Zodiac Academy: The Awakening(110)
I didn't relax until we were closing in on The Orb and the creeping feeling from the library finally started to wear off.
“What do you think?” I asked Tory as we stopped outside the huge golden dome. Laughter and music sailed from inside, the noise comforting after what had just occurred.
“I think he's one loose screw away from crazy, but he also has a point.”
“But if Darius and Orion are after us, why do it this way?” I questioned. “They could have killed us a hundred times by now. Orion said himself students dying in accidents on campus is regular enough.”
Tory shook her head, frowning as she tried to provide an answer. “Maybe they don't wanna risk getting caught, so they want a Nymph to do it instead?”
“Maybe,” I said, thinking back to the night I'd confronted Orion. It might have been stupid, but I'd believed him when he'd told me he didn't want to hurt Tory and I. But what if I was just being naive? The guy wasn't exactly a moral martyr. He could be a pro liar and a seasoned killer. I didn't know him enough to judge.
I sighed, my insides in knots as I tried to figure out the answer. Because it felt like we were missing something vital.
“Come on,” Tory sighed. “Let's enjoy the party at least. I'd rather not dwell on the fact that our father was some psycho king.”
“And our mother swapped us for two random human kids who died in our place?” I added.
“And that,” she agreed with a grim smile.
Someone shoved their way past us and I stumbled into Tory, spotting Marguerite heading up to The Orb, her arm linked with a gorilla-sized guy I recognised as a junior.
I straightened my dress, lifting my chin as I headed inside with Tory, irritation sparking through my gut. All thoughts of Marguerite were forgotten as I took in the incredible decorations laid out inside The Orb.
The lounge had been transformed into a ballroom that embodied the season of Fall. Golden leaves swept across the light wooden floor in an endless magical breeze. They dropped from a mass of beautiful vines which sprawled across the ceiling, turning green then orange, red, gold, finally falling to join those dancing on the floor. The process started all over again and I gazed up at the vines in fascination as we moved deeper into the throng of students.
I spotted Sofia chatting with a couple of girls with silvery hair and bright smiles. Something about the Pegasus Order held a calming kind of aura that made them stand out as what they were. The longer I spent at Zodiac, the easier it was becoming to recognise the differences in each one. But there were still so many I was yet to even learn about. And I was lost as to where we fit in.
I searched for Diego but before I located him, someone brushed my elbow as they stepped up behind me. My breathing hitched as the scent of cinnamon rolled under my nose.
“Evening,” a deep voice murmured in my ear and I didn't have to look up to know who it was.
Orion moved past me and disappeared into the crowd before I could say a word in greeting. I was left with the lasting impression of his quarterback body fitted into a nice shirt and ebony slacks that clung to his ass and practically forced me to stare at it.
Great, now I'm eyeing up a potential serial killer.
If there was one final ass I had to stare at though...
Tory snatched a couple of shots from a waiter's tray and planted one in my hand with a devilish grin. I wasn't sure it was the best idea after what had happened last Friday. But then again, when had I ever said no to a free shot of tequila?
AS THE NIGHT wore on, I began to relax more and more. No one had come at Darcy or I with embarrassing forms of Coercion or jibing insults. I’d barely even caught sight of the Heirs at all. It was definitely looking like we were going to be able to enjoy our evening in peace. And with that thought in mind, I was in search of another drink.
An endless cascade of falling leaves in every colour of fall swept through a soft wind above my head, making the fire-based lighting flicker all around us. It was like something out of a movie, too impossibly beautiful to be real and yet there I stood, beneath it all.
The dance floor was full of couples who were locked together as a slow love song filled the room and I smirked as I spotted Diego and Sofia amongst them. She was looking up at him like he was the reason the sun appeared each morning but his attention was wavering a little. He alternated between looking back at her and glancing around the room. I just hoped it was because he was nervous and not because he was losing interest. She was in for some serious heartbreak if he didn’t end up kissing her tonight.
Darcy had been convinced to join Seth for a dance too and though I wasn’t exactly convinced that he held entirely good intentions it would have been pretty hypocritical for me to say anything after my accidental hook-up with Caleb. Not that I’d mentioned that particular judgement slip-up to anyone. I was sure Darcy would understand but my history of bad choices with the opposite gender made me want to hide my latest transgression. Typical Tory behaviour seemed to involve hot guys with questionable intentions or illegal activities more often than not so I was sure she wouldn’t be surprised by me living up to that reputation but I’d still decided to keep it a secret for now.
I headed for the bar where drinks were being served in glasses made out of actual ice courtesy of the water Elementals. With all the excitement, I’d only managed one drink so far but it was time to catch up on myself if I was about to face the reality of going solo at a school dance. It had seemed like a great idea to turn down all of my well-mannered A.S.S suitors at the time but in reality it left me alone while my friends and Darcy coupled up.