Shadow Princess (Zodiac Academy, #4)

by Caroline Peckham

“I’m not going to stand here discussing how many breadsticks I’ve dipped in my honeypot since yours, Max Rigel. It’s none of your business.”

“Max Rigel happened!” she huffed. “That bloated beluga whale needs to get the hint. He’s swangling his way into my life at every turn these days. He laid siege to the entire bagel pile!”

“I think the stars picked you for me, Blue. I think you’re my Elysian Mate.”

Grus still wouldn’t even consent to sitting with me at breakfast let alone going out on a date with me. In fact, that whole situation was driving me crazy. I couldn’t get the night I’d spent with her out of my head, and she was acting like it didn’t mean a goddamn thing to her. It was bullshit. Complete bullshit. But so far, there was nothing I could do to make her admit that.

MAX WANTS GERALDINE SO BAD

Apparently, he’d been paying rather a lot of attention to her because I had no fucking idea she could even ride a bike let alone the rest of it.

JEALOUS MUCH, CALEB?

“Yeah, who the hell would want all of those muscles and the darkness and the tattoos...” Seth trailed off as he blatantly checked Darius out and we all laughed.

me

He’s going to tell. He’s going to destroy Orion’s life and all because of me. How could we have been so stupid?

“Put your panties on, babe. I can’t wait to hear you tell everyone how good it felt to fuck an Heir.”

okay i lowkey laughed 😡

This is what you get for refusing to bow to me, and for fucking a teacher like no rules apply to you in this world.

FUCK OFF SETH

I’m Seth Capella. I’m not weak. I don’t break for anyone. And I certainly won’t break for a Vega.

lies

“What’s up Dari-ass?” she asked, laughing

she’s really good

I raised my hands to fight off the attack I expected, but she did something much worse than blast me with magic. She spat in my face, and I jerked backwards in shock.

nothing i hate more than a spitter.

This crush or obsession or infatuation I felt for her didn’t give me any rights to her. I hadn’t earned any kind of say in her life. Not that that meant I craved it any less.

Just rip my heart out and step on it why don’t you.

Don’t be with him because we were together once. For one, too brief, earth-shattering moment, you were mine. And I never should have let you go.

🥲

“I love you,” he countered, and the world paused as the weight of his words slowed time itself.

He loved me. Lance Orion loved me. And I loved him back with every corner of my heart and all the spaces in between.

“Well ride my pelican and call it Fanny Sue,” Geraldine gasped,

“Because you represent everything I want and everything I can’t have.”

Leo and Gemini. I’d recognise those constellations anywhere.

Elysian mates. Unbreakable. True love.

“I love you with all my heart, dear brother. I’ve thought about you all these years. I’ve missed you. But sometimes darkness has to have its way and it’s owned me for such a long time...”

We’ll never find love with another. We’re meant to be together - it’s fate.”

My heart was breaking, something inside me ripping away as I chose this path and sealed our fate. We wouldn’t be together. We’d be Star Crossed, destined lovers who missed their chance. But that wasn’t on me. It was on him.