Page 49

Once the Reef Mine was secure, I checked anxiously for my fellow Portlockians and found them all alive, although most were wounded. The only one who wasn’t there was Thomas; I’d been hoping against hope that I’d seen an illusion and he’d be there on the shore pulling Sidnee into his arms with that tender look he had only for her. But he wasn’t.

Sidnee reached the conclusion at the same time as me and her face twisted in fear. ‘Has anyone seen Thomas?’ she asked loudly.

I bit my lip. ‘I’m sorry, Sidnee. I saw Chris – Chris Jubatus—’

‘Fuck Chris,’ she snarled. ‘Where’s Thomas?’ She’d started to shake.

‘Chris … he took Thomas.’

‘What?’ she breathed.

‘He kidnapped him. ’

‘That bastard .’ Her eyes flashed back to mer-black. ‘I’ll kill him myself.’ Her hands flew to her top as if she was going to strip off and shift into a mermaid to chase her ex across the whole fucking globe if necessary.

‘Sidnee, my love, calm down. You need to think rationally. Once they stop moving, we can scry Thomas.’

‘Unless they get him somewhere warded!’ she snapped back.

‘This is the Knight Stalkers we’re talking about. They don’t like magic.’

‘They used Emma! They used a fucking air ward against Matilda!’ She was panting, her eyes wide with panic.

‘Thomas is alive,’ I said firmly. ‘And I swear we will find him. But you can’t run off half-cocked. That will get him – and you – killed. We have to be smart, Sidnee honey. You know I’m right.’

Her eyes leached to their usual brown and she started to cry. I pulled her into my arms as Gunnar looked on, obviously heartbroken for her. ‘We’ll find him,’ he vowed gruffly. Sidnee leapt from my arms to his and let herself collapse against him.

Our MIB team was busy setting charges; when we were well away, they blew up the cursed mine so it couldn’t be used against us again. Next to me, Matilda snorted at their work. ‘No good,’ she sniffed. She disappeared into the mine, presumably to collapse the whole thing properly.

Sometimes, her power was more than a little scary. If she’d arrived sooner, the tide of battle would have changed far quicker. Maybe then Thomas wouldn’t have been taken and we would have captured that shitbag Chris for ourselves.

Shoulda, woulda, coulda helped no one so I put my thoughts aside, but in my heart I plotted revenge against the selkie for once again breaking my best friend’s heart.

We didn’t dare leave Sidnee alone. Gunnar and I debated whether she was better with me or with him, but since Sigrid was still at the station we decided my home was the right place for her for now. Connor came in too, and quietly told Fluffy and Shadow what had happened as he sorted them out with fresh food and drink.

Meanwhile I helped a near-catatonic Sidnee into the shower. She was like a large doll who moved when directed but froze after she’d complied. It freaked me out, but she didn’t need me to lose my mind right now; one of us needed to keep our shit together .

I tucked her into the spare-room bed once she was clean and warm. I couldn’t get her to eat or drink anything, but I’d fight that battle in the morning. I left water and some biscuits next to her bed; it was the best I could do.

I pulled the door almost closed and slunk back to the kitchen where Connor was waiting. He was looking at his phone with what looked like amused triumph. ‘What’s up?’ I asked.

Connor’s grin widened. ‘Our resident water dragon kicks ass and takes names.’

My eyes widened. ‘It didn’t?’

‘It totally did!’ He laughed. ‘Apparently it coiled around the submarine and squeezed until the damn thing ruptured. I love it.’

Despite myself, I grinned. ‘That water dragon is scary as heck. I’m glad it’s on our side.’

‘Damn right.’

‘A bit like Matilda,’ I added.

Connor’s smile faded as he looked towards my spare room. ‘How is Sidnee?’ His eyes were warm with concern.

I shrugged helplessly. ‘Not great. She’s not responding at all – she’s completely shut down. It’s hard to watch.’

He pulled me into his arms. ‘She’s been through a lot. She needs time and sleep. She’ll get through this, like all the rest of her trials.’

Throat tight, I nodded. I didn’t realize I was crying for her until Connor tenderly wiped the tears from my face. ‘She’ll be okay,’ he murmured. ‘And Thomas is going to be okay. That man was born invincible.’ His tone was grudgingly admiring.

I appreciated his efforts but we both knew he was lying. Thomas was human, and if I’d been a betting girl I’d have bet that Chris had been lurking around Portlock for a while. Sidnee hadn’t been discreet at the party by declaring her love for Thomas for all and sundry to hear, and Chris was the jealous type. There was a reason he’d taken Thomas and it couldn’t be anything good.

Poor Sidnee. She needed time to process all of this, but she’d already had so much shit to deal with in her young life. She was stronger than anyone I knew, but there was a fragility that she kept hidden behind her sunny personality. She didn’t deserve this. Sometimes life was so damned unfair.

Connor must have sensed my dark thoughts because he brushed the hair back from my face. ‘She’s strong. She’ll pull through this and we’ll get Thomas back.’

I nodded. I had no idea how to start, but I had to remember that Thomas was a force to be reckoned with. He’d been in the MIB; although these dark forces had him now, he’d figure out how they worked and use it against them. I half-hoped he’d rescue himself before we had a chance to do so.

Until then, I would take care of Sidnee. She needed me to remind her what a strong, independent and amazing person she was. She had a steel core. She just needed to remember that.

Fluffy leaned against my legs and I bent down to scruffle his ears. I looked around for Shadow, but he was nowhere to be seen. ‘Damned cat,’ I mumbled and then, because I was unsettled and worried, Connor and I searched the house to make sure my lynx hadn’t sneaked out.

The last place I looked was Sidnee’s room – I should have started there. Shadow’s eyes reflected the light when I opened her door. He was at her head and she had a hand buried in his fur. Soft sobs were coming from her but her eyes were shut; she was asleep, crying in her dreams.

Shadow was the comfort she needed now. He laid his head back down and I heard his raspy purr as he poured out his heart to help heal hers. How had I ever thought, even for a moment, that he might grow up evil? I smiled at him and pulled the door almost closed so he could get in and out as he wanted. I had the best cat.

I pulled Connor back to the kitchen. ‘Shadow is helping Sid. I need to give him more credit. He’s usually driving me nuts, but this time he’s really helping. ’

Connor flipped on the kettle and we settled onto the kitchen chairs.

Everything seemed surreal. I’d come back to Portlock from the academy, where I’d foiled an unnamed group that I now knew was the Knight Stalkers. I’d returned to multiple murders – and to foil the Knight Stalkers once again. I wished the fuckers would just get the damned message but it was becoming clear that they wouldn’t. The only way to end this, truly end it, was to take the fight to them.

I was done with being reactive; it was time to be proactive. And taking Thomas? That was just the spark that we needed to ignite the powder keg. I took a sip of my tea and looked at Connor. ‘If they want war, it’s time we gave it to them.’

A slow smile crossed his face. ‘Now you’re talking, Doe.’

‘I’m done talking,’ I said honestly. ‘Now I’m all about action.’

Connor smirked. ‘Yeah? I have some moves of my own.’ He winked.

I set my mug down. ‘Do you, now? Then show me what you’ve got, Connor MacKenzie.’

‘With pleasure.’

I hope you loved The Vampire and the Case of the Hallacious Hag as much as we did writing it!