Chapter 6

Cheering and applause breaks out all around me. I don’t join in because I have nothing to celebrate. It’s the end-of-term assembly, and everyone else is leaving campus to enjoy their week off. Me?

Not that I want to party or have fun. I’m still processing, well, everything. My life has changed so drastically since arriving at Valora. And that’s putting it mildly. I have far more questions than answers.

“You coming, Mila?” Isaac asks.

I pull myself from my thoughts and realize everyone is clearing the auditorium. “Oh, yeah. Right.”

He helps me up. “Everything okay?”

“Sure.” I haven’t told him or Erica the latest news. It’s too much. I hardly believe it myself, but it’s true. Not only are my mom and Tobi planning on getting married, Tobi is actually my father. I thought I killed my dad, but it turns out Martine was my uncle. So, if I’m going to be forced to fulfill the Mrs Walker legend, now I have to kill Tiberias—the kind and loving twin. The king everyone adores.

That entire mess isn’t something I can bring to words. Not even to those closest to me. Maybe it’s because I was given the news at my dad’s funeral. I mean, my uncle’s.

Why is this my life?

Couldn’t I have been born to boring parents? Being invisible was so much better than this.

Isaac puts an arm around me as we exit. “You’ve been quiet lately. Anything you want to share?”

I shake my head no.

He kisses my cheek. “I lost my parents too, remember. If anyone knows how you feel, it’s me.”

If only. “Thanks.”

“It takes a while to process, but it does help to talk about it. Don’t keep it in too long. That’s what I did, and it wasn’t good.”

“Wasn’t good how?” I meet his gaze.

“That was the beginning of me getting in trouble all the time. I was carrying around so much hurt and anger, I blew up at the smallest offense. Let it out now. Don’t become me.”

The corners of my mouth twitch as I take in his ridiculously good looks—his intense blue eyes and jet black hair, his sculpted features, and that crooked grin that always gets me.

“Would that really be so bad?” I ask. “Becoming you?”

“I’m not sure Valora could handle two of me.” He chuckles.

“It wouldn’t be so bad, but I really should study. I have to take all three of my tests by Friday.”

“That gives you a full week. Why not blow off some steam now? If anyone needs that, it’s you.”

“I don’t know.”

He gives me a sideways grin. “We could sing karaoke again.”

My stomach knots. “I don’t ever want to sing again.”

Isaac stops and stares at me. “What? Is that why you haven’t been practicing with the band?”

“Don’t you remember what happened last time we sang? Every guy in the bar passed out because of my voice.”

“Because you sound like a siren. That’s what they do.”

I frown. “How would that help the band if half your fans lose consciousness?”

“With practice, you’d get it under control. You’d only make mermen pass out when you wanted to.”

How do you know so much?”

“History class.”

I should’ve known. “Why don’t you ever pass out at the sound of my voice?”

He shrugs. “Because we’re singing together?”

“Maybe I should study sirens before joining you guys. I don’t know what I don’t know. You know?”

Isaac snickers. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Maybe it just had something to do with the alcohol consumed—either by you or the guys in question.”

“Maybe.”

Rudder comes over to us. “There’s a party over at Earwyn’s tonight. Want to join us?”

My stomach knots.

Isaac looks at me. “What do you think?”

“Earwyn and her dogfish are the last people I want to see on spring break.”

“Her parties are always the best,” Mary says. “Think about it.”

I take a deep breath. “I still have exams to study for.”

Mary smirks. “I could practice one of my new spells on them. Make them be nice to you. Or they could grow an extra head. It’s a new spell, and could go either way at this point.”

I laugh. “I wouldn’t mind seeing them grow extra heads. That could actually be entertaining.”

“Let me know.” He swims away.

Isaac cups my chin. “You’d actually consider going?”

“Maybe.” I shrug. “But then after that, I have to study. The last thing I need is to have to repeat the first year.”

“Even if you do, Earwyn, Cove, and Vanya are all graduating. You’ll be free of them.”

“I’m sure someone would rise in their place. There are plenty of people who resent me.”

He rakes his fingers through my hair. “You forget that your uncle gave the edict for everyone to treat you as if they were dealing with him personally. Any harsh word to you is taken as a direct insult to him, and everyone loves him.”

I sigh. “I wish people would just see me as me. They hated me from the start because of Martine. Now they’re being forced to be nice to me because of Tobi.”

He kisses my palm. “The only way they’re going to form opinions of you is if they spend time with you—like at the party tonight. If you keep hiding away from everyone, they’re going to keep believing you think you’re better than them.”

“That’s what everybody thinks?”

He doesn’t deny it.

“Awesome.”

Isaac pulls me close and stares into my eyes, sending a shiver down my spine. “You’ll win them over. Once they get to know the real you, they’ll have no other choice but to love you. Just like you won me over despite my preconceived notion that you were like your dad.”

“That’s what you thought of me?”

He looks away for a moment before meeting my gaze and nodding. “Yes, and once people figure out how amazing you are, I’ll have to beat other guys off with a stick. Actually, maybe I should keep you to myself. Let’s not go to the party.”

I smile. “Stop!”