Zodiac Academy 7: Heartless Sky

We made it to the edge of The Wailing Wood without being noticed, but the long stretch of open ground between here and Jupiter Hall made my throat tighten. Especially when I spotted the Shadow Princess sailing above The Orb in the distance on a cloud of darkness, looking to the clouds and seeming to hunt for something within them.

“How fast can you run?” I asked Tyler.

“Fast enough to outrun that shady bitch,” he said determinedly.

“Shit, we’re really doing this, aren’t we?” I said, shedding my clothes as I stared up at the Shadow Princess, preparing to shift.

“What’s the matter, Xavier? Scared?” Tyler taunted and I snorted indignantly.

“Never,” I said fiercely and we looked to the sky as the Shadow Princess turned her back our way, giving us a tiny window of opportunity.

“Race you there.” He winked, leaping forward and shifting and I shifted in the same instant, the two of us staying on the ground as we galloped as fast as we possibly could towards Jupiter Hall.

I didn’t dare look at Lavinia, my gaze firmly fixed on the entrance ahead of us as our hooves slammed into the grass. I was fuelled by the need to reach Sofia, to get her the hell out of here and to the safety of The Burrows.

Somehow, impossibly, we made it inside and we both shifted back into our Fae forms, naked and panting as we looked around the atrium.

All was quiet, and after a few more seconds I figured we had to chance that no teachers were close and we ran across the tiles and up the stairs in the direction of Orion’s old office.

I made it to the door first, pressing both of my hands to it and bringing a colossal amount of earth magic to my fingertips.

“Stand back, Sofia!” I called.

“Xavier?” she gasped, excitement and fear lacing her tone.

“I’m here,” I said then blasted the door with my power, obliterating it so the whole thing exploded across the room in a hundred pieces.

I ran into the space and Sofia collided with me, wrapping her arms around me as I rested my chin on her golden hair and crushed her to me.

“Are you alright?” I asked as Tyler closed in on her from the other side, nuzzling against her head and I didn’t even have it in me to try and shove him away. I was just relieved to have her in my arms again, her sweet scent filling me up and making me never want to let go.

My eyes met Tyler’s over her head and I saw that very same need in him that lived in me, and for a second I was trapped in his gaze too, so fucking relieved that he hadn’t died at my father’s hands even though I disliked him ninety nine percent of the time.

I released Sofia, frowning as I took in the ash smearing her cheeks. Her brow furrowed then she stepped back and pointed to a pile of burning books on the floor with guilt in her eyes, a bunch more lined up beside it, clearly taken from Orion’s cupboard.

“Highspell made me burn them in preparation for the ‘new age’,” she spat bitterly. “She had me burn the ones on Phoenixes first.”

My heart tugged, knowing how Orion treasured his books and I suddenly remembered that he needed one in particular to help him discover more about the zodiac gemstones. I grabbed an empty satchel hanging on a hook by the door and stuffed the remaining books into it, my heart humming with joy as I found the Stones of the Sky tome among them. I slung the bag over my shoulder just as a high-pitched shriek sounded out in the corridor.

“Miss Cygnus!” Highspell yelled. “You have been summoned to a Nebular Inquisition Centre by the king himself!”

The clip of high heels sounded our way and Tyler shifted into his Pegasus form while I blasted through the spells keeping the window intact with as much power as I could put into the blow. Glass flew outwards in every direction, leaving it wide open and I tossed Sofia up onto Tyler’s back before following her onto him and wrapping my arms around her waist.

“Stop!” Highspell wailed, running towards us with her arms outstretched, but Tyler lifted his tail and farted a spurt of glitter in her face before leaping through the open window and freefalling, her ice cast missing us by inches as the deadly blades flew overhead.

Tyler’s wings snapped out, catching us before we hit the ground and my stomach lurched as he wheeled upright again, racing for the sky.

My gaze hooked on Darius as he plummeted through the air above Ignis House, shifting as he did so and crashing through the window that led into his old room. A whinny of terror left me as Lavinia landed on the roof, tendrils of shadow ripping through the coloured glass and sending massive pieces of it smashing to the ground. A plume of fire burst from Darius’s room, blazing along Lavinia’s flesh and making her shriek as she raised up on a tower of shadow, leaving a shimmering trail of glass in her wake.

Darius leapt back out of the remains of the window with a bag in his hand, shifting into his golden Dragon form once more and catching the bag between his teeth. I had no fucking idea what he’d just risked his neck for but as he sailed towards us and jerked his head in an order for us to flee, Tyler put on a burst of speed towards the boundary.

I held the stardust ready in one hand while keeping Sofia locked against me with the other, my eyes pinned on Lavinia over my shoulder as she chased after Darius, shadows spewing from her hands as utter rage flared in her black eyes.

I neighed in encouragement to Tyler and he flew somehow faster towards the fence that marked our freedom. But my brother apparently wasn’t done risking his neck as he swung away from us, flying fast and furiously towards the parking lot a hundred yards away.

“Darius!” I cried to him in panic as Lavinia veered after him with a murderous intent in her gaze.

But Darius was faster, his talons tearing away the roof of the lot and latching around a pristine super bike while huge lumps of masonry smashed down on the beautiful cars there. He was moving again before Lavinia could get close enough to strike at him, swinging back towards us with the motorcycle clutched in his talons and a flare of victory in his gaze.

But the Shadow Princess descended on him like a plague from above, coils of shadow wrapped around her arms and pulsing with an eerie energy. Huge pillars of smoke whipped out from her, trying to catch hold of Darius and I whinnied in horror, throwing out a palm and slicing through one of them with a torrent of water as it exploded from me.

The whips tried to bind Darius in their grasp and for a second, I saw my brother’s death looming as Lavinia closed in on him.

“Faster!” I roared at my brother and he twisted sharply, slicing through the shadows, a decision in his eyes as Lavinia turned her full power towards us and the entire sky turned black with her terrifying power.

Tyler lurched aside to avoid a blast of her shadows and Sofia screamed as she tumbled from his back, bursting through her clothes into her pink Pegasus form a moment later and tearing along beneath us as my heart bunched with fear for her.

She flew hard, gaining height and whinnying in alarm as Lavinia shot a spear of shadows right at her, forcing her to wheel overhead as I cried out in alarm.

“Shift back!” I roared, my voice thick with the commanding tone of a Dom and she did so instantly, tumbling through the sky and falling right towards us as the shadows missed her by mere inches.

I reached for her as Tyler whinnied in fright, snatching her into my arms and holding her close, my cheeks heating at the feel of her naked flesh pressing against mine as she stared at me in wide eyed gratitude and surprise.

“Go!” Sofia cried in panic and I felt the heat of Darius’s breath at my back just as we made it over the boundary, the magic tingling against my skin a heartbeat before I threw the stardust, making sure I tossed enough backwards to reach my brother.

We were torn away into the ether, my head spinning as we seemed to spiral out of control for a moment before we were spat out in a sky full of snowflakes with silence reigning in every direction.

Darius roared his relief, picking up speed to fly beside us, his golden eye turning on me as he checked I was alright, and a laugh of complete relief fell from my lungs.

“Holy shit, Xavier.” Sofia turned her head to look back at me, her short, blonde hair flying out around her in the wind and her eyes full of awe.

I leaned forward, wanting to kiss her, the urge burning in me brighter than the sun, but as I lowered my head, Tyler flapped his wings hard, bumping me up on his back and making my mouth collide with her eye instead, ruining the moment entirely.

Fucking Tyler.

Tyler whinnied a laugh and I scowled at him as Sofia turned to look back at the view, her cheeks a little pink as we followed Darius down to land on the snowy ground where he’d laid the motorcycle and bag beside him, the rest of my herd looking on in shock as we arrived, clearly unable to locate The Burrows and wondering why the fuck I’d brought them to this desolate place in the middle of nowhere.

I jumped off of Tyler’s back after Sofia, relief rushing over me as I looked at the Pegasus herd, taking a head count and feeling almost certain that they were all there.

Darius shifted back into his Fae form the same moment Tyler did, and my hand slid smoothly around Sofia’s, not wanting to let her go after how close we’d just come to death.

“What is this place?” Sofia breathed, shivering in the cold before using her fire Element to heat herself through, and I worked hard not to glance down at her tits which were on full display.

“It’s a haven for the rebels,” I explained. “You’ll have to stay here now.”

Tyler smiled widely, excitement flashing in his eyes. “Hell yes, we’re on the run, baby.” He grabbed hold of Sofia, pulling her from my hold, but as Darius caught my eye I found another reason to be angry.

I wheeled on him, pointing at the motorcycle he’d risked his neck for. “What the fuck were you playing at? You could have been killed for that thing.”

Darius was breathless from how hard he’d pushed himself in the fight against my father and my gaze fell on a bloody wound at his side, his hand pressed to it, a grimace crossing his lips as he opened his mouth to answer then collapsed to the ground in the snow instead.

“Darius!” I yelled in fright, running forward and falling to my knees beside him. I didn’t know how to heal yet, but I placed my hands against the wound all the same, my fingers slipping in the blood as panic took root in me and I willed my magic to do something to help.

“I got you, bro.” Tyler dropped down beside me and rolled Darius onto his side, placing his hands against the wound. My shoulders trembled as Tyler worked to heal him, his brow furrowing as he struggled and the claw marks gouged into Darius’s side began to knit over achingly slowly.

“Why isn’t it working?” I demanded and Tyler shook his head helplessly.

“It’s taking more magic than it should. I don’t understand-”

“Shadow wound,” Darius grunted, a noise of relief leaving me as he began to stir, his eyes cracking open as he looked up at me. “It will take a lot more power to heal it.”

I nodded my understanding, slapping my hand to Tyler’s shoulder and pressing my power towards him, urging it to meld with his.

Tyler’s eyes widened in surprise as he realised what I was offering but it didn’t take him long to drop his barriers, our magic rushing together in a vibrant burst of power which stole my breath and made him groan with pleasure.

“Fuck, you’re so powerful,” he gasped, staring at me in surprise as he felt the full weight of my magic.

“Not as powerful as me,” Darius muttered, unable to help himself even while he was bleeding out on the ground.

“True,” I admitted because of course that was the first thing our father had checked when my magic had been Awakened and he was right. I wasn’t as powerful as my older brother as far as power levels went. “But I have three Elements,” I taunted and Darius chuckled, though it turned into a curse of pain.

Tyler quickly tugged on my magic, using it to boost his own as he continued to heal Darius and the wound slowly stitched over more.

“That will do,” Darius said after another few minutes, despite the fact that the wound was still bleeding. “Lance will need to finish it. But I’m good enough for now.”

“Really?” I asked as I clutched his arm, squeezing tight as the panic of losing him ebbed away. I wouldn’t survive that. I needed my brother more than anything. He was my rock.

“Good enough,” he confirmed but it looked as though it still hurt like a bitch. At least the colour had returned to his face.

“Don’t scare me like that,” I hissed, punching him in the arm and he frowned for a moment before pushing himself up to sit in front of me.

“Thanks Tyler,” he murmured and Tyler shrugged like it was nothing, rising to his feet and beckoning Sofia over.

Fuck, he annoyed the hell out of me, but he’d just saved my brother and now I was grateful to him too.

“You know you’d be fine without me, right?” he said and a whinny of pain escaped me as I shook my head.

“No, I wouldn’t,” I said. “How can you say that? I’d be lost without you, Darius.”

“You’re stronger than that,” he pushed, gripping the back of my neck and pulling me forward so our foreheads rested together. “You’re the good Acrux. Father didn’t corrupt you.”

“You’re not corrupted,” I growled. “You’re the best person I know.”

He laughed dryly, letting me go. “Did you hit your head back there?”

“You’ve done bad things, Darius, but that doesn’t make you a bad person,” I insisted and he frowned, shaking his head at me.

“Bad deeds are what make bad people,” he said, pushing himself to his feet and pulling me up with him.

“No,” I disagreed. “The reason for doing bad things are what defines a person. And you’ve never done one bad thing without trying to do it for a good reason.”

He sighed, looking like he was going to keep arguing but then he gave in and slung an arm over my shoulders. “Fine, but don’t go putting ‘here lies a saint’ on my tombstone. Make sure it’s honest. Like, ‘here lies an absolute legend’.”

I shoved his arm off of me, shooting him a glare. “That’s not funny, Darius.”

He rolled his eyes, walking over to pick up the bag he’d gotten from Ignis House, sitting it on top of the motorcycle and wheeling it towards The Burrows.

“What’s in the bag?” I asked curiously as I walked with him after the Pegasus herd.

“I grabbed Orion’s dark magic equipment and I owe the twins some stuff they left in the mortal realm,” he said, his brows pulling together, then he jerked his chin at the satchel hanging at my side. “What did you get?”

“Orion’s books,” I said, grinning smugly and flipping the bag open, rifling through the tomes I’d saved. I pulled out a hardback with a cover that looked like it was encrusted with multicoloured gemstones, reading the title on the spine. Stones of the Sky.

“This is the one he wanted, right?” I asked Darius hopefully, waving it under his nose and my brother broke a grin before scruffing my hair.

“Well done, asshole,” he said affectionately, thought I didn’t miss the way he pressed a hand to the wound on his side once more. “He’s gonna turn into a kid when he sees those. I bet you fifty auras he says ‘oh my stars!’ like a boy on Christmas morning.”

I laughed, shaking his hand in agreement of that deal as we headed inside, leading the herd with us and allowing them to pass through the magical barrier.

The guards cried out in surprise as they spotted us, one of them announcing that he was going to get Hamish so that he could perform the vow with the new refugees and allow them into The Burrows.

My attention fell on Sofia up ahead as Tyler guided her along, the two of them whispering to one another, but as her gaze turned to meet mine, my stomach rippled with heat and I found myself smirking stupidly at her. It was so damn good to see her again, and now she was here, I knew I had to Fae up and tell her how I felt. It was horrifying to think she could have died today, and I didn’t want to waste a single second longer keeping the truth from her. Sure, it might blow up in my face. She might pick Tyler outright, but at least I’d know where I stood then.

I just needed to make the right gesture first. Make sure I was the best Pegasus for her possible, and I was pretty sure I knew what I had to do to ensure that.

Darius rolled the bike into the farmhouse, keeping the bag over his shoulder and I was relieved to shut the cold air out at last and feel the presence of my father finally leaving my body.

“Darius!” Orion’s voice carried to us, a whoosh of air and a blur of movement signalling his arrival a second before he crashed into my brother and the two of them went sprawling over the ground. “Where the hell did you go?”

Darius started explaining as Orion checked him over for wounds, frowning at the bloody injury on his side and pressing his hand to it with a snarl of frustration, muttering something about him not feeling it before they exchanged a look which ended in them laughing.

I watched as he healed the wound, his jaw gritting as he concentrated on it and Darius muttered an explanation about our father having a new shadow hand which made my gut knot with tension. Of course the asshole couldn’t just have been left with a useless stump which made it easier for us to face him when the time came. No. Now he had a shadow hand more powerful than the one he’d lost. I swear the fucking stars were laughing at us for believing we’d gotten that small victory.

Orion finally managed to heal the wound, though it left a set of pink lines on the side of his body which he said would need further heeling to remove entirely and I sighed my relief as Darius stood once more.

There were still other cuts and bruises marking his skin but as Orion sagged a little, it was clear he’d used all of his magic on the shadow wound.

“Anyone wanna offer up a vein?” he asked, looking over to the herd but Darius shook his head.

“The rest is superficial. I can do it myself once I get back to my gold.”

Orion frowned like he wasn’t really okay with that but nodded his agreement before shooting off and getting him some jeans at such a speed that he was back before I’d blinked. Darius pulled them on and Tyler and Sofia pouted, still butt naked.

“No clothes for us?” I grumbled and Orion threw me an apologetic look, carving a hand down the back of his neck.

“Sorry, it was an old Guardian bond habit,” he muttered. “I can go get some…”

“It’s fine,” Sofia said. “Let’s just get inside.”

I lost the battle of trying not to stare at Sofia, my gaze falling to her perfectly round tits and the gleaming vajazzle that glittered around her pussy. Shit, she was so beautiful. I didn’t know what to do with myself, and every time I looked their way, I kept getting an eyeful of Tyler’s fancy fucking dick like it was trying to catch my eye. Gah.

I forced myself to look at Orion instead of them, remembering the books I had with me and clutching to that excuse to stop staring like a virgin.

“I got you these.” I flipped open the satchel again, offering him the book on gemstones first and Orion’s jaw went slack as he took the book from my hand, turning it over gently like it was the most precious thing in the world.

“Oh my stars,” he gasped, grabbing the bag from me and rifling through the books with a youthful smile on his face. I snorted a laugh as Darius gave me a pointed look, realising I’d just lost myself fifty auras, but the look on Orion’s face was definitely worth it.

“I’m afraid Highspell had some of your other ones burned,” I said with a frown and I immediately regretted saying that as Orion looked like I’d just told him I’d murdered his puppy.

“Burned them?” he rasped and I nodded, offering him an apologetic look as he hugged the bag of books to his chest like he didn’t want them to hear what had happened to their friends.

“Sorry, man.” Darius rested a hand to Orion’s shoulder and he growled.

“I’ll murder that fake-faced witch,” he snarled, his fangs on show as he held onto his books even tighter and I was pretty sure he was making that promise to them. Dude would definitely kill in revenge for those books.

“I got this for you though,” Darius said, taking a large wooden chest from his bag and handing it over, making Orion grin again.

“All my equipment?” he asked excitedly and Darius nodded.

Orion gave the chest a shake and it rattled like there was something heavy inside it.

“You got the bones too?” he asked and Darius gave him a dark smile, glancing over his shoulder and tossing a silencing bubble around the three of us before answering as he took hold of the bike’s handlebars and started pushing it towards the entrance to the tunnels just as Hamish opened the door hidden behind the clock and stepped out.

“Well I didn’t spend all those years learning to wield dark magic against Father to just forget about it when the time finally came to take him down.”

Orion nodded eagerly. “We can restart your lessons soon then.”

“Welcome fine fellows and gentle Fae!” Hamish called eagerly and Darius dropped the silencing bubble. “Step forth to make your vows and we will get you all set up inside in no time.”

Tyler strode forward with a snort of warning at the other Pegasuses who all parted to let him go first, and he led Sofia over with him so that they could make their vows.

Darius continued past them. Guiding the bike into the tunnel and leading the way into the impressive corridor which almost felt like it belonged in a manor house instead of beneath the ground with its vaulted ceiling and pale grey walls.

We started walking deeper into The Burrows together and I realised how quiet it was. “Is there another sweep taking place to try and find the killer?” I asked in a low tone.

“He’s got the Cyclopses working in force again,” Orion said with a nod, a line of worry on his brow. “But if they don’t find something soon, I think we’ll have to take this into our own hands.” Him and Darius shared a dark look which told me exactly what kind of plan they had for getting information out of people and I released a nervous little whinny.

“Have you got any suspects in mind?” Darius asked him as he cast a silencing bubble around us.

“Well, we’re trusting the Cyclopses to find the truth. Who better than one of them to hide their involvement?” Orion suggested and a shiver of trepidation darted down my spine.

“You really think it could be one of them?” I asked, shuddering at the memory of the last interrogation and the invasive feeling of the Cyclops pushing into my memories.

“Seems like a decent place to start,” Orion said and Darius nodded.

“I’m not going to rest until this is dealt with,” Darius growled.

“Then let’s pay them a visit,” Orion said.

“I’ll catch up with you. I’m going to see Roxy first,” Darius said and Orion nodded his goodbye, heading down a side tunnel and melding into the dark like a shadow given life. I was more than happy to leave him to that twisted task.

I slowed my pace, waiting for the herd to catch up as they made their vows and we were soon leading them deeper into the impressive labyrinth of tunnels that had been created down here to hide the rebels.

There was an unsettled energy passing between everyone, little shivers running through the herd who followed behind us and I brushed my hands over them on instinct to calm them.

My heart twisted over Professor Clippard’s death, and my hate for my father grew a little sharper as I worked to reassure the members of my Order who he’d planned to kill today.

I trotted over to Tyler and Sofia and she immediately pulled me closer with a soft neigh leaving her lips. My pulse shot up as her naked curves were pressed to my body and my dick jumped to attention which she definitely fucking felt. She didn’t pull away though and I couldn’t help but trail my fingers over the sensitive place between her shoulder blades, making her whinny softly as she shivered for me.

I simply ignored Tyler’s narrow eyed look at me as I held her tight, trying to muscle his arm off of her, but he didn’t let go. My hand grazed his and heat washed out over my skin from the contact.

“Thanks for everything, buddy,” Tyler said in an overly friendly way as I released Sofia and I wished I had some damn pants because I was half masting and it was not something I could hide. “We can take it from here.”

“Don’t be an asshole,” Sofia said, stamping her foot and Tyler snorted indignantly, looking over at me again. “He saved our lives today.” Sofia’s light blue eyes glittered and my chest swelled with pride. “Is there some way we can talk to our families? I don’t have my Atlas.”

“Hamish can get messages delivered to families. But you won’t be able to contact them directly. He’ll give you an Atlas, but it can only be used for the private network we have in the Burrows,” I said and she frowned, her worry over her family clear. “I’ll get Hamish to come see you today,” I promised.

Tyler nodded, his cocky mask slipping for a second to reveal his worry over his own family and I knew I had to do this for them.

“Are Tory and Darcy here?” Sofia asked hopefully.

“Yeah, come on. They’ll be excited to see you.” I led the way forward as they followed and Darius swung his leg over the bike, starting the engine and riding it down the tunnel, the roar of the engine echoing off of the walls.

It finally dawned on me how close they’d all come to death today, a pit of dread opening up in my stomach. If we’d acted any slower, if Gabriel hadn’t seen it coming…

My breaths came unevenly at the idea of losing Sofia, and even fucking Tyler. He may have been an asshole, but the thought of him dying in my father’s fire made terror pull at my heart. Now my herd was here, I had to protect them. And I’d make sure my psychotic flesh and blood never got near them again.