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

The two of them had kept a lot from Riley and me. Things we deserved to know, regardless of how they felt about it. If they hadn’t been so secretive, who knows. Maybe I wouldn’t have tried to kill my sister. Maybe being conscious of the situation would’ve helped me practice control. I knew they were trying to protect us, but they may have done more harm than good.

Jett’s idea came to mind, and I wanted to run it by Grandpa. “Since we’re on the subject, have you heard of the Curse Breaker?”

He scowled. “On Twilight Island? Don’t even think about it, Sheridan. The guy is a nut job.”

I frowned. “I heard he was efficient.”

“He may have had some luck over the years, but his magic always comes with consequences.”

“What consequence could be worse than murdering your sister?”

“Trust me, things can always get worse when it comes to dark magic.”

“But—”

“It’s out of the question,” he said dismissively. “We’re not going that route.”

We’re, he said. Like he was cursed too. I didn’t like the way he wouldn’t even consider it, and just because he said no didn’t mean I planned on following his orders. I may not be the rebellious sister, but this was too important to just sit around and ignore. I had to do something.

“Where is the stone tablet?” I would just keep quiet for now.

He shuffled for a few seconds, then ducked under his desk to open a drawer. I raised my eyebrows. He had it here the whole time, tucked away. A moment later, he handed me a thick, heavy piece of stone, covered with carved words and what looked like stained blood.

Once their magic arrives, these sisters shall not rest until one destroys the other.

“We’ve tried to break it a million different ways,” he said with a sigh. “The damned thing won’t even crack.”

I stared at it, a numbness spreading over my body.

All of this, this school, the secrets, the magic, and my dysfunctional family had hit me one blow after another. I was officially knocked out. I couldn’t handle anymore. I needed a timeout.

“I think I’ve heard enough for one evening.” My voice sounded as drained as my body felt. “Can I keep this?”

Grandpa looked unsure, but after a moment, he nodded his consent. “Put it in a safe place.” He waved to Xander. “Walk her back to her dorm, Arius. In case there are any more chimeras waiting out there…or worse.”

Or worse. Great. And here I was thinking the chimera was as bad as it got.

“Don’t bother.” I headed for the door. “He doesn’t want to be seen with a defector.”

“I can walk you to your dorm, Sheridan,” Xander said stiffly, all the emotion gone from his face.

“Oh, right. Your promise.” I ramped up the sarcasm. “Guess you have to do what you have to do, right?”

He didn’t bother answering. He simply opened the door and nodded for me to go through it. I would’ve preferred to walk alone, but my fear of monsters outweighed everything else. So I left the office, Xander following closely behind. Neither of us spoke a word the entire walk.

More than enough had already been said.

22

My days passed in a blur of classes, magic, and following Ione’s detailed instructions. She had a lot of them. Aphrodite students must be graceful, diplomatic, and a vision of beauty at all times, she’d tell me.

Don’t slouch.

Don’t giggle.

Don’t raise your voice.

She was like the mother I never had, nagging me every free second of her day. Sometimes I appreciated her help. Sometimes she drove me bonkers. When that happened, I reminded myself how much I desperately needed to fit in with her and my chosen house. This was what I signed up for. Just suck it up and do what she said.

At least the nights were mine. I usually spent them practicing my instantaneous reading. So far, I could only consume a few at a time before it completely wiped me out. One night, Ione saw me practicing, and she froze. “Are you reading that book through touch?”

I nodded.

“Holy crap. You’re a bibliomagus.”

“What’s that?” And in a world full of magic, why would she find it strange?

“Someone who can speak to the written word. It’s an extremely rare talent. And usually, only found in Athena descendants.”

Well, that made sense considering my mother was one.

She moved closer, watching with wide eyes. “That’s how you knew the answers to Professor Lilyworth’s questions, isn’t it?”

Again, I nodded.

“Amazing,” she breathed. “You truly have a gift, Sheridan. Knowledge is the source of all great power.”

I blinked. I was having fun learning about Mythos, but I hadn’t considered that this simple thing, reading quickly, might give me an advantage I hadn’t recognized.

The next evening, there was a stack of new Aphrodite books waiting on my bed, most of them on social etiquette. “Use them to prepare for Friday night,” Ione instructed, a gleam in her eye. She was taking me to a house dinner party, and she wanted to make sure I was a picture-perfect representation of Aphrodite.

I ground my teeth together, ready to scream. This was the one part of the day when I could just relax and be myself and stop worrying about what everyone else thought. I didn’t want to spend the night learning more love magic. But as I picked up the first book, it hit me. This was my ticket out of listening to Ione go on and on about the do’s and don’ts of social gatherings. If she believed I already knew everything I needed to know, she’d stop with the nagging.

I placed my palm over A Guide on Charm and Schmoozing, figuring what the hell.

When Friday came, my head was full of what I considered useless information. Aphrodite’s house history, their sororities and fraternities, ethics, social graces, and all kinds of other facts and trivia had been downloaded to my memory.

Ione was both nervous and eager. “This is where you need to shine,” she said, maybe for the hundredth time.