Caroline Peckham

Valenti

The stars have cursed us. After the devastating events at Zodiac Academy, we have to deal with this darker world we're faced with. Lionel seeks to hurt us, the Nymphs seek to hurt the entire Fae race, and between all of it, we just have to try and survive each day as it comes. I'm afraid of everything falling apart, but it looks like it already has.

Zodiac Academy #5

Cursed Fates

taci

"Wait," I gasped desperately, wondering if there was even the slightest chance that I could bargain with a mad man. “YOU want me, don't you? You want me to give in to the shadows and give you my blood? I'l do it. AIl of it. Whatever you want. Just let my sister go. Let them all go." "Tory no!" Darcy shouted and Seth grabbed her as she tried to lunge towards me despite the river of shadows dividing us. "Over my dead body," Darius snarled furiously beside me, but he couldn't move any more than I could. My hands were shaking as the shadows coiled around them, but I was far more terrified of what they were about to do to Darcy and the Heirs than anything that might happen to me.

Her eyes filled with tears as she straddled me, pressing a dagger made of ice to my throat, the blade pressing down firmly enough to draw a bead of blood from my skin. I can't let you hurt him, Darius," she breathed and the horror she felt at the idea of that was clear as her gaze flared with rage and despair, and every plan I'd ever had for my father's demise came crashing down around us. "I'm his Guardian now. You'd have to kill me first."

"Roxanya Vega," Father growled, looking down at her as a dark smile pulled at his lips. "You will guard my life at the detriment of your own life. Nothing will ever be more important to you than that-" "No," I gasped as the words from my past echoed over me. The words he'd spoken when he forced Lance to abandon the life he'd worked so hard for and stolen everything from him. “Please. Don't do this to her!" I fought against Clara's hold on me with everything I had, panic blinding me as Roxy looked between me and my father fearfully.

"What would it take for you to kill this girl, Darius?" Father asked me in a dangerous voice. "Nothing," I replied instantly. "Td die first." Triumph flashed in Father's eyes at my words and my pulse thundered in panic as I tried to figure out why. What possible reason could he have for being pleased over my feelings for a girl who could ruin everything for him?

"You're the best friend, Diego," I promised and a smile pulled up the corner of his mouth ever-so-slightly. You always felt like...home," he said on a guttural breath, then he fell horribly still, his eyes fixed on the stars above as they reflected in their glassy surface. "No," I groaned, falling forward as grief took hold of me and I wrapped him in my arms, wishing I could have done more. Wishing I could make this right. Don't die. You cant die. His body suddenly turned to ash and a choked noise of pain escaped me as his remains danced away on the breeze, lost, gone forever. 

Lionel finally finished branding the X into my foot which completed his surname and I fell still against the table, panting as a tear slipped from the corner of my eye. But he wasn't done there. "The only problem I have with burns," he said slowly as he lifted the knife from the table and pressed it to my skin. “Is that I don't get to see you bleed" A scream lodged in my throat as the knife bit into my flesh and he drew a line of agony beneath his name, spilling the blood he was so eager to se. l almost blacked out and when he drew the bloody knife away, I fell back against the table once more 

“AII you have to do to make me stop, is give yourself to the shadows," he breathed as he moved around the table, his fingers trailing down my body from my neck all the way to my ankle and drawing a shudder of repulsion from my skin before he stopped by my feet. "Once you surrender to the power of the darkness, you will willingly follow the Shadow Princess and do my bidding when required." "Never,"I growled and the cormer of his lips twitched in amusement. I fought to contain my fear as he pulled my sneaker off and dragged his thumb up the sole of my foot. "What are you doing?" I asked, my muscles bunching as he slid a knife from his belt.

"Because I have need of a Vega. And my Seer predicted your sister leaving her room so that you wouldn't be able to locate her. And how you Would believe the worst so easily. All it took was a few minutes of Drusilla watching an illusion of your dear sister being tortured to create the memory for the web. She delivered it to her spineless son and you came charging in like a warrior to rescue Gwendalina when you were really just a sacrificial lamb racing to the butcher's chopping block."

I was trapped in a net, writhing against my binds as my captor cast powerful magic to keep me in place. Fear sliced into my veins as I cast fire in my palms, trying to burn my way free. "Let me go!". Seth, Caleb and Max all waved their fingers at me which had been cast in an illusion to look like Nymph probes, laughing their asses of. Relief flooded me, but anger quickly rose in its place. "That's not funny," I growled, getting to my feet and extinguishing the fire in my palms, though I had a good mind to burn their asses in revenge. 

Footsteps padded somewhere along the path behind me and I turned to look back, finding no one there. I tried not to let that unsettle me, but found myself upping my pace when the footsteps sounded again then the leaves rustled somewhere above me. It's just Fae in their Order forms. But for some reason, it didn't feel like that. It felt like I was being watched....hunted…

 Hands grabbed me and a scream tore from my lungs, echoing up into the night before magic pressed into my lungs and stopped the sound dead, trapping it in my chest and cutting off any chance of anyone knowing I was in trouble.

"I already told you I love you, Roxy," I growled and her eyes widened as she looked up at me in surprise. “But now I'm telling you I want you too. Only you. No matter what it takes to make that happen." "Darius,"" she breathed, her gaze flickering to the others as they backed

"Why would he want to risk your fire burning a hole in him just to get a w tattoo?" Seth asked from behind me and I huffed at the interruption. Why couldn't they just pretend they weren't here? "Because once it's living in you, it will work like it does for me. No one will be able to influence your mind. Not even-" "This can stop my father from Dark Coercing me?" I breathed as my heart stumbled over itself. "Yeah. At least, it should do, if I made it right..." Roxy gave me a shy kind of smile which didn't have an ounce of bullshit to it and I didn't think T'd ever been more furious at the fucking stars for stopping me from kissing her than in that moment.

Darius stopped inches from me and I looked up at him as water gathered in my lashes and slid over my cheeks. He reached out to cup my jaw in his large hand and the thunder crashed again, lightning forking through the clouds above us as the stars fought to make us part. "Are you sure about this?" he asked me. "Fuck fate," I snarled because it was time I owned what was going on between us. "No one gets to pick my future for me. I choose what I want and I want you. The smile he gave me was bright and fierce and full of an emotion I was afraid to put a name to, but the way he was looking at me lit me up

Leave," he growled. "And don't come back. It's over, Darcy. Move on with your life." “It doesn't have to be over," I gasped, terrOr wrapping its way around every organ in my body. I don't care that you're here. You could be on the moon and I'd still find a way to love you." "I don't want you to love me. I want you to leave and never come back." Those words nearly brought me to my knees. Panic ripped at my soul as I stared at the man who possessed me, telling me to walk away. To never see him again. You don't mean that," I demanded, desperate to stop him from forcing me away. I do," he growled coldly, dismissively. "I mean every word. Get out."

"You've lost weight," he growled as his eyes slid down me. I said nothing, my throat too tight. "Don't let yourself suffer because of me," he said in a harsh tone. The dam broke in my chest and anger won out over every other emotion. "Is that a command or are you trying to Dark Coerce me?" I asked icily. His jaw ticked and he stalked toward me like a hunter starving for his next meal. His eyes scoured every inch of me

You're our brother," Darcy gasped as she turned to Gabriel. I twisted towards him too and he looked between us, his face painted with so much emotion that it was hard to take. I was alone in the world for so long that I gave up on ever uncovering the mysteries of my past," he breathed. "I found happiness in creating my wn family...but now... I remember. The visions broke the block on my memories and I remember my mother, your father... I remember holding the two of you on the day you were born and promising to love and protect you until the day I died." Ilunged at him as Darcy did the same and the three of us fell into a sobbing, laughing, happy, sad, utterly confused and yet completely fucking ecstatic heap.

"If anyone is seen with her, they'll get the same treatment. She is officially nothing," Darius took over, a hungry glimmer of vengeance in his eyes. Kylie's jaw fell slack as if Id punched her, but it was really much sweeter than if I had. Her friends started backing away from her and Mildred strode resolutely to the other side of the room with her shoulders pressed back and her head held high. Marguerite glowered at Tory then me for a long second before looking to the Heirs, bowing her head and scurrying away with the rest of her friends. Kylie was left alone, shifting back out of her Order form as she started to shake. The Heirs turned their backs on her and we followed suit.

"Get off of me!" she yelled, shoving my shoulders with a blast of air magic, but I cast air into my own back to keep myself rooted in place. You cost me the love of my life," I said in a calm but dangerous voice. “He's in prison because you couldn't wait to destroy me the second you got the chance. And all over a Wolf I never laid a hand on. Do you understand what that makes you to me?" Your enemy?" she asked bitterly, looking to Seth again like she was expecting him to vouch for her. "No, it makes you nothing,"I growled. "Just a worthless, waist of oxygen who I now no longer acknowledge as existing."

Seth's eyes bored into me. "I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself for what I did to you, and I'd never ask you for your forgiveness because I don't deserve a drop of it. But for what it's worth, I am so fucking sorry, Darcy."

My heart crashed against my ribcage as fury bubbled under my flesh. "Poor Lance thought Darcy Vega really did love him, but she manipulated him, gave her body to him and when he stood up in court, he sacrificed himself for her just like she'd always planned." "Shut your mouth," Tory barked and Highspell's gaze fell on her. "And you are no different, are you Miss Vega?" she said darkly. "Manipulating an Heir into falling for you only to cast him aside when the stars called you both together. I don't know how they do it, but these girls wield some sort of dark magic over powerful men and I will be watching you both very closely indeed to find out what it is." I managed to burn through the ice sticking my lips together at last just as Kylie's voice rang around the room.

"After visiting him in Darkmore Penitentiary, I have come to understand the true story of what happened to him." Her eyes landed on me and there was no sympathy there at all. "He was manipulated by a girl with royal blood, a girl who has walked into this world alongside her sister and lied and cheated her way to being actually considered for the throne." "Liar," I snapped and she whipped her fingers toward me, a hardened line of ice sealing my lips together as she turned her gaze from me onto Tory who looked ready to tear this bitch's face off. 

"Class, this is Profesor Highspell," Washer announced. “Although Professor Orion taught with a firm hand that we will all miss-" He paused as he sighed. "- I have no doubt that your new professor will make sure your needs are met, won't you Honey?"

The apartment consisted of a single room which couldn't have been more than forty square foot with a tiny adjoining bathroom to our left. There was a beaten up two seater couch pushed against the far wall beneath a window that was zigzagged with cracks and let in a steady trickle of cold air from outside. Caleb tossed a Faelight up and the room brightened to reveal flaking green paintwork clinging to half of the walls and crumbling masonry exposed on the rest of them. I swallowed a lump in my throat as the stained floorboards creaked beneath my boots. the tiny kitchenette. them aside from a single tin of be "This can't be the right place," Max muttered 

"She used to come walking past my house every damn day wearing tiny skirts and low cut shirts, whatever she could to catch my eye- I punched him hard enough to knock out a tooth and he laughed through the blood pissing out of his mouth. "And you know how I got her to come over and see me?" he asked, grinning up at me. I growled at him as magic tumbled to the surface of my skin but Max placed a hand on my arm, pressing his calming influence over me to stop me from killing the bastard. "I whistled. Fucking whistled and patted my knee and she came trotting over and sat right in my lap. Not even seventeen yet and bigger balls on her than half of the guys in my gang. That's when I decided to keep her. And as far as I'm concerned, she's still mine.

abby

this book is utterly pain, I hate it so much. God, I truly hate the ending.😭😭

Jade 🌷

The emotional turmoil. The constant agony. The moments of peace before the storm. The eye opening moments. The utter frustration. Captivating.

Fuck this book for the plot twists . I literally had to sit on this review for a few days to even process what was going on. And let me tell you, i went through the stages of grief. I recognized my pain. 

and i want more 😭 

you might wanna take a break after this book.. everyone told me to and i didn’t believe them. but i truly needed this time to process. take this moment to read a quick standalone. Or to read The A.S.S Party, maybe even read the Ruthless Boys if you were like me & skipped those books. 

You can read in whatever order you like though, i know how stressful it is to hear so many different reading orders. but please just let yourself process this one first

that being said, WHAT THE FUCK?

I genuinely dislike characters more than ever and fuck the stars.

aleksandra

3/5

We are finally getting somewhere!


  
    "We had time stretching out before us, years and years and years. And I was going to cherish every damn one of them. I wasn’t going to let a second go by without coveting each moment we had together”

“No one gets to pick my future for me. I choose what I want and I want you.”

“Everything in my life was brighter with her. It was good and sweet and perfect. I didn’t know what I’d done for the stars to gift me this girl”

Susanne Valenti

After the devastating events at Zodiac Academy, we have to deal with this darker world we're faced with. Lionel seeks to hurt us, the Nymphs seek to hurt the entire Fae race, and between all of it, we just have to try and survive each day as it comes. I'm afraid of everything falling apart, but it looks like it already has.

Zodiac Academy #5: Cursed Fates

I want to give this a 4 because of how much tory/darius yearning we got but the ending made me so upset I can’t.

Hanna 

Sidney Schaffner

Still distraught. I thought things were looking up. They were not.

this one was kind of boring,, not much action and WFT WAS THAT TRIAL WITH ORION AND WTF WAS GHAT ENDING???

Betty

This was truly amazing! I loved this one! So sad and tragic but so good🥲

Emma Kamer

Nouran Hazem

I’m crying at 6 am after binge reading this in a day.. what the hell was that ending can’t the evil sisters let their characters know peace 😭😭

why was this so long….what was the plot…..WHAT WAS THAT ENDING FUCK YOU  

i’ll come back to elaborate my review later but i’ve been in shock since yesterday 

rhea ⸆⸉

why was this so long….what was the plot…..WHAT WAS THAT ENDING FUCK YOU  

i’ll come back to elaborate my review later but i’ve been in shock since yesterday 

Nouran

This book ruined my day on multiple occasions. Out of the whole series this one took me the longest to finish bc I had to keep taking breaks from getting upset over outcomes. Not a single thing goes right in this book for any of the characters. No one can catch a break. And all your favorite characters get the grunt of it.

I stg if things aren’t righted in the next book, and it better be in a super epic and worth the bs way, then I will be throughly disappointed. 

Daisy Gosnell

This book ruined my day on multiple occasions. Out of the whole series this one took me the longest to finish bc I had to keep taking breaks from getting upset over outcomes. Not a single thing goes right in this book for any of the characters. No one can catch a break. And all your favorite characters get the grunt of it.

I stg if things aren’t righted in the next book, and it better be in a super epic and worth the bs way, then I will be throughly disappointed. 

Clara Mendonca Silva

i think i’m experiencing zodiac academy burnout. 

i’m going to need some more solid resolution soon because it’s getting really hard to keep chugging along.

samantha lias

i think i’m experiencing zodiac academy burnout. 

i’m going to need some more solid resolution soon because it’s getting really hard to keep chugging along.

THAT WAS THE WORST ENDING EVER! that was both devastating and disgusting at the same time

I need a break, give me a break 😮‍💨😮‍💨

Souhaila

okay i lied THIS ONE has the most angst bc omg. my heart was hurting reading this. lance and darcy dude omg :((( FUCK KYLIE!!! dude once the vegas and heirs but their differences to the side, they are going to be one badass royal court and i am so excited for it!!!! gets knocked down a half star bc i could not stand tory’s pity parties for herself

Danyella Barajas

loren

QUE MIERDA CON ESE FINAAAALLL !!! 😭😭

Allison Freedman

Welp everything has gone to complete shit and my heart can’t handle.

Cherryreads

Can the characters catch a fucking break????????????????

Sloan MacDonald

This is probably my favorite book out of the series so far. So much happened that I don’t even know who has it worse! Everyone was just beat up by the stars. No one had a happy ending, except for maybe Lionel, and even then right before that he was getting his ass beat. 

There was constant conflict, which I loved. So different from the last book where I felt it was kinda dragging a little. There was so much angst and pining and pain. I loved it. 

And the relationships/friendships in this one were so much better. Right now my favorite friendship is Darius and Darcy. I love them as friends so much and I hope that continues throughout the series. 

Can we talk about Diego? Because what the actual fuck was that!? And 

 because holy hell I’m not going to recover from that whole situation. 

Definitely one of the best in the series. 

Nataly

This is probably my favorite book out of the series so far. So much happened that I don’t even know who has it worse! Everyone was just beat up by the stars. No one had a happy ending, except for maybe Lionel, and even then right before that he was getting his ass beat. 

There was constant conflict, which I loved. So different from the last book where I felt it was kinda dragging a little. There was so much angst and pining and pain. I loved it. 

And the relationships/friendships in this one were so much better. Right now my favorite friendship is Darius and Darcy. I love them as friends so much and I hope that continues throughout the series. 

Can we talk about Diego? Because what the actual fuck was that!? And Orion because holy hell I’m not going to recover from that whole situation. 

Definitely one of the best in the series. 

linhie

4.5/5 ☆
break my heart into two. help. me. im so obsessed and invested in this series. most def holding dear to my heart. i just love it sm. read it if u like drama and tension but also such cute friendship bonds and relationships but also remember pain :( this series really has a chokehold on me and now i will race to finish this before my final exams hehe <\3

Cursed Fates Zodiac Academy #5

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