Page 49 of The Sea Witch’s Son (The Villains of Wolf Hollow #1)

Chapter 48

MARLIN

The Dragon has made her move.

All members of the board are expected to be in attendance at the Drache Manor in three days’ time. Formal attire is to be worn, and entertainment is to be provided. Family members are encouraged to be in attendance.

“It’s going to be one big party.”

I raise a brow, tossing the invitation back on the table, “A party or an execution?”

Calista grins, her dark red lipstick looking particularly fierce this evening, “Can’t it be both?”

I do not bother responding.

Once again, we are working late, doing recon with some video footage at the school. Almost all the loose ends have been tied and laid to rest, although there remains the infuriating question of why the thief broke their own pattern .

While Calista browses the last six weeks of video footage, I am perusing the financial reports for the hundredth time. I have memorized every number by this point, and yet I cannot find the motive for why someone would go from stealing a sample each month to stealing an entire shipment.

There seems to be a missing link somewhere.

I shift my rising frustration from the spreadsheets to the woman across the table. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail, accentuating the soft features of her face.

Soft, that is, until you look past her chin and see the snarling creature draped across her chest.

“I didn’t realize the lacrosse player did tattoos.”

Sharp teeth flash as Calista settles herself further into her chair, kicking up her stilettos on the table.

“This was curtesy of his younger brother. I needed a bit of leverage to get the big boy on board.”

“I’m surprised he made it out alive.”

“Oh no, Skylar was just a darling. If it wasn’t for his hair, I would have chained the sweet thing up and eaten him for breakfast.” She shoots me a wicked grin, “Now, his girlfriend on the other hand... oh, my. Such lovely dark hair.”

I tilt my head, studying the new lines of her tattoo. The dragon’s wings have become more defined, the sharp edge of its talons slicing right across her ribcage.

“You said you were going to Silverwood for a recruitment. Not a replacement.”

Red lips purse together, “Are they not the same thing? ”

I stare her down, “How long have you known?”

“Does it matter?” Calista lets out an impatient sigh, “If you had pursued Jack Heart the night you were supposed to...”

“Jack Heart was an insurance policy.” Annoyance bleeds through my voice, “I did not gain any information that you did not already know.”

“True.” She scrapes her nails against the table, “But that would have been much less entertaining.”

I lean back in my chair and cross my arms. Calista mimics my posture, her leather jacket pulling tight across her bare breasts.

There is a noticeable absence at our table, an absence that has been consistent for the last couple of weeks.

“We were supposed to be a team.”

“That’s right, Marlin. We were supposed to be a team.” Something vile flashes in her eyes, “After all those years, all it took was one betrayal to send this so-called team spiralling into a shit show.”

“You could have voiced your suspicions.”

“Because we trust each other? I have known you for twelve years, Marlin, and I couldn’t even guess what your favourite movie is.”

Agitation seeps through her restless posture, offering me insight into emotions that run far deeper than her vicious exterior.

I let out a sigh, “You thought I was in on it.”

She shrugs, “Wouldn’t be that far of a stretch. Your ambition far exceeds the average man’s and I know how you boys get when a woman is in control. ”

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 is Finding 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.