Chapter 3

I was pretty sure my mouth was hanging wide open as I stared at the spectacular gryphon that had been a hot naked man only seconds before. Arya's panic barely registered in my mind, and I couldn't bring myself to move to help her.

Every nerve in my body sizzled with volatile electricity.

I knew about the shifter world, in a vague sort of way. Gram used to tell me bedtime stories about them, and there were the occasional whispered conversations or clandestine meetings that I was never allowed to attend. Not that I hadn't tried to snoop, but the wards Gram used could keep even the most curious cat away.

Shifters had never quite seemed real to me, not in the sense that they were a myth but rather that they were some faraway concept detached from me.

Now I was in the middle of the shifter world, staring at a gryphon that had just transformed in front of me and my best friend, who, it turned out, was a freakin' mermaid.

This was probably the best moment of my life! Finally, validation for my place in the world of magic and the supernatural, a place that was never allowed to me by my warden of a grandmother.

Hot gryphon man was taking Arya to a school for shifters, and I was going to get into that school if it killed me.

All I ever dreamed of was learning more about the magic my family possessed, the magic that was "kept hidden from me for my own safety." Of course, with no grimoire to guide us, my family's magic was limited anyway. What if this school had knowledge of how to access it?

But Arya.

I looked down at my raven-haired friend at last, who was just managing to pick herself up off the ground.

A mermaid. That's what Caesar had said.

It didn't entirely surprise me. I'd known something was special about Arya the first time we met. Something about those beach-blue eyes had demanded the immediate friendship that sparked between us. Besides, Arya was a little too pretty to be human. Seriously. Most people had to be photoshopped to look that good.

I cleared my throat, a bubble of nerves rippling in my stomach. "I wanna go to the school, too."

The gryphon looked at me, his feathered brow raised. He turned and shifted back to human, snatching his clothes up off the ground and stepping back into his jeans with his back turned to us.

I had to admit I was a little disappointed the peep show had been so brief. He was seriously hot, and it wasn't often a girl got a chance to witness naked male perfection without paying for it. His tight ass looked good enough to bite, and I realized my teeth were digging into my bottom lip as I watched him pull his pants up over it.

"Are you a shifter?" Caesar asked before pulling his shirt over his head and covering the most sculpted set of abs I'd ever seen.

Dang it.

"I'm assuming no, since we likely would've found you before now." His eyes shifted to where Arya stood, one arm wrapped around her middle.

My heart dropped a touch at the rejection. I knew it was selfish, trying to get into a shifter school when my best friend had just lost her mom and gotten the biggest shock of her life. This wasn't about me. I needed to be the supportive friend who wasn't, in fact, trying to steal the opportunity that Arya clearly needed.

I put a hand on Arya's shoulder, giving her an encouraging smile.

"We need to keep moving." Caesar waved us toward the car, looking around the area cautiously and reminding both of us that we were still on the run from killer vampires.

I grabbed Arya's hand and tugged her toward the car.

"No," Arya said, pulling back. Her eyes were wild and dark with denial. "This is insane."

I sighed, letting my shoulders sag. "I know it's a lot to process, but I swear it's all true. Everything he said."

Arya's eyes narrowed. "What makes you so sure all of a sudden? Why did you say you wanted to go to the school?"

The accusation and distrust in Arya's voice stung; maybe I deserved it. I had been keeping a pretty big secret from her.

"Well, I'm kind of a witch," I admitted sheepishly. "I have magic in my veins. I'm just not allowed to learn how to use it."

Arya crinkled her nose, an expression that was way too cute for someone who was obviously freaking out.

Caesar scoffed, agitation clear in the clench of his jaw. "This little confession session is sweet and all, but we need to leave. Now!" Seeing Arya's hesitation, he added, "Unless you would prefer to become a vampire's snack?"

Arya shook her head angrily but followed me into the back seat. Her normally pale features looked even whiter—if that were possible—with just a hint of green around the edges. She was practically bioluminescent in the shadows.

Once we were all settled and Caesar was clipping down the road once more, he leaned back into his seat. "We only allow shifters at the school."

I frowned. "The magic in my veins is the same magic that lets shifters shift."

He scoffed. "Hardly. Shifters don't exactly have a choice. You do. We need a safe place to hone our powers and learn control. You don't. And even if you did, there's nothing we could teach you. We don't cast magic."

Wrong. He was so wrong. There was so much I could learn at that school. So much I could learn just from watching various shifter types use their powers. It would definitely be more than I'd learn wasting away at Gram's house.

"But, you don't—"

"The answer is no," Caesar ground out.

"But Arya will need me."

I felt almost dirty for using my friend's trauma as a bargaining chip. Surely seeing our bond would make Caesar realize it was for the best that I go with her. And I really did want to support Arya. I didn't know the last time I felt so close to someone, and I couldn't stand the thought of letting her go through her loss alone.

"The answer is still no," Caesar said.

"What kind of monster are you?" Arya suddenly snapped at Caesar, her fists clenched and her eyes brimming with tears. "My mom just died, and you want to separate me from my only friend in the world."

The bond between Arya and I tugged, strengthened, and my heart skipped at knowing Arya could feel it, too. She actually wanted me to go with her.

"There are plenty of your kind at the school," Caesar said to Arya, his voice considerably softer than how he'd spoken to me. "You will be well taken care of, I promise you."

Arya growled, but I caught her eye and shook my head. "Let's just call this a draw." For now.

This wasn't over, not by a long shot. But I couldn't put Arya through any other form of conflict.

"We'll text every day. Our friendship isn't going to end. You can count on that. Maybe you can finally get that Facebook account you've been drooling over." I gave her a half-hearted smile, desperately hoping to lighten the mood.

Arya let out a short and bitter burst of laughter, then hiccupped. "Right."

"Arya, we'll talk about your options when we get to the school."

Caesar pulled into a parking lot after paying the toll for entrance. "For now, Shea, you'll have to catch a cab home."

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a wad of bills. Peeling some twenties off the outside, he handed them to me, making me feel like a cheap hooker he just wanted to get rid of.

"Here's some money for the fare. I'm sorry I can't take you back myself, but it's not safe."

"What if the vampires come looking for me?" I asked, not bothering to hide my indignation.

My scent was all over Arya's house; they might think she went off with me somewhere. They might still come after me, and I wouldn't have any way to protect myself this far from home, and still, he was just going to leave me here? For a hotty, he was a real prick.

"They won't. It's not you they're after." Caesar ran a hand through his hair, then got out of the car.

I wasn't convinced, and I wanted to call him a prick out loud, but one look at Arya hugging herself in the corner of the back seat made me think better of arguing.

Instead, I threw my arms around Arya's neck, squeezing her tight. "It's gonna be okay," I whispered.

Arya's head nodded against my shoulder.

"I'll always be here for you. No matter what. Okay?"

Arya nodded again, sniffling.

I slowly peeled myself away, shooting a glare at Caesar, who was still wearing that hunted look and tapping his foot to an impatient beat.

"Your parents are witches, too, right?" Caesar asked. Was that actually a hint of concern in his voice?

"Uh, yeah," I said, my words dripping with sarcasm. "Why?"

"You should be fine, but you'll want to tell them what happened. They should be able to make sure no one follows Arya's scent to your house."

"Ah." Of course. I didn't bother asking why Caesar assumed I couldn't do it. That was a sore enough point without arguing it over with Professor Prick. "Well, thanks. I guess."

Caesar nodded, then put a hand behind Arya's back and steered her toward the subway entrance—one of the few below-ground ones in the city. Arya cast a backward glance, and I waved my hand and tried to smile.

I never knew my mom. She died from some kind of magical accident when I was too young to remember—which was why Gram refused to teach me magic. I didn't remember losing her. I couldn't imagine having her die right in front of me and then being dragged off to some school—albeit a pretty damn cool school—all in one day.

And the rules... I always knew those rules were weird, even for Arya's helicopter mom, but why would she keep her own daughter from the shifter world? What was she hiding from?

I watched Arya and Caesar until they disappeared. But I wasn't going to get an Uber just yet. After looking around the parking lot to see if anyone was watching, I ducked my head and jogged to where the pair had disappeared.

If I could just see which line they were taking, I might be able to figure out how to get to the school on my own. If I could get inside the building, maybe I could prove that I belong there. Besides, I wasn't going to let a fabled gryphon take my shattered friend away without knowing where.

I crept down the stairs, crouching to peek below the ceiling. I didn't need Caesar knowing I was following them. Caesar nodded to the attendant and handed a ticket to Arya. She took it, and they slid through the turnstiles.

I frowned. The man had a car, so why was he taking the subway to the school? And he obviously did that a lot, considering he had a pass.

I waited, frozen on my step, until they disappeared from view once more.

Rushing down the stairs, I looked for Caesar and Arya, but they were likely down the next set of stairs, well out of view. I slowed my walk to something a bit more casual, trying to look harmless, invisible. I was usually pretty good at that. A couple of people were approaching the turnstiles, so I tried to position myself between them and the guard as I swung over the contraption.

"Hey!" came the indignant response from a woman behind me.

I turned a little, lifting my hand. "Not riding. My friend needs her phone." And I took off, to the alarmed protests of fellow passengers and the angry glare of the guard on duty. I wasn't sure when the next train would pull through, but I had to get my eyes on Arya before she boarded.

The guard caught my arm just as I reached the platform.

I held up my free hand in surrender, cursing internally. "Not looking for any trouble. Just wanted to get this phone to my friend before she boarded."

I looked around, spotting Arya's tell-tale blue-black locks and Caesar's impressive form beside her. My gaze flicked to the sign hanging overhead, the unmistakable green strip beckoning to riders seeking to take the green line south.

"Likely story," the woman said, looking me over. Her brow arched. "You don't look like one of our regular jumpers. You're not a runaway, are you?"

I shook my head. "No, ma'am. And I wasn't trying to ride. Look, see?" I pulled out my own phone, showing it to the woman. "My friend accidentally left this. She's going to be devastated."

The woman snorted. "Kids. What's your name?" She had a badge on that said Officer A. Benson.

"Shea. Shea Le Fay," I volunteered, putting on my best authority-pleasing pout. "Please, Ms. Benson. I won't do it again."

Officer Benson grimaced but led me to the turnstile, opening a side gate to let me through. "I better not catch you doing anything like that again."

I nodded obediently.

"You have what you need to get you home?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now get." Officer Benson shooed me away, putting her hands on her belt.

I gave a final nod and a smile, my heart just about beating out of my chest. I'd rather not have an offense on my record, and I really didn't want Gram to hear about this. Things were complicated enough without a court date hanging over my head.

I forced a deep breath and headed back up the stairs. There had to be some way to track Arya's phone, but at least I knew they were headed south on the green line. It wasn't a location, but it was a start. I pulled out my phone, checked out all the stops on the green line, and wondered where Arya would get off.

Too bad I didn't have magic for this kind of situation. Lighting a candle and basic object moving, sure. Most of the magic I had managed to learn was the garden variety, and I just wanted the opportunity to find out what my magic was capable of.

Without a grimoire, I'd need a safe place to test and study—or maybe another witch to help me find new incantations and potions, though that was more unlikely than getting into the school. Damn witches and their secrecy.

Besides, Arya needed me. Of that, I was certain.