I’ d spent another night tossing and turning, trying to convince myself to sleep while my brain turned over everything that had happened from the fight to us running for our motherfucking lives and abandoning everything in the name of rebellion against Lionel Acrux.
In fact, it wasn’t just a rebellion. With us and the Vegas set against him, I could only conclude that what we’d all done on Christmas Day was declare civil war within Solaria and from now until the end of this we would be fighting to win.
Eventually, some time around dawn I’d passed out, wondering where the fuck Seth had gotten to again and taking up the entire bed in his absence as I fought to get some rest in this strange place.
A heavy thumping came at the door and I groaned, cursing whoever it was as they tried to wake me and calling out a choice insult or two as I dragged my pillow over my head.
“Cal?” Max’s concerned voice reached me and I frowned as I felt the press of his worry on a tide of emotions that swept through the door.
“What is it?” I asked anxiously, pushing myself upright and reaching out with my magic to unlock the door.
Max shoved through it the moment he could and he strode into the room with an Atlas tight in his grasp. Hamish had given out untraceable ones to each of us earlier so we could keep up with the news outside of this place.
“Lionel has moved against our families already,” he growled, holding the device out to me as my gut plummeted and fear for my Mom, Dad and siblings drove into my flesh.
My eyes widened as I read the article he’d given me which had been printed in the Celestial Times less than an hour ago.
A New Age for Solaria!
The Celestial Council have announced their support of three new Heirs to take their places when the time for succession is upon us. Hadley Altair, Ellis Rigel and Athena Capella are now next in line after the shocking events which saw the original Heirs all turn from their life path and throw in with the unstable and untrustworthy Vega twins.
Reports have been running rife for months about the strange thrall the Vega girls used to capture the attention of the four boys who had once had such bright and promising futures ahead of them.
It is said that Gwendalina （Darcy） Vega has long since been using manipulation of the mind to convince those closest to her to believe in the ravens she falsely claims to see. Once convinced of the existence of such ravens, she uses that illusion to feed lies and delusions to those she seeks to control - just as the Phoenixes of old did a thousand years ago.
It was once well documented how tricksome and untrustworthy the Phoenix Order could be with their twisted gifts playing out in all kinds of horrendous and mind-altering ways.
Sadly, once the Phoenix power has been used to infect the mind of a victim, there is no hope for returning them to their former selves and unfortunately by the time it became clear that these girls were wielding their wicked magic against the Heirs of this kingdom, it was too late to save them. Not to mention it is too risky to ever consider allowing them into a position of power with their now tainted minds.
Reports of the sex magic that Roxanya （Tory） Vega has been using against the former Heirs have also been coming in thick and fast as it has recently been discovered that that too was a power the Phoenixes of legend once possessed.
Some of their kind hold a power over seduction and desire which is far more dangerous than even Incubus gifts. Once someone has lain with such a creature, they become bound to them. In using her body in such lewd and promiscuous acts, Roxanya has in fact been stealing pieces of the souls of the men she has had coital relations with and bound it to her will.
Many accounts have now emerged which prove that she has been having regular and some might say vulgar sexual relations with all four of the former Heirs, further working to place them all beneath her thrall and thus, the Vega twins have taken captive the minds and bodies of the boys we once hoped would help lead our kingdom.
But have heart! Our kingdom is not so easily knocked to its knees and in light of the disturbing acts which have taken place with the former Heirs, the Celestial Council and our king himself have all placed high hopes and faith behind their replacements.
A brighter dawn is coming. Though now it is feared that the rebel uprising caused by the daughters of the Savage King might put the lives of our loyal citizens at risk. But our king will work tirelessly to quell this small insurgence of power-hungry Fae who skulk in the shadows and don’t dare to challenge him head on.
He will stop at nothing to assure the safety of his people, and may we all praise him for all he has done to protect us thus far.