The Reckoning (Zodiac Academy, #3)

by Caroline Peckham

she’d saved my fucking life. Now, I was adrift without her, my heart trying to tear its way out of my chest in a bid to go to her.

after tonight, after how close we’d both come to death, a small voice had awoken in my head that whispered, fuck it, we could be dead tomorrow.

Being numb made everything so much easier.

that was the way of Fae. We kept going even through the hardest of times.

Darcy's eyes locked with mine and my lungs compressed. Why was it so fucking difficult to cut her out of me? One look was enough to make me consider risking everything I’d ever worked for.

Caleb: Do you want me to beg? Do you like the idea of getting me on my knees for you?

“Why does he have to be such an asshole?” I complained. “If he wasn’t, you probably wouldn’t like him at all,” she reasoned, and I couldn’t help but laugh at that.

Orion stepped aside, revealing what he'd written on the board. YOU ARE ALL BOTTOM-FEEDING LOSERS.

This man I swear... Lol

“Professor!” I gasped when he drew near me, and he shot me a dark glare. “Yes, Miss Vega?” he questioned, totally calm, that twisted smile pulling at his mouth. “She's choking,” I hissed, and he shifted his gaze to Kylie as if he'd just noticed her. “Five points from Aer for stating the obvious.”

He's funny, can't deny that lol

Orion leaned back against his desk, folding his arms. “We have a serious fucking problem. Corbin,

His eyes skipped onto me. “Miss Vega?” “That our Cardinal Magic teacher is a psycho?” I offered,

His jaw ticked in a deadly way and my heart thumped out of rhythm. “I prefer the term unbalanced and frankly it's the least of your problems.”

“If I don't get an answer in the next ten seconds, someone's head is going to be introduced to the ceiling,” Orion said coolly.

“Let me in, Roxy,” he breathed and for a moment it seemed like he was talking about more than our magic.

what do you want instead?” Darius pushed his tongue into his cheek as he considered it, his gaze trailing over me in a way that made me shift my weight onto the other foot. “I’ll think of something,” he assured me.

I'M AS DOWN AS TORY TO THAT SUGGESTION, DRAGON BOY

Darius leaned close to my ear as he maintained his grip on me. “Congratulations, Roxy. Looks like we’ve got a date Wednesday night then.”

MY MAAAAANN

“Maybe I’ve already got plans Wednesday,” I said. “Yeah, you do. With me.”

That's my boy!

“Seth,” Caleb warned as I moved my mouth to his ear. “Remember that time in The Shimmering Springs last year?” I burrowed my hands into his hair, and he released a deep growl in his throat. “That was one time. And there was a girl there too,” he pointed out. “Not the whole time,” I said with a smirk, brushing my mouth across the line of his jaw.

I have to say, I'm now starting to like these two

“And to think I almost got desperate enough to try and kiss you,” I muttered as we walked up to the door. “Only in your dreams,” Caleb whispered. “And memories.” I cocked a brow, and he pursed his lips. “I have no recollection of that,” he lied. “Keep telling yourself that.”

After Tory and Darius little date THIS is what I need to read next

“Do you wanna fuck Darius?” he asked quickly, catching me off guard. “What?” I snapped, snatching my hand back. “Of course I don’t.” “There was a lot of hate there, little Vega,” Max said. “But there was lust, too. Maybe you should just do it to work through your frustration with him.”

Liar

“Do you wanna fuck Darius?” he asked quickly, catching me off guard. “What?” I snapped, snatching my hand back. “Of course I don’t.” “There was a lot of hate there, little Vega,” Max said. “But there was lust, too. Maybe you should just do it to work through your frustration with him.”

Yes they absolutely need to

“If you keep singing at us, I’ll throat punch you like I did to Max.” Caleb shot to her side in a blur of motion, slinging his arm around her shoulders. “Ohh what beautiful poetry you weave for me, sweetheart. Gets me so hard.”

Darcy: What difference does it make to you aside from being able to tell me and my sister apart? Lance: Blue means you like me.

Declaration of love indeed

In Solaria blue means royal. And to me, blue means you.

He picked up my Atlas, sliding the video to the last frame and holding it out to show me. “This better not be a freeze frame of your dick,” I muttered, and he snorted as I took it from him. “You’d need a wide-angle lens to fit it all in if it was.”

it was definitely easier to like Seth when he was a giant fluffy Wolf who couldn’t talk.

I already had that FIB asshole sniffing around, asking questions about us,” Lance said. “Anyone would think you were embarrassed about luring students out to sneak around after dark with you in your secret cave,” I teased. “I’m mostly embarrassed it’s you,” he replied scathingly. “You’re not even hot.” “Bite me,” I joked. “Don’t tempt me.”

“If I bite you before I sleep, I’ll end up fucking dreaming of you again.” “Oh, come on, Professor, we both know you dream of me anyway.” I flexed my muscles at him as I began to back away and he rolled his eyes. “You wanna lose two hundred and fifty House Points for disrespecting a teacher while breaking curfew?” he asked. “You wanna tell me if that’s a dagger in your pocket or if you’re just excited to see me?” I taunted.

I’d hate me too if I was her.

Oh, my little Dragon Boy...

I should have been pissed at her for intruding on my space like this but somehow, I didn’t mind at all.

she just wouldn’t have been herself without her smart mouth. And I was beginning to realise that I might like that, and a few other things about her, just a bit too much.

“Please tell me we didn’t...” I couldn’t actually bear to say it, but I had to know because my memory was turning up blanks. “I prefer my girls a little less blind drunk and a little more eagerly responsive,” he replied. “Besides, you wouldn’t forget it if I’d fucked you.”

People and furniture went flying everywhere as I threw way too much force into the attack and only Darius and the people around him were spared the hit as he shielded them just in time. Half a smile tugged at his lips,

Why this little thing made me kick my feet and blush like a fool??? Oh, Dragon Boy what are you doing to me???

The day was beautiful, the sky pale blue and clear of clouds as the sun rose to fill it and birds cried out joyfully. I scowled at it. Stupid sun.

I'm so Tory coded it's scary

Orion cleared his throat, a mischievous grin pulling at his lips as he wrote today's inspirational quote on the board. YOU ARE ALL A BUNCH OF HORNY TEENAGERS.

Yes, they are lol

My gaze lingered on the spot where my fingers brushed his flesh, but I felt his eyes on me like a hawk's. “If you don't kiss me, I'll go mad,” his voice rumbled through his chest

If anyone came along, they’d see us for sure and it was a pretty popular route. “What’s the matter, Tory? Are you afraid?” Caleb breathed as he placed his hands on my knees and started to skim them up my thighs beneath my school skirt, keeping his gaze locked with mine the entire time.

“Someone could see us,” I said hesitantly. “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Caleb replied. “I promise to stop if I hear someone coming...aside from you of course.”

So thoughtful

I couldn’t help but let some of my irritation with Caleb go in response. He might have been a damn underwear thief but if he’d actually managed to scare Washer away from me then I’d happily pay the price in panties.

Seeing another guy's hands on you makes me want to rip out their eyes so they never get to look at you again.

“I want you to the point of pain, Blue.”

I felt his eyes sliding over me too and he reached out to toy with the drawstring on my shorts, tugging me closer by it with a hungry noise.

he swore under his breath, his muscles flexing as he thrust into me deep again and again. He shuddered as he struggled to hold himself back and the sight of this man falling to ruin because of me made my head spin. “I'm gonna lose my mind over you,” he gasped,

DARIUS: I’ll come to your room in half an hour. Be ready to ride.

I HOPE SHE'LL END RIDING YOUUU (okay, I need to calm myself)

“I hope you meant the part about screwing me senseless.” Darius stood leaning against his doorframe at the end of the hall,

I rolled my eyes at him. “In your dreams.” “Every night,” he agreed, and his tone was serious enough that it brought a blush to my cheeks.

“Okay, there’s no you and Darius,” he agreed quickly. “But you might be doomed if that’s not what you want because I saw the way he was looking at you and Darius always gets what he wants once he sets his mind to it.”

I opened my eyes to find him watching me like I was the most interesting goddamn thing he’d ever seen.

“I should go,” I breathed. “Stay,” he replied instantly.

“Why would you want me to stay?” Darius frowned like he wasn’t sure what to say to that, but he inched a little closer all the same. “Because it feels right,” he breathed.