Free Zodiac by Romina Russell

the most advanced Zodai in our House.
    “You worked hard in your classes, and your only difficulty was using the Astralator. What you didn’t realize was that after putting so much work into your Centering technique and spending so much time reading the Ephemeris, you’d become a natural. Like us, you don’t need an Astralator.”
    Admiral Crius jumps in before Agatha’s words can sink in, gesturing at the holographic data crowding the air above us. “These files belong to the candidates we’ve selected as Advisors. They will be beamed to your Wave, as well as the surviving members of the Royal Guard. You’ll see one of your comrades on that list, Lodestar Mathias Thais.”
    I inhale sharply and turn around, only now remembering that Mathias is here. Even before seeing him, I already feel a rush of relief to have a familiar face nearby.
    Except when I look, Mathias isn’t looking back. He’s staring ahead, eyes forward, like he’s determined not to listen to our conversation. His demeanor is completely different from before, when he was drinking in every word, as if the exile in question was his and not mine. I don’t understand what’s changed.
    “Lodestar Thais would make a much better Advisor than me, if that’s what you’re thinking,” I blurt.
    “Excuse me?” Admiral Crius leans forward, and his expression makes me tremble. “Are you under the impression we want you to be an Advisor?”
    “Oh . . . no. Of course not.” Suddenly the thing I want most in the world is to melt into my seat cushion.
    Crius stands, and so does Agatha. Dr. Eusta floats over, and all three of them look down at me. “Rhoma Grace,” Crius starts, his tone making me wonder if we’re back on the subject of exile. “Please forgive our cruel methods.”
    Then—to my extreme shock—he and the others give me a deep bow.
    “The stars revealed a portent that some of us found implausible, but it seems we must accept it. As of today, we honor you as Guardian of the Fourth House, our beloved Cancer.”

7
    BEFORE I CAN EVEN REACT, the black opal is thrust into my hands, and I’m ushered out of the room and into the arms of two women waiting outside the door.
    I’m half led, half carried along the dim passageways, flanked by the group of officers that met us at the hub when we first landed. I notice Mathias doesn’t come with me this time.
    Oceon 6 is a maze of corridors and sealed doors, and by the time we arrive at our destination, I have no idea how we got here. While the women deposit me in a spacious and cold room, the officers stay outside, probably standing guard.
    “I’m Lola, your Lady of Robes,” says the taller of the two. She’s wearing a Cancrian-style draped dress in periwinkle blue. It reminds me painfully of home, where wardrobes and architecture cascade and have a watery flow. “And this is Leyla . . . m-my little sister.”
    The humanity in her voice is what makes me look up. Lola seems to be about twenty, with a head of thick red curls hiding her small face. Beside her, Leyla smiles shyly, and with a jolt, I realize she’s younger than me. She can’t be more than fourteen.
    “I was apprenticed to Mother Origene’s Lady of Robes,” continues Lola, “and I was in the middle of my training when she . . .” Her face pulls together, and she casts her gaze to the floor. When she’s calm, she makes a small bow. “We are green, but we will do our hardest to serve you, Holy Mother.”
    I want to speak, but there’s something monstrous in my throat, and I’m afraid of releasing it.
    Unlike her older sister, Leyla’s red curls are pulled away from her face, exposing a pair of round sapphire eyes. She seems to understand what I need and says, “Lola, let’s let Holy Mother rest.”
    They bow to me, and as their dresses swoosh past, I smell a hint of the Cancer Sea in the folds of their fabric. “Can I see my friends?” I whisper, my voice a hoarse rasp.
    Lola’s already in the hallway, but