Shadow Princess (Zodiac Academy, #4)

by Caroline Peckham

“I know, right? When are we ever gonna get a break around here? I wanna go flying and knock Darius out of the clouds.”

“Yeah.” He squeezed my hand. “Look, I don’t know what this thing is between us or where it’s going, Blue, but after everything that’s happened, the one thing that’s clear to me is that I don’t want anyone else. So this crystal is a promise from me that I’m yours. For now. Forever. Or till it all goes to shit, I don’t know which yet.” He smiled hopefully and my heart could have burst with how much this meant to me.

Nebula Allies

I was flying, really, truly flying. And I’d never felt so alive or so free in all my life.

But together they were like Bert and fucking Ernie. Nebular Allies my ass. The other Heirs were all my Nebular Allies but I didn’t start jumping up and down like a little girl at a princess party every time I hung out with them. “Orio! Happy birthday! I almost missed the vision about this, but it looks like I just made it. What time are we heading out?” Gabriel’s voice came and my scowl deepened. What the hell? This is supposed to be our night! Great, now I was sounding like a fucking jealous girlfriend

Those girls weren’t born to bow. Maybe we should be thinking about negotiation instead. They don’t want the throne, maybe we just accept that?”

“But we aren’t,” I countered. “Not anymore. And if we keep pushing them into a corner then I think that one day they’ll fight back hard enough to cause us real problems.”

“You think they can beat us?” Seth scoffed. “We’ve got years of training and a lifetime of preparation on our sides. Brute strength can’t top that.” “Those advantages won’t last forever,” I muttered. The girls were already learning to harness their powers. Give them five years,

ten, twenty…with enough determination they’d match our skill and outmatch our power. Then they could come looking ...

“What the fuck is happening to us?” Seth groaned, swiping a hand over his face. “First you two are fighting over a Vega – a Vega who

doesn’t seem to want either of you half the time might I add. And now you’re chasing the president of the fucking Ass Club, Max! I don’t even recognise you guys right now.”

“Nice job, Seth. Sometimes I think you’ve got the emotional compassion of a teaspoon,” he said.

If something was wrong with Darius, we’d help him fix it. That was what we did. We looked out for each other. No

matter what.

bust a lung and I offered her a smirk as

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

Elysian Mates? Me and him?

But I realised you don’t need me to rescue you, Blue. You and your sister came back from the dark without anyone’s help. And Lionel should fear you both for that reason alone.”

“I want to help you stop

him,” I said with fervour. I’d stand against Lionel in any way I could. I’d feed Orion power to keep him strong and I’d even suck up my pride when it came to Darius Acrux if I had to. “We’ll destroy Lionel for what he’s done and make sure he never hurts anyone we love again.“

“Galloping galoozas, I still can’t believe you’re going to party like a Pegasus right in Caleb’s face,” Geraldine gushed. “You are too daring for your own good my lady!”

“Oh give me a gander!” Geraldine exclaimed. “I do like an eyeful of man meat from time to time.”

“Dingle dongle?” Geraldine suggested and I cracked

“Well I’d lick his lollypoppet,” Geraldine cooed and we all started laughing again.

“You should,” I agreed. “Because I don’t want his lollypoppet or his pocket Rodger or his umgo bongo anywhere near me.”

“Well bite my begonia and call me a sea urchin, don’t we all look spiffing?” Geraldine exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly.

“Shall we move our scabooses?” Geraldine suggested excitedly, shimmying her chest so that her seashells clattered together.

“Well flick my nipples, that tastes wonder-tastic!” Geraldine

“Princess Mer-Geraldine would never be seen dead with some common hagfish,” Geraldine said dismissively and a snort escaped me.

“For you, anything’s worth it,” he said and my heart broke because I knew he meant it and it was almost too much to bear. “Do

“Good. Because I’m not a better man,” he said in a low growl, his eyes full of shadows. “I’m the devil and I want you. I want you like I’ve never wanted anything or anyone. And I will fight to make you mine, no matter what it takes. No force in Solaria will rip us apart.”

I clutched his hand and nodded firmly. “I’ll fight for you too, Lance Orion. Whatever it takes.” “Whatever it takes,” he echoed and a clap of power sparked between our hands. I sucked in a breath of surprise and a sad sort of smile pulled at his mouth. “Looks like you just struck a deal with me, Blue. No backing out now, not unless we want the

didn’t explode like in the movies though and that was disappointing. With a flick of my fingers, I sent a fireball chasing after it and a huge explosion tore from the machine as the flames found the gas tank.

“Share the throne,” I demanded, my voice filling every space in the room. “Share it and all your problems go away.”

“I know what we said back then. That we agreed the best thing to do was to make sure they could never rise to power. But that was before we knew them. Before I realised that they might be just what Solaria needs,” I insisted.

“Well maybe Christmas just sucks whatever way you do it,” I whispered conspiratorially. “And it’s only ever perfect in the movies.”

something drawn straight in the image of

Better an underdog on the team than an assdog

trotting toward me and rubbing his nose against my shoulder. Another howl sounded behind us and I moved to Xavier’s side. He lowered a wing to let me climb up and joy filled me as I settled myself on his back. “Let’s win this thing,” I

forever to fix them. Let this bond form between us and I’ll prove to you how good our lives could be together. I won’t force you to do anything or be with me if you don’t want to, but at least give us a chance. Kiss me again with the stars overhead and let our story begin anew here.”

I’d never been able to deny the attraction I felt to him. To this monster who stood before me in the flesh of a man, suggesting that he

might just be everything I’d ever dreamed of. Because who didn’t want to find their one true love? Who didn’t wish for that kind of bond? My whole life, I’d never had someone choose to love me. No one had ever looked at me the way he was now and said that they picked me. The only one who had ever loved me was Darcy and she’d been stuck

with me whether she liked...

lust in me which begged for him to sate it. I craved him, desired him and ached for him in a way I’d never felt for any man before him.

There was truth to his claim about us, I knew it in my heart. This was it. Our one chance to seize a life together. To give my heart to him and let him pull me into his arms

I’d never wanted anyone like I wanted Darius Acrux, but I’d never hated anyone like I hated him either.

No matter what kind of man he could be for me now, it wouldn’t change the kind of man he’d been up until this moment. They were one and the same.

deepest desire and my worst nightmare all wrapped into one. He shook his head, the

“So you’ve realised that all the time you spent torturing me, you should have been falling in love with me?” I asked bitterly. “Well it’s too late, you can’t undo what you’ve done-”

“I was falling in love with you,” Darius replied, his voice cracking. “Everything else wasn’t real. That’s not who I really am! I-”