Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,337

between the shadows and I lunged for my true sister, reaching for her hand, but she immediately dissolved into the mist.

Lavinia’s dark laughter sounded once more, rattling through my skull.

Darcy screamed somewhere off in the fog and panic tore at me. What do I do? How do I find her?

“Daddy wants you alive,” Lavinia cooed at me. “But you can’t be alive and not be punished. So I’m going to make your life hurt, little brother. You’ll suffer and suffer and suffer until you beg me to take away the pain. You’ll want to return to the shadows and be by my side forever. You and me. Family. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“Fine,” I snarled. “Hurt me, punish me, do whatever you like, just let Darcy go.”

“And why would I do that?” she chuckled. “Pain makes you suffer in the now, but I want you to suffer in the always.”

“Blue!” I called again in desperation and my voice echoed everywhere.

No reply came and fate seemed to close in, narrowing down until there was only one path to follow. And it wasn’t going to end in my favour.

“Let her go,” I demanded.

“Alright,” Lavinia chuckled. “Which will it be then, your sister or the Vega princess?”

“Both,” I hissed, my heart beating fiercely.

“Ah you little witch!” Lavinia screamed suddenly and the shadows tightened, suffocatingly thick. I was being dragged forward, guided toward something as tendrils of shadow bound me and I slashed at them over and over with my sword to try and free myself.

“Fuck you,” Darcy snarled and Clara shrieked again.

“Ow ow ow! You’re hurting. All that fire is ouchy,” Lavinia begged then started laughing and laughing. “Stay in there in the dark, I’m talking to your lover boy.”

“Lance!” Darcy cried but the sound was muffled and as she started shouting again, her voice faded away.

I battled the shadows holding me, more and more of them wrapping around my flesh and several locking around my arm as they tried to prise the sword from my grasp. But I wouldn’t let go.

Lavinia appeared before me, peering at me from behind my sister’s eyes, her head cocking to one side as she regarded me and I tried to lunge at her, finding myself unable to move.

“I need a little something,” she said with a smirk, drifting toward me and gripping my chin. “You’re a clever thing, do you know much about shadow curses?”

“No,” I said, my voice thick as the word curse sent fear dripping down my spine.

She reached out, grasping my throat and I fought harder against the shadows, trying to tear myself free of them. Her touch was ice cold as her hand slid down my skin then her fingernails drove into my flesh. “It requires some blood. And I’m fresh out.” An icy blade slashed across my arm and I snarled in pain, shoving her away, but not before she coated her hand in the blood from my wound.

“Clara,” I breathed, trying to get my sister’s attention, seeking her out in this monster’s eyes. “I’ll save you. I’ll find a way.”

She sneered, but then her expression shifted and I was sure I was looking at my true sister. Her ebony eyes were filled with endless pain and it broke my heart to see her suffering.

“I’m here, look at me. You can fight her off, I’ll help you. Darcy will help you,” I promised and she released a sob that hurt me.

“I can’t come back,” she choked. “Please free me.” Then she disappeared into the dark once more.

I shot around the balcony for what felt like the hundredth time, my magic beginning to wane as I threw it at Lionel time and again.

But Tory got between us more often than not and even when she didn't, his shield deflected my blows as he focused on maintaining it. Every time Tory was exposed to fire, her magic swelled, but Lionel's had an expiry on his just like mine did. And though the golden crown on his head would have been offering him some power, I knew that Dragons couldn't gain a lot fast from a single piece of jewellery like that.

I just needed to wear him down and outlast him. Then I’d prove to him that the Acruxes weren’t any more powerful than the Altairs.

Tory's eyes were full of pain as she was forced to fight me over and over again and I silently apologised to her as I just kept coming. This was where I needed to be in this fight and even