Zodiac Academy 5: Cursed Fates

“I want the world’s biggest cake,” Seth announced excitedly. “And a mountain of presents. And balloons. And streamers. And party games. And drinking games. And we probably need a theme. Or maybe some kind of performers, like fire girls or maybe earth teasers, or how about-”

“Do I get any say in this?” Max asked, rolling his eyes. “Because the last time I checked it was a joint birthday party and yet I’m hearing a whole hell of a lot of things that you want to have at it without much consultation with me.”

I snorted a laugh. Every year we had the same thing. Seth and Max were born within five days of each other, Seth right at the end of the Aquarius cycle and Max at the beginning of Pisces. And every year they had a joint party. And every year they spent the entire lead up to it arguing over the details before swearing that next year they’d have separate parties so that they didn’t have to compromise on what they wanted so much.

This year they’d agreed to make the party air themed before realising that it’s pretty difficult to make air decorations or really do anything with it party wise and so the arguments over what else to have had begun.

We were all sitting around the fire in King’s Hollow while we discussed it, though Darius had barely contributed two words so far.

“I don’t know why you always leave all of this to the last minute,” I said in exasperation, leaning back in my chair. “The party is in a week and you still haven’t even sorted the guest list.”

“We don’t need to sort the guest list, it’s obviously a Hores exclusive event which will make the Ass brigade cry into their pillows with the knowledge of how much they’re missing out,” Seth said with a shitty little smirk. He was sitting beside me on the couch and was clearly feeling very Wolfy today as he kept brushing his hand over my arm and had nuzzled right up so that he was leaning on me. Generally speaking, my Order didn’t go in for the touchy feely shit the Wolves liked, but I usually didn’t mind it with Seth somehow.

“Right. But you still haven’t picked a venue,” I pointed out.

“How about out on the lake?” Max suggested. “I could freeze a section of the water beside the bank and we could create a palace out of ice and earth together exclusively for the party. We’ve got that practical magic assessment coming up anyway so we could use it to showcase our talents as well and kill two birds with one stone.”

“Gah, that sounded great until you turned it into work,” Seth huffed dramatically, flopping down onto my lap with an arm draped over his eyes.

“Seriously?” I complained and he shifted about with his head resting in my crotch and peeked out at me from beneath his arm.

“I’m stressed, I need body contact, don’t reject me now, dude,” he said, throwing a fake little whimper in for added effect and I rolled my eyes.

“Fine. But I’m not stroking your hair for you,” I deadpanned as he grinned widely.

“Probably best you don’t or you might get me hard,” he agreed and I didn’t even know if he was joking, but I laughed as if he was.

Darius got up and headed to the ice cooler to grab himself a beer. It was Saturday so I guessed it didn’t matter if he was on his third beer…even if it was eleven am.

He’d been like this a lot the last few days. Quiet, brooding, detached from the mundane conversations we were all having.

I had a plan to cheer him up as my part of the deal with Orion and the other Heirs to try and break this curse on him and Tory, but I was still worried about whether or not it would work.

There were several issues with it. One: I’d been paying a hell of a lot of attention to the way the stars reacted whenever they got too close to one another and I was hoping I’d figured out the loopholes in it but there was really no way to test that before the main event, so I just had to hope my guesses were right.

Two: Tory had pulled away from me in the last few weeks and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get her to trust me enough to follow along with my plan. But I also couldn’t reveal it to her, or anyone else for that matter, in case the stars were listening in. Did stars have ears? No idea. But they definitely seemed to have eyes so I was going to keep my plans secret until the time came just in case.

Three: Darius did not play well with others, and he was a double grumpy fucker recently – I got why, but it just made my job harder – convincing him to try out my idea was going to be like scaling a mountain. But, I had the faintest glimmer of hope that if I could overcome each and every one of those obstacles then I might have been onto a fucking brilliant idea. Hopefully. Presuming it didn’t blow up in my face. But for now it was all I had, so it was worth a shot.

“Can we at least agree on chocolate cake?” Seth asked, peeking out from beneath his arm and throwing Max the puppy dog eyes.

“I wanted vanilla,” Max said, punctuating that idea by pushing feelings of desire and temptation over all of us until my stomach growled and saliva pooled in my mouth.

“Vanilla does sound good,” I admitted, wondering if I could get some from the kitchen staff ASAP.

“Asshole,” Seth grumbled. “Now I want vanilla too.”

“Sounds like you’ve made a decision then,” Darius said in a hollow tone. He did not seem to be in the party spirit. Not one bit.

The rest of us exchanged looks as he focused on his beer.

“So…how’s Xavier doing now?” Seth asked tentatively.

It was always hard to say what way Darius’s moods would go when he was like this. He could turn full Dragon asshole, bite our heads off, rip into us a bit and then tell us to fuck off. Or he might just open up. And this week, since Tory had snuck off to his manor and tossed Xavier out of the Pegasus closet for the whole world to see before unlocking all of the barriers in his mind, he’d been more prone to the latter.

“Better,” Darius replied, a smile hooking up the corner of his mouth as he looked at us. “He’s been allowed to do more interviews and the papers are all speculating about which herd he might join so Father is going to have to allow him to go meet with them. He’s like the kid I grew up with again, he’s got so much light back in him now. And it’s made such a difference having Mother back to herself – at least behind closed doors. He’s not alone in that house anymore. We’ve gotten something back with her which I didn’t even realise I’d been missing so desperately… And all because Roxy had bigger balls than any of us.”

“She’s something else alright,” I agreed and he shot me a look which said he was still a bit pissed at me over the hook up thing. But he’d also accepted it. It made me feel like shit but there wasn’t much I could do about it without a time machine and even then, I wasn’t sure I’d take it back. Tory had been hurting so much when I’d gone to her that night. She’d needed me, not just wanted. She’d needed something to pull her back from the brink of despair and I’d been it. It wasn’t pretty or simple or easy, but it was life. And life just got messy sometimes even when you didn’t mean for it to.

“How was she when you went back to your room the next morning?” Seth asked.

He’d been aching to ask that all week, practically bouncing off of the walls with his desire to know while Max banned him from asking. But was there really any point in us holding back around Darius now? He’d told us everything the night that his Dark Coercion was lifted and I was still reeling from all of the information about his dad, Clara, the shadows, the Nymphs…it was all too fucking much. And worse than that, there wasn’t anything we could do about it.

We’d warned our parents of course but with no evidence to back us up, they couldn’t make any moves against Lionel. They could only watch and wait and hope to be ready when he sprung his trap. Not that they’d been entirely convinced that everything we’d told them was true anyway. And I had to admit that I would have doubted it if Darius hadn’t shown us the shadows himself, but I wasn’t going to make him show my mom that. They’d arrest him along with his father if they found out he’d been infected with them. None of us had discussed whether that might mean he was stronger than the rest of us now and I didn’t want to either. Darius was my brother. He was nothing like his father and I didn’t for one second doubt him enough to worry about what he might do with that power. He’d never try to unseat us. Our bond was as unbreakable as sun steel.

“She’d left by the time I returned. Which is probably a good thing as the stars would have just forced us apart anyway,” Darius muttered.

“So that was it?” Seth asked in disappointment. “No sexual tension filled moment where you found her in your bed? Or your shower? Or maybe laid out naked on the rug beside your fire-”

“She left a note,” Darius growled, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket and tossing it on the table so that we could read it.

Thanks for being a gent and letting me steal your bed.

P.S.

I used your jacuzzi and it’s still the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.

“What does that even mean?” he asked in exasperation.

“That she…likes your jacuzzi tub?” Seth suggested.

“I just don’t know what she wants from me,” Darius growled. “You know she basically told me she doesn’t like me biting my tongue around her all the time. Like, she wants me to goad her or argue with her or something.”

“Maybe you should just try and talk to her about this whole situation?” Max suggested. “You could sit with us but use a silencing bubble to keep it private if you wanted, or-”

“I can lip read though. Just so you know,” Seth put in and I snorted a laugh.

He shifted on my lap and shot me a smirk as I looked down at him.

“I dunno. I need to go and check in with Xavier and Mother anyway. You mind if I ditch out on the party planning?”

“No worries, man. We’ve got the party under control,” Max said easily and Darius offered us an apologetic smile as he headed out of the room to make his call.

“I feel like we’re stuck on a merry go round with this shit,” Max muttered. “How are you guys doing with the plan?”

“I think I’m ready to execute mine,” I said. “But to have any chance of it working I need them both in a good mood. More amenable to my suggestions.”

“I’m winning Geraldine around…slowly,” Max said. “She’s all for true love but she also seems to want more of it to come from Darius than Tory, and with this defeatist shit he’s got going on…”

“So we need to make him want to fight,” Seth said. “I’ve tried to convince him to do all kinds of gestures for her, but he’s not biting. In fact, he full on told me that oiling himself up and putting on a strip show with a rose clasped between his teeth was a stupid fucking idea. He even tossed my massage oil in the trash. And that shit was a new bottle.”

“Your idea was for him to put on a dance for her?” I said through a laugh. “In what world can you see Darius doing that? Or Tory enjoying it for that matter? Besides, any asshole can make a fool of themselves, it’s not exactly deep is it?”

“Oh you want me to go deep, do you, Cal?” Seth teased, raising his eyebrows at me suggestively and I rolled my eyes at him as a prickle raced along my skin.

“Stop flirting with me, asshole,” I joked, shoving him so that he almost fell out of my lap.

“Stop smiling so much when I do then,” he replied, giving me a dirty grin as he settled himself back in over my crotch.

“Whatever,” I replied dismissively. “But you need to up your game if you want Darius to earn some brownie points with Tory anytime soon.”

“That would be a lot easier if he actually believed there was a chance that they could be together in the end,” Seth huffed. “Which is pretty hard to convince him of seeing as it’s never been done before and I don’t even really believe it myself.”

“Well start believing,” Max snapped. “Because he needs us to. I don’t care if it’s impossible or hopeless or like trying to believe that Griffin farts taste like cherry pie. Just do it. For him.”

“Alright, alright, keep your panties on. I’ll come up with something. I can do deep and meaningful. My plan will be the shit,” Seth announced. “You two just crack on with your parts and leave it to me.”

“Well, I need to get him and Tory in a good mood if I want to execute my part of the plan,” I said with a shrug. “Which happens less often than Christmas at the moment, so-”

“You know what will put them in a good mood?” Seth said, shifting upright out of my lap to sit beside me again as he grinned excitedly. “A party!”

“I thought you were having a Hores only party?” I asked.

“Yeah, and Darius isn’t going to enjoy a party with Mildred in attendance,” Max added.

“Okay, so what if we just invite Tory as like a…peace offering type thing. Well, not peace but like in acknowledgment of the fact that once we beat her and Darcy out for the throne we will be open to having them as sub councillors or whatever,” Seth suggested. “Then she comes, she parties, she’s having a great time, Darius is having a great time-”

“Mildred appears and ruins everything,” I interjected.

“Then let’s make sure Mildred never makes it to the party,” Max said with a dark smile.

“Oooh,” Seth cooed enthusiastically, rubbing his hands together like a villain in some cheesy movie.

“I have been worried about her doors and windows,” I said with a smirk. “I’m concerned they might be prone to sticking. And if she lost track of her gold and happened to have run through her magic in Elemental Combat before the party kicks off, she’d have a bitch of a time trying to bust out of there.”

“Yes, yes! Hell to the fucking yes!” Seth shouted with a howl of excitement. “We ban the troll from the party, make sure Tory Vega is looking shit hot, get Darius in the best mood of his life and then shove them together. They dance, they have fun, there’s so many people around that the stars don’t get pissy. This plan has it all.”

“Apart from the Vega in question,” Max added. “We have to get her to come first.”

“Right, yeah, that. Let’s go convince her now,” Seth said, pushing to his feet.

I smirked as I got up too, but I wasn’t really convinced we’d get Tory to agree to this. Why would she want to come to a party with a bunch of people who were openly opposing her? I shot her a text all the same to find out where she was and smiled as she replied quickly for once, telling me she was in the library and not to disturb her unless I was bringing snacks. Snacks I could do.

“Okay, she’s in the library and wants food if we’re dropping by. Not that I mentioned you two assholes would be with me, but I’m sure she’ll forgive me so long as I don’t bring sushi.”

“You go get the food then and we’ll meet you there,” Seth said, waving a hand at me to shoo me along. “And get me some Oreos. And milk. Don’t forget the milk.”

“Okay, asshole, but you’d better make good on your side of this plan because I’m starting to think me and Max are the only ones making an effort and you don’t want the stars to curse your ass for breaking your oath.”

Seth rolled his eyes as Max chuckled and I shot away from the two of them, swinging by The Orb for the food before speeding to the Venus Library where I leaned against the door as I waited for them to catch up.

They narrowed their eyes at me as they jogged up the path, taking in the bag of snacks and trying not to show how much it bugged them that I could literally beat them anywhere at anytime. Being a Vampire was the best and they knew it even if they’d never admit it.

“Here goes nothing,” Max muttered as he pushed the door open and we headed inside.

We spotted Tory sitting in a corner with Darcy and Geraldine as they poured over a series of star charts.

They didn’t acknowledge us as we approached but as I perched my ass on Tory’s work, she was forced to look up at me.

“Did you bring the snacks?” she asked and I smiled brightly as I offered her the bag of food. She took it with a word of thanks and started handing stuff to the other two girls as they eyed us suspiciously. “What’s with the backing singers?” She bobbed her chin at Max and Seth as they stood behind me and I glanced at them too, wondering if we were going to just ask her outright or build up to it.

“We wanted to ask you to come to our birthday party,” Seth said, going all in as usual, pushing his hand through his hair as he offered her a smoulder. “Both of you,” he added, glancing at Darcy. That hadn’t really been the plan, but it made sense. It would be pretty obvious that we were up to something if we only invited Tory.

“As if the Princesses of Solaria would want to waste their time at a party filled with scoundrels and ragamuffins,” Geraldine scoffed before turning back to her work dismissively.

The twins exchanged a glance and Tory leaned back in her chair as she popped open the carton of milk I’d grabbed for Seth and started dunking his Oreos in it. His jaw ticked with irritation, but he didn’t comment on it which was a pretty impressive show of self control for him.

We waited for her answer while she chewed and I started tapping my foot with frustration.

“No,” she said with a shrug and Darcy snorted a laugh. “Do you wanna get your ass off of my table? It’s just that we’ve got our snacks now so we don’t really need you to hang around…”

I bit down on a smile as I turned to face the other guys with my eyebrows raised, asking for a bit of help.

“Why wouldn’t you want to come to the best party of the year?” Max pushed. “We’re having a band, fire dancers, air gymnasts-”

“I thought we said we were having water strippers?” Seth hissed in an undertone.

The twins looked about as tempted to accept the invitation as they’d be if we were offering to take them to a funeral.

“Why would we want to go to a party filled with you and your Hores?” Darcy asked, rolling her eyes at us like we were just too fucking annoying to deal with.

“Because,” Seth growled. “Me and Max are turning twenty. It’s a big deal-”

“For you, maybe,” Tory muttered dismissively and Geraldine started laughing like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard.

“Take your unsavoury invitations and skidaddle, you hooligans,” she commanded with a waft of her hand.

“What if we invite your friends too?” Max suggested, his eyes firmly fixed on Geraldine. I wondered vaguely if he’d even realised how hooked he was on that girl. “You can come too, Gerry, and all the other Asses.”

“Be still my beating heart, what a beautiful suggestion,” Geraldine cooed. “I feel so honoured to receive this most wonderous of invitations. And look how stunningly crafted it is-” She unfolded an imaginary invitation and Tory and Darcy grinned as she proceeded to pretend to read from it. “Their un-royal un-holinesses Maxy boy, king of the trouts and Sir Seth, ruler of mutts, formally request your attendance at their birthday party. There will be unsavoury characters around every corner and the chance of having your drink spiked with unmentionable potions. Not to mention amorous dongles galore, ready to invade any unwitting lady garden they can find. Please don’t forget to bring a toothbrush and spare pair of panties just in case you fall for any of their baloney under the light of that tricksome minx Venus and end up on your back beneath one of them before waking up filled with morning after shame.” 

Even I had to laugh at that and Max grinned as he leaned towards her. “So you are expecting to end up beneath me then either way?”

Geraldine rolled her eyes dramatically. “Heavens forbid I get near your slippery eel again.”

“But…don’t you think this could be a good thing, for what we discussed? I’ve even heard that Mildred isn’t going to be able to attend so we can call a ceasefire for one night only. Please, Gerry…” Max gave her an imploring look and Geraldine cast a glance at Tory before sighing dramatically.

“Well, I suppose we have nothing better to do, do we girls?” she asked, changing lanes so suddenly that it gave me whiplash. I guessed Max really was making progress with getting her onboard for Mission: Defy the Stars.

“Erm, I can think of a thousand better things to do,” Darcy contradicted.

“A million,” Tory added.

“Please,” Seth pushed, giving them the puppy dog eyes. “It’s our birthdays…”

Tory pursed her lips and looked between all of us before her gaze landed on me. “No Mildred?”

“No Mildred,” I confirmed.

“No slipping us potions?” she added.

“I swear, we won’t do a single thing to hurt you for the entire night.” I painted a cross over my heart and she glanced at Darcy who shrugged.

“Fine. But as I don’t trust you for shit, I’ll take a magical seal on that deal.” Tory held her hand out to me and I smirked as I slapped my palm into hers.

“I swear that we will all have an amazing night without a single act of assholishness passing between us,” I said.

“To not being assholes,” she agreed and clap of magic rang out between us with a flash of white light as the deal was struck.

We headed away, leaving them to their work and I exchanged smiles with Max and Seth. Now all that was left to do was make sure her and Darius agreed to the next part of my plan too and it was on. Simple.