Page 50 of Shifting Tides

My smile faltered as instant guilt stunned me for making that claim. The person who supposedly robbed me was my mom, and saying such a thing was an insult to her memory. After all, I knew deep down that whatever Mom’s reasons were, they weren’t malicious.

“That’s alright,” Kendall said with a warm smile. “We’ll try to get you caught up on everything you missed. I’ll personally take you under my fin. I’m sure there are lots of things I can teach you.”

With the heated glint in his eyes, there was no missing the innuendo, and honestly, I had a whole lot of pent up teen mischief to catch up on.

When he lunged for me this time, I saw it coming, but saw no reason to resist physical contact with him in this circumstance. He wrapped an arm around my waist and took me down to the mat. “Now, let’s work on your ground game.”

As my head landed on the mat, I caught sight of Tobias staring at us across the room.

He didn’t like me. Most of the time, he avoided eye contact if he could help it.

Hecouldn’tlike me because of the whole speciesism thing.

But as I—let’s be honest—barely struggled under Kendall’s gorgeous body, why did it feel like I was betraying Tobias?

Chapter 14

Tobias

“Tobias Dracul.”

Caesar’s booming voice snapped me from my obsessive thoughts. I’d subdued my partner, a volatile hound named Jackson, several minutes before; I hadn’t lost to another student in almost a year, and it was getting boring.

Thanks to that, I practically had a front-row seat to watch Arya’s spar withKen Doll. If you could even call it that. Sparring didn’t require that much…contact, at least not for that long.

I hated that I cared, that it was making my blood boil like fresh magma. I hadn’t noticed I was growling until James called me out on it.

I cracked my neck to dismiss the infuriating images and turned my attention to the school director.

Caesar seemed to be hiding a smile as he held a hand toward me. “Show everyone how it's done.”

I nodded, switching to autopilot as I walked to the center of the large mat. The rest of the students gathered behind thesafe zone. I noticed Arya and Kendall still stood close to each other, a little bit separated from the rest of the crowd, and I stifled the possessive rumble in my chest.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I ripped my gaze away from the canoodling pair and calculated whose turn it might be to face me and how much effort I’d need to put into the match.

It probably wasn’t a day for fire manipulation unless I was pitted against Niko again, but we’d been paired last week, so I doubted it. Although, I might make an exception for Kendall. How I’d love the excuse to roast him right now.

But the entire class joined in a collective chuckle as I stood alone on the mat.

I looked at Caesar, who was fighting a smirk.

I uncrossed my arms, looking back at the crowd of my classmates with a questioning scowl. Why wasn’t he calling another student?I found Niko and Brett near the front. Brett pointed at Caesar with a wide grin.

My thick hair lifted in a breeze, and I instantly sparked my fingertips. Gryphons could manipulate air. I snapped my head to Caesar.

“There he is,” Caesar said quietly, causing anyone within hearing distance to laugh out loud. How did I miss the purple glow of Caesar’s eyes?

“I’m going up againstyou? Sir?”

A gust of wind pushed against the backs of my knees, forcing me into a kneeling position, and my fingers splayed on the mat to keep me from face planting.

Nursing my wounded pride, I silently cursed as my classmates skittered with laughter again. Caesar hated being called by any sort of title, and I had to be corrected more than most, thanks to my strict upbringing.

Caesar remained stoic as the laughter died down. “That’s what I meant when I said:Let’s show them how it’s done.”

I pushed myself off the floor and took my stance without another word.

Fire it is, then.

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