Zodiac Academy: The Awakening(32)

Orion suddenly waved his hand as if he wanted me to get out of my seat. I frowned, glancing around for some kind of confirmation, but everyone was staring down at their Atlases with a steely determination.

"Miss Vega if you're not standing up in the next three seconds, you're going to regret it,” Orion barked.

“Which Vega?” Tory asked, barely concealing her jibing tone.

Holy shit Tor.

Orion's eyes snapped to her. “The one who has tried to individualise herself by dying the ends of her hair blue. It has failed by the way.”

I pressed my lips together at the insult, deciding not to budge.

You don’t know anything about me, jackass.

"Stand up,” he commanded.

"If I say no are you going to smash my head into the table?" I asked through gritted teeth. I might have been one-percent terrified to call his bluff but I also didn't want to be his next target. And it seemed everyone around here had to fight for their place in this culture. I wasn’t going to be made into a weak link on my first day. And as I decided that, something innate came to life inside me like a planted seed suddenly growing a little shoot.

Hell, I really am Fae.

“I'll do it.” Tory rose from her seat but Orion raised a hand.

“I didn't ask you,” he snarled.

Tory pouted then dropped back into her chair, rolling her eyes. I didn't like that Tory always took bullets for me; she didn't always need to protect me.

I stood up and raised my brows as I waited for my sentence. Orion's mouth hooked up at the corner and a predatory glint entered his eyes. Fear trickled through me but I held his gaze, refusing to show my terror, though something told me he could taste it on the air.

“Tell me the qualities and abilities of a Nemean Lion.” He did that creepy smile thing again. Like he was as happy as Larry. But I could see his tactic now. This was his way of intimidating people. Pretending to be the friendly type, like maybe he was on your side for a second then BAM he slams your face into a desk.

He knew I had no clue what a Nemean Lion was but he wanted to embarrass me. Just like every other asshole in this school apparently.

I shrugged. “I don't know.”

“I thought not,” he said quietly. “But while everyone else was working you thought it was a good time to speak with your equally useless sister?”

Anger flashed inside me and Tory rose abruptly from her seat. “Who are you calling useless?”

“Am I not speaking clearly enough?”

She pursed her lips and didn't answer.

He surveyed us for a moment then his eyes glittered with some idea. “Both of you climb onto your desks.”

His sharp tone washed over me and I felt unable to do anything but obey. My heart hammered as I scrambled up onto my desk beside Tory and everyone in the room started chattering excitedly.

Orion moved to lean back against his desk, his hands in his pockets. He nodded to Diego. “Polaris, please explain loud and clear to the ignorant twins on your left what Coercion is.”

Diego got up, his chair legs scraping across the floor with a screech. He adjusted his beanie hat, throwing us an apologetic glance before answering. “Coercion is one of the Cardinal magics gifted to all Fae without exception. It's the ability to control those of weak mind and is particularly effective on mortals.”

“Tell them why,” Orion pressed, his eyes dancing with mirth as they remained on us.

My heart thundered as all of this information sank in. Anyone who could cast Coercion magic could control us.

Diego cleared his throat. “Because most Fae learn how to perform a simple shield on their minds to block basic Coercion from a young age.”

“Thank you, sit down,” Orion told Diego and heat built in my cheeks.

“We've never been taught any-” Tory started but Orion cut over her.

“Quiet,” he commanded her then looked to the rest of the class. “The Vega Twins need to learn how to perform a simple shield. To encourage them to do so, you are all assigned the task of Coercing them at any given opportunity from here on out.”

Kylie squealed her delight and several more of the class laughed.

“What?” I gasped. “How are we supposed to learn to do something we've never even heard of before now?”

Tory was still struggling to open her lips after he'd ordered her to stay quiet, but she was working real hard at it.

Orion ignored us, pointing at Tyler in the front row. “Stand up, turn around, one command.”

“Are you kidding me right now?” I blurted, trying to force myself to get off of the table, but finding myself unable to ignore the impulse to remain there.

Dammit.

Tyler grinned at us in excitement. “Jump up and down and flap your arms like a chicken.”

My legs immediately complied as I started jumping and my arms swiftly followed suit, flapping madly beside me. Tory was still desperately trying to speak while she jumped up and down in time with me.

Heat slammed into my cheeks as laughter echoed around the classroom. Orion was grinning his head off too. “Who's next?” he asked and Kylie's arm launched into the air faster than a N.A.S.A rocket.

Crap!

“Go ahead.” He nodded at her.

She stood up with a malicious expression on her too-pretty face and my heart raced with anger. I felt the previous compulsion wearing off of me and both Tory and I fell still.