Page 87 of Dark Embers

It was only when her presence was finally gone that the impact of what I’d just done came crashing down on me. Not only had I betrayed my vow of loyalty to Alice, I hadfed directly from a human!

And the worst part was, I knew deep down that I wanted to do both of those things again.

Chapter 31

Arya

I stood in front of the mirror, turning this way and that. I wore a blue knit sweater that brought out my eyes and skinny jeans with knee-high boots. I left my hair down but kept pushing it behind my ears.

“Are you sure this looks okay?” I asked Ashlyn, who was lying on her bed flipping through a magazine while I put on my finishing touches.

Ashlyn looked like a rock star in her off-the-shoulder white sweater dress and mint green leggings. Her legs were swinging to the beat coming out of the headphones draped around her neck.

Ashlyn looked up at me with a smile. “You look great! Tobias is gonna die when he sees you.”

I frowned and scoffed. “We’re just going as friends. I would’ve said no altogether if he hadn’t made that big announcement to the whole school. Now I just feel like I owe him. Besides, it would’ve been weird for just Tobias to go with you guys. Talk about a third wheel.”

Tobias’s impromptu announcement over the PA system had caused quite a stir around campus. The mer bullies had stopped pestering me, although that probably had more to do with Celeste’s enraged lecture at the entire mer wing than fear of upsetting the dragon royal family. But the look of reverence thatreplaced the smug suspicion on the faces of all the other students was directly out of respect for the Dracul protection that had been placed on me.

On the one hand, I kinda liked that security. On the other, it made me feel like he now owned me. I was no one’s property. I should have said no to double-dating with him, but really, I owed Ashlyn more than anything. I had considered asking Kendall to go with me instead, but he had been strangely absent since Letti’s attack. Figured.

“Yeah, that would have been super awkward. Only slightly better than having my dad chaperone.” Ashlyn rolled her eyes, then sat up and perched on the edge of the bed. “I still can’t believe Tobias went on the intercom for you, though. That’s quite the gesture.”

I ignored Ashlyn’s insinuations. I had no desire to dwell on Tobias’s motives, and there were other things weighing on my mind.

The thought of going outside the Dome made me a little nervous after what happened to Letti. I still hadn’t had a chance to visit the mermaid laid up in the nurse’s office. Despite Celeste’s intervention, I was still wary of purposefully going anywhere the mer were if I didn’t have to. Not because I was afraid of them but because I just didn’t want to deal with that bullshit.

Celeste had insisted I come back to my room in the mer wing, but I requested to remain with Ashlyn—at least until Letti got better. Celeste had allowed it, but she clearly wasn’t happy about it.

“I think I’m going to swing by the nurse’s station to see how Letti’s doing,” I suddenly decided.

Ashlyn’s face scrunched up. “Really?”

“Yeah. Things have died down a little. I just—I feel like I should visit her.”

I couldn’t shake the strange feeling that it should’ve been me lying in that bed. But maybe the harpy nurse had been able to make some progress with her healing. It would help to get some answers.

“Want me to come with you?” Ashlyn asked, tossing the magazine aside.

I shook my head. “Nah. I’ll be fine. It’ll just be a quick visit before we meet the guys.”

“Okay. But you better be in the common room at noon.” Ashlyn gave me a firm stare, then melted into a smile. “I need my wingman. Or girl. Or should it be fin-girl, since you’re a mermaid?”

I laughed. “Let me know what you come up with.”

Ashlyn saluted as I slipped out the door.

The halls were abuzz with students enjoying their time off. Caesar had instated half days for the rest of the week as several of the teachers were still investigating Letti’s attack. It was a helpful change because the new curfew meant all students had to return before sunset, which on a normal school day would make it pretty much impossible to leave campus at all.

I stopped just outside the nurse’s office, hesitant to go in. Cora had been by her side most of the time, acting as gatekeeper to any potential visitors. If she was there, it just wouldn’t be worth the effort.

But thankfully, it was quiet. I entered, wondering if maybe Letti had miraculously recovered, but she was still there, her eyes closed and skin pale.

The scars on her neck were the worst, though. They had gotten her to the harpies too late to avoid them. It reminded me too much of my mom, seeing her with those two small holes in her neck, her eyes vacant. It was almost enough to make me turn and leave.

“Arya!” Letti murmured, her head thrashing back and forth.

I froze, her behavior striking terror right through me, paralyzing me.

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