Zodiac Academy: The Awakening(9)

“What are you doing with a photo of our parents?” Tory hissed.

“They're not your parents,” he said coolly as if that didn't rock the foundations of everything we'd ever known about ourselves. “You're Changelings. Fae born. Elementals with natural magic flowing in your veins. Your real parents swapped you for the twins born to that couple.” He pointed at the photo in my hand and my brows dragged together. His expression was so impassive – how could he be so heartless? To just say such devastating things with not even a hint of emotion.

“That's not true. You're insane. Why would they do that?” I demanded.

“My guess? You were in danger,” he said with a shrug. “Or maybe you just annoyed them as much as you're annoying me right now and they decided to swap you for less irritating twins.”

Tory looked like she was about to punch him and I wouldn't have stopped her in the slightest.

“Get out,” she said in a measured tone.

“Fine, I tried.” He took a small silk black bag from his pocket and untied the strings. “Shame to lose out on your inheritance though. Your real parents were the wealthiest family in Solaria.”

“Right,” I muttered, fighting an eye-roll. This was like one of those scam emails where an African Prince had randomly chosen to give us two million dollars. Except this time the email had walked in the front door looking like a sport's model – the balls on this guy!

“Wait...wealthy?” Tory asked, stepping closer, her anger seriously lessened.

“It can't be true Tor,” I said under my breath.

She shrugged one shoulder. “Let's hear him out.” She gave me a look that said jackpot but I wasn't convinced.

“Yes. Hear me out,” he insisted and suddenly I nodded, wanting him to go on. He tugged the photo from my grip, eyeing it for a moment with a vague frown. “Look, I'm not trying to shatter your little daydreams about this couple but they're just two random humans who got caught up in something much bigger. You don't know them from Adam. And neither do I for that matter. The fact that they're dead is a tragedy but they aren't your blood. And blood's all that matters in my opinion.” He shrugged, glancing between us. “You two would do anything for each other, I hope? Because this shitty life can go away like that.” He snapped his fingers. “All you have to do is agree to enroll at Zodiac Academy. You'll get full board, have your own beds-” He gave the couch a pointed look, “-and your inheritance will cover the cost of your stay plus you'll receive a monthly stipend from it. Once you graduate, it's all yours. But only when you graduate. That's the law.”

“So you want us to go to some school?” Tory asked.

“Yes. But not just any school. The best school.” His eyes glittered with his belief in that. “So what do you say?”

“I say you're crazy,” I said.

“Yeah... but I do want the money.” Tory elbowed me in the ribs and I frowned.

“It's full board?” I looked to Orion.

“Every meal,” he swore. “So?” He tapped his foot impatiently.

Neither of us answered.

“Just say yes and come with me,” Orion growled.

“Yes,” we both said in unison without a moment's hesitation.

Wait – what just happened?

Orion grinned from ear to ear. “Should've done that in the first place.” He jerked his chin at me. “Go get dressed, if you show up like that at Zodiac you’ll be eaten alive by the other students.”

My legs moved of their own accord and I cursed myself inwardly for obeying yet another of his commands. When I returned from the bathroom in jeans and a black vest, some of my fear had kicked back in.

“You mentioned magic…” I said, changing tact to see if I could break through Orion’s hard walls.

“Yes,” he said. “Water, air, fire, earth. You will both possess one Element, perhaps two. Your parents were very powerful, so I expect you will be immeasurably gifted.” Something about his tone told me he wasn’t happy about that.

He prised open his small silk bag, pinched something between his fingers and sprinkled it in his palm.

“What’s that?” Tory whispered as I inched closer.

“The rarest substance in Solaria and the quickest way to travel: stardust.” He lifted his head with a demonic smile. “Welcome to your Awakening.”

He blew the stuff right into our faces and I gasped. Thick, black glitter cascaded over us and I prepared to splutter, lifting a hand to shield myself, but instead my body felt like it had turned to vapour. Our apartment faded away and all I could see was the sparkling black substance clouding around me. It seemed to spread out and out until I appeared to be floating within an entire galaxy of the stuff.

My body reformed and my feet hit firm ground. I staggered forward and my forehead bumped into a hard body. I blinked as my vision restored and found myself face to chest with Orion. My hand was pressed flush to his stomach and I realised it much too late as he took hold of my shoulders and jerked me around to face the opposite direction.

My heart bolted into top gear as I found myself in a sprawling meadow beneath a crystal clear night sky, the stars brighter than I'd ever seen them. Before us were over two hundred people all around our age, standing in a huge circle in an expansive meadow surrounded by trees.