I watched her walk back down the winding path, her dark hair swaying with each step, until she disappeared through the glass doors. I stood there for a long time, the taste of her still on my lips, the phantom weight of her body still pressed against mine.
14
Jupiter
The rare appearanceof the London sun was enough to pull me out of my tower room the next morning. After the intense emotional whiplash of the past few days—the portaling, the mind-bending kiss with Phoenix in the greenhouse, the lingering, electric memories of Jamie in my dreamscape—I needed to physically burn off the excess energy vibrating under my skin.
I pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail, laced up my running shoes, and hit the paved walkways that wound through the sprawling campus.
The air was crisp, biting at my lungs in a good way as my feet pounded against the stone paths. I wore practical athletic leggings and a loose black tank top. Noodle was wrapped securely around my neck, his scales soaking up the unexpected sunlight. He was mostly quiet, save for the occasional flicker of his tongue to taste the morning dew in the air.
‘Too cold for running,’he grumbled sleepily into my mind as we passed the botanical gardens.
“It’s refreshing,” I murmured aloud, dodging a group of students carrying stacks of heavy books and equipment. “Builds character.”
‘I have enough character. I require a heat lamp.’
I huffed a laugh, my breath pluming faintly in the chill air. I pushed myself harder. As I rounded the corner near the stone amphitheater, my groove was abruptly thrown off.
Standing perfectly still in the middle of the pathway, effectively blocking my route, was Eliza Reece.
I slowed my pace to a jog, then a walk, my pulse thudding in my ears. I hadn’t spoken a single word to her since arriving at Imperium, though I’d seen her from afar. She had made a point to ignore me, turning her nose up whenever I entered the dining hall or classes we shared. But here she was, waiting for me.
She looked immaculate, as if she’d stepped straight out of a salon spa. Her sandy blonde hair was perfect, not a single strand out of place despite the breeze. She wore a tailored, cream-colored trench coat over impeccably pressed trousers, paired with leather boots that probably cost more than my parents’ cars combined.
Her eyes were completely devoid of warmth as she sized me up. I could feel the faint, insidious hum of her Leo magic, burning hot under her skin like a distant flame.
“Jupiter Black,” Eliza said with disgust. “Out for a morning run? How... delightfully pedestrian of you.”
I stopped a few feet away, crossing my arms over my chest, mindful of Noodle shifting against my neck.
“Eliza. Did you dress up in your Sunday best just to come find little ole me, or are you lost?”
A faint smirk played on her lips. “I just thought it was time we had a little chat. Woman to woman.”
“I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”
“Oh, but we do,” she purred, taking a slow step forward. “I’ve been watching you parade around with the Stardust Shield. It’s quite the spectacle. The legendary thirteenth zodiac, reduced to picking up my sloppy seconds.”
A spike of hot, violent anger flared inside me. My magic surged, a faint silver glow threatening to bleed into my irises, but I ruthlessly shoved it back down. I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. I wasn’t going to jeopardize my standing at Imperium by blasting this basic bitch into the nearest hedge.
“Sloppy seconds?” I raised an eyebrow, letting a dry, mocking laugh escape my lips. “Is that what you tell yourself to feel better about the fact that they upgraded?”
I was lying, of course, because I had no formal plans on taking them as bonded shield mates. But I reveled in the way her jaw tightened fractionally, the illusion of her perfect radiance flickering for a microsecond.
“They’re using you, Black. They’re desperate. They’re a pack of used-up, broken cast-offs that I decided I was far too good for. Lucas is a rigid tyrant, Rowan is a man-whore, Phoenix spends all his time in the dirt, Theo wishes he was Rowan, and James...” She let out a cruel, dismissive sigh. “Well, we both know James is too damaged to ever be of use to anyone.”
My nails dug into my palms so hard they nearly broke the skin. I thought of Jamie’s gentle hands in my dream, the vulnerability and utter fucking trauma and grief in his eyes. I thought of Phoenix’s warmth and kindness, Lucas’s protective instincts, Rowan’s easy laugh, and Theo’s brilliant mind.
I wanted to rip her delicate little throat out.
Instead, I leaned my weight onto one hip, looking her up and down with an expression of profound boredom. “Such a shame you peaked in your second year. It’s all downhill from here.”
“I’m the premier axis of this academy,” she snapped. “I chose the Riftward Shield because they possessactualpower andpolitical standing. Stardust is nothing but a cautionary tale. They don’t want you. They just want your designation. You’re a shiny new toy to distract them from the fact that they weren’t enough for me.”
“Are you done?” I asked, checking my fingernails. “Because my heart rate is dropping, and I really wanna to finish my run.”
“You think you’re so clever,” she sneered, stepping closer, her gold brown eyes flashing with genuine venom. “You think because the Assembly made a fuss over you that you’re untouchable. But you’re just a stray dog they let into the house. And Stardust? They’re just using you to fix their bruised egos. The moment a better option comes along, they’ll drop you just like your precious Nightfall Shield did.”
