Her face breaks out into one of her signature small smiles. “No harm done, don’t fret.”
She rises from her desk and gestures towards the door. “Come now. I’ll escort you to your dorms — I don’t want you outside in the middle of the night by yourself.”
I groan internally, looking for a way out of this arrangement. But the other students are long gone.
I’m going to be late meeting Reef.
36
Professor Nerida and I walk in silence across the courtyard. As she predicted, it’s quiet and we’re the only two people around.
I wonder if Reef has managed to evade Seaver. I smile despite myself. I’m sure he has — sneaking out without getting caught seems to be one of Reef’s greater talents.
Professor Nerida walks me to the door of my dorm. “Here we are, Maya. It’s good we walked together, you never know who or what might be lurking about campus at this time of night. Sleep well and I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”
Nerida smiles and I suddenly have the feeling that she walked with me because she knows that Reef and I planned to meet. But, her face is impassive, neutral, and I shake off the suspicion.
I say goodnight and dart inside the dorm. The lights are off and everyone is in bed, except Kendra. She must be showering or something. I can’t help but wonder again what she was speaking to Reef about at the end of class. I’ll need to ask him when I get to the lighthouse.
Casey flicks on the lamp beside her bed. She watches me as I move towards my closet to grab another coat. I will not forget my layers this time, I’m not making that mistake again.
“What did Nerida want?” Casey whispers. Brooke shifts in her bed.
“The usual.” I shrug, feeling awful for lying to my best friend. “It’s just Nerida being Nerida. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.”
I throw on my jacket and Casey hisses, “where are you going?”
I approach her bed and keep my voice low. “I have to meet Reef.”
Casey’s face is dead serious. “What’s with the secrecy between you two all of a sudden? Is something going on?”
I tiptoe carefully around her question. “I know it sounds crazy, but I need to see him. I promise, I’ll explain tomorrow.”
My eyes are pleading and I hope she believes me, but my heart sinks with the lie. I can’t keep my best friend in the dark for much longer.
“You’re going to get caught.” She crosses her arms.
“I’m not, I promise. You have to trust me on this, Case.”
She rolls her eyes and turns over in bed, putting her back to me. With a flick of her hand, the lamp is out and I’m standing in the middle of the room in total darkness.
All of a sudden, I feel terribly alone. But, I can’t tell her just yet. I’ll explain everything as soon as I can.
I let myself out of the dorm and sneak across the courtyard, careful to stay in the shadows. Seaver isn’t around, so I make a run for it. I scramble quietly down the path to the lighthouse and dart up the long, spiral staircase.
I step onto the platform. It’s bathed in light from the huge, full moon overhead. It turned out to be the perfect night for Night Sky class, after all.
At the edge of the platform, a figure stands alone, staring into the darkness.
My heart skips a beat.
Before I can take a step towards Reef, the figure turns around and the moon illuminates his face. Fear fills my veins and I shrink back into the shadows.
It’s not Reef. It’s Professor Halloran.
What the hell is he doing up here? Halloran doesn’t usually do night patrol.
My first instinct is to run before I’m caught out of bed at 2am, but then I hear his voice. He’s speaking in a low, determined tone. I freeze in place.
He’s… talking to somebody.
I watch him pace back and forth on the platform, muttering into a cell phone. How does he have service here? And who is he talking to at 2am?
I crane my neck, trying to hear snippets of the conversation, but he’s too far away for me to hear anything. I glance around but there’s no way for me to get closer.
Then, I make out three words. He says them loudly, exasperated. “Find the shipwreck.”
Cold sweat pricks my skin and I lean against the cool metal wall.
What is Halloran up to?
My mind races. It seems like too much of a coincidence for Halloran to be speaking about shipwrecks when a shipwreck haunts my dreams every night. Did Reef tell him about my dreams? No, I trust him with my life. Professor Halloran must have some other reason for saying such a thing.
Then, Professor Nerida’s warning comes to mind. Is Halloran the danger she’s talking about? Is this why I have to keep my trial a secret?
A wave of nausea flows through my body. I knew we couldn’t trust him.
Suddenly, Halloran moves towards the stairs. I scramble backwards, my heart pounding.
He can’t know that I’ve seen him here.
I turn on my heel and run.
37
“Maya, wake up,” a voice whispers.
I pull a pillow over my head. “Five more minutes, Case.”
A laugh. “It’s not Casey.”
“What the—?!” I yelp and jolt up in bed.
It’s dark outside. My bedside clock reads 6am. And Reef Fenner stands in front of me, wearing his adorable half-smile like he just pulled the world’s best prank.
“Shhh,” he chuckles under his breath. “You’ll wake everyone up.”
Disoriented, I look around the dorm. Flo rolls over in bed and Brooke mutters in her sleep. Thankfully, no one appears to be waking up.
“What are you doing in my room?” I sputter when I find my voice. “You can’t be here.”
“That’s why you need to be quiet.” He smiles maddeningly. “Don’t want you getting me in trouble.”
I stare at him incredulously. I’m suddenly very aware that I’m wearing a little night shirt and absolutely no make-up. I pull the covers up to my neck.
He taps his wrist, his eyes dancing. “I’ll meet you in the common room in five minutes.”
Dazed, I nod.
“Good. I’ll be waiting.” He shoots me a wicked grin. “Nice hair, by the way.”
My hands fly to my crazy, tangled head and my cheeks flush. I pat down one particularly unruly section. With a final smile in my direction, Reef disappears out the door. My heart races. What does he want to talk about?
I blearily look around me and the room is dead silent. Somehow, everyone slept through that. Quietly, I hop out of bed and pull on some leggings and an Ohio State sweatshirt. I brush my teeth and pull my hair into a somewhat tame braid before racing to the common room.
Reef is flopped on a bean bag chair in the corner, drinking coffee like nothing is out of the ordinary. The room is otherwise empty. Outside the window-wall, the sky is beginning to turn a dark shade of blue.
“Morning.” He looks up nonchalantly.
I put my hands on my hips. “What was that?”
“What was what?” He smiles innocently.
I help myself to coffee. “Creeping into my room in the middle of the night.”
“It’s not the middle of the night. It’s morning.” Reef smirks. “Plus we needed to talk alone, without danger of anyone overhearing.”
I meet his gaze levelly but I bite my lip. The last I saw him, he was walking out of the classroom with Kendra and he never showed up at the lighthouse. “What happened to you last night?”
“Sorry about that.” He shakes his head. “I saw that Nerida kept you back, and Kendra wanted to talk about something so we went somewhere to chat. By the time I got to my dorm, Seaver was patrolling the courtyard. I tried to leave for the lighthouse but he and Nerida were outside the door, making sure everyone was in bed.”
I freeze, my hand grasping the steaming mug of coffee. He and Kendra went somewhere to talk? Where did they go? And what did she want to talk to him about? I force a casual, unaffec
ted expression and then sit on a bean bag next to his. I’m burning to know what they talked about, but I don’t want to pry.
“Why did Nerida keep you behind anyway?” Reef asks, his nose wrinkled in distaste.
I take a swig of coffee before responding. “She wanted to talk about the trial and whether I was any closer to finding the necklace. She walked me to my dorm afterwards.”
Reef shivers. “That woman gives me the creeps.”
I roll my eyes theatrically. “Maybe if you actually tried in her class, she’d like you a little more.”
I go to give him a playful kick, but his reflexes are faster than mine. He grabs my foot with a laugh. “Touché, Miss Murphy.”
I burst into laughter. His impression of Professor Nerida is uncanny.
“Anyway, while you were—” I search for the word he used. “Chatting with Kendra, I managed to escape and get to the lighthouse.”
I puff my chest proudly and am gratified to see that Reef is caught off guard. His mouth pops open and he raises his eyebrows. “Really?”
He looks almost… impressed.
“Yes,” I say smugly, before turning serious. “Get this. Halloran was there, on the platform.”
“What was he doing?” Reef sounds surprised.
“I think he’s up to something.” My tone is low as the gravity of the situation weighs on me. “He was on the phone to someone. I thought you weren’t able to get phone service at Deep Cove.”
“He must have a satellite phone or something.” Reef’s brow furrows. “No idea why he would need one. What was he talking about?”
I meet Reef’s eyes and his expression is as serious as mine. “Finding a shipwreck.”
His face goes pale. “Seriously?”
I nod. The nagging feeling in my gut is strong. Something doesn’t add up with him.
“Can this really all be a coincidence?” I hold up my hand, counting down on my fingers. “First, you and I saw each other at our trials before we even knew each other. Second, I’ve been dreaming of the necklace your mom wore when she went missing. Third, Halloran — the only person who knows what happened at your trial— is talking about looking for a shipwreck...”
I trail off and chills run down my spine as I consider each factor. And then, another thought comes to me.
“Reef,” I ask quietly. “Do you think Halloran knows about the necklace? Do you think it may be related to the shipwreck?”
Reef’s face goes even paler. He frowns deeply, his beautiful face wrinkled and drawn. “We don’t know what he was talking about on the phone.”
The sinking feeling in my stomach can’t be ignored. “Something is going on. We need to find out what.”
The door to the common room slams open and Reef and I jump apart. A couple of Intakes I don’t know bustle into the room, mumbling about midterm results.
“I’m hungry.” Reef stands abruptly. “Let’s eat.”
It takes superhuman concentration to battle through the morning’s final midterm exam in Siren Anatomy. When it’s finally over, I’m unbelievably glad to be done with midterms, but I’m equally dreading our next class: Transformation.
My feet are like anchors as I drag myself to Halloran’s classroom. At the front of the room, he writes something on the board. I shoot him a suspicious look before Reef and take our seats in front of the roaring fireplace. I don’t trust him one bit.
Halloran meets my eye and gives me a curt nod. “Good morning, Miss Murphy.”
He turns back towards the board and continues writing about tail development — the latest skill we’re working on. I glance at Reef and he’s also staring at Halloran suspiciously. He looks to be puzzling something out.
Casey and Flo arrive, and Casey shoots me a questioning look. “I’ll tell you later.” I mouth at her. I’ll tell her what I can, at least.
“Alright class.” Professor Halloran claps his hands. “Today, we’re speaking more about tail function...”
Halloran’s voice fades into the background as Kendra dances into the room with Brooke and Rayne. She has an absurdly smug smile on her face and a spring in her step. Her hair and makeup are done perfectly — like she’s dressed up for someone.
Then, she looks towards Reef and I at the back of the room. Without acknowledging me, she sets her stare on Reef and winks at him. She blows him a kiss and gives him a flirtatious wave before flipping her hair and sitting down. Reef’s gaze is carefully averted, his expression forcibly neutral.
A sour taste floods my mouth.
Kendra and Reef went somewhere alone last night after class. Kendra wasn’t in her bed when I got back to the dorm, and Reef never made it to the lighthouse. Today, Kendra looks happier than I’ve ever seen her. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happened.
My vision blurs and I abruptly face the front of the room. Reef and I are friends, just friends. So why is my heart racing and I feel like I might be sick? I focus on calming the wave of emotion, stopping the bile from rising in my throat.
“Miss Murphy? Are you ready?” Professor Halloran’s cold voice snaps me back to the present.
I blink a few times, disoriented. Professor Halloran is standing next to my desk, staring at me like I’m an idiot. The other desks are empty and, where the floor gives way to water, Casey bobs at the surface. She beckons me towards the water with a funny look on her face.
“Yes,” I squeak. “Sorry. Yes.”
“Fantastic.” Professor Halloran smiles coldly. “It could be helpful to practice your skills.”
My cheeks flush and anger blisters under my skin. Cheap shot on his end. There’s not a shred of me that likes him or trusts him.
Without another word, I rise from my desk and strip down to my bikini. Rage flows through my veins — at Professor Halloran, Kendra, Reef.
I dive into the dark water and see my fellow classmates swimming in the depths of the sea. My eyes are immediately drawn to Reef, floating serenely with TJ and Marlowe. He meets my eyes, and I immediately look away.
Next to me, Casey mouths through the water, “Are you okay?”
I nod, but I can’t hide my frown. I feel like I might explode. The horrible nightmares that disrupt my sleep, the bizarre necklace that might hold the key to my future, my failed trial, my suspicions of Halloran, my loathing of Kendra, and the idea that Reef could be in danger… it’s all too much for me.
I squeeze my eyes shut against the wave of emotions, trying to tamp them all down. I focus on calming myself, breathing slowly and deeply.
And that’s when I realize that I’m breathing.
Oxygen floods my veins, but it isn’t from the air. It’s from the water.
Shocked, I open my eyes. I could laugh, I could cry. I run my fingers along the gashes, now elongated and fully formed. The water flows in and out of my gills, smoothly and seamlessly. It’s a bizarre feeling, unlike anything I’ve experienced.
I glance at the students around me and my victory suddenly seems small. Casey, Flo, Dennis and James are all working on tail development. Before my eyes, their legs fuse, separate, and fuse again. I’m nowhere near that stage.
There’s a tap on my shoulder and I turn around. Reef. He motions for me to rise to the surface. I spot Halloran deep below, working with TJ and Marlowe. With a shrug, I follow Reef.
“Maya!” He exclaims when I break through. “You did it!”
Before I can say anything, he wraps me in a hug. His body is warm and solid against mine and my heart leaps at his touch. Everything in me wants to stay close to him, to steal his body heat, but he pulls away too quickly.
He smiles at me and I look away, feeling shy. “Yeah, finally.”
“I knew you could do it.”
I laugh awkwardly and squeeze the water from my hair. “It felt great. Nothing compared to how quickly Kendra got it though.”
Reef pulls a face. “Kendra? What does she have to do with anything?”
“Well, I mean…” I trail off and gesture to the pu
rple blob swimming close to us. Clearly, she doesn’t want us hanging out alone. “I put two and two together about you guys. I’m assuming you talked last night about getting back together?”
“No,” Reef says carefully. “We’re definitely not together. Kendra wanted to talk because she’s been having a hard time with school stuff.”
I nod slowly. The purple blob gets closer.
Then, Reef looks down and shrugs. His expression is almost sheepish. “But, she did ask me to the Halloween dance.”
My mouth pops open and my words stick in my throat. They’re not back together, but she asked him to the dance? What can I possibly say to that?
I’m about to ask him whether he’s planning on going with her when Professor Halloran summons the class to the surface. “Well done today, everyone! We’ll continue on this tomorrow. But I’m extremely impressed with your progress.”
Despite my stomach twisting and my heart turning over, I catch Professor Halloran’s eye. I get the feeling that he’s speaking directly to me. He drops my gaze and Reef moves closer to me, seeming almost protective.
“I don’t know what Halloran is up to,” Reef whispers as everyone leaves the water. “But you’re right Maya, we can’t trust anyone right now.”
38
“Which one?” I ask Casey, holding a gold bikini in one hand and a green one in the other.
Casey strokes her chin. “Green top, gold bottom? Switch it up.”
I grin. “Excellent idea.”
It’s beautiful outside and Casey and I are joining the boys for a surf. These days, I rarely miss an opportunity to surf, especially with Reef. Since we’ve gotten closer, surfing has become a lot more fun. Plus, it distracts me from the stress of the necklace and my slow transformation.
With a happy sigh, I grab my swimsuit and walk towards the bathroom.
A cold voice stops me in my tracks. “As if Reef cares what bikini you wear.”
My cheeks flush. I can’t stand her. I turn and Kendra has entered the dorm. She looks down her nose, playing up the two inches she has on me.
The Destiny: A YA Paranormal Academy Romance (Deep Cove Academy Book 1) Page 13