Descendants Academy: Young Adult Urban Fantasy by Belle Malory (most important books of all time txt) 📗

“True enough.” Waddley tapped the surface of his desk, thinking. “All right. We’ll place her in Aphrodite on a trial basis. Let’s say, one semester for review.” He turned to me, holding out his hand. “Sheridan, welcome to Arcadia. I’ll get you set up with a schedule and dorm room straight away.”

I smiled, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders as I shook his hand. “Thank you, Headmaster Waddley.”

“As for you, Franklin, are you sure I can’t interest you in a teaching position? The increase in salary would be significant, you know. Double, maybe triple, what you were earning before.”

“No, no.” Grandpa shook his head. “Those days are long behind me, Titus.”

Waddley frowned. “That’s too bad. We could use someone with your background. If you ever change your mind…”

“You’ll be the first to know.”

“Damn, Grandpa,” I said as we exited the headmaster’s office. “You’re a rock star around here. The headmaster was practically begging for you to come back to work.”

He snorted at that. “I simply did my job well, and there is a shortage of good teachers.”

“Why didn’t you take him up on his offer?”

Not that I wanted him to teach again. Having my grandfather hang around at my new school like a helicopter parent wasn’t a good look.

“I’m trying to enjoy retirement, kid. If it weren’t for having to drag your stubborn ass here, I’d be sitting on a Summer Island beach, cocktail in hand.”

I flinched. I had taken up a lot of his time. “I’ve been a major pain these last few days, haven’t I?”

He shrugged. “Actually, the last few days have been enjoyable,” he said. “I’m glad we were able to spend time together, free of pretenses.”

I grinned. “Yeah, me too.”

We wandered out of the office and followed a long marbled hallway that led out into the courtyard. I was supposed to wait by the exit for my assigned student assistant to give me a tour of the school and show me to my dorm room. But before Grandpa left, there were a few questions I wanted to ask him.

“Why did Waddley suggest House Athena?” I said, curious. “I mean if it’s the bloodline that matters, then—”

“Your mother came from Athena.”

I sucked in a sharp breath.

My dad didn’t speak about her, the memories too painful for him. Yet twice now since arriving in Mythos, she’d been brought up. I wanted to know more.

“Is that common? For people of different magic to have children?”

“Not often, but it happens. The children will show signs of dominance in one area, and that’s usually the magic they end up pursuing.”

“What happened to her?” I said, thinking of the stables and the encounter with Xander.

Riley and I were told she died in a car accident. With all the new information I’d been given about my family’s history over the last few days, I knew it was another lie. There was nothing that belonged to her at home, no pictures or old belongings. My friend Sophia’s mom died of breast cancer, and her home was practically a shrine full of pictures.

“Is she dead?” I said, my voice breaking slightly.

Grandpa stared at me hard for a long time. His mustache twitched, and it looked like he was debating what to say. After a few long beats, he sighed. “As far as I know.”

“In a car accident?” I pressed.

“Sheridan, you should ask your Dad about this stuff.”

“I deserve to know the truth, Grandpa.” I dug my heels into the floor, refusing to keep walking. “Look around. Dad isn’t here.”

“It isn’t my place,” he said, frowning. “Write to him. He’ll open up now that you’re here in Mythos and have a better understanding of what you are.”

As much as I wished Grandpa would tell me himself, I knew he wouldn’t.

“Fine,” I mumbled, reaching for the handle on my suitcase. At the end of the hall, there was a bench where I was supposed to wait. I stomped over to it and took a seat.

Grandpa stuffed his hands into his pockets, frowning as he looked down on me. “I’m sorry I can’t tell you more, but it’s nothing you should worry yourself over. Focus on your studies and on finding your place.”

I nodded, knowing I could use some of that peace the Fates mentioned would be found in Aphrodite. Something else was nagging me though. “Why wouldn’t the Fates suggest Athena?” I said, pressing my palms against the edge of the bench. “I mean, if my mother if from that bloodline, wouldn’t it make sense?”

“I don’t know.” Grandpa scratched the top of his head. “Perhaps Aphrodite will give you something Athena can’t.”

“Balance and inner clarity.” I rolled my eyes.

“Exactly.” He grinned. “Listen, be careful, okay? Spring Island itself is pretty safe, but Mythonian culture is different than it is in the human world.”

“I already gathered that much, Grandpa.”

“Just…look out for yourself. Don’t be too trusting.”

I nodded, but the warning wasn’t needed. After Connor and Riley, I would always be careful of who I trusted.

He ruffled the hair on the top of my head. “I’ll be back to check on you,” he promised.

“Ah, stop it!” I smoothed my hair back into place, readjusting my headband. “And you don’t need to do that. I’ll be fine.”

At least I thought I would. To be honest, I had no idea what was in store for me at Arcadia. But for better or worse, I was on my own.

9

While waiting for my student assistant to show up, I went over the class schedule Headmaster Waddley gave me. The first two classes of the day didn’t sound that bad. They were universal to all students, not specific to any houses.

Basic Magic Principles

Mythonian History 101

The following two periods were core classes of House Aphrodite and…ugh. They both sounded awful.

Love Potions

Seduction Principles

Then there was my chosen elective.

Flight Equestrianism for Beginners

That one had taken some string pulling on Grandpa’s part. The class was full, but he begged Waddley to add