Chapter 23

"You're lucky, you know that?" Kai said as he kept pace with me. It was Monday morning, an hour or so before classes began, and we were walking from the Grand Hall to our classrooms.

"And what makes you say that?" I asked.

Kai snorted. "As a gryphon, you can just slip away like you did two nights ago and fly around in the sky for as long as you want, getting away from the claustrophobia of The Dome."

I frowned. I hadn't exactly been flying for fun two nights ago. I'd been meeting with Julian Asher. And if word got out that I'd been communicating and plotting with a vampire—even one who had allied himself to the shifter cause—I couldn't even imagine the consequences that would follow.

Any vampire was a threat in the eyes of the military, as well as every other shifter I knew, even if they claimed to be aiding shifters.

"Sure, I can go up top and walk the streets of the surrounding cities," Kai continued. "But I can't do so in my kitsune form without being spotted as a freak."

"You invented this place, Kai," I said. "You took the possibility of this underwater school and made it a reality. And now you feel its walls closing in on you?"

Kai arched a brow. "Oh, I've invented plenty of things I haven't liked."

"Oh, really?" I said. "Name one."

"Easy. The dental-sealer device."

I gave him a confused look. "Every dorm room has one of those. All of our students use it twice a year, and you've completely eliminated the need for dentistry at the school, allowing healers to focus on other things. It's one of the best preventative health machines you've ever created."

Kai swept a clandestine glance around the empty hallway that ran between the Military Training Room and the Research Lab, as if making sure we were alone. "You want to know a secret? I haven't used it in years."

I snickered. "You probably have a mouthful of cavities."

"I'd rather take the cavities than have everything I chew on feel like it's made of rubber."

I shrugged, shaking my head. "It takes a few days to get used to the extra bounce. But I don't even notice it now."

"It's wonderful to know you are so adept at…adapting," Kai said, stumbling over the impromptu tongue twister. "But me? I could never get used to that rubber feeling. And I won't lie, Caesar. I'm having a hard time staying confined to The Dome. I've been here for years. Don't get me wrong, this alliance of shifters is needed, and I'm grateful for it."

"You're wanting to leave?" I discerned.

The kitsune bobbed his head from side to side. "Not leave leave. More of a change of pace."

"Like what?"

Kai stopped in his tracks, causing me to do the same. I turned around to face him.

"I'm a master inventor," he said, as if the title were something as easily worn as a pair of shoes. "And I teach math."

"You're an invaluable resource in both capacities," I agreed.

Kai shook his head, a longing in his eyes as he looked down at the floor. "It's not enough. I want more."

I studied him for a few moments.

"You want my job?" I asked, half teasing, half serious. "Because it is all yours."

Kai's brow furrowed. "No, no, no. I don't want your job. I can barely direct myself, let alone an entire school."

"What is it you want?" I asked, all teasing gone.

Hesitating, Kai took a nervous look behind him. The hall was still empty. "Do you ever miss it?"

I blinked. "Miss what?"

"The frontlines, Caesar. Are you really going to make me spell it out? I miss the vampire fights. The need to protect our people."

I suddenly felt tired and old. "Kai, those days are long over."

"Maybe for you," Kai replied. "And I understand your reasoning and your guilt."

Guilt?

I set my jaw. Kai was referring to my broken promise seven years ago. The promise I'd made to my parents not to join the military forces. A promise that, when broken, had resulted in their deaths. I had abandoned my arms that day and vowed to find a different way to defeat Hadrian that didn't require my sweat and blood on the battlefield. And here I was. School Director.

And apparently, vampire-spy-coordinator.

"Look, all I'm asking is that you think about transferring me to the military. My team of engineers is more than capable of taking over the school's projects. And if you find the time to look at the schematics I sent you a couple of days ago, you'll see that I'm the perfect candidate to manage the vampire tracking system for the military."

I exhaled slowly, my teeth closed and my cheeks puffing out. I knew Kai hadn't meant to aggravate me. But the wounds produced by the loss of my parents were easily reopened.

"I went over the schematics last night," I said at last. "They look good, and I believe Celeste will be willing to fund the prototypes. But just because I approve of this, doesn't mean I'll approve a transfer to the military."

Kai frowned, the wind clearly out of his sails.

"You are too valuable to send out into the fight," I explained, softening my tone. "And your engineering projects are doing a lot more for our cause than you probably realize. Trust me, you're supporting the military just by staying here and giving them any technological advantage possible."

"I guess I get nostalgic about the days when me, you, and Jade were the shifter army," he said, half-grinning.

The mention of Jade brought on another wave of sadness. She'd been our friend back in the old school—a naga. We'd studied together for years, being the same age and going through the same classes. We'd even graduated at the same time. But Jade had been killed in one of our fights against the vampires. Hadrian had taken her tail as a trophy.

"Back then, we were the only ones willing to fight," I said. "And now, we've been able to train numerous others to continue what we started."

"I'm not eighteen anymore, either," Kai added. "As much as I hate admitting it, being stuck behind a lab table for seven years has made me pudgy and slow."

I chuckled. "That makes one of us."

Kai shot me a glare, making me laugh even harder.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "The end of Hadrian is near. I can feel it. Stay here and invent. We need you. Soon, none of us will be needed on the front lines ever again, and I can grow old and fat with you."

My smart watch chimed, alerting me that a meeting was about to start.

"I've got an appointment with Arya Walker. She's probably at my classroom door waiting for me."

Kai's dark eyes grew wide. "The Arya?"

I nodded, then turned around and headed for the nearby door that led to the hallway of classrooms.

"Do you still believe?" Kai called after me.

"Yes," I replied without turning around. "I'll talk to you later."

I swept through the large entryway, my shoes tapping the smooth flooring. Following the curve of The Dome, I stepped past the first four classrooms. Sure enough, I found Arya leaning against the closed door. She was busy chatting away with another student—Ashlyn Summers, one of the phoenix shifters and daughter of Ignacius Summers, one of the school's greatest protectors.

"Sorry I'm late, Miss Walker," I said, interrupting their quiet conversation. "I was tied up talking with another teacher."

Ashlyn gave me a smile, then winked at Arya. "I'll see you in class."

Arya nodded and waved, stepping away from the door. "See you later."

Tapping my watch, I opened the door to my classroom.

"Thank you for coming, Arya," I said. "I'm glad to see you've been able to make some friends here at the school."

We stepped inside, triggering the sensor that turned the lights on.

"Ashlyn is great," she replied. "And it hasn't been easy, but I've managed to make a few other friends."

I nodded as I sat down in the chair behind my desk. I powered on the tablet built into my desk and gestured at the chairs in front of me. "Please, have a seat."

Arya pulled one of the chairs out from under the desk and sat down quickly.

"Who else have you made friends with here at the school?"

She shrugged, looking down at her lap. "Not too many others, really. The only mer who is willing to be friends with me so far has been Kendall. The other mer students have kept their distance from me, except for the ones who seem to especially hate me."

I frowned. I hadn't expected the ostracism that was happening, and I really didn't know what I could do about it. Turns out, whether human or shifter, teens could still be assholes to each other.

"I'm sorry you're struggling with the other mers here. I wish we'd found you sooner. It would have helped in a lot of ways. But then again, your experiences growing up with humans have made you the person you are today. Had you come earlier, you might not be the young lady you've become."

I hoped the words would give her some food for thought.

"Have you made any other friends with students outside of the mer?"

Arya nodded, pointing her thumb over her shoulder. "Ashlyn has been a really good friend. She's… a lot like me. We've gotten along ever since we met last week."

I was quite aware of the issues Ashlyn had been through. Her father, Ignacius, had confided in him multiple times about Ashlyn's rough upbringing among humans. She'd struggled quite a bit to fit in here, too.

"It sounds like Ashlyn is a good friend. And more than likely, she needs you just as much as you need her."

"I've heard that around here, people kind of stick to their own kind," she said, a hint of resentment in her voice. "You know, mermaids with mermaids, dragons with dragons?"

I smirked. "I wouldn't say everyone follows that trend. If I did, I'd be a very lonely person. I am the last surviving gryphon, at least to my knowledge. My closest friend is a kitsune—Kai Inari, your math teacher. And I consider Celeste to be a close friend, too."

"And what about my friend Shea?" Arya asked.

The mention of that name sent a blast of heat radiating through my chest. How could I possibly forget the feisty brunette, especially after her naked debut had burned into my retinas?

"You're referring to your friend who tagged along the night I brought you to The Dome?" I asked, hoping she couldn't see through my pretense of disdain.

Arya nodded.

"There's a long history of hostility between witches and shifters," I cautioned, though I suddenly found myself wishing it wasn't true. "Because their use of magic is without limits and without governing, they pose a considerable threat to our kind. And I can assure you that they trust us as little as we trust them."

"You want me to completely stop talking to her?" she asked, distress and anger heightening her pitch.

I placed both hands on the table and leaned forward. "You are free to choose who your friends are. Nobody else has the right to make that choice for you, least of all me. And who knows, maybe your friendship with Shea will lead to future alliances between shifters and witches. Who can say? I would just encourage you to foster friendships with other shifters, too."

Arya nodded, shifting a bit in her chair and struggling to keep eye contact.

Honestly, so was I. It was hard enough not to think about Shea in general, but now that we were talking about her, it was damn near impossible to get her out of my immediate thoughts. After the way she'd snuck into the school, which was honestly very impressive, I couldn't help but wonder—with anticipation—if I could expect another break-in attempt.

"How is your friend Shea, by the way?" I blurted before I could stop myself.

Arya cocked her head at me, obviously surprised by the question.

"It's just that she's already broken in once," I added, trying to cover my tracks. "And I'm curious if we can expect her to try again."

Arya sighed and shook her head. "I don't think so. Um…" Her gaze flicked up at me before shying away as she continued. "There was a party the other night at Jackson's house, and Shea went with me in hopes of winning over some of the other students."

I leaned forward suddenly. "Really? What happened?"

I had heard about that party, and Kai had tried to talk me into crashing it. But the last thing a bunch of rowdy teens would want is their decade-older teachers dropping in on their fun, and honestly drinking with my students didn't quite hit my list of favorite weekend activities.

If I'd had any idea Shea was going to make an appearance, I wasn't sure I would've been able to stay away…

Arya's frown deepened. "Well, it started off great. Everyone loved her. She showed off with some fancy fire magic, and everyone assumed she was a phoenix, so she just went with it."

I chuckled softly, picturing the scene Arya was describing. It wasn't hard to imagine the tenacious witch charming even my stubborn students.

"But then it all went to hell when they figured out she was a witch instead," Arya continued with a grimace. "After the way they pretty much kicked her out, I don't know if she's going to keep trying."

She looked sad about that fact, and I couldn't discern her regret from my own. I honestly didn't know how to feel about what happened to Shea. There was anger that my own kind had treated her so horribly, confusion at why I cared, and hope that the little witch wouldn't give up so easily.

Damn, I really needed to get off the subject of Shea before I gave in to the demand of my own growing interest in her any further.

I cleared my throat. "The real reason I asked you to meet me this morning was to find out how you're doing in general. How are your classes going?"

"For the most part, they're going well," she said. "There's so much to learn—everything is so new. It can be overwhelming sometimes."

"I can imagine," I replied, pushing thoughts of Shea out of my mind to focus on the girl in front of me. "I wish I could say it'll get easier soon, but I don't know how honest of a statement that would be. You have years of catching up to do."

Probably not the best thing to say to her.

"But," I quickly amended, "I believe out of any student in the school, you are the most capable of picking it all up quickly. Just keep trying. I promise you it will pay off."

She hesitated, then said, "I've been having a very hard time transforming at will."

I chuckled again. "There are a fair number of shifters who struggle with transformation in the beginning. Take your friend Ashlyn, for example. She has yet to shift into her phoenix form. And others, like weres, struggle not to shift during the full moon. Sometimes, these things take time. Try being a gryphon with a father who tries teaching transformation by taking you a mile into the air and dropping you."

I raised one hand and slowly lowered it, matching it with a whistle that went from high to low until my hand smacked the table.

Arya's eyes widened, more out of humor than surprise. "He really did that?"

I smiled. "Multiple times. My mother was always there to catch me."

The memory of my caring parents threatened to force my emotions to resurface again. I kept talking to keep them at bay.

"My point is, keep trying. You'll get there, and soon, it'll be second nature to you."

Confidence built in her blue eyes, and staring at them, I felt even more sure that this girl was the one. This was the siren. She'd figure things out in due time. And so would I.

"Classes will start shortly," I said. "You better get going."

"Thank you. So much," Arya said with a smile.

"You bet," I replied. "And remember, my door is always open. If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

She nodded, then got to her feet and made her way out of the classroom.

I sighed heavily, tapping my tablet to prepare for class. Between Kai's reluctance, Arya's unknown potential, and Shea's frustrating presence in my world, I was going to need a lot more than luck to make it through this day.