Zodiac Academy 7: Heartless Sky

A violent tremor rocked the ground at my feet, knocking two Nymphs down before me as I beat my wings, taking off so I didn’t fall too and hovering there as I tried to figure out where it had come from.

I looked over to Tory, finding her finishing off one of our enemies with a blast of Phoenix fire that turned them to ash, looking like a warrior princess as fire roared around her and glinted off of her armour.

The Nymphs beneath me started to rise and I lifted my hands as my upper lip peeled back, anger twisting through me like a tornado. It frightened me how savage I felt today, like a beast had awoken in me and was determined to make every one of these monsters suffer for all the Fae they’d killed.

But before I could unleash the unholy fury that lived within my veins a blur shot past me, a glint of silver swiping across their throats and slitting open their bark-like skin. Orion wheeled around, stabbing them both in the heart in quick succession and they burst to ash before him. He turned to me, a lopsided grin on his lips and I smiled in relief at him returning.

“Those were my kills, Professor,” I growled in mock anger, dropping down to land lightly in front of him.

“Then why did they die by my sword, Miss Vega?” he teased.

A Nymph charged through the trees behind him and I gasped, releasing a furious wave of fire from my palm over his shoulder. It slammed into the creature’s chest, knocking it to the ground where it died with a shriek, blackened ash dancing on the air around us as it went out of this world.

Darius and Tory whooped as they took down a giant Nymph to our right and two arrows whistled through the air in quick succession from Max’s bow, killing another two in an instant.

Seth was in his Wolf form, tearing at Nymphs with the fiery gauntlets, his tail wagging as he ran and Caleb leapt onto his back, using his twin daggers to slash at any Nymph that got too close them.

Geraldine was beyond Max, swinging her flail with violent blows as her hips bobbed and swayed with every strike she landed like she was performing some sort of murder dance.

Orion grabbed me suddenly shooting me over to stand beside my sister and Darius, casting an air shield around us to buy us a moment from the onslaught of the battle.

“You two need to get to the temple,” Orion urged me and Tory. “There’s an altar there full of dark artifacts that needs to be destroyed. Caleb started the job but your Phoenix fire should be able to finish it.”

I shared an excited look with my sister as we nodded and Orion dropped the air shield, twisting around and driving his sword into the chest of a Nymph while Darius leapt up and swung his axe, beheading another beast so ash burst out around us. The two of them laughed with the thrill of the fight, staying close to one another as Tory and I took off into the sky, our wings beating harder and flaring with fire as we made it above the treeline.

The rain poured down on us as I spotted the temple looming up from the trees ahead, and we put on a burst of speed. For a heartbeat the fire along my wings flickered out and my breath snagged as I was almost sure my wings were about to fall away, panic crashing through my chest.

They reignited in the next moment and I glanced at Tory ahead of me, glad she hadn’t noticed as I steadied my thrashing heartbeat and kept flying. I guessed my magic was running low, though I didn’t know why my Phoenix felt so heavy as I drew it back to the surface of my flesh.

The mist that clung to the edges of the forest made it seem like we were approaching the edge of the world as we circled down over the temple, and my gaze hooked on a swarm of Nymphs as they reached the steps and started sprinting up them towards the blasted open top.

The desperation with which they moved made me certain they were coming for the artifacts laying amongst the fallen bricks and Tory hovered opposite me as we came to a halt above it and raised our hands. A sinister energy rolled through my limbs as I prepared to destroy every one of those dark items and steal them away from Lavinia and her monstrous Nymph army.

“Together?” Tory offered and I grinned, placing one hand in hers and letting my barriers down so that our magic could rush together.

Except that wasn’t what happened. My magic stuttered like the flickering flame of a candle in the wind and the fire along my wings stuttered out too.

“Darcy?” Tory asked in alarm as I willed my magic toward her, clenching my teeth as I pulled on the threads of power within me which seemed to be snapping and fraying one by one.

“Hang on,” I growled, panic and determination colliding inside me. I didn’t know what was happening, but I had to fight it, I had to find the strength I knew lived within me.

The Nymphs were almost at the summit of the temple and I cursed as I fought to take charge of my power and send it towards my sister.

My Phoenix shuddered back to life and a breath of relief left me as our fire coursed together in a never-ending wave. There was no time to question what had happened as Tory looked to me in concern. We had to finish this.

The Nymphs were scrambling across the fallen masonry to try and reach the altar and we couldn’t spare another second as we released our power down on them like a spear of fiery death. The wings of a beautiful red and blue bird rushed out from us, plummeting through the sky in a blaze of unbelievable power before it collided with the top of the temple.

The Nymphs shrieked because it didn’t just consume the altar, it consumed the entire temple, the fire rippling down it like high speed lava and devouring everything in its wake and I gasped at the immensity of our Order gifts.

The Nymphs tried to flee but they were too slow, caught in the flaming wave of death as it rolled out to the very bottom of the temple and the whole thing started to collapse.

Bricks tumbled as the temple trembled and fell beneath our power, shattering and burning.

But before I could celebrate, rage clawed its way up through my insides and a black cloud descended on me, pulling on my power and tearing it from my grasp.

I fought back with a snarl, frightened of what had a hold of me as my fire flickered out once more and Tory looked at me with my name on her lips and fear in her eyes.

I fought with the chaotic, hungry thing dragging my flames into its hold and suddenly my power burst from me in an explosion that slammed out of my body and into my sister’s, sending me and Tory flying apart like a shockwave had struck us.

My ears rang and pain flashed up my arms and chest. A scream fell from my lungs as I cried my sister’s name, and she was blasted away from me with such force that it made my heart still in my chest.

I caught sight of her as she fell, her flames extinguishing as she was launched far away from me by the blast, tumbling from the sky with a cry of terror and I was gripped with fear and horror over what I’d just done.

But the blackness was rising within me once more and as I threw out my hands to cast air magic, nothing came out.

I was falling two hundred feet through the air and I suddenly felt so terrifyingly mortal as my wings dissolved and a few bronze feathers scattered around me on the breeze, racing up towards the storm clouds above me as I fell so fast that I was certain this was my end.

I thought of Lavinia, of her marking me, and her wicked eyes as she placed her curse on me, and suddenly the darkness was sweeping in too fast for me to do anything about it. I was blacking out and the trees were rushing up towards me above the sharp rocks of the ground, and all I could think of was my sister, of Lance, of my brother. Because there was nothing I could do to save myself and I wasn’t even going to get to say goodbye.

The darkness claimed me fully and fear surrounded my heart. I was only half aware of the scream still tearing from my throat.

A force collided with me and suddenly I was rolling, held by strong arms against a hard chest, Orion’s body caging me so I didn’t feel the impact of the ground as we tumbled across it and he saved me from my end.

But even stronger than the arms which held me, was the monstrous thing keeping me in its grasp within my body, so fiercely that I couldn’t escape it. It was a desperately starved thing and it wanted my power more than anything in this world.

“I’ve got you, Blue,” Orion growled, his voice laced with fear, and I tried to claw my way up out of the darkness to get to him, but I couldn’t find my way back.

We’d stopped rolling, but he didn’t let me go and terror drowned me as hot, wet blood fell against my cheek.

My head was swirling with a pressing, clawing mist and rage was filling every part of my soul.

I started to thrash, trying to seek out my Phoenix, but I couldn’t reach it. It was buried so deep within me, it was like it wasn’t there at all. And that terrified me more than anything.

Laughter tangled with the air, a cruel and high pitched voice I’d know anywhere now. Because it haunted my nightmares since that day in the arena at The Palace of Souls.

“Lavinia’s coming!” Max cried. “We have to go!”

I tried to mouth my sister’s name, but nothing came out as I slid deep down into the dark again, losing my grip on consciousness.

For a second two black eyes seemed to glare back at me from inside my mind, like I was looking directly into the soul of the Shadow Princess and she had me in her grasp, her fist squeezing my heart and her laughter still ringing in my skull.

I couldn’t get free, I couldn’t do anything but drown deeper and deeper in the shadows which seemed to live within my flesh. Yet they didn’t feel like they used to; it was as if they were hiding in my soul, lurking out of sight, but still so present that I could hardly draw breath.

Anger rose up in me again and I clawed at whoever had hold of me, a growl on my lips as I tried to get free, trying to remember what I was fighting my way towards. But then it came back to me, riding on a wave of terror.

Tory.

My sister.

Where is she?

“Go!” Seth cried, panic breaking out around me, though I couldn’t see any of it.

My head spun and my whole centre of gravity seemed to shift, making me realise I was travelling through stardust and panic began to swell within me. Because I couldn’t feel my twin. I couldn’t find her. She wasn’t here.

“Tor?” I managed to bend my tongue around the word, but it came out as a whisper.

“Wake up, beautiful. Look at me,” Orion begged, healing magic slipping from his skin into mine, but he couldn’t heal this tearing sensation inside me. It was like a chasm opening up in the centre of my body, dragging me into it. No…not my body, my power, my Phoenix.

No, no, no.

My head spun and the rage took over again as I fought with the arms that held me, needing to get away, to get back to myself, to Tory. But I couldn’t find anything but more darkness.

I dragged at the well of power where my magic resided, but it was hardly there at all. As if my power was running away down a drain and this time no fire in Solaria could restore it.

And through all the blackness, I thought of my twin again, because I couldn’t feel her. And I needed to know she was here, that she was okay after what I’d done.

“Open your eyes, Blue,” Orion commanded and I held on to him as I lay on my back, recognising him again as I felt the warmth of his body pressing down on mine.

Seth whined close by and Geraldine wailed in terror.

“My queen!” she cried. “Please look upon the face of your lover! Come back to us!”

Somehow, impossibly, I managed to do as Orion asked, my eyes cracking open and two achingly familiar dark eyes staring back at me. Blood ran down his cheek from a wound on his temple and panic washed through my chest.

“You’re hurt,” I rasped, then Caleb was there, his fingers pressing to Orion’s head as healing magic glowed beneath his palm.

“Thank you, sanguis frater,” Orion said to him and Caleb nodded, but I was too dazed to ask what that meant.

Orion’s head fell forward as a heavy breath of relief left him, his lips pressing to my forehead.

“Tory,” I rasped and Darius’s head snapped around to look for her where he knelt beside me, his hands banded around my wrists like he’d been working to pin me down.

Orion lifted his head, turning as well and two painfully silent seconds passed where I knew in the foundations of my being that she wasn’t here.

Something collided with Darius, taking him to the ground as two large black wings flexed up from the shoulders of his attacker and Geraldine screamed like a banshee.

I gasped as Orion dragged me out of the way and I stared at Gabriel as he smacked Darius over the head with a yellow sleeping crystal, making him fall unconscious at his feet. But as Gabriel went to stand up, Darius rose like the dead behind him with a snarl on his lips and bloodlust in his eyes. Gabriel fell on him again, hitting him with the crystal over and over until Darius fell still at last.

We all gaped at him in horror as Gabriel stood up, his inked chest bare as his wings folded behind him and an apology formed in his eyes.

“Gabriel’s turned evil!” Max roared and Caleb lunged at my brother, throwing a punch at his jaw which he avoided with a flash of movement, letting me know he must have seen it coming as Seth ran forward with a snarl.

Gabriel shoved Seth back with a blast of water, standing his ground in front of Darius’s prone body as we all stared at him in shock.

“What are you doing?” I gasped.

“He was going to go back for Tory,” he said gravely, his eyes rippling with regret. “But he’ll die if he goes. I’ve seen it.”

The Heirs all exchanged a look as they fell still, and horror weaved through my chest like a serpent at what he was saying.

“But she’s alone back there,” I said in alarm, trying to fight my way free of Orion’s grip, but my body was still weak and his arms were like iron.

I had to go back for her, I had to make sure she was safe.

“She can survive this,” my brother promised. “We have to wait for her to return, Darcy. If anyone goes back to try and help her, it will only make things worse.”

“No,” I spat, fighting harder as a vicious animal rose up in me and I knew I’d do anything to get my sister back. I could take on Lavinia, I could take on all of them for her. I would leave a trail of death and destruction in my wake, but she would be safe and well at the end of it.

“Blue, listen to him,” Orion commanded, but I wouldn’t. She was my other half. And she was alone back there among our enemies. I’d done that, I’d hurt her, and who knew what had happened to her after she’d been blasted from the sky? There hadn’t been anyone there waiting to catch her like Orion had done for me.

I thrashed harder, but Gabriel gave me a sad look as he stepped forward and placed the sleeping crystal to my head.

“I’m sorry, but you have to trust me,” he said as the weight of the crystal’s power fell over me and between that and the exhaustion already gripping my body, I drifted away into the dark.

But within it, I found no peace. Only a violent, endless rage that stole away the very essence of who I was and drowned me in its cruelty. And somehow, I knew that it was never going to let me go.