by Belle Malory
“Wait,” I said, trying to wrap my head around that part. “Her own baby? I mean, me I understand. But why would she want to kill Riley?”
Xander shrugged. “The woman is demented, Sheridan. She felt Daniel’s blood tainted both of you.”
“You knew her personally?”
“Petra was the one who tried to break me.” His eyes darkened. “It killed her that I wouldn’t submit to the Hollowed Council and pledge my service.”
“Why did they want you?”
He shook his head. “Sorry, but that’s another question I can’t answer.”
Fine, I could live without knowing that. As long as he finished telling me about my mother.
“So what happened? Who thwarted Petra’s plans?”
“Also, your mother. Selena’s Athenian heritage gives her a strong sense of precognition. She can see future events playing out in dreams, and the Hollowed Council would’ve done anything to obtain that ability for themselves. So your mother made a deal with the higher-ups. Her life for yours and your sister’s. They forbade Petra from killing the babies, and your mother can’t leave the Underworld. She pledged herself to the Hollows. She has to work for them for life.”
I sat back in my chair, feeling my nose and throat sting. She sacrificed herself, stuck in that terrible place at my expense. Jesus.
“Now do you see why I didn’t tell you at the lake? Selena didn’t want you to spend your life worrying about her. She wanted her sacrifice to mean your life would be full of joy. Then again, she hadn’t anticipated Petra’s curse.”
“How did that happen?” I said, bitterly.
“The Hollowed Council agreed to let you and your sister live, but they never forbade Petra from cursing you. It was the only revenge she could extract on Daniel at that point, so she wasn’t going to let the opportunity go to waste.”
“She sounds like a lovely woman.” I looked over at Grandpa. “Remind me to ask Dad what he saw in her.”
“Blind teenage lust.” Grandpa shrugged, frowning. “Had your father known she was a Hollow, he would’ve never had anything to do with her.”
I turned back to Xander, anxious for him to continue. “So how did my mother help you escape?”
“The Hollows have no reason to distrust Selena. She’s bound to them through magic. When she pledged herself, she swore an oath to never escape, as well as to provide details about her foresight, and she has faithfully obeyed for over a decade. She’s no longer a prisoner in the typical sense, not like I was. She commands authority in the Hollowed Council, and the others respect her.” He stared at the floor, shaking his head. “I still remember the day she came to my cell. She told me two paths were laid out before me. I could either stay and become a powerful Hollow, or I could return to Mythos. She asked which I preferred, and of course, I answered to return. So she agreed to help me escape, with conditions.”
“Conditions?” I chewed on my lower lip. “What did she ask you to do?”
“Upon my return, I would transfer to House Ares and focus on becoming the strongest gladiator of all time.”
That seemed like an odd request. “Why?”
He shrugged. “She wouldn’t tell me. She simply said it must be done.”
“What else?”
He raised his gaze again, looking nervous. “What do you mean?”
“You said conditions. Plural.”
“The rest isn’t important.” He didn’t choose his words carefully enough. The vines began to twist and tighten, and he struggled against them, groaning. “I meant to say, I don’t wish to discuss the other conditions!”
The vines stopped.
I curled my hand into a fist. “Xander, so help me, if you try to get out of answering, I’ll tear off your arm myself.”
His eyes grew wide, surprised by my reaction. After a few seconds, he caved. “Fine. She asked, if you ever came to Arcadia, I would protect you.” He swallowed uncomfortably, his voice lowering. “And that I would never fall in love with you.”
21
“What?”
I was so stunned, I could barely speak.
Grandpa actually had the audacity to laugh—and it was pissing me off that he was laughing. “Good ol’ Sel,” he said between chuckles. “Always liked that girl.”
“Wh-why?” I said, once I finally found my voice. “Why would she ask you something like that?”
Xander looked as lost for words as I was. “I don’t know. She sees the future, so she must have her reasons.”
“She said me, specifically? Did she include Riley in on that condition?”
He shook his head. “Just you.”
“But-but…” This was so confusing. My mom literally asked Xander not to fall in love with me? I had so many questions.
First of all, did she see it happen?
Second, why was she trying to prevent it?
Third, really?—Me and Mr. Let’s Only Speak In Private?!
I mean the guy was gorgeous, like on an insane level. He even stirred up little butterflies just by turning those deep blues on me, but I couldn’t see it going that far.
When I finally found my voice again, I asked the biggest question on my mind. “Let’s say, theoretically, of course, it was a possibility.” I noticed the way Xander and I couldn’t seem to look at each other. “How does she ah…expect you to stop your feelings?”
He held up his left hand to reveal a tiny silver cross on the inside of his ring finger. “It’s called the Silver Oath. It binds me to my promises.”
She magically bound him.
“The net.” He helped me when no one else would, then he asked Ione to help me too. “It was part of your promise.”
Xander looked away, clearing his throat. “I would like to think I would’ve done it anyway, but yes.”
Good grief. So even his half attempt at being nice wasn’t really him, just part of the arrangement he made with my mom.
I stood up. This was too much to deal with. Too many revelations, too many emotions…the anger and the Ares blood was taking over, because when I looked down, my hands were full of fire.
“Whoa.” Xander’s eyes flared.
“Calm yourself, Sheridan,” Grandpa said, his voice gentle.
I shook my hands, and the fire disappeared. After a deep breath, I looked up. “We need to get my mother out of the Underworld,” I said to Grandpa. “And we need to break this curse.”
He nodded. “Agreed.”
“Are you two serious?” Xander gripped the arm of the chair, trying to get up, but the ollodipher dug into his flesh. “Get this thing off me!”
Grandpa reached out and tore the leaf from Xander. Immediately, the vines recoiled, leaving angry red welts across his skin. He rubbed his arm, glancing between the two of us. “You can’t go there.”
“Obviously, I’m not letting my teenage granddaughter walk into a place full of demons, monsters, and Hollows,” Grandpa said, frowning. “But she’s the girl’s mother. We have to figure out a way to free her. First, I’ll need to do some research about this pledge she made. We can’t make any moves before I find out more about that.”
“What about Petra’s curse?” Xander said.
Grandpa sighed. “Daniel and I have tried to prevent that goddamned curse from manifesting since they arrived on his doorstep. He hoped living in Davidson might change things, but it hasn’t. For now, all we can do is keep them separated.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I couldn’t help still feeling butthurt over the fact that he and Dad left me out of the loop.
“Who wants to tell their grandchild they’re cursed?” Grandpa said, his bushy brows drawn together pensively. “Your dad and I didn’t expect you to find out this way. All we wanted was to keep you safe and protected, even from one another.”
The two of them had kept a lot from Riley and me. Things we deserved to know, regardless of how they felt about it. If they hadn’t been so secretive, who knows. Maybe I wouldn’t have tried to kill my sister. Maybe
being conscious of the situation would’ve helped me practice control. I knew they were trying to protect us, but they may have done more harm than good.
Jett’s idea came to mind, and I wanted to run it by Grandpa. “Since we’re on the subject, have you heard of the Curse Breaker?”
He scowled. “On Twilight Island? Don’t even think about it, Sheridan. The guy is a nut job.”
I frowned. “I heard he was efficient.”
“He may have had some luck over the years, but his magic always comes with consequences.”
“What consequence could be worse than murdering your sister?”
“Trust me, things can always get worse when it comes to dark magic.”
“But—”
“It’s out of the question,” he said dismissively. “We’re not going that route.”
We’re, he said. Like he was cursed too. I didn’t like the way he wouldn’t even consider it, and just because he said no didn’t mean I planned on following his orders. I may not be the rebellious sister, but this was too important to just sit around and ignore. I had to do something.
“Where is the stone tablet?” I would just keep quiet for now.
He shuffled for a few seconds, then ducked under his desk to open a drawer. I raised my eyebrows. He had it here the whole time, tucked away. A moment later, he handed me a thick, heavy piece of stone, covered with carved words and what looked like stained blood.
Once their magic arrives, these sisters shall not rest until one destroys the other.
“We’ve tried to break it a million different ways,” he said with a sigh. “The damned thing won’t even crack.”
I stared at it, a numbness spreading over my body.
All of this, this school, the secrets, the magic, and my dysfunctional family had hit me one blow after another. I was officially knocked out. I couldn’t handle anymore. I needed a timeout.
“I think I’ve heard enough for one evening.” My voice sounded as drained as my body felt. “Can I keep this?”
Grandpa looked unsure, but after a moment, he nodded his consent. “Put it in a safe place.” He waved to Xander. “Walk her back to her dorm, Arius. In case there are any more chimeras waiting out there…or worse.”
Or worse. Great. And here I was thinking the chimera was as bad as it got.
“Don’t bother.” I headed for the door. “He doesn’t want to be seen with a defector.”
“I can walk you to your dorm, Sheridan,” Xander said stiffly, all the emotion gone from his face.
“Oh, right. Your promise.” I ramped up the sarcasm. “Guess you have to do what you have to do, right?”
He didn’t bother answering. He simply opened the door and nodded for me to go through it. I would’ve preferred to walk alone, but my fear of monsters outweighed everything else. So I left the office, Xander following closely behind. Neither of us spoke a word the entire walk.
More than enough had already been said.
22
My days passed in a blur of classes, magic, and following Ione’s detailed instructions. She had a lot of them. Aphrodite students must be graceful, diplomatic, and a vision of beauty at all times, she’d tell me.
Don’t slouch.
Don’t giggle.
Don’t raise your voice.
She was like the mother I never had, nagging me every free second of her day. Sometimes I appreciated her help. Sometimes she drove me bonkers. When that happened, I reminded myself how much I desperately needed to fit in with her and my chosen house. This was what I signed up for. Just suck it up and do what she said.
At least the nights were mine. I usually spent them practicing my instantaneous reading. So far, I could only consume a few at a time before it completely wiped me out. One night, Ione saw me practicing, and she froze. “Are you reading that book through touch?”
I nodded.
“Holy crap. You’re a bibliomagus.”
“What’s that?” And in a world full of magic, why would she find it strange?
“Someone who can speak to the written word. It’s an extremely rare talent. And usually, only found in Athena descendants.”
Well, that made sense considering my mother was one.
She moved closer, watching with wide eyes. “That’s how you knew the answers to Professor Lilyworth’s questions, isn’t it?”
Again, I nodded.
“Amazing,” she breathed. “You truly have a gift, Sheridan. Knowledge is the source of all great power.”
I blinked. I was having fun learning about Mythos, but I hadn’t considered that this simple thing, reading quickly, might give me an advantage I hadn’t recognized.
The next evening, there was a stack of new Aphrodite books waiting on my bed, most of them on social etiquette. “Use them to prepare for Friday night,” Ione instructed, a gleam in her eye. She was taking me to a house dinner party, and she wanted to make sure I was a picture-perfect representation of Aphrodite.
I ground my teeth together, ready to scream. This was the one part of the day when I could just relax and be myself and stop worrying about what everyone else thought. I didn’t want to spend the night learning more love magic. But as I picked up the first book, it hit me. This was my ticket out of listening to Ione go on and on about the do’s and don’ts of social gatherings. If she believed I already knew everything I needed to know, she’d stop with the nagging.
I placed my palm over A Guide on Charm and Schmoozing, figuring what the hell.
When Friday came, my head was full of what I considered useless information. Aphrodite’s house history, their sororities and fraternities, ethics, social graces, and all kinds of other facts and trivia had been downloaded to my memory.
Ione was both nervous and eager. “This is where you need to shine,” she said, maybe for the hundredth time. She looked me over, magically arranging my hair into cascading strands threaded together with tiny silver bands. “Focus on Peter Hallas. He’s the house leader. If he accepts you, everyone else will too.”
“I thought if you accepted me, everyone would,” I grumbled.
“My name carries weight, but people like Peter. He’s charismatic.”
“But they don’t like you?”
I tried not to grin, I really did. It didn’t work.
Ione ignored my comment. “With the two of us backing you, the rest of the house will follow suit. No one will care which bloodline you descend from.” She put her hands on her hips, looked me over once more, then gave a satisfied nod. “Perfect.”
I smiled. “You seem really excited.”
“Of course, I am. You’re my protégé.” She beamed. “If I can mold an unruly Ares descendant into a worthy Aphrodite mage, I can do anything.”
I laughed. For someone who hated me with so much passion a week ago, we were almost like friends. Sort of. It was a love-hate relationship.
We left for the party just as the spring sun set on the horizon, dressed in our lavender togas. As we exited House Aphrodite, someone whistled from behind the trio of spiral topiary bushes.
“Hey, Thorny.” It was Jett, on her way in just as we were leaving. She waved me over.
“One second,” I said to Ione.
Jett crinkled her nose as I approached. “Look at you, a vision in purple.”
I ignored her sarcasm. “What are you doing here?”
She smirked. “The guy I mentioned? The one who can get us into Twilight Island undetected—he has an opening this weekend, but he wants to meet you and Hazel in person first. To make sure you’re both straight and discuss price.”
My heart thudded against my chest. I didn’t expect to get a chance so soon. “When?”
“Now.”
Figured.
“I can’t right now,” I whispered, glancing back at Ione. She was glaring, tapping her sandal against the sidewalk impatiently. “I’m on my way to a house dinner party.”
Jett’s eyes flared. “Seriously?” She held up her hands, weighing the choices. “Bro
ken curse, freedom forever…or dinner party.”
“I know, I know. But this one is important.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “We’re not going to get another chance for a while. They’re sending my guy to an internship in the human world. It’s now or never, Thorny.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, knowing I would hate myself if I missed the opportunity. “Give me like an hour, okay?”
She nodded. “Meet me at the entrance to the woods when you’re done.”
“Okay. I’ll be there.”
Ione watched Jett like a hawk as she walked away. “What did she want?”
“Nothing. Class project,” I lied.
She steered her attention back to me. “That girl is trouble, Sheridan. You shouldn’t hang around her.”
Oh, geez. Here we go again. “Why? Because she’s from Hades?”
“Aphrodite descendants may not be the strongest or the brightest, but we do have one trait that sets us apart—our gut. I can feel when someone is inherently good or bad. I’m telling you, that girl is full of darkness.”
Good grief. Ione could be so dramatic.
“Again, she’s from Hades. Darkness comes part and parcel with the whole scary vibe thing they’ve got going on. Don’t worry about it. You didn’t like me at first either, remember?”
“I still don’t like you.” One corner of her mouth curved slightly. “Much.”
I rolled my eyes. “Let’s go.”
I only had an hour, and I needed to make it count.
It was easy to understand why everyone liked Peter. He was handsome in a classic way. Strong jaw, sandy blonde hair, and engaging brown eyes. When he spoke to someone, he gave them his whole attention, making that person feel as if they were the most important person in the room. When Ione introduced us, he took all of me in, looking me over from head to toe. It made me feel like I was at a job interview, and the big boss was sizing me up. In a way, that’s exactly what was happening.