Page 71 of Dark Embers

What do you do?

Go.

Chapter 25

Arya

How could things possibly get any worse?

As I walked back to my dorm from Caesar’s office, I felt like a chunk of iron was lodged in my belly, simultaneously weighing me down and crushing me from the inside out. Already, students were whispering that I was behind Letti’s attack. Considering the gossip factory that was Cora and her minions, I had been expecting that.

What I didn’t expect was suspicion from the teachers as well. Even Caesar thought I was somehow responsible. Maybe not directly, like everyone else did, but he thought Letti had been targeted because of me by association.

And now he was implying that my mom was killed by the vampires because she had been involved with them.

I shook my head. I couldn’t believe it. Vampires would explain the reasoning for rule number one, but I couldn’t imagine Mom ever being in league with vampires. Could it have been possible that she had pissed off one of them by accident? It was obvious, now, that Mom had been running from someone or something all those years. Could that someone have been a vampire?

And to make matters worse, apparently, Caesar knew more about my father than I did. Would I ever discover the truth of it all?

I crept into the mer common room, keeping my head down and trying not to attract attention as I grabbed my bag and headed off to meet Ashlyn now that classes were canceled. But when I got to my room, Cora and Adina were standing in front of the door like a Barbie barricade. My laptop bag was at their feet, with the few articles of new clothing I’d acquired messily stuffed into it and spilling out.

“What are you doing with my stuff?” I demanded, the feeling of violation summoning anger to overshadow my depression.

“Taking out the trash.” Cora crossed her arms and kicked the bag so that it fell over, causing one of my new lace panties to fall out.

“You bitch!” I dropped to my knees to gather my things, ready to use those very panties to strangle her.

“Nobody wants you here,” Adina hissed over me as I scrambled. “You’re no longer welcome in this wing.”

“You’re not even a real mermaid, anyway,” Cora added.

I hugged my belongings to my chest and rose defensively to my feet. “You can’t kick me out. Celeste would never let that happen.”

Cora narrowed her eyes and stalked closer to me, like a predatory shark on a weakened fish. “Well, Celeste isn’t here right now. She’s too busy taking care of the mermaid you almost got killed.”

“I already told you I had nothing to do with that! And you’re a bigger idiot than I thought if you believe that.” I was seconds away from exploding molten crazy all over the hallway like an undersea volcano.

“Save it.” Cora made a closing gesture with her fingers and thumb. “The truth will come out eventually, and when it does,no oneat this school will want you.”

I struggled for a moment just to get my breathing under control, tension wracking my entire body. While I had no reason or intention to hurt Letti, I damn sure was furious enough to lurch at Cora and rip all of her perfect blonde hair out right now.

But a fight would only make things worse. I knew I had to get out before I lost control, so rather than retaliate, I stormed out of the common room without another word, clenching my teeth so tightly they just might crack.

Hot, angry tears blurred my vision as I trod through the hallways. I didn’t exactly know where I was going. I considered tracking down Celeste and telling her what Cora and Adina did, but what was the fucking point? The mer didn’t want me here, and I sure as hell didn’t want to be here, either.

And where the fuck was Kendall? He said he’d be my bodyguard if I needed one, and I’d never needed one more than I did now.

Fuck it. I’ll fight my own damn battles. I don’t need anyone!

I zipped into the girls’ bathroom before the entrance to the Great Hall, quickly checking there were no feet visible below the doors of the stalls before bolting the door. Then I stomped into the space between the faucets and stalls and threw my bag onto the floor.

“Aaaahhhh!” I shrieked to my lungs’ capacity, unbridled fury rippling through me.

I kicked the door of the closest stall with my might, sending it slamming against the stall wall, the sound echoing off the metal surfaces of the room.

Then, growling like a feral beast, I stalked to one of the faucets, gripping the edges for support as I hung my head and focused on my breathing.In. Out. In. Out.

When my breaths had steadied and my pulse stabilized, I looked up at the mirror in front of me. The girl I saw looking back at me wasn’t the shy, obedient girl I used to be. She was fierce, confident, a force to be reckoned with.

---