Page 11 of The Sea Witch's Son

She snickers and flicks an assessing glance over me, “It’s been a while since someone of interest showed up here. Especially a female someone.”

I nod, taking another glance around the room, “This place gives male-dominated a whole new meaning. Is there a reason it’s mostly testosterone in here?”

“You’re probably smelling Gus’ cologne. He lays it on pretty thick in the mornings.”

I snort, “The prom king and queen seem to be quite the pair.”

“Gus and Calista? Oh, no. Those two aren’t a couple.” She leans over, lowering her voice, “Gus is looking for a beard to introduce to his misogynistic father. He’s fucked the entire football team and half the rugby team.”

“Really?” Resting a cautious hand on my waistband, I lean in closer, “He doesn’t strike me as the type to worry about parental consent.”

Amusement dances through her pale blue eyes, “If you met his father, you would understand. He’s not the type to let something as silly as sexuality get in the way.”

“I see.” My knife shifts under my hand, “Is that the common theme here? For parents to dictate their children’s lives?”

“Depends on the parent.” She shrugs, “My dad is the town mayor, so he’s too busy to interfere with my life.”

“The town mayor.” I echo the words.

“Anton Clementon. Got voted in twelve years ago and continues to make Wolf Hollow a place where ambition can grow.” She says the last part with quotation marks, “It’s been his schtick forever.”

“And you are?”

“Freya Clementon. Born and raised here.”

I smile, releasing my knife to offer a handshake, “Nice to meet you, Freya. I would introduce myself but I’m afraid Florian beat me to the punch.”

Freya takes my hand, “One of the many bastards you will meet here.”

Her phone pings with a notification and I turn my attention to the front of the classroom. I watch from the corner of my eye as she types back a response and closes her phone.

“Are there any bastards in particular I should look out for?” I cast another glance over my shoulder, “Besides the muscle daddy, of course.”

Freya snickers, “You don’t need to look out for Gus, he’s an idiot. All bite with no brain to produce the bark. The one who brings the intelligence is Marlin while Calista is the enforcer.” Bitterness seeps through her voice at the mention of the blonde.

“Which one is Marlin?” Craning my neck, I look across the mass of students, “Is he the one beside Gus?”

“That’s Leon. Marlin is in senior classes. He’s graduating this semester.” She rolls her eyes, “You’ll know him when you see him.”

I chew on that information for a while, letting my eyes drift over the students sitting around me. Most of them are playing on their phones, a few of them scribbling in their notebooks. The hair on the back of my neck starts to rise and I shift to find a pair of green eyes studying me.

Blood red lips split into a smile when I meet Calista’s gaze. Her mouth parts ever-so-slowly, the pink tip of her tongue sneaking out to trace the sharp edge of her teeth.

Unsettled, I refocus on the lecture and do my best to ignore the weight of Calista’s stare. The rest of the class passes quickly and by the end of it Freya has given me a basic rundown of the social hierarchy, along with a few names to avoid at all costs.

Marlin Seaborn being at the top.

“Chances are he’ll hunt you down but do your best to stay away.” Freya grins, throwing a bag over her shoulder, “If you make it through today, I’ll see you tomorrow. Good luck, New Girl.”

“Thanks.”

I watch her go, feeling a little bit more grounded than when I first arrived. Following the rest of the students out of the classroom, I’m about to slip away when a strong grip yanks me off to the side.

“Melody St. James.” Dark eyes meet mine as the stranger sweeps off his top hat and bends into a low bow, “I’ve been looking for you.”

I stare back at him, noting the warm brown skin and the gap between his two front teeth. Rows of animal teeth bounce against his chest as he stands back up, the crude necklace resembling something you would find in a voodoo shop.

“I don’t think we’ve met.”

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