Zodiac Academy 2: Ruthless Fae

I HEADED TO the Pitball stadium clustered together with Tory, Diego and Sofia. We moved along with the sea of students and Professors all heading up the path into Earth Territory. Everyone was dressed in the navy blue and silver colours of our team and anticipation rolled through me at what awaited us in the towering dome ahead. Tory had fashioned an oversized Pitball shirt into a dress by tying a knot in it where it hung to her mid-thigh and I had my Pitball jacket on over my favourite blue playsuit.

A small flutter of fear accompanied my excitement over the match. What would happen to Max when he broke out in a full body purple rash? How long would it take him to withdraw from the game? A twisted satisfaction filled me at the idea. To lose out on something that meant so much to him was the perfect way to get back at him, even if it was nothing in comparison to what he’d done to us. As much as I hated the Heirs though, I’d never drown someone for revenge. We weren’t like them. But I was ready to see another one fall from grace.

“Hey Tory, if you need someone to help you through your sex addiction, PM me on FaeBook!” a guy hollered back at us followed by raucous laughter from his friends.

“My addiction only involves sex with attractive guys, so no thanks!” Tory yelled back, though her shoulders tensed and I scowled, knowing that this was getting to her deep down even if she did front it out like a pro.

“Ignore him,” Diego said gently, glaring at the back of the guy’s head.

Another of his friends turned around, walking backwards and pulling a gormless face at me. “Look she’s talking to a raven again!” She pointed at Diego who glowered back at her.

I pursed my lips, glancing at Tory as we both mentally agreed we weren’t going to rise to it. From the looks of them, they were seniors so we’d have no chance if we started throwing magic around.

One day suckers.

“Sorry Diego,” I said but he just shrugged, seeming in a brighter mood today. I was glad; we all deserved to have some fun.

We filed into the huge arena and my anger fell away, awe swiftly taking its place. The shining silver dome above glittered like stars, twinkling with an array of lights which were directed down onto the pitch and stands. We were bumped and jostled along as students split away down the sloping seats, spreading out deeper into the huge space while another crowd filed in from the other end of the stadium. I squinted across the expansive pitch, figuring they must have been from Starlight Academy as they were dressed in red and white.

The pitch itself was nothing like any I’d ever seen. It was the shape of a football pitch but that was where the similarities ended. In each corner was a large bronze pyramid around five feet in height with a football-sized hole at its peak. In the four corners of the pitch, the turf was painted in the colours of the Elements; blue, green, red and white. At the very middle of it was a huge, circular bronze plate and dead centre of that was a large pit almost ten feet in width.

“How does this game work?” I asked Sofia over the clamour of noise.

She grinned excitedly at me which lifted the Z and A she’d painted on her cheeks. “I’ll explain as it goes along.”

“Miss Vega and Miss Vega! The two of you! Roxa- I mean Tory and Darcy!”

We turned, finding Principal Nova in a smart dress and a Pitball cap wading through the mass of students, smacking them on the heads with a rolled up programme as she forced her way through. “Move, move move.” She struck someone every time she said the word then finally arrived in front of us with a flustered smile. “You both have Pitside seats reserved for you with the Celestial Councillors and other prestigious attendees.”

“Thanks but no thanks,” Tory said quickly.

“We’ll stay with our friends.” I gestured to Sofia and Diego and Nova glanced at them like they were a disappointment to her in every way.

“Oh…really?” Nova frowned. “Fine. Just bring them with you if you must.” She ushered us along and Sofia let out a squeal of excitement as Nova led us down the steps all the way to the front row.

We filed alongside the pitch and I noticed a faint shimmer around the very edge of the grass. “What’s that?” I pointed and Sofia immediately answered.

“It’s a force-field to protect the crowd from any rogue magic which might fly our way.”

“Oh that’s comforting,” Tory said, gazing up at the roof as she drank in the place.

The sound of the crowd was a constant buzz of excited chatter and I was totally infected by it as Nova led us to seats front and absolute centre of the pitch.

“This is amazing!” Diego whooped, slinging his arm around Sofia as they dropped into a couple of seats. We were about to sit beside them when Nova grabbed both of our arms and turned us to face the row above; it was cordoned off and covered by a dark glass shelter. Sat within it were the Celestial Councillors with fancy looking drinks in their hands. Seth’s mom, Antonia, wore a Zodiac Academy cap and Max’s dad, Tiberious, wore a jacket with Rigel stamped on the breast. Lionel and Catalina were the only ones who didn’t wear any of the Pitball regalia and I was kind of surprised to see them there at all. What surprised me a little less was Lionel’s butler standing two feet away with a tray of ice water and glasses. His expression was formal but his eyes kept whipping to the pitch and I wondered if he cared more about Darius’s game than his parents did.

Nova announced our presence and they all looked to us, some with more enthusiasm than others. None less than Lionel. I was grateful when Nova’s sharp talons released my arm and I could drop into my seat.

She moved further up the row, sitting beside a bald man in red and white Starlight colours who was waving a flag; I guessed he was the other Academy’s principal.

Dramatic music filled the stands, a heavy drum pounding through the air to a quickening beat. My knees bobbed as the lights dimmed across the crowd, narrowing entirely onto the pitch.

The drumming grew louder and louder until it was all I could hear then spotlights fell onto the front centre of the pitch and the beat dropped to a familiar dance song.

A large group of Zodiac Academy cheerleaders appeared in tiny skirts and crop tops, waving their pom poms, doing cartwheels and flips. Heading the group was none other than Marguerite and I noticed Kylie and Jillian amongst their ranks of powdery make-up and big doll eyes.

I might have disliked them but damn their routine was impressive. Two girls shot up into the air almost fifty feet, propelled by air magic before tumbling back down in perfect synchronisation, ready to be caught by the waiting group below. They all lined up across the pitch and Marguerite cartwheeled past the line; every time she passed someone their pom-poms burst into blue and silver flames, eliciting a huge roar from the crowd. I found myself clapping and cheering along, unable to help it. They were dazzling, their magic making their routine almost unbelievable to watch.

They ended in a huge pyramid with Marguerite balancing atop it, one leg pulled above her head and her other hand firing colourful sparks into the air.

They headed off the pitch to booming applause from the Zodiac fans, and even Starlight Academy students clapped with enthusiasm.

The Starlight cheerleaders were next, rushing onto the pitch in a blur of red and white. The magic they used was tamer than the Zodiac team’s, but their routine was just as slick, the girls hitting every mark. They ended it by casting a shower of sparks into the air that wrote out Starlight which flashed several times before scattering away on the wind.

The cheer squads returned to their seats at the edge of the pitch and the drums started up once more, announcing the beginning of the game. The tension in the stadium made me sit forward in my seat, snaring all of my senses at once. The scent of the turf, the excited murmuring of the crowd, the pressure in the air.

A fierce looking woman appeared on the opposite side of the pitch, leading the ten members of the Starlight team up from a passage that led under the stadium. She wore a black t-shirt with the four Elemental symbols printed on it in white.

The students of Zodiac Academy applauded but those from Starlight went wild, standing up and bashing their hands together, crying out to their team with pure energy.

My stomach clenched as Orion appeared in the underground passage and led our team out, wearing the same black kit as the other coach. His brow was taut but his expression was full of anticipation, his mouth set in a way that told me how much he adored being on that pitch.

My heart pattered wildly as I took in his biceps bulging against his shirt sleeves and the defined muscles of his legs.

I can’t believe I kissed a teacher.

I can’t believe I can’t tell anyone.

I can’t believe I’ll never get to do it again.

I finally shifted my gaze to the ten Zodiac players behind him, all lining up opposite the Starlight team. The four Heirs were centrally placed and on either side of them I recognised Darius’s friend, Damian Evergile, with his dark hair and harsh features, and the beautiful Ashanti from Seth’s pack with her surname, Larue, printed across the back of her shirt.

The two Keepers were dressed completely in silver; one was the fair-haired Justin Masters from the A.S.S and the other was a tall girl with thin lips and the surname of Badgerville on her back. The final two members of the team were Geraldine who was playing the position of Earthbacker (whatever that meant) and someone called Jones who was in the position of Waterback.

“I’m confused already,” I said, leaning in to speak to Sofia.

“Well,” she piped up excitedly. “There’s ten players on a team, the two Pit Keepers guard the Pit from the opposing team to stop them getting any balls in. The easiest way to remember the other players is that there are two of each Element, one plays defence to keep the other team away from the ball, the other plays offence to get the ball into the pit. For example, there are two Earth players on every team. Our Earthbacker, Geraldine, is defence and Caleb is the offensive Earth player called an Earthraider.”

“What’s Darius?” Tory asked, leaning forward to speak to Sofia as she pointed him out at the centre of the team.

“He’s defence for fire which is called a Fireshield. The fire offence is called a Fireside.” She pointed. “Damian Evergile is playing but it’s normally Milton Hubert.” She gave us a look to say he must have been replaced and I bit my lip on a grin.

A female referee jogged out onto the pitch dressed in white with a large, metal ball under her arm.

Tory perked up. “Oh it’s my Liaison, Professor Prestos.”

Her legs were a deep tan beneath her shorts and as she turned to glance back at the crowd, weaving her fingers into her high ponytail I noticed how pretty she was.

“Do you even go to your Liaison classes?” I teased.

“We have an arrangement which works mainly via email. You should try it with Orion, see if he’ll let you out of them,” she said airily.

My mouth dried out at her words. “Oh well…he’d never let me.” And I don’t want to stop them.

“Maybe you should ask.”

“Na,” I said, waving her down and she shrugged, turning back to face the match.

Maybe I should try and get out of them though. How awkward is it gonna be when we’re next alone in a room together? And how will I stop myself from thinking about that earth-shattering kiss?

Oh god. I’d better be ready to deal with that.

Orion and the Starlight coach shook hands and my gut writhed madly as they both spoke to their teams, clapped some of them on the back then jogged to join us in the sectioned off area of seats.

Orion’s eyes fell on me for half a second before shooting in the opposite direction, leaving my stomach in shreds. He sat a few seats down with Nova and I relaxed a little, drawing in a deep breath.

Prestos moved between the two teams, standing in the middle of them and placing the ball down between them. The Pit was nearly twenty yards away beyond them and my fingers curled up as I wondered who was going to score first. Even though I hated the Heirs, I still kinda wanted to see our team win.

Come on Zodiac.

I kept an eye on Max, noticing him shifting foot to foot, rubbing the back of his neck then his stomach, his thigh. Seth was only a few feet away from him, his hair tied up in a bun and the word Airstriker in silver on his back above his surname. He kept lifting a hand to scratch his head then curled his fingers up and balled them at his sides, refusing to do it. Caleb was rubbing surreptitiously at his crotch which was glittering under the intense spotlights on the pitch. And Darius looked like he wasn’t even slightly over his anger with Milton Hubert as he clenched his jaw so tightly he must have been in danger of cracking a tooth.

I descended into giggles, sharing a look with Tory as she fell apart too.

“Team Captains, step forward!” Prestos instructed and her voice rang out around the stadium from a microphone she must have been wearing.

A tense silence fell over the entire crowd and my whole body knotted with tension as Darius stepped up from Zodiac and a tall guy with a ripped body and deep green eyes stepped forward to meet him.

Prestos jogged back to the edge of the pit, lifting a whistle to her lips. A huge timer appeared high up above, glittering with magic as it readied to count down from five minutes- was that all?

Before I could ask Sofia for more information, Prestos’s whistle screeched and Darius swung a fist right into the Starlight Captain’s face. As he lurched sideways I saw the name Quentin on the back of his shirt alongside the position of Earthraider.

“Oh my god,” I gasped as Darius lunged to pick up the ball, only to receive a knee right to his chin. Darius was ready, lurching back and throwing a kick while the entire stadium bellowed in encouragement.

Quentin took the blow to the stomach, stumbling away and Darius grabbed the ball which looked pretty damn heavy. The second he had it, the two teams charged forward. Geraldine roared like she was going into battle, magically tearing up the ground beneath the feet of the Starlight team so they stumbled wildly, unable to get their hands on Darius. He made a beeline for the Pit as the four Keepers grouped in around it.

“Go on!” Orion roared from my right, rising to his feet as more and more people stood up all around us.

Darius was charging along, devouring the ground between him and the Pit. He was going to make it. He was right out ahead and the rest of the Zodiac defence were bringing Starlight’s team members to the ground with fierce tackles, blasts of fire, gusts of air-

A vine whipped out and caught Darius by the leg and as he fell, he turned, launching the ball into the sky with all his might. He sent a blast of fire out to propel it forward, sending it cascading down toward the two teams like a meteor on a collision course.

Seth jumped high above the two teams with a propulsion of air, but the Starlight Airstriker had the same idea, flying up beside him. They smashed into one another, hitting the ground hard and Seth started throwing wild punches at him without hesitation. He jammed his knee into his chest and held him in place.

“You’re out, Cubin!” Prestos shouted and her voice resounded throughout the whole stadium.

The Starlight Airstriker hobbled off the pitch to a bench where a row of substitute team members were sitting.

My eyes whipped back to the match and Starlight’s Earthbacker now had the ball, racing for the Pit at the centre.

Max tried to knock her aside with a blast of water, but stumbled to a halt before he could cast it well enough, clasping onto his neck and rubbing like mad. “Ahhh it burns!”

Tory and I fell apart into laughter as I noticed his skin was turning blotchy with violent purple patches. “Ahhhh!”

“Rigel! What the fuck is going on?” Orion bellowed just as a blaring BUZZZZZZZZ announced Starlight getting the ball into the Pit.

A scoreboard lit up above the stands, showing Starlight had scored one point but then words in red flashed beside it.

Cubin OUT = -1 point.

The scores returned to zero and the Starlight crowd groaned collectively.

The clock reset to five minutes and the teams split up so they were scattered between the four Elemental corners with the Keepers still ringing the Pit.

“What happens now?” I asked Sofia.

“Now it’s round two. Every round lasts five minutes. After an hour, it’ll be half time then they play for a final hour. Just watch, it’s about to get seriously intense.” She pointed to the four corners of the pitch. “There’s only one ball in play per round, it’ll be fired into the pitch randomly from the four Elemental Quarters. A Fireball is scorching hot, an Earthball is seriously heavy, an Airball is light and will be shot far up toward the roof and a Waterball is freezing to touch. If no one gets the ball in the Pit before the five minutes are up – boom!” She mimed an explosion with her hands and my mouth fell open.

“Holy shit,” Tory breathed and I nodded in absolute agreement of that.

“If the ball is dropped at any point in the game, including just before it explodes, the team loses five points. So everyone on that pitch is prepared for the injuries they’ll get if it goes off,” Sofia explained.

“That’s insane,” I breathed.

“Nope.” Diego leaned forward from his chair with a manic gleam in his eyes. “That’s Pitball.”