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“Yeah, he and Letti have this on-again-off-again thing going on. As I’m sure you’re aware, that girl is a real piece of work.”

The butterflies that had been bouncing around in my stomach fell dead to the floor. If Kendall could date a girl like that, maybe he wasn’t the guy I started to hope he was.

“Well, that sucks.” I sighed.

“Why, you got the hots for him over Tobias?” She offered a wry grin and nudged me with her elbow. She lowered her voice when she added, “Come on, I see the way you look at him.”

I snorted and rolled my eyes, hoping my cheeks weren’t as red as they felt. “Tobias is about as interested in me as a cat is with water.”

Brett and Niko shared a super brief glance, making me question my assessment.

“Well, it’s just as well, seeing as inter-shifter dating is kind of taboo,” Niko said, pushing around a noodle with his fork.

“Wait, w-what?” I stammered. “There are rules about dating?”

“Well, not technically,” Brett said, tilting his head to the side. “I mean, it’s not written anywhere that two different shifterscan’tget together, but it’s just an unspoken rule. Especially with the more elitist breeds like mers and dragons.”

“And phoenixes,” Niko added with a frown.

“Why?” I asked.

“It’s because of the speciesism in the shifter world,” Brett said around a mouthful of chicken. “Everyone is so obsessed with purity in bloodlines—well, aside from weres, obviously. But dragons, phoenixes, and mermaids especially have a cultural heritage that dominates who they are. Parents want to be certain of their childrens’ heritage, and with two different types, you just never know which side of the coin you’regonna get. You could even end up with a freak who’s a mix of both.”

“Yikes.” Ashlyn grimaced. “As much of an outcast as I already am, I’m really glad I’m just half human and not something else.”

I frowned. So much for any sparks I might have had toward Tobias. Maybe that was why he was so cold toward me. Because even if we did have a certain chemistry, nothing could ever happen between us.

The students in the dining hall began to shuffle.

“Which class do you have next?” Ashlyn asked.

I pursed my lips. “Defense.”

“Me, too!” she exclaimed excitedly, but her words were deafened by the howl Brett and Niko let out.

I balked at them in confusion.

“Good luck,” Brett said. “You’re in with Tobias.”

I arched an eyebrow, my gut clenching at the way he said that. “Okay, what exactly do we do in that class?”

“It’s mostly wrestling and sparring techniques, but every now and then, Caesar pairs us up to fight each other,” Ashlyn said, her tone saying she was about as excited about that idea as I was.

“Sometimes, he even has a few students give us a show in the Simulation Room,” Brett said with a waggle of his brows.

“Simulation Room?” I asked, intrigued.

Brett gave me a wicked grin. “You’re in for a treat the first time you see it. Well, as long as you’re not the one who has to test in it.”

I gulped. I had no idea what that room could be like, but I knew for certain that I never wanted to have to test in it.

Chapter 13

Arya

“I—hate—this!” I panted as I threw a tired fist at the punching bag in front of me for what felt like the billionth time.

“You can say that again,” Ashlyn said to my right, bending over her knees as she huffed and puffed along with me.