Fated Throne (Zodiac Academy, #6)

by Caroline Peckham

I grabbed my Atlas, but before I could shoot him a text, one came from him. Gabriel:: You’re welcome.

Geraldine helped me do my makeup and practically forced the dress over my head when I said it was overkill for a trip to freaking prison. “You will wear it and have that buffoon of a Vampire see how perfectly perfect you are without him. He shall feast on his feelings and his heart shall die a thousand deaths when he sees you dressed up fit for a dinner with the stars.”

Five minutes, that’s it. I can face anything for five minutes. I ignored the yearning in me that wanted so much more than that. But I could never give in to that feeling. His betrayal ran too deep.

He took in my dress with his eyebrows raising and heat crawled up my neck. “This was not my choice,” I said firmly before he could open his mouth. “Gabriel and Geraldine are entirely to blame.” He laughed. “I’m saying nothing. Except that he’s going to lose his fucking mind.”

Good

He wouldn’t give a shit because he’d moved on just like I was supposed to have moved on. Which I was definitely working on. And most people were convinced of it anyway thanks to my newfound ability to stuff my emotions down so deep that they didn’t give me away. So, I was calling it a win.

I relate to these girls so mmuch

“Well, it’s Gabriel’s plan actually. He foresaw this last night and spoke to Dante Oscura. The Storm Dragon’s given you permission to use his image to get into Darkmore.”

Thinking about him was dangerous territory as it was, thinking about him suffering was unbearable.

“I’m fine,” I said firmly, fiddling with the bracelet on my wrist. “It won’t be like last time. In and out Darius.” “Yeah, yeah five minutes, right?” He smirked, turning to face the doors again and my heart thrashed harder against my ribcage. “Why are you smirking?” I narrowed my eyes at him, and he shrugged innocently. “This is just my normal face,” he said, trying to flatten his smirk and failing. “No, your normal face suggests you’re deciding whether or not to eat the Fae in front of you,” I pointed out. “You only smirk when you’ve decided you’re actually going to do it.”

Because this place was where I’d shattered before, and I couldn’t do that again. Not ever.

I stopped in my tracks, frozen in place as doubts gripped me and a voice in the back of my head screamed at me to leave. But in the pit of my stomach, I knew that I couldn’t do that. For everyone I loved, I had to walk through that door and face Orion.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be ready,” I admitted, forcing myself to move and stand at his side. “But let’s get it over with.”

Darius stepped toward me, dissolving the magic concealing me as Dante Oscura and taking my hand. He squeezed once, giving me an apologetic frown. “Sorry, shrew.”

The door opened behind me, and I felt him enter the room before I even turned around.

Fae up, Darcy Vega. Get it over with. I took a breath, fixed an emotionless mask into place and turned around.

I expected to see a wall in his eyes, forcing me out like the last time I’d seen him, but it wasn’t there. He looked…broken.

His gaze travelled over me with slow and hungry movements, like he was trying to make an eternity out of seeing me. “Hello,” he said at last, his voice deep and holding an edge of desperation in it that made me ache. “Hi,” I said stiffly, wetting my lips and taking a step closer. “Darius locked me in here, so…” “Asshole,” he muttered. “Yep.”

My heart thundered out a wild and yearning tune as it begged me to get nearer to him, to feel the heat of his body meeting mine in the air, to smell his familiar smell and brush my fingers over the lines of his face, seek out the single dimple hiding in his right cheek. But I’d be doing none of those things. Not now, not ever.

A small and involuntary gasp escaped me as a light but potent energy rushed through me from his touch. It was addictive, demanding and horribly familiar.

I couldn’t believe after all this time I still felt like this. Like the world began and ended with him and I would never belong to any other man. But that’s not real anymore. He’s not mine and I’m not his.

“How are you?” I yanked my hand free of his, anger curling up through my body like flames. “How am I?” I scoffed. “That’s what you have to say?”

I nodded, keeping my eyes on his as I refused to look away. I thought back on that day we’d made the promise and how, no matter what we’d faced back then, we’d known we’d always have each other.

“I promised to fight for you, whatever it took, and you promised it in return,” I didn’t let my voice shake as I held his gaze and saw a flicker of regret in his eyes.

“I release you from that bond,” I said firmly, keeping my mask locked in place. I wouldn’t break, or cry or let him see a single crack in my façade. I was stronger now. And no man, not even him, would be able to hurt me again.

Ohdarcy

I knew all I wanted was Orion. But I would never admit it out loud. I’d smother that feeling, push it down until it went away one day.

Something in my gut urged me not to hurt him and though I wasn’t sure why,

There was just something about him that made me feel safe.

Though for some reason I didn’t really think she would.

As he removed his shirt, my gaze caught on a tattoo above his right hip of two Phoenixes flying together and my brow furrowed as a memory was tugged to the forefront of my mind before being swept away again on a tide of shadows.

Oh mmy god

But as I opened my mouth to counter that comment, I gasped at the ripple of pain which washed through my chest.

“I can make you come better than him,” I promised her,

I caught Darcy’s gaze as she grinned widely and I smiled back at her, ruffling her muddy blue hair and just feeling glad that she was able to experience this little moment of happiness even if I knew it wouldn’t last.

He was so fucking into her that it was untrue. No

“Stop staring at my carotid and sink your fucking fangs into it already,”

“I see things,” she shrugged. “Like connections between Fae. I saw it with Dante and his wife, and I’ve seen it with others too. And as much as I loved being the filling in your dick sandwich - which I seriously did by the way, I’ll be getting myself off while thinking about this for years - I also don’t wanna be a third wheel.”

carved at the ice in my hand, moulding it and shaping it absentmindedly until it was taking the form of a bird. No, not a bird. A Phoenix. Of course. I often dwelled on Darcy, how breath-taking she’d looked when she’d visited, how much I’d wanted to drag her into my arms and beg for her forgiveness. I knew every word of our conversation by heart and regretted at least eighty percent of them. But there was no room for regret in my life anymore. I had to push her away. It had to be like this. Even if I’d tried to apologise, what good would it have done? I didn’t want her forgiveness. I didn’t deserve it. I never would. So, she’d had to come and go. Just like that. A brief encounter which meant more to me than every single day that had passed in this place since. I replayed it, mostly on mute might I add, so I didn’t have to listen to the cold detachment of her voice, but the memory of her standing before me in a dress that seemed designed to hook onto my darkest, most fierce desires had me in pieces. Yeah, just keep dwelling on it, asshole, that’ll cheer you up.

“What the fuck was that?” he demanded. “You wanna get yourself killed?” I shoved him off of me, making him stumble back as I snarled. “He was going for the weakest Fae in here.”

“I’m not just gonna stand by while people die,” I growled.

“Or did you do it to save her pretty ass and her reputation?” He smirked and I growled at him. “Shut. Up,” I warned. “Gabriel Nox sent me a letter,” he said tauntingly. “It was very enlightening.”

You’re welcome. My vision showed that turd hitting you right in the mouth, Orio. Call me your fairy starmother today, because Jupiter is in your chart and you’re about to get real lucky. Follow my list below to the letter. Do NOT deviate from it. Love, Noxy. P.S. You have two seconds before a guard looks your way.

I love hmmm

I hated being tactile with anyone. Anyone except Darcy. Alright, and Darius. Apparently, I only liked the D.

He propped one leg up on the sink and started trimming away at his pubes with a pair scissors he’d gotten from fuck knew where. “Yeah, that’s the business. Ooh hello my pretty, aren’t you a curly silver treasure?” he purred. Nope I’m out. I was about to leave when I remembered Gabriel’s message and cursed as I forced myself to remain there, taking my time over washing my hands. This. Is. Hell.

LMAO

He propped one leg up on the sink and started trimming away at his pubes with a pair scissors he’d gotten from fuck knew where. “Yeah, that’s the business. Ooh hello my pretty, aren’t you a curly silver treasure?” he purred. Nope I’m out. I was about to leave when I remembered Gabriel’s message and cursed as I forced myself to remain there, taking my time over washing my hands. This. Is. Hell.

WAIT IS THIS GRRIELS REVENGE LMO

Fucking pube scissors, Noxy??

LMAO

“Does picking on an old man make you feel strong, assholes?” I asked.

rounded into a dark aisle in the far right corner of the library and Poltergeist wheezed as he caught his breath. “Thank you,” he said heavily. “It’s nothing,” I said, waving him off but he clutched my arm, tugging to make me look down at him. “I wasn’t sure if I could trust you,” he whispered in a rush, his yellowy eyes flicking back and forth between mine. “I have so many enemies.”

“You’re Guardian bonded?” I asked in surprise. “To who?” “My Ward is dead,” he breathed, leaning closer, the small man having to tip toe to speak in my ear. “I once served Kraveen Dire, a friend of your father’s. I knew Azriel Orion well.” My throat tightened as shock jarred through me. “I met you once, when you were just a boy. That was long before I ended up in here for breaking my eternal vow,” he went on in a ramble.

I’d seen the symbol before, and the breath was crushed out of me as I realised what this meant. My dad had been one of them. The elite society created to serve and protect the royals. “One of the last tasks set to us by King Vega was to protect the Imperial Star,” Jasper whispered. I grabbed onto him, pulling him closer as desperation filled me. “Where is it? Where is the Imperial Star?” I demanded.

“We consulted with the stars and the shadows alike,” he breathed. “And one answer came to us. The single path, the only hope.” “Which was?” I pushed. “The Vega Twins. If they could be saved and the Imperial Star could be returned to them, there was a chance that they might succeed against the monster who sought to take their throne,” he whispered. “But the price was high,” he half choked out. “The King and Queen would fall, and the last of the Zodiac Guild had to give their lives for a new prophesy to arise.”

My task led me here to Darkmore to wait for Azriel’s son, to tell him everything so long as he was pure of heart. And now I know that you are, I am left with my final duty to the Guild.”

“The stars whispered a single word to me, a word I have held in me all these years, waiting for you. And now I know why,” Jasper breathed. I swallowed what felt like a razor blade in my throat, clinging onto this guy who could change everything. “What’s the word?” I demanded, hunting his eyes as if I could read it from them. He leaned closer again, whispering it to me in a slow and measured breath. “Ankaa.” My lips parted as I recognised that word. “That’s-” “The brightest star in the Phoenix constellation,” he answered for me, smiling even wider. He pressed a hand to my cheek, his eyes brimming with tears. “You look like him, dear boy. It is good to see one last familiar face.”

Oh my god