Zodiac Academy: The Awakening

I ELBOWED THE muscular Heir who held me back from my sister, looking to the room for anyone who might help.

“Let me go,” I snarled. 

The beast continued to chomp on Tory’s neck like a complete freak and she struggled wildly to push him off. I managed to twist my wrist free of Max’s hold and thrust my palm against his chest in anger. A flood of power crashed through the barriers of my skin and a storm of air sent him careering over the heads of the crowded lounge and slamming into the back wall.

My heart turned to a solid, unthawing lump of ice.

Caleb released Tory and everyone stared on in shock at what I’d done. I gazed at my hands, beginning to shake as the truth of our current situation finally sank in. I could do magic. Actual, real life magic. And I’d just used it to throw that two hundred pound guy across the room.

And pissed him off real good no doubt.

Oh crap.

“You’re gonna regret that,” Darius said coolly, flexing his muscles. The long-haired one, Seth with the etched-from-stone jawline, smiled around at the chaos.

Tory shoved Caleb back, clutching her neck as she staggered toward me. “What the hell is wrong with you, you psycho!?” she snapped at him and Caleb started laughing. Several girls close by giggled as if they were involved, glancing hopefully at Caleb for a crumb of recognition.

Did all Fae bite people? What kind of crazy species are they?

“Are you alright?” I asked Tory as she inspected her blood-stained fingers. She nodded stiffly, her pride clearly wounded more than she was.

I looked toward the teachers at the back of the room, hunting down Orion and discovering that he was the only one paying us any attention. A wild intrigue lit his eyes and fury bled through my veins like magma. Is he for real right now? He’s supposed to be a teacher!

Max reemerged, rolling up his sleeves as he barrelled through the crowd like a stampeding rhino.

“Back off,” Tory spat at him, moving to my side as fear crushed my heart.

“Or what?” Darius asked while his friend, Seth, continued to laugh like this was the most amusing thing he’d ever witnessed.

The group of our apparent supporters closed in, headed by the dark haired girl who was built like a viking warrior. “Or we’ll fight for our queens,” she announced and I shared a surprised look with Tory.

Max opened his palm as if he was about to cast some spell and fear daggered into my heart.

“Multiple Element freshmen it’s time to choose your houses!” Principal Nova called, stepping away from a few members of the faculty who she’d been deep in conversation with. So deep that she hadn’t noticed one of her students biting Tory? I didn’t think so. But what kind of school let their students attack each other without so much as a verbal warning?

The other Heirs surrounded Max, pushing him back with shakes of their heads and a heavy sigh of relief left me.

I was thankful for the excuse to end our altercation with them and Nova clapped her hands to hurry us up. Tory and I strode over to join the small division of freshmen who were bundling together in front of the faculty.

The rest of the students fell back into their seats but the Heirs remained standing, folding their arms as they watched us go.

“House Captains,” Nova beckoned them and I turned, my gut sinking and sinking until I was fairly sure it was wedged in my left sock. The four Celestial Heirs were the House Captains. Of course they were. “State the name of your house and why the freshmen should pledge to join you. And for a little suspense, we’ll leave the newest Heirs till last,” she said excitedly.

“Great,” Tory said to me under her breath. “Which asshole are we picking?”

“Umm.” I gazed at our abysmal options with a frown and they stared back with looks that said they were gonna eat us up. And one of them had already had a go with Tory. So he was definitely ruled out.

Max stepped forward first, brushing a hand over his mohawk with a smirk and his bicep hardened. He was a tower of pure masculinity and those eyes held nothing but a sea storm. He looked at Nova but somehow I sensed his words were for us. “Water focus, House Aqua. My house is for those who have what it takes to face the deadly sea of life in Zodiac without flinching.”

“Thank you for that poetic description,” Nova said, clearing her throat as she pointed to the bitey blonde guy, Caleb. My heart pounded harder at his angelic face which hid a demon beneath it. 

“Earth focus, House Terra. And terror is exactly what you’ll get if you don’t fit in.” He gazed firmly at Tory and my gut shrivelled into a tight ball.

“Not him,” Tory hissed, her eyes spilling venom in his direction.

“Agreed.” I nodded.

The long-haired guy stood forward next and my gaze scraped over his muscular frame. Everything about him was tempting and distinctly predatory. “Air focus, House Aer. Life with us is a breeze.” His eyes swept our way and he smiled. It looked pretty genuine and my shoulders relaxed a little. Yep. He looked like the one. Especially as the last one, Darius, was built like a fortress and had eyes as sharp as knives.

“Fire focus, House Ignis. We aren’t for the faint of heart. And frankly I don’t see anyone in this line-up who’s good enough to join us.” He glared at us as if daring us to join his House and I could almost see him thinking up ways to make our lives insufferable if we did.

Nova moved along the line of twelve students beside us and one by one they picked from the two Elements they’d been gifted and joined their House Captains. The pretty girl who’d glared at us in the Awakening chose Seth, running forward and wrapping her arms around him. 

“Baby!” she cried, tossing a straight golden lock over her shoulder. 

Seth squeezed her against his athletic body and I wondered for half a second what an embrace from those arms might feel like. “So glad you got air, Kylie,” he said but his eyes didn’t say the same thing. “What’s your other Element?”

She swatted his chest. “You know I got Earth, Sethy, I’m a Capricorn.” She leaned up for a kiss and he rammed his tongue down her throat in an overt display that lasted nearly a whole minute. Nice.

The line finally dwindled away until only Tory and I remained.

“Air?” I confirmed with her in a quiet voice. She nodded, opening her mouth to announce it when Nova spoke.

“You will have to pick differently girls I’m afraid. Each House is very competitive and we encourage everyone to take part in the healthy rivalry. As you have so much power, it wouldn’t be fair for one House to be at such an advantage.”

Horror bloomed in my chest. Part with Tory? My twin? I mean…we were independent but we were also a constant in each other’s lives. She was like my left arm. I could manage without it most of the time but if it was cut off I wouldn’t be whole.

Tory looked to me with a dark frown. “Well that’s just perfect.”

“We’ll be housed separately?” I confirmed with Nova.

“Ohh are you gonna cry?” Max called to me and I wanted to rip his face off for it as sniggers filled the room.

I swallowed hard, shaking my head as I tried to inwardly deal with my surging emotions.

“I choose fire,” Tory announced loudly, brushing her fingers over my back for the briefest of moments. She leaned in to speak in my ear and I felt a goodbye passing between us. “Take air but don’t take any shit.”

She stalked away, standing beside Darius who gave her a calculating look which told me she was gonna be in trouble with him. My gut unravelled as she joined the most demonic-looking Heir in the entire line up. She never had taken the easy route in life. But I wished she’d done so just this once.

“Air,” I said, trying to keep my spirits up as I walked cautiously toward Seth. He moved forward to meet me and suddenly wrapped me in his arms. The exact arms I’d just been having a two second day dream about. Damn, it felt like eating a too-hot cookie fresh out of the oven. It burned all the way down but tasted divine.

 “Welcome to the tribe, babe.” He smelt like musk and something almost animal. I tried to pull away as he held me in what was fast becoming an inappropriately close embrace for several more seconds. When he released me, his girlfriend drew closer with a bright smile on her face.

“Hey girl, just so you know, my bae is in charge. So long as you get that, we’re totally cool.” 

I shrugged, not giving one damn about taking power from her bae.

She linked her arm through mine as Nova dismissed us all and the rest of the Air Element freshmen joined us.

This has gotta be better than being in Caleb’s House.

“Let’s show the newbies how Aer House works,” Seth said, throwing me a wink as he led the way out of The Orb. Many more older students stood up, joining our ranks as we filed out of the building. 

As I glanced over at Max’s new recruits in Aqua, I was overly relieved that I wasn’t in his House. He had them standing on their heads and was in the process of pouring water all over them. I shook my head in disbelief as the teachers continued to chat away as if that was entirely acceptable even when one of them started choking.

I spotted Tory in a tense-looking conversation with Darius, but I knew she could handle herself. My sister was as tough as nails. But I was going to miss her.

We headed east away from The Orb and Kylie parted from me, moving to join a girl with large eyes and raven hair. 

We passed by big stone buildings which seemed to ring The Orb and a huge, crescent-shaped structure which resembled the moon. Seth had an excited prance in his stride as we followed the winding path toward a thick group of trees in the distance.

My heart hammered and I looked around me for a friendly face as the group jostled me along, but no one met my eye.

We headed into the thick forest and the amber glow of lanterns lit the path, the trees grouping close together on either side of the track and arching overhead. A chill brushed across my skin accompanied by a lick of adrenaline.

I half expected to wake up tomorrow and find that all of this was a dream. Despite the fear the Heirs had struck in me, this place called to me. It was beautiful and a deep vibration in my soul told me I belonged here. Like the stars themselves had been waiting for me to arrive at this very spot.

We emerged from the trees and found ourselves on a sprawling clifftop where the crash of waves sounded from below. A huge tower stretched up high above us, the dark grey bricks ancient and weathered. Vertical windows were built into the walls and at the very top was an enormous rotating wooden turbine which moved in a breeze I couldn’t feel.

Seth turned back to face us, standing before the arching doorway made of black iron. Above it, carved into the stone, was a large symbol of a triangle with a horizontal line intersecting the top half of it. Seth raised a palm and the symbol glowed with an intense white light, the sight making my heart thrum excitedly. The iron door clunked heavily, sounding it unlocking.

“Freshmen, get your asses in front of me because I’m only gonna say this once,” Seth announced.

Me and the fifty or so other newbies headed toward the front of the group. I moved to Kylie’s side, stepping between her and a guy with a beanie hat on and an excited look on his face.

Seth devoured the attention, his gaze flitting across all of us as several of the older students grouped around him. Many rubbed shoulders with him or brushed their hands over his back and arms. It was totally weird but he let them continue as if it was a regular occurrence.

“You don’t get into Aer unless you use your power on that symbol.” He pointed to the triangle above the door. “As it’s your first day, I’ve already opened it but as of tomorrow if you can’t conjure air, you don’t get a bed in my House.”

I rubbed my fingers together, hoping I’d be able to use my power again but I wasn’t entirely sure how I’d done it before. Power coiled inside me in anticipation but I couldn’t will it into my hands. 

The guy beside me bobbed on his heels with a keen energy; he glanced my way and gave me one of the friendliest smiles I’d received so far. My shoulders relaxed as I smiled back, glad to have the prospect of a friend in my new House.

“Now.” Seth smiled and for a moment he looked like a hungry wolf who hadn’t eaten for a few days. “Let’s get on with it.” His eyes whipped to me and he curled a finger to beckon me over.

My mouth dried up and it took a second for me to make my legs move as I stepped forward. He turned me to face the group of freshmen, slinging an arm around my shoulders. His fingers stroked my bare skin and I stiffened in surprise at his tactile behaviour. I tried to duck away, but he plucked the back of my shirt and tugged me against his hip again, his hand suddenly in my hair.

Was he petting me?

“Initiation!” Seth called and the swarm of older students behind the freshmen descended on them, shoving black linen bags over their heads.

Seth kept his attention on me and my heart crashed against my ribcage as he moved his nose to my hair and inhaled deeply. A shudder ran through me and I tried to push him back, but he was frighteningly strong. The hot, wet, pad of his tongue suddenly dragged up my right cheek and revulsion slammed into me.

“Ergh!” I brought a hand up to slap him, but he caught it with ease, his eyes glittering as if we were playing some game.

He laughed heartily. “Chill out, babe. This is how I say hello.”

My heart slowed a fraction as I gazed at him. He cocked his head and gave me an innocent expression, making the remainder of my anger melt away. Maybe in Solaria this was normal. And I didn’t want to be accused of culture shaming…

“Right,” I said uneasily. “I’m just still trying to figure this all out.”

He laughed as if I’d said something funny then turned back to the crowd, his arm still locked tightly around me.

My gut fluttered with nerves as I took in the hooded group of freshmen, but I noticed Kylie was standing to the side of them, her hand on her hip. Evidently the House Captain’s girlfriend got a free pass.

“What’s your Order, babe?” Seth nuzzled into my ear and my body seized up at the intimacy of his gestures.

“Err.. what?”

“You know…Siren, Vampire…Werewolf?” he asked with a note of curiosity.

Someone behind me started touching my hair and I was pretty sure they were braiding it.

What the crap is happening right now?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, trying to keep my thoughts in line as Seth moved his face to my neck and breathed in deeply again.

He chuckled, pulling away. “You really are from the mortal world. Don’t worry babe, those powers will surface soon.” He nodded to someone behind me and a linen bag was yanked over my head, blinding me in an instant. I steadied myself against Seth as my breath quickly heated the air surrounding my face.

Seth released me and I tried to hold my nerve as I was left alone all of a sudden. My pulse raced as I waited for something to happen.

“If you don’t pass my initiation you don’t stay in Aer, got it?” Seth barked and his voice was so forceful I couldn’t fight a flinch.

A murmur of ascent went up from the freshmen.

“You will reply with ‘yes Alpha’. Let’s try again,” Seth commanded. “Have you got that?”

“Yes Alpha!” the freshmen called but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It was just too degrading.

I was suddenly yanked against a hard body and I felt sure it was Seth. “Answer me, pledge.”

Gah.

“Yes Alpha,” I forced out through my teeth.

He released me and I stumbled forward as he stepped away.

“MOVE!” Seth bellowed like a drill sergeant and hands snared my arms, pulling me along at a fast pace. A cold breeze gusted over me and the thumping of hundreds of footfalls filled my ears.

The air became noticeably warmer and I guessed I was inside the tower as I was guided across a hard stone floor. The toe of my Converses hit a step and I staggered, but the hands holding me kept me upright.

We started climbing a winding staircase, round and round and round. I was dizzy and hot and fear was making a good effort at making me freak out. But this was just a game. Even mortal colleges did crap like this. I just had to get through tonight. Pass their stupid initiation. Then hopefully I’d get a warm bed and a moment alone to process this whole day. It must have been well past midnight already and exhaustion was starting to seep into my bones.

Someone jabbed me in the back and I grumbled as I was forced higher and higher.

Finally, we stepped onto flat ground. My leg muscles burned and I panted heavily. Whoever was holding me didn’t seem to be out of breath at all. In fact, I couldn’t hear many people around me who sounded as exhausted as I was.

I’m not that unfit am I?

“Forward,” Seth commanded and I was guided across hard flooring, twisting left and right.

A cold wind hit me and a shiver ran through my body as I realised I must have been outside again.

“You’re now at the top of Aer Tower,” Seth announced and murmurs of fear escaped the other freshmen.

My heart doubled its pace as the icy wind increased, pressing against my back.

“Line them up on the edge,” Seth growled.

The edge!?

My heart thundered as the two people holding my arms dragged me forward. I dug my heels in as some of the freshmen called out, “Wait!” and “I’m not ready!”

I was pushed forward then released and I felt myself teetering on a precipice, my toes hanging over the edge.

I lurched backwards in fear, but strong hands shoved me into place again.

“You are air born, pledges!” Seth shouted at us from behind. “The wind is your ally. If you can’t harness it, you don’t deserve to live here. Or at all for that matter.”

Terror clutched my heart and I shook my head as I realised what was about to happen. The wind gusted at my back again and a murmur of fear escaped me.

Someone sniggered and I was fairly sure it was Kylie. I gritted my teeth, hating feeling so vulnerable in front of everyone. But at least the other freshmen were beside me. I tried to reach out for the closest one, but my hand just flailed and I quickly pulled it back to my side.

Movement sounded around me, the shuffle of feet and the odd giggle.

How was this funny? I didn’t know how to use my powers! Did the rest of the freshmen have some training? Maybe I was the only one who didn’t. And if that was true I had to let them know.

“Wait,” I choked out. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“You’ll figure it out, girl,” Kylie called in encouragement.

I started to tremble, picturing the huge drop stretching out far below me.

“On the count of three you’ll jump and if you don’t stop yourself from hitting the ground, then you’re gonna go splat. And if you don’t jump, you’ll be pushed,” Seth explained in a bright tone.

“What the fuck?” I snapped, suddenly losing it.

“One!” Seth called, ignoring me.

I shook my head, panic dashing my heart to pieces. I didn’t know what I was doing. How could I catch myself with a power I’d just found out I had a few hours ago!? I rubbed my fingers together, trying to draw that rippling sensation to them again but it wouldn’t obey.

“Two!”

A quiet, resolute voice in my head told me I had to do this. I couldn’t be the weak link in this crazy group of students. School was always about hierarchy and if I failed at the first hurdle, I’d never earn my place here.

“Three!”

I took a breath, shut my eyes and placed every ounce of faith I had in myself.

I jumped.

My feet hit the floor. Someone ripped my hood off and raucous laughter filled my ears. It took me a painfully long second to realise I’d just jumped from a one foot step at the heart of a crowded room. All of the other freshmen had been pulled aside to watch me do it. Alone.

Heat scorched my cheeks, my neck, everywhere. I wanted to vanish, hide away from their mocking eyes and never come out again.

The cold wind I’d felt was coming from the outstretched hands of several seniors and now that their cruel prank was done, the wind died and they buckled over in hysterics. The freshmen were laughing just as loudly, their linen hoods now gripped in their fists.

Seth stepped into view, grinning a wolf’s grin.

“That’s not funny,” I blew out, trying to smile it off.

He caught my wrist, dragging me forward, his hands everywhere again. The sizzling look in his gaze made my smile drop away like a falling brick.

“What’s really not funny is you and your sister showing up here to steal our throne. We’ve worked our asses off to earn that right. Our four families have ruled for nearly twenty years since the fall of King Vega and Solaria has been much better off for it. Our parents divide the power between themselves and as the sons of the Celestial Council, we will soon take that responsibility from them. So we don’t intend to just sit back and let you take the throne from us and return Solaria to the shitheap it was when your father ruled,” he snarled, his eyes two hollow pits of cruelty. There was no friendliness left, his touches weren’t curious now, they were possessive and degrading.

His words sent my mind into a desperate spiral as I tried to understand them.

“I don’t want your throne.” I tried to wrench my wrist free from his grip but he wouldn’t let go.

He turned me to the room. “Who says we really throw her off the tower this time?”

“What?” I gasped as the whole of House Aer roared their ascent. “Get off of me!” I threw my shoulder at Seth but he barely noticed, tugging me through a grey stone lounge filled with woollen rugs and cream armchairs. Seth hauled me toward a huge set of glass doors that led onto a balcony and fear spread through me like a forest fire.

The older students crowded in behind us as Seth forced me to the edge where a stone wall parted us from a sea of nothingness.

“Are you crazy?!” I yelled desperately as I tried to get his hands off of me.

The group who had been all over him before lifted their heads to the sky and started howling. The piercing noise sent my heart skittering.

I clawed at Seth’s hands as he lifted me, planting me up on the wall.

I stood there, refusing to look over the ledge, gazing back at the lounge through the glass windows where everyone in Aer was fighting to look out.

Seth glared up at me, the king of this group of madmen. I didn’t want to beg, but death seemed one shove away and I didn’t know how far he would take this.

“Please, just let me down,” I whispered, just to him, my voice betraying my fear as it quavered on the last word.

Seth tilted his head with a smirk and I spotted Kylie pushing through the crowd to reach him. I looked to her, wondering if she might tell him to back down but instead she linked her fingers with his and gazed at me with a vicious grin.

“Jump,” she said, her eyes sparkling.

My throat constricted as I searched for a single friendly face amongst the masses. But I couldn’t find one. I was alone in this. And the only person I had to rely on was myself. They’d played me like a fool.

I clenched my fists. “Let me down.”

Seth released Kylie as he moved right up to the wall and gripped my ankles. Fear shot through me like a lightning bolt. My life was in his hands, he could uproot me at any second.

“Alright,” Seth said after a long pause. “But you can only get down when you’ve cut off all of your hair.” 

On cue, Kylie produced a sharp pair of scissors from her pocket, her gaze venomous as she passed them to Seth.

“What?” I gasped.

“It’s that or jump.” Seth shrugged and laughter rang out from every direction.

I wanted to curl up into a ball, but I refused to let them see me break. Seth held out the scissors, his face cast in shadow.

I clenched my jaw, furious that I was backed into a corner like this. It was clear this had been his plan all along. He wanted me wholly ridiculed. He wanted the entire House to laugh at me, to humiliate me beyond repair. It wasn’t just my hair he was trying to take, it was my dignity.

The wind pressed at my back and a trickle of energy met my fingertips. The air moved between my hands, dancing, floating, completely under my command.

My throat tightened and I threw a glance over my shoulder. My heart screamed at me not to do it, but this was the only way I wasn’t going to be destroyed by Seth Capella on my first day at Zodiac Academy.

His brows pinched together as he realised what I was about to do.

I sucked in air and felt it moving through my body with a promise. And I simply had to have blind faith in that feeling. It was the only thing I had to hold onto as I threw myself over the edge.

Screams and gasps followed me as I cascaded through the air, my heart trying to break free of my chest. I tumbled and lost sight of everything, panic invading me and gripping onto every cell in my body.

I spread my hands desperately, knowing the seconds were ticking by. That I was only feet away from smashing into the hard ground below.

The well inside me spilled over and I felt a shift. A rush of energy like a hurricane unleashed itself in my body. The moment it met my fingertips, the power exploded from my skin in a gigantic gust. At the last second, I begged it to stop my fall and I came to a swooping halt.

I hung suspended, ungraceful but completely alive as I gazed down at the ground a few feet below me.

I’d been so close to failing. So close to dying. And as cheers called to me from above, a smile forced my lips wide. The cushion of air collapsed and I crashed to the ground in a heap.

Adrenaline surged. My entire body trembled. But I was alive. And for now, I’d damn well earned my place in Aer. And it sounded like the rest of the House knew it too.