Page 19 of Seas the Reckoning

I give a warm smile to both of them.

“Better.”

And it is.

Both women grin back at me, but then Starla’s expression shifts.

“Uh-oh.”

“What?” Zyra asks, twisting her head toward the window, where Starla is focused.

It’s raining outside, which is obscuring the view a bit. Perhaps a good thing, because it means Dennis and Chaz don’t have a great view of us, either. Dennis has the collar of his coat pulled up, and his hair is dripping. Clearly the two of them weren’t prepared for the rain.

Chaz is pointing to the shop, perhaps suggesting they come inside to get warm or dry. Or it could be he’s spotted us, but the two look far too grumpy to be men who have found what they’re searching for.

“After all this preparation and effort, I’m not showing up to my father’s manor being dragged like a drowned cat through the rain by those two.” She scowls at the window, but ducks back so she’s hidden behind Zyra’s head.

Zyra gets up, leaving Starla exposed, but within moments she’s brought back Camille.

“Head out through the employee entrance. It’ll let you out in a small alley where we toss the trash. From there, go to the next street over.”

Camille presses a bag into my hands, and I can smell more raspberry almond cookies.

“Thank you,” I say.

She smiles.

“Come back anytime.”

We make our way past the counter, and the employees-only door is closing behind us when we hear the entrance bell ring again.

“What did you tell her?” Starla asks.

“Just that I needed a bit of assistance. Camille’s a good friend. With a good friend, sometimes you don’t have to explain.”

Starla and I look at each other, no doubt understanding exactly what she means.

I’m determined to have another day like this and return when we’ve sorted everything. Plus, I need an opportunity to try to talk Camille into parting with her cookie recipe.

10

MANOR OF MEMORIES

Zyra wasn’t wrong about the clothes. They are acting as a shield.

I reach for Jackal’s hand, and his fingers wrap through mine. Jackal, Starla, Exos, Ji-hwan and I are making our way up to the councilman’s manor.

“Earlier than the invitation stated, so he ought to be satisfied with that,” Starla gripes in a tone that suggests she doesn’t think that’s likely.

The witch is leading the charge. Her dress is a stunning, sleeveless number that hugs her chest and tapers at the waist. The front hem is higher in the center, and the sides of the material spill around her legs to end in a small train. The whole thing is covered in blue sequins that glimmer like sapphires. She’s fully leaned into accentuating her blue eyes.

She’s also got a faux-fur wrap that she can pull around her shoulders if the evening gets chilly.

Ironically, she looks like a goddess walking straight from the sea, though I’m the naiad here.

My own dress is a form-fitting silk number in a glinting green. There’s a slit up one side to accentuate my longer legs and a slender gold chain holding up the front of the dress.

The look when Jackal first saw it on me was priceless. His eyes glowed bright and hungry.