Deviant Descendants (Descendants Academy #2) - Belle Malory Page 0,10

about these seals; they bound two individuals together, sort of like a contract. With hers, I could summon Storm at any time, but she could do the same with me.

“Why?” It didn’t make sense that she would choose me. Riley was the one everyone liked.

“Because you’re the more powerful sister.”

I shook my head.

Nothing good could come from this. I decided long ago, should the curse manifest, I wouldn’t be on the killing side of it. If Riley wanted to bind herself through magical contracts, that was on her. Being bound to the curse was already more than I could handle.

“Look,” I sighed. “I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I’m not building an army.”

“Says the dead girl walking.”

I shrugged. “Perhaps.”

Death was a fate I had to accept.

Storm nodded, then finished her drink and set it on the table beside us. “You might change your mind. Just know, if you need me, I’m available.”

With that said, she disappeared into the crowd.

I thought about what she said as she left, the sea of faces around me becoming a blur. A lump grew in my throat, making it difficult to swallow.

It was getting to me, the seriousness of what was happening. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, Riley wasn’t letting this go. My own sister. The girl who used to braid my hair and taught me how to ride a bike. The girl who hugged me when I was afraid. We made blanket forts together, pretending they were castles in a fairytale land. Now we were in a deathmatch.

When Riley came to Arcadia, she told me this wouldn’t end well. She told me the only way it ended was with her knife in my heart.

But it kind of felt like it was already there.

4

I snuck away from dinner early, retreating across campus to my dorm. The orange-tinged Blood Moon was full and bright. I steered my gaze up to the night sky, traveling over the constellations, thinking of my dad and the times we spent stargazing through my little telescope back in Davidson.

“Always look for Polaris first, then go from there.” He told me that every time, as if he were the world expert on star maps.

“Why?” I said.

It seemed like a silly rule. The North Star wasn’t even the brightest; I never understood why it deserved so much attention.

“The other stars are unreliable, you can’t trust them,” he said with a wink. “They’re full of lies and deceit. Never believe they are who they say they are.”

I rolled my eyes, chuckling. “And Polaris always tells the truth?”

“Of course!” he said, as if the star were his best friend. “Polaris will always be unwavering, lighting the way, shining in the darkest of skies. For centuries, that little star has helped guide us. So, when your universe feels like its spinning out of control, just look to Polaris. She will always shine true.”

And just like that, the most popular star in the sky became my favorite. Even now, I couldn’t help but look at her and think of my dad.

House Aphrodite was empty when I returned. The halls were lit only by the moonlight streaming in from the windows, the marble floors carrying echoes of my footsteps. A fresh stack of books waited upstairs on my nightstand, if I could summon the energy to impress them.

A deflated sigh escaped. Impressing the books would help me take my mind off things, but all I really wanted was to curl under the covers of my bed and cry for hours, feeling sorry for myself. I’d been holding it down for days, keeping my head held high, even when I was an outcast. But this…this was a new low. I mean, I knew my sister was wicked. Riley had done enough to hurt me in the past; she’d stolen my boyfriend, poisoned me with lethara, and took delight in my downfall.

Now she was initiating war.

We weren’t playing one of her twisted games. This time, she was serious. She meant to kill me, and part of me had still been hoping she would wake up and remember I was her sister. That hope was squashed when Storm told me Riley was seeking seals of support. Talk about getting the rug swept from under my feet.

Even now, I cautiously peeked around corners and down hallways, wondering if a monster was waiting on the other side. Cheers to Riley for turning me into a walking, paranoid mess.

Scents of polished leather, evergreen, and freshly fallen rain struck me