by Belle Malory
Oh no, my legs.
They were a sickly green color. I drew up my arms, finding they were the same awful color. God, I must look like the Loch Ness monster.
Squaring my shoulders, I tried to not think about my appearance. I kept my eyes on the ground, putting one sopping foot in front of the other. It was over, I survived, and that was all that mattered.
Once the crowd of onlookers saw me up close, several gasps were drawn, accompanied by a slow, uneven applause. They seemed more impressed than disgusted. I should’ve guessed. Strength outweighed beauty in House Ares, and it looked like I fought off the mermaids with my bare hands. Little did they know, knowledge was what truly saved me. Thanks, bibliomagery.
Riley may have won this round, but she hadn’t knocked me out for good. Not by a long shot. Speaking of…I looked around for her, wondering what she thought of my survival. I scanned the shore, but she wasn’t there. Farther off, I glimpsed her red toga. She had packed up and was already halfway back to campus! Apparently, my dear sister didn’t care whether I lived or died.
Xander suddenly appeared at my side. His arms came around me, cocooning me in his warmth. “You didn’t give me enough time to get down. You almost…” He stopped, too choked to finish. I’d never heard that much emotion in his voice. He always held it together, always kept a straight face.
“Don’t.” I shook my head, not wanting him to beat himself up. “You couldn’t help me. You know that.”
Had he jumped in, it would have saved me a thrashing, but it would have cost me more in the long run.
“Your life is worth more than their approval,” he said, anger replacing the fear in his voice.
“I did what I had to.”
Being an outcast again was not an option, not while my murderous sister was building her own army.
“The spell I gave you didn’t hold, did it?” He shook his head. “I should’ve known it was too advanced. That’s how they got to you.”
I pulled back, without meeting Xander’s probing gaze. I didn’t want him to own any part of what happened tonight. All of this, including the consequences, fell solely on my shoulders.
Reina and Cassius caught up to us, both of them breathless. The look in their gazes were enough to tell me I was a hot mess. Reina handed me my toga, and I tugged it on, trying to shield myself. I didn’t want anyone, especially Xander, to see me like this. Bloody and bruised. Ugly.
Cassius cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the obvious tension. “Nice work, Thorne,” he said proudly. “You showed those sea bitches who’s boss, eh?”
Xander glared at him. “She almost died, Cass.”
“Just trying to lighten the mood,” Cassius said, frowning. “But she should be proud of herself. Not many mages could pull off what she did, not at her skill level.”
Grudgingly, Xander conceded that. “True enough.” He turned back to face me, his eyes tightening at the corners. “What happened down there?”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Xander. Please…just don’t look at me.”
I couldn’t stand it, seeing all the horror in his face. So, I walked away. I felt awful, but those mermaids had stolen more than my beauty. They managed to take some dignity too.
“Sheridan, come on,” Xander called after me. “You know I think you’re beautiful, no matter what.”
Pretty words, but I wasn’t in the right headspace to hear them. All I could think of was the way he liked to stroke my hair, and the way he gently touched the side of my face, gazing at me as if I were a precious commodity. He might claim it didn’t matter, but Xander liked my appearance well enough. And as shallow as it was, beauty meant a great deal in Aphrodite too. Now mine was gone.
Xander quickly caught up to me. “Hold on a sec.” His hand came around my arm, and I hissed at the sting from the scratches. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“I just had my ass handed to me, Xander.”
“It happens,” he said, with way more patience than I had left. “Not every match is a win. We win some and we learn from our losses. That’s the Ares way.”
I snorted. That wasn’t my way. Curling up in bed with a pile of books, crying for days, and trying to forget this ever happened sounded like the best road to recovery.
“There are spells that can help with healing—”
“Xander, stop.” My tone came out sharper than I intended. I appreciated what he was trying to do, but right now, I needed him to back off. “I want to be alone. I’ll see you later.” I shrugged out of his grip.
He let me leave, but I caught the pained look in his gaze before I walked away. As if I’d slapped him. Ugh, it only made me feel more horrible than I already did.
But I needed space. To wallow. To hide in shame. I would deal with the world again tomorrow, if I was brave enough. Tomorrow was a new day, after all. Hopefully, one with less hiccups.
7
“Sheridan!” Ione woke me with a startled gasp. “What have you done to yourself?”
I slit my eyes open, not ready to wake up and face the day just yet. It took me a few seconds to register what she was going on about. Then I remembered, bits of the previous night coming back to me, and I wished I hadn’t.
“Gods—your skin!” Ione’s face contorted in horror. She lifted my arm and let it fall back on the mattress, cringing at the dried blood and the overall greenness of it. “What happened?”
“I needed a makeover. You like it?”
Her eyes flashed, letting me know she didn’t consider this a joking matter. “You look like a beat-up toad.”
“Good, that’s exactly the look I was going for.”
She sat next to me on the bed, twisting one of my shortened locks of hair. “Tell me the whole story. Start from the beginning.”
I told her everything. She listened with wide eyes, truly devastated by what Riley and those mermaids had done.
After I was through, she set to work on mending my appearance with various potions and spells. To start, an elixir that would make my hair grow back by sunset. Next, a healing lotion for my skin. Then, an overall radiance and renewal spell. All of it, bringing me back, little by little.
Once she was finished, Ione looked me over with a sigh. “I can camouflage the green until it fades on its own, which should take a few days. The cuts won’t leave scars. You can thank your lucky stars for that.”
The cuts bothered me least of all. They reminded me, when it came to Riley, not to make stupid mistakes ever again. But the rest came as a wonderful surprise. I thought I would have to wait weeks to look and feel semi-normal again. “Thank you, Ione.”
“What were you thinking?” She said with a tsk.
“I thought I saw an opportunity.” My chance to get Riley to talk had vanished faster than it appeared. “I was wrong.”
“That sister of yours deserves to be locked-up on Winter Island.”
The Mythonian prison would be an ideal place for Riley. I wouldn’t mind seeing her behind bars, but I would rather find a way to trap her in the Underworld for six months. Then, I could truly be done with her.
“To be this cruel…” I sighed, lost for explanations. “She isn’t the person I remember. Then again, it wasn’t like me to try to kill her either. The curse is poisoning us both.”
“At least one of you is self-aware.”
“Oh, Riley knows exactly what’s happening. She just doesn’t care.”
“And what about my brother?” Ione tapped her foot against the rug. “How could he stand by and allow this to happen?”
“To be fair, I didn’t give him much choice.” Xander’s pained face filled my mind again, and the guilt flooded back. “He didn’t want me to take that bet in the first place.”
“He should have carried you out of that house and never looked back. On Zeus’s grave, Sheridan. Why you feel the need to be part of House Ares is beyond me.”
“It’s in my blood, Ione.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but a knock came at our
door, and an envelope flew out of the mail slot. Ione bent down, arching a brow. “It’s for you.” She handed it to me. “From Professor Thorne.”
I hadn’t heard from Grandpa since Riley first arrived at Arcadia. If there was news from him, it meant there was news about Dad! I tore it open straight away.
Sheridan,
As I suspected, your father’s disappearance involved foul play. I found him in your Davidson home, locked under an entrapment spell set by your sister. The spell prevented him from leaving the house or contacting anyone for help. Don’t worry though, I reversed it and freed him. He’s doing okay, for the most part. His pride is suffering. Being tricked and outmatched by his teenage daughter will have that effect.
In any case, we are on our way back to Arcadia. However, the journey will take several days longer than usual. Your father can’t travel by portal as the residual effects of the entrapment spell prevent him from using magic until he is fully healed. Again, don’t worry. We’ll be there soon enough.
In the meantime, stay away from your sister. Far away! I can safely ascertain she is plotting something. What that something is, I can’t say, but don’t underestimate her abilities. Your father did, and you see where that got him. When I arrive, we will sort this mess out together, as a family. Until then, stay safe, Sheridan.
Love,
Grandpa
The letter crumpled between my fingers. How dare she. Imprisoning our own father! My god, the lengths Riley would go to see me killed were endless. And here I was, blaming Dad for sending me here with no communication, and the whole time, he was trapped inside of our house.
I needed to sit down.
“Everything okay?” Ione eyed me cautiously as I lowered onto my bed.
“It will be.”
Blood boiled in my veins. The Fates were wrong about my future. House Ares wouldn’t be the catalyst that pushed me over the edge.
Riley was.
By breakfast, my rose gold locks were already touching my shoulders. As far as my appearance went, it was almost as if last night never happened. Almost. But just like Dad, my pride was suffering. I would’ve preferred lazing the day away in bed, moping. Then I thought of Riley gloating, and I thought better of it. I needed to go to class, keep my head held high, and put one foot in front of the other. I needed her to believe I was stronger than she thought.
In Basic Magic Principles, Jett sat in the seat next to me before class started. I hadn’t spoken to her since my abduction, nor did I care to do so.
“What are you doing?” I looked around. Plenty of empty chairs were vacant. Gah, this was what I got for being prideful.
Jett slung her velvet tote along the back of her chair. She looked different. Bags colored the underside of her eyes, like she hadn’t slept in weeks. Her short black hair stuck up in odd places. Even her magic felt different. Less invasive, and more invaded. “Er, I was hoping…well, I’d like to be friends again.”
This had to be a joke. “Seriously?”
She traded me for magic. For her to suggest we be friends again after that could only mean one thing. She had clearly lost her mind.
“I miss you, Thorny.” She said it so quietly and sincerely I almost believed her. But there was no trusting Jett. I learned that lesson the hard way. A lesson I didn’t care to repeat.
“No thanks.”
I hoped she would get the hint and leave me alone. She didn’t.
“I know what I did was wrong—”
“Wrong isn’t a strong enough a word.” I straightened my spine, every muscle in my body growing tense. “You nearly got me killed, Jett.”
“Believe me, I’m paying for it. This is harder than I ever expected. Hearing the voices of the dead—it never stops. I can’t escape it or shut them out. The last few weeks have been a living hell.”
What an ironic twist of fate. She had her biggest wish granted, but she was suffering because of it. “I don’t feel sorry for you.”
Her cool gray eyes tightened. “I suppose I deserve that.”
“That and more.”
“So do you think we can be friends again?”
“Try reading my mind.”
Screw you.
Jett rolled her eyes, sighing. “Look, I genuinely feel bad about what happened, but what’s done is done.”
You can shove your fake apology right up your—
“It’s not fake, but believe what you want. Anyway, I have something for you. A gift from your mom.”
“Oh, the two of you still keep in contact. How nice.” That, at least, made sense. They were peas in a pod, both evil as sin.
Jett slid a brown box wrapped in twine across my desk. “She said if you ever need her, all you have to do is ask.”
“Isn’t she a peach.”
Jett frowned. “I really am sorry, Thorny.”
“Why should you be? You got what you wanted.”
“True. I don’t know if I regret it…but I am sorry I hurt you. I really enjoyed being your friend. You know, if—”
“Class is starting.” I refused to listen to any more of this. She could be sorry all she wanted. What was the saying? Fool me once, shame on you—I was done being the fool mage.
I took the box though, shoving it into my bag. For better or worse, Petra might eventually prove useful. And unlike Jett, she would never try to kill me. If I ever managed to convince Riley to go to the Underworld, Mommy Dearest’s help would be crucial.
And if I couldn’t convince Riley? Well, I was liking the idea of destroying her more and more.
8
The day passed in a series of droll lectures and busy work. My riding instructor, Master Barnes, hadn’t given our class permission to ride the Pegasus descendants yet, insisting we dedicate the first semester to textbook instruction. We poured over the differences between breeds, all while I stared wistfully toward the stables. Students who owned their own winged horses were allotted riding time in the evenings, Ione being one of those students, and I was green with envy.
I tried talking to Xander in Weaponry, but he cut me off before I had the chance. Throughout class, he avoided eye contact and barely spoke two words to me. I didn’t analyze it, too concerned with my sister’s calculated gaze. When it was time to choose a sparring partner, she came for me. My blood turned cold as she marched across the field, laser focused.
I grabbed hold of the person nearest to me, Lev Lemons, and quickly partnered up with him. Riley’s hazel eyes flashed as she approached. “Really, Sher? Lev is the scrawniest kid here.”
Lev scowled at the blatant insult. He wasn’t scrawny by normal standards, only compared to other Ares students.
“He’ll do fine.”
I stayed locked on her, like she was a snake about to strike at any second. After the mermaids, I trusted her even less than before. Even worse, I didn’t trust myself. I wasn’t sure I could be near Riley without losing my temper. Sparring would no doubt send me over the edge, and I promised myself I wouldn’t go to that dark place again, no matter how hard she pushed.
The back of my neck tingled, and I looked behind me. Xander was watching the two of us, every muscle in his body stiff. He would be worried, and I didn’t want to worry him anymore than I already had.
Riley coughed to regain my attention. “Wouldn’t you like to actually hone your skills, Sheridan?”
Lev sputtered. “Now see here—”
“Don’t bother, Lev,” I said, keeping my gaze focused on Riley. “This isn’t about you. She’s baiting me.”
One corner of her mouth curved. “Not at all. What kind of sister would I be if I didn’t have your back?”
“Don’t you mean, stab me in the back?”
She shrugged. “In this family, what’s the difference?”
Sensing the tension, Lev stepped away. I lowered my voice so neither he nor anyone else around us could hear. “I know what you did, Riley. To Dad. If we fought right now, I couldn’t stop myself from killing you.”
An emo
tionless, cool smile pulled at her lips. “It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve tried.”
“This time I might succeed.” I ground my teeth together, infuriated at her for pushing this hard. In the open, no less, with a class full of spectators.
She stared at me for several long seconds, until it became clear she wasn’t backing down. I couldn’t fall prey to her tricks. I had to wait for Grandpa and Dad, so we could work this out as a family. Until then, I would do everything in my power to stop the curse from manifesting.
“Go away.” I turned my back on her.
As I left, several groans of disappointment sounded. I ignored them, telling myself it wasn’t worth the fight. Besides, everyone knew about the mermaids. They knew I wasn’t weak.
After class, I tried approaching Xander again. His blue eyes drifted over me for the briefest of seconds. “Are you okay?” He must be referring to last night.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I forced a breath. “Your sister patched me up.”
“Good.” He swallowed. “But hey, I’m late for my next class. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Frowning, I nodded. “Okay.”
My shoulders slumped as he rushed off. I couldn’t blame the guy. I’d probably avoid me too.
I tried not to worry over it.
If that were possible.
9
The rest of the day passed too slowly for comfort, and my mind wandered in different directions.
Zack was late getting to the gateway room for our Mirror Realm period. Idly drumming my fingers against Petra’s package, I sat alone on the stone floor, surrounded by endless mirrors serving as portals between realms. In one of them, my subject, Mia, listened to a Physics lesson. Much like myself, she fidgeted in an antsy, restless manner.
I stopped drumming and looked away from her, figuring I might as well open the package. Otherwise, I’d never give Mia and Ben the attention they deserved.
I pulled at the string and tore the lid from the box. Inside was a leather-bound notebook with a black quill attached. I opened the book, flipping through the pages. All were blank.
