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Chapter 17

Icreep into the practice room and take my spot behind the plant. The soft song is still playing, though there are no vocals at the moment. Bash is focused on a guitar solo, and everyone else is entranced. Or maybe that’s just me.

He’s totally in his element, clearly not bothered at all about kissing and running from the new girl. Maybe he just wanted to be able to say he kissed the king’s daughter.

Heat floods my face, and my ears burn. I’m so stupid. That’s exactly what happened. I fell for the bad boy, one of the only people who didn’t throw hatred at me. And all I was to him was a trophy. The other guys in the band probably cheered him on and think he’s the man now.

And here I am, still spying on him. Melting at his music. Adoring that face and those eyes. Everything about him is perfect, despite what he’s done.

Well, I came out the winner. Everyone in the Royal School is thrilled with me—everyone except the three stooges.

Bash looks up from his guitar and nears the mic. He belts out the most romantic lyrics I’ve ever heard, and they’re even more so with his voice. I’d let him kiss me and brag about it all over again just to keep hearing this. It’s like his own brand of enchantment.

Then Neva joins him, sharing the same mic. Once again, her voice melds with his, blending perfectly. Like they were made for each other. They turn to each other and smile as the love-filled song flows from their lips.

Halen has to be wrong about them. There isn’t anything sibling-like about them. Not while they’re singing about an unsinkable romance.

Neva has to be why Bash fled like he did. He got what he wanted—bragging rights about kissing the princess—but he knew he needed to get back to the one he really loves.

I really am the idiot. Especially since I’m spying on them now. I can’t let go, and he clearly never held on. I imagined the kiss was special. Foolishly thought we had something.

What I need is to move on myself. If I’m going to stay, I can find a nice guy. Someone who doesn’t get in trouble so often that he’s skirting expulsion.

I push aside a leaf and watch them. The melody intensifies then Bash and Neva lean so close together, their faces rub against one another’s. My heart constricts, recalling my hands on his.

I’m such a fool! Look at those two. I knew something was going on between them and I ignored my instincts. Listened to Halen. What does she know about them? She doesn’t even like them.

The song ends, and I know exactly what I need to do. Then I do it. Leave the practice room and push the ocean’s most gorgeous guy from my mind. Who needs brawn and heart-stopping good looks combined with a voice straight from heaven? Not me. Not when that merman is nothing but trouble.

“There you are!” Mrs. Middlebrooks’s voice cuts through my thoughts.

My breath catches in my throat. “I’m heading for the gym right now.”

She grabs my arm. “Oh, you’ll clean it. But not now.”

“What’s going on?”

“Save it.” The dean drags me down the hall, squeezing hard enough to leave bruises. Not that I could prove she did it when my arm is already covered in bruises from the hazing.

Mrs. Middlebrooks practically throws me inside her office before slamming the door.

I crash into a chair, and its arm digs into my tail. “What’s going on?”

She glares at me. “I said, save it.”

“For what, exactly?”

“Your father!” She picks up a shell phone and dials. “This is Daphne Middlebrooks from the Dark Sea Academy. I need to speak with the king right away.”

My headache kicks in again. This has to be about locking the stooges in the closet. Despite me not ratting them out, they clearly ratted me out.

I can’t help but smirk. They must be furious that the other students aren’t scared of them anymore. I’ve displaced them from the suite, now this. Maybe Earwig even has a secret crush on Bash and found out that I kissed him.

Mrs. Middlebrooks gives me a death glare.

“I’m not smirking at you.”

She holds her palm out toward me then speaks into the phone. “Drake, you need to come down here right away.”