When the Stars Defy the Sky

Chapter 3: Desperation

Gem bit her bottom lip nervously as she peered around the vicinity of the council room corridor. "Where is he?!" Ini angrily shouted in thought, kicking the balcony column. They had waited in the stargaze quarters for hours, yet no sign of Ophiuchus. "I knew he was duping us! How could we have been so gullible?" Ini was now pacing frantically. 

Gem was the definition of her sister's clone in every physical way, with the exception of her sister's temper. She did, however, know trusting Ophiuchus was a mistake from the start. Of course, she was not going to tell Ini she was wrong being she was already a second away from erupting. "All we can do now is wait," Gem tried to reassure Ini, failing miserably. It was time to start the Celestial council meeting and everyone who was invited flooded into the room, save for Ophiuchus. 

The council room was very spacious, with a plethora of decorative sculptures and murals from ancient civilizations all across the galaxy. The balcony unfolded the beautiful scenery of the planet; silk and satin curtains draped from either end of the opening while leaving just enough space to be held captive by the view. The marble, crescent-shaped table sat in the center of the room holding twelve seats; one for every member of Zodiac royalty. The thirteenth seat was placed at the central point of the table, reserved for the ruler of the Zodiacs.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Ini", Gem bantered, "What if we made a bad judgment call on Ophiuchus?" Gem continued to bite the ends of her nails until there was nothing left but red, irritated nubs. Ini had her arms crossed over her chest, suspense streaked across her face."Ye have little faith, Gem. Ophiuchus will be here. You should be more worried about what happens when he does show up."

The two looked at each other in anxious anticipation of what the evening has in store for this meeting.

As the rest of the members of the council settled in, the head of the council, Leo, stepped forward.

Leo glanced around the room with an expression unfamiliar, instilling fear into the twins.

The sun began to set against the magenta skyline as the night swallows the last ounces of daylight. Dusk crept closer, and so was everyone's anticipation. All of the main twelve Zodiacs were now seated, and the meeting was ready to commence.  Both Gem and Ini felt the restlessness of their siblings around them, feeding off the tensions in the room. Some were irritated, others grew progressively concerned. Leo stood amongst the others, draped in ceremonial garments, and sporting his golden crown as ruler of the Zodiacs.

The harsh sound of Leo's throat clearing stirred the murmurs to silence. Everyone immediately dropped their previous conversation to look in his direction. "Brothers, Sisters, welcome back! It's been far too long," He paused to further inspect the room.

Gem and Ini hung their heads to escape their brother's displeased glare. "I knew we should not have left without him," Gem whispered. A shush sound came from Taurus, and the two fell quiet. Leo continued, " As I was saying-"

Just then, a burst of smoke and shimmering light appeared in the center of the room. The twins perked their heads up to see Ophiuchus before the council, hands in pant pockets and a cigarette propped in the corner of his mouth. The two weren't sure if the feeling in their stomachs were of relief or panic.

"Well well, this is surely a surprise," Leo exclaimed, "I honestly didn't expect you would actually show, Ophiuchus." The air in the room stood still.

Ophiuchus freed one hand from his pocket and pinched his cigarette out from his teeth. "Come now, Leo, Is that any way to treat your brother?" His smirk had the impression of sheer malevolence. "With an attitude like that, why bother having me here in the first place?"