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

That did present a problem.

“You need training,” Grandpa said, looking up at Xander. “You could train her. There’s no one better.”

I grinned. “That’s a great idea.”

Xander scowled. “It takes years of dedication and practice—”

“I learn quickly,” I said, stopping him before he came up with more excuses.

“Books can’t tell you how to fight, Sheridan.”

Ouch.

Okay, the guy had a point, but I was about to make a better one.

“I’ll be fine, especially because…are you ready for this?” I steered my attention back to Grandpa. “There’s something I need to ask Headmaster Waddley.”

I argued my case while both Xander and Grandpa stood in the back of Headmaster Waddley’s office. Once I was done, he was astounded by what I told him. “You’re really a bibliomagus?”

I nodded.

He looked around me. “Is it true, Franklin?”

Grandpa nodded. “My granddaughter is no liar.”

Waddley sat back in his chair, looking mystified. “Haven’t met one myself in several decades. Truly, it’s a remarkable ability. One that would certainly help with academic studies.”

I asked him to dual-enroll. Actually, triple-enroll, if it were possible.

Why should I be limited to one house, when I could excel in several? These last few weeks, I aced all of my classes. I had so much time on my hands I was bored. If Waddley gave me the chance, I knew I could pull this off.

But Waddley had several problems with my request. The first, that it would weaken my magic. And the second, that I would become an outcast. We went back and forth arguing for a long while about the implications. “Acceptance in Mythos begins at Arcadia, and acceptance at Arcadia begins in your chosen house. Mortals do not major in all of their collegiate studies—it’s the same principle.”

“Many of them do become double majors,” I said, pleading. “And gifted students can obtain more than one degree. At least allow me the chance to try. Let me be your test student. If my magic weakens, I’ll stop.”

He tapped his fingers against his desk, staring at me. “You’re not going to let go of this, are you?”

“Probably not.” I grinned.

He let out a breath. “I’ll agree to a few Ares courses, but you will remain in House Aphrodite—”

“And Athena?” I was pushing my luck.

Waddley shook his head. “Let’s see how you do with the extra Ares courses first, then we’ll talk about Athena.”

I nodded. “Fair enough.”

“I have to admit it, Miss Thorne. You’re not what I expected.”

“Thank you, Headmaster.” I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not, but I chose to take it as one. Considering how far I’d come since my human life, unexpected was a good thing.

Once the meeting was over, Waddley asked Grandpa to stay behind to discuss the arrival of Hollows at Arcadia. Before I left, he leaned over to kiss me on the top of my head. “Proud of you, Sher Bear.” It meant more than he could know.

Xander and I exited the building into the courtyard, stopping by the fountain. I looked at the surrounding houses and buildings. Next semester would be a busy one, but I knew I could handle it. After everything, I was ready and excited.

“You feel at peace with that?” Xander said, steering me to face him.

I nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

“How about this?” He threaded his fingers through mine. Heat rose in my cheeks, and I grinned, unable to help it.

“I feel pretty at peace with this too.”

There in broad daylight, in the middle of the courtyard, we held hands without a care in the world for who might be watching. It was both thrilling and terrifying, but what other people thought no longer mattered. I was both Ares and Aphrodite, both love and fire, and I was damn proud of it. Let them all watch if they wanted. We were too caught up in each other to notice.

That’s why neither of us saw her approach.

“Well, well. Look at who’s leveling up in the boyfriend arena.”

Her voice sent chills down my spine. I froze, afraid to move. Afraid to speak. Afraid if I turned around, my entire world would come crashing down. With every fiber in my body, I hoped she wasn’t real. I’d rather be a hallucinating loon, rather than have her actually be here.

Xander felt me stiffen and his eyes drifted behind me. He tightened his grip on my hand.

“I have to hand it to you, sis. I thought you’d still be wallowing. You really managed to surprise me.” She slowly circled around us. “Then again, who would care about Connor when guys like this exist?”

My legs trembling, I turned to face her.

I wasn’t crazy. Riley stood in front of me, no longer looking like the sister I knew. Her long, strawberry blonde locks had been cut to her shoulders and dyed a bright, fire-engine red. She wore a leather toga, in the same style of the Ares gladiators, and her arms were fastened with metal armbands. Even her eyes, hazel, like my own, seemed colder now.

“Why are you here?”

“Tut, tut,” she said, sucking her teeth. “That’s no way to greet your sister.” She leaned in to give me a quick hug. My eyes flared as she stepped back again. I sensed her magic, far more powerful than I would have guessed. How had I never noticed it before?

Xander protectively moved in front of me, eyeing my sister with all the distrust in the world.

“I decided to enroll,” Riley said, completely unphased by Xander. “I refused to let you outshine me in Davidson—I definitely won’t let you outshine me as a mage either.”

“Dad’s okay with this?”

She rolled her eyes. “Dad tried to hide this place from me. As far as I’m concerned, he has no say in the matter. By the way, did you get my monsters?”

I gaped at her. “You sent—”

“The chimera?” She nodded proudly. “The nightcrawler and dragon, too. Turns out I can conjure them from the underworld. Not many are as talented as I—you should be happy to