Zodiac Academy 3: The Reckoning

THE HIGH I FELT after completing our Air Trial was simmering through my veins as I stood beneath the steaming hot water in my shower.

I closed my eyes, letting the water ease some of the knots out of my shoulders as my mind began to wander. I kept thinking back over last night and the way that Darius had made me laugh when I’d let my guard down a little. Sometimes it was like he was a completely different person to the dick who had done so many awful things to me from the first second I’d arrived in this academy. My mind drifted to the way it had felt to wake up in his arms and how my fingertips had trailed over his sculpted muscles. I wondered what it would be like to trace the lines of all of his tattoos and how he might react to me doing it. I bit my lip as my mind started to wander in the direction of where that might lead and I had to curse my luck for the thousandth time that he was such a damn asshole.

But if he wasn’t then there were more than a few things I’d like to have done with him. I thought about the way he’d looked at me when he’d tried to convince me to stay with him last night and my heart started to beat a little faster, my breaths coming a little heavier-

“This is your worst attempt yet, sweetheart,” Caleb’s voice came through the door to my en-suite and I half leapt out of my skin. A scream escaped my lips and I stumbled back a step, knocking the shower door open with a loud bang.

“What the fuck are you doing in my room?” I shouted, snatching a towel and wrapping it around me tightly before I stormed towards the door.

I threw it open with another bang and found Caleb lounging against my desk like he owned the goddamn world. His blonde hair was dishevelled and he was wearing a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt which hugged his muscular figure and made him look good enough to eat. Or at least it would have if he hadn’t just broken into my room and scared the crap out of me.

“I messaged you,” he said innocently. “Fifteen minutes. You had time to run.” He pushed himself upright, moving towards me but I glared at him in response, making him hesitate.

“New rule. If you haven’t had a reply then the game isn’t on. I was in the shower. I didn’t even get your damn message. And how did you get in here?”

Caleb seemed to realise that I was genuinely pissed off and he stopped his advance on me, raising his hands innocently.

“Your door was unlocked. I thought you left it open for me.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he might have been right. I’d come back here in a hurry and it was possible I hadn’t locked the door.

“Well I didn’t. And I was under the impression you were pissed at me anyway?”

“I thought I’d give you the opportunity to apologise,” Caleb raised an eyebrow expectantly and I scoffed. 

“Not likely. You’re the one acting like you own me because we hooked up a few times. How would you respond to a girl who did that to you?”

Caleb sighed dramatically, his lips twitching like he was amused. “You could give it a try and I’ll see if I like it?” he suggested.

I gave him a flat look and he drew closer to me.

“Okay,” he said, raising his hands in defeat. “Point taken. Let me make it up to you.”

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth, slowly carving a trail along my jaw and down my neck as he pushed his fingers into my wet hair. Heat spread beneath my skin and a small smile tugged at my lips as he broke through my irritation with him.

“Are you going to give me some space to get dressed?” I asked as he pressed his body against me more firmly, my heart beating faster in response.

“Don’t you want me to stay?” he murmured.

“I’m meeting Darcy and my friends in The Orb. And I’m starving. So no,” I pulled back and pointed him towards the door but he resisted.

“I thought-”

My door opened again and we both looked around as Darius stepped into the doorway.

“What are you screaming about in here? I thought you were being murdered.” His eyes took in my wet hair and towel and the fact that I was trying to push Caleb out of the room and a low growl rumbled from his chest. My skin suddenly felt altogether too hot.

“Well now you can see no one is here to murder her you can leave us to it,” Caleb replied, moving closer to me instead of further away.

“No. Now that both of you have let yourselves into my room without knocking, you can both fuck off,” I snapped, embarrassment clawing at me.

“I was just making sure you were alright,” Darius said softly, his eyes on me but the tension in his posture was all for Caleb’s benefit. 

“I will be when you’re both gone.” My heart was pounding something chronic and blood was heating my cheeks. There was one thin towel dividing my body from these two gorgeous men and my blood was pumping like mad with a mixture of mortification and something a little less respectable.

The two of them looked at me and I fixed a scowl on my face as I waited for them to do as they were told.

“Sorry for crossing a line, sweetheart,” Caleb said softly, pressing a brief kiss to my cheek before heading towards Darius. “Come on Darius, let’s go get a drink.”

Darius’s eyes stayed on me for a long moment and I couldn’t really do anything but stare back at him, caught in the snare of his gaze.

Caleb clapped him on the arm as he reached him and he nodded, turning away quickly and pulling my door shut without so much as another word to me.

I moved forward to lock my door, blowing out a shaky breath as my frantic heart settled.

Geraldine had messaged to say the Ass Club were making a celebration out of dinner for us in The Orb so I pulled a blood red skater dress out of my closet and spent a bit of time styling my hair and doing my makeup before I headed out.

The sun was low in the sky but it wasn’t cold out so I grabbed my leather jacket and threw my Atlas into my pocket.

I still felt a little jittery after having a Vampire and a Dragon Shifter break into my room while I was showering and I quickly scoured my desk for something sweet to take the edge off of my nerves.

I checked my bedside locker when I couldn’t come up with anything but instead of finding candy, my fingers brushed against the hilt of the dagger I’d stolen from Darius’s room.

A deep longing coiled its way through my chest and I pulled it into my grasp, letting out a soft sigh as I held it. I closed my eyes for a moment, almost feeling like I was in the presence of an old friend, someone who wanted to protect me…

I bit my lip as I looked down at the silver blade, running my thumb over the swirling design engraved on the hilt.

My horoscope had warned about troubles as night drew in today and as I glanced out of my window at the sun which was already beginning to set, I wondered if taking the dagger with me wouldn’t be the worst idea. If I ran into any Nymphs then I could use it to defend myself if my magic was paralysed, especially as I hadn’t been able to summon the blue and red flames again since the attack…

With a shrug of my shoulders, I slid the dagger into my pocket and zipped it up. I could still feel the call of the blade through the material which divided it from my skin and there was something oddly comforting about having it close like that. It wasn’t like I was going to use it anyway. It was just backup. Just in case.

I headed out of my room to meet Sofia in the common room so that we could head for The Orb together.

She wasn’t there when I arrived and my gaze lingered on Milton Hubert who was sitting in the back corner of the room by a window. No one was looking his way or talking to him. He was completely isolated just as he had been every time I’d seen him since I’d let him take the fall for stealing Darius’s treasure and he looked utterly miserable.

My gut twisted uncomfortably. Milton was an ass who had taken naked pictures of me and spread them around the school but he’d never been outwardly hostile to me aside from that. I’d known that Darius would be pissed at him for stealing his treasure and I’d wanted to throw a bit of discord and mistrust into Darius’s inner circle but I hadn’t realised he’d become a total pariah. This shunning stuff was pretty twisted.

I pursed my lips and decided that it was probably on me to do something about this situation if I didn’t want it to go on.

I crossed the room with purposeful steps and came to a halt behind the chair opposite Milton. He looked up at me in surprise, glancing around as if he thought there must be someone else here I’d been meaning to talk to.

“Can I help you?” he asked hesitantly.

“Mind if I sit?” I asked, taking a seat anyway.

He raised a bushy eyebrow at me and looked around nervously again.

“Darius won’t like it if he sees you talking to me.”

“Pfft. I don’t give a crap what Darius likes,” I said dismissively. “You may not have noticed but he’s done some rather unpleasant things to me too. So I’m thinking that we’re in the same boat as far as that goes.”

“I didn’t steal from him though,” Milton said with a frown. “I swear I-”

“And I don’t want his stupid throne but he doesn’t really care about the truth, does he? Anyway, this isn’t really about him. I was just thinking that maybe you and me could have a fresh start? You’ve done things to me and I’ve done things to you…” Like putting you in this shitty position… “But we could just draw a line under all that now if you want? Start over as friends?”

“Why would you want to be my friend? Darius has made it clear that anyone who’s seen with me will-”

“I don’t care what Darius thinks, dude. And I’ve got my own friends who he already doesn’t like. I assure you the A.S.S. won’t shun you if I say you’re cool by me. And I promise you won’t even have to wear a shiny Ass badge to hang out with us.”

“I dunno…” Milton looked around nervously like he was expecting a pissy Dragon to appear at any moment.

“Your choice, dude, but the offer is there. At this point what more can he really do to you anyway? Seems silly to shun yourself into a corner when you’re being offered an olive branch.” I shrugged and got to my feet as I spotted Sofia entering the room.

She grinned excitedly as she showed off a new slinky black dress she was wearing and I moved to join her.

“So is that for Diego’s benefit or Tyler’s?” I asked.

“If I say both does that make me a terrible person?” she asked and I laughed.

“Hell no. Let them fight it out for you,” I encouraged with a grin and we headed across the common room for the exit.

I glanced back at Milton to see if he’d decided to join us and with a determined look, he got to his feet and crossed the room. I offered him an encouraging smile and Sofia widened her eyes at me, dropping her voice to a whisper.

“Is he coming with us?” she hissed. “If Darius sees-”

“I’ll deal with Darius,” I replied. “Besides, the enemy of my enemy and all that.”

Sofia still didn’t look convinced but she didn’t say anything as Milton joined us and we made our way to The Orb.

We headed inside and I could practically feel the tension rolling off of Milton beside me as he looked towards the centre of the room where the Heirs were all sitting on their red couch.

I caught his arm and guided him through the crowd towards the left of the room where the Ass Club had congregated.

Milton ducked his head, clearly not wanting to draw the attention of the Ignis House Captain but as I glanced Darius’s way it was clear that that tactic hadn’t worked. Darius got to his feet and prowled towards us like a pissed off tiger who had just broken free of its cage.

“Shit,” I muttered, pushing Milton a bit to encourage him into the safety of the Ass Club.

Geraldine perked up as she spotted us and leapt to her feet. “Good golly lolly, what a tremendous day!” she exclaimed. “Please let me be the first to offer-”

“Sorry Geraldine but I’ve just got a little situation to deal with,” I interrupted. “Can you look after Milton here for me while I do?”

“It will be my honour to take on the task!” she gushed, pulling Milton towards her as I turned back to face the Dragon asshole who was burning a hole into the back of my head.

I turned and set a quick pace across the room, ignoring Darius as he closed in on me and heading straight for the ice cooler to grab myself a drink.

My hand closed on a bottle of pink lemonade just as Darius grabbed my wrist and spun me around to face him.

“Hi,” I said innocently as he pinned me in with his huge body.

He frowned as that threw him off and I slowly unscrewed the top of my drink and took a swig.

“What are you doing coming in here with Milton?” he asked in a low voice as he recovered from his surprise.

“Are you jealous?” I teased.

A queue was forming as people tried to get to the ice cooler and I stepped a little closer to him, encouraging him to move. Darius didn’t seem to give a shit about holding people up but he drew me away all the same, placing a hand on my back to make sure I didn’t escape.

“I made it clear that Milton is being shunned,” he snarled as we made it into a corner beside one of the fires which burned around the edges of The Orb. He placed a hand on the wall beside my head as I pressed my back to the golden wall but I arranged my features into a mask of mildly bored rather than giving any reaction to his intimidation tactics.

“And I made it clear I don’t do as I’m told,” I replied with a shrug, looking up at him as I toyed with the lemonade bottle in my hands. “Are you going to punish me?”

Darius growled at me and I smiled despite the shiver that ran down my spine in warning.

“Do you growl at everyone like that or do I get under your skin more than most people?” I asked.

“I find you particularly frustrating,” he replied evenly. “And I think you sometimes forget what lies beneath my skin.”

I gave him a sweeping look, my eyes trailing from his feet all the way back up to his eyes as he continued to lean over me and I shrugged.

“I haven’t forgotten,” I replied. “I’m just not going to let you push me around because you’re scarier than me. Trying to avoid your wrath didn’t do me any favours anyway, so why shouldn’t I just do as I please?”

“Your smart mouth is going to get you into trouble with me one of these days,” he warned.

“Is that a promise?”

Darius held my eye, inching closer to me like he wanted to see which of us would blink first. I held my ground, looking right back at him as my heart started pounding with fear and something a little more intoxicating. I couldn’t back down now but I was sure he wasn’t going to either.

“I want you to send Milton away again,” he breathed, a dark warning.

“Are you really so unforgiving that you won’t even let him have other friends?” I asked softly. “Isn’t it enough that he’s lost his social group and your affection? Let him hang out with the outcasts…”

“Why? I thought you hated him for sharing those pictures of you. Why do you even care what happens to him?” Darius asked, his voice lowering.

“Maybe I don’t enjoy hating people,” I replied. “Maybe I just want to forgive him and move on.”

“Do you mean that?” Darius frowned at me and I shrugged.

“Why not? He only shared a few photographs. I made him delete them and I punished him for it. It’s not like he’s the one who burned my clothes off or like he did anything else to hurt me, is it? I might as well save my hatred for those more deserving.”

“Do you hate me then, Roxy? Or do you still not care about me enough for that?”

“Why do you care if I do or I don’t?” I asked in response because in that moment I didn’t even know anymore. The heat of him was coiling around me again and instead of leaning away from him, I was shifting closer. He was danger and power and the worst kind of temptation but I almost wanted to find out just how close I could get before I got burned.

Someone cleared their throat beside us and I flinched away from Darius as if we’d just been caught doing something wrong.

“Forgetting something, Mr Acrux?” Orion asked mildly, his gaze sweeping over me where I was still pinned in against the wall.

“I’m not finished here,” Darius replied without looking at him and I swallowed a lump in my throat as I looked back into his dark eyes.

“Do you want me to add time to your detention then?” Orion asked, his tone darkening.

Darius let out a breath of frustration, leaning in closer to me so that he could speak into my ear. “We aren’t done, Roxy.” His chest brushed against mine and the rough bite of his stubble grazed my jaw. He started to shift back but I caught his arm before he could, meeting his gaze as he looked at me curiously, barely a breath dividing us.

“I know we aren’t,” I replied, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. “Because you still owe me a bike.”

Darius let out a breath of laughter before drawing back and releasing me from the cage of his body. The heat of him retreated too and I watched him walk away with the faintest twinge of regret that we hadn’t quite seen that altercation through.

Orion raised an eyebrow at me and I offered him a scowl in response to the judgment which he smirked at before leaving with Darius.

I quickly headed back across the room to find my friends and smiled as I spotted Darcy at our usual table.

I glanced over at the Heirs’ couch and noticed a pretty girl with dark hair braided down her back sitting on Caleb’s lap as he ran his fingers along her neck. He caught my eye and smiled provocatively and I smiled right back. If he thought he could make me jealous by biting some other girl then he was way off base. I was more than happy to give over the biting part of our relationship to someone else to endure.

I dropped down into my spot opposite Darcy and fell on my meal without any further distractions. The Air Trial had been exhausting and I was already dreading having another one tomorrow.

“Just imagine how tired we’ll be by the time this Reckoning stuff is over,” I groaned, shovelling creamy pasta into my mouth like the Italians might run out of it.

“Do you think all the trials will be that hard?” Darcy asked.

“I remember almost wetting my britches during my Earth Trial,” Geraldine offered. “It was so darn hair-raising I almost had a perm by the end of it.”

I sniggered a laugh and Milton hesitantly joined in. He was sitting beside her while she introduced him to every member of the Ass Club and tried to convince him to join up officially. To say he looked like a fish out of water was an understatement but he hadn’t left to go sit alone in a corner so I guessed our fan club was preferable company to no company at all if nothing else.

“What did Darius want with you?” Darcy asked in an undertone as everyone returned their attention to their food.

“I dunno. He never really got to the point. Mostly he doesn’t want me being friends with Milton but it always feels like I’m only getting half the story with him.” I shrugged because I wasn’t sure what else to say and Darcy nodded in understanding.

Caleb appeared between us in the blink of an eye, perching on the edge of our table and inspecting his fingernails.

“We have a problem, sweetheart,” he said to me, though he continued to inspect his nails.

“I know. There’s a Vampire sitting on our dinner,” I replied and Darcy giggled in response.

“You’re killing me, you know that?” he asked, dropping his hand and pinning me with his navy eyes. “You’re ignoring my messages, you won’t play our games, you won’t visit me when I ask and to make it worse you’re going on secret dates with my friends.”

“What secret dates?” Sofia asked.

“Didn’t she tell you she went out with Darius last night? He took her back to his manor and they got up to god knows what,” Caleb said.

“I don’t believe one of the true queens would spend her free time with that ruffian,” Geraldine said proudly and I cleared my throat uncomfortably. I had been planning on telling them about my late night adventure at Acrux Manor especially if I’d won a shiny new bike but I hadn’t gotten around to it yet with the madness of the Air Trial today. And it wasn’t like it was something I could easily explain in a few short sentences either.

“He sent me a picture of them together to prove it if you don’t believe me.” Caleb pulled his Atlas from his pocket and flashed the picture Darius had taken of the two of us around at everyone.

I glanced at it and was surprised at how much we looked like a happy couple in the snapshot. I was looking straight into the camera, a laughing smile on my face while Darius pressed a kiss to my head, the corner of his mouth hooked into a grin and his arm wrapped around me.

“That is a pretty misleading picture,” I said lamely as Darcy mouthed what the hell? at me behind Caleb’s back.

“You look like you were having an absolutely marvellous set of shenanigans, Your Majesty!” Geraldine gushed, changing tact in an instant. “I didn’t know you’d become so friendly with the sexy Dragon Heir!”

“Did you just call Darius Acrux sexy?” Sofia asked in surprise and I snorted a laugh as Geraldine blushed.

“Well I have eyes!” she said defensively. “That’s not to say he’s the most attractive of the Heirs.”

“Obviously,” Caleb said cockily.

“No. Clearly the title of the most drool inspiring hunk of handsome goes to Max Rigel even if he is a blackhearted fiend. But Darius isn’t a bad second,” Geraldine said, a faint blush lining her cheeks. Sofia started laughing and Darcy covered her mouth to hide her grin. Diego looked like he’d like to be absolutely anywhere else. 

“What?” Caleb asked, his brows pinching with irritation as I snorted a laugh. “You’re ranking me third?”

“No! Of course not!” Geraldine said loudly, seeming horrified. “Seth Capella would be third.”

I fell back into my chair, clutching my stomach as my laughter grew out of control and Caleb tried his hardest not to look as disgusted as he clearly was.

Caleb seemed lost for words for a moment before obviously deciding he’d be better off not responding to Geraldine’s assessment of him. He swung the photo back around to me and arched a brow instead.

“You care to explain your little date then, sweetheart?” he asked me as I reined in my amusement.

“It wasn’t a date,” I said, rolling my eyes. “And I’m sure he told you what we were doing anyway so why do you need me to confirm it?”

“Then why do you look so damn happy in this photo?” he asked.

I gave the picture another look and I had to admit he was right. Taken out of context it did look like we were really enjoying each other’s company.

“You’re right, I do. Maybe I should make it my profile pic?” I suggested.

“Are you aiming to break my heart, sweetheart?” Caleb asked me, placing his hand on his chest as he tucked the Atlas back into his pocket.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t even have a heart,” I teased.

Caleb leaned closer to me, smiling knowingly. “If I hadn’t heard you scream my name with such vigour multiple times, I’d be thinking you’re not into me at all.”

Diego started choking on his spaghetti beside us and Sofia patted his back as Caleb raised an eyebrow at him.

“Do you always hang out with frigid virgins or do you make an exception for this specimen?” Caleb asked me in a whisper shout which carried to everyone.

“My main criteria is non assholes so really you’re the one who’s out of place.” I shrugged at him and he smiled.

“Come and stay with me tonight,” he said boldly, holding my eye as he waited for my answer.

“I need to get a good night’s sleep before my Water Trial tomorrow. I don’t think what you have in mind would include much rest.”

“Do you enjoy making me run around after you like this?” he asked.

“I don’t entirely hate it,” I admitted.

Caleb smiled widely and got to his feet. “Then I’ll be sure not to stop. You might want to watch out for Hell Week pranks tonight – though I could keep you safe if you take me up on my offer.” He winked at me and was gone as quickly as he’d appeared. Darcy leaned over the table to talk to me again.

“Do you think we should get out of here?” she asked, glancing over at Caleb as he rejoined Seth and Max on their couch. “I swear they’re plotting something.”

The three Heirs had all shifted close together, talking in low voices while they shot glances around the room. The looks on their faces did seem pretty suspicious.

“You could have the right idea there,” I agreed.

We said goodbye to our friends and headed out through the back of The Orb. As we went I glanced back at the three Heirs and found them watching us leave. I exchanged a look with Darcy and we upped our pace to escape them. This Hell Week stuff was getting out of hand. I was really looking forward to making it past The Reckoning and getting back to normal again. Whatever the hell that was around here. 

A howl sounded from inside The Orb quickly followed by a cry of, “Gather the freshmen!” from Max Rigel.

“Oh shit,” I breathed as Darcy snatched my hand and we started running.

We made it to the dark space between Earth Observatory and Mars Labs just as a flood of freshmen ran screaming from The Orb. Older students chased them with the hoods of their black cloaks pulled up and white masks in place. 

My eyes widened as a wall of fire flared into existence beyond Jupiter Hall, blocking the escape in that direction just as the ground started to tremor beneath our feet. The earthquake sent the freshmen crashing to their hands and knees where vines grew from the mud to trap them. 

“Quick,” I urged, turning away again as the older students started to move closer to us. “Let’s get the hell out of here before they spot us!”

“Good plan!” Darcy raced away between the buildings, heading straight for the cover of The Wailing Wood. 

Adrenaline surged through my veins as I hounded after her and the freshmen continued to scream as the Heirs and the other students carried out their Hell Week prank. 

“Where did the Vegas go?” Seth yelled and I upped my pace even more.

“Where to?” I begged as we raced up the trail towards Aer House. “If we go back to our rooms they’ll find us.” I wanted to think the Heirs would accept us escaping them but I doubted there was much chance of that. We would be at the top of their hit list and they’d want to humiliate us more than anyone else. 

“How about the beach?” Darcy panted as we ran on. “We could go to Air Cove where no one will be able to spot us and we can wait out the chaos.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed. 

A cry went up behind us and we both wheeled around in panic at the sound of footsteps racing along the path towards us. 

We didn’t dare say another word, simply upped our speed as we sprinted away.