Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,186

have pushed Darius harder, got him ready to fight Lionel before any of this ever happened.

I should have helped the Vegas from day one.

But I guessed if what Jasper had said was right, I’d always been on the right path. I was meant to end up in prison to meet him. I just wished it hadn’t cost me Darcy.

I rubbed my eyes, draining the last of the bourbon in my glass and sighing as I knew it was the end of my supply. Darius would bring me more, even though he cursed me for it every time. I was fast slipping back into old habits, but whereas alcohol had once given me some relief from my demons, nothing could rid me of the loss of my girl. I’d considered calling her a hundred times during this evening alone, but I always ended up talking myself out of it. Just because I wasn’t in Darkmore, didn’t mean I was free. I was still a Power Shamed loser who would never hold any kind of position in society again. And once Lionel was done with me, I’d be back behind bars for the remainder of my sentence.

I’d considered running, talking it out with Darius over and over. But even if I made it beyond the barrier and Darius stardusted me away before I was caught, what use would I be then? Lionel would hunt me to the ends of the earth. Darius would be put under surveillance, his memories tapped into if he ever came to visit me. And there was no way he would be able to keep away with the bond tying us. Besides, tomorrow was the full moon. And Lionel had no idea that I hadn’t been reading the diary all this time. So he also wouldn’t realise how important tomorrow was or what I might find.

Tory had been listening in on Vard’s conversations with Lionel, and she was sure he didn’t seem to have any clear idea of what was in the diary or how I was deciphering it. He only knew that I needed space to work and it would take some time. Luckily for us, that meant there was a chance that I could get the location to Darius and the twins before Lionel ever figured out I even knew where it was.

Just one more day and maybe we can finally get an advantage in this war.

My Atlas buzzed and I tugged it out of my pocket, my mind going to Darcy. I’d hoped she might ask for my help with her magic, but since I’d last seen her, I hadn’t heard anything from her.

I was seriously pissed that Honey Highspell was fucking up my Cardinal Magic classes. I’d never thought I’d miss teaching, but apparently it had grown on me, because the thought of that witch standing behind my desk and treating my students like shit was infuriating. Only I had the right to do that.

My mood took a bigger dive as I found a message waiting for me from Seth fucking Capella. It was a photo of Darcy standing on the edge of Aqua Lake in a fitted white swimming costume that emphasised her breasts. Her hair was dripping wet and shining in the sunlight so I guessed it had been taken earlier today. There were other students around her in the water and from the looks of it, this was Physical Enhancement. Underneath the photo was a caption from Seth. Boner status: 10/10.

My fangs snapped out and it took every ounce of self control I had not to break the Atlas in my palms as my fingers crushed it. It was my only line of communication outside of this place, but fuck. Fucking fuck.

Another message arrived and I snarled like a tiger as I took in the next image. Seth was standing behind Darcy, her body wrapped in a towel as he hugged her and snapped the shot of them, his head resting on top of hers. She was pressing a finger to her lips, a wild mischief in her expression that made me want to rip my own eyes out.

The caption below it said: No law can keep me from my girl.

I lost it, pushing out of my seat and tossing my Atlas away from me before I did anything stupid with it. I started pacing, clawing at my hair and panting heavily. I was going to kill him. Tear his fucking head off slow enough that he felt every bone snap