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Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
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In the Shadow of the Selkie
Copyright © 2008 by M. A. duBarry
ISBN: 1-59998-874-7
Edited by Jennifer Miller
Cover by Vanessa Hawthorne
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: January 2008
www.samhainpublishing.com
In the Shadow of the Selkie
M.A. duBarry
Dedication
To the selkie and those who believe in their myth.
Prologue
Vanishing Isle of Cu Mara, off Donegal Coast, Ireland, 1805
She’d served the selkie her entire life. Now she wanted something in return, something no mortal should dare ask, nor would any sane selkie agree to give. But Lady Theodosia Barrett had little choice in the matter. She refused to let her family suffer at the hands of the Dark Fin-Folk ruler, the evil Queen Dubheasa. If Theo didn’t bring back the selkie skin she’d been ordered to steal, Queen Dubheasa would blackmail her father and expose his secret research on the existence of selkie vampires to the outside world, forever tarnishing his reputation and possibly prompting an all-out war between the realms of myth and man.
Raiding a tomb strictly to steal a prized artifact went against everything she’d ever been taught. In fact, it even went against her enemy’s “official” code of ethics. Yet despite her misgivings, here she stood, deep inside the ancient burial grounds she’d been born to protect, prepared to commit the greatest of all sins.
She adjusted the flaming torch she carried in her right hand and double-checked the wooden stake resting in the pouch tied to the ribbon at her waist. Even though she didn’t really believe in the existence of selkie vampires, she wasn’t taking any chances tonight. Inhaling a deep breath, she continued her trek through the stone tunnel. At her back, the soothing sound of waves crashing against rock grew faint as she ventured deeper into the cavern.
As she approached the opening of a large room, she froze. Shock jolted her nerves. Selkies, Theo imagined, lived in caves lined with bones and seal pelts. Not elaborately decorated chambers. The find surprised her. Through dancing shadows she made out the faint image of a four-poster bed draped in sheer panels and several large tapestries hanging on the walls. Even the floor had changed, melding from rough stone to smooth, marble squares.
In all her years researching the selkie, she’d never once imagined the type of life they lived while in mortal form. The thought of a seal sleeping in a four-poster bed never entered her mind. The notion struck an odd chord in her soul.
Theo stepped cautiously into the large chamber. Searching for a place to set her flaming torch, she turned and scanned the wall behind her. A claw-shaped, iron holder protruded from the stone above the doorway. As she reached up, a large shadow in the form of a man crossed the wall. Her left hand went straight for the stake at her side.
“Don’t make another move,” a deep voice ordered.
Her heart pounded. “I’ve come to meet with the selkie. I’m the woman who shed seven tears into the sea a fortnight ago.”
“I’m well aware of your right to be here,” the voice behind her said. “However, since we live dual lives in my world, I must conceal my mortal identity for the sake of my kin. And for that reason, I insist you wear a blindfold. You’ll find one on the chair next to the door.”
She scanned the dimly lit area and found the chair. On its arm lay a single strip of black cloth. The soft fabric caressed her fingers as she slid the blindfold over her eyes and knotted its two tapered ends at the back of her head. “Are you not curious as to who I am or why I called you from the sea?”
The intoxicating aroma of sandalwood mixed with rich spices and citrus teased her nose. A warm breath fanned her neck. Bloody hell, she thought, the man moves like a ghost. She really needed to be more alert to this stealthy creature.
“Mortals cry to the selkie only when they have need of our help,” the selkie said. “To come to your aid, I need not know your name, only that you are willing to pay the price for my services.”
“I’ll pay anything,” she said. “So long as I’m guaranteed your help.”
“A selkie never goes back on his word.” A warm hand caressed her cheek. “Tonight’s mating ritual will bond our souls for all eternity, or until the time comes when I choose to free you from this pact.”
The selkie’s deep, velvety voice sent a simmering bolt of heat through her body. Having read numerous tales of endless passion given by the selkie to their human mates, the thought of being “owned” by such a creature enticed her. At the same time, she also realized sacrificing herself to the mythical creature greatly dimmed her prospects for a mortal husband, but so would her family’s ruined reputation if her father’s secrets were exposed. Taking the selkie as her lover was her only choice. “Do you have a name?”
“I’m your new lord and master,” the selkie said. “And that is all you need to know of me.” He nuzzled her neck, his tongue tracing small circles over her sensitive flesh. She leaned back, her head brushing against his shoulder.
His fingers glided over her breasts and then slid down, unraveling the ribbon tied at her waist. When finished, he brought his hands back up, cupping her breasts and softly pinching her nipples.
She moaned, reveling in the feel of his fingers on so sensitive an area, and prayed for more of his touch.
As if he’d read her thoughts, his lips caressed her exposed shoulder, his teeth lightly grazing her skin. He slid the gown, followed by her chemise, off her arms, and pushed the garments to the floor, their silky caress sliding down her body.
A cool breeze kissed her now bare flesh. She shivered, a tingling sensation ran down her spine.
The beast she’d called from the sea pulled her closer, bringing her naked body against his. His human form, rippled with muscles, felt warm against her bare skin. He lifted her and then gently laid her down on what she believed was the bed she’d seen earlier. The cool touch of fine silk greeted her back.
The mattress dipped as the selkie joined her. He ran a hand over her skin, trailing his fingers in a straight line from her neck to the apex of her thighs.
“Turn over, my lady.”
Knowing she owed him for answering her call, she didn’t question the beast.
He reached his arms around her waist and pulled her onto her knees. “Lean forward,” he said, taking her hands in his and placing them against what felt like a smooth rod of wood. “And brace yourself against the headboard.”
She did his bidding as a flurry of excitement teased her every nerve.
He reached forward and ran his hands over her belly, then up to her breasts, cupping her globes with his large fingers. He massaged her nipples with his palms.
She moaned and licked her lips.
He kissed her back, trailing his tongue over her spine in small circles as he did earlier to her neck. Gooseflesh dotted her skin. She felt the weight of him lean forward and the tip of his hard cock nudge against the slit o
f her arse. He pulled her closer to him as he moved his hands down to her cunt and parted her lips, his fingers teasing her clitoris.
She reveled in the wondrous sensations stirring her body. As the selkie’s fingers slid over her sensitive nub and into her hole, she caught her breath, and the scent of her own juices teased her nose. He thrust a second finger inside her cunt and spread them slightly apart.
“What do you want from me, my lady?”
She couldn’t speak. Instead she bore down on his hand, wanting to feel him deeper inside her body.
He obliged by withdrawing his fingers and replacing them with his hard cock. The thick, hot feel of him sliding into her sent a small ripple of pleasure through her vagina. She’d never known so warm a feeling in all her life.
“Surely you came to me for more than just this, my lady,” the selkie said as he thrust deeper inside her.
“I need…your help…” The words barely fell from her lips.
He nipped at the nape of her neck and then pulled out of her, only to return with a harder, deeper thrust. She moved in rhythm to his pace, matching his every thrust with a move as hungry and as intense as his.
She liked the tight feel of him inside her, filling her, teasing her. But still she wanted more. Letting one hand slip from the headboard, her fingers sought her clitoris. As she toyed with the swollen nub, the selkie reached his hands back to her breasts and played with her nipples. The pads of his fingers pinched and pulled and rolled. Fiery sensations stirred from her breasts to her mound. As the beast picked up his thrusting pace, she kept up with his rhythm until finally he pushed her body over the edge in a wondrous orgasm that made her cry out in pleasure.
The selkie took a final thrust and pumped his seed into her womb. When apparently spent, he slid out of her and pulled her down onto the bed. “You still haven’t told me what need you have of my services,” he said.
She took a deep breath and reached for the blindfold still covering her eyes.
His fingers locked around her wrists. “The blindfold stays put until I’ve taken my leave of you,” he said, his velvety voice now more stern.
She swallowed hard, not sure exactly how to tell him she’d come for his sealskin. “Is it true you cannot deny my request regardless of what I ask?”
She heard his sharp intake of breath.
“Yes, that is correct.”
She mustered the courage to tell him her reason. “I’ve come for your pelt.”
The selkie didn’t comment. Instead he let out a low hiss, the eerie sound sending a chill down her spine.
Theo reached for the blindfold and undid the knot at the back of her head, not caring what the beast had said earlier. As she removed the strip of fabric from her eyes, she saw a flash of white break from the shadows. The beast was no longer lying next to her but rather above her, his long, dark, silky hair partially hiding his face. He hissed a second time and opened his mouth wide, revealing two sharp, pointed fangs.
Theo bolted from the bed and ran across the room. She lunged for the pouch on the floor that carried her wood stake and hammer. Working the cord free to open the bag, she withdrew the weapons and poised herself to attack. But the chamber’s dim light did little to aid her in seeking out the selkie vampire. She turned and reached for the flaming torch over the door. As she stretched her fingers, a dark shadow crossed her path. The Barretts were sworn to protect the selkie, but nowhere in the history of their lineage did it say their pledge extended to vampires. Not even those descended of their own blood. Instinctively, she spun on her bare heels and blindly plunged the stake into the open area in front of her. The tip of the wood weapon lodged itself into something far more substantial than mere air.
A loud shriek echoed across the chamber. Dread consumed her. She didn’t want to think of the consequences should the beast survive, but she knew from experience a wounded vampire didn’t make for the best of friends. She had no time to see how good her aim had been. But for a moment, she stood stunned, too shocked even to run.
A thud sounded as the shadow in front of her faded from her sight—the vampire’s body falling to the floor. She panicked, but quickly checked her fear and gathered hold of her senses. She had to know if the creature survived the staking.
Crouching next to the still body, Theo steadied her hand at the vampire’s neck. A pulse ticked beneath her fingers.
The vampire hissed and reached for her.
She gasped and tumbled backward as shock consumed her. He was alive. In haste, she reached for her gown and the pouch upon the floor and bolted from the crypt. As she made her way out of the underground tomb, she kept thinking about the selkie vampire’s human form and how his sealskin hadn’t been anywhere in sight. Now that she’d staked the creature but hadn’t killed him, she couldn’t remain in the chamber and search for the pelt.
Dubheasa was going to destroy her family. She’d given up everything tonight and she had nothing to show for it. She cursed to herself as she made her way out of the tomb.
On the beach outside the selkie crypts, Theo slid her gown over her head while she ran for the small boat she’d left tethered at the far end of the narrow strip of land. As she made her way along the Cu Maran coast, she scrambled for a new plan. Not only would she anger Queen Dubheasa with her news of not finding the selkie skin, but she also had the uncanny feeling she’d managed to anger the vampire she’d just staked. Theo prayed to the gods the creature wouldn’t survive. If she were lucky, he’d bleed to death from the wound. If he didn’t, she had no doubt he’d one day come looking for her.
As she reached the southern tip of the coast, she climbed over a row of small boulders that jutted into the sea. She’d tethered her boat just over the other side of the rocks. She climbed down and froze.
At least twenty dead seals lined the beach, their bodies washed up from the sea in a haphazard manner. She approached the first carcass, kneeled and placed her hands on its belly, waiting for a sign as to the true nature of the animal’s soul. Nothing came. The carcass did not belong to a selkie but rather a simple seal. She prayed a silent prayer for the animal’s spirit to rest in peace. She wondered what had plagued the seals to cause such drastic destruction, as no signs of a struggle appeared on the beach. She rose to her feet and continued studying the coast as she made her way toward her boat.
In the near distance Theo came across several gutted seals, their skins abandoned at their sides. A sudden realization struck her. She needed a seal’s skin and the animals at her feet provided exactly what Queen Dubheasa had requested. Hoping the gods would forgive her for taking a dead animal’s pelt, Theo scooped up one of the skins and headed to her boat. Eventually, she was certain, Dubheasa would come to realize the sealskin didn’t belong to a selkie, but by then, Theo prayed, she would have had ample time to secure her family’s safety or relocate them far away from the wrath of the Dark Fin-Folk.
Chapter One
One year later, The Vanishing Isle of Cu Mara
Vampire selkie king, Roane Cu Mara, toured the grounds of his fortress and inspected the troops preparing for war. His younger brother, Prince Miles, followed a close step behind. Roane knew his brother meant well, but he wished the lad would find some other form of amusement. A pain flared in his chest as he took a deep breath.
“You’re not well enough for this assault, Roane,” Miles said.
“Don’t tell me how I feel.” Roane turned around and headed back inside the castle. The cold, damp air of the stone tower chilled him to the bone. “I’ve waited long enough for revenge against the Dark Fin-Folk. They’ve killed far too many seals and they must be stopped.”
“And what of the woman who staked you? Will you fight for her, too?”
Roane cursed to himself. He should never have told Miles the truth about that night. “You know the rules. We protect the mortals who hail from the children of the selkie bloodline. We don’t fight them, regardless of the cost.”
“Some mortals don’t play by the rules.”
Roane ignored his brother’s comment. The young pup knew little of the real world, and if truth were to be known, Roane preferred it that way. In his own kingdom he knew his kin were safe as long as they remained within the walls of his fortress. A part of him cherished the idea his brother had never ventured to the mainland. Another part of him cursed the fact, for Miles didn’t understand what it was like being caught between the dark fae and the humans.
“You’re my heir, Miles. I need you to concern yourself with the problems of our own people.”
Miles reached out and grabbed his arm. “And if you die? What then? What kind of leader will I make if I don’t know my enemy?”
The lad was wiser than his years, Roane thought. He leaned back against the hearth. “When this matter is settled, you will begin formal training. I’ve made preparations for you to be tutored by my council should I die. When you’re king you’ll know all you need to know about the mortal realm, our enemies and our own world.”
Miles looked away from him. “The gods have opened the royal gates. They say a woman shed seven tears into the sea. A selkie must fulfill her call.”
“You’re not going, Miles. The woman can wait until it’s safe for us to venture to the mainland.”
The young prince turned back to face him head on. A look of grave concern veiled his face. “Surely you don’t mean to anger the gods? Do you?”
Roane offered a soft chuckle. “Have you no faith in me?” He took Miles by the shoulder. “I promise you, once I know the mortal realm is again safe for our kind, I’ll allow you to answer a woman’s call. Until then, you remain at Cu Mara.”
“And what if no woman ever again cries seven tears into the sea?”
He pulled his brother close and tousled the young pup’s hair. “I assure you, as long as there are selkies and mortal women, there will be tears shed into the seas.”
Miles pushed away from him and sulked. “You get all the fun, brother.”
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