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“For a normal mermaid, yes. Not for her.”
My stomach knots. “What’s the final trial?”
He frowns. “You can’t know any of them.”
I study him, trying to tell if he realizes it’s probably me having to kill him. As annoyed as I am about the trials, that’s still the last thing I want to do.
Now it’s even more urgent that I find a way around the father curse.
Unless the trials are my loophole. Especially if he did plant those other books for me to find, so I’d be open to removing his brother from the entire equation.
My stomach lurches at the thought.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Mom asks.
“I want to go back to the academy.”
Tiberias nods. “I’ll see you in the morning. We can talk then.”
Another thing he didn’t tell me—him being my magic teacher. Maybe it isn’t such a bad thing. If I ask the right questions, I can figure out what’s really going on. Now isn’t the time. Not with my head swimming.
I say a quick goodbye to them before changing back into my uniform and riding back to the academy. My mind races, trying to make sense of everything. Was Tiberias capable of planting those books for me to find? If so, he isn’t the great and wonderful king everyone thinks he is. On the other hand, if he isn’t behind it, that means those books he would’ve wanted to see made it into the libraries without his detection. Is that possible? Maybe so, if he hadn’t been looking into it in a long time. He could’ve lost interest or gotten sidetracked over the years, especially since he hadn’t been able to bring her back to life and he didn’t realize her powers had transferred to me, or whatever actually happened. Nobody seems to know, least of all me.
As soon as the driver opens my door, I hurry inside. With any luck, I can get to my suite without running into anyone.
“Look! It’s the secret love child!”
Laughter. Five students are staring at me.
I should’ve known better than to hope for luck. Even being the favored king’s daughter doesn’t help anyone like me any more than they did before. My instinct is to turn the other way, but I resist. Instead, I straighten my back and look each person in the eye. “Do you have something you want to say to me directly?”
None of them responds until a guy with a man-bun says, “Let’s go.” He leaves in the opposite direction and the others follow.
Before I make it to my room, I have three more similar run-ins. I’m just glad everybody is willing to back off once I show them I won’t be pushed around.
When I get to my room, it’s empty. Disappointment washes through me. I really wanted to talk to Halen after everything, but it’s just as well. I need to study, and I don’t want special privileges getting me out of it. That would just add fuel to the fire.
I spend a few minutes organizing, then I sit down with my books. It takes three tries for me to comprehend the first paragraph.
Focus.
I take a deep breath and try again. Make it a few paragraphs this time before my mind starts to wander.
Maybe I should take advantage of special privileges. It’s not like anyone will like me less for it. No, I need to do this. I’m at the academy to learn, and more than anyone, I need all the education I can get thanks to my real dad sending me away with my fake dad to live on land.
I sigh and look around, hoping Halen has magically showed up. The suite is so empty without my best friend, which is all the more reason to read. We’re going to talk as soon as she gets back.
I manage another paragraph before slamming my book shut. This is pointless. What I need to do is get my tail back to the fourth-year library and re-read what I can about Queen Sirena. Figure out why, if Tiberias knows so much about her, he hasn’t heard about the dad curse. I’ve seen it in two different books!
That’s what I’m going to do. And if I can’t get myself into the library, I’ll get my trident and demand answers from her. Or him? All I know is the weapon doesn’t want to be called an it. All that matters is getting answers, and who better than the trident?
And I just referred to my weapon as a who. It’s time to get answers so I can return to as close to a normal life as possible. Even though any hopes of true normalcy are out the window at this point. I’d be happy simply not entering some ancient trials. And not having to kill anyone else.
I’m so flustered, I’m halfway to the library before realizing I can’t just go in. No, I have to find Rudder and have him cloak me with invisibility first. It’s possible I could do it myself with the Ayers power, but I don’t have the time to try and figure it out. The scope of my ability at this point is throwing electrical balls at people who infuriate me.
I spin around and head for the band room—the only place I can think Rudder might be. If he’s not, then I’m going to demand answers from a spiked piece of metal. Nothing crazy about that.
Luckily for me, the guitarist is in there, strumming some tunes. I clear my throat.
