Also by Stacy Claflin

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  Girl in Trouble

  Turn Back Time

  Little Lies

  Against All Odds

  Don't Forget me

  Tainted Love

  Take On Me

  Danger Zone

  Lady in Red

  Bayside Hunters

  Bayside Opposites

  Curse of the Moon

  Lost Wolf

  Chosen Wolf

  Hunted Wolf

  Broken Wolf

  Cursed Wolf

  Secret Jaguar

  Curse of the Moon Box Set

  Dark Sea Academy

  Mermaid's Song

  Mermaid's Heart

  Mermaid's Wish

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  Lost in Romance

  Gone

  Gone

  Held

  Over

  The Gone Trilogy

  Dean's List

  Indigo Bay Second Chance Romances

  Sweet Complications

  Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series

  Sweet Dreams

  Sweet Reunion

  The Hunters

  Seaside Surprises

  Seaside Heartbeats

  Seaside Dances

  Seaside Kisses

  Seaside Christmas

  Bayside Wishes

  Bayside Evenings

  Bayside Promises

  Bayside Destinies

  Bayside Mistletoe

  Bayside Dreams

  The Hunters: A Collection

  The Transformed

  Deception

  Betrayal

  Forgotten

  Ascension

  Duplicity

  Sacrifice

  Destroyed

  Transcend

  Entangled

  Dauntless

  Obscured

  Partition

  Fallen (The Transformed Prequel)

  Silent Bite: A Transformed Christmas

  Hidden Intentions

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  Sweet Desire

  Valhalla's Curse

  Renegade Valkyrie

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  Silenced Valkyrie

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  Unleashed Valkyrie

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  Standalone

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  The Transformed Box Set

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  Alex Mercer Thrillers Box Set 1-3

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  Watch for more at Stacy Claflin’s site.

  Mermaid's Wish

  Stacy Claflin

  MERMAID’S WISH

  DARK SEA ACADEMY - BOOK THREE

  by Stacy Claflin

  http://www.stacyclaflin.com

  * * *

  Copyright ©2019 Stacy Claflin. All rights reserved.

  ©Cover Design: Rebecca Frank

  Edited by Staci Troilo

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental or used fictitiously. The author has taken great liberties with locales including the creation of fictional towns.

  * * *

  Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written consent is strictly prohibited. Do not upload or distribute anywhere.

  * * *

  This e-book is for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be resold or given away to others. If you would like to share this book with others, please either purchase it for them or direct them to StacyClaflin.com for purchase links. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

  * * *

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Valkyries, Werewolves & Vampires

  Other Books by Stacy Claflin

  Author’s Note

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Cheering and applause breaks out all around me. I don’t join in because I have nothing to celebrate. It’s the end-of-term assembly, and everyone else is leaving campus to enjoy their week off. Me? I’m sticking around to study and take my exams—the ones the other students just finished—while they’re off partying and having fun.

  Not that I want to party or have fun. I’m still processing, well, everything. My life has changed so drastically since arriving at Valora. And that’s putting it mildly. I have far more questions than answers.

  “You coming, Marra?” Bash asks.

  I pull myself from my thoughts and realize everyone is clearing the auditorium. “Oh, yeah. Right.”

  He helps me up. “Everything okay?”

  “Sure.” I haven’t told him or Halen the latest news. It’s too much. I hardly believe it myself, but it’s true. Not only are my mom and Tiberias planning on getting married, Tiberias is actually my father. I thought I killed my dad, but it turns out Drake Ayers was my uncle. So, if I’m going to be forced to fulfill the Queen Sirena legend, now I have to kill Tiberias—the kind and loving twin. The king everyone adores.

  That entire mess isn’t something I can bring to words. Not even to those closest to me. Maybe it’s because I was given the news at my dad’s funeral. I mean, my uncle’s.

  Why is this my life?

  Couldn’t I have been born to boring parents? Being invisible was so much better than this.

  Bash puts an arm around me as we exit. “You’ve been quiet lately. Anything you want to share?”

  I shake my head no.

  He kisses my cheek. “I lost my parents too, remember. If anyone knows how you feel, it’s me.”

  If only. “Thanks.”

  “It takes a while to process, but it does help to talk about it. Don’t keep it in too long. That’s what I did, and it wasn’t good.”

  “Wasn’t good how?” I meet his gaze.

  “That was the beginning of me getting in trouble all the time. I was carrying around so much hurt and anger, I blew up at the smallest offense. Let it out now. Don’t become me.”

  The corners of my mouth twitch as I take in his ridiculously good looks—his intense blue eyes and jet black hair, his sculpted features, and that crooked grin that always gets me.

  “Would that really be so bad?” I ask. “Becoming you?”

  “I’m not sure Valora could handle two of me.” He chuckles.

  “It wouldn’t be so bad, but I really should study. I have to take all three of my tests by Friday.”

  “That gives you a full week. Why not blow off some steam now? If anyone needs that, it’s you.”

  “I don’t know.”

  He gives me a sideways grin. “We could sing karaoke again.”

  My stomach knots. “I don’t ever want to sing again.”

  Bash stops and stares at me. “What? Is that why you haven’t been practicing with the band?”

  “Don’t you remember what happened last time we sang? Every guy in the bar passed out because of my voice.”

  “Because you sound like a siren. That’s what they do.”

  I frown. “How would that help the band if half your fans lose consciousness?”

  “With practice, you’d get it under control. You’d only make mermen pass out when you wanted to.”

  “How do you know so much?”

  “History class.”

  I should’ve known. “Why don’t you ever pass out at the sound of my voice?”

  He shrugs. “Because we’re singing together?”

  “Maybe I should study sirens before joining you guys. I don’t know what I don’t know. You know?”

  Bash snickers. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Maybe it just had something to do with the alcohol consumed—either by you or the guys in question.”

  “Maybe.”

  Rudder comes over to us. “There’s a party over at Earwyn’s tonight. Want to join us?”

  My stomach knots.

  Bash looks at me. “What do you think?”

  “Earwyn and her dogfish are the last people I want to see on spring break.”

  “Her parties are always the best,” Rudder says. “Think about it.”

  I take a deep breath. “I still have exams to study for.”

  Rudder smirks. “I could practice one of my new spells on them. Make them
be nice to you. Or they could grow an extra head. It’s a new spell, and could go either way at this point.”

  I laugh. “I wouldn’t mind seeing them grow extra heads. That could actually be entertaining.”

  “Let me know.” He swims away.

  Bash cups my chin. “You’d actually consider going?”

  “Maybe.” I shrug. “But then after that, I have to study. The last thing I need is to have to repeat the first year.”

  “Even if you do, Earwyn, Cove, and Vanya are all graduating. You’ll be free of them.”

  “I’m sure someone would rise in their place. There are plenty of people who resent me.”

  He rakes his fingers through my hair. “You forget that your uncle gave the edict for everyone to treat you as if they were dealing with him personally. Any harsh word to you is taken as a direct insult to him, and everyone loves him.”

  I sigh. “I wish people would just see me as me. They hated me from the start because of Drake. Now they’re being forced to be nice to me because of Tiberias.”

  He kisses my palm. “The only way they’re going to form opinions of you is if they spend time with you—like at the party tonight. If you keep hiding away from everyone, they’re going to keep believing you think you’re better than them.”

  “That’s what everybody thinks?”

  He doesn’t deny it.

  “Awesome.”

  Bash pulls me close and stares into my eyes, sending a shiver down my spine. “You’ll win them over. Once they get to know the real you, they’ll have no other choice but to love you. Just like you won me over despite my preconceived notion that you were like your dad.”

  “That’s what you thought of me?”

  He looks away for a moment before meeting my gaze and nodding. “Yes, and once people figure out how amazing you are, I’ll have to beat other guys off with a stick. Actually, maybe I should keep you to myself. Let’s not go to the party.”

  I smile. “Stop!”

  He winks. “You’ll go?”

  “Fine.” I sigh dramatically.

  “You will? You won’t regret it!”

  “That’s yet to be seen,” I mumble.

  “Let’s change out of these uniforms, then I’ll meet you in the dorm lounge. Tell Halen to join us.”

  “Can’t. Her parents picked her up before the assembly. They’re vacationing somewhere in the Atlantic and wanted to get an early start.”

  “Then it’s just you and me. We’ll take my motorcycle.”

  I snuggle close to him. “I like that idea.”

  He laces his fingers through mine. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better. I was really starting to worry about you.”

  “I appreciate that. And you’re right. It’s time to stop moping and start enjoying life. And really, what’s not to enjoy? I’ve got you as my boyfriend, and Earwyn will be out of my hair for a whole week.”

  He snorts. “Except we’re heading over to her house.”

  “I hope Rudder gives her a second head. Although that would be two mouths instead of one.” I shudder. “Maybe that wouldn’t be such a good idea.”

  Bash chuckles. “Probably not. But the good news is her parents’ place is enormous. We should easily be able to avoid her and her crew.”

  A sting of jealousy pokes me. I shove it aside. “You’ve been to her house?”

  “Are you kidding? That girl loves throwing parties. Anyone who grew up in Valora has been there multiple times.”

  I frown. “I’ve missed so much.”

  “Yeah, but you’ve also experienced things most of us never will up there. Things we couldn’t even imagine, from the sounds of it. Even though most people could go to the surface, how many actually ever will?”

  “True. That reminds me, I still want to reverse the spell keeping you from shifting your tail into legs. I want you to see the things most merpeople never will.”

  He flips his hair back. “Meh, I’m not worried about it.”

  “I’d love to show you around up there, even if we don’t stay.”

  We go up the dorm stairs and stop on my level. He kisses me deeply and gives me a dazed look before speaking. “And I love you for that. For now, let’s just focus on the party. Nothing else matters but making sure you have fun.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Nothing better than forgetting legends about having to kill someone I love.

  After another kiss, Bash heads up the stairs to his room and I make my way to my suite. Part of me still feels bad about having it—it’s meant for fourth-years. I honestly believe the only reason I got it is because Middlebrooks wanted to cause trouble for me, not because I’m the daughter of the king like I was originally told.

  The room feels so empty with Halen gone, but it’s only for a week. And besides, she was so excited about the trip. I can’t remember the name of the city her family is visiting, but it sounded romantic, like the underwater version of Paris.

  I take off my uniform and stare at my clothing options. There are all kinds of choices for parties—everything from casual to formal. It’s hard to know what to expect from Earwyn. I could see her going all out and expecting people to dress formally, but this is also the end of the quarter and everyone is going to be eager to blow off steam and not be stuck in uncomfortable clothes.

  I’m overthinking this. I grab a cute shimmery teal dress that’s both attractive and comfortable, and can also be dressed up or down. After fixing my hair, I add a strand of pearls that I can stuff into my pocket if everyone is casual.

  Knock, knock!

  I thought Bash was going to meet me in the lounge. Guess he couldn’t wait. I open the door with my best smile.

  Middlebrooks is there.

  My heart sinks and my face burns. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m passing along a message.” She looks me up and down.

  “What?”

  “The king requests your presence at the castle, but it looks like you have other plans.”

  “Actually, I do. You can relay the message to him. And also let him know I have to study this weekend and the coming week. The whole week.”

  “I don’t think he’s going to be happy to hear that.”

  “I’m sure he’ll get over it. Maybe if I had a shell phone, I could tell him myself.”

  “First years aren’t allowed phones.”

  “Then you’ll have to tell him. Excuse me.” I squeeze past her and close the door.

  She looks like she wants to say more but doesn’t. I almost feel bad for her. She lost someone too. Not only that, but she was planning on becoming queen. Now she’s back, stuck being the dean of mermaids.

  But it’s hard to feel bad for someone who almost single-handedly was behind the majority of my misery here at school.

  I head for the lounge.

  “You didn’t have to kill him, you know.”

  I spin around and study her. She hasn’t lost an ounce of her arrogance. “He didn’t leave me any other choice.”

  “He could’ve defeated Tiberias. He’d done it before.”

  “But he couldn’t defeat me. And I wasn’t going to let him get away with torturing my friends.” I narrow my eyes. “I won’t let anyone get away with that.”

  Color drains from her face.

  Maybe the end of this school term is also the end of me being the victim of circumstance and bullies. I hold my head high as I continue staring her down and come to a decision.

  It is the end of that era.

  Chapter 2

  Bash parks his bike by a bunch of other ones and removes his helmet before helping me off. I hand him mine and shake out my hair, then take in the sight before me. Earwyn’s house is enormous. Obviously, it doesn’t compare to the castle or the academy, but it’s a mansion. Way bigger than the house I lived in on land. The perfectly manicured front yard is bigger than our entire property had been.