Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,306

shot into his path, throwing out a swathe of shadow which swallowed up the fire before she was thrown backwards with a shriek.

“Fight me like Fae!” I roared at Lionel.

“Now, sire!” Vard barked then a whip of air slammed into my shield, cracking through it like a nut.

I cried out, blasting more Phoenix fire away from me as Clara shrouded Lionel in shadow. I couldn’t see where any of my enemies were as I continued to throw my power at the Dragon King. Another whip of air caught my wrists, twisting them violently to the sides and I screamed as Lionel snapped every bone in my hands.

Orion suddenly crashed into me from the side, carrying me away from them once more as fast as he could possibly go.

“Heal me!” I gasped in a panic, unable to cast anything and he reached up to press his hand to my arm. His power washed into me and the bones started snapping back into place, but his magic was waning and fear hit me.

“Fuck,” he growled.

He’d used too much magic tonight and he hadn’t fed. I should never have let my guard down. I should have let him feed as soon as I’d replenished my own magic back at the house.

His power stuttered out and he put on a final burst of speed, giving everything to just getting us beyond the wards.

We reached the wall of shadow and I turned my hands to it, blasting out as much Phoenix fire as I could to carve a hole in it.

Something collided with Orion’s back, knocking us down in a tangle of limbs and I groaned in pain as I was crushed beneath him. Clara dove on us with a cry of elation and something sharp slammed into my neck before I could turn my flames on her once more. The strength faded from my body as my cheek pressed into the damp earth and my heartbeat started to slow, my limbs as heavy as boulders.

A bare foot pressed against my side, kicking me over and I found myself looking up at Lionel as my body continued to shut down. Orion’s hand brushed mine, but I couldn’t turn my head to look and see if he was okay.

“Medusa venom,” Clara announced with glee in her eyes. “Uncle Vard’s idea. Isn’t he a clever little Seer?”

Vard stepped into view, smiling proudly with his chest puffed out and hatred rippled through me.

“Your visions are finally paying off, Vard.” Lionel smiled smugly but it turned into a sneer as his gaze dripped over me.

He reached down and panic made my blood run cold as I was sure he was going to take the Imperial Star from me. Instead, his fingers wrapped around my throat, his eyes filled with a promise of death. “Take one last look at the night sky, Gwendalina. The next time you see the stars, you’ll be up there with them.”

I sat on a chair to the side of the sweeping room where the party was being held, more than a little lost for what to do as the hours slipped by and I began to wonder if I’d been forgotten. Lionel had disappeared alongside Clara and Vard ages ago without any explanation, just telling me to wait here until he returned. So I was left to sit with my shadow bitch mask in place while the Heirs and Xavier made small talk and the Fae who had come to spend Christmas Eve with the King were left to their political schemes without him.

More than a few of the Fae here had approached me on and off, but I warded them away with flat looks and bored expressions. The stars only knew how I was ever supposed to win them back around to following me if we ever managed to take Lionel down. I could see what they thought of me - some vapid pawn he'd overpowered. But I'd show them. Before this was over, I'd make them see that nothing could tame me for long.

My gaze swept towards the huge clock on the wall just as it ticked onto midnight and my heart squeezed as a chime rang out and the guests all paused in their political scheming to cheer for Christmas Day.

This was the first time I was ever going to wake up on Christmas without Darcy. For as long as I could remember, we'd slept in bed together on Christmas Eve and she'd woken me up, bouncing around like an excited little