Read Online Silver Skin (A Cold Iron Novel) by D.L. McDermott - Free Book Online
Authors: D.L. McDermott
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It was the rare Fae who tied himself to a human, who contented himself with the few hundred years a mortal and he might live when bound together, and gave up the millennia of life and of loves he might otherwise enjoy.
Because that was the fate of any Fae who could not bear to part with a mortal lover, to follow their beloved to the grave. Vows made by the Aes Sídhe had consequence. If Miach bound himself to a human woman, he would share his life—and his life force—with her in every way. She would gain longevity and prolonged youth, but her span would still be brief compared to that of a Fae. And when she died, Miach would die with her.
He could not bind himself to Helene Whitney, but when she had arrived on his doorstep with the reek of another Fae’s magic upon her, Miach had felt white-hot rage, jealousy, possessiveness. Helene was his . Or would be his, eventually. He had always intended to circumvent his promise to Beth Carter, to take Helene to his bed. But Helene was young, and the Fae were long-lived, and he had thought he could afford to take his time.
He had asked Liam and Nial, who spent more time outside of South Boston, to keep an eye on her, and he had used his own contacts among the wealthy and well-placed to find out more about her job and status at the museum.
He had discovered that she dated academics from the university and occasionally donors to the museum. That she rebuffed married men, who often thought that writing a check to the charity fund bought them Helene Whitney’s favors as well.
Miach had been forced to chastise one of these importunate, married swains. Liam had reported on the man’s antics and called Miach the night the situation had escalated, when the man had waited for Helene at her car several blocks from the museum where she was forced to park at night.
Helene, as director of development, was placed in an impossible position. To reject him was to lose his support of the institution. She had outmaneuvered him twice. The third time, Liam had called Miach and Miach had addressed the problem, discouraging the man from returning, and at the same time making certain that he would continue his support for the museum.
She had not known about that, but she had clearly suspected his involvement, as well as the source of new windows, the parking space, and the raise, even before today. Most people didn’t recognize Fae influence when they saw it, but once a mortal’s eyes were open to the world of the Sídhe , it was sometimes difficult to miss.
He had been planning on wooing Helene once Beth returned. For one thing, he wanted the little Druid to remove the geis . Beth had placed it on him because she thought Miach’s attentions were unwanted. But if they had become welcome, he was certain she would remove it. And once he had a chance to show Helene that he was what she was looking for—and not finding, could never find—on all those mind-numbing dates, he knew that his attentions would be welcome.
He’d intended to approach Beth with a donation. His own collection of art was large and varied. And there were paintings, American Pre-Raphaelites mostly, that he had enjoyed for decades but now wished to change out in his home. They were outside Beth Carter’s expertise, which would mean involving other departments and, inevitably, Helene as director of development.
Helene would have been forced to speak with him, to work out the donation terms, the tax implications—he did pay taxes on some portion of his income—the legal niceties of the transfer. Because she took her job seriously, she would also have been forced to entertain him, to wine and dine him and add him to her invitation lists. She would need to spend time with him. And he would be side-stepping the terms of Beth’s geis . He could seduce Helene Whitney on her own ground, where she was most comfortable. And he would make her want him so badly that she would beg her friend to remove the geis .
It had been an
Because that was the fate of any Fae who could not bear to part with a mortal lover, to follow their beloved to the grave. Vows made by the Aes Sídhe had consequence. If Miach bound himself to a human woman, he would share his life—and his life force—with her in every way. She would gain longevity and prolonged youth, but her span would still be brief compared to that of a Fae. And when she died, Miach would die with her.
He could not bind himself to Helene Whitney, but when she had arrived on his doorstep with the reek of another Fae’s magic upon her, Miach had felt white-hot rage, jealousy, possessiveness. Helene was his . Or would be his, eventually. He had always intended to circumvent his promise to Beth Carter, to take Helene to his bed. But Helene was young, and the Fae were long-lived, and he had thought he could afford to take his time.
He had asked Liam and Nial, who spent more time outside of South Boston, to keep an eye on her, and he had used his own contacts among the wealthy and well-placed to find out more about her job and status at the museum.
He had discovered that she dated academics from the university and occasionally donors to the museum. That she rebuffed married men, who often thought that writing a check to the charity fund bought them Helene Whitney’s favors as well.
Miach had been forced to chastise one of these importunate, married swains. Liam had reported on the man’s antics and called Miach the night the situation had escalated, when the man had waited for Helene at her car several blocks from the museum where she was forced to park at night.
Helene, as director of development, was placed in an impossible position. To reject him was to lose his support of the institution. She had outmaneuvered him twice. The third time, Liam had called Miach and Miach had addressed the problem, discouraging the man from returning, and at the same time making certain that he would continue his support for the museum.
She had not known about that, but she had clearly suspected his involvement, as well as the source of new windows, the parking space, and the raise, even before today. Most people didn’t recognize Fae influence when they saw it, but once a mortal’s eyes were open to the world of the Sídhe , it was sometimes difficult to miss.
He had been planning on wooing Helene once Beth returned. For one thing, he wanted the little Druid to remove the geis . Beth had placed it on him because she thought Miach’s attentions were unwanted. But if they had become welcome, he was certain she would remove it. And once he had a chance to show Helene that he was what she was looking for—and not finding, could never find—on all those mind-numbing dates, he knew that his attentions would be welcome.
He’d intended to approach Beth with a donation. His own collection of art was large and varied. And there were paintings, American Pre-Raphaelites mostly, that he had enjoyed for decades but now wished to change out in his home. They were outside Beth Carter’s expertise, which would mean involving other departments and, inevitably, Helene as director of development.
Helene would have been forced to speak with him, to work out the donation terms, the tax implications—he did pay taxes on some portion of his income—the legal niceties of the transfer. Because she took her job seriously, she would also have been forced to entertain him, to wine and dine him and add him to her invitation lists. She would need to spend time with him. And he would be side-stepping the terms of Beth’s geis . He could seduce Helene Whitney on her own ground, where she was most comfortable. And he would make her want him so badly that she would beg her friend to remove the geis .
It had been an
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