Zodiac Academy 2: Ruthless Fae

MONDAY NIGHT MARKED our first Astrology Class in the Earth Observatory. And it didn’t start until eight o’clock. I was distracted during my Liaison while Orion sat across his desk from me, attempting to explain Nymph anatomy in greater detail while I tried not to wonder what those lips would feel like against more places than my neck.

I bet his kisses taste like bourbon and power.

“Miss Vega?”

I blinked, snapping myself out of my latest dirty daydream as Orion rose from his seat.

“Time’s up,” he answered my questioning expression. “I’m so glad I didn’t waste my time tonight. You’ve been listening so attentively.” His narrowed eyes told me that was sarcasm and I gave him an apologetic grin. Well I had fun anyway.

I gathered up my bag, wishing I could head back to my room, have a shower and change out of this uniform. But according to the email I’d received when the class had been added to my timetable, we had to turn up dressed in the Zodiac uniform even for lessons after hours.

“I’ll walk you back to your House,” Orion said. “And maybe on the way you can tell me exactly what you’ve spent the last hour thinking about.” He strode toward the door with a smirk and I followed him across the room, my heart pitter-pattering.

“No thanks, I’ve got Astrology now, sir,” I said, saying absolutely nothing more about my daydreams. Those can never see the light of day.

“Then I’ll take you to Earth Observatory.” Orion stepped out into the hall, waiting for me as I followed.

I frowned at him. “I think I can manage a ten minute walk alone.”

“Well I’m heading in that direction anyway so we may as well go together.” Orion headed off and I fell into step beside him, fighting an eye-roll.

We headed onto the path beyond Jupiter Hall and a yawn pulled at my mouth as we turned in the direction of Earth Observatory. Students were spilling out of The Orb heading back to their Houses, but I wasn’t jealous. Despite the long-ass day I’d had, I was excited to attend my first ever Astrology class. Supposedly our schedule was going to fill up even more once we passed The Reckoning. Or if we passed it. God I hope we do. We might end up back in Chicago after all. Even Darius’s gold doesn’t make me feel much better about that.

I spent most of my free time practising Elemental magic with Tory and the others in preparation for the exam. Orion was still refusing to teach us anything practical in class, and I half wondered if his vague promises of practical lessons would really ever come to fruition.

I stole a look at him as we walked in perfect silence, finding it surprisingly not awkward. I noticed the deep set of his eyes, the way his shoulders were slightly tense and his fingers were flexing a little.

“Are you expecting an ambush?” I teased and he glanced my way, his expression deadly serious.

“You should always expect an ambush, Miss Vega.”

“Oh,” I breathed, figuring he was probably right considering the way the Fae world carried on. I’d not really thought about what it might be like to live somewhere beyond the walls of the Academy. Would it be just as cut-throat out there as it was in here?

“Darcy!” Sofia’s voice caught my attention and I spotted her up ahead with Diego, standing outside the observatory. She beckoned me over and I stopped walking, looking to Orion to say goodbye. He turned to me too and a strange energy passed between us as we simply stood there for much longer than was necessary.

Why are we even stopping to say goodbye? Why am I not just walking away now?

He half tipped his head then shot away at high-speed, disappearing back the way we’d come.

So he hadn’t been heading this way. I knew it. His casual stalking was clearly to do with his worries over a Nymph getting its probes into my magic.

“Daaarccccyy!” Sofia sang and I turned back to them, finding her on Diego’s back, waving her arms.

I snorted a laugh in surprise, hurrying over to join them.

Diego dropped Sofia with a grin. “Did Orion walk you here?” he asked in confusion.

“Er-” I started but Sofia danced around me, flicking my hair and giggling. For a moment her skin seemed to shimmer like diamonds. Weird.

“Darcy luuuuurves him. Look at her face.”

“What’s got into you? And are you sparkling?” I stared at her as she spun in circles a few times, smiling from ear to ear.

“Don’t you feel it?” she sighed, coming to a halt as she smiled serenely at me.

“Um…no?” I said, beginning to laugh.

Sofia started spinning again, her skirt twirling around her thighs.

Diego shifted closer. “She flew through a rainbow just before sunset. She’s been like this since.”

“Is that why she wasn’t at dinner?” I asked with a laugh.

“Yep,” Diego said. “All of the Pegasuses are high on rainbow juice.”

“Hey guys!” Tory jogged over to join us, wearing jeans and a blue crop top. She looked down at our uniforms in surprise. “Oh, were we not supposed to change?”

“Nope,” I said in a teasing tone. “Didn’t you read the email?”

Tory gestured to her clothes. “Does it look like I read the email, Darcy?”

I started laughing. “Let’s hope the Professor isn’t an asshole,” I said, giving her a look which suggested that was very unlikely.

I spotted the class filing into the observatory ahead of us and we moved to join them. The imposing building was built from shining onyx stone, reaching high up above us to an enormous black metal dome which crested the top of it. My heart skittered excitedly as we headed inside, arriving in a low-lit atrium where a large elevator awaited us. The doors slid open as someone pressed the call button and the fifty or so freshmen filed into the enormous space.

I shuffled in beside Tory who glanced at everyone’s uniforms with pursed lips.

“Maybe I should have gone and changed, your detention sounded like hell the other day,” she whispered in my ear.

“Too late now,” I said with half a shrug.

The doors parted again and we all moved out into the huge dome at the top of the building. A circle of chairs ringed a stage at the heart of it, the seating area sloping down toward it. On the stage was a massive bronze telescope angled up toward a hole at the very top of the roof and beside it were two cushioned velvet seats.

A prickling kind of quiet descended on everyone and anticipation scored through me as we moved to sit down.

I dropped into a chair in the back row beside Tory and just as I pulled out my Atlas, a blinding spotlight fell over the two of us. I raised a hand to cover my eyes, squinting against the harsh light.

“The Vega Twins are in our midst! Bow down to their glory!” a powerful female voice rang through the room.

“Oh no,” Tory breathed and my heart burst like a dodgy firework.

Great.

As my eyes adjusted to the glaring light, firstly I saw a sea of staring students and Tyler Corbin’s Atlas raised to film the entire thing. Second, I spotted the Professor who had conducted our Awakening weaving through the chairs toward the stage. Her long raven hair fell all the way down to her waist and her sharp features gave her the vague appearance of a bird.

She pointed to the plush chairs set up on the stage. “Come girls, rise to your feet. Take your rightful place at the centre of the room.”

“Um, we’re fine actually,” Tory called down to her.

“Nonsense, get down here this instant.” Her eyes turned volcanic, her voice terrifyingly fierce and offering no room for negotiation.

Tory and I stood and my skin tingled from all of the eyes on us as we descended the sloping floor toward the stage. 

“I am Professor Zenith,” she announced as we arrived then curtsied low, pulling out the skirt of her long dark dress. “Your humble teacher and proud sponsor of the Almighty Sovereign Society.” 

Oh man, I think I would have preferred an asshole to an Ass. Now everyone is glaring at us.

She stood upright, gripping each of our arms and guiding us firmly toward the armchairs. Her nails dug into my skin as she placed me firmly down into it.

“Forgive me, I’m a little over excited,” she whispered, her eyes roaming over us as she stepped away again. She turned to the room where people were staring at us with looks of outright hatred, some snickering, while others whispered to each other.

My cheeks burned and I shifted awkwardly in my chair as Zenith stepped behind the telescope and returned a moment later with a huge hamper. She placed it at our feet, flipping open the top of it to reveal an entire picnic of strawberries, cheese and bread complete with a bottle of champagne.

“Please, help yourselves,” she encouraged, bowing again as she moved to stand before the class.

I wanted to curl into a ball and vanish as a few jeers rang out around us. But if Zenith heard it, she didn’t let on.

The loud pop of the champagne cork sounded like a claxon and Tory shrugged as she filled two glasses. “Everyone hates us for this anyway,” she murmured to me. “So we might as well have a drink.”

I snorted a laugh, accepting the glass she offered me and drinking it quickly.  

“Now,” Zenith said in a deep tone, her eyes shadowing as she waved a hand before her. The room darkened immediately so all I could see was her and the pale blue glow of magic she wielded in her palms. She spoke directly to Tory and I as if no one else in the class existed.

“Today, girls, it will be my honour to teach you about Star Bonds.” She coaxed a beautiful light into her hands and it spread out, rising higher and higher. Mine and Tory’s chairs started reclining and the humming noise in the room told me it was happening to everyone else’s seats too.

The domed roof came alive with magic, the ceiling transforming into an endless night sky.

“The constellations define everything about Fae nature,” Zenith explained and I was glad that the class’s attention was no longer on us.

Silvery lines appeared between the stars, marking out the arrangements and swirling handwriting named each one. “First, the Zodiac constellations,” Zenith said in a tone that set my heart pumping. She might have been a bit overenthusiastic, but she certainly knew how to spark interest. One by one the constellations lit up above us and my mouth parted in fascination. It was beautiful, a speckled sea of lights, intertwining to form incredible shapes.

I picked out the twins of Gemini amongst them nestled between Cancer and Taurus.

“Although some Star Signs may cause Fae to clash in day to day life, it is possible for all signs to form friendships and relationships. However, a Star Bond is something very special indeed that is much more powerful than any normal connection.” The stars faded away a little and our lecture notes appeared across the canvas in silvery writing.

The Three Types of Star Bond:

Nebula Allies

Elysian Mates

Astral Adversaries

My brows lifted as I read the words, my curiosity rising even further.

Zenith started to explain, “Your Nebula Allies are the most abundant of the Star Bonds, but still highly special. They are friends who seem to understand you almost from the first point of contact. Someone who makes your energy soar and always seeks the best for you in life. Nebula Allies are the deepest kinds of friends you can find. To know you have found one, you only need to assess the bond between you both.” The constellations came back into focus and the words faded away. I thought of Tory and wondered if that bond applied to us, and if being twins meant we automatically had it.

“A Nebula Ally occurs when your are both born under the same conditions of the Cosmic Calendar,” Zenith went on and the image shifted above to show the star signs Aquarius and Scorpio moving into focus. “For example, if an Aquarius and Scorpio are both born with Jupiter in their eighth House, they may form a Star Bond as Nebula Allies. You will tend to gravitate towards these people, sensing they are a kindred spirit. And once they are in your life, it is unlikely they will ever leave.”

“What’s a House?” Tory muttered to me, but Zenith jumped on the question immediately, evidently hearing her.

“The Zodiac constellations create a celestial clock between them, Miss Vega.” The sky changed above us, showing the Zodiac symbols in a circle. Creating an inner ring between them were twelve boxes. “The planets, sun and moon are all constantly moving and as they conduct their cycles, they move between the twelve Houses. To discover the exact positions of these celestial beings when you were born, you only need the specific time, date and year of your birth.”

“Well we were never told the time of our birth and we were Changelings anyway so there’s probably no way of knowing for sure. Even our birthday could be wrong come to think of it,” I said and Zenith sucked in air.

“But my sweet princesses, you are forgetting that I am your loyal follower. I of course memorised the exact moment your lives began in this plane of existence. I charted the stars right through the royal pregnancy to the exact millisecond you each arrived.”

“Oh god,” Tory whispered and I fought a laugh as I craned my neck to try and get a look at Zenith in the room. It was so dark, all I could make out was a shifting shadow a few feet away from us.

She moved closer, leaning down between us. “Roxanya Vega was the first to be born at exactly three minutes and eleven seconds past midnight on the eleventh of June.” She darted toward me. “And Gwendalina was the second born, at eleven minutes and three seconds past midnight. Do you have any idea how powerful these numbers are? Three and eleven are the strongest numbers in the universe and you were both born with them etched into your celestial DNA.”

“So that’s er…good?” I asked, glad our birthday was the same as it has been in the mortal world. I didn’t mind adopting the surname of our birth parents but anything more than that seemed like too much change. I didn’t want to lose who I’d been before. 

“Good is not the word. Incredible, inconceivable, inexplicable. Because that is not all. Not even close. The sun rules the House of Gemini, girls. The most powerful celestial being in the solar system.” She rested her hands on the backs of our seats as if steadying herself. “By the stars, I am beside myself with excitement to find out which Order you will emerge as. Even I cannot predict it.” She moved away and I found my mouth dry from her words. I knew we were strong, but sometimes it felt like we were the weakest Fae in the school because we hadn’t harnessed our powers. It suddenly sank in that when we did manage it, we would be a force to be reckoned with. Then the Heirs won’t dare lay a finger on us.

“Now, back to the lesson,” Zenith called and a few grumbled mutterings reached my ears. Words like ‘favouritism’ and ‘Vega whores’ were amongst them. The second one had definitely come from Kylie.

The image of the sky shifted once more and I forced away my irritation as I gazed back at the ceiling.

“Elysian Mates are the most unpredictable of all the Star Bonds,” Zenith started. “An Elysian Mate is your absolute perfect match. Your other half, your soul mate, your twin flame, your one true love. It has many names. But in Solaria we call it this. Your Elysian Mate is Star Bound to you somewhere in this world. And if you come into contact with each other, the Zodiac will draw you together like two ends of a rope bound to a turning wheel. And the more time you spend together, the more you will be pulled magnetically and inescapably toward one another. But…” She trailed off and my heart pounded harder as the sky turned blood red above us. Two stars sailed across the heavens from opposing ends of the ceiling, tearing toward each other on a collision course. “The stars will test you. The longer you are in each other’s company, the more volatile the universe will become. And if you pass all of the tests the stars throw at you, you will be presented with your Divine Moment.”

“I had a Divine Moment in the shower this morning,” Tyler called out.

“Quiet, you insolent child!” Zenith snapped at him I suppressed a giggle. “Your Divine Moment is the moment the fate between you and your Elysian Mate is decided. You will both be called under the night sky and be presented with the choice to seal your bond forever more. If you choose to stay together, your love will be branded on you, forming a ring of silver around your irises. But if you choose to part…” 

The stars collided in the sky above us and a fiery display seemed to rain down on the class. I flinched and some people screamed as the flames tumbled down over us, but they fizzled out before they reached our heads. “You will be Star Crossed and a black ring will form around your irises, marking your love as doomed by the stars themselves. From that day forward, every celestial being in the universe will work against you, forcing you apart.”

My mouth fell slack at that. 

“What kind of tests will come before a Divine Moment?” Kylie asked. “Mine and Sethy’s is probably coming any day now and I want to be prepared.”

“Seth Capella?” Professor Zenith questioned, speaking his name like it was dirt.

“Yes,” Kylie said excitedly.

“Ha,” Zenith scoffed. “Well if such an event is on its way to you, then I cannot enlighten you. No star-given tests are the same. One of you may be required to save the other from death itself, or perhaps temptation will come in the form of another woman designed to draw your other half away from you.”

I sensed Kylie’s eyes on me across the room, narrowed to the thinnest slits. “Maybe my latest test has already begun,” she whispered loudly to Jillian and I rolled my eyes.

“Although many actively seek their Elysian Mates, many also do not,” Zenith said darkly. “The risk is too high for some, and for others it is a matter of blood lines. One cannot choose their Elysian Mate. So if a Fae hopes to produce children of the same Order, they may avoid their Mate at all costs. The chances of them being the same Order is unlikely as the universe doesn’t care for such things, but once they are found they will be impossible to resist.”

“How can you tell if you’ve found them?” Sofia asked shyly.

“Your love will burn with the intensity of a Supernova,” Zenith answered. “You will be drawn to them beyond all explanation, they will burrow so deep under your skin that you won’t ever remember a time that they weren’t there. But passion can be deceptive. You may think you have found the one when in fact you have found a Nebula Ally who also has sexual chemistry with your Star Sign.”

“I hope I’m Elysian Mates with Max Rigel,” a girl whispered, giggling with one of her friends.

“So do I,” a guy added on the other side of the room.

“Silence!” Zenith demanded. “We now move onto our final Star Bond. Astral Adversaries.”

A shiver rushed over me and I glanced at Tory in the low light, the two of us clearly thinking the same thing. If anyone are our Star Bound enemies, it’s the Heirs.

“An Astral Adversary forms a bond of intense hatred between both parties. Though they are rare and not everyone possesses one, some are unlucky enough to have several. The Astral Adversaries tend to be of a Star Sign which clashes violently with your nature. On top of this, their Natal Charts will oppose yours in many ways. If you were born at night, they will have been born in the day. If you draw your spiritual energy from the sun, they will draw it from the moon. Light and dark, night and day. Collisions between Astral Adversaries often end up fatal. Unfortunately, unlike the Elysian Mates, they are bound to clash with you again and again until one of you is destroyed. So if you have one, beware.”

Dread slipped into my gut as I thought about how close the Heirs had come to killing Tory. Could we really be bound to those four jerks, doomed to clash again and again until it ended in disaster?

I really hope not.

The rest of the lesson was spent sitting upright in our chairs while we worked out our Natal Charts on our Atlases. Zenith barely paid attention to the other students as she fussed around Tory and I, explaining what it meant to have certain planets in different Houses when you were born. It was all a lot to take in, especially with her continually refilling glasses of champagne for us (but who was I to turn down a free drink?).

My head was swimmy by the time she dismissed class and we headed back down to the atrium in the elevator, filing out onto the path beyond the Observatory.

Kylie was talking animatedly up ahead and her voice drew my attention. “It’s amazing that I’ve found my Mate so young. Sethy and I will probably start planning the wedding soon.”

“But doesn’t he have to marry someone of the Werewolf Order?” Jillian asked her.

“No Jillian,” Kylie snapped. “I’ve known his family my whole life. I grew up next door to him. His mom is practically family already. She wouldn’t care if Sethy didn’t marry into his Order. We’re in love, she’d want us to be happy.”

Their voices carried away and I spotted Tory rolling her eyes as we came to a halt to say our goodbyes.

“See you in the morning. Watch out for Astral Adversaries on your way back to Air Territory,” Tory called, laughing as she and Sofia peeled away from Diego and I.

Sofia seemed to have come down from her rainbow high, yawning broadly and giving us a sleepy-eyed wave.

Diego and I headed off toward The Wailing Wood and I mulled over what we’d learned as we walked. As we approached the trees, I reached into my bag to use the flashlight on my Atlas. Until I got my fire magic under control or learned how to create the light orbs I often saw students casting, I was happy to rely on good old fashioned technology.

“Dammit,” I swore when I didn’t find it in my satchel.

“What?” Diego asked as we drew to a halt.

I sighed in frustration. “I have to go back, I forgot my Atlas.”

“Oh chica, you’d lose your head if it wasn’t screwed on.”

I gave him a slanted smile, jabbing him on the shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow okay?”

“I’ll go with you,” he said, glancing over his shoulder into the dark wood. “It’s not safe out on campus alone.”

A group of students headed past us, chatting merrily as they went.

“It’s fine, there’s loads of people still around. Plus the FIB were crawling all over the Academy just days ago, they’re probably still lurking about somewhere keeping an eye on us.”

He frowned but finally nodded. “Just be quick, okay? No pit stops.”

I agreed and he waved goodbye as he headed into the wood. I started jogging back to Earth Observatory and was soon hurrying through the door into the atrium. I headed to the elevator, pressing the button to call it and wondering if Zenith was still in the classroom. I’d have to face her over-the-top flattery again if she was and all I really wanted to do was go back to Aer Tower and practice some magic in preparation for The Reckoning.

I didn’t like being the centre of attention at the best of times, and though I’d grown used to Geraldine’s ways, I definitely didn’t want it from a teacher in front of all the other students. The next time we had Astrology, I was going to sit in the back row and refuse to move. And I imagined Tory would feel the exact same way.

The doors slid open and a huge labrador-sized eagle swooped out, rushing over my head in a fan of bronze feathers. I ducked in alarm, my heart battering against my ribcage as I turned to watch it soar out of the door with a tan handbag clutched in its talons.

Oh I guess that’s Zenith.

I headed into the elevator, my heart slowing and a laugh bubbling out of my throat as I ascended into the observatory. This place never gets dull.

I arrived on the top floor and stepped out into the room. The doors slid closed behind me, extinguishing the light from the elevator so I was plunged into darkness. I swore as I fumbled for a light switch but found none as my hand trailed across the wall.

As my eyes adjusted I could just see the moonlight cast through the circular hole in the middle of the roof. The stage was lit in the vague silvery glow and I felt for the first row of chairs, making my way between them toward it.

I stumbled over something and cursed as I caught myself on the back of a chair, moving more carefully to the front row. I headed to where I’d been sitting, brushing my hand across the seat and finding my Atlas wedged down the side of a cushion. I tapped the screen to turn the flashlight on but the power was dead. I stuffed it into my bag with a sigh.

Dammit. I guess my lucky stars aren’t shining today.

The doors to the elevator slid open and I stiffened, gazing up to the top of the observatory where light flooded out of the elevator.

“Hello?” I called, my heart climbing into my throat. There was no one inside it. Maybe I’d just pressed the call button when I searched for a light switch…

A scuttling noise turned my blood to ice and a flickering shadow was cast across the elevator walls just before the doors slid shut. Darkness prevailed once more as white ghosts floated before my eyes. I blinked to try and clear them, hurrying forward to get the hell out of there as fast as I could.

I made it halfway up the aisle before a horrible, rasping, rattling noise sounded from behind me. Terror clawed at my veins and tore at my heart. Nymph!

The well of my power seemed to be blanketed under a thick cloak and I found it harder and harder to draw it to the surface of my skin.  Horror devoured me from the inside out. I ran as fast I could, speeding toward the elevator and managing to force magic to my fingertips in the same moment.

A sucking, clicking noise sounded horribly close to my ears and I pounded on the call button to open the doors.

Come on come on.

I turned around, raising my hands, ready to fight with everything I had. The doors slid open behind me and I stumbled right up to the back wall. A shadow loomed on the verges of the light cast by the elevator, huge and terrifying, sending a spiral of fear through me.

I thought of Orion’s class, his advice tumbling through my head all at once. If you can’t fight, then run. I lurched forward, jabbing my finger on the button for the ground floor, smacking it again and again.

I threw all of the magic I could wrangle from my body and vines spanned across the doorway, blocking the creature’s path to me while the doors closed.

My power was almost entirely immobilised. I was weakened from the inside out. 

I crumpled to my knees, gasping in fear as I tried to hold onto what remained of my magic. The lights flickered above me and the sound of the elevator doors closing caressed my ears.

A sigh parted my lips as it started descending and I regained control of my power. It filled me up like a balloon then ran smoothly back into my veins.

The doors reopened on the bottom floor and someone immediately disintegrated the vines I’d cast. He shot to my side, pulling me into his arms. 

“What happened?” Orion barked, his eyes desperate as he gathered me closer.

“There’s a Nymph up there,” I gasped, gripping onto his arms as he pulled me upright.

His face paled and fear flashed through his eyes; it was the only time I’d ever seen him look afraid. He guided me out of the elevator and stood me against the wall. “Stay here,” he growled, stepping back into the elevator.

“Wait!” I gasped, but the doors closed before I could stop him. It wasn’t safe. We needed to get help.

I gathered my wits and ran out of the observatory, looking for anyone close enough to call upon. All was quiet and before I could even think about who to look for, Orion shot back to my side in a blur of motion. 

“There’s nothing up there,” he growled and I turned to him, shaking my head.

“You’re wrong,” I breathed, hugging my arms around my body. “I felt it.”

Orion gave me a hard look then turned to gaze up at the top of the Observatory with a terse frown. I followed his line of sight, realising what he was thinking.

“It got out of the roof?” I whispered, chilled to the bone as I gazed up and down the path which headed away in either direction.

Had that thing been on campus since Astrum’s murder, or had it found a way to sneak beyond Zodiac’s defences again?

Orion took out his Atlas and called someone on it, tapping on the speakerphone. Nova answered and he started hurriedly explaining what had happened.

“Good gracious,” Nova gasped. “I’ll call the FIB immediately and send a team out to hunt it. Get Miss Vega back to her room before you join us.”

“Yes ma’am,” he said then hung up and grabbed my arm, suddenly hauling me along at a frightening pace.

“Hey,” I protested, trying to tug free of him but he didn’t let go. “You’re hurting me,” I snapped, trying to prise his fingers off where they dug painfully into my arm.

Instead of loosening his grip he tightened it.

“Do you think I follow you around campus for fun, Miss Vega?” he barked and my heart convulsed.

“What?” I blurted as I basically had to start jogging to keep up with his crazy fast stride.

He didn’t answer until we delved into The Wailing Wood and the chilling silence of the place pressed in on all sides. He stopped me beneath the amber light of a lantern, dragging me close by the lapels of my blazer.

“Sir!” I yelled, drawing magic to my fingertips in my desperation to make him stop.

“I told you not to go anywhere alone, especially after dark.”

His voice ignited a deep and pulsing fire in my belly and I stared up at him in fury. “Get off of me.” I threw air into my palms and he was shoved back a few paces. A lock of his perfectly styled hair fell loose and he slowly pushed it into place, his face set in a deadly scowl.

He ran at me in blur and the air was nearly knocked out of my lungs as he threw me over his shoulder and locked his arms around my legs, speeding off along the path at a terrifying pace.

In mere moments, he planted me down again and I stumbled back, hitting a wall and grasping onto it for support. I looked around, discovering I was outside Aer Tower, the wind turbines high above us groaning in the wind.

“Start walking around campus in pairs or I’ll assign you a personal escort,” he barked.

I couldn’t believe how angry he was getting. “I thought that’s what you were doing. You keep following me everywhere and you already made it clear you don’t want the Nymph getting their hands on my powers.”

“Exactly, kid.”

“Don’t call me kid.” I pushed off of the wall, rage slithering through me. “This Academy might make me wear a uniform like a high school student, but I’m eighteen and I’ve looked after myself most of my life anyway. You think it would have been any different back there if I’d had a friend with me? We’re freshmen. We’re not trained to fight Nymphs.”

Orion’s jaw ticked as he absorbed my words. Eventually, he nodded, his eyes moving to look up at the tower. A baying howl sounded in the distance and he glanced over his shoulder. “The hunt’s started, I should go and join them.”

“Be careful,” I whispered.

He looked back at me with a frown and something broken and desperate shone from his eyes for a moment. He blinked firmly and his expression morphed into a fierce scowl. “Stop looking at me like that,” he snarled and I fought the urge to recoil from his terrifying tone.

“Like what?”

“You know what,” he snapped. “I’m your teacher.”

“I know,” I balked, horrified at what he was suggesting. That he could somehow read how much I wanted him.

“Do you?” he stepped forward.

I nodded firmly, though I wasn’t sure my body was getting the message because I had the urge to wrap myself around him and kiss him goodbye. It was absolutely crazy. But him running off after a Nymph made me dread the idea that he wouldn’t come back.

“Then stop looking at me like that.”

Embarrassment poured through me like a tsunami, but I fought it away, elbowing aside my shame. Because how dare he accuse me of being inappropriate? He’d had this hands all over me the other day and he’d shouted at me for that too. I was so done with his bullshit. So I stepped forward, looking him square in the eye as my hands began to shake. “Then stop looking back, Lance.”

I left him with a gobsmacked expression on his face as I turned away, casting air at the symbol above the door. It unlocked with a loud clunk and I darted inside, slamming it behind me without a single glance back.