Heartless Sky (Zodiac Academy, #7)

by Caroline Peckham

He frowned, twiddling his thumbs. “What if you ask him if he likes me while I hide under a barrel nearby? And then if he says he’s not into me, I can jump out and say it’s a prank.”

LMFAO

“Fine, but you have to stop winding Orion up. And could you like, be his friend? He says he doesn’t need any more friends, but I see him watching you guys when you’re all having fun and it kinda breaks my heart because he just stands back, alone…” I said with a frown. “I think he needs you guys more than he’d ever admit.”

Awww

Orion shot after him in a blur of speed, but I cast a net of vines to catch him, yanking him back and throwing him onto the bed.

Except it wasn’t in my skull and as I peeled my eyes open, I found myself curled up in a ball on the floor with Darius leaning over me, his eyes blazing with concern. “It’s alright, little Vega,” Max said softly, his hand slipping into mine, his skin cool with the touch of his water magic and an offer of escape in his deep eyes which I accepted wholeheartedly as I fought to stop myself from thrashing against the wall. Another hand took my free one and I turned to discover my sister there, finding peace in her gaze as she squeezed me tight, the fire unable to burn her at all as I continued to blaze between them.

A sad kind of smile tugged at his lips as he pushed to his feet before us. “The shrew has bite.” “You know I do,” she confirmed. “And I’ll prove it if you even consider pulling away from this now. Tory needs you. So get that self-loathing shit out of your eyes and be the man she needs you to be.”

“Look after her, Darcy,” he said before he left and Darcy clucked her tongue at him. “I think your boyfriend needs reminding of his place on your favourite person list,” she muttered. “Oh he knows,” I promised her.

“Thank you,” I murmured and he gave me an easy smile, though I could see the tension around his eyes which hadn’t been there before from the weight of taking on my fear and pain. “Any time, little Vega.”

“Well…you didn’t have a silencing bubble up so Lance and Caleb definitely heard and Seth was the one who ran to get me even though I was already on my way, and obviously Geraldine heard so…” “Let’s hope it was just our group then,” I muttered

“We could always spread rumours of a ghoul in the tunnels if it comes to it,” she agreed, squeezing me tight and I knew she was hurting over what I’d been through.

“That’s because you’re a total badass,” I replied knowingly. “Well that makes two of us,” she said. “Wanna go find some snacks to steal and watch some trash TV with me while we wait for Hamish to finish up the interrogations?” I offered and her smile widened. “There’d better be chocolate down in these tunnels.” “If there’s not, what even is the point of living?” I lamented and she laughed.

“Then we’d better go and get our hands on it first, Tor, because I swear to god, I’ll summon an army of fleas to take dog boy down if he takes our chocolate.”

and I was glad to have some alone time with my sister after everything that had happened lately. We ate our way through two massive chocolate bars as we talked shit and reminisced about old times, then I helped her stash a few bars in her room for later, knowing Seth would sniff them out if I took them anywhere near my room.

“Well, nothing tastes as good as a Vega,” Orion said tauntingly and Caleb bared his fangs as they locked eyes. “Yeah? Try hunting the most powerful Werewolf in Solaria,” Caleb said with a smirk and Orion bared his fangs at him.

“Don’t call him that,” I hissed. “Don’t worry about it, beautiful. He’ll be tasting his own blood in a second.” Orion rose from his seat and Caleb stood too, both of them posturing for a fight.

“We have a murderer in our midst, and the game is afoot.

THE GAME IS ONN

Orion followed my gaze and pinched me softly to get my attention onto him. “You want one of those?” he murmured, darkness entering his eyes. “One day,” I said, reaching up to brush my thumb over the dimple in his right cheek and picturing how cute it would look on a tiny little baby.

“My shame would be passed on to any child we had,” he said tightly, his quiet voice just for me and I opened my mouth to say that was ridiculous but was cut off by someone shouting.

“Oh for the love of fuck,” Orion said under his breath as Washer instantly spotted us and started making a beeline for our table.

“Lance Orion is not a criminal!” Everyone in the room winced. Oh shit, I did not need to shout while the voicey spell thing was on me. “Darcy, stop,” Orion commanded, but I ignored him.

“He lied to the court to protect me because he knew I’d lose my place at Zodiac Academy. So stop treating him like he’s a monster. He didn’t hurt me or abuse me or cast any kind of spell on me.” I looked down at Orion, but he didn’t smile, he reached for me frantically, trying to pull me off the table. “Please, Blue,” he begged. I danced out of his way. He deserved the world to recognise who he was, to see the sacrifices he’d made for Darius, for me, for the kingdom. So I wasn’t just going to sit here and let people pretend like he didn’t exist.

but they didn’t follow her lead even when she elbowed Darius and he gave a couple of pitying slow claps too. “Not a fucking slow clap, asshole,” Tory hissed. “Either kind of clap is awkward as fuck,” Darius muttered back and my skin prickled as the distant sound of Hamish retching reached me. “Get down,” Orion growled, his eyes flaring at me and my cheeks blazed as I didn’t get his backing in this. “Get up here with me,” I countered. “Tell them the truth.”

“You really must take better care of your delicates, girls. G-strings and thongs can get a teeny weenie bit frayed if they aren’t rubbed down regularly with a good soap. I use a gentle foamy white soap that I make myself, I’ll give you a sample sometime. I call it Washer’s essence.” He winked. “What the fuck are you saying?” Darius growled, smoke pluming between his teeth and I grabbed Orion’s arm to stop him from getting out of his seat, though maybe letting him go psycho Vamp on Washer’s ass alongside Darius wasn’t the worst idea.

“Because Power Shaming is more than law, Blue,” Orion said, his eyes falling from mine, showing me he was ashamed of it too, and that broke me more than anything.

My Babyyyy

“I see you Lance Azriel Orion. My eyes are wide open and there you are like a crisp apple balancing upon the bosoms of the stars.”

“Would it help if I dick punched anyone who ignored you?” Tory offered and I laughed. “Is that your answer to everything, little savage?” Orion asked her with a smirk and she thought on it for a second. “Most things, yeah,” she agreed and Darius frowned at her. “How come you’ve never dick punched me then?” He almost sounded like he felt left out and she made a show of curling her fingers into a fist in front of his junk.

“Are you sure we should be messing with this soul hat thing?” Tory glanced at the hat nervously and I knew she was worried about the feel of the shadows again. “It’s okay, baby. I got you,” Darius said and she looked at him with the fire of her Order lighting up her eyes, making me feel all fuzzy for them as she nodded her agreement.

throwing Orion a fearful glance, but finding him staring across the room. And as I followed his gaze to Darcy Vega, I grimaced and gathered up the drinks.

And as I looked to Sofia, I realised I was becoming protective of this little friendship circle we’d formed. I didn’t want things to change when they had been good for the first time in my life.

“He’s the spitting image of Miguel in every way,” Mamá said in disgust, but I didn’t know how I could resemble a man who rarely spoke and seemed to be void of all emotion.

Mamá drove her probes into his chest and Astrum tipped his head back with a smile pulling at his lips as he mouthed the names of the Vega king and queen like he could somehow see them before him.

“Move aside!” Professor Orion’s voice carried above them and he came barrelling through the crowd with Darcy and Tory on his heels. Darcy’s hair had been sheared off and Tory’s eyes were alight with some horror, making my gut tighten. What had happened to them?

“A Fae faces their fears,” the stars whispered. I hung my head. “What does a Fae do when their back is against the wall, son of the shadow born?” “They fight,” I said softly, knowing that was the answer but still knowing I wasn’t one of them.

“What does a Fae do with their heart?” the stars asked and I frowned at that question, thinking on it. “They love,” I decided. “And what will a Fae do to be worthy of their place in Solaria?” I frowned, the answer coming to me easily and falling from my lips. “Anything.”

And for a moment, I could almost feel what it was like to be Fae.

I took a step back, bowing my head to one of the true queens, because of course that was what she and her sister were. I’d seen them blossom into the most incredibly powerful Fae and I’d happily kneel at their feet and serve them in any way they wanted. They may not have known it, but they’d given me a family, a home, and I would repay them for that in any way I possibly could.

But it reminded me that she cared, that someone really cared. And I had meant something on this earth in a world where I should have meant nothing.

“I just wanted to be useful. Did I do okay? Was I good friend?” I asked as a tear rolled from my eye as I knew I’d never see Sofia again, or Tory, or Geraldine. The friends who had given me a life I had always dreamed of having. “You’re the best friend, Diego,” Darcy promised and before death could steal me away, happiness spilled into every inch of my being and for a single second, I felt like a Fae who was dying a worthy death for his friend. His queen.

I was forced out of the shadows of the hat, finding my face wet with tears as Orion pulled me onto his lap and I let myself cry against his shoulder at reliving that awful goodbye once more.

When I finally looked around, I found the Heirs and Xavier deep in thought and Tory wiped tears from under her eyes. Orion tugged the hat off of my head, tossing it onto the bed and kissing my wet cheek as I pulled myself together at last, the grief in my chest a tight pinch which wouldn’t go away. “The hat kid’s name was Diego? I swear it was Darnell,” Darius murmured to Tory and she punched him in the arm with a muttered curse about him being an asshole.

I nodded my agreement, looking to my sister as she reached out to squeeze my arm and I saw the need for revenge in her eyes as keenly as it lived in me.

He may have been threatened into it, but it still made my fangs prickle as I looked at the two girls who’d come into this world with too many enemies to count. Even one of their friends had been plotting against them.

“Nightmares I gave you,” Darius replied, his brow pinching as he looked at her, his guilt over the way he’d treated her plain on his face as she raised her chin and looked right back at him, not giving him a free pass but not making any more of it either.

“He was forced into it,” Darcy said and I shifted in my seat as I looked at her. She was so fucking everything to me, and despite understanding that, all I could think about was her lying in a grave because of Diego and it awoke a monster in me, one more violent than any criminal I’d met in Darkmore.

I was still pretty sure I would have murdered him if he was standing before me now for the threat he’d posed to my girl.

considered that before conceding with a nod. “Good point,” Seth said. “I once had a girl suck me off seven nights in a row. She had my name tattooed on the back of her neck, made me a mix tape with every single one of my favourite songs on it and I just called her Blowie the whole time because I couldn’t remember her name. To her face, guys. To her face.”

I stikl hate

considered that before conceding with a nod. “Good point,” Seth said. “I once had a girl suck me off seven nights in a row. She had my name tattooed on the back of her neck, made me a mix tape with every single one of my favourite songs on it and I just called her Blowie the whole time because I couldn’t remember her name. To her face, guys. To her face.”

ARSEGHOLE

“Thank god,” Darcy whispered, rubbing her eyes and I realised she looked drained as hell. I hoped that hat hadn’t fucked with her because I’d personally go diving into it again to choke out Diego’s soul if it had.

“I think I’m all hatted out,” she murmured and I leaned over to kiss her temple. “You’re hatigued,” I joked and she chuckled at me, making my heart lift before her smile fell away again,

She was leaning on Tory, looking about ready to fall asleep and I could tell they wanted a moment together as they exchanged a twin look. “I’ll catch you in a bit, baby,” Darius said as he noticed too, kissing Tory before heading to the door after the others, glancing back over his shoulder and catching my eye.

looked at Blue again, seeing the exhaustion in her and I forgot about everything else but her. I shot to her side, eyeing her paling features a second before she stumbled into my chest like she was about to pass out. I caught hold of her waist in alarm, clutching her against me as I searched her expression.