Page 6 of The Sea Witch’s Son (The Villains of Wolf Hollow #1)

Chapter 5

MARLIN

I thought that went rather well.

Melody’s knife sits deep in my pocket as I make my way towards the team meeting room. I would have enjoyed seeing her face when she realized it was no longer tucked in that salacious skirt of hers, but alas, my duty as team captain summoned me elsewhere.

She is a curious little creature, isn’t she? Carrying a knife in her skirt yet choosing to hide beneath the flowerbeds when Xavier showed the slightest bit of interest in her.

Perhaps one of her three ex-boyfriends left some trauma behind.

The thought puts a smile on my face as I enter the conference room. It’s a simple office space, saved primarily for the varsity swim team. It seems ludicrous to me why the school would designate a team space for an individual sport, though I suppose it has something to do with the romanticized notion of team bonding.

How ghastly.

The benefits of the pre-season team meeting is I get the opportunity to assess the rookies in the flesh. All of their strengths and weaknesses are listed in my report, of course, but no amount of research can determine a person’s loyalty.

Or their ability to obey orders.

“Hello, boys.”

I’m twenty minutes late, but no one says a word as I walk to the front of the room. Sebastian, my second-in-command, steps up and passes me a sheet of names.

I’ve already memorized the four rookies on the roster this year, but I cast my eyes down, feigning interest and introducing the new swimmers to the team.

“Adrian, Jalen, Samson and Finley. I am pleased to welcome you to the team.”

Painful awkwardness and overbearing egos intermingle in the most disgusting of combinations, making the rookies stand in a spotlight they have no desire or worth to be in. The only one who stands apart from the cluster is Finley, who seems to have befriended quite a few of the older swimmers already.

Interesting.

I took great pleasure in interrupting his conversation with Melody earlier, though perhaps there was more to the interaction than I originally thought .

“As we all know, time trials will be held over the next two weeks and these times will be used as entry seeds for the first meet of the year. Ensure you only participate in the events you wish to compete in, for it is a waste of time to do so otherwise.”

I drone on, discussing mundane affairs that should already be known. The most interesting aspect of this meeting has yet to come, and I pay particular attention to Finley when it does.

Sebastian steps forward, clearing his throat, “The rookie party has been cancelled due to the grievances filed after last year’s incident.”

Snickers fill the room and my lips pull into a smile. Most of the rookies look relieved, except for Finley. He stares at me, suspicion and mistrust glinting in his eyes.

“Marlin has taken it upon himself to orchestrate a new initiation for the rookies, a test that will determine whether your loyalty lies with the team or elsewhere.” Sebastian pauses, his thick Jamaican accent floating through the room, “Those who fail will be removed from the team. By force or by choice.”

The relief splayed over youthful faces now lies in a puddle at their feet. I chuckle, thoroughly enjoying my position as team captain for the first time.

“To keep it fair, Marlin will choose tests catered for each person. They will be of the same equilibrium of difficulty, within the same time frame. Results will be known… well, once the rookies start showing up to time trials or not.”

“You trust Seaborn to evaluate us fairly?” Jalen scoffs, shaking his head, “Get the fuck out of here. ”

Sebastian chuckles, casting a glance my way, “It would seem we already have our first challenge, Captain.”

“Indeed.” I gesture for the rookie to approach, “What was your name again?”

“Jalen Samuel.”

“Jalen Samuel.” The name bleeds over my tongue like a fresh cut of meat, “It would seem there’s some unresolved feelings surrounding my ability to gauge your loyalty. Care to share with the team why that is?”

His cheeks flush, “I have nothing to say.”

I sigh heavily, “If this has to do with the incident… well, let me assure you that it is all behind us. In fact, we can use last year’s misfortune as this year’s resolution.”

Uneasy murmurs ripple across the room.

“Moving forward, the rookie challenges will not be shared with the group. However, given Jalen’s feelings of mistrust, I find it only fair to share this first one with the team to ensure no trickery or misdeeds befall him.”

I pause to give Jalen my most comforting smile.

“Mr. Samuel will be tasked with retrieving Delta’s eyeball from the bottom of my mother’s eel tank.”

Jalen pales, “What?”

“The incident which resulted in Delta losing his eye last year was an unfortunate one, but it provided the Sea Witch with a new collector’s item she keeps locked in her precious trove beneath the aquarium. ”

Gesturing towards the rookie, I smile, “To show there are no hard feelings, I offer access to my mother’s private sanctuary. If you succeed, Delta is welcome to keep the orb, although I do not think it will be of much use to him now, and your loyalty will not be questioned again.”

“If you fail, however, you will join the many carcasses that grace the tank’s floor.” I frown, remembering my role, “Oh, and you will no longer be a part of the team.”

“T-That’s not fair!” Jalen splutters, barely catching a breath, “No one survives the Sea Witch’s torture chamber. It’s fucking suicide.”

I shrug, “I’ll leave that decision up to your teammates. Adrien, what do you say? Is it fair to ask a doubtful man to replenish his trust within a team?”

“Yes.” He doesn’t even hesitate.

“And Samson, what are your thoughts regarding the nature of the task? Is it within reason for a man mourning the loss of a friend’s eye to simply go retrieve it for him?”

“Absolutely.” Not a flicker of doubt.

“Good.” I smile, turning my attention back to the rookie trembling off to the side, “It would seem two of the three rookies agreed the task was within reason. And given this is a democracy, I feel it safe to say majority rules.”

Sebastian claps his hands, “The challenge has been stated. Jalen Samuel, do you agree to these terms? Or do you choose to remove yourself from the team? ”

I stare him down, watching the indecision stretch over his features.

“I withdraw from the team.” Jalen hangs his head, “Thank you for the opportunity.”

Sebastian raises a hand, “Please see yourself out.”

Everyone watches as Jalen leaves the room with three less friends and one less team than when he entered.

Poor unfortunate soul.

“Are there any more questions?”

Silence fills the room and I smile, “In that case, you are free to go. I’ll see you all at practice tomorrow.”

The men shuffle out of the room and I watch Finley cast one last glance in my direction. Sebastian stays behind and I wander over to join him.

“Collecting an eyeball from your mother’s tank? Good God Seaborn, that was diabolical even for you.”

I shrug, “He was never going to make it. Jalen has been friends with Delta for more than seven years, so chances are he was hoping to seek some sort of revenge.”

Sebastian chuckles, “Never thought I would say this, but I missed your scheming this summer. It’s good to have you back.”

“It’s been more enjoyable than I expected, so I suppose it’s good to be back.” I pause, thinking about the other rookies, “You can inform Adrian and Samson they both passed the test and are cleared to compete in time trials next week.”

“Ah, yes. I was curious to see how that would play out. Both were quite eager to throw their teammate under the bus. ”

“Cut-throat is all part of the sport. One less rookie means one less competitor.”

Sebastian nods, “And Finley? I noticed you left him out of the equation.”

“Finley requires a little more inspection.” I muse, thinking about the venom Melody repeated on his behalf, “There seems to be some passionate feelings locked away and I am curious to see how far they stretch.”

“Whatever you say, Captain.” Sebastian tilts his head, “Does your mother really have Delta’s eyeball locked away? Have you seen it?”

“Of course. I would never propose a challenge a man could not see through.”

He throws his head back and laughs, “I pity the fool who bleeds in your water.”

I smile, “If you don’t want to play with the sharks, don’t swim in the ocean. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a saint to catch.”

My shoes echo against the floor as I leave the room and my mind flits back to the conversation between Melody and Finley. Her cheeks were rosy by the time I showed up, a pink tinge I credited to the argument I seemed to have interrupted.

But perhaps, the colour was not from the confrontation but something deeper. Something more… intimate.

Looks like my little saint will be of use to me after all.