Zodiac Academy: The Awakening

Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

56 pages 1-hour read

Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

Zodiac Academy: The Awakening

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2020

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Darcy is an 18-year-old Fae who recently aged out of the mortal foster care system. Alongside her identical twin sister, Tory, she is brought to Solaria after discovering she is a lost Heir to the throne. Darcy possesses rare abilities over all four Elements and joins House Aer. She is sensitive and empathetic, though past betrayals lead her to dye the tips of her hair blue as a physical reminder to guard her trust.

Key Relationships

Twin Sister of Tory Vega

Rival of Seth Capella

Student of Professor Orion

Friend of Sofia

Friend of Diego Polaris

Idolized by Geraldine Grus

Former Foster Daughter of Pete

Tory is an 18-year-old Fae who grew up in the mortal foster care system alongside her identical twin, Darcy. She operates as a tough, street-smart survivor who sells stolen goods to make ends meet before discovering her royal lineage. At Zodiac Academy, Tory is sorted into House Ignis and displays immense power with the fire Element. She firmly resists authority and refuses to back down from the hostile Celestial Heirs.

Key Relationships

Twin Sister of Darcy Vega

Rival of Darius Acrux

Blood Source for Caleb Altair

Friend of Sofia

Friend of Diego Polaris

Former Foster Daughter of Pete

Target of Milton Hubert

Max is a Siren of the Pisces sign who belongs to House Aqua. As one of the four Celestial Heirs set to inherit the Solarian throne, he enjoys immense social power at Zodiac Academy. He has dark skin and a black mohawk. Max uses his Siren abilities to feed on the emotions of others, showing a specific preference for drawing out fear from his targets.

Key Relationships

Ally of Caleb Altair

Ally of Seth Capella

Ally of Darius Acrux

Rival of Darcy Vega

Rival of Tory Vega

Student of Professor Orion

Caleb is a Vampire of the Taurus sign who leads House Terra. He is one of the four Celestial Heirs attempting to drive the Vega twins out of Solaria. With blond curls and an approachable face, he hides predatory instincts behind a charming exterior. He actively uses his Vampire abilities to drain power from other students to replenish his own magic.

Key Relationships

Ally of Max Rigel

Ally of Seth Capella

Ally of Darius Acrux

Feeds Upon Tory Vega

Rival of Darcy Vega

Student of Professor Orion

Seth is a Werewolf of the Aquarius sign who leads House Aer. As a Celestial Heir, he stands to inherit a quarter of the Solarian throne and ruthlessly defends that position. He is highly tactile and lavishes physical affection on those around him. He uses both public hazing and romantic charm to confuse and manipulate Darcy.

Key Relationships

Ally of Max Rigel

Ally of Caleb Altair

Ally of Darius Acrux

Rival of Darcy Vega

Rival of Tory Vega

Romantic Partner of Kylie

Darius is a rare Dragon shifter of the Leo sign who leads House Ignis. He is a heavily tattooed Celestial Heir who feels deeply threatened by the Vega twins' return. He takes a specific, hostile interest in Tory, pushing her to her physical limits while harboring private, conflicting feelings about his actions.

Key Relationships

Ally of Max Rigel

Ally of Caleb Altair

Ally of Seth Capella

Rival of Tory Vega

Rival of Darcy Vega

Secretly Meets with Professor Orion

Son of Lord Lionel Acrux

Romantic Partner of Marguerite

Professor Orion is a Vampire who teaches Cardinal Magic at Zodiac Academy. He locates the Vega twins in the mortal world and brings them to Solaria. He acts as Darcy's Liaison, alternating between a harsh disciplinarian, a dangerous predator who feeds on her power, and an unexpected protector during moments of crisis.

Key Relationships

Teacher to Darcy Vega

Teacher of Tory Vega

Secretly Meets with Darius Acrux

Subordinate to Principal Nova

Teacher of Caleb Altair

Rescued by Geraldine Grus

Supporting Characters

Sofia is a Pegasus shifter with fire magic who belongs to House Ignis. She is friendly, highly knowledgeable about Solaria, and content with her family's low-ranking status in Fae society. She serves as a walking encyclopedia for the Vega twins, answering their questions and offering genuine friendship.

Key Relationships

Friend of Darcy Vega

Friend of Tory Vega

Romantic Interest of Diego Polaris

Diego is a Latino Fae student in House Aer known for wearing a signature black beanie. He possesses air abilities and quickly befriends the Vega twins. He helps them survive the harsh social environment of the Academy, though his behavior occasionally shifts into distraction.

Key Relationships

Friend of Darcy Vega

Friend of Tory Vega

Romantic Interest of Sofia

Geraldine is an enthusiastic student in House Terra who runs the Almighty Sovereign Society. Her club is entirely dedicated to supporting the Vega twins' royal bloodline. She actively tries to gain the twins' favor, adopting their signature makeup and hair styles to show her loyalty.

Key Relationships

Supporter of Darcy Vega

Supporter of Tory Vega

Rescued by Professor Orion

Professor Astrum is the Tarot and Divination instructor at Zodiac Academy. He was a close friend to the previous Queen of Solaria and holds deep suspicions about the true nature of the royal couple's deaths. He uses his tarot cards to uncover clues about the dangers actively surrounding the Vega twins.

Key Relationships

Teacher of Darcy Vega

Teacher of Tory Vega

Principal Nova is the authoritative head of Zodiac Academy. She oversees the Awakening ceremony for the Vega twins and strictly enforces the separation of the sisters into different Elemental houses to prevent a power imbalance. She carefully manages the tension between the new royal Heirs and the established Celestial student body.

Key Relationships

Headmaster to Darcy Vega

Headmaster to Tory Vega

Employer of Professor Orion

Kylie is a student at Zodiac Academy who is romantically involved with Seth Capella. She becomes highly antagonistic toward the Vega twins, viewing Darcy as a direct threat to her social standing and her relationship. She actively participates in public hazing to assert her dominance.

Key Relationships

Romantic Partner of Seth Capella

Rival of Darcy Vega

Antagonist of Tory Vega

Friend of Marguerite

Marguerite is a student at Zodiac Academy who maintains a casual romantic arrangement with Darius Acrux. She aligns herself with Kylie to harass the Vega twins out of spite, taking personal offense to Tory's interactions with Darius.

Key Relationships

Romantic Partner of Darius Acrux

Rival of Tory Vega

Antagonist of Darcy Vega

Friend of Kylie

Pete is the cruel, negligent former foster father of Darcy and Tory Vega in the mortal world. He kicks the twins out immediately upon their eighteenth birthday and actively attempts to keep the emergency savings they hid inside his home.

Key Relationships

Former Foster Daughter of Darcy Vega

Former Foster Daughter of Tory Vega

Milton is a student in House Ignis who targets the Vega twins with cruel pranks. He posts inappropriate photos of Tory and attempts to use Coercion to humiliate both sisters in public, severely underestimating their ability to retaliate.

Key Relationships

Antagonist of Tory Vega

Antagonist of Darcy Vega

Lord Lionel is Darius's father and a powerful figure on the Celestial Council. He was reportedly the first person to arrive at the scene of the former King and Queen's murders, drawing long-standing suspicion about his political motives and his potential involvement with the Nymphs.

Key Relationships

Father of Darius Acrux