I stepped out of the tower and a cool wind blew around me, holding a promise of the coming Fall. The sea air rolling over the cliff sent the long grass swirling and dancing like water before me. I followed the winding path toward The Wailing Wood where the faintest hint of yellow and orange tinted the tips of the leaves.
As I walked along the shadowy path, I recalled the feeling of being followed here, of the Heirs pouncing on me. But I wasn't going to avoid this place. At night it might have appeared to harbour my darkest nightmares, but that wasn't real. And in the day time it was one of my favourite places on campus.
I followed the track all the way around toward the main buildings, veering off of it as I approached Venus Library. I'd scribbled down the name of the book Orion had given me on the inside of my palm. I had no idea why he was suddenly helping me. Maybe he pitied me. But something about Orion told me he wasn't the sort of guy who pitied people.
Fae were strong, and the weakest of their kind naturally suffered. That was how Solaria worked. It was ingrained in everyone within Zodiac Academy's walls and beyond. I was kind of glad about that for once because I definitely didn't want to be pitied. Tory and I had been hurt deeply, ridiculed and no doubt made the butt of every joke in school. But I didn't need apologies and pats on the back. I didn't even want to run anymore. I wanted revenge, pure and simple. I wanted to claim my place back in this world and prove to everyone in it that I deserved to be here. That I was Fae and I wouldn’t let anyone tell me otherwise ever again. And if that meant the Heirs came at us twofold, then so be it.
The library stood tall and imposing above me as I approached. I pushed through the doors and was greeted by the echoing clap of them closing behind me, sending a shiver darting down my spine.
The last time I'd been here had also been the last time I'd seen Astrum alive. I didn't want to consider the fact that he could have been killed because of his allegiance with Tory and I. But whoever 'The Shadow' was, they had been merciless when they'd discovered Falling Star's identity. And that could only mean one thing; he'd known something important. Something we may never now discover.
I crept through the expansive library, slipping into Row Epsilon under the glow of the large spherical lamp which hung from the ceiling. I checked the name of the book on my palm then ran my hand along the shelf as I searched for it. Not a wisp of dust coated my fingers when I took them away and I wondered if there was some magical janitor roaming the halls of Zodiac Academy or if it was all just enchanted to remain immaculate.
My gaze landed on a dark green, leather-bound book with golden lettering on the spine: Earth: The Power of Growth. My stomach swooped as I tugged it from the shelf and flipped it open. I ran my eyes down the contents page, hunting for what I needed.
Natural Growth:
Nails:
Toe...340
Finger...345
Claw...350
Hair:
Head...360
Legs...362
Armpit...364
Pubic region...368
Face...370
Body...372
A grin dragged up my mouth as I found exactly what I was looking for. I hurried to a circular wooden table at the end of the row and sat down, finding the chapter for hair growth. I skipped through a series of hair follicle diagrams and searched for the spell. Except it wasn't a spell at all. It was a potion.
Crap, I haven't learned anything about those yet.
I read a few pages of introductory text then scanned the list of ingredients. It wasn't long, just three items. But I had no idea where I'd find them.
3 Flakes of Dried Pepper Bark.
8 Scrapings of Mother of Pearl.
A Two Inch Yellow Crystal.
Mix together and leave in the light of the moon for two nights then wait until it turns transparent in the rising sun on the second day.
Face the North Star and drink 50ml per inch of desired hair growth.
Okay that seems simple enough, if not totally weird.
I jotted down the instructions, closed the book and headed back into the aisle to return it to the shelf. As I pushed it back into place, the book beside it caught my eye.
Earth: The Power of Summoning.
Curiosity got the better of me and I tugged the thick book out, turning to the contents page and reading the first section.
Summoning for beginners:
Insects:
Beetles and Cockroaches
Arachnids
Ants
Lice, Fleas, Earwigs and Termites
Moths and Butterflies
Locusts, Crickets and Grasshoppers
Flies and Mosquitoes
Bees and Wasps
My attention zeroed in on the word fleas and I flipped to that section, wondering if maybe…
I read through a few pages and my heart soared as my hunch paid off. A bubble of laughter escaped me as I discovered that something called an Aquarius Moonstone could call Werewolf lice under the control of the spell caster. Now I just need to figure out where to get one.
I started reading through more and more pages, fascinated by all of the crazy things summoning magic could do. In the advanced section of the book, there were ways to summon bigger animals then press your will into them to gain control over their bodies. It completely boggled my mind to think I might be capable of such a thing one day.
The school bell rang shrilly through the air and I stiffened in surprise. I checked an ornate silver clock on the wall and realised I'd been so engrossed in the book that I'd completely missed breakfast. I stuffed it back onto the shelf, adjusting my satchel over my shoulder as I headed toward the exit.
Students were swarming across campus, pouring out of The Orb and splitting off in groups down the winding paths in the direction of their first classes. I turned right toward Jupiter Hall, eyeing the crowd for any sign of Tory, Diego or Sofia. I'd lost the only hat I'd had in my closet after Orion had flicked it off of my head, so my hair was on show for everyone to see. I'd considered tying a scarf around it but figured that would only have drawn more attention. Besides, everyone had seen it on FaeBook anyway. The best I could do was front it out for now.
People snickered as I walked past them and they caught sight of the bald patch on the back of my head. My cheeks flamed but I held my chin up high, trying not to let it affect me, but it was pretty much impossible. I held onto the fact that once I located the ingredients from that book, I would be able to regrow my hair and this nightmare would finally end.
I headed into the wide foyer of Jupiter Hall and hurried up the stairs, joining the line of students filing into Orion's classroom. I craned my neck to look for my friends but before I spotted them I was suddenly crushed in a four armed hug.
“Darcy!” Sofia squealed, wrapping herself around me as Diego tugged us both into his chest.
“I'm so glad you guys decided to stay.” Diego squeezed me tighter and I spotted Tory over his shoulder, observing the bear hug I was trapped in with a grin.
A girl a few feet away suddenly gasped, jumping up and down. “Ohmagod it’s Caleb Altair.”
I glanced over my shoulder in the direction she was pointing, pulling away from my friends. Caleb headed a line of Juniors as he strode down the corridor like he owned every ounce of oxygen in it. His friends pointed us out and my gut tightened as his stony gaze slid over us. His fan club were eyeing him hopefully and I knew in the depths of my heart he wasn’t going to pass us by without comment.
He slowed his pace, breathing in deeply. “Do you smell that guys?” He sniffed the air and my scowl grew. “Smells like a bunch of Orderless Fae pretending they deserve a place in our prestigious Academy.”
“Is it raining assholes today?” Tory commented, turning away from him and for a moment it almost looked like he was going to crack a smile.
“I have an Order,” Sofia muttered under her breath but Caleb’s Vampire hearing didn’t let her get away with it.
“I wouldn’t go around reminding
people of that, blondie. Being a Pegasus is worse than not having an Order.” His friend fist bumped him, nodding his agreement as he laughed. He was a tall guy with red hair and cold eyes.
“Yeah I dunno how there are so many of them on campus,” the redhead jibed. “Only a freak would want to screw a horse.”
Caleb chuckled at that, nodding firmly. “I think I’d rather give up my claim first.”
His shitbag friends laughed their heads off as Caleb swept off down the hall to a stream of excited hoots.
“God he’s awful,” I growled. “Ignore him Sofia.”
“If I ever bump into him as a Pegasus, I’ll introduce him to my left hoof,” Sofia hissed and I raised my brows at the fire in her eyes.
“I would so love to see that,” Tory laughed, then lowered her voice as she looked to me. “I wonder if we can use his Pegasus hate against him?”
“Yeah, you should spread a rumour that he likes Pegasus ass,” Sofia whispered, a manic gleam in her eyes. I kinda liked this crazy side to her and couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled from my throat.
Diego stared at her in shock, then nodded keenly. “That would be fantastico, Sofia. I doubt anyone would believe us freaks though.” He winked at her and she blushed at his insinuation.
A chorus of shrieking laughter caught my attention and I turned with a crushing feeling in my chest as Kylie and her friends arrived.
“Looks like a half-plucked chicken is joining our Cardinal Magic class today,” she said loudly, her pale eyes landing on me as a wicked smile pulled up her full lips. “Someone put it out of its misery.” Her friends fell about laughing and I ground my teeth as I glared back at her.
“Looks like a fully plucked one has joined us too,” Tory called back at her. “They haven't removed its huge beak yet though.”
A collective ooooh sounded from our classmates and adrenaline slid into my veins.
Kylie's face turned red and her eyes swam with murder. Her dark-haired friend, Jillian, stared at us like a wide-eyed owl.
“What did you say to me, Princess Whore?” Kylie snarled.
I moved to Tory's side, not wanting her to fight my battles. “You heard her, Kylie. Why don't you run back to your supposed boyfriend? You know, the one who made you stand in a bush and film him while he kissed another girl.” I didn't know where the fire in me came from, or if spinning my absolute humiliation into another tale would work at all. But Kylie's jaw ticked with rage and she stepped toward us like a predator. A circle formed around us and those who'd entered the class already poked their heads back out to see what was going on.
“Sethy only did that to destroy you, Vega,” Kylie spat at me. “As if he'd ever kiss you out of choice.”
“Well you can tell him I'd rather cut my tongue out than put it anywhere near his lying mouth again,” I snarled and Diego took hold of my arm as if to pull me away.
“I see him kissing girls all over campus and none of them are you,” Tory added mock-innocently. “If he does kiss you again, Kylie, you'd better be careful in case you catch an STI.”
“You little bitch!” Kylie shrieked. Her entire head of blonde hair burst into streams of angry snakes, her skin shifted to a pale green colour and her teeth sharpened to points. I lurched back in surprise as the black and green vipers hissed at us, spitting venom. An Order rang in my head that Orion had mentioned – Medusa.
“Holy shit,” Tory breathed, her shoulder knocking mine as she backed up. “She looks like a bird threw up a bucket of worms all over her head. I can’t believe she tried to insult your hair.”
Kylie's eyes narrowed to slits and she stepped forward, raising her hands as a storm of air circled between them.
Before she could so much as unleash a light breeze, she was lifted into the air by a vortex of wind, spinning wildly in circles so the vipers swung out around her head.
A laugh ripped from my throat as Orion walked into view, his hand raised as he cast the tornado.
“You should all be sat in my classroom waiting for me!” he bellowed, dropping his arm so that Kylie hit the floor, landing on her ass with a yelp. Her hair fell about her shoulders, returning to a sheet of gold and her cheeks flushed scarlet with embarrassment.
“Twenty points from Aer for losing control of your Order form,” Orion barked then cast a gust of air which forced more students aside to let him through. He marched into the classroom out of sight and my heart beat frantically as everyone scrambled after him.
Kylie's friends left her in a heap, hurrying into the room without her. She flattened down her hair and tried to remain calm, but I could see she was totally knocked for six. A small part of me felt sorry for her but after what she'd done to me, I smothered that thought with a pillow until it suffocated to death.
My friends' laughter rang around me, mixing with that of our other classmates and infecting me until I joined in.
“Did you see the look in the snakes' eyes as they spun about her head?” Tyler Corbin roared a laugh as he re-enacted the whole thing at the front of the class.
Orion folded his arms, waiting behind his desk as the students fell into their seats and watched Tyler's display. A smile played around Orion's mouth and he met my gaze for half a second, making me grin even wider.
I dropped into my seat between Tory and Diego just as Kylie marched through the door. She drew her shoulders back as she hurried to her chair, but the moment she sat down, she sank low to try and hide, burying her face in her Atlas.
Excited chatter filled the room and Tyler was still spinning at the front of the class, waving someone's cardigan above his head. A tremendous bang made everyone fall deathly quiet. Orion had lifted his entire desk and slammed it down on the floor with a gust of air and the wooden floor vibrated from the impact. Tyler hurried back to his seat as Orion gave him a sharp look.
As quiet rang out, he turned to the board, picking up his electronic pen and writing across it in his slanted handwriting.
YOU ARE NOT PURE.
I took out my Atlas, navigating my way to the lesson notes. When I found them, I looked back at Orion, waiting on an explanation for his latest vaguely insulting start to a lesson.
He slowly walked toward Tyler Corbin who was frantically tapping out something on his Atlas, completely unaware of the danger which was lurking nearer. It wasn't until Orion's shadow fell over him that Tyler froze, lifting his gaze to meet the Professor's with an expression of apology.
“Are you writing a FaeBook post in my class, Corbin?” Orion growled and the amusement in the room was entirely disbanded by his terrifying tone.
“Yes but-” Tyler started but Orion snatched the Atlas and whacked it across the side of Tyler's head. He tossed it on the floor with a clatter then walked back to the board. “Ten points from Terra,” he said casually, straightening his tie before tapping the board to bring up the first notes of the lesson.
Tyler rubbed his temple, reaching down and fishing his Atlas from the floor with a pout.
“Today we're discussing blood lines,” Orion announced, pointing at the screen which contained a list of Orders and my curiosity piqued as I recognised the first one. It had belonged to The Savage King. My father.
Hydra.
Kraken.
Phoenix.
Arian Dolphin.
Empusa.
Ophiotaurus.
“Can anyone tell me what links these Orders?” Orion asked, gazing around the room as if he expected crickets.
“They're extinct, sir,” Sofia said, her voice a little high.
Orion nodded firmly. “Five points to Ignis. And can anyone tell me why?” He turned back to the board, circling the Hydra Order in red.
“Because of impure blood lines?” a raven-haired girl called from the back.
“Precisely, Miss Abdul, five points to Aqua,” Orion said. “The Hydra Order is the most recent to become extinct after King Vega died twenty years ago.”
My gut knotted as I felt eyes drawn our way and I kept my gaze reso
lutely on the board.
“King Vega married outside of his Order, meaning his bloodline was mixed with that of a Harpy and whatever other genetics the Queen carried. As his daughters -” he gave us a pointed look “- haven't yet emerged in their Order forms, there is a possibility that the Hydra Order could arise once more. However...that will be down to various factors. Genetics, the stars they are linked to...” He tapped the board and a complicated tree of genetics appeared beneath a list of constellations. “The more genetics that are introduced to a bloodline, the less chance there is of a parent birthing offspring of the same Order. That is why some rarer Orders now try to keep their lines pure by only breeding with those of their kind. Can anyone give me an example?”
“The Dragons, sir?” Tyler offered and Orion nodded.
I shared a look with Tory as we both thought of Darius Acrux.
Orion continued, “Families of rarer Orders often implement arranged marri-” A loud BEEEEEEP sounded from Orion's Atlas, the high-pitched noise making my heart jolt.
He snatched it up immediately with a look of alarm, his eyes skating back and forth across a message he'd received. He ran a hand over his short beard, his forehead deeply furrowed.
“Shit,” he hissed and everyone in the room sat up straighter.
He slowly placed the Atlas down on his desk, rested his palms either side of it and looked to the class with a grim expression. “It is my duty to inform you that the FIB have just announced that Professor Astrum's death was caused by a Nymph.”
Zodiac Academy 2: Ruthless Fae: An Academy Bully Romance (Supernatural Bullies and Beasts) Page 7