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I pouted, hoping that sympathy might change his mind. “I’m a witch who’s not allowed to learn magic. I’m descended from one of the most powerful bloodlines, and they won’t teach me a thing. While I might not be at risk of exploding into a wild beast, I am at risk of losing control of my powers and potentially hurting innocent people. I do belong here.”

He looked at me for a long moment, and to his credit, his eyes never dipped below my face. I wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or offended by that.

“I understand that must be hard for you,” he said finally. “But I can’t allow you into this school. The history between shifters and witches isn’t pretty, and I assure you that you’re better off not being here.”

My heart fell as I accepted that he was not going to budge on this, at least not right now. “Can I at least see Arya? Just to make sure she’s okay?”

“Think you can put your clothes back on first?” he suggested, giving me a wry, challenging smirk.

My cheeks burned anew. “Oh, right.”

Without a word, he spun around to offer me some privacy, and I turned my back to him as well as I pulled on my panties, jeans, and t-shirt, just in case he decided to sneak one last peek.

I cleared my throat when I was decent once again, and he turned around to face me.

“Just wait here, I’ll get her for you,” he said before heading through the archway.

The tension in the entry room was thick as I waited, Ms. Smith having returned to her desk and pretending I didn’t exist. A few excruciating minutes later, the doors opened, and Caesar appeared with Arya beside him. My friend’s pretty face shone with a bright smile when she saw me.

“Shea!” She ran to me, and I caught her in a desperate embrace. “What are you doing here?”

“Just stopping by to check in on you.” It wasn’t a complete lie; that had beenpartof my motivation. All of my anger and disappointment ebbed as I focused on her. “How are you? Settling in?”

Arya’s smile faltered. “I’m...okay.”

I raised a brow.

“So?” Arya asked, hope sparking in her eyes. “Are you coming to school here?”

“Not while Ursula over here reigns,” I quietly grumped, tipping my head in the direction of the desk.

Arya’s brows scrunched, and she glanced that way. I nodded once.

At Arya’s insistent stare, I stole a glance over my shoulder and saw Ms. Smith standing again, this time leaning on the front of her desk with arms and ankles crossed. My face reddened.Crap.

“If you’re all done, I believe it’s time for you to go,” Ms. Smith said in that calm, infuriating manner of a woman who knows she’s in control.

Arya pulled me into another hug. “We’ll get you in,” she whispered. Her voice resumed a normal volume as she added, “We’ll just have to figure some things out first.”

I pulled away when Ms. Smith cleared her throat. “Can you ever forgive me for not telling you about who I was?”

Arya nodded. “It’s probably better that you didn’t. I can barely process it all now, and I’m a mermaid.”

I chuckled. “If you need anything, anytime—”

“I know. Thanks.” Arya turned to Caesar. “Do you mind if I ride with her, just to the other platform?”

Ms. Smith frowned, but Caesar nodded.

Arya nodded back, then smiled at me.

We took a step toward the exit, but Ms. Smith’s voice stopped us. “Just so you know, Arya, witches are no friends of mermaids. You’d be wise to remember that.”

Arya dipped her head, and we hurried out.

“So what's it like?” I asked as we settled into the train.

“Incredible. You've never seen anything like it.” She shook her head, her voice filled with awe. “Do you have any idea how many types of shifters there are? I’ve come across like six. And I took my first swim today.”