The Shape-Shifter's Curse by Amanda Marrone

Author:Amanda Marrone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Published: 2010-07-28T16:00:00+00:00

10

The Shape-Shifter’s

Curse

“Darcy!” I cried. “What a thing to say.”

“Yes,” Munro said as he put an arm protectively around Lyra. “What’s this nonsense?”

“Oh my,” Darcy said, bringing her hand to her mouth in fake surprise. “I just assumed you knew—especially you, Munro. With Ian Shaw being your uncle, I figured he would’ve told you all about him and Mrs. Lachlan.”

Munro’s brow furrowed. “Mrs. Lachlan and my uncle?”

Lyra sat up and pulled back her long, dark hair from her face, her eyes flashing with anger. “What are you getting on about?”

“Well . . .” Darcy twirled a finger in her hair. It was obvious she was enjoying being the center of attention. “It seems your uncle was in love with Mrs. Lachlan—before she was Mrs. Lachlan. When he met her twenty-five years ago, he tried to steal her away from Sir Roderick. According to my gammy Davenport, he loved her so much he didn’t even care about Mrs. Lachlan’s condition or the curse.”

“Curse?” we all said at the same time.

Darcy nodded. “Yes, curse. When Gammy found out my mother and I were coming to Dark Craig Castle, she tried to talk us out of it because she knew how dangerous it could be.”

Lyra pushed herself up and stood over Darcy. “Perhaps you fancy yourself a storyteller, but I won’t stay here and listen to your schoolgirl nonsense a second longer!”

Darcy jumped up and blocked her way. “It’s not nonsense! Gammy even showed me an old book that talked about the curse—and a lot more, too.” She turned and glared at all of us. “But maybe I should just let you all fend for yourselves,” she said finally. “Even though your lives could very well be in danger.”

“Come on, Darcy, a curse?” Raphael said skeptically.

Darcy nodded. “The shape-shifter’s curse.”

“What’s a shape-shifter?” Fiona asked.

“Not a what—a who,” Darcy said. She took a step closer to Lyra. “A shape-shifter is a supernatural creature that can assume another guise, like a werewolf . . . or even a person.”

“Shape-shifters aren’t supposed to be real,” Raphael said.

Darcy raised her eyebrows. “Neither are magicians.”

“But . . . ,” Fiona began. Her eyes were wide and frightened and I thought she might be thinking this trip to Scotland wasn’t so great after all. “But what’s the curse? You said we could be in danger.”

“Do you really want to know?” Darcy asked.

We all looked at one another, and it was clear everyone wanted to hear the story, even if no one would admit it.

When no one protested, Darcy sat back on the couch, and Munro guided Lyra to a plump chair. Munro sat on the floor at Lyra’s feet, and we all looked expectantly at Darcy.

“A hundred years ago,” she began, “the previous owner of the castle, Duncan Catherwood, fell in love with a selkie named Oona and asked her to be his wife.”

“What’s a selkie?” Fiona asked.

“A selkie is a seal creature who can remove his or her pelt and assume human form,” Munro said. “They’re supposed to populate the coasts of the British Isles.

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