Deviant Descendants (Descendants Academy #2) - Belle Malory Page 0,3

I wasn’t so sure. The students in Ares designated me their own personal punching bag, and rightly so. In their world, I was a traitor. Bloodlines and magic divided mages, and I refused to choose only one.

Under ordinary circumstances, Xander’s approval as house leader would have been enough to gain acceptance. When I joined Aphrodite, I gained that acceptance through Peter Hallas. But things were different this time. No one liked a defector, much less a mage who couldn’t choose a side.

This was the bed I made, I reminded myself. After all, I begged Headmaster Waddley to allow me to study both love and fire magic. I wanted to study mind magic in Athena too, but I was already pushing my own limits. Socially, anyway. Academics came easily thanks to my bibliomagery skills. My memory was full of impressed books, including every textbook required this semester.

Xander took my elbow, careful not to touch my hurt hands, and pulled me back to my feet. “You should tell everyone about your meeting with the Fates. If they knew why you joined Aphrodite—”

“No.” I dusted myself off. Those explanations would fall on deaf ears. Besides, Aphrodite was as much a part of me as Ares. I loved them both.

Xander frowned, but he dropped it for now.

Mythonians believed blending magic diluted bloodlines and weakened their powers. I wasn’t so sure that was true. Bibliomagery had shown me knowledge was the source of all great power. I wanted to get my hands on every book, experiment with all types of magic, and learn as much as I could.

Only one problem—the Fates predicted my rage would consume me if I embraced my Ares blood.

They said I would never return home.

They said I would turn to dark magic.

They warned me to stay away.

On the other hand, they said love magic would help me find clarity and inner balance. They were right. Love magic soothed me in a way I never imagined. It gave me hope for humanity. It gave me peace.

But it wasn’t enough. No one house ever would. No one magic ever would. By joining Ares, I was risking my own fate. I simply didn’t care. I refused to conform to any box. At least this way, by studying within both houses, I was forging my own path.

Xander handed me my stack of books, and I slid them into my bag. Traces of his magic seeped through my fingers where his hand brushed against mine, instantly making me feel lighter.

“Thanks.”

He caught my chin, forcing me to look at him. “You sure you’re okay?” His vibrant blue eyes drowned me with their intensity. As hard as I tried to act unbothered, he always saw through me.

I took a deep breath and nodded. “I will be.”

“You’ll be safe in your next class,” he promised, adjusting the strap of my bag over my shoulder.

Right. Weaponry.

As house leader, it was one of Xander’s responsibilities to assist the Master of Arms. Students would get to train with real weapons, both an exciting and slightly terrifying idea. Watching Ares students spar was captivating. They exuded strength and confidence, and I wanted to fight like that too, violent bloodlust be damned.

We walked to the field together, Xander glued to my side. This thing between us was brand new, already off to a rocky start. I had little experience with relationships, but that couldn’t be a good predictor of longevity. Then again, my last boyfriend, Connor, gave me the perfect first everything—first conversation, first date, first kiss—and that ended in an abrupt, violent twist of events. He fell in love with my sister, the two of them used me, and I tried to kill Riley.

So, yeah.

Smooth sailing often led straight into hurricanes.

I glanced over at Xander and sighed. He was almost too perfect for words. Dark waves of hair. Chiseled face. His eyes—god save me from his eyes—were the deepest blue, framed with thick black lashes. A slightly crooked nose that had been punched one too many times but sort of endearing. And of course, all those lean, gladiator muscles. Best of all, underneath was a beautiful heart.

Xander had bailed me out of more awful situations than I could count. And not because he was bound to a magical promise like I first assumed. Nope, he had done all of those things of his own free will. The oath of protection he’d given was to my sister’s mother.

Technically, my half-sister.

My half-sister who was also my cousin.

Ours was bananas-shit crazy family tree, if there ever