Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,202

worked to break the wards.

“Get your weapons ready,” Tory gasped and everyone did so as the thumping of paws drew closer once more.

Tory and I raised our free hands, keeping our other ones locked together. My Phoenix fire burned hot against the inside of my flesh and our power instinctively merged, an inferno spinning between us, ready to be unleashed.

I shared a look with Tory then clamped my eyes shut, the howls drawing nearer and nearer.

The paws were thundering toward us at a furious pace and from the snapping of teeth and terrifying snarls, I had a feeling Seth was right. They knew what we were doing. And they were coming for blood.

“Devils of death, I will flail you into the afterlife!” Geraldine cried.

A growl sounded then a yelp followed as a blow was struck against one of the beasts and my heart lurched.

I kept my palms raised, flames curling between my fingers as I waited to attack, pushing my earth magic into the ground as I used it to sense their approach.

A snarl sounded right ahead of us and I felt Tory press closer as we raised our hands together and stepped away from our friends to make sure we didn’t hurt them. I could feel the hound’s breath, taste its sickly scent on the air and feel the shudder of its paws in the ground through my magic. We released the power of our Phoenix in an explosion of fire, a rush of adrenaline scoring through my veins. The flames blazed through my eyelids as it wheeled away from us and one of the beasts yelped and screeched.

“Fuck yes!” Tory whooped and a grin spread across my face.

Our victory was short lived though as howls sounded out in the woods, revealing more beasts waiting in the dark.

“Get back!” I called to the others and Tory and I cast a wall of fire ahead of us to keep the hounds at bay.

My back hit Darius’s and suddenly I was falling, stumbling backwards and passing through the wards surrounding the graveyard.

“Get inside!” Orion roared, grabbing my arm and keeping me upright as he steered me around and I dragged Tory after me. The sound of clanging metal filled the air then my feet hit softer ground. “Open your eyes,” he commanded and I did, finding myself looking up at him, his brow etched with concern.

I wheeled around, checking everyone was okay and, miraculously, they were. I shared a look of relief with Tory before gazing around the dark graveyard we were standing in.

Tombstones stretched out ahead of us, all of them ancient and crumbling, marked with zodiac symbols and the names of the dead. There were larger tombs deeper into the graveyard, spreading away up a huge hill and a large stone mausoleum stood at the peak surrounded by trees.

I realised my hand was still locked with Orion’s and quickly pulled it free, my pulse thumping at the base of my throat as my palm continued to tingle from his touch.

“No one look back. We need to salt the earth to keep them out. It won’t last forever, but it should give us long enough,” Orion said and he and Darius moved back to the gate while we all kept our eyes forward. When it was done, they reappeared with dark expressions, talking in low mutters together.

“So?” Tory asked. “What’s the plan?”

“We’re in the outer ring,” Orion said, pointing out the gap that parted the outer graves from those further in. “The protection will be weaker here. The further in we go, the darker the spells will become.”

“And let me guess, your daddy’s tomb is somewhere in the middle?” Seth said with an arched brow.

“The graves are placed by levels of power,” Orion replied coldly. “So yeah. He’ll be somewhere towards the middle. If you’re too pussy to head that way, then feel free to stay here.”

“Have you got something you wanna say to me, asshole?” Seth growled, stepping toward him with his shoulders squared. “Because your attitude is bullshit.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” Orion hissed.

“Oh yeah?” Seth growled. “Well apparently the only pussy around here is you then.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Orion’s fangs snapped out and I stepped between them with a growl of my own.

“Stop it,” I snapped. “We have to move.”

Seth’s eyes slid to mine and he backed down with an innocent shrug. Orion looked between us with a grimace I didn’t understand, but said nothing more.

“Come on,” Darius growled and