Page 64 of Dark Embers

I calmed myself, but my appetite thoroughly abandoned me, and I pushed my plate away. “Yes, I heard.”

“Why do you think it happened?” Brett asked with a mouthful. “Oh, and before you freak out on Niko the way you just freaked out on me, he’s back. He’s just dropping off his stuff and will be down in a sec.”

I nodded. “Does he know?”

“He doesn’t know details, but he knows something happened.”

“Well, to answer your question,” I said, “you probably know as much as I do.”

Niko showed up in the cafeteria, but stopped at Arya and Ashlyn’s table first before looking around the room and spotting us. My guilt intensified. Niko was clearly consoling them while I had ignored them. Ignoredher.

We filled Niko in on the details of the incident when he joined us. They had heard the same story as I did, minus the part about what name Letti was saying. I kept that dark little fact to myself.

Niko ran his fingers over his head, indicating his nerves. “Tobias, do you think…?”

“Does he think what?” Brett urged.

“Do you think these vamps targeted her?”

“What would vamps want with a teenage mer?” Brett scoffed. He was trying to play up that he wasn’t affected by the wholemess, but I knew better when he, too, pushed his plate away—half-eaten—and leaned back with his arms folded. “It must be a coincidence.”

“Outside the secret platform?” I asked. “Doesn’t seem likely.”

“Does that mean they know the location of the Dome, then?” Brett asked.

Immediately my thoughts flashed to the invisible dragon in the sim room. Had the vampires found the school? Had they already infiltrated its walls, sneaking in forces to form an attack?

“I was actually wondering if they targeted her specifically,” Niko said. “And yeah, they probably wouldn’t target some random teenage mer. But if what Tobias told us is true...” He looked at me. “About that prophecy.”

I put a finger to my lips and leaned into the table. “That’s not common knowledge, and if my father found out I’d told you two morons, he’d ship me off tomorrow.”

“But you said the prophecy is about Arya, not—”

“Actually, I’m not so sure the prophecyisabout Arya,” I blurted out.

I hadn’t meant to say it aloud. When Niko and Brett stared at me with all but gaping mouths, I quickly amended. “I mean, that doesn’t really matter. But what if those vamps attacked Letti because they were wrong about the prophecy, too, and because shelookslike Arya?”

“Do you think they know about the prophecy?” Niko’s eyebrows were pinched in concern. “The vampires?”

“I hate to say this, but maybe you need to call the General, Tobias,” Brett suggested.

I nodded, rubbing my chin as I thought. I was never eager to speak to Arthur, but this was a grave matter that required his attention.

“I think you’re right,” I reluctantly agreed, then pushed out of my seat and left to contact my father.

*?*?*

“We are aware of the situation, Tobias,” Arthur said when he picked up.

“So what are you doing about it?” I leaned against a bookcase in the human world history section of the library. Even if the entire school wasn’t still freaking out in the dining hall, the chance of someone catching me here was very slim.

“We’re looking into it, but it seems to be an isolated incident,” he said. “A random act by one vampire.”

“Random act? Arth—Father.” I caught my almost-slip. “She was attacked outside the secret platform.”

“Yes, and she must’ve been followed. To the vampire, it must have looked like she was entering somewhere the public didn’t have ready access to—which is the truth—and followed her.”

“Look,” I said, running a hand through my hair once more. “I should’ve told you sooner, but I don’t think Arya is the mermaid from the prophecy, but still, I think she’s being targeted.”

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