Page 140 of The Sea Witch's Son

My brows pinch into a frown.

Friendship is not something I have ever sought after, not as a boy and certainly not as a man. My vision has always been set on greater heights, larger ambitions than the simple act of connecting with the people around me.

And yet, as I stare at the little princess who grew into a ferocious creature, I cannot help but think that if anyone was going to be labelled my friend, it would be Calista Drache.

“You are far more valuable as an ally than a foe.” I clear my throat, looking back down at the numbers, “And my favourite movie isFinding Nemo.At least, it used to be.”

She blinks in surprise, “The one with the clownfish?”

“Yes.” Fighting back a wince I slide the financial report her way, “I need you to take a look at this. The last shipment is incongruent with the rest of the data.”

“Incongruent, how?”

I gesture towards the sheet, “The entire shipment was stolen without a single cash injection. Not only did it bring the thief to our attention, but it also tipped us off on the samples they had been stealing for the last six months.”

Calista tilts her head, studying the numbers, “There was no way a cash injection was going to cover their tracks. Leon had called to complain about his missing shipment before the end of the night.”

“Exactly. They were a sending a message.” My brows pinch together, “But why now? And why bother stealing a sample of that exact shipment at the start of the month?”

“It doesn’t fit the pattern.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying. The shipment doesn’t fit the-

My mouth snaps shut as the pieces click together. Snatching the papers from Calista’s hands, I run back through the numbers, searching for the missing piece.

“Where was this shipment stolen from?”

“The house party Gus threw at the start of the semester.” Green eyes narrow, “What did you find?”

I stare at the two columns, each one highlighted in the same colour. It was a simple misassumption and yet it changes everything.

“It was never part of the pattern.”

My eyes drop to the missing piece of the puzzle. The numbers that never did line up with the rest of the file.

It’s not a break in the pattern.

It’s a whole new one.

Chapter 49

MELODY

I break through the surface with a gasp.

My heart slams against my ribcage, the adrenalin flooding my veins as I lunge for the wall. Shivers ripple through my body as I cling to the edge of the pool, fighting to stay warm in this uncomfortable swimsuit.

It’s a new routine I’ve gotten into, sneaking back to the college at night to see if the fear is still there.

Some days it is, some days it isn’t.

The night terrors are mostly gone, but I don’t like knowing something as simple as water has a hold over me. I don’t like feeling like I’m about to puke every time my shoulders drop beneath the surface.

Every time it happens, it feels like I’m failing. Like I’m still not strong enough to break free of Finley’s hold.

And it’s really fucking annoying.

“I should have bitten his finger off.” Grumbling to myself, I climb out of the pool and scurry over to grab my towel.

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