CHAPTER 22

Unlike when Stevie Rae had been dying, I didn't have even an instant of numbness or hesitation.

" No! " I screamed, running over to Erik and falling to my knees beside him. He was on his hands and knees, groaning in pain, with his head almost touching the floor. I couldn't see his face, but I could see that sweat—or maybe even blood, though I didn't smell it yet—was already soaking his shirt. I knew what would follow: Blood would gush from his eyes, nose, mouth, and he would literally drown in his own fluids. And, yes, it would be as horrible as it sounded. Nothing could stop it. Nothing could change it. All I could do was be there for him and hope that somehow he became like Stevie Rae and managed to retain some kind of hold on his humanity.

I put my hand on his trembling shoulder. Heat radiated through his shirt, as if his body was burning from the inside. I looked around frantically for help. As always, Damien was there when I needed him. " Get towels and Neferet, " I said. Damien took off with Jack on his heels.

I turned back to Erik, but before I could pull him into my arms Aphrodite's voice cut through the noise of his moans and the sounds of the frightened, watching crowd of kids.

" Zoey, he's not dying. " I looked up at her, not really getting what she was saying. She grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Erik. I started to struggle, but her next words got through to me and made me freeze. " Listen to me! He's not dying. He's Changing. "

Suddenly Erik screamed, his body curling in on itself as if something inside his chest was trying to claw its way free. His hands were pressed against his face. He was still trembling violently. Clearly, he was in pain and something big was happening to him. But there was absolutely no blood.

Aphrodite was right. Erik was Changing into an adult vampyre.

Jack rushed up to me and thrust several towels into my hands. I looked up at him. The kid was bawling so hard he was snotting on himself. I stood up and hugged him.

" He's not dying. He's Changing. " My voice sounded weird— hoarse and strained—as I repeated Aphrodite's words.

Then Neferet burst into the room with Damien and several of the warriors following close behind her. She ran over to Erik. I watched her face closely, and felt a dizzying rush of relief as her tense, worried expression changed instantly to one of joy. Neferet dropped gracefully to the floor beside him. Murmuring something so softly that I couldn't catch the words, she gently touched his shoulder. His body jerked violently once, and then he began to relax. His awful trembling stopped, and so did his scary, painful moaning. Slowly Erik's body unwrapped from around itself and he pulled himself to his hands and knees. His head was still bent down toward the floor, so I couldn't see his face.

Neferet whispered something else to him and he nodded in response. Then she stood and turned to us. Her smile was amazing, completely filled with joy and almost blindingly beautiful. " Rejoice fledglings! Erik Night has completed the Change. Arise, Erik, and follow me for your purification ritual and the beginning of your new life! "

Erik stood up and raised his head. I gasped along with everyone else. His face was luminous. It seemed someone had turned a switch on inside him. He'd been handsome before, but now everything was intensified. His eyes were bluer, his thick hair was wild and black and dangerous, he even appeared taller. And his Mark had been completed. The sapphire crescent was filled in. And framing his eyes, along his brows and over his well-defined cheekbones, was a stunning pattern of interlocking knots that formed the shape of a mask, reminding me instantly of Professor Nolan's beautiful Mark. I felt dizzy with the Tightness of it.

Erik's gaze touched mine for a moment. His full lips tilted up and he smiled a special smile just for me. I thought my heart would burst. Then he raised his arms over his head and cried out in a voice filled with power and pure joy, " I've Changed! "

All the kids started to cheer, though no one except Neferet and the vamps actually approached him. Then he left the rec hall with them on a tide of excitement and noise.

I just stood there. I felt numb and shocked and more than a little sick.

" They'll take him to be anointed into the service of the Goddess, " Aphrodite said. She was still standing beside me and her voice sounded as bleak as I suddenly felt. " Fledglings don't know exactly what happens during the anointing. It's a big vamp secret, and they're not allowed to tell. " She shrugged. " Whatever. Guess we'll find out some day. "

" Or we die, " I said through numb lips.

" Or we die, " she agreed. Then she looked at me. " Are you okay? "

" Yeah. Fine, " I said automatically.

" Hey, Z! Was that cool or what? " Jack said.

" Man, it was incredible. I'm still reeling! " Damien fanned himself and his large vocabulary.

" Oh, baby! Now Erik Night joins the other vamp hotties like Brandon Routh, Josh Hartnett, and Jake Gyllenhaal. "

" And Loren Blake, Twin. Do not leave his hottiness out, " Erin said.

" Wouldn't think of it, Twin, " Shaunee said.

" It is totally cool that Z's boyfriend is a vamp. I mean a real one, " Jack said.

Damien took a breath to say something and then shut his mouth and looked uncomfortable.

" What? " I said.

" Well, it's just that… uh … well…" He hesitated.

" God, what it is? Just spit it out! " I snapped.

He flinched at my tone, making me feel like a jerk, but answered me. " Well, I don't know much about it, but once a fledgling goes through the Change he leaves the House of Night and starts his life as a full-grown vampyre. "

" Zoey's boyfriend is gonna leave? " Jack said.

" Long-distance relationship, Z, " Erin said quickly.

" Yeah, you two will work it out. Easy-peasy, " Shaunee said.

I looked from the Twins to Damien and Jack, and finally at Aphrodite.

" Sucks, " she said. " At least for you. " Aphrodite raised her brows and shrugged. " Makes me glad he dumped me. " Then she tossed back her hair and headed toward the food that was set out in the other room.

" If we can't call her a hag from hell, can we call her a bitch? " Shaunee asked.

" Hateful bitch would be my choice, Twin, " Erin said.

" Well, she's wrong, " Damien said stubbornly. " Erik's still your boyfriend, even if he's off doing vamp stuff. "

They were all staring at me, so I tried to smile at them. " Yeah, I know. It's okay. It's just—just a lot to take in, that's all. Let's get something to eat. " Before they could do any more comforting, I strode off toward the food with them trailing after me like baby ducks.

It seemed like it took forever for the Dark Daughters and Sons to eat and then clear out, but when I looked at the clock I realized that they had actually eaten quickly and were leaving early. There had been a lot of excited talk about Erik, and I'd nodded and made noises in semi-appropriate response, trying to hide how numb and wrong I felt. I suppose everyone taking off early was proof of what a crappy job I did of it. Finally I realized the only kids left were Jack and Damien and the Twins. They were quietly throwing away the leftovers and bagging up the trash.

" Uh, guys, I'll get that, " I said.

" We're just about done, Z, " Damien said. " Really all that's left is to put away the stuff on Nyx's table in the middle of the circle. "

" I'll do that, " I said, trying (unsuccessfully by the looks on their faces) to be nonchalant.

" Z, is everything—"

I held up my hand to cut off Damien. " I'm tired. I'm kinda freaked about Erik. And, honestly, I need some alone time. " I hadn't wanted to sound so totally bitchy, but I was getting beyond the point where I could keep the happy look plastered on my face and continue pretending that I wasn't shaking all over inside. And I absolutely would rather have my friends think I was PMS-ing than that I was ready to totally fall apart. High Priestesses in training didn't fall apart. They handled things. I really really really didn't want them to know that I was so not handling things. " Guys, could you just give me awhile. Please? "

" No problem, " the Twins said together. " Later, Z. "

" All right. I'll, uh, see you later, too, " Damien said.

" Bye, Z, " Jack said.

I waited till the door closed behind them before I walked slowly into the side room that was used as a dance studio and yoga room. It had a bunch of soft mats stacked in the corner and I sank down on them. My hands were shaking when I pulled my cell phone out of the pocket of my dress.