Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,47

school. But hell if I was going to abide by his rules anyway.

I headed to Jupiter Hall and queued up outside, finding the floor marked with lines a meter apart which had symbols of each Order next to them. A growl built in my throat as Tyler and Sofia joined me on the Pegasus line and I didn’t budge an inch away from them.

“This is bullshit,” Tyler spat as the rest of the class started spreading out over the lines and the other Pegasuses moved to stand behind us.

Kylie appeared at the back of the queue, her arms folded and a pout on her lips as she stepped onto the Medusa line. Everyone around her ignored her as usual, but my heart leapt as Tory appeared with shadows in her eyes and strode straight up to her.

“You’ve been chosen to join the King’s United Nebula Taskforce,” she said in a flat tone, holding out a rectangular gold pin for her with K.U.N.T. printed on it and I snorted.

A huge smile split across Kylie’s face as she snatched it and put it on. “So I can tell everyone what to do?” she asked excitedly.

“You can ensure the law is upheld,” Tory corrected then Kylie wheeled toward me, pointing excitedly and a cool anger swept through my blood.

“Darcy Vega is standing with those Pegasuses!” she exclaimed and Tory looked to me, her hair stirring as the shadows writhed up around her. Plenty of the students shrank back against the wall at the sight of them and my heart stammered as she approached me.

“Tory,” I breathed, not raising my hands. I would never fight her.

I kept my defences down, gazing into her eyes and I hunted for a piece of my real sister to hold onto. My gut writhed and Sofia caught my hand as if to pull me away, but I stepped toward Tory, seeing if she really would hurt me one on one.

“It’s me, Tor,” I begged, desperate to get through to her. “Your sister.”

“Clara is my only sister now,” she said lightly and her words felt like an injection of poison into my blood. Her fucking sister?? Never. “Get in line,” she warned, but I shook my head as hurt stung my heart.

She raised her hand and shadows exploded toward me. I refused to shield, praying she might stop if she realised what she was doing, but she didn’t. They wrapped around my throat and threw me to the floor onto the Phoenix line and I coughed out a breath. The weight of them pushed me down and I gritted my teeth as they tried to force their way under my skin. But my Phoenix flames burned hotter and blocked her out as they flared through me like a wall of fire. It didn’t stop her using her power to immobilise me, but the shadows couldn’t reach into me anymore. Through all the pain, nothing hurt worse than her being turned against me like this.

She released me at last and I growled as I pushed myself up to my feet, watching as she moved down the queue, checking everyone’s marks to make sure no one was standing with anyone they shouldn’t be. My heart beat erratically, but I didn’t care about the war taking place in my body. We’d soon have the antidote to the Order Suppressant Lionel was giving her anyway, and once her Phoenix was awake, she’d be able to fight the shadows off too. I just knew it.

A sharp clicking of heels told me Professor Highspell had arrived and she swept past me a second later, wearing a fitted red dress, her dark hair tumbling down her spine in soft waves. She nodded to Tory before walking into the classroom and ushering us inside, offering a sugary smile to a few of the boys as they passed her. When I walked by, her green eyes darkened to pitch and I mirrored the same scowl she gave me.

“There is now a new seating plan you must all abide by,” Highspell announced before anyone could take their seats and I stood with my arms folded as I took in the newly arranged class. Over half the seats had been pushed to the back of the room in grouped sections and the other half at the front had been exchanged for cushioned chairs with glasses of water on the table and freaking mini muffins beside them.

“The following Orders will take a seat at the back of the class,” Highspell called