Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,336

her will, only to have him stab her in the back the moment the fight was won.

The vision lingered on her face as she dropped to her knees, my name on her lips as the brightness dulled from her eyes and she collapsed to the floor beneath him, red blood staining her white dress as my entire world was torn away from me.

"What would you give for them, Darius Acrux? What would you sacrifice to see them survive?"

A Nymph fell beneath the might of my sword and I twisted around, seeking out Darcy to check she was alright, but my gaze caught on Clara racing toward us. Shadows burst out from my sister, swallowing me and Blue and my pulse hammered in my ears.

I couldn’t see. I’d lost sight of the battle, my girl, everything. Whispers filled my head and all sound was lost to the dark magic consuming the world around me, the only light the glittering fire burning on the edges of my sword.

“Clara!” I called into the dark. “Show yourself.”

The darkness swept out around me so I found myself standing in a dome of shadow arching over me. Clara was kneeling at the centre of it, clutching her chest and sobbing.

“Clara?” I breathed hopefully, stepping closer to her cautiously.

“Oh Lance,” she said, her voice cracking. “Please help me.”

I reached for her shoulder and her head whipped around, her eyes as dark as pitch as she lunged at me with her fangs bared. My heart lurched and I threw her away from me with the strength of my Order, but a tendril of shadow caught my legs and flipped me onto the ground on my back.

She jumped on my chest and I snarled, throwing her away from me again so she went tumbling over the sand. I leapt up to fight, raising my weapon in defence, but how could I strike her when I knew my sister was in there?

“Lance!” Darcy’s voice reached me from somewhere out in the shadows and my chest tightened.

“Blue. Stay away!” I roared, but she called my name again like she couldn’t hear me.

“I could crush her, little brother,” Clara said lightly as she rose up on a tower of shadow ten feet above me, glaring down with venom in her eyes. “I could squeeze her in the shadows until her head went bang.”

I clenched my jaw, running forward and slicing the sword through the shadows beneath her. She shrieked, falling down and hitting the ground. I lunged for her, trying to grab her hair but my hand passed through nothing but darkness.

“You can’t hurt her, she’s stronger than you,” I snapped and she waved a hand.

Darcy’s screams rang in my head and fear sped through my body.

I ran towards Clara, but she shot away into the shadows and I took chase, running as fast as I possibly could to catch her.

“Blue!” I bellowed, but no reply came. I was lost in the dark again, running through an endless sea of it, unable to find my queen or my sister.

“Blue!” a mimicry of my voice sounded off in the mist and my heart lurched in panic.

“I’m coming!” Darcy’s reply came.

“No! that’s not me!” I shouted, but the sound came thundering back into my own ears, not seeming to go anywhere at all.

Clara’s high pitched laugh filled my head and I ran faster through the shadows as I searched for Darcy.

“You’ve been very mean to me, little brother,” Clara’s voice followed me everywhere as I sprinted, my arms wheeling back and forth beside me as I ran harder and faster. “And now you’ve chosen this dirty little Vega over me and my shadows. They were a gift, how dare you let her get rid of them?”

“Shut up!” I bellowed. “You’re not my sister. You’re Lavinia. A Nymph princess.”

“Ohhh!” she cried in glee. “Lavinia, yes, yes, yes. I’d forgotten my name. How pretty it is. La-vin-ia. I love it, I love it. Thank you, little brother.”

“I’m not your brother,” I snarled viciously.

“Yes, you’re right I suppose. But Daddy isn’t my daddy and I rather like calling him that. I think your sister liked it too once,” she chuckled cruelly. “Clara is here. Do you want to say hello?”

My breathing stuttered and I slowed my pace. “Yes, let her out. Let her be free, Lavinia. Please. She has nothing to do with this.”

“Lance,” Clara sobbed. “Please end it. Save me.”

I growled angrily, turning as my sister’s voice sounded right behind me. Two familiar eyes met mine