Page 73 of The Bound Zodiac

He squeezed Percy’s shoulder once, then released him, turned on his heel, and walked away without another word. Mr. Reece followed, his golden eyes lingering on Aiden for one more beat. It was a look that carried the weight of a thousand unspoken disappointments. Then he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Behind them, I caught a flash of blonde hair and familiar gold eyes. Eliza stood where her father had been, arms folded, watching the exchange with an expression I couldn’t quite read. She met my gaze, held it for a beat, and gave me a single, curt nod. Not friendly, not even hostile, just an acknowledgment, before turning and following her father into the crowd.

“You okay?” I asked Percy.

His eyes were still fixed on the spot where his father had stood. The red glow at the edges of his irises was fading, but slowly. “Fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

He looked at me then, and something cracked behind the mask. Just for a second. “Later,” he said. “After.”

I nodded. The bond hummed with shared fury, even Jamie was glaring after their fathers as if he might throw a punch on behalf of his shield brothers. Aiden was breathing hard through his nose, his golden eyes tracking his father’s retreating back.

The headmistress’s voice rang out over the ballroom, cutting through the noise. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you’ll please take your seats. The ceremony is about to begin.”

We found our table near the front of the room. It was draped in black silk, set with silver flatware and crystal glasses that caught the lantern light. Our names were engraved on small cards. JUPITER BLACK, HORIZON SHIELD. The sight of it, our name printed in gold ink on heavy cardstock, made something fierce and proud bloom in my chest.

The ballroom settled. Crystal clinked. Chairs scraped. The murmur of conversation dropped to a low, expectant hum. Director Calla Orion took the stage. She was a tall woman, severe and elegant in a silver gown, her dark hair pulled into a tight chignon.

“Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Assembly, honored guests. Welcome to the Bonding Gala.” A ripple of applause. She smiled, waited for it to fade. “Tonight, we celebrate the formation of eighteen new shield teams from both Dominion and Imperium academies. These young men and women represent the future of our community. The next generation of protectors, of warriors, of leaders.” She paused for dramatic flair. “Please hold your applause until all teams have been presented.”

The first name rang out. “The Duskfall Shield. Dominion Academy. Axis: Cassia Marta, designation Cancer.”

Cassia, a woman with long red hair, led a shield team of four tall men up to the stage, where they officially announced their bonding.

One by one, the teams were called. The Sapphire Shield from Imperium. The Emberlight Shield from Dominion. The Nightblade Shield and so on. Some I recognized as faces from training sessions, names from the roster boards. Others were strangers. My palms were sweating. I wiped them on the silk of my dress, trying not to fidget.

The last name before ours, the Tempest Shield from Dominion, took their bow and filed off the stage to scattered applause. The ballroom went quiet.

Director Orion straightened her notes. “And now,” she said, her voice carrying to every corner of the vaulted room, “it is my distinct honor to present the final shield team of the evening.”

I stopped breathing.

“The Horizon Shield. Axis: Jupiter Black. Designation: Ophiuchus.”

The room erupted despite the director’s request otherwise. People were on their feet. Cameras flashed so fast the ballroom strobed white and gold.

My knees went weak. For one terrible second, I thought I might actually fall over. Then Percy’s hand was at the small of my back, steadying me, and the bond flooded with warmth. I straightened my spine, lifted my chin, and let them guide me toward the stage.

We moved as a unit. Nine men in black and silver, flanking me on all sides, and me in the center, Noodle draped around my neck. I felt every stare like a physical touch. Some were awed, some were curious. Charles Callahan was watching from the front row, his expression unreadable.

I kept my gaze fixed on the stage, on the next step, and the next.

We climbed the short staircase, and the applause swelled again. I took my place at the center of the stage, my shield fanning out behind me in a loose crescent. Lucas and Percy stood at my shoulders, one on each side, but neither of them stepped forward. They’d decided this weeks ago. Tonight, Draco would speak for the team.

He stepped forward, and the crowd settled. In his perfectly fitted suit, with his silver-white hair catching the light and his violet eyes alight, he looked like something out of a painting.

“Members of the Assembly, honored guests, shield brothers and sisters. Tonight, you witness something that has not occurred in recorded Aelari history. Two shield teams—Nightfall, and Stardust—have chosen to merge.” A murmur ran through the crowd. “Tonight, we are ten. One axis, nine bonded, one purpose. We have chosen the name Horizon Shield because that is what we are—the edge of what is known, and the beginning of what comes next.” He turned slightly, and his gaze found mine. “We stand with Jupiter Black.”

The applause started again, louder this time, rolling through the ballroom like thunder. I could feel it in my chest, in the soles of my feet. Draco stepped back, rejoining the crescent behind me, and his mind brushed against mine through the bond— ‘You’re doing fine.’

Director Orion returned to the podium. She was smiling, but there was a tightness around her eyes that hadn’t been there before. “Thank you, Draco. A remarkable announcement.” She turned to the audience, spreading her hands. “And now, the Assembly has requested a special demonstration. Miss Black and the Horizon Shield have prepared something extraordinary for us tonight.”

My stomach dropped through the floor. She turned to me, and for just a moment, the mask slipped. Her smile became something real, something warm and encouraging. She stepped aside, clearing the center of the stage, and gave me a small, almost imperceptible nod.

I stepped forward, the bond surged around me, nine threads of magic, nine anchors. I closed my eyes. The first portal opened at chest height, and I held it there, fingers splayed, feeling the familiar tug of spatial distortion at the edge of my awareness. The bond hummed, feeding me a trickle of magic from each of them, and I took it greedily.

I made a second portal. Then a third, and a fourth. Each one snapped into existence with a soft crack of displaced air, orbiting the invisible center point I’d designated. The temperature in the ballroom plummeted. I heard someone gasp. Someone else whispered, ”Oh my god....”