CHAPTER 10

No one spoke for what seemed like a long time, but was probably only a few tense seconds. Seeing Neferet lose it like that was bizarre, and even though I knew she had turned her back on Nyx and was into some really bad stuff, it shook me to see someone so powerful crumble so completely.

Was she nuts? Was that what was going on? Could the " darkness" Nyx warned me about be the darkness inside Neferet's crazy mind?

" Your High Priestess has been through a terrible ordeal these past days, " Shekinah was saying. " I do not excuse her lapse in judgment, but I do understand it. Time will soothe her wounds, as will the actions of the local police. " Her eyes moved to the huge warrior. " Ate, I would have you lead the detectives through the investigation. I understand much of the evidence has been destroyed, but perhaps modern science can still discover something. " Ate nodded solemnly, and she turned her dark gaze to me. " Zoey, what is the name of this honest human detective you know? "

" Kevin Marx, " I said.

" He will be contacted, " Ate said.

Shekinah smiled her approval. Then she continued, " As for what the rest of us will do. . . " She paused, and her angelic smile widened. " Yes, I say us because I have decided to remain here, at least until your Neferet is herself again. "

I glanced quickly around the table, trying to gauge the reaction of the professors to Shekinah's unexpected announcement. I saw expressions that ranged from shock to mild surprise to outright pleasure. I do believe my face was one that would have been showing the outright pleasure. I mean, how crazy could Neferet act with the leader of all vamp priestesses here?

" I think it is important, and Nyx's Council agrees with me, that we try to carry on at the school as normally as possible. Which means classes will resume tomorrow. "

Several of the professors looked uncomfortable, but it was Lenobia who spoke up again.

" Priestess, we are all willing for classes to resume, but we are missing two important instructors. "

" Indeed, and that is another reason I plan to remain here, for at least a little while. I will take over Loren Blake's poetry classes. "

I didn't need to look at the poetry-hating Twins to know they were stifling frowns. I was actually working on trying not to smile when Shekinah's next words cut through me.

" And I was lucky enough to catch Erik Night at the airport. I know it is unusual to have a recently Changed vampyre teach so soon, but it is only temporary and we really are working under extenuating circumstances. Besides, the fledglings know Erik. He will be a good transition for them from their beloved Professor Nolan. "

Ohmgod, Erik is back and I'm taking a class he's going to be teaching. I didn't know if I wanted to cheer or puke, so I settled for silence and an upset stomach.

" As for the barrier spell Neferet erected around the school—it will not be resumed. While I agree with her immediate actions in casting it—after all, there were few of the Sons of Erebus present and a murder had just been committed—those emergency actions are no longer appropriate. To seal off the school would be tantamount to the declaration of a siege state, and that is something we definitely wish to avoid. And, of course, we are fully protected by the Sons of Erebus. " She nodded to Ate, who returned the gesture with a bow of acknowledgment. " All in all, I would like your lives to go on as normally as possible. Those of you with ties to the human community, exercise those relationships. Remember the lesson our ancestors learned with their precious blood: Fear and bigotry are bred from isolation and ignorance. "

Okay, I do not know what the hell came over me, but suddenly I realized I had an idea, and as if of its own free will, my hand dorkishly raised over my head like it thought we were in the middle of class and we (meaning my hand and my mouth minus my brain) had just discovered a brilliant answer.

" Zoey, do you have something to add? " Shekinah asked.

Oh, hell no! is what I should have said. Instead my mouth blurted, " Priestess, I was wondering if this might be a good time to implement an idea I've had for the Dark Daughters to get involved with a local human charity. "

" Go on. I am intrigued, young lady. "

I gulped. " Well, I thought the Dark Daughters could contact the people who run Street Cats. It's, uh, a charity that shelters homeless cats and finds them homes. I, well, I thought it might be a good way to mix with the human community, " I finished lamely.

Shekinah's smile was luminous. " A cat charity—how perfect! Yes, Zoey, I think yours is an excellent idea. Tomorrow you will be excused from your early classes so that you may begin contacting the Street Cat people. "

" Priestess, I must insist the fledgling does not travel into the community alone, " Ate said quickly. " Not until we know who exactly is responsible for the crimes against our people. "

" But the humans won't know we're fledglings, " Aphrodite said.

Everyone's eyes went to her, and I watched her spine straighten and her chin lift.

" And you are? " Shekinah asked.

" My name is Aphrodite, Priestess, " she said.

I watched Shekinah closely, waiting to see a reaction that said she knew about the rumors Neferet had spread about Aphrodite—that Nyx had turned her back on her and taken away her powers, et cetera, et cetera, but the priestess's curious expression didn't change. She simply said, " What is your affinity, Aphrodite? "

I froze. Crap! She didn't have an affinity anymore!

" Earth is the element Nyx gave me, " Aphrodite said. " But my greatest gift from the Goddess is my ability to see visions of future danger. "

Shekinah nodded. " That's right, I have heard of your visions, Aphrodite. Go on, then. What is it you have to say? "

A huge wave of relief washed through me. Aphrodite had fielded the affinity question and, thanks to her use of tense, hadn't actually lied.

" I was just thinking that humans don't know when we leave the school anyway, because we cover our Marks. The only people who would really know that a bunch of fledglings are volunteering to help Street Cats would be the Street Cats people, and what are the chances that they're involved in the murders? " She paused and shrugged. " So we should be safe. "

" She has a point, Ate, " Shekinah said.

" I still believe the fledglings should be shadowed by a warrior, " Ate said stubbornly.

" That would call attention to us, " Aphrodite said.

" Not if the warrior covered his Mark, too, " Darius said.

This time everyone turned to look at Darius, who was still standing like a very muscular and attractive mountain over by the door.

" And what is your name, Warrior? "

" Darius, Priestess. " He fisted his hand over his heart and bowed to her.

" So, Darius, you are saying you would be willing to cover your Mark? " Shekinah said. I felt as surprised as she sounded. Fledglings had to cover their Marks when they left school—it was a rule of the House of Night. And it made sense. Honestly, teenagers can act stupid sometimes (especially boy teenagers), and no way would it be a good thing for a bunch of loitering fledglings (boys mostly) to be targeted by human kids (or worse—cops or overprotective parents). But once a fledgling has gone through the Change and her Mark has been filled in and expanded, no damn way is she going to ever cover it up. It was about pride and solidarity and being grown. But here was Darius, clearly young and not long Marked, volunteering to do something that most vamps, especially most vamp guys, would normally say no way to.

Darius hastily closed his fist over his heart again and saluted Shekinah. " Priestess, I would cover my Mark so that I might accompany the fledglings and keep them safe. I am a Son of Erebus, and protection of my people is more important to me than misplaced pride. "

Shekinah's lips curved up ever so slightly as she turned to Ate. " What say you to your warrior's request? "

The vamp's answer came without hesitation, " I say that sometimes we can learn much from the young. "

" Then it is settled. Zoey, you will introduce yourself to the Street Cat people tomorrow, but I want you to choose a fledgling to go with you. Working in pairs is a good idea right now. Darius, you will accompany them with your Mark disguised. "

We all made little bows to her.

" And now, if there are no more questions" —she paused, and her eyes went from Lenobia to Aphrodite, Darius, and finally, me—" or comments, I would adjourn this Council Meeting. I will be holding a schoolwide Ritual of Cleansing in the next couple of days. I felt grief and fear when I came within these walls tonight, and only Nyx's blessing can lift such heaviness. " Several of the Council Members nodded in agreement. " Zoey, before you depart tomorrow, I would like you to come to me and tell me who is going to join you. "

" I will, " I said.

" I wish you all blessed be, " she said formally.

" Blessed be, " we responded.

Shekinah smiled again. With a slight motion of her hand, she gestured for Lenobia and Ate to follow her, and the three of them left the room.

" Wow, " Damien said, looking more than a little starstruck. " Shekinah! That was utterly unexpected, and she was even more resplendent than I'd imagined. I mean, I wanted to say something, but I was completely flummoxed. "

We were hanging around out in the hall while the room emptied of Council Members and warriors, so Damien was barely speaking above an excited whisper.

" Damien, for once we are not gonna give you a hard time about your pain-in-our-ass vocab obsession, " Shaunee said.

" Yeah, 'cause it takes some seriously big words to describe Shekinah, " Erin said.

" Later, " Aphrodite said to me after rolling her eyes at the Twins. " I'm going to see if I can do a little flummoxing with Darius. "

" Huh? " I said.

" That isn't the correct use of the word, " Damien told her.

" Yeah, you were thinking of another word, " Erin said.

" But it, too, starts with an F, which is probably what confused you, " Shaunee said.

" Brain-sharers and Vocab Boy—I say a big whatever to you. " She started to move off down the hall in the direction Darius had taken. " Oh, and I also say don't be all jealous and pissy when Zoey tells you I'm the one she's taking with her tomorrow, " Aphrodite said, giving me the look, which clearly meant there was a definite reason she had to go with me. Then she tossed her hair and twitched away.

" Hating her, " Erin said.

" Ditto, Twin, " Shaunee said.

I sighed. My grandma would say that I was taking one step forward and two backward in the whole getting-my-friends-to-like-Aphrodite situation. I'd just say they were all giving me a headache.

" She seriously bugs, but my guess is you're going to take her with you to Street Cats tomorrow, " Damien said.

" Yeah, your guess is right, " I said reluctantly. I really didn't want to piss my friends off again, but even without knowing Aphrodite's reasons for wanting to go with me, it only made sense. Maybe she had a plan to ditch Darius and find Stevie Rae.

" You could have told us earlier about the psychic thing, " Damien said as we started out of the main building and headed back toward the dorms.

" Yeah, you're probably right, but I figured the less I said about it, the less you'd think about it and the reasons I wasn't saying anything more to you guys, " I said.

" Makes sense now, " Shaunee said.

" Yeah, we get it now, " Erin said.

" I'm glad you weren't just keeping stuff from us, " Jack said.

" But you still should have told us the Loren stuff, " Erin said.

" Actually, when you're done with your grief and whatnot, we'd still really like to hear the Loren details, " Shaunee said.

I raised my brows at their identical looks of curiosity. " Don't count on it, " I said.

They frowned.

" Give the girl some privacy, " Damien said. " The Loren thing was very traumatic for her, what with the Imprint and the loss of virginity and Erik! "

The Erik part of Damien's mini-lecture had come out as a very odd squeak. I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong with him when I noticed that his eyes had gone huge and round and were fixed over my left shoulder and behind me, where I heard the distinct sound of a side door off the main school building closing. With a terrible sinking in my stomach, I, along with the Twins and Jack, turned to see Erik emerging from the wing of the school we had just been passing, which, of course, held the drama room.

" Hi, Damien, Jack. " he gave Jack, his ex-roommate, a warm smile, and I could see the kid almost wriggling with pleasure as he gushed a big hello back.

My stomach, naturally, tried to turn itself inside out at this reminder of one of the many reasons I liked Erik so much. He was popular and totally to-die-for handsome, but he was also a truly nice guy.

" Shaunee, Erin, " Erik continued, nodding at them. The Twins smiled, fluttered their lashes, and said hi in unison. At last, he looked at me. " Hello, Zoey. " His voice had changed from the easy, friendly tone he'd used with everyone else. He didn't sound hateful, though. Instead he sounded cool and polite. I thought this might be an improvement, but then I remembered what a good actor he was.

" Hi. " I couldn't say anything else. I'm not a particularly good actor, and I was scared my voice would sound as shaky as my heart felt.

" We just heard you're going to be teaching drama class, " Damien said.

" Yeah, it makes me a little uncomfortable, but Shekinah asked, and it's really not possible to say no to her, " he said.

" I think Professor Nolan would be glad you're going to do it, " I blurted before I could make my mouth shut up.

Erik looked at me. His blue eyes were absolutely expressionless, which felt completely wrong. Those same eyes had shown me happiness and passion and warmth and even the beginnings of love. Then they'd shown me hurt and anger. And now they showed me nothing at all? How could that even be possible?

" Did you gain a new affinity? " His tone wasn't outright hateful, but his words were definitely clipped and cold. " Can you speak to the dead now? "

I felt my face get hot. " N-no, " I stammered. " I just. . . well, I just thought Professor Nolan would like it that you're here for her students. "

He opened his mouth, and I saw something mean stir in his eyes, but instead of speaking he looked away from me and off into the darkness. His jaw tightened and he ran a hand through his thick, dark hair in a gesture I recognized as one that he automatically did whenever he was feeling confused.

" I hope she does like it that I'm here. She was always my favorite teacher, " he finally said without looking at me.

" Erik, are we going to be roommates again? " Jack asked tentatively into the increasingly uncomfortable silence.

Erik blew out a long breath and then gave Jack a quick, easy smile. " No, sorry. They've put me in the professor building. "

" Oh, that's right. I keep forgetting you've been through the Change, " Jack said with a nervous little giggle.

" Yeah, sometimes I almost forget myself, " Erik said. " Actually, I better get to my new place—I have boxes to unload and lesson plans to figure out. See you guys later. " He paused, and then his eyes flicked to mine. " Bye, Zoey. "

Bye. My lips moved, but no sound came out.

" Bye, Erik! " Everyone else called as he turned and walked quickly away from us and back toward the professors' part of the school.