Page 10

“It’s been thousands of years. How much did you learn about history from that long ago on land?”

I clench my fists. “Seems like someone should know something.”

Dad plays with a lock of Middlebrooks’s hair and stares at her cleavage. “Do you know anything about the legendary queen of the underworld?”

I focus on a poster with study tips for students. It’s like they’re actively trying to make me lose my breakfast.

“Not really, no.” Kissing noises sound.

My stomach knots. I look at another poster, farther away from them. “Don’t you have any resources at the castle? Can you take me to the library there?”

“Maybe another time. You should focus on your classes. Exams are coming up, aren’t they?”

Middlebrooks giggles. “Stop! That tickles! Yes, finals are just around the corner.”

“Then I’d better study.” I leap up and fling myself toward the door, then make my escape before I puke all over her desk and they make me clean it up.

Dad calls for me, but I slam the door and race for the main library. I need to bleach my eyes and ears after being in that office. Those two have no common decency. No respect for me or what they’ve put me through. And I don’t want to think about what they’re doing at this very moment.

Halen waves to me when I enter the library. I hurry over, forcing a smile.

“You okay?” Concern fills her eyes.

“Yeah, fine.”

A girl I don’t know glances up at me. “Did you get in trouble?”

“Nope.” I collapse on a chair, and only then realize I don’t have any of my books with me. “Just some official castle business with my Dad. No biggie.”

Halen arches a brow. Clearly she knows me too well to fall for it. “Are you here to study?”

“Yep. The book I need is here in the library.” I jump up and find the ancient history section.

There aren’t many books, and none of them are about Queen Sirena specifically. I pick one at random and look at the index. Nothing about her. Then I try another, and get the same result. By the time I’ve flipped through each one, the bell rings for lunch.

Already? Crap. I have actual studying to do. Should’ve asked Mom about that studying spell before she left. The one she cast on me has long since worn off.

Halen appears at the end of the shelves. “There you are! Why are you looking at ancient history?”

I hold out my hair.

She nods. “Right. Find anything?”

“Absolutely nothing.”

“I wonder if they have anything in the fourth-year library.”

“They have their own library?”

“Yeah. Thought you knew.” She waves me over. “Come on. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

My stomach rumbles. “Me too.” And it’s not like I have anywhere else to look for info on the mysterious queen of old.

Not yet anyway. I will find out about her, no matter what rules I have to break.