Page 9 of The Rake OR The Orca Who Met His Match in a Selkie Desiring Revenge

No, absolutely not. She was not doing that. Not to mention, she realized looking at him, he was standing very strangely.

“Are you posing?” she blurted out.

Aegir’s eyes widened. “What? No!”3 He jolted upright and turned into the kitchen. “So, do you want something to eat or not?”

“I suppose I could eat, yes.” Elspeth followed him into the small galley and sat down in the booth.

“You eat fish?” he asked, digging through an ice box. “Looks like Jokith cooked and then left, judging by this note, so you can meet him later.”

“Of course.” She wasn’t a picky eater, but considering her precarious position, she’d eat whatever he offered her.

Aegir placed two plates on the table and sat down across from her. Bothincluded smoked fish, but the one in front of him was piled high. “Most people don’t eat as much as me, but let me know if you need more. Eat your fill.” He smiled and began shoveling food into his mouth.

Elspeth’s hand moved to the plate before she could even think about it. She hurried to eat her own fish, barely tasting it. While they ate, Elspeth considered her options. He seemed willing to take her home, so on one hand, she could just wait it out and let him. The problem was, the longer she stayed with him, the more likely he’d realize that she followed his commands, and learn about the bond. He seemed an affable fellow, so if she had to be bound to someone, she supposed it could be worse. Still, better to leave before he discovered he had any sway over her at all.

Aegir smiled as she ate, as if watching her eat satisfied him as much as eating. “Well, now you’ve partaken of my hospitality and where I’m from, that means something. You’ve got to tell me your name now.”

“It’s Elspeth,” she said, hating how the words were ripped from her throat without her consent, but grateful that so far, his orders had been innocuous.

Aegir raised an eyebrow, presumably at her tone, but it was replaced with a debonair grin in a blink. “Well then, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Elspeth.”

Surely, his cheeks must hurt from smiling that much.

With a sigh, Aegir sat back from the table and patted his stomach as soon as he finishedeating. “Let’s get you to my cabin then, I imagine you want to get some rest?”

Elspeth nodded and allowed him to lead her back upstairs.

In short order, Elspethfound herself installed in Aegir’s bedroom. He had taken the time to tidy up a bit, removing any items of loose clothing, and straightening the papers on his desk. Then, with what seemed uncharacteristic awkwardness, he’d left her alone.

Elspeth had tried to ask if he needed to bring any other clothing with him, but he’d assured her that he had plenty in the washing. He’d invited her to read any of the many books lining his walls, but she quickly realized that most of them were in a language she didn’t speak, let alone read.

To one side, he had a large round ball that spun. Painted painstakingly in colors of blue, brown and green, she realized she recognized the shapes and outline of Caihalaith on its surface.

Everyone knew that the world was round, but what she saw when she spun the ball was surprising to say the very least.Instead of an expanse of open ocean, as she’d been led to believe, there was another massive landmass. That continent was as intricately labeled as her own. And though she didn’t recognize what any of the names meant, she could at least make out their letters. Upon further inspection, she noted that the continent had many little lines drawn through it, whereas Caihalaith had none. After spinning it a few more times, she moved on. A calendar hung at the side of the room, though again, she couldn’t make sense of it.

Limping to the desk, she trailed her fingers along the edge, until her eyes caught on a stack of blank paper, a pen, and ink. Seeing them, relief rushed over her. She’d always thought better when she doodled. The heavy desk chair rolled easily along a track, though it was much too large when she sat in it. She pulled a sheet off the stack and began sketching.

She sketched rocks she’d seen along her way, undersea coral formations, and the memory of Hillskerry diminishing in the distance. After that page was full, she pulled another down. Now that she was warmed up,she was ready to try to think things through. She did a little doodle of Feann, as he looked wistfully out the window. He was her “baby” brother only by a year or so, and they’d always had a bit of a competitive nature over protecting one another.4 After her father died, though, Feann had struggled more than she.

Fishermen were highly respected on Hillskerry, and her father had hoped that she and Feann would show a liking for it. Elspeth hadn’t minded it, the long cruises between fishing spots had afforded her time to sketch, even if she didn’t love the actual act as much as she loved eating the fish. Feann however, truly detested it. It had, however, meant that he rarely went out with their father.

“Why would I go out on a boat when I can be a seal?” he’d complained. And while Elspeth could see his point, she’d always argued that the boat could take them far farther than their flippers any day.

Regardless, Feann’s dislike had meant that when Elspeth had reason to stay in town that day, her father had been alone. And while Elspeth had channeled her sadness into making sure no one else was ever lost in such a way, Feann and her mother had descended into a depression so deep they couldn’t leavetheir beds. For weeks, Elspeth had fed them and cleaned them, coaxed them and encouraged them, until they both, eventually, had decided that perhaps life was worth living again.

So, even though she knew she had plenty to work through on her own, she imagined that Feann was struggling even more.. Who knew what he’d been experiencing all the time they’d been gone. He’d need her, if she ever found him.

Thinking of Feann’s captivity made her think of her own, and its odd beginnings. She sketched Aegir, repeating his bust in the many faces she’d seen on him. He wassoexpressive, and she felt like she could draw all day and not capture every gesture she’d seen within the space of an hour. She could bond a worse looking fellow, to be sure, but it was a moot point—she couldn’t stay. It didn’t matter how handsome he was, or how kind he’d been, because how could she ever be happy knowing she abandoned her brother? He’d been capturedbecauseof her, and she needed to do everything she could to find him.

Once she’d filled that page, she grabbed the next in the stack, and stopped. Instead of a blank sheet it was a letter—one she could read. Shetried to tear her eyes away, she really did, but they snagged on a word.

Selkie.

Elspeth squinted, her eyes quickly scanning the missive. It appeared to be a communication between members of the Pathian army. They detailed the raid on her village, as well as her capture, and that of her brother. It went on to discuss selkie traditions, and physical attributes.

Then it continued more specifically about Feann, mentioning how the Navigator who had captured him had bound him, and detailing how the blood rite that made the binding permanent.

Icy fear pricked in her heart. Had Aegir read this yet? He really hadn’t seemed to know anything about the blood rite.