Normally Dad just faded away for a few weeks before snapping back to reality once summer ended. Halloween atThe Wolf’s Den. Then the absolute chaos he created every year with his Christmas lights. It made it easier to pretend the summer hadn’t happened—until the whole cycle started again the next year.
“I’ll maybe drop you off and head on home.” Ina stifled an unconvincing yawn as she started the car. “It’s been a long day.”
Malachi raised an eyebrow and tried to catch her eye, but Ina stared straight ahead, avoiding the mirror.
“Nonsense.” Tilly was not going to take no for an answer. “I’m sure he’ll survive an hour without adult supervision.”
“Yes, Ina, I’ll try to survive in my locked house all by myself.” Malachi’s hands prayed up to the Lord.
“The boy will be fine.” Tilly turned and winked at him. “Plus, I’ve some gossip about the McAllisters’ pig farm you’ll have not heard yet.”
“A quick cup then,” Ina relented, the car picking up speed as though she were late for an important meeting.
Malachi bit back a comment. Ina always gave in to Tilly. She was never that soft with him. It was hard toimagine what sort of gossip could exist about pig farmers, though Dad had always refused to buy meat from anywhere else on Latharna.
They drove the rest of the way in silence. Gravel crunched under the tyres along the laneway and into the courtyard at Riverside.
“I’ll be back shortly.” Ina rolled her window down as Malachi got out of the car. “Keep the door locked.”
A familiar tightness crept into Malachi’s chest. Ina had fretted about the back door for as long as he could remember.
“It’ll keep you safe.” Ina’s brow creased. “I think your dad still wants to have that chat with you when he gets back.”
“I’ll not hold my breath,” Malachi snapped, sharper than intended. Dad had gone from offering to make him breakfast and raising a glass to Rhys’ memory to actively avoiding him in the space of a single afternoon. Keeping up with his moods was exhausting.
“We will talk.” Ina reached out the window for his hand. He sighed and took it. “About Rhys.”
“Great.” Malachi slipped free and stepped back. “I’m sure that’ll go well.”
“It’ll do you the world of good.” Ina forced a thin smile. “Stay at home. Don’t be sneaking off to meet your friends.”
Malachi nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. Jeff had sent over a dozen messages, but he’d ignored all of them. Telling Dad about his plans to leave Latharna could wait. They no longer seemed important. Owning up to what happened on the river couldn’t wait—not now that other people might be in danger.
Tilly waved grandly from the passenger seat. He mirrored the enthusiasm until the car disappeared aroundthe curved driveway, the farewell beep startling a handful of nesting birds into the sky. They scattered over Riverside, abandoning their squawking chicks at the first sign of danger.
The gate creaked as he entered the back garden. His limbs were heavy, his energy tank empty. After an evening suffocating in grief and other people’s alcohol fumes, he needed fresh air.
The old hammock caught his eye, swaying gently between two old oak trees. He hadn’t used it in years. He tested the ropes, then lowered himself onto it, half expecting it to give, but it held.
For a moment he was ten again, pushing Rhys higher and higher. Rhys shrieking with laughter as he clung to the sides. The scent of Ina’s roses drifted through the air, deepening the memory.
Malachi’s foot nudged the hammock into motion. The swing was slow, gentle. The first real quiet he’d had all evening. Sleep crept in before he could stop it. A quick nap before the showdown with Dad wouldn’t hurt.
Chapter 14
Archie
The 9 p.m. sun dipped low, casting long shadows in the valley of trees encasing the waterfall at Glenoe. The cool air untouched by traffic or noise pollution. The perfect evening to relax in the pool of water below the waterfall. Glenoe was a secluded spot, managing to avoid the tourist crowds during the summer, but locals knew it well and kept its solitude to themselves.
Archie cranked the car window down as he turned off the main road. The cooler evening air rushed in around his face. Freshly cut grass and the faint drift of barbecue smoke filled his lungs, clearing out the buzz of chatter rattling around his head from the Johnston house. He’d raised a glass to the mayor, and thrown back a tumbler of whiskey to dull the noise. He shouldn’t have—he needed his wits. But for a few minutes, the burn had been a well needed respite.
Malachi would be raging he’d left without saying goodbye, but Archie couldn’t risk him asking to come. Going back tothe Wolf’s Denwas a flimsy lie, and they both knew it. He needed Malachi’s full attention when he told him about the Selkie and what had really happened toRhys—that conversation belonged at Riverside, not at a waterfall, and definitely not in the car with no way out. He hadn’t even begun to work out how much to tell Malachi about Heather. He wasn’t sure how much of her past and her desperate attempts to keep her children shielded from the Otherworld Malachi needed to hear.
He closed his eyes and rubbed his temple, trying to push away the dull throb of a forming headache. An hour’s delay wouldn’t hurt. Malachi had avoided this conversation for years. This was duty; this trip was for everyone on Latharna, not just for him. Checking the waterfall would buy him peace of mind—and extra time to rehearse the conversation with Malachi.
Now the Selkie were back and had left the remains of Mayor Johnston at the Polar Bear, he couldn’t stall any longer. If he didn’t act, more innocent people would die. Rage fizzed low and hot in his stomach. If he’d dealt with the Selkie properly seven years ago, Marty Johnston would still be alive. This wasn’t just about Rhys anymore—this was about the entire island.
The car bumped down the narrow laneway into the carpark. Children’s voices carried through the trees, high and bright, the kind of carefree shrieks Glenoe had always known. Archie’s shoulders unclenched a fraction. If children were playing, the Selkie weren’t close or, at least, they were deep underwater. Their stench only polluted the air when they rose to the surface.
