Page 95 of Why Cruise

He gave a gruff chuckle. “There’s much you have to learn about our world. Weres include hounds, which you probably know as werewolves, maos, which are cat shifters, and ursas, the bear shifters.”

“How many different shifters are there?” I asked, my head already spinning.

“In the most common varieties, ten,” Caesar replied. “But, every now and then, something new or something thought to have been extinct will pop up. I’m sure this all seems like a lot right now, and you don’t have to learn it all tonight. There will be plenty of time for that later.”

A group of teenagers came out of one of the many corridors. They were chatting happily, but when they saw Caesar and me, they stopped and fell silent. They looked at me with question marks on their faces, making me feel like some freak on display at a circus, and I refused to cringe under their scrutiny.

I knew how this worked. I’d been the new girl enough times to know never to show signs of weakness. So I stood tall and gave them a cool, unflinching look right back.

“It’s late, and you’ve had a very long and difficult night,” Caesar said, guiding me away from the onlookers and toward a staircase with a firm hand on my back. “Let me show you to your room so you can get some much-needed rest.”

At his suggestion, I suddenly felt the weight of my exhaustion crashing down on me. Nothing sounded better than curling up in a bed with a blanket over my head and letting the darkness swallow me away from my pain for a few precious hours.

I nodded and allowed him to lead me up the stairs.

As we walked, more and more students crossed our path, stopping to watch. Whispers followed us all through the building. I didn’t care to try to catch any of their words. I just wanted to get away from it all.

Seriously, what was their problem? Caesar said new students were brought in all the time. What made my arrival so interesting?

We came to a large pair of doors that were molded to look like arching waves with elegant mermaids swimming through them. Just as he was raising his knuckles to knock, the doors parted inward, and a tall, beautiful redhead greeted us.

“My dear girl,” the woman said. “I have been so looking forward to your arrival, and I’m so terribly sorry it had to be under these circumstances.”

How did she know what happened? Caesar didn’t call anyone.

The woman passed a knowing glance at Caesar for a second, and he nodded.

“This is where I leave you,” he said to me. “Celeste is the head of the mer dorms, and she will take it from here. I’ll be by again in a few days to check on how you’re doing.”

“Uh, thank you,” I said, not knowing what else to say.

He bowed his head, then turned around and stalked down the hall.

“Come, Arya,” Celeste said, beckoning me with an open hand that was creamy white and delicate. “Let’s get you settled in.”

I nodded and followed her through the double doors, eager to be done with this horrible night.

We came into a lounge room where a few teens were sitting on couches, talking, reading, or staring at illuminated laptop screens. Once again, students turned their heads toward me.

I chose to ignore the unwanted attention, keeping my gaze forward.

“How did you know?” I asked, casting sheepish eyes on Celeste.

Celeste nodded, her powerful green eyes glinting in understanding. “Some mermaids have the ability to see the future. I was the one who had the vision of you that brought you to us. But visions don’t always come in a timely manner. I only saw the death of your mother as it happened. I am so sorry.” Her pretty brow furrowed in genuine sympathy.

I had forgotten what Caesar said about Celeste’s ability. There had simply been too much information in the last hour to process it all. I sighed, resigned to the fact that I knew less about this world than any other person in this school.

We went up another short flight of steps and stopped at one of the many doors along the hallway. Celeste pulled a key cardout of the pocket of her black dress pants and unlocked the door, then handed me the card.

“This will be your room for as long as you’re a student here,” she said. “There’s a campus map and a class schedule on your desk.”

I walked into the modest bedroom and looked around. There was a comfortable-looking twin bed—complete with blue sheets and comforter—a dresser, a desk with a chair, and a closet. No window.

“Your teachers are expecting you in classes tomorrow morning, but I completely understand if you need a few days to mourn,” Celeste said softly.

I turned to face her. “No, it’s fine. I’m already behind. I’d like to start classes tomorrow.”

Celeste gave a long nod. “In that case, I’ll see you tomorrow in Transformation.” She backed out through the doorway and began to close the door, then stopped. “My door is on the main floor of the common room, under the stairs. If you need anything, please feel free to come and talk to me.”