by Belle Malory
“Haven’t seen one of those in years.” Master Themus’s deep, bellowing voice startled me, causing me to nearly jump up off the floor. The elderly gatekeeper often lurked in the shadows, preferring to stay out of sight and away from students. Since I first started coming here, he hadn’t spoken more than a few words to me.
I swallowed, narrowing in on his dark, hunched silhouette. “Do you know what it is?” I asked him.
“Course I do. It’s a parchwyn.”
“A what?”
“It allows two people to communicate through writing. You pen your message, and the other scribe replies. Their words appear in your book, yours in theirs.”
“Ah.” I grasped the basic mechanisms. “In the human world, we have texting for that.”
“The book carries your words in secret. No one else can read what you have written, and the same goes for the receiver. Many used them during the Uprising. Back then, they were worth their weight in gold.”
“Interesting.” I picked up the quill, wondering how it could write without ink.
“You must prick your finger,” Master Themus instructed me. “Allow a few drops of your blood to bleed onto the page.”
I nodded. “Like a security code.”
Master Themus shrugged, then disappeared behind a mirror.
I looked down at the book again. Zack still hadn’t arrived. I had some time to kill. Before I could overthink it, I grabbed the quill and pricked my index finger. Several drops of red blood fell onto the page, disappearing instead of leaving a stain.
I blinked. After a few seconds, words appeared. Blurry at first, and then they sharpened as if they were being written before my eyes.
Hello Daughter,
I hope this parchwyn finds you well. It has come to my knowledge that your sister enrolled at Arcadia. While my first instinct was to act swiftly, I have had time to reflect on your feelings. In fact, I have thought many times over about how we left things. I don’t like that we parted on bad terms.
I know you don’t want to end Riley’s life, but at the same time, I fear for yours. Everything I sacrificed was for you to have a better one. It pains me to think it could all be for nothing. That being said, I don’t want you to suffer the loss of your sibling either. Therefore, I will accept the bargain you offered. I won’t make any attempts on her life. For now.
There are a few mages skilled with curses here in the Underworld. I will ask around to see if anything can be done. Or rather, undone. Try to find some other remedy, if it exists. If one can’t be found, well, then I must carry on with my original plan. I refuse to lose you again. But my darling girl, I hope it will not come to that.
If you ever need me, I am here, ready to read anything you wish to write about. Even if all you want to do is vent, send me your list of grievances. I will happily read anything you write. Tell me, how have you been?
Love always,
Your Mom
I looked away from the notebook, swallowing a deep breath. Petra telling me she wouldn’t kill Riley came as an enormous relief. Because if anyone could do it, she could.
For a while I sat there, wondering how to reply. Or even if I should. I drummed my fingertips along the blank page, going over Petra’s last line in my head.
Tell me, how have you been?
I didn’t know why, but it felt strange yet comforting that she wanted to hear about my little life. Finally, I took the quill in hand, penning a few short lines.
Mom,
That already looked weird. I scratched it out, thinking about what to call her. Addressing her as my mother didn’t sound right, but neither did Petra. Maybe I was overthinking this.
P—
Thanks for the parchwyn. Also, thanks for not killing my sister. As far as my part of that bargain goes, I’ve found a way to dual-enroll in both Aphrodite and Ares classes. How, you may ask? Well, you’ll be delighted to know your daughter is a geniox. I’m sure you are as surprised as I was to discover this. (If anyone asks, tell them genioxes run in our family tree.)
In other news, I’ve summoned my soul weapon. They say that’s a pretty big deal for a first year. It’s a bow and quiver of arrows. I’ll have to take up archery now—ironic considering I have my own archer in Aphrodite.
About the curse…I’ve been using my bibliomagery to research. Have you heard of Persephone’s Cure? I read about it in a book from Twilight Island. If it’s legitimate, it could be the answer we’re looking for.
-S
Satisfied with what I’d written, I took another deep breath. That breath was shakier than I anticipated. Petra’s approval didn’t matter. Or, at least, it shouldn’t. She was a means to an end. Someone who could help me lift this curse. That’s all. I didn’t care about her or what she thought. I certainly didn’t care if she was proud I summoned a soul weapon. Why had I even bothered telling her that?
“Hey, sorry I’m late!”
I glanced up as Zack bounded around the corner, his brown curls flying.
“No biggie.” I slammed the parchwyn shut and stuffed it back into its box. “Ready to get started?”
He stopped to catch his breath, his cherubic cheeks flushed. If I didn’t know he was over one hundred, I’d swear he was the cutest kid I’d ever seen. “Yes, but I hear we’re both archers now,” he said with a wink. “Do you even need me?”
Blood rushed to my own cheeks. “My arrows aren’t full of lust.”
“Then what good are they?”
“They’re pretty good at making one bleed.”
He shook his head, letting out a mock sigh. “Come on, Sheridan. Time to take off your Ares cap, so we can help these humans fall in love.”
I gestured toward our mirror. “I can wear both caps.”
“We’ll see about that.” He snorted. “Have you named it yet?”
I trailed my fingers over the golden bow, settling over the glittering gemstones. “I have a name in mind.”
“Say it aloud.”
“Polaris.”
As soon as the name left my lips, the bow and quill vanished. As easy as that.
“Now, onto more pressing matters.”
“Right.” Mia and Ben. “Lead the way.”
We stepped into the Mirror Realm, and my stomach immediately tied into knots—because Mia was feeling the same way. Zack once mentioned I would begin picking up on my subjects’ emotions. I thought it would be good to know how they felt, but the ability added another distracting layer to this dimension, making it that much harder to focus.
We arrived during a tutoring session. The two of them sat with their desks opposite each other, and Mia went over the study guide for their next test. Her hormones surged every time she stopped to look at him, but Ben was clueless. She was the reigning queen of poker faces, keeping her feelings on a tight lock-down.
While watching the two of them together, I tapped my chin, wondering why. What did she have to lose?
“These two are hopeless,” Zack sighed. Even he was getting impatient with their stubbornness, and he’d helped far more people fall in love than I had. “Desperate times call for desperate measures. We need to draft a potion.”
I shook my head. “I have an idea.”
Mia left her desk to get a bottle of water from the school’s vending machine. When she returned, I whispered a spell. “Inconcinnus.”
As if I’d stuck out my foot, Mia tripped. Ben reacted immediately. He caught Mia just as she was going down, and she landed hard against his chest. The water bottle fell to the floor, unnoticed.
“Are you okay?” He sounded worried.
She stared up at him with her big, brown eyes. A surge of hormones and desire radiated throughout the room. Both Zack and I watched the two of them, on the edge of our metaphorical seats. Come on, Ben. Don’t blow this opportunity.
Trouble was, he was used to girls chasing him, not the other way around. I wasn’t confident he could pull this off.
At first, he leaned away, but then he stopped himself.
I could see it—the moment he recognized that look in Mia’s eyes.
“Go for it, you idiot,” Zack chanted behind him.
“Confidentia,” I whispered, hoping to grant him some courage.
He did it—he moved in close, pressing his lips against Mia’s. Behind him, Zack exploded in cheering. He jumped up and down, clapping his hands together as if he’d never been more thrilled in his life.
I waited a few seconds, gauging Mia’s reaction. When her hands slipped around Ben’s neck, a sigh of relief escaped. Zack rushed me, nearly knocking me down. I hugged him back, happy tears pooling in my eyes.
He laughed. “Ah, don’t go soft on me, Thorne.”
I quickly wiped my eyes, smiling. I couldn’t help it. Winning felt good, and this felt like winning. As small as the moment was, I knew I would be proud of it forever.
Once Zack settled down, he said, “What made you think to do that?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “Sometimes, it pays off to be the damsel.”
He, of course, had no idea what I was talking about.
“I knew if she fell, he would be right there to catch her,” I explained. “That’s just the kind of thing guys like to do for their ladies.”
“How did you know Mia would crack?”
“I didn’t.” Their kiss deepened, sending waves of pulsating desire throughout the room. “But I figured if I could get them touching, she wouldn’t be able to hide it any longer—maybe we should give them some privacy.”
Zack grinned. “It’s not like they can take it much further. Bet you the next study session takes place on a living room sofa!”
“You’re on,” I said as I headed toward the portal. “And for the record, I hope it’s a bet you win.”
10
Xander went MIA for the rest of the evening. He never came to the courtyard where we always ate dinner together. Apparently, my own love life was not as easy to manage. Too upset to eat, I gave my plate full of untouched spaghetti and meatballs to Birch.
The worst part was having to walk back to my dorm alone. Since there was no telling when Riley would conjure her next monster, Xander usually tagged along. But tonight, I went solo. The campus grounds were darker than usual, too. Shadows danced across the sidewalk. Leaves bristled against the trees. Even the night winds moaned a distant warning, but I wasn’t afraid. I simply missed Xander’s presence, and the way he held my hand as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
Just as I released a small sigh, I felt it. Familiar, magical tingles touching the back of my neck. I spun around, squinting into the dark spaces along the sidewalk.
“Xander?”
He didn’t answer. My gaze drifted up into the trees and through the spiral topiary bushes. He was nowhere to be found. Nowhere I could find him anyway. He clearly had no intention of revealing himself.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered against the cool night air.
Utter silence.
Fine, let him avoid me. Picking up the skirt of my toga, I carried on my way. He may not want to speak to me, but at least he cared enough to make sure I made it back to my dorm safely. That had to mean something.
Just as I rounded the corner to House Aphrodite, I stopped short, my heart slamming into my chest.
Three dark figures blocked the sidewalk, all of them dressed in black, with swords strapped to their backs. The hoods of their capes shadowed their faces, but their magic stood out like a flashing beacon. Sharp, cold, and invasive—it kept me frozen in place. I tried to step backward, but it felt as if my sandals were glued to the cement.
Maybe I should have been afraid.
I wondered what they wanted. This clearly wasn’t Riley’s doing. She was limited to summoning monsters, not assassin swordsmen.
“Sheridan Thorne of House Aphrodite?” one of them said in a gravelly voice.
They’re here for me.
I debated how best to convince them that I was anyone else. Before I could answer, footsteps padded across the concrete from behind me. Xander emerged from the shadows, swiftly moving between me and the swordsmen.
Aha—I knew he had been following me.
His presence alone was calming, given the situation. He kept his gaze laser focused on the three mysterious figures. “Leave.” His tone was deadlier than I’d ever heard it. “Now.”
Unlike myself, he seemed immune to their penetrating magic.
The middle one unleashed his sword. Xander muttered, “Dragontooth,” and his appeared in his hand, glowing a subtle blue.
“We can’t harm him,” said the one on the right.
A silent standoff lasted for several seconds, and I held my breath the entire time. It finally ended with a small nod from the middle swordsman. He sheathed his sword. Then, the three of them disappeared almost as fast as they had arrived.
Once they were gone, I swallowed huge lungfuls of air and stretched out my limbs. Their magic was unlike any other I’d experienced. I wasn’t sure what just happened, but a hundred different questions flooded my mind.
I looked to Xander for answers, but he didn’t offer any. “Go straight to your room, Sheridan.”
“Who are those swordsmen—”
“Do it before they decide to come back.”
Before I could stop him, he disappeared behind the trees. I gritted my teeth to keep from screaming. No explanations. Only orders. This was not okay.
I rushed up the stairs of House Aphrodite, taking them two at a time. I wanted to tell Ione, but when I got to the dorm, she wasn’t there. Out again, at yet another party. Ugh. I had hoped she might know something.
I looked around the empty room and let out a frustrated groan, my hands still trembling. They knew my name.
They were obviously looking for me, but nothing about it made any sense, and Xander acted as if I should pretend it never happened. Ha! Like that was even possible.
Throughout the night, I tossed and turned in bed until I couldn’t take it anymore. I considered impressing more books, but I wasn’t focused enough. My mind was firing in a million different directions, too scrambled for bibliomagery. Instead, I reopened the parchwyn.
I blinked, surprised. Petra’s reply was already there waiting.
I haven’t heard of Persephone’s Cure, but I will do some digging to see if I can find out anything.
As far as your other news goes, I am blown away. I didn’t receive my soul weapon until my junior year. Your father didn’t receive his until the beginning of his senior year. For you to achieve it at such a young age is incredible. Be proud of yourself, Sheridan. I certainly am!
11
In the middle of the night, I jolted upright in bed, my heart racing. An important detail came to me about the swordsmen. As they left, their black robes had swished behind them, a gold emblem flashing—one I’d seen before. In books, and on my mother’s robe. It was the serpent of the Underworld.
Hollows had come to Arcadia.
Looking for me.
I swallowed and lay back against my pillows, waiting for my heart to slow to a normal rate. While staring at the ceiling, I tried putting the pieces together.
Petra wouldn’t have sent them. They had forced her own pledge upon her, and she made it clear she didn’t want the same life for me.
I doubted this had anything to do with Riley either. She was after my blood, but as far as I knew, she wasn’t connected to powers that dark.
But if neither of them, then who? There were still so many unanswered questions.
Sleeping was impossible. The wheels in my mind whirled until daylight streamed in from the balcony and it was nearly time to go to class. Sighing, I threw my covers aside and got ready for the day.
When I returned from the bathroom, Ione was awake. She came back from her party pretty late last night, stumbling inside the room, and practically falling into her bed. “You’re up early.” She yawned and stretched.
“Couldn’t sleep.” I wondered if I should mention the swordsmen or keep it to myself.
Maybe I should wait until I spoke with Xander. “Have fun last night?”
She shrugged half-heartedly. “It was okay.”
“Did you get to see Peter?” I asked in a very obvious, pointed manner.
She stared at me for several long, intense seconds. This was followed by an eyeball. “He told you, didn’t he?”
“Told me what?”
Her expression darkened. “Don’t toy with me, Sheridan.”
“He may have mentioned something about unrequited love.”
“I’m not surprised.” She stood up, still in her toga from the night before. “He thinks this will make a difference. Well, guess what? It doesn’t.” She went to her vanity, rifling through her drawers, waving off the subject as if that were the end of it.
“First of all, he barely told me anything.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Second, I’m a little hurt that you told me nothing.”
She looked back to arch a brow at me. “Hurt?”
“Um, yeah.” I spoke as if it were a duh moment. “We’re supposed to be friends. Boy talk was a given.”
Ione snorted and continued gathering her shower supplies. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“You sure about that?”
She slid the strap of her bag over her shoulder, threw on some flip-flops, and grabbed a towel. “Peter is delusional.” She headed for the door. “But if there’s ever a boy to talk about, you’ll be the first to know. Promise.”
With that said, she slipped out into the hall before I could ask any more questions. I pressed my lips together, noticing how much effort she put into evading the conversation. Nothing going on, my ass. Whatever. If she wanted to be secretive, that was her prerogative.
I dragged through the morning, a paranoid zombie in a toga. Every shadow caught my eye. Every corner made me pause. Every Hades descendant made me do a double-take because their black togas reminded me of the swordsmen’s capes. Between classes, I ordered a large cup of coffee from the snack cart and tried to pull myself together.
