Deviant Descendants (Descendants Academy #2) - Belle Malory Page 0,16

the sister I remembered no longer existed. As far as I could tell, this one was a stranger.

Riley took our game to the next level. “Why don’t we make things more interesting?” she suggested, staring at the flop I dealt. “A little bet.”

“What kind of bet?”

My cards were good. Really good. Whatever she had in mind, she was going down.

“The loser jumps from the Ledge of Doom. Tonight, right after this game.”

I frowned. Here she was, just looking for another way to kill me. It was so predictable, I rolled my eyes.

“I’m not interested.”

“House Ares is no place for cowards.”

“Neither is it a place for killers.” I stared pointedly at her, and she shifted in her seat. It was the first sign of discomfort she’d shown since arriving. A win, in my book.

“I’m not a killer,” she said, adding a cheerful, “yet.”

I tightened my grip around my cards. “This house stands for heroism, bravery, and strength—”

“Exactly.” Her voice sharpened. “And if you had any of those traits, you’d take the bet.”

Everyone surrounding us stared expectantly. Oh, she was good, putting me on the spot like this. If I didn’t take her stupid bet, none of them would ever truly believe I belonged, and I was already on shaky ground as it was.

I hid my hand and spun around in my seat, whispering to Xander, “What’s this Cliff of Doom she’s talking about?”

“Ledge of Doom,” Xander corrected. “It’s only about ten to fifteen feet high, but it doesn’t get its name from its height.”

Ten feet? That wasn’t so bad. “What’s at the bottom?”

“The Inlet of Sorrows. Trust me, you don’t want to jump in there.”

Good grief, what was up with these terrifying names?

Reina pushed Xander aside and leaned down to my chair height, keeping her voice low. “The inlet is home to a den of vicious, extremely jealous mermaids. If they notice you, they’ll steal your beauty.”

I gulped. “Steal my beauty?”

She nodded. “They’re afraid of fire though. If you’ve got enough practice, you can handle them, no problem.”

Her words boosted my confidence. Fire-magic was one of my better skills. If she was right about the mermaids, I had nothing to worry about. I was also sitting pretty with a really amazing hand, a straight draw. Riley’s odds of beating me with these cards were minimal at best.

“You’ve got this, Sheridan.” Reina patted my arm. “Take that wretched sister of yours down.”

I looked up at Xander. His face was like stone, but I caught the worry in his gaze. He nodded, letting me know all I needed. It was up to me.

This wasn’t just about defeating my sister. I had to accept her challenge or else I’d look weak.

“Fine.” I spun back around in my chair. “I agree to your terms, but if I win, you don’t jump from the ledge.”

She pursed her lips. “What do you want?”

A loaded question—what did I want?

For her to stop trying to kill me, for one, but I knew better than to ask for that. She would never agree.

“Dinner tomorrow night.” I offered a weak smile. “Just the two of us. An hour or two of your time while you hear me out about our…” Prying eyes were all around us, so I chose my words carefully. “Our situation.”

I wanted to propose my plan to go after Persephone’s Cure. Xander would realize it too, and he wouldn’t be happy. Maybe it was my imagination, but I swear I felt his furious gaze bore into my back.

“Agreed.” Riley nodded.

She accepted my terms a little too quickly, but I wasn’t worried. My hand was golden.

I dealt out the last card. A king came on the river, making my straight that much stronger.

“Moment of truth,” Riley said, arching her brow. “Whatcha got, Sher Bear?”

Hearing her use my family’s pet nickname in front of everyone, especially with a derisive tone, boiled my blood. I was going to enjoy beating her with all of House Ares watching.

I laid down my cards, watching her gaze absorb the weight of my hand. “Straight high.”

She clicked her tongue. “Oh, that’s a good hand.”

I smiled, pleased with myself. “Thanks.”

“Just not good enough.”

My stomach hollowed. No.

She flattened her cards against the table. “A full house for you, sister. We know a thing or two about those, don’t we?”

I swallowed. She’d won. Riley had actually beaten me, and she didn’t even have to use magic.

A giant hiccup rose in my chest.

6

“You don’t have to do this,” Xander said, swallowing. “We can just leave. Right now, me and