Zodiac Academy: The Awakening

“Pete’s at work. No one’s here. His name in my head sent a violent chill through me. Up until three months ago this house had been mine and Tory’s home. If you could call it that. Pete had never thought of us as his kin. We’d been stuck here for our final year in foster care. And the day before we’d turned eighteen he’d shoved us out on our asses, since he was no longer entitled to the state fund for ‘looking after us.’ But the only thing he ever looked after was a bottle of Jack and his precious fifty eight inch TV.”

Here, it is apparent that Pete’s treatment of Darcy and Tory left a lasting impression. As she will later reveal, Darcy’s past in foster care, and with previous boyfriends, has left her feeling unloved and unwanted. Pete’s treatment of Darcy and Tory as sources of personal benefit enhances Darcy’s belief that she is unworthy of loving care. Through the process of Self-Discovery as Empowerment and Confidence Building, both Darcy and Tory will begin to learn their worth.

“Tory wasn’t much for the feelings type, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there. And though I sometimes wished for a few more warm hugs, she always showed me she cared in her own way.”

This passage allows a better understanding of Tory’s character while also providing insight to Darcy’s character. Despite being twins, they differ in desires and personalities. Tory might not care for physical affection or social niceties much, but Darcy does. This desire for physical affection explains why Darcy falls for Seth’s ploy later on in the novel despite knowing that she shouldn’t trust him.

“My heart was pounding even harder now but not with fear. This was it. Half the reason I took these risks. Riding these machines made me feel alive unlike anything else. I wished I could take my helmet off and let the wind race through my hair at top speed with nothing but an open road ahead of me.”

Tory loves the feeling of flying down the road on a bike, as it represents a kind of freedom and escape that she has not yet known. When she later witnesses Darius transform into a dragon and fly through the clouds, she longs to feel it for herself and hopes that her Order will provide her with wings.