Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,272

I asked, hoping we could focus on that for a while and stay away from uncomfortable territory like us.

“Sure,” he said, sipping his coffee and watching me over it. “What has Honey Highbitch failed to teach you this time?”

“Levitation,” I sighed. “I can do small objects, but she won’t let me practise on anything bigger than five kilos in class because the students at the back of class aren’t ‘capable’. But even when I’ve tried on my own, I can’t seem to grasp it. Tory said she’d talk me through what the bitch showed her when we get a chance, but it’s hard to find the time together when she’s pretending to be shadow controlled all the time.”

He frowned angrily at that, placing his coffee down on a table and beckoning me over. “Come here.”

I placed my mug down too, walking over and the scent of cinnamon carried from his flesh, making my mouth water. I missed that scent more with every passing day. One time, Max had found me sobbing in my room at the palace in a heap of Orion’s clothes which I’d made Darius give me. His scent had finally left them and I knew that was it. The last time I’d ever smell him. But now it turned out I’d been wrong. And I wasn’t sure which fate was worse. Having him this close knowing I could never have him, or never being near to him again.

“Turn around,” he instructed and I did so as he moved up close behind me. He lifted my right hand, angling it toward the couch and his breath against my shoulder was definitely not distracting. “Levitation is a mind game. You can only lift five kilos because you believe you can only lift five kilos. Highspell is holding you back on purpose by teaching this spell that way,” he said in a furious tone.

A growl of anger left me as I absorbed that.

“Do you really believe a Vega princess can only lift five kilos?” he asked in my ear, making goosebumps rush down my arms.

“No,” I said in realisation, raising my chin.

“You could lift a mountain, Blue,” he murmured and I felt his belief in those words trickle into me too.

He angled my hand towards the couch then released it, letting me do the work. I brought my thumb in against my palm as I urged magic to the edges of my flesh and focused on the furniture in front of me. I let Orion’s belief in me and my belief in myself fill me up to the brim, leaving no room for doubt.

I can do this.

The magic left me in a wave and I yanked back on it as it met the couch, keeping the power attached to me the way I’d learned so I could control it. The whole thing lifted a foot off the floor and I gasped in excitement, magic tumbling out of me and all the furniture in the room started lifting up to join the couch. The bed, the coffee table, even the pictures on the walls. Everything in the room was floating and it was easy, easier than forcing myself to lift a tiny weight one at a time and fear that was all I would ever be able to manage. This was how my magic was meant to be cast. Freely with complete, utter belief behind it.

I twisted around with a laugh, throwing my arms around Orion’s neck and he pulled me tight against him. My heart tried to beat its way out of my chest as I was reminded of what it was like to be held by him again and it was nearly impossible to pull away. But I did. I backed up, turning around and lowering everything back to its place.

“You didn’t answer my question earlier,” Orion said darkly and I moved to sit down on the couch, picking up my coffee and frowning over at him.

“What question?”

He rubbed his hand across the thick stubble on his jaw, dropping into a chair opposite me. “About the Wolf sleeping in your bed.”

My gut clenched and I stole a few extra seconds drinking my coffee before I answered. “Who told you that?”

“Does it matter?” he shot back.

“Fucking Darius,” I muttered.

“You said you weren’t together,” he said and I sighed, not wanting to get into an argument again.

“We’re not. He just sleeps in with me sometimes,” I said like it was so simple, but it probably didn’t sound that way.

“And kisses you