Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,13

in my throat and fought the urge to shift, take off into the sky, circle my new home and let glitter tumble from my flesh. Later, dude. Me and the sky can get real intimate.

A few students were already gathered by the gates, most arriving by cars. They were hugging their families, saying goodbye and I realised a little bitterly that my father wasn’t going to go anywhere until the stars awoke my Elements.

“Good evening, Lionel,” a deep voice called and I turned as Tiberius Rigel strode toward us with his wife on his arm and their daughter following at their heels.

Ellis’s hair was dark and thick, framing her strong features which had a hint of her brother Max in them. I’d spent more than a few dinner parties with her, but we never got to spend much time together outside of our parents’ watchful eyes. Unlike the way the Councillors had encouraged the four Heirs to spend time together and bond, they’d never bothered to encourage a similar relationship between the younger children in the families. Even if there was technically a chance that any one of us could challenge our older siblings for their positions one day.

No, despite how the system was meant to be fair and we were all supposed to have an equal shot at claiming the role of Councillor one day, it was more than clear to all of us that the eldest siblings were never going to be unseated. They’d been Awakened young and given advanced training in every kind of skill and magic years before even coming to Zodiac Academy. So even if our power levels were a match to theirs, there was no way any of us spares would be able to pose a real threat and everyone knew it. Not that I had the slightest desire to take Darius’s place from him, but the injustice of the system still annoyed me.

Ellis smiled vaguely at me and I smiled back, wondering if she’d ever considered the challenge of vying for Max’s position worth her time or if she was happy enough in her position too.

“Tiberius.” Lionel nodded to him.

Tiberius’s gaze fell to Tory beside him, a look of concern twisting through his eyes before he quickly schooled it.

Father tugged her closer without shame as Tory gave him that dreamy eyed look again. I had no idea what the other Councillors thought of my father’s new pet, but from the few looks they’d exchanged at Darius’s birthday party, I had to think they thought it was weird as shit. The whole kingdom surely thought that too. And anyone who knew Tory would be able to see it the second they got close. But that was the problem, Father didn’t let anyone near her. And if he did, he was clearly going to be right there beside her like an overbearing husband. Ergh. Should not have gone there.

Tiberius’s wife Linda looked around, her nose wrinkled like there was a bad smell under it. She pulled Ellis close, arranging her hair over her shoulders and her daughter indulged it, smiling serenely at her mother’s affection.

“Melinda and Antonia will be arriving together momentarily,” Tiberius said. “Exciting, isn’t it?”

“Quite,” Lionel said coolly.

The air shimmered beyond us and Melinda Altair appeared with her golden hair tumbling around her shoulders in soft curls and Antonia Capella materialised beside her, her coppery brown locks pulled up into a chignon bun. They were both wearing fine dresses and I wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d come from an interview with the press. Behind Melinda was Caleb’s younger brother Hadley with his sharp jaw and blue eyes as piercing as the rest of his family’s. His hair was dark though, honey brown and shaved in at the sides. If he was a Vampire, his Order would emerge the moment his magic did, and I imagined they were expecting that, just as Father had expected me to be a Dragon. I wondered if he’d receive the same kind of treatment I’d endured if he turned out to be a Pegasus or something else, or if his family actually loved him and would accept him no matter what.

Beyond Antonia were two of Seth’s younger siblings. The twins had grown into their looks this past year; Grayson was tall, his features angular and his eyes dark, his sister Athena was the female mirror image of him, though she had dark purple streaks running through her wavy hair whereas Grayson’s was a floppy, brown mess on