CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY

Zoey

“I can do it. I was created by Darkness, from Darkness,” Aurox said. “The tendrils will not feed from me—it would be like eating themselves. I may even be able to command them. If they will not obey my command, then I will vanquish them and rescue Sylvia Redbird. Zoey, I care very much for Grandma. I can save her. I know it.”

“You can’t control that shit inside you!” Stark shouted. “Sure, Neferet will let you into her penthouse. Are you kidding, why shouldn’t she? She has plenty of blood from Grandma. She’ll just use some of it to feed Darkness and control you. Again!”

“The tendrils cannot feed from Sylvia Redbird’s blood,” Kalona said. “Neferet admitted it, and I witnessed it myself. I can only guess that her blood is protected by the same earth magick that shields her body.”

“But you can still be controlled, right?” Damien had walked up to Aurox. His voice was clinical and I knew he was accessing all the biology files he had in his very big brain. “You are a Vessel created by Darkness. So the beast within you, which is basically a creature formed from the evil of the white bull, morphs without a sacrifice. We saw it happening earlier when Stark and Darius hit you.”

“The beast feeds on violence and hatred, lust and pain. That is true,” Aurox said.

“But you have some control over it. You did not actually change earlier,” Thanatos said.

“I try not to change. I try to control it.”

“Well, do you have a clue how you’ve kinda controlled it so far?” Stevie Rae asked, joining the rest of us.

“No.” Aurox sounded miserable.

“And that is why we are here. We must teach Aurox to control this change, at least long enough for him to break through the cage of Darkness that binds Sylvia Redbird so that he can throw her from the balcony of Neferet’s lair,” Thanatos said.

“Throw her?” My voice squeaked, but there wasn’t much I could do about that. I felt like my head was going to explode.

“I will hover there and catch her and fly her to safety,” Kalona said.

“And how long do we have to figure out how not to push Aurox’s buttons and grab Grandma?” Aphrodite asked.

“I would not expect her to live another night,” Kalona said.

“Well,” I said. “Then let’s get to work.” I looked at Aurox. “Do you really care about my grandma?”

“I do. Very much. I would give my life to save her if I need to.”

“You may need to,” I said. Then I looked from him to Stark and Darius and Kalona. “Sounds like you need to start causing Aurox a bunch of pain and violence. Now.”

The Warriors glanced at Thanatos. “I agree with Zoey. Cause Aurox pain.”

Aurox

“I may enjoy this,” Stark said, setting his bow and arrows aside and cracking his knuckles.

“As may I,” Kalona said, as he began circling Aurox. “I owe you blows for my son.”

“And I owe you for Dragon,” Darius told him, pulling from his belt loop a small, deadly looking knife.

“You’re not supposed to kill him,” Zoey said. Her voice sounded cold, emotionless.

That absence of emotion frightened Aurox more than any of the three Warriors.

“I’ll bet he’s pretty hard to kill,” Aphrodite said, crossing her arms and winking at Darius. “So, you go ahead and have some fun with your knives, handsome.”

“The beast feeds on anger. Get serious. Get angry,” Thanatos commanded the Warriors, and they went silent and closed on him.

Aurox felt the change in their energy immediately. Where before the three of them obviously disliked and mistrusted him, they were not angry. Now tension radiated from them, building in intensity. The beast within him stirred expectantly.

Aurox clenched his teeth and tensed his body. No, I will not release control. It is tsu-ka-nv-s-di-na, not beast. I will tame the bull!

Kalona struck first. With a movement that was inhumanly quick, he spun and backhanded Aurox across the face, knocking him to his knees. Before he could rise, Darius darted in. He felt an electric line of pain across the top of his shoulder, and then felt warmth as the thin, shallow cut began to bleed. An instant later, Stark punched him in the stomach.

Aurox doubled over. The Warriors were angry. The scent of his blood worked on the two vampyres. He could feel the violence within them build, especially that which rested inside Stark. Darkness—I can feel it. Stark has known evil, though he has chosen another path. Aurox was able to gain his feet, where he took a defensive stance just in time for Kalona to send another stinging blow to the other side of his face. Aurox turned, going with the blow, and brought his arm up in time to block Stark’s fist.

As he moved, turning, and blocking, the creature within him quivered, trying to break free of Aurox’s will. Though his skin twitched and he felt his bones begin the terrible melting change that turned boy to a horned beast, still he remained himself. Still he had control.

“You have to fight back!” Zoey called to him.

Aurox blocked another of Stark’s blows. “I cannot!” he yelled. “If I fight—I change.”

“Then what the hell good are you?” Aphrodite lifted her hands in frustration. “Neferet isn’t going to let you walk in there, tell Darkness to get lost, and then walk out holding hands with Grandma.”

“They are correct,” Thanatos said. “You must fight back. And you must control the beast as you do.”

Aurox nodded and, feeling a terrible dread, he ducked under Darius’s knife hand and came up swinging, sending a blow under the Warrior’s chin.

Aurox felt the pain and anger explode within Darius. The beast felt it, too. The emotions siphoned into his body, filling the creature within with power. Aurox tried to stop it, tried to control it. But when he whirled and kicked Stark, connecting with the Warrior’s stomach and knocking the breath from him, he felt his feet begin to solidify and morph into hooves.

“Think of moonlight!” the True Sight fledgling yelled at him. “You have it inside you. Try to find it.”

He thought of moonlight and lavender, of silver and turquoise and the earth around him.

Kalona struck again—another stinging backhand. This time Aurox grabbed his wrist and, using his own inhuman strength, tossed the immortal away from him.

The beast roared.

“He’s losing it!” Aphrodite said.

“You guys get back down the tunnel,” Stark called. “I don’t know how long we’re going to be able to control him.”

“You better control him because we’re not going anywhere! Aurox, hang on!” Zoey shouted.

“I try!” Aurox cried, backing away from the three Warriors, who were breathing hard but not attacking him again. “I control!”

“If you do not. If you harm any of them I will destroy you.” Kalona’s voice was calm. He did not shout. He did not posture. But Aurox felt the truth of his statement. The immortal may be able to destroy me. The thought had the beast retreating, releasing some of its anger.

Aurox stood his ground. “Control! I control.”

“That’s what I’m counting on,” Zoey said. “Guys, stand down for a sec. I have an idea.” The three Warriors nodded, but continued to watch Aurox warily. Zoey continued, “Damien, Shaunee, Stevie Rae—take your places. Form a circle around Aurox. The three of them scattered. “Aphrodite, take Erin’s candle and stand in for water.”

“Better idea.” Aphrodite handed a blue candle to the True Sight fledgling. “Go west and think wet.”

“Water? Me?” The girl took the candle, but shook her head, looking confused.

Aphrodite pulled a small, handheld silver object from her pocket and snapped it open. Aurox saw light dance across its mirrored surface. She held it up to the girl’s face. “Read your own aura.”

The fledgling sighed and looked into the mirror. Then her brows went up and her eyes seemed to double in size.

“Awesome! Wow! I never even thought about reading myself. I’m all different colors of blue!”

Aphrodite clicked the mirror closed and put it back in her pocket, looking smug. “Yep, just as I thought. So, head west.”

Smiling, the fledgling took her place in the circle.

“That was wise, Prophetess,” Thanatos said.

“I have my moments,” Aphrodite said. Then she called to Zoey, who was watching, wide-eyed, along with the other fledglings, “You are welcome.”

“Okay, well, let’s see if I can be as wise,” Zoey said.

“How may I help?” Thanatos asked.

“Cast the circle. I don’t want to be anything but spirit this time,” came Zoey’s quick answer.

“Agreed,” Thanatos said.

“Aurox, do you have a handle on yourself?” Zoey asked him.

He was still breathing hard, and the beast hovered just below the surface of his skin, but since the Warriors had stopped their attack, Aurox had gained a measure of control again. “I do. For now.”

“Alright, here’s what we’re gonna do.” As Zoey spoke, she walked toward him. “Thanatos, cast the circle. We’ll manifest our elements and hold them here, ready. Warriors, once all five elements are present, attack Aurox. Aurox”—she’d stopped just a few feet from him and the three Warriors—“I want you to fight back and do your best to control the beast, but when that control starts slipping, ’cause we’re all seeing that you can’t stop what’s happening to you, it’ll be our turn to try to help you.”

“How?” he asked her.

“I did it a little before. I sent spirit to strengthen you. Imagine that times five,” she explained. “You say the beast feeds off of violence and anger and pain, right?”

“That is right,” he said, nodding.

“Well, even though the elements aren’t good or bad, how they make each of the five of us feel is definitely good. So, I figured if the five of us channel not just our elements to you, but the good way they make us feel, then maybe you can grab onto them and get enough positive power to shut down the beast.”

“Aurox, if this works”—Thanatos joined Zoey in the middle of the circle—“then it will prove that you are more than the Darkness from which you were fashioned.”

“Then it will work because I am not Darkness. I cannot be,” he said firmly.

“Prove it,” Stark said.

“I will,” Aurox replied. He met Zoey’s gaze. “I am ready.”

“Then we begin with air.” Thanatos took the lighter Zoey offered her and walked to Damien. Speaking simply Thantos called, “Air, you are the first of the elements, and I call you to this circle.” After she lit Damien’s yellow candle, she moved to Shaunee, invoking fire in the same way. When she stood before the True Sight fledgling, she took longer, saying, “Water, you are ever changeable, always adapting. You have been called to this circle and manifested many times for your fledgling, Erin Bates. But that fledgling has, like water, changed and adapted to another environment. This new daughter of Nyx stands here, open and excited to accept your gifts. As High Priestess I invite you to this circle. Come, water, and show Shaylin she may blessed be!” Aurox watched as Thanatos lit the fledgling’s blue candle, and then she gasped in pleasure.

“I can feel it! Water is here, all around me!”

Thanatos smiled. “And for that gift we thank Nyx most profoundly.” The High Priestess moved to Stevie Rae, invoked earth, and lit the green candle. Aurox could smell grass and earth. He breathed deeply as it reminded him of the morning he’d woken to Grandma Redbird’s singing.

I must do this. She believed in me and I will not desert her.

Then Thanatos was standing in front of Zoey. “Spirit, you are the last element to join a circle. You open and close our union. I call you here with a resounding, merry meet! Come, spirit!”

When she touched the lighter to the purple candle, there was a sizzling sound and Zoey’s candle flamed a pure, silver color. It grew and flashed, and suddenly the silver flame became a glowing rope, connecting each of them around the circle. Aurox could feel the power stir the air around him. He drew a deep breath and readied himself.

“Let’s do this,” Zoey said. “Warriors, bring him pain!”

This time Stark attacked him first. Aurox had thought himself prepared, but the vampyre surprised him. Instead of punching, he kicked his legs out from under him. Aurox went down hard. He was trying to collect himself and get up when Kalona kicked him in the stomach as Darius sliced the knife’s blade across his other shoulder.

Aurox reacted automatically. He grabbed the immortal’s legs and twisted as he turned and struck out with his hand, which was already solidifying into a cloven hoof, and struck Darius in the back. Both Warriors grunted in pain and that pain lit within Aurox like a match on dry tinder. The beast within him exploded to the surface. He roared and charged Stark.

“It’s time!” Thanatos said.

“Command your elements to fill Aurox! Show him what it’s like to feel the joy of air, fire, water, earth, and spirit!” Zoey shouted.

Aurox could dimly hear Zoey. His head swung in her direction. The silver flame she held before her caught the beast’s attention. He roared, wanting to change course, wanting to attack the flame.

“Watch him, Z!” Stark was yelling. “Over here, you bastard! Don’t you fucking look at her!” The Warrior rammed Aurox with his shoulder, knocking him backward. Aurox pretended to stumble, but instead he feinted right and his left fist, now a fully formed hoof, caught Stark in the middle of his gut, doubling him over. Aurox was lowering his head, ready to gore the Warrior when the elements hit him.

This time his stagger was not pretended. He felt spirit first. Felt it deep within him. Something stirred. Something that was the opposite of the beast of Darkness that shared his skin. Joy leaped to life. It was an oddly familiar sensation, and with it Aurox turned his head, his gaze automatically seeking and then finding Zoey. Their eyes met. Hers had tears in them. In one hand she held the silver-flamed candle. Her other hand was pressed against the middle of her chest.

“Don’t cry, Zo. You’ll get snot everywhere,” he heard himself say in a perfectly normal, perfectly human voice.

Then air whooshed into him and he gasped—and laughed. It felt like a mini-tornado. Fire was a sizzling rush, which water cooled. Earth was a fragrant field of lavender, calming and strengthening.

Aurox laughed. He looked down at what had been hooves, cloven and deadly. He had hands and feet again!

“Don’t take a victory lap yet. This doesn’t mean shit if you can’t fight.” And Stark punched him. Hard. Blood rained with pain from his nose.

Aurox grunted and threw his own punch, which caught Stark on the side of his chin. “I can fight!” he shouted. Stark went down.

The beast quivered within him, but Aurox thought of the elements and their presence strengthened him, and as it did, he felt the creature shrink and cower.

Aurox was grinning when Darius struck at him. Aurox deflected the blow, knocking the Warrior’s wrist so hard that his grip on the knife loosened. The blade skittered across the basement floor. Aurox was still grinning when he kicked Darius’s legs out from under him and the Warrior fell back on his ass.

Kalona wasn’t so easy. His speed was otherworldly, and now that Aurox didn’t have the beast’s reflexes, he was only able to block a third of his blows. But it didn’t matter. What mattered was that Aurox was still fighting, and he was still a human.

“Okay! That’s enough!” Thanatos’s command came as Stark and Darius rejoined Kalona and were closing on Aurox. The Warriors halted, though Aurox thought they did so reluctantly.

“Spirit, earth, water, fire, air—I thank each of you for your powerful presence. You may depart now, and until next time, merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!” Thanatos closed the circle. As one, all of the candles flamed high and then went out.

“Huh, it worked,” Zoey spoke into the silence.

Using his shirt, Aurox wiped the blood from his nose and mouth. He didn’t actually think about what he was doing—he just followed his legs as they strode over to Zoey. Then his arms were lifting her and his body was twirling her around and around as his voice shouted, “You did it! It worked!”

A burst of laughter escaped from her, but as soon as he put her down she was stepping away from him, moving to stand by Stark’s side.

“It wasn’t just me who did it. It was all of us.” She took Stark’s hand and, ignoring Aurox, smiled at everyone else. “You guys were all awesome.”

“Okay, yeah, the circle worked,” Stark said. “But how does that translate to helping him get Grandma out of Neferet’s penthouse? Neferet isn’t gonna let you cast a circle up there.”

“Well, I didn’t think that far ahead,” Zoey said.

“Must you see Aurox to strengthen him with the elements?” Kalona asked.

“Actually, no,” Zoey said. “It’s harder, and I don’t know how long we could keep it up, but we don’t have to see someone to send our element to him.”

“I believe a spell of protection is the answer.” Thanatos spoke slowly, reasoning aloud. “Surround the Mayo building. I will open the circle and cast the spell, binding it with salt. Zoey, as long as spirit is at the center of the circle, in the heart of the building, the circle should hold.”

“The lobby of the Mayo is big. There’s a bar and a restaurant in it,” Aphrodite said. “Food’s pretty good, and they actually have a decent champagne list, and it’s dark and romantic.”

“I care because?” Zoey asked.

“Because you and I can sit there, in a corner booth. I can sip good champagne. You can read a boringly huge textbook while you really are lighting a smaller, less obvious version of that purple candle and zapping bull boy with all of the elements.”

“Where will we be?” Stark asked, not looking happy at all.

“Outside, watching over the nerd herd so that some street crazy doesn’t stagger into, say, Queen Damien and cause him to shriek, drop his candle, and fuck everything up,” Aphrodite said.

“I would not drop my candle,” Damien said.

“What if he smelled really, really bad and you thought he had lice?” Aphrodite asked.

“Eeew,” Damien said and shuddered.

“Told you so,” Aphrodite said.

“Aurox, can you do it?” Zoey asked.

He met her gaze and didn’t hesitate. “Yes. I can do it. I will do it. As long as the elements can strengthen me.” Aurox paused and couldn’t stop a smile of pure joy. “Me! I am more than a beast. I am more than Darkness.” He turned from Zoey to Thanatos. “You said I had a choice. I choose Light and the path of the Goddess.”

Thanatos returned his smile. “Yes, child. Yes, I believe you have. I also believe Nyx has heard you.”

“Well, he’s definitely talkin’ loud enough for the Goddess to hear,” Stevie Rae said, but she smiled at him, too.

Zoey wasn’t smiling, though. She’d turned to Kalona. “Can you really catch Grandma? It sounds ridiculous and super scary. I mean, Aurox is going to throw her off the roof of the Mayo.”

Kalona spread his wings. They surrounded the group and brushed against the ceiling of the basement. The immortal’s wounds had opened during the fight, and blood ran freely down his body. Aurox thought he looked like an avenging god.

“I will catch her and once I have her, Sylvia Redbird will be completely safe.”

Zoey nodded. “I’m counting on that. Okay, then, that’s our plan.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Zoey

Waiting until dusk was hell. Keeping my mouth shut when the rest of the depot fledglings woke up slowly and shuffled sleepily around, taking their time, eating cereal and talking about school and homework and other crap that was totally not saving Grandma made my head pound and my stomach clench.

And then, of course, add to everything the fact that Aurox was crouched up in Tower #1, hiding out, waiting until we come back and pick him up right before we start the whole circle-casting-save-Grandma plan because, as Aphrodite said, “We can’t let anyone see him. If Neferet gets one tiny word that Bull Boy stuck his face back at the House of Night and we didn’t totally fuck him up, well, then paint a giant target on him and call Grandma toast.”

So, yeah, I had one humongous headache and I was working on some serious IBS.

“Have a brown pop,” Stark said, sliding a chair over next to where I was sitting at one of the kitchen tables.

“Already had one,” I said.

“Have another.” He leaned into me, kissed my cheek, and whispered, “You’re tapping your foot like a crazy person and the other kids are looking at you like you might explode.”

“I might.” I nuzzled him, using that as an excuse to whisper back.

“Count Chocula, Z?” Stevie Rae asked with exaggerated perkiness.

“Not hungr—” I started, but Aphrodite cut me off.

“She’d love a bowl. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

“You never eat breakfast,” I said, frowning at her.

Aphrodite raised her half-empty champagne flute and mock toasted me. “I choose to drink my breakfast, and I do that every day. Orange juice is brain food.”

“And champagne is brain-cell killer,” Shaylin said, through the mouthful of Lucky Charms.

“I like to think of it as a way the Goddess levels the playing field. Consider for a moment how ridiculously much smarter I would be than all of you if I didn’t drink heavily.”

“I think your logic is flawed,” Damien said.

“And I think your hair is flawed. Is that early male pattern balding I see?”

Damien gasped.

I sighed.

“Don’t be such a meanie pants,” Stevie Rae told Aphrodite, and then she handed me a bowl of cereal.

“Speaking of pants, the waist of those bumpkin nightmare Roper jeans you have on today is so high it couldn’t pass a drug test,” Aphrodite quipped as she refilled her mimosa.

“I think Stevie Rae looks cute,” Shaylin said.

“Of course you do. And tomorrow you’ll probably be wearing two different shoes, because that’s the kind of refined fashion taste you have.”

I tried to eat while my friends bickered and Stark stayed close to me, resting his hand on my thigh and giving it a periodic, comforting squeeze.

My mind would not shut up. Okay, I understood why we had to wait until after sunset to go to the Mayo. Two of my five embodiments of the elements would burst into flames if they went outside in the sunlight. And that’s not even counting Stark, who would also turn into a crispy critter. I even got that we had to go to school and our first hour, which was taught by Thanatos. She was going to put us into groups and assign us to different jobs, all focusing around getting the school ready for the open house on Saturday. Conveniently, the jobs that she gave to those of us who were going to rescue Grandma were going to be off campus. So, hopefully, Erin and Dallas and anyone else who might accidentally or on purpose come into contact with Neferet would have no clue what we were up to, or that we even knew Grandma was missing.

What was hard was the waiting, especially since the kids—those who weren’t in on our plan—knew nothing about what was up, so they were meandering around and taking forever to get ready to load into the bus.

Aurox was crouched in a tower on the top of this building. Grandma was being held in a cage created by Darkness. It was hard to pretend like nothing was going on. I wanted to pace. I wanted to scream. Hell, I actually might have wanted to hit something. Or someone. Well, Neferet for sure. But I didn’t want to burst into tears, and I thought that was a good sign.

As I was coming to the end of my cereal and my patience, Kramisha entered the kitchen like fireworks. Okay, well, maybe it was just her outfit that looked like fireworks with her butt-hugging yellow skirt, her purple sweater with her silver embroidered fifth former symbol of Nyx’s golden chariot pulling a trail of stars blazing on her chest, and her bright red patent leather wedges that almost exactly matched the color of her scarlet bobbed wig.

“The bus is waitin’. An’ fine as Darius is, he don’t need to be kept sittin’ out there wonderin’ what’s takin’ everbody so damn long.” She made a shooing motion with her hand at the fledglings. “Go on, scat!”

I could have kissed her. Then she skewered me with her dark eyes and said, “I got somethin’ for you.”

My stomach dropped when she reached into her giant Louis Vuitton bag and pulled out her purple notebook.

“I cannot tell you how much I hate poetry,” Aphrodite said.

“Don’t give me none of your attitude,” Kramisha told her. “Have you had a vision today?”

“No. Today I’m having mimosas instead of visions, but thanks for asking,” Aphrodite said.

“Looks like I be pickin’ up your slack, Prophetess, so don’t be hatin’ on my poetry.” Kramisha made a shooing motion at Aphrodite, too. “Go on. I said this is for Zoey.”

“Good. Some people say fuck yoga. I say fuck figurative language. And no, I don’t mean that figuratively.” Aphrodite tossed her hair and twitched from the room.

“Do you need me to stay?” Stevie Rae asked.

I raised my brows questioningly at Kramisha.

“Nope,” she said. Then she glanced at Damien and Shaylin and Stark. “You can go, too.”

“Hey, I don’t know if I’m cool with that,” Stark said.

“You’re gonna have to be. I got me a strong talk to Z alone vibe, and I’m followin’ it.” Still clutching what I was starting to think of as The Purple Folder of Doom, Kramisha crossed her arms, and tapped her foot at Stark.

“Go on,” I said. “Kramisha’s gut has been right way more often than it’s been wrong.”

“By ‘way more often’ she means every time,” Kramisha said, sounding super impatient.

“Okay, but I don’t like it. I’ll be waiting in the bus.” Stark kissed me, frowned at Kramisha, and left the room.

Kramisha shook her head. “I have three words for that boy: con-trol-ing.”

“He’s just trying to keep me safe, that’s all,” I said.

Kramisha snorted. “Yeah, that’s what my auntie’s second husband said before he backhanded her ’cross the room for lookin’ at him wrong.”

“Stark is not going to hit me, Kramisha!”

“I’m just sayin’. Anyway, this is for you. Alone. Don’t know why I got this strong feelin’ that you gotta hear it, think ’bout it, and keep it to yourself, but I do. You the High Priestess and all, so you can do what you want. But I gotta be honest and tell you every bit of the Juju I get.”

“Okay, yeah, I get it. So, let me read it.” I reached for the notebook.

“Nope,” Kramisha surprised me by saying. “Don’t know why, but this is an out-loud thing. All you got to do is listen.” When she started reading her voice changed. It didn’t get louder, but there was power in the way she spoke, the way she enunciated the words, that made it become more chant than simple rhyming poem.

“Ancient mirror

Magick mirror

Shades of gray

Hidden

Forbidden

Within, away

Part the mist

Magick kissed

Call the fey

Reveal the past

The spell is cast

I save the day!”

She came to the end, and the room seemed very silent.

“Well, that was some weird shit,” she said, sounding like herself again. “Did it mean anything to you?”

“I don’t know. It sounded powerful, like it was more than a poem,” I said. “I like it that it’s saying you’re going to save the day.”

“It wasn’t meant for me, Z. It’s yours. I don’t even know for sure what it is ’cause it don’t feel like none of my other poems. It feels more like a spell than a prophecy.”

“A spell?” I looked around us. Nothing was different. Nothing had happened. “Are you sure?”

“No, I ain’t. Take it.” She tore out the page and handed it to me. “I know they’s somethin’ goin’ on with you and your circle. I know you’d tell me if you could.” She held up her hand to stop what was going to be my non-explanation explanation. “I don’t need no explanation. You’re my High Priestess. I trust you. I just needed to give you this an’ tell you you’re gonna need it. When you do, speak it like I just did. There’s power in them words.”

I took the poem from her, folded it carefully, and put it in the front pocket of my jeans. “Thank you, Kramisha. I hope real soon I’ll be able to tell you how much this means to me.”

“You will. Like I said, I believe in you, Z. Now it’s your turn to believe in yourself.”

“Yeah, I know. That’s what scares me,” I heard myself admitting.

Kramisha pulled me into a warm, tight hug. “Z, if it didn’t scare you, then I’d say you had no damn sense at all. Just be strong, and remember—Nyx ain’t stupid, and she’s the one who picked you for all this stressful shit, and not the other way ’round.”

“That actually does make me feel a little better,” I told her.

“Well, I ain’t Dr. Phil, but I’m smart,” she said.

“And your shoes are cuter than his,” I said, trying to sound at least semi-normal.

“Yeah, they remind me of Dorothy’s ruby slippers, only mine is wedges ’cause I’m more fashion conscious than she was.”

Her comment seemed appropriate because I felt like I was following the yellow brick road into some serious flying monkey bullpoopie, which, I suppose, made Aurox Glinda the Good Witch of the West. Me? I was pretty sure I’d be the Cowardly Lion …

* * *

I thought I was ready to see Erin. I was super wrong. I’d expected her to be distant and cold—she’d been working the cold, distant act for the past several days. I’d even known about her thing with Dallas—Shaylin had told us she’d seen them, and their very muddy, very yucky colors, together the night before. And Shaunee had admitted she’d seen them making out (even though she refused to give us what she called ‘the gory details’). Still, I hadn’t expected Erin to be so obvious. But there she was, sitting smack up against Dallas in the back of the class with the other hateful red fledglings when we walked into first hour.

“Oh, hell, no,” Aphrodite muttered as Erin’s sarcastic, oh-my-goddess-I’m-so-sexy laughter bubbled around us sarcastically.

“Don’t give her any attention,” Shaunee whispered as she walked by us while we all gawked at how far Erin had fallen into the gutter. Okay, all of us gawked except Shaunee. Shaunee didn’t even glance at her ex-Twin. She just walked with her head up, like she couldn’t hear Erin’s immature giggles or feel the nasty looks thrown her way.

“Shaunee’s right.” I lowered my voice so only my group could hear me. “Erin’s like one of those bad kids who wants any kind of attention—positive or negative. Ignore her and the rest of them.”

So, we did. I took my seat in the front row with Stevie Rae and Rephaim and Shaunee on one side of me, and Aphrodite, Shaylin, and Damien on the other.

Aurox’s unoccupied seat seemed super obvious to me. What’s he doing right now? What’s going through his mind as he gets ready to confront Neferet and save Grandma? Is he going to chicken out? He’s probably not even going to be waiting at the depot when we go back to get him. He’ll probably be, like, halfway to Brazil by then …

Shaylin’s voice cut off my internal hyperventilation. “Look over there,” She’d leaned forward to whisper to me across Aphrodite. She was nodding slightly to the left of our group at a single kid. Surprised, I recognized that kid as Nicole. She was completely by herself and sitting up toward the front of the class, definitely separated from Dallas and his group.

“Colors?” Aphrodite asked her quietly.

“The red’s almost gone,” Shaylin answered just loud enough for me to hear. “And the sandstorm brown stuff is turning gold. It’s really pretty.”

“Huh,” I said.

“Weird,” Aphrodite said.

“Totally dang weird,” Stevie Rae whispered from the other side of me. “And I still don’t like her.”

I was trying to think of something wise to say when Thanatos entered the room. “Merry meet!” she said.

“Merry meet!” we responded.

Thanatos didn’t waste any time, and I was super grateful for that because I was seriously sick of time wasting.

“I cannot ask you to turn in your homework, as I would were this an ordinary school. I am not going to pretend that you haven’t lost your leader, Neferet, and that your lives haven’t been torn asunder.”

Damien tapped quickly on his iPad and lifted it so we could all see: TORN ASUNDER = TORN TO PIECES.

“I want to know who’s responsible for the fire at the stables.” Erin’s question from the back of the room surprised more of the kids than just me. I heard whispers from everywhere. Shaunee’s face had gone blank and pale, and even Thanatos took more than an appropriate teacher hesitation before she responded.

“It seems that it was an unfortunate accident,” Thanatos said.

“Well, I don’t know no accidents that are fortunate.” Dallas’s voice was just short of a sneer.

“Any accidents? Is that what you meant to say?” Thanatos corrected him smoothly.

“Weren’t you an accident? I remember you tellin’ me your momma and daddy said they were only in Dallas for the weekend, and not for baby makin’,” Stevie Rae called back to him.

A bunch of the kids laughed. Thanatos spoke over them. “Sometimes the best things are born from desperate, accidental moments. Wouldn’t you agree with me, Dallas?”

He mumbled something no one could understand. I heard Erin’s breathy, Marilyn Monroe voice whisper to him before he spoke up again. “So, basically, no one’s gonna pay for settin’ the stable fire?”

“It wasn’t set.” Nicole wasn’t talking to him. She was looking at Thanatos and sounding like they were alone in the room. “I already told Lenobia. I was there. It was windy and the lantern blew over. It happened real fast. I was walking to the tack room to put up the brushes and stuff I was using to groom one of the mares. I saw it happen. The wind blew a big gust. The lantern fell—right down in the middle of the big mound of hay bales, and they lit up like Roman candles.” Nicole turned around then and spoke the rest directly to Dallas. “It was an accident. Period. The end.”

“Well, it’s a real nice thing you’re so trustworthy, or people might think you’re lying.” Dallas’s voice was an insult.

“Yes, it is indeed.” Thanatos cut over his sarcasm. “And our Horse Mistress concurs with Nicole’s eyewitness. We are all so pleased no one was killed because of the accident.”

“The barn is a mess, though,” I heard myself filling the awkward silence, doing my best to get us back to some semblance of normal. “So, does that mean our Equestrian Studies classes are cancelled?”

“No, not at all.” Thanatos sent me what I was sure was a grateful look. “Continue with your normally schedule classes. If you have an equestrian class, you may be put to work cleaning and clearing debris, rather than riding, though.” Then she touched her forehead as if she’d just remembered something. “Except for those of you who I need to help me prepare for the open house on Saturday.”

Damien’s hand went up.

“Yes, Damien. What is your question?” Thanatos asked.

“It’s not so much a question. I was just going to volunteer to help in any way I can.”

Thanatos smiled. “I am most appreciative.”

“So, are you talking field trip?” Erin’s voice sounded so weird coming from the back of the room.

“I suppose some of what I need can be considered a field trip, as it will require you to leave campus. Erin, are you volunteering to help?”

“If it means gettin’ out of class, then you have more volunteers than Erin,” Dallas said.

I couldn’t even shoot Stevie Rae or Aphrodite a sideways look, but from the edge of my vision I was sure I saw Stevie Rae crossing her fingers.

“Dallas, I can use your assistance. I spent many of the sunlight hours today googling charity events in Tulsa. It seems one of the most successful fund-raisers is called An Evening of Wine and Roses. It benefits the Tulsa Garden Center. It seems the Center strings myriads of lights around the Rose Gardens and then has an after-dusk wine tasting and dinner. And that, my interesting young red vampyre, is perfect for you.”

“Perfect? I don’t like wine much,” he said.

I heard Aphrodite snort, but I kept my eyes straight ahead and tried not to even breathe. I knew what Thanatos was setting up, and I hoped like hell it would work.

“No, you mistake me,” Thanatos said. “I simply wish to use their lighting template as one for our open house. Dallas, think of how lovely our campus would be if ropes of electric bulbs were wrapped around our ancient oak trees.”

“Lots of electricity would be good. I’ve been sayin’ for a while now that this school needs an update on its electricity. It’s not, like, 1960. We need real lights here. Our eyes can handle it.” Dallas sounded cocky, as per usual.

“Well, I am agreeing with you, if only temporarily,” Thanatos said, smiling at him. Again, I marveled at her massive acting skills. Then she turned her attention to Erin. “Erin, as it seems you would work well partnered with Dallas, may I count on you to help guide the decorations for the open house? We do, of course, need exquisite lighting, but we also need tables, covered with fine linens, scattered throughout the central grounds. Can you handle the responsibility of coordinating with local humans, as well as Dallas’s electrical expertise, to get this done?”

“I was born to decorate and shop. Give me the school’s gold card and I’m on it,” Erin said.

“You will have a generous budget,” Thanatos assured her. “Especially as the open house is only a few days away. Time is of the essence.”

“If I have money I’m good at deadlines,” Erin said, sounding totally up Thanatos’s butt.

Right on cue Aphrodite waved her hand. “Uh, hello.” She sounded bored and bitchy. Even more than usual.

“You have a question, Aphrodite?” Thanatos called on her.

“More like an intelligent statement. If you’re going to put someone in charge of getting the accouterments together for a charity event, you should go to the expert: moi. I was teethed on what the middle class so barbarically calls party planning.”

Thanatos’s smile and tone were patronizing. “I am quite certain you were, but Erin and Dallas have already volunteered. I do have a job for you, though. I would like you to take a quick trip off campus and speak with your parents about attending the open house. From your comments to the press yesterday, I assume I can count on their support.”

“Yeah, whatever. I’ll talk to them.” Aphrodite was doing an awesome job playing her part. She sounded pissed and absolutely annoyed that Thanatos hadn’t fired Erin and put her in charge—which was exactly what we’d wanted. If Erin (and by association, Dallas) believed they were doing something important, and the rest of us were either annoyed or just puttering around, they’d be smug. They’d be obnoxious. They’d be totally distracted and not reporting anything to Neferet except that Thanatos was depending on them and giving them lots of responsibilities. Step one was definitely going according to Plan.

Damien’s hand went up, straight and strong. When Thanatos called on him he practically gushed, “Could I please go with Aphrodite? I’ve always wanted to see the inside workings of city politics.”

“Barf,” Aphrodite said.

“Yes, you may,” Thanatos said.

It was my hand’s turn to go up. I’d prepared for this, but still it was hard to keep my voice steady. “Um, I’ve called Grandma about the open house and selling her lavender stuff, but she hasn’t answered her phone yet.”

“Did you leave your grandmother a message?” Thanatos asked.

“Yeah, I did.” I let out a long breath. “And I guess it’s not really a surprise that she has her phone off, seeing as we just did the reveal ritual about my mom and all.” It was okay for my voice to be shaky then, and I was seriously glad because I was having a hard time keeping it together. “So, do you want me to drive out to her farm and talk to her?”

“Well, perhaps, in the next day or so,” Thanatos said, waving her hand dismissively. “But I don’t think that’s necessary right now. Where I need you today is with me at Street Cats. I would very much like an introduction to the head of the organization, Sister Mary Angela. We are already confident of your grandmother’s support, so coordinating with Street Cats is a better use of your time, Zoey.”

“Okay, yeah, I can do that,” I said.

“Can I go with you guys to Street Cats?” Shaylin spoke up without lifting her hand. “I’d really like a cat to choose me.”

Thanatos smiled. “Of course, young fledgling.” She turned her sharp gaze to Stevie Rae. “High Priestess, I need you to coordinate with your biological mother. You mentioned her baked goods during our television interview. Well, I believe we will need more than one mother’s cookie baking skills to sate Tulsa’s appetite come Saturday.”

“I could ask my momma to get the PTA moms involved. They bake like crazy for the Henrietta Hens booster club.”

“Then I will count on you to coordinate our refreshments,” Thanatos said. “So, to recap—those of you I have named leaders: Dallas, Erin, Aphrodite, Zoey, and Stevie Rae—divide up the fledglings most close to you and delegate tasks. Dallas, you strike me as a Warrior in your own right, so you may stand guard over your group. Zoey, Aphrodite, and Stevie Rae, you may include your Warriors when you travel off campus as you see fit. I will trust in your judgment. Be safe and inconspicuous, which means cover your Marks and do not wear any part of our school uniform. We do not need additional human/vampyre tension or attention from the public.

“In addition, do not feel you must meet here for class between now and Monday. Those I’ve named leaders should come by this room to give me updates and, of course, ask for assistance should you need it. Today I will go with Aphrodite to meet the mayor, then be assured I will return to the House of Night and remain on campus, available to you as always.

“Let us not wait until the bell has released you. You, my special students, do not need to follow the rules so closely. I know you have the good of the school in your hearts. So, go forth with your tasks. I bid you merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.”

Just like that, Thanatos got rid of Dallas and Erin and their group of gawkers and spies. They believed nothing more than that Thanatos was a gullible High Priestess they could manipulate, and they were being given a bunch of responsibility for the school’s open house, which, I was sure, they were going to put their heads together with Neferet to totally mess up.

We, on the other hand, were going to save Grandma and kick Neferet’s unsuspecting ass. Then we’d have time to fix whatever mess Dallas and Erin and their gang had made of open house. Or at least that was our Plan.

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