Page 108 of Shifting Tides

Where was Arya?

Before I knew what I was doing, I marched toward them with determined strides, my blood beginning to simmer with suspicion.

“What are you three up to?” I demanded, only faintly aware of the faint wisps of steam trailing from my lips as I spoke.

The trio cut off their furtive whispers and turned to me with catty expressions.

Cora put a hand on her hip and smirked at me in poorly feigned innocence. “My friends and I are just minding our own business, enjoying the last of the evening glow from above. Why do you assume we must be up to anything?”

I stepped closer, my scales bristling under my skin. “Because I know you, Cora, and the only thing you enjoy is making others miserable.”

Anger and hurt sparked in her blue eyes, but she quickly recovered, her mocking smirk back in full effect. “You didn’t seem too miserable when I had you calling out my name. I think you know first hand how much I enjoyed pleasing you.”

Embarrassment and guilt tempered the rising heat of my blood, making me falter in my accusations.

“If anything, you’re the one who gets a sick kick out of fucking people over, and not in the fun way,” Cora sniped, her tone like poison. “If anything, I did Arya a favor, saving her from your vile temptation.”

My core temperature shot off the charts at the mention of her name. “What did you do to Arya?” I growled, my dragon making my voice rattle dangerously.

Adina stepped forward, shrugging one shoulder lightly like we were discussing the school’s dinner menu. “We’re just teaching her a little lesson, that’s all. We’re helping her learn her place in our world.”

My pulse kicked into a gallop, threatening to explode from my chest. I should have known Adina was up to no good when I saw her with Arya a few days ago. Hell, Ididknow, I just chose not to interfere, to respect Arya’s choices.

Clearly, she had chosen wrong.

“Where is she?” I hissed, my mind racing with the thousand morbid possibilities of what they could have done to her.

“She’s where she belongs,” Letti remarked, folding her arms obstinately.

My lips twitched with the fury that raged inside me. I wanted to give in to the demands of my dragon, to release him and let him burn these evil bitches and stomp on their charred remains. It took every ounce of restraint I had to hold it at bay, to keep locked firmly inside my flesh.

“What did Arya ever do to you, to any of you?” I barked, struggling to maintain control. “She came here innocent and eager to learn, and you’ve shunned her at every possible opportunity. You’re a disgrace to mer kind.”

Apparently, I wasn’t doing a very good job of reining my beast in because they were backing away from me, and the predator within was helpless not to close in on them.

“She’s the disgrace,” Cora countered, though her tone was shaky and quickly losing its venom. “She showed up here like a lost lamb and instantly got you and Kendall wrapped around her delicate fingers. She’s an enchantress, she’s wicked.”

A laugh escaped me, but it was a dark, humorless sound. “That’s what this is about? Jealousy?”

They flinched at the sharp sound of my voice.

“For your information, she wants nothing to do with me or Kendall,” I said, the truth of it stinging a little. “All she wants is to learn about what she is and how she fits into our world, just like the rest of us.”

“Well, she’s about to find out exactly where she fits in,” Cora muttered, inciting shallow, half-hearted snickers from the other two, and I snapped.

My fury and fear had full control of my body, and it used my hands to grab her by the shoulders and shove her up against the rough bark of the tree.

My throat rattled as I let out a slow breath.

“I’m going to give you one last chance,” I said in a low voice that was more monster than man. “Where. Is. Arya?”

Cora’s lithe body was trembling in my grasp, and the fear in her eyes as she looked up at me was piercing. And oh so satisfying.

She looked hastily back and forth to her friends standing on either side of us, and they both nodded insistently, pleadingly. Like they knew how close I was to ripping her apart if she didn’t answer.

“Okay, okay, fine,” she snapped, but her voice didn’t have the bite her words intended. “She’s in the Simulation Room, okay?”

My eyes widened, and I involuntarily slammed her back against the tree. “What?”

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