Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,225

harder.

“Is that-?” I asked and she nodded, sending it over to me on a flutter of air. I gazed at the picture of a man riding in a chariot accompanied by two Sphinxes and turned it over to read the message.

“It’s the last one,” Darcy said and I smiled, tracing my fingers over the lettering.

We’d done what he’d wanted, and I guessed if these Guild people had wanted us to be able to find the Imperial Star then maybe it made sense for them to use this frustratingly annoying way to show us where it was. But still. We had it at last. So maybe the old guy had been onto something when he’d left a trail of magical Tarot cards after his demise. Totally batshit, but pretty helpful in the long run.

Darcy gazed at the star again in her palm. “I guess we really would have to claim the throne to use it."

"No chance of that then," Darius muttered and we all stilled, casting looks at each other as we were all reminded of the huge divide that still sat heavily between us.

It may have seemed like we were getting along like one big happy family these days but in reality, we were just united in our goal to dethrone Lionel. After that, all bets were off.

"You rotten, dirty scoundrels cannot seriously still believe-" Geraldine began but she was interrupted by a knock at the window and we looked up to find Gabriel standing on the balcony with his black wings fluttering in the breeze.

Seth used a bit of air magic to open the window for him and he hopped inside, his wings fading out of existence as he shifted back into his Fae form.

"Oh my, I'll never know why I didn't suspect your royal blood before the truth was revealed, dear Gabriel," Geraldine said, fanning her face with her hand. "The cut of your physique is clearly that of a true, blue blooded specimen. The broadness of your chest alone-"

"Put a shirt on dude, you look cold," Max snapped, using air magic to whip a shirt out of the chest at the side of the room and tossing it into Gabriel's face.

Darius ran his thumb down my shoulder blade again but I shrugged him off, frowning over the throne comment and reminding myself of all the reasons I had not to be getting so damn comfortable with him. Gah, he was so frustrating. Why did he have to be so freaking tempting even though I knew that when it came down to it, we would never truly be on the same side? We would always be waiting for the other to bow and that could only end in a fight and a loser.

"I saw myself coming here but I don't know why," Gabriel said, tossing the shirt aside and moving to lean against the fireplace.

"We retrieved the Imperial Star tonight," I said, grinning at him as his eyebrows rose and Darcy lifted the glittering stone to show him.

"You what? How...I saw you heading off campus and knew it was something that mattered, but I didn't..." Gabriel's brow furrowed. "Something this important happening to the two of you should have had my head spinning with visions all day. How is it possible that I didn't even realise that you were heading out to get it last night?"

"Sorry dude, I should have told you," I said. "But I just kinda assume you know everything, so it didn't really occur-"

"I don't know everything," Gabriel said with a shit eating grin lifting the corner of his lips which said he pretty much did. "But I do have a damn good handle on the stuff that counts. And something this big happening to my sisters-"

"What does that mean?" Seth interrupted him and Gabriel cocked his head as he looked at the stone.

"I'm not sure. Can I have a look at it?"

Darcy passed it to him and we all watched as he turned it over in his hands, brushing his thumb back and forth over the rough stone then closing his eyes as he concentrated.

"I can feel great power in it, but I can't access it," he said.

"How the hell can you feel it?" Caleb demanded. "I thought it was only people with royal blood and you're not the Savage King's son so you shouldn't be able to feel it any more than I can."

"Our mother was a princess where she came from. Maybe as her oldest son, Gabriel technically has a claim to