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How the gryphon managed to create a whirlwind that forced me to bend my knees and brace myself—yet didn’t lift a single strand of hair from the students in the front row—always amazed me. But I couldn’t think about it. I clapped my hands to conjure a bright fireball in each, even as my eyes watered from the gusts.

With a flick of my wrists, I urged the fire orbs to grow four times in size within a matter of seconds, or else be extinguished by the increasing winds.

My foot slipped, and with the same motion, I hurled the fireball from my right hand—not directly at Caesar—but into the path of the funnel heading toward the director. Most thought it was my dragon nature that helped me win my fights. Or that I was a Dracul. I let them assume both of those reasons, but I knew it was my analytical calculations that actually gave me the upper hand.

Caesar quickly ducked, avoiding getting a face-full of fire, but I smiled at seeing the tiny red glow on the tips of his dark brown hair before the sparks extinguished.

With a smirk, I managed a quick glance at the crowd before hurling my other fireball at a different point in the funnel to knock into the back of Caesar’s knees. I hoped for a similar result, and maybe even a face plant, as payback for Caesar’s cheap shot moments ago. But I couldn’t help my eyes beingdrawn to the location of Arya and Kendall, whose hand was brushing a dark lock of hair from her pretty face.

Thanks to the minor distraction, I released my projectile a fraction of a second too late. It hit the gust inches off and was flung away from the orbit around Caesar and into the ceiling tiles, incinerating several of them.

Before I could recover, the gust sent me flying, and I was flat on my back with one of the up-ended treadmills inches from my nose before Caesar put it safely back in its place. His eyes shifted from their brilliant purple glow, darkening until they were back to their hazel color.

The mood in the room shifted, and the room quieted. No one expected me to beat an experienced gryphon, not to mention the defense teacher and director of the school, but they still seemed surprised. Honestly, if any student stood a chance at beating Caesar in a fight, it was General Dracul’s son.

The crowd dispersed and began to exit. Caesar helped me to my feet but didn’t say a word, allowing me to maintain my dignity as I rejoined my friends, who waited near the door.

“You almost had him!” Niko clapped a hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah, I don’t know what your plan was with that second one,” Brett said as we walked from the room. “Butman!Using Caesar’s wind against him was freaking brilliant! If he hadn’t ducked, he would’ve needed a new face!”

Even Niko laughed at that and ran a hand over the back of his neck. “What happened with that second one?”

I shrugged. I wasn’t going to admit where my focus had been, not even to myself. “I miscalculated. I was trying to hit the back of Caesar’s knees.”

“Ah!” Brett said. “Payback. Genius.”

“That would’ve been pretty epic,” Niko agreed.

“Next time,” I said, ready for the subject to be dropped.

“Hey, there’s a party this weekend,” Niko said, granting my wish. “It’s at Jackson’s house off campus.”

“The Hound?”

“Yep,” Brett said. “And we’re going.”

I didn’t answer but figured I wouldn’t have much choice in the matter. They always dragged me to social functions.

I made an excuse about homework—which wasn’t really an excuse, Brett just always thought it was—and made my way back to my room.

Partway through my Calculus homework, an email chimed on my laptop.

It was from Arthur. A reminder of just how “imperative it is”that I“befriend the mermaid.”

I rolled my eyes before closing my computer. I wasn’t finished with my homework, but I was finished with the email. Though Arthur had worded it like a request, afavorI would be doing by continuing with this task, I knew it wasn’t.

My instinct told me to push back, to rebel, and do the opposite of what my father wanted. But I cared for my family. I was proud to be a Dracul despite the curse that came with it. And I’d pretty much decided to do it anyway. Not that I could stay away from Arya if I tried. Or stop thinking about her.

And besides, with Arya cozying up toKen Doll, surely there wasn’t any harm in me being Arya’sfriend. If she was interested in one of her own kind—as she should be—I could more easily guard my heart. And I was practiced enough that it wouldn’t be an issue, anyway.

But could I really stand seeing the two of them together? When my insides burned like a raging inferno at the merethought of it? Hell, just being around her made steam almost literally radiate from me.

It is imperative—Arthur used the word imperative to near annoyance—that we find out if she’s the siren from the prophecy before anyone else. Those were Arthur’s words that day in Caesar’s office.

Step one: Befriend Arya.Check.

Step Two: Find out if she’s the siren. Not quite sure how to go about that part yet.