Page 73 of Seas the Reckoning

Grammy said we’d need him, and while for the sake of his safety I’m glad it was just for a fiery distraction, I’ve missed him terribly.

“Lottie wasn’t happy to see him go. I’ll give you one guess what her parents are getting her for Christmas,” Jackal says.

Maybe that’s what he was needed for. If so, I’m happy my dog could help her heal.

She’ll get a dog after all. Good. She’s clearly done a great job looking after Pickles.

“This is a vessel,” Arloc says, holding the shell necklace up. “It holds magic.”

“Well, of course it holds magic. We knew that much,” Ji-hwan says.

“You’re not understanding me. I’m saying that the magic the necklace possesses, is the ability to hold other magic. It’s a temporary containment space. Right now, it’s empty, but you could place something like a spell, a curse, or the like in here for safekeeping, then remove it when you needed to make use of it later. Handy to have.”

“How can you possibly know that? Vampires can’t read magic. That sounds like a witch’s key,” Jackal says, tone less than friendly.

Arloc sneers.

“I’m very good at my job. Not all skill in this world has to rely on innate magical skill. She should be enough to convince you of that,” Arloc gestures to Starla, on her feet and leaning heavily against Exos.

“If you mean to insult her, you will find yourself buried under the gate,” Exos threatens.

The vampire sighs, looking upward as though some supernatural deity will save him from the sniping men on the lawn.

“You are a touchy bunch. I merely meant that those willing to work at it can learn more about magic than what they are born with. That is all.”

He ignores the skeptical stares of the others, approaching me and handing the necklace back.

“A pleasure, Carolina. Until we meet again.”

He bows to me, and then he gone, running through the woods at such a fast pace I lose track of him.

“Good riddance,” Jackal snorts.

“Do you think he’s right?” I ask.

Ji-hwan looks at where the vampire was a moment ago.

“Most likely. He’s not wrong about skills. I was born with seduction and learned interrogation; Starla got electroshock but has a whole arsenal of spells she can use if she doesn’t mind the magic drain. We’re all of us more than we first appear. We can’t count it out.”

“Let’s go,” Jackal urges, ushering us into the vehicle. It’s a tight squeeze, particularly with Starla’s dress puffing out in all directions, but we make it work.

“You got the information from the councilman’s office?” I think to ask as the final door is forced closed.

Pickles curls up in my lap, and I lean against Jackal’s shoulder. Escaping your own wedding is more tiring than I would have imagined.

Exos turns back from the passenger seat, smirking.

“Of course I did. That pocket portal worked a treat. Could have used a few more, but that’s on me for not badgering Danger myself. We’re headed to a small island, as suspected, far out in the sea. But now we have coordinates. At least we guessed we’d need a dock. You have a contact for us to meet? A boat to take?”

I shrink, pressing myself further into Jackal’s side.

Malcolm got us a way out, and one I don’t think Councilman Taylor will be able to track easily.

But I’m not sure how the others will react.

28

ALL WILL BE WHALE