Page 133 of The Sea Witch's Son

Honestly, you would think the woman has something better to do with her time.

URSELA: In that case, I will keep her entertained until you arrive. Better make it quick, you know patience isn’t my strong suit.

A loud sigh escapes me.

“Trouble in paradise?” Calista looks over with a grin, “Playthings can be so demanding.”

“Mothers more so.” Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I let out another sigh, “You will have to finish without me. There is a dinner I must attend.”

“What’s being served?”

“To be determined.”

I walk over to the man strung up by his neck. Broken, mangled hands try to grasp at my suit jacket, but I stay clear of his reach and tighten the rope looped around his neck. Blood vessels threaten to burst out of his bulging eyeballs, the swollen orbs doing a poor job of holding up against the man’s bodyweight.

“The next time you help someone steal from the Dragon, I suggest you take it up with her daughter.”

Giving him a nudge, I watch the toes of his filthy sneakers scrape the edge of the roof. The man flails wildly, desperately seeking leverage to relieve the pressure from his neck.

Truly, his fear of heights is just the cherry on top.

Gurgled sounds flow out of the man’s mouth, none of which are comprehensible. I turn from him with a shrug, offering the unfortunate soul to the devil herself.

“He’s all yours.”

She purrs, “Such a gentleman.”

Blood rains over the four stories below as my old acquaintance takes the lead. Maniacal screams serve as a backdrop to my pensive thoughts, my steps lost to the sound of Calista Drache doing what she does best.

By the time I make it home, I am strangely concerned about what I might find. My mother is not known for her hospitality, and I have no delusions concerning her good will towards my wishes.

Sinister laughter floats through the great hall as I head towards the dining room. It doubles as a fishbowl, the glass floors offering a crystal view of the sea creatures swimming in the aquarium below.

An unnecessarily long dinner table extends from either side of the room, and as per usual, my mother sits at the head. Sparkling glasses and glistening silverware line every inch of the wooden slab, serving as both a threat and a promise of the Seaborn fortune.

“Do you know what I love most about my son? How he comesrushinghome every time I call.”

Pale, glittering eyes swing in my direction and I force my lips into a smile.

“I finally made it to the love stage. How touching.”

“Do you see, Melody? This is exactly the kind of torment I must deal with day in, day out.” Ursela huffs, reaching up to pat the up-do desperately clutching white stands of hair, “It’s nowonder I find myself craving a little company in the evenings. My only child does nothing but haggle me.”

My gaze shifts from the terrible dramatics to the more important value of this equation.

Dark red hair hangs in loose waves over shoulders barely covered by the crisscrossed straps of an exquisite green dress. Accentuating the vibrant shade of her eyes and the creamy texture of her skin, I could not have picked a better colour myself.

Based on the amount of cleavage showing, I would guess the bust is about two sizes too small, but truly, that is not a complaint on my side of the table.

“The Sea Witch dressed you up, did she?” Settling myself down across from my little saint, I tilt my head and admire the bow nestled between her breasts, “All that’s missing is the gag.”

Melody glares at me, but I catch the slight twitch of her lip, “She gave me the choice of a dress or a swim with the fish.”

“Eels, dearest.” Bright lipstick breaks into a wide smile, “I offered you a swim with the eels. The last girl Marlin brought home found herself six feet underwater within the first ten minutes.”

I smile, “My little saint is far too clever to be tricked by the likes of you.”

A soft blush hits those delectable cheeks and I watch it spread down her neck. There is something alluring about that dress, the tiny bows and the nonexistent straps making it easy to picture them undone on my bedroom floor.

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