Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,103

Dragon for the crowd and cameras watching him. "A group of Fae have been stealing these precious stones and hoarding them away to make sure that their kind are the only ones to benefit from owning them. This group of Fae are all of one specific Order. A prey Order. The kind to seem inconspicuous, innocent, harmless even. And yet many members of their kind - if not all members of their kind have been quietly stealing these stones and using them to gain power and influence in their communities while robbing hard working, more powerful Fae of their rightful places above them."

The crowd began to boo and shout for answers and I glanced beyond Roxy to Xavier, wondering if he had any idea what the fuck was happening here because I was getting the horrible feeling that I might just know, and I really didn't want to be right. My brother's eyes widened a fraction and he gave me the hint of a shrug as I turned my gaze back to watching my father as he riled up the crowd.

"These Fae - no, these Rats, have been working to gather midnight amethysts for years. Slowly increasing their power and influence despite the fact that their very nature demands they stay at the bottom of the pecking order. And to prove to you that I am correct in this discovery, I have brought their leader here for you to see."

Father waved a hand towards a door at the far side of the balcony and two of the palace guards dragged a terrified looking Fae out to kneel before my father. His hair was ice white and his skin the colour of paper, his features slightly pinched like a rodent's and his grey suit dishevelled. I would have guessed he was a few years older than me, but the cut of his suit looked expensive and despite his clearly terrified expression, something about the way he was put together told me he was important.

"I present to you, Eugene Dipper, High Buck of the Solarian Mischief of Tiberian Rats," Father called. "And the instigator behind this treachery to our nation."

"I'm not!" Eugene squeaked. "I didn't steal anything, I swear. I'm a collector - I paid for all of my stones and I made no attempt to conceal my ownership of-"

"So you admit that we found a hoard of over eight hundred of these rare and valuable stones in your possession?" Father demanded and my gut fell as I saw this for what it was. He was turning everyone against this man and every one of his kind. And surprise, surprise, Eugene Dipper just happened to be the leader of one of the Orders my father hated the most.

"L-like I said, I didn't steal anything," Eugene stammered, casting a terrified look between my father and to my disgust, myself and Xavier too like we were complicit in this.

"Well, we will soon get to the bottom of that," Father replied, his lip curling back in distaste as he flicked his fingers and Eugene was dragged away again.

The crowd booed and catcalled after the Tiberian Rat Shifter, their minds already made up about him despite the fact that he didn't seem to have done anything wrong as far as I could tell. There was no law against buying multiple rare items even if they did hold a sway over luck or good fortune. But my father had made him out to be some kind of thief, stealing those things from other Fae. And the assholes in the crowd were dumb enough to lap it up.

My stomach churned as Eugene screamed while he was dragged out of sight and my arm twitched where it hung beside Roxy's. The back of her hand slid against mine, causing heat to prickle across my skin and for the briefest moment, her little finger hooked around mine, making my heart leap as I looked down at her.

She didn't look back, didn't blink or react in anyway as our hands stayed joined for just a few seconds before she released me again. But it had happened. I just didn't know if that was proof that some part of the girl I loved was in there fighting to get out or if I was just kidding myself because I needed to believe that so desperately.

"I propose we start up an inquisition into the matter of the theft of luck from the Solarian people!" Father bellowed, gaining screams of support from the crowd