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Chapter 8

Itry to hide the fact that I’m shaking as I turn around slowly. Halen looks just like her pictures. Just like I remember her, only older. More beautiful, curvier.

Her eyes widen.

My breath hitches. This is going to be bad.

“Marra?”

I chew on my lower lip. “Halen.”

She grins then rushes toward me, nearly knocking me over with an embrace tight enough to block my breathing. I fall back against Bash. He’s so firm. I can feel each muscle pressed against my back.

He moves to the side and coughs. “See you two first-years in there.”

Before either of us respond, he rushes into an enormous room filled with long tables and platters of food.

Halen lets go of me and looks me over. “I can’t believe it’s really you! I never thought I’d see you again!” She gives me another hug.

I hug her back, finally starting to think straight. Hardly able to believe my luck. We’re still friends. “I never thought so either.”

She looks me over. “You’re even prettier than before. Not fair.”

I laugh. “Not fair? You’re gorgeous!”

“Hardly.” Halen waves me off.

“What are you talking about?” I exclaim. “Have you looked in a mirror recently?”

A bell sounds.

“We can’t be late!” She grabs my arm, drags me toward the dining hall, then leads me to the long table second to the right. “We always sit here. This is for the Royal School.”

“We’re not allowed to eat with anyone else?”

She looks at me like I’m crazy then sits in an empty chair near a platform at the front of the room. “Never.”

I take the seat next to her and look around. The platform has a similar long table with adults sitting at it. Everyone at our table has the same shirt as me. Nobody seems to have noticed I’m here, but that won’t last long. I look around for Bash. He’s way down at the other end, near the doors. Must want to make a quick exit. Or be as far from me as possible. He’s probably one of those guys who sits at the back of a classroom to avoid being called on.

“Dig in.” Halen removes the cover of a platter and scoops something creamy onto her plate.

I want to ask how all this works with us being underwater, but I keep my mouth shut. It just works. Everything is enchanted, and nothing would last a moment on land—in the air. It’s just like how nothing from up there would last down here.

Halen talks about how amazing the suite is while I dish up. Despite having eaten not long ago, I’m famished again. Must be the stress. Or maybe my body readjusting to underwater life. I went from breathing air to water, from being a nobody to a princess.

And based on the looks people around the table are giving me—everything from shock to disgust—it would seem I’ll never again be a nobody as long as I stay here. I’m an underwater celebrity.

What I wouldn’t give to be invisible again. I had no idea how good I had it.

I smile at everyone I make eye contact with, even though I want to glare back at everyone giving me dirty looks. But the only way I’ll convince them that I’m not as bad as they think is to prove them otherwise. And that means being as sweet as possible.

Relief washes through me when people start putting their silverware down. Once the meal is over, I’m going to flee to the suite and hide out. The only thing I want is to unwind and relax. I’ll figure out how to handle everyone tomorrow. I’m done dealing with everyone for the time being.

A horn blares from the platform. It’s shrill enough to shatter eardrums. I cover my ears, but nobody else seems bothered by it. People are staring at me. I pull my hands from my head. This is so embarrassing, but why am I the only one who seems to feel like the sound could kill me?

Once the noise eases, I lean over to Halen. “What on earth is that?”

“It’s the horn.”