Page 30 of Virgo Queen
As I burst through the door, an icy fist of winter air encases me like a Compulsion spell. I gasp and dive back inside just long enough to snatch someone’s discarded parka from the pile on the nearest couch. It’s not regulation Academy uniform, but I’ll deal with the conduct infraction if it comes. Someone’s left a pair of moon boots tossed in the corner, so I cram my big feet into those too.
Then I burst back out (clumping like a lumberjack in my borrowed boots and parka) and gaze into the starry sky.
This far from civilization, the constellations glitter like diamonds, and the moon’s swollen orb hovers close enough to touch. A massive black dragon hammers across the vast arc ofsky, wings fully extended and jaws gaping, with a column of crimson fire pouring through his fangs.
That terrifying sight is Maxim.
He’s plummeting from the sky after a scatter of those Tiberius kids, who I suddenly realize are responsible for the tongues of crimson fire licking from our shattered den window. One of those morons is still clutching a lit Molotov cocktail, which is clearly how this whole mess started.
I should’ve known.
My Tiberius bullies are allies of the last queen. The Aquarius queen. Who doesn’t want to step down for her Gemini successor. Very clearly, those Aquarius idiots just tried to take out Zara.
I saytried, because the small teal dragon streaking like a furious arrow after Max is definitely Zara.
And sheisclearly furious. At her own guy.Even while I watch, she coughs up a bolt of purple lightning that arcs over Max’s horned head.
For an eyeblink, I’m confused. Then I get it.
She’s just fired a warning shot at her flying T. rex of a suitor. To keep him from roasting her bullies to a crisp.
Zara’s a badass. But she’s also soft-hearted.
Too bad Max isn’t into the concept of restraint.
That alpha dragon is in a flaming fury. Someone just tried to kill his queen. So I seriously doubt any warning shot will deter him.
Screaming in terror, the Tiberius gang scrambles onto the rocky cliff below ourdomusthat plunges down to the sea. One guy lobs his Molotov cocktail wildly toward Max, which just inflames that dragon more.
Holy cow. The dragon’s not listening to Zara, like,at all.
He tilts his wings, angles his massive body for another pass, and almost splits my eardrums with a bellow of rage.
Hidden in the shadows against the leaning bulk of ourdomus, right above the dangerous plunge of the cliff, a furtive flicker of movement snares my gaze. Like I said before, my kind have enhanced senses, and we’re used to being hunted.
That’s the only reason I even see that big oaf—Lev Uranus, the absolute worst of my bullies from Villa Tiberius—hoisting a loaded crossbow toward the sky.
Geez Louise.
That thing looks lethal. It’s the size of a small catapult. And it’s loaded for bear.
I mean dragon.
Lev isn’t gunning for Max, who’s totally fixated on the gang of miscreants scrambling down the cliff. Roaring like blazes, Max doesn’t even see the real threat.
Lev is aiming his crossbow atZara.
His faction’s rival queen. While Zara herself is winging furiously after Max and completely distracted trying to keep her new boo from goingGame of Thronesmedieval and roasting the rest of those bullies to a crisp.
I glance hastily all around me, looking for help.
Yep, help would be good right now.
But there’s no Mistress Aggie or Master Aries (our resident disciplinarian and another of Zara’s alphas) anywhere in sight. Jae and Draco and Ronin are all still inside, battling the blaze. My fellow captain of the fire brigade, First Boy Neo Mercury, is normally a reliable ally (and another of Zara’s harem). But Neo isn’t even here tonight. He’s probably back at his dorm, cramming for midterms.
So, clearly, it’s up to me.
Mallory McSnicker, class geek, to the rescue.
