Chapter 10

How was it possible that after the incredibly long day I had and how exhausted I felt that I couldn't sleep?

So many thoughts and questions were whirling through my head. Why did Caesar take such an interest in me? Why did all the other mermaids hate me so much? It seemed like new students arrived at the school all the time, and yet I was the topic of discussion on everyone's lips. What was so special about me?

And then, there was the topic of Shea. How on earth was I going to get Shea accepted at this school? Having her here would mean having a true friend. Shea had been there with me through all the stuff with my mom, and she knew me as someone other than that new mermaid girl.

Transforming into a mermaid had been the most profound and magical experience of my life, and yet it was tainted by the fact that Mom had kept it from me all this time.

Caesar said that mermaid DNA was hereditary, so either Mom was a mermaid, or my father was, and Mom had definitely known about it. I couldn't figure out why she tried so hard to keep me from that part of myself. Being in the water, twisting and twirling in my natural form, I'd felt more myself than ever before. How could Mom keep that from me?

I felt guilty for being angry at her for it because she was dead. I hadn't even begun to mourn her loss yet. I wasn't ready to feel the pain of knowing I'd never see that bright smile again. Hell, I'd even miss hearing her recite the rules for the billionth time.

I wondered, if Mom came back to me right here, right now, would I even bother to ask her about any of this shifter stuff? Or would I just hug her as tight as I could and never let go? Would I give up all this knowledge about myself and where I fit in the world and go back to life as an ignorant, sheltered teen if it meant having her back?

A sigh escaped me as I opened my eyes for the umpteenth time. I looked at the digital clock on my desk. It was past midnight. My stomach started to rumble, and I remembered that I'd skipped out on dinner in favor of saying goodbye to Shea. Well, maybe a full belly would ease my body enough to push me over that sleep threshold.

I got out of bed, slipped on my shoes, and crept out of my room. The mermaid common room was empty, and I was grateful for that. The last thing I needed right now was to run into another mermaid who hated me for absolutely no reason, and I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to resist the urge to tell them to fuck off if I did.

The grand hall was so empty and silent that my steps echoed as I made my way down the stairs and toward the dining hall. It was strange to see the usually buzzing dining hall vacant and dark. Almost haunting, really.

I knew the buffet station would be empty, but I hoped I could at least find a vending machine or something. As I looked around, the walls of the dining hall were disappointingly bare. I frowned. There had to be food in here somewhere.

Behind the buffet station, I saw a door I assumed led to the kitchen. I crept around the counters and tried the knob.

Yes!

The kitchen was about a third the size of the dining hall, the biggest I'd ever been in. I imagined this was what a five-star restaurant kitchen would look like, with a dozen or so counters, three double-door steel refrigerators, and a massive brick oven at the back, flanked by a tower of smaller ovens on either side.

Jackpot.

Shaking with the hunger that now possessed my senses, I rushed to the nearest fridge, eager to pick out anything that looked appetizing. I piled an armload of goodies on the counter and began to dig in.

A sound from the entrance of the kitchen made me almost choke on the roast chicken I'd just popped into my mouth, seized by the sudden fear of being caught. I didn't know if students were allowed to be in here after hours, and I really didn't want to get in trouble on my first day.

Should I hide? Run?

When I looked at the door, however, another student was standing there, looking just as surprised to see me as I was to see him.

The guy was tall with a lean yet muscular frame, making him quite intimidating. But his facial features were just the opposite—handsome, sultry, with a dark look that drew me in. His thick crown of black hair complemented his amber eyes and tanned skin nicely, making everything about him give off a pleasant warmth.

He stood there for a long moment, just staring at me like I was a ghost. His gaze wasn't the same resentful glare or gossipy curiosity I got from everyone else. Rather, he looked almost frightened, frozen in place as he debated whether to complete the task he came here for or turn tail and run.

Finally, he broke his stare. He cast his eyes away from me and went to one of the tall cabinets to rummage for his own midnight snack.

"You couldn't sleep either?" I asked, hoping to ease the strange tension in the room.

He paused for a moment, the only acknowledgment he gave me before continuing his search.

Great, another person who'd rather pretend I don't exist. I took another frustrated bite of my chicken leg, tearing the meat off the bone in a very unladylike fashion.

I heard him open and close the fridge behind me, and I resigned myself to just ignore him the way he was ignoring me and finish my meal in silence.

To my shock, he came up behind me and placed a plate of smoked salmon in front of me.

"As a mermaid, you really should have more fish in your diet," he said matter-of-factly before sitting down at the other end of the counter to focus on his own plate.

"Oh. Uh, thank you," I stammered, unsure how to respond to his detached helpfulness.

The salmon really did smell good, better than the chicken. If mermaids really had lived underwater for thousands of years, it would make sense that sea-based foods would be better for me. That would explain why Mom had made fish so often.

I took a good look at my standoffish dining partner. He wore the wing symbol on his chest. An avian. But was he a dragon, a phoenix, or a harpy?

"I'm Arya," I ventured, hoping to get him to open up.

"I know," he said without looking up at me. "The whole school knows who you are."

Okay?"You know who I am. Who are you?" I asked, unwilling to be brushed off that easily.

He sighed, as if accepting that we were going to have to talk. "Tobias," he answered curtly.

I took that as a win and smiled to myself. "What type of shifter are you?"

He rolled his eyes before reluctantly aiming them at me. "Why is that important?"

"Look, I'm just making small talk," I said, barely stifling my irritation. "I'm new here, and I'm just trying to make some friends."

"And why do we have to be friends?" he snapped.

The pure disdain in his voice hit me harder than I expected, and all the pain of being so hated since I got here coalesced with the pain of losing my mom and imploded.

"Because I have no friends," I said, hearing my voice break as the words came out. "Because I have no one and nothing left in this whole world. I'm completely alone."

Before I could stop myself, I was openly weeping over the salmon he'd given me. I put my head in my hands, letting them catch the burning tears that spilled over.

Tobias gave another long sigh, and when I heard his chair scrape against the floor, I assumed he was getting up to leave me to cry by myself. It was just as well; I didn't want anyone to see me like this. Not that anyone really cared.

"Please, don't cry," his voice said from beside me, both his gesture and his proximity catching me off guard. "I'm not usually this rude. I just had an unpleasant talk with my father. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

I lifted my face and looked at his through a layer of tears. The rigidness that had previously etched his face had smoothed, leaving behind an almost apologetic expression. Almost.

"At least you have a father," I sniffed. "What I wouldn't give to hear my mom lecture me one more time."

I didn't care that I was being overly vulnerable and honest. I had no more fucks left to give. I was done fighting everything and everyone, most of all myself.

Curiosity pinched Tobias's smooth brow. "What happened to your mom?"

I gave a defeated laugh. "What? You don't know? It's not broadcasted all over the school? My mom was killed by vampires last night, and yet everyone in this school treats me like some pariah they can't wait to get rid of."

The pain of that truth stabbed at my belly, and a deep wail of despair clawed its way out of my throat.

"Wow, I had no idea," Tobias said, sincerity in his voice for the first time. "I really am sorry. I don't know what I would do if my mom died. My father, well, he's another issue entirely."

He laughed nervously, maybe an attempt to lighten the mood, but my mood was too heavy to be budged.

A long moment passed where the only sound in the kitchen was my pathetic sobbing and occasional sniffle. I expected Tobias to leave. Even a normal guy would be uncomfortable around a strange girl crying.

But he stayed. He offered no more words of support and made no gestures. He just stood by my side like a statue, and somehow, his presence was comforting. Maybe he did care. What other reason would he have to stay?

When my tear wells had dried up, and my body was too exhausted to cry anymore, I looked up, and Tobias was ready with a napkin.

I accepted it and wiped the sticky tears off my face and fingers.

"Thank you," I hiccupped. "Thank you for staying with me. You could have left at any time, but you didn't."

Tobias shrugged. "Yeah, well, no one should have to go through that kind of loss alone. And…if it means that much to you…I guess we can be friends."

His tone sounded so robotic, so uninterested, but the corner of his mouth rose in a joking smile, and he winked at me. "As for your earlier question, I'm a dragon."

This guy was a mystery, but I kind of liked that. He played it off like he was above emotion, but he'd proven that a kindhearted, empathetic individual was hiding underneath those thick scales.

"Nice to meet you, Dragon Tobias," I said in as light a tone as I could manage.

He nodded his head toward our still-full plates. "You should finish your food. As a mermaid, you really need more omega threes than the rest of us. I think there's a box of seaweed chips in the cupboard. You should take those back to your room for snacking while you study."

He went back around the counter to attend to his plate.

"For a dragon, you sure seem to know a lot about mermaids," I teased, relishing the opportunity to get away from my sorrow and pretend my outburst never happened.

"I know a lot about everything," he said, stabbing his fork into a piece of pork. "I'm a well of useless knowledge. If we're going to hang out, you might as well get used to my encyclopedic recitations."

I laughed, and we finished our food in a much more pleasant manner than we'd started. It had been a long and tumultuous first day, but at least I came out of it with one new friend, however reluctant he was for the company. And it didn't hurt at all that he was one of the hottest guys I'd ever met.

I just hoped that didn't mean I was about to get burned.