The Nocturne’s Gatekeeper: A Story in the World of Sam Quinn

By Seana Kelly

Ever wonder what it’s like to live in the nocturne? Spend one night with Russell, Audrey, and Godfrey while they interview an alarming assortments of vampire applicants and go on a creepy errand for Meg. Things are changing in the nocturne, especially for Audrey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: NYLA
• Release date: Jun 25, 2024
• ISBN: 9781641972956

Seana Kelly

Seana Kelly lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, and one fish. She’s an avid reader and re-reader who misses her favorite characters when it’s been too long between visits. She’s a USA Today Bestselling Author and is represented by the delightful and effervescent Sarah E. Younger of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency.

Book preview

The Nocturne’s Gatekeeper

THE NOCTURNE’S GATEKEEPER

A Story in the World of Sam Quinn

SEANA KELLY

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the writer’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

The Nocturne’s Gatekeeper: A Story in the World of Sam Quinn

Copyright © 2024 by Seana Kelly

Ebook ISBN: 9781641972956

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

No part of this work may be used, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

NYLA Publishing

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http://www.nyliterary.com

Contents

1. Why Are There No Vampire Pool Parties?

2. Get the Boring One Out of the Way

3. In My Feelings

4. Kitty Shifters

5. Listen Up, Three, a Two is speaking

6. The Palace Hotel

7. Snacks

8. Yes

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ONE

Why Are There No Vampire Pool Parties?

One of the many things about vampires that made me positively itchy was how they’d lurk around the nocturne all night, listening at keyholes, when there was a perfectly lovely swimming pool being ignored. Nutters, one and all.

Audrey? Come to my study now.

Yes. On my way, Sire. I knew he couldn’t hear my thoughts, but I tried just the same. I was once able to speak mind-to-mind with Sam during the Battle of Giants’ Stadium, but I’d never been able to do it with Russell, the Master of San Francisco, or anyone else for that matter. Perhaps Sam would be willing to teach me how she does it.

When I’d said the vampires were nutters, I didn’t mean Russell. He was the finest man I’d ever met. Now, I wasn’t casting aspersions on Jimmy, my beau back when I was human, over two hundred years ago. He’d been all I’d ever wanted: tall, handsome, hard-working, considerate when no one was looking. We’d talked about getting married and I’d been happy for it.

Jimmy worked for his uncle, manning the butcher stall at market. That was how we’d met. I’d been a lady’s maid for the Coles. Normally, it was Cook’s job to go to market, as she’d be the one preparing the family’s meals. Cook was getting on in years, though, and I didn’t mind. No, truth be told, I loved getting out of the house, taking a good long walk to the village center, talking with people, seeing all the wares on display. The blacksmith was—well, watching him sweat by the fire and pound his mallet made my insides squirm. In a good way.

So, when Cook was feeling under the weather, I volunteered to go for her. While I waited my turn in the butcher’s stall, I watched Jimmy— though I didn’t know his name then— lift and chop, his sleeves rolled up. He had strong wrists. What was it about a man’s wrists that felt so intimate?

I’d caught him looking over his shoulder at me a few times as he helped the women before me. One of the women smirked knowingly. There was nothing to know. Nothing then. He’d been a sweet young man, though, and after that first day, I forgot all about the blacksmith. For the most part.

Even after Cook was feeling better, I still went to market for her. When you live your life in service, there isn’t much time for socializing, so I took every opportunity I could to visit the village. And since the scale was a bit light when Jimmy weighed my order, Cook decided it was better if I kept going in her stead.

I wasn’t shirking my duties or anything. Josie, the family’s youngest, didn’t like me hovering or spending too much time on her hair. Not like her sister Eloise. That one wasn’t happy unless I was following her around, repositioning curls and mending lace. She landed herself an earl, so the family was quite chuffed with me. Other families tried to steal me away, but the Coles gave me an afternoon free to keep me.

I thought I’d have steady employment until Josie was married off, but it turned out Mr. Cole had a gambling problem, visiting the gaming hells in town far too often. There were rumors of affairs as well. But, whatever the reason, they started letting help go, including me.

Jimmy had thought it was the perfect time for us to marry. We’d been courting, when we could, for months by then, and I was excited. The next day, though, I was approached by Lady Atwood’s housekeeper. Her daughter needed a lady’s maid for the rest of the season and the pay was good. I figured Jimmy and I could use it, starting our lives together.

As that was two hundred and fifty years ago and I was now a vampire, you’ve probably surmised that things hadn’t gone to plan. I’d started working for the Atwoods, right enough, but they were a dodgy pair. Wealthy, to be sure, but cold and mean, the two of them. They slept all day. I never saw either of them eat anything. They’d expected me to start my day at sunset when they’d finally woke.

On the one hand, I was able to visit Jimmy during the day. On the other, I was so tired from working nights, I often overslept and missed seeing him. Still, the season only lasted five months. I could handle the late hours and vicious remarks for a few months if it meant Jimmy and I had a nest egg to start