Deviant Descendants (Descendants Academy #2) - Belle Malory Page 0,1
bottle of red she could find. Satisfied, she unscrewed the cork and poured two glasses full. It didn’t matter what her sister wanted to talk about—she would need wine to get through it.
The two of them found a table in the back, away from prying ears, and sat down. Selena twisted one of her blonde curls warily, looking like a sheep who wandered into a lion’s den. She didn’t belong in the Underworld, much less this unsavory tavern, and it was utterly apparent. By contrast, Petra thought she fit in just fine. Between her sharp features and the fierceness in her gaze, she gave off stay-the-hell-away vibes that suited her nicely.
“Well?” Petra swirled the wine around in her glass. “How’s dear old Dad these days?”
Thomas Vane was the one person they both despised since kidnapped and cursed both of their daughters. Their mutual hate for him was the only thing they shared in common. Apart from that, the two of them were as different as night and day.
Selena shrugged. “Busy carrying out orders for the king.”
“Don’t you mean he’s giving his own orders and convincing the king they’re his ideas?”
Selena snorted at the blunt description. “We know our father well, don’t we?”
“All too well.”
Thomas was the hollowed king’s most trusted advisor. He used his power from the Hollowed Council to trap them here.
Over the years, Selena had grown to accept her role, acquiring power and status as the Royal Clairvoyant. She settled down, remarried, and she even had more children. But Petra had never felt at home in this world. The hazy purple sun never captivated her the way it did some mages. She missed the blistering heat from Summer Island, where she’d grown up. And she missed having control over her own life.
“So…” Petra said, tapping the rim of her glass. Conversations with her sister had always proven awkward. “How’s life in the Hollowed Castle?”
“Why not come back and find out for yourself?”
She shuddered. “No, thanks.”
After countless years of torturing prisoners with her mind magic, she wished to never step foot in the Hollowed Castle again. Of course, life wasn’t much better now. She still used her mind magic to recruit hollowed soldiers from the city, but at least that work wasn’t as draining. Then there was the added bonus of getting away from privileged aristocrats and Hollowed Council members.
“I miss having you around.” Selena offered a tentative smile. “There’s no one else to complain about Father with me.”
If Petra was the eye-rolling sort, she would have done so by now. “What’s this really about?”
Selena shook her head. “You were never one for small talk, were you? I suppose it’s the Ares blood. Your sort has always been impatient.”
“Or perhaps I’ve never cared to be friendly with the woman who stole the father of my child,” she replied dryly, slicing into Selena with a sharp gaze.
Selena frowned. “I’m also your sister,” she said, as if that word meant something. “Honestly, Petra, we’ve been over this dozens of times. I didn’t know about you when I met Daniel.”
That much was half-true. Selena didn’t know they were sisters, but she sure as hell knew Daniel had been dating her. Everyone did.
“You should move on to the point of this meeting.” Petra smiled coolly, subtly letting her sister know that her feelings would never change.
“Fine,” Selena sighed. “If that’s how you want to do this—”
“I do.”
Selena’s frown deepened. “You can’t leave the Underworld. Whether you find a portal that allows you passage or not, you must stay because…they’re coming.”
Petra arched a brow. “Who’s coming?”
“Our daughters.”
She went still, holding her breath. “You’ve seen a vision of this?”
Selena nodded, her expression serious.
Petra tightened her grip around the stem of her glass, trying to make sense of it. She learned long ago not to underestimate Selena’s visions. They were always shockingly accurate. “Both of them?”
Again, Selena nodded.
On Zeus’s grave—why the Underworld of all places? This was no place for two cursed teenagers in a deathmatch.
“Why does it matter if I’m here?” Petra caught the frantic edge in her own voice. She was usually adept at keeping it together. But anything involving Sheridan brought her emotions to the forefront.
“They need you. You’re a catalyst—you help them in some way. The details are fuzzy, but they will need you.”
“You realize as soon as I set eyes on your daughter, she’s dead, don’t you?”
Selena calmly sipped her wine. “You won’t kill her.”
“That’s a bit delusional, even for you.”
“You won’t. Something turned over within you when you saw Sheridan