Deviant Descendants (Descendants Academy #2) - Belle Malory Page 0,42
at me expectantly.
“You do, too…” I said, my sentence drifting off. Mean everything to me.
The words got stuck in my throat, sort of difficult to say. But Xander knew what I meant. He reached behind my head and pulled me close again. Butterflies soared as he kissed me with a devastating intensity that made me want to cry and scream at the same time.
Before I could pull myself together, he slipped back out through the balcony, leaving me reeling from that kiss. I touched my lips for a second, wondering at the emotion I’d felt behind it. It was almost like…like he thought he wouldn’t get another chance.
I shook my head, positive I was crazy. Xander wasn’t going anywhere, and if he was, he would tell me. This was simply my abandonment issues showing up in full force.
But then, I kept thinking about the way he said, “No matter what happens.”
Those words rung in my ear, chilling me to the bone. He said it like he knew something would.
17
Sheridan,
I gathered more information about Persephone’s Cure through a reliable source. An intriguing solution, one that offers promise! As it so happens, Selena revealed you and your sister would come to the Underworld. I didn’t fully understand it at the time, but her predictions are famous for their accuracy. If Selena already saw it coming to pass, then it is impossible to prevent. As much as I fear your coming here, my best course of action is to prepare for your arrival. I can’t stress this enough—keep it a secret. Thomas Vane can never know.
I will begin searching for suitable accommodations, somewhere you can remain hidden. When you are ready, just say the word.
-Your Mom
* * *
It took me several seconds to remember to breathe.
Selena saw us coming there.
I didn’t even think it was a reality, especially after last night. Both Grandpa and Dad shut the idea down almost as soon as I brought it up. But if she saw us, that changed everything. It meant it had to happen. It meant I couldn’t give up trying to convince them.
I glanced once at Petra’s signature again.
Your Mom.
Like she wanted to remind me. But I didn’t need reminding. I thought about who she was and what that meant daily. Unsure of how to reply, I closed the parchwyn and slipped it back into the space beneath my bed, where I’d been hiding it.
Whenever the journey to the Underworld became possible, it was nice to know I had help waiting. I doubt I could survive without it.
“Sheridan, don’t forget about Lovers Ball tonight.”
I blinked and looked up at Ione. She was about to walk out the door, the strap of her bag slung over her shoulder.
Lovers Ball was an annual Aphrodite event to hand out awards to our mastery classmates and celebrate their impending journey into the workforce. But really, it was just another excuse for Aphrodite students to throw a party. This one just happened to be bigger and grander than the rest.
“I’ll be there,” I said, nodding.
I had totally forgotten, but I tried not to show it. She already made me feel bad about my preference for House Ares. No need for her to know how little focus I’d been giving Aphrodite lately, especially after the way she came to my rescue with the geniox rumor. When she figured out I didn’t have a dress, she would be livid.
She tilted her head to the side, seeing right through me. “I got you a dress last week.”
I let out a breath of relief. “Thanks, Ione.”
“Be back before dinner,” she ordered. “I’ll do your hair and makeup. God knows what will happen if you’re left to your own devices.”
I gave her a little salute and she walked out the door.
I walked swiftly to my first class of the day—Basic Magic Principles—and after I got there and sat down, I nearly groaned out loud when Jett sat next to me. I wondered why she bothered.
“Hey, Thorny,” she said cheerfully, just as she had been doing for the last several days. “How are you?”
“Still alive,” I muttered sarcastically. “Unless you plan on selling my soul for more magic.”
She snorted. “Cute.”
Those kinds of comments used to make her feel bad enough to leave me alone, but the sting in them had stopped working. So, I scooted my chair as far as I could away from her, then pulled out my notebook and set it on the table in front of me.