“If you want, I can take a look at your engine sometime?” Tory offered. “I’m not as great with cars as I am with bikes but-”
“It’s fine,” Diego said through his teeth and the engine roared as if his embarrassment had sparked life into it.
We circled out of the lot and headed onto the road that led off-campus. We curved around the edge of a jagged mountain, rising up high toward the twilight sky. I caught a glimpse of a huge iron door set into the side of it with the symbol of earth above it and my heart beat a little harder. Students were milling about outside the Terra House and some of them pointed at us, laughing as they noticed the car which was making a loud clunking noise.
I pressed my lips together in irritation. “At least we have a car,” I muttered, but that didn't seem to cheer Diego up.
The engine protested as he pressed his foot down and we started to gain speed, but not much. I rolled the window down, letting in the evening breeze as the sun said its final goodbye and dropped below the tree line in the distance.
We headed to the furthest regions of campus and finally reached an enormous steel gate, flanked by a fence which stretched off for miles in either direction. A guard nodded to us from a stone booth and the gates swung open as he flicked his hand.
We trundled onto the road and a weight lifted from my chest as we left Zodiac Academy behind.
A night of freedom called to me. And I wanted to make the most of it. No Heirs. In fact, no shitbags period.
We sped along a vast road that stretched on forever, cutting through a thick forest of pine trees which reached up high on either side of us. The moon was rising above them, the shimmering crescent a perfect jewel amongst a bed of stars.
The road soon dropped steeply down into a valley and nestled at the heart of it were the twinkling lights of a town.
“That's Tucana,” Sofia said, leaning forward to poke her head between the front seats. “I grew up juuuust over that hill.” She pointed to the far side of the valley.
“It's beautiful.” I smiled as we drew closer and closer to the town then drove through the bustling streets. People sat outside bars beneath the amber light of lampposts, drinking and eating.
I stared out at the ancient buildings with their weathered stone faces, utterly fascinated by the place. Cafes, bars, restaurants. It was nothing like Chicago. In fact, it reminded me of a holiday brochure I’d seen of Italy once. Everything was quaint, the main streets intersected by cobble alleyways and stone archways. The itch to explore overwhelmed me and I soaked in the buzzing atmosphere as the clamour of voices sailed through my open window.
We were clearly on the main street now and there were people everywhere enjoying the evening. I recognised a few students from Zodiac milling along the sidewalk, but the town was big enough that we'd probably be able to avoid them. The last thing I wanted was to bump into any one of our many enemies from the Academy.
“Pull over here,” Sofia instructed, pointing.
Diego parked outside a restaurant/bar on the corner of a street. The windowsills were painted red and a rainbow of flowers hung from several baskets around the doorway.
“The food here is great,” Sofia said, hopping out of the car.
We followed her onto the sidewalk and I gazed up at a worn sign above the door, naming it as Andromeda's Place.
We headed inside and a smiley waitress hurried over to seat us. The space was brimming with people and the lights were dim throughout. Low-hanging bulbs lit booths and tables and to one side was a long wooden bar with the Zodiac's symbols printed all over it in silver.
“Isn't that Professor Orion?” Sofia asked and my heart lurched upwards.
I located him in less than a nanosecond.
On the far side of the bar Orion was sitting knee to knee with a leggy brunette who looked like beauty on speed.
“Could be.” I shrugged, turning in the opposite direction as I forcibly ignored the strange reaction my body was having to seeing him here. And the raging pit of death in my chest definitely had nothing to do with the Victoria's Secret model sitting opposite him.
“This way,” the waitress said brightly and we followed her to a table with a perfect view of Orion. It was as if the damn waitress wanted me to stare at him all night. I was too slow to grab a seat facing away from him and couldn't voice my complaints to the others in case they questioned me on it.
I sank into the seat beside Diego and took a breath.
He's just a teacher, who cares if he's here?
You apparently.
I picked up my menu, determinedly eyeing the list of sodas on offer.
“Rum and coke,” Diego ordered from the hovering waitress and she nodded as if that was completely okay.
Didn't she realise we were freshmen?
“I'll have the same,” Sofia said brightly, a daring look in her eye. Sofia looked the youngest of us all. Even with the makeup we'd painted on her, she still barely passed for a day over sixteen.
“And for you girls?”
Tory gave me an excited look. “Tequila sunrise?” she asked, seeming to expect the waitress to refuse but she jotted it down without a word, looking to me.
A thrill hummed through me. Tory and I had had fake I.Ds back in Chicago, but even they had failed us occasionally. “Whiskey and coke?”
She smiled and walked away to the bar.
I glanced at the others. “How did we just get away with that?”
“Get away with what?” Sofia asked casually as she perused the food items on the menu.
“Err, the alcohol?” Tory supplied. “We're only eighteen.”
“And your point being?” Diego asked, looking between us in confusion.
“Don't you have like...legal drinking ages in Solaria?” I asked with a frown.
“There's no laws against drinking here,” Diego said with a laugh, lifting a hand to tug on one side of his beanie. “You just have to have the gold to buy it. Which kids tend not to.”
“That's crazy,” I said as the waitress arrived with our drinks.
“My kind of crazy,” Tory said brightly, taking her cocktail.
I sipped my whiskey and coke and had the prickling feeling that I was being watched. My eyes snagged on Orion and I found he was looking right at me; it felt a lot like looking down the barrel of a gun. My throat constricted and I choked on my drink, placing it down as I tried to rein in my coughing. With a noise like a dying goat, I managed to gain my breath and Tory shook her head at me with an amused smile.
Well that's just great.
Diego patted my back. “Are you alright?”
“I'm fine,” I said airily, glancing over at Orion and finding he'd returned to talking with his date anyway. Hopefully that meant he hadn’t just witnessed my choke attack.
What had my horoscope said this morning? Oh yeah, the universe is out of sync with you today. Be prepared to ride out the storm.
I’d ridden the storm all week, so how much worse could it really get?
The waitress returned to take our food orders and I jumped on the opportunity of a distraction, ordering a pizza from the menu.
When she walked away, I took a slower sip of my drink and decided to pointedly ignore Professor Jerk-Face’s presence. But it was pretty difficult considering Tory and I were fairly convinced he wanted us dead.
A group of professors walked in the door and Diego scowled. “Is this the teachers' hang out or something, Sofia?”
“Er...maybe. I didn't realise,” she said, her cheeks lining with colour.
Our water Element teacher, Professor Washer was wearing a tight-fitting flowery shirt with way too many buttons undone and a roguish smile. He cast his eyes our way and shot us a wink. I would have guessed he was about forty and looked like he’d spent way too much time crisping himself up under the sun.
“Ew,” Tory hissed and I shuddered.
Our Tarot teacher, Professor Astrum, led him away by the arm firmly and his lips pinched tightly together in disappointme
nt.
“Washer is a total perve,” Sofia whispered then giggled as if she shouldn't have said it.
“Is that why we have to wear bathing suits that barely cover our asses in his class?” I asked, my nose wrinkling.
“I'd bet on it, chica,” Diego laughed, nudging me in the ribs.
Our food soon arrived and we ate every last bite as we ordered more and more drinks. By the time the waitress cleared our plates, my head was a little swimmy and I'd forgotten all about Orion and hadn't at all noticed that his hand was currently placed on his date's knee.
“Shots!” Diego announced, rising from his seat.
“Yes!” Sofia hooted, her hair dancing around her shoulders as she swayed in her chair.
Tory and I laughed as Diego strode away to the bar.
“Oh no,” Tory said suddenly, sinking low in her seat.
“What is it?” I followed her line of sight to the window behind me.
Geraldine was crossing the street with a paper bag in her grip.
“Hide,” Tory begged, grabbing up a menu and burying her face in it.
I pulled my hair over my shoulders, knowing the blue ends were a giveaway but a loud knocking on the window said I'd reacted too late.
“Just ignore her,” Tory hissed as I fought the urge to turn around. Sofia raised a hand to wave and Tory took a swat at her with her menu.
“We can't,” I said, a pang of sympathy rolling through me.
I couldn't resist the urge to look and found Geraldine pressed up against the window, her hands cupped around her eyes so she could see in.
I looked away again and Tory stole a glance over her menu. “Shit.”
“What?” I whispered, staring resolutely forward.
“She's coming in,” Tory said through her teeth.
I fought a groan as Geraldine appeared, grinning from ear to ear as she pranced across the restaurant to our table. “Well bless my cream crackers! I thought you were staying at The Orb?” She looked between us, ignoring Sofia, her face plastered with confusion.
“We changed our minds,” I said innocently.
“Oh.” Her confusion melted into a bright smile. “Well why didn't you call me?” She dropped into Diego's chair, placing her paper bag on the table. “You're going to love these, I just got them made.”
She tipped the bag up and a pile of sparkly silver badges fell onto the table with the letters A.S.S inscribed on them in black. Holy...shit. Does she not realise what that spells? Is she actually going to walk around campus with one of them on!?
“They're for the Almighty Sovereign Society – aren't they just the gnat’s pyjamas?!” Geraldine leaned right across the table, pinning one on Sofia's dress before she could refuse. Sofia gazed at it in abject horror and I drowned my laughter by taking a sip of my drink.
“Wonderful,” Tory said dryly but if Geraldine noticed her sarcasm, she didn't let it show.
My gut sank as Geraldine pinned one onto her denim jacket and started dancing in her chair.
If the Heirs see those they're gonna rip her apart.
“Um Geraldine,” I said gently, feeling it was my duty to save her from a host of abuse at the Academy.
“Yes?” she asked brightly, shimmying her shoulders back and forth so the badge caught the light as she admired it.
“It’s just...that acronym, it kinda spells ass.”
Tory snorted into her drink.
Geraldine stared at me for a long moment and I wasn’t sure if she was about to flip out. Laughter erupted from her throat and she petted my arm. “Don’t be ridiculous! No one but you would have noticed that, Darcy.” She shook her head at me as if I was so amusing and my heart floated down to the base of my stomach.
Well I tried.
Diego returned with four bright green shots and frowned as he spotted Geraldine in his seat. She lifted a hand as if to take one of the shots and he moved them out of her reach.
“Isn't that your gang out there?” he asked, nodding to the window.
Geraldine wheeled around then gasped as she spotted a bunch of the royal supporters walking up the street.
“Oh sweet raisin bran!” She gathered the badges into her bag, practically panting as she leapt from her seat then curtsied at us. “Your majesties, forgive me but I must go.”
“You're forgiven,” Tory said brightly.
Geraldine checked her watch. “I can be back in one hour! Then we can all go dancing together.” Geraldine shot out of the restaurant before anyone could reply, waving her bag at the group in excitement. I watched for one gut-churning second as they all pinned the ass badges onto their chests.
“Asses,” I breathed in horror. “They’re a group of asses and they don’t seem to realise it.”
“Oh man I can’t wait for the Heirs see those.” Tory started laughing.
“Tory,” I snorted. “You can’t say that.”
“At least it will get the attention off of us for five minutes.” Her laughter descended into fits and I pressed a hand to my mouth as I tried to stifle my own.
Sofia took hers off and placed it on the table with a giggle. “Sorry guys, I won’t be an ass member no matter how much I love you both.
Diego dropped into his seat with a sigh of relief. “Who needs a drink?”
“I do.” Sofia leaned forward, grabbing a shot and swallowing it in one. Before we could lay a hand on the rest of them, she downed them all in quick succession with a wild laugh.
“Sofia!” Diego gasped.
I stared at her in surprise. She was usually so quiet, what had gotten into her?
“Sofia's a secret party girl,” Tory jibed as Sofia tossed a lock of hair out of her face with a shrug.
“I wouldn't say that, but I can handle my drink,” she said with a coy smile and Diego stared at her with a frown.
I grinned, rising from my seat. “I'll get us some more.”
The others nodded keenly and I headed to the bar, moving into the only free gap which unfortunately placed me behind Orion and his date. I was one percent curious about what they were saying and couldn't help but strain my ears as the woman leant in to speak with him.
“It's all moving so fast. We should do something about it tonight.”
She squeezed his arm and I tried my best not to hate her.
She's on a date with a hot guy, why wouldn't she want to jump him?
Orion cocked his head. “No. It's too soon. We have to wait.”
My eyebrows arched. Did this asshole actually have an ounce of gentleman in him?
“It will get out of control, Orion. It has to be tonight. I can't wait any longer,” she begged.
Woah, desperate much?
“That's not what we planned,” Orion hissed. “If we try to kill them now we'll draw attention to ourselves.”
My heart slammed into my ribcage. This conversation was not about sex. The girl looked up and her eyes widened as they landed on me. I tried to casually walk away, but the barman pointed at me to get my order and suddenly Orion had hold of my arm. His grip was painfully tight as he dragged me against his thigh. Heat surged everywhere, powerful and terrifying. The scent of cinnamon and something entirely man washed over me, permanently becoming my new favourite smell despite the origin.
“What did you hear?” he growled and I gasped, trying to prise his fingers off of me.
“Orion,” his date warned and he released me.
“I didn’t hear anything,” I insisted and my heart tripled its pace as I darted away, escaping into the women's bathroom.
I clutched onto a basin, taking in a shuddering breath, well and truly rattled.
Was that woman in on the plot to kill us? How far did this go? How many people wanted Tory and I dead?
The few drinks I'd had helped keep me calm as I turned over what I'd heard, trying to work out what to do.
The door swung open and I realised with a horrifying clarity I'd just made a terrible mistake. Orion stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him an
d the lock clicked loudly through the air.
I backed up, my pulse drumming in my ears.
Run.
Scream.
Do something!
I opened my mouth to call out for help but he flicked a hand and the air in my throat halted, refusing to let out any noise.
My heart pounded a frantic tune as I continued to back up until my spine hit the far wall. I raised my hands, ready to force every ounce of magic into my palms to stop him. Whatever it took; I wasn't going to die here in some bathroom.
“Stay back,” I hissed, my voice only allowing a whisper. He was controlling the airflow in my damn throat!
“What did you hear?” he growled. “Tell me everything.”
His Coercion was powerful and no matter how much practice I'd had with Tory and Sofia, it wasn't anywhere near enough to throw off his magic. My tongue loosened and I couldn't hold the words back. “That you're planning to kill someone. And I know it's us. You want us out. You don't want me and my sister ruling Solaria, but you can't really think you'd get away with killing us in a restaurant do you?” My voice was barely above a whisper and I cursed him for the power he had over me. Fear rattled my heart, but my blood was pounding with alcohol and adrenaline too.
Maybe I could run – get past him. But I knew it was impossible. I wouldn't make it two steps in the direction of the door before he disabled me.
Attack him then!
I lifted my palms higher, preparing to do whatever I had to to survive. I willed magic to my fingers and they tingled with a deadly heat. Fire had come to my aid. And I would unleash the pits of hell on him if he made one move to hurt me.
Orion waved a hand almost lazily and my arms were suddenly clamped to my sides as he wielded the air around me.
Oh crap.
“That's it?” His voice was calmer as if it was entirely normal that he'd be planning my demise.
“Yes,” I spat as my heart crashed into my chest. “Isn't that enough?”
He blew out a laugh, staring at me for a few painful seconds, his eyes two black holes which sucked at everything I was and tried to swallow it whole.
“Go home, Blue.” He unlocked the door and stepped out of the room, leaving me with a chasm of rage spitting venom in my chest.
Zodiac Academy: The Awakening: An Academy Bullymance (Supernatural Bullies and Beasts Book 1) Page 24
