The Awakening (Zodiac Academy, #1)

by Caroline Peckham

I glanced at Diego for help, but he was gazing glumly at his own card. Death.

Light danced at the edges of my vision and the noise in the room suddenly fell away. Strange whispers replaced the sound of my classmates, but I couldn't catch anything they were saying. My blood turned icily cold as I got the strangest feeling I was being watched. It was like yesterday in The Wailing Wood. Eyes on me. Darkness pressing in. Then fire licked at my feet and closed in all around, burning, burning, burning-

“Beware of your enemies, girl. They are made of fire and shadow.”

“I'm not shy, you're just so far beyond my personal boundaries right now I can't even see them anymore.”

My eyes travelled to Seth as he pulled his shirt over his head and the sun gleamed on the hard muscles of his body. He looked like temptation embodied with his ripped stomach and the sharp V which cut a path beneath his waistband.

I wanted to push him back, but temptation kept me in place as I fell captive to his animalistic aura. There was a magnetism to him in that moment that made me feel like I was a part of something. Maybe it was a pack thing. Like he was always trying to bond, but at the same time keeping me under his heel.

PROFESSOR PERFECT-MANICURE PRESTOS who had been assigned as my Liaison

least fifty emails containing information on everything from the history of Changeling Fae to news articles about our birth parents to resisting Coercion and even casting it.

I enjoy the way Tory tastes; she’s got more power in her blood than even you assholes.”

“Took you long enough,” he growled when the person on the other end finally answered. “I need to talk to you in person... No, not tomorrow; now. This situation is going on too long, we should have dealt with them by now. I think we need to escalate the plan... Just stop. I’m coming to yours now.”

cool wind before fading away. “You know how much I care about this,” Orion bit out. “I just don’t want us to fuck it up when we’re so close.” “So why are we waiting? We know where they are. We could go there now and find them while they’re sleeping - end this once and for all,” Darius pressed, his voice low with anger which seemed ready to burst free at any moment. “Not yet. If we’re wrong, we could end up taking innocent lives,” Orion insisted. “It’s too hard to be sure with the information we have. Just give it a few more days. I’ll see her again. I’ll confirm our suspicions.” “In a few days they could be even more powerful. You’ve seen what’s happened since the start of term. The longer we give them to adjust to their power, the more chance we have of them figuring out how to harness it and turn it against us. If you’re afraid that you aren’t up to the job, then let me call on the others for help. You know they want to destroy them almost as much as we do.” Orion ran a hand over his face, shaking his head. “It’s too risky. Seth can’t keep his mouth shut, he’d tell every member of his pack before sunrise and Max’s powers soften him to others no matter how much he might deny it's true.” “What about Caleb then? Or is your petty rivalry too keen for you to look past, even with the threat we face here?” Darius demanded. He started pacing and I shrank back as my heart pounded. Were they talking about us? It sure sounded like it but why were they so threatened by two girls who...

Darcy Vega: You said there were things we didn’t know about Orion. Care to explain?

Falling Star: I don’t like the company he keeps. Darcy Vega: Do you mean Darius?

Falling Star: Yes.

Darcy Vega: Do you know what they’re up to? Falling Star: No.

Falling Star: But I do know this… Anyone in allegiance with the Acrux family is bad news. Don’t trust them. Darcy Vega: But why?

Falling Star: I believe the House of Acrux was involved in the death of your birth parents. And I have my suspicions that the other Heirs’ families assisted.

Falling Star: I can’t share all of the findings through FaeBook. It’s not secure. But read this and I’ll be in touch soon.

King Hail Vega, his wife Merissa and their two children, Roxanya and Gwendalina, were found dead in their palace at 7:08 yesterday morning. King Hail, termed The Savage King during his reign, and his two children were the last living heirs to the throne of Solaria. Their deaths have now been declared as murder and the evidence points to a calculated Nymph attack involving two or more of the creatures. With the kingdom already in turmoil, the four Houses of the Celestial Council (Acrux, Rigel, Altair, and Capella) have stepped up to rule in King Vega’s place. Lord Lionel Acrux was the first on the scene in an effort to help his life-long friend King Vega when a distress call was reportedly sent to him. Unfortunately, his arrival came too late and the Nymphs in question still remain at large. The offending Nymphs now possess the magic of the royal line and are the most powerful and dangerous of their kind ever to have existed. A mass hunt has begun in an effort to destroy the creatures before they have time to harness their newly absorbed powers. The news has been taken with a mixture of grief and celebration since the reign of King Vega was one of hardship and turmoil. Professor Astrum of Zodiac Academy was quoted as predicting what he termed 'the bloody decades' through Tarot and star charting before the King's ascension. Though dismissed previously, his words have since been adopted to describe the reign of The Savage King and are now printed on banners across the City of...

“Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn.”

“These are your Element scores. The higher the number, the stronger your power. Your principal magic is fire.”

“When you're Awakened, you will always obtain the Elemental power linked to your star sign. For example, as a water sign, all Pisceans are gifted with the Elemental magic of water. Those who gain more than one Element are usually gifted this way because they are linked to more than one constellation.”

“As you can see, there are hundreds of combinations. The powers gifted to you by the stars are very elusive. Little is known about how or why some Fae are born with more than one Element. But we do know that genetics play a role and so does your Order.”

“You will tell me if any other Vampire bites you. That is non-negotiable, Miss Vega. I will make it known to the academy that you're mine and that should save us any more incidents like today. I am not likely to be challenged by anyone except Caleb, but now that has been settled, we should have no more issues. However, if another Vampire happens to take a liking to you, you will tell me.”

“I’m used to looking out for myself. Not all of us grew up with Daddy’s money keeping us safe and warm at night-” “You don’t know shit about my father or the way I grew up,” Darius snarled, taking a step towards me.

He caught my hand, and the warmth of his skin surprised me almost as much as the fact that his touch was gentle. My traitorous heart fluttered at the contact, and I tried to stop my eyes from trailing over the strong line of his jaw and the set of his mouth but failed miserably. He was just too damn good to look at.

Professor Rockford and I’ll be instructing you on the use of your Earth Element.

I was a foster kid from the rougher part of town. I’d never even had dreams of being a princess like the other little girls who put on Cinderella dresses and plastic tiaras as they pranced around the local mall. My dreams had always contained a lot more grease and oil and an open road leading me to freedom. Even as a little kid I’d been more interested in watching Speedway races than Disney cartoons.

“Solaria has been much better off since the Vegas left the throne to the Celestial Families,” Seth growled. “Since our parents took up the throne that yours left cold, our world has been a better place. We don’t need you to come back here and claim it for yourselves. We don’t want you to.” “We didn’t ask for this,” I breathed, my heart pounding at the thought of the drop beneath me. “We don’t want it. You can keep your stupid throne and your power!” “That’s a beautiful offer, sweetheart, but it doesn’t change the facts,” Caleb said, his tone suggesting we were having a casual chat, and no one was in imminent danger of death. “Your blood right means the throne belongs to you so long as you prove yourself capable of taking it. And there are enough people who would support your claim to cause a civil war over it.” “But we don’t want it!” I spluttered, trying, and failing to keep my cool. “How can anyone seriously expect us to rule over a nation we know nothing about? It’s insane!” It could have been the dim light in the chamber but for a moment I could have sworn that Caleb’s features softened a little. I hurried to continue while there was a glimmer of hope that he was listening to me. “Look, all we want is to learn how to control this magic inside us and get our inheritance. That’s it. We grew up with no one and nothing. Before we came here, we weren’t even sure if we were going to be able to keep a roof over our heads for the winter! I swear we have zero interest in claimi...

“Pull me up,” I demanded, my tone fierce and imbued with power. To my complete and total surprise, Caleb and Seth heaved me up over the edge to safety. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, and I scrambled away from them as their faces fell in shock at what I’d just done. “Shit,” Seth muttered, eyeing me like he didn’t know whether to attack or retreat.

On the far side of the bar, Orion was sitting knee to knee with a leggy brunette who looked like beauty on speed. “Could be.” I shrugged, turning in the opposite direction as I forcibly ignored the strange reaction my body was having to seeing him here. And the raging pit of death in my chest definitely had nothing to do with the Victoria's Secret model sitting opposite him.

“It's all moving so fast. We should do something about it tonight.” She squeezed his arm, and I tried my best not to hate her. She's on a date with a hot guy, why wouldn't she want to jump him? Orion cocked his head. “No. It's too soon. We have to wait.” My eyebrows arched. Did this asshole actually have an ounce of gentleman in him? “It will get out of control, Orion. It has to be tonight. I can't wait any longer,” she begged. Woah, desperate much? “That's not what we planned,” Orion hissed. “If we try to kill them now, we'll draw attention to ourselves.”

“That you're planning to kill someone. And I know it's us. You want us out. You don't want me and my sister ruling Solaria, but you can't really think you'd get away with killing us in a restaurant, do you?”

Falling Star: New information has come to light. Can we meet?

Tory Vega: When? Falling Star: Ten minutes. There’s an alleyway behind the bar. I’ll see you there.

Falling Star: The Shadow is moving closer. I can’t risk a meet now. You should find a way to safety before the darkness claims you!

The silence echoed for several long seconds then a deep rattling noise came as the shadow drew closer. My magic flared as I backed up a step, driving Darcy back with me. She tried to move to my side to get a better look, but I wouldn’t let her, keeping my body between her and whoever the hell was blocking our exit. Ice trickled through my veins, and I tried to draw on my magic to light a fire in my palm. Heat swelled along my fingertips just as that rattle sounded again, deeper this time, louder. My magic stuttered. A small flame sprang to life then died as if someone had sucked it away. My heart lurched with panic as the figure took a step closer and we took another step back. I could feel my magic swarming like a tempest beneath my flesh, but I couldn’t draw it out.

He wrapped an arm around my waist and shifted me into a more comfortable position with a deep laugh that sent heat flooding my limbs.

“It’s a Vampire thing. We’re always driven to secure the best Source available. We have a hierarchy that’s determined by power but his position as my teacher makes our relationship a little more strained than most. I should respect him because he’s a professor at my school and is technically my superior but I’m more powerful than him so...it causes a little tension.”

Falling Star: I should have warned her too.

Warmth washed over me from a fire behind a grate on one side of the room and seemed to rush under my skin with its intensity.

“I took a shortcut down an alley toward the Odyssey bar, I figured that’s where you would have headed. But as I was walking, I heard this terrible noise. A sucking, rasping, rattling noise. And I got such a fright I dropped all of my badges. So I knelt down, gathering them all up when this horrible dark shadow fell over me.” She shuddered, gazing between us and guilt wrapped my stomach in knots. She took a measured breath, shutting her eyes for a second. “Then something cut into me right between my shoulder blades. Like a knife or -or a pitchfork, I'm not sure. But the pain was unbearable. Then everything fell dark and someone was kneeling over me and my magic was draining away so fast like it was being sucked right out of me. And all I remember is this scent...cinnamon.”

“You and Darius have been against me and Tory since we stepped in the door. You meet up in secret and you talk about going on killing sprees like it’s completely normal. You chat with some stupidly hot model in a bar who is apparently in the know about your killing sprees and then you corner me in a women’s bathroom like a psycho. Then later that evening both you and Darius go conveniently missing just before Geraldine turns up almost dead in a strange attack. Oh, and who happens to be the first on the scene? You. Covered in blood and smelling like cinnamon.”

I could never mention it to Professor Pyro, but I’d been growing to hate that fire-proof outfit. I felt almost certain that it was making me struggle more with my fire magic rather than helping to protect me from the flames. I wasn’t afraid of my own power hurting me no matter what form it took; it was such an intrinsic part of me that I just didn’t believe it could. And something about the material designed to protect me from the flames felt more suffocating than I could explain. I’d taken the chance at summoning fire without it on a few times and had had much more success at controlling the flames in my hands.

The more I watched them creating different shapes and aiming their flames at various targets, the more my own magic seemed to build within me, aching to join them.

The thump of a heavy bass reached me through the door to Darius’s room and I ground my teeth as I recognised one of my favourite songs. Thanks for ruining it for me, asshole.

My gaze stayed locked on him as he tore through the skies and I found myself desperate to join him in the clouds. I wondered if there was any chance that when my Order revealed itself, I would be granted the blessing of wings.

“I’m interested to see how this whole thing will play out,” he admitted. “Perhaps you’ll fail and be gone by the end of the semester. Or perhaps you’ll rise up and claim your birthright. Before your parents were killed our families were their Celestial Councillors. We always would have held the power beneath you if things hadn’t gotten so messy with The Savage King. So maybe you’ll fail The Reckoning and be sent back to your boring, mortal lives or maybe the trials you’re enduring now will only make you stronger in the end and you’ll pass.”

Falling Star: Our stars are finally in alignment. It’s time we meet. I’m waiting in Venus Library.

Professor Astrum, our Tarot teacher looked a little pale as he glanced between us. “Girls,” he said softly. “I'm sorry for not revealing myself sooner.” He smiled warmly and my thundering heart began to slow. “I was a good friend of your mother's,” he said, pausing to let that sink in. “Merissa loved you both very dearly.”