Descendants Academy: Young Adult Urban Fantasy

by Belle Malory

  That was a relief. I didn’t care about my own future as much as I worried about Dad’s.

  “What of her enrollment?” Past asked her sister. “Should we allow it? What do you see?”

  Future’s eyes seemed to split me apart. “There are two paths,” she said, her words reverberating throughout my whole body. “Should she choose to embrace her true nature and conform to her Ares blood, she will thrive. In fact, this path gives her the potential to be quite powerful.”

  Grandpa clapped me on the back, looking more and more proud by the second.

  “But it comes with consequences—”

  The short-lived glory was ruined.

  “—as she will never return to her human life,” Future said.

  My stomach felt like it dropped out from under me. Never?

  “And her rage will consume her. If she can’t learn to master it, there’s a chance she will turn to dark magic. If that happens, it will come at the cost of many lives.”

  I couldn’t believe what she was saying. Me, the quiet girl who lived in her books—she thought I was angry enough to kill people? Before attacking Riley, I hadn’t harmed so much as a fly.

  My grandfather reached for my hand and squeezed. He was disappointed too. “Why must this be?” he asked Future.

  “Engaging in violence hardens her spirit. Her bloodlust will intensify as her power grows.”

  Once again, I saw those damned scissors puncture Riley’s skin. Future was right. I closed my eyes, remembering the way the blood seeped through her white shirt. Both of us stared in horror at what I’d done, both of our gazes twisted around the wound. For the first time, maybe ever, Riley looked at me with fear in her eyes. As much as I hated seeing that fear, it made me feel powerful.

  “There is another option,” Future suggested. “She can branch out in a new direction, learn a different type of magic, one that will provide balance and inner clarity.”

  “Which House?” Grandpa asked right away.

  “Aphrodite,” Future replied. “There she will find solace and forgiveness within herself and for those who have hurt her.”

  I nearly choked on that one. “The goddess of love?” I shook my head. “No way. I came here to get away from the problems that come from relationships.”

  “To learn the way of love is first to learn to love one’s self,” Future said.

  With the bitterness I carried in my heart, for both Connor and my sister, I knew that kind of magic would feel foreign. I didn’t want to forgive them, and I certainly wasn’t ready to forgive myself. “Give me a third option. Please.”

  But Future would not say another word.

  “We have spoken,” Present announced, banging her gavel once more. “You must make your choice, child. Ares or Aphrodite. We will approve your request for enrollment at Arcadia regardless.” The three of them simultaneously stood up to leave.

  No, no, no! This couldn’t be happening. It felt like a cruel joke. I wanted to scream at Future to come back, but she slipped out the door before I could find my voice.

  “Let’s go,” Grandpa said, steering me to the exit.

  “Neither of those options work,” I screeched. “They might as well have given me two different paths to jump off a cliff.”

  “Look, I’m not happy about it any more than you are, but the Fates are never wrong. We came to get their approval, and they’ve given it. We can’t ask for more than that.”

  His arm came around me, guiding me back out into the hall. My vision blurred as the events of the last day began piling up. Losing my friends, my family, and my boyfriend all at once…it was too much. My life was collapsing like a dying star. The light was so faint, I could barely see a way back home.

  7

  Grandpa seemed even more disappointed than I was. He latched on to what the Fates said about Ares making me all-powerful, and he didn’t want to let go. We idled through the shops together, both of us wearing the same glum expression as we gathered my school supplies.

  “Are you sure about this, Sheridan?”

  I tossed a container of dried flower petals into the cart, and gave him a look that said, really?

  “I just want to make sure you’re considering all of your options.”

  “Even if I ignored all the stuff they said about me turning to dark magic, they said I would never return home if I enrolled in Ares.”

  He snorted. “Is Davidson really all it’s cracked up to be? Your father can visit you here, you know.”

  “Seriously, Grandpa?”

  This place was a living dream, but it was supposed to be a temporary escape. A break while my sister and I cooled off. I had a real life to get back to. Real friends. Real relationships. College. He couldn’t just expect me to forget about all of that.

  “Okay, okay.” He held up his hands in defeat. “Just figured I’d ask. Didn’t know you’d be so touchy.”

  “How long did you plan to keep me in Mythos anyway?”

  “Your dad and I agreed on one full school year.”

  I swallowed. One whole year.

  I didn’t realize it would be that long of a break. “And after the year is up?”

  “Beyond that is entirely up to you. You’ll be eighteen at that point, but schools are different in Mythos. Since magic doesn’t birth until students are teenagers, their magical education continues well into their early twenties. I’m hoping you’ll choose to stay.”

  Easy for him to say, he hadn’t left his whole life behind. “If you like it so much, why don’t you live here?”

  “I do.”

  I rounded my gaze on him. “I thought you lived in Florida.”

  He shook his head. “I live in a beach house on Summer Island. The last few decades I’ve spent right here in Mythos, a large portion of that time spent teaching Magical Strategy at Arcadia. Before that, I worked for MEM.” I gave him a funny look, and he clarified, “Magical Enforcement Magistrate. It’s Mythos’s version of the FBI.”

  I balked. Was everything he told me a lie? “And the military?”

  “Actually, that was true. I gave it try for two tours. Most guardians like to step their feet in the human realm for a few years. It’s a rite of passage.”

  Good grief. All this time, all these years, he’d been living right here in Mythos, traveling back for the occasional visit.

  “Does Dad know about all of this?”

  “Of course, he does. Your dad could’ve chosen a similar path. Matter of fact, he was raised right here on Autumn Island, back before your Nana passed. But for his own reasons, he decided to live alongside humans.” Grandpa crinkled his nose in distaste.

  I shook my head, finding the whole thing difficult to swallow. “I still can’t believe Dad kept this from me,” I said, more hurt than I cared to admit.

  Grandpa shrugged, looking lost for words. “As you’ve experienced firsthand, Mythos is hard to believe when you’ve spent your whole life around humans. People only believe what they can see and touch.”

  The shopkeeper, a curvy woman in a green toga, smiled at me. “Need any help, dear?”

  “Yes, please.” I glanced down at my list. “I need magically enhanced pheromones, two rose quartz wands, and a half pound of cloves.”

  She nodded and went to retrieve the items.

  I tightened my grip around a bottle of red wine, then released it like a stress ball.

  A small sigh escaped. The way I saw it, I had two options—either sulk about being away for a year or embrace it. Yeah, Dad and Grandpa lied, my sister and ex-boyfriend sucked ass, and now I had to learn magic I had no inclination toward. But dammit, it was still magic, and this place was miles better than a detention center or boarding school for misguided teenagers. This world was part of my heritage. Better to soak it up and learn all I could while I had the chance.

  The shopkeeper came back with a basketful of items. “Here you are, dear.”

  “Thank you.”

  I turned to find Grandpa busy holding up a string of pe
arls that promised to make the wearer beautiful beyond compare. He shook his head as he put the box back, mumbling something under his breath.

  “Hey, Grandpa?”

  “Yes?”

  “Before we leave for Arcadia, will you show me where you and Dad lived?”

  A slow, happy grin spread across his face. “I’d love that, Sher Bear.”

  8

  The weekend passed quickly. We stayed at a hotel in the heart of the city, and Grandpa showed me around Autumn Island. He took me by the garden apartment where he raised Dad while he was working for MEM. We ate at several of his favorite restaurants, and he introduced me to a few of his old colleagues. A nice centaur named Ben, and a chatty Athena descendant named Willa. We visited a few landmarks too, historical sites, like the huge arena where gladiators fought with magic, and a few museums—my favorite being the Museum of Mythonian History. The quality one-on-one time was nice. It almost made me forget about Riley and Connor. Almost.

  On Sunday, we got my uniforms, which consisted of five togas. Two white, two lavender, and one pale pink. White was universally accepted by the school. The softer colors were to represent House Aphrodite. The local seamstress quickly filled me in on the different house colors, and what could be worn by whom.

  Bolder shades, like navy and gold were worn by Zeus. Sea colors, like turquoise and coral, belonged to Poseidon. Black and silver, Hades. Purple, Athena. Earthy colors, such as brown and green, were worn by creatures. And finally, red belonged to Ares, as well as the leather kilts and metal armbands I’d seen the gladiators wearing. I glanced at those wistfully for a moment before shaking myself out of it.

  On Monday morning, we took a ferry to Spring Island. The land was beautiful in a raw and untouched way, full of life, plants, and animals. Everywhere where I looked, there were flowers. They bloomed from bushes, grew along vines, hung from trees, and even decorated the walls outside of the Arcadian school buildings. The school itself was intimidating in its size, the buildings just as tall and grand as the ones back on Autumn Island. I took a deep breath as we headed inside the main offices, wandering through the towering Grecian columns.

  As the first bells chimed, I found myself sitting in the headmaster’s office, signed enrollment papers in hand. A short bald man rushed in the room, holding both hands to his wrinkled face. “Hold the stars, Franklin Thorne is back at Arcadia!” He wore a navy toga underneath a long white robe, a gold sash around his waist, and leather sandals that strapped up his calves.

  Grandpa stood, wearing a grin as equally big. “Titus Waddley. How are you, old friend?”

  “How am I? Ecstatic! Especially if you’re here to take up your old teaching position.”

  “No, no.” He shook his head, then nodded toward me. “Here to enroll my granddaughter.”

  Headmaster Waddley’s bright brown eyes widened. His attention shifted to me, and much like the gladiator’s magic, Waddley’s was strong enough to feel. It zipped through me curiously, smelling studious, like an old library full of leather-bound books, parchment, and fresh inkwells.

  “A granddaughter, you say?” Waddley held out his hand. “Pleasure to meet you…”

  “Sheridan Thorne,” I said, shaking it. Standing there in my blue jeans and gray zip-up sweater without a trace of my own magic present, I felt unremarkably human under his assessing gaze.

  “You’re Daniel’s daughter?”

  I nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  His friendly expression turned serious, the lines in his forehead deepening. He glanced once at my grandfather, and the two of them seemed to share a private thought.

  Weird—what was that all about?

  Waddley took my enrollment papers and read through the forms. As he sank into the chair behind his desk, he raised one silver brow. “What’s this? Aphrodite, you say?”

  Grandpa rolled his eyes. “Absolutely repulsive, isn’t it?”

  The headmaster chuckled. “Nothing repulsive about love magic. I’m just surprised that the daughter of Daniel Thorne would take it up, that’s all.”

  “The girl has her reasons,” Grandpa said, still sour-faced. “Recommendation of the Fates.”

  “Ah, I see.” Waddley set the papers down. “The thing is, we don’t advise the switching of houses. It’s an unnatural progression to our instinctive magic. Sheridan may not be able to find her place in Aphrodite. Why not Athena?” he suggested. “She would do well there, I have no doubt.”

  Grandpa coughed uncomfortably. “The Fates didn’t suggest Athena. Titus, you and I both know switching magic has been done before.”

  Waddley considered that. “Yes, that’s true. Matter of fact, we currently have an Ares student who descends from Aphrodite, and he’s performing quite successfully. But his are special circumstances; it’s not something we encourage.”

  “Sheridan’s circumstances are special as well,” my grandfather said. “If the Fates saw reason to suggest it, there should be no issue.”

  “True enough.” Waddley tapped the surface of his desk, thinking. “All right. We’ll place her in Aphrodite on a trial basis. Let’s say, one semester for review.” He turned to me, holding out his hand. “Sheridan, welcome to Arcadia. I’ll get you set up with a schedule and dorm room straight away.”

  I smiled, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders as I shook his hand. “Thank you, Headmaster Waddley.”

  “As for you, Franklin, are you sure I can’t interest you in a teaching position? The increase in salary would be significant, you know. Double, maybe triple, what you were earning before.”

  “No, no.” Grandpa shook his head. “Those days are long behind me, Titus.”

  Waddley frowned. “That’s too bad. We could use someone with your background. If you ever change your mind…”

  “You’ll be the first to know.”

  “Damn, Grandpa,” I said as we exited the headmaster’s office. “You’re a rock star around here. The headmaster was practically begging for you to come back to work.”

  He snorted at that. “I simply did my job well, and there is a shortage of good teachers.”

  “Why didn’t you take him up on his offer?”

  Not that I wanted him to teach again. Having my grandfather hang around at my new school like a helicopter parent wasn’t a good look.

  “I’m trying to enjoy retirement, kid. If it weren’t for having to drag your stubborn ass here, I’d be sitting on a Summer Island beach, cocktail in hand.”

  I flinched. I had taken up a lot of his time. “I’ve been a major pain these last few days, haven’t I?”

  He shrugged. “Actually, the last few days have been enjoyable,” he said. “I’m glad we were able to spend time together, free of pretenses.”

  I grinned. “Yeah, me too.”

  We wandered out of the office and followed a long marbled hallway that led out into the courtyard. I was supposed to wait by the exit for my assigned student assistant to give me a tour of the school and show me to my dorm room. But before Grandpa left, there were a few questions I wanted to ask him.

  “Why did Waddley suggest House Athena?” I said, curious. “I mean if it’s the bloodline that matters, then—”

  “Your mother came from Athena.”

  I sucked in a sharp breath.

  My dad didn’t speak about her, the memories too painful for him. Yet twice now since arriving in Mythos, she’d been brought up. I wanted to know more.

  “Is that common? For people of different magic to have children?”

  “Not often, but it happens. The children will show signs of dominance in one area, and that’s usually the magic they end up pursuing.”

  “What happened to her?” I said, thinking of the stables and the encounter with Xander.

  Riley and I were told she died in a car accident. With all the new information I’d been given about my family’s history over the last few days, I knew it was another lie. There was nothing that belonged to her at home, no pictures or old belongings. My friend Sophia�
��s mom died of breast cancer, and her home was practically a shrine full of pictures.

  “Is she dead?” I said, my voice breaking slightly.

  Grandpa stared at me hard for a long time. His mustache twitched, and it looked like he was debating what to say. After a few long beats, he sighed. “As far as I know.”

  “In a car accident?” I pressed.

  “Sheridan, you should ask your Dad about this stuff.”

  “I deserve to know the truth, Grandpa.” I dug my heels into the floor, refusing to keep walking. “Look around. Dad isn’t here.”

  “It isn’t my place,” he said, frowning. “Write to him. He’ll open up now that you’re here in Mythos and have a better understanding of what you are.”

  As much as I wished Grandpa would tell me himself, I knew he wouldn’t.

  “Fine,” I mumbled, reaching for the handle on my suitcase. At the end of the hall, there was a bench where I was supposed to wait. I stomped over to it and took a seat.

  Grandpa stuffed his hands into his pockets, frowning as he looked down on me. “I’m sorry I can’t tell you more, but it’s nothing you should worry yourself over. Focus on your studies and on finding your place.”

  I nodded, knowing I could use some of that peace the Fates mentioned would be found in Aphrodite. Something else was nagging me though. “Why wouldn’t the Fates suggest Athena?” I said, pressing my palms against the edge of the bench. “I mean, if my mother if from that bloodline, wouldn’t it make sense?”

  “I don’t know.” Grandpa scratched the top of his head. “Perhaps Aphrodite will give you something Athena can’t.”

  “Balance and inner clarity.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Exactly.” He grinned. “Listen, be careful, okay? Spring Island itself is pretty safe, but Mythonian culture is different than it is in the human world.”

  “I already gathered that much, Grandpa.”

  “Just…look out for yourself. Don’t be too trusting.”