Chapter 9 Arya

I slammed my palm onto the bleeping alarm, groaning as I tried to curl up under my covers. I felt like a truck had run over me while I slept. My head pounded, my stomach rolled, and my teeth chattered as I kicked off the blankets. I groaned as the air cooled me again, but my sore body protested even the thought of moving to get the blanket again.

After a few minutes, the chill became unbearable. I needed to see Ms. Heather. There had to be something a harpy could do to fix this, and I didn't feel up to trying to figure it out myself.

Wrapped in my blanket, I slid into my slippers and shuffled from the room, keeping my half-closed eyes on the floor in the hopes I wouldn't face-plant onto it.

"Arya, what's wrong?"

I winced as I looked up, the room starting to tilt. Ashlyn's hand was on my elbow a second later, keeping me vertical.

"Are you okay?" she asked, looping an arm around my waist.

"I—I th–think I'm s–sick," I stuttered through my chattering teeth.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry."

I shrugged. "M–Miss Heather?"

Ashlyn nodded. "Yeah, we should get you there right away. I'll help you."

I was grateful for the assistance as we made our way down the stairs and through the Grand Hall, and then left toward the infirmary. What should've only been a couple of minutes seemed to drag out for an eternity. The halls were thankfully empty, as most students were either getting ready for the school day or were in the dining hall having breakfast.

Ms. Heather's forehead crinkled as she saw Ashlyn escorting me in, and she took off her glasses as she rushed to my side to help me into a bed. "What seems to be the problem?"

I sat down and hugged the blanket around myself, letting my head fall into my hands as I leaned forward and groaned.

"I can tell you she's burning up, and I'm a phoenix," Ashlyn said, folding her arms as she cast a worried glance my way.

"Hmmm," Ms. Heather said, placing a cool hand on my forehead. Despite the chill in my bones, the coolness of her palm felt oddly comforting. "Have you ingested any mercury or lead?"

I feebly shook my head. "N–not that I kn–know of."

"And what other symptoms are you experiencing?"

"Aches, ch–chill, n–nausea."

"What's wrong with her?" Ashlyn asked, chewing on her bottom lip.

"I'm not sure. It sounds like a bad flu, but that shouldn't be possible." She turned back to me, placing a hand on my knee. "Arya, I'm going to draw some blood and do some tests."

I nodded. "N–not possible? To get a c–cold? What, are shifters im–immune or s–something?"

"No, but harpies are." Ms. Heather's answer surprised me.

Ashlyn looked surprised, too. "How long will the test take?" she asked, shifting her weight to her other hip.

"Not very long," Ms. Heather said, grabbing my ankles and gently swinging my legs onto the bed, forcing me to lie down.

She pulled the blanket up to my chin and smoothed the matted hair from my sweaty face. The soft motion reminded me of Mom, and I would've cried if I wasn't already feeling so miserable.

"Why don't you rest while I get everything taken care of?" Ms. Heather said.

I nodded and closed my eyes.

"Is she going to be okay?" Ashlyn whispered.

I idly wondered why she wouldn't at least voice her concerns a little further away so I wouldn't be able to hear them, but when I cracked one eye open, Ashlyn and Ms. Heather were on the other side of the room. I was too tired and achy to care how I could hear them so clearly. I let my eyelid drop closed again.

"I'll take good care of her. Don't you worry. Now, off to class."

Soft footsteps retreated from the room.

I scrunched my eyes tighter and pulled the blanket over my nose as a wave of chemical scents assaulted my senses. My stomach gurgled in protest but, thankfully, didn't go any further. It wasn't like I had anything to throw up, anyway.

I barely felt the needle as Ms. Heather took my blood and sealed the spot with her healing light. The last thing I remembered before finally drifting back to sleep was Ms. Heather laying her hands on my forehead and speaking soft, soothing words that seemed to ease the ache.

* * *

I groaned as a gentle hand rocked me awake. Ms. Heather smiled and propped up my bed to allow me to sit up.

"I apologize, but I have something that will help. Here."

She handed me a plastic cup filled with a clear liquid. There was no smell to it, but I hesitated. I hadn't been sick much growing up, but I'd seen my mom shudder in revulsion after taking some medicines. I wondered if this was one of the sweet ones or one of the horrible ones.

"It's best if you drink it all in one go," Ms. Heather advised, as if reading my mind. She sat in the chair beside my bed. "And you'll need to drink the whole dose."

I sighed. So, it was one of the horrible ones. I held my breath and tried to still my chattering teeth as I lifted the cup to my lips.

I only made it halfway through before I started coughing and spluttering. The bitter taste coated my throat and tongue, and I shuddered just like I remembered Mom doing. But as I threw back the last awful dregs of the drink, I noticed that the shaking and chills were gone, my sore muscles beginning to unwind.

"What the heck was that?" I asked, handing the cup back to Ms. Heather. I tried to scrape the taste off my tongue with my teeth, but it just wasn't letting go.

"Here. Try this." She handed me a mint, which I eagerly tossed into my mouth.

The flavor didn't quite cut through whatever was in the remedy, but at least it gave my taste buds something else to focus on.

"Better?" she asked, and I nodded. "The drink is an old were remedy to help ease the change."

My brows furrowed, and I frowned. "A were remedy? Why would that help?"

She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Well, based on your symptoms and the fact that you're a chimera, it seemed prudent to run some diagnostics on your blood. The flu isn't really something a harpy would get—we don't get sick at all—and even with your mer side, your harpy should be strong enough to keep you free of illness. Something had to be blocking that ability."

She looked down at her nails, and I wondered what would make the woman so nervous.

"It turns out that you have ursa DNA in your chimera makeup."

"Ursa? As in a werebear? How's that possible?" I clearly remembered from my shifter biology class that weres were bitten shifters, and I'd never been bitten. Not by anything any bigger than a bug, anyway.

She curled her hands in her lap, looking me in the eyes. "It appears the ursa DNA has been lying dormant in your blood. I think your shift into your dual chimera form activated the latent ursa DNA, and you're now experiencing the effects of a first shift."

I groaned in exasperation as I leaned back against my pillow. That was all I needed, another shifter type lurking inside. Was there no end to the surprises and secrets in my life? "How long will the change take?"

She shifted in her seat. "I'm not entirely certain. Normally, it takes a were about a week, give or take, from bite to first shift. You, however, seem to be developing at a slower rate. I'm estimating two weeks, but it could be more. Or things could change, and your rate could accelerate. No one's ever seen a born were before, so I'm afraid we're out of our element here."

I let that sink in, but a startling thought made me sit back up. "There's no other shifter types in me, right?"

Ms. Heather shook her head, giving me a half smile. "Ursa is the only other shifter DNA you carry."

I nodded. I felt like such a freak. What kinds of procedures were done on my mom to produce a chimera with were DNA? For the first time since Mom's passing, anger bubbled up. What kind of person lets people experiment on their unborn child? It was beyond sick. She wanted to yell or scream or do... something.

If Mom were alive...

But she was dead. And she'd done everything she could to keep me away from my sadistic vampire father. Guilt cooled the white-hot anger burning through me. I was the worst, most ungrateful daughter ever.

Still, the anger gnawed at the edges of my guilt, and I felt almost dizzy from the mood swing. What the hell was happening to me?

"Knock, knock," came a deep voice from the doorway.

I recognized the man as Mr. Sharp, the world history teacher. It was one of my normal classes, the ones that helped me feel a little less like a fish out of water. What was he doing here?

"Ah, Henry. Thanks for coming." Ms. Heather stood as Mr. Sharp came in. "Arya, Mr. Sharp here is the Ursa Transformation teacher. I asked him to come talk to you about what you'll be going through in the coming days."

I straightened the sheet draped over my legs. If Mr. Sharp knew, how many others did, too? "Um, where'd Ashlyn go?"

Ms. Heather smiled. "I sent her to her classes."

"You didn't tell her anything, did you?"

Realization lit her angelic features, and she shook her head. "Oh no, dear. Caesar and Mr. Sharp are the only people I've told."

"Do you mind if we...keep it that way? Just for now?" I asked, twisting a corner of the blanket around my finger.

She nodded slowly. "You want to tell others in your own time."

I gave her a hopeful smile.

"Mum's the word." She winked, then closed the door leading to the rest of the school before returning to her desk.

Mr. Sharp took the chair she had been sitting in and turned it around before taking a seat and resting his arms on the backrest. He appraised me for a long moment. "Feeling a little lost, are we?"

I nodded.

"I've always maintained that being a were shifter is the most difficult of shifter types. Not only does getting bitten suck, but the change from being a regular human to a magical shifter is a bit like going through puberty. You may have skipped the bite, but I'm afraid you'll still have to go through that ugly, awkward phase." Mr. Sharp chuckled, the sound very much like a bear's growl.

My face reddened. This was not a conversation I wanted to have with anyone, let alone a male of any age. The thought of telling my friends—or Tobias—was enough to make me cringe. They'd understand, I was sure of it, but this part of me felt so much more personal—not to mention embarrassing. It didn't help that the weres carried an obvious stigma as the only non-born shifters. I'd never thought of myself as prejudiced, but now?

And things were just starting to get comfortable at this school.

"So, you'll be experiencing some mood swings, some cravings, and surges of strength and sensory input as your body adjusts to the shift," Mr. Sharp continued. "It's one heck of a ride."

I sighed. "And the were juice?"

Mr. Sharp laughed. "Never took the stuff myself, having been unlucky enough to stumble into being a shifter by accident, but the sick bit only lasts a day or so."

"Which is all the remedy really addresses, I'm afraid," Ms. Heather cut in from her perch at her desk. "And with your rate of progression, it might be a few days before you're past those symptoms."

"Of course," I grumbled.

"But hey, better a few seconds of that gunk than a day of the shakes." Mr. Sharp laughed, but I didn't see the humor.

"And if you ever want to talk, I and the other were instructors are happy to help."

I tried to conjure a smile, but it fell flat. "Thanks."

"Man, a mermaid, a harpy, and an ursa. What do you call something like that, a harmursa? A mersapy? Dang, kid. I think you've got the whole shifter kingdom covered in that one body of yours."

I could tell that he was trying to lighten the mood, but tears still sprang to my eyes. I held my knuckles to my lips as I tried to keep the flood of emotions at bay.

"Oh, man, I'm sorry. Bad time to make a joke," Mr. Sharp said, grimacing.

I shook my head as I began to weep. "It's okay. I'm sorry, I just—"

"Feel like a pile of emotional goo? Yeah, I get it. It's been a while since my first shift, but the power of that transformation..." He shook his head, a faraway look in his eyes. "I know you want to keep this to yourself for now, but you should probably tell your friends, at least. It'll be hard trying to keep the shift under wraps now that it's started. And this really isn't something you should bear alone. Catch my drift?" He smiled.

I tried—and once more failed—to smile at his corny joke.

"Well, is there anything you want to ask? Anything else I can do for you?" he asked.

I shook my head, wiping the tears from my cheeks. I just wanted to disappear. "No. Not that I can think of."

He looked to Ms. Heather, who shook her head as well.

"Then I suppose I'd better grab some grub before break's over."

Just like that, the guilt was back. He'd used his lunch break to try to ease my mind about my new shifter form, and I was too miserable to be grateful.

"I'm sorry I—" I began, but the door clicked.

I looked up, a true smile tugging at my lips as I recognized the familiar red hair.

"Arya! You're up!" Ashlyn bounded over to the bed and gave me a big hug.

Mr. Sharp gave me an encouraging nod as he slipped out of the room.

"Are you all better?" Ashlyn asked. "I was so worried. I mean, it's so weird you getting sick, being a harpy and all."

I laughed. "I'm doing a little better, but I guess it's not over yet."

"It's not contagious, is it? Because you looked like crap, and I don't think I want whatever you got."

I gave her a half-hearted smile. "I don't think you have to worry about that."

"Why?"

I glanced at Ms. Heather, who was studiously focused on her paperwork, though I had a feeling the nurse was still listening.

I wasn't ready to share my news yet. I hated the thought of lying to my friends, but they'd all find out soon enough. And I had a feeling I should tell Tobias first, anyway. It was hard to sort out the details when my mind and emotions were spinning so furiously.

"It's kind of a chimera thing. You wouldn't be able to get sick from it." Not exactly a lie.

"Oh, cool. I mean, not for you, obviously, but I'm glad I can't catch it."

I snickered. "Me too."

Ms. Heather's lips were pressed in a tight line, but she didn't comment.

"Was that Mr. Sharp?" Ashlyn asked, glancing at the open door.

"Yeah," I said, my cheeks heating.

"What was he doing here?"

"Um—" I began.

"I asked him to help me with something," Ms. Heather filled in, and I shot her a grateful look.

Ashlyn hopped up as her tablet chimed. "Oh, dang it. I need to go back to class. I ate before I came over here. I hope you don't mind. Are you going to still be here after classes are over?"

I looked to Ms. Heather for the answer I didn't know.

"If she's feeling okay, she's welcome to rest in her room," Ms. Heather told Ashlyn with a smile.

Ashlyn looked to me for my verdict.

"Yeah. That would be nice. I think I will go back to my room." Maybe I could sort through this mess of thoughts before school let out for the day.

Ms. Heather nodded, and Ashlyn clapped her hands. "Okay, I'll be in to check on you as soon as I'm off. Ping me if you want me to bring you anything. Even if school isn't out yet."

"Okay, thanks."

Ashlyn jetted from the room, and I chuckled. I sure was grateful I had Ashlyn in my life right now.

Ms. Heather grabbed what looked like four water bottles, but I was sure their unlabeled contents held the antidote I'd taken earlier. The memory of the drink made me cringe, but I supposed if I was desperate enough, I'd get over the awful taste.

"You'll want to keep these in case the chills and aches come back. One a day should suffice, but only take it if you're still experiencing flu-like symptoms. Here are some mints to help with the aftertaste." She grabbed a tote and put the bottles and a large bag of mints she'd pulled from her desk inside, then brought it to me.

I nodded as I swung my legs off the side of my bed and grabbed my blanket. The ursa thing was a bit of a shock, but at least I didn't feel like death warmed over anymore.

"Bring any unused bottles back when you're done with them," Ms. Heather requested.

"I will. Thanks."

I reached for the bag, but Ms. Heather held on a moment longer. "And please check in once a day. We'll need to monitor your progress closely, along with the phases of the moon. Most weres experience their first full shift during a full moon, and we have one coming up soon."

"Of course, we do," I deadpanned—just my luck.

She let me take the bag, and I stood on uncertain legs.

"And Arya?"

"Yes?" I said before I headed for the door.

"Please consider Mr. Sharp's advice carefully. I know this particular shift is kind of a sensitive thing, but it might be easier on everyone if you don't try to deal with it on your own. Tell your friends. You'll need them."

"I'll keep that in mind."

I would tell them. I just needed a little time to process first. Hopefully, a few hours would be all I needed.