Zodiac Academy: Fated Throne

by Caroline Peckham

  My eyes widened and I struggled to draw breath as spears of agony slammed into me and cut me apart piece by piece. A smile curled up the corners of her lips as she watched me suffer and I was paralysed by the strength of her power.

  “Let him go, sweetness,” Father murmured, holding a hand out to her with a serene smile on his face. “It is his birthday after all.”

  Roxy tilted her head as she watched me suffer for an extra moment before suddenly drawing the shadows back out of me. She took my fingers in her grip and gently peeled them off of her arm and I watched her with my heart pounding and shattering and falling to pieces as I hunted for anything familiar in her eyes.

  “Don’t you know me?” I breathed, unable to hide the raw edge to my voice as I studied the black rings in her green eyes and begged the stars to let her see me.

  “You’re Darius,” she replied, that rough edge still coating her voice. “The man who promised he’d never hurt me, even though he always enjoyed it when he did.”

  I shook my head, wanting to argue against those words but Father held a hand out to her and she took it with a smile which seemed painted on, but the adoring look in her eyes as she gazed at him was all too real.

  “Sit down, Darius. Everyone is waiting for the birthday boy before they can eat.” Father pointed me to my chair and I fell into it, not knowing what else to do.

  Max gripped my shoulder for a moment, pressing more calming energy beneath my skin before dropping his silencing bubble and returning to his chair along the table.

  Father took his seat at the head of the table and heat invaded every cell in my body as he tugged Roxy down into his lap.

  A growl ripped from my throat and I half lurched out of my seat, but Clara caught hold of the shadows in me and forced me back down again before anyone noticed. I sat rigidly in my chair, pain and terror shredding me apart as Roxy arranged herself more comfortably on Father’s knee.

  She didn’t resist as he pulled her close but she didn’t just sit on his dick either, perching on his knee instead with her spine straight as her gaze trailed over all of the people at the table who were staring at her, before she looked away again dismissively.

  Xavier’s hand gripped my knee beneath the table and I could feel his own horror at this, but I couldn’t spare an inch of my attention for it.

  The first course was served and I could only watch her as Father made conversation with people around the table and Clara kept me trapped within my own body.

  Stella laughed loudly at everything he said, tossing her short hair and leaning forward so that her tits threatened to spill from her dress and Father hardly even seemed to notice.

  He reached around Roxy’s back and toyed with the dark curls of her hair where they spilled down her spine and she just sat there, not reacting in any way. No horror or disgust, no pleasure or excitement either. She was like an empty vessel filled with shadow and everything from the coldness of her gaze to the emptiness of her expression made me seethe with rage and fear.

  “I can see what had you so captivated, Darius,” Father murmured as the next course was served and everyone was distracted. “She really is a beautiful girl. And so…tenacious. I have to say I really enjoyed breaking her in and beating that wildness out of her.”

  “If you’ve laid a fucking finger on her, I’ll cut you into a thousand pieces and burn you alive in Dragon fire,” I snarled, but Clara’s hold on my shadows stopped me from doing any more than tightening my grip on my goddamn spoon. If I could get close to him, I’d gladly find a way to make a spoon lethal though.

  Father didn’t bother to respond, only offering a knowing smile as he rested his fucking hand on her hip. Rage unlike anything I’d ever felt before consumed me as I was locked in my fucking chair, forced to endure the show he was putting on for me, taunting me with the girl I loved like she was just some plaything.

  I didn’t eat a bite of my food as the courses came and went. I had no appetite even when Clara allowed me to move enough to eat. I pushed the odd thing around my plate, but my gaze never wavered from Roxy. And I never stopped trying to fight Clara’s hold on me so that I could rip her right out of my father’s lap.

  As the dessert was served, Father leaned close and whispered something in her ear. She nodded once and got to her feet, turning and sweeping from the room without a word.

  Clara released me just as Roxy got to the doors and I shoved to my feet instantly, practically running out into the hallway after her and not giving a shit who saw or what they thought.

  By the time I made it out into the hall, Roxy was already at the far end of it and I called out to her as I broke into a sprint to catch up.

  She made it onto the stairwell in the centre of the house before I caught up to her and she turned back to look at me with an eyebrow raised like she had no idea what I might want.

  “What did he do to you?” I choked, my heart racing as I reached for her, but she shifted so that I couldn’t catch her hand and I could have sworn fear flickered in her eyes for a moment before she hid it again. “Tell me and I’ll rip him apart for it. Tell me what I have to do to break you out of this.”

  “Out of what?” she asked in a cold tone.

  “The shadows, Roxy, you need to break free of them, you need-”

  “Why would I do that?” she asked dismissively. “The shadows bring me more pleasure than you can even imagine. They feed my soul and steal my pain. Maybe you should consider joining me in them.”

  “Joining you?” I sneered. “The girl I love would never-”

  She stepped forward suddenly, her hand pressing to my chest right above my heart as we stood eye to eye with her on the steps.

  “That pain you feel doesn’t have to rule you,” she said, moving so close that her lips almost brushed mine but the look in her eyes was hollow, bottomless, void. “You could join me in the dark. We could have it all.”

  “What about love?” I murmured, my hands slipping around her waist as I drew her closer to me, wanting to hold on to her until I forced her to come back for good.

  “I only love my king,” she breathed.

  “No,” I snarled fiercely, denying her words with every fibre of my being. “You don’t love him. You’d never love him.”

  A dark laugh escaped her as my grip on her tightened and a swell of power burst from her hand where it was pressed to my chest, the shadows slamming into me and knocking me back against the heavy doors at the front of the house and pinning me in place.

  “Let me know if you change your mind,” Roxy said dismissively, turning away and continuing up the stairs towards my father’s quarters without a backwards glance.

  The shadows held me against the door long after she’d walked away and by the time she released me, she was long gone.

  I hunted the entire house for her, but she’d disappeared once more. And I felt her loss all over again, just as sharply as the night she’d been taken. Or maybe even more so. Because until now I’d had hope that I could save her if I could only find her. And now I had to fear if I would ever get her back again.

  “B oy,” Father’s voice was firm and cutting, carrying from his office and making dread carve a hole through my chest.

  I placed my suitcase down, straightened my shirt and took a breath as I approached the door. I could get through anything now. I was about to leave for Zodiac Academy and my magic would be Awakened. I literally couldn’t freaking wait. I’d gotten a sum total of three hours’ sleep last night and had had to wait all damn day for this moment. But it was night time now. The stars were awake, and soon my magic would be too.

  I pushed the door open, lifting my chin as I faced the man who sent fear prickling along my limbs. After everything he’d done, there wasn’t a scrap of love in my heart for him. It was hard to remember a time there ever had been really. Admiration maybe, awe, respect – before I realised he didn’t deserve any of those things. But any dislike I’d had for him had turned into a potent hate after everything he’d done,
the lives he’d destroyed, and the ones he still planned on destroying.

  He was dressed in a fine tailored suit, his broad shoulders emphasised by the fitted blazer and his blonde hair pushed back and styled perfectly. He stood from his chair behind the desk, rising to his imposing height.

  “Close the door,” he commanded and a razor blade lodged in my throat as I pushed it shut with a sharp click that echoed on through my skull.

  Father moved around the desk, gazing down his nose at me with undisguised disgust. “You understand the way the wind is blowing, don’t you boy?” he asked in a dangerous growl, but he went on before I could figure out what he meant. “The throne is mine for the taking, I will be Solaria’s King. And that will make you of great interest to the students of Zodiac Academy. My arm has been twisted into allowing you to attend, but do not underestimate my influence upon you even when you are no longer under this roof.”

  I clenched my jaw, keeping my tongue from spilling out a single stupid word. I wasn’t going to test him tonight. Not when freedom was so close that I could hear it screaming my damn name.

  Father went on, “You will keep your head down and the press will barely know you exist. You will not take interviews unless I tell you to, you will not cause a stir, let alone a scandal. And you will return home whenever I demand it, is that clear?”

  “Yes, Father.” I bowed my head, playing the good little pawn. I just wanted out. The only problem was Mom. She’d come to me last night, making me swear I’d build a life for myself at school, that I wouldn’t worry about her. But how could I do that? Leaving her here was unbearable. I just didn’t have a choice.

  “Good,” he said dismissively. “Go downstairs, Portia will be conducting a brief interview for The Celestial Times before we leave. I will announce your Elements and House to the press after your Awakening is done, then there shall be no more focus on my worthless, spare son.”

  I nodded stiffly, turning away with that bittersweet slap to the face still stinging my cheek and heading out the door, his heavy presence following me. I grabbed my suitcase and carried it downstairs where a porter was waiting to take it from me. Darius had already gone back to Zodiac a few days ago, insisting he needed a head start on his work and Father had let him go because he always wanted his special Heir to be ahead of the game. I knew better though. Darius had told me himself he was going out Nymph hunting with the other Heirs and Darcy Vega. He’d been telling me about their hunts all summer so I could live vicariously through his stories. I longed to join them, it sounded like something from one of my Xbox games. A real life adventure. And now I was getting my magic Awakened, maybe it wouldn’t be too long before I really could help. Though I guessed I knew in my heart that I had a lot to learn before I’d be of any use. Still…

  Voices carried from out on the porch, the front door half open and my father’s hand suddenly landed on my shoulder as he steered me outside. When I looked up at him, I found him wearing one of his false smiles, his teeth on show and a decent attempt at pride glowing in his eyes. I slapped on my own smile which was equally fake and we stepped outside where the press had set up some lights facing the porch and Mom was there chatting with Portia in a flowing green gown.

  “Ah, here’s the man of the hour!” Portia exclaimed, her blonde hair bouncing as she hurried up the steps toward me. “You look dashing, Xavier. Let’s get a few pictures with your parents.” She positioned me between them and they both moved in close as the photographer started shooting. I looked up at Mom with a grin and she shot me a wink that warmed my heart.

  When the shoot was done, Portia questioned me about my feelings over being Awakened and starting school, and I was able to let out the bursting emotions inside me over it all. Because I was fucking excited. Star damned crazy happy about it. And by the time I was done telling her about it, my jaw was aching from how hard I’d been smiling.

  “It’s not fair!” Clara shrieked from somewhere in the house and Father’s face turned to thunder.

  “Excuse me,” he said curtly and Portia waved him off, but shared a brief look with the photographer that said she was curious as shit.

  “Go grab your coat, Xavier,” Mom encouraged, her eyes anxious. “We’d better head off soon.”

  “Yes, of course, I won’t keep you any longer,” Portia said apologetically, starting to pack up her things.

  I slipped back inside the house while Mom started making small talk with her slightly louder than was necessary and I shut the door behind me. Clara was on the stairs with a cloak of shadows spinning around her, her hands planted on her hips. Tory stood beside my father in a red satin dress, gazing at him with a doe-eyed look that made my skin crawl. I couldn’t even express how angry I was about what my father had done to Tory. I hadn’t seen her since Darius’s birthday and had no idea where he was keeping her. Now, he brought her out like a dog on a leash. It was fucking sick.

  “I was your Guardian first, Daddy, how come she gets to go with you?” Clara pouted, her eyes a swirling storm of darkness. I probably should have been used to her calling him Daddy by now, but fuck no I wasn’t. It still made me wanna vom. Every. Damn. Time.

  “Now, Clara, I explained this to you,” Father said in a purr that made me equally sick. “Roxanya needs to be seen as allied to me out in public. And you still don’t have full control of your power, you cannot pass as Fae yet.”

  I drifted across the hall to the coat closet, grabbing a smart black one and pulling it on, never taking my eyes off of the circus of horrors playing out before me.

  Clara’s face twisted in fury and the storm cloud of darkness around her built in size, the strength of her power tugging on the shadows living in me.

  “I can control myself!” she bellowed and Father snarled, lunging at her and grasping her throat.

  “Silence,” he hissed. “Or I’ll have you banished from my quarters for a week. Is that what you want?”

  “No,” Clara whimpered and the shadows died around her while my nose wrinkled.

  I tried to catch Tory’s eye, but she just gazed at Father with the same intensity Clara was giving him. It was sickening to watch.

  “Good girl,” Lionel growled. “Now go back upstairs and when I get home, I’ll reward you for behaving.”

  She leaned in for a kiss, but he moved away before she could claim it, placing a possessive hand on Tory’s back and guiding her toward the door. He jerked his chin at me in a command and I fell in to step behind them as they exited the house again.

  Portia was still there chatting with my mom, but her eyes practically leapt out of her head as she spotted Tory at my father’s side. It wasn’t like it was fresh news that Tory was aligned with Lionel now, but the press still couldn’t lap it up quick enough.

  “Oh, good evening, Miss Vega, I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight,” Portia said in surprise as Father took his hand from Tory’s spine.

  “Yes, well here I am,” Tory said blandly, smiling at Father again before giving Portia a flat look.

  “Could I get a few words while I’m here?” Portia asked hopefully, glancing at my father then back to Tory.

  “Of course, but make it quick, we need to leave,” Father said politely and Portia nodded, hurrying up the steps to Tory with her dictaphone in hand so she could record her.

  “Have you spoken with your sister lately? She has been running quite an extensive campaign with The Daily Solaria insisting that you are still planning to claim the throne together. Care to comment?” Portia asked hopefully and I wished I could scream at her and tell her the truth, that my father was a monster, that he was using the shadows to control Tory, that he used dark magic daily, that he was allied with the Nymphs, that he planned on taking over the kingdom and destroying anyone who stood in his way. But I just stood there, my features schooled, my heart pounding out of rhythm.

  “Oh, I’m not running for the throne anymore,” Tory said simply and my heart scrunched up in my chest. She reached out to run her hand up and down
Father’s arm. “I’ve found my true place now.”

  Portia blinked furiously and Mom carefully kept her serene expression in place, but there was a dark horror behind her eyes.

  “By the stars, so you are officially renouncing your claim to the throne of Solaria?” Portia asked, dollar signs flashing in her eyes at being the first to get the scoop on this. Hell no. Don’t do this, Tory.

  “Absolutely,” Tory said with a weirdly empty smile.

  “That’s all for tonight, I’m afraid we don’t want to be late,” Father stepped in as Portia looked fit to burst with questions. “Jenkins will see you out. Good evening, Portia.”

  He steered Tory past her and me and Mom hurried to follow, sharing a worried look. She took my hand, squeezing quickly before releasing it and my heart swelled a little knowing I had her secretly on my side, even if she couldn’t say it. I just wished I could take her with me tonight and keep her away from Father forever.

  The porter was waiting at the end of the drive with my bag and as we crossed out of the gates together through the wards, Father tossed stardust into the air and the world spun in a haze of stars.

  My feet hit solid ground and I found myself gazing up at the immense gates of Zodiac Academy; the zodiac circle was engraved at the centre of it, featuring all of the star sign symbols around it. Nerves and excitement warred inside me as Father huffed out a breath.

  “They couldn’t even lift the wards for one night? This school is forgetting who funds it,” he muttered.

  “Well at least our Xavier will be safe here,” Mom said in a flat tone, but I knew her words were for me.

  I’d be safe here from Father. Once I was inside these gates, he couldn’t easily get to me. Sure, he could summon the living hell out of me, but that was nowhere near as bad as being hauled out of my bedroom by the scruff of my neck whenever he was in a bad mood. No, here I would have more freedom than I’d ever known in my lifetime. I felt a whinny building in my throat and fought the urge to shift, take off into the sky, circle my new home and let glitter tumble from my flesh. Later, dude. Me and the sky can get real intimate.