Page 64 of The Sea Witch's Son

I tilt my head, watching the rise and fall of her chest. There is something inexplicably alive about Melody, something that goes beyond the short fuse of her temper.

“One day, I will crawl in beside you. I will be the reason you wake up in the middle of the night, unable to move and unable to feel anything except my tongue between your legs.”

No response.

Letting out a sigh, I bend down and brush my lips over the mark on her neck.

“Goodnight, little saint. Make sure you dream of me.”

She starts to stir just as I leave her bedroom.

Exiting as quietly as I arrived, I start the long trek back to the oceanfront, opting to walk along the road instead of cutting through the forest.

Wolves howl, crows call and all the while one unusual thought loops through my mind.

I hope this pawn doesn’t break.

Chapter 22

MELODY

Erik is waiting for me downstairs.

He’s leaning against the kitchen counter, coffee mug in his hands, staring out the window. The grass looks damp and cool under the overcast sky, and I can’t help but feel it sets an ominous tone for the day.

“I’ve submitted an application to the Dragon.”

My trek to the coffee machine halts.

“For what?”

“A job. I thought an official offer of employment would be a better way of going about this.” Tired eyes meet mine, “It could help eliminate an unpredictable variable.”

Irritation slashes through me, “And you didn’t want to consult me before doing this?”

“You’ve been MIA all weekend. I didn’t think a text message would be appropriate.”

My teeth grind together, “It’s been a long weekend. I was at the mayor’s house yesterday.”

“While you were visiting the daughter, I was working on-

“You were jumping the gun, Erik.” Cutting him off, I blow out a frustrated breath, “You were supposed to letmefigure this shit out. I don’t want you to end up with a job that involves torturing people or selling drugs or God knows what else that woman pays people to do.”

He sighs, “We have to have faith that everything is going to work out the way it is supposed to.”

My mouth opens and closes.

The hideous accusations, the ugly truths start to pound on the vault inside my chest, desperate to get out.

Desperate to be heard.

“Next time.” I inhale sharply, “Talk to me before making rash decisions. You could have jeopardized everything.”

“Communication goes two ways, Melody.”

I stare at him, angry and frustrated and a little bit hurt, “We were in this same situation before. Do you remember what you said?”

“You needed to trust me.”

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