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

sure my Hazelwood gets into Mythos safely? I’d take her myself, but I’ve got no one else to run the pub, and this portal can’t handle more than three people at a time.”

“Of course, Mac. We’ll take her.”

“You’re a lifesaver, Frank. Truly, you are. Her sister Maple will be waiting at the capital. She’ll take Hazelwood from there.”

“No trouble at all. Now let’s see if we can get this thing working…”

Hazel opened a door on the right, just a normal looking door that led into a normal looking room, but my stomach dropped as we stepped inside. Energy swirled around me.

There was an empty wooden desk in the corner, topped with stacks of folders, books, and paperwork. The two men stood in front of a closet door that had a large padlock. A taller, bonier version of Hazel—her mother, I assumed—stood behind them. She wore blue jeans and a black waitress apron with a checkbook sticking out of it. Hazel’s dad, or Mac, as Grandpa called him, was stout, with the same olive complexion as his daughter and the same wild hair. “I’ve hidden it in there,” Mac said. “Tried installing a keypad once, but the bloody thing kept frying. Nothing electrical works in this room.”

Grandpa noticed me lingering by the door. “Ah, there you are, Sheridan. You look better. I see you’ve met Hazelwood. The three of us will be making the trip into the Mythos port together, thanks to Mr. and Mrs. McDerby’s hospitality.” He picked up my suitcase as if we were about to board an airplane. “They were planning to escort Miss Hazelwood themselves, but they’ve given up their spots to allow us passage through the portal. As long as everything goes smoothly, we should all be in Mythos by nightfall.”

“How kind of you, Mr. and Mrs. McDerby.” They looked like decent parents. They chose to live a human life, but they didn’t keep their daughters in the dark about their heritage. That gave them several points in my book.

Mac glanced down at his watch. “You’ll need to leave now if you want to catch the next ferry.”

Mrs. McDerby used the bottom of her apron to wipe her eyes. “Come, Hazel. I have your things here.”

Hazel pranced to her mother, and Mrs. McDerby took her face between her palms. “Remember to write. Stay focused on your studies. Don’t get caught up in the wrong crowds. Stay away from wild parties, and please stay away from Folly Promenade. I will miss you, sweets.”

“I’ll miss you too, Mama. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

“I know you will.”

I blinked several times as I watched Mr. McDerby unlock the closet door and hold it open for us. By the looks of it, he clearly expected us all to step inside.

Had I suddenly found myself in the Twilight Zone?

“Ready, Sher?” Grandpa said.

“Let me get this right,” I said, my legs trembling. “On the other side of that door is some kind of fairy land?”

Hazel giggled. “There are no fairies in Mythos,” she said. “Pixies, sure, and they’re awful little creatures, but no fairies.”

I eyed the door warily. “Can’t we take a plane? Or a boat?”

Mr. and Mrs. McDerby gave me a funny look.

“She’s nervous,” Grandpa explained. “Sheridan didn’t know about Mythos or magic until yesterday, and she’s never been through a portal.”

Mrs. McDerby offered me a weak smile. “They can be a bit intimidating, dear, especially if you’ve never used one before. Just make sure you keep your balance, and you’ll be fine. One time, I went topsy-turvy, and landed on my head.” She laughed once, as if she was thinking back on the memory of it.

Grandpa took my arm with his free hand. “Come on, my girl, we’ll go together. Hazelwood, keep right behind us.”

“I will,” she said.

Grandpa nodded over his shoulder as he pushed me toward the closet. “Bye, Mac. Let’s catch up next week.”

This was happening way too fast. I still wasn’t used to the idea of magic, much less traveling to a world full of godlike descendants and other magical creatures.

But…what did I have to lose?

Going back to Davidson wasn’t a great alternative, even if Dad allowed it. The tension was still too thick, and honestly, I needed some time away from Riley. This was the perfect opportunity for a nice long break, in a place where my sister’s betrayal couldn’t haunt me.

Before I had a chance to back out, Grandpa steered me inside the closet that was empty, dark, and smelled of oak. Our heels clicked against the floor as we walked, and Hazel’s clog-like shoes thumped along behind us. Just as I was about to yell at Grandpa for being so pushy, I noticed our heels suddenly weren’t clicking against the floor. We were still walking, still moving, I still felt his hand on my arm, but we were no longer inside the closet.

3

“Don’t feel bad, Sher Bear. Lots of first-timers retch.”

I gripped the bucket in my lap as another bout of nausea hit. Tingly bumps prickled down my arms, and my stomach swirled into chaos. The only comfort was hearing the nickname Grandpa had given me when I was a little girl. It reminded me of happier times. Normal times. Times that made sense, when Grandpa and I used his truck to get from one place to another instead of magical portals that transported us to—good grief, where were we?

The port was bustling with travelers, most of them in a myriad of jewel-toned robes and togas. There were also people who weren’t, well, human, shuffling about. There were fauns, like Hazel, who was suddenly free of her clunky shoes. She proudly displayed her hooves for everyone to see, along with two small horns that had miraculously sprouted from her forehead. I could hardly believe the sight of her, let alone the others. Creatures I couldn’t make sense of strolled past. Centaurs with shiny coats, ferocious-looking sphinxes, harpies with top hats, green-skinned nymphs, and one very tall cyclops who glanced down and chuckled at me.