Page 141 of The Sea Witch's Son

Marlin doesn’t know I come here on the nights he’s busy working. This is something I have to do for myself, a goal I need to achieve without any help.

The shivers reach a new level when I leave the thick humidity and enter the changeroom. My wet suit gets peeled off and dry clothes get tugged on. The back of my blouse immediately dampens from the dripping state of my hair, but that will have to wait until I get home.

Slipping my backpack over my shoulders, I slip out of the changeroom and head for the parking lot. Erik has been kind enough to let me borrow his car until things calm down, and as much as I hate to admit it, not having to walk these trails after dark has been a relief.

Wolf Hollow is many things, but safe is not one of them.

The old Honda sits quietly by the exit door. Skirting around to the driver’s side, I unlock it with a beep and reach for the handle.

And that’s when I notice the figure in the dark reflection of my window.

Instinct takes over and I yank open the driver’s door and lunge inside. Slamming the door shut, I’ve almost pressed the lock button when the man rips the door back open.

A horrible scream rips from my mouth when his gloved hands reach for me. I throw myself into the passenger side, trying to crawl out the other door.

Not again. Not again. Not again.

The panicked state of my heart overrides the skin that gets ripped from my knees when I fall onto the concrete. Curses flair up behind me as I scramble to my feet, sprinting in the opposite direction.

Something hits the back of my knee and I go crashing to the ground. Rough hands grab my hair and suddenly I’m being pulled backward, dragged along the concrete like a piece of trash.

I’m screaming, clawing at the pavement as he pulls me back towards the car. My nails are coming off in chunks, the matted blood covered in gravel as I writhe and kick until the man finally lets me go.

Clambering to my feet, I don’t get a second to run before he’s shoving me back against the hood of Erik’s car.

“You don’t want to do this.” I’m pleading, thrashing against his grip, “Please don’t do this.”

He grins, showing a set of brittle yellow teeth, “Anton Clementon sends his regards.”

The horror sinks in when I recognize the haggard lines of his face.

It’s the man from the forest.

Chapter 50

MARLIN

Two thieves stealing from the same power-hungry woman?

What an exciting turn of events.

“And you said this semester was going to be no fun.” Calista grins, settling deeper into her chair, “It would seem you’ve made a few too many assumptions lately, dear friend.”

“It would seem I have.”

Bemused does not begin to cover my current state. It is rare for a single person to get the drop on me, but two at the same time?

Clearly, my mind has not been well for quite some time.

I should feel ashamed of such blatant oversight, and yet I find myself feeling relieved. Mistakes are what it means to be human and sometimes I forget what that feels like.

At least I did until my little saint came along.

The thought of my favourite redhead has my mind going back to the first party of the semester. She is the obvious suspect with that brilliant mind of hers, but from what I remember, she was in my line of sight nearly the entire night.

Making it impossible for her to steal the drugs.

“Two thieves in one town.” I frown, reconstructing the party in my mind, “But one of them has an alibi.”

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