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
（Mutating Orders）
Dragon
Manticore
Griffin
Cerberus
Pegasus
Werewolf
Nemean Lion
Hydra
Caucasian Eagle
Chimera
DIVISUS
（Spliced Orders）
Minotaur
Medusa
Centaur
Cyclops
Sphinx
Harpy
I stared across the names in fascination, unable to believe all of these strange creatures really existed.
Orion turned to face us again. “You each have an Order, most of which will have been apparent since childhood. Let me have a show of hands who does not yet know their Order.”
Tory and I slowly raised our hands and Diego did the same. I glanced around, finding a handful more joining us and I was glad we weren’t singled out in something else.
Orion nodded stiffly. “Email me after class.” He turned back to the board without further explanation. “The Taenia have just two divisions whereas if I were to write every Mutatio on this board we would be here until next week.”
I gazed down the list, my mind boggling at the words Werewolf, Dragon, Medusa, Cyclops and all the rest.
Orion pointed to the middle column. “The easiest way to distinguish a Mutatio Order is that they will shift fully into a creature without humanoid characteristics. The Divisus Order can get confused with the Mutatio, but the easiest way to distinguish them is that the Divisus Orders maintain human-like characteristics when they have mutated into their magical form. The Taenia differ from the other two Orders in that they maintain human form at all times, except for one feature. Can anyone name the feature of a Siren which changes when they embrace their powers?” He looked to the class and I glanced around, finding many of the students with their hands raised.
Orion picked a girl at the back with long braided hair. “Sirens get scales.” She twisted her hand in the air and a shimmer of blue and gold rippled across her skin. “They're tough as hell and perfect for swimming.”
“Correct,” Orion said and I jotted down the note on my Atlas under Sirens. “And what feature changes for Vampires?”
“Teeth,” Tory offered in a sharp tone.
Some of the students snickered and the hairs on the back of my neck rose to attention.
“Correct, Miss Vega.” Orion rested his hands flat on his desk and peeled his upper lip back.
My heart took a freedive into my stomach as his canines extended into sharp points. He grinned darkly, then ran his tongue across them as they retracted once more.
My heart pounded unhappily in my chest. He was a Vampire? Like Caleb?
My nose wrinkled as I stared at Orion, seeing him in a wholly different light. And not a good one.
“And what is the purpose of Vampire fangs?” he asked.
“To suck magic out of other Orders!” Kylie called out, seeming excited.
“Correct,” Orion said with a hungry glimmer in his gaze. “Any volunteers?”
Nervous laughter rang out and my stomach twisted up.
“No?” Orion pressed, strolling casually into the aisles between the desks. “Because in Solaria, Fae don't tend to ask for what they want, do they?”
He paused beside Diego's desk and the boy's eyes widened.
“Name?” Orion demanded of him.
“Diego Polaris,” he said. “And as a teacher, sir, don't you have to ask for blood?”
In answer, Orion snatched Diego's arm and dug his fangs into it.
My heart slammed into my throat as Diego released a yell of pain and I suddenly found myself on my feet.
“Stop!” I demanded and Orion extracted his fangs, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Diego seemed a little weak, blinking heavily as he held his bloody wrist as far away from Orion as possible.
“Problem, Miss Vega?” Orion asked, his brows arching as he assessed me.
I glanced over my shoulder at Tory and she shook her head to warn me off.
I sank back into my seat, my heart thundering in my ears. I didn't answer him, instead looking away in disgust.
Pig.
Orion marched back to his desk and dropped into the wide leather chair behind it. “You have ten minutes to describe the shifted forms of each Mutatio in the table. Go.” He plucked up his coffee cup, drained it in one then sat back in his chair, thumbing through something on his Atlas.