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rainstardragon
Book one (Castle and Well) of Selkies' Skins is available in entirety in ebook format as of March 16th, beginning at Smashwords. The print edition is now available on Amazon and Lulu with Samantha Buckley's stunning cover depicting Kirsty and the storm. An audio edition of the first book in the series narrated by Illya Leonov and now available on Amazon, iTunes, and Audible, with other venues pending. He has finished "Book of Seals: Pearls of Sea and Stone" which accompanies and precedes Selkies' Skins: Castle and Well which will be available in full audiobook format soon. (click to hear what he sounds like in past recordings of other projects)
We return to Kirsty and to how she is doing with the effects of time shuttling.
My apologies for the slight delay. This was not quite ready when I wanted.
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Selkies' Skins 2
Section 2: Temple's LightInstallment 25Chapter 10 part 4
Tangled Fur
Section 2: Temple's Light
Tangled Fur
David sat looking into the well listening to the chill breeze and the slipping of the owls and bats through the dark air above and around him. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t supposed to be out, though the usual consequence would fall on him just as it would anyone else since he did not have the excuse of his “special studies” tonight, though he could feel his night drawing closer than he wanted. The kelpie, which had not been nice, was long gone and good riddance.
He liked Byron much better, even though he was still sure that the kelpie fantasized about eating him if he ever crossed Kirsty. He felt closer to her here, for now, and that calmed him. Maybe if he sat in one of their places he could better figure out what was wrong.
“Master?” Imp hopped onto his shoulder and sat.
“I thought you’d be with Kirsty.”
Imp fidgeted. “Mistress sleeps still. Imp was wanting to check on Master.”
David sighed at how Imp addressed him. He’d accepted it, but perhaps some day they could get him to speak normally. “I am fine, I’m more worried about her.”
“Mistress would be more worried about you than herself. Mistress would have asked Imp to check.”
He smiled a bit. “Yes, she probably would have. Maybe when you go back to her you could whisper in her ear that I’m fine and to just get better and stop worrying about me.”
“Imp will do that. Master, Imp is worried, about more than just Master and Mistress.”
David nodded for him to continue.
“Imp still worries about the Black Gate from the dream not-dream that he spied on Morvan having. Imp thinks that maybe that makes mistress ill, or lets the Things come so close. There weren’t this many last year skulking about.”
“I don’t think that it makes her ill, if he really does have this thing. I can believe what you told me about the skins, that makes sense, however,” he paused a moment at a whine from Imp. “I would think that since it is Morvan and you mentioned the demon, there is more involved.” He patted Imp carefully at the wilting.
“But Master... If that’s not it then what can Imp do for Mistress?”
“I don’t know, Imp. I’m at just as much of a loss as you are. You can keep an eye on Morvan when you’re not with Kirsty. Let me know if you find anything else out.”
Imp nodded. “Imp will do so.” He then bounded off after placing an awkward hug around David’s neck.
David watched the water imp bound off as it cloaked itself. David sighed and looked into the water one more time, touching the lump under his shirt that was the crystal and Kirsty hair pendant. “Just get better. I don’t know what I can do for you,” the thought wavered gently as he thought about brushing the hair from her face or straightening her collar.
At that moment Finnol and Byron strode into the courtyard from the direction of the lake. Byron was dripping, which was normal, but Finnol seemed to still be in the process of pulling the water from his clothes and returning it to the lake and the ground.
“Mr. Makay?” David rose and took a step toward Kirsty’s father. “I did not expect that you might be here so soon. Did something happen on your way?”
Finnol blinked, shaking his hands as if they burned. “My trip? As could be expected. Did something else happen with Kirstine since the last letter from my Aunt?”
David nodded, falling into step with the pair. “She’s had another episode. We took her to the medical wing, sir.”
Finnol sighed and placed his hand on David’s shoulder. “You’re a good lad. Thank you for taking care of my daughter.”
“Of course, sir.”
“I’m guessing that being bothered is why you are here instead of,” Finnol trailed off with a wan smile as they crossed the threshold. His shoulders squared as the Examiners ruffled through his mind and aura.
“Yes, sir.” David looked up at the older man, then the Examiners.
Their jewel eyes gazed back, less shrouded somehow than usual. Finnol and Byron followed his gaze.
“Something isn’t right...” Finnol ducked back out the threshold, and back in once more.
Byron whinnied and shook his head, snorting and pawing as the water flicked everywhere, including on David.
“Sir? Byron?” David looked between the pair.
“You don’t feel her here?” Byron’s red frill peeked from beneath the kelp of his mane.
“I do...” David nodded slowly. “But I feel her everywhere here that she passes often.” He eyed Byron, took a careful step backward to give the kelpie his space.
“This is,” Finnol stepped back in fully, turned at glared up at the statues. “Different. There is something about this door and I feel her in it. So help me, if you lot have something to do with my baby’s problems I will leech whatever water is in your compounds and then pulverize you to sand for the beach. No matter how many times I sought guidance from you as a child.”
Finnol locked stares with the guardians of the gate. David was unsure how much time passed, how many ticks of the watch in his pocket. He was about to clear his throat and suggest going either to Professor MacLeomhann, or to Kirsty when the elder Makay sighed.
Finnol looked slightly more worn, if that were possible. Frayed around the edges like a pullover worn too many times. “I’m sorry. Perhaps I am getting paranoid.”
Byron pressed his side against Finnol, and Finnol’s hand went to his shoulder. “It is to be expected. Will you be joining us, David?”
“If you wish it. I probably should be going to my room though.” David eyed the kelpie.
[Unsure if I will include that adventure in this book or if it will be part of Book 3 since it’s a David/Thomas and may touch on the Black Gate’s story. This is a chance for readers to sound off on helping shape the way the tales unfold. Comment below (so I can keep track) which you think is best. 1) Save their exploration and any discovery for in #3. 2) Include their adventure in the current book, #2. 3) In both, having one in truncated form and the other the full form. 4) Another option, reader suggestion.]
Thank you for reading along with the webnovel version of this book. This has gone up on the Web Fiction Guide, so reviews of the current story developing are welcome, as are votes.
