Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,156

ahead of us was a huge throne set back into the stands with several smaller chairs either side of it. An archway covered them all, carved with each of the four Elemental symbols and the Vega crest at the very top of it. Around the edges of the pit were Nymph cages just like the ones we’d trapped Tory in, and the thought of what they might have been here for made my stomach knot.

The footprints marked a path across the sand to the very centre of the pit where something lay on the ground, waiting for us. We moved cautiously towards it, the air stilling as we walked, the silence pressing in.

We came to a halt in front of a shield made of polished metal, our reflections cast on its surface and we knew what to do. We knelt either side of it, sharing a hopeful look before turning our gaze to the metal. The stars had shown us our mother before, what more did they want us to see?

Our reflections changed, giving way to a scene set in the bright light of day, looking down on this very amphitheatre. A stern and handsome man sat on the throne, his eyes sharp and narrowed on the pit below him. I recognised my father, Hail Vega, looking younger than he had before he met my mother in the previous visions I’d seen of him. To his right was Lionel Acrux and beyond him were the other Councillors, all looking tense as their gazes were set on the pit.

A man was hauled to the centre of the sand in rags, his wrists cuffed so his magic was blocked. Around the edges of the arena, the black metal cages were filled with Nymphs that shrieked and roared at the crowd, the sight making my pulse spike.

“My king!” the man in the pit cried. “I’m innocent.”

The crowd jeered and the guard holding him shoved him to his knees before backing up and bowing to our father.

“Who is he?” the Savage King murmured to Lionel.

“A thief, Your Highness,” he whispered. “The Rat stole a hundred gold coins from my cousin Benjamin.”

Hail scoffed. “Benjamin Acrux is a gambler who has brought plenty of shame on your name, Lionel.”

“Be that as it may, the word of a Dragon is worth more than a Rat’s,” Lionel hissed and my blood burned hotter.

“Nonsense,” Hail said, waving him off before calling out to the man below. “Speak your case!”

The Tiberian Rat ran a shaky hand through his hair. “I won the gold from Mr Acrux fair and square in a game of Minojack,” he said urgently. “Have a Cyclops check my memories.”

“This is an outrage!” cried a man who I assumed was Benjamin Acrux from the way the Rat was glaring at him.

He stood up in the crowd and looked like a squatter, uglier version of Lionel. His eyes were bloodshot and the way he swayed a little suggested he might be drunk.

Lionel leaned closer to Hail and murmured, “You will show no mercy, sire. A Dragon’s word is law. But the decision has come from you, now forget my words.” The power of his Dark Coercion filled his voice in an undertone that made my stomach lurch.

Hail blinked, leaning back in his seat and horror filled me as he called out to the crowd. “You have been found guilty of your crime. You will be given the Fae right to fight for your life. If you live, you will face twelve years in Darkmore Penitentiary.” The King waved his hand in some signal and a sword was thrown into the pit as the guard cast himself out on a gust of air beneath his feet. A wave of the guard’s hand opened one of the cages and a Nymph rushed out with a bellow of rage, the hunger in its eyes clear as it raced towards the Rat shifter. He lunged for the sword, but before he even got close, the Nymph swatted him aside and the cracking of bones filled the air followed by the cheers of the crowd.

Bile rose in my throat as the Nymph stepped down on the Rat’s chest and a lasting scream filled the air as it drove its probes into his heart. The vision shifted abruptly and I couldn’t tear my gaze away as I absorbed the truth laid out before me.

Hail stood on a huge balcony under the light of the stars, holding something in his hand and speaking a strange