Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,7

she greeted my mother like they were old friends. Mom acted like she was interested in what Stella had to say and of course there was no mention of the fact that they clearly hated each other.

“Lord Acrux and his Guardians, Clara Orion and Roxanya Vega!” Jenkins announced as the double doors swung open and my heart fell right through the pit of my stomach as all heads turned towards them.

I pushed out of my chair, almost knocking the thing to the floor in my haste as my mouth fell open and Father swept into the room with Clara on one arm and Roxy on the other.

She was heart stoppingly beautiful, wearing a full-length black gown which clung to her figure like a spill of ink. Her mahogany hair had been curled and hung down her spine and her makeup was like a work of art, dark and sultry around her eyes which only highlighted the ring of black the stars had given her and her lips were painted a deep, blood red which made me ache to taste her kisses again.

Father moved into the room, strutting like a peacock with an ass full of new feathers, but I only had eyes for her.

The guests had all broken into murmured conversations and gasps of surprise and the other Councillors moved to join my father as he began to spin some bullshit story about how Roxy had seen the light and decided to throw her support in with them.

Roxy didn’t add to the conversation, but she offered up her left arm, showing them the Aries brand on her flesh as proof while smiling lightly.

She didn’t look my way. She didn’t even seem to care where she was. She just stood there as my heart splintered right down the centre and I was frozen, not knowing what to do. I wanted to stride over there, rip her out of his arms and take her as far away from him as physically possible, but instead I was rooted to the spot. I didn’t know how to handle this. She wasn’t kicking or screaming or trying to escape, she was just standing there like she was made of stone and nothing in the world could touch her. I’d look insane if I tried to prise her away from him by force but was I seriously just going to stand here and stare at her?

My gaze raked over every inch of her body as I hunted for signs of mistreatment, but of course there wasn’t a physical mark on her because that would be all too easy to heal. Any trauma she bore was on the inside where no one could see, but she did look slimmer, paler…

I’m going to rip his fucking heart out!

A hand landed on my arm and Max’s power pushed against my barriers as he tried to soothe my rage. I couldn’t tear my eyes from her, but I could feel my muscles bunching, my hands curling into fists and some tiny, rational part of me knew that if I let myself give in to the desire to attack my father in front of all of these people then it wouldn’t help anything. Roxy and Clara would throw themselves between us and as much as I was willing to destroy Clara, I couldn’t lift a hand against Roxy. I’d sooner burn my own heart from my chest than put her in harm’s way.

With a grunt of effort, I let Max calm me, just enough to take the edge off. To let me think rationally, try and come up with a plan, some way to separate her from my father and keep her away from him.

The Councillors broke apart and Father turned toward me with a cruel smile lighting his face. To anyone else he was just a father wishing his son a happy birthday. But I knew this was a test, a challenge, a game. And I had to figure out how to win it.

“Ah, Darius, I’m so sorry we’re late. The girls were a little excitable while we were getting dressed,” Father purred as he approached us.

“Excitable?” I asked, forcing my tone to remain neutral as my gaze stayed fixed on Roxy.

She wasn’t looking at me, her eyes were on my father as he spoke, her gaze focused on his face.

“It’s hard to concentrate when Daddy takes his clothes off,” Clara giggled, stroking his arm and running a hand down his chest. Stella stared at them venomously, but said nothing.

Roxy’s