Zodiac Academy 5: Cursed Fates

I lay on my couch watching the sun set beyond the window, the light rippling through a bottle of bourbon that sat on the coffee table. I hadn’t touched it. Not yet. Every night since I’d seen the soul vision of Clara standing at Lionel’s side, commanding an army of Nymphs, I’d been tempted to drink myself into a stupor. But there was one unmistakable thing stopping me from opening that bottle. Blue.

I was no good to anyone half cut, least of all her. But I played with temptation all the same, placing that bottle where I could see it. I didn’t know why I liked to torment myself. Maybe it was to test what I was really made of. If I could truly remain as the man I’d become since Blue had arrived in my life.

The thought that she was temporary made me afraid. Because who I’d been before didn’t come close to deserving her. And at least now I was trying to be better. To be enough. But sometimes, the shadows called to me in the dark, whispering my sins, my failures. And maybe deep down, I was never going to feel worthy of her.

Apparently I was in the mood to suffer as I’d dug out the shoebox of Clara’s things which I’d kept after I lost her. I fished through it, running my fingers over the gold coin she’d won on a bet with a Dragon in her senior year, the lovingly worn box of Tarot cards she’d used for every Arcane Arts class, the charm bracelet she’d made herself from ice then had an earth Elemental cast it to silver. Lastly, I tugged the diary from the bottom of the pile, grazing my fingers over the leather binding and letting my heart bleed for a moment.

I’d never opened it. Her secrets were her own. Even in death. Or at least, that was where I’d thought she’d been all these years. Somewhere beyond the veil. I’d convinced myself she was at peace, and all that time she’d been in a literal hell. Alone, suffering, with nothing but the shadows to keep her company. No wonder they’d taken root in her. But it still broke me.

I couldn’t entertain the idea that she couldn’t be saved. Even after what she’d done to me. But there was so much doubt in me now that if I let my focus slip for a second, my hope began to unravel and I started to sink into despair.

I closed my eyes, drawing on one of my happiest memories. Of me and Clara playing under the willow tree at my family home. Of my father calling our names while we laughed and hid behind the fronds. I’d been six and Clara seven. She’d pressed her fingers to her lips and we’d dropped to our knees, peeking under the branches where my father’s feet could be seen pacing.

“Hm, the Nymphs have stolen away my children,” he teased, pretending he didn’t know exactly where we were. And at the time, we really believed he didn’t know we were there. “I’ll have to call the FIB.”

“The FIB,” I gasped, looking to Clara. She had a wildish look, her hair sticking out in every direction, her freckles brightened by days in the sun. But I was always darker, the sun gilding my skin in a sheen of gold every summer with barely any effort at all.

“Shh silly, he won’t really call them,” Clara whispered, clutching my hand as we lay in the dirt.

Father started talking like he was on the phone. “Yes, my dear children have vanished. It’s definitely Nymphs. Will you come quickly?”

Clara’s mouth popped open and she looked to me in fear. “We’re going to be in big trouble.”

I chuckled, stifling my laugh with my hand. I liked trouble. I’d even heard my elementary school teacher talking about me once, saying I was going to cause trouble with the girls when I was older. At the time, I’d thought she meant my sister. And I’d vowed to always be her guardian from that day, because out of everyone in the world, I never wanted to cause trouble with her.

Clara clutched my hand and her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Let’s pounce on him.”

I laughed, nodding. “I’ll go first in case he gets angry.”

She shook her head. “You don’t have to protect me, Lancey.”

“I don’t have to, but I want to,” I said firmly, getting to my feet and she beamed as I picked up a stick and wielded it like a sword. I charged out between the willow fronds but Dad was ready, whipping me off my feet on a tendril of air magic so I hung upside down in front of him.

“Yah!” I jabbed him with the stick and he barked a laugh, reaching out and tickling my sides until I couldn’t breathe with laughter.

He finally let me down and Clara ran out to hug his side. “We didn’t really get kidnapped,” she said, batting her long lashes as she gazed up at him.

Dad’s hair was an unruly nest of darkness, his eyes inky and deep like mine. Mom said I’d look like him one day. She said I’d make a fine husband one day too, but I didn’t want to be a husband, I wanted to be a Vampire. I wanted to run as fast as Mom and Dad and carry Clara on my back like a monkey.

Dad picked Clara up, putting her on his shoulders and she shrieked with laughter. “Well that’s a relief,” he said. “I didn’t fancy charging into a Nymph nest to save you this afternoon. But I would have of course.”

“Would you come for us if we were captured by a hundred Nymphs?” I asked.

“Absolutely, Lancelot,” he promised, ruffling my hair. He always called me that. He said it was a knight from a mortal story and it suited me because I was brave like him.

“How about a thousand?” I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. A thousand was an awful lot of Nymphs.

“Without a doubt,” he said easily.

“What about ten thousand?” I demanded. That was far too many Nymphs to take on alone.

“My boy, I’d come for you if you were held by a million Nymphs. There’s no lengths I wouldn’t go to.”

“Why?” I frowned.

“Because I love you and your sister. And that’s what you do for the people you love,” he explained and I nodded, my heart swelling. Because I understood that. I’d take on a million Nymphs for her and my parents too. But I was definitely going to need a real sword.

A knock came at the door and I jolted out of the reverie, getting to my feet and hoping Brian hadn’t decided to pay me a visit. He could probably feel my misery stretching out into his house, so I really had to lock it down before he convinced me that a hug with him was a great idea.

I pulled the door wide, finding Gabriel there with a bottle of orange Faenta and a sideways smile. “Thought you could use the soda to take your mind off of that bottle of bourbon, Orio.”

I released a breath of amusement. “Did you come to join my pity party? You just missed the childhood flashback I’m afraid, but you’re just in time for the apathy cake and a round of musical grumps.”

I stepped aside to let him in and he arched a brow at me with a smirk, moving into the house and kicking the door shut. “At least you’re still sarcastic, brother, the day you lose your wit is the day I’ll lose hope for you entirely.”

“Good to know.” I strode back to the couch, dropping down and Gabriel poured us each a glass of soda before joining me.

I drank the sweet, fizzy pop as Gabriel picked up Clara’s diary. There were very few people in the world I’d allow to touch that, but luckily he was one of them. Otherwise his face would be reeling from the impact of my fist right about now.

“Don’t read it,” I said. “It’s Clara’s.”

“No, it isn’t,” he said immediately, his fingers brushing over the leather binding like he was getting some reading on it.

“Of course it is.” I snatched it away from him, planting my empty glass on the table. “It was with her things.”

“It’s not hers, Orio,” he said in a serious tone. “Open it.”

I frowned, my jaw tightening as I flicked open the first page and my lungs compressed at the words I found there.

Property of Azriel Orion.

“It’s my father’s,” I rasped in disbelief.

“His diary?” Gabriel asked but I didn’t know so I shrugged in answer, wetting my mouth as I turned the page.

The words were encrypted, appearing as a jumble of nonsensical symbols and as I traced my thumb over the page, I felt the magic still binding them. “By the stars, I’ve had this all these years and never thought to check it was really Clara’s.”

“Can you break the encryption?” Gabriel asked, leaning closer to get a look so his dark hair fell forward over his brow.

I closed my eyes, trying to feel out the magic he’d used on it. My mind snagged on a certain sensation and I blew out a breath, opening my eyes and resting back in my chair. “It needs a password. I’d have to speak it aloud, but I have no idea what my father would choose. Any chance you can see the answer?” I asked, but he shook his head.

“Maybe if I’d known your father, but I can’t read those kinds of details from a stranger. Try your name,” Gabriel encouraged, his eyes glittering with intrigue.

“Lance,” I said, frowning at the page. “Clara, Stella…” Nothing.

I frowned, placing the notebook on the coffee table. My head was too fucked right now to figure it out. But maybe I’d be able to crack it in time.

Gabriel rested a hand on my shoulder and cast a silencing bubble around the room.

I frowned, looking to him for an explanation and he sighed, giving me a guilty sort of smile.

“What’s going on?” I demanded.

“I’ve withheld some information from you.”

“What information?” I growled, my heart rate rising.

“It’s nothing bad, just don’t lose your shit, okay?” he asked and I pressed my tongue into my cheek, waiting. “I know about you and Darcy Vega.”

I felt like I’d been punched directly in the heart. Despite the fact that he was my friend, my Nebula fucking Ally, my defences still flew right up. “Gabriel, it’s – there’s-”

“Save it.” He clapped my shoulder. “I’ve heard all of it in my visions a thousand times. You don’t need to explain. When I say I know, I mean, I know. You’re in love.”

The blood was definitely draining from my face and I stared at him in shock and maybe some relief too. I hated hiding Blue. Despised it. And to share the truth with another of my closest friends in the world felt like a weight lifting from my shoulders.

“No one can know,” I said, my voice thick with concern. I’d tried to keep this between me and Blue for so long and now I feared how quickly the secret was spreading. Even if it was to people we trusted. One slip of the tongue and that would be it for us.

“Of course,” he said gently. “And just so you know, I don’t judge you or anything. Frankly, it was inevitable.”

“Wait,” I breathed, my heart thumping harder with a note of hope ringing through my body. “Can you see the future? Can you see if it will work out for us?”

Gabriel’s brows stitched together and he stared into my eyes like he was trying to peer into my soul and find the answers I sought. “There’s so many paths,” he said heavily. “I don’t know…I can’t be sure. I’m sorry.”

I looked away from him, my teeth grinding to dust. “It’s alright,” I forced out, though I felt pissed in that moment. Mostly at the stars for not giving me any comfort at all. If I knew things would be okay for me and Blue, life would have been a hell of a lot less stressful.

“I’m happy for you,” he said, leaning back in his seat again. “Really fucking happy, Orio. You’ve had a shit lot in life.”

“Thanks,” I said on a breath of laughter.

“Could be worse, right?” he joked and I rubbed my eyes. Could it be worse right now? Lionel was getting in to a position to take the throne. And my own sister was helping him. The Nymphs were banding together with them and the stars only knew how long it would be before the death toll started rising. Part of me wanted to tell Gabriel all about it. His Sight wouldn’t be able to detect the Nymphs movements or anything to do with them, so there wasn’t any chance he knew already. But I didn’t want to drag him into this mess. Though I imagined the whole world was going to get dragged into it soon enough.

“There’s something I need to talk to you about,” I said slowly, knowing I’d been putting this off because dragging it all up felt like cutting open a vein. But Gabriel was a good friend. And I knew I could trust him with anything. So I told him all about Clara, the night I’d brought her back from the shadows, the dark magic I’d used. All of it. And when I was done, it felt like a ten ton elephant had lifted from my chest.

“That’s why I couldn’t see you that night,” he breathed, his elbows on his knees as he rubbed at his eyes. “Fuck, Orio, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. I should have-”

“You didn’t know. And at the time…I didn’t want to put all of this on you.”

“You know I’d be there for you through anything,” he growled, turning to me with anxiety in his gaze.

“I know, Noxy,” I said with half a smile. “I guess I was just trying to protect you. But it seems I’m fucking terrible at protecting people.” I thought of Clara with a pang in my chest.

He frowned grimly. “You’re better than you think.”

My Atlas buzzed and I took it out, finding a message waiting for me.

Darius:

Father has summoned us.

Those four words sent adrenaline tumbling into my limbs. I’d wanted to go to Acrux Manor and tear my sister out of Lionel’s arms since the night she’d returned from the Shadow Realm. But now…now I knew things were more complicated than that. She wasn’t in her right mind, but maybe if I could get close to her, break through the power that held her in its dark grip, I could bring her back from it. I could make sure she really was still in that body.

I shot Darius a reply, rising from my seat and Gabriel stood with me.

“You have to go,” he said before I could say a word then he moved forward and wrapped his arms tightly around me. “When you want to talk, I’m here. Always.”

“Thank you, Noxy.” I clapped him on the back and he headed for the door, exiting a moment later.

I shot to my room, changing out of my professor bullshit into jeans and a blue button down before rifling through the box of Clara’s things and taking out her bracelet. There were silver charms on it which represented each member of our family, plus her friends, her life before she’d started working with Stella and been led astray by Lionel.

I had a feeling the path her life had taken hinged on the moment she’d agreed to be Lionel’s Guardian. He’d gotten his claws in her from that very second and he’d never let go. I doubted he’d planned for any of this to happen, but it had sure worked out in his favour. He had a devoted servant who could wield the shadows and control all the Nymphs in the world. So if I could just break that loyalty, bring her back, remind her who she really is…

I pocketed the charm bracelet and used the back door to leave the house. I met Darius on the edge of Campus where I’d left the hole in the defences. His eyes were ringed with darkness and I knew he was plagued by plenty of his own demons these days. We wordlessly slipped through the gap in the fence and I wrapped my arms around him as we stood beneath the bushes that shaded the perimeter. He clutched onto me and the knot in my chest eased as the bond between us deepened, thrumming in my ears and making me want to get nearer and nearer to him.

“Let’s just run off together into the sunset,” Darius joked. “We can forget all about the Vegas and buy a house in Starshine Bay.”

“We can have two kids. Boys obviously. Girls are trouble,” I played along and he released a chuckle as we stepped apart.

“Are you ready for this?” he asked, his face falling grave once more.

I sighed, turning my head to look up at the stars and wondering what they had in store for me tonight. They twinkled so innocently and I swear I could almost hear the laughter passing between them. All of this must have looked so amusing from way up there in the heartless sky.

“I’ll never be ready,” I admitted, dropping my gaze to him. “But I have to go. I want to try and reach her.”

“She’s not herself,” he said in a dark tone that made my pulse beat angrily beneath my flesh.

He’d told me that a hundred times since he’d been home and seen her. And though I knew it was true, I still couldn’t believe I wasn’t going to recognise my own sister when we got there. A foolish part of me was hoping she’d see me, run into my arms and apologise for everything, tell me the shadows had claimed her and she hadn’t been in her right mind.

I bit down on the inside of my cheek. “Let’s go,” I forced out and Darius threw a handful of stardust into the air.

We arrived on the edge of the Acrux property and two guards in black uniforms stepped forward in front of the iron gate with magic flashing in their palms.

“It’s me, assholes,” Darius growled as a Faelight illuminated above us to check.

“Good evening, Master Darius,” they said in unison which was creepy as fuck, then they moved to open the gates.

I guessed old Uncle Lionel had upped security on the place. And if you were planning world domination, I supposed watching your back was a sensible move. I wished he wouldn’t though, then I could drive a draining dagger into his heart. It would be pretty difficult to land the hit though, considering it must have been about the size of a Tiberian Rat shit.

My heart pounded to a war beat as we walked up the long driveway side by side. I’d been here so many times in my life, but never with so much apprehension as now.

My hands were balled into fists by the time we reached the huge wooden door and Darius reached out to rest a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll be with you.”

I turned to him with a razor sharp lump in my throat, gratitude spilling through me though I wasn’t able to find the words to voice it before the doors pulled open before us. Jenkins bowed low, ushering us inside with murmured pleasantries and I pushed a hand into my pocket, winding my fingers around Clara’s charm bracelet and trying to draw an ounce of hope from it.

Footsteps caught my ear and my gaze caught on Xavier at the top of the sweeping staircase in his sweats.

“Fuck, it’s good to see you both,” he said, taking a step down the stairs before hesitating.

“And you, Xavier, how are you?” I called.

“Master Xavier has decided to stay in his room for the night,” Jenkins said, looking to him with barely concealed irritation. It was obvious he’d decided no such thing, but I could take a pretty good guess at who had commanded him to.

“Go back to your room,” Darius encouraged, a note of worry in his voice. He didn’t want Lionel showing up and finding his youngest son ignoring orders, though it felt good to see him pushing back. “We’ll come see you before we leave.”

Xavier nodded, shooting a glare at Jenkins before heading off back down the hall.

“This way, Master Darius, Mr Orion.” Jenkins murmured, leading us to the smoking room before scurrying away.

Inside, Lionel was standing beside the fireplace and I had to double take the woman beside him, expecting it to be Catalina. But it wasn’t. My sister wore a low-cut black dress that hugged her figure and made the shadows stand out in her eyes.

A breath snagged in my lungs a second before she rushed at me, sprinting with the full speed of our Order. Darius cried out as I braced to meet her, but before I could do anything to protect myself, the weight of the shadows immobilised my body, my arms locking against my sides as Clara crashed into me. Fuck!

“Clara!” Lionel barked a warning as I feared for my life, hunting for any signs of my sister in her eyes as she threw her arms around me, making my back slam into the door.

“Baby brother!” she cried, lunging toward my face and I snarled in warning a second before her lips stamped to my cheek. Then my forehead, my nose, my eyes. My breathing came raggedly as I searched her face, pain slicing me apart. Is it her?

“Clara, do you really know me?” I breathed, hope making my heart lift.

She stepped back, peering into my eyes as she batted her lashes. Everything about her was so familiar and yet terrifyingly alien. Her face was hers, and yet it wasn’t. Her cheeks were hollow where they’d once been full and her eyes…they were tainted by an ever-swirling sea of darkness. She released me from the shadows and a beat of strained silence stretched between us. I had to take a chance, had to be fearless.

I dug into my pocket, silent as I took her hand and placed the charm bracelet in it, aware we had an audience. And aware my sanity was taking a dive right now. But it was the only plan I had.

“Do you remember this?” I whispered, wishing we could have a moment alone as Lionel’s shadow drew ever closer.

Darius wasn’t moving in the corner of my eye and I had a feeling Clara was holding him in check with the shadows too. And that made my confidence waver.

“So pretty,” she breathed, turning it over in her palm. “Is it for me?” She glanced up with hope in her gaze and my neck prickled.

“It’s yours already. I kept it for you.”

She held out her wrist so I could put it on and I did so, my lips firming into a tight line as I waited for some recognition to cross her features.

“This one’s yours,” she gasped suddenly, taking the Orion constellation charm between her fingers. “And this one’s for Dad.” She brushed her thumb over the silver willow tree.

My throat thickened as I nodded, my heart pounding solidly in my ears.

She looked up again with tears brimming in her eyes and for a moment she was just my sister again. The girl who’d played Vampires and Werewolves with me when we were kids. Who I’d held when she’d fallen and scuffed her knees. Who I would have done anything for.

She blinked and that girl was gone, a disturbing grin pulling at her mouth. “Oh Lancey it’s beautiful!” She turned, spinning towards Lionel and draping her arms around his neck as she dangled her wrist in front of his face. “Look what my little brother brought for me.”

“I’m speechless,” Lionel deadpanned, his eyes on me. “We won’t be having any trouble now will we, Lance?”

“No trouble,” I said in a growl that wasn’t entirely convincing.

Clara waved a hand and Darius let out a heavy breath as he was released from her spell, marching to my side in solidarity.

“Clara was quite famished when she returned from the Shadow Realm,” Lionel said, an edge to his tone. “It’s a pity you didn’t think to include me in your plans to rescue her then perhaps things wouldn’t have been so…messy. It’s almost as though you didn’t want me to find out.”

I didn’t answer, because he knew the truth. I wasn’t going to lie to his face and make up some bullshit story that we hadn’t gone behind his back and wielded the shadows to bring Clara home. I was already in his shit books. And I didn’t think I’d be getting out of them any time soon.

“Stop being so pouty everyone,” Clara demanded, combing her fingers lovingly through Lionel’s hair and chills ran through my body.

Please tell me this is not fucking happening.

My suspicions were horribly confirmed as Lionel’s arm wound possessively around Clara’s small waist, tugging her against his hip.

Rage flashed white hot beneath my skin and my upper lip peeled back on a snarl before I could even think about stopping it. Lionel eyed me with his Dragon form flickering behind his eyes, a dangerous glint to them.

“You understand the pull of a Guardian bond,” Lionel said, almost mockingly. He was goading me and I wasn’t Fae enough not to rise to it.

“What exactly do you mean by that?” I hissed, my shoulders squaring as my gaze dragged over his hands where they touched her.

Darius caught my arm as I stepped forward but I jerked out of his hold, my lungs heaving as I waited for the axe to fall.

“Oh dear,” Clara said in a sing-song voice that didn’t sound like her at all. “Are you upset about mine and Daddy’s little affair, Lancey? We can’t help it. It’s love.”

“Get your hands off of her!” I pointed in Lionel’s face, knowing I was asking for a world of hell, but fuck him. Fuck this son of a bitch for laying a finger on my sister.

“Watch your tone, boy,” Lionel snapped. “You need to get used to the way things are now. And frankly, you should be on your knees begging for my forgiveness after the stunt you pulled bringing her back without telling me.”

I caught Clara’s arm, trying to pull her away from him and Darius fisted a hand in the back of my shirt to try and stop me. I threw a blast of air at Lionel, making him stumble away and the look in his eyes in response was pure murder. He came at me like a beast, catching hold of my throat with a palm that was scalding. My flesh seared and I hissed between my teeth as Clara locked down my body with the shadows, not letting me fight back. And that hurt more than anything else she’d done so far.

“Father, let him go,” Darius demanded, but Lionel ignored him.

“Monster,” I spat in his face.

“You raise your voice to me again, Lance, and I’ll show you just how much of a monster I can be,” he snarled then threw me to the ground with a blast of air. His shiny shoe slammed down on my chest to keep me there and I stared up at him with hatred seeping through every pore in my body. “Clara is with me now. Get used to it. She protects me as you protect my son.”

“I might protect him, but I don’t fuck him!” I roared and he stole the air from my lungs with a swipe of his hand.

He leaned down, a sneer pulling at his features. “I don’t care what you do with him so long as he stays out of trouble. You will not comment on mine and Clara’s relationship again, are we clear?”

The seconds ticked by, turning to a minute, two. I fought for air, starting to convulse beneath him as his shoe pressed harder down on my chest.

“Father,” Darius growled. “Enough.”

“I’ll decide what’s enough,” Lionel purred, a hint of pleasure flitting through his gaze as he watched me suffer beneath him. This was what he lived for. He was a fucking sadist.

When I was about to black out, he stepped away from me and released his hold on my lungs. I gasped heavily, clutching at my chest as I struggled to get enough air down. Darius dropped to my side, worry lining his features as he subtly released healing magic into my body.

“Get up. Move. We have guests waiting in the ballroom. This talk is over. Take this as a warning. But remember, Lance Orion, I can find another Guardian for Darius if needs be. And I am running out of patience with you,” Lionel hissed and Clara giggled as they headed away toward the ballroom.

“Fuck him,” I rasped as Darius helped me to my feet.

“Yeah,” he agreed in a low tone. “But don’t piss him off again, Lance. He follows through with his threats and I can’t lose you.” His brows pulled together and I sighed, pressing my forehead to his.

“You won’t,” I swore, trying to swallow down the bitterness in my mouth at knowing Lionel Acrux was screwing my damn sister. Fuck fuck fuck.

“Come on,” Darius sighed and I followed him from the room with a heart that felt as heavy as lead.

We entered the party from hell in the ballroom as I fought to keep my composure. The vast hall was thronging with Lionel’s family and followers and Catalina was floating amongst them in a dress that showed off her fake tits like a trophy display as she made polite chit-chat with her guests.

“Oh fuck my life,” Darius said under his breath just before Mildred Canopus stepped out of the crowd in a vivid pink dress and hurried toward him with open arms.

“Snookums!” she exclaimed, drawing attention from everyone nearby and they turned, smiling serenely like they were witnessing a true display of love.

She wrapped her muscular arms around Darius’s neck and he placed a hand on her back, the low cut of it meaning he touched bare, mole-ridden flesh with little hairs sprouting between his fingers. Call me an asshole, but she was one serious dog of a girl because of all those Faeroids she took. Her frizzy brown hair had been twisted up into an elegant bun and her thick neck was adorned with a gold choker that looked like it was about to pop off and take someone’s eye out.

A few people actually clapped and one woman had the audacity to wipe a tear from under her eye as Mildred placed a kiss on Darius’s cheek. My insides churned and my muscles bunched as Darius schooled his expression, trying his best to look charmed by his horrid fiancé. If there was any justice in the world, that girl was not going to end up marrying my best friend. I’d marry him myself if that was what it took to keep him from ending up with the Ogre. I could at least have had some compassion for her if she’d had a half-decent personality. But she was vulgar and arrogant, her bulky form just an extension of her big head.

“Drinks,” I announced, dropping an arm over Darius’s shoulders and not entirely subtly elbowing Mildred in the tit as I stole him away with a spurt of Vampire speed. I didn’t care who I pissed off tonight. I was not in the mood to be fucked with.

I found us a waiter and snatched two glasses of champagne from it, holding one out to Darius.

“Thanks,” he said, shuddering before draining the drink in one while I mimicked him, my eyes latching onto Clara again as Lionel introduced her to his guests.

My gaze hooked on the bracelet around her wrist with a tide of sadness in my chest threatening to overwhelm me. What should I do now? One moment she’d almost seemed like herself and the next, she’d been a stranger. And a psychotic one at that. But if that single flash of her I’d seen in her eyes had been real, that meant she was in that body somewhere, drowning in the shadows, her morals crushed, her inhibitions stolen. And Lionel was taking full advantage of that.

“Evening, sweetie,” my mother’s voice dripped through me like melting ice and I turned to find her directing a sugary smile at me.

“Stella,” I said curtly.

She was wearing a grey silk dress, her ebony hair quaffed stylishly and her lips painted blood red like she’d just finished feasting on someone’s neck.

“You must be so glad to have your daughter back, Aunt Stella,” Darius said in a mocking tone. “Or do you miss being Father’s number one bit on the side?”

“Keep your voice down,” she hissed, casting a silencing bubble around us. “Are you going to let him talk to your mother like that, Lance?”

“I don’t tell Darius what to do,” I said hollowly. “And if I did, I certainly wouldn’t go to the bother of telling him not to speak to you like trash. Not when you’ve proved time and again that’s what you are.” I kept a mean as fuck smile on my face while I spoke to her. It was strange to think I’d ever held any love in my heart for this woman. That I could be related to her at all. I wasn’t a good man, but I wasn’t a deadened lump of coal either. No, that special kind of coldness was saved just for mother dearest.

“How can you say such things to me?” She pouted and I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t turn on the waterworks,” I growled. “I have zero tolerance for it.”

Stella clucked her tongue angrily then stalked away and I hoped she didn’t plan on coming back for the rest of the night. If she tried to manipulate me with crying one more time in my life, I was not going to be responsible for my actions. I would have thought she’d realised that bullshit didn’t work on me by now. But apparently I was going to be subjected to it forevermore.

“Heads up,” Darius murmured and I turned to find Catalina approaching us. Her eyes were glued to Darius and she moved quickly toward him, wrapping him in her arms.

“How are you?” she breathed and I swear there was more emotion in her plastic face than I’d ever seen before.

“Fine,” he said, squeezing her formally then stepping back.

Catalina reached out to caress his face then gave me a warm smile. Like, one that wasn’t made of stone. And I frowned as she patted my arm then walked away. She didn’t even try to flirt with me like she usually did – thank the stars. I’d spent way too many hours in the company of Catalina while she talked on auto-pilot, whispering compliments in my ear. And always the same ones too, just to drive me to complete insanity. Handsome, enamouring, lovely, powerful. And sometimes she’d throw in unbelievable and sexy too, just to really make my blood curdle.

“She seems to be in a good mood,” I muttered, swapping our empty glasses for full ones as a waiter glided by.

“Maybe father gave her a shot of lightning from his collection to get her heart beating again.”

I chuckled. “Is he still receiving lightning jars from Dante Oscura?” I asked. The storm Dragon from Alestria was a friend of mine, especially so because he hated Lionel’s guts as much as I did.

“Every month,” Darius said with a tut. “Speak of the devil.”

I glanced over my shoulder, spotting Dante muscling through the crowd. He was a huge man with dark hair and equally dark eyes, his shirt untucked and a gold chalice in his hand which he’d gotten from the stars only knew where. I smirked at him, moving forward to embrace him and clapping him on the back. At least there was one good thing about this party.

“Good evening, fratelli,” he said in his Faetalian accent before embracing Darius. “You two look as miserable as a fucking Pegasus shitting rainbows.”

“You’re telling me you’re enjoying this shit show?” I asked and his smile withered away.

“About as much as I enjoy getting fucked up the ass with a spiky dildo.”

“Which you’ve no doubt tried, you kinky fucker,” Darius jested and Dante laughed.

“No one goes near my ass with anything. Rule number one of my marriage.” He glanced over his shoulder with a groan as Darius’s older cousin, Juniper, came swooping towards us, guiding her three kids along too. She wore a spangly orange dress which showed off her fake cleavage and clashed with her equally orange hair.

“There you are, my big Dragon boy,” she said brightly. “The kids have missed you.”

Dante scruffed their hair vaguely. “Have you been good girls?” he asked.

“They’re boys,” Juniper said sharply and Dante swigged from his chalice. If I hadn’t known that Lionel had forced him to father these three little brats in the hopes of adding a collection of Storm Dragons to his family – psycho that he was – I might have felt sorry for them. Except for the fact that they had trust funds the size of the Wingolian Canyon and I’d seen the oldest one eating worms last summer while the other two watched.

Suffice to say, they were the sort of kids who could turn you off having one of your own. But the fact that Dante took zero interest in them was a little strange. He wasn’t the type to ditch out on his family. In fact, as a Dragon born of Werewolves he had so many cousins, siblings, aunts and uncles that he always made time for, I couldn’t really understand why he didn’t include these three boys too.

As far as I understood it, he’d made some deal with Lionel to father these kids to get him off his back. Not that I was meant to know that. But Dante trusted me and Darius enough to share the truth. It wasn’t like we were in a position to do anything about it. Though hell if Lionel didn’t have a lot to answer for. And one day soon, I was going to ensure he bled for it all.

“Right yeah, Jason, Jiles and Jax, isn’t it?” Dante asked like he genuinely didn’t know and genuinely didn’t care.

“Bertie, Escobar and Hubert,” Juniper corrected.

“Mother says you’re a drunk and a philanderer,” the oldest one piped up and Juniper clapped him over the head.

“Did she now?” Dante looked to Juniper with electricity crackling around him. I’d seen him use his storm powers before and he was not a man to be messed with.

Before she could try to explain herself, someone dinged a glass with a spoon and all eyes turned to Lionel as he prepared to make a speech.

Silence fell and I turned to face the bane of my life, wondering what wonderful things he had to say to the room.

“Good evening family and friends,” Lionel said warmly. “Tonight we are here to celebrate the return of a long lost family member, Clara Orion. After she went missing years ago, we have never stopped worrying about her and I am nearly brought to tears to announce that she has finally come home.” He looked about as close to crying as I was to shitting my pants.

Applause rang out and Clara bowed dramatically before wrapping her arms around Stella. Lionel gave no more explanation about her whereabouts, but I had no doubt a well thought out story would be filling the newspapers tomorrow morning. “Secondly, I would like to address the news this week that the Vega twins have announced their intention to claim the throne of Solaria.”

Tension rippled through the room and my hand tightened around my glass.

“I want to assure you that the two girls who have been living in the mortal realm their entire lives are spouting nothing but pretty, hopeful words. As much as I wish them my best, there is little to no reason to think they could pose any real threat to the throne at all. Tomorrow, I will be meeting with the other Celestial Councillors to discuss our sons’ coming ascension and we will start to prepare them for their eventual takeover of our four seats. The ones we have held peacefully since the rule of the Vegas’ cruel and merciless father, the Savage King.”

A smattering of applause filled the air and I shared a look with Darius. Lionel was planning no such thing. He was going to steal the throne right out from under them and force the whole world to bow. Including every single person in this room.

“As a show of good faith, my very own daughter-in-law to be, Mildred Canopus, has offered to run a club for those in support of the Heirs at Zodiac Academy to ensure the true next in line are given the encouragement they deserve from their peers.”

Mildred moved up beside him and Lionel wrapped his arm around her meaty shoulders. “She will ensure the society is run smoothly and help quiet the rumours amongst those doubters who have sadly been conned by the Vegas into believing they really could pose a challenge to our wonderful Heirs.”

Another round of applause and I was about ready to puke.

“Where is my boy?” Lionel called, a fake as fuck cheery look on his face.

Darius painted on a smile as he moved to join his father and Dante inched closer to me.

“Does this look as fake to you as it does to me?” he murmured so only I could hear.

“Faker,” I growled in agreement.

“Lionel’s up to something, right?” Dante breathed and I glanced at him before nodding. “I do hope you have a plan.”

“Sort of,” I muttered.

“If you ever need a hand, you know where to find me,” he said with a serious look, his eyes flashing with lightning for a moment.

A chant started up in the room as everyone sang kiss kiss kiss kiss. And I looked to Darius as Lionel pushed him firmly towards Mildred, my heart shrivelling for him.

He leaned in and pecked her quickly, but Mildred snared his head in her hands, pressing her pink-lipsticked lips – complete with carefully combed moustache – right against his mouth. If anyone noticed him bristling, they didn’t mention it as they parted and photographers snapped pictures of him with lipstick smeared across his mouth. And no doubt a few stray hairs too.

I clenched my jaw and nodded to Dante. “I might just take you up on that one day.”

“Just say the word,” he breathed. “You know the rest of my family will help too.”

“Will you be attending the Aurora versus Zodiac game?” I asked, hoping I could get a chance to talk with him when we weren’t in a house full of our murderous enemies.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. My cousin Rosa’s gonna kick ass.” He winked, polishing off his beer and looking like he was ready to make his escape from funsville. “See you soon, mio amico.”

Darius made it back to me and we glanced around the hall at the party goers. “I think we can make our escape now,” he said and I gave Clara one last lingering look before nodding my agreement.

“Let’s check in on Xavier before we get the fuck out of here,” I said, not wanting to hang around, but I worried about that kid. He was basically Lionel’s prisoner these days. And I knew Darius lost sleep over it. Besides, he could use the company for a while.

“Definitely,” he said eagerly. “At least Father’s still hiding him and not forcing him to endure this slice of hell.”

I patted him on the back with a heavy sigh as we made a passage towards the door and I swear I could only breathe easily once I got out of that room of pretentious, primped pricks. I just wished I could pluck my sister out from amongst them and take her somewhere safe. Somewhere I could try and fight the darkness that had her in a cage. I just hoped it was the type of cage I was able to break her out of. Because I couldn’t let myself accept the alternative.