Deviant Descendants (Descendants Academy #2) - Belle Malory Page 0,13

of his gaze. “The geniox.” He held out his hand, his grip strong as he shook mine. A long, white scar spiraled from his fingers, all the way up his arm. “I had a feeling I’d be seeing you again.”

“Again?” I said, confused.

“We sort of already met, on the ferry.”

“Oh, right.” The day I traveled into the Mythonian islands. He was with Xander out on the boat’s deck; but at the time, I hadn’t been paying much attention to him.

“Nice work on the soul weapon, by the way.” He gave me a brief salute. “You’re the only freshman I’ve known to summon one.”

“Thank you.” My insides warmed. The rejection I expected wasn’t in Cassius’s expression. It made me feel like things were finally turning around, like I was no longer an outcast.

“Did you name it?”

“Not yet.” I had to leave it back in my dorm for that very reason.

Xander said, “Don’t be like Cassius. He named his weapon after himself.”

Cassius squared his shoulders proudly. “It’s the greatest name on the planet—why wouldn’t I name it after myself? At least I didn’t give mine some stupid, frou-frou moniker like Reina gave her axe.”

A tall goddess of a girl with black hair and blunt bangs spun around, hands on her leather-clad hips. With curves and muscles for days, a sharp chin, and bright green eyes, she looked like a warrior princess. “Talking shit about me again, Cass?”

Cassius smirked, clearly glad he gained her attention. “Sheridan, meet my lover, Reina.” He placed an arm around her waist.

Reina shoved him off of her. “He wishes.”

I hid my smile.

Cassius ignored that, continuing on with introductions. “Sheridan is Arcadia’s resident geniox.”

“Interesting.” Her piercing gaze cut into me, her manner very direct and forthcoming.

“And, apparently, a friend of Xander’s,” Cassius continued. “Any friend of Xander’s is a friend of mi—”

“Girlfriend,” Xander corrected.

The word made me blink.

The word made everyone blink.

Neither of us had used those titles out loud before. I stiffened and looked up. His blue eyes locked with mine for a moment, as if making sure I was good with it. I subtly nodded, a firestorm of flutters unfurling within me.

Reina and Cassius looked even more stunned. “Close your mouth, Cass.” She pushed his chin up. “There’s a first time for everything.”

Xander sighed. “Don’t make a big deal of it, guys.”

Things were getting awkward fast. Clearing my throat, I tried to change the subject, spitting out the first question I could think of to ask Reina. “I’m curious; what did you name your axe?”

“Empress Alladora.” She glared at Cassius. “And it’s a damned fitting name for such a prized piece of weaponry.” In her hands appeared a gleaming, platinum axe with golden vines twisting around its hilt. Impressive.

Cassius snorted. “For a porcelain doll, maybe. Not an axe.”

She raised it to his throat. “Don’t mock. With one swing, the empress could take that empty, useless head of yours off clean.”

Cassius glanced down at the blade and quickly pushed her hand away. “You’d miss me too much.”

She rolled her eyes. “As much as I’d miss a migraine.”

Their lighthearted banter made me smile. It was easy to see why Xander liked them.

Reina shoved Cassius’s shoulder. “Don’t be rude—get Sheridan something to drink.” She turned to me again, her nose twitching. “We don’t have any of that bubbly piss they drink in Aphrodite.”

“Ale is fine.” At least I hoped it was. My experience with drinking was pretty limited, too.

As soon as Cassius left to do her bidding, Reina shoved her mug into Xander’s hands. “Someone needs to get me a refill as well.”

Xander glanced at me, and I could tell he didn’t want to leave my side. “But—”

“She can survive without you for a few minutes.”

I nodded, letting him know it was okay.

“Fine,” he grumbled, walking off in the same direction Cassius. “But be nice.”

“I’m always nice,” Reina insisted.

I was suddenly nervous. Whereas Cassius was warm and friendly, Reina was sort of intimidating. And without Xander by my side, I felt like an open target.

She looked over me with her pointed gaze, gesturing for me to take a seat on one of the leather sofas. I did, and she followed suit. “You’re from the human world, right?”

“Yes.”

“How did you meet Xander?”

Her curiosity made sense. Xander was several years ahead of me, and I was brand new to the school. We didn’t exactly run in the same circles.

“Ah, we met on the ferry. Then, later, he helped me out of a booby trap.” It was a simplified, cut-and-dried version of everything