Page 21 of The Sea Witch's Son

The disappointment on his face is clear as day when I push back my chair and deposit my plate in the sink. The guilt presses down on me, but I shove it aside and leave the kitchen.

I keep my head down the entire walk up the stairs, refusing to look at the piano quietly waiting in the living room. Tendrils of grief snake their way into my heart as I enter Arielle’s Chambers, the pressure in my chest teasing into lyrics that no longer have the strength to make it past my throat.

My mother once said there was nothing more tragic than a sailor who couldn’t find his way home. A man without a compass is a man without a love waiting for him ashore.

I was her compass. The beating heart that always guided her home.

The lights flick on, illuminating the bedroom in an unflattering yellow hue. The newly cleaned ornaments stand tall and proud along the dresser, my mother’s random knick-knacks meaningless except for the fact they were once hers.

Checking the hidden nook for any intruders, I double check the windows are locked and the closet is empty before making my way to the bed.

Once I'm absolutely certain there are no monsters lurking in the shadows, I strip off my skirt and crawl under the covers.

Exhaustion slaps me in the face as I lie down, the emotional toll of the day finally setting in. My eyes flutter close as I roll onto my stomach, sliding my hand under my pillow.

Cold metal hits my fingers and my eyes fly open.

Yanking my hand back, I snatch up my pillow and clutch it to my heaving chest. Reaching out, I grab the shadowed object, carefully wrapping my fingers around the familiar blade.

“What the fuck?”

I stare down at Erik’s pocketknife, hysterical laughter bubbling up in my throat. It’s the same knife Marlin stole from me which can only mean one thing.

He was in my room.

He touched my bed.

I clench the knife tighter as the low rumble of his laughter plays through my mind. Those violet eyes peer at me from the shadows, the hard press of his body coming up behind me.

Whirling around, I pull back the sheets and stare at the empty mattress. Blood roars through my ears as I scan the room, seeing that perfect smile mocking me from every corner.

“He’s not here.”

My voice fills the silence of the room, falling short of the reassurance I was looking for. Pulling the duvet up to my chest, I fight back a shiver, refusing to let that asshole get the best of me twice in one day.

Wear the black skirt tomorrow. The one with the little bow. I think your legs will look particularly ravishing in that one.

“He’s not here.” I whisper again, wishing the words true.

“Not yet.” He whispers back, “You’re not mine yet.”

Chapter 7

MARLIN

The skull shatters beneath my foot.

Grimacing, I look down at the bone fragments now covering the polished surface of my shoes. It’s such a waste, walking through the bone grave my mother insists on leaving at the entrance of her playroom. Every time I’m forced to exchange a perfectly good suit for another simply because this woman refuses to clean up the mess her clients leave behind.

The eels swim over my head as I walk along the grated bridge suspended below the tank. Despite what people think, it is possible to enter the Sea Witch’s cove without swimming through the mass of water serpents. There’s a land entrance located just beneath the aquarium, the large sewer pipes running along each side are part of the disguise that helps ward off unwanted guests.

Those who aren’t welcome tend to find themselves swimming with the eels.

“Mother? Do you have company?”

Ducking under the entrance, I make my way past the shelves stocked with organs of all shapes and sizes. Ursela went through a short-lived stint of selling human organs to the black market, pocketing a little bit of extra cash on the side.

Once the contract from the Drache family came through, my mother was quick to abandon her side hobby.

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