by Belle Malory
“My blood is half Athenian, sweet girl.”
Oh God. I’d already forgotten about that. My legs shook, and I leaned against the wall for support. “And if I’d been who you thought I was…”
“If you were Riley, I would have killed you on the spot,” she finished for me. “Then the curse would be broken, and you’d be free to live your life without fear.”
There was no shame or hesitation in her answer. Riley was my sister, my own flesh and blood, but Petra didn’t care. She would have killed her anyway.
“All this time, I worried about being the villain,” I said, more to myself than to her. “Instead, I should have just embraced it.”
Petra rolled her eyes, and I didn’t blame her. I was headed into nonsensical rambling.
Slowly, I slid down the wall, crouching into my knees. This was not, in a million years, how I ever would have imagined meeting my mother.
A knock sounded at the door. Petra left to answer it, straightening to her full height. I dimly heard her and a guard speaking softly about an intruder at the gate. “You’re sure it’s him?”
The guard nodded.
“Bring him here.”
“Right away, Mistress.”
Once the guard was gone, Petra looked at me and shook her head. “You’ve managed to surprise me, which doesn’t happen often these days.”
I surprised her—ha! Well, she sure shocked the hell out of me, so I guess we were even. “How exactly did I do that?”
She crossed the room to stand before me, smoothing her braid. “Alexander Arius is here, someone I never expected to see again.”
I held my breath, my heart beating about a million times per second.
Xander came to the Underworld?
I couldn’t believe he would risk coming back here, to a place he both hated and feared.
Petra glanced down at her nails. “I believe he is attempting to rescue you.” She said it with all the indifference in the world. “He took out half my guard before they finally captured him. Had he simply asked, he would have discovered you’re free to go as you please.”
“I am?”
She gave me a weak half smile. “Of course.”
“But…why?” I probably shouldn’t question this, but I couldn’t help it.
“I might be imprisoned in this godforsaken hellhole.” Her eyes flashed with bitterness as she gestured to our surroundings. “But I would never wish the same for you. After all, you’re my daughter.”
God, that word. Daughter. It literally made me cringe.
“Xander said you tortured him,” I said, my voice full of disgust. “Is it true?”
“Yes, I did,” she said, again surprising me with her brutal honesty. “It was part of my job at the Hollowed Castle. There, you either do what you’re told, or you die.”
“Your job was to torture people?”
“Not always, but I have a talent that the Hollows find useful.”
“What kind of talent?” I wanted to know exactly what she put Xander through during his captivity.
“I can make people see things.”
Almost as soon as she said it, our surroundings slipped away. I was transported into a dark bedroom. In the corner, a baby-faced version of Petra sat in a rocking chair, in her night robe, gazing down at a baby in her arms. My throat swelled—that was me in her arms. She smiled, looking more in love than I’d ever seen anyone.
Just as quickly as it had appeared, the scene vanished. Petra stared blankly at the floor, frowning. “That particular vision came from memory.”
My eyes and nose stung, and I blinked away tears.
“You meant everything to me. When they took you…” She shook her head, sighing. “It hurt more than when Daniel left, and I stupidly believed that was the worse pain I knew.”
I pressed my lips together, refusing to feel sorry for her. She might be my mother, but that didn’t make her any less of a psychopath.
Several minutes later, Ajax arrived with the coffee. Two Strongarms followed him in with Xander, each holding him beneath his arms. Once inside, they dumped him on the floor. I sucked in a breath at the sight of him. His dark hair was mussed, he had a split lip, and he looked pretty beat up. The fight wasn’t out of him though; I could see it raging like a storm in his eyes. As soon as they dropped him, he picked himself up, ready to take them all on again.
He saw me and stopped. “Sheridan?”
I raced into his arms, and he held me, trembling against him. “You shouldn’t have come.”
He snorted. “A million armies wouldn’t have stopped me.”
Behind him, Petra sniffed. “Oh, sweet girl. Don’t tell me you’re headed down my same path. If you’re smart, you will have learned something from my story.”
Xander stiffened at the sound of her voice. “Petra,” he said, curling his lip.
“Good to see you again, Xander.”
“Can’t say the same.”
Petra shrugged. “You may not believe it, but I am happy to see you alive and well. I hated the way your dad tried to break your spirit at Hollowed Castle.”
“You tried to break me,” he corrected her. “Maybe they were his orders, but you carried them out.”
She shrugged. “If it helps, I always went much easier on you than what he demanded.”
“It doesn’t,” he said, rage brimming from each word. He took a long, deep breath. “But if you release Sheridan, I’ll turn myself in. I’ll go back to Hollowed Castle. I’ll do whatever you want.”
My head jerked around—what did he just say?
Petra stepped back, wearing a matching expression of shock. “You would sacrifice yourself for her?”
“Yes.” He swallowed and tightened his jaw. “And if you unbind her from the curse…I’ll take the Hollowed Pledge.”
My jaw dropped. I was so stunned, I couldn’t speak.
“Now that is genuine devotion,” Petra said, shaking her head. “You continue to surprise me, both of you. Regretfully, your sacrifice isn’t necessary. I’ve already told Sheridan she can leave, and as much as I’d like to break her curse, I simply can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t?” Xander took a step toward her, raising his voice. “I swear to God if I have to kill you myself—”
Petra looked at me. “Now would be a good time to fill him in, dear.”
I nodded, trying to find my voice through my own shock. Laying my hand over Xander’s, I said, “She didn’t curse me, Xander.”
He turned around, drawing his brows together. “What?”
Petra busied herself with readying her coffee while I explained.
I hated telling him. Hated owning what and who I was. Part of me worried he might think less of me, especially after learning I wasn’t as spotless as I tried to appear. After all, the woman who tortured him for three years was my own flesh and blood.
Once I was done, my eyes filled with tears, and my voice turned watery. “I’m sorry, Xander.” I glanced over at Petra, who sat across the room, waiting for me to finish “I’m ashamed to be the daughter of someone who hurt you so badly, but it’s the truth.”
He let out a breath and took my face in his hands. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, Sheridan. The world is full of shitty parents—I should know. My dad is the reigning king.”
“I resent that,” Petra said over her shoulder.
Xander ignored her, lowering his voice. “This only makes me feel closer to you. Now, can we please get out of here?”
I smiled through my tears, relieved to hear him say that, and nodded.
“Do you…ah…have anything you need to say first?” His eyes flicked to Petra, letting me know this was a good time for closure.
I looked at my mother, and all I saw was the Hollow. She was the woman that tortured people. The woman that meant to murder Riley here tonight.
I’d rather go on pretending she was dead.
“Let’s go,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t change her mind about allowing us to
leave.
“To get back, you’ll need to take the River Styx,” Petra said, overhearing us. “I have a boat at the dock. One of my men can take you there.”
The three of us exited the cabin, a noticeable chill in the air. Strange. It hadn’t seemed that cold on the way here. A screeching sound echoed from the forest, and we all jerked our heads in that direction. “What was that?” I said, shivering.
The screeching stopped, but it was followed by something else…screams?
“Something’s wrong,” Petra said, side-stepping us. She searched the night sky. Her men shouted in the distance.
And then we heard it, the flapping. It sounded leathery and sharp, like a whip cracking into the air.
Oh God. I was smack dab in the heart of a place where monsters and demons roamed freely. Imagining what was out there was terrifying.
The screeching intensified. A shadowy silhouette glided through the trees, quickly moving into the clearing. It followed the road, coming this way.
I swallowed. “Is that what it looks like?”
Xander blinked, but he didn’t take his eyes off the thing. “If it looks like a dragon to you, then yes; that’s exactly what it looks like.”
“I had nothing to do with this,” Petra quickly said. “Obviously.”
We watched as it soared past us, ducking back under the door frame. From our spot, my gaze remained transfixed. I’d never seen a dragon before, and part of me was fascinated by the sight of its silvery-black scales, and the way it glimmered like a snake in the sky.
Petra’s men shouted and screamed, but it did them little good. The dragon took out five of her Strongarms with one blazing spout of fire.
The air wasn’t so chilly anymore.
“Hey, Petra?” Xander said, sounding nervous for a change. “Do you still have Leonora?”
“Who’s Leonora?” I said, confused.
“Not a who—a what,” Xander said as we watched the dragon disappear through the trees, then circle back around. “Now would be a good time to summon it.”
Fire poured from the dragon’s mouth as it made its way back to us, its screech sounding like millions of nails scraping against metal. I held my hands over my ears. This was the end of the line.
Then, my mother, of all people, took a step forward and held out her hand, palm up. “Leonora!” she called out.
A black sword appeared in her hand, glowing bright red along the blade. Xander summoned his own, the same bluish one he used on the chimera. But it was nothing compared to Petra’s.
I watched in awe as Leonora carried her up into the air, heading straight toward the dragon. From where I stood, Petra looked like a warrior goddess, soaring through the dark clouds as if she had done it a thousand times before. If it were me, I would be shitting my pants, but Petra looked fearless. She roared back at the dragon—a shrill, intense war cry that sent goose bumps down my arms and legs.
She chucked the blade. Just as the dragon opened its mouth, the blade struck the center of its right eye. The dragon screeched, raised up its wings, sending huge gusts of wind everywhere. Then it began to spiral down.
It shook the earth as it hit, still roaring and twisting in pain. Xander was there to meet it, using its blind side to jump onto its talons. With his glowing blue blade, he struck the dragon in its heart.
I sucked in a breath.
The dragon’s heavy head hit the ground with a thud.
Petra landed on the ground beside it and drew the sword from its eye. It vanished in her hands. “She’s gone…”
Out of all the monsters I’d encountered, the dragon’s was the only one that didn’t vanquish into ash. I read it was because dragons were originally from earthly planes, made up of both dark and light, just as humans were. Eventually, its body would absorb into the land, sprouting plants and flowers.
Leaning over, Petra stroked the dragon’s head, her eyes misty. “A Helios Dragon—they don’t attack without being threatened. Unless they were ordered to by a master.”
I pressed my lips together. It seemed so strange that Petra could be someone who could easily kill and torture, and at the same time, feel sorry for a dead dragon.
“Someone sent it?” Xander said.
She nodded. “It’s the only explanation.”
“Back at Arcadia, someone sent a chimera after Sheridan.”
Petra looked up, her face pale. “It takes great skill to summon monsters. Whoever did this is powerful.” She looked at me in confusion. “Why didn’t you draw your sword?”
“What sword?” I said, unsure what she meant.
“She doesn’t have one,” Xander said, by way of explanation. “The Fates advised her to join House Aphrodite.”
“House Aphrodite—please tell me you’re joking!” She looked between us both, as if she were about to go off the rails. When she saw we were serious, she stood, grabbing me by the shoulders. “Aphrodite is not who you are.”
I stiffened beneath her death grip. “You don’t know who I am.”
“Fine,” she conceded. “Are you content then?”
Well, no.
But she didn’t need to know that.
“I haven’t gotten to raise you, thanks to your miserable grandfather,” Petra said, clenching her jaw. “But my blood courses through yours. You need to fight, to win, to find victories, and to be the heroine of your own story—this is what Ares blood craves. If you’re not getting that, you’re slowly dying.”
As much as I hated to admit it, she was probably right. Every time I went to the Ares training fields, I felt it all the way to my bones. I should be there, learning fire magic and training to fight. I let out a breath. “The Fates said if I join Ares, I’ll never return home.”
“Sheridan, you are home.” Petra tilted her head to the side. “Not here in the Underworld obviously, but Mythos is your true home. If the Fates said you would never return to the human world, it’s probably because you won’t want to return.”
Huh. I’d never considered that.
“Swear you’ll transfer back,” she said, shaking me.
The Fates only mentioned two paths, a set one for Ares, and a set one for Aphrodite. But they never mentioned what would happen if I chose a combination of both.
“Sheridan, you’re my daughter.” Petra spoke like it was the only thing that mattered. “I want you to thrive.”
I took a deep breath. “I’ll try.” And not because she asked it from me, but because deep down, this was what I desperately wanted.
Relief flooded her features.
Behind her, Xander looked stunned. “You will?”
I nodded. “On one condition—” I turned to Petra. “You have to stop trying to kill Riley.”
She let go of my shoulders, slowly straightened, and took a step back. “No deal.”
Seriously? “Whether you like it or not, she’s my sister.”
“She’s also going to murder you.”
“You don’t know that—”
“Yes, I do. I’ve seen this curse before. My father enacted it because he knew it would cause the most grief and heartache. It won’t fail, Sheridan. One of you will die—better her than you.”
I frowned.
There was a stubborn tilt to her chin that told me she planned to stand firmly on this. A shame, too. For a split second, there was almost something likeable about her. Sure, she’d done a lot of crappy, messed-up things. But the way she slayed the dragon was incredible. The way she mourned it, even more so. I thought I saw something redeemable, but I was wrong.
“Let’s head back, Xander,” I said, casting one last heartbroken gaze on my mother. “I’d like to get out of this place as soon as possible.”
Away from here and away from her.
41
As soon as we made it back to Arcadia, Xander and I went straight to Grandpa’s apartment and told him everything.
Apparently, I revealed things even he hadn’t known.
After we were done, he went into his bedroo
m and refused to come out. “He just needs time to process it,” Xander said, sighing. “Leave him be.”
I nodded, but I stayed there anyway and waited. I sat on the sofa, unsure of what to do next. Xander stayed too, sitting beside me silently. I appreciated it, especially the way he sensed I didn’t want to talk. So much had happened so quickly, and I needed the mental break.
Several hours later, Grandpa finally emerged, looking more haggard than I’d ever seen him. He wasn’t the type to show much emotion, so it surprised me when he wrapped his arms around me. “I’m so sorry, Sheridan. This is all my fault.”
“This is no one’s fault,” I insisted. “I don’t blame you for any of it.”
“Thomas was always trying to one-up me, but I had no idea he’d go after my family. If you’re depending on me for answers, I have none, Sher Bear. I don’t know what to do.”
“I do,” I said, thinking of the book from Twilight Island. I glanced at Xander. “But neither of you are going to like it.”
Together, the three of us discussed the idea of returning to the Underworld with Riley, of trying to break the curse by using Persephone’s Cure. Xander still hated the idea with a passion. He paced in front of the window, shaking his head the whole time while Grandpa and I tried to work out a plan.
“We’d have to keep you hidden from Thomas,” Grandpa said, scratching his jaw. “That would be a challenge. He more or less rules the place, and he knows everything that’s going on down there.”
“And what about the monsters?” Xander added. “You were down there only a few hours and a dragon attacked you. How do you expect to survive six months?”
That did present a problem.
“You need training,” Grandpa said, looking up at Xander. “You could train her. There’s no one better.”
I grinned. “That’s a great idea.”
Xander scowled. “It takes years of dedication and practice—”
“I learn quickly,” I said, stopping him before he came up with more excuses.
“Books can’t tell you how to fight, Sheridan.”
Ouch.
Okay, the guy had a point, but I was about to make a better one.
“I’ll be fine, especially because…are you ready for this?” I steered my attention back to Grandpa. “There’s something I need to ask Headmaster Waddley.”