I have no idea how this didn't get posted on here. It went up on the Livejournal and Dreamwidth archive.
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Without further ado...
Interested in helping support this free version of the book and other projects? http://www.patreon.com/Amehana
Without further ado...
Selkies' Skins 2
Temple and Skinquest
Installment 39
Chapter 15
Leviathan (part 4)
Kirsty frowned, puzzling over the words, her eyes drawn once again to the spirit fire still flickering weakly about the sundered box and throne. “How though?”
Belial shifted about, trying surreptitiously to appease the softly grumbling skin that was unwrapping from his waist and attempting to wriggle her way up his back. The skin, however, made no such attempts at remaining hidden and managed to pop its head out of the back of his collar. Launching itself, the dark skin arched and dove for the box, slipping quickly before frantically questing fingers. “Salena! What are you doing?”
The skin landed in the box, her tail touching his foot as if seeking an anchor, but lolling itself open and flat within with satisfied rumbling purrs. Kirsty glared at Belial. Before she could confront him about having a selkie skin, nevermind that she could not remember hearing about one moving on its own, the spirit fires intensified. No longer contained to flickering over the throne and stone box they now covered the entire dais and island they stood on.
“You are not dead yet Salena, though if you don’t listen more often to the man that loves you it might come sooner than we all expect.” The voice rose every hair on Kirsty’s body. This was the voice she heard at home so often. The faint form that materialized in the water that trickled up from a hitherto unseen source to run into the pool again was also familiar, yet was as ancient looking at some of the ways the Wissefrau had presented herself. At her waist was the sword she knew of the Lady having, yet there was something broken about it, despite being unable to see the blade.
Salena’s skin, with a series of barks, grunts, and other sounds of seal speech, let them know precisely what was bothering her about her husband and the entire situation. Kirsty didn’t understand it, but he Belial’s lips pressed together and color rose.
He shook his head at Salena, then spoke to Kirsty. “The Black Gate has been in my family since The Lady and Astereth had their fateful falling out. He sired children before he lost, and one of his men ensured that we received it as birthright. The gate not only calls the Hounds of various Clans, but also can take pieces of the soul.”
Kirsty sighed, letting the issue of the skin go for now. “So, I might be able to use it to regain that piece of her.”
“In theory.”
The remnant of the Lady by now had crouched down to stroke the sealskin. “I would like to return to myself. I’ve been locked away here for so long. I have no idea how many other severed pieces have been sealed as I have. You should also look for this, it is here too. It’s how a piece of my power locked away.” She drew Meidh from the scabbard she wore. Though she held the hilt, there was a piece of the first third that was the only part that was seen.
They nodded, and Kirsty inspected the talisman, trying to figure out how to use it for that. No incantation leapt out at her in the filigree, nor in her mind. The neither the stories that she had from her Makay lineage nor the Marainion lineage ever gave any clues as to exactly how The Lady had been sundered. Nor had Mara been present, since that battle had been inland. Instead she tried for something less informed.
She focused her heart, where she would pull energy to for any intentional spell. She focused on the long need and drive of the generations before her to heal the deity that watched over them. Every ounce of longing and intention that she could pull from her line she called on and tried to channel through the gate. She linked it mentally with the vial of The Lady’s water that she carried with her in her pouch, and with what was from that deity that flowed in her own veins. She mentally tried to fold space and time, and felt the drain of it, reached out through the gate and tried to open it to give The Lady a path back to herself.
Once more the stone opened. Instead of being the black of night it turned to a lake blue, then to a sparkling deep blue as of a crystal lit underground spring. The Lady smiled wistfully, nodded at Kirsty, and then walked through. There was a whirling, Kirsty disoriented as if she’d ridden a broom into a waterspout, a rushing feel. Then the stone closed again.
With it, there was a boom that echoed the hallways and rippled through the waterways.
Belial paled. “Leviathan.”
Belial shifted about, trying surreptitiously to appease the softly grumbling skin that was unwrapping from his waist and attempting to wriggle her way up his back. The skin, however, made no such attempts at remaining hidden and managed to pop its head out of the back of his collar. Launching itself, the dark skin arched and dove for the box, slipping quickly before frantically questing fingers. “Salena! What are you doing?”
The skin landed in the box, her tail touching his foot as if seeking an anchor, but lolling itself open and flat within with satisfied rumbling purrs. Kirsty glared at Belial. Before she could confront him about having a selkie skin, nevermind that she could not remember hearing about one moving on its own, the spirit fires intensified. No longer contained to flickering over the throne and stone box they now covered the entire dais and island they stood on.
“You are not dead yet Salena, though if you don’t listen more often to the man that loves you it might come sooner than we all expect.” The voice rose every hair on Kirsty’s body. This was the voice she heard at home so often. The faint form that materialized in the water that trickled up from a hitherto unseen source to run into the pool again was also familiar, yet was as ancient looking at some of the ways the Wissefrau had presented herself. At her waist was the sword she knew of the Lady having, yet there was something broken about it, despite being unable to see the blade.
Salena’s skin, with a series of barks, grunts, and other sounds of seal speech, let them know precisely what was bothering her about her husband and the entire situation. Kirsty didn’t understand it, but he Belial’s lips pressed together and color rose.
He shook his head at Salena, then spoke to Kirsty. “The Black Gate has been in my family since The Lady and Astereth had their fateful falling out. He sired children before he lost, and one of his men ensured that we received it as birthright. The gate not only calls the Hounds of various Clans, but also can take pieces of the soul.”
Kirsty sighed, letting the issue of the skin go for now. “So, I might be able to use it to regain that piece of her.”
“In theory.”
The remnant of the Lady by now had crouched down to stroke the sealskin. “I would like to return to myself. I’ve been locked away here for so long. I have no idea how many other severed pieces have been sealed as I have. You should also look for this, it is here too. It’s how a piece of my power locked away.” She drew Meidh from the scabbard she wore. Though she held the hilt, there was a piece of the first third that was the only part that was seen.
They nodded, and Kirsty inspected the talisman, trying to figure out how to use it for that. No incantation leapt out at her in the filigree, nor in her mind. The neither the stories that she had from her Makay lineage nor the Marainion lineage ever gave any clues as to exactly how The Lady had been sundered. Nor had Mara been present, since that battle had been inland. Instead she tried for something less informed.
She focused her heart, where she would pull energy to for any intentional spell. She focused on the long need and drive of the generations before her to heal the deity that watched over them. Every ounce of longing and intention that she could pull from her line she called on and tried to channel through the gate. She linked it mentally with the vial of The Lady’s water that she carried with her in her pouch, and with what was from that deity that flowed in her own veins. She mentally tried to fold space and time, and felt the drain of it, reached out through the gate and tried to open it to give The Lady a path back to herself.
Once more the stone opened. Instead of being the black of night it turned to a lake blue, then to a sparkling deep blue as of a crystal lit underground spring. The Lady smiled wistfully, nodded at Kirsty, and then walked through. There was a whirling, Kirsty disoriented as if she’d ridden a broom into a waterspout, a rushing feel. Then the stone closed again.
With it, there was a boom that echoed the hallways and rippled through the waterways.
Belial paled. “Leviathan.”
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Live Journal
Dreamwidth
Copyright 2012-2015 and onward by Teresa Garcia
The ebook's official release for Book One (Castle and Well) was March 16th on Smashwords, and is currently also on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The print edition is available in paperback on Amazon, and hardback on 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. (click to hear what he sounds like in past recordings of other projects)
Got a question? Ask it and maybe the answer will be revealed in the story, or in a comment on the extras page if not part of the story itself. Spy a typo? Website code broken? Would you like the episodes to be longer or shorter? Please let me know!
Installment Uploaded here: June 10, 2017
Uploaded to Dreamwidth: June 10, 2017
Patreon: June 6, 2017
Book Two's Landing
(manuscript in progress, be watching for installments)
Live Journal
Dreamwidth
Copyright 2012-2015 and onward by Teresa Garcia
The ebook's official release for Book One (Castle and Well) was March 16th on Smashwords, and is currently also on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The print edition is available in paperback on Amazon, and hardback on 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. (click to hear what he sounds like in past recordings of other projects)
Got a question? Ask it and maybe the answer will be revealed in the story, or in a comment on the extras page if not part of the story itself. Spy a typo? Website code broken? Would you like the episodes to be longer or shorter? Please let me know!
Installment Uploaded here: June 10, 2017
Uploaded to Dreamwidth: June 10, 2017
Patreon: June 6, 2017
Book Two's Landing
(manuscript in progress, be watching for installments)
If you'd like to have another episode in the update schedule, feel free to use the Paypal button below or the Patreon button. Alternatively you can buy an ebook, print book, or audiobook from me through Amazon, B&N, or Smashwords. Basic schedule will be biweekly release.
As of this writing I am working on Chapter 8 for Book Two.
As of this writing I am working on Chapter 8 for Book Two.
