Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,277

to him and feel a little like puking up the alcohol I'd consumed. Which admittedly might have been too much on an empty stomach.

Lionel's gaze roamed over my features as I gave him my most simpering look and he nodded lightly before looking back to his son.

"Well, seeing as you're not occupied with your bride, why don't you take Roxanya to get some food? She has a habit of forgetting to eat if not reminded and I'm too busy tonight to fuss over her.”

Darius's jaw locked and he shrugged. "Do you enjoy torturing me with her company, Father?"

"I would have thought that you'd appreciate the chance to spend time with her. You were most thorough in your hunt for her throughout the summer after all. Or has your idealistic fantasy of love finally run its course? Perhaps you've given up on trying to tempt her back from the dark?"

"Never," Darius growled, offering me his arm and I glanced to Lionel for his approval before I took it.

"Then see her fed and stop complaining about your lot in life. I'm handing you a throne here after all - I won't tolerate your ungrateful attitude much longer."

Darius sketched a mocking bow and I stepped forward, wrapping my hand around his forearm and letting him draw me away.

My skin heated where we touched but I didn't dare look up at him, simply walking at his side until we reached the buffet laid out on the far side of the room. I swear I could feel Lionel's eyes on us the entire way and when I turned to look back over my shoulder, the look he was giving me sent a shiver of fear down my spine.

"Eat, Roxy," Darius commanded, accepting a plate of cakes and hand crafted cookies from one of the serving staff and holding it out to me.

"So bossy," I muttered, accepting the food and biting into a cookie, suppressing a groan at the deliciously sweet taste. "Do you think Lionel suspected anything?"

"Hard to tell with him. He's always suspicious. But I think if he had then he would have called you up on it there and then." His brow furrowed with concern for me and I gave him a small smile.

"I'm sure it's fine. Max has been teaching me to shield my thoughts from Cyclops interrogation anyway so even if he gets Vard to-"

"If he or that psychopath ever lay a hand on you again then I'll rip them apart with my fucking teeth," Darius growled, catching my wrist and squeezing hard enough to bruise.

"I can handle it," I said firmly.

It wasn't like I enjoyed the idea of being brought back to that room they'd used to torture me and turn me into Lionel's plaything, but I was well aware I might have to face another visit to it at some point. I just tried not to think about it and made sure to prepare myself as much as I could with Max's help.

Lionel moved out of sight, heading into an antechamber across the room with a man who I was fairly certain was another Acrux and I nudged Darius to draw his attention to them.

"Gabriel said the opportune moment would present itself," I pointed out, quickly eating another cookie because they were to-fucking-die-for and backing away from the food table.

"I'll meet you out in the west corridor," Darius murmured and I nodded, watching him as he strode away through the crowd.

I lingered for another few minutes then turned away too, spotting Seth and Caleb by a side door and walking towards them with purposeful steps.

Seth was tossing olives into the air and catching them in his mouth and Caleb threw me a wink as I skirted past them.

"We'll keep an eye out, sweetheart," Caleb promised in a low voice I was sure no one else heard and I nodded once before heading out of the room.

My heart was thundering as I walked to meet Darius so that we could open up the secret passage to get Gabriel into the building.

He'd been confident that this part of our plan would go well. But from here on out, we'd be flying by the seat of our pants, too many possibilities for him to be certain what course we'd land on.

So for now I'd trust in his vision. And as far as everything else went, I was just wishing for the best.

D arcy and I stardusted to the outskirts of my mother’s property, the icy air whipping around us as we stood