Sorrow and Starlight: Zodiac Academy 8

Roxanya “Tory” Vega grieves the loss of her soulmate, Darius Acrux, on the battlefield. She considers suicide with the dagger that killed him but is stopped by the thought that Darcy is still in danger. She swears an oath to Darius to bring down the stars themselves for separating them.

She passes through the battlefield and stumbles upon the Imperial Star—a magical sword derived from a fallen star—which remained dormant rather than helping them. Despite her anger, she takes it to keep it safe. Tory also finds the bodies of Catalina Acrux and Hamish Grus, Darius’s mother and Geraldine’s father. Tory preserves them, along with Darius, in ice. When she realizes that some rebels may have survived, she goes to find them.

Lavinia drags Lance Orion through the Palace of Souls, and he hears the screams of captured rebels. He sees Gabriel Nox being tortured by Lionel Acrux, who is demanding his visions. Orion also sees Xavier’s severed Pegasus wings lying discarded on the floor.

Lionel demands that Orion be handed over to him for execution. Lavinia refuses, intending to torture Orion to punish Darcy, and Lionel relents. Orion is then dragged to a chamber filled with shadow-infused torture devices, which Lavinia uses against him.

Justin Masters makes an aerial escape from the battlefield using a makeshift parachute made with Tory’s earth magic; he feels guilty for leaving Tory behind. He drifts above a swarm of Nymphs who pursue him, and though exhausted, he refuses to let himself descend. He steers away from any signs of civilization, unwilling to lead the horde toward the innocent.

Geraldine battles the poison inflicted by the Shadow Beast by transforming into her Cerberus form to accelerate her healing. As she recovers, she becomes aware of the rest of the wounded rebels around her. She hears Xavier and rushes to his side, finding him near death. Geraldine orders Sofia and Tyler to get Basilisk anti-venom, a cure for all kinds of injuries and the only thing that can save him from the Oscuras, and then tends to him the best she can. The rebels eventually return with the anti-venom, followed by Tory, who arrives with the ice coffins holding Catalina’s, Darius’s, and Hamish’s bodies. Geraldine and Xavier both break down in grief over the losses of their respective parents.

Tory gathers with the surviving rebels in their camp at Mount Lyra to mourn Darius, Hamish, and Catalina. She then gives a speech to the rebels and reminds them that their struggle isn’t about glory but fighting for what’s right. She vows that Lionel’s rule will crumble, and the rebels roar in agreement.

Tory then retreats to a chamber prepared for her, followed by Dante and Leon, who demand answers about Gabriel’s whereabouts. She tells them about the cryptic prophecy he sent her while she was on the battlefield, but none of them can decipher its meaning. Dante and Leon return to the battlefield to look for signs of Gabriel, and Tory prepares to search for the missing Heirs. Geraldine intercepts her and convinces Tory to let her come along.

Outside Acrux Manor, Seth—a werewolf—is bound in chains of shadow and forced to run in place while a dark rift rips at his soul. Though exhausted, his mother reminds him of his duty as an Alpha, motivating him to push forward.

Meanwhile, Caleb, a vampire, feeds uncontrollably from a helpless Fae, only snapping back to reality when Seth calls his name. The rift drains his strength as quickly as he takes it, leaving him trapped in an endless cycle of bloodlust and weakness. As another Fae is dragged before Caleb, he succumbs to his vampiric instincts again. Seth lets out a mournful howl at the moon, which is echoed by his pack.

Tory and Geraldine fly to Acrux Manor. They see the dark rift in the courtyard surrounded by imprisoned Fae, including the Heirs and their families. Tory shatters the wards (anti-magical structures protecting the palace) with Phoenix fire—her Order form, or magical form, is a Pheonix, and her powers are therefore related to fire—and the Nymphs and Lionel’s followers quickly move to intercept her and Geraldine. Tory orders Geraldine to close the rift while she holds off the swarm of enemies.

Geraldine spots the binding needle—a magical object that can be used to repair rifts in reality—discarded and forgotten amid the carnage. She snatches up the artifact, jumps onto the altar before the rift, and uses it to repair the tear in reality. As she works, the Heirs and their families cheer her on. She looks at Max Rigel and vows to claim him as her true love.

Tory fights the Nymphs with her Phoenix fire, but their numbers threaten to overwhelm her. When Geraldine ignores Max’s pleas to run, he pushes his remaining strength into her through their bond, giving her the final boost she needs to seal the rift and free everyone tethered to it. Geraldine then makes an ice shield to protect them from Tory’s final attack, which reduces the remaining enemies to ash and partially destroys the manor.

As the dust settles, Geraldine kisses Max and then slaps and scolds him for getting captured. They then free the others.

Tory intends to burn Acrux Manor to the ground, but Caleb reminds her that there are still innocents inside. Max uses his Siren gifts to locate them, confirming that they are alive and unguarded in the west tower. Caleb rushes off with his mother and brother to free them.

Tory, meanwhile, leads a small team into the manor. She uses her Phoenix fire to melt through the door of Lionel’s treasure vault. With Geraldine’s help, they send the hoard of gold, gems, and stardust to the rebels. As they leave, Tory uses her Phoenix fire to set the building on fire. Outside, they meet up with Caleb and the people rescued, and Geraldine sends them all back to their base with stardust.

Caleb and the others arrive at the rebel camp, but the victory is undercut when they learn that Catalina and Hamish died. Caleb runs into the camp to search for Darius and finds his ice coffin. He collapses beside it and howls. Seth and Max join him, and their combined magic causes a golden, dragon-shaped tree to grow over Darius’s body. They are then sent to rest. Later, Caleb wakes beside Seth, both still grieving. They argue, and it descends into violence. Soon, however, the fight spirals into sex as an outlet.

Afterward, Caleb goes to a meeting between the rebellion’s leaders. Tory listens in silence until the discussion turns to Darcy. The Celestial Councillors suggest that she might be dead, but Tory refuses to accept that. Caleb then reveals his and Orion’s secret coven bond, proving that Orion is still alive. He argues that wherever Orion is, Darcy is too.

After the meeting, Caleb confronts Tory about her being distracted, and she tells him that she is going to find Darius again, no matter what it takes. Caleb promises to help her.

Lionel Acrux arrives at his manor to find it destroyed. Seeking someone to punish, he turns his fury on his Seer, Vard, who failed to foresee the attack. Lavinia, meanwhile, is enraged to learn that her rift was also destroyed. Lionel orders her to focus on tracking the rebels, but she claims that she can summon Darcy due to the curse. Lionel is ecstatic at finally capturing and breaking one of the sisters.

Before leaving the ruins, Lionel finds Stella unconscious after the attack. He wakes her, and they argue. Stella once believed that she would rule by his side, but Lionel sees her only as another tool. They have sex, but, afterward, when she suggests that he once loved her, he warns her that emotions are a weakness.