Deviant Descendants (Descendants Academy Book 2)

by Belle Malory

  I was brushing down Leis, a mare with a velvety brown coat that gleamed like chocolate, when I heard footsteps approach. The stall door opened and closed, and Riley stepped inside.

  I flinched at her sudden presence. “You’re not in this class.”

  “Nor would I ever be. Just the idea of flying horses…” She shivered. She had always been afraid of heights.

  “Then why are you here?”

  “To talk.”

  I was immediately suspicious. If there was one thing I’d learned about this new Riley, it was that she wasn’t the talking sort. The conniving sort, yes, but not talkative. “About what?”

  “Persephone’s Cure.”

  “You certainly didn’t have much to say about it last night.” My words bit with resentment as I remembered how hard I fought to get Dad and Grandpa to consider it while Riley sat there in silence.

  “Never reveal all of your cards, Sheridan. That’s my number one rule.”

  “Oh, believe me. I am well aware of your card tricks.”

  Her hazel eyes glinted. “Fighting with Dad and the old man is useless. Think about it. Dad already feels guilty because our mothers are both trapped in the Underworld. He will never, ever, not in a million years, agree to let us face the same fate.”

  This seemed like a pointless conversation. “Then what do you suggest?”

  “That we go anyway,” she said simply. “Without telling them.”

  Not tell them?

  The idea never even occurred to me.

  Riley laughed at my stunned reaction. “Always the good daughter, perfect Sheridan. The thought of disobeying Dad must truly rattle your brain.”

  I scowled. “Stop saying that.” Had she forgotten that I stabbed her with a pair of scissors?

  “My point is, there is no need to argue when we can just take what we want for ourselves. We don’t need permission.”

  I swallowed, thinking of Petra’s message. All the stones were falling into place. “You’re right.”

  “Of course, I am.”

  I stared at her, dazedly. “I should have realized it would come to this. It’s already been seen.”

  Riley crooked a brow. “Meaning?”

  I debated for several moments, wondering if I could trust her. Then I nearly laughed at the thought. Absolutely, no. When it came to trusting Riley, the answer was always no. I was pretty sure I’d have to keep my guard up for the rest of my life. But that still left me in the position of needing her cooperation. I didn’t have to trust her, but I needed to work with her.

  So, I revealed that Petra and I had been communicating. I told her about Selena’s premonition. After I finished, Riley let out a shaky breath and leaned back against the stall door. Even she hadn’t expected it to work out so perfectly. “That settles it. We’re going to the Underworld.”

  “When?”

  She gave me a look that made me think the answer was obvious. “At the start of fall. That’s when Persephone went.”

  Fall. She was right, of course. If we were going to do this, really do this, we needed to mimic Persephone. Fall was symbolic of death. And spring, rebirth. We would give six months in exchange for the rest of our lives.

  “Talk to your mom. Tell her to make the arrangements.”

  I nodded. “I will.”

  “Until then, we tell no one. We go on as if everything is normal.”

  “You mean, we go on torturing each other?”

  She grinned. “Exactly.”

  19

  Ione paced across our small dormitory, holding a piece of paper, her cheeks bright red. “How could he,” she said, seething. Preoccupied by whatever the paper said, she hardly even noticed that I walked in. But when she did—she furiously waved it at me. “You—did you know about this?”

  I shut the door and pressed my back against it, afraid to find out.

  Her gaze combed over me. “I can see by how quickly you’ve gone pale, you can guess.”

  “Is it from Xander?” I hadn’t seen him all day. Anywhere.

  She nodded. “My wretched, soulless brother left me a goddamned note to say he’s leaving me alone at Arcadia. No goodbye, no explanations, just this—” She crumpled the paper between her palms, threw it on the floor, then she stomped on it. “That’s what I think of your note, Xander!”

  I stood there dumbly, shock turning my body numb. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be real.

  After several more stomps, Ione suddenly looked up. “He really didn’t tell you anything about this?”

  I shook my head, my messenger bag sliding off my arm to the floor. “He didn’t even leave me a note.”

  She scowled at the crumpled, shredded paper. “It didn’t say much,” she said, her tone full of disgust. “Just that he’s sorry and he has to go. He doesn’t mention to where or when he’ll be back.”

  “Has he already left?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. This only came about fifteen minutes before you arrived.”

  Fifteen minutes—I wondered if that meant he was still on campus or if he was already gone.

  “Last time we spoke, he acted strange,” I admitted. “But he never told me he wanted to leave Arcadia.”

  “Did anything happen before that?” she pressed. “That would make him do something this desperate?”

  Like the way I outed him to Riley?—I winced. God, I hoped that wasn’t the reason.

  Then it occurred to me. The Hollowed Guard.

  Slowly, I walked to my bed, sitting on the edge. “A few nights ago, we encountered three swordsmen. He told me they were members of the Hollowed Guard and,” I swallowed, “he suspected your father sent them.”

  Ione lowered herself into the chair behind her vanity. “On Zeus’s grave,” she breathed, staring into space.

  “What does it mean?”

  She looked up at me and frowned. “I…I’m not sure.”

  But I didn’t believe her. She suspected something.

  She stood and dusted the skirt of her gown. “No matter. We have other things that demand our attention.”

  “Ione…I don’t think I can go to the ball.” My stomach twisted painfully. Every cell in my body felt as if it were collapsing.

  “Look, I’m just as upset as you are, Sher. But tonight is too important. Let’s get through it and worry about this later, okay?” She looked at me expectantly, and I could see that she was counting on me.

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  20

  Two hours later, we arrived at Arcadia’s ballroom. Ione had gone all out on my gown; and she’d chosen my favorite color—silver. It looked like something out of a fairytale with its tiered skirt made of a soft, wispy material. If I didn’t feel so awful, I would have felt like a princess floating on a cloud.

  The ballroom was dripping with crystals and sparkle lights. Thousands of roses linked together as a backdrop on the stage where the graduates collected their awards. The ceiling glittered with giant chandeliers and intricate murals. Everything was so pretty and vibrant, a stark contrast to my own mood.

  Every few minutes, they announced an award. As house leader, Peter did most of the presenting. I carefully studied the way Ione watched him. She kept a dead expression, but I saw a glimpse of emotion flash in her eyes. It only took a split second, but it was there. Pain. I knew that feeling all too well—heartbreak was an old friend of mine. I still wondered what happened between the two of them, but I didn’t bring it up again. Whatever was going on, Ione was determined to keep it private and I tried to respect that.

  Several of Ione’s friends bombarded us right away. We didn’t mention Xander’s disappearance, and they never suspected anything. The fake smiles, fake laughter—Ione was good at pretending nothing was wrong. Me, not so much.

  “Your aura has darkened,” Peter said, startling me just I stepped away from the crowd. He handed me a glass of bubbly champagne. “This is no night for a grim mood.”

  I took the flute from him, putting effort into anothe
r smile. “I forgot you can do that.”

  “Is everything okay?” he said, sounding genuinely concerned. “Ione’s aura looks just as bleak.”

  That’s how he got to her, I realized. Peter was the one person who could see through all Ione’s pretenses.

  “It will be.” With that said, I downed the entire flute. “It’s a beautiful party, Peter.”

  He beamed. “Thank you, Sheridan.”

  Throughout the night, I tried to socialize, interact, and to put on my best face, but it was difficult. After several mindless conversations, I couldn’t take it anymore. I scanned the room, looking for the verandah. Then, I fled there to get some fresh air and a few moments alone.

  Wandering into the rose garden, I found a bench hidden within a cocoon of topiary bushes and sat down. Music and laughter floated from inside, but I didn’t hear any of it. I just sat there, numb, still trying to work my mind around that note Ione received.

  Heels clicked against the cement behind me, pushing me away from my thoughts. On the other side of the bushes, mages spoke in hushed voices. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I wasn’t ready to abandon the privacy I’d found either.

  A squeaky, feminine voice tried to keep quiet, but her whispers could be heard a mile away. “Hollows,” she said, hooking my attention. “Here, at Arcadia.”

  I peeked through the leaves, trying to see who was whispering. All I saw were two glittery ball gowns, one in emerald green and the other a bright tangerine. I couldn’t see their faces.

  “How do you know?” the other girl said—a tall brunette.

  “Glyph magic was found on the wall in the girl’s bathroom.”

  “In Aphrodite?”

  The other one nodded in response.

  “Great gods.” The brunette shook her head. “The hollow could be one of our own.” The two of them moved on, heading back indoors.

  I couldn’t believe it. I’d read about glyphs in a book from Twilight Island; they were mostly associated with dark magic, drawn with a mixture of blood and quartz, usually to cast hexes. It violated the Mythonian laws of magic, and if they caught the perpetrator, it meant prison time. Knowing all that, I wondered why a hollow would risk coming to Arcadia.

  First, the hollowed guard. Now this. All of it, suspicious.

  Just as I was about to head back inside, I heard more footsteps. The scent of his magic caught my attention before I saw him, causing my eyes to widen.

  “I thought you were leaving.” I tried to keep the pain from my voice. It didn’t work.

  “I am.” His voice was so low I could barely hear it without straining. “But I couldn’t…not without saying goodbye first.”

  So, then it was true. Ione’s note, everything.

  I bit the inside of my cheek. Even coming from him, this still felt like something out of a bad dream.

  “Why?”

  Several seconds passed in silence, and I realized he had no intention of answering, just like he had no intention of telling anyone where he was going.

  I stood up, smoothing out my dress. “Well, I don’t need a goodbye.” That would be far too excruciating to hear.

  He came out of the shadows and caught me by the wrist, his long fingers brushing over my rapid pulse.

  I turned to face him. He looked miserable. His troubled blue eyes searched mine, surrounded by deep circles. Seeing him like this, knowing there was more to the story, killed me. “Why?” I whispered again. “Tell me why you’re doing this. Help me understand.”

  “I can’t.” He swallowed, looking physically pained. “I wish I could, but I can’t.”

  It was obvious he didn’t want to hurt me, but there was no way he could leave without hurting me. He had to know that.

  Unable to think while he was touching me, I pulled my hand out of his. “Is it because of the Hollowed Guard?”

  He looked up at the night sky, as if he was searching for an explanation he didn’t have.

  “This isn’t like you.” My voice broke in the middle. “You’re not the guy that runs away with his tail tucked between his legs. You never turn down a fight—” I gasped as a possibility occurred. “Did your father threaten to kill me? Like he did with Chloe?”

  He winced at the mention of that, repeating the same words over again. “I can’t tell you the details.”

  “Oh, go on then.” I waved him off. “Goodbye, Xander. There. It’s said and done.” Better to rip the Band-Aid off than go through this slow torture.

  “Don’t make this harder,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “Please.”

  “What did you expect? I don’t want any part of this.”

  “I know, damsel. I just…” He stared at me silently, asking for something I couldn’t give him. A song streamed out through the balcony, the chords soft and enchanting. Xander held out his hand. “Dance with me?”

  I stared at his hand, trying to propel my body away, but I couldn’t do it. Something about him in that moment stopped me. His gaze held mine as if he were begging for his life. It was, as if, just by staring into his eyes, I could feel his heart breaking. I hated him for not revealing his motives, but at the same time, I knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t leave unless it was important. Xander promised to be my anchor. If he left, it could only mean one thing. He was drowning himself in order to keep everyone else above water.

  As angry as I was, I accepted his hand.

  His breath came out all at once, choked but relieved. He pulled me close, tucking my head below his chin. I breathed in his evergreen scent, engraving the memory into my soul. We gently swayed to the music—a soft, mesmerizing song. The way his hand pressed against the small of my back sent tingles up my spine. He held me as if I were slipping away, as if he was trying to hang on to the wind. I hated this, but I couldn’t leave him either. Instead, I bit down on my lip, trying not to cry.

  Stupid, stupid boy.

  I wished I could stop him, and my mind scrambled to think of ways. “Take me with you,” I whispered against his shoulder. “Whatever you’re fighting, we’ll fight it together.”

  “I wish that were possible.”

  “I could use my bibliomagery like we did on Twilight Island. We can figure out a solution—”

  “Damsel,” he sighed. “Just…dance with me.”

  I shut my eyes, fighting the sting in them. This fleeting moment wasn’t enough. Not after he had given me so much to hope for. This wasn’t fair. I wanted to fight for him, the way he fought for me. But how could I, if he wouldn’t even tell me what was going on?

  “I want your best and your worst,” I said softly, recanting his own words back to him. “Your strength and your weakness, your light and your darkness. They’re all pieces of you, and only half is a lie.”

  He swallowed as if he were choking on broken glass. “What if the lie is all I have left?”

  “Then you’re a hypocrite,” I said, turning my head so he couldn’t see the tears building in my eyes.

  Leaning down, he rested his forehead against mine and let out a long, slow breath. “If I could, I would carry you off into the sunset, Sheridan. Our world really would be made of sunshine and daises, and I would spend all of my time trying to be worthy of you.”

  “You already are,” I sighed.

  I was the one with the monster living inside of me, not him.

  Before I knew it, the song had ended. Xander let me go with such suddenness, that I stumbled. He started to walk away, took a few steps, then turned back again. Leaning down, he pressed his lips against mine, crushing me there for only a few quick seconds. I tasted his tears on my lips, and my throat bubbled up in response. Then, he was gone.

  I couldn’t breathe.

  For several long moments, I stood there, forgetting how to do the one thing that should be automatic. When air finally did return to my lungs, I gasped several times over.

  But this time, he wasn’t coming back.

  21

  Petra,

  Riley’s in. Let’s do t
his. Start of Fall.

  -Sheridan

  Short and simple, but to the point. I let out a shaky breath. Now that Xander had left, it made the decision much easier. There was nothing anchoring me to Arcadia, and it no longer mattered that he asked me not to go to the Underworld. Xander chose to keep me out of his decisions. I would do the same.

  This was happening, really happening. The idea of Persephone’s Cure had always appealed to me, but the execution was easier said than done. I swallowed. Both of our mothers, Petra and Selena, had survived seventeen years there. Six months was a hiccup compared to that. That’s all this was, a hiccup. A short blip of time, and then freedom forever. That was worth it.

  A reply came only an hour or so later.

  Sheridan,

  Your wish is my command. I’ve found safe accommodations for the two of you. Be ready.

  -Your Mom

  22

  Early Sunday morning, a knock sounded just outside the door. Since Sunday was the only day students had free, I wondered who was crazy enough to disturb us at this hour. None of Ione’s friends would dare. They had all partied late into the night, even after the ball had ended. It was possible it was for me, but I didn’t care. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping they would get the hint and go away. All I wanted to do was to sleep in late and forget the previous evening had ever happened.

  “Sheridan, wake up!” A big booming voice came from outside the door, followed by louder, intense knocking.

  Ione didn’t even stir. After a while, I was pretty sure if I didn’t get up to answer it, the knocking would continue until the whole of House Aphrodite was awake.

  I threw open the door, startled to find Cassius standing there, looking way too chipper at this hour.

  “Morning, sunshine.”

  Despite his carefree demeanor, I immediately panicked. If Xander’s best friend went to the trouble of coming all the way across campus to find me, that could only mean—“What’s wrong?” I blurted. “Is Xander okay?”