Chapter Five: Fionn
Selkies are sea creatures. River water isn’t the same; I cannot live in it, and it cannot nurture me. Still, it’s infinitely preferable to no waters at all, and a long, luxurious swim up the Thames has often refreshed my spirits at need.
So much so that, despite the urgency of my errand, the flow of the currents began to lull my senses. I was in asrai territory before I was aware, gliding along half in a dream, shaded waters slipping smoothly by. No one to witness my passage, at so bright an hour: the asrai are deeply nocturnal. Avoidance of the sun is paramount with them; they would all be sheltered away from the light. If I wanted to speak with Faerd — if I wanted to find him at all — I’d need to pay close attention.
The asrai are not social creatures, and Faerd is
