Zodiac Academy: The Awakening(29)

Max Rigel: A big welcome to Darcy and Tory (let's call 'em Dory to make it easier). I'm so glad the Vega Twins showed up just in time to try and challenge us for the throne of Solaria because I've been dying to try out my latest elemental combo attacks on someone. #waterguns #wetterisbetter



Comments:

Marguerite Helebor: PMSL



Milton Hubert: Hahaha yeah get them wet!



Gary Jones: BRUTAL BRO! Catch ya at Pitball practice later!



Milly Badgerville: You’re soooo funny Max!



Tory read it over my shoulder and blew out a breath of irritation. “Great, we're the butt of a joke on a social media site I didn't realise existed until three seconds ago.”

I scowled, closing down the app. “Just ignore it.”

“I'm not like those idiotas,” Diego said gently. “I don't know anyone here, my family live way out in the sticks of Solaria. Most of the Fae here already have ties with each other. It's muy cliquey. So...if you wanna hang out sometime...”

The door opened and Orion strode in, kicking it shut behind him as he sipped on a mug of coffee. I glanced at the clock on the wall noticing he was ten minutes late.

He strode behind his desk and the class continued to chatter with one another. I spotted Kylie cross-legged on a desk as she spoke with a couple of boys in the back row, twirling a lock of sunshine hair between her fingers.

I chewed on the end of my digital pen as I waited for Orion to start the lesson, wondering what we were going to be learning about today. I couldn't deny I was curious. Our whole lives had been tipped upside down in the space of twenty four hours. And now I was sitting in a classroom in front of the hottest teacher I'd ever seen.

I'd always had a thing for older guys and that coupled with the fact that Orion had the sort of face that made me forget to blink, meant I was definitely distracted. What kind of teacher looked like that? In my last school the male staff all had various combos of handle-bar moustaches and shiny bald patches.

Orion planted his coffee cup on the table and grabbed a digital marker pen, writing across the board in large letters:



YOU DO NOT HAVE A PLACE AT ZODIAC ACADEMY.



Tory and I shared a look as Professor Orion swung around. I noticed his tie was undone as he took hold of it, taking his time as he fixed it.

“Do you always get dressed on your way to work, sir?” asked a boy in the front row, his words a clear jibe.

Orion gave him a sweeping glance, tightening the knot at his throat. “Name?” he demanded of him.

“Tyler Corbin.”

“Well Corbin, you're not here to cast judgment on a single thing I do. In fact it's entirely the other way around. So if I want to show up naked five minutes before the lesson ends, I will.”

A few of the girls giggled, Kylie included and a ball of heat grew in my stomach.

Orion pointed at Kylie. “Sit in your seat or you can stand on your desk for the rest of the lesson, Miss..?”

“Kylie Major,” she sighed then fell into her chair, tossing her hair over one shoulder.

“Read this out, Major,” he directed, pointing at the board.

She cleared her throat a few times and the pretty brunette beside her suppressed another giggle. “You do not have a place at Zodiac Academy.”

Chatter broke out again and Orion folded his arms, his stare demanding silence. He got his wish, the cold look in his gaze daring anyone to disobey it.

When the silence was so keen it rang in my ears, he spoke. “You all have a mid-term assessment which will decide whether or not you continue here at Zodiac. We call it The Reckoning because it will decide the fate of your entire lives. Zodiac Academy is the most prestigious school in Solaria and we won’t waste time on anyone who can’t prove their worth. If you fail it, you're out. Back to whatever crevice of this world – or any other world -” he gave Tory and I a hard look, “-you came from. Is that clear?”

“Yes,” we all said in unison and my gut tied into a tight knot.

“Yes what?” he demanded.

“Yes, sir,” everyone corrected.

Orion pressed a button at the base of the board and the words vanished. “This is Cardinal Magic where I will attempt to give you a basic understanding of all practical magic, simple divination and astrology. Today, I'll be introducing you to the Orders of Fae. None of you will be casting a single spell in my classroom until you have a basic foundation of knowledge to work from, so pay attention.”

A groan sounded from several of my classmates in response. I wasn’t too bothered, more than happy to learn the basics as I had absolutely no grasp on anything in this world.

“Everyone will need to be at the same level of understanding by the end of term. Whatever you think you know, you will soon learn there is much more that you do not.” He shed his blazer and my mouth dried up at the press of his muscles against his pale blue shirt. He tapped the board and a diagram appeared on it, giving me an excuse to look at something else. My Atlas flashed and I found the same image there with space around it for taking notes.





ORDERS OF FAE


TAENIA


(Parasitic Orders)

Vampire

Siren





MUTATIO