Page 14 of The Sea Witch's Son

“There. All better.”

“Thank you.”

We stare at each other, smiling and standing far too close for strangers. Butterflies erupt in my stomach and I quickly take a step back.

“Is his father in prison?” I clear my throat, breaking eye contact, “You mentioned he was in a cell.”

“Xavier’s father is in Hollow House. It’s an insane asylum on the other side of town.”

“Oh.”

The dimple makes another appearance, “Voodoo men aside, it is lovely to formerly meet you, Melody. I have heard many things about you.”

“I could say the same about you, Marlin.”

The dimple and boyish smile vanish the moment his name leaves my lips. Disgust curdles his features, transforming the handsome boy into an angry one.

“Marlin? You think I’m Marlin Seaborn?”

My eyes go wide, “I didn’t know-

“You didn’t know what, exactly? That I wasn’t a cold-hearted psychopath?” A harsh laugh escapes his throat, “If you knew the kind of things Marlin has done you would not for one second think that I am anything like him.”

The fury in his eyes has me slowly backing away.

“Look, I’m really sorry-

“Finley!” The crisp command echoes down the hall, making me jump.

“Yes, Captain?”

“Sebastian needs you. He’s over in the gardens.”

Finley clenches his jaw, his dark eyes no longer twinkling when they look at me.

“Best of luck, Melody. I hope the flowerbeds bid you farewell from this day forward.”

Unexpected guilt hits my chest as I watch him turn and leave. The blue and yellow striped shirt disappears down the hall, leaving me alone with yet another stranger.

“A bit touchy today, isn’t he?”

Amusement dances through the newcomer’s voice, the low pitch sending a shiver through me. He’s standing just beyond the stream of sunlight, letting the shadows mask his features.

I sigh, touching my waist to make sure the knife is still there, “There was a case of mistaken identity. I thought he was Marlin Seaborn.”

A low rumble echoes through the room and it takes me a moment to realize he’s laughing.

“You thought that floundering fool was me? Now, thatisupsetting.”

He steps forward, out of the shadows and into the daylight, and I bite back a gasp.

“You must have been disappointed to find out such a simple man was the one everyone feared.” Flawless skin pulls into a smile, “I know I would have been.”

My stomach drops as I stare at the man in front of me. Dressed in an impeccable suit, the white edges of his dress shirt pull tight against a muscular body. Wide shoulders flow into a narrow waist, the perfect fit of his dress pants tapering to an equally developed lower half.

Finley had a few inches on me, but it was nothing compared to this. The real Marlin Seaborn towers more than a foot over me, his dominating presence enhanced by the shocking colour of his hair.

It’s the palest blonde I have ever seen. Almost white, if not silver.

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