Kiss of the Selkie by Odette Tessonja

Author:Odette, Tessonja
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crystal Moon Press
Published: 2021-12-31T00:00:00+00:00

25

I pause just inside the door. Club Scorpius is neither a pleasure house nor an illegal boxing ring. I couldn’t be more underwhelmed. Not that the establishment is by any means plain, it’s just…I didn’t expect Dorian to come to a simple music hall. The club looks like little more than something you’d find on Orion Street, with its modest layout, lack of doorman, coatroom, and ushers. There’s just a stage, a dance floor, a bar, and a dining area with tables, chairs, and a few curtained booths. The lights are dim, creating a secretive ambiance, and the air is heavy with a pungent concoction of perfume, smoke, and alcohol.

A band plays an upbeat tune from the stage, the ensemble consisting of drums, piano, and three horns I don’t know the names of. At the center stands a fae female with short red hair, pointed ears, and a long green dress. She sways side to side, singing to the music in a trilling voice. It’s the type of song one only finds at a small music hall like this one, and the kind of music I like best.

Before I came to the city, I never cared much for music or dancing. I was never tempted to remove my sealskin and dance on the shore with my cousins, never felt any desire to learn their sultry moves. Then I came here and discovered there’s far more to music and dancing than I ever knew. While I still can’t stand opera or those slow, precise dances performed in the many ballrooms throughout Lumenas, I’ve gained an appreciation for the type of music I find now. And the dancing is exactly the kind I can tolerate. Here the moves are wild and chaotic. Some people dance alone, others with a partner. There are no reservations when it comes to touch, with some holding hands, others pressing the full length of their bodies against their companion’s.

I blush a little at the copious displays of the latter and remind myself why I’m here. Shifting my gaze away from the dance floor, I scan the club for signs of a tall form and dark wavy hair. Finally, I spot him settling onto a barstool. I walk into the dining area but don’t know what to do next. I followed him, I found him…and he’s ordering a drink. Not visiting his lover. Not seeking pleasure at a seedy brothel. Shells, he certainly isn’t betting on illegal fighting matches or beating up fae in alleyways. Maybe trying to dig up dirt on him was a mistake—

“Pearl!”

My heart leaps into my throat as Martin’s voice rings out from the far end of the bar. He’s leaning casually against the countertop, and when I meet his eyes, he nods with a wide smile. I whirl quickly around and head back the way I came, but before I can take more than three steps, Martin is before me.

“Pearl, hey, how are you?”

I press my lips into a weak grin and force myself not to glance over my shoulder at Dorian.

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