Descendants Academy: Young Adult Urban Fantasy Belle Malory (highly recommended books .txt) 📖

My head jerked around—what did he just say?

Petra stepped back, wearing a matching expression of shock. “You would sacrifice yourself for her?”

“Yes.” He swallowed and tightened his jaw. “And if you unbind her from the curse…I’ll take the Hollowed Pledge.”

My jaw dropped. I was so stunned, I couldn’t speak.

“Now that is genuine devotion,” Petra said, shaking her head. “You continue to surprise me, both of you. Regretfully, your sacrifice isn’t necessary. I’ve already told Sheridan she can leave, and as much as I’d like to break her curse, I simply can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?” Xander took a step toward her, raising his voice. “I swear to God if I have to kill you myself—”

Petra looked at me. “Now would be a good time to fill him in, dear.”

I nodded, trying to find my voice through my own shock. Laying my hand over Xander’s, I said, “She didn’t curse me, Xander.”

He turned around, drawing his brows together. “What?”

Petra busied herself with readying her coffee while I explained.

I hated telling him. Hated owning what and who I was. Part of me worried he might think less of me, especially after learning I wasn’t as spotless as I tried to appear. After all, the woman who tortured him for three years was my own flesh and blood.

Once I was done, my eyes filled with tears, and my voice turned watery. “I’m sorry, Xander.” I glanced over at Petra, who sat across the room, waiting for me to finish “I’m ashamed to be the daughter of someone who hurt you so badly, but it’s the truth.”

He let out a breath and took my face in his hands. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, Sheridan. The world is full of shitty parents—I should know. My dad is the reigning king.”

“I resent that,” Petra said over her shoulder.

Xander ignored her, lowering his voice. “This only makes me feel closer to you. Now, can we please get out of here?”

I smiled through my tears, relieved to hear him say that, and nodded.

“Do you…ah…have anything you need to say first?” His eyes flicked to Petra, letting me know this was a good time for closure.

I looked at my mother, and all I saw was the Hollow. She was the woman that tortured people. The woman that meant to murder Riley here tonight.

I’d rather go on pretending she was dead.

“Let’s go,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t change her mind about allowing us to leave.

“To get back, you’ll need to take the River Styx,” Petra said, overhearing us. “I have a boat at the dock. One of my men can take you there.”

The three of us exited the cabin, a noticeable chill in the air. Strange. It hadn’t seemed that cold on the way here. A screeching sound echoed from the forest, and we all jerked our heads in that direction. “What was that?” I said, shivering.

The screeching stopped, but it was followed by something else…screams?

“Something’s wrong,” Petra said, side-stepping us. She searched the night sky. Her men shouted in the distance.

And then we heard it, the flapping. It sounded leathery and sharp, like a whip cracking into the air.

Oh God. I was smack dab in the heart of a place where monsters and demons roamed freely. Imagining what was out there was terrifying.

The screeching intensified. A shadowy silhouette glided through the trees, quickly moving into the clearing. It followed the road, coming this way.

I swallowed. “Is that what it looks like?”

Xander blinked, but he didn’t take his eyes off the thing. “If it looks like a dragon to you, then yes; that’s exactly what it looks like.”

“I had nothing to do with this,” Petra quickly said. “Obviously.”

We watched as it soared past us, ducking back under the door frame. From our spot, my gaze remained transfixed. I’d never seen a dragon before, and part of me was fascinated by the sight of its silvery-black scales, and the way it glimmered like a snake in the sky.

Petra’s men shouted and screamed, but it did them little good. The dragon took out five of her Strongarms with one blazing spout of fire.

The air wasn’t so chilly anymore.

“Hey, Petra?” Xander said, sounding nervous for a change. “Do you still have Leonora?”

“Who’s Leonora?” I said, confused.

“Not a who—a what,” Xander said as we watched the dragon disappear through the trees, then circle back around. “Now would be a good time to summon it.”

Fire poured from the dragon’s mouth as it made its way back to us, its screech sounding like millions of nails scraping against metal. I held my hands over my ears. This was the end of the line.

Then, my mother, of all people, took a step forward and held out her hand, palm up. “Leonora!” she called out.

A black sword appeared in her hand, glowing bright red along the blade. Xander summoned his own, the same bluish one he used on the chimera. But it was nothing compared to Petra’s.

I watched in awe as Leonora carried her up into the air, heading straight toward the dragon. From where I stood, Petra looked like a warrior goddess, soaring through the dark clouds as if she had done it a thousand times before. If it were me, I would be shitting my pants, but Petra looked fearless. She roared back at the dragon—a shrill, intense war cry that sent goose bumps down my arms and legs.

She chucked the blade. Just as the dragon opened its mouth, the blade struck the center of its right eye. The dragon screeched, raised up its wings, sending huge gusts of wind everywhere. Then it began to spiral down.

It shook the earth as it hit, still roaring and twisting in pain. Xander was there to meet it, using its blind side to jump onto its talons. With his glowing blue blade, he struck the dragon in its heart.

I sucked in a breath.

The dragon’s heavy head hit the ground with a thud.

Petra landed on the ground beside it