Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,163

beat her to the boundary all the same.

I raced across the treetops, circling as I moved to land in the clearing I always used when I came out this way and quickly pulling my clothes back on the moment I was back on solid ground.

The rain was fast dissipating now that we weren't together anymore, and I didn't even bother to use my water magic to keep it off of me as I started jogging up the hill.

Roxy was leaning against a tree just outside the academy fence, but she didn't even seem to notice me as I approached, leaving my empty bag in the shadow beneath an oak tree and slipping through the small gap to join her.

She was moving her fingers in a slow pattern and as I got closer, I saw the shadows spilling between them a moment before she noticed me, jerking a little as she banished them again.

"Roxy..." I began cautiously as she lifted her gaze to meet mine guiltily.

"I'm not lost to them anymore," she said, chewing on her bottom lip. "But they call to me all the time. I don't even mean to summon them but then I'll find my hands full of them. And I..." she trailed off, shrugging and I sighed as I stepped closer to her.

"You like the way they feel?"

She didn't say anything, but as her green eyes met mine, I lifted my hand between us and let the shadows slip along my skin for a moment, feeling that slice of pleasure as it raised goosebumps on my flesh before banishing them once more.

"I know," I said simply because the infection of dark magic into my limbs was anything but awful whenever I welded it. There was something addictive about it which I knew was what made it so dangerous. But with them living inside me, it was damn hard to resist them at all times.

Relief spilled into Roxy's expression as thunder boomed overhead again and I realised that she'd erected an air shield which was the only thing keeping us out of the storm now that we were alone together again. Fucking stars.

I took the pouch of stardust from my pocket without another word and tossed it over our heads as I concentrated hard on our destination.

The stars spun and lurched around us and I gritted my teeth as I pushed us through the divide between realms. The stars finally spat us back out in a darkened alley where the scent of fried food and cigarettes rose up around us accompanied by the sound of a large crowd and busy streets.

Roxy caught my bicep to steady herself then gasped as she yanked the sleeve of her sweater back and stared down at the Aries mark on her arm. She rubbed at it like she expected it to come off then frowned up at me in confusion when it didn't.

"I can hardly even feel him," she said, her lips parting in astonishment. "How?"

"Lance told me the mark didn't bother him anywhere near as much in the mortal realm. We guessed maybe because it’s impossible to actually measure the distance, the magic is confused by it or something," I explained, drinking in the relief that filled her features as she continued to brush her fingers over the mark binding her to my father. “Have you ever been to New York City before, Roxy?”

Her eyes widened as she turned to look towards the street where bright lights lit up the far end of the alleyway and I just watched her as a smile tugged her lips up.

"No freaking way," she murmured before taking off so suddenly that I was hard pushed to keep up with her.

She jogged down the alley and straight out onto the busy sidewalk, sucking in a breath as she tipped her head back to look up at the bright lights and signs of Times Square.

A man almost walked straight into her, banging against an air shield she'd placed close to her body a moment before impact and he swore as he stumbled back.

"Get out of the way, you stupid bitch," he snapped and a growl escaped me as he stalked away while Roxy sighed in pleasure.

"Did you hear that, Darius?" she asked, turning to look at me, her eyes bright with excitement which soothed something deep inside my soul. "Angry locals swearing at people just trying to have a good time - isn't it beautiful?"

I snorted a laugh and she smiled at me a little shyly before