Restless Stars (Zodiac Academy, #9)

by Caroline Peckham

“Leave the child,” she begged, her limbs trembling with fear as the twins observed her with interest. “Sacrifice?” Darcy questioned curiously. “Bravery,” Tory replied in that same, too-flat tone. “Interesting,” Darcy mused. “Please, my Queens, I beg you,” the woman wept, still shaking as she held her ground before me.

“Then she shall come,” Darcy said. “What we seek is clearly not here anyway.” “No,” Tory agreed, though somehow it wasn’t like a normal conversation, more like the musings of a single mind, uncertain of which path to follow next. “Death was…less than I expected,” Darcy sighed. “Much less. No more tempting than before. I still fail to understand the call of it,” Tory exhaled, her hand clasping my arm, the touch of her flesh like a bite of utter darkness which stole the breath from my lungs. “Come, empty girl. We have work to do. We must seek the other fallen.”

“Walk the path of the unknown through the cavern filled with razor-edged stones, then dive into the secrets which linger. The Guild Stone stolen by your ancestor is hidden in a place long since forgotten by both time and memory.” “He always was fond of riddles,” Lance said. “Though in this instance, a little clarity would have been appreciated. He was aware of the Dragon asshole hell bent on killing all of us, right?”

My heart thumped loudly in my ears, my gaze moving from one rune to the next, some of their meanings clear to me while others I’d never seen before. I got the feeling Roxy would have known more about them than me, and I snorted at the thought of the smug look on her face over that fact. I’d have to be sure to research all I could about ether before she realised there was a magical subject that she might claim supremacy in over me.

My heart thrashed in my chest, the knowledge that Roxy could feel it helping my thoughts align as I ignored the instinct to panic and instead focused on my surroundings.

Kinda crazy

“Thanks,” I said, the air falling away as I reached for the clothes, and I quickly dressed myself in them. “I was concerned that the sight of your naked ass might scare away whatever is hiding behind that door,” he mused. “And I want a chance to dance with it myself before that happens.”

I pressed my palm to the centre of the heavy iron and a chill shot through my core at the frigid shock of it. It wasn’t just cold; ice had long been my friend, and the feeling spreading from within that door made the point of freezing seem tame. A breath fell from

So was luxie an ice dragoon?

“Some Dragons in our family line chose to covet their treasure even in death,” he’d spat. “The hordes of these Dragons have never been found. They stole their riches away and concealed them somewhere in this world, yet to be discovered, choosing to die while maintaining possession of their gold rather than letting it pass on in inheritance to the next generation.”

“You’re drooling,” Lance deadpanned, taking a step into the space and picking up a ring with a sapphire inlaid into it, the gold band forged to appear as if a pair of wings clutched the jewel. “I’m hard as fuck too, but that’s not the point,” I replied, plucking the ring from his hand and pushing it onto my little finger.

Darius please

“You have to admit, these suit me,” he called, and I turned sharply, finding him inspecting himself in a dusty gilded mirror, a crown upon his head which had to be at least six hundred years old, an emerald broach pinned to his chest, a solid gold spear clutched in his fist, and a ceremonial shield strapped to his arm. “Yeah, I think I’ve found my new look.” “Give me those,” I demanded, tripping over a box of jewels in my haste to claim the items from him and damn near falling on my face.

This is too funny

Lance just arched a brow at me, glancing down as the heaps of coins in my pockets finally won the battle with my waistband and my pants fell to pool around my ankles with a heavy thump.

Lolol

He shoved me hard enough to roll me away from him, then slapped my fucking ass with a braying laugh which finally made me crack too. “Dickhead,” I hissed, abandoning our fight and yanking my pants back up again.

Just kids playing

“Maybe that’s how we win this war,” he mused. “Just lay a bunch of treasure out for Lionel to see, then sneak up and cut his throat while he’s jerking off over it.”

Lance’s eyes moved back to the music box, and I knew we needed to face it to claim the Sagittarius Guild Stone, but I spoke before he could get to his feet.

My stone!

“Five stones may sit upon a throne, but none of them hold water. The greatest of them fails at flame, the weakest is its daughter. In air, two of them will excel, but the other may be your freedom, though linger too long on the earth and you may fail to see them.”

“The greatest of them fails at flame, the weakest is its daughter,” Lance recited immediately. Damn, I’d never been so pleased that he was a nerd.

“What?” I asked. “Don’t move,” he breathed, his eyes on my sleeve just as something else fell into my hair, causing me to bat my hand at it. “Stop moving!” Lance yelled, and as I looked down at my arm to see what he was freaking out about, I fell entirely still. The Baruvian Hellnet Spider was scuttling up my arm, its pincers clicking as it moved, and I cursed as I felt the second one moving across my scalp.

No thanks

When I looked back at the pedestal, I found it glowing, the stone at its peak reforming, a turquoise colour appearing from within it, then taking over entirely as it became the Sagittarius Guild Stone.

Mah stone

“Can I keep any of it for myself as payment?” he asked, and I narrowed my eyes at him, knowing he was angling for that ring. But he wasn’t getting it.

Give him the ring

“Can I at least have the Guild Stone?” My fingers tightened around the precious turquoise stone, and I had to fight against the urge to move my arm behind my back for good measure. “Later,” I said. “Now,” he countered. I pursed my lips, holding my fist out to him, but my fingers stayed curled around it. “I can keep it safe until-” “Bad Dragon.” Lance shot me in the ass with a whip of air magic and used his fucking Vampire speed to snatch the stone from my fist while I was distracted.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” I said to him. “You’re the greatest treasure here, you know. When that arrow hit you-” “I think I might have to get that tattooed on me somewhere,” Lance taunted. “‘Darius’s greatest treasure’ would look great across my chest.”

Lmao idiots in love

“Fuck you.” I dipped my fingers into his pocket, taking the Guild Stone and sliding it right back into my own pocket instead. “Fuck you harder – I know you like it rough.”

I---

Apparently, not one of those assholes had noticed I was missing before stardusting back to the academy, and I hadn’t been carrying a speck of stardust with me to be able to follow them.

Omg they left him

“Bog beast!” she hissed, fire magic sparking between her fingers. A pang of memory brought me back to the night the other Heirs and I had coated Darcy in mud, compacting it so thickly onto her skin that she couldn’t break free. Cries of ‘bog beast’ had been heard all across campus when she’d gone running away from us, and FaeBook had blown up with photos of her looking like she’d just crawled out of the nearest swamp. I guessed karma really was a bitch.

It is a bitch Caleb

The truck spluttered and whined before the engine finally turned over, and I proceeded to curse my way back to Zodiac Academy for the next three hours, all the while inhaling the stench of the sewer and wincing at the pain from my still-bleeding wounds.

Hes gonna kick Seths ass

I really should have taken more notice of my Horoscope this morning and realised the stars had plans to fuck with me. Your misfortunes may lead you to discover the humble ways of the simple life today.

Amazing

“Geraldine wouldn’t let you leave?” I asked, a little bit pissed she’d stopped him from coming to look for me.

Gerry!

“I mean, we’re adults, right? We don’t have to listen to them, and I don’t want to stop this…” “This?” he asked, giving me that puppy head tilt thing which always forced me to say more than I meant to. “Us. Whatever it is. I…like it. I like being with you, so…” Seth bit his lip, glancing over his shoulder like we might be about to get caught. “Okay.” “What’s okay?” “We can just keep being secret…this.” Seth shrugged and I breathed a laugh, my gaze falling to his mouth. “But first, you really do need a shower.”

Be together

“What has my father done now?” Darius snarled, and Geraldine sucked in a rattling breath.

Bout that

“What the fuck?” Seth breathed, but his words were drowned out by Darius’s deep growl. “That’s not my fucking wife.”

Thank god

shower of sparks cascaded onto the strips of clothing. A flame took root, and I squealed as Tory let out a whoop of relief. She took her top off, offering it to the fire, and I ripped apart the top of my jumpsuit to fuel it too, dropping down to sit beside it and soak in the power it offered me. Tory ran her hands through the fire itself, groaning as it started to fill up her magic reserves.

omg yay!

“Does Orion know you adopted the giant furball?” Tory asked in amusement. “Yep.” “And did he try to stop you?” “Obviously.” “But you adopted him anyway.” “Duh.”

He needs a name

The scent of fresh air called from above, and we both raced onto the steps, sprinting up them as fast as we could go. As the stairs took us right up above the jungle and the humid air kissed my skin, I felt us pass out of the oppressive power of that cave, and my fear over releasing my Order and succumbing to Clydinius’s curse within those tunnels ebbed away.

YESSSSSSS

“It’s me,” I said fiercely. “What can I do to prove it?” “No need, Blue,” Orion said, taking me in with a piercing look. “I’d know you anywhere.” “Yeah, that’s fucking romantic and all, brother, but I require more proof than that,” Caleb said, narrowing his eyes at Tory. “We can test their magical signature,” Orion said. “I’ll get a guiding crystal.” He shot away and returned at speed just as Geraldine and Darius came running up the path behind him. “Hey husband,” Tory said, stepping up to the gate and reaching for Darius through it. “You can feel my heart beating, can’t you?” He smiled roguishly, taking her hand. “It’s them,” he confirmed to the others. “Still.” Caleb grabbed the crystal from Orion, holding it out to check our signatures and then releasing a breath when it apparently confirmed we were us.

Im so happy

“No one’s gonna flail you. We all love you too much,” I said, trying to pull her to her feet, but she wouldn’t move. She dropped her hands, peering up at me with wide eyes. “Love?” She looked to Orion as if he of all people might confirm it and he folded his arms, his lips pressing together.

“Great Dragoon of the lagoon. Will you deny or confirm that I am too loved to be flailed?” “Sure,” he grunted, seeming amused. “Which is it!?” she wailed, shuffling toward him on her knees. “A denial or a confirmation?!” “The one that makes you get off the ground,” he said.

Lol bonding

“You’ve been missing all this time. Fuck, Blue, I’m sorry I didn’t realise it sooner.”

All back together

“Well, I love him. He’s got all the best qualities,” Seth decided. “Fluffy? Check. Deadly? Check. Cute in a murderous kind of way? Check. What’s not to like?”

“He’s all good, Geraldine,” Tory said calmly. “Darcy’s great at taming feral creatures. Just look at Orion. All grumpy and twisted up inside once upon a time. Now he’s…well, actually he’s still those things, but he’d do anything for her. I think the Shadow Beast might be the same.” “Thanks for the comparison,” Orion said dryly. “No worries, dude.” She smirked at him and Darius chuckled.

“Looks like we’re breaking and entering tomorrow then,” I said excitedly, and Tory smiled widely. “And there was me thinking I wouldn’t be cut out for this queen shit – turns out it suits me just fine,” she said. Darius breathed a laugh at her side, dropping his arm around the back of her throne and looking like the smuggest asshole in the world while the Councillors exchanged uncertain looks.

“I don’t know what the hell that means,” Seth snapped. “But this is my room. And I might have bowed, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to bend over and let the queens fuck me with a strap-on Phoenix dildo.”

“How are you? Where’ve you been? You smell like chocolate. Do you have chocolate?” His eyes fell on my bag, and I shifted it behind my back.

Pup

Seth beamed from ear to ear. “Of course I have a point. So, listen moon friends, while we wait for the world to combust again, I need to tell you everything about my cocktastrophe with Cal.”

“So who’s been fucking who while I’ve been gone?” Darius asked frankly, and Seth suddenly became intensely busy making coffee.

Dying

“How about you, Cal?” Darius asked. “Have any of the rebel girls caught your attention?” “Nah,” Caleb said vaguely, rubbing his hand down the back of his neck. “Come on. I know you,” Darius pushed. “You’ve had at least one long haired brunette pinned beneath you moaning your name recently.”

Stop it

“It looks like you have a fan club,” I said, laughing as I showed him the artwork. “There you are in a barn lounging on a haybale - with your dick out. Oh and there you are climbing an apple tree – with your dick out. And, oh look, this one has immortalised that time you rode bareback on a horse through that cornfield. With your dick out.”

Hababacaf

“We can handle that,” I said, my heart pumping faster at the thought of it, my gaze meeting Darius’s as he seemed to agree. “Yeah. Leave the interrogation to us,” he said.

Does that mean killing

“The Queens have come to interrogate the prisoners,” Geraldine announced, and I wondered if she planned on announcing everything we did from now on. If she decided to start telling the world every time I needed a shit, I was going to have to draw a line.

“I never thought I’d taste freedom again,” Nova gasped. “The True Queens really have ascended,” she breathed, looking between the two of us in astonishment. “All hail the name of Vega. Let that cowardly Dragon quake in his boots before you.”

Im so glad shes ok

Darius was fully feral at my side, a snarl slipping through his teeth as he punched hard enough to break bones, and the two of us fell prey to a bloodlust so keen I could have sworn we were moving to the choreography of some deadly dance. I couldn’t stop. Didn’t want to stop. Every strike was intoxicating, the need for more all-consuming. Irvine fell still between us, and my heart pounded mercilessly as the weight of his death seemed to flow right over me, like his soul was brushing against mine on its way to The Veil.

Uh oh