Page 11 of Seas the Reckoning

The men ignore him entirely, looking back at my friend. They begin closing in, and it’s obvious they’re trying to block off our exit out the front of the street, although we could turn and run.

I’m not sure what to do until Starla speaks.

“I’m sorry, gentlemen, but he’ll simply have to wait. My gut tells me that’s the best move.”

That’s enough for me.

“Get her!” Dennis shouts. Two men rush forward, and I see a few more run up behind their friends.

“Scatter!” Starla calls at the same time.

I barely have time to register the intention of her words.

Ji-hwan reaches down and scoops Pickles into his arms. Jackal grabs my hand, and we all turn and run.

6

ONLY A CALL AWAY

We dodge across several streets and in front of numerous shops before Jackal tugs on my arm and pulls me into a small alley.

He holds me close, and I lean into him instinctively, breathing in the fresh, wild scent with which I’ve become so familiar.

“Are you all right, love?”

“Yes. Just worried about everyone else.”

He leans in closer as footsteps sound near us. Once they’re gone, my anxiety drops enough that I can focus on his words.

“I do have somewhere we could go, but I want to run it by you first,” he says.

“Run it by me? We’ve got some very angry-looking warlocks searching the town for us and essentially trying to kidnap Starla. If it gets us out of here, I’m all for it.”

Anywhere we can regroup. Because, unfortunately, she’ll still have to find a way to attend this weekend regardless of the less-than-welcoming welcome committee.

At least that’s how Grammy Pearl presented things.

Jackal runs a hand through his hair.

“My plan would give us a safe spot, but it’s not something I just wanted to surprise you with. I mean, she is lovely. They’re all lovely. I had intended to ask you to stop by and see them after this is all done, but this isn’t how I’d expected to⁠—”

“Jackal!” Sometimes it feels as if I’m the only one who can shake the seasoned investigator. I do like that we’re on even footing, but this isn’t the moment for it.

His face shifts, features dropping into a determined expression as he glances around the corner to ensure we’re not about to be found.

“Right.”

He takes one more deep breath.

“My sister lives in the Lake District. Along with my brother-in-law and my niece Lottie. They’d readily house the lot of us, but I didn’t want to shove you in front of my family with no preparation.”

For a few moments, I just blink at him. He’d mentioned where his sibling lived, but I’ve been so focused on Starla I hadn’t made the connection.

My thoughts whir to life, peppering me with all the ways I might embarrass myself, or worse, cause these unknown family members to decide I’m nowhere near good enough for their beloved Jackal.

“Leena? Leena? Leena!” He pushes me until my back bumps the wall of the nearest building, but I see it’s for my own benefit when a warlock marches by, just missing us as we flatten into the shadows of the alley.

The near-miss jolts me out of my reservations.