Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,283

at all and Roxy's fingers tightened around mine as she sucked in an alarmed breath.

"Look east to the heart of the rising star when the wind calls to you and find the origins of your legacy," he said firmly before his voice seemed to multiply and resound off of the walls of the room and I was certain this next part was the prophesy he'd been waiting on.

“Two phoenixes, born of fire, rising from the ashes of the past.

The wheel of fate is turning and the Dragon is poised to strike.

But blood of the deceiver may change the course of destiny.

Beware the man with the painted smile who lingers close to your side.

Turn the scorned. Free the enslaved.

Fear the bonded men. Many will fall for one to ascend.

Suffer the curse. The hunter will pay the price.

Do not repeat the mistakes of the past. Keep the broken promise.

Mend the rift. All that hides in the shadows is not dark.

Blood will out. Seal your fate. Choose your destiny.”

The blue fire went out in a wave and the light from the crystals in the throne extinguished too as Gabriel's panting breaths came from the throne.

"Gabriel?" Roxy gasped, releasing me and darting forward as she lit a fire in her palm, the light from it blazing bright enough to illuminate her brother half collapsed on the throne.

I shut off my Atlas and moved forward to help her heave him to his feet.

"We have to go now. Vard is on his way here," Gabriel grunted, barely seeming able to stand as he stumbled towards the door.

“What’s wrong, do you need me to heal you?” Roxy asked worriedly but Gabriel shook his head.

“It’s not that. There are just so many visions pouring in on me right now that I can hardly bear the weight of them. I need to contain them for now and get somewhere I’ll be able to pull them apart and see them all one by one,” he explained.

“Let’s get out of here then,” I said.

I wrapped my arm around his waist and threw his arm over my shoulder before heaving him upright and propelling him towards the door, almost entirely supporting his weight on my own.

Roxy hurried ahead of us and pulled the door open before extinguishing her fire magic and stepping back out into the corridor.

"Not that way," Gabriel muttered as I went to turn right and I wheeled us around, half carrying him as we started jogging in the other direction.

Vard's voice caught my ear from behind us just as we turned a corner. Gabriel pointed at a tapestry depicting a Hydra standing on a mountainside before Roxy tugged it aside to reveal a staircase behind it.

I hauled Gabriel inside the servants’ passages, hoping none of them were currently using them and Roxy threw a silencing bubble over us as we started down the steps at a fast pace.

We took a turn and Gabriel reached out to open one of the King’s passages with the ring Roxy had given him so that we could slip into the safer tunnels where no one else would find us.

"You need to head back through there, Tory," Gabriel said, pointing at a bare patch of wall to our right. "Then you can circle around to the party though the gardens. Darius will head back another way."

"Are you sure?" she asked, her eyes flaring with concern as she looked from her brother to me.

"Yes," he insisted. "Now, Tory. This way should work. I'm almost certain."

She didn't look like she thought that was good enough, but she agreed before looking at me and meeting my gaze.

"Get back safe," she commanded me. "I'm trusting you with my brother, too."

"I'm on it, Roxy. You can count on me," I promised her and she nodded firmly. She clearly believed that much of me, even if I could tell that she was still a bit pissed about the divide we still felt over the throne. But she'd forgive me. She couldn't help herself.

She moved forward and pressed a kiss to Gabriel's cheek before turning and placing the briefest of ones on my lips.

My heart leapt in surprise and I barely even leaned into it before she'd broken away and was heading towards the hidden door again, leaving my lips tingling and my heart thrashing.

"We can finish that argument later, asshole," she said, her eyes lighting like the idea of that excited her. "In the meantime, just get Gabriel out of here."

I smirked in agreement to that challenge and she was