Lapidary

I woke at ten the next day and got up, despite feeling so tired. I checked my phone: my parents had texted and asked when they were seeing me again. I ignored their messages and scrolled to my sister’s profile because I was incredibly worried about her. When I reached her name on my phone, I saw that she had blocked me, and my chest tightened. I would find her and try to talk to her. She was studying, and there was only one college, Littlerock Academy, located on the upper fin.

I got dressed in a cream-colored long dress and put on my black gloves again. I wore sandals, because my feet were sore from wearing heels, and I caught a taxi to Ocelos. I paid with the tips I had made the previous night and paid for a ride on a Big Crab to Little Rock Academy. There weren’t any cars in Vesea because the streets were too small and crowded. Instead, people rode on animals like these big crabs. They were bright red, like blood, and the size of a small car. They were maintained by the head of Vesea, Rhinsel Grosstreet. He indirectly saw to it that they were fed, saddled, and ready to work.

Once I reached the academy, a circular building overlooking the ocean, I dismounted. Several students were on campus, and I had no idea where to start looking for my sister. A fawn passed me, and I stepped in front of her.

“Excuse me—”

She grunted and stepped around me. I drew a deep breath before stopping the next stranger, a shifter. “Excuse me, I’m looking for my sister, Ava Roqueze. She’s studying to be a doctor.”

The shifter pointed to a group of fae students, who were lounging on the stairs. “They are medical students. Ask them.”

“Thank you.”

I made my way over to the fae. They were all tall and slender with pointy ears, sharp eyes, and fine-boned faces. They were beautiful and everything I wasn’t.

“Excuse me,” I said. “I’m looking for Ava Roqueze.”

“Who are you?” a fae with pearl-white hair asked. I assumed she was the leader.

“Her sister,” I responded.

“I didn’t know she had a sister,” the fae said.

“Do you know where she is?” I asked.

“I haven’t seen her on campus since she got kicked out of college,” the white-haired fae said.

I suddenly felt lightheaded. “When was that?”

“Two months ago,” she added. “She copied another student’s test and was caught.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Ava was one of the smartest girls I knew and had no need to copy off anybody.

“When you find her, tell her that I, Quinn Silkbreath, send my regards.” Her smile was beautiful, yet I didn’t like it. It felt like she was hiding something sinister behind it.

“Thank you for your help, Quinn,” I said.

I left the campus with my thoughts racing. Had my sister become a drug dealer because she was desperate to do something after she got kicked out of school? Clearly, my mother didn’t know she had been expelled – if she had, she wouldn’t have told me that Ava was studying to be a doctor.

I had to talk to her, so I headed to the next place I thought she might be – home. I reached the light pink building and found the door unlocked. Jacob must be at work, and Kellie wasn’t home either. I wasn’t sure how she spent her time.

I closed the door behind me and went upstairs to Ava’s room. I found it filled with books, notes, and papers and grimaced. She was putting up one hell of an act, pretending to still be in college. Ava lay asleep on the bed, and for a moment I considered leaving her. But I couldn’t. She clearly needed help. I approached her and gently shook her awake. She rubbed her eyes, sat up, and sighed when she saw me.

“What are you doing here?”

I sat down on the bed next to her. “We need to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” she said.

“I have a lot to say to you,” I said. “I know you got kicked out of medical school.”

“How do you know that?” She grew suddenly tense.

“Quinn told me.” I said.

My sister’s mouth twisted.

“She says you copied off another student. Is it true?”

Her expression softened. “No one has ever asked me that. Everyone just assumed I did it when she accused me.” She licked her lips. “No, Natka, I didn’t copy off another student. She copied off me, without my permission, and when the teacher realized our papers were the same, she called us in. The other student blamed me – and I knew there was no point in defending myself; no one would believe a human. So, I got kicked out.”

I touched her arm and was glad that she didn’t pull away. “Who was the student who copied from you?”

“Quinn Silkbreath.”

My gut twisted at this realization. That bitch had gotten my sister kicked out, and it made me feel like I could breathe fire. I understood why my sister had backed off – it was what we had been taught ever since we were little. We had to ‘let things go’ and ‘move on’. We had to avoid conflict because we were weaker.

No more.

I was done letting anyone walk over me. I was not going to take any vampire, mermaid or daimon’s shit ever again. If I kept my head down, they would only keep walking over me.

“You should go talk to the headmaster about it,” I said.

Ava shook her head. “I’ll be labeled a tell-tale!”

“And Quinn will be labeled a liar.”

“It’s not worth it,” she said.

Ava was too scared to speak up. “Is this why you’re selling drugs?”

She sighed. “I had to find something else to do. I can’t rely on Mom and Dad to support me forever.”

“I don’t think selling drugs is a wise choice.”

She gave me a hostile look. “You’re one to talk – working at My Night Habit.”

“I’m not selling drugs,” I said.

She chuckled. “You work for Devton Embers – head of drug selling and smuggling in Vesea.”

“What?” I choked out. I knew he was a part of The Risen and involved in some sketchy shit, but damn.

She raised an eyebrow. “Did you really move here without doing your research on the place?”

I swallowed. “Educate me.”

“I know Rhinsel Grosstreet is trying desperately to shut down the crime in Vesea. He is trying to get proof that the members of The Risen commit various crimes, such as selling drugs, smuggling, and even murder. But thus far, he hasn’t gotten anything on them. He got more angels and even spoke to Ryker Featherswallow about how he could improve security.”

I swallowed. “Ryker was here?”

She nodded. I hadn’t known where Ryker was every second of every day, but he had taken his job seriously, and he wanted to keep everyone safe. He knew my family lived here, I had told him, and wondered why he hadn’t told me he visited.

“Too bad Ryker spent most of his time with the mermaids.”

I was suddenly dizzy. Firstly, I thought about Lakelyn and wondered whether Ryker had been cheating on me. And then I thought about the safe Neron had promised me and then handed over to Bellevue. I felt sick.

My sister studied my expression. “You really loved him, didn’t you?”

I couldn’t get the words out, so I just nodded. Ryker had been my life. He had been my reason to get out of bed every morning.

“I’m sorry he killed himself,” Ava said.

I bit back my tears and involuntarily touched my wrists where the gloves concealed my scars. Then I thought about Devton saving my life because he saw how strong my will to live was. Ironic.

“If you’re ever having suicidal thoughts, promise me you’ll talk to me…” I managed to say.

Ava raised an eyebrow. “Why? You don’t answer the phone.”

“I swear, from now on, I will.” I met her gaze.

She hesitated and mumbled, “Okay.”

I got up from the bed. “I have to work, but we should hang out sometime.”

“I’ll give you a makeover. You sure as hell need it,” she responded.

I offered her a smile before leaving the house. When I checked my phone again, she had unblocked me.