Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,33

and she raised her chin to cover it a moment later, but I caught the movement and it sent ice running down my spine. Why the fuck was she afraid of me?

"Not particularly," she replied coldly and a distant rumble of thunder reminded me that we weren't supposed to be alone. Fucking stars. I hated them almost as much as I hated the man who had sired me.

"Why did you just flinch when I moved closer to you?" I asked and her brow creased the smallest amount in a way that made me think she hadn't been aware of it. Or maybe she had but she hadn’t wanted me to see.

"You hurt me," she replied simply, her green-brown eyes meeting mine. "Always have, always will."

Fuck.

Why did those words cut into me worse than any blade ever could? Maybe because I knew there was truth to them. Maybe because that was the one thing I feared more than anything and I hated that it might be so. I regretted everything I'd done to her more than I could ever put into words, but I couldn't even deny that I was still hurting her. My father should have died at my hands the night he took her. I had been so fucking close to saving her and everyone else from him and I'd failed. And everything that had happened to her in the months since was my fault because of it.

"I'm sorry, Roxy," I breathed but she didn't even seem to register my words, looking back over her shoulder as more footsteps approached. What I wouldn't give for her to call me out on getting her fucking name wrong or to call me a lizard bastard or an arrogant prick or any number of insults. I’d take them all and thank her for them if I could just prise them from her lips.

"Oh, err, hey - am I interrupting?" Xavier's voice came from behind her, which was probably a good thing as the thunder which was crashing through the sky was only getting more insistent and I knew I couldn't linger alone in her company.

"No," Roxy replied simply, like she had no reason at all to want to prolong our conversation. I tried not to let that hurt but it fucking did.

Xavier glanced at me with a question in his eyes and I just shook my head. There was nothing we could do right now with Father waiting for us, but I was sure as hell going to do something soon.

The three of us headed out of Ignis House and started walking for the gates while Xavier asked Roxy question after question as he tried to draw her out of herself. But he got little more than single word answers if she replied at all.

I tried to walk close beside her, but she kept shifting away when I moved near, and I knocked against a solid air shield the third time I attempted it. She didn't even look my way as I tried not to let the rejection bite at me, but this was so fucked up that I didn't even know how to begin fixing it. I just had to hope that Darcy was right about her Phoenix being the key to it, because if we didn't figure this out soon then I was going to lose my damn mind.

We made it beyond the gates where we met the other Heirs and travelled via stardust to the sprawling courtyard outside the Palace of Souls where Father was already waiting.

I exchanged loaded looks with my friends but kept my face neutral as I took in the gathered crowd, waiting to hear whatever the hell he had to say.

Roxy strode away from us the moment we arrived, her eyes lighting up for the first time since she'd appeared at my door as she headed straight for my father who stood with Mom, Stella, Vard and Clara before the gates to the palace.

"Take it easy, remember we've got a plan," Max murmured, placing a hand on my arm as he pushed his Siren gifts at me, offering me a measure of calm as I watched the girl who should have been my mate wrap her arms around my father's neck and embrace him in front of everyone here.

His eyes met mine over her shoulder and the corner of his lips hooked up cruelly like he could feel my fucking heart tearing open as his arms closed around her for a moment.

Fortunately for him, he