Restless Stars (Zodiac Academy, #9)

by Caroline Peckham

The two of us floated in the blue abyss as the water settled around us, and shit-eating grins spread across our faces.

I love this random bonding with orion for all the heir

With the blaze of victory in my veins, I found myself tossing an arm around Max’s shoulders. “I told you you’d like my ocean song,” he said, arrogance blazing across his face, but fuck it didn’t bother me like it once had in my classroom. Max Rigel was a man who had earned the right to that arrogance, but far be it from me to let him know it. “Just sing it in tune next time, yeah?” I muttered. “Fuck you,” he laughed, and I broke a smile, this moment too damn good not to revel in it.

“Roxy, if you try to go down there alone, I’ll throw you over my shoulder and tie your ass up to stop you. That’s not just dangerous; it’s fucking suicide and none of us can follow you into that crack of hell.” “Oh baby,” I purred, spreading my arms out wide either side of me as I gave him a sweet as pie smile and he broke into a run in a pointless attempt to stop me. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

Clydinius.

Fuck

His fist was encased in stone and serrated metal blades, but before it connected with the guard’s face, a blast of power shot through the air and cleaved the upriser’s skull in two. His body crashed to the ground and I inhaled in shock, seeking out the source of that blast.

Wtf!

A diamond appeared as if from her heart itself, sliding from her skin to lay in her palm. It was roughly cut and glittering with all the colours of the northern lights, blues, greens, pinks and shimmering violet. “My name is Imenia Brumalis, and I have waited a long time to place this diamond at the feet of my queens. As a fellow of the Glacials, I pledge my allegiance to their cause. Take me to them so that I might assist them in the war.”

“There’s one creeping up on you now, by the way.” I pointed to the alligator that was lurking in the water beside her and she back-handed it, making the creature swim away in fright. I’d never heard an alligator yelp before, but man, that scaly dude had yelped like a little bitch.

Cages hung from the trees and bony-looking Fae sat within them, some of their hands hanging between the bars, reaching for a freedom that wasn’t coming. At least until now. It was sick. These poor assholes had been strung up to die.

God each one is worse than the next

I tucked my new frog pal into my pocket and ran into battle, leaping out from behind the tree and round-housing a Nymph right in the face. Only I didn’t do that because the Nymph was over there, and I was over here. But man, that kick would have really kicked him if I’d been closer.

Omg lol

I gasped in horror, shoving to my feet and grabbing hold of the banana. “I’ll eat you for that,” I snarled. “You’ve ruined Christmas. There’ll be no presents for baby Riblet now.” I took him from my froget (my frog pocket) and held him up to his banana father. Riblet croaked and the banana tried to grab him with his big banana arms.

“My gratitude is boundless,” she sighed. “I will release my power and fuel the magic of this world. But before I go, I will grant you a boon.”

Yes!!!!!

“The shadows are clean,” Esvellian sighed. “All trapped souls are free.”

Ok so... Didnt do what they wanted

“Clean shadows it is then,” Tory said with pursed lips. “The Nymphs who wish to fight with us can surely do so now,” I said in realisation, finding the positive in the situation, even though the gifts we’d asked for could have saved us from this war entirely.

My pulse beat harder as I wondered if Diego might be free, his soul no longer trapped in darkness for all eternity.

God i hope so

“If I let you go, what will you owe me, I wonder?” Tharix mused, his chin bobbing towards another doorway to our right which was almost entirely concealed behind a stone pillar. “A debt,” I said firmly. “One we will repay in full.” Tharix smiled at that, looking to Darcy for confirmation and she nodded. “A debt it is then,” he said. “Time to run, rabbits.”

I love this plot arc

A door stood open at the foot of the stairs, six guards broken and bleeding over the dirt where they had presumably been standing guard. Their necks were twisted at unnatural angles, their eyes wide with a terror that I didn’t want to understand. “Who did this?”

Im guessing our boy tharix

Lionel twisted around to look that way and my lips parted at the sight of the monsters pouring out into my father’s ranks, tearing through Fae and Nymphs with savage abandon. Some were scaled, hulking creatures while others were winged and insect-like, a few slithering, while more crawled. All of them displayed a range of monstrous features and twisted limbs, nothing about them seeming at all natural. The sight of the beasts made a knot form in my chest, but hell, it looked like they were on our side.

I love this but nervous...

“I wasn’t watching you,” I blurted, and Orion’s eyes narrowed, the silver rings in them glimmering menacingly. It didn’t help that the moonlight was catching in the gemstones adorning my cock, winking right at them. “You’ve got five seconds to leave,” Orion warned. “He’s just shifting,” Darcy said with a laugh. “Aren’t you, Xavier?”

“I’m Xavier Acrux,” I announced, pumping my cock with furious strokes. “And I may have not been able to come for a long, long time, but now I can come anytime I want!”

Hes so stupid

“Yes, indeed-oh-dandy,” Geraldine squawked. “And we are all quite jubilant about your willy wanderings, but my dear Pego-brother, I must warn you that- that-” “You’re livestreaming on FaeBook!” Sofia cried, pointing to the computer. “Shit.” Tyler leapt off the bed, running over to the desk and I swung around, finding the webcam lined right up with my ass with a little red light blinking on it.

Oh my god

“No,” I rasped in horror as I realised I hadn’t just livestreamed it on my FaeBook page, I’d somehow tagged my mom in it. My dead fucking mother. “Oh stars,” I breathed. “Tyler, delete it,” I begged.

Oh my god

Gabriel Nox: I saw this coming and could have stopped it #forthepubes #pubemeonce #revengeofthebush

Bahaha

But the fingers of my shadow hand were wracked with spasms of pain, the cold air seeming to rip right through the appendage Lavinia had crafted for me.

Ha!

“What is this?!” I screamed. “What is happening?” Many hands clasped my arms, hauling me back to my feet, shrouding me in a cloak to maintain my dignity. My loyal Bonded had grouped close to me, more of them sweeping through the sky outside the shattered window, hunting for the rebel army which had never even been there at all. It made no sense.

Crazy when you lose

“Where is he?” I hissed, my voice a cold and brutal thing. “Who, my Ki-” “Vard,” I spat his name like the curse it had fast become, and my Dragons rushed to locate the cretinous creature.

Its all falling apart

“It’s the Nebula Inquisition Centres,” she said, her voice a broken quiver which had me bracing for the truth she held. “They’ve been destroyed, the lesser Fae within them were released and taken to join the ranks of the rebel forces-” “Which ones?” I demanded, still not turning to look at her. The violence raging within my own army took up my focus, and Lavinia’s shrieks were cutting through the air like a knife, impossible to ignore. “A-all of them,” Linda breathed.

Take that bitch

I thrashed against them, slapping them aside and spitting Dragon fire at them so I could hold my arm up before me, the pain in my stump so blinding that I could only blink at the place where my shadow hand had been while fighting against the urge to cry out at the agony.

This is beautiful

“I had hoped for us to create that bond in celebration of us winning the war,” she tried, her hand finding my cock, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip. She was a damn good seductress, but it wasn’t the mere thought of getting her on her hands and knees for me that had my dick so hard in her grasp; it was the knowledge of doing so while knowing she was bonded to me and my triumph over her was complete.

Is now the time

But as the hand finally formed a fist, a stab of violent agony tore through the ruined flesh of my stump and a pulse of dark magic sent the two of us flying from the bed in opposite directions.

Oh...so sad.... Lol

“The Vegas were here,” I breathed, the loose threads of what I knew coming together, tangling into a knot of unease which settled itself over my chest and squeezed. “The army was an illusion set to distract us. Their forces struck at the Nebula Inquisition Centres while we had our focus on the impending fight we thought had come for us. But what if there was more to their ruse…”

Gasp! How will you survive this

With some difficulty, I cast a Faelight singlehandedly and dropped it over the edge, my pulse falling unnaturally still as it descended, revealing nothing but a lifeless, dull boulder in an empty canyon.

Pretty pathetic you cant even do that easily

“I am Nymph and I am Fae,” he agreed, shadows creeping across his torso as he called upon them, but there was something different about them now, something paler in their colour and softer in their movements. “But I think I am something else beyond that. Something else beyond you.”

Yesss

Cindy-Lou Galaxa: Oh my heavens, I knew my love couldn’t be gone. I have been in mourning ever since that fateful day, but now I have thrown off my widow’s cape and I am coming, I am coming hard and fast to join you, my love. I will be there soon! #iknewourlovewouldendure #fatehasbroughtyoubacktome

Gross hoe

“She’d be the one who came running if I beckoned,” I grumbled. “Oh yeah?” Orion taunted. “Prove it then.” I gritted my teeth, fairly certain that I knew how this was going to go based on the teasing looks Roxy kept tossing my way, but I leaned forward all the same, resting my forearms on my thighs and giving her an intense look which promised all kinds of devious pleasure. She bit her lip as she watched me, her hands skimming down her body while she danced. I raised a hand and beckoned, a smirk hooking the corner of my mouth as she hesitated then took a step closer to me. “See?” I said to Orion, but he just snorted. “Yeah, I see.” Roxy had raised the bottle of tequila to her lips and as her throat bobbed with a swallow, her other hand raised, flipping me off.

“Imagine Xavier is a really sparkly star in a really deep, dark pit,” Darcy said, waving her hands at him and casting an illusion that made him appear to be a large, glittering rock. In her slightly drunk state, she didn’t manage to hide his eyes or horn from view, and he was still very much giving her a confused side-eye. “Wow, it’s like I was really there,” I said dryly, and Darcy flapped a hand at me, determined to try and conjure an illusion of the star releasing its power in Lionel’s castle.

Gabriel was smiling happily, and Leon looked hyper as shit, but that didn’t necessarily mean he’d been drinking. I swear the guy ran on liquid sunshine, peppy at all hours of the day.

My sweet lion

“I can’t help when my Charisma is Charismaring, Gabe. I’m seduction in Fae form.”

“Did you bring it?” I asked, noting the bag in his hand which had a Dragon tooth-shaped impression in the fabric. “Yeah, it’s stuffed right between my ass cheeks, Lance. Go fetch it,” he said, smoke spewing between his teeth. I gave him a goading smile. “Always trying to get me near your ass, Acrux. Some things never change.”

His fingers started to unfurl and my heart warmed as the beautiful sapphire ring I’d found in Luxie Acrux’s cave fell into my palm. The band was gold with a delicate pair of wings clutching the gemstone. It was almost perfect. But there were a few alterations I planned on making before it reached the standard I’d set for it.

OMG

“Oh can’t I?” Seth said, arching a brow at me, reminding me that he had somehow managed to keep his feelings from Caleb long enough. Though he’d told half the group instead, so it wasn’t exactly a win on his part. “Whatever it is, I’ll keep it secret. Unless you’re cheating on Darcy, in which case, I’ll be ripping your cock off shortly.”

i love bestie seth

“He couldn’t cheat on her even if he wanted to,” Darius said. “Not that he ever would.” “What do you mean?” Seth asked, and I wanted to curse Darius for laying crumbs for the mutt to follow. “Oh yeah, your sparkle dick,” Caleb said with a grin. “Sparkle dick?” Seth perked up even more, glancing between everyone in the room, though all he got from me was a cold glare. “Who’s going to tell me then? You can’t go dropping the words ‘sparkle dick’ and not expect me to hound you to the ends of the earth for an explanation.”

Wait it was his dick that did that???

“His dick glowed when Lavinia tried to touch it at the Palace of Souls. It burned her or some shit too.” Caleb laughed. “No fucking way!” Seth said, looking to me for confirmation, and I sighed. I should have known Caleb would give up that truth to his little bestie. I guessed I would have done the same with Darius though. “It’s some Elysian Mate thing, I believe,” I said. “Anyway, that’s not why we’re here-” “I need to see it,” Seth insisted, and Caleb shot him a frown. “For science,” he added quickly. “Darius, touch it, go on.” “No,” Darius balked.

“Private?” Geraldine scoffed. “Then why would your Noxy fellow come banging on my window like a cantankerous hat salesman upon the cusp of sunrise to bring me here?” “It was an accident,” Gabriel insisted, looking to me with a touch of embarrassment on his face. “I flew into it. I was distracted by a vision.”

Seth appeared from the kitchenette with a set of silver cooking tongs, jabbing them at my crotch. I grabbed his wrist at the last second to stop him. “Don’t even think about it.” “Too late for that,” Seth said with a smirk. “Come on. Let us see the sparkle.” “No,” I growled.

“Does this sacred, transcendent, inspiring, flamboyantly fashionable ring of destiny mean what I believe it to mean? Are you going to sully your knee upon a mossy hill beneath the light of a million stars and ask the question to your fate-chosen mate that shall make the universe quake with reverence and the mighty ocean roil with desire?” “If you’re asking if I’m going to propose. Then yes,” I said, giving up on keeping this a secret, because it was clear the stars weren’t going to let me.

I ground my teeth, certain someone in this room was going to tell her, and my top suspect had already proven he couldn’t keep his mouth shut for five minutes.

Aww he just excited

Gabriel walked over as the Pegasuses dispersed and he gave me a stern look. “You’ll be asking my permission now then, I suppose?” “Your Sight has likely shown you the answer to that,” I said in a low voice. “She doesn’t need anyone’s permission to do as she pleases.” Gabriel eyed me for a moment then broke a huge smile, clapping me on the cheek. “Good boy. This was a test. I thought you might come knocking at my door one day to ask me. I saw that you thought about it once or twice. But this conclusion is all I wanted from you. I’d pick no better Fae for her myself, Orio. The answer to your proposal belongs to her.”

“On that note. Have you been thinking of Malrod like I told you?” Darius asked Gabriel suddenly, drawing all attention to him. “Who?” Gabriel frowned in confusion. “Your dead dad. Your biological one. I told you about him before you went off to the cabin,” Darius said, narrowing his eyes at Gabriel as though he was being purposefully dense. “You have never once mentioned my birth father to me or indicated that you had any interaction with him beyond The Veil,” Gabriel replied in annoyance.

Lmao please

“You asshole,” she gasped, her hand lowering and her eyes lifting to meet mine. “You’re going to propose.” She said it like an accusation of murder, and I shrugged one shoulder in answer. Without warning, I got something from Tory I rarely ever received. She swept forward and hugged me, tiptoeing up to wrap her arms around my shoulders and speaking into my ear. “No one’s worthy of her, but if anyone deserves her, it’s you Lance Orion.”

It wasn’t long before I had her beneath me, kissing her everywhere and telling her how much she meant to me. I wished I could write the words into her skin, make them permanent so that if we were ever parted, she could still feel them there.

God this man