Jeff barked a laugh. “Oh, I understand all right. You bottled it!” He leaned close enough, his hot breath brushed Malachi’s neck. “You’re so pathetic, you’d rather stay on Latharna, desperate for your dad’s attention rather than live your own life.”
Malachi’s shoulders sagged. Not because the words hurt—but because they were tired and overused. Jeff always went for the same cheap shots dressed up as truth. A flash of irritation cut through Malachi. Enough was enough.
Ally swung around and stood up. “Look, why don’t we head home for now?” He placed himself between Malachiand Jeff. “We can meet atLucky Crumbslater, once we’ve calmed down.” He offered a hopeful smile. Ally defaulted to food in the same way Jeff defaulted to cruelty. And the promise of food was usually enough to calm tensions, especially if Thelma was cooking. But not this time.
The water had risen again. It lapped dangerously close now. Malachi shuddered as gooseflesh broke out along his arms; the warm air turned cold and sharp.
Jeff was mid-rant, tearing into Ally now, too wrapped up in his own fury to notice anything else. But Malachi did. His eyes tracked the surface—a flicker of movement caught his attention. A Selkie slipped beneath the waves, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
“They’re here!” The shout tore out of him before he could stop it, hands plunging into his pocket for his phone. His stomach dropped. It was charging at home.
“Who?” Jeff snorted. “Your dad and Ina?” He laughed, sharp and cruel. “Jesus, do they ever let you out of their sight?”
Malachi didn’t answer. His eyes stayed locked on the water, pulse roaring in his ears.
Jeff turned towards the empty car park, fists clenched. “You really need to get away from them. They treat you like a child. It’s not normal.”
Malachi’s fingers curled into his palms.Normal.
He thought of last night. The stench of seaweed, the sharp blade digging into his neck. The truth of what happened to Rhys clawing its way into the light.
The water surged again. Malachi lifted his feet just in time as a wave slapped against the wall. Ally yelped as icy water soaked his trainers. Jeff laughed as if it were all part of a game.
Malachi’s pulse spiked. His breath caught halfway in,chest refusing to expand. He needed to get them away from the edge—now—but his muscles locked in place. The thought of Ally slipping or Jeff being dragged under without warning hollowed him out
“Still scared of the water?” Jeff climbed up on the wall, arms spread wide like he was daring the sea to take him.
Malachi ground his teeth. He stood, forcing his legs to move, every nerve screaming. The wall was narrow beneath his feet. He reached for Ally without looking and hauled him up beside him. Jeff smirked; even here, he couldn’t help but be exhausting.
“You’re such a pus?—"
The wave hit like a freight train. Water exploded over the wall, slamming into them with brutal force. The world tilted. Stone vanished beneath Malachi’s feet.
Malachi tensed as he hit the water. The shock of cold punched the air from his lungs. Panic flared white-hot before he crushed it down. He kicked hard, clothes dragging, ribs screaming in protest.
Not again. The Selkie had taken his brother. They were not going to take his friends.
A siren wailed beneath the surface—distorted—an air-raid alarm screaming danger into his skull. It wasn’t just noise. It was a warning for anyone who knew how to listen.
Malachi broke the surface, gasping, choking on salt. Dark clouds rolled over the sky unnaturally fast, turning the sea black-blue.
“Jeff?” Panic clawed at his throat. No answer.
Ally surfaced nearby, coughing violently, eyes wild. Relief flared before dread crashed back in. Jeff was gone.
Malachi dragged in a breath and dove again, eyes burning as he cut through the salt water. Every secondstretched. A flicker of movement ahead made his heart stutter. Sapphire eyes glimmered through the murky water.
His chest seized. This can’t be real. He was dreaming. He had to be. Any second now Dad would appear and pull him free like he always did.
But no one came.
The siren’s wail sharpened, thinning into something else—something higher, more focused. Less of a warning and more of a summoning.
His lungs burned. Rhys’ face flashed behind his eyes and the guilt slammed into him so hard it almost dragged him deeper. He hadn’t been strong enough then. He wouldn’t freeze now.
Malachi kicked for the surface, every muscle shaking, bursting out into the air with the ragged gasp.
Ally hauled himself over the wall, retching on mouthfuls of seawater.
