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

her shoulders and tilted her chin, as if she were preparing for battle. Her large hazel eyes that were so like my own stared back at me without…anything. There was nothing there that should have been. Not shame, and certainly not guilt.

Everything weighing between us over the last seventeen years came to the surface. My science trophy she shoved behind her pile of sports trophies. The time we went to Charlotte for her soccer regionals, because according to her, it was more important than my stupid science fair. The time she made Dad shell out double for her homecoming dress, because she was in the homecoming court, and her dress mattered more than mine. Her life was always more important. Her friends, her boyfriends, her interests and hobbies were the priorities. Now she’d stolen the one person who meant something to me. Not just stolen, but proven he was never really mine to begin with.

It felt as if a barrel of dynamite waited between us, and Riley lit the match. I didn’t just want to kill her—I wanted to obliterate her.

“Start talking,” Grandpa said, drawing me back into the present.

I pressed my lips together. What was there to say?

It may have started over one asshole boy, but this ran so much deeper. Riley’s betrayal severed whatever sisterly ties connected us. From now on, we weren’t family. We were enemies.

“Everything Dad said is true,” I said simply. “I have no excuses.”

“Most people don’t like to take accountability. I admire your ability to do so, but I still don’t know how you feel.”

He wasn’t going to let this go, not this time.

Next to me was a window looking out on the dark blue sea. My ordinary, everyday world was drifting farther and farther away. I watched it fade into the oblivion, trying to figure out how I felt about it. “I’m torn,” I admitted. “Between guilt and fury.”

He considered that. “You can feel bad about what you’ve done and still be angry with your sister for what she did. I’d be surprised if you didn’t.”

Within that spread of endless blue, I saw Riley’s face all over again, that unfathomable gleam in her eye. I curled my hand into a fist, anger swirling hot in my chest. “She enjoyed it.”

“Enjoyed what?”

“The moment she confessed. It was like…” I shook my head, trying to find the right words. “Like she wanted to break me.”

Grandpa took a slow breath. “No one can break you, Sheridan.”

I met his concerned stare, knowing he was right. I was still here, still going, but Riley did send me over the edge. “You know that expression to see red?”

He nodded.

“I was consumed by rage, Grandpa. It felt like I had no control over it.”

He frowned, but his eyes were full of understanding. “It’s in your blood. Here in Mythos, you can learn to control it. This is the best place for you.”

“The best place for villains?”

He laughed at that. “You’re not a villain, Sher Bear.”

I tilted my head, wishing he wouldn’t make light of the situation. “How can you be so sure?”

“I just am.” He said it as if that were his final decision on the matter. “At their most evolved, Ares descendants embody heroism. You’re made of stronger stuff.”

“If you say so.”

“I do.”

In the distance, I saw Hazel making her way back, her arms full of food and coffee. “Eat something,” Grandpa said, his tone pleading. “We have a long day ahead of us, and you need the energy.”

It was a request, not an order. Almost on cue, my stomach growled. “Fine,” I sighed. I’d take a few bites, even if I had to force it down.

“Good girl. One more thing,” he added. “Do yourself a favor and leave what happened yesterday back in Davidson. You’re onto new beginnings, my girl. Don’t allow your sister to haunt you here.”

That particular request bordered on the impossible, but I nodded, agreeing to try. It would be nice, not having to share this with Riley. My own secret world. But at the same time, I wondered why they weren’t including her.

“Can Riley do things like me?” I said, thinking of the fire.

He shrugged, seeming unconcerned. “Probably, but we don’t think she knows it yet.”

“If she’s a descendant too, shouldn’t she be here?”

“In the future, if that’s what she chooses. For now, your dad thinks it’s best to keep the two of you separated for a while.”

Hazel approached, setting down cups and paper bags on the table between us. “They were out of the strawberry pastries, but I got us a few cinnamon rolls.”

Grandpa grinned. “Next best thing.” He began divvying out the food, ending our conversation. I wanted to ask him how Dad knew it was me who started that fire, but I let it drop for now.

He was right; Riley and I needed this break.

And for once, I needed to start thinking of myself. This was my chance to be on my own for a while. Maybe all of this was a blessing in a magical, unbelievable disguise.

4

Wind whipped at my hair and brine needled my cheeks. I’d finally found a moment alone, walking along the side of the ferry to collect my thoughts. A stretch of green grew in the distance, surrounded by miles of blue. This part of the boat was practically empty; most of the travelers were inside the lobby. My stomach was full, and my heart a little less heavy. For the first time since leaving home, I felt like I could take a deep breath. And I did, several times over. Out here, in the middle of the ocean, it felt like maybe I could leave what happened behind me. Big emphasis on that maybe, but hey, it was more than I expected.

Leaning against the railing, I took in my first views of Mythos. Spellbound, I didn’t notice anyone hurrying along the deck behind me until a guy built like a brick wall smacked into my shoulder, almost knocking me over. “Dude, seriously?” I spun