The Tenth House

by Ashley R Scott

Aidan looks deep into my eyes.

  “I said I’d keep you safe.” A loud groan escapes his lips as he swings me upward to Jocelyn. She lets go of his ankles and scrambles to grab hold of my flailing arm, her nails biting deep into my flesh.

  Jocelyn yanks with all her might, pulling me up on the ledge beside her. We each grab one of Aidan’s feet as he slides toward the edge and hold on to him tightly as Aidan pulls himself up onto solid ground. The three of us slump together, panting.

  I relax against the rock, struggling to catch my breath, and glance at my two companions, beyond grateful that they’re both with me. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Try being a little more careful next time.” Jocelyn rolls her eyes, the hint of a smile on her lips.

  I look at Aidan, my chest swelling with gratitude. “I mean it. I’m sorry. I know I don’t understand any of this or think I can do whatever it is they want me to do, but that’s no reason to be reckless just because I’m mad. It’s not your fault. I’m losing count of how many times you’ve saved my life. I trust you. Whatever you say.”

  I stare absently into the flames as we huddle silently around the small fire, grateful for the warmth. It dances merrily at the mouth of the cave, surrounded by a circle of rocks to keep it under control. My toes stretch closer to the fire, but I’m careful not to burn my shoes.

  “Sorry to interrupt, but Ciara, you need to go see Capricorn,” Aidan says, adding fresh kindling to the fire that crackles and pops.

  I frown, watching the flames. “Fine. When do we go?” A half-burned piece of wood sticks out of the fire, and I nudge it with my toe, pushing it back into the pit.

  “We don’t go. Only you can go. I have to stay here and keep Jocelyn safe.” Aidan roughly tosses a small pebble across the cave. I open my mouth to argue, but Jocelyn beats me to it.

  “Like hell she’s going by herself. We all go, or no one goes. Too much has happened today for me to let her out of my sight. And I can take care of myself, thank you very much.” She folds her arms across her body, huffing as she gives me a curt nod.

  Aidan presses his lips together, picking up another small rock, and rolls it between his fingers.

  “I appreciate your sentiment, and I agree, but it’s not for us to decide. She must take this journey alone. I am forbidden to go, and you?” He raises his eyebrows, looking at Jocelyn. “It would kill you.”

  “You just do whatever they tell you to do? Why can’t you let this Scorpio fella take care of Taurus?” Jocelyn kicks at the pit, sending small sparks floating through the air like tiny fireflies dancing on a summer night.

  “He can’t. They are equal in physical and magical power, and they cannot control each other. There is a council in place that is supposed to enforce the laws, but if one of them goes rogue, there isn’t much they can do about it.”

  Jocelyn snorts. “That sounds helpful.”

  “You don’t understand the ways of the Zodiac. They’re ancient and believe in strict adherence to the laws. If I refuse to obey, that’s as good as a death sentence for me.” He pitches the rock out of the entrance and picks up a third, holding my stare, a mixture of fear and love in his eyes.

  “I don’t trust anyone else to take care of you, which is why I must stay here. You understand, right? You will get some of those answers you want.” My breath catches in my throat, and I slowly nod, my heart hammering in my chest.

  Jocelyn clears her throat. She leans inward and glances between the two of us, a knowing smirk plastered on her face. “Ciara might understand, but I still don’t. I don’t want her going anywhere alone. It’s freezing out there, and it’ll be dark soon. I don’t like it.”

  I hang my head, caught between siding with Jocelyn and wanting to know what exactly Capricorn wants from me. “I’ll go. Whatever is happening, I need answers. Especially since everyone thinks I’m supposed to help.”

  “Um, hello? I said you’re not going.” Jocelyn stands, staring down at me and tapping her toe.

  “I have to.” I stand, stomping some feeling back into my feet, and turn to Aidan. “Where do I go?”

  “Follow this pathway down farther through the trees. It winds around and will open into a small meadow. Cross the clearing and follow that path down. You’ll see another cave that looks a lot like this one. It’s just a couple miles to walk. Libra will be watching from Polaris. She rules the wind and will help guide you. Capricorn will be waiting for you there.”

  Aidan rises, dropping the rock as he takes both of my hands, squeezing them tightly. Leaning forward, he plants a slow, soft kiss on my forehead, my legs threatening to betray me to the ground. “Please be safe.”

  Not finding any voice, I nod, wanting to stand here with him forever.

  “Another cave? What’s wrong with this one? And just how would a cave kill me?” Jocelyn’s shrill questions cut through the air, jarring me from my thoughts.

  Stepping back from Aidan, I roll my eyes at her. “It doesn’t matter. I’m going, alone if I have to, and that’s it. End of discussion.”

  Aidan glances from Jocelyn back to me. “She’s not staying in the cave. It’s a portal. She’s going to Polaris. To the home of the Zodiacs.”

  I grumble to myself, kicking one snow pile after another to clear a walking path. Frozen again and tired of walking through the snow, I’m not in any hurry to see if I can make it through this without getting eaten.

  “This is stupid.”

  I stop, resting my hands on my hips and taking long, slow breaths as tiny dots color my vision. A soft wind blows at my back, ruffling my hair and making me shiver. After a quick glare at the sky, I press forward, following the path down and feeling oddly exposed, even under the protection of the trees. It’s quickly growing darker, the dense foliage blocking most of the light left in the cloudy skies.

  I sigh with relief as I break through the tree line and step into the meadow.

  The clearing is small, about the size of a pond, and perfectly round. A thick blanket of pure white snow covers the meadow, marred only by the tracks of a few animals that had wandered through the clearing. My breath catches at the sight of something so peaceful, as if this place had escaped the hands of time. I hesitate, not wanting to add my own tracks to the snow, even though the morning would most likely see them covered with fresh powder.

  A movement on the edge of the trees catches my eye. I hold my breath and freeze, eyeing the tree line as a small doe cautiously steps into view, tilting her head as she listens to the forest. She kneads the ground with her hoof, searching for food. Patiently I watch, taken aback by the beauty and serenity of this quiet creature. Suddenly the doe pops her head up, dashing into the trees.

  I glance around nervously, hoping to see whatever spooked the deer before it sees me.

  The wind rustles through the branches, like a thousand people whispering all at once, as the ground shifts beneath me, rumbling deep within the mountain. I hold on to a nearby tree until the tremor passes.

  I’m almost to the other side of the clearing when the earth shakes in earnest, sending me crashing to the ground. The mountain groans in protest as I flatten my body, closing my eyes against the dizziness.

  Suddenly the shaking stops and everything grows silent.

  I pull myself up and take a few cautious steps on unsteady legs, gasping as loud cracks sound high above me from the peak of the mountain. Deep rumbles echo through the air as I push myself into a full run.

  Across the clearing, I pant, forcing every step to be faster than the last, with the wind gusting heavily at my back. I weave through the trees, ignoring the branches that whip across my face as I race through the forest.

  I catch my foot on a root, exposed from the shelter of the tree above it, and face plant on the ground. My attempt to roll to my feet slams me into a thick trunk as the breath wheezes from my lungs, every muscle burning in my body. The panic rises in my chest, and I force myself to my feet.

  My legs grow heavier with every step, and a sharp pain stabs me
in the ribs as I follow the path down, praying the cave is near.

  Ahead, the path swings down, and a ledge of rocks jut out over the edge.

  I slide down the pathway, diving into the opening of the cave, landing flat on my face on the stone floor. I lay still with my hands over my head, my lungs burning with every breath. Snow and ice pound down over the opening, plunging the cave into near total darkness.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  I lift my head and take slow, steady breaths. The smell of mud and wet stone is strong beneath my nose. No broken bones, but several body parts ache and burn with new scrapes and bruises.

  I pull myself to my knees and scan the cave, not trusting my legs enough to stand. A small fire burns in the center of the cave, casting a ghostly blue glow on the walls. Cold waves roll off the flames as I reach slowly toward the pit, searching for warmth for my frozen fingers.

  “So much for Capricorn meeting me here.” My grumpy words echo through the large cave. I glance back at the barricaded entrance, hoping this was the right cave and not the end of me. My hair ruffles in a light breeze that suddenly blows through the cave, and I turn around to stare at the strange fire.

  “Ciara.” A voice, whisper soft, fills the air.

  I lean almost into the fire, staring into the center. The flames shimmer, and for a second, I see stars shining in a night sky. Suddenly, I find myself tumbling, head over heels, falling as if I’m caught in a spinning wheel, blinded by thick darkness. A loud buzzing noise pierces my ears as pressure squeezes my body so tight, my bones might break.

  Everything stops as suddenly as it began. I crash onto an obsidian floor, so polished that I slide across it with the force of my fall, coming to a halt in front of a pair of hooves covered in brown fur, barely visible beneath the hem of pine-green robes. Groaning, I roll over to a sitting position and rub my aching head. Falling on my face is getting extremely old.

  A large hand lined with the same brown fur extends down. I grab it and pull myself to my feet, to find myself looking up into the face of Capricorn. I’m caught up by the long, black horns sweeping back from his head.

  Capricorn studies me carefully, the green and gold rings in his eyes burning brightly. “Welcome, Ciara, to my home.”

  “You look…”

  Capricorn smiles wide, revealing the broad, flat teeth of a goat. “Different?”

  I dip my head, trying to conceal the warm blush spreading across my cheeks. “Sorry, but yeah.”

  He steps closer, his hooves clicking on the hard floor. “We’re able to go to Earth, one day a year, in which we take on a purely human form.”

  I open my mouth to interrupt but close it quickly as he raises a hand in silence.

  “We can go on other occasions under particular circumstances when the council deems it necessary. In which case, we can take on our human form or the nature of our sign. I am the goat. At home, we use a hybrid form.”

  I survey my surroundings, catching my breath at the sight of a million glittering stars shining brightly through a crystal dome. “The stars are so close to us.”

  Cap chuckles, a low, throaty rumble, warm and thick. “This is Polaris, better known as the North Star. We choose to live here because of its constant state in your night sky. Easier for us to watch your world.”

  I tear my gaze away from the stars and frown at Capricorn. “You watch us? How? Why?”

  Cap gestures toward a large bowl made of bone in the center of the room, blazing with the same blue fire from the cave. “It is our way to watch. We choose when and where we want to look, and we’re able to keep an eye on our people. Those born under our sign. We influence your personalities and by default some of your actions. It’s also our portal to Earth.”

  I peer into the bowl, standing on the tips of my toes, careful to avoid the flames, but seeing only darkness unaffected by the fire inside. “If it’s forbidden, then what is Taurus doing? What’s he after?”

  Capricorn gently pulls me away from the bowl. “We are not immune to our traits. Sometimes the greed, the anger, they take over common sense and the desire to maintain the law. It’s not the first time one in our order has disobeyed the laws and escaped to Earth. Your history books are full of men who’ve tried to rule the world in one form or another. That isn’t a coincidence.”

  “What does all of this have to do with me? Why don’t you guys just go and get him? Make him stop?” I sway on my feet and put my arm out to steady myself.

  Capricorn gently guides me toward the long hallway, leading to a giant set of steel doors. “It is not that simple. It is for the Guardians to keep the order on Earth.”

  My head swims as I follow Capricorn. “What’s a Guardian?”

  “Come. Let’s get you a snack and then we have a meeting to attend. Your time here is restricted, and your body is not meant to withstand the pressures of space. Even in our home.”

  We walk in silence through twisting halls, each one more grandiose than the last. Plush carpet, thick and soft beneath my feet, decorates the floors. Each hall is lavishly decorated with gold and silver, depicting the animals of the Zodiac, the universe, and Earth.

  A young woman catches up to us in the hallway, her simple gray maid’s dress swishing around her ankles. She pushes a thick sandwich, a small loaf piled high with ham and cheese, into my hands. She curtsies and disappears down the hall. I shove in a big bite.

  Capricorn watches me with a twinkle in his eye. “Sorry your snack isn’t more formal.”

  “That’s okay. This sandwich is amazing,” I say, my voice muffled by ham and bread, and shove in another bite before swallowing the first.

  Capricorn swings into a large foyer lined with maroon drapes made of velvet, hanging from ceiling to floor. His hooves click on the golden floor, shimmering like melted gold. He leads the way up a small set of stairs and through an archway as I swallow the last of my food.

  I stop short, my mouth hanging open, as I take in the great hall. Floor, wall, and ceiling, the room is divided into three distinct layers. Mud brown covers the floor, mixing with green and swirling blue to create an effect of looking down on the Earth. The middle layer, the walls, painted to look like versions of the sky. Pale blue with puffy white clouds, fading into sunset, into sunrise, then fading into stormy skies full of lightning and angry black clouds dumping rain. On the ceiling, another clear dome provides a view of the universe filled with fiery stars.

  Cap settles himself in the silver throne at the center of the room. Eleven smaller thrones, six gold, and five more silver, face him in a semicircle. His seat cushion is covered in emerald green velvet, the arms and back of the chair glittering with hundreds of rubies and turquoise stones. He motions to a small wooden chair next to his, and I cautiously lower myself into the seat.

  I glance around, feeling very much like Alice after she drinks the magic shrinking potion. I'm mesmerized as one by one, members of the Zodiac file into the room.

  Libra enters first, her skin glowing softly like liquid gold, enhancing the yellow of her eyes and making them shine like daffodils in the sun. Scorpio follows closely behind her, staring at me with his blazing red eyes. The stinger of the scorpion peeks over his left shoulder.

  Leo is next. A bush of golden-brown hair frames his face, and a long, furry tail swishes behind him. Then Sagittarius, the centaur, his purple robes bunching over the black hair on his hide and his hooves clicking softly on the floor.

  Each one bows before Capricorn, then silently settles into their gilded seats, Sagittarius standing next to his throne.

  All heads turn as Capricorn clears his throat. “Let us begin.”

  “Are we not waiting for any others?” Sagittarius paws at the floor with a front hoof. His voice is bitter and dark.

  “No others are coming. They have either sided with Taurus, or they're taking their turn to monitor the situation. We must take precautions against any more of us going to Earth when the energy forbids it.” Capricorn toys with a ruby beneath his finger.

/>   Seized by a sudden coughing fit, I bend over double, the coughs racking my body. I sit back, struggling to breathe as the air wheezes through my lungs and swallow hard as I manage to settle myself. I glance around the room, blush filling my cheeks as all eyes are on me.

  “We are already running out of time.” Cap gestures in my direction.

  Leaning forward in her chair, Libra studies me beneath knitted brows. “Her body is breaking.”

  “Breaking? What? What are you talking about?” I turn to Capricorn. “What’s she talking about?”

  “Why is the human here?” Leo’s voice rumbles deep within his chest, sounding more like a growl than words, and the light reflects off two razor-sharp fangs.

  “She needs information if she is to trust us. If she is to stop Taurus.” Capricorn turns to me as I force down another cough.

  “It is for the Guardians to stop Taurus.” Leo’s tail whips wildly behind him as if caught in a windstorm. He leans forward in his chair but holds as Capricorn raises a hand.

  “What do you mean, Guardian?” I duck my head under the weight of everyone’s stares. A small trickle of blood escapes my nose, and I swipe it away, hoping no one noticed.

  “What Libra means by your body breaking is that humans are not intended to be here on our planet. The force of our atmosphere, the difference in oxygen, makes it impossible for any pure humans to spend any length of time here. It is the same for us on Earth, although we are stronger and able to sustain longer.”

  I struggle with a deep wheezing breath, trying to ignore the little dots of colors exploding in front of my eyes. “So, if Taurus’s body can’t survive on Earth, what’s the problem? Why not just wait for him to die or give up and come back here?”

  “We are true immortals. As old as time itself. We cannot die, and there is a way he can stay there forever with his body intact,” Capricorn says as a murmur races through the present Zodiacs. “Our laws forbid interference with the humans.”

  I snort. “Sounds like you need a better way to enforce your laws.”