As we ascend the stairs to the Zodiac’s private balcony, I feel as though my heart is about to beat out of my chest.

  I can literally hear the thudding in my ears, and I’m pretty sure a vein on the side of my neck is pulsating.

  Look, I don’t know why I’m so terrified but I am! I’m climbing the stairs and voluntarily going face to face with our biggest enemy, and perhaps even gain another enemy.

  I’m only supposed to have one nemesis, I can’t handle another one. Especially when they are so beautiful and glamorous, it’s like you’re asking me to hate a gay icon, and I don’t like that.

  “You okay?” Dardania leans over towards me and whispers in my ear. Is my anxiety that obvious? I turn towards her, sweat almost absolutely dripping from my brow. I gulp and shake my head no.

  “You know, just walking into the lions den, no biggie.”

  “Lion’s den?” Confusion is written all over her face. I just shrug, I don’t have time to process that and focus on my fear at the same time.

  “Your honorable Guy, I present to you the Major Arcana and their attendants.” The footman motions towards us, bows, and then immediately steps to the back of the balcony.

  Guy stands up, and waves his hand towards a waiter who immediately flies in with several glasses of some alcoholic beverage.

  “Please, it’s on me.” We each take one and I immediately sip at it without thinking. Damn that’s smooth. Oh, I hope it wasn’t poisoned.

  I’m really not great at having enemies, I’m so never on my guard.

  “It is an honor to have several of the legendary Arcana at our little gala. It’s safe to say it’s unexpected.” Guy, as well as several footman, usher us to a sitting area over to the side of the balcony. He takes a seat on a red velvet couch lined in what I can only assume is pure gold. We all sit opposite him in matching chairs, Godrick opts to sit off to the side; placing each of us on opposite sides.

  “My dear Saint here tells a tale of conflict that took place a mere several weeks ago between yourself and him. I assured him that the esteemed Arcana would never cause such a ruckus here though. They would never.”

  His tone feels pointed. Soft yet threatening.

  “Absolutely, we just want peace. Nothing more.” Prisha says, matching her tone to Guy’s perfectly as she shoots daggers at Godrick.

  “It truly is an honor to be in your presence, and we thank you for your invitation Sir Libra.” Art jumps straight to the ass kissing, probably better to do than provoke them. We have no idea how much power any of them have, nor what they are capable of.

  “Oh please, do refer to me as Guy. The Arcana have just as much history as the Zodiac and should never humble themselves before us. We are merely equals.”

  He says that, but the tone disagrees with him. I’m unsure if he is playing at something or he merely is just a snob. Honestly, he’s a rich gay guy, it could absolutely be the latter.

  “You’re too kind.” Prisha says blushing as she flips her braid over her shoulder. I look to her and then to Avis who just shrugs.

  Literally, what is happening here?

  “As to why I invited you here this evening, it pertains to our common friend here Godrick.” Guy motions toward Godrick with a flirty smile.

  “Godrick?” I interject, “I had heard the current Saint was Saint Anthony?”

  Everyone on my side whips around to look at me.

  Look guys, I didn’t know I was going to speak up either, it just fell out. I went to exhale and boom words came with it apparently.

  “Of course the current Saint is Anthony, but since we are all friends why put on airs? At this point we know that you know who he is.”

  “So, you’re the one who’s been watching us then?” Dardania lays it out flatly. I suppose when he said not to put on airs Dardania took that opening and just ran right through it.

  Please don’t backfire.

  “I genuinely can’t speak about my fellow leaders of the Zodiac, but I have indeed. In order to maintain balance, I like to know who is making big waves in the world.” Guy uncrosses his legs, and crosses them the other way. “In regards to our Saint friend, it is in the best interest of everyone if recent discoveries remained a secret.”

  “Out of genuine curiosity, why should we acquiesce?” Prisha inquires.

  “Balance of course. Obviously, I’m not ignorant to your goal, nor is Godrick, but if you were to rapidly succeed, the world would be plunged into chaos. Neither you nor I wish for that to occur. So I am requesting that your adventure hold more finesse than it has thus far.”

  Godrick clicks his tongue.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Oh dear Godrick is there something that I said?” Guy teases him. He leans towards him and pokes him annoyingly as a child would.

  “You see fit to invite me into your home only to allow their ridiculous hunt to continue. Do not forget where your loyalties lie Guy.” The air grows tense as Godrick gently pulls away from Guy and his childish teasing.

  The room instantly grows silent.

  The air grows thick with energy, so much so that it feels as though I could choke.

  It slowly begins to press down on me, but I fight against it.

  Everyone on the balcony turns their attention towards us. I look to Avis and Art who look as though they are about to pass out. They’re not handling the pressure of magic as well as I am.

  I concentrate my own energy on the area surrounding the five of us so as to create a minuscule barrier against the sheer volume of magic pressing down on us.

  Guy stands up, and as he does, the legs buckle on the couch holding Godrick. Slowly as Guy approaches him, Godrick shrinks down as though an unbelievable amount of weight is pushing against him.

  “You would be wise Saint to choose your words a bit more carefully. As it stands, you have not returned to your former power, and you are a guest in the house of the Zodiac. I urge you to not forget your place. The Zodiac has existed since time immemorial and will continue to do so after your little religion has long since turned to dust.”

  Guy stands over Godrick, somehow crushing him under the weight of his own magic. Godrick doesn’t inherently back down, but it is abundantly clear that he is unable to fight against it.

  If one of the heads of the families has the ability to overpower power the Saint, what does that say for the rest of them?

  Guy claps and immediately the pressure vanishes just as quickly as it appeared.

  He plasters a smile on his face, takes a few steps towards the edge of the balcony.

  “Let the party continue!” He exclaims as he raises his hands to the crowd below. They remain silent for a beat before immediately returning to the party as though nothing happened mere moments ago.

  “Welcome to Zodiac,” Guy says as he brushes past us, “I think we’re all going to have a gay ole time.”

  * * * * *

  And that was how our journey ended.

  Well, not really, obviously, but what the hell was that? We hop on a boat. Pretend like we are a bunch of sailors for several weeks, and boom there’s the Saint. It’s a bit anticlimactic if you ask me.

  We came all this way searching for him only for him to just be there, practically waiting for us.

  “Now what?” I wonder out loud as we descend the steps back to our booth.

  “I’m sorry?” Dardania asks behind me as my inner monologue spills out into the real world.

  “We did the whole journey thing to find the Saint and boom, he’s there.”

  “The idiot was pretty easy to find.” Avis says as he motions for the waiter to bring him another drink. He’s clearly enjoying this whole having money thing.

  “I don’t know, the whole thing just left me unsettled.” Prisha stares at her full glass, not having touched a single drop of it.

  “What do all your fancy memories tell you?”

  Prisha turns her attention towards me and stares at me blankly. What?

  “Nothing as of yet. I only have recovered the memories of the previous wielder and nothing more. I think it will be quite some time before I can remember anything dating back to the time of Tabathia. Though, it would be extremely helpful.”

  “I think the Zodiac has something to do with what happened to Tabathia.” Avis grunts as he shoves a pastry in his mouth. We all turn towards him and just watch as he shovels food into his mouth.

  “You’re going to get fat.” Dardania says bluntly. Avis wasn’t exactly one to just connect the dots and do the brainy things, so for him to just throw that out there, it’s safe to say we are all a bit surprised.

  “I’ll do crunches when we get back.” Avis winks at me. Is he drunk? Did he get drunk that fast?

  “But, I think you may be correct.” Dardania says as she slowly raises her glass to her mouth and stops just short of drinking it. “Either the Zodiac has something on him or he is working with them.”

  “It stands to reason,” Art adds, “Why would this be the only place in the world not under the Order’s thumb?”

  “Exactly.” Dardania sips her drink and places it back down on the table. “We need to enter the tournament.”

  I practically spit my drink across the table.

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  “We need to ingratiate ourselves within The Zodiac. I fear it’s the only way we will be able to figure out what they’re connection is and I don’t figure there is any other way for us to get in with them.”

  “I’m down if it means more food like this.” Avis continues scarfing down the food. I just stare at him.

  Like who are you dude? When did you turn into someone who just shovels food into their face. Were you always like this and I just never noticed?“Not to sound vain but I like your abs.” I say softly as I watch him eat.

  “I like my abs too, but the food is fucking amazing. Here try it!” He holds out a pastry for me to eat. I take it from him and take a bite.

  Okay, I will admit that is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. It’s absolutely delicious and I’m pretty sure they put like cocaine or something here here cause damn.

  “I apologize as you were sir, just keep the abs please.”

  “Will do. But I’m still down for the tournament.” Avis smiles at me as he hands me another pastry. Hope you’re okay paying for all of this Art.

  “I should sit this one out.” Prisha says with a dour expression. “I have this whole Hermit thing under control, but I don’t know if any of the past lives will be difficult. I think it best that I work with Art and try to do research on the history of the Zodiac from outside the tournament.”

  “That means the three of us will enter.” Dardania turns to the two of us who are just happily eating the most magnificent food I have ever tasted. Strawberries, blueberries, cheese, sugar, and god only knows what else. It’s just so amazing, drugs, there has to be drugs in it. Otherwise how is it so good?

  After a moment it finally clicks what she says, I point to myself with a question mark on my face. She nods.

  “I… don’t know that I’m ready for that.”

  “You spent plenty of time practicing on our journey, we both did. You are ready.” Dardania reassures me.

  Just as we finish up a loud clanking of a glass comes from the center of the ballroom followed by a series of gasps.

  We turn to see a dark skinned man standing in the center of the room holding a glass.

  “Who’s that?” Prisha asks Art.

  “That is Dai, the former head of Aries who was ousted by Law.”

  Dai was dressed in a solid white outfit that clung to every muscle on his body, which was a lot. He had gorgeous dark skin that practically glows under the light of the orbs. He has a buzzed haircut and a perfectly manicured beard. He may have been kicked out of the family somehow, but he has still managed to look just as beautiful as the rest of them.

  The entire room was silent as they waited for the reason he garnered everyone’s attention.

  “As the former head of Aries, I hereby declare my intention to enter the Tournament of the Zodiac.” Dai drops the glass he was holding, it shatters against the floor and he walks out of the ballroom.

  The room stands silent as the attention shifts towards Law in the balcony.

  “The plot thickens.” I mumble as I shove another pastry into my mouth.