Page 72 of Skalterra By Nightmare
“Riley and I used to do this all the time to get to the cove. You’ll like it. At least, I think you will.” He held the board steady, and his dark blond curls caught the sun. “It’ll be fun.”
I slid onto the front of the board, tucking my feet under myself to sit crisscross. Liam dragged us out into deeper water, soaking his trunks and the hem of his t-shirt. The board lurched when he pulled himself up behind me.
“Careful!” I hissed as Liam stood up.
“Don’t worry, you’ll only fall in if I want you to fall in.”
“So reassuring.”
The flat of the paddle reached and dipped into the water beside me as Liam propelled us forward. We glided over kelp, rocks, and sand, and I tried to keep my balance centered while craning my neck to look into the water below us.
“Starfish!” Liam said. “To your right!”
“Technically, they’re called sea stars,” I mumbled. “They aren’t fish.”
“Starfish,” Liam repeated, louder and slower.
A purple sea star splayed out across the rocks beneath us, and we wobbled as I strained for a better look. I wondered if Skalterra had sea stars too, or if it was another word that would baffle Orla.
“So, do I get to know why you don’t like the woods?” Liam asked.
“Nope.” I settled back, leaning on my hands now that I was more comfortable on the board. The sea breeze ruffled my hair as we glided forward in the direction of a rocky outcropping that cut into the water a couple hundred yards ahead of us. Trees clung to the cliffside as if spilling over from the forest that sat atop the bluffs.
“What about the scar on your palm? Do I get to know about that?”
I curled my fingers in on themselves, wondering when Liam had noticed Galahad’s mark.
“Definitely not.”
“Okay. Then why Von Leer?”
“What?” I whipped my head around to look up at Liam, and the board lurched with the movement. Liam kept his eyes on the rocks ahead but smirked as he dipped the paddle back into the water.
“You want to go to Von Leer. Why?”
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t, but your Von Leer admissions officer will. Have you been practicing interview questions?”
“No, but—”
“So why Von Leer?”
I scowled and turned back to face forward.
“They have a good biochemistry program.”
“Great. Why biochemistry?”
We weren’t too far from the shore yet. I could probably abandon ship and swim back still.
“It’s interesting, and I like it.”
“Sorry, your admission to Von Leer University has not been accepted. Try again.”
“But that’s the truth!”
“It’s not good enough.”
