Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,287

contain it. How fast could I kill her? What if I failed?

I can’t risk it.

She ripped her fangs free only to tear them into my flesh further up my arm, making me cry out as she broke the skin again and again, blood pouring out from the deep wounds. The ruby necklace she’d stolen from Tory dragged against my skin, the warmth of it calling to me like it was begging for me to rip it from her neck and I wished I could.

Clara’s nails scraped down my throat and over my collar bone. She was so close to the Imperial Star, but she had no idea. I just prayed she didn’t look closer at the amulet around my neck, that she didn’t sense anything from it.

Another cry escaped me as she split my skin open once more and she leaned up to lap away the blood from my chest with hungry moans. I clenched my jaw through the torture. I could bear the pain so long as she didn’t hurt Orion, but I needed to get us out of here before she decided to kill us both regardless.

My head was starting to spin as Clara drove her fangs into my throat and continued to drink and drink. It was too much, she was taking far too fucking much and my magic reserves were ebbing away along with my own strength.

I have to hold on.

I pressed back into Orion’s arms, his body surrounding mine as my breaths became shallower. I couldn’t die like this. I had to protect us. I have to do something. Anything!

The door whipped open and Stella came striding in with Diego parents, Drusilla and Miguel, at her heels. They weren’t in their Nymph forms but their eyes glinted red as they saw me bleeding out, their hunger for my magic clear.

“Clara what on earth is going on?” Stella gasped, looking from me to Orion in shock.

She was dressed in a fitted purple dress, her short dark hair styled and the scent of rose perfume carrying from her. The Nymphs were dressed up in fine clothes too, Drusilla in a black gown and Miguel in a formal suit and I guessed they’d been at Lionel’s party too.

“Is that a Vega?” Stella balked, throwing out a hand that made the front door slam.

Clara yanked her teeth free from my throat, wiping away the blood dribbling from her mouth, her face looking monstrous and contorted. “Hello Mommy.”

Stella’s throat bobbed, approaching her with caution and glancing at her son with a flicker of concern in her eyes. “This is quite the surprise, Clara.”

“They were trespassing on your property, I felt them break my alarm, aren’t I good girl for coming here to catch them?” Clara cried, rushing over to hug Stella and smearing blood across her cheek. She grimaced, patting her daughter’s back as she played along, but it was clear even she was uncomfortable with Clara’s behaviour.

While they were distracted, I subtly pressed my fingers to my palms, casting healing magic through my veins and fighting back the wooziness in my head. My magic was down to the final dregs so I would have to rely on my Phoenix to protect us. I just needed an opportunity to use it without risking Orion’s life.

“I’ve seen you in my son’s memories,” Drusilla spoke, her eyes narrowing on me as she approached. “You’re the one who turned him against us.”

“No, Diego decided that all on his own,” I growled, my heart pinching at the memory of him. Of everything he’d shown me of his beastly mother and his Uncle Alejandro.

Miguel’s expression was vacant as he looked around, not seeming particularly interested in anything that was going on.

“What do we do with her?” Clara asked Stella excitedly. “Bake her in a pie and feed her to our army of Nymphs?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Stella scolded. “We’ll take them to Lionel, he’ll know what to do.”

“Daddy is busy!” Clara shrieked. “We can’t disturb him or he’ll be angry.”

“He will want to know about this,” Stella threw back, stepping past her and taking me in with an arctic expression. “Why are you here in my home with my son? How did he get out?” she demanded.

I came up with a lie on the spot, needing to cover for what we’d really been doing here. They couldn’t find Diego’s hat no matter what.

“Lance said there could be something of his father’s here that could free him from the shadows. Something that could help him run away