Queen of the zodiac ( zodiac city duology #1) [ undergoing revamping]

-zehn-

Brooke

"You need to be safe," Aiden said, extending his arm toward mine, but I instinctively pulled my hands out of his reach.

"Aiden, are you killing Zodiacians?" I questioned, my voice filled with a mix of fear and frustration.

He gazed at me, his expression conflicted. "That's not the point right now, Red. You're in danger, and if you die, that's the end of both worlds."

"That's not the point?" My voice trembled with anger and disbelief. "You killed our queen, now you're killing Zodiacians and replacing them with Descendants? And you have the nerve to say that's not the point?"

"You're not listening!" Aiden's voice rose in frustration. "You are in danger. You think this is a joke? Declan will find you and kill you. He has zero remorse. He'll rip your joints apart, hurt you, and do unimaginable things to you, and there's nothing I can do because I'm powerless against him. Are you listening to me, Brooklyn?"

But I wasn't. My mind was grappling with the horrifying revelation. I could understand the strategy behind killing the queen, a powerful move to disarm us and strike, but murdering innocent citizens? That was a line I couldn't cross.

"Why? Are you killing us?" I questioned, my voice shaking.

"Us?" Aiden scoffed, his tone filled with bitterness.

"You're not a Zodiacian," he continued.

I met his gaze with intensity. "My mother is a Zodiacian, and my father is a Descendant. Isn't that right?"

He nodded slowly, acknowledging the truth.

"So what makes me not a Zodiacian?" I pressed, my words laced with a growing sense of resentment.

"They won't accept you if they learn who you are."

"Oh, and you will?" I challenged him.

Aiden's gaze held a complicated mixture of emotions. "I already have."

I couldn't contain my frustration. "You just disregarded my Zodiac side. You can't pick and choose which part of me you like. Either you like me as a whole, or you don't like me at all."

"You don't know the half of what you're saying," Aiden replied, his voice quivering with the weight of agonizing history. "Zodiacians chased us out of the city, told us we're not like them, called us useless. They imprisoned us, used us as slaves, and sacrificed us as a way to communicate with their gods. Then when they finally had enough of us, they erased us from their history, cut off all ties, and put us in a completely different place. We had to toil the unforgiving land, endure unimaginable struggles, and face relentless stress to make the descendants what it is now. So spare me the lecture, Brooklyn."

"Oh? I'm so sorry that happened to you," I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm as I added, "I, a Fire Clan member, cannot possibly imagine how difficult that is for you, You're pathetic. You're killing innocent people, people with parents, people with families. You're killing them and using their bodies like it's nothing. Walking around, posing as them. How pathetic of you to try and pull the history card."

He shook his head, and a faint chuckle escaped his lips. His white eyes darkened into obsidian as he took a menacing step toward me. "Pathetic?" he sneered, his voice low and threatening. "Should I show you what pathetic is?"

The lights in the hallway started blinking erratically, but I wasn't about to back down. I met his gaze with defiance. "You know what, Aiden? You don't scare me anymore. I am Brooklyn, Royal of the Fire Clan, or Elodie, as your people call me-the girl who would bring peace to the Descendants. Don't you dare," I said, walking toward him and conjuring fire into my hands, "don't you ever dare threaten me."