House Of Night Chosen | Page 9

fifty something). Grandma was an adorable human
ageless with her thick silver hair and her kind brown eyes.

"I do wish you didn't have to cover your lovely tattoos to
meet me here." Grandma's fingers rested briefly on my cheek where
I'd hastily patted the thick concealing makeup fledglings were Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com)

required to wear when they left the House of Night campus. Yes,
humans knew vampyres existed—adult vamps didn't conceal
themselves. But the rules for fledglings were different. I guess it
made sense—teenagers didn't always handle conflict well—and the
human world did tend to conflict with vampyres.

"That's just the way it is. Rules are rules, Grandma," I
shrugged it off.

"You didn't cover the beautiful Marks on your neck and
shoulder, did you?"

"No, that's why I'm wearing this jacket." I glanced around to
make sure no one was watching us, then I brushed back my hair and

flipped down the shoulder of the jacket so that the sapphire
lacework on the back of my neck and shoulder was visible.

"Oh, Zoeybird, it's just so magical," Grandma said softly.
"I'm so proud that the goddess has Chosen you as special and
Marked you so uniquely."

She hugged me again, and I clung to her, incredibly glad that
I had her in my life. She accepted me for me. It didn't matter to her
that I was turning into a vampyre. It didn't matter to her that I was
already experiencing bloodlust and that I had the power to manifest
all five of the elements: air, fire, water, earth, and spirit. To
Grandma I was her true u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya, the daughter of her heart,
and everything else that came along with me was just secondary
stuff. It was weird and wonderful that she and I could be so close
and so much alike when her real daughter, my mom, was so
completely different.

"There you are. The traffic was just awful. I hate leaving
Broken Arrow and fighting my way to Tulsa during the holiday
rush."

As if my thoughts had somehow tragically conjured her, my
mother's voice threw cold water on my happiness. Grandma and I
let go of each other to see my mom standing beside our table,
holding a rectangular bakery box and a wrapped present.

"Mom?"

"Linda?"

Grandma and I spoke together. It was no surprise that
Grandma looked as shocked as me by my mother's sudden
appearance. Grandma would never have invited my mother without
letting me know. Both of us saw totally eye to eye about my mother.
One, she made us sad. Two, we wished she would change. Three,
we knew she probably wouldn't.

"Don't look so surprised. Like I wouldn't show up at my own Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com)

daughter's birthday celebration?"

"But, Linda, when I talked with you last week you said you
were going to send Zoey's birthday present to her through the mail,"
Grandma said, looking as annoyed as I felt.

"That was before you said you were meeting her here."
Mom told Grandma, then she frowned at me. "It's not like Zoey
invited me to come herself, but then I'm used to having an
inconsiderate daughter."

"Mom, you haven't talked to me in a month. How was I
supposed to invite you anywhere?" I tried to keep my tone neutral. I
really didn't want Grandma's visit to deteriorate into a big drama
scene, but my mom hadn't said ten sentences and she was already
totally pissing me off. Except for the stupid Christmas-birthday card
she'd sent me, the only communication I'd had with my mom had
been when she and her awful husband, the step-loser, had come to
parent visitation at the House of Night a month ago. It had been a
complete nightmare. The step-loser, who was an Elder for the
People of Faith Church, had been his usual narrow-minded,

judgmental, bigoted self and had ended up basically being thrown
out and told never to come back. As usual, my mom had scampered
along after him like a good little submissive wife.

"Didn't you get my card?" Mom's brittle tone started to
crumble under my steady look.

"Yes, Mom. I did."

"See,