Etched in Silver: An Otherworld Novella

Table of Contents

 

 

Dear Reader:

 

For those of you new to my books, I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you into my worlds. For those of you who’ve been reading my books for a while, I wanted to thank you for revisiting the D’Artigo Sisters’ world, once again.

I actually started writing
Etched in Silver
before Berkley ever offered me the chance to see it in print. I kept getting glimpses of the meeting between Trillian and Camille and decided I wanted to flesh it out—to better understand what makes their relationship work and why they are so bound to one another. I knew they, above all other couples in this series, except for perhaps Delilah and the Autumn Lord, were destined to be together.

After Berkley contracted me for the novella, I was able to focus on it and really flesh out what I had already written. As the story unfolded, I could feel the link grow between the pair and I began to more fully comprehend their dynamic. And I also understood that—as much as Camille can be a romantic—she appreciates the bluntness of her Svartan lover.

Yes, Trillian is arrogant—it’s in his nature, not an affect. But he doesn’t use it against people he cares about, and he’s not quite the typical Svartan. The Svartans in my world are intensely charming and use their abilities to get what they want. While Trillian certainly has done that in the past, and while he is—at heart—a mercenary, Camille captured his love, and he will never deliberately hurt her.

Trillian keeps Camille honest with herself, and—more than any of her three husbands—he’s the one who can call her on bullshit and she’ll listen. She can trust him to be levelheaded about whatever may come. Trillian’s a pragmatist, a realist to his core, and if Camille needs an honest answer, she knows she can turn to him and he’ll tell her the truth.

There was a time, between
Etched in Silver
and
Witchling
, when Camille left him—she was more afraid of what
might
happen than of anything he did, but the bond of their ritual pulled them back together when Trillian showed up at her door in
Witchling
. As a side note, I would love to write the story of their breakup, knowing what I know now about them and their evolving relationship. I’m not sure if that will happen, but it’s in the back of my mind.

While the focus of this novella was on Camille and Trillian, I also had fun seeing Delilah and Menolly before they came Earthside, though I admit to a bittersweet sadness when I realized this story took place only a few weeks before Menolly was turned into a vampire. It was like viewing the last gasp of summer when you’re the only one who realizes the halcyon days are almost over, and autumn is right around the corner.

I hope that you enjoy
Etched in Silver
, the story of how Camille and Trillian met. I was thrilled when Berkley opted to release it as a stand-alone novella. As an added bonus, we’re including the first two chapters of
Shaded Vision
—book eleven in the Otherworld Series—here for your enjoyment. The book will be out on February 7, 2012. I’ve also added the playlist for
Etched in Silver
, which I could not do in the anthology. And I’ve included a little previously unpublished extra—“Midwinter Memories from the D’Artigo Sisters”—just a few memories from their childhood Yule celebrations. You will find all of these extras at the end of
Etched in Silver
.

And if you’re one of my Indigo Court readers, I hope you’re looking forward to reading
Night Seeker
, book three of the Indigo Court Series, which will be available July 2012.

Bright Blessings,
The Painted Panther
Yasmine Galenorn

THE OTHERWORLD SERIES
Witchling
Changeling
Darkling
Dragon Wytch
Night Huntress
Demon Mistress
Bone Magic
Harvest Hunting
Blood Wyne
Courting Darkness
Shaded Vision

 

THE INDIGO COURT SERIES
Night Myst
Night Veil
ANTHOLOGIES
Inked
Never After
Hexed

 

Berkley Prime Crime titles by Yasmine Galenorn
Ghost of a Chance
Legend of the Jade Dragon
Murder Under a Mystic Moon
A Harvest of Bones
One Hex of a Wedding

Yasmine Galenorn writing as India Ink
Scent to Her Grave
A Blush with Death
Glossed and Found

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

“Etched in Silver” previously appeared in the anthology
Inked
, published by The Berkley Publishing Group.

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 

ETCHED IN SILVER

 

A Berkley eSpecial / published by arrangement with the author

 

PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley eSpecial / January 2012

Copyright © 2010 by Yasmine Galenorn.

“Dear Reader” letter, “Playlist for
Etched in Silver
,” and “Midwinter Memories from the D’Artigo Sisters” copyright © 2012 by Yasmine Galenorn. Excerpt from
Shaded Vision
by Yasmine Galenorn copyright © 2012 by Yasmine Galenorn.

 

All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate
in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

 

ISBN : 978-1-101-56505-6

 

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Without obsession, life is nothing.

—JOHN WATERS

If we can live without passion, maybe we’d know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank. Without passion, we’d be truly dead.

—JOSS WHEDON (
BtVS
)

1

THE room was a shade darker than night as I pushed my way through the haze of pungent smoke, trying not to cough. The fragrance of stale wine and decaying lotus blossoms filled the air, cloying and overripe. Noise echoed through the dimly lit room, a cacophony of whispers and laughter, drunken singing and arguments from the gambling tables all rolling into one to give me a supremely bad headache. Yeah, the Collequia was jumping and so were my nerves. I’d had a very long, very bad day, and it wasn’t over yet. Normally, I came here to hang out and play, but tonight was all business.

The hardcore opium eaters were out in full array. My nose twitched. Not only did they smell—think a week’s unwashed sweat and grime—but they were looking for nookie. Check that. They were looking for money, and they’d earn it by giving a woman—or a man—anything she or he wanted. Considering their habits, they’d probably toss in a few extra gifts for free. Disease, lice, fleas . . . all lovely little bundles of joy that I wasn’t interested in acquiring.

The pretty boys crowded around their tables in tight-knit groups, sucking on hookahs, gossiping, eyeing each new person who crossed the door. Oh yeah, they were hungry for money. Opium was a commodity, a pricey one, spurred on by our illustrious queen’s habit, and she set the price point for distributors throughout the city. Selling sex was an easy way to score one more round.

Sometimes I wondered what drew me back to this club time and again, but to be fair, not everybody here was out for the drugs. I’d met a number of friends and lovers here.

I scanned the room, looking for any signs of my quarry. Roche, one of the Veiled Fae, was wanted for rape and murder. He also happened to be a member of the Guard Des’Estar. Or at least he’d
been
a member till he’d gone bad. Very bad.

When Lathe, my boss at the Y’Elestrial Intelligence Agency, had assigned the case to me I knew one thing: they didn’t think that I had a chance in Hel’s domain of catching him. They always gave me and my sisters the cases they couldn’t solve. That way, they could blame us for ineptitude and save face. And we’d accrue another notch in a long string of botched jobs.
Camille D’Artigo at your service—on the fast track to nowhere.