Zodiac Academy 2: Ruthless Fae

I HEADED OUT of Aer Tower early Monday morning before most other students were even out of bed. It was barely past dawn and the coming light seemed to ripple through the sky. I was miles happier since Tory and I had decided to stay, though I couldn’t help but fear the moment I ran into Seth. To see his sneering face, hear his mocking jibes. I wanted to get back at him in the way it hurt most; I’d hit his reputation. Wipe that constant owns-the-world smirk from his face and make his friends laugh at him like they had me. But I had no idea how I’d actually manage that. Not yet anyway.

I stepped out of the tower and a cool wind blew around me, holding a promise of the coming Fall. The sea air rolling over the cliff sent the long grass swirling and dancing like water before me. I followed the winding path toward The Wailing Wood where the faintest hint of yellow and orange tinted the tips of the leaves. 

As I walked along the shadowy path, I recalled the feeling of being followed here, of the Heirs pouncing on me. But I wasn’t going to avoid this place. At night it might have appeared to harbour my darkest nightmares, but that wasn’t real. And in the day time it was one of my favourite places on campus.

I followed the track all the way around toward the main buildings, veering off of it as I approached Venus Library. I’d scribbled down the name of the book Orion had given me on the inside of my palm. I had no idea why he was suddenly helping me. Maybe he pitied me. But something about Orion told me he wasn’t the sort of guy who pitied people. 

Fae were strong, and the weakest of their kind naturally suffered. That was how Solaria worked. It was ingrained in everyone within Zodiac Academy’s walls and beyond. I was kind of glad about that for once because I definitely didn’t want to be pitied. Tory and I had been hurt deeply, ridiculed and no doubt made the butt of every joke in school. But I didn’t need apologies and pats on the back. I didn’t even want to run anymore. I wanted revenge, pure and simple. I wanted to claim my place back in this world and prove to everyone in it that I deserved to be here. That I was Fae and I wouldn’t let anyone tell me otherwise ever again. And if that meant the Heirs came at us twofold, then so be it.

The library stood tall and imposing above me as I approached. I pushed through the doors and was greeted by the echoing clap of them closing behind me, sending a shiver darting down my spine.

The last time I’d been here had also been the last time I’d seen Astrum alive. I didn’t want to consider the fact that he could have been killed because of his allegiance with Tory and I. But whoever ‘The Shadow’ was, they had been merciless when they’d discovered Falling Star’s identity. And that could only mean one thing; he’d known something important. Something we may never now discover.

I crept through the expansive library, slipping into Row Epsilon under the glow of the large spherical lamp which hung from the ceiling. I checked the name of the book on my palm then ran my hand along the shelf as I searched for it. Not a wisp of dust coated my fingers when I took them away and I wondered if there was some magical janitor roaming the halls of Zodiac Academy or if it was all just enchanted to remain immaculate.

My gaze landed on a dark green, leather-bound book with golden lettering on the spine: Earth: The Power of Growth. My stomach swooped as I tugged it from the shelf and flipped it open. I ran my eyes down the contents page, hunting for what I needed.

Natural Growth:

Nails:

Toe…340

Finger…345

Claw…350

Hair:

Head…360

Legs…362

Armpit…364

Pubic region…368

Face…370

Body…372

A grin dragged up my mouth as I found exactly what I was looking for. I hurried to a circular wooden table at the end of the row and sat down, finding the chapter for hair growth. I skipped through a series of hair follicle diagrams and searched for the spell. Except it wasn’t a spell at all. It was a potion.

Crap, I haven’t learned anything about those yet.

I read a few pages of introductory text then scanned the list of ingredients. It wasn’t long, just three items. But I had no idea where I’d find them.

3 Flakes of Dried Pepper Bark.

8 Scrapings of Mother of Pearl.

A Two Inch Yellow Crystal.

Mix together and leave in the light of the moon for two nights then wait until it turns transparent in the rising sun on the second day.

Face the North Star and drink 50ml per inch of desired hair growth.

Okay that seems simple enough, if not totally weird.

I jotted down the instructions, closed the book and headed back into the aisle to return it to the shelf. As I pushed it back into place, the book beside it caught my eye.

Earth: The Power of Summoning.

Curiosity got the better of me and I tugged the thick book out, turning to the contents page and reading the first section.

Summoning for beginners:

Insects:

Beetles and Cockroaches

Arachnids

Ants

Lice, Fleas, Earwigs and Termites

Moths and Butterflies

Locusts, Crickets and Grasshoppers

Flies and Mosquitoes

Bees and Wasps

My attention zeroed in on the word fleas and I flipped to that section, wondering if maybe…

 I read through a few pages and my heart soared as my hunch paid off. A bubble of laughter escaped me as I discovered that something called an Aquarius Moonstone could call Werewolf lice under the control of the spell caster. Now I just need to figure out where to get one.

 I started reading through more and more pages, fascinated by all of the crazy things summoning magic could do. In the advanced section of the book, there were ways to summon bigger animals then press your will into them to gain control over their bodies. It completely boggled my mind to think I might be capable of such a thing one day.

The school bell rang shrilly through the air and I stiffened in surprise. I checked an ornate silver clock on the wall and realised I’d been so engrossed in the book that I’d completely missed breakfast. I stuffed it back onto the shelf, adjusting my satchel over my shoulder as I headed toward the exit.

Students were swarming across campus, pouring out of The Orb and splitting off in groups down the winding paths in the direction of their first classes. I turned right toward Jupiter Hall, eyeing the crowd for any sign of Tory, Diego or Sofia. I’d lost the only hat I’d had in my closet after Orion had flicked it off of my head, so my hair was on show for everyone to see. I’d considered tying a scarf around it but figured that would only have drawn more attention. Besides, everyone had seen it on FaeBook anyway. The best I could do was front it out for now.

People snickered as I walked past them and they caught sight of the bald patch on the back of my head. My cheeks flamed but I held my chin up high, trying not to let it affect me, but it was pretty much impossible. I held onto the fact that once I located the ingredients from that book, I would be able to regrow my hair and this nightmare would finally end.

I headed into the wide foyer of Jupiter Hall and hurried up the stairs, joining the line of students filing into Orion’s classroom. I craned my neck to look for my friends but before I spotted them I was suddenly crushed in a four armed hug.

“Darcy!” Sofia squealed, wrapping herself around me as Diego tugged us both into his chest.

“I’m so glad you guys decided to stay.” Diego squeezed me tighter and I spotted Tory over his shoulder, observing the bear hug I was trapped in with a grin.

A girl a few feet away suddenly gasped, jumping up and down. “Ohmagod it’s Caleb Altair.” 

I glanced over my shoulder in the direction she was pointing, pulling away from my friends. Caleb headed a line of Juniors as he strode down the corridor like he owned every ounce of oxygen in it. His friends pointed us out and my gut tightened as his stony gaze slid over us. His fan club were eyeing him hopefully and I knew in the depths of my heart he wasn’t going to pass us by without comment.

He slowed his pace, breathing in deeply. “Do you smell that guys?” He sniffed the air and my scowl grew. “Smells like a bunch of Orderless Fae pretending they deserve a place in our prestigious Academy.”

“Is it raining assholes today?” Tory commented, turning away from him and for a moment it almost looked like he was going to crack a smile.

“I have an Order,” Sofia muttered under her breath but Caleb’s Vampire hearing didn’t let her get away with it.

“I wouldn’t go around reminding people of that, blondie. Being a Pegasus is worse than not having an Order.” His friend fist bumped him, nodding his agreement as he laughed. He was a tall guy with red hair and cold eyes.

“Yeah I dunno how there are so many of them on campus,” the redhead jibed. “Only a freak would want to screw a horse.” 

Caleb chuckled at that, nodding firmly. “I think I’d rather give up my claim first.”

His shitbag friends laughed their heads off as Caleb swept off down the hall to a stream of excited hoots.

“God he’s awful,” I growled. “Ignore him Sofia.”

“If I ever bump into him as a Pegasus, I’ll introduce him to my left hoof,” Sofia hissed and I raised my brows at the fire in her eyes.

“I would so love to see that,” Tory laughed, then lowered her voice as she looked to me. “I wonder if we can use his Pegasus hate against him?”

“Yeah, you should spread a rumour that he likes Pegasus ass,” Sofia whispered, a manic gleam in her eyes. I kinda liked this crazy side to her and couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled from my throat. 

Diego stared at her in shock, then nodded keenly. “That would be fantastico, Sofia. I doubt anyone would believe us freaks though.” He winked at her and she blushed at his insinuation.

A chorus of shrieking laughter caught my attention and I turned with a crushing feeling in my chest as Kylie and her friends arrived.

“Looks like a half-plucked chicken is joining our Cardinal Magic class today,” she said loudly, her pale eyes landing on me as a wicked smile pulled up her full lips. “Someone put it out of its misery.” Her friends fell about laughing and I ground my teeth as I glared back at her.

“Looks like a fully plucked one has joined us too,” Tory called back at her. “They haven’t removed its huge beak yet though.”

A collective ooooh sounded from our classmates and adrenaline slid into my veins.

Kylie’s face turned red and her eyes swam with murder. Her dark-haired friend, Jillian, stared at us like a wide-eyed owl.

“What did you say to me, Princess Whore?” Kylie snarled.

I moved to Tory’s side, not wanting her to fight my battles. “You heard her, Kylie. Why don’t you run back to your supposed boyfriend? You know, the one who made you stand in a bush and film him while he kissed another girl.” I didn’t know where the fire in me came from, or if spinning my absolute humiliation into another tale would work at all. But Kylie’s jaw ticked with rage and she stepped toward us like a predator. A circle formed around us and those who’d entered the class already poked their heads back out to see what was going on.

“Sethy only did that to destroy you, Vega,” Kylie spat at me. “As if he’d ever kiss you out of choice.”

“Well you can tell him I’d rather cut my tongue out than put it anywhere near his lying mouth again,” I snarled and Diego took hold of my arm as if to pull me away.

“I see him kissing girls all over campus and none of them are you,” Tory added mock-innocently. “If he does kiss you again, Kylie, you’d better be careful in case you catch an STI.”

“You little bitch!” Kylie shrieked. Her entire head of blonde hair burst into streams of angry snakes, her skin shifted to a pale green colour and her teeth sharpened to points. I lurched back in surprise as the black and green vipers hissed at us, spitting venom. An Order rang in my head that Orion had mentioned – Medusa.

“Holy shit,” Tory breathed, her shoulder knocking mine as she backed up. “She looks like a bird threw up a bucket of worms all over her head. I can’t believe she tried to insult your hair.”

Kylie’s eyes narrowed to slits and she stepped forward, raising her hands as a storm of air circled between them.

Before she could so much as unleash a light breeze, she was lifted into the air by a vortex of wind, spinning wildly in circles so the vipers swung out around her head.

A laugh ripped from my throat as Orion walked into view, his hand raised as he cast the tornado.

“You should all be sat in my classroom waiting for me!” he bellowed, dropping his arm so that Kylie hit the floor, landing on her ass with a yelp. Her hair fell about her shoulders, returning to a sheet of gold and her cheeks flushed scarlet with embarrassment.

“Twenty points from Aer for losing control of your Order form,” Orion barked then cast a gust of air which forced more students aside to let him through. He marched into the classroom out of sight and my heart beat frantically as everyone scrambled after him. 

Kylie’s friends left her in a heap, hurrying into the room without her. She flattened down her hair and tried to remain calm, but I could see she was totally knocked for six. A small part of me felt sorry for her but after what she’d done to me, I smothered that thought with a pillow until it suffocated to death.

My friends’ laughter rang around me, mixing with that of our other classmates and infecting me until I joined in.

“Did you see the look in the snakes’ eyes as they spun about her head?” Tyler Corbin roared a laugh as he re-enacted the whole thing at the front of the class.

Orion folded his arms, waiting behind his desk as the students fell into their seats and watched Tyler’s display. A smile played around Orion’s mouth and he met my gaze for half a second, making me grin even wider.

I dropped into my seat between Tory and Diego just as Kylie marched through the door. She drew her shoulders back as she hurried to her chair, but the moment she sat down, she sank low to try and hide, burying her face in her Atlas.

Excited chatter filled the room and Tyler was still spinning at the front of the class, waving someone’s cardigan above his head. A tremendous bang made everyone fall deathly quiet. Orion had lifted his entire desk and slammed it down on the floor with a gust of air and the wooden floor vibrated from the impact. Tyler hurried back to his seat as Orion gave him a sharp look.

As quiet rang out, he turned to the board, picking up his electronic pen and writing across it in his slanted handwriting.

YOU ARE NOT PURE.

I took out my Atlas, navigating my way to the lesson notes. When I found them, I looked back at Orion, waiting on an explanation for his latest vaguely insulting start to a lesson.

He slowly walked toward Tyler Corbin who was frantically tapping out something on his Atlas, completely unaware of the danger which was lurking nearer. It wasn’t until Orion’s shadow fell over him that Tyler froze, lifting his gaze to meet the Professor’s with an expression of apology.

“Are you writing a FaeBook post in my class, Corbin?” Orion growled and the amusement in the room was entirely disbanded by his terrifying tone.

“Yes but-” Tyler started but Orion snatched the Atlas and whacked it across the side of Tyler’s head. He tossed it on the floor with a clatter then walked back to the board. “Ten points from Terra,” he said casually, straightening his tie before tapping the board to bring up the first notes of the lesson.

Tyler rubbed his temple, reaching down and fishing his Atlas from the floor with a pout.

“Today we’re discussing blood lines,” Orion announced, pointing at the screen which contained a list of Orders and my curiosity piqued as I recognised the first one. It had belonged to The Savage King. My father.

Hydra.

Kraken.

Phoenix.

Arian Dolphin.

Empusa.

Ophiotaurus.

“Can anyone tell me what links these Orders?” Orion asked, gazing around the room as if he expected crickets.

“They’re extinct, sir,” Sofia said, her voice a little high.

Orion nodded firmly. “Five points to Ignis. And can anyone tell me why?” He turned back to the board, circling the Hydra Order in red.

“Because of impure blood lines?” a raven-haired girl called from the back.

“Precisely, Miss Abdul, five points to Aqua,” Orion said. “The Hydra Order is the most recent to become extinct after King Vega died twenty years ago.”

My gut knotted as I felt eyes drawn our way and I kept my gaze resolutely on the board.

“King Vega married outside of his Order, meaning his bloodline was mixed with that of a Harpy and whatever other genetics the Queen carried. As his daughters -” he gave us a pointed look “- haven’t yet emerged in their Order forms, there is a possibility that the Hydra Order could arise once more. However…that will be down to various factors. Genetics, the stars they are linked to…” He tapped the board and a complicated tree of genetics appeared beneath a list of constellations. “The more genetics that are introduced to a bloodline, the less chance there is of a parent birthing offspring of the same Order. That is why some rarer Orders now try to keep their lines pure by only breeding with those of their kind. Can anyone give me an example?”

“The Dragons, sir?” Tyler offered and Orion nodded.

I shared a look with Tory as we both thought of Darius Acrux.

Orion continued, “Families of rarer Orders often implement arranged marri-” A loud BEEEEEEP sounded from Orion’s Atlas, the high-pitched noise making my heart jolt.

He snatched it up immediately with a look of alarm, his eyes skating back and forth across a message he’d received. He ran a hand over his short beard, his forehead deeply furrowed.

“Shit,” he hissed and everyone in the room sat up straighter.

He slowly placed the Atlas down on his desk, rested his palms either side of it and looked to the class with a grim expression. “It is my duty to inform you that the FIB have just announced that Professor Astrum’s death was caused by a Nymph.”

Gasps were sucked in around me and my heart stammered in my chest as I looked to Tory.

“A Nymph got on campus?!” Kylie shrieked and several of her friends started chatting animatedly.

“Aren’t we supposed to have protection at this Academy?” another boy demanded, puffing out his chest.

“Have the FIB caught the Nymph?” another girl wailed.

Tyler began furiously tapping on his Atlas again and the noise in the classroom escalated.

“QUIET!” Orion roared and everyone obeyed.

My heart hammered as he bowed his head, his brow shadowing his eyes. “It seems the Nymph used their newly acquired Element of Fire which it had stolen from Astrum to try and destroy the Professor’s body, but they didn’t do a good enough job to conceal the evidence.” He took a slow breath. “The Nymph in question has not yet been caught; Astrum possessed both air and fire so this creature will now be extremely dangerous. The FIB will be conducting interviews with anyone who may have witnessed something useful on the night of the murder. If you have any information and you are not called for an interview you will step forward regardless and offer it up willingly. Trust me when I say, you do not want to be interrogated by the FIB against your will.” He fell silent but no one said anything. All I could hear was my heart jack-hammering in my chest.

A Nymph killed Astrum. So what does that mean? That it was a random murder? Or that the Nymphs cared about him giving us information?

The look in Orion’s eyes said he was livid, his jaw ticking like a time bomb. “They have demanded that every student in the school be taught about Nymphs and though I normally don’t teach that lesson until Junior year, we will be switching topics and covering it today instead.” He tapped something on his Atlas then a minute later the notes on mine changed and a lesson title sprang up on the board.

The Physiology of Nymphs.

A heavy weight seemed to descend on the room. Everyone was waiting for Orion to speak, to offer some insight into the creature that had killed Astrum. And I was just as eager, leaning forward in my chair in anticipation.

“As anyone who has grown up in Solaria knows, Nymphs are creatures born without magical gifts, but they can acquire them from Fae. They are our sworn enemies. Their nature is one of destruction and death. But what you may not know is how they function, how their minds and bodies work. This knowledge is what will give you an advantage against them. A split second longer to escape death. And I will try to give you that advantage today.”

Orion tapped the screen and a creepy image appeared of a tall figure with long, sharpened fingers. It looked almost tree-like, its body sinewy and brown. Its face was a demonic thing with red eyes and curling horns seemingly made from bark which twisted above its head.

“This is a Nymph in its true form,” Orion explained and goosebumps fled across my skin. “They vary in size depending on age and gender, but that is the least of your concerns. Nymphs are gifted with an energy that is capable of disabling a Fae’s magic. A Nymph can overwhelm Fae within less than thirty seconds at close range. The process has been described as a draining, sucking feeling that pulls at the well of magic inside you and immobilises it. This is accompanied by a rattling noise.”

My throat constricted as I thought back to that night in the alley when we’d been meant to meet Falling Star the first time.

“Darcy, do you remember?” Tory whispered and I nodded, my mouth completely dry as I looked to her. We were chased by a Nymph!? Holy crap.

“Does anyone know where the Nymphs originate from?” Orion asked the class.

“The Shadow Realm,” Diego offered, his face paling.

“Correct,” Orion said.

“Isn’t that where the fifth Element lives, sir?” Tyler asked excitedly.

“There’s no such thing,” Orion growled, glaring at him. “And I suggest you don’t blow smoke up the ass of that particular rumour, Corbin, or you’ll end up in detention with me for the foreseeable future.”

Tyler slumped back in his chair with a huff.

“What’s the Shadow Realm?” I asked, feeling out of my depth. A few giggles followed, but not as many as I’d expected. It seemed that there were plenty of people in the room who were eager to learn about it.

Orion turned to me with a heavy frown. “It’s another mirror world. But it’s not like ours or Earth. It’s where dark magic originates. Nymphs are born of it, but they cannot wield it. Not unless they steal magic from Fae first.” He moved to the board, pointing out the elongated fingers on the Nymph. “These pointed probes-”

“Butt probes!” Tyler blurted, bursting into laughter and several students joined in. A giggle escaped me and Tory snorted.

Orion flicked a finger and a torrent of water opened up above Tyler, pouring down on him in a ferocious wave. It abruptly stopped and Tyler spluttered heavily as water dripped into a growing puddle around his chair.

Orion continued on as if there had been no interruption at all. “-are razor sharp and can be inserted into the heart of a Fae to extract their magic. The process takes less than two minutes and once completed, the Fae will of course be dead and the Nymph will acquire the full power of the Elements that Fae possessed.”

“So how can we defend ourselves against that?” Sofia begged, her eyes rounded with fear.

Orion tapped the screen in response, revealing a page entitled Shields and Defences. “The draining sensation is a tell-tale sign of a Nymph in your vicinity. A bluish flash often precedes the blast of energy,” Orion said. “Before any other tactic is even considered, I highly suggest you run. You are freshmen, not trained Fae. You will stand little to no chance against a Nymph if they begin the draining process.”

“And what if they get too close for us to run?” a guy asked, anxiously scraping a hand through his dark hair.

“Then you are most likely dead already,” Orion said completely deadpan.

Way to give a pep talk, sir.

“But,” Orion said with a dark grin that made his dimple pop out. “Most Fae are too tenacious not to fight to the bitter end. So here are a few tactics you can employ.” He pointed at the first line on the board. “In light of what has happened, shields will no doubt take precedence in your Elemental Classes from now on. If used well, you may be able to shield yourself from the effects of a Nymph’s draining power long enough for you to get away. The second tactic.” He pointed to the next line. “Is to engage them in combat before they have a chance to start draining you. As you are not yet trained for battle, I would encourage you to blast the extent of your powers at the creature in one single, wide blow to increase the chances of you hitting your target. The third and most effective means of defence for you to use is to shift into your Order form. Nymphs cannot disable your Order abilities with their power so a Dragon can still breathe fire at them, a Vampire can still use their enhanced strength etcetera. At the very least, your Order form will make it easier for you to run.”

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. That bit of advice wasn’t much help to me or Tory while we waited for our Orders to emerge.

“At least I’ll see a ten foot tree monster coming at me from a way off,” a girl in the row behind us said with a nervous laugh.

“Wrong,” Orion chimed back at her. “Nymphs are chameleons. They can take the form of Fae.”

“Great,” Tyler groaned. “So you could be a Nymph for all we know.” He pointed at Orion and the Professor gazed coolly back at him.

“The only thing I want to drain from you, Corbin, is a few pints of blood.” He stalked closer with a manic glint in his eye and Tyler shrank in his chair.

A knock came at the door and before Orion could move to answer it, the door opened. My mouth parted at the sight of the beautiful woman I’d seen Orion on a date with in Tucana. But now she wasn’t in a slinky dress that defined her hour-glass figure she was in a fitted black jumpsuit with a shiny silver badge on her chest labelling her as FIB.

“What the fuck?” Tory breathed in my ear and I nodded, unable to voice a single word on the matter. Orion’s hot date is part of the Fae Investigation Bureau??

“Sorry to intrude, Lance,” she said and something about the way she spoke his name made my hackles raise.

“Is everything alright, Francesca?” Orion asked, his voice velvet smooth.

They’re definitely screwing each other. And I definitely don’t care.

“Some new evidence has come to light, I need to speak with a couple of your students.” Her peridot eyes scanned the room and honed in on me and my sister. “Tory and Darcy Vega? You need to come with me.”

Orion glanced between us with his lips pressing into a tight line. We stood up and I felt eyes burning a hundred holes in my back as I gathered my satchel and headed toward Francesca.

As I closed in on her, Orion darted forward and caught my wrist. I nearly stumbled into him from the force he used and had to steady myself against him. My hand landed right where his rolled-up sleeve met the crook of his elbow and I glanced down at a raised line of skin beneath my fingers. I frowned as I spotted a dark red tattoo branded there; it was a symbol I vaguely recognised and it took me half a second longer to remember it was the one for the star sign of Leo.

“You have detention with me on Saturday,” Orion said in my ear, his voice a deadly purr that made my breathing quicken.

“I do?” I balked. “What for?” I met his eyes and my heart tripled its pace at the hungry look in them. He hadn’t fed from me for a while and I half expected him to take advantage of me right then.

“Stardust, Miss Vega,” he said and a lightning bolt seemed to hit my chest.

“Oh right…that,” I muttered as he released me.

“Six am in the Jupiter Hall atrium on Saturday morning. Don’t be late,” he demanded.

“So long as you aren’t,” I said before I could stop myself and his eyes glittered as I stepped back and hurried out of the door after Tory and Francesca.

Francesca’s heels clicked on the floor as she walked ahead of us at a fierce pace. She led us down a corridor past many more doors until eventually stopping outside one. She rapped her knuckles on it and a deep male voice answered.

“Just finishing up, one minute,” he called.

Francesca took out a phone and started tapping on the screen.

“What is this about exactly?” Tory asked, folding her arms.

Francesca slowly dragged her eyes up from the phone, her long lashes casting a fan of shadow across her cheeks. “The interview will be conducted shortly. We’re asking all witnesses to cooperate.”

“I am cooperating, I’m just asking why you’ve singled us out,” Tory pressed.

Francesca ignored her, returning to tapping on her phone.

I shared a look with my sister, fighting an eye roll at this woman’s rude behaviour.

The door opened and Francesca looked up again as a tall man in a suit stepped out of the room. “All done, I’m heading over to Ignis House to check out the fire that started in Mr Acrux’s room.”

My tongue felt heavy and I fought the urge to look at Tory as he strode off down the hall.

“Wait here until I call you,” Francesca commanded, stepping aside to let the last interviewee out of the room.

My gut took a dramatic dive and my blood ran icily cold as I came face to face with Seth Capella.

His eyebrows jumped up at the sight of Tory and I then a vicious smile cut into his cheeks. He casually lifted a hand, raking it through his long hair, giving me a clear look at the braid of blue hair he’d wrapped around his wrist. My hair.

Asshole!

My teeth gritted together as he sauntered toward us and Francesca disappeared into the room.

Tory stepped forward as if to place herself between us but I caught her arm to stop her, glaring at him. His eyes clawed over every inch of my mangled hair and that smile sliced deeper into his cheeks. “Oh shit, did a rogue lawn mower drive over you on your way to class, babe?” Seth mocked as he reached out to touch my butchered locks.

I heated my palm up with burning air and snatched his wrist before he could touch me. He winced, yanking his arm back with a snarl.

“Hey,” he barked. “You wanna watch yourself, Vega. Next time it might be more than your hair you lose.”

“Shouldn’t you be off sniffing some dog’s ass somewhere, mutt?” Tory asked coolly, placing a hand on her hip.

His eyes whipped to her like a loaded gun. He leaned in, breathing in her scent but not trying to touch her like he usually did. “You think this is all some game, don’t you?” he growled, his eyes sharpening. “You’re in over your heads and if that last warning wasn’t enough for you, you’re more stupid than I thought.”

“I’m ready for you,” Francesca’s voice carried from the room.

Tory moved around Seth but as I went to follow he stepped into my path, sliding his hand onto my cheek in an almost loving gesture. I stood my ground, glaring at him, my fingers tingling with magic. But I knew if I tried to fight him he’d easily win. I wasn’t a match for him. Not today.

My skin stung where his palm lay but I let him do it, refusing to run.

“I don’t like the look of the fire in your eyes, babe,” he growled. “Didn’t I break you well enough?”

I stepped further into his personal space, my heart racing and my shoulders trembling. “Iron is made stronger in the hottest part of the fire, Seth. You didn’t break me, you forged me.”

He dropped his hand, his brows pulled together and a strange look entered his eyes as I walked away. My heart rammed into my throat as I darted after Tory and stepped into the room, unable to believe I’d gotten away with that.

All thoughts of Seth were forgotten as I spotted Francesca sitting at a table, her eyes two mossy chasms and her back as straight as a ruler.

“Sit,” she ordered and Tory and I took chairs opposite her at the single table in the centre of the classroom.

Francesca pushed a tablet across the table toward us and tapped on the screen. “My name is Agent Sky. You’re here because of the death of Professor Ling Astrum on the night of September twentieth. I am aware of your heritage and let me tell you that it means nothing in this room. You are witnesses to a murder and you will produce answers to my questions without fail.”

We nodded and I knotted my fingers together under the desk. Even though I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, this woman was making me feel like a criminal. Tory looked more at ease in these surroundings; she’d bluffed her way out of more than one hairy situation with the law so this was a walk in the park for her. But I was not the coolest of cucumbers right then.

“One of you is about to offer me answers and I will give you five seconds to decide who.” Francesca gave us a hard stare that made her beautiful face seem cut from stone. She pushed the tablet toward us and I leaned forward to look at the screen, finding all of the Falling Star messages Astrum sent to us.

“I’ll do it,” Tory blurted.

“Good.” Francesca stood up. “That means you just volunteered your sister instead.” My throat thickened as she moved around the table and reached towards me.

“What are you doing?” I breathed but she didn’t reply. Instead, she pressed her palm flat against my forehead.

A fuzziness filled my mind and I blinked woozily as a strange aura floated over me. I tried to fight it off but it pushed deeper inside me, forcing me away on a dream. For a moment it seemed like Francesca only had one, glaring eye instead of two right at the centre of her forehead. It was a sea of green, drinking me in alongside all of my thoughts and worries. Before I could do anything to clamber my way back out of the hole I’d been sucked into, everything went dark.

***

“Darcy?” Someone was shaking me and I blinked heavily, finding Tory beside me. My cheek was plastered to the table and a roiling sickness twisted my gut.

“What happened?” I murmured, my thoughts slowly realigning.

Tory helped me sit upright and the horrible after effects of whatever Francesca had done to me finally ebbed away.

“That agent was a Cyclops,” she said, looking mildly horrified. “She got in your head and took whatever answers she wanted. Sometimes you spoke about Astrum but I think mostly she just hacked directly into your memories.” She frowned as a retch burned its way out of my throat.

I felt completely violated and she hadn’t so much as warned me what she’d been going to do.

“She said she saw everything from that night and we’re clear of suspicion so I guess that’s…good,” Tory added, clearly trying to cheer me up.

“Fantastic,” I said dryly, rising to my feet.

“Oh and um…” Tory bit her lip as if she didn’t want to say any more.

“What?” I urged, sensing she was about to drop a bomb.

“Well you’ve been passed out for a while. It’s been almost twenty minutes since Agent Sky left. Orion sent Tyler here to tell you he can’t make your Liaison tonight and well…he took a picture of you with your tongue lolling out and it’s all over FaeBook.” She said the last part fast like she was ripping off a bandaid and I groaned dramatically.

“I tried to stop him,” Tory said half-heartedly. She pointed at the door where a smouldering burn mark was simmering at the top of it. “But I missed…”

“Well we’re not under investigation anymore, right?” I said, hunting for the positives.

“Nope. I mentioned the Tarot card Astrum gave us but she didn’t seem interested in it. I guess she saw it in your memories anyway. She knows we don’t have any more information.”

“Well that’s something because I don’t ever want a Cyclops in my head again.”

“Yeah and I don’t wanna watch that again either. Her boggly eye was freaking me out.”

“How boggly was it exactly?” I started laughing.

“The boggliest eye I’ve ever seen. She looked like Mike Wasoswki from Monsters Inc.”

I fell into fits of giggles and Tory burst out laughing too.

“That actually makes me feel a lot better,” I said with a grin.

“Yeah if I emerge as a Cyclops I think I’d have to invest in some seriously big sunglasses to hide that freaky thing,” Tory snorted.

We headed toward the door and I adjusted my satchel over my shoulder. I was pretty sure my skin was growing even thicker. Because if detention from Orion, being goaded by Seth Capella and a beautiful Cyclops tunnelling into my head wasn’t enough to ruin my day, then what was?