Zodiac Academy 7: Heartless Sky

Darius swooped through the boundary surrounding the Burrows with Tory flying by his head and Dante circling down after us, his storm powers still rattling through the air and rain drenching us through.

Darcy and I hadn’t even bothered to shield from the drumming rain, her body wrapped around mine as we kissed, the bond still crashing through my body like the thunder in the sky. I couldn’t get enough of this girl, my fucking Elysian Mate.

A shockwave rolled through us as Darius landed and it took everything I had to part from her and climb down from his back. I tossed the tube containing the map to Tory, barking a command at her to keep it safe as she caught it and I held my arms up for Blue as she hopped down and let me catch her.

“Jesus, Dante, calm it on the rain!” Tory cried as Dante landed heavily beside Darius, electricity darting down his navy scales as he released a growling Dragon’s laugh. The two of them shifted into their Fae forms, running inside after Tory and I grabbed Blue’s hand keeping her close as we chased after them, sharing a grin at what was coming.

I pulled her inside out of the storm, finding the others drying themselves off while Darius and Dante got dressed and started talking excitedly about their flight together.

I looked down at Darcy, her nightgown now fully transparent, slick to her skin from the rain, her dark blue hair drenched and dripping. She looked hot as fuck, reminding me of the time she’d come to me in a storm back at Zodiac Academy, the night we’d crossed the most forbidden of boundaries between each other. It was so clear to me why we had never been able to stay apart from each other. We were inevitable, a fate waiting to happen. But as tempting as she looked right now, my thoughts were also starting to clear since our mating, and I realised she was not to be seen like this by anyone else.

I grabbed hold of her, threw her over my shoulder then shot away, speeding past our friends and down into The Burrows, shouting to them that we’d come see them in a bit, before running all the way back to our room where I threw her on the bed.

I cast a lock on the door and silenced that area so we wouldn’t be disturbed by anyone knocking then prowled toward her.

She looked so star damned fuckable that I buried myself in her for another twenty minutes before I allowed her to escape me. I washed us both with water magic and dried us with air, the scent of the storm leaving us at last. Then I spent the next five minutes healing every mark and bruise I’d left on her body, replacing each one with a kiss. Finally, I fetched some lacy black underwear and a long sleeved silver dress from the wardrobe and handed it to her with a grin.

“Put this on.”

“And why am I dressing up?” she laughed as she did as I said anyway, and I watched her hungrily as I grabbed some clothes for myself.

“Because I want to present you to everyone in The Burrows as my mate,” I said, raising my chin with pride and she smiled up at me, a pink blush building in her cheeks.

“But it’s the middle of the night,” she countered and I shrugged, determined of this and she bit her lip, giving in to my demands.

When she was finished dressing, I circled her, humming my approval as I buttoned up my jeans then pulled on a nice black shirt.

Darcy immediately stepped forward to do up the buttons for me and I watched her with my heart thrashing like a caged animal. When she was done, I shot to the wardrobe and grabbed a bottle of bourbon hidden in there, twisting the cap off.

“I want to drink and be fucking merry, beautiful,” I said, taking a long swig as I grinned at her. I didn’t even give a damn that we’d most likely scraped by death tonight, because it seemed the stars were on our side at last and I was wide awake and ready to fucking party.

“Then screw it, let’s be merry.” She beamed.

I snagged a pair of black heels out of the wardrobe, and gestured for Darcy to get on the bed. She watched me with amusement in her eyes, sitting down on the edge, but I pushed her to lay all the way back, sliding her heels onto her feet then leaning over her and tipping a measure of whiskey into the hollow of her neck. I licked and sucked it out then sank my tongue between her lips, giving her a taste too as a sultry moan left her.

I kissed my way to her neck, my fangs lengthening and my heart rate elevating at the thought of what I wanted.

“Bite me,” she ordered breathlessly and I did, my fangs sinking in deep, drawing a gasp from her lips as her sweet blood hit my tongue and I groaned in rapture. She wasn’t just my blood Source, she was the source of all things pure and good in my life, and I would never get enough of her taste.

Before I could get my hundredth boner of the night, I drew back and pulled her to her feet, making her twirl under my arm as I assessed her, loving the way her ass filled out that dress and the heels made her legs look extra long. I healed the mark on her neck and sucked the last of her blood off my thumb as I drew my hand away, my magic reserves swelling.

“You’re a fucking delight to behold.” I pulled her towards the door. “Are you ready to tell everyone what happened?”

“Yeah, but I think they might be pissed we disappeared,” she said, opening the door and I found myself looking at an angry Tory with her arms folded, the Heirs at her back and Geraldine pulling at her hair with anxiety.

“What the hell?” Tory demanded and Darcy rushed forward and grasped her hand.

“I’m sorry, Tor,” she said quickly.

“Why are you dressed up like that?” Tory demanded then she gasped, yanking her sister forward and gripping her whole head as she looked into her eyes. “Wait – what? Seriously!?”

“Yep,” Darcy laughed. “It happened before the FIB caught us. The fucking stars gave us our moment right outside a freaking precinct.”

“What moment is this you speak of?” Geraldine barrelled through the Heirs as they tried to get a look at Darcy and Darius muscled his way forward too, grabbing my arm and yanking me close to look into my eyes.

“Holy fuck,” he gasped then he punched me in the shoulder, making me curse before he dragged me in to a tight hug.

“Flog my seaweed sprouts!” Geraldine bellowed as she made it in front of Darcy, shaking her and starting to sob as she drooped all the way down to the floor. “By the gleam upon the moon’s rump, it cannot be! My lady Darcy has had her moment of the divine. She has been called under the stars to be bound to her Orry man!” she wailed, clawing her way up Tory’s legs as she sobbed and buried her face in Tory’s wings which were folded at her back.

Seth howled his excitement, leaping forward and snaring Darcy in a hug before coming for me like a bounding puppy, nearly falling over his own feet as he collided with me, forcing Darius aside.

I was so fucking happy that I didn’t even push him off, I just clapped him on the back and suddenly Cal slammed into me, hugging me too before him and Seth exchanged an awkward look and released me at the same time. Max stepped forward next, congratulating me before hugging Darcy tight and I realised Geraldine had fainted, her arms strewn above her head and her mouth agape where she lay on the floor.

Max snagged the bourbon from my hand, a grin on his lips. “So we’re fucking partying, right?”

“Right,” I agreed.

“Awooo!” Seth howled and I fucking howled too because why the hell not?

The Heirs joined in and Darcy and Tory did too until our voices were echoing all around the royal quarters and beyond, the sound turning to laughter. I crouched down, casting a splash of cold water against Geraldine’s face and she woke with a wail, lunging at me and wrapping her whole body around me, nearly choking me out as she sobbed.

“Oh, your curse is lifted, I no longer feel the need to look over your shoulder and imagine you are anyone else but the Power Shamed Fae you are – were!”

“What do you mean?” Darcy gasped, dropping down beside her too as she helped prise her off of me.

Geraldine wiped the tears from her eyes, clutching Darcy’s face as she stared at her Elysian rings in wonder. “My sweet, dear, queen, he has proven his worth. He has risen up the food chain like a whelk to a whale.”

“What are you saying, Geraldine?” Orion demanded.

“Don’t you see, my beautiful fanged forager?” she rasped, clasping my face with her other hand as everyone else leaned closer. “This will exonerate you. For how can you be shamed for foul-playing fornication when you have been chosen by the stars as my lady Darcy’s one true mate? No one in Solaria will question their decision. You are a fine and true steed, and you will serve my lady well, you will set the ultimate of fires in her loins, you will birth heirs born of valour and loyalty. Your story shall be made into a ditty that will be sung from every hill in Solaria.” Tears rolled down her cheeks and I looked to Darcy in shock, unsure if this was true and if I could bear getting my hopes up in case it wasn’t.

“What’s all this ruckus?” Hamish’s booming voice carried to us and everyone stepped back as I drew Geraldine to her feet and wound an arm around Darcy’s waist.

Well, I guessed this would be the test that proved it.

I looked to Hamish as he bustled along the corridor towards us in a stripey night cap and matching open-toe slippers, his chest hair peeking from beneath his gown.

“Gerrykins, move away from that Power Shamed cret-” he was about to retch when he paused in front of us, his gaze settling on my eyes then moving to Darcy’s, then back to mine.

His mouth opened and closed, gaping like a fish out of water, all words abandoning him.

“Papa, the stars have chosen our lady Darcy an Elysian Mate,” Geraldine cooed.

“Well bless my salty crackers on a bed of kale. Twist my dough balls and call me Uncle Dunberry. Tickle my turnip and bury me in a pile of battered beetroots.” Hamish reached towards my eyes like he was close to the sun and couldn’t resist a feel of it, but before he could touch me, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed to the floor in a heap.

I snorted a laugh, serving me a glare from Geraldine as she ushered Max forward to help her pull her father to his feet.

When he woke again, he lunged at me, picking me up in his huge arms and spinning me around and around.

“Oh-ho! My boy! You’re saved! Rejoice we shall! Let us sound the bells, let us ring the cherryhocker and bang the drumble to celebrate this finest of days! Oh-ho! Oh-ho!”

He placed me down and I smiled awkwardly before he lunged at Darcy, swinging her around too and Geraldine grabbed hands with Seth and Tory, forcing them to make a ring-around-the-roses circle and join hands with the others. Even Darius let himself be dragged around so it was just me, Hamish and Darcy in the middle as Hamish threw his head back and amplified his voice so it carried out through the entire Burrows.

“Rejoice – rejoice! You must awaken! It is time to celebrate this most momentous of occasions, for our Princess Darcy Vega has found her Elysian Mate!”

There was a moment of quiet then a stampede of footsteps sounded out all around the tunnels, the excited chatter of people carrying from every direction. I laughed as our friends swept us along in the direction of the dining quarters, keeping a tight hold of Darcy as our fingers threaded together. I watched her as she laughed, unable to believe the stars had really offered me her like this. I’d always known we were meant for each other, even wondered if we could be Elysian Mates, but until they’d proven me right, I had never felt worthy of her.

Now, I wore the rings which told me I was enough, that said I could give her everything she deserved, and I would honour this bond with my entire life. I would spend every day worshipping my queen, my mate, and I would know with all my soul that there was no other Fae in this world who could do a better job of that than me.

We made it into the dining quarters where Fae had already arrived, looking to us through sleepy eyes as curiosity filled their expressions.

“Joyous day!” Hamish cried. “We shall have a feast, and we shall drink until we cannot drink anymore. Come, gather, fetch whatever you can as an offering to our queen and her mate.”

The rebels ran forward to obey, looking over everyone’s heads and craning their necks to try and get a look at us both. I felt more observed than I had been the entire time I’d been here and I found I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the attention, but anything was better than being fucking Power Shamed, because with each passing glance came smiles and waves and kisses blown our way.

They were looking me in the eye and they saw someone worthy again. They saw a Fae whose status had not only been returned to him, but had just gone up the power rank several levels by being mated to a Vega princess.

Someone placed a glass in my hand and I realised the Oscura Wolves were here, led by Dante and Rosalie with bottles of Arucso wine in their grasp.

“Drink, amici. Che le stelle benedicano ogni giorno che condividi insieme,” Dante said in his native tongue, filling my glass and Darcy’s before filling a golden chalice in his hand. I didn’t know what he’d said, but I liked the sound of it, so I was happy to drink to it.

We clinked our cups to his and I gulped down the sweet wine, finding the Wolves breaking into dance as someone got music playing and the lights were turned down low.

Gabriel appeared next, clasping the back of my neck and resting his forehead to mine for a moment with a big ass smile on his face before leaning down to kiss Darcy’s cheek.

“The stars hid this from me,” he laughed. “I thought your relationship was doomed.”

“Thanks for telling us.” Darcy punched his arm and Gabriel chuckled.

“I always hoped a new path would arise for you both. I am so damn pleased.”

Leon barrelled past him, licking my whole face before descending on Darcy and I wiped the saliva off my face, not even giving a fuck about it as an Oscura Wolf filled my glass again and I took another long swig.

“I got you gifts!” Leon announced, placing a wreath of gaudy flowers around my neck with a little picture of Darcy glued to it. He placed one over Darcy’s head with a photo of me that was definitely the one posted on the Zodiac Academy website. I looked like a grumpy asshole in a suit. “I had a couple of Mindys put them together super fast, they came out great though, didn’t they?”

“Wonderful.” I plucked at the hideous thing, but didn’t bother to take it off.

“Mindys?” Seth asked in confusion as he stepped up beside me nibbling on a doughnut with his red tassled cowboy hat in place on his head. “What are they?”

“Just Fae who wanna serve me,” Leon explained simply, his eyes slipping up to the hat. “The hex hasn’t set in then yet?” He asked in a mumble.

“What?” Seth asked, clearly not hearing him.

“Nothing – ooh conga line!” Leon bounded away to join the Oscura Wolves as they lined up, grabbing Rosalie’s hips and kicking out his legs as they all started congaing around the room.

“Oh Lance,” Catalina sighed as she approached us next and I was distracted from what Leon had said. Darius’s mother took hold of mine and Darcy’s hands as she gazed between us with watery eyes. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you,” I said as Darcy moved to hug her tight and my heart squeezed with affection for Catalina. She’d become very precious to me in the time we’d spent together down here, and I couldn’t help but think of her like a parent. She drew me into her arms next, placing a kiss in my hair and I held her against me, breathing in her scent as the comfort of her aura surrounded me.

She headed off to dance with Hamish as he reappeared dressed in a brown suit with a bright pink bowtie at his throat. Most of the rebels were half dressed or in their pyjamas, joining in with the celebrations as the party quickly grew wild.

Some of the Oscura Wolves got hold of us, throwing us above their heads with air magic and bouncing us all across the heads of the crowd, Darcy’s laughter making the bond burn even brighter at how happy she was.

When we were back on our feet, we danced and danced, our friends joining us until we were surrounded by the best people I knew and had fresh drinks in our hands.

As the night wore on, and I became progressively less sober, it seemed every rebel in The Burrows wanted to come and talk to me, praising the stars for releasing me from my shame.

It was sort of a backhanded compliment, but I took it because fuck, I’d never imagined this reality existed for me. Since I’d been convicted, I’d assumed I’d cursed myself for good one way or the other. I’d sacrificed a lot that day in the name of my queen, and I had to wonder if the stars had always been planning to hand it back to me. Because as I mapped out our relationship together, I could see the tests we’d faced. From fighting to stay together even when it was against the law, to facing Seth’s wrath when he discovered us, to the day Kylie had exposed us and I’d made my choice to protect Darcy instead of dragging her down with me.

Blue had always stood against anyone who went against us, she’d even demanded I claim her in front of the world knowing my status would destroy her. And I had to think that me finally submitting to her wants and letting go of the control I’d tried to hold onto might have been the final test. I’d stood with her in this hall, declaring her as mine while she declared me as hers in return despite the fact that we knew it wouldn’t be easy, that we knew the world might turn on us. But instead of the life I’d expected to be handed because of that, the struggle of watching Darcy be ridiculed by the press, and the possibility of her losing support from her subjects, the stars had decided on a different fate for us. And hell, I hated those twinkly assholes sometimes, but their gifts certainly did go some way toward making up for their bullshit.

Darcy was pulled away from me across the room, accosted by her own swarm of rebels and I kept meeting her gaze, not even really hearing what the guy in front of me was saying.

I had trinkets, pins and badges all over me, offerings from the rebels like I was some sort of god they wanted to worship, and Darcy was gathering a large pile of gifts that seemed to be a mix of anything the rebels could come up with either with their magic or from their own possessions.

At some point Geraldine appeared with a buffet made up entirely of ring-shaped food, all of it sprayed silver, from doughnuts to bagels, party rings, to onion rings.

One of the Kipling brothers who’d worked on my court case stood near it all, looking at it in horror like it offended him somehow, but I had no idea why, though he looked more interested when a tray of large cakes were brought out which had silver rings marked on the icing.

I lost all interest as Tory appeared in front of me. She’d changed into a fitted red dress and had painted silver eyeliner onto her eyes.

“We’re playing dares,” she announced, pointing over at the Heirs and a group of the Oscuras, including Dante and Rosalie.

“Is that an invitation?” I asked, swaying a little as I stepped toward her. Oh shit, drunk feet.

She reached out, pinching both of my nipples and twisting hard enough to make me snarl. Then she turned and ran away with a wild laugh, darting back to the others and I realised I was the subject of her dare.

“Well, I’ll fucking dare you…I mean, play dares, and then you’ll see, because I’ll be the dare king-” I slurred a little then my eyes met Darcy’s again as I found her surrounded by a circle of adoring fans. She bit down on her lip and beckoned me over to her.

I shot forward, but didn’t see the table in front of me so I went flying over it, crashing to the floor and taking down three chairs with me. But I didn’t let that slow me down for long, knocking aside the hands of the people who tried to help me up as I scrambled to my feet, finding Seth sitting on a chair in front of me with a plate of food on his knees, wearing bright red cowboy boots that matched his hat.

“Where’d you get those?” I balked.

“Where’d I get what?” he frowned then barrelled on. “Oh by the way, I came up with another nickname for you: Professor Not Shamed,” he announced excitedly. “Isn’t it great?”

“No,” I grumbled. “I wanna be something good. Why do you have to bring my shame into everything, Seth. Why?”

“Because of your shame.”

I growled. “And now it’s gone. And I’m not even a professor anymore, so call me something that I am.”

Seth assessed me with narrowed eyes like he was thinking really hard on it. “Vamp-ring-eyed-drunk-asshole?”

I gave him a flat look. “I hate you.”

“Nah, you don’t. Okay, okay, I can do better. I’m gonna name you The BFV – The Big Friendly Vampire. It encompasses your bigness, your friendliness, and your Vampiness.”

“Since when am I friendly?” I scoffed, though I guessed this nickname wasn’t so bad.

“Since you cuddled me when I needed someone more than you can even imagine,” he said quietly and I stared at him in surprise as he cleared his throat. “You’re the rootinest tootinest guy I know.”

I swear for a second he had a twang of an accent about him on those final words and I frowned. Odd.

But I was too distracted by Blue again to question it as she gave me the flutter eyes and I sped away from Seth across the room to join my mate.

“Hey beautiful.” I swung her around, knocking the rebels aside as I stole her from them, tearing across the room to join our friends as I tucked her under my arm. I placed her down on a chair beside Tory as Seth came bounding over too with his plate of food in his grip. Wait, was he wearing that huge horseshoe belt a minute ago?

We all started chatting about anything and everything as we dared each other things whenever we remembered to play the game, but mostly I just soaked up the company of everyone I loved around me, feeling like nothing in the world could ruin my mood ever again.

“-but I mean hypothetically,” Max was saying across from me in the circle. “If you could have any other Order what would it be?”

“It’s an insult to the Fae realm!” Geraldine barked. “No such thing is possible and it offends my ears to even deliberate it, you scullion of a scoundrel.”

“It’s a game, Gerry,” Max said in exasperation. “It’s not real, I’m just saying if you had to.”

“Then I would be a Cerberus.” She lifted her chin with pride.

“But you are a Cerberus,” Max sighed, running a hand down his face.

“And a Cerberus I will stay,” she announced.

“Fine,” Max gave up, looking to the rest of us. “What would you all choose?”

“Pegasus,” Darius said easily. “Just to double piss off my father.”

Xavier snorted a laugh. “You’d be a shit Pegasus.”

“You’d be a shit Dragon,” Darius tossed back and they shoved each other lightly.

“I’d be a Lion Shifter,” Caleb said. “I could use their Charisma powers to form an army of servants and I’ve already got the best hair, so I’d easily fit in.”

Seth looked over at him with a small smile, but when Caleb looked back, he glanced away again and awkwardness filled the air. I was pretty sure only Darcy and I noticed it as Seth looked our way, and I had to admit I felt a bit shit for the guy.

“I’d be one of them too,” Tory agreed. “They sleep in the sun all day to recharge their power, right? That’s right up my street.”

“Lionesses tend to serve Lions though, baby,” Darius pointed out and Tory wrinkled her nose.

“Ew, I take it back,” she said quickly and Darius sniggered.

“What would you be?” I nudged Darcy and she sucked her lower lip, drawing my attention to it and making my cock twitch in response. “A fluffy little Bunny Shifter that I can put in my pocket?” I teased and she laughed, shooting me a glare as she pushed me back.

“No chance,” she growled and I could see she was a predator through and through these days. I fucking loved that about her. The sweetness on the outside hiding the wild creature within. And I enjoyed luring it out to come and play with me.

“I want to know what it’s like to be one of the animal shifters,” she decided. “Maybe something furry and vicious – like a Bear Shifter!”

“Or a Wolf,” Seth jumped in. “We could go running beneath the moon together – awooo!”

“Awoo!” Darcy answered with a laugh and I grinned at her.

“Oh what fun.” Geraldine clapped. “But by my mulberry bush, there is no true Order better suited for the queens than their rightful, honourable Order, the gallant Phoenix.”

“It’s just a game, Gerry,” Max insisted.

“And I am just a krill riding a lump of driftwood into the great beyond, Maxy boy, but a sealess plankton I can never be,” she said.

“What the hell does that mean?” Max balked and I frowned too. I had no idea what Geraldine was going on about at the best of times, let alone when I was wasted on Oscura wine.

“Tell you what I wouldn’t wanna be,” Darius said, wrinkling his nose. “A Cyclops.”

“Now, now, don’t go Order Shaming, you big Dragoon. There is merit to all Orders,” Geraldine insisted.

“I’m not against their Order, I just don’t want a bug eye,” he said.

“Oh my stars, Lance, did Francesca Sky get her bug eye out when you rammed in her backdoor?” Seth blurted and before I could cut him down to size myself, Darcy raised a hand and blasted him with water, sending him flying across the room as he howled in fright and fell down among Gabriel and his family.

I turned to Darcy, finding her expression feral and leaning forward to steal a kiss from her wild, snarly little mouth.

“There is no Fae in this world I want but you,” I said against her lips, soothing her and her shoulders relaxed.

Seth came running back over, drying himself out with air magic, his hair flying out about his shoulders as he straightened his cowboy hat and I noticed he was wearing a red leather vest, his shirt now missing and his muscles on display. Where the fuck did he get that?

“What the hell are you wearing, man?” Max asked him as he approached and Seth looked down, seeming to notice his attire for the first time.

“Woooah,” he cooed, and his jeans suddenly shifted into red leather chaps. He turned around with a gasp, shaking his butt to reveal that they were in fact assless chaps.

Caleb’s lips popped open as Seth wiggled his ass back and forth in them, admiring himself as spurs appeared on the back of his boots.

“What in tarnation is happening?” Seth said, his accent changing once more to something more country and he touched a hand to his mouth in shock. “Did you hear that?”

Leon hurried over through the crowd as he spotted Seth, laughing his ass off and smacking him on the back. “It got you!”

“What got me?” Seth asked in confusion.

“The hat. The guy who owned it was a Bull Shifter named Bo Vine. He had one dying wish and it got trapped in this hat when he went out of this world, trampled by his own Cow harem when they were startled by a roaming Lion Shifter.” He shook his head sadly. “Tragic.”

“Was the Shifter you?” I deadpanned and Leon looked to me, aghast.

“What are you implying? That I crept onto Bo’s land to steal his special leather hat and accidentally killed him?” Leon gasped.

“Yes, that’s precisely what I’m implying,” I said and he held a hand to his heart like I’d wounded it.

“Lance Orion, you have no proof and nothing to go on. I don’t know anything about Bo’s death, but I do know he was a mean asshole who liked to shoot pigeons from his window and once got arrested for molesting a drainpipe. So are we sorry he’s dead? Are we? Or is that unknown, nameless Lion a hero?”

I gave him a flat look as the Heirs sniggered.

“I think I suit this look.” Seth continued to wiggle his ass. “Can I keep all of it?” He looked to Leon with big eyes, but Leon shook his head seriously.

“Bo breathed his final wish on his dying breath – not that I was there to hear it – but apparently, he said he always wanted to ride a Pegasus in his finest red leather attire, and sing Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex as loud as he could.” Leon frowned at Seth. “And if you don’t live out his wish the leather will bind to your skin, turn to acid and melt away your bones.”

“Ah!” Seth yelped and Caleb shot to his side, reaching for the hat.

“Take it off,” Caleb growled, but Leon shoved him back with a cry before he could get hold of it.

“No! The wish must be fulfilled!” Leon yelled. “If you take any of the clothes off, you’ll set off the curse and the leather will bind to your-”

“My skin. Got it,” Seth ground out. “So what do I do?”

“Fulfil Bo’s wish,” Leon breathed mysteriously, pointing dramatically at Xavier who sighed, getting to his feet.

“Come on then.” Xavier started stripping and Seth hurried forward, hitching a leg up over his hip before he’d even shifted, his ass cheek popping fully out the side of the chaps.

“Dude.” Xavier batted him away. “Gimme a sec.”

Seth whimpered as he stepped back, waiting as Xavier leapt forward and shifted into his Pegasus form, and Seth hurried forward to climb onto his back.

Tory ran over to the Oscuras who were playing the music, speaking with them and a second later Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex started playing and Xavier took off, flying over us as a lasso popped into existence in Seth’s hand and he started swinging it as he belted out the lyrics like his life depended on it – which I guessed it did come to think of it.

I glanced at Darcy as she cracked up beside me, snorting a laugh myself at the ridiculousness of this situation. Tory came jogging back to our group, laughing at Seth as he circled above and dropping back into her seat.

“Will that shit really burn his skin off?” I asked Leon as he stepped closer to us, grinning from ear to ear.

“Yep,” he said. “I wear the hat on my birthday every year. I swear I can hear Bo singing along too from the grave. You could say I gave him the greatest gift a person can give someone.”

“What, death?” I asked.

“Oh Lance,” Leon laughed, heading back off into the crowd as Xavier came down to land and Seth slid off his back, his clothes returning to normal as he pulled the hat off.

“I think I wanna do it again,” Seth said, slowly lifting the hat up to his head like he was going to put it back on.

Caleb shot to his side and ripped the hat out of his grip, burning it to dust in his hand and walking back to his seat without a word, leaving Seth staring after him in confusion.

“Let’s do some more dares,” Xavier suggested as he shifted back into his Fae form, and pulled his clothes on.

Tyler and Sofia hurried over from the buffet, handing him a plate of food and offering him kisses that he accepted with a smug grin on his face. It was cute to see him so content within his herd at last, a natural order found between them.

Gabriel swooped over on his wings, landing behind Xavier and leaning down to speak in his ear. “You still owe me, kid, so I will make the dare, and you will pull it off.”

Xavier jumped in alarm, looking up at him with a whinny of apology in his throat.

“Alright, alright,” he agreed and Gabriel smiled satisfactorily and leaned down to whisper something in his ear.

Xavier neighed a laugh then nodded his agreement, jumping up and heading off to do whatever Gabriel had asked. My Nebular Ally moved to sit on my other side, smiling at me in a way that said he was as drunk as I was.

“Hey, Professor, check this out.” Tyler tossed me his Atlas and I caught it out of the air before it hit me in the face, arching a brow at him.

“I’m not your professor,” I corrected.

“But you still teach us shit.” Tyler frowned like he couldn’t get his head around that.

“That’s different,” I said dismissively.

“How?” he demanded, ever the fucking earwig in my ear.

“Because it is, Corbin,” I barked, on the verge of stealing house points when I got hold of my tongue to stop myself and Tyler laughed at me.

“Such a professor,” he muttered and I sighed, looking down at the Atlas he’d passed me as Darcy leaned closer to read the article on the screen.

Lance Orion is exonerated by the stars!

A miraculous night has turned into a miraculous dawn for a former professor at Zodiac Academy and once popular rising Pitball star, Lance Orion, after he was called beneath the stars with none other than Darcy Vega in a Divine Moment set to rock the nation. When the question of fate was asked of them, they leapt eagerly into each other’s arms, only to find themselves surrounded by the FIB, stunned and apprehended.

The two lovers with silver rings in their eyes were dragged mercilessly into a cell under the false king’s orders. But all was not lost as a gallant breakout occurred and they made their escape from certain death before the Dragon King could arrive to no doubt execute them both.

The revelation comes alongside a story that will shock Solaria and leave them swooning over the star-bound couple who have fought through thick and thin to be together. After battling their feelings for one another at Zodiac Academy, they eventually gave in to their star-driven urge to be together. However, the law which kept Lance Orion from claiming a student as his partner eventually caught up on them and Orion was taken to court for his crime after Kylie Major reported them to the FIB.

But as the truth is unveiled now, we discover the story he spoke upon the stand was none other than a lie to protect the woman he loved, and save her from disgrace by claiming that he Dark Coerced her into having relations with him. A lie which shackled him to a twenty five year sentence in Darkmore Penitentiary and left him Power Shamed and ruined beyond all shadow of a doubt. And yet, today we learn of the great and unimaginable sacrifice he made for the Vega princess to keep her name clear by placing a burden upon himself that some would shudder to even consider.

Since his escape from house arrest at The Palace of Souls, he has been subjected to the full weight of that shaming, his name dragged through the mud time and again while the Fae around him shunned and ridiculed him. But now in a wild twist of fate, the stars have placed a bond upon him and his one true love, lifting the shame from his soul and shining a light on him for all he sacrificed for his Elysian Mate.

Darcy Vega was available for comment, stating that ‘Lance is the most devoted, noble and selfless man I have ever met, and I am privileged to be his Elysian Mate’. She also said ‘he holds a value to me that’s worth more than the sun itself, and I will spend my entire life loving him as he deserves to be loved’.

I looked up at that, finding Darcy beaming at me, her eyes bright and full of emotion as a lump rose in my throat.

“You said that?” I asked and she nodded, leaning in to kiss my cheek softly.

“I meant every word,” she swore and I stared at her, speechless before looking to Tyler.

“I was hoping to get a comment from you,” Tyler asked. “So I can get it published by the morning.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I said, slumping back in my seat and running a hand over my hair, at a loss, my mind still processing that this was really happening.

I was free of my shame, I had the most unbelievably astounding girl as my Elysian Mate and now the whole world was going to know I wasn’t some monster who’d abused her.

“Yes you do.” Gabriel murmured to me, a knowing look in his eyes and I breathed a laugh as the words came to me.

Tyler tapped on his Atlas as I spoke, jotting them down as I said the only thing I could really say, “I’m the luckiest man in the whole fucking world.”