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

I tilted my head to the side. This oughta be good.

“Our situations are complicated.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You and I are both trying to fit in where our blood isn’t accepted. I’m sure you’re learning firsthand how challenging it is, trying to belong, trying to find your place with people who don’t want you around. It’s better if we keep our distance, at least in public.”

I shook my head at his lame excuse. “What is up with this school and the students? You know, in the human world we have something called diversity.”

“It’s not the same in Mythos. People keep their magic separate in order to keep it strong. If anyone from House Aphrodite or House Ares thinks we’re friendly, they’ll crucify us both. It’s better to keep our interactions private.”

He obviously thought his reasoning was sound, and maybe in the Mythonian world it made sense, but I hated it. I was grateful to him for helping me out of Ione’s net, but I refused to be his secret friend.

“I wasn’t trying to date you or be your best friend, Xander. I just wanted to talk to you.”

“So talk.” He stepped closer, his fingertips brushing mine. “I’m here now.”

Metal clanked from down the hall. Someone was coming. Crap, that reminded me. I was late for detention with my grandfather, and I couldn’t risk him catching me here. With Xander, of all people.

“I’ll do you one better. Let’s not have any interactions, period.”

“Oh, come on, Sher—” He stopped short, distracted as more noises came from down the hall, louder this time. Clanking and thrashing, followed by a low, vicious growl.

The sound made me cringe. The growling was followed by a screeching, like nails being dragged across metal. That didn’t sound normal. To hell with that. It didn’t sound human.

“What was that?” I whispered, afraid to move.

“I don’t know.” Xander went completely still, listening as he searched the dark hall.

The magic in the air grew denser by the second, making my skin prickle with goose bumps. The growling intensified too. Sounding closer than it had a few seconds ago.

“Smells like sulfur and blood. Dark magic,” Xander said, moving in front of me. “Stay here. I’ll check it out.” As he stepped forward, he relit the lanterns, one by one.

My heart thudded against my chest as I watched him leave, wondering if the next light would reveal the thing behind that awful growling. I became all too aware of how new I was to this world, and how powerless. As angry as I was with Xander, I was super grateful he was here. Because let’s face it, I couldn’t exactly love charm whatever was out there to death, and I didn’t have a good grasp on my fire magic either. That made me pretty much useless. Yay, me.

“I don’t see anything,” Xander said, pressing on. The hall, almost entirely lit now, remained empty. It didn’t make sense. We both heard the noises coming from that direction. Once he reached the end, he swung around, shrugging. “There’s nothing here—oh shit.”

Oh shit?

That didn’t sound good, especially since he was looking around me, his jaw wide open. “Sheridan.” He held his hands up, as if he was afraid for me to make any sudden moves.

My whole body went rigid. The growl was suddenly there again, guttural and blood-curdling, and right over my shoulder. Holy Mother of God, I could literally feel its hot breath on my neck.

“Run!” Xander shouted.

I didn’t think twice. I ran forward, and Xander ran full-speed back toward me. As he ran, he said something in Latin, a spell I didn’t recognize. A black sword suddenly materialized in his hand, glowing bright blue.

That thing was too fast. For each of my steps, two more sounded behind me. Its claws caught my ankles, and I tripped, sliding across the marble floor. I pushed up, turning over just in time to see it crouching, getting ready to strike. It had the body of a lion, the head of a goat, and the tail—the tail was a freaking snake!

Oh shit was right—I was about to die.

Just as it leapt, Xander said more words in Latin. A powerful gust of wind slid me farther across the floor, moving me out of the way just in time. The lion-goat-serpent thing landed, hitting the floor so hard, it cracked the marble. Xander used both hands to drive the glowing blue sword into its back. The creature howled, standing back on its haunches. But the wound wasn’t enough to stop it. It broke free of Xander and lunged for me again, its jaw wide open and full of razor teeth. I hurled myself backward, just as someone else shuffled around me. I blinked at the flaps of a professor’s robe swishing past. It was Grandpa, murmuring a weighty spell.

The air around us shifted, spinning, becoming powerful enough to lift the beast up into the air. As soon as it was up high enough, Xander leapt and shoved his sword straight into the beast’s heart. Within seconds, the lion-goat-snake disintegrated into smoky ash.

“Sheridan,” Grandpa said, coughing. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I pointed to the pile of ash. “Wh-what the hell was that thing?”

“A chimera,” Grandpa answered, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe it himself. “It’s an ancient creature.”

“And obviously spelled to kill you,” Xander added, breathing hard. I stared at the sword still in his grip, noticing it was made out of a metal I didn’t recognize, onyx and shiny, but no longer glowing blue. With a wave of his hand, it disappeared.

Grandpa’s gaze darted back and forth between Xander and me, his expression turning grim. “In my office, both of you.”

When we didn’t immediately scurry, he added a sharp, “Now.”

I dazedly lifted up to follow him. No way was I letting him leave me after he just saved my ass with that powerful spell.

Xander stood back at first, looking unsure, but he eventually sighed and