Chapter 2
Jupiter
The bathroom attached to my quarters was surprisingly modern despite the tower’s worn exterior, with gleaming black marble tiles, a rainfall shower, and heated floors that felt heavenly against my bare feet.
I stood under the hot water way longer than necessary, letting it wash away the lingering exhaustion of travel and the persistent ache in my chest that I refused to acknowledge completely.
Last night had been yet another in a long string of sleepless nights, where the bond tugged at me, demanding my attention, demanding that I heal the fracture I’d created.
Only… I wasn’t the one who fractured it. They were.
After drying off and wrapping myself in a towel, I returned to the bedroom to unwrap the package that’d been delivered to my door earlier.
I toweled my hair dry as I stared at the offending box.
Uniforms. Of course this place would have uniforms. In America, unless you went to some fancy private school or religious institution, uniforms weren’t a thing.
Dominion certainly hadn’t required them.
I opened the box reluctantly and pulled out the contents, laying each piece on my bed with increasing dismay.
‘You are displeased,’ Noodle observed, slithering over to inspect the clothing.
“I don’t do uniforms,” I grumbled, holding up a black pleated skirt with thin gray lines forming a subtle plaid pattern.
Next came a crisp black button-up shirt, a dark gray tie, and—I grimaced—sensible black leather shoes that looked like they’d been designed specifically to repel any hint of style or personality.
With a sigh, I moved to the wardrobe and threw it open, staring at the neatly hung items I’d unpacked yesterday. My familiar black jeans, leather jacket, and collection of t-shirts looked back at me longingly.
I glanced back at the uniform, then at my watch. I had exactly forty minutes before I needed to meet the Stardust Shield for training. Plenty of time to find Professor Winters and negotiate this ridiculous uniform situation.
But as I looked closer at the uniform pieces, I grudgingly had to admit that the colors, at least, weren’t terrible. Black and gray. At least I hadn’t been assigned something hideous like yellow or pink. Small mercies.
I picked up the black shirt again, running my fingers over the material. It was actually decent quality, not the scratchy polyester I’d expected. And the skirt, while definitely not my usual style, had enough pleats that I could probably move comfortably.
“Fine,” I muttered to no one in particular. “I’ll try the damn thing on.”
The shirt fit surprisingly well, tailored enough to not look boxy but not tight enough to restrict movement. The skirt hit just above my knees, modest but not frumpy. I knotted the tie, then turned to the mirror.
The reflection that stared back at me was not completely terrible. The black and gray palette complemented my pale olive skin and long black hair. The serpent tattoos winding up my left arm were visible below the rolled-up sleeves of the shirt.
I eyed the shoes with distaste. They were the final straw—sensible, low-heeled, and utterly boring. No fucking way.
Instead, I reached for my favorite black boots, the ones that had seen me through countless bane incursions and training sessions. I laced them up with satisfaction, the heavy soles adding an inch to my height.
“There,” I said, straightening up and smoothing down the front of the skirt. “That’s as good as it’s getting.”
‘Human skin is icky,’ Noodle hissed.
I snorted. “If you’re not nice to me I’ll knit you a sweater.”
He visibly shivered, hissing again. ‘You may try, but you shall fail.’
I grabbed my bag, carefully placed Noodle around my wrist like a living bracelet, and headed for the door.
The common room was no longer empty. Three students in purple-accented uniforms looked up as I entered.
I thought of Draco’s violet eyes when he used his magic and wondered if all of the uniforms were designation color coded.
They paused mid-conversation, eyes widening slightly as they took me in.
“Morning,” I said, smiling brightly but not stopping.
“Good morning,” a tall guy with dark curly hair replied, recovering first. “You must be Jupiter. I’m Marcus, fourth year. This is Dani and Liam.”
I waved and smiled, trying not to fuck this up. “It’s nice to meet you guys. I’m running a bit late but I’m sure we’ll see each other later?”
“All good. Combat hall’s east of the main building,” Marcus called after me. “Through the grove.”
I raised a hand in thanks without turning around. At least the Scorpios seemed decent enough, not openly hostile.
Outside, the morning air was crisp and misty, the grounds shrouded in a light fog that made the buildings look like they were floating.
Students in various colored uniforms moved between buildings, some hurrying with purpose, others strolling leisurely.
All of them turned to look as I passed, but many of them actually waved at me or nodded.
I kept my head high, ignoring the whispers and stares and attempting to look as nice as possible. After Dominion, this kind of attention was familiar territory. The difference was that here, the looks seemed more curious than malicious. Still annoying, but I could handle curiosity.
The combat hall turned out to be a large stone structure with high arched windows and massive wooden doors. As I approached, I could hear the sounds of training inside—the clash of weapons, the thud of bodies hitting mats, voices calling out commands.
I pushed open one of the doors and stepped into very organized chaos. The hall was divided into sections—sparring rings, weapons training areas, a climbing wall obviously made of illusion magic and what looked like an obstacle course that defied several laws of physics.
I couldn’t help but gape at the sophisticated illusion magic.
It was more advanced than I’d expected. Initially, I planned to dive straight into training, but after the travel and emotional fucking whirlwind of recent days, I realized it would be smarter to observe first. I needed to get a feel for things before jumping in headfirst.
The Stardust Shield was deep in an intense sparring session. I hesitated as I watched them, their bodies glistening with sweat under the bright lights. Something in my belly flipped, but I pushed it down, although to be fair, ignoring the way they looked would have been impossible.
Phoenix towered over the others in the room, his muscles flexing.
His dreadlocks were tied in a loose knot, and he swung a staff that glowed with green Taurus magic.
He faced off against Rowan, whose pale blue eyes glowed like crystals, as did his sword.
Nearby, Lucas and Theo were locked in a rapid hand-to-hand bout. Jamie was the only one wearing a shirt.
Rowan noticed me first, waving a hand. The others paused, turning to greet me. “You made it,” he called out, his deep voice carrying across the hall.
I approached, trying not to stare too long at any one of them. “Just here to observe today,” I said, gesturing to my outfit. “Not really dressed for action.”
Lucas’s eyes dipped, traveling from my boots to my eyes slowly before he grabbed a towel to wipe down. “Come sit. We’re almost finished anyway.”
He led me to tiered benches along the wall, and I settled on one while they resumed sparring. Lucas sat beside me, still catching his breath.
“Impressive setup,” I commented as Phoenix’s staff struck Rowan’s shield, sending magical sparks flying.
“Top-notch,” Lucas replied. “The illusion work here is some of the best. They change the obstacle courses weekly to keep us on our toes. We even have simulations of bane attacks.” He pointed to a shimmering barrier that separated the main area from a chaotic-looking section.
“Full immersion training. Makes real incursions less shocking for first timers.”
I thought about the caverns under Dominion where everything went sideways, and wondered if Imperium also had smaller bane locked away somewhere for trainees to practice on.
My attention drifted to Jamie, who was now working through knife maneuvers. His sleeveless shirt exposed a network of scars that had long turned silver. Zodiacs heal efficiently, so scarring like that meant he’d been through hell.
Lucas noticed my gaze. “Jamie’s had a rough go of it, but he’s one of the most skilled illusionists at Imperium. Not really my story to tell, but I have no doubt you’ll hear the gossip soon enough. Just don’t believe everything you hear.”
I nodded, respecting the privacy everyone was entitled to, even though I was painfully curious now. So Jamie was an illusionist. That was powerful magic, and usually reserved for axis members of a shield, but wasn’t unheard of in warriors either.
The session ended shortly after, and the guys gathered their gear.
“Great Hall in thirty?” Theo suggested, running a hand through his damp hair as he approached.
I tried very hard to keep my eyes in respectable places.
“I think I’ll grab some coffee first,” I said, standing up. “I’ll meet you there.”
Rowan made a disgusted face. “Coffee? So American.”
“What’s wrong with coffee?”
“Nothing,” Phoenix said with a chuckle, “if you prefer drinking liquid tar over a nice cup of tea.”
“Tea is just sad water,” I muttered.
“Uncultured,” Lucas tsked. “We’ve got so much to teach you.”
I rolled my eyes, waving them off. “See you in there then. Don’t take too long on your makeup.”
Their snickers followed me as I exited into the misty morning. I decided to cut through the grove Marcus had mentioned—dozens of oak trees lining a narrow path. The mist gave everything a mystical, eerie feel.
Midway, I spotted something skittering between the trees. It was small and humanoid—or so I could have sworn. I froze, instinctively reaching for my magic, just in case. The creature vanished around a tree, leaving me wondering if I’d imagined it.