Sea Lord

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Epigraph

Chapter 3

Chapter 6

Chapter 9

Chapter 12

Chapter 15

Chapter 18

Teaser chapter

“Brilliantly sensual and hauntingly poignant, the Children of the Sea novels are on my keeper

shelf.”

—
USA Today
bestselling author Alyssa Day

“Virginia Kantra’s stories . . . can make a believer out of the most hardened soul.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Patricia Rice

PRAISE FOR
Sea Fever

“An especially fine paranormal with strong characters, logical plotting, and a
great
sense of place. Don’t

go to the shore without this bit of selkie romance.”

—
Romantic Times
(4½ stars)

“An exciting and spellbinding addition to this phenomenal paranormal series.”

—
Fresh Fiction

“There’s no second-novel slump for this trilogy . . . Moving, heart-breaking, and beautiful.”

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—
Errant Dreams Reviews
(5 out of 5)

“Kantra has to be the only romance author I’ve read whose characters are as rich as those of Nora

Roberts . . . A must-read for paranormal fans.”

—
The Romance Reader
(5 hearts)

Sea Witch

“An emotional journey of discovery and an intriguing launch into a compelling new series.”

—
Romantic Times
(4 stars)

“A paranormal world that moves with the rhythm of the waves and the tide . . . Kantra tells Margred and

Caleb’s story with a lyric, haunting, poetic voice.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann

“Full of excitement, humor, suspense, and loads of hot, hot sex. Anyone who enjoys a good paranormal

should
not
miss this one!”

—
Fresh Fiction

“[Marked by] the subtlety of the writing. The characterizations, the backstories, the world-building are

deftly inter-wined with the story.”

—
Dear Author
(July Recommended Read)

“An absolutely fantastic paranormal/fantasy read . . . Gorgeous, complex, and fascinating.”

—
Errant Dreams
(5 out of 5)

“What a refreshing and unique world Virginia Kantra has created for Children of the Sea! Full of sensual

magic, intrigue, and compelling characters,
Sea Witch
is a book to be savored.”

—
CK 2 S Kwips & Kritiques
(4½ clovers)

“A bestseller arises from the depths of the sea and floats to the top of the romance/paranormal list!
Sea

Witch
is enthralling!”

—
A Romance Review
(5 roses out of 5)

Home Before Midnight

“Sexy and suspenseful . . . A really good read.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Karen Robards

“Virginia Kantra is a sensitive writer with a warm sense of humor, a fine sense of sexual tension, and an

unerring sense of place.”

—
BookPage

Close Up

“Holy moly, action/adventure/romance fans! You are going to
love
this book! I highly, highly recommend

it.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann

“A story fraught with intense emotions and danger . . . Kantra clearly demonstrates that she’s a talent to

be reckoned with.”

—
Romantic Times

“Kantra’s first foray into single-title fiction is fast-paced, engrossing, and full of nail-biting suspense.”

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—
New York Times
bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries

“Honest, intelligent romance.”

—
Romance: B(u)y the Book

MORE PRAISE FOR VIRGINIA KANTRA AND HER BEST SELLING NOVELS

“Smart, sexy, and sophisticated—another winner.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Lori Foster

“An involving, three-dimensional story that is scary, intriguing, and sexy.”

—
All About Romance

“Kantra creates powerfully memorable characters.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“Virginia Kantra is an autobuy . . . Her books are keepers and her heroes are to die for!”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann

“Spectacularly suspenseful and sexy. Don’t miss it!”

—
Romantic Times

Berkley Sensation Titles by Virginia Kantra

The Children of the Sea Novels

SEA WITCH

SEA FEVER

SEA LORD

HOME BEFORE MIDNIGHT

CLOSE UP

Anthologies

SHIFTER

(with Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, and Alyssa Day)

OVER THE MOON

(with Angela Knight, MaryJanice Davidson, and Sunny)

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THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada

(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

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

Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia

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(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India

Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand

(a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196,

South Africa

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

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.

SEA LORD

A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

PRINTING HISTORY

Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / May 2009

Copyright © 2009 by Virginia Kantra.

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.

eISBN : 978-1-101-04747-7

BERKLEY®SENSATION

Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

BERKLEY®SENSATION and the “B” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

http://us.penguingroup.com

To Michael .

I couldn’t do this without you .

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First of all, thank you to Cindy Hwang and the wonderful team at Berkley.

Thanks to my fabulously supportive agent, Damaris Rowland.

Thank you to my wonderful first-draft readers, Kristen Dill and Melissa McClone.

Huge thanks to my family, who deal patiently with blank stares, interrupted phone calls, humming, and

dead-lines.

And finally, thanks to twelve-year-old African AIDS victim and activist Nkosi Johnson for these words:

“Do all you can with what you have, in the time you have, in the place you are.”

So, in one moment,

Or almost one, she was seen, and loved, and taken

In Pluto’s rush of love. She called her mother,

Her comrades, but more often for her mother.

—OVID,
METAMORPHOSES

I tell you naught for your comfort,

Yea, naught for your desire,

Save that the sky grows darker yet

And the sea rises higher.

—G. K. CHESTERTON, “THE BALLAD OF THE WHITE HORSE”

IN THE TIME BEFORE TIME, WHEN THE DOMAINS
of earth, sea, and sky were formed and

fire was called into being, the elementals took shape, each with their element: the children of

earth, the children of the sea, the children of air, and the children of fire.

After earth had flowered and life crawled from the sea, humankind was born.

Not all of the elementals were pleased with this new creation. The children of fire rebelled,

declaring war on the children of the air and humankind. The others, forced to cohabit with the

mortals, withdrew—the fair folk to the hills and wild places of earth and the merfolk to the depths

of the sea.

Yet there are still encounters between the elementals and humankind. Of such meetings, souls are

redeemed and lost, wars are waged, great art is created, empires are raised. Of such meetings

legends—and children—are born.

The
whaleyn
sing of a prophecy, that a daughter of the sea witch Atargatis will one day alter the

balance of power between the elements. Over the centuries, the children of fire have grown

strong, while the children of the sea have declined in numbers and in magic. The daughter of the

prophecy could prove their salvation. Or the weapon of their destruction . . .