Zodiac Academy 3: The Reckoning: An Academy Bully Romance (Supernatural Bullies and Beasts)

by Caroline Peckham

  Opposite me, I recognised Marguerite’s flaming red hair falling behind her white mask as she raised a hand to point at the two of us. “Fresh meat!” She cried and as one, every student in the room lunged at us.

  I screamed, throwing more energy into the shield I’d created and accidentally creating a blast of air magic which crashed out from us and slammed into them, knocking students from their feet and tumbling across the red carpet.

  “Oh shit,” I breathed, glancing around at what I’d done but Darcy had already caught my hand and she yanked to get me moving as the Ignis students recovered from their shock and came for us again.

  We ran through the centre of the room as flames crashed into the outside of the shield Darcy was maintaining and I scrambled to throw up another of my own to help her.

  “Stop running and drop your shields!” Marguerite demanded, her voice thick with Coercion. With our focus fully on maintaining our magic, we hadn’t even been attempting to keep our minds guarded from that kind of attack. The two of us stumbled to a halt, the shields blinking out of existence instantly.

  We were swamped by a group of guys big enough to make me think they were seniors and they wrenched us away from each other.

  I swore at them, thrashing as I fought to break free of their hold but they only laughed as they carried me back through the common room and shoved me to my knees before Marguerite. Darcy was pushed down beside me and she swore at the guys restraining her with enough vigour to make a few of them laugh.

  “Don’t fight back,” Marguerite commanded and my traitorous body fell still as I cursed myself for not expecting that.

  Her eyes sparkled with excitement beneath the creepy, expressionless white mask and she leaned towards me with a black marker in her hand.

  Her Coercion glued me in place as she scrawled something across my forehead before turning and offering the same treatment to Darcy.

  “Now run along to class,” Marguerite ordered.

  I sprang to my feet and hurried from the room with Darcy at my side, the Coercion forcing us to run. The crowd of robed Ignis students parted to make way for us, laughing their asses off as we went.

  As we made it outside, I felt the grip of her power loosening and I gritted my teeth as I finally managed to throw it off and stop running.

  Darcy halted beside me and I looked at her with a frown. The words just talk to my raven were scrawled across her forehead in thick black marker.

  “What does mine say?” I asked after telling her what they’d written on her.

  “Whore,” Darcy replied with a sigh. “She’s not very original is she?”

  “I don’t think she’s ever had an original idea in her life,” I agreed. I channelled some water magic and tried to use it to clean the marker from Darcy’s skin but it wouldn’t budge.

  “I’m guessing this is stuck on magically,” Darcy sighed after the third attempt failed.

  “So we’re stuck like this?” I asked.

  “Yep,” Darcy replied.

  “Great.”

  We trudged towards The Orb while I offered up many creative insults about Marguerite and Darcy smirked appreciatively. As I finished venting, I noticed a crowd of students in black robes hanging out near The Orb ahead and paused.

  “I’m suddenly not feeling so hungry,” Darcy muttered.

  My stomach growled its disagreement but I turned away too. It didn’t look like there was anything but trouble waiting in The Orb today anyway.

  A hiss drew my attention to the shadows beside Venus Library and I turned to find the cause of it with a frown.

  “Hey guys!” Sofia whispered, waving us closer as she spotted us. She was deep within the shadows, her back pressed to the brick wall of the library as she glanced about nervously.

  “What are you doing?” I asked with a smirk as we drew closer to her.

  “Trying to avoid the attention of the Terra House juniors,” she explained. “They’re tying freshmen to the spire of Neptune Tower with vines.”

  I turned to look in that direction and my eyes widened as I spotted a ring of students bound to the roof ten floors up exactly as she’d said.

  “Oh my god,” Darcy breathed.

  “Did you know about this Hell Week stuff before today?” I asked Sofia, dragging my gaze from the terrified freshmen.

  “No. But I just called my mom and she was laughing her head off. Told me good luck and said that’s how it’s done here - it’s kept secret from the freshmen on purpose.”

  As Sofia leaned forward a little to get a look around, I noticed the words Vega ass-licker written on her forehead and I pursed my lips angrily.

  “So did your mom give you any other advice on how to survive this week?” Darcy asked her.

  “She just said that we can’t take it lying down. We have to try and fight back. Which is why I came to the library actually.” Sofia produced a book and opened it to a page where she’d wedged her thumb. “I think I’ve found the spell we need to unstick this pen from our faces.”

  “Really?” I asked excitedly. I hadn’t exactly been thrilled about walking around with the word whore branded to my forehead for the foreseeable future.

  “Yeah... if I get it wrong it might take off a chunk of skin though,” she added with a nervous laugh.

  I exchanged a glance with Darcy then released a deep breath.

  “Just try it out on me,” I offered. “I can always go to Uranus Infirmary if it goes horribly wrong.”

  “Are you sure?” Sofia asked though she was already raising her hand towards me, sparks of magic twisting between her fingers.

  “I trust you,” I confirmed, closing my eyes.

  Sofia’s fingers brushed my skin followed quickly by a wave of cold energy. There was no pain and I slowly opened my eyes as she drew back, finding the two of them grinning at me.

  “It worked?” I confirmed.

  “It did!” Sofia said with a squeal of excitement. She quickly performed the magic on her and Darcy and I glanced out towards the path once more to keep watch as she did.

  A bolt of fear ran through me as a group of ten juniors rounded the corner, vines curling around their arms as they wielded their magic. Before I could duck out of sight again, one of them spotted me.

  “Fresh meat!” he bellowed and the three of us screamed as we darted away down the darkened path between Venus Library and Mercury Chambers.

  I threw a handful of flames over my shoulder to slow them down and we scrambled around the building, turning left as we ran on.

  The juniors were bellowing a battle cry as they chased us and my heart thundered with panic.

  “Any ideas?” I gasped as Darcy directed a crash of wind behind us, knocking the juniors from their feet for a moment.

  They were already scrambling upright again before I turned my attention back to the path before me.

  “I’ve got one!” Sofia cried. She tossed Darcy her satchel then yanked off her blazer, quickly followed by her shirt then skirt.

  I grabbed the clothes from her as she threw them my way and she ripped her shoes from her feet, leaving her in her socks and underwear. She didn’t waste time on removing those before bursting into her Order form and shredding through them.

  Her beautiful pink Pegasus form towered over us and she dipped her wing so that Darcy could jump onto her back.

  The juniors were yelling curses at us as they saw their prey preparing to escape and huge vines sped our way like a thousand slithering snakes.

  Darcy yelled out as she threw a fireball at the vines, destroying them and giving me time to leap up onto Sofia’s back behind her.

  With an excited whinny, Sofia took off at a gallop and the wind swept through my hair at the immense speed.

  The juniors yelled behind us as we escaped and with a few powerful beats of Sofia’s wings, we launched into the sky.

  I let out a whoop of triumph, my heart soaring as the ground sped away beneath us.

  Darcy was laughing excitedly in front o
f me and the smile on my face was so wide it made my cheeks ache.

  Hell Week at Zodiac Academy had just begun, but we’d survived a whole lot of crap already since coming here so we could handle this. The wind whipped through my hair and the beautiful sight of the Academy grounds sprawled out beneath us, filling me with a joy so intense it made me ache.

  The Heirs didn’t think we could make it through The Reckoning but as I looked down upon the Academy I’d begun to think of as home, I was determined to prove them wrong. We were Fae. And we belonged here. And we’d be staying no matter what.

  I sat in Cardinal Magic class between Tory and Diego, coming down from the high of riding across the grounds on Sofia's back. The longer I sat there, the more the thrill in my veins gave way to anxiety. The thought of seeing Orion again in the cold light of day was making me feel all kinds of messed up emotions. None of which I wanted to concentrate on. Because if I boarded the over-analytical train to insanity town, I'd be stuck on it all day.

  Tyler Corbin hurried in five minutes late, but it didn't matter considering Orion still wasn't here. The class was loud with chatter as they spoke about Lily Jessops who had sat in the back row of our class all term. I felt bad that I'd never spoken to her. She'd been quiet and I hadn’t known whether her allegiance had laid with us or the Heirs. It saddened me to know she'd been lost to the hands of the Nymphs.

  Someone had cast a tribute of moss and glittering flowers all over her desk which continually closed up then bloomed all over again.

  “It's just so hard to lose such a dear friend,” Kylie was sobbing, her friends grouped around her as she dabbed her eyes. “Lily was such a sweet girl.”

  I'd never once seen Kylie hanging out with her and I shot a glare over my shoulder at the attention-seeking act she was performing. Why did she think it was alright to use someone's death to get herself a few pats on the back? It was disgusting.

  My Atlas pinged along with everyone else’s in the classroom and I frowned as I took it out.

  Zodiac Academy has been mentioned in The Celestial Times.

  I clicked on the article with a feeling of dread in my stomach and my gut lurched even more when I found what I’d suspected: it was written by Gus Vulpecula.

  ATTACK ON ZODIAC!

  Zodiac Academy remains on high alert while the Fae Investigation Bureau continue to shed light on the mass Nymph attack which occurred yesterday afternoon on the school’s grounds.

  At the end of the Pitball match between Zodiac and Starlight Academy, which kicked off the inter-school tournament, the stadium was over-run by nearly fifty Nymphs, many of which possessed Elemental magic stolen from Fae they’d killed in previous incidents.

  Twelve students (eight from Starlight and four from Zodiac) have been named amongst the dead and a vigil is expected to take place in a week’s time to commemorate their loss.

  In true Fae fashion, Principal Elaine Nova has informed all parents that there will be no hiccoughs in the education of their children and school hours will continue as usual. With the freshmen facing their official enrolment exams this week, it is predicted that a higher number of drop-outs will occur than usual. That being said, the potential of the Fae who do make it under such pressure will be celebrated for their strength in times of adversary.

  Amongst those taking part in their exams and who were also present for the attack, were Tory (Roxanya) and Darcy (Gwendalina) Vega. Reports from eyewitnesses state they saw both Vegas casting a mysterious red and blue fire during the battle. One witness and student at Zodiac Academy, Miss Marguerite Helebor, gave this statement, “They seemed to think they were helping, but their magic was rogue and dangerous. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the deaths were caused by their attacks.”

  Other witnesses have spoken of the Vegas’ ineptitude during the fight and many are calling for them to have a mental examination before being allowed to proceed with The Reckoning. Though it once seemed that the Vega Twins were nothing but a slightly unbalanced yet relatively harmless duo, it now seems we have more to fear from them than first understood.

  Bets are being made kingdom-wide over which Order the two of them will emerge as. But the rumours are rife about the possibility of two more Dragons rising to power. High Lord Lionel Acrux was unavailable for comment, but his son, Darius, had this to say.

  “We are all greatly saddened about the event which occurred at our beloved Zodiac Academy. Alongside my fellow Heirs, I intend to take measures against the Nymphs for bringing such tragedy on our people. In regard to the Vega Twins, I have little to say except that in this time of great need it would be most appropriate if they publicly renounced their claim to ensure the future of Solaria falls into capable hands.”

  The other Heirs have expressed similar wishes, but with rumours circling that the Vegas do indeed intend to make a bid to claim their throne, one must wonder why they haven’t yet come forward to state their own views on the coming war and how they would hope to handle it. Upon reaching out to them late last night for a statement, I was refused by both parties.

  Pressing for more information, I discovered from a reliable witness who wished to remain anonymous that Tory Vega was engaged with multiple sexual partners throughout the night, whilst her sister circled the halls, anxiously looking for a raven she had apparently lost sight of during the battle.

  The only possible conclusion I am able to draw from their behaviour is that the two Vegas Twins share the mad streak of their father, and will certainly bring another reign of savagery down upon Solaria if they were to lay their claim and win.

  “Bullshit,” I hissed, tossing my Atlas onto my desk with a clatter. “This is complete lies.”

  “That Gus guy has a date with my fists,” Tory snarled.

  Sniggers sounded from plenty of our classmates but not as many as I’d expected.

  “It’s okay, chicas. No one believes anything written in The Celestial Times,” Diego said and Sofia nodded, her eyes glimmering.

  “I’d like to be there on that date though, Tory,” Sofia said proudly. “I’d bring the fury of my hooves.”

  “You sure did in the battle,” I said to her with a grin and a glow filled her eyes.

  “Hey, er, Darcy… Tory?”

  I whirled around, finding Tyler standing before us, looking slightly awkward as he raked a hand through his blonde-tipped hair.

  “Yeah?” Tory asked with a look that said she was preparing to blast him into oblivion if he said something about that article.

  “I just wanted to say um.... well what you both did when the Nymphs showed up… it was really brave. And I'm not sure I would still be here if it wasn't for you two. That Gus Vulpecula guy is a filthy liar. My mum works for The Daily Solaria though, so I’ll make sure she gets the truth. The real truth.” He placed something down on my desk then on Tory's before hurrying back to his seat.

  I picked up the green leaf he'd given me which turned to a deep rust colour then gold before words spread across it. Shock took hold of me as I read them.

  Thank you.

  I found Tory holding a matching one and she looked to me in complete surprise.

  Orion strode into the room and slammed the door so hard, I nearly dropped the leaf as my gut knotted and I was suddenly too hot everywhere. He half glanced my way then looked firmly forward, marching up to the head of the room.

  I frowned as I noticed he had a watermelon under his arm and as he arrived at his desk, he planted it down and took something out of his suit jacket pocket. I recognised Diego's beanie hat as he slid it over the watermelon, picked up a pen and started drawing a face on it that looked like an angry little gremlin.

  He angled it toward Diego then pointed at him. “You want this back?”

  “Yes, sir,” Diego said, rage making his temple pulse.

  “Then I encourage you to try and get it back before the lesson ends.”

  Diego gawped at him, making no move to get up as Orion swiped his electronic pen from the desk and turned to
the board. It was Seth who'd taken that hat from Diego and it was hardly fair he had to work to get it back from Orion now. I sensed it wouldn't be as simple as him walking up there and grabbing it either.

  Orion stepped aside, revealing what he'd written on the board.

  YOU ARE ALL BOTTOM-FEEDING LOSERS.

  My mouth fell open as he glared at the class, looking like he was about to unleash the apocalypse on us.

  “This is Hell Week,” he snapped and everyone flinched from his ferocious tone. “And you're all fucking useless.”

  “Oh my god, sir!” Kylie piped up. “Lily just died, how can you even-”

  Orion lifted a hand and snapped his fingers together. She spluttered and choked, holding her throat and rising from her seat in a panic. Orion strode casually down the aisle and my heart thrashed against my chest as he paid her absolutely no attention.

  “She's suffocating!” Jillian wailed, patting Kylie on the back as she turned blue.

  “Professor!” I gasped as he drew near me and he shot me a dark glare.

  “Yes, Miss Vega?” he questioned, totally calm, that twisted smile pulling at his mouth.

  “She's choking,” I hissed and he shifted his gaze to Kylie as if he'd just noticed her.

  “Five points from Aer for stating the obvious.” He strode past me and I swivelled in my seat, glaring at his back as he went.

  “Miss Minor.” he pointed at Jillian. “Name three constellations in their Latin names that aren't star signs.”

  Jillian opened and closed her mouth, shaking her head.

  “Do so or your friend here is going to pass out. I'll give you a clue: both your and her surnames are part of several constellation names.” He folded his arms, waiting and Jillian's eyes widened to saucers.

  “U-ursa Minor, Ursa M-major and, and-”

  “And?” he inquired.

  “Monoceros!” she blurted and Orion waved his hand.