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I shook the thought away. Layne was full of shit the majority of the time. It didn't matter. Ethan was a means to an end. Nothing more.

Twirling my hand, I manipulated the water, forming a tiny whirlpool at my behest.

“Plus, Ethan’s the only path forward to Preston right now,” I muttered, watching as the sand swirled inside the vortex. My brows bunched as I lay back on the seafloor, staring up at the filtering light. Now that Ethan was a card in my deck, I realized that I didn't have much of a plan for what I’d do next, though.

Pike Place tomorrow…how am I going to make this work?

What was I supposed to do, walk up and ask him where Preston lived? He probably wouldn't even know, but maybe he could at least help me get closer to the right information, or even find a different source.

Yeah, this plan could work. I just had to focus and not get distracted.

Time and information were all I needed, and it wasn't going to come all at once. Slow and steady had to be the way I moved about this. There was no room for error.

I might have to spend a lot more time with Ethan than I thought. Be his friend. Simple.

What would Layne say? I groaned and rolled my eyes. Why do I even care he thinks?

What the fuck was his problem, anyway? He acted so…jealous. The thought of Layne being jealous actually brought a little joy to me, and I felt a smile forming.

Layne’s such a tool compared to Ethan. I’d be jealous too if I were him, I thought.

Maybe it was something I could use to my advantage, though. Since Layne admitted he could see certain things from the darkness I fed on, it could be fun, if anything, to mess with him. Unfortunately, that meant he would be watching my date with Ethan.

A tiny crab skittered across my belly, tickling my skin.

Spending as much time on land would be more important now than ever. Which depended on how well fed I was from the harvested darkness. The worse the person was, the longer I had, which let me hold onto the glamour’s magic longer.

I nodded, sitting up with a renewed sense of confidence.

Yes. I’d make sure to feed tomorrow before meeting Ethan. Then, we’d explore Pike Place together, and I could get a little closer to him. Get more information about his job and Preston. It was simple enough. Smile and talk. I’d figure out the rest of the plan later.

Worrying about Ethan's safety wasn't something I needed to concern myself with. Layne had been clear: the feelings could be real, but as long as I didn't act on them or reciprocate—he'd be safe.

No problem, I told myself, ignoring the tightness in my chest. Leaning back against the tree, I gazed up at the flickering moonlight, as a feeling of unease crept over me.

Mom had been right.

There really were fairy tales beneath the water.

And every fairy tale always had a villain, a monster.

Now, I had to make sure that no matter what, Ethan Ward never knew that the monster was me.

Ethan’s gaze darted between his computer screen, the clock, and a pile of case files he’d been ignoring all day. The jittery bounce of his feet jostled his desk, and he had to catch himself before everything toppled off.

He looked back at the clock again. 4:30 PM. Only thirty more minutes, and he could get out of here.

Ethan yawned, his eyes heavier than usual. Sleep hadn't come easily last night despite the amazing, albeit abrupt, time he’d had with Evie. Even still, his body was restless and still buzzing from excitement. Why a girl like that would have wanted to talk to him was beyond him. Hell, even now, he wasn’t sure if it had been real.

The night had replayed in his mind ever since. The way she’d laughed at his feeble attempt at flirting. The ghost of her perfume, something salty and sweet, still seemed to linger in the air, and he swore that when he closed his eyes, he could still smell it.

The fact that he was seeing her again tonight excited him, but also turned his stomach in equal measure. He had to admit, though, it was surprising she even wanted to see him again after he’d ruined it by talking about his dead boss.

Genius move. Grade A conversationalist, Ethan.

But for whatever reason, it hadn’t scared her off, and he was grateful for that.

Ethan leaned back in his chair, his tired gaze landing across the room and settling on Jake's open office door. It was still dark and empty, and he wondered if they’d do anything with it, or when a new person might start. They hadn't reassigned it to anyone yet, and who knew if the Willows even would.