Zodiac Academy 7: Heartless Sky

I paced my room, pondering the meaning of all things as I tapped the shadow spyglass in my palm, enjoying the satisfying thwack the eyeball made within it every time I shook it hard enough. 

The thing was a tricksome beast which had already tried to crawl into my face thrice when I worked to contain it within this night iron – a metal specifically designed to hurt nymphs, targeting the shadows and nullifying them – but now that I had it properly contained, I had nothing to fear.

And yet that hadn’t brought us any closer to our goal and I had taken this one challenge upon myself because I knew in the bottom of my beetroots that we would never win this war without succeeding in this endeavour.

We needed to get our sticky fingers on a map of espial to be able to use this dastardly eye to track down the rifts. But the darn things were rarer than a Dragon’s uterus these days and there were only five known to be in existence, all of which were owned and heavily guarded by the FIB. 

Just thinking of those dastardly Daniels got my crockpot boiling at the knowledge that they were still following that false filibuster of a king and doing his bidding no matter how nefarious his intentions were. They really made my gobble wobble and I was determined to snaffu one of those maps of espial right out of their hands at the soonest opportunity.

The problem was, dear, sweet, flappy Gabriel had only managed to see one of the maps which was held by the highest division of the FIB and every plan we had come up with to claim it had ended with him foreseeing our failure. And death. Much death. Honestly the little nutmuffin had looked quite aghast at that vision and I’d firmly suggested he go for a lie down to get over it much to his refusal. But he really had looked like a wet Sally and I’d needed him gone so I’d wafted him on his way all the same.

It really was one big hairy Dragon nut to crack, and I was just tooting my horn over the time we were still wasting while we tried to come up with a plan that wouldn’t fail.

A knock at the door sounded and I sighed, moving to open it and tossing the spyglass down on my comforter, the eyeball bouncing around in it like a moist ping-pong ball in a tumble dryer.

“Hey there, sugartoot,” Papa said kindly, knocking his knuckles against my chin. “Are you ready?”

“Oh, heavens have mercy,” I gasped but I followed him out into the hallway all the same. Because I may not have been able to get my deft hands upon a map of espial to help my queens locate the shadow rifts and bring down that conniving crumb, Lavinia, but I could make amends with my intended. Though I could admit to myself that I was loath to do so.

Papa gave me a look from the corner of his eye as we walked, his assessing gaze making me all cumbersome and I tripped over my own feet, only saving myself a fall onto my petunia as he caught hold of my elbow and righted me.

“You know, if this betrothal no longer suits you-” he began, but I cut him off with a gasp.

“Sweet sourcrout whatever gave you that idea?” I gasped.

“Well, I’m not blind, honeybutton, I see the looks you share with the Rigel chap and I know he has a dastardly opinion about the throne, but perhaps that’s not such a bother. It is clear our ladies will rise regardless and once he has been cowed down by the sweet and stern hand of fate, he may become a suitable match for you.”

“But what of Justin?” I cried. ‘Poor, sweet, foolish Justin who was so wrongfully accused? What kind of lady am I if I do not return to him now after all he has suffered?”

“Popkins…”

“No. I cannot waver on this,” I replied firmly, though my bottom lip did quiver some and as we turned into the tunnel where Justin’s cell was housed, he let the subject drop like a leaf into a well.

It wasn’t just my own lady whims which held me to this engagement, it was my dear momsy too. Upon her deathbed, when the cruel and long-lasting Faeitis had eaten into her bones and stolen her away from us upon the wings of the star-guided nightjar, she had asked me to always stick to my word. For there was nothing worse in my sweet Mama’s eyes than a tongue which spoke in reverie of one snowbell, only to pick another. She was the epitome of a loyal, faithful woman, my guiding star in all the years since she had passed beyond the Veil into the arms of our shining fate-weavers. And if I were to go back on my word to Justin, what would she think of me?

Papa hurried forward, unlocking his cell door and releasing Justin, apologising to him and explaining the fact that another body had been discovered while I lingered in the wings like a fart no one had noticed yet. But as his gaze rose to meet mine, I knew the stench of betrayal had found him.

“Oh sweet salamanders,” I said. “Can you ever forgive me for believing you capable of such heinous and brutal acts?”

Justin’s brows arched in surprise, his simple face a picture of confusion as he found himself free, Papa removing the magic restricting cuffs that had been used to contain him with a key from his pocket.

“Did you catch the real culprit?” he asked, not answering my question and I sucked in a shameful breath as I shook my head.

“Whatever will it take to earn your forgiveness?” I begged of him and he blushed a little as his gaze dropped to the bounty of my bosoms, letting me know he desired a reward of the flesh.

“Bagels!” I cried, so loud that Papa darn near fell over and Justin flinched. “This man needs a bagel if ever I saw a man in need of one.”

I turned sharply and hurried away, hearing Justin’s footsteps hounding me as my ears burned with the terrifying prospect of allowing him to water my lawn.

I ran like a peacock on a tennis court, leading him to the dining hall where I bellowed at everyone in attendance to applaud him and apologise for ever doubting his stalwart heart before escaping through the crowd to the kitchens.

A sob caught in my throat as I began to prepare the dough, beating it like a lizard on a tumbleweed as I worked to create my signature bagels. But today’s batch were sure to be a failure. Because my tears were going to add more salt than a barracuda with a bum rash and there wouldn’t be a Fae who ate them who didn’t know the truth soon.

“Gerry?” 

My heart stilled at the sound of that voice and I sucked in a sharp breath, freezing where I was and wondering if I hadn’t just conjured the idea of him into my mind.

“Gerry, talk to me.”

I felt him at my back even before he touched me, his hands finding my forearms and sliding down my skin until his fingers met with mine and he began to guide me in the dance of kneading the dough.

“I can feel your heart breaking,” he murmured in my ear and I heaved another sob as I closed my eyes and leaned back against him, focusing on the feeling of the dough between our fingers and his chest pressed to my back

“Who am I if I am not a lady of my word?” I asked, feeling the heat of his breath on my neck like a dawn crested feather spinning through the air.

“You’re Geraldine Grus,” he replied. “And you’re fucking everything to me.”

My fluttering heart free fell to my nether regions at those words and I broke for him, opening up like an egg cracking apart and offering him a view of my yolky insides.

“But you are a cad and I am a lady,” I breathed. “We are as unlikely as a fish and a dandelion finding truest love.”

“Well this fish would grow legs and crawl from the water to sit with you, dandelion.”

My throat bobbed and my fingers stilling in the dough. 

“And what if the wind blows and my seeds take flight?” I murmured.

“Then I would grow wings and follow you to the moon,” he replied. “Because nothing in this world means more to me than you do, Gerry. And there are no differences we can’t overcome to be together.”

I turned my head, my eyes cracking open and swimming with tears that revealed a watery view of his handsome face. 

“Then meet me on the moon,” I breathed, agreeing to something I knew I shouldn’t and parting my lips for the caress of his mouth. Would Mama hate me for this, would she curse my name once, twice, three times beyond the Veil and call me a tongue twizzler of a tuppence?

He kissed me like I was a hogmoth dancing in the nether breeze and I kissed him like he was a mongoose who just needed love.

It was sweet and honest and utterly ours and as our hands returned to kneading the dough, I fell into the rhythm of baking with him and together we made the butteriest bagels that I ever had made which we devoured together away from the crowd. And not a single crumb was offered to Justin’s thin lips.