Fated Throne

This installment of the Zodiac Academy series continues the story of twin sisters Darcy and Tory Vega, rightful heirs to the throne of Solaria, a magical kingdom inhabited by Fae who possess Elemental magic and shift into creature forms called Orders. Their enemy, Lionel Acrux, a Dragon Shifter, has consolidated power through shadow magic and an alliance with the Nymphs, parasitic creatures that drain magic from Fae.

The novel opens after devastating events. Tory has been captured by Lionel and bound to him through a Guardian bond, a magical tether compelling her to protect and obey him. She is kept docile through shadow magic and injections of Order Suppressant, which blocks her Phoenix form. Lance Orion, a Vampire and former professor imprisoned in Darkmore Penitentiary, is separated from Darcy. Darcy channels her grief into hunting Nymphs alongside the four Heirs, the sons of Solaria's ruling families. They are Darius Acrux (Lionel's son and the man the stars chose as Tory's mate), Seth Capella (a Werewolf), Caleb Altair (a Vampire), and Max Rigel (a Siren). Together they search for the Imperial Star, a legendary relic only a reigning sovereign can wield.

Lionel seizes the throne at the Palace of Souls, forcing every Fae present to their knees with shadow magic. Tory crowns him, and the Councillors are coerced into swearing loyalty oaths. He imposes Order segregation laws, forbidding Fae of different Orders from socializing or interbreeding, and escalates by accusing minority Orders of fabricated crimes and opening internment facilities.

Xavier Acrux, Darius's younger brother whose Order manifested as a Pegasus rather than the Dragon their father expected, arrives at Zodiac Academy and undergoes the Awakening, the ceremony that activates a young Fae's magic, receiving three Elements, a rare gift that draws Lionel's unwanted attention.

In Darkmore, Orion befriends Jasper Lumien, a dying inmate and former member of the Zodiac Guild, an elite society devoted to protecting the Vega royal line. Jasper reveals that Orion's deceased father Azriel was also a Guild member and whispers the password to Azriel's locked diary: "Ankaa," the brightest star in the Phoenix constellation. Jasper then kills himself to fulfill a death pact made in service of a prophecy to protect the twins. The diary's opening letter reveals it can only be read under the full moon.

Darcy visits Orion to break a star vow between them, a magical oath whose violation has caused him dangerous bad luck. Shortly after, Lionel's Seer Vard, a Cyclops, identifies Orion as key to finding the Imperial Star and transfers him to house arrest at the palace. Orion swears to search for the star, but the vague wording allows him to do so without being compelled to surrender it.

When Tory appears at Zodiac, Darcy realizes her Phoenix is being suppressed. Gabriel Nox, the twins' secret half-brother and a powerful Seer, procures the antidote and a cage of night iron, a metal that repels shadow magic. Darcy, the Heirs, and Geraldine Grus, the twins' fiercely loyal friend, ambush Tory, trap her, and inject the antidote. Her Phoenix erupts, destroying the cage, and she clings to Darcy in a tearful reunion. However, Tory remains terrified of Darius: Max discovers that Lionel employed Vard to replace her happy memories of Darius with fabricated scenes of torture. Max uses his Siren gifts to absorb her trauma, helping her distinguish real memories from implanted ones.

Gabriel insists Tory must continue pretending to be under Lionel's control, as fleeing would trigger the Guardian bond. She returns to Lionel each weekend, spying and passing intelligence to a growing rebel network led by Hamish Grus. The toll is immense: Tory battles the bond's compulsion, endures punishments Lionel mandates, and maintains a vacant facade while secretly rescuing persecuted Fae.

Under the full moon, Orion reads the diary, which reveals the Imperial Star is hidden in his father's tomb. The group fights past soul-stealing Reaper Hounds and undead to reach it. Inside, a spell drives Orion into bloodlust targeting Darcy; he hunts her through a maze but fights the compulsion. The ordeal designates him the new Master of the Zodiac Guild. The Imperial Star instructs them to "seek the palace in the deep" and "do what the King could not." Unable to wield it without a throne, Darcy wears it on a chain; Gabriel confirms it is invisible to Seers.

The stars guide the twins to a hidden amphitheatre on the palace grounds, where a vision reveals their father, King Hail Vega, was controlled by Lionel through Dark Coercion, a form of mind-control magic. Lionel whispered commands driving the king to commit atrocities, then erased his memory of them. The Savage King's reputation as a tyrant was entirely manufactured.

Darius and Tory defy the Star Crossed curse, which sends violent storms whenever they are together. Darius takes her to New York City, where the Guardian bond is muted, and they consummate their relationship, though the curse remains unbroken.

On Christmas Eve, Darcy and Orion infiltrate the home of Stella Orion, Lance's mother, to retrieve a magical hat left by their deceased friend Diego that can reveal preserved memories. Clara Orion, Lance's sister and Lionel's shadow-wielding Guardian, attacks them. During the fight, Darcy burns the shadows out of Orion permanently with Phoenix fire. Diego's hat reveals ancient memories of the Shadow Princess Lavinia, a Nymph who once allied with the Acrux Dragons. Lavinia was defeated by a Phoenix Queen wielding the Imperial Star and banished to the Shadow Realm.

That evening, Gabriel receives a cryptic prophecy from the Royal Seer's Chamber. Caleb, Seth, and Xavier discover a dungeon beneath the palace where Lionel's agents torture imprisoned Fae, attempting to forcibly change their Orders. They kill the torturer and free the prisoners. Lionel's forces capture Darcy and Orion.

On Christmas morning, Lionel shows Darius video of Tory being tortured and demands he marry Mildred Canopus, a Dragon Lionel has chosen as Darius's bride, to produce a Dragon Heir, threatening to kill Tory if he refuses. Gabriel, having foreseen this, disguises himself as Mildred, rendering the vows invalid. He warns Darius that one of the twins will die unless they travel to ancient caves in southern Solaria.

Lionel stages death games for Darcy and Orion in the amphitheatre, releasing Nymphs to kill them. The Heirs, Geraldine, rebel forces, and Dante Oscura, a Storm Dragon and leader of the Oscura criminal clan who has allied with the rebel cause, arrive for the rescue. During the battle, Orion learns through a vision that Lavinia possessed Clara's body years ago, trapping Clara's soul. Clara briefly surfaces and begs Orion to free her. He drives his sword through her; Clara dies at peace, but Lavinia separates and manifests in shadow form. Before retreating, Lavinia curses Darcy using Orion's blood, leaving a black handprint on her arm whose effects remain unknown.

Deep in the caves, Darius discovers a stone of primordial power that offers a bargain: In exchange for his life, it will break all bonds the stars placed on him and Tory, including the Guardian bond tying her to Lionel and the Star Crossed curse. Darius will have exactly one year to live. He accepts.

During the battle, Tory feels the Guardian bond dissolve. Her Phoenix erupts, purging every shadow from her body. She destroys Lionel's right hand with Phoenix fire before he flees. Darcy calls a retreat, and the group escapes on Dante's back, using stardust, a magical substance for teleportation, to travel beyond the palace wards. Darcy and Orion notice that the physical marks left by the Star Crossed curse have vanished from their skin, confirming something fundamental has changed, though neither understands the price Darius paid.

The novel ends with the group flying into the clouds as fugitives. Every loyal Fae and Nymph in Solaria will hunt them, and the penalty for capture is death.