Deviant Descendants (Descendants Academy Book 2) by Belle Malory

Author:Belle Malory [Malory, Belle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-12-29T06:00:00+00:00

14

Xander found me on the way to Weaponry, sneaking up out of nowhere as usual, causing my heart to trip over itself. He reached for my wrist, twisting it back and forth, and my charm bracelet sparkled in the sunlight.

“Looks good on you,” he said, running his thumb over the little blue stone.

“Oh, that?” I smirked. “A handsome gladiator gave it to me.”

His lips curved. “He must really like you.”

“Oh, he does. A lot. I mean, it’s almost overwhelming. The guy would be lost without me—”

“I get the picture.” Xander chuckled. Then he gently squeezed my hand, the humor vanishing from his face. “I would be though.”

“What?”

“Lost without you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, stop.” He had been doing just fine before I came along, and he handled everything thrown at him far better than I did.

“I would.” The way he said it combined with the intensity in his gaze made me almost believe him.

We walked to the training field together, our hands entwined. Once there, I found an available spot on the grass and took a seat. Xander took his place next to Redtree, getting the weapons ready for today’s training session. Students filed around me, spreading out along the grass. I felt the moment Riley arrived, her venomous gaze searing the back of my neck, but I ignored it.

Redtree began his lecture, diving in where we left off in A History of Warfare, a textbook I already imprinted and knew from cover to cover. But as he discussed the various swords used during the Roman Empire, my mind wandered, distracted by a strange buzzing.

I tried to shake it off, focusing on Redtree. But the buzzing grew louder, like a prickly hum in my ears. I fidgeted anxiously, stretching out my hands, then tightening them again. The air was thick with tension, and I wasn’t sure why.

Stranger yet, I felt my little bracelet struggling to ward off the sensations. As if it were trying to protect me from a darker force.

I caught Xander’s gaze. He watched me, his brows furrowed together. “What’s wrong?” he mouthed silently.

I shrugged, no answer to give. Something just felt…off. I glanced around, looking for signs of it in the faces of the other students. They listened quietly to Master Redtree’s lecture, nothing out of the ordinary.

Riley.

I searched for her, sensing she might be behind this. She was centered between Calypso and Anastasia, but she wasn’t paying much attention to the lecture. She tilted her head toward me, that familiar gleam in her eyes, while twisting something in her hand. I squinted, trying to get a better look at what she wound through her fingers. A stone. It was attached to a golden chain around her neck, one I’d never seen her wear before.

As soon as Redtree was done speaking, it was time to partner up and train. Xander, sensing something was up, stopped what he was doing and came to me.

“What’s that stone Riley is wearing?” I said, keeping my voice low.

Xander looked, then went very still.

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