt his sister’s mental touch and told his mother that Goswina had returned to Capella. Cheswina regarded her six-year-old son with her ineffable serenity. “Thank you, Afra. You always could hear farther, and Goswina better, than the rest of us. But don’t intrude,” his mother added, as Afra jiggled about in his eagerness to make contact with his beloved sister. “Capella Prime will wish to debrief her on her training at Altair Tower. You may continue with your exercises.” But Goswina’s excited about something. Something that has to do with ME! Afra insisted, for he wanted to make sure that his mother heard him. “Now, Afra,” and his mother waggled a stern finger at him, “you’ve got a tongue AND a voice. Use them. No one is to accuse this family of bringing up a discourteous and ill-mannered Talent. You have your lessons and you are not to ’path your sister until she comes in that door.” Afra scowled because, when Goswina came in the door, he wouldn’t need to ’path her. “You won’t ever be chosen for Tower duty if you cannot obey,” Cheswina went on. “Please assume a cheerful face.” If Afra had heard those admonitions once, he had heard them several thousand times. But he stifled his vexation because what he wanted more than anything else in the world was to be in a Prime Tower, part of the vast FT&T network that handled communications and transportation between the star systems that comprised the Federation. His parents and his older brother and sisters were either part of or working toward being in that great network. The family were also lucky enough to live in the Tower Complex. As a baby, he had been lulled to sleep by the throb of the enormous generators with which the Prime Talent made the gestalt to perform her miracles of transportation. His first mental effort at fourteen months had been a cheerful greeting to Capella’s Prime, who had taken the professional name of her posting. Although she had been addressing the Earth Prime with her “good morning,” Afra had heard her voice so clearly in his mind that he had responded. His parents had been shocked by his impudence. “He was not impudent at all,” Capella had reassured them with one of her rare laughs. “It was really quite charming to be greeted by a sweet, chirping ‘good morning.’ Quite sweet. We will encourage