The Dark Sea Academy: The Complete Trilogy

Excerpt

The wailing won’t stop. It’s growing louder by the moment.

I grope at the things on my nightstand, knock a few items to the floor. When I finally find my phone, I manage to silence the shrill alarm.

Fatigue squeezes me. Did I get any sleep? I’ll have to open my eyes to find out.

Seven-thirty.

No! I overslept. Why today? I fling off my covers then scramble out of bed, almost crashing to the floor because of the tangled blankets. Halfway across my room, I trip over a shoe. Then my backpack. Nearly slam face-first into the corner of my desk.

Mom’s right. I really should pick up this mess I call a bedroom.

This isn’t how I want to start today. There’s too much on my calendar to be running behind so early. Big track meet. Spanish test. Something else. Can’t remember what, though. The history project? No, that’s not it. Oh, right. College applications. I have to get those tedious things submitted.

My phone trills an upbeat tone.

A text this early? Only my best friend would reach out at this hour. I glance at the screen. Yep, it’s Ivy. I read her message on my way to the bathroom.

Ivy: Marra!! Emma says Roman likes YOU!

The proclamation is followed by a bunch of hearts and kissing emojis.

I nearly drop the phone into the toilet. Roman Lewis likes me? The hottest guy in school? She has to have gotten her signals crossed. Like a bad game of Phone we used to play as kids—when someone purposely changes the message as it travels around the line. Admittedly, it was usually me.

Not this time. Someone is messing with me now. My heart races faster than my mind as I wash my face. No way Roman likes me. It’s a cruel joke. There are tons of prettier girls to pick from. More popular ones. Sure, I’m the school’s best runner. The trophies along my walls prove as much.

But nobody cares about track.

My phone rings.

Don’t be Roman.

It’s Ivy.

Relief washes through me. I accept the call.

“Marra! You saw my message. Why didn’t you reply? Can you believe this?”

I take a deep breath on the way to my room then dig though my closet for something to wear. Something cute, just in case she’s right about Roman.

Even though she’s not.

“Hello? Earth to Marra.” If Ivy were here, she’d be waving her hands in front of my face. Thankfully, she isn’t.

“Where did you hear that rumor?” I hold up a lacy teal top that brings out my eyes.

“Straight from Roman’s best friend’s sister.”

I hold back a groan. Definitely a bad game of Phone. “Doesn’t sound promising. I’m not going to hold my breath.”

I choose the shortest skirt allowed by the school dress code. I hate wearing skirts.

“It’s Roman Lewis!” Ivy squeals. “He likes you.”

“Doubtful. And besides, I have important things to think about today. Like that track meet and filling out the rest of my college applications. I hardly have time to think about him.” I put my phone on speaker to get dressed.

“Don’t remind me. The things are driving me crazy. You still applying for Princeton?”

“Harvard.” I zip the skirt.

“Think you’ll get accepted?”

“I’ll only know if I apply, and that isn’t likely to happen if I’m distracted thinking about Roman.”

“You know, you two could always fill out the applications together.” She sighs like that’s the most romantic notion on earth.

I hate to admit I like the way she thinks, so I change the subject. “How are things with Jackson?”

“We’re gonna break up.” Ivy’s tone sours. “It’s just a question of who dumps who.”

“That bad?” I peer into my vanity mirror and bemoan my hair, which is sticking out in every direction. Too late to wash it. “What happened?”

“We never text anymore, and when we talk, it always ends up in an argument. Always. Last night, we fought about who would make it into the Super Bowl. How lame is that? Maybe you can talk Roman’s best friend into dating me.”

“You make it sound like Roman’s my boyfriend. It’s not going to happen.” I pull my hair into a bun. Still messy, but at least it looks like I meant it that way. “And besides, maybe you can work it out with Jackson. You like him too much to give up so easily.”

“Let’s talk at school. Mom’s on my case to get out the door.”

I glance at the time. Definitely running late. “Okay. See you there.”

We end the call, and I apply some eyeliner. I don’t know why I try. With my strawberry blonde hair, super pale skin, and freckles, there’s no way Roman even knows I’m alive much less has any interest in me. There’s nothing interesting about me.

Why did Ivy have to say anything about it? Now that’s all I’m going to be thinking about.

I add some mascara and lipstick. Not really much of an improvement.

Knock, knock!

“I’m almost ready!” I rub in my foundation. Should’ve done that first. I suck at this. Ivy would be so disappointed.

“You want me to make you a green juice, hon?” Mom calls.

“Yeah, thanks!” I’m glad she’s offering to help instead of chewing me out for running late.

I finish getting ready, stuff my books into my backpack, then head downstairs. And I’m thinking about Roman Lewis instead of the track meet. I need to think about that. And the Spanish test. My applications too. I need to forget about him. How ridiculous—Roman and me. As if that’d ever happen.

I skid to a stop in the kitchen.

My dad is sitting in his place at the table, sipping coffee. Should’ve left hours ago. He nods at a cup filled with green juice. “Sit, Marra.”

His tone sends a shiver down my spine. It’s made worse by the fact that he’s here and not at work.

Mom’s eyes are red, like she’s been crying. She won’t look at me, which makes me think she doesn’t want me to know how upset she is.

My heart skips a beat and I try to figure out what’s wrong. I hold out hope that it isn’t too bad, and I pretend not to notice her. “Can this wait? I’ve got a Spanish test today and my track meet this afternoon. College applications when I get home.”

Dad’s brown eyes look yellow for a second before turning back. Maybe I imagined it. He sets down his mug. “We need to talk now.”

I nearly choke on my juice. “Why?”

Mom sits at her spot, keeping her gaze down. Dad stares at me.

“Sit.” Dad has such an air of authority. His eyes narrow, but not like he’s mad. Just warning me.

Pulse pounding, I sit. My brain scrambles to figure out what they’re not telling me.

“Nobody’s sick, are they? You’re not dying, are you?” I glance back and forth between the two of them. There’s no way I can handle losing someone else. I look at the empty chair and my heart aches. “What’s going on?”

Mom and Dad exchange a look. One of those looks parents give each other when there’s bad news. I wish they’d just tell me what’s wrong. Is one of them going to die? My throat closes up. I don’t want to lose either one of them. Sure, we have our differences, but I can’t live without them. I can’t.

Dad reaches across the table to take Mom’s hand. She looks away and blinks quickly. He places his other on top of mine.

I break out into a cold sweat. “Who’s dying? Is it me?”

He gives me a kind smile. “Nobody, sweetheart.”

It takes me a moment to realize what he just said. I look between them again. “You’re not sick? I’m not?”

They both shake their heads. Then exchange another look before Dad clears his throat. He gives me an apologetic glance, but his eyes shine with excitement. “We’re moving back to Valora.”

There’s no way to describe my shock. To say someone yanked the air right out of the room wouldn’t do it justice. I can’t blink. Can’t speak or even breathe.

Mom scoots closer to Dad but keeps her gaze on me. Her eyes are definitely red. “Your … your—” She turns to look at him. “I can’t do this. You tell her.”

Dad turns to me. “Your Uncle Tiberias is dead.”

I haven’t seen him in years, but the news guts me. When I was little, he was my doting uncle. My mind flashes back to the moment I found out my younger sister Aria had died in the car crash. I struggle to breathe.

My dad says something, but I have no idea what.

Not only have I lost my uncle, but this affects every other aspect of my life too. I can forget about Roman, college applications, and getting a track scholarship. We’re moving to Valora.

I shake my head, and tears blur my vision. “No! I’m not moving back there.”

Dad frowns. “We don’t have a choice.”

“Can’t we just go to the funeral and come back?” I plead with my eyes, despite knowing the answer. It isn’t that simple. But there has to be a way out, and I’ll find it.

“With my older brother dead, I’m the new king of Valora,” Dad says. “There’s no avoiding it. And besides, we already missed the funeral. Not that we’d be welcome for it, anyway.”

I jump from my seat. “But you said we’d never have to go back! You promised!”

Mom wipes her eyes. “We never expected Tiberias to die so young.” Her voice cracks. “It’s a shock to everyone.”

I struggle to find a loophole. Then I realize the big one. “But Dad was banished! We can’t return. We can’t!”

He shakes his head. “We have to. Despite my differences with Tiberias, I’m the new leader now. My banishment is lifted.”

“I’m not going.” I dig my heel into the ground.

Dad gives me a sympathetic glance. “It doesn’t work that way. You’re next in line after me. You’re now the new heir to Valora’s throne.”

“No.” I step back, shaking my head. How can they throw all of this at me at once?

Mom gets up and wraps me in a warm embrace. “I know it’s a shock. But that’s where we belong. We aren’t meant to live on land.”

“I’m doing just fine, thank you very much. Yes, I’ll miss Uncle Tiberias. But I haven’t seen him since I was a kid, and I have my life here.” I step back and glare at Dad. “In fact, I’m doing so well that I’m going to get another track medal this afternoon. Then I’m going to Harvard. Notice how none of my plans involve an underwater city? Not one.”

Dad rises. “You’ll get a better education at the Dark Sea Academy than even at an Ivy League school. You’ll have far more opportunities as the king’s daughter. And you’ll be able to use your real gifts. Ones that don’t involve legs.”

“I’m not going anywhere!” I grab my backpack and run out of the house.