Zodiac Academy 6: Fated Throne

The two assholes who’d dragged me out of my cell had taken me through dark tunnels then shoved me into a stone room with a door ahead of me and behind, the only light the blue glow from the cuffs that restricted my magic. Before they left, one of them had jabbed a needle into my neck and my Order had awakened not long after. I’d tried to break my way out of this place, but magic made it strong and without my own powers to unravel it, I was fucked.

All was silent, too fucking silent for my heightened senses and I guessed I was held within a damn silencing bubble. I expected Lionel to show up at any minute with some plan, some explanation of what was about to happen. But he didn’t.

The fear of parting from Darcy was suffocating. Not knowing if I’d ever see her again made me lose my mind with misery, fear, panic. I had to get out. I had to save her from whatever was about to happen.

I threw my weight at the stone door ahead of me again and again, trying to force it to give and suddenly the whole thing swung open and I went stumbling out. My feet hit sand and as I passed through a magical barrier, a tumult of noise crashed down on me. I was blinded by the sun after so long in the dark and I raised a hand to shield my eyes as the wild cheers of a crowd surrounded me.

“Lance Orion!” Lionel’s voice boomed out as my vision sharpened and I found myself standing in the pit of an enormous amphitheatre.

There were cages made of night iron ringing the circular space, each of them holding a Nymph in its shifted form, their gleaming red eyes watching me hungrily.

Dread tangled with the very root of my being as I spotted Lionel up on a large throne in the stands with Tory on one side of him and Clara on the other. Xavier stood beyond Tory and Vard was next to him with a bloodthirsty smile on his lips. With a cold clarity, I realised where I was. This was the amphitheatre used for trials and death games during the reign of the Savage King. A place which had been closed by the Councillors, outlawed, forgotten. But of course this monster would bring it back into use. Probably more than half the Fae who’d died here during Hail Vega’s reign were because of him.

My pulse thundered in my head as I took in the crowd of people in fine robes and gowns and I could practically taste their desire for my suffering.

Tory jerked forward where she stood beside Lionel but one glance from my sister forced her back. From the look of Xavier’s rigid posture, I guessed he was held in place by the shadows too. But where was Darius?

“You are on trial for escaping my custody, thwarting your prison sentence and colluding with an enemy of the Acruxes,” Lionel announced and boos sounded out around the stadium. “Do you have anything to say for yourself in your defence?”

“Fuck you,” I snarled, spitting on the sand at my feet and heckles rang out from the crowd.

Lionel regarded me with a grimace. “Very well. As punishment, you will fight for your life. Your Order has been returned to you and you may use any of the weapons available to you in the ring.” He gestured to the middle of the pit where a rusty sword, a knife and a wooden bat lay on the ground.

Excited laughter sounded from the bastards watching and my skin prickled all over. Anger and hate twisted up inside my chest, possessing every inch of me.

I shot toward the weapons, picked up the rusty piece of shit sword and launched it with the full strength of my Order at Lionel Acrux’s smug fucking face. It smashed into a magical shield protecting the crowd and gasps rang out before everyone started clapping and laughing.

Lionel’s face shifted into a dark and furious scowl that spoke of my defiance. He hated that he could never truly get me under his heel. But he didn’t know that we had the Imperial Star, or that I’d been feeding him bullshit lies for months. If he really planned on killing me now, then had he given up hope of finding it?

“You will suffer for your crimes against me,” Lionel snarled and a hushed silence fell over the crowd as they listened.

“So kill me!” I roared. “Have your lump of flesh, you piece of shit.”

He considered me with a knowing look that sent a shudder clawing down my spine. “It is not your flesh I crave.”

A grinding of stone sounded behind me and I twisted around, finding Darcy stepping out of the door in her sweatpants and crop top.

The crowd gasped and clapped, pointing between us as they discussed whatever lies they believed about us. But they knew nothing.

“Gwendalina Vega made an attempt on my life last night,” Lionel called to the crowd who bayed and shouted angrily.

My heart crushed in my chest as Darcy lifted her chin defiantly, glaring at the worthless man who dared to call himself king. I shot to her side and our hands clasped together automatically, making the crowd angrier as they booed and swore at us.

“Today, this traitor of the crown dies!” Lionel boomed and Tory jerked forward once more, her eyes full of terror, but Clara forced her back again. “Do you dare to speak in your defence, Gwendalina Vega?”

Her fingers tightened on mine and her upper lip peeled back, her expression that of a fearless warrior. I nearly burst with pride to be standing beside her. If she died today, so would I. I wouldn’t stay a single second longer in this world without her. But even considering that fate for her was unbearable. And I would do everything in my power to stop it.

“You are unFae and unworthy to sit on my father’s throne,” Darcy called, her voice ringing around the amphitheatre. “I know what you did, I know how you Dark Coerced Hail Vega, how you poisoned his mind and turned him against his own people.”

The crowd started muttering, exchanging curious glances and Lionel sat up straighter in his seat.

“Your father was a heartless, mindless fool, and no true Fae would ever bow to his filthy bloodline ever again,” Lionel growled.

“All hail the Dragon King!” Vard cried and an answering call fell from the lips of everyone in the stands.

“All hail the Vega Queens!” I bellowed in response and dropped to my knees, bowing for my queens in an act of rebellion which would likely be my last.

“Release the Nymphs!” Lionel roared and the cages clanged as they opened all around us. Darcy yanked on my sleeve to get me up and I stood, pulling her closer as my heart thundered against my ribcage.

“Any chance they awakened your Order, beautiful?” I murmured and she shook her head. Fuck. “You’d better get on my back then.”

She lunged toward me, tiptoeing up and kissing me fiercely for two short, sweet seconds before running around and climbing onto my back. And something told me that might be my last good moment in this world.

“I love you, Lance,” she whispered in my ear and her words filled me all with the strength I needed to face down the five Nymphs coming our way.

I shot to the centre of the arena, hefting the bat into my grip and tucking the knife into my waistband. I knew the odds of this game were vastly weighed against us. But I would fight until my very last breath to keep my girl safe. Death would have to try and rip her from my arms itself if it wanted her, and even then, I would not let go.