Descendants Academy: Young Adult Urban Fantasy, Belle Malory [motivational novels for students .txt] 📗

great judge of character. I’d once thought Connor was the world’s most perfect human being. And knowing all of my sister’s faults, I still practically worshiped her. Never in a million years could I have predicted the level of shittiness they both had stooped.

“Most Hollows live in the Underworld. The ones that live amongst Mythonians are notorious for their ability to blend in.” Hazel shrugged. “Of course, it could just be a rumor. Xander is strong, powerful, and he leads House Ares. Jealous students could’ve made it up.”

“Grandpa doesn’t seem like the type to buy into rumors.”

“No, he definitely isn’t.” She twisted one of her curls around her finger, looking down the hall to make sure the coast was clear. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this part, but…”

“But what, Hazel?”

She met my direct gaze and caved. “Several years ago, Xander went missing. At the time, your grandfather was teaching, but he was so torn up about the case that he took time off to assist MEM with the investigation. To be honest, I don’t know much about it except that Xander was gone for three years, and that it drove Mr. Thorne batty that he couldn’t find him.”

“But he’s no longer missing,” I pointed out. “So where was he?”

“Xander never would say, that’s the problem. People suspected he was in the Underworld, being guided and trained by dark mentors. Others think it’s just too personal, and he doesn’t want to talk about it. No one really knows, but one thing is certain. Something went down between your grandfather and the Arius family. He knows more about it than anyone, and based on his reaction back there, it doesn’t look good.”

A cool gust of wind wafted around us, and I shivered. It was becoming clear Mythos was nothing like home. People here weren’t like the friendly, Southern variety I’d been raised around. I needed to keep my guard up.

5

We reached the coast of Autumn Island sooner than I expected, drifting through a thick blanket of fog. Navy-colored cliffs stretched for miles high, expanding into a jagged, formidable wall around the island. Nothing about it was remotely welcoming.

We quickly disembarked, thrown into the midst of Autumn’s busy and chaotic port. Magical beings sped by me at lightning pace. The moment we stepped off the docks, we were ambushed by several fast-talking harpies offering to carry our bags. “Miss, misssss,” one of them squalled to catch my attention. “Only two lixers for you, because you’re such a pretty one.” The half bird, half human winked, flapped his wings to show them off, then reached for my suitcase.

I tightened my grip on the handle. “No, thanks.”

He tried prying it away from me. “Be a good girl and give it here.”

Hazel stepped between us. “Back off, you bloody squawker,” she yelled more forcefully than I’d heard her speak. “Or I’ll report you.”

The harpy scowled, but he did as Hazel ordered. “They’ll take advantage of you if you let them,” she explained.

Noticing what happened, Grandpa took my suitcase and steered me through the noisy crowd. “Stay close, Sheridan.”

“What’s a lixer?” I kept at his heels as we made our way through the hordes of travelers.

“Ancient coins,” he shouted over his shoulder. “Here in Mythos, lixers and wots are the only money that’s worth anything.”

“Never heard of them.”

“They’re enchanted. No one back home recognizes Mythonian money. Think of lixers like twenty dollar bills and wots like hundreds.”

Of course the money would be enchanted too. Why wouldn’t it be?

“In any case,” Grandpa said, pointing to the miles-long uphill climb ahead. “We’ll need help getting into the city, and although they’re a cheap alternative, harpies only carry your things. They can’t carry people.”

The steep stone steps made my stomach drop just thinking of what the climb would be like, let alone the possibility of falling.

“Let me guess. There are no cars or roads either.” That would be far too normal.

“There are roads, but none on the island’s outskirts. Mythonians try to make it as impossible as possible for humans to accidentally stumble upon this place. You’re correct about the cars though. No need for them.”

“Then how are we getting up there?” I said, dreading that hike. It looked like it would take days. “Or did you bring flying broomsticks?”

Grandpa raised one of his bushy brows and smirked. “Glad your sense of humor is returning. As fun as that sounds, no flying broomsticks. We’ll have to rent a winged horse.”

“A wha—” A giant stable loomed up ahead. Several horses were reined to a waiting carriage, two in front and two in back, and several more were saddled.

They weren’t just any horses—they had wings. Real, huge, feathery wings. The horses came in every color of the rainbow too. One was mint green with a cotton candy pink mane. Another was a spotted lavender, its tresses braided with small, white flowers and yellow ribbons. A scarlet one the size of a Clydesdale spread out its wings, glittering with gems. I studied each one in awe, utterly captivated.

Grandpa grinned. “Descendants of Pegasus.”

“Aren’t they beauties?” Hazel said with a dreamy sigh. “There’s a class at the academy that teaches students to train with them.”

Sign. Me. Up.

“Don’t you enjoy riding?” Grandpa said as we headed in the stable’s direction.

Dad had sent Riley and I to horse camp every summer from fourth grade until we hit high school. “I used to. I haven’t ridden in a long time though.”

I loved everything about horses, but mostly, I loved the way they seemed to calm my soul. That dark and violent side of me I unleashed on my sister had always been there, brimming beneath the surface. Even when I was young. But when I was around horses, it vanished completely.

“You’d probably enjoy the class Hazel mentioned.”

Understatement of the century. “Yes, I would.”

As we waited for Grandpa to arrange our transport, I roamed the stable to get a better look at the Pegasus descendants. Up close, they were even more ethereal, carrying a sense of intelligence in