Marked
AHouseofNightNovel(Book1)
byPCCastandKristinCast
Forourwonderfulagent,MeredithBernstein,whosaidthethreemagicwords:
vampyrefinishingschool.Weheartyou!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Iwouldliketothankawonderfulstudentofmine,JohnMaslin,forresearch
helpandforreadingandgivingfeedbackonmanyearlyversionsofthebook.His
inputwasinvaluable.
AbigTHANKSGUYSgoesouttomyCreativeWritingclassesintheschool
year2005-2006.Yourbrainstormingwaslotsofhelp(andquiteamusing).
Ialsowanttothankmyfabulousdaughter,Kristin,formakingsurewesound
liketeenagers.Icouldn'thavedoneitwithoutyou.(Shemademewritethat.)—PC
Iwanttothankmylovely"mam,"betterknownasPC,forbeingsuchan
unbelievablytalentedauthorandsoeasytoworkwith.(Okay,shemademewrite
that.)—Kristin
PCandKristinwouldbothliketothanktheirdad/grandpa,DickCast,forthe
biologicalhypothesishehelpedcreateasthebasisfortheHouseofNight'svampyres.
WeloveyouDad/G-pa!
FromHesiod'spoemtoNyx,theGreekpersonificationofnight:
"TherealsostandsthegloomyhouseofNight;
ghastlycloudsshrouditindarkness.
BeforeitAtlasstandserectandonhishead
andunwearyingarmsfirmlysupportsthebroadsky,
whereNightandDaycrossabronzethreshold
andthencomecloseandgreeteachother."
(Hesiod,Theogony,744 ff. )
CHAPTERONE
JustwhenIthoughtmydaycouldn'tgetanyworseIsawthedeadguystanding
nexttomylocker.KaylawastalkingnonstopinherusualK-babble,andshedidn't
evennoticehim.Atfirst.Actually,nowthatIthinkaboutit,nooneelsenoticedhim
untilhespoke,whichis,tragically,moreevidenceofmyfreakishinabilitytofitin.
"No,butZoey,IsweartoGodHeathdidn'tgetthatdrunkafterthegame.You
reallyshouldn'tbesohardonhim.”
"Yeah,"Isaidabsently."Sure."ThenIcoughed.Again.Ifeltlikecrap.Imust
becomingdownwithwhatMr.Wise,mymore-than-slightly-insaneAPbiology
teacher,calledtheTeenagePlague.
IfIdied,woulditgetmeoutofmygeometrytesttomorrow?Onecouldonly
hope.
"Zoey,please.Areyouevenlistening?Ithinkheonlyhadlikefour—I
dunno—maybesixbeers,andmaybelikethreeshots.Butthat'stotallybesidethe
point.Heprobablywouldn'tevenhavehadhardlyanyifyourstupidparentshadn't
madeyougohomerightafterthegame.”
Wesharedalong-sufferinglook,intotalagreementaboutthelatestinjustice
committedagainstmebymymomandtheStep-Losershe'dmarriedthreereallylong
yearsago.Then,afterbarelyhalfabreathbreak,Kwasbackwiththebabbling.
"Plus,hewascelebrating.ImeanwebeatUnion!"Kshookmyshoulderand
putherfaceclosetomine."Hello!Yourboyfriend—”
"Myalmost-boyfriend,"Icorrectedher,tryingmybestnottocoughonher.
"Whatever.Heathisourquarterbacksoofcoursehe'sgoingtocelebrate.It's
beenlikeamillionyearssinceBrokenArrowbeatUnion.”
"Sixteen."I'mcrappyatmath,butK'smathimpairmentmakesmelooklikea
genius.
"Again,whatever.Thepointis,hewashappy.Youshouldgivetheboya
break.”
"Thepointisthathewaswastedforlikethefifthtimethisweek.I'msorry,but
Idon'twanttogooutwithaguywhosemainfocusinlifehaschangedfromtryingto
playcollegefootballtotryingtochugasix-packwithoutpuking.Nottomentionthe
factthathe'sgoingtogetfatfromallthatbeer.”Ihadtopausetocough.Iwasfeeling
alittledizzyandforcedmyselftotakeslow,deepbreathswhenthecoughingfitwas
over.NotthatK-babblenoticed.
"Eww!Heath,fat!NotavisualIwant.”
Imanagedtoignoreanotherurgetocough."Andkissinghimislikesucking
onalcohol-soakedfeet.”
Kscrunchedupherface."Okay,sick.Toobadhe'ssohot.”
Irolledmyeyes,notbotheringtotrytohidemyannoyanceathertypical
shallowness.
"You'resogrumpywhenyou'resick.Anyway,youhavenoideahowlost-
puppy-likeHeathlookedafteryouignoredhimatlunch.Hecouldn'teven…?”
ThenIsawhim.Thedeadguy.Okay,Irealizedprettyquickthathewasn't
technically"dead.”Hewasundead.Orun-human.Whatever.Scientistssaidonething,
peoplesaidanother,buttheendresultwasthesame.Therewasnomistakingwhathe
wasandevenifIhadn'tfeltthepoweranddarknessthatradiatedfromhim,therewas
nofrickin'wayIcouldmisshisMark,thesapphire-bluecrescentmoononhis
foreheadandtheadditionaltattooingofentwiningknotworkthatframedhisequally
blueeyes.Hewasavampyre,andworse.HewasaTracker.
Well,crap!Hewasstandingbymylocker.
"Zoey,you'resonotlisteningtome!”
Thenthevampyrespokeandhisceremonialwordsslickedacrossthespace
betweenus,dangerousandseductive,likebloodmixedwithmeltedchocolate.
"ZoeyMontgomery!Nighthaschosenthee;thydeathwillbethybirth.Night
callstothee;hearkentoHersweetvoice.YourdestinyawaitsyouattheHouseof
Night!”
Heliftedonelong,whitefingerandpointedatme.Asmyforeheadexploded
inpainKaylaopenedhermouthandscreamed.
WhenthebrightsplotchesfinallyclearedfrommyeyesIlookeduptoseeK's
colorlessfacestaringdownatme.
Asusual,Isaidthefirstridiculousthingthatcametomind."K,youreyesare
poppingoutofyourheadlikeafish.”
"HeMarkedyou.Oh,Zoey!Youhavetheoutlineofthatthingonyour
forehead!"Thenshepressedashakinghandagainstherwhitelips,unsuccessfully
tryingtoholdbackasob.
Isatupandcoughed.Ihadakillerheadache,andIrubbedatthespotright
betweenmyeyebrows.Itstungasifawasphadbitmeandradiatedpaindownaround
myeyes,allthewayacrossmycheekbones.IfeltlikeImightpuke.
"Zoey!"Kwasreallycryingnowandhadtospeakbetweenwetlittlehiccups.
"Oh.My.God.ThatguywasaTracker—avampyreTracker!”
"K."Iblinkedhard,tryingtoclearthepainfrommyhead.
"Stopcrying.YouknowIhateitwhenyoucry."Ireachedouttoattempta
comfortingpatonhershoulders.
Andsheautomaticallycringed,andmovedawayfromme.
Icouldn'tbelieveit.Sheactuallycringed,likeshewasafraidofme.Shemust
haveseenthehurtinmyeyesbecausesheinstantlystartedastringofbreathlessK-
babble.
"Oh,God,Zoey!Whatareyougoingtodo?Youcan'tgotothatplace.You
can'tbeoneofthosethings.Thiscan'tbehappening!WhoamIsupposedtogotoall
ofourfootballgameswith?”
Inoticedthatallduringhertiradeshedidn'toncemoveanyclosertome.I
clampeddownonthesick,hurtfeelinginsidethatthreatenedtomakemeburstinto
tears.Myeyesdriedinstantly.Iwasgoodathidingtears.Ishouldbe;I'dhadthree
yearstogetgoodatit.
"It'sokay.I'llfigurethisout.It'sprobablysome…somebizarremistake,"Ilied.
Iwasn'treallytalking;Iwasjustmakingwordscomeoutofmymouth.Still
grimacingatthepaininmyhead,Istoodup.LookingaroundIfeltasmallmeasureof
reliefthatKandIweretheonlyonesinthemathhall,andthenIhadtochokeback
whatIknewwashystericallaughter.HadInotbeentotallypsychoaboutthegeometry
testfromhellscheduledfortomorrow,andhadrunbacktomylockertogetmybook
soIcouldattempttoobsessively(andpointlessly)studytonight,theTrackerwould
havefoundmestandingoutsideinfrontoftheschoolwiththemajorityofthe1,300
kidswhowenttoBrokenArrow'sSouthIntermediateHighSchoolwaitingforwhat
mystupidBarbie-clonesisterlikedtosmuglycall"thebigyellowlimos.”Ihaveacar,
butstandingaroundwiththelessfortunatewhohavetoridethebusesisatime-
honoredtradition,nottomentionanexcellentwaytocheckoutwho'shittingonwho.
Asitwas,therewasonlyoneotherkidinthemathhall—atallthindorkwithmessed-
upteeth,whichIcould,unfortunately,seetoomuchofbecausehewasstandingthere
withhismouthflappingopenstaringatmelikeI'djustgivenbirthtoalitterofflying
pigs.
Icoughedagain,thistimeareallywet,disgustingcough.Thedorkmadea
squeakylittlesoundandscuttleddownthehalltoMrs.Day'sroomclutchingaflat
boardtohisbonychest.Guessthechessclubhadchangeditsmeetingtimeto
Mondaysafterschool.
Dovampyresplaychess?Weretherevampyredorks?HowaboutBarbie-like
vampyrecheerleaders?Didanyvampyresplayintheband?Weretherevampyre
Emoswiththeirguy-wearing-girl's-pantsweirdnessandthoseawfulbangsthatcover
halftheirfaces?OrweretheyallthosefreakyGothkidswhodidn'tliketobathe
much?WasIgoingtoturnintoaGothkid?Orworse,anEmo?Ididn'tparticularly
likewearingblack,atleastnotexclusively,andIwasn'tfeelingasuddenand
unfortunateaversiontosoapandwater,nordidIhaveanobsessivedesiretochange
myhairstyleandweartoomucheyeliner.
AllthiswhirledthroughmymindwhileIfeltanotherlittlehystericalbubbleof
laughtertrytoescapefrommythroat,andwasalmostthankfulwhenitcameoutasa
coughinstead.
"Zoey?Areyouokay?"Kayla'svoicesoundedtoohigh,likesomeonewas
pinchingher,andshe'dtakenanotherstepawayfromme.
Isighedandfeltmyfirstsliverofanger.Itwasn'tlikeI'daskedforthis.Kand
Ihadbeenbestfriendssincethirdgrade,andnowshewaslookingatmelikeIhad
turnedintoamonster.
"Kayla,it'sjustme.ThesamemeIwastwosecondsagoandtwohoursago
andtwodaysago.”Imadeafrustratedgesturetowardmythrobbinghead."This
doesn'tchangewhoIam!”
K'seyestearedupagain,but,thankfully,hercellphonestartedsinging
Madonna's"MaterialGirl.”Automatically,sheglancedatthecallerID.Icouldtellby
herrabbit-in-the-headlightsexpressionthatitwasherboyfriend,Jared.
"Goon,"Isaidinaflat,tiredvoice."Ridehomewithhim."Herlookofrelief
waslikeaslapinmyface.
"Callmelater?"shethrewoverhershoulderasshebeatahastyretreatoutthe
sidedoor.
Iwatchedherrushacrosstheeastlawntotheparkinglot.Icouldseethatshe
hadhercellphonesmashedtoherearandwastalkinginanimatedlittleburststo
Jared.I'msureshewasalreadytellinghimIwasturningintoamonster.
Theproblem,ofcourse,wasthatturningintoamonsterwasthebrighterofmy
twochoices.ChoiceNumber1:Iturnintoavampyre,whichequalsamonsterinjust
aboutanyhuman'smind.ChoiceNumber2:MybodyrejectstheChangeandIdie.
Forever.
SothegoodnewsisthatIwouldn'thavetotakethegeometrytesttomorrow.
ThebadnewswasthatI'dhavetomoveintotheHouseofNight,aprivate
boardingschoolinTulsa'sMidtown,knownbyallmyfriendsastheVampyre
FinishingSchool,whereIwouldspendthenextfouryearsgoingthroughbizarreand
unnameablephysicalchanges,aswellasatotalandpermanentlifeshake-up.And
that'sonlyifthewholeprocessdidn'tkillme.
Great.Ididn'twanttodoeither.Ijustwantedtoattempttobenormal,despite
theburdenofmymega-conservativeparents,mytroll-likeyoungerbrother,andmy
oh-so-perfectoldersister.Iwantedtopassgeometry.Iwantedtokeepmygradesup
sothatIcouldgetacceptedintotheveterinarycollegeatOSUandgetoutofBroken
Arrow,Oklahoma.Butmostofall,Iwantedtofitin—atleastatschool.Homehad
becomehopeless,soallIwasleftwithweremyfriendsandmylifeawayfrommy
family.
Nowthatwasbeingtakenawayfromme,too.
Irubbedmyforeheadandthenmessedwithmyhairuntilitsemi-coveredmy
eyes,and,withanyluck,themarkthathadappearedabovethem.Keepingmyhead
duckeddown,likeIwasfascinatedwiththegoothathadsomehowformedinmy
purse,Ihurriedtowardthedoorthatledtothestudentparkinglot.
ButIstoppedshortofgoingoutside.Throughtheside-by-sidewindowsinthe
institutional-lookingdoorsIcouldseeHeath.Girlsflockedaroundhim,posingand
flippingtheirhair,whileguysrevvedridiculouslybigpickuptrucksandtried(but
mostlyfailed)tolookcool.Doesn'titfigurethatIwouldchoosethattobeattracted
to?No,tobefairtomyselfIshouldrememberthatHeathusedtobeincrediblysweet,
andevennowhehadhismoments.Mostlywhenhebotheredtobesober.
High-pitchedgirlgigglesflittedtomefromtheparkinglot.Great.Kathy
Richter,thebiggesthoinschool,waspretendingtosmackHeath.EvenfromwhereI
wasstandingitwasobviousshethoughthittinghimwassomekindofmatingritual.
Asusual,cluelessHeathwasjuststandingtheregrinning.Well,hell,mydayjust
wasn'tgoingtogetanybetter.Andtheresatmyrobin'segg—blue1966VWBugright
inthemiddleofthem.No.Icouldn'tgooutthere.Icouldn'twalkintothemiddleof
allofthemwiththisthingonmyforehead.I'dneverbeabletobepartofthemagain.I
alreadyknewtoowellwhatthey'ddo.IrememberedthelastkidaTrackerhadChosen
atSIHS.
Ithappenedatthebeginningoftheschoolyearlastyear.TheTrackerhad
comebeforeschoolstartedandhadtargetedthekidashewaswalkingtohisfirst
hour.Ididn'tseetheTracker,butIdidseethekidafterward,forjustasecond,afterhe
droppedhisbooksandranoutofthebuilding,hisnewMarkglowingonhispale
foreheadandtearswashingdownhistoowhitecheeks.Ineverforgothowcrowded
thehallshadbeenthatmorning,andhoweveryonehadbackedawayfromhimlikehe
hadtheplagueasherushedtoescapeoutthefrontdoorsoftheschool.Ihadbeenone
ofthosekidswhohadbackedoutofhiswayandstared,eventhoughI'dfeltreally
sorryforhim.Ijusthadn'twantedtobelabeledasthat-one-girl-who's-friends-with-
those-freaks.Sortofironicnow,isn'tit?
InsteadofgoingtomycarIheadedforthenearestrestroom,whichwas,
thankfully,empty.Therewerethreestalls—yes,Idouble-checkedeachforfeet.On
onewallweretwosinks,overwhichhungtwomedium-sizedmirrors.Acrossfrom
thesinkstheoppositewallwascoveredwithahugemirrorthathadaledgebelowit
forholdingbrushesandmakeupandwhatnot.Iputmypurseandmygeometrybook
ontheledge,tookadeepbreath,andinonemotionliftedmyheadandbrushedback
myhair.
Itwaslikestaringintothefaceofafamiliarstranger.Youknow,thatperson
youseeinacrowdandswearyouknow,butyoureallydon't?Nowshewasme—the
familiarstranger.
Shehadmyeyes.Theywerethesamehazelcolorthatcouldneverdecide
whetheritwantedtobegreenorbrown,butmyeyeshadneverbeenthatbigand
round.Orhadthey?Shehadmyhair—longandstraightandalmostasdarkasmy
grandma'shadbeenbeforehershadbeguntoturnsilver.Thestrangerhadmyhigh
cheekbones,long,strongnose,andwidemouth—morefeaturesfrommygrandmaand
herCherokeeancestors.Butmyfacehadneverbeenthatpale.I'dalwaysbeenolive-
ish,muchdarkerskinnedthananyoneelseinmyfamily.Butmaybeitwasn'tthatmy
skinwassuddenlysowhite…maybeitjustlookedpaleincomparisontothedarkblue
outlineofthecrescentmoonthatwasperfectlypositionedinthemiddleofmy
forehead.Ormaybeitwasthehorridfluorescentlighting.Ihopeditwasthelighting.
Istaredattheexotic-lookingtattoo.MixedwithmystrongCherokeefeatures
itseemedtobrandmewithamarkofwildness…asifIbelongedtoancienttimes
whentheworldwasbigger…morebarbaric.
Fromthisdayonmylifewouldneverbethesame.Andforamoment—justan
instant—Iforgotaboutthehorrorofnotbelongingandfeltashockingburstof
pleasure,whiledeepinsideofmethebloodofmygrandmother'speoplerejoiced.
CHAPTERTWO
WhenIfiguredthatenoughtimehadpassedforeveryonetohaveleftschool,I
floppedmyhairbackovermyforeheadandleftthebathroom,hurryingtothedoors
thatledtothestudentparkinglot.Everythingseemedallclear—therewasjustsome
randomkidwearingthoseseriouslyunattractivegangwanna-bebaggypantscutting
acrossthefarendofthelot.Keepinghispantsfromfallingdownashewalkedwas
takingallhisconcentration;hewouldn'tevennoticeme.Igrittedmyteethagainstthe
throbbingpaininmyheadandboltedoutthedoor,headingstraightformylittleBug.
ThemomentIsteppedoutsidethesunbegantobatterme.Imean,itwasn'ta
particularlysunnyday;therewereplentyofthosebig,puffycloudsthatlookedso
prettyinpicturesfloatingaroundthesky,semi-blockingthesun.Butthatdidn't
matter.Ihadtosquintmyeyespainfullyandholdmyhandupasamake-believesun
blockagainsteventhatintermittentlight.IguessitwasbecauseIwasfocusingso
hardonthepaintheordinarysunlightwascausingmethatIdidn'tnoticethetruck
untilitsquealedtoastopinfrontofme.
"HeyZo!Didn'tyougetmymessage?”
Ohcrapcrapcrap!ItwasHeath.Iglancedup,lookingathimfrombetween
myfingerslikeIwaswatchingoneofthosestupidslashermovies.Hewassittingon
theopentailgateofhisfriendDustin'spickuptruck.OverhisshoulderIcouldseeinto
thecabofthetruckwhereDustinandhisbrother,Drew,weredoingwhattheywere
usuallydoing—wrestlingaroundandarguingoverGodonlyknowswhatstupidboy
thing.Thankfully,theywereignoringme.IglancedbackatHeathandsighed.Hehad
abeerinhishandandagoofygrinonhisface.MomentarilyforgettingthatI'djust
beenMarkedandwasdestinedtobecomeanoutcastblood-suckingmonster,I
scowledatHeath.
"You'redrinkingatschool!Areyoucrazy?”
Hislittleboygringotbigger."YesIamcrazy,'boutyou,baby!”
IshookmyheadwhileIturnedmybacktohim,openingthecreakydoortomy
Bugandshovingmybooksandbackpackintothepassenger'sseat.
"Whyaren'tyouguysatfootballpractice?"Isaid,stillkeepingmyfaceangled
awayfromhim.
"Didn'tyouhear?Wegotthedayoff'causeoftheass-kickingwegaveUnion
onFriday!”
DustinandDrew,whomusthavebeenkindapayingattentiontoHeathandme
afterall,didacoupleofveryOkie"Whoo-hoo!"and"Yeah!"yellsfrominsidethe
truck.
"Oh.Uh.No.Imustamissedtheannouncement.I'vebeenbusytoday.You
know,biggeometrytesttomorrow.”Itriedtosoundnormalandnonchalant.ThenI
coughedandadded,"Plus,I'mgettingacrappycold.”
"Zo,really.Areyoupissedorsomethin'?Like,didKaylasaysomeshitabout
theparty?YouknowIdidn'treallycheatonyou.”
Huh?KaylahadnotsaidonesolitarywordaboutHeathcheatingonme.Likea
moron,Iforgot(okay,temporarily)aboutmynewMark.MyheadsnappedaroundsoI
couldglareathim.
"Whatdidyoudo,Heath?”
"Zo,me?YouknowIwouldn't…"buthisinnocentactandhisexcusesfaded
intoanunattractiveopen-mouthedlookofshockwhenhecaughtsightofmyMark.
"Whatthe—"hestartedtosay,butIcuthimoff.
"Shh!"IjerkedmyheadinthedirectionofthestillcluelessDustinandDrew,
whowerenowsingingatthetopoftheirtotallytone-deaflungstothelatestToby
KeithCD.
Heath'seyeswerestillwideandshocked,butheloweredhisvoice."Isthat
somekindamakeupthingyou'redoingfordramaclass?”
"No,"Iwhispered."It'snot.”
"Butyoucan'tbeMarked.We'regoingout.”
"Wearenotgoingout!"Andjustlikethatmysemi-reprievefromcoughing
ended.Ipracticallydoubledover,hackingaseriouslynasty,phlegmycough.
"Hey,Zo!"Dustincalledfromthecab."Yougottalayoffthosecigarettes.”
"Yeah,yousoundlikeyou'regonnacoughupalungorsome-thin',"Drew
said.
"Dude!Leaveheralone.Youknowshedon'tsmoke.She'savampyre.”
Great.Wonderful.Heath,withhisusualtotalandcompletelackofanything
resemblinggoodsense,thoughthewasactuallystandingupformeasheyelledathis
friends,whoinstantlystucktheirheadsoutoftheopenwindowsandgawkedatme
likeIwasascienceexperiment.
"Well,shit.Zoey'safuckingfreak!"Drewsaid.
Drew'sinsensitivewordsmadetheangerthathadbeensimmeringsomewhere
insidemychesteversinceKaylahadcringedfrommebubbleupandboilover.
Ignoringthepainthesuncausedme,IstaredstraightatDrew,meetinghiseyes.
"Shutthehellup!I'vehadareallybaddayandIdonotneedthiscrapfrom
you.”Ipausedtolookfromthenowwide-eyedandsilentDrewtoDustinandadded,
"Oryou."AndasIkepteyecontactwithDustinIrealizedsomething—somethingthat
shockedandweirdlyexcitedme:Dustinlookedscared.Reallyscared.Iglaredbackat
Drew.Helookedscared,too.ThenIfeltit.Atinglingsensationthatcrawledovermy
skinandmademynewMarkburn.
Power.Ifeltpower.
"Zo?Whatthefuck?"Heath'svoicebrokemyattentionandpulledmygaze
fromthebrothers.
"We'reouttahere!"Dustinsaid,throwingthetruckintogearandsteppingon
thegas.Thepickuplurchedforward,causingHeathtolosehisbalanceandslide,with
awindmillofarmsandflyingbeer,ontotheblacktopoftheparkinglot.
Automatically,Irushedforward."Areyouokay?"Heathwasonhishandsand
knees,andIbentdowntohelppullhimtohisfeet.
ThenIsmelledit.Somethingsmelledamazing—hotandsweetanddelicious.
WasHeathwearingnewcologne?Oneofthoseweirdpheromonethingsthat
aresupposedtoattractwomenlikeabiggeneticallyengineeredbugzapper?Ididn't
realizehowcloseIwastohimuntilhestoodupstraightandourbodieswerealmost
pressedtogether.Helookeddownatme,aquestioninhiseyes.
Ididn'tbackawayfromhim.Ishouldhave.Iwouldhavebefore…butnot
now.Nottoday.
"Zo?"hesaidsoftly,hisvoicedeepandhusky.
"Yousmellreallygood,"Icouldn'tstopmyselffromsaying.Myheartwas
poundingsoloudthatIcouldhearitsechoinmythrobbingtemples.
"Zoey,I'vereallymissedyou.Weneedtogetbacktogether.YouknowIreally
loveyou."Hereacheduptotouchmyfaceandbothofusnoticedthebloodthat
smearedthepalmofhishand."Ah,shit.IguessI—"hisvoiceclosedoffwhenhe
glancedatmyface.IcouldonlyimaginewhatImustlooklike,withmyfaceallwhite,
mynewMarkblazinglyoutlinedinsapphireblue,andmyeyesstaringatthebloodon
hishand.Icouldn'tmove;Icouldn'tlookaway.
"Iwant…Iwhispered."Iwant…"WhatdidIwant?Icouldn'tputitintowords.
No,thatwasn'tit.Iwouldn'tputitintowords.Wouldn'tsayaloudtheoverwhelming
surgeofwhite-hotdesirethatwastryingtodrownme.Anditwasn'tbecauseHeath
wasstandingsonear.He'dbeenclosetomebefore.Hell,we'dbeenmakingoutfora
year,buthe'dnevermademefeellikethis—nothingeverlikethis.Ibitmylipand
moaned.
Thepickuptrucksquealedtoahalt,fishtailingbesideus.Drewjumpedout
andgrabbedHeatharoundthewaist,andjerkedhimbackwardintothecabofthe
truck.
"Knockitoff!I'mtalkingtoZoey!”
HeathtriedtostruggleagainstDrew,butthekidwasBrokenArrow'ssenior
linebacker,andtrulyginormous.Dustinreachedaroundthemandslammedthedoor
tothetruck.
"Leavehimalone,youfreak!"DrewyelledatmeasDustinflooredthetruck
andthistimetheyreallydidspeedoff.
IgotintomyBug.MyhandswereshakingsohardIhadtotrythreetimes
beforeIgottheenginestarted.
"Justgethome.Justgethome.”Isaidthewordsoverandoverbetween
wrenchingcoughsasIdrove.Iwouldn'tthinkaboutwhathadjusthappened.Icouldn't
thinkaboutwhathadjusthappened.
Thedrivehometookfifteenminutes,butitseemedtopassintheblinkofan
eye.ToosoonIwassittinginthedriveway,tryingtogetreadyforthesceneIknew,
sureaslightningfollowsthunder,waswaitinginsideforme.
WhyhadIbeensoeagertogethere?IsupposeIhadn'ttechnicallybeenall
thateager.IsupposeI'djustbeenescapingfromwhathadhappenedintheparkinglot
withHeath.
No!Iwasn'tgoingtothinkaboutthatnow.And,anyway,therewasprobably
somekindofrationalexplanationforeverything,arationalandsimpleexplanation.
DustinandDrewwereretards—totallyimmaturebeer-brains.Ihadn'tusedacreepy
newpowertointimidatethem.They'djustbeenfreakedthatI'dbeenMarked.That
wasit.Imean,peoplewerescaredofvampyres.
"ButI'mnotavampyre!"Isaid.ThenIcoughedwhileIrememberhow
hypnoticallybeautifulHeath'sbloodhadbeen,andtherushofdesireI'dfeltforit.Not
Heath,butHeath'sblood.
No!No!No!Bloodwasnotbeautifulordesirable.Imustbeinshock.That's
it.Thathadtobeit.Iwasinshockandnotthinkingclearly.Okay…okay…absently,I
touchedmyforehead.Ithadstoppedburning,butitstillfeltdifferent.Icoughedfor
thezillionthtime.Fine.Iwouldn'tthinkaboutHeath,butIcouldn'tdenyitanymore.I
feltdifferent.Myskinwasultrasensitive.Mychesthurt,andeventhoughIhadmy
coolMauiJimsunglasseson,myeyeskepttearinguppainfully.
"I'mdying…"Imoaned,andthenpromptlyclampedmylipsshut.Imight
actuallybedying.Iglancedupatthebigbrickhousethat,afterthreeyears,stilldidn't
seemlikehome."Getitoverwith.Justgetitoverwith."Atleastmysisterwouldn'tbe
homeyet—cheerleadingpractice.Hopefully,thetrollwouldbetotallyhypnotizedby
hisnewDeltaForce:BlackHawkDownvideogame(um…ew).ImighthaveMomto
myself.Maybeshewouldunderstand…maybeshewouldknowwhattodo.…
Ah,hell!Iwassixteenyearsold,butIsuddenlyrealizedthatIwantednothing
asmuchasIwantedmymom.
"Pleaseletherunderstand,"Iwhisperedasimpleprayertowhatevergodor
goddessmightbelisteningtome.
Asusual,Iwentinthroughthegarage.Iwalkeddownthehalltomyroomand
dumpedmygeometrybook,purse,andbackpackonmybed.ThenItookadeep
breathandheaded,alittleshakily,tofindmymom.
Shewasinthefamilyroom,curledupontheedgeofthecouch,sippingacup
ofcoffeeandreadingChickenSoupforaWoman'sSoul.Shelookedsonormal,so
muchlikesheusedtolook.Exceptthatsheusedtoreadexoticromancesandactually
wearmakeup.Bothwerethingshernewhusbanddidn'tallow(whataturd).
"Mom?”
"Hum?"Shedidn'tlookupatme.
Iswallowedhard."Mama."IusedthenameIusedtocallher,backinthedays
beforeshemarriedJohn."Ineedyourhelp.”
Idon'tknowwhetheritwastheunexpecteduseof"Mama"orifsomethingin
myvoicetouchedanoldpieceofmom-intuitionshestillhadsomewhereinsideher,
buttheeyessheliftedimmediatelyfromthebookweresoftandfilledwithconcern.
"Whatisit,baby—"shebegan,andthenherwordsseemedtofreezeonher
lipsashereyesfoundtheMarkonmyforehead.
"Oh,God!Whathaveyoudonenow?”
Myheartstartedtohurtagain."Mom,Ididn'tdoanything.Thisissomething
thathappenedtome,notbecauseofme.It'snotmyfault.”
"Oh,please,no!"shewailedasifIhadn'tsaidaword."Whatisyourfather
goingtosay?”
Iwantedtoscreamhowthehellwouldanyofusknowwhatmyfatherwas
goingtosay,wehaven'tseenorheardfromhimforfourteenyears!ButIknewit
wouldn'tdoanygood,anditalwaysjustmadehermadwhenIremindedherthatJohn
wasnotmy"real"father.SoItriedadifferenttactic—oneI'dgivenuponthreeyears
ago.
"Mama,please.Can'tyoujustnottellhim?Atleastforadayortwo?Justkeep
itbetweenthetwoofusuntilwe…Idon'tknow…getusedtoitorsomething.”Iheld
mybreath.
"ButwhatwouldIsay?Youcan'tevencoverthatthingupwithmakeup.”Her
lipscurledweirdlyasshegavethecrescentmoonanervousglance.
"Mom,Ididn'tmeanthatI'dstayherewhilewegotusedtoit.Ihavetogo;you
knowthat."Ihadtopausewhileahugecoughmademyshouldersshake."The
TrackerMarkedme.IhavetomovetotheHouseofNightorI'mjustgoingtoget
sickerandsicker.”Andthendie,Itriedtotellherwithmyeyes.Icouldn'tactuallysay
thewords."IjustwantacoupleofdaysbeforeIhavetodealwith…"IbrokeoffsoI
didn'thavetosayhisname,thistimepurposefullymakingmyselfcough,whichwasn't
hard.
"WhatwouldItellyourfather?”
Ifeltarushoffearatthepanicinhervoice.Wasn'tshethemom?Wasn'tshe
supposedtohavetheanswersinsteadofthequestions?
"Just…justtellhimthatI'mspendingthenextcoupledaysatKayla'shouse
becausewehaveabigbiologyprojectdue.”
Iwatchedmymom'seyeschange.Theconcernfadedfromthemandwas
replacedbyahardnessthatIrecognizedalltoowell.
"Sowhatyou'resayingisthatyouwantmetolietohim.”
"No,Mom.WhatI'msayingisthatIwantyou,foronce,toputwhatIneed
beforewhathewants.Iwantyoutobemymama.Tohelpmepackandtodrivewith
metothisnewschoolbecauseI'mscaredandsickandIdon'tknowifIcandoitallby
myself!"Ifinishedinarush,breathinghardandcoughingintomyhand.
"Iwasn'tawarethatIhadstoppedbeingyourmom,"shesaidcoldly.
ShemademefeelevenmoretiredthanKaylahad.Isighed."Ithinkthat'sthe
problem,Mom.Youdon'tcareenoughtobeawareofit.Youhaven'tcaredabout
anythingbutJohnsinceyoumarriedhim.”
Hereyesnarrowedatme."Idon'tknowhowyoucanbesoselfish.Don'tyou
realizeallthathe'sdoneforus?BecauseofhimIquitthatawfuljobatDillards.
Becauseofhimwedon'thavetoworryaboutmoneyandwehavethisbig,beautiful
house.Becauseofhimwehavesecurityandabrightfuture.”
I'dheardthesewordssooftenIcouldhaverecitedthemwithher.Itwasatthis
pointinournon-conversationsthatIusuallyapologizedandwentbacktomyroom.
ButtodayIcouldn'tapologize.TodayIwasdifferent.Everythingwasdifferent.
"No,Mother.Thetruthisthatbecauseofhimyouhaven'tpaidanyattentionto
yourkidsforthreeyears.Didyouknowthatyouroldestdaughterhasturnedintoa
sneaky,spoiledslutwho'sscrewedhalfofthefootballteam?Doyouknowwhat
nasty,bloodyvideogamesKevinkeepshiddenfromyou?No,ofcourseyoudon't!
ThetwoofthemacthappyandpretendtolikeJohnandthewholedamnmake-
believefamilything,soyousmileatthemandprayforthemandletthemdo
whatever.Andme?YouthinkI'mthebadonebecauseIdon'tpretend—becauseI'm
honest.Youknowwhat?I'msosickofmylifethatI'mgladtheTrackerMarkedme!
TheycallthatvampyreschooltheHouseofNight,butitcan'tbeanydarkerthanthis
perfecthome!"BeforeIcouldcryorscreamIwhirledaroundandstalkedbacktomy
bedroom,slammingthedoorbehindme.
Ihopetheyalldrown.
ThroughthetoothinwallsIcouldhearhermakingahystericalcalltoJohn.
Therewasnodoubtthathe'drushhometodealwithme.TheProblem.Insteadof
sittingonthebedandcryinglikeIwastemptedto,Iemptiedtheschoolcrapoutof
mybackpack.LikeI'dneeditwhereIwasgoing?Theyprobablydon'tevenhave
normalclasses.TheyprobablyhaveclasseslikeRippingPeoplesThroatsOutum
and…and…IntrotoHowtoSeeintheDarkWhatever.
Nomatterwhatmymomdidordidn'tdo,Icouldn'tstayhere.Ihadtoleave.
SowhatdidIneedtotakewithme?
Mytwofavoritepairsofjeans,besideswhatIhadon.AcoupleofblackT-
shirts.Imean,whatelsedovampyreswear?Plus,theyareslimming.Ialmostpassed
onmycuteaqua-coloredsparklycami,butallthatblackwasboundtomakememore
depressed…soIincludedit.ThenIstuffedtonsofbrasandthongsandhairand
makeupthingsintothesidepouch.Ialmostleftmystuffedanimal,OtistheShish
(couldn'tsayfishwhenIwastwo),onmypillow,but…well…vampyreornotIdidn't
thinkIcouldsleepverywellwithouthim.SoItuckedhimgentlyintothedamn
backpack.
ThenIheardtheknockonmydoor,anditsvoicecalledmeoutofmyroom.
"What?"Iyelled,andthenIconvulsedinaboutofnastycoughing.
"Zoey.YourmotherandIneedtospeakwithyou.”
Great.Clearlytheydidn'tdrown.
IpattedOtistheShish."Otis,thissucks."Isquaredmyshoulders,coughed
again,andwentouttofacetheenemy.
CHAPTERTHREE
Atfirstglancemystep-loser,JohnHeifer,appearstobeanokayguy,even
normal.(Yes,that'sreallyhislastname—and,sadly,itisalsonowmymom'slast
name.She'sMrs.Heifer.Canyoubelieveit?)WhenheandmymomstarteddatingI
actuallyoverheardsomeofmymom'sfriendscallinghim"handsome"and
"charming."Atfirst.OfcoursenowMomhasawholenewgroupoffriends,onesMr.
HandsomeandCharmingthinksaremoreappropriatethanthegroupoffunsingle
womensheusedtohangwith.
Ineverlikedhim.Really.I'mnotjustsayingthatbecauseIcan'tstandhim
now.FromthefirstdayImethimIsawonlyonething—afake.Hefakesbeinganice
guy.Hefakesbeingagoodhusband.Heevenfakesbeingagoodfather.
Helookslikeeveryotherdad-ageguy.Hehasdarkhair,skinnychickenlegs,
andisgettingagut.Hiseyesarelikehissoul,awashed-out,cold,brownishcolor.
Iwalkedintothefamilyroomtofindhimstandingbythecouch.Mymother
wascrumpledneartheendofit,clutchinghishand.Hereyeswerealreadyredand
watery.Great.ShewasgoingtoplayHurtHystericalMother.It'sanactshedoeswell.
Johnhadbeguntoattempttoskewermewithhiseyes,butmyMarkdistracted
him.Hisfacetwistedindisgust.
"Gettheebehindme,Satan!"hequotedinwhatIliketothinkofashissermon
voice.
Isighed."It'snotSatan.It'sjustme.”
"Nowisnotthetimeforsarcasm,Zoey,"Momsaid.
"I'llhandlethis,hon,"thestep-losersaid,pattinghershoulderabsentlybefore
heturnedhisattentionbacktome."Itoldyouthatyourbadbehaviorandyourattitude
problemwouldcatchupwithyou.I'mnotevensurprisedithappenedthissoon.”
Ishookmyhead.Iexpectedthis.Ireallyexpectedthis,andstillitwasashock.
Theentireworldknewthattherewasnothinganyonecoulddotobringonthe
Change.Thewhole"ifyougetbitbyavampyreyou'lldieandbecomeone"thingis
strictlyfiction.Scientistshavebeentryingtofigureoutwhatcausesthesequenceof
physicaleventsthatleadtovampyrismforyears,hopingthatiftheyfigureitoutthey
couldcureit,orattheveryleastinventavaccinetofightagainstit.Sofar,nosuch
luck.ButnowJohnHeifer,mystep-loser,hadsuddenlydiscoveredthatbadteenage
behavior—specificallymybadbehavior,whichmostlyconsistedofanoccasionallie,
somepissedoffthoughtsandsmart-asscommentsdirectedprimarilyagainstmy
parents,andmaybesomesemi-harmlesslustforAshtonKutcher(sadtosayhelikes
olderwomen)—actuallybroughtaboutthisphysicalreactioninmybody.Well,hell!
Whoknew?
"Thiswasn'tsomethingIcaused,"Ifinallymanagedtosay."Thiswasn'tdone
becauseofme.Itwasdonetome.Everyscientistontheplanetagreeswiththat.”
"Scientistsarenotall-knowing.TheyarenotmenofGod.”
Ijuststaredathim.HewasanElderofthePeopleofFaith,apositionhewas
oh,soproudof.ItwasoneofthereasonsMomhadbeenattractedtohim,andona
strictlylogicallevelIcouldunderstandwhy.BeinganEldermeantthatamanwas
successful.Hehadtherightjob.Anicehouse.Theperfectfamily.Hewassupposed
todotherightthingsandbelievetherightway.Onpaperheshouldhavebeenagreat
choiceforhernewhusbandandourfather.Toobadthepaperwouldn'thaveshown
thefullstory.Andnow,predictably,hewasgoingtoplaytheEldercardandthrow
Godinmyface.IwouldbetmycoolnewSteveMaddenflatsthatitirritatedGodas
muchasitannoyedme.
Itriedagain."WestudiedthisinAPbiology.It'saphysiologicalreactionthat
takesplaceinsometeenagers'bodiesastheirhormonelevelsrise."Ipaused,thinking
reallyhardandtotallyproudofmyselfforrememberingsomethingIlearnedlast
semester."Incertainpeoplethehormonestriggersomething-or-otherina…a…"I
thoughtharderandremembered:"aJunkDNAstrand,whichstartsthewhole
Change."Ismiled,notreallyatJohn,butbecauseIwasthrilledbymyabilitytorecall
stufffromaunitwe'dbeendonewithformonths.Iknewthesmilewasamistake
whenIsawthefamiliarclenchingofhisjaw.
"God'sknowledgesurpassesscience,andit'sblasphemousforyoutosay
otherwise,younglady.”
"IneversaidscientistsaresmarterthanGod!"Ithrewmyhandsupandtriedto
stifleacough."I'mjusttryingtoexplainthisthingtoyou.”
"Idon'tneedtohaveanythingexplainedtomebyasixteen-year-old.”
Well,hewaswearingthosereallybadpantsandthatawfulshirt.Clearlyhe
didneedsomethingsexplainedtohimbyateenager,butIdidn'tthinkitwastheright
timetomentionhisunfortunateandobviousfashionimpairment.
"ButJohn,honey,whatarewegoingtodoabouther?Whatwilltheneighbors
say?"Herfacepaledevenmoreandshestifledalittlesob."Whatwillpeoplesayat
MeetingonSunday?”
HenarrowedhiseyeswhenIopenedmymouthtoanswer,andinterrupted
beforeIcouldspeak.
"Wearegoingtodowhatanygoodfamilyshoulddo.Wearegoingtogive
thistoGod.”
Theyweresendingmetoaconvent?Unfortunately,Ihadtodealwithanother
roundofcoughing,sohekeptrightontalking.
"WearealsogoingtocallDr.Asher.He'llknowwhattodotocalmthis
situation.”
Wonderful.Fabulous.He'scallinginourfamilyshrink,theIncredibly
ExpressionlessMan.Perfect.
"Linda,callDr.Asher'semergencynumber,andthenIthinkitwouldbewise
toactivatetheprayerphonetree.MakesuretheotherEldersknowthattheyareto
gatherhere.”
Mymomnoddedandstartedtogetup,butthewordsthatburstfrommy
mouthmadeherflopbackdownonthecouch.
"What!Youransweristocallashrinkwhoistotallycluelessaboutteenagers
andgetallthoseuptightEldersoverhere?Liketheywouldevenbegintotryand
understand?No!Don'tyougetit?Ihavetoleave.Tonight.”Icoughed,areallygut-
wrenchingsoundthathurtmychest."See!ThiswilljustgetworseifIdon'tget
aroundthe…Ihesitated.Whywasitsohardtosay " vampyres"?Becauseitsoundedso
foreign—sofinal—and,partofmeadmitted,sofantastic."IhavetogettotheHouse
ofNight.”
Momjumpedup,andforasecondIthoughtshewasactuallygoingtosave
me.ThenJohnputhisarmaroundhershoulderpossessively.Shelookedupathim
andwhenshelookedbackatmehereyesseemedalmostsorry,butherwords,
typically,reflectedonlywhatJohnwouldwanthertosay.
"Zoey,surelyitwouldn'thurtanythingifyouspentjusttonightathome?”
"Ofcourseitwouldn't,"Johnsaidtoher."I'msureDr.Asherwillseetheneed
forahousevisit.Withhimhereshe'llbeperfectlyfine."Hepattedhershoulder,
pretendedtobecaring,butinsteadofsweethesoundedslimy.
Ilookedfromhimtomymom.Theyweren'tgoingtoletmeleave.Not
tonight,andmaybenotever,oratleastnotuntilIhadtobehauledoutbythe
paramedics.Isuddenlyunderstoodthatitwasn'tjustaboutthisMarkandthefactthat
mylifehadbeentotallychanged.Itwasaboutcontrol.Iftheyletmego,somehow
theylose.InMom'scase,Ilikedtothinkthatshewasafraidoflosingme.Iknewwhat
Johndidn'twanttolose.Hedidn'twanttolosehispreciousauthorityandtheillusion
thatweweretheperfectlittlefamily.AsMomhadalreadysaid,Whatwouldthe
neighborsthink—whatwillpeoplethinkatMeetingonSunday?Johnhadtopreserve
theillusion,andifthatmeantallowingmetogetreally,reallysick,wellthen,thatwas
apricehewaswillingtopay.
Iwasn'twillingtopayit,though.
IguessitwastimeItookthingsintomyownhands(afterall,theyarewell
manicured).
"Fine,"Isaid."CallDr.Asher.Starttheprayerphonetree.Butdoyoumindif
Igolaydownuntileveryonegetshere?"Icoughedagainforgoodmeasure.
"Ofcoursenot,honey,"Momsaid,lookingobviouslyrelieved."Alittlerest
willprobablymakeyoufeelbetter."ThenshemovedawayfromJohn'spossessive
arm.Shesmiledandthenhuggedme."WouldyoulikemetogetyousomeNyQuil?”
"No,I'llbefine,"Isaid,clingingtoherforjustasecond,wishingsodamn
hardthatitwasthreeyearsagoandshewasstillmine—stillonmyside.ThenItooka
deepbreathandsteppedback."I'llbefine,"Irepeated.
Shelookedatmeandnodded,tellingmeshewassorrytheonlywayshe
could,withhereyes.
Iturnedawayfromherandstartedtoretreattomybedroom.Tomybackthe
step-losersaid,"Andwhydon'tyoudousallafavorandseeifyoucanfindsome
powderorsomethingtocoverupthatthingonyourforehead?”
Ididn'tevenpause.Ijustkeptwalking.AndIwouldn'tcry.
I'mgoingtorememberthis,Itoldmyselfsternly.I'mgoingtorememberhow
awfultheymademefeeltoday.SowhenI'mscaredandaloneandwhateverelseis
goingtohappentomestartstohappen,I'mgoingtorememberthatnothingcouldbe
asbadasbeingstuckhere.Nothing.
CHAPTERFOUR
SoIsatonmybedandcoughedwhileIlistenedtomymommakingafrantic
calltoourshrink'semergencyline,followedquicklybyanotherequallyhystericalcall
thatwouldactivatethedreadedPeopleofFaithprayertree.Withinthirtyminutesour
housewouldbegintofillupwithfatwomenandtheirbeady-eyedpedophile
husbands.They'dcallmeouttothefamilyroom.MyMarkwouldbeconsidereda
ReallyBigandEmbarrassingProblem,sothey'dprobablyanointmewithsomecrap
thatwassuretoclogmyporesandgivemeaCyclops-sizedzitbeforelayingtheir
handsonmeandpraying.They'daskGodtohelpmestopbeingsuchanawful
teenagerandaproblemtomyparents.Oh,andthelittlematterofmyMarkneededto
beclearedup,too.
Ifonlyitwerethatsimple.I'dgladlymakeadealwithGodtobeagoodkid
versuschangingschoolandspecies.I'deventakethegeometrytest.Well,okay.
Maybenotthegeometrytest—but,still,it'snotlikeI'daskedtobecomeafreak.This
wholethingmeantthatIwasgoingtohavetoleave.Tostartmylifeoversomewhere
I'dbethenewkid.SomewhereIdidn'thaveanyfriends.Iblinkedhard,forcingmyself
nottocry.SchoolwastheonlyplaceIreallyfeltathomeanymore;myfriendswere
myonlyfamily.Iballedupmyfistsandsquidgedmyfaceuptokeepfromcrying.
Onestepatatime—I'djusttakethisonestepatatime.
NowaywasIgoingdealwithclonesofthestep-loserontopofeverything
else.And,asifthePeopleofFaithweren'tbadenough,thehorridprayersession
wouldbefollowedbyanequallyannoyingsessionwithDr.Asher.He'daskmealot
ofquestionsabouthowthisandthatmademefeel.Thenhe'dbabbleonandonabout
teenageangerandangstbeingnormalbutthatonlyIcouldchoosehowitwouldhave
animpactonmylife…blah…blah…andsincethiswasan"emergency"he'dprobably
wantmetodrawsomethingthatrepresentedmyinnerchildorwhatever.
Idefinitelyhadtogetoutofthere.
GoodthingI'vealwaysbeen"thebadkid"andwaswellpreparedfora
situationlikethis.Okay,Iwasn'texactlythinkingaboutescapingfrommyhousesoI
couldrunoffandjointhevampyreswhenIputasparekeytomycarunderthe
flowerpotoutsidemywindow.IwasjustconsideringthatImightwanttosneakout
andgotoKayla'shouse.Or,ifIreallywantedtobebadImightmeetHeathatthe
parkandmakeout.ButthenHeathstarteddrinkingandIstartedtochangeintoa
vampyre.Sometimeslifedoesn'tmakeanysense.
Igrabbedmybackpack,openedmywindow,andwithaneasethatsaidmore
aboutmysinfulnaturethanthestep-loser'sboringlectures,Ipoppedoutmywindow
screen.Iputonmysunglassesandpeekedout.Itwasonlyfourthirtyorso,andnot
darkyet,soIwasreallygladthatourprivacyfencehidmefromourtotallynoisy
neighbors.Onthissideofthehousetheonlyotherwindowsweretomysister'sroom,
andsheshouldstillbeatcheerleadingpractice.(Hellmusttrulybefreezingover
becauseforonceIwassincerelygladmysister'sworldrevolvedaroundwhatshe
called"thesportofcheer.")Idroppedmybackpackoutfirstandthenslowlyfollowed
itoutthewindow,beingcarefulnottomakeevenasmalloofnoisewhenIlandedon
thegrass.Ipausedthereforwaytoomanyminutes,buryingmyfaceinmyarmsto
mufflemyhorriblecough.ThenIbentoverandlifteduptheedgeofthepotthatheld
thelavenderplantGrandmaRedbirdhadgivenme,andletmyfingersfindthehard
metalofthekeywhereitnestledagainstthesmushedgrass.
Thegatedidn'tevensqueakwhenIcrackeditopenandinchedoutlikeoneof
Charlie'sAngels.MycuteBugwassittingtherewhereshealwayssat—rightinfront
ofthethirddoortoourthreecargarage.Thestep-loserwouldn'tletmeparkherinside
becausehesaidthelawnmowerwasmoreimportant.(Moreimportantthanavintage
VW?How?Thatdidn'tevenmakesense.Jeesh,Ijustsoundedlikeaguy.Sincewhen
didIcareaboutthevintagenessofmyBug?ImustreallybeChanging.)Ilookedboth
ways.Nothing.IsprintedformyBug,jumpedin,putitinneutral,andwastruly
thankfulthatourdrivewaywasridiculouslysteepwhenmywonderfulcarrolled
smoothlyandsilentlyintothestreet.Fromthereitwaseasttostartitandzipoutof
theneighborhoodofBigExpensiveHouses.
Ididn'tevenglanceintherearviewmirror.
Ididreachoverandturnoffmycellphone.Ididn'twanttotalktoanyone.
No,thatwasn'texactlytrue.TherewasonepersonIreallywantedtotalkto.
ShewastheonepersonintheworldwhoIwaspositivewouldn'tlookatmyMarkand
thinkIwasamonsterorafreakorareallyawfulperson.
LikemyBugcouldreadmyminditseemedtoturnallbyitselfontothe
highwaythatledtotheMuskogeeTurnpikeand,eventually,tothemostwonderful
placeinthisworld—myGrandmaRedbird'slavenderfarm.
Unlikethedrivefromschooltohome,thehour-and-a-halftriptoGrandma
Redbird'sfarmseemedtotakeforever.BythetimeIpulledoffthetwo-lanehighway
ontothehard-packeddirtroadthatledtoGrandma'splace,mybodyachedevenworse
thanitdidthattimetheyhiredthatcrazynewgymteacherwhothoughtweshoulddo
insaneweightcircuitswhileshecrackedherwhipatusandcackled.Okay,somaybe
shedidn'thaveawhip,butstill.Mymuscleshurtlikehell.Itwasalmostsixo'clock
andthesunwasfinallystartingtoset,butmyeyesstillstung.Actually,eventhe
fadingsunlightmademyskinfeeltinglyandweird.Itmademegladthatitwasthe
endofOctoberandithadfinallyturnedcoolenoughformetowearmyBorgInvasion
4Dhoodie(sure,itisaStarTrek:TheNextGenerationrideinVegasand,sadly,Iam
onoccasionatotalStarTreknerd)which,thankfully,coveredmostofmyskin.
BeforeIgotoutofmyBugIdugaroundinthebackseatuntilIfoundmyoldOSU
trucker'shatandpulleditdownonmyheadsothatmyfacewasoutofthesun.
Mygrandma'shousesatbetweentwolavenderfieldsandwasshadedbyhuge
oldoaks.Itwasbuiltin1942ofrawOklahomastone,withacomfortableporchand
unusuallybigwindows.Ilovedthishouse.Justclimbingthelittlewoodenstairsthat
ledtotheporchmademefeelbetter…safe.ThenIsawthenotetapedontheoutside
ofthedoor.ItwaseasytorecognizeGrandmaRedbird'sprettyhandwriting:I'monthe
bluffscollectingwildflowers.
Itouchedthesoftlavender-scentedpaper.ShealwaysknewwhenIwas
comingforavisit.WhenIwasakidIusedtothinkitwasweird,butasIgotolderI
appreciatedtheextrasenseshehad.AllmylifeI'veknownthat,nomatterwhat,I
couldcountonGrandmaRedbird.DuringthoseawfulfirstmonthsafterMommarried
JohnIthinkIwouldhaveshriveledupanddiedifIhadn'tbeenabletoescapeevery
weekendtoGrandma'shouse.
ForasecondIconsideredgoinginside(Grandmaneverlockedherdoors)and
waitingforher,butIneededtoseeher,tohaveherhugmeandtellmewhatIhad
wantedMomtosay.
Don'tbescared…it'llbeokay…we'llmakeitbeokay.Soinsteadofgoing
insideIfoundthelittledeerpathattheedgeofthenorthern-mostlavenderfieldthat
wouldleadtothebluffsandIfollowedit,lettingmyfingertipstrailoverthetopofthe
closestplantssothatasIwalkedtheyreleasedtheirsweet,silveryscentintotheair
aroundmeliketheywerewelcomingmehome.
ItfeltlikeyearssinceI'dbeenhere,eventhoughIknewithadbeenonlyfour
weeks.Johndidn'tlikeGrandma.Hethoughtshewasweird.I'devenoverheardhim
tellMomthatGrandmawas"awitchandgoingtoHe'ssuchanass.
ThenanamazingthoughthitmeandIcametoacompletestop.Myparentsno
longercontrolledwhatIdid.Iwasn'tgoingtolivewiththemeveragain.Johncouldn't
tellmewhattodoanymore.
Whoa!Howawesome!
Soawesomethatitsentmeintoaspasmofcoughingthatmademewrapmy
armsaroundmyself,likeIwastryingtoholdmychesttogether.Ineededtofind
GrandmaRedbird,andIneededtofindhernow.
CHAPTERFIVE
Thepathupthesideofthebluffshadalwaysbeensteep,butI'dclimbedit
aboutagazilliontimes,withandwithoutmygrandma,andI'dneverfeltlikethis.It
wasn'tjustthecoughinganymore.Anditwasn'tjustthesoremuscles.Iwasdizzyand
mystomachhadstartedtogurglesobadlythatIwasremindingmyselfofMegRyan
inthemovieFrenchKissaftersheateallthatcheeseandhadalactose-intolerancefit.
(KevinKlineisreallycuteinthatmovie—well,foranoldguy.)
AndIwassnotting.Idon'tmeanjustsnifflingalittle.ImeanIwaswipingmy
noseonthesleeveofmyhoodie(gross).Icouldn'tbreathewithoutopeningmymouth,
whichmademecoughmore,andIcouldn'tbelievehowbadlymychesthurt!Itriedto
rememberwhatitwasthatofficiallykilledthekidswhodidn'tcompletetheChange
intovampyres.Didtheyhaveheartattacks?Orwasitpossiblethattheycoughedand
snottedthemselvestodeath?
Stopthinkingaboutit!
IneededtofindGrandmaRedbird.IfGrandmadidn'thavetheanswers,she'd
figurethemout.GrandmaRedbirdunderstoodpeople.Shesaiditwasbecauseshe
hadn'tlosttouchwithherCherokeeheritageandthetribalknowledgeoftheancestral
WiseWomenshecarriedinherblood.Evennowitmademesmiletothinkaboutthe
frownthatcameoverGrandma'sfacewheneverthesubjectofthestep-losercameup
(she'stheonlyadultwhoknowsIcallhimthat).GrandmaRedbirdsaidthatitwas
obviousthattheRedbirdWiseWomanbloodhadskippedoverherdaughter,butthat
wasonlybecauseithadbeensavinguptogiveanextradoseofancientCherokee
magictome.
AsalittlegirlI'dclimbedthispathholdingGrandma'shandmoretimesthanI
couldcount.Inthemeadowoftallgrassesandwildflowerswe'dlayoutabrightly
coloredblanketandeatapicniclunchwhileGrandmatoldmestoriesoftheCherokee
peopleandtaughtmethemysterious-soundingwordsoftheirlanguage.AsIstruggled
upthewindingpaththoseancientstoriesseemedtoswirlaroundandaroundinside
myhead,likesmokefromaceremonialfire…includingthesadstoryofhowthestars
wereformedwhenadogwasdiscoveredstealingcornmealandthetribewhippedhim.
Asthedogranhowlingtohishomeinthenorth,themealscatteredacrosstheskyand
themagicinitmadetheMilkyWay.OrhowtheGreatBuzzardmadethemountains
andvalleyswithhiswings.Andmyfavorite,thestoryaboutyoungwomansunwho
livedintheeast,andherbrother,themoon,wholivedinthewest,andtheRedbird
whowasthedaughterofthesun.
"Isn'tthatweird?I'maRedbirdandthedaughterofthesun,butI'mturning
intoamonsterofthenight.”Iheardmyselftalkingoutloudandwassurprisedthatmy
voicesoundedsoweak,especiallywhenmywordsseemedtoechoaroundme,asifI
weretalkingintoavibratingdrum.
Drum…
ThinkingthewordremindedmeofpowwowsGrandmahadtakenmetowhen
Iwasalittlegirl,andthen,mythoughtssomehowbreathinglifeintothememory,I
actuallyheardtherhythmicbeatingofceremonialdrums.Ilookedaround,squinting
againsteventheweaklightofthedyingday.Myeyesstungandmyvisionwasall
screwedup.Therewasnowind,buttheshadowsoftherocksandtreesseemedtobe
moving…stretching…reachingouttowardme.
"GrandmaI'mscared…"Icriedbetweenwrackingcoughs.
ThespiritsofthelandarenothingtobefrightenedofZoeybird.
"Grandma?"DidIhearhervoicecallingmebymynickname,orwasitonly
moreweirdnessandechoes,thistimecomingfrommymemory?"Grandma!"Icalled
again,andthenstoodstilllisteningforananswer.
Nothing.Nothingexceptthewind.
U-no-le…theCherokeewordforwinddriftedthroughmymindlikeahalf-
forgottendream.
Wind?No,wait!Therehadn'tbeenanywindjustasecondago,butnowIhad
toholdmyhatdownwithonehandandbrushawaythehairthatwaswhippingwildly
acrossmyfacewiththeother.TheninthewindIheardthem—thesoundsofmany
Cherokeevoiceschantingintimewiththebeatingoftheceremonialdrums.Through
aveilofhairandtearsIsawsmoke.Thenuttysweetscentofpiñonwoodfilledmy
openmouthandItastedthecampfiresofmyancestors.Igasped,fightingtocatchmy
breath.
That'swhenIfeltthem.Theywereallaroundme,almost-visibleshapes
shimmeringlikeheatwavesliftingfromablacktoproadinsummer.Icouldfeelthem
pressagainstmeastheytwirledandmovedwithgraceful,intricatestepsaroundand
aroundtheshadowyimageofaCherokeecampfire.
Joinus,u-we-tsia-ge-hu-tsa…Joinus,daughter…
Cherokeeghosts…drowninginmyownlungs…thefightwithmy
parents…myoldlifegone…
Itwasalljusttoomuch.Iran.
Iguesswhattheyteachusinbiologyaboutadrenalinetakingoverduringthe
wholefight-or-flightthingistruebecauseeventhoughmychestfeltlikeitwasgoing
toexplodeanditseemedasifIwastryingtobreatheunderwater,Iranupthelastand
steepestpartofthetraillikethey'dopenedupallthestoresatthemallandtheywere
givingawayfreeshoes.
GaspingforbreathIstumbledupthepath—higherandhigher—fightingtoget
awayfromthefrighteningspiritsthathoveredaroundmelikefog,butinsteadof
leavingthembehinditseemedIwasrunningfartherintotheirworldofsmokeand
shadows.WasIdying?Wasthiswhathappens?WasthatwhyIcouldseeghosts?
Where'sthewhitelight?Completelypanicked,Irushedforward,throwingmyarms
outwildlyasifIcouldholdofftheterrorthatwaschasingme.
Ididn'tseetherootthatbrokethroughthehardgroundofthepath.Completely
disorientedItriedtocatchmyself,butallofmyreflexeswereoff.Ifellhard.Thepain
inmyheadwassharp,butitlastedonlyaninstantbeforeblacknessswallowedme.
Wakingupwasweird.Iexpectedmybodytohurt,especiallymyheadandmy
chest,butinsteadofpainIfelt…well…Ifeltfine.Actually,Ifeltbetterthanfine.I
wasn'tcoughing.Myarmsandlegswereamazinglylight,tingly,andwarm,likeIhad
justslippedintoabubblyhottubonacoldnight.
Huh?
Surprisemademeopenmyeyes.Iwasstaringupatalight,which
miraculouslydidn'thurtmyeyes.Insteadoftheglaringlightofthesun,thiswasmore
likeasoftrainofcandlelightfilteringdownfromabove.Isatup,andrealizedIwas
wrong.Thelightwasn'tcomingdown.Iwasmovinguptowardit!
I'mgoingtoheaven.Well,that'llshocksomepeople.
Iglanceddowntoseemybody!Ioritor…or…whateverwaslyingscarily
closetotheedgeofthebluff.Mybodywasverystill.Myforeheadhadbeencutandit
wasbleedingbadly.Theblooddrippedsteadilyintoagashintherockyground,
makingatrailofredtearsthatfellintotheheartofthebluff.
Itwasincrediblyweirdtolookdownonmyself.Iwasn'tscared.ButIshould
be,shouldn'tI?Didn'tthismeanIwasdead?MaybeI'dbeabletoseetheCherokee
ghostsbetternow.Eventhatthoughtdidn'tscareme.Actually,insteadofbeingafraid
itwasmorelikeIwasanobserver,asifnoneofthiscouldreallytouchme.(Kinda
likethosegirlswhohavesexwitheveryoneandthinkthatthey'renotgoingtoget
pregnantorareallynastySTDthateatsyourbrainsandstuff.Well,we'llseeinten
years,won'twe?)
Ienjoyedthewaytheworldlooked,sparklingandnew,butitwasmybody
thatkeptdrawingmyattention.Ifloatedclosertoit.Iwasbreathinginshort,shallow
pants.Well,mybodywasbreathinglikethat,nottheIthatwasme.(Talkabout
confusingpronounusage.)AndI/shedidn'tlookgood.I/shewasallpaleandherlips
wereblue.Hey!Whiteface,bluelips,andredblood!AmIpatrioticorwhat?
Ilaughed,anditwasamazing!IswearIcouldseemylaughterfloatingaround
melikethepuffythingsyoublowoffadandelion,onlyinsteadofbeingwhiteitwas
birthday-cake-frosting-blue.Wow!Whoknewhittingmyheadandpassingoutwould
besomuchfun?Iwonderedifthiswaswhatitwasliketobehigh.
ThedandelionicinglaughterfadedandIcouldheartheshiningcrystalsound
ofrunningwater.Imovedclosertomybody,abletoseethatwhatIhadatfirst
thoughtwasagashinthegroundwasreallyanarrowcrevasse.Thelivingwatersound
wascomingfromdeepinsideit.Curious,Ipeereddown,andthesparklingsilver
outlineofwordsdriftedupfromwithintherock.Istrainedtohear,andwasrewarded
byafaint,whisperingofsilversound.
ZoeyRedbird…cometome…
"Grandma!"Iyelledintotheslashintherock.Mywordswerebrightpurple
andtheyfilledtheairaroundme."Isthatyou,Grandma?”
Cometome…
Thesilvermixedwiththepurpleofmyvisiblevoice,turningthewordsthe
glisteningcoloroflavenderblossoms.Itwasanomen!Asign!Somehow,likethe
spiritguidestheCherokeepeoplehavebelievedinforcenturies,GrandmaRedbird
wastellingmeIhadtogodownintotherock.
Withoutanymorehesitation,Iflungmyspiritforwardanddownintothe
crevasse,followingthetrailofmybloodandthesilvermemoryofmygrandma's
whisperuntilIcametothesmoothfloorofacave-likeroom.Inthemiddleofthe
roomasmallstreamofwaterbubbled,givingofftinklingshardsofvisiblesound,
brightandglass-colored.Mixedwiththescarletdropsofmyblooditlitupthecave
withaflickeringlightthatwasthecolorofdriedleaves.Iwantedtositnexttothe
bubblingwaterandletmyfingerstouchtheairarounditandplayinthetextureofits
music,butthevoicecalledtomeagain.
ZoeyRedbird…followmetoyourdestiny…
SoIfollowedthestreamandthewoman'scall.Thecavenarroweduntilitwas
aroundedtunnel.Itcurvedandcurledaroundandaround,inagentlespiral,ending
abruptlyatawallthatwascoveredwithcarvedsymbolsthatlookedfamiliarandalien
atthesametime.Confused,Iwatchedthestreampourdownintoacrackinthewall
anddisappear.Whatnow?WasIsupposedtofollowit?
Ilookedbackdownthetunnel.Nothingthereexceptdancinglight.Iturnedto
thewallandfeltajoltofelectricshock.Whoa!Therewasawomansittingcross-
leggedinfrontofthewall!Shewaswearingawhitefringeddressthatwasbeaded
withthesamesymbolsthatwereonthewallbehindher.Shewasfantastically
beautiful,withlongstraighthairsoblackitlookedasifithadblueandpurple
highlights,likearaven'swing.Herfulllipscurvedupasshespoke,fillingtheair
betweenuswiththesilverpowerofhervoice.
Tsi-lu-giU-we-tsia-ge-hu-tsa.Welcome,Daughter.Youhavedonewell.
ShespokeinCherokee,buteventhoughIhadn'tpracticedthelanguagemuch
inthelastcoupleyearsIunderstoodthewords.
"You'renotmygrandma!"Iblurted,feelingawkwardandoutofplaceasmy
purplewordsjoinedwithhers,makingincrediblepatternsofsparklinglavenderinthe
airaroundus.
Hersmilewasliketherisingsun.
No,Daughter,Iamnot,butIknowSylviaRedbirdverywell.Itookadeep
breath."AmIdead?”
Iwasafraidshewouldlaughatme,butshedidn't.Insteadherdarkeyeswere
softandconcerned.
No,U-we-tsia-ge-hu-tsa.Youarefarfromdead,thoughyourspirithasbeen
temporarilyfreedtowandertherealmoftheNunne'hi.
"Thespiritpeople!"Iglancedaroundthetunnel,tryingtoseefacesandforms
withintheshadows.
Yourgrandmotherhastaughtyouwell,u-s-tiDo-tsu-wa…littleRedbird.You
areauniquemixtureoftheOldWaysandtheNewWorld—ofancienttribalbloodand
theheartbeatofoutsiders.
Herwordsmademefeelhotandcoldatthesametime."Whoareyou?"I
asked.
Iamknownbymanynames…ChangingWoman,Gaea,A'akuluujjusi,Kuan
Yin,GrandmotherSpider,andevenDawn…
AsshespokeeachnameherfacewastransformedsothatIwasdizziedbyher
power.Shemusthaveunderstood,becauseshepausedandflashedherbeautifulsmile
atmeagain,andherfacesettledbackintothewomanIhadfirstseen.
Butyou,Zoeybird,myDaughter,maycallmebythenamebywhichyour
worldknowsmetoday,Nyx.
"Nyx,"myvoicewasbarelyaboveawhisper."ThevampyreGoddess?”
Intruth,itwastheancientGreekstouchedbytheChangewhofirstworshiped
measthemothertheysearchedforwithintheirendlessNight.Ihavebeenpleasedto
calltheirdescendentsmychildrenformanyages.And,yes,inyourworldthose
childrenarecalledvampyre.Acceptthename,U-we-tsia-ge-hu-tsa;inityouwillfind
yourdestiny.
IcouldfeelmyMarkburningonmyforehead,andallofasuddenIwantedto
cry."I—Idon'tunderstand.Findmydestiny?Ijustwanttofindawaytodealwithmy
newlife—tomakethisallokay.Goddess,Ijustwanttofitinsomeplace.Idon'tthink
I'muptofindingmydestiny.”
TheGoddess'sfacesoftenedagain,andwhenshespokehervoicewaslikemy
mother's,onlymore—asthoughshehadsomehowsprinkledtheloveofeverymother
intheworldintoherwords.
BelieveinyourselfZoeyRedbird.IhaveMarkedyouasmyown.Youwillbe
myfirsttrueU-we-tsia-ge-hu-tsav-hna-iSv-no-yi…DaughterofNight…inthisage.
Youarespecial.Acceptthataboutyourselfandyouwillbegintounderstandthereis
truepowerinyouruniqueness.Withinyouiscombinedthemagicbloodofancient
WiseWomenandElders,aswellasinsightintoandunderstandingofthemodern
world.
TheGoddessstoodupandwalkedgracefullytowardme,hervoicepainting
silversymbolsofpowerintheairaroundus.Whenshereachedmeshewipedthe
tearsfrommycheeksbeforetakingmyfaceinherhands.
ZoeyRedbird,DaughterofNight,Inameyoumyeyesandearsintheworld
today,aworldwheregoodandevilarestrugglingtofindbalance.
"ButI'msixteen!Ican'tevenparallel-park!HowamIsupposedtoknowhow
tobeyoureyesandears?”
Shejustsmiledserenely.Youareoldbeyondyouryears,Zoeybird.Believein
yourselfandyouwillfindaway.Butremember,darknessdoesnotalwaysequateto
evil,justaslightdoesnotalwaysbringgood.
ThentheGoddessNyx,theancientpersonificationofNight,leanedforward
andkissedmeonmyforehead.AndforthethirdtimethatdayIpassedout.
CHAPTERSIX
Beautiful,seethecloud,thecloudappear.Beautiful,seetherain,therain
drawnear…
Thewordsoftheancientsongfloatedthroughmymind.Imustbedreaming
aboutGrandmaRedbirdagain.Itmademefeelwarmandsafeandhappy,whichwas
especiallynice,sinceI'dfeltsocrappylately…exceptIcouldn'trememberexactly
why.Huh.Odd.
Whospoke?
Thelittlecornear,
Highontopofthestalk…
Mygrandma'ssongcontinuedandIcurleduponmyside,sighingasIrubbed
mycheekagainstthesoftpillow.Unfortunately,movingmyheadcausedanuglypain
toshootthroughmytemples,andlikeabulletthroughapaneofglass,itshatteredmy
happyfeelingasthememoryofthelastdayoverwhelmedme.
Iwasturningintoavampyre.
Ihadrunawayfromhome.
I'dhadanaccidentandthensomekindofweirdnear-deathexperience.
Iwasturningintoavampyre.OhmyGod.
Man,myheadhurt.
"Zoeybird!Areyouawake,baby?”
IblinkedmyblurryeyescleartoseeGrandmaRedbirdsittingonalittlechair
closebesidemybed.
"Grandma!"Icroakedandreachedforherhand.Myvoicesoundedasterrible
asmyheadfelt."Whathappened?WhereamI?"
"You'resafe,LittleBird.You'resafe.”
"Myheadhurts."Ireachedupandfelttheplaceonmyheadthatwastightand
sore,andmyfingersfoundtheprickofstitches.
"Itshould.Youscaredtenyearsofmylifefromme."Grandmarubbedthe
backofmyhandgently."Allthatblood…"Sheshuddered,andthenshookherhead
andsmiledatme."Howaboutyoupromisenottodothatagain?”
"Promise,"Isaid."So,youfoundme….”
"Bloodyandunconscious,LittleBird.”Grandmabrushedthehairbackfrom
myforehead,herfingerslingeringlightlyonmyMark."Andsopalethatyourdark
crescentseemedtoglowagainstyourskin.Iknewyouneededtobetakenbacktothe
HouseofNight,whichisexactlywhatIdid."Shechuckledandthemischievous
sparkleinhereyesmadeherlooklikealittlegirl."Icalledyourmothertotellherthat
IwasreturningyoutotheHouseofNight,andIhadtopretendthatmycellphonecut
outsoIcouldhanguponher.I'mafraidshe'snothappywitheitherofus.”
IgrinnedbackatGrandmaRedbird.Heehee,Momwasmadather,too.
"But,Zoey,whateverwereyoudoingoutduringthedaylight?Andwhydidn't
youtellmeearlierthatyouhadbeenMarked?”
Istruggledtositup,gruntingatthepaininmyhead.But,thankfully,itseemed
I'dstoppedcoughing.MustbebecauseI'mfinallyreallyhere—attheHouseof
Night…ButthethoughtdisappearedasmymindprocessedallofwhatGrandmahad
said.
"Wait,Icouldn'thavetoldyouanyearlier.TheTrackercametoschooltoday
andMarkedme.Iwenthomefirst.IreallyhopedMomwouldunderstandandtakemy
side."Ipaused,rememberingagaintheawfulscenewithmyparents.Intotal
understanding,Grandmasqueezedmyhand."SheandJohnbasicallylockedmeinmy
roomwhiletheycalledourshrinkandstartedtheprayertree.”
Grandmagrimaced.
"SoIcrawledoutmywindowandcamestraighttoyou,”Iconcluded.
"I'mgladyoudid,Zoeybird,butitjustdoesn'tmakeanysense.”
"Iknow,”Isighed."Ican'tbelieveIgotMarked,either.Whyme?”
"That'snotwhatImean,baby.I'mnotsurprisedyouwereTrackedand
Marked.TheRedbirdbloodhasalwaysheldstrongmagic;itwasonlyamatteroftime
beforeoneofuswasChosen.WhatImeanisthatitmakesnosensethatyouwerejust
Marked.Thecrescentisn'tanoutline.It'scompletelyfilledin.”
"That'simpossible!”
"Lookforyourself,U-we-tsia-ge-hu-tsa."SheusedtheCherokeewordfor
daughter,suddenlyremindingmeverymuchofamysterious,ancientgoddess.
Grandmasearchedthroughherpursefortheantiquesilvercompactshealways
carried.Withoutsayinganythingelse,shehandedittome.Ipushedthelittleclasp.It
poppedopentoshowmemyreflection…thefamiliarstranger…themewhowasn't
quiteme.Hereyeswerehugeandherskinwastoowhite,butIbarelynoticedthat.It
wastheMarkthatIcouldn'tquitstaringat,theMarkthatwasnowacompleted
crescentmoon,filledinperfectlywiththedistinctivesapphireblueofthevampyre
tattoo.FeelinglikeIwasstillmovingthroughadream,Ireachedupandletmyfingers
tracetheexotic-lookingMarkandIseemedtofeeltheGoddess'slipsagainstmyskin
again.
"Whatdoesitmean?"Isaid,unabletolookawayfromtheMark.
"Wewerehopingyouwouldhaveananswertothatquestion,ZoeyRedbird.”
Hervoicewasamazing.EvenbeforeIlookedupfrommyreflectionIknew
shewouldbeuniqueandincredible.Iwasright.Shewasmovie-starbeautiful,Barbie
beautiful.I'dneverseenanyoneupclosewhowassoperfect.Shehadhuge,almond-
shapedeyesthatwereadeep,mossygreen.Herfacewasanalmostperfectheartand
herskinwasthatkindofflawlesscreaminessthatyouseeonTV.Herhairwasdeep
red—notthathorridcarrot-toporange-redorthewashed-outblond-red,butadark,
glossyauburnthatfellinheavywaveswellpasthershoulders.Herbodywas,well,
perfect.Shewasn'tthinlikethefreakgirlswhopukedandstarvedthemselvesinto
whattheythoughtwasParisHiltonchic.("That'sHott."Yeah,okay,whatever,Paris.)
Thiswoman'sbodywasperfectbecauseshewasstrong,butcurvy.Andshehadgreat
boobs.(IwishIhadgreatboobs.)
"Huh?"Isaid.Speakingofboobs—Iwastotallysoundinglikeone.
(Boob…heehee).
Thewomansmiledatmeandshowedamazinglystraight,whiteteeth—
withoutfangs.Oh,IguessIforgottomentionthatinadditiontoherperfectionshe
hadasapphirecrescentmoonneatlytattooedinthemiddleofherforehead,andfrom
it,swirlsoflinesthatremindedmeofocean,wavesframedherbrows,extending
downaroundherhighcheekbones.
Shewasavampyre.
"Isaid,wewerehopingyouwouldhavesomeexplanationaboutwhya
fledglingvampyrethathasn'tChangedhastheMarkofamaturebeingonher
forehead.”
Withouthersmileandthegentleconcerninhervoiceherwordswouldhave
seemedharsh.Instead,whatshesaidcameoffasworriedandalittleconfused.
"SoI'mnotavampyre?"Iblurted.
Herlaughterwaslikemusic."Notyet,Zoey,butIwouldsaythatalready
havingyourMarkcompleteisanexcellentomen."
"Oh…II.…well,good.That'sgood,"Ibabbled.
Thankfully,Grandmasavedmefromtotalhumiliation.
"Zoey,thisistheHighPriestessoftheHouseofNight,Neferet.She'sbeen
takinggoodcareofyouwhileyou'vebeen"—Grandmapaused,obviouslynotwanting
tosaythewordunconscious—"whileyou'vebeenasleep.”
"WelcometotheHouseofNight,ZoeyRedbird,"Neferetsaidwarmly.
IglancedatGrandmaandthenbackatNeferet.FeelingmorethanalittlelostI
stuttered,"That's—that'snotreallymyname.MylastnameisMontgomery.”
"Isit?"Neferetsaid,raisingheramber-tintedbrows."Onebenefitofbeginning
anewlifeisthatyouhavetheopportunitytostartover—tomakechoicesyouweren't
givenbefore.Ifyoucouldchoose,whatwouldyourtruenamebe?”
Ididn'thesitate."ZoeyRedbird.”
"Thenfromthismomenton,youshallbeZoeyRedbird.Welcometoyournew
life."Shereachedoutlikeshewantedtoshakemyhand,andIautomaticallyoffered
mine.Butinsteadoftakingmyhand,shegraspedmyforearm,whichwasweirdbut
somehowfeltright.
Hertouchwaswarmandfirm.Hersmileblazedwithwelcome.Shewas
amazingandawe-inspiring.Actually,shewaswhatallvampyresare,morethan
human—stronger,smarter,moretalented.Shelookedlikesomeonehadturnedona
blazinginnerlightwithinher,whichIrealizeisdefinitelyanironicdescription
consideringthevampyrestereotypes(someofwhichIalreadyknewweretotallytrue):
Theyavoidsunlight,they'remostpowerfulatnight,theyneedtodrinkbloodto
survive(eesh!),andtheyworshipagoddesswhoisknownasNightpersonified.
"Th-thankyou.It'snicetomeetyou,"Isaid,tryingreallyhardtosoundatleast
semi-intelligentandnormal.
"AsIwastellingyourgrandmotherearlier,wehaveneverhadafledgling
cometousinsuchanunusualmannerbefore—unconsciousandwithacompleted
Mark.Canyourememberwhathappenedtoyou,Zoey?”
IopenedmymouthtotellherthatItotallyrememberedit—fallingandhitting
myhead…seeingmyselflikeIwasafloatingspirit…followingtheweirdlyvisible
wordsintothecave…andfinallymeetingtheGoddessNyx.ButrightbeforeIsaidthe
wordsIgotaweirdfeeling,likesomeonehadjusthitmeinmystomach.Itwasclear
anditwasspecific,anditwastellingmetoshutup.
"I—Ireallydon'tremembermuch—"Ibrokeoffandmyhandfoundthesore
spotwheremystitchespokedout."AtleastnotafterIhitmyhead.Imean,upuntil
thenIremembereverything.TheTrackerMarkedme;Itoldmyparentsandgotintoa
ginormicfightwiththem;thenIranawaytomygrandma'splace.Iwasfeelingreally
sick,sowhenIclimbedthepathuptothebluffs…"Irememberedtherestofit—allof
therestofit—thespiritsoftheCherokeepeople,thedancingandthecampfire.Shut
up!thefeelingscreamedatme."I—IguessIslippedbecauseIwascoughingsomuch,
andhitmyhead.ThenextthingIrememberisGrandmaRedbirdsingingandthenI
wokeuphere."Ifinishedinarush.Iwantedtolookawayfromthesharpnessofher
green-eyedgaze,butthesamefeelingthatwasorderingmetobequietwasalso
clearlytellingmethatIhadtokeepeyecontactwithher,thatIhadtotryreallyhardto
looklikeIwasn'thidinganything,eventhoughIdidn'treallyhaveacluewhyIwas
hidinganything.
"It'snormaltoexperiencememorylosswithaheadwound."Grandmasaid
matter-of-factly,breakingthesilence.
Icouldhavekissedher.
"Yes,ofcourseitis,"Neferetsaidquickly,herfacelosingitssharpness."Do
notfearforyourgranddaughter'shealth,SylviaRedbird.Allwillbewellwithher.”
ShespoketoGrandmarespectfully,andsomeofthetensionthathadbeen
buildinginsidemeloosened.IfshelikedGrandmaRedbird,shehadtobeanokay
person,orvampyreorwhatever.Right?
"AsI'msureyoualreadyknow,vampyres"—Neferetpausedandsmiledat
me—"evenfledglingvampyres,haveunusualpowersofrecovery.Herhealingis
proceedingsowellthatitisperfectlysafeforhertoleavetheinfirmary."Shelooked
fromGrandmatome."Zoey,wouldyouliketomeetyournewroommate?”
No.Iswallowedhardandnodded."Yes.”
"Excellent!"Neferetsaid.ThankfullysheignoredthefactthatIwasstanding
therelikeasmilingstupidgardengnome.
"Areyousureyoushouldn'tkeepherhereanotherdayforobservation?"
Grandmaasked.
"Iunderstandyourconcern,butIassureyouZoey'sphysicalwoundsare
alreadyhealingatapaceyouwouldfindextraordinary.”
ShesmiledatmeagainandeventhoughIwasscaredandnervousandjust
plainfreakedoutIsmiledbackather.ItseemedlikeshewasgenuinelyhappythatI
wasthere.And,truthfully,shemademethinkturningintoavampyremightnotbe
suchabadthing.
"Grandma,I'mfine.Really.Myheadjusthurtsalittle,andtherestofmefeels
waybetter."IrealizedasIsaiditthatitwastrue.I'dcompletelystoppedcoughing.My
musclesdidn'tacheanymore.Ifeltperfectlynormalexceptforalittleheadache.
ThenNeferetdidsomethingthatnotonlysurprisedme,butmademeinstantly
likeher—andbegintotrusther.ShewalkedovertoGrandmaandspokeslowlyand
carefully.
"SylviaRedbird,Igiveyoumysolemnoaththatyourgrand-daughterissafe
here.Eachfledglingispairedwithanadultmentor.
ToensuremyoathtoyouIwillbeZoey'smentor.Andnowyoumustentrust
hertomycare.”
NeferetplacedherfistoverherheartandbowedformallytoGrandma.My
grandmahesitatedforonlyamomentbeforeansweringher.
"Iwillholdyoutoyouroath,Neferet,HighPriestessofNyx."Thenshe
mimickedNeferet'sactionsbyputtingherownfistoverherheartandbowingtoher
beforeturningtomeandhuggingmehard."Callmeifyouneedme,Zoeybird.Ilove
you.”
"Iwill,Grandma.Iloveyou,too.Andthankyouforbringingmehere,"I
whispered,breathinginherfamiliarlavenderscentandtryingnottocry.
Shekissedmegentlyonmycheekandthenwithherquick,confidentstepsshe
walkedoutoftheroom,leavingmealoneforthefirsttimeinmylifewithavampyre.
"Well,Zoey,areyoureadytobeginyournewlife?”
Ilookedupatherandthoughtagainhowamazingshewas.IfIactually
Changedintoavampyre,wouldIhaveherconfidenceandpower,orwasthat
somethingonlyaHighPriestessgot?Foraninstantitflashedthoughmymindhow
awesomeitwouldbetobeaHighPriestess—andthenmysanityreturned.Iwasjusta
kid.Aconfusedkidatthat,anddefinitelynotHighPriestessmaterial.Ijustwantto
figureouthowtofitinhere,butNeferethadcertainlymadewhatwashappeningto
meseemeasiertobear.
"Yes,Iam.”IwasgladIsoundedmoreconfidentthanIfelt.
CHAPTERSEVEN
"Whattimeisit?”
Wewerewalkingdownanarrowhallthatcurvedgently.Thewallsweremade
ofanoddmixtureofdarkstoneandjuttingbrick.Everysooftenflickeringgaslights
thathungfromold-fashioned-lookingblackironsconcesstuckoutofthewall,giving
offasoftyellowglowthatwas,thankfully,reallyeasyonmyeyes.Therewereno
windowsinthehall,andwedidn'tmeetanyoneelse(eventhoughIkeptpeeking
nervouslyaround,imaginingmyfirstglimpseofvampyrekids).
"ItisnearlyfourA.M.,whichmeansclasseshavebeenoutforalmostan
hour,”Neferetsaid,andthenshesmiledslightlyatwhatI'msurewasmytotally
shockedexpression.
"ClassesbeginateightP.M.,andendatthreeA.M.,"sheexplained."Teachers
areavailableuntilthreethirtyA.M.togivestudentsextrahelp.Thegymisopenuntil
dawn,theexacttimeofwhichyouwillalwaysknowassoonasyouhavecompleted
theChange.Untilthendawntimeisclearlypostedinalltheclassrooms,common
rooms,andgatheringareas,includingthedininghall,library,andgym.Nyx'sTemple
is,ofcourse,openatallhours,butformalritualsareheldtwiceaweekrightafter
school.Thenextritualwillbetomorrow.”Neferetglancedatmeandherslightsmile
warmed."Itseemsoverwhelmingnow,butyou'llcatchonquickly.Andyour
roommatewillhelpyou,aswillI.”
Iwasjustgettingreadytoopenmymouthtoaskheranotherquestionwhenan
orangeballoffurranintothehallandwithoutasound,hurleditselfintoNeferet's
arms.Ijumpedandmadeastupidlittlesqueesound—thenIfeltlikeatotalretard
whenIsawthattheorangeballoffurwasnotaflyingboogiemanorwhatever,buta
massivelybigcat.
Neferetlaughedandscratchedthefurball'sears."Zoey,meetSkylar.He's
usuallyprowlingaroundherewaitingtolaunchhimselfatme.”
"That'sthebiggestcatI'veeverseen,"Isaid,reachingmyhandouttolethim
sniffme.
"Careful,he'saknownbiter.”
BeforeIcouldjerkmyhandoutoftheway,Skylarstartedrubbinghisfaceon
myfingers.Iheldmybreath.
Neferettiltedherheadtotheside,asifshewaslisteningtowordsinthewind.
"Helikesyou,whichisdefinitelyunusual.Hedoesn'tlikeanyoneexceptme.Heeven
keepstheothercatsawayfromthisendofcampus.He'sreallyaterriblebully,"she
saidfondly.
IcarefullyscratchedSkylar'searslikeNeferethadbeendoing."Ilikecats,"I
saidsoftly."Iusedtohaveone,butwhenmymomgotremarriedIhadtogiveitto
StreetCatstobeadopted.John,hernewhusband,doesn'tlikecats.”
"I'vefoundthatthewayapersonfeelsaboutcats—andthewaytheyfeelabout
himorherinreturn—isusuallyanexcellentgaugebywhichtomeasureaperson's
character.”
Ilookedupfromthecattomeethergreeneyesandsawthatsheunderstooda
lotmoreaboutfreakyfamilyissuesthanshewassaying.Itmademefeelconnectedto
her,andautomaticallymystresslevelrelaxedalittle."Aretherealotofcatshere?”
"Yes,thereare.Catshavealwaysbeencloselyalliedwithvampyres.”
Okay,actuallyIalreadyknewthat.InWorldHistorywithMr.Shaddox(better
knownasPuffShaddy,butdon'ttellhim)welearnedthatinthepastcatshadbeen
slaughteredbecauseitwasthoughtthattheysomehowturnedpeopleintovampyres.
Yeah,okay,talkaboutridiculous.Moreevidenceofthestupidityofhumans…the
thoughtpoppedintomymind,shockingmebyhoweasilyI'dalreadystartedthinking
of"normal"peopleas"humans,"andthereforesomethingdifferentthanme.
"DoyouthinkIcouldhaveacat?"Iasked.
"Ifonechoosesyou,youwillbelongtohimorher.”
"Choosesme?”
NeferetsmiledandstrokedSkylar,whoclosedhiseyesandpurredloudly.
"Catschooseus;wedon'townthem.”Asiftodemonstratewhatshesaidwastrue,
Skylarjumpedoutofherarmsand,withastuck-upflickofhistail,disappeareddown
thehall.
Neferetlaughed."He'sreallyawful,butIdoadorehim.IthinkIwould,even
wereitnotpartofmygiftfromNyx.”
"Gift?SkylarisagiftfromtheGoddess?”
"Yes,inaway.EveryHighPriestessisgivenanaffinity—whatyouwould
probablythinkofasspecialpowers—bytheGoddess.It'spartofthewayweidentify
ourHighPriestesses.Theaffinitiescanbeunusualcognitiveskills,likereadingminds
orhavingvisionsandbeingabletopredictthefuture.Ortheaffinitycanbefor
somethinginthephysicalrealm,likeaspecialconnectiontooneofthefourelements,
ortoanimals.IhavetwoGoddessgifts.Mymainaffinityisforcats;Ihavea
connectionwiththemthatisunusual,evenforavampyre.Nyxhasalsogivenme
unusualpowersofhealing."Shesmiled."WhichiswhyIknowyou'rehealingwell—
mygifttoldme.”
"Wow,that'samazing,"wasallIcouldthinktosay.Myheadwasalready
reelingfromtheeventsofthepastday.
"Comeon.Let'sgetyoutoyourroom.I'msureyou'rehungryandtired.Dinner
willstartin"—Neferetcockedherheadtothesideasifsomeonewasweirdly
whisperingthetimetoher—"anhour.”Shegavemeaknowingsmile."Vampyres
alwaysknowwhattimeitis.”
"That'scool,too.”
"That,mydearfledgling,isjustthetipofthe'cool'iceberg.”
Ihopedheranalogydidn'thaveanythingtodowithTitanic-sizeddisasters.As
wecontinuedwalkingdownthehallIthoughtabouttimeandstuff,andremembered
thequestionIhadstartedtoaskwhenSkylarhadinterruptedmyeasilyderailedtrain
ofthought.
"So,wait.Yousaidthatclassesstartateight?Atnight?"Okay,I'musuallynot
thisslow,butsomeofthiswaslikeshewasspeakingaforeignlanguagetome.Iwas
havingahardtimegettingit.
"Onceyoutakeamomenttothinkaboutityou'llunderstandthathaving
classesatnightisonlylogical.Ofcourseyoumustknowthatvampyres,adultor
fledgling,don'texplode,oranyothersuchfictionalnonsense,ifsubjectedtodirect
sunlight,butitisuncomfortableforus.Wasn'tthesunlightalreadydifficultforyouto
beartoday?”
Inodded."MyMauiJimsdidn'tevenhelpmuch."ThenIaddedquickly,
feelingmoronicagain,"Uh,MauiJimsaresunglasses.”
"Yes,Zoey,"Neferetsaidpatiently."Iknowsunglasses.Verywell,actually.”
"Oh,God,I'msorryI—"Ibrokeoff,wonderingwhetheritwasokayformeto
say"God."WoulditoffendNeferet,aHighPriestesswhoworeherGoddessMarkso
proudly?Hell,woulditoffendNyx?Oh,God.Whataboutsaying"hell"?Itwasmy
favoritecusswordever.(Okay,itwasreallytheonlycusswordIusedregularly.)
CouldIstillsayit?ThePeopleofFaithpreachedthatvampyresworshipedafalse
goddessandthattheyweremostlyselfish,darkcreatureswhocaredaboutnothing
exceptmoneyandluxuryanddrinkingbloodandtheywereallcertainlygoingstraight
tohell,sowouldn'tthatmeanthatIshouldwatchhowandwhereIused…
"Zoey.”
IlookeduptofindNeferetstudyingmewithaconcernedexpressionand
realizedthatshehadprobablybeentryingtogetmyattentionwhileIhadbeen
babblinginsidemyhead.
"I'msorry,”Irepeated.
Neferetstopped.SheputherhandsonmyshouldersandturnedmesothatI
hadtofaceher.
"Zoey,quitapologizing.Andremember,everyoneherehasbeenwhereyou
are.Thiswasnewtoallofusonce.Weknowwhatitfeelslike—thefearofthe
Change—theshockatyourlifebeingturnedintosomethingforeign.”
"Andnotbeingabletocontrolanyofit,"Iaddedquietly.
"That,too.Itwon'talwaysbethisbad.Whenyou'reamaturevampyreyour
lifewillseemyourownagain.You'llmakeyourownchoices;goyourownway;
followthepathdownwhichyourheartandsoulandtalentsleadyou.”
"IfIbecomeamaturevampyre.”
"Youwill,Zoey.”
"Howcanyoubesosure?”
Neferet'seyesfoundthedarkenedMarkonmyforehead."Nyxhaschosenyou.
Forwhat,wedonotknow.ButherMarkhasbeenclearlyplaceduponyou.Shewould
nothavetouchedyouonlytoseeyoufail.”
IrememberedtheGoddess'swords,ZoeyRedbird,DaughterofNight,Iname
youmyeyesandearsintheworldtoday,aworldwheregoodandevilarestruggling
tofindbalance,andlookedquicklyawayfromNeferet'ssharpgaze,wishing
desperatelythatIknewwhymygutwasstilltellingmetokeepmymouthshutabout
mymeetingwiththeGoddess.
"It's—it'sjustalottohappenallinoneday.”
"Itcertainlyis,especiallyonanemptystomach.”
Wehadstartedwalkingagainwhenthesoundofaringingcellphonemademe
jump.Neferetsighedandsmiledapologeticallyatme,thenshefishedasmallphone
outofherpocket.
"Neferet,"shesaid.ShelistenedforalittlewhileandIsawherforehead
wrinkle,andhereyesnarrow."No,youwererighttocallme.I'llcomebackandcheck
onher."Andsheflippedthephoneshut."I'msorry,Zoey.Oneofthefledglingsbroke
herlegearliertoday.Itseemsshe'shavingtroubleresting,andIshouldgobackandbe
surealliswellwithher.Whydon'tyoufollowthishallwayaroundtotheleftuntilyou
cometothemaindoor?Youcan'tmissit—it'slargeandmadeofveryoldwood.
Rightoutsideisastonebench.Youcanwaitthereforme.Iwon'tbelong.”
"Okay,noproblem."ButbeforeI'dfinishedspeakingNeferethadalready
disappearedbackdownthewindinghallway.Isighed.Ididn'tliketheideaofbeingby
myselfinaplacethatwasfullofvampyresandvampyrekids.AndnowthatNeferet
wasgonethelittleflickeringlightsdidn'tseemsowelcoming.Theyseemedweird,
throwingghostlyshadowsagainsttheoldstonehall.
Determinednottofreakmyselfout,Istartedslowlydownthehallinthe
directionwehadbeenheading.PrettysoonIalmostwishedI'drunintosomeother
people(eveniftheywerevampyres).Itwastooquiet.Andcreepy.Acoupleoftimes
thehallbranchedofftotheright,butlikeNeferethadtoldme,Ikepttotheleft.
Actually,Ialsokeptmyeyestotheleftbecausethoseotherhallshadhardlyanylights
inthem.
Unfortunatelyatthenextright-handturnoffthehallIdidn'tavertmyeyes.
Okay,sothereasonmadesense.Iheardsomething.
Tobemorespecific,Iheardalaugh.Itwasasoft,girlylaughthatforsome
reasonmadethehaironthebackofmyneckstandup.Italsomademestopwalking.I
peekeddownthehallandthoughtIsawmovementintheshadows.
Zoey…Mynamewaswhisperedfromtheshadows.
Iblinkedinsurprise.HadIreallyheardmynameorwasIimaginingthings?
Thevoicewasalmostfamiliar.CoulditbeNyxagain?WastheGoddesscallingmy
name?AlmostasafraidasIwasintrigued,Iheldmybreathandtookafewstepsinto
thesidehallway.
AsIwalkedaroundthegentlebendIsawsomethingaheadofmethatmade
mestopandautomaticallymoveclosertothewall.Inalittlealcovenotfarfromme
weretwopeople.AtfirstIcouldn'tmakemymindprocesswhatIwasseeing;thenin
arushIunderstood.
Ishouldhavegottenoutoftherethen.Ishouldhavebackedsilentlyawayand
triednottothinkaboutwhatI'dseen.ButIdidn'tdoanyofthosethings.Itwaslike
myfeetweresuddenlysoheavyIcouldn'tpickthemup.AllIcoulddowaswatch.
Theman—andthenwithalittlejoltofadditionalshockIrealizedthathe
wasn'taman,hewasateenager—notmorethanayearorsoolderthanme.Hewas
standingwithhisbackpressedagainstthestoneofthealcove.Hisheadwastilted
backandhewasbreathinghard.Hisfacewasintheshadows,buteventhoughhewas
onlypartiallyvisibleIcouldseethathewashandsome.Thenanotherbreathylittle
laughdrewmyeyesdownward.
Shewasonherkneesinfrontofhim.AllIcouldseeofherwasherblondhair.
Therewassomuchofitthatitlookedlikeshewaswearingitassomekindofancient
veil.Thenherhandsmovedup,runningalongtheguy'sthighs.
Go!mymindscreamedatme.Getoutofthere!Istartedtotakeastepback,
andthenhisvoicemademefreeze.
"Stop!”
MyeyesgothugebecauseforasecondIthoughthewastalkingtome.
"Youdon'treallywantmeto.”
Ifeltalmostdizzywithreliefwhenshespoke.Hewastalkingtoher,notme.
Theydidn'tevenknowIwasthere.
"Yes,Ido.”Itsoundedasifhewasgrindinghiswordsfrombetweenhisteeth.
"Getoffyourknees.”
"Youlikeit—youknowyoulikeit.Justlikeyouknowyoustillwantme.”
Hervoicewasallhuskyandtryingtobesexy,butIcouldalsohearthewhine
init.Shesoundedalmostdesperate.Iwatchedherfingersmove,andmyeyeswidened
inamazementwhenshedrewthenailofherindexfingerdownhisthigh.
Unbelievably,herfingernailslashedthroughhisjeans,justlikeitwasaknife,anda
lineoffreshbloodappeared,startlinginitsliquidredness.
Ididn'twantitto,anditgrossedmeout,butatthesightofthebloodmy
mouthstartedwatering.
"No!"Hesnapped,puttinghishandsonhershouldersandtryingtopushher
awayfromhim.
"Oh,quitpretending?"shelaughedagain,amean,sarcasticsound."Youknow
we'llalwaysbetogether.”Shereachedupwithhertongueandlickedalongthelineof
blood.
Ishuddered;againstmywillIwascompletelymesmerized.
"Cutitout!"Hewasstillpushingathershoulders."Idon'twanttohurtyou,
butyou'rereallystartingtopissmeoff.Whycan'tyouunderstand?We'renotdoing
thisanymore.Idon'twantyou.”
"Youwantme!You'llalwayswantme!"Sheunzippedhispants.
Ishouldn'tbethere.Ishouldn'tbeseeingthis.Itoremyeyesfromhisbloody
thighandtookonestepback.
Theguy'seyeslifted.Hesawme.
Andthensomethingtrulybizarrehappened.Icouldfeelhistouchthroughour
eyes.Icouldn'tlookawayfromhim.Thegirlinfrontofhimseemedtodisappear,and
alltherewasinthehallwaywashimandmeandthesweet,beautifulsmellofhis
blood.
"Youdon'twantme?That'snothowitlooksnow,"shesaidwithanastypurr
inhervoice.
Ifeltmyheadbegintoshakebackandforth,backandforth.Atthesame
momenthecried"No!"andtriedtopushheroutofthewaysothathecouldmove
towardme.
Irippedmyeyesawayfromhisandstumbledback.
"No!"hesaidagain.ThistimeIknewhewasspeakingtomeandnother.She
musthaverealizedit,too,becausewithacrythatsoundeduncomfortablylikethe
snarlofawildanimal,shestartedtowhirlaround.Mybodyunfroze.Atthesame
instantIturnedandranbackdownthehall.
Iexpectedthemtocomeafterme,soIkeptrunninguntilIreachedthehuge
olddoorsNeferethaddescribed.ThenIstoodthere,leaningagainsttheircoldwood,
tryingtogetmybreathingundercontrolsoIcouldlistenforthesoundsofrunning
feet.
WhatwouldIdoiftheydidchasemedown?Myheadwaspoundingpainfully
again,andIfeltweakandtotallyscared.Andcompletely,utterlygrossedout.
Yes,Iwasawareofthewholeoralsexthing.Idoubtifthere'sateenageralive
inAmericatodaywhoisn'tawarethatmostoftheadultpublicthinkwe'regivingguys
blowjobsliketheyusedtogiveguysgum(ormaybemoreappropriatelysuckers).
Okay,that'sjustbullshit,andit'salwaysmadememad.Ofcoursetherearegirlswho
thinkit's"cool"togiveguyshead.Uh,they'rewrong.Thoseofuswithfunctioning
brainsknowthatitisnotcooltobeusedlikethat.
Okay,soIknewaboutthewholeblowjobissue.I'ddefinitelyneverseenone.
So,whatIhadjustseenhaddefinitelyfreakedmeout.Butwhathadfreakedmeout
morethanthefactthattheblondewasdoingthenastytohimwasthewayI'd
respondedtoseeingtheguy'sblood.
I'dwantedtolickit,too.
Andthat'sjustnotnormal.
Thenthere'sthewholeissueaboutmesharingthatweirdlookwithhim.What
hadthatbeenallabout?
"Zoey,areyouallright?”
"Hell!"Igaspedandjumped.Neferetwasstandingbehindmelookingatme
withtotalconfusion.
"Areyoufeelingill?”
"I—I…"Mymindflailedabout.NowaycouldItellherwhatI'djustseen.
"Myheadjustreallyhurts,"Ifinallymanagedtosay.Anditwastrue.Ihadakiller
headache.
Herfrownwasfullofconcern."Letmehelpyou."Neferetplacedherhand
lightlyoverthelineofstitchesonmyforehead.SheclosedhereyesandIcouldhear
herwhisperingsomethinginalanguageIcouldnotunderstand.Thenherhandstarted
tofeelwarmanditwasasifthewarmthbecameliquidandmyskinabsorbedit.I
closedmyeyesandsighedinreliefasthepaininmyheadbegantofade.
"Better?”
"Yes,"Ibarelywhispered.
ShetookherhandawayandIopenedmyeyes."Thatshouldkeepthepain
away.Idon'tknowwhyitsuddenlycamebackwithsuchforce.”
"Me,neither,butit'sgonenow,"Isaidquickly.
ShestudiedmesilentlyforalittlewhilemorewhileIheldmybreath.Then
shesaid,"Anythingupsetyou?”
Iswallowed."I'malittlescaredaboutmeetingmynewroommate."Which
technicallywasn'talie.Itwasn'twhathadupsetme,butIwasscaredaboutit.
Neferet'ssmilewaskind."Allwillbewell,Zoey.Nowletmeintroduceyouto
yournewlife.”
Neferetopenedthethickwoodendoorandwewalkedoutintoalarge
courtyardthatfrontedtheschool.Shesteppedasideandletmegawk.Teenagers
wearinguniformsthatsomehowlookedcoolanduniquewhilestillbeingsimilar
walkedinsmallgroupsacrossthecourtyardandalongthesidewalk.Icouldhearthe
deceptivelynormalsoundoftheirvoicesastheylaughedandtalked.Ikeptstaring
fromthemtotheschool,notsurewhichtogawkatfirst.Ichosetheschool.Itwasthe
lessintimidatingofthetwo(andIwasscaredI'dseehim).Theplacewaslike
somethingoutofacreepydream.Itwasthemiddleofthenight,anditshouldhave
beendeeplydark,buttherewasabrilliantmoonshiningabovethehugeoldoaksthat
shadedeverything.Freestandinggaslightshousedintarnishedcopperfixtures
followedthesidewalkthatranparalleltothehugeredbrickandblackrockbuilding.
Itwasthreestoriestallandhadaweirdlyhighroofthatpointedupandthenflattened
offatthetop.Icouldseethatheavydrapeshadbeenopenedandsoftyellowlights
madeshadowsdanceupanddowntherooms,givingtheentirestructureanaliveand
welcominglook.Aroundtowerwasattachedtothefrontofthemainbuilding,
furtheringtheillusionthattheplacewasmuchmorecastle-likethanschool-like.I
swear,amoatwouldhavelookedmorelikeitbelongedtherethanasidewalkringed
bythickazaleabushesandaneatlawn.
Acrossfromthemainbuildingwasasmalleronethatlookedolderand
church-like.BehinditandtheoldoaksthatshadedtheschoolyardIcouldseethe
shadowoftheenormousstonewallthatsurroundedtheentireschool.Infrontofthe
churchbuildingwasamarblestatueofawomanwhowaswearinglong,flowing
robes.
"Nyx!"Iblurted.
Neferetliftedoneeyebrowinsurprise."Yes,Zoey.Thatisastatueofthe
Goddess,andthebuildingbehinditishertemple."Shemotionedformetowalkwith
herdownthesidewalkandgesturedexpansivelyattheimpressivecampusthat
stretchedbeforeus."WhatisknowntodayastheHouseofNightwasbuiltintheneo-
French-Normanstyle,withstonesimportedfromEurope.Itoriginatedinthemid-
192osasanAugustinemonasteryforthePeopleofFaith.Eventuallyitwasconverted
intoCasciaHall,aprivatepreparatoryschoolforaffluenthumanteenagers.Whenwe
decidedthatwemustopenaschoolofourowninthispartofthecountry,webought
itfromCasciaHallfiveyearsago.”
Ionlyvaguelyrecalledthedayswhenithadbeenastuck-upprivateschool—
actuallytheonlyreasonI'deverthoughtaboutitatallwasthatIrememberedhearing
thenewsthatawholeherdofkidswhowenttoCasciaHallhadbeenbustedfordrugs,
andhowshockedtheadultshadbeen.Whatever.Nooneelsehadbeenshockedthat
thoserichkidsweremajorlyintodrugs.
"I'msurprisedtheysoldittoyouguys,”Isaidabsently.
Herlaughwaslowandalittledangerous."Theydidn'twantto,butwemade
theirarrogantheadmasteranofferevenhecouldn'trefuse.”
Iwantedtoaskherwhatshemeant,butherlaughgavemeaskin-crawly
feeling.And,plus,Iwasbusy.Icouldn'tstopstaring.OkaythefirstthingInoticed
wasthateveryonewhohadasolidvampyretattoowasincrediblygood-looking.I
mean,itwastotallyinsane.Yes,Iknewthatvampyreswereattractive.Everyoneknew
that.Themostsuccessfulactorsandactressesintheworldwerevampyres.Theywere
alsodancersandmusicians,authorsandsingers.Vampyresdominatedthearts,which
isonereasontheyhadsomuchmoney—andalsoonereason(ofmany)thatthePeople
ofFaithconsideredthemselfishandimmoral.Butreally,they'rejustjealousthat
they'renotasgood-looking.ThePeopleofFaithwouldgoseetheirmovies,plays,
concerts,buytheirbooksandtheirart,butatthesametimethey'dtalkaboutthemand
lookdownatthem,andGodknowsthey'dnever,evermixwiththem.Hello—canyou
sayhypocrites?
Anyway,beingsurroundedbysomanytotallygorgeouspeoplemademewant
tocrawlunderabench,eventhoughmanyofthemgreetedNeferetandthensmiled
andsaidhellotome,too.BetweenhesitantlyreturningtheirhellosIsnucklooksatthe
kidswhowalkedbyus.EachofthemnoddedrespectfullytoNeferet.Severalofthem
bowedformallytoherandcrossedtheirfistsovertheirhearts,whichmadeNeferet
smileandbowslightlyinresponse.Okay,thekidsweren'tasgorgeousastheadults.
Sure,theywerenice-looking—interestingactually,withtheircrescentmoonoutlines,
andtheiruniformsthatlookedmorelikerunwaydesignsthanschoolclothes—but
theydidn'thavetheglossy,inhumanlyattractivelightthatradiatedfrominsideeachof
theadultvampyres.Uh,Ididnoticethat,asIhadsuspected,theiruniformshadalot
ofbasicblackinthem(you'dthinkthatagroupofpeoplesoupontheartswould
recognizeaclichéwhenonegoeswalkingbyinboringGothblack.I'mjustsaying…).
ButIsupposeifIwasgoingtobehonestI'dhavetoadmititlookedgoodonthem—
theblackmixedwithtinyplaidlinesofdeeppurple,darkblue,andemeraldgreen.
Eachuniformhadanornatedesignembroideredingoldorsilveroneitheritsjacket
breastpocketorblousepocket.Icouldtellthatsomeofthedesignswerethesame,but
Icouldn'tseeexactlywhattheywere.Also,therewasaweirdlylargeamountofkids
withlonghair.Seriously,thegirlshadlonghair,theguyshadlonghair,theteachers
hadlonghair,eventhecatsthatwanderedacrossthesidewalkfromtimetotimewere
long-hairedballsoffur.Odd.GoodthingI'dtalkedmyselfoutofgettingmyhaircut
inthatshortduckbuttstyleKaylahadcuthersoffinlastweek.
Ialsonoticedthattheadultsandthekidshadoneotherthingincommon—
theireyesalllingeredwithobviouscuriosityonmyMark.Great.SoIwasbeginning
mynewlifeasananomaly,whichfiguredaboutasmuchasitsucked.
CHAPTEREIGHT
ThepartoftheHouseofNightthatheldthedormswaswayacrosscampus,so
wehadafairlylongwalk,andNeferetseemedtobewalkingslowlyonpurpose,
givingmeplentyoftimetoaskquestionsandgawk.NotthatIminded.Walkingthe
lengthofthesprawlingcastle-likeclusterofbuildings,withNeferetpointingoutlittle
detailsaboutwhatwaswhat,gavemeasenseoftheplace.Itwasweird,butinagood
way.Plus,walkingfeltnormal.Actually,asoddasitsounds,Ifeltlikemyselfagain.I
wasn'tcoughing.Mybodydidn'tache.Myheadevenhadstoppedhurting.Iwas
absolutely,totallynotthinkingaboutthedisturbingsceneI'daccidentallywitnessed.I
wasforgettingit—onpurpose.ThelastthingIneededwastohavemoretodealwith
thananewlifeandaweirdMark.So,blowjob—forgotten.
DeeplyindenialItoldmyselfthatifIhadn'tbeenwalkingthroughaschool
campusatanungodlyhourofthenightbesideavampyreIalmostcouldpretendthatI
wasthesametodayasIhadbeenyesterday.Almost.
Well,okay.Maybenotevenalmost,butmyheaddidfeelbetter,andIwasjust
aboutreadytofacemyroommatewhenNeferetfinallyopenedthedoortothegirl's
dorm.
Insidewasasurprise.I'mnotsurewhatIexpected—maybeeverythingtobe
allblackandcreepy.Butitwasnice,decoratedinsoftblueandantiqueyellow,with
comfycouchesandclumpsofpuffypillowsbigenoughtositondottingtheroomlike
giantpastelM&Ms.Thesoftgaslightcomingfromseveralantiquecrystalchandeliers
madetheplacelooklikeaprincess'scastle.Onthecream-coloredwallstherewere
largeoilpaintings,allofthemofancientwomenwholookedexoticandpowerful.
Fresh-cutflowers,mostlyroses,satincrystalvasesonendtablesthatwerecluttered
withbooksandpursesandfairlynormal-lookingteenagegirlstuff.Isawseveralflat
screenTVs,andrecognizedthesoundsofMTV'sRealWorldcomingfromoneof
them.Itookinallofthisfast,whileItriedtosmileandappearfriendlytothegirls
whohadshutuptheinstantIwalkedintheroomandwerenowstaringatme.Well,
scratchthat.Theyweren'texactlystaringatme.TheywerestaringattheMarkonmy
forehead.
"Ladies,thisisZoeyRedbird.GreetherandwelcomehertotheHouseof
Night.”
ForasecondIdidn'tthinkanyonewasgoingtosayanything,andIwantedto
dieofnew-kidmortification.Thenagirlstoodupfromamongthemiddleofagroup
thatwasclusteredaroundoneoftheTVs.Shewasatinyblondeanddarnnearperfect.
Actually,sheremindedmeofayoungversionofSarahJessicaParker(whoIdon't
like,bytheby—she'sjustso…so…annoyingandunnaturallyperky).
"HiZoey.Welcometoyournewhome."TheSJPlook-alike'ssmilewaswarm
andgenuine,andshewasclearlymakinganefforttomakeeyecontactinsteadof
gawkatmydarkened-inMark.InstantlyIfeltbadformakinganegativecomparison
abouther."I'mAphrodite,"shesaid.
Aphrodite?Okay,maybeIhadn'tbeentoohastyinmycomparison.How
couldanyonenormalchooseAphroditeashername?Please.Talkaboutdelusionsof
grandeur.Iplasteredasmileonmyface,though,andsaidabright,"HiAphrodite!”
"Neferet,wouldyoulikemetoshowZoeytoherroom?”
Neferethesitated,whichfeltreallyodd.Insteadofansweringrightawayshe
juststoodthereandlockedeyeswithAphrodite.Then,justasquicklyasthesilent
stare-downhadstarted,Neferet'sfacebrokeintoawidesmile.
"Thankyou,Aphrodite,thatwouldbelovely.IamZoey'smentor,butI'msure
shewouldfeelmuchmorewelcomedifsomeoneherownageshowedherthewayto
herroom.”
WasthatangerIsawflashthroughAphrodite'seyes?No,Imusthave
imaginedit—oratleastIwouldhavebelievedI'dimagineditifthatweirdnewgut
feelingofminehadn'ttoldmeotherwise.AndIdidn'tneedmynewintuitiontoclue
meinthatsomethingwaswrong,becauseAphroditelaughed—andIrecognizedthe
soundofit.
FeelinglikesomeonehadpunchedmeinthegutIrealizedthatthisgirl—
Aphrodite—hadbeentheoneI'djustwatchedwiththeguyinthehall!
Aphrodite'slaugh,followedbyherperky,"OfcourseI'dbehappytoshowher
around!YouknowI'malwaysgladtohelpyou,Neferet,"wasasfakeandcoldas
PamelaAnderson'shumongouslyhugeboobs,butNeferetjustnoddedinresponseand
thenturnedtofaceme.
"I'llleaveyounow,Zoey,"Neferetsaid,squeezingmyshoulder."Aphrodite
willtakeyoutoyourroom,andyournewroommatecanhelpyougetreadyfordinner.
I'llseeyouinthediningroom.”Shesmiledherwarm,mom-smileatme,andIhadthe
ridiculouslychildishurgetohugherandbeghernottoleavemealonewith
Aphrodite."You'llbefine,"shesaid,asifshecouldreadmymind."You'llsee,
Zoeybird.Allwillbewell,"shewhispered,soundingsomuchlikemygrandmathatI
hadtoblinkhardnottocry.Thenshenoddedaquickgood-byetoAphroditeandthe
othergirls,andleftthedorm.
Thedoorclosedwithamuffled,deadsound.Oh,hell…Ijustwantedtogo
home!
"Comeon,Zoey.Theroomsarethisway,"Aphroditesaid.Shemotionedfor
metocomewithherupthewidestairsthatcurvedtoourright.Aswewalkedupstairs
Itriedtoignorethebuzzofvoicesthatinstantlyeruptedbehindus.
Neitherofusspoke,andIfeltsouncomfortablethatIwantedtoscream.Had
sheseenmebackthereinthehall?Well,Isureashellwasn'tgoingtomentionit.
Ever.AsfarasIwasconcerneditneverhappened.
Iclearedmythroatandsaid,"Thedormseemsnice.Imean,it'sreallypretty.”
Shecuthereyessidewaysatme."It'sbetterthanniceorreallyprettyhere;it's
amazing.”
"Oh.Well.That'sgoodtohear.”
Shelaughed.Thesoundwastotallyunpleasant—almostasneer—andit
crawledupthebackofmynecklikeithadwhenI'dfirstheardit.
"It'samazingheremostlybecauseofme.”
Iglancedather,thinkingthatshemustbekidding,andmethercoldblueeyes.
"Yeah,youheardmeright.ThisplaceiscoolbecauseI'mcool.”
Oh.My.God.Whatabizarrethingforhertosay.Ididn'thaveacluehowto
respondtothatverystuck-uppieceofinfo.Imean,likeIneededthestressofafight
withsluttyMs.Thinking-She's-All-Thataddedontopofalife/species/schoolchange?
AndIstillcouldn'ttellwhethersheknewithadbeenmewatchingherinthehall.
Okay.Ijustwantedtofindawaytofitin.Iwantedtobeabletocallthisnew
schoolhome.SoIdecidedtotakethesafestroadandkeepmymouthshut.
Neitherofussaidanythingmore.Thestairsledtoalargehallwaylinedwith
doors.IheldmybreathwhenAphroditestoppedbeforeonethatwaspaintedapretty
lightpurple,butinsteadofknocking,sheturnedtofaceme.Herperfectfacesuddenly
lookedhatefulandcoldanddefinitelynotsopretty.
"Okay,here'sthedeal,Zoey.YouhavethisweirdMark,soeveryone'stalking
aboutyouandwonderingwhatthefuckisupwithyou."Sherolledhereyesand
clutchedherpearlsdramatically,changinghervoicesothatshesoundedreallysilly
andgushing."Oooh!Thenewgirlhasacolored-inMark!Whatevercouldthatmean?
Isshespecial?Doesshehavefabulouspowers?Ohmy—ohmy!"Shedroppedher
handfromherthroatandnarrowedhereyesatme.Hervoicewentasflatandmeanas
hergaze."Here'swhat'swhat.I'mithere.Thingsgomyway.Youwanttogetalong
here,thenyou'dbestrememberthat.Ifyoudon't,you'llbeinforaworldofshit.”
Okay,shewasstartingtopissmeoff."Look,"Isaid,"Ijustgothere.I'mnot
lookingfortrouble,andIhavenocontroloverwhatpeoplearesayingaboutmy
Mark.”
Hereyesnarrowed.Ah,crap.WasIgoingtohavetoactuallyfightthisgirl?I'd
neverbeeninafightinmylife!MystomachknottedupandIgotreadytoduckorrun
orwhateverwouldnotgetmebeatup.
Then,justasquicklyasshe'dgoneallscaryandhateful,herfacerelaxedintoa
smileandsheturnedbackintosweetlittleblondeagain.(NotthatIwasfooled.)
"Good.Justsoweunderstandeachother.”
Huh?Iunderstoodshe'dforgottentotakehermeds,butthatwasallI
understood.
Aphroditedidn'tgivemetimetosayanything.Withonelast,weirdlywarm
smile,sheknockedonthedoor.
"Comeonin!"calledaperkyvoicewithanOkieaccent.Aphroditeopenedthe
door.
"Hiy'all!Ohmygosh,comeonin.”Withahugegrin,mynewroomie,alsoa
blonde,rusheduplikealittlecountrifiedtornado.ButtheinstantshesawAphrodite,
hergrinslidfromherfaceandshestoppedhurryingtowardus.
"Ibroughtyournewroommatetoyou."Therewasnothingtechnicallywrong
withAphrodite'swords,buthertonewashatefulandshewasputtingonaterrible,
fakeOklahomaaccent."StevieRaeJohnson,thisisZoeyRedbird.ZoeyRedbird,this
isStevieRaeJohnson.There,nowain'tweallniceandcozylikethreelittlecornsona
cob?”
IglancedatStevieRae.Shelookedlikeaterrifiedlittlerabbit.
"Thanksforshowingmeuphere,Aphrodite.”Italkedquickly,movingtoward
Aphrodite,whoautomaticallysteppedback,whichputheroutinthehallagain."See
youaround.”Iclosedthedooronherasherlookofsurprisewasjustbeginningto
changetoanger.ThenIturnedtoStevieRae,whowasstillpale.
"What'swithher?"Iasked.
"She's…she's…,”
EventhoughIdidn'tknowheratall,IcouldtellthatStevieRaewasstruggling
withhowmuchsheshouldorshouldn'tsay.SoIdecidedtohelpher.Imean,wewere
goingtoberoommates."She'sabitch!"Isaid.
StevieRae'seyeswentround,andthenshegiggled."She'snotverynice,that's
forsure.”
"Sheneedspharmaceuticalhelp,that'sforsure,"Iadded,makingherlaugh
somemore.
"Ithinkwe'regonnagetalongjustfine,ZoeyRedbird,"shesaid,stillsmiling.
"Welcometoyournewhome!"Shesteppedasideandmadeasweepingarmgestureat
thelittleroom,likeshewasusheringmeintoapalace.
Ilookedaroundandblinked.Severaltimes.ThefirstthingIsawwasthelife-
sizedKennyChesneyposterthathungoveroneofthetwobedsandthecowboy
(cowgirl?)hatthatrestedononeofthebedsidetables—theonethatalsohadtheold-
fashioned-lookinggaslampwiththebaseshapedlikeacowboyboot.Oh,nuuh.
StevieRaewasatotalOkie!
Thensheshockedmewithabighellohug,remindingmeofacutepuppywith
hershort,curlyhairandhersmilingroundface."Zoey,I'msogladyou'refeelin'
better!IwassoworriedwhenIheardyou'dhurtyourself.I'mreallygladyou'refinally
here.”
"Thanks,"Isaid,stillstaringaroundwhatwasnowmyroom,too,feeling
totallyoverwhelmedandweirdlyontheedgeoftearsagain.
"It'skindascary,isn'tit?"StevieRaewaswatchingmewithbig,seriousblue
eyesthatwerefilledwithsympathetictears.Inodded,nottrustingmyvoice.
"Iknow.Icriedthewholefirstnight.”
Iswallowedbackmyowntearsandasked,"Howlonghaveyoubeenhere?”
"Threemonths.And,man,IwasgladwhentheytoldmeIwasgettinga
roommate!”
"YouknewIwascoming?”
Shenoddedvigorously."Oh,yeah!Neferettoldmedaybeforeyesterdaythat
theTrackerhadsensedyouandwasgoingtoMarkyou.Ithoughtyou'dbehere
yesterday,butthenIheardthatyou'dhadanaccidentandbeenbroughttotheclinic.
Whathappened?”
Ishruggedandsaid,"IwaslookingformygrandmaandIfellandhitmy
head."Iwasn'tgettingtheweirdfeelingthattoldmetokeepmymouthshut,butI
wasn'tsurehowmuchIshouldsaytoStevieRaeyet,andIwasrelievedwhenshe
noddedasthoughsheunderstoodanddidn'taskanymorequestionsaboutthe
accident—ormentionmyweirdcolored-inMark.
"YourparentsfreakedwhenyougotMarked?”
"Totally.Didn'tyours?”
"Actually,mymamawasokaywithit.Shesaidanythingthatgotmeoutof
Henriettawasagoodthing.”
"Henrietta,Oklahoma?"Iasked,gladtomovetoasubjectthatwasnotall
aboutme.
"Sadly,yes.”
StevieRaefloppeddownonthebedinfrontoftheKennyChesneyposterand
motionedformetositontheoneacrosstheroomfromher.Idid,andthenfeltalittle
joltofsurprisewhenIrealizedthatIwassittingonmycoolhot-pinkandgreenRalph
Laurencomforterfromhome.Ilookedatthelittleoakendtableandblinked.There
wasmyannoying,uglyalarmclock,nerdyglassesforwhenI'msickofwearingmy
contacts,andthepictureofGrandmaandmefromlastsummer.Andinthe
bookshelvesbehindthecomputeronmysideoftheroomIsawmyGossipGirlsand
Bubblesseriesbooks(alongwithsomeofmyotherfavorites,includingBramStoker's
Dracula—whichwasmorethanalittleironic),someCDs,mylaptop,and—ohmy
dearsweetlord—myMonstersInc.figurines.Howincrediblyembarrassing.My
backpackwassittingonthefloornexttomybed.
"Yourgrandmabroughtyourstuffuphere.She'sreallynice,"StevieRaesaid.
"She'smorethannice.She'sbraveashelltohavefacedmymomandher
stupidhusbandtogetthisstuffforme.Icanonlyimaginetheoverlydramaticscene
mymomcaused."Isighedandthenshookmyhead.
"Yeah,IguessI'mlucky.Atleastmymamawascoolaboutallofthis,"Stevie
Raepointedtotheoutlineofthecrescentmoononherforehead."Evenifmydaddy
losteverybitofhismind,mebeinghisonly'babygirl'andall.”Sheshruggedand
thengiggled."MythreebrothersthoughtitwasawesomeandwantedtoknowifI
couldhelpthemgetvampyrechicks."Sherolledhereyes."Stupidboys.”
"Stupidboys,”Iechoedandsmiledather.Ifshethoughtboyswerestupidshe
andIwouldgetalongfine.
"MostlynowI'mokaywithallofthis.Imean,theclassesareweirdbutIlike
them—especiallytheTaeKwanDoclass.Ikindaliketokickbutt."Shegrinned
mischievously,likealittleblondeelf."Iliketheuniforms,whichtotallyshockedme
atfirst.Imean,wouldanyoneexpecttolikeschooluniforms?Butwecanaddstuffto
themandmakethemunique,sotheydon'tlookliketypicalstuck-up,boringschool
uniforms.Andtherearesomeseriouslyhotguyshere—evenifboysarestupid."Her
eyessparkled."MostlyI'mjustsodarngladtobeoutofHenriettathatIdon'tmindall
theotherstuff,evenifTulsaiskindascarybecauseit'ssobig.”
"Tulsaisn'tscary,"Isaidautomatically.Unliketoomanykidsfromoursuburb
ofBrokenArrow,IactuallyknewmywayaroundTulsa,thankstowhatGrandma
likedtocall"field-tripping"withher."Youjusthavetoknowwheretogo.There'sa
greatbeadgallerywhereyoucanmakeyourownjewelrydowntownonBradyStreet,
andnextdoortothatisLola'sattheBowery—shehasthebestdessertsintown.
CherryStreetiscool,too.We'renotfarfromtherenow.Actually,we'rerightbythe
awesomePhilbrookMuseumandUticaSquare.There'ssomeexcellentshoppingthere
and—”
IsuddenlyrealizedwhatIwassaying.Didvampyrekidsgettominglewith
regularkids?Isearchedmymemory.No.I'dneverseenkidswithcrescentmoon
outlineshangingaroundthePhilbrookorUtica'sGaporBananaRepublicor
Starbucks.I'dneverseenthematthemovies.Hell!I'dneverevenseenavampyrekid
beforetoday.Sowouldtheykeepuslockeduphereforfouryears?Feelingalittle
shortofbreathandclaustrophobicIasked,"Doweevergetoutofhere?”
"Yeah,butthereareallsortsofrulesyouhavetofollow."
"Rules?Likewhat?”
"Well,youcan'twearanypartoftheschooluniform—"Shebrokeoff
suddenly."Shoot!Thatremindsme.Wehavetohurry.Dinnerisinafewminutesand
youneedtochange.”Shejumpedupandstartedtorummagethroughtheclosetthat
wasonmysideoftheroom,chatteringatmefromoverhershoulderthewholetime.
"Neferethadsomeclothesdeliveredherelastnight.Don'tworryaboutthesizesnot
beingright.Somehowtheyalwaysknowwhatsizewe'llbebeforetheyactuallysee
us—it'skindafreakyhowtheadultvampsknowwaymorethantheyshould.Anyway,
don'tbescared.IwasseriousbeforewhenIsaidtheuniformsaren'tasawfulasyou'd
thinkthey'dbe.Youreallycanaddyourownstufftothem—likeme.”
Ilookedather.Imean,reallylookedather.Shewaswearingapairofhonest-
to-GodRoperjeans.Youknow,thekindthoseag-kidswearthatarewaytootightand
havenobackpockets.Howanyonecouldthinknobackpocketsandtightnesswas
cute,I'dhonestlyneverunderstand.StevieRaewastotallyskinny,andthejeanseven
madeherbuttlookwide.IknewbeforeIlookedatthegirl'sfeetwhatshe'dbe
wearing—cowboyboots.Iglanceddownandsighed.Yep.Brownleather,flat-heeled,
pointy-tippedcowboyboots.Tuckedintohercountrifiedjeanswasablack,long-
sleevedcottonblousethathadtheexpensivelookofsomethingyou'dfindatSaksor
NeimanMarcus,versusthecheapersee-throughshirtsthatoverpricedAbercrombie
triestomakeusbelievearen'tslutty.WhensheglancedoveratmeIsawthatshehad
double-piercedearswithlittlesilverhoopsinthem.Sheturnedandheldoutinone
handablackblouseliketheoneshehadon,andapulloversweaterinanother,andI
decidedthateventhoughthecountrylookwasn'tformeshewaskindacutewithher
mixtureofhayseedandchic.
"Hereyago!Justthrowtheseonoveryourjeansandwe'llbeready.”
Theflickeringlightfromthecowboy-bootlampcaughtonastreakofsilver
embroiderythatwasonthebreastofthesweatershewasholdingout.Igotupand
tookthetwoshirts,holdingthesweaterupsoIcouldseethefrontofitbetter.The
silverembroiderywasintheshapeofaspiralthatglitteredaroundandaroundina
delicatecirclethatwouldrestovermyheart.
"It'soursign,"StevieRaesaid.
"Oursign?”
"Yeah,eachclass—heretheycallthemthirdformers,fourthformers,fifth
formers,andsixthformers—hastheirownsign.We'rethirdformers,sooursignisthe
silverlabyrinthoftheGoddessNyx.”
"Whatdoesitmean?"Iasked,moretomyselfthantoherasItracedmyfinger
aroundtheslivercircles.
"ItstandsforournewbeginningaswestartwalkingthePathofNightand
learnthewaysoftheGoddessandthepossibilitiesofournewlife.”
Ilookedupather,surprisedthatshesuddenlysoundedsoserious.Shegrinned
alittleshylyatmeandshruggedhershoulders."Itoneofthefirstthingsyoulearnin
VampyreSociology101.That'stheclassNeferetteaches,anditsurebeatstheheck
outtatheboringclassesIwastakingatHenriettaHigh,homeofthefightinghens.
Ugh.Fightinghens!Whatkindofamascotisthat?"Sheshookherheadandrolled
hereyeswhileIlaughed."Anyway,IheardNeferetisyourmentor,whichisreally
lucky.Shehardlytakesonanynewkids,andbesidesbeingHighPriestess,she'sway
thecoolestteacherhere.”
Whatshedidn'tsaywasthatI'mnotjustlucky,I'm"special"withmyweird
colored-inMark.Whichremindedme…
"StevieRae,whyhaven'tyouaskedmeaboutmyMark?Imean,Iappreciate
younotbombardingmewithahundredquestions,butallthewayuphereeveryone
whosawmestaredatmyMark.Aphroditementioneditalmostthesecondwewere
alone.Youhaven'tevenreallylookedatit.Why?”
Thenshedidfinallylookatmyforeheadbeforesheshruggedandmetmyeyes
again."You'remyroommate.Ifiguredyou'dtellmewhatwasupwithitwhenyou
wereready.OnethinggrowingupinasmalltownlikeHenriettataughtmeisthatit's
besttomindyourownbusinessifyouwantsomeonetostayyourfriend.Well,we're
gonnaberoomingtogetherforfouryears….”Shepausedandinthegapbetween
wordssatthebig,uglyunsaidtruththatwe'dberoommatesforfouryearsonlyifboth
ofussurvivedtheChange.StevieRaeswallowedhardandfinishedinarush,"Iguess
whatI'mtryingtosayisthatIwantustobefriends.”
Ismiledather.Shelookedsoyoungandhopeful—soniceandnormalandnot
atallwhatIimaginedavampyrekidwouldbe.Ifeltalittlestirringofhope.MaybeI
couldfindawaytofitinhere."Iwanttobefriends,too.”
"Yeaforthat!"Iswearshelookedlikeawrigglypuppyagain."Butcomeon!
Hurry—wedon'twanttobelate.”
Shegavemeashovetowardadoorthatsatbetweenthetwoclosetsbeforeshe
hurriedovertoamakeupmirroronhercomputerdeskandstartedbrushingather
shorthair.Iduckedinsidetofindatinybathroom,andquicklypulledoffmyBA
TigersT-shirtandputonthecottonblouseandoveritthesilkknitsweaterthatwasa
deep,prettyshadeofpurplewithlittleblackplaidlinesgoingthroughit.Iwasjust
gettingreadytogobackintotheroomtograbmybackpacksoIcouldtrytofixmy
faceandhairwiththemakeupandstuffI'dbrought,whenIglancedinthemirrorover
thesink.Myfacewasstillwhite,butithadlostthescary,unhealthypalenessithad
earlier.Myhairlookedinsane,allwildanduncombed,andIcouldfaintlyseetheslim
lineofdarkstitchesjustabovemylefttemple.Butitwasthesapphire-coloredMark
thatcaughtmyeyes.WhileIstaredatit,entrancedbyitsexoticbeauty,thebathroom
lightcaughtthesilverlabyrinthembroideredovermyheart.Idecidedthatthetwo
symbolssomehowmatched,eventhoughtheyweredifferentshapes…different
colors…
ButdidImatchthem?AnddidImatchthisstrangenewworld?
Isqueezedmyeyesshuttightlyandhopeddesperatelythatwhateverwewere
eatingfordinner(oh,pleaselettherenotbeanyblood-drinkinginvolved)wouldn't
disagreewithmyalreadyscrewed-up,nervousstomach.
"Oh,no…"Iwhisperedtomyself,"itwouldbejustmylucktogetaraging
caseofdiarrhea.”
CHAPTERNINE
Okay,thecafeteriawascool—oops,Imean"dininghall,"asthesilverplaque
outsidetheentranceproclaimed.ItwasnothingatalllikeSIHS'sfreezingcold
monstrouscafeteriawheretheacousticsweresobadthateventhoughIsatrightnext
toKaylaIcouldn'thearwhatshewasbabblingatmehalfthetime.Thisroomwas
warmandfriendly.Thewallsweremadeofthesameweirdmixtureofjuttingbricks
andblackrockastheexteriorofthebuildingandtheroomwasfilledwithheavy
woodenpicnictablesthathadmatchingbencheswithpaddedseatsandbacks.Each
tablesataboutsixkidsandradiatedoutfromalarge,unoccupiedtablesituatedatthe
centeroftheroomthatwaspracticallyoverflowingwithfruitandcheeseandmeat,
andacrystalgobletthatwasfilledwithsomethingthatlookedsuspiciouslylikered
wine.(Huh?Wineatschool?What?)Theceilingwaslowandtherearwallwasmade
upofwindowswithaglassdoorinthecenter.Heavyburgundyvelvetdrapeswere
pulledopensothatIcouldseeoutsidetoabeautifullittlecourtyardwithstone
benches,windingpaths,andornamentalbushesandflowers.Inthemiddleofthe
courtyardwasamarblefountainwithwaterspoutingfromthetopofsomethingthat
lookedanawfullotlikeapineapple.Itwasverypretty,especiallylitupbythe
moonlightandtheoccasionalantiquegaslight.
Mostofthetableswerealreadyfilledwitheating,talkingkidswhoglancedup
withobviouscuriositywhenStevieRaeandIenteredtheroom.Itookadeepbreath
andheldmyheadhigh.MightaswellgivethemaclearviewoftheMarktheyall
seemedsoobsessedwith.StevieRaeledmetothesideoftheroomthathadthe
typicalcafeteriaservershandingoutfoodfrombehindbuffet-styleglassthingies.
"What'sthetableinthemiddleoftheroomfor?"Iaskedaswewalked.
"It'sthesymbolicofferingtotheGoddessNyx.There'salwaysaplacesetat
thattableforher.Itseemskindaweirdatfirst,butprettysoonitwon'tseemsoweird
andit'llfeelrighttoyou.”
Actually,itdidn'tseemthatweirdtome.Inaway,itmadesense.TheGoddess
wassoalivehere.HerMarkwaseverywhere.Herstatuestoodproudlyinfrontofher
Temple.Iwasalsostartingtonoticeallovertheschoollittlepicturesandfigurines
thatrepresentedher.HerHighPriestesswasmymentorand,Ihadtoadmittomyself,
IalreadyfeltconnectedtoNyx.Withaneffort,Istoppedmyselffromtouchingthe
Markonmyforehead.InsteadIgrabbedatrayandmovedbehindStevieRaeinline.
"Don'tworry,"shewhisperedtome."Thefood'srealgood.Theydon'tmake
youdrinkbloodoreatrawmeatoranythinglikethat.”
Relieved,Iunclenchedmyjaws.Mostofthekidswerealreadyeating,sothe
linewasshort,andasStevieRaeandIgotuptothefoodIfeltmymouthstartto
water.Spaghetti!Isniffeddeeply:withgarlic!
"Thatwholevampyrescan'tstandgarlicthingistotalbullshit—pardonmy
French,"StevieRaewassayingunderherbreathtomeasweloadedupourplates.
"Okay,whataboutthatwholevampyreshavetodrinkbloodthing?"I
whisperedback.
"Not,"shesaidsoftly.
"Not?”
"Notbullshit.”
Great.Wonderful.Fantastic.JustexactlywhatIwantedtohear—not.
TryingnottothinkaboutbloodandwhatnotIgotaglassofteawithStevie
Rae,andthenfollowedhertoatablewheretwootherkidswerealreadytalking
animatedlywhiletheyate.OfcoursetheconversationtotallystoppedwhenIjoined
them,whichdidn'tseemtofazeStevieRaeatall.AsIslidintotheboothoppositeher
shemadeintroductionsinherOkietwang.
"Hey,y'all.Meetmynewroommate,ZoeyRedbird.Zoey,thisisErinBates,"
shepointedtotheridiculouslyprettyblondesittingonmysideofthetable.(Well,
hell—howmanyprettyblondescouldoneschoolhave?Isn'ttheresomekindof
limit?)Stillinhermatter-of-factOkievoice,shewenton,makinglittleairquotesfor
emphasis."Erinis'theprettyone.'She'salsofunnyandsmartandhasmoreshoesthan
anyoneI'veeverknown.”
ErinpulledherblueeyesawayfromstaringatmyMarklongenoughtosaya
quick"Hi.”
"Andthisisthetokenguyinourgroup,DamienMaslin.Buthe'sgay,soI
don'treallythinkhecountsasaguy.”
InsteadofgettingpissedatStevieRae,Damienlookedsereneandunruffled.
"Actually,sinceI'mgayIthinkIshouldcountfortwoguysinsteadofjustone.I
mean,inmeyougetthemalepointofviewandyoudon'thavetoworryaboutme
wantingtotouchyourboobies.”
Hehadasmoothfacethatwastotallyzitfree,anddarkbrownhairandeyes
thatremindedmeofababydeer.Actually,hewascute.Notintheoverlygirlywayso
manyteenageguysarewhentheydecidetocomeoutandtelleveryonewhateveryone
alreadyknew(well,everyoneexcepttheirtypicallycluelessand/orin-denialparents).
Damienwasn'taswishygirly-guy;hewasjustacutekidwithalikablesmile.Hewas
alsonoticeablytryingnottostareatmyMark,whichIappreciated.
"Well,maybeyou'reright.Ihadn'treallythoughtaboutitlikethat,"StevieRae
saidthroughabigbiteofgarlicbread.
"Justignoreher,Zoey.Therestofusarealmostnormal,"Damiensaid."And
we'redesperatelygladyoufinallygothere.StevieRay'sbeendrivingeveryonecrazy
wonderingwhatyou'dbelike,whenyou'dgethere—”
"Ifyou'dbeoneofthosefreakykidswhosmellbadandthinkbeingavampyre
meansseeingwhocanbethebiggestloser,"Erininterrupted.
"Orwonderingifyou'dbeoneofthem,"Damiensaid,cuttinghiseyesata
tabletoourleft.
IfollowedhisgazeandfeltazapofnerveswhenIrecognizedwhohewas
talkingabout."YoumeanAphrodite?”
"Yeah,"Damiensaid."Andherstuck-upflockofsycophants.”Huh?Iblinked
athim.
StevieRaesighed."You'llgetusedtoDamien'svocabularyobsession.
Thankfully,thisisn'tanewwordsosomeofusactuallyknowwhathe'stalkingabout
withouthavingtobeghimforatranslation.Again.Sycophant—aservileflatterer,"
shetwangedproudlylikeshewasgivingananswerinEnglishclass.
"Whatever.Theymakemewanttoretch,"Erinsaidwithoutlookingupfrom
herspaghetti.
"They?"Iasked.
"TheDarkDaughters,"StevieRaesaid,andInoticedsheautomatically
loweredhervoice.
"Thinkofthemlikeasorority,"Damiensaid.
"Ofhagsfromhell,"Erinsaid.
"Hey,y'all,Idon'tthinkweshouldprejudiceZoeyagainstthem.Shemightget
alongokaywiththem.”
"Fuckthat.They'rehagsfromhell,"Erinsaid.
"Watchthatmouth,ErBear.Youhavetoeatoutofit,"Damiensaidalittle
primly.
IncrediblyrelievedthatnoneofthemlikedAphrodite,Iwasjustgettingready
toaskformoreofanexplanationwhenagirlrushedupand,withabighuff,slid
herselfandhertrayintotheboothbesideStevieRae.Shewasthecolorofcappuccino
(thekindyougetfromrealcoffeeshopsandnotthenasty,too-sweetstuffyouget
fromQuickTrip)andallcurvywithpoutylipsandhighcheekbonesthatmadeher
looklikeanAfricanprincess.Shealsohadsomeseriouslygoodhair.Itwasthickand
fellindark,glossywavesaroundhershoulders.Hereyesweresoblacktheylooked
liketheydidn'thaveanypupils.
"Okay,please!Justplease.Didnobody,"shestaredpointedlyatErin,"thinkto
bothertowakemethehellupandtellmethatweweregoingtodinner?”
"IdobelieveI'myourroommate,notyourmamma,"Erinsaidlazily.
"DonotmakemecutthatJessicaSimpsonlook-alikeblondhairofyoursoff
inthemiddleofthenight,"theAfricanprincesssaid.
"Actually,theconsuetudinarywaytophrasethatwouldbe'Donotmakeme
cutthatJessicaSimpsonlook-alikeblondhairofyoursoffinthemiddleoftheday.'
Technicallydayisnightforusandsonightwouldbeday.Timeisreversedhere.”
Theblackgirlnarrowedhereyesathim."Damien,youaregettingonmy
damnlastnervewhatthatvocabshit.”
"Shaunee,"StevieRaebrokeinhastily."Myroommatefinallygothere.Thisis
ZoeyRedbird.Zoey,thisisErin'sroommate,ShauneeCole.”
"Hi,"IsaidthroughamouthfulofspaghettiwhenShauneeturnedfromglaring
atErintome.
"So,Zoey,what'supwithyourMarkbeingcoloredin?You'restillafledgling,
aren'tyou?"EveryoneatthetablewasshockedsilentbyShaunee'squestion.She
lookedaround."What?Donotpretendthateverylastoneofyouisn'twonderingthe
samething.”
"Wemightbe,butwealsomightbepoliteenoughnottoask,"StevieRaesaid
firmly.
"Oh,please.Whatever.”SheshruggedoffStevieRae'sprotest."Thisistoo
importantforthat.EveryonewantstoknowaboutherMark.There'snotimetoplay
gameswhengoodgossipisinvolved."Shauneeturnedbacktome."So,what'sup
withtheweirdMark?”
Mightaswellfacethisnow.Itookaquickdrinkofteatoclearmythroat.All
fourofthemwerestaringatme,waitingimpatientlyformyanswer.
"Well,I'mstillafledgling.Idon'tthinkI'manydifferentthantherestofyou."
ThenIblurtedsomethingthatI'dbeenconsideringwhileeveryoneelsehadbeen
talking.Imean,IknewthatIwasgoingtohavetoanswerthisquestioneventually.I'm
notstupid—confused,maybe,butnotstupid—andmyguttoldmeIneededtosay
somethingbesidestherealstoryaboutmyout-of-bodyexperiencewithNyx."Idon't
actuallyknowforsurewhymyMarkisfilledin.Itwasn'tthatwaywhentheTracker
firstMarkedme.ButlaterthatdayIhadanaccident.Ifellandhitmyhead.WhenI
wokeuptheMarkwaslikeitisnow.I'vebeenthinkingaboutit,andallIcancomeup
withisthatitmusthavehappenedassomekindofreactiontomyaccident.Iwas
unconsciousandIlostalotofblood.Maybethatdidsomethingtospeedupthe
darkening-inprocess.That'smyguess,anyway.”
"Huh,"Shauneehuffed."Iwashopingit'dbesomethin'moreinteresting.
Somethinggoodandgossipy.”
"Sorry…,"Imuttered.
"Careful,Twin,"ErinsaidtoShaunee,jerkingherheadattheDarkDaughters.
"You'restartingtosoundlikeyoushouldsitoveratthattable.”
Shaunee'sfacetwisted."Iwouldn'tbecaughtundeadwiththosebitches.”
"You'reconfusingthecrapouttaZoey,"StevieRaesaid.
Damiengavealong-sufferingsigh."I'llexplain,provingonceagainhow
valuableIamtothisgroup,penisornopenis.”
"Ireallywishyouwouldn'tusetheP-word,"StevieRaesaid."Especiallywhen
I'mtryingtoeat.”
"Ilikeit,"Erinchimedin."Ifeveryonecalledthingswhattheyarewe'dallbe
alotlessconfused.Forinstance,youknowwhenIhavetogotothebathroomIstate
theobvious—Ihaveurinethatneedstocomeoutofmyurethra.Simple.Easy.Clear.”
"Disgusting.Gross.Crude,"StevieRaesaid.
"I'mwithyou,Twin,"Shauneesaid."Imean,ifwetalkedplainlyaboutthings
likeurinationandmenstruationandsuch,lifewouldbemuchsimpler.”
"Okay.Enoughwiththemenstruationtalkwhilewe'reeatingspaghetti."
Damienheldupahandlikehecouldphysicallystoptheconversation."Imaybegay,
butthere'sonlysomuchevenIcanhandle.”Heleanedtowardmeandlaunchedinto
hisexplanation."First,ShauneeandErincalleachotherTwinbecauseeventhough
theyareclearlynotrelated—ErinbeinganextremelywhitegirlfromTulsa,and
ShauneebeingofJamaicandescentandalovelymochacolorfromConnecticut—”
"Thankyouforappreciatingmyblackness,"Shauneesaid.
"Don'tmentionit,"Damiensaid,andthencontinuedsmoothlywithhis
explanation."Eventhoughtheyaren'trelatedbybloodtheyarefreakishlyalike.”
"It'sliketheywereseparatedatbirthorsomething,"StevieRaesaid.
AtthesamemomentErinandShauneegrinnedateachotherandshrugged.It
wasthenthatInoticedtheywerewearingthesameoutfit—darkjeansjacketswith
beautifulgoldenwingsembroideredonthebreastpockets,blackT-shirts,andlow-
ridingblackslacks.Theyevenhadonthesameearrings—hugegoldhoops.
"Wehavethesameshoesize,"Erinsaid,stickingoutherfootsowecouldsee
thatshewaswearingpointy-toedblackleatherstilettoboots.
"Andwhat'salittlemelanindifferencewhenatrulysoul-deeploveofshoesis
involved?"LiftingupherfootShauneeshowedoffanothergreatpairofboots—only
theseweresmoothblackleatherwithsharpsilverbucklesacrosstheankles.
"Next!"Damiencutin,rollinghiseyes."TheDarkDaughters.Theshort
versionisthatthey'reagroupmadeupofmostlyupperclassmenwhosaythattheyare
inchargeofschoolspiritandsuch.”
"No,theshortversionisthatthey'rehagsfromhell,"Shauneesaid.
"That'sexactlywhatIsaid,Twin,"Erinlaughed.
"Youtwoaren'thelping,"Damientoldthem."Now,wherewasI?”
"Schoolspiritandsuch,"Iprompted.
"That'sright.Yeah,they'resupposedtobethisgreat,pro-school,pro-vamp
organization.Also,itisassumedthattheirleaderisbeinggroomedtobeaHigh
Priestess,soshe'ssupposedtobetheheart,mind,andspiritoftheschool—aswellas
afutureleaderinvampsociety,etcetera,etcetera,blah,blah.ThinkNationalMerit
ScholarinchargeoftheHonorSocietymixedwithcheerleadersandbandfags.”
"Hey,isn'titdisrespectfultoyourgaynesstocallthembandfags?"StevieRae
asked.
"I'musingthewordasatermofendearment,"Damiensaid."Andfootball
players—don'tforgetthereareDarkSons,too,"Erinsaid.
"Uh-huh,Twin.Itistrulyacrimeandashamethatsuchseriouslyhotyoung
ladsgetsuckedin—”
"Andshedoesmeanthatliterally,"saidErinwithanaughtygrin.
"Byhagsfromhell,"concludedShaunee.
"Hello!LikeIwouldforgettheboys?Ijustkeepgettinginterrupted.”
Thethreegirlsgavehimapologeticsmiles.StevieRaepantomimedzipping
herlipsshutandthrowingawaythekey.ErinandShauneemouthed"dork"ather,but
theystayedquietsoDamiencouldfinish.
Inoticedthatthey'dplayedwiththeword"sucked,"makingmethinkthatthe
littlesceneI'dwitnessedhadn'tbeentoounusual.
"ButwhattheDarkDaughtersreallyareisagroupofstuck-upbitcheswhoget
offonlordingpowerovereveryoneelse.Theywanteveryonetofollowthem,to
conformtotheirfreakyideasofwhatitmeanstobecomeavamp.Mostofall,they
hatehumans,andifyoudon'tfeelthesametheydon'twantshittodowithyou.”
"Excepttogiveyouahardtime,"StevieRaeadded.Icouldtellfromher
expressionthatshemusthavefirsthandknowledgeaboutthe"hardtime"part,andI
rememberedhowpaleandscaredshe'dlookedwhenAphroditehadshownmetoour
room.Imadeamentalnotetoremembertoaskherlateraboutwhathadhappened.
"Don'tletthemscareyou,though,"Damiensaid."Justwatchyourbackaround
themand—”
"Hello,Zoey.Nicetoseeyouagainsosoon.”
Ididn'thaveanytroublerecognizinghervoicethistime.Idecideditwaslike
honey—slickandtoodarnsweet.Everyoneatthetablejumped,includingme.She
waswearingasweaterlikemine,exceptthatoverherheartwasembroideredthe
silversilhouetteofthreegoddess-likewomen,oneofthemholdingwhatlookedlikea
pairofscissors.Shehadonaveryshortpleatedblackskirt,blacktightsthathadsilver
sparklesinthem,andknee-highblackboots.Twogirlswerestandingbehindher,
dressedinmuchthesameway.Onewasblack,withimpossiblylonghair(mustbea
reallygoodweave),andtheotherwasyetanotherblonde(who,oncloserinspection
ofherbrows,wasprobably,Idecided,asmuchanaturalblondeasIam).
"Hello,Aphrodite,"Isaidwheneveryoneelseseemedtooshockedtospeak.
"HopeI'mnotinterruptinganything,"shesaidinsincerely."You'renot.We
werejustdiscussingthetrashthatneedstobetakenouttonight,"Erinsaidwithabig,
fakesmile.
"Well,youwouldcertainlyknowaboutthat,"shesaidwithasneer,andthen
purposefullyturnedherbackonErin,whowascurlingherfistsandlookingasifshe
mightleapoverthetableatAphrodite."Zoey,Ishouldhavesaidsomethingtoyou
earlier,butIguessitjustslippedmymind.Iwanttoissueaninvitationforyoutojoin
theDarkDaughtersinourownprivateFullMoonRitualtomorrownight.Iknowit's
unusualforsomeonewhohasn'tbeenherelongtotakepartinaritualsosoon,but
yourMarkhasclearlyshownthatyou're,well,differentthantheaveragefledgling.”
ShelookeddownherperfectnoseatStevieRae."I'vealreadymentionedittoNeferet,
andsheagreesthatitwouldbegoodforyoutojoinus.I'llgiveyouthedetailslater,
whenyou'renotsobusywith…uh…trash."Shegavetherestofthetablehertight-
lipped,sarcasticsmile,flippedherlonghair,andsheandherentourageflittedoff.
"Hagbitchesfromhell,"ShauneeandErinsaidtogether.
CHAPTERTEN
"IkeepthinkingthathubrisiseventuallygoingtobringAphroditedown,"
Damiensaid.
"Hubris,"StevieRaeexplained,"havinggodlikearrogance.”
"Iactuallyknowthatone,"Isaid,stillstaringafterAphroditeandhermob.
"WejustfinishedreadingMedeainEnglishclass.It'swhatbroughtJasondown.”
"I'dlovetoknockthehubrisrightoutofherbobblehead,"Erinsaid.
"I'llholdherforyou,Twin,"Shauneesaid.
"No!Y'allknowwe'vetalkedaboutthisbefore.Thepenaltyforfightingis
bad.Reallybad.It'snotworthit.”
IwatchedErinandShauneepaleatthesametimeandwantedtoaskwhat
couldbesobad,butStevieRaewentontalking,thistimetome.
"Justbecareful,Zoey.TheDarkDaughters,andespeciallyAphrodite,can
seemalmostokayattimes,andthat'swhenthey'remostdangerous.”
Ishookmyhead."Oh,nuuh.I'mnotgoingtotheirfullmoonthing.”
"Ithinkyouhaveto,"Damiensaidsoftly.
"Neferetokayedit.”StevieRaesaidasErinandShauneenoddedin
agreement."Thatmeansshe'llexpectyoutogo.Youcan'ttellyourmentorno.”
"EspeciallywhenyourmentorisNeferet,HighPriestessofNyx,"Damien
said.
"Can'tIjustsaythatI'mnotreadyfor…for…whateveritistheywantmetodo,
andaskNeferetifIcanbe—Idunno,whatwouldyoucallit—excusedfromtheirfull
moonthingythistime?”
"Well,youcould,butthenNeferetwouldtelltheDarkDaughtersandthey'd
thinkthatyou'rescaredofthem.”
IthoughtaboutthemajorcrapthathadalreadypassedbetweenAphroditeand
meinsuchashorttime."Uh,StevieRae,Imightalreadybescaredofthem.”
"Don'teverletthemknow."StevieRaelookeddownatherplate,tryingto
hideherembarrassment."That'sworsethanstandinguptothem.”
"Honey,"Damiensaid,pattingStevieRae'shand,"stopbeatingyourselfup
aboutthat.”
StevieRaegaveDamienasweet,thank-yousmile.Thenshesaidtome,"Just
go.Bestrongandgo.Theywon'tdoanythingtooawfulattheritual.It'shereon
campus;theywouldn'tdare.”
"Yeah,theydoalltheirbadbullshitawayfromhere,whereit'sharderforthe
vampstocatchthem,"Shauneesaid."Aroundheretheypretendtobeallsickeningly
sweetsonooneknowswhatthey'rereallylike.”
"Nooneexceptus,"Erinsaid,sweepingoutherhandsothatsheincludednot
justourlittlegroup,buteveryoneelseintheroom,too.
"Idon'tknow,y'all,maybeZoeywillactuallygetalongwithsomeofthem
okay,"StevieRaesaidwithoutanytouchofsarcasmorjealousy.
Ishookmyhead."Nope.Iwon'tgetalongwiththem.Idon'tliketheirkind—
thekindofpeoplewhotrytocontrolothersandmakethemlookbadjusttofeelbetter
aboutthemselves.AndIdon'twanttogototheirFullMoonRitual!"Isaidfirmly,
thinkingaboutmystepfatherandhisbuddies,andhowironicitwasthattheyseemed
tohavesomuchincommonwithagroupofteenagerswhocalledthemselvesthe
daughtersofagoddess.
"I'dgowithyouifIcould—anyofuswould—butunlessyou'reoneofthe
DarkDaughtersyoucanonlygetinifyou'reinvited,"StevieRaesaidsadly.
"That'sokay.justdealwithit."SuddenlyIwasn'thungryanymore.Iwasjust
very,verytired,andIreallywantedtochangethesubject."Soexplaintomeaboutthe
differentsymbolsyouwearhere.Youtoldmeaboutours—Nyx'sspiral.Damienhasa
spiral,too,sothatmustmeanhe'sa…IpausedtorememberwhatStevieRaehad
calledfreshmen,"athirdformer.ButErinandShauneehavewings,andAphrodite
hadsomethingelse.”
"Youmeanbesidesthatcobstuckstraightupherskinnyanus?"Erinmuttered.
"ShemeansthethreeFates,"Damieninterjected,beatingShauneetowhatever
shewasgoingtoadd."ThethreeFatesarechildrenofNyx.Thesixthformersallwear
theemblemoftheFates,withAtroposholdingscissorstosymbolizetheendof
school.”
"Andforsomeofus,theendoflife,"Erinaddedgloomily.
Thatshuteveryoneup.WhenIcouldn'tstandtheuncomfortablesilence
anymoreIclearedmythroatandsaid,"SowhataboutErinandShaunee'swings?”
"ThewingsofEros,whoisthechildofNyx'sseed—”
"Thelovegod,"Shauneesaid,addingaseatedgyrationofherhips.
Damienfrownedatherandkepttalking."ThegoldenwingsofErosarethe
fourthformers'symbol.”
"'Causewe'retheloveclass,"Erinsang,raisingherarmsoverherheadand
shimmyingherhips.
"Actually,it'sbecausewe'resupposedtoberemindedofNyx'scapacityto
love,andthewingssymbolizeourcontinuousmovementforward.”
"What'sthesymbolforfifthformers?"Iasked.
"Nyx'sgoldenchariotpullingatrailofstars,"Damiensaid.
"Ithinkit'stheprettiestofthefoursymbols,"StevieRaesaid."Thosestars
sparklelikecrazy.”
"ThechariotshowsthatwecontinueonNyx'sjourney.Thestarsrepresentthe
magicofthetwoyearsthathavealreadypassed."
"Damien,youareagoodlittlestudent,"Erinsaid.
"Itoldyouweshouldhavegottenhimtohelpusstudyforthehuman
mythologytest,"Shauneesaid.
"IthoughtItoldyouweneededhishelp,and—”
"Anyway,"Damienshoutedovertheirbickering,"that'saboutallthereistothe
foursymbolsoftheclasses.Easy-peasy,really,"helookedpointedlyatthenowsilent
Twins."Thatis,ifyoupayattentioninclassinsteadofwritingnotesandstaringat
guysyouthinkarecute.”
"You'rereallyprudey,Damien,"Shauneesaid.
"Especiallyforagayboy.”Erinadded.
"Erin,yourhair'slookingkindafrizzytoday.Nottobemeanoranything,but
maybeyoushouldthinkaboutswitchingproducts.Youcan'tbetoocarefulabout
thosekindsofthings.Thenextthingyouknowyou'llbegettingsplitends.”
Erin'sblueeyesgothugeandherhandwentautomaticallytoherhair.
"Oh,nonono.Idonotbelieveyoujustsaidthat,Damien.Youknowhow
crazysheisaboutherhair."Shauneestartedtopuffuplikeamocha-coloredblowfish.
Damien,meanwhile,justsmiledandreturnedtohisspaghetti—theperfect
pictureofinnocence.
"Uh,y'all,"StevieRaesaidquickly,standingupandpullingmewithherby
theelbow."Zoeylooksbeat.Y'allrememberwhatitwaslikewhenyoufirstgothere.
We'regoingtogobacktoourroom.Ihavetostudyforthatvampsociologytest,soI
probablywon'tseeyouuntiltomorrow.”
"Okay,seeya,"Damiensaid."Zoey,itwasreallynicetomeetyou.”
"Yeah,welcometoHellHigh.”ErinandShauneesaidtogetherbeforeStevie
Raepulledmeoutoftheroom.
"Thanks.Ireallyamtired,"ItoldStevieRaeaswebacktrackedthroughahall
thatIwashappytorecognizeastheonethatwouldleadtothemainentrancetothe
centralschoolbuilding.Wepausedwhileasleek,silver-graycatchasedasmaller,
harassed-lookingtabbyacrossthehallinfrontofus.
"Beelzebub!LeaveCammyalone!Damienisgoingtoripyourfurout!”
StevieRaemadeagrabforthegraycatandmissed,buthedidstopchasingthe
tabbyandinsteadstreakedbackdownthehallthewaywehadjustcome.StevieRae
wasfrowningafterhim.
"ShauneeandErinneedtoteachthatcatoftheirssomemanners;he'salways
uptosomething.”Sheglancedatmeasweleftthebuildingandwalkedoutintothe
soft,pre-dawndarkness."ThatcutelittleCameronisDamien'scat.Beelzebubbelongs
toErinandShaunee;hechosebothofthem—together.Yep.It'sasstrangeasit
sounds,butafteralittlewhileyou'llbeliketherestofusandstartthinkingthatthey
mustreallybetwins.”
"Theyseemnice,though.”
"Oh,they'regreat.Theybickeralot,butthey'retotallyloyalandwillneverlet
anyonetalkaboutyou."Shegrinned."Okay,theymighttalkaboutyou,butthat's
different,anditwon'tbebehindyourback.”
"AndIreallylikeDamien.”
"Damien'ssweet,andreallysmart.Ijustfeelbadforhimsometimes,though.”
"Howcome?”
"Well,hehadaroommatewhenhefirstgothereaboutsixmonthsago,butas
soonastheguyfoundoutDamienwasgay—hello,it'snotliketheboytriestohide
it—hecomplainedtoNeferetandsaidhewasn'tgoingtoroomwithafag.”
Igrimaced.Ican'tstandhomophobes."AndNeferetactuallyputupwiththat
attitude?”
"No,shemadeitclearthatthekid—oh,hechangedhisnametoThorafterhe
gothere"—sheshookherheadandrolledhereyes—"doesn'tthatjustfigure?Anyway,
NeferetletitbeknownthatThorwaswayoutofline,andshegaveDamientheoption
ofmovingintoanotherroombyhimselforstayingwithThor.Damienchosetomove.
Imean,wouldn'tyou?”
Inodded."Yep.NowaywouldIroomwithThortheHomophobe.”
"That'swhatweallthink,too.SoDamienhasbeeninaroombyhimselfsince
then.”
"Aren'tthereanyothergaykidshere?”
StevieRaeshrugged."There'reafewgirlswhoarelesbiansandtotallyout,but
eventhoughacoupleofthemarecoolandhangwiththerestofustheymostlystick
together.They'rewayintothereligiousaspectofGoddessworshipandspendmostof
theirtimeinNyx'sTemple.And,ofcourse,therearethemoronicpartygirlswho
thinkit'scooltomakeoutwitheachother,butusuallyonlyifsomecuteguysare
watching.”
Ishookmyhead."Youknow,I'veneverunderstoodwhygirlsthinkmaking
outwitheachotheristhewaytocatchaboyfriend.You'dthinkitwouldbe
counterproductive.”
"LikeIwantaboyfriendwhoonlythinksI'mhotwhenI'mkissingsomegirl?
Blech.”
"Whataboutgayguys?”
Steviesighed."ThereareafewbesidesDamien,butthey'remostlytooweird
andgirlyforhim.Ifeelbadforhim.Ithinkhegetsprettylonely.Hisparentsdon't
writeoranything.”
"Thewholevampyrethingfreakedthemout?”
"No,theydidn'treallycareaboutthat.Actually,don'tsayanythingtoDamien
becauseithurtshisfeelings,butIthinktheywererelievedwhenhewasMarked.They
didn'tknowwhattodowithasonwhoisgay.”
"Whydidtheyhavetodoanything?He'sstilltheirson.Hejustlikesguys.”
"Well,theyliveinDallas,andhisdadisbigintothePeopleofFaith.Ithink
he'ssomekindofministerorsomething—”
Iheldupmyhand."Stop.Youdon'thavetosayanotherword.Itotallygetit.”
AndIdid.Iwaswaytooacquaintedwiththenarrow-minded,"ourwayistheonly
rightway"ideasofthePeopleofFaith.Eventhinkingaboutitmademefeel
exhaustedanddepressed.
StevieRaeopenedthedoortothedorm.Theliving-roomareawasempty
exceptforafewgirlswhowerewatchingThat'7osShowreruns.StevieRaewaved
absentlyatthem.
"Hey,doyouwantapoporsomethingtotakeupstairswithus?"
Inoddedandfollowedherthroughthelivingroomandintoa
smallerroomofftothesidethathadfourrefrigerators,abigsink,
twomicrowaves,lotsofcabinets,andaprettywhitewooden
tablethatsatinthemiddleofit—justlikearegularkitchen,only
thisonewasweirdlyrefrigerator-friendly.Everythingwasneatandclean.StevieRae
openedoneofthefridges.Ipeekedoverhershouldertoseethatitwasfilledwithall
kindsofdrinks—everythingfrompoptolotsofjuicesandthatfizzywaterthattastes
nasty.
"Whatdoyouwant?”
"Anybrownpopisfine.”Isaid.
"Thisstuffisforallofus,"shesaidasshehandedmetwoDietCokesand
grabbedtwoFrescasforherself."There'refruitandveggiesandstufflikethatinthose
twofridges,andleanmeatforsandwichesintheotherone.They'rekeptfullallthe
time,butthevampsareprettyobsessedwithuseatinghealthy,soyouwon'tfindbags
ofchipsorTwinkiesorstufflikethat.”
"Nochocolate?”
"Yeah,there'ssomereallyexpensivechocolateinthecabinets.Thevampssay
chocolateinmoderationisgoodforus.”
Okay,sowhothehellwantstoeatchocolateinmoderation?Ikeptthethought
tomyselfaswewalkedbackthroughthelivingroomandheadedupstairstoourroom.
"Sothe,uh,vamps"—Ikindastumbledovertheword—"arebigonhealthy
eating?”
"Well,yeah,butIthinkbasicallyjustfledglingseatinghealthy.Imean,you
don'tseefatvamps,butyoualsodon'tseethemchewingonceleryandcarrotsand
pickingatsalads.Mostlytheyeattogetherintheirowndiningroom,andrumorhasit
thattheyeatwell.”Sheglancedatmeandloweredhervoice."Iheardthattheyeata
lotofredmeat.Alotofrareredmeat.”
"Eeesh,"Isaid,notlikingthebizarrevisualimageIsuddenlygotofNeferet
gnawingonabloodysteak.
StevieRaeshivered,andwenton:"Sometimessomeone'smentorwillsitwith
afledglingatdinner,buttheyusuallyhavejustaglassortwoofwineanddon'teat
withus.”
StevieRaeopenedthedoorandwithasighIsatonmybedandpulledoffmy
shoes.God,Iwastired.RubbingmyfeetIwonderedaboutwhytheadultvampsdidn't
eatwithus,andthenIdecidedIdidn'treallywanttothinkaboutthatlong.Imean,it
broughttomindtoomanyquestionslikewhataretheyreallyeating?AndwhatwillI
havetoeatwhen/ifIbecomeanadultvamp?Ugh.
And,partofmybrainwhisperedthatitalsomademeremembermyreactionto
Heath'sbloodyesterday.Hadthatbeenonlyyesterday?Andalsomymorerecent
responsetothebloodofthatguyinthehall.No.Idefinitelydidn'twanttothinkabout
eitherofthem—atall.SoIquicklyrefocusedonthehealthy-dietissue.
"Okay,theydon'tparticularlycareabouteatinghealthy,sowhat'sthebig
obsessionwithuseatinghealthy?"IaskedStevieRae.
Shemetmyeyes,lookingworriedandmorethanalittlescared.
"Theywantustoeathealthyforthesamereasontheymakeusexerciseevery
day—sothatourbodiesareasstrongaspossible,becauseifyoustartgettingweakor
fatorsick,that'sthefirstsignthatyourbodyisrejectingtheChange.”
"Andthenyoudie,"Isaidquietly.
"Andthenyoudie,"sheagreed.
CHAPTERELEVEN
Ididn'tthinkI'dsleep.IfiguredI'dlaythereandmisshomeandthinkabout
thebizarretwistmylifehadtaken.Disturbingflashesoftheguyinthehall'seyes
driftedthroughmymind,butIwassotiredIcouldn'tfocus.EvenAphrodite'spsycho
hatefulnesswassomethingelsethatseemedsleepilyfaraway.Actually,mylast
worriesbeforeIcouldremembernothingelsewereaboutmyforehead.Wasitfeeling
soreagainbecauseoftheMarkandthecutovermytemple—orwasitbecauseIwas
gettingaginormiczit?Andwouldmyhairlookokayformyfirstdayofvampschool
tomorrow?ButasIcurledupwithmycomforterandinhaledthefamiliarsmellof
downfeathersandhome,Ifeltunexpectedlysafeandwarm…andwastotallyout.
Ididn'thaveanightmare,either.InsteadIdreamedaboutcats.Gofigure.Hot
boys?No.Coolnewvampirepowers?Ofcoursenot.Justcats.Therewasonein
particular—asmallorangetabbywhohadlittletinypawsandapotbellywithapouch
thatlookedkindamarsupial.Shekeptyellingatmeinanoldlady'svoiceandasking
whathadtakenmesolongtogethere.Thenhercatvoicechangedtoanannoying
buzzingbeepingsoundandI…
"Zoey,comeon!Turnthatstupidalarmclockoff!”
"Who—,huh?"Oh,hell.Ihatemornings.Myhandflailedabouttryingtofind
theoffswitchofmyannoyingalarmclock.
HaveImentionedthatIamtotally,completelyblindwithoutmycontacts?I
grabbedmynerdyglassesandpeekedatthetime.SixthirtyP.M.,andIwasjust
wakingup.Talkaboutbizarre.
"Doyouwanttotakeashowerfirst,ordoyouwantmeto?"StevieRaeasked
sleepily.
"Iwill,ifyoudon'tcare.”
"Idon't…,"Sheyawned.
"'Kay.”
"Weshouldhurry,though,'cause,Idon'tknowaboutyou,butIhavetoeat
breakfastorIfeellikeI'mgoingtostarvetodeathbeforelunch.”
"Cereal?"Isuddenlyperkedup.Iseriouslyadorecereal,andhaveanI[heart]
CEREALshirtsomewheretoproveit.IespeciallyloveCountChocula—yetanother
vampyreirony.
"Yeah,there'realwayslotsofthosetinyboxesofcerealandbagelsandfruit
andhard-boiledeggsandstuff.”
"I'llhurry."SuddenlyIwasstarving."Hey,StevieRae,doesitmatterwhatI
wear?”
"Nope,"sheyawnedagain."Justpickoneofthesweatersorjacketsthatshow
ourthirdformersymbolandyou'llbefine’
Ididhurry,eventhoughIwasreallynervousaboutnotlookingrightandI
wishedIcouldtakehoursdoingandredoingmyhairandmakeup.IusedStevieRae's
makeupmirrorwhileshewasintheshower,anddecidedthatunder-doingwas
probablyabetterchoicethanover-doing.ItwasweirdhowmyMarkseemedto
changethewholefocusofmyface.I'vealwayshadniceeyes—bigandroundand
dark,withlotsoflashes.SomuchthatKaylausedtowhineabouthowunfairitwas
thatIhadenoughlashesforthreegirlsandsheonlyhadshortlittleblondones.
(Speakingof…IdidmissKayla,especiallythismorningasIwasgettingreadytogo
toanewschoolwithouther.MaybeI'dcallherlater.Ore-mailher.Or…I
rememberedthecommentHeathhadmadeabouttheparty,anddecidedmaybenot.)
Anyway,theMarksomehowmademyeyeslookevenbiggeranddarker.Ilinedthem
withasmokyblackshadowthathadlittlesparklyflecksofsilverinit.Notheavily
likethoselosergirlswhothinkthatplasteringonblackeyelinermakesthemlook
cool.Yeah,right.Theylooklikescaryraccoons.Ismudgedtheline,addedmascara,
brushedsomebronzingpowerovermyface,andputonlipgloss(tohidethefactthat
I'dbeennervouslypickingatmylips).
ThenIstaredatmyself.
Thankfullymyhairwasactingright,andevenmy'weirdwidow'speakwasn't
stickingallupcrazilylikeitdidsometimes.Istilllooked…umm…different,butthe
same.TheeffectmyMarkhadonmyfacehadn'tfaded.Itmadeeverythingthatwas
ethnicaboutmyfeaturesstandout:thedarknessofmyeyes,myhighCherokee
cheekbones,myproud,straightnose,andeventheolivecolorofmyskinthatwaslike
mygrandma's.ThesapphireMarkoftheGoddessseemedtohaveflippedaswitchand
spotlightedthosefeatures;ithadfreedtheCherokeegirlwithinmeandallowedherto
shine.
"Yourhairlooksgreat,"StevieRaesaidasshecameintotheroomtoweling
dryhershorthair."Iwishminewouldactrightwhenit'slong.Itdoesn't.Itjustfrizzes
outandlookslikeahorse'stail.”
"Ilikeyourshorthair,"Isaid,movingoutofherwayandgrabbingmycute
sparklyblackballetflats.
"Yeah,well,itmakesmeafreakhere.Everybodyhaslonghair.”
"Inoticed,butIdon'treallygetit.”
"It'soneofthethingsthathappenswhilewe'regoingthroughtheChange.
Vamps'hairgrowsabnormallyfast,justliketheirfingernails.”
ItriednottoshudderasIrememberedAphrodite'sfingernailslashingthrough
jeansandskin.
Thankfully,StevieRaewasoblivioustomythoughts,andkeptontalking.
"You'llsee.Afterawhileyouwon'thavetolookattheirsymbolstoknow
whatyeartheyare.Anyway,you'lllearnallaboutthatkindofstuffinVamp
Sociologyclass.Oh!Thatremindsme."Sherifledthroughsomepapersonherdesk
untilshefoundwhatshewaslookingforandhandedittome."Here'syourschedule.
Wehavethirdhourandfifthhourtogether.Andcheckoutthelistofelectivesyou
haveforsecondhour.Youcanchoosefromanyofthem.”
Mynamewasatthetopoftheschedule,printedinboldletters,ZOEY
REDBIRD,ENTERINGTHIRDFORMER,aswellasthedate,whichwasfive(?!)
daysbeforetheTrackerhadMarkedme.
1sthour—VampyreSociology101.Rm.215.Prof.Neferet
2ndhour—Drama101.PerformingArtsCenter.Prof.Nolan
or
Sketching101.Rm.312.Prof.Doner
or
IntrotoMusic.Rm.314.Prof.Vento
3rdhour—Lit101.Rm.214.Prof.Penthesilea
4thhour—Fencing.Gymnasium.Prof.D.Lankford
LUNCHBREAK
5thhour—Spanish101.Rm.216.Prof.Garmy
6thhour—IntrotoEquestrianStudies.FieldHouse.Prof.Lenobia
"Nogeometry?"Iblurted,totallyoverwhelmedbytheschedule,buttryingto
keepapositiveattitude.
"No,thankfully.Nextsemesterwe'llhavetotakeeconomics,though.Butthat
couldn'tbeasbad.”
"Fencing?IntrotoEquestrianStudies?”
"Itoldyoutheyliketokeepusinshape.Fencing'sokay,eventhoughit'shard.
I'mnotverygoodatit,butyoudogetpairedwithupperclassmenalot—kindoflike
peerinstructors,andI'mjustsayin',someofthoseboysarejustplainhot!I'mnot
takingthehorseclassthissemester—theyputmeinTaeKwanDo.AndIhavetotell
ya,Iloveit!”
"Really?"Isaiddoubtfully.Wonderwhatthehorseclasswouldbelike?
"Yep.Whichelectiveareyougoingtopick?”
Iglancedbackdownthelist."Whichoneareyoutaking?”
"IntrotoMusic.ProfessorVentoiscool,andI,uh…"StevieRaegrinnedand
blushed."Iwanttobeacountrymusicstar.Imean,KennyChesney,FaithHill,and
ShaniaTwainareallvamps—andthat'sjustthreeofthem.Heck,GarthBrooksgrew
uprighthereinOklahomaandyouknowhe'sthebiggestvampofthemall.SoIdon't
seewhyIcan'tbeone,too.”
"Makesperfectsensetome,"Isaid.Whynot?
"Youwanttotakemusicwithme?”
"That'dbefunifIcouldsingorplayanythingresemblinganinstrument.I
can't.”
"Oh,well,maybenotthen.”
"Actually,Iwasthinkingaboutthedramaclass.IwasindramaatSIHS,andI
likeditokay.DoyouknowanythingaboutProf.Nolan?”
"Yeah,she'sfromTexasandhasamajoraccent,butshestudieddramainNew
Yorkandeveryonelikesher.”
IalmostlaughedoutloudwhenStevieRaementionedProf.Nolan'saccent.
Thegirltwangedsobadshesoundedlikeanadforatrailerpark,butnowaywasI
gonnahurtherfeelingsbymentioningit.
"Well,thendramaitis.”
"Okay,grabyourscheduleandlet'sgo.Hey,"shesaidaswehurriedoutofthe
roomandskippeddownthestairs,"maybeyou'llbethenextNicoleKidman!”
Well,IguessbeingthenextNicoleKidmanwouldn'tbebad(notthatIplanon
marryingandthendivorcingamanicshortguy).NowthatStevieRaementionedit,I
hadn'treallythoughtmuchaboutmyfuturecareersincetheTrackerhadthrownmy
lifeintocompletechaos,butnowthatIwasactuallythinkingaboutitIstillreally
wantedtobeaveterinarian.
Anobeselong-hairedblackandwhitecatsprinteddownthestepsinfrontof
uschasingacatthatlookedlikeitsclone.Withallthesecatsyou'dthinkthatthere
woulddefinitelybeaneedforvampvets.(Heehee…vampvets…Icouldcallmy
clinicVampVets,andtheadswouldread:"We'lltakeyourbloodforfree!")
Thekitchenandlivingroomwerecrowdedwithgirlseatingandtalkingand
hurryingaround.ItriedtoreturnsomeofthehellosIwasgettingasStevieRae
introducedmetowhatseemedlikeanimpossiblyconfusingstreamofgirlsandkeep
myconcentrationonfindingaboxofCountChocula.JustwhenIwasstartingto
worry,Ifoundit,hiddenbehindseveralmassiveboxesofFrostedFlakes(notabad
secondchoice,but,well,they'renotchocolateandtheydon'thaveanyyummylittle
marshmallows).StevieRaepouredaquickbowlofLuckyCharms,andweperchedat
thekitchentable,eatingfast.
"Hi,Zoey!”
Thatvoice.IknewwhoitwasbeforeIsawStevieRaeduckherheadandstare
intohercerealbowl.
"Hi,Aphrodite,"Isaid,tryingtosoundneutral.
"IncaseIdon'tseeyoulaterIwantedtobesureyouknowwheretogotonight.
TheDarkDaughters'FullMoonRitualwillstartatfourA.M.,rightaftertheschool's
ritual.You'llmissdinner,butdon'tworryaboutthat.We'llfeedyou.Oh,it'sintherec
halloverbytheeastwall.I'llmeetyouinfrontofNyx'sTemplebeforetheschool
ritualsowecangointogether,andthenIcanshowyouthewaytothehallafterward.”
"Actually,IalreadypromisedStevieRaethatI'dmeetherandwe'dgotothe
schoolritualtogether.”Ireallyhatepushypeople."Yeah,sorry'boutthat."Iwas
pleasedtohearStevieRaeliftherheadandsay.
"Hey,youknowwheretherechallis,don'tyou?"IaskedStevieRaeinmy
mostperkilycluelessvoice.
"Yep,Ido.”
"Thenyoucanjustshowmehowtogetthere,right?Andthatmeans
Aphroditedoesn'thavetoworryaboutmegettinglost.”
"AnythingIcandotohelp,"StevieRaechirped,soundinglikeheroldself.
"Problemsolved,"IsaidwithabigsmileatAphrodite.
"Okay.Fine.I'llseeyouatfourA.M.Don'tbelate.”Shetwitchedoff.
"Ifsheshakesherbuttanymorewhenshewalksshe'sgonnabreak
something,"Isaid.
StevieRaesnortedandalmostspewedmilkfromhernose.Coughing,shesaid,
"Don'tdothatwhileI'meating!"Thensheswallowedandsmiledatme."Youdidn't
letherbossyouaround.”
"Neitherdidyou.”Islurpedthelastspoonfulofcereal."Ready?”
"Ready.Okay,this'llbeeasy.Yourfirsthourisrightnexttomyfirsthour.All
ofthethirdformercoreclassesareinthesamehallComeon—I'llpointyouinthe
rightdirectionandyou'llbeset.”
Werinsedoffourdishesandstuffedtheminoneofthefivedishwashers,then
hurriedoutsideintothedarknessofabeautifulfallevening.Jeesh,itwasweirdgoing
toschoolatnight,evenifmybodywastellingmethateverythingwasnormal.We
followedtheflowofstudentsthroughoneofthethickwoodendoors.
"ThirdFormerHallisjustoverhere,"StevieRaesaid,guidingmearounda
cornerandupashortflightofstairs.
"Isthatabathroom?"Iaskedaswehurriedpastwaterfountainssituated
betweentwodoors.
"Yep,"shesaid."Here'smyclass,andthere'syoursrightnextdoor.Seeyou
afterclass!”
"Okay,thanks,"Icalled.
Atleastthebathroomwasclose.IfIhadacaseofragingnervous-stomach
diarrheaIwouldn'thavefartorun.
CHAPTERTWELVE
"Zoey!Overhere!”
IalmostcriedinreliefwhenIheardDamien'svoiceandsawhishandwaving
atanemptydesknexttohim.
"Hi."Isatdownandsmiledgratefullyathim.
"Areyoureadyforyourfirstday?”
No.
Inodded."Yep."Iwantedtosaymore,butjustthenabellgavefivequick
ringsandastheechoofitdiedNeferetsweptintotheroom.Shewaswearingalong
blackskirtslitupthesidetoshowgreatstilettoboots,andadeeppurplesilksweater.
Overherleftbreast,embroideredinsilver,wastheimageofagoddesswithherarms
upraised,handscuppingacrescentmoon.Herblackhairwaspulledbackintoathick
braid.Theseriesofdelicatewaveliketattoosthatframedherfacemadeherlooklike
anancientwarriorpriestess.ShesmiledatusandIcouldseethattheentireclasswas
ascaughtasIwasbyherpowerfulpresence.
"Goodevening!I'vebeenlookingforwardtobeginningthisunit.Delvinginto
therichsociologyoftheAmazonsisoneofmyfavorites.”Thenshegesturedtome.
"ItisexcellenttimingthatZoeyRedbirdhasjoinedustoday.IamZoey'smentor,so
I'llexpectmystudentstowelcomeher.Damien,wouldyoupleasegetZoeya
textbook?Hercabinetisnexttoyours.WhileyouexplainourlockersystemtoherI
wanttherestofyoutojournalaboutwhatpreconceivedimpressionsyouhaveofthe
ancientvampyrewarriorswhoareknownastheAmazons.”
ThetypicalpaperrustlingandstudentwhisperingcommencedwhileDamien
ledmetothebackoftheclassroomwheretherewasawallofcabinets.Heopened
onethathadthenumber"12"insilveronit.Thecabinetcontainedneat,wideshelves
filledwithtextbooksandsupplies.
"AttheHouseofNighttherearen'tlockers,likeatregularschools.Here,first
hourisourhomeroomandweeachhaveacabinetofourown.Theroomwillalways
beopen,soyoucomebackheretogetbooksandwhatever,justlikeyouwouldgotoa
lockerinthehall.Here'sthesociologybook.”
Hehandedmeathickleatherbookwiththesilhouetteofagoddessstamped
onthefrontofitalongwiththetitle,VampyreSociology101.Igrabbedanotebook
andacoupleofpens.WhenIshutthecabinetdoorIhesitated.
"Isn'ttherealockorsomething?”
"No,"Damienloweredhisvoice."Theydon'tneedlockshere.Ifsomeone
stealssomething,thevampsknowit.Idon'tevenwanttothinkaboutwhatwould
happentosomeonestupidenoughtodothat.”
WesatbackdownandIstartedtowriteabouttheonlythingIknewaboutthe
Amazons—thattheywerewarriorwomenwhodidn'thavemuchuseformen—butmy
mindwasn'tonmywork.Instead,IwaswonderingwhyDamien,StevieRae,andeven
ErinandShauneeallfreakoutaboutgettingintrouble.Imean,I'magoodkid—okay,
notperfect,butstill.I'veonlyhaddetentiononcesofar,andthatwasn'tmyfault.
Really.Someturdboytoldmetosuckhiscock.WhatwasIsupposedtodo?Cry?
Giggle?Pout?Umm.no…SoinsteadIbitch-slappedhim(althoughIpreferjustusing
thewordsmacked),andIgotdetentionforit.
Anyway,detentionwasn'tactuallythatbad.Igotallmyhomeworkdoneand
startedthenewGossipGirlsbook.ClearlydetentionattheHouseofNightentailed
morethangoingtoateacher'sclassroomforforty-fiveminutesof"quiettime"after
school.I'dhavetoremembertoaskStevieRae…
"First,whatpiecesoftheAmazontraditiondowestillpracticeattheHouseof
Night?"Neferetasked,drawingmyattentionbacktoclass.
Damienraisedhishand."Thebowofrespect,withourfistoverourheart,
comesfromtheAmazons,andsodoesthewayweshakehands—bygripping
forearms.”
"Correct,Damien.”
Huh.Thatexplainedthefunnyhandshake.
"So,whatpreconceivednotionsdoyouhaveabouttheAmazonwarriors?"she
askedtheclass.
Ablondewhosatontheothersideoftheroomsaid,"TheAmazonswere
heavilymatriarchal,asareallvampyresocieties."Jeesh,shesoundedsmart.
"That'strue,Elizabeth,butwhenpeoplediscusstheAmazons,legendtendsto
addanadditionallayertohistory.WhatdoImeanbythat?”
"Well,people—especiallyhumans—thinkthattheAmazonswereman-
haters,"saidDamien.
"Exactly.Whatweknowisthatjustbecauseasocietyismatriarchal,asours
is,itdoesnotautomaticallymeanthatitisanti-male.EvenNyxhasaconsort,thegod
Erebus,towhomsheisdevoted.TheAmazonswereunique,though,inthattheywere
asocietyofvampyrewomenwhochosetobetheirownwarriorsandprotectors.As
mostofyoualreadyknow,oursocietytodayisstillmatriarchal,butwerespectand
appreciatetheSonsofNight,andconsiderthemourprotectorsandconsorts.Now,
openyourtexttoChapterThreeandlet'slookatthegreatestoftheAmazonwarriors,
Penthesilea,butbecarefultokeeplegendandhistoryseparateinyourmind.”
AndfromthereNeferetlaunchedintooneofthecoolestlecturesI'dever
heard.Ihadnoideaanhourhadpassed;theringingbellwasatotalsurprise.I'djust
shovedmysociologybookbackintomycubbie(okay,IknowthatDamienand
Neferetcalledthemcabinets,butcomeon—theytotallyremindmeofthecubbieswe
usedtohaveinkindergarten)whenNeferetcalledmyname.Igrabbedanotebookand
apenandhurriedovertoherdesk.
"Howareyou?"sheasked,smilingwarmly.
"I'mokay.I'mgood.”Isaidquickly.
Sheliftedaneyebrowatme.
"Well,IsupposeI'mnervousandconfused.”
"Ofcourseyouare.It'salottotakein,andchangingschoolsisalways
difficult—letalonechangingschoolsandlives."Sheglancedovermyshoulder.
"Damien,wouldyouwalkZoeytoDramaclass?”
"Sure,"Damiensaid.
"Zoey,I'llseeyoutonightatRitual.Oh,andhasAphroditeissuedaformal
invitationforyoutojointheDarkDaughtersintheirprivateceremonyafterward?”
"Yes.”
"Iwantedtodouble-checkwithyouandmakesurethatyoufeelfineabout
attending.Iwould,ofcourse,understandyourreticence,butIencourageyoutogo;I
wantyoutotakeadvantageofeveryopportunityhere,andtheDarkDaughtersisan
exclusiveorganization.Itisacomplimentthattheyalreadyseeminterestedinyouasa
possiblepledge.”
"I'mfinewithgoing."Iforcedmyvoiceandmysmiletobenonchalant.
Obviouslysheexpectedmetogo,andthelastthingIwantedwasforNeferettobe
disappointedinme.Plus,nowayinhellwasIgoingtodoanythingthatmightmake
AphroditethinkIwasscaredofher.
"Welldone.”Neferetsaidwithenthusiasm.ShesqueezedmyarmandI
automaticallysmiledather."Ifyouneedmemyofficeisinthesamewingasthe
infirmary."Sheglancedatmyforehead."Iseethestitcheshavealmostcompletely
dissolved.That'sexcellent.Doesyourheadstillhurt?”
Myhandautomaticallyfounditswayuptomytemple.Icouldonlyfeelthe
prickleofastitchortwotodaywhentherehadbeenatleasttenyesterday.Very,very
weird.And,evenweirder,Ihadn'tthoughtaboutthecutoncethismorning.
IalsorealizedIhadn'tthoughtaboutmymomorHeathorevenGrandma
Redbird.…
"No,"Isaid,suddenlyrealizingNeferetandDamienwerewaitingformeto
answer."No,myheaddoesn'thurtatall.”
"Good!Well,youtwobettergobeforeyou'relate.Iknowyou'llloveDrama.I
thinkProfessorNolanhasjustbegunworkingonmonologues.”
Iwashalfwaydownthehall,hurryingtokeepupwithDamienwhenithitme.
"HowdidsheknowIwasgoingtotakeDrama?Ijustdecideditthismorning.”
"Adultvampsknowwaytoomuchsometimes,"Damienwhispered."Scratch
that.Adultvampsknowwaytoomuchallthetime,especiallywhenthatvampisa
HighPriestess.”
InlightofwhatIhadn'tbeentellingNeferetIdidn'twanttothinkaboutthat
toolong.
"Hey,y'all!"StevieRaerushedup."HowwasVampSoc?Didy'allstartthe
Amazons?”
"Itwascool."Iwasgladtochangethesubjectfromthetoomysterious
vampyres."Ihadnoideatheyreallycutofftheirrightbreaststokeepthemoutofthe
way.”
"Theywouldn'thavehadtoifthey'dbeenasflatasme,"saidStevieRae,
lookingdownatherownchest.
"Orme,"sighedDamiendramatically.
IwasstillgigglingwhentheypointedmetotheDramaroom.
ProfessorNolandidn'toozepowerlikeNeferet.Insteadsheoozedenergy.She
hadanathletic,butsomehowpear-shapedbody.Herbrunethairwaslongandstraight.
AndStevieRaehadbeenright—shehadaseriousTexastwang.
"Zoey,welcome!Haveaseatanywhere.”
IsaidhiandsatbesidetheElizabethgirlIrecognizedfromVampSoc.She
lookedfriendlyenoughandIalreadyknewshewassmart.(Itneverhurtstositnextto
asmartkid.)
"We'rejustabouttobeginchoosingthemonologuesthateachofyouwill
presenttotheclasssometimenextweek.Butfirst,Ithoughtyou'dliketohavea
demonstrationofhowamonologueshouldbeperformed,soIaskedoneofour
talentedupperclassmentostopbyandrecitethefamousmonologuefromOthello,
writtenbytheancientvampyreplaywright,Shakespeare.”ProfessorNolanpausedand
glancedoutofthewindowinthedoor."Hereheisnow.”
ThedooropenedandohmydearsweetlordIdobelievemyhearttotally
stoppedbeating.I'mpositivemymouthfloppedopenlikeamoron.Hewasthemost
gorgeousyoungladIhadeverseen.Hewastallandhaddarkhairthatdidthat
adorablyperfectSupermancurlthing.Hiseyeswereanamazingsapphireblueand…
Oh.Hell!Hell!Hell!Itwastheguyfromthehall.
"Comeonin,Erik.Asusual,yourentrancetimingisperfect.Wearereadyfor
yourmonologue."Sheturnedbacktotheclass."Mostofyoualreadyknowfifth
former,ErikNight,andareawarethathewonlastyear'sworldwideHouseofNight
monologuecompetition,thefinalsofwhichwereheldinLondon.Heisalsoalready
creatingabuzzinHollywoodaswellasonBroadwayforhisperformancelast
semesterasTonyinourproductionofWestSideStory.Theclassisallyours,Erik."
ProfNolanbeamed.
Asifmybodyweresuddenlyonautomatic,Iclappedwiththerestoftheclass.
Smilingandconfident,Eriksteppeduponthelittlestagethatwassituatedfrontand
centerinthelarge,airyclassroom.
"Hi.Howareyouguysdoing?”
Hespokedirectlytome.Imean,directlytome.Icouldfeelmyfacegetting
reallyhot.
"Monologuesseemintimidating,butthekeyistogetyourlinesdown,and
thentoimaginethatyou'reactuallyactingwithafullcastofactors.Trickyourselfinto
thinkingyou'renotuphereallalone,likethis…”
AndhebeganthemonologuefromOthello.Idon'tknowmuchabouttheplay,
exceptthatit'soneofShakespeare'stragedies,butErik'sperformancewasamazing.
Hewasatallguy,probablyatleastsixfeet,butashebegantospeakheseemedtoget
biggerandolderandmorepowerful.HisvoicedeepenedandhetookonanaccentI
couldn'tplace.Hisincredibleeyesdarkenedandnarrowedintoslits,andwhenhesaid
Desdemona'snameitwaslikehewaspraying.Itwasobvioushelovedher,even
beforehespoketheconcludinglines:
ShelovedmeforthedangersIhadpassed,AndIlovedherthatshedidpity
them.
Ashesaidthelasttwolineshiseyeslockedwithmineand,justlikeinthehall
thedaybefore,itseemedasiftherewasnooneelseintheroom—nooneelseinthe
world.IfeltashiverdeepinsideofsomethingverymuchlikewhatI'dfeltthetwo
timesI'dsmelledbloodsinceI'dbeenMarked,onlynobloodhadbeenspilledinthe
room.TherewasonlyErik.Andthenhesmiled,touchedhislipstohisfingersas
thoughhewassendingmeakiss,andbowed.Thewholeclassclappedlikecrazy,
includingme.Really.Icouldn'thelpit.
"Now,that'showit'sdone,"ProfessorNolansaid."So,therearecopiesof
monologuesintheredbookshelvesattherearoftheclass.Eachofyoutakeseveral
booksandbeginlookingthroughthem.Whatyou'retryingtofindisascenethat
meanssomethingtoyou—thattouchessomepartofyoursoul.I'llbecirculatingand
canansweranyquestionsyouhaveaboutindividualmonologues.Onceyou'vechosen
yourpieces,I'llgothroughthestepsyou'llneedtotakeasyouprepareyourown
presentation.”Withanenergeticsmileandnod,shemotionedforustostartlooking
throughthezillionsofmonologuebooks.
Istillfeltflushedandshortofbreath,butIgotupwiththerestoftheclass,
eventhoughIcouldn'thelppeekingatErikovermyshoulder.Hewas(unfortunately)
leavingtheroom,butnotbeforeheturnedandcaughtmegawkingathim.Iblushed
(again).Hemetmyeyesandsmileddirectlyatme(again).Andthenhewasgone.
"He'ssof-inghot,"someonewhisperedinmyear.Iturnedand,shockingly,
Ms.PerfectStudentElizabethwasstaringafterErikandfanningherself.
"Doesn'thehaveagirlfriend?"Iblurtedlikeanidiot.
"Onlyinmydreams,"Elizabethsaid."Actually,wordhasitthatheand
Aphroditeusedtobehookedup,butI'vebeenhereforafewmonthsandit'sbeenover
betweenthematleastthatlong.Hereyago,"shetossedacoupleofmonologuebooks
atme."I'mElizabeth,nolastname.”
Myfacewasaquestionmark.
Shesighed."MylastnamewasTitsworth.Canyouimagine?WhenIgothere
afewweeksagoandmymentorexplainedthatIcouldchangemynametowhateverI
wantedittobe,IknewIwasgoingtogetridoftheTitsworthpart,butthenthewhole
issueofpickinganewlastnamejuststressedmetoomuch.SoIdecidedI'dkeepmy
firstnameandnothasslewithalastname."ElizabethNoLastNameshrugged.
"Well,hi,"Isaid.Therewerereallysomeoddkidshere.
"Hey,"shesaidaswewentbacktoourdesks."Erikwaslookingatyou.”
"Hewaslookingateveryone,"Isaid,eventhoughIcouldfeelmystupidface
gettingallhotandredagain.
"Yeah,buthewasreallylookingatyou."Shegrinnedandadded,"Oh,Ithink
yourcolored-inMarkiscool.”
"Thanks."Itprobablylookedweirdashellonmybeet-redface.
"Anyquestionsaboutchoosingamonologue,Zoey?"ProfessorNolanasked,
makingmejump.
"No,ProfessorNolan.I'vedonethembeforeindramaatSIHS.”
"Verygood.LetmeknowifIcanclarifysettingorcharacterforyou."She
pattedmeonthearmandkeptmovingaroundtheroom.Iopenedupthefirstbook
andstartedtoflipthroughthepages,trying(unsuccessfully)toforgetaboutErikand
concentrateonmonologues.
Hehadbeenlookingatme.Butwhy?Hemusthaveknownthatithadbeen
meinthehall.Sowhatkindofinterestinmewasheshowing?AnddidIwantaguy
tolikemewhohadbeengettingablowjobfromthehatefulAphrodite?Iprobably
shouldn't.Imean,Idefinitelywasn'tgoingtotakeupwheresheleftoff.Ormaybehe
wasjustcuriousaboutmyfreakishlycolored-inMark,likepracticallyeverybodyelse
was.
Butithadn'tseemedlikeit…ithadseemedlikehe'dbeenlookingatme.And
I'dlikedit.
IglanceddownatthebookI'dbeenignoring.Thepagewasopentothe
subchapter:DramaticMonologuesforWomen.Thefirstmonologueonthepagewas
fromAlwaysRidiculousbyJoseEchegaray.
Well,hell.Itwasprobablyasign.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
IactuallyfoundmywaytoLitclassbymyself.Okay,soitwasjustonthe
othersideofNeferet'sroom,butstillIfeltalittlemoreconfidentwhenIdidn'thaveto
asktobeledaroundlikethehelplessidiotnewkid.
"Zoey!Wesavedadeskforya!"StevieRaeyelledtheinstantIgottoclass.
ShewassittingbesideDamien,andpracticallyhoppingupanddownwithexcitement.
Shelookedlikeahappypuppyagain,whichmademesmile.Iwasreallygladtosee
her."So,so,so!Tellmeeverything!HowwasDrama?Didyoulikeit?Doyoulike
ProfessorNolan?Isn'thertattoocool?Itremindsmeofamask—kinda.”
DamiengrabbedStevieRae'sarm."Breatheandletthegirlanswer.”
"Sorry,"shesaidsheepishly.
"IguessNolan'stattoosarecool,"Isaid.
"Youguess?”
"Well,Iwasdistracted.”
"What?"shesaid.Thenhereyesnarrowed."Didsomeoneembarrassyou
aboutyourMark?Iswearpeoplearejustplainrude.”
"No,thatwasn'tit.ActuallythatElizabethNoLastNamegirlsaidshethought
itwascool.Iwasdistractedbecause,well…"Iwasfeelingmyfacegethotagain.I'd
decidedthatIwasgoingtoaskthemaboutErik,butnowthatI'dstartedtalkingI
wonderedwhetherIshouldsayanything.ShouldItellthemaboutthehall?
Damienperkedup."Ifeelajuicytidbitcomingon.Comeon,Zoey.Youwere
distractedbecauuuuse?"Hedrewthewordoutintoaquestion.
"Okay,okay.Icansumitupintwowords:ErikNight.”
StevieRae'smouthdroppedopenandDamiendidalittlepretendswoon,
whichhehadtostraightenupfromrightawaybecauseatthatmomentthebellrang
andProfessorPenthesileasweptintotheroom.
"Later!"StevieRaewhispered.
"Absolutely!"Damienmouthed.
Ismiledinnocently.IfnothingelseIwassurethatIwouldlovethefactthat
mentioningErikwoulddrivethemcrazyallhour.
Litclasswasanexperience.Firstofall,theclassroomitselfwastotally
differentthananyI'deverseen.Therewerebizarrelyinterestingpostersandpaintings
andwhatlookedlikeoriginalartworkfillingeveryinchofwallspace.Andhanging
fromtheceilingwerewindchimesandcrystals—lotsofthem.ProfessorPenthesilea
(whosenameInowrecognizedfromVampSocclassasbelongingtothemostrevered
ofalltheAmazons,andwhoeveryonecalledProfP)waslikesomethingoutofthe
movies(well,theonesontheSci-FiChannel).Shehadseriouslylongreddish-blond
hair,bighazeleyes,andacurvybodythatprobablymadealltheguysdrool(notthat
it'sveryhardtomaketeenageboysdrool).Hertattooswerethin,prettyCelticknots
thattracedtheirwaydownherfaceandaroundhercheekbones,makingthemlook
highanddramatic.Shewaswearingexpensive-lookingblackslacksandamoss-
coloredsilkcardigansweatersetthathadthesamegoddessfigureembroideredover
herbreastasNeferethadbeenwearing.And,nowthatIthoughtaboutit(andnot
Erik),IrealizedProfNolan'sblousehadthegoddessembroideredonthebreastpocket
ofherblouse,too.Hmmm…
"IwasborninAprilofyear1902,"ProfessorPenthesileasaid,instantly
grabbingourattention.Imean,please,shebarelylookedthirty."SoIwastenyears
oldinAprilof1912,andIrememberthetragedyverywell.AboutwhatamI
speaking?Doanyofyouhaveanyidea?”
Okay,Iknewexactlywhatshewastalkingabout,butitwasn'tbecauseI'ma
hopelesshistorynerd.It'sbecausewhenIwasyoungerIthoughtIwasinlovewith
LeonardoDiCaprio,andmymomgotmetheentireDVDcollectionofhismoviesfor
mytwelfthbirthday.ThisparticularmovieIwatchedsomanytimesIstillhavemost
ofitmemorized(andIcannottellyouhowmanytimesIsnotcriedwhenheslipped
offthatboardandfloatedawaylikeanadorablePopsicle).
Ilookedaround.Nooneelseseemedtohaveaclue,soIsighedandraisedmy
hand.
ProfPsmiledandcalledonme,"Yes,MissRedbird.”
"TheTitanicsankinAprilof1912.ItwasstruckbytheiceberglateonSunday
night,thefourteenth,andsankjustafewhourslateronthefifteenth.”
IheardDamiensuckairbesideme,andStevieRae'slittlehuh.Jeesh,hadI
reallybeenactingsostupidthattheywereshockedtohearmeansweraquestion
correctly?
"Idoloveitwhenanewfledglingknowssomething?"ProfessorPenthesilea
said."Absolutelycorrect,MissRedbird.IwaslivinginChicagoatthetimeofthe
tragedy,andIwillneverforgetthenewsiesshoutingthetragicheadlinesfromthe
streetcorners.Itwasahorridevent,especiallybecausethelossofliveswasso
preventable.Italsosignaledtheendofoneageandthebeginningofanother,aswell
asbringingaboutmanymuch-neededchangesinshippinglaws.Wearegoingtostudy
allofthis,plusthedeliciouslymelodramaticeventsofthenight,inournextpieceof
literature,WalterLord'smeticulouslyresearchedbook,ANighttoRemember.
AlthoughLordwasnotavampyre—andit'sreallyashamehewasn't,"sheadded
underherbreath,"Istillfindhistakeonthenightcompellingandhiswritingstyleand
toneinterestingandveryreadable.Okay,let'sgetstarted!Thelastpersonineachrow,
getbooksforthepeopleinyourrowfromthelongcabinetinthebackoftheroom.”
Well,cool!ThiswasdefinitelymoreinterestingthanreadingGreat
Expectations(Pip,Estella,whocares?!).IsettledinwithANighttoRememberand
mynotebookopenedtotake,well,notes.ProfPstartedtoreadChapterOnealoudto
us,andshewasactuallyagoodreader.ThreeclasshoursalmostoverandI'dlikedall
ofthem.Wasitpossiblethatthisvampschoolwouldactuallybemorethanaboring
placeIwenttoeverydaybecauseIhadtoand,besidesthat,allmyfriendswerethere?
NotthatalloftheclassesatSIHShadbeenboring,butwedidn'tgettostudythe
AmazonsandtheTitanic(fromateacherwho'dbeenalivewhenitsank!).
IglancedaroundattheotherkidswhileProfPread.Therewereaboutfifteen
ofus,whichseemedabouttheaverageinmyotherclasses,too.Allofthemhadtheir
booksopenandwerepayingattention.
Thenmyeyewascaughtbysomethingredandbushyontheothersideofthe
roomneartherearoftheclass.I'dspokentoosoon—notallofthekidswerepaying
attention.Thisonehadhisheaddownonhisarmsandhewassoundasleep,whichI
knewbecausehischubby,way-too-white-and-freckledfacewasturnedinmy
direction.Hismouthwasopen,andIthinkhemighthavebeendroolingalittle.I
wonderedwhatProfPwoulddotothekid.Shedidn'tseemlikethekindofteacher
whowouldbecoolwithsomeslugsleepinginthebackoftheroom,butshejustkept
onwithherreading,interspersedwithinterestingfirsthandfactsabouttheearly
twentiethcentury,whichIreallyliked(Ilovedhearingabouttheflappers—Iwould
definitelyhavebeenaflapperifI'dlivedinthe192os).Itwasn'tuntilthebellwas
abouttoringandProfPhadassignedthenextchapterashomework,andthentoldus
wecouldtalkquietlyamongstourselves,thatsheactedasifshenoticedthesleeping
kidatall.He'dstartedtostir,finallyliftinguphisheadtodisplaythebrightred
sleepingcirclethatwasonthesideofhisforeheadandlookedbizarrelyoutofplace
besidehisMark.
"Elliott,Ineedtoseeyou,"ProfPsaidfrombehindherdesk.Thekidtookhis
timegettingupandthendraggedhisfeet,scuffinghisuntiedshoes,overtoherdesk.
"Yeah?”
"Elliott,youare,ofcourse,failingLit.Butwhat'smoreimportant,you're
failinglife.Vampyremalesarestrong,honorable,andunique.Theyhavebeenour
warriorsandprotectorsforcountlessgenerations.Howdoyouexpecttomakethe
Changeintoabeingwhoismorewarriorthanmanifyoudonotpracticethe
disciplineittakeseventostayawakeinclass?”
Heshruggedhissoft-lookingshoulders.
Herexpressionhardened."Ishallgiveyouoneopportunitytomakeupthe
zeroforclassparticipationyoureceivedtodaybywritingashortpaperonanyissue
thatwasimportantinAmericaintheearlytwentiethcentury.Thepaperisdue
tomorrow.”
Withoutsayinganything,hestartedtoturnaway.
"Elliott,"ProfP'svoicehaddroppedand,thickwithirritation,itmadeher
soundwayscarierthanshe'dseemedwhileshehadbeenreadingandlecturing.Icould
feelthepowerradiatingfromher,anditmademewonderwhyshewouldeverneeda
maleanythingtoprotecther.Thekidstoppedandturnedbacktofaceher.
"Ididnotexcuseyou.Whatisyourdecisionaboutdoingtheworktomakeup
today'szero?”
Thekidjuststoodtherewithoutsayinganything.
"Thatquestioncallsforananswer,Elliott.Now!"Theairaroundhercrackled
withthecommand,makingtheskinonmyarmstingle.
Seeminglyunaffected,heshruggedagain."Iprobablywon'tdoit.”
"Thatsayssomethingaboutyourcharacter,Elliott,andit'snotsomething
good.You'renotonlylettingyourselfdown,butyou'relettingdownyourmentor,
too.”
Heshruggedagainandabsentlypickedhisnose."TheDragonalreadyknows
howIam.”
ThebellrangandProfP,withadisgustedlookonherface,motionedfor
Elliotttoleavetheroom.Damien,StevieRae,andIhadjuststoodupandwere
startingtowalkoutthedoorwhenElliottslouchedbyus,movingmorequicklythanI
believedpossibleforsomeonesosloth-like.HebumpedintoDamien,whowasahead
ofus.Damienmadeanoopssoundandstumbledalittle.
"Fuckingfaggot,getouttamyway,"theloserkidsnarled,pushingDamien
withhisshouldersohecouldgetthroughthedoorbeforehim.
"Ishouldsmackthecrapoutofthatjerk!"StevieRaesaid,hurryingupto
Damien,whowaswaitingforus.
Heshookhishead."Don'tworryaboutit.ThatElliottkidhasmajor
problems.”
"Yeah,likehavingpoopieforbrains,"Isaid,staringdownthehallattheslug's
back.Hishairwascertainlyunattractive.
"Poopieforbrains?"Damienlaughedandlinkedonearmthoughmineand
onethroughStevieRae's,leadingusdownthehallWizardofOzfashion."That'swhat
IlikeaboutourZoey,"hesaid."Shehassuchawaywithvulgarlanguage.”
"Poopie'snotvulgar,"Isaiddefensively.
"Ithinkthat'shispoint,honey,"StevieRaelaughed.
"Oh."Ilaughed,too,andIreally,reallylikedhowitsoundedwhenhe'dsaid
"our"Zoey.likeIbelonged…likeImightbehome.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
Fencingwastotallycool,whichwasasurprise.Classwasheldinahugeroom
offthegymthatlookedlikeadancestudio,completewithafloor-to-ceilingwallof
mirrors.Hangingfromtheceilingalongonesidewereweirdlife-sizedmanikinsthat
remindedmeofthree-dimensionalshootingtargets.EveryonecalledProfessor
LankfordDragonLankford,orjustDragon.Itdidn'ttakemelongtofigureoutwhy.
Histattoorepresentedtwodragonswhosebodies,serpent-like,wrappeddownover
hisjawline.Theirheadswereoverhisbrowsandtheirmouthswereopen,breathing
fireatthecrescentmoon.Itwasamazingandhardnottostareat.Plus,Dragonwas
thefirstmaleadultvampyreI'dseenupclose.Atfirstheconfusedme.Iguessifyou'd
askedmewhatIexpectedfromamalevampyreIwouldhavesaidhisopposite.
Honestly,Ihadthemovie-starvampyrestereotypeinmind—tall,dangerous,
handsome.Youknow,likeVinDiesel.Anyway,Dragonisshort,haslongblondish
hairthathepullsbackinalowponytail,and(exceptforthefiercelookingdragon
tattoo)hasacutefacewithawarmsmileItwasonlywhenhebeganleadingtheclass
throughitswarm-upexercisesthatIbegantorealizehispower.Fromtheinstanthe
heldthesword(whichIlaterfoundoutwascalledanepee)inthetraditionalsalutehe
seemedtobecomesomeoneelse—someonewhomovedwithunbelievablequickness
andgrace.Hefeintedandlungedandeffortlesslymadetherestoftheclass—eventhe
kidswhowereprettygood,likeDamien—looklikeawkwardpuppets.Whenhe
finishedleadingthewarm-ups,theDragonpairedeveryoneoffandhadthemworkon
whathecalled"thestandards."IwasrelievedwhenhemotionedforDamientobemy
partner.
"Zoey,it'sgoodtohaveyoujointheHouseofNight,"Dragonsaid,shaking
myhandinthetraditionalAmazonvampyregreeting."Damiencanexplainthe
differentpartsofthefencinguniformtoyou,andI'llgetyouahandouttostudyover
thenextfewdays.Iamassumingyou'vehadnopreviousinstructioninthesport?”
"No,Ihaven't,"Isaid,andthenaddednervously,"butI'dliketolearn.Imean,
thewholeideaofusingaswordisjustcool.”
Dragonsmiled."Foil,"hecorrected,"you'llbelearninghowtouseafoil.It's
thelightestweightofthethreetypesofweaponswehavehere,andanexcellent
choiceforwomen.Didyouknowthatfencingisoneoftheveryfewsportswhere
womenandmencancompeteonentirelyequalterms?”
"No,"Isaid,instantlyintrigued.Howcoolwoulditbetokickaguy'sbuttata
sport?!
"Thisisbecausetheintelligentandfocusedfencercansuccessfully
compensateforanyperceiveddeficienciesheorshemayhave,andmayevenbeable
toturnthosedeficiencies—suchasstrengthorreach—intoassets.Inotherwords,you
maynotbeasstrongorasfastasyouropponent,butyoucouldbesmarterorableto
remainfocusedbetter,whichwilltipthescalesinyourfavor.Right,Damien?”
Damiengrinned."Right.”
"DamienisoneofthemostfocusedfencersI'vehadtheprivilegetocoachin
decades,whichmakeshimadangerousopponent.”
IsnuckasidewaysglanceatDamien,whoflushedwithprideandpleasure.
"ForthenextweekorsoI'llhaveDamiendrillyouintheopeningmaneuvers.
Alwaysremember,fencingrequiresamasteryofskillsthataresequentialand
hierarchicalinnature.Ifoneoftheskillsisnotacquired,subsequentskillswillbe
verydifficulttomasterandthefencerwillbeatapermanentandserious
disadvantage.”
"Okay,I'llremember,”Isaid.Dragonsmiledwarmlyagainbeforehemoved
offtoworkhiswayamongeachpracticingpair.
"Whathemeansisdon'tgetdiscouragedorboredifImakeyoudothesame
exerciseoverandover.”
"Sowhatyou'rereallysayingisthatyou'regoingtobeannoying,butthere'sa
purposebehindit?”
"Yep.Andpartofthatpurposewillhelpliftthatcutelittlebuttofyours,”he
saidsassily,tappingmewiththesideofhisfoil.
Islappedathimandrolledmyeyes,butaftertwentyminutesoflungingand
settlingbackintothebeginningstanceandlunging—overandoveragain—Iknewhe
wasright.Mybuttwouldbekillingmetomorrow.
Wetookquickshowersafterclass(thankfully,therewereseparatecurtain-
drapedstallsforeachofusinthegirls'lockerroomandwedidn'thavetobarbarically
andtragicallyshowerinahugeopenarealikewewereprisoninmatesorwhatever)
andthenIhurriedwiththerestofthecrowdtothelunchroom—betterknownasthe
dininghall.AndIdomeanhurry.Iwasstarving.
Lunchwasahugebuild-your-ownsaladbuffet,whichincludedeverything
fromtunasalad(eesh)tothoseweirdmini-cornsthataresoconfusing,anddon'teven
tastelikecorn.(Whatexactlyarethey?Babycorn?Midgetcorn?Mutantcorn?)I
piledmyplatehighandgotabighunkofwhatlookedandsmelledlikefreshlybaked
bread,andslidintotheboothbesideStevieRae,withDamienfollowingclosebehind
me.ErinandShauneewerealreadyarguingoversomethingtodowithwhoseessay
fortheirLitclasswasbetter,eventhoughthey'dbothgotten96ontheirpapers.
"So,Zoey,give.WhataboutErikNight?"StevieRaeaskedtheinstantI'd
forkedabigbiteofsaladintomymouth.StevieRae'swordsimmediatelyshutupthe
Twinsandfocusedtheentiretable'sattentiononme.
I'dthoughtaboutwhatIwasgoingtosayaboutErik,anddecidedthatIwasn't
readytotellanyoneabouttheunfortunateblow-jobscene.SoIjustsaid,"Hekept
lookingatme."WhentheyfrownedatmeIrealizedthatthroughmysaladmouthwhat
I'dreallysaidwas"Hekeffftlooooknatmmm."Iswallowedandtriedagain."Hekept
lookingatme.InDramaclass.Itwasjust,Idunno,confusing.”
"Define'lookingatme’,"Damiensaid.
"Well,ithappenedthesecondhecameintoclass,butitwasespecially
noticeablewhenhewasgivingusanexampleofamonologue.Hedidthisthingfrom
Othello,andwhenhesaidthelineaboutloveandsuch,hestaredstraightatme.I
wouldhavethoughtitwasjustanaccidentorsomething,buthelookedatmebefore
hestartedthemonologue,andthenagainashewasleavingtheroom."Isighedand
squirmedalittle,uncomfortablewiththeirwaytoopiercinglooks."Nevermind.It
wasprobablyjustpartofhisact.”
"ErikNightisthehottestdamnthingatthisentireschool,"Shauneesaid.
"Forgetthat—he'sthehottestdamnthingonthisplanet,"Erinsaid.
"He'snothotterthanKennyChesney,"StevieRaesaidquickly.
"Okay,justpleasewithyourcountryobsession!"ShauneefrownedatStevie
Raebeforeturningherattentionbacktome."Donotletthisopportunitypassyouby.”
"Yeah,"Erinechoed."Donot.”
"Passmeby?WhatamIsupposedtodo?Hedidn'tevensayanythingtome.”
"Uh,Zoeyhoney,didyousmilebackattheboy?"Damienasked.
Iblinked.HadIsmiledbackathim?Ah,crap.IbetIhadn't.IbetIjustsat
thereandstaredlikeamoronandmaybeevendrooled.Okay,well,Imightnothave
drooled,butstill."Idunno,"Isaidinsteadofthesadtruth,whichdidn'tfoolDamien
atall.
Hesnorted."Nexttimesmileathim.”
"Andmaybesayhi,"StevieRaesaid.
"IthoughtErikwasajustprettyface,"Shauneesaid."Andbody,"Erinadded.
"UntilhedumpedAphrodite,"Shauneecontinued."WhenhedidthatI
realizedtheboymighthavesomethinggoingonupstairs."
"Wecanalreadytellhehasitgoingondownstairs!"Erinsaid,wagglingher
eyebrows.
"Uh-huh!"Shauneesaid,lickingherlipslikeshewascontemplatingeatinga
bigpieceofchocolate.
"Youtwoaregross,"Damiensaid.
"Weonlymeantthathehasthecutestbuttintown,MissPriss,"Shauneesaid.
"Asifyouhaven'tnoticed,"Erinsaid.
"IfyoustartedtalkingtoErikitwouldreallypissoffAphrodite."StevieRae
said.
EveryoneturnedandstaredatStevieRaeasifshe'djustpartedtheRedSeaor
something.
"It'strue,"Damiensaid.
"Verytrue,"ShauneesaidwhileErinnodded.
"SotherumorisheusedtogooutwithAphrodite,"Isaid.
"Yep,"Erinsaid.
"Therumorisgrotesquebuttrue,"Shauneesaid."Whichmakesitevenbetter
thatnowhelikesyou!”
"Guys,hewasprobablyjuststaringatmyweirdMark,”Iblurted.
"Maybenot.You'rereallycute,Zoey,"StevieRaesaidwithasweetsmile.
"OrmaybeyourMarkmadehimlook,andthenhethoughtyouwerecutesohe
keptlooking,”Damiensaid.
"Eitherway,hislookingwilldefinitelypissAphroditeoff,"Shauneesaid.
"Whichisagoodthing,”Erinsaid.
StevieRaewavedawaytheircomments."JustforgetaboutAphroditeandyour
Markandallthatotherstuff.Nexttimehesmilesatyou,sayhi.That'sall.”
"Easy,”Shauneesaid.
"Peasy,"Erinsaid.
"Okay,”Imumbledandwentbacktomysalad,wishingdesperatelythatthe
wholeErikNightissuewasaseasy-peasyastheythoughtitwas.
OnethingaboutlunchattheHouseofNightwasthesameaslunchatSIHSor
anyotherschoolI'devereatenat—itwasovertoosoon.AndthenSpanishclasswasa
blur.ProfesoraGarmywaslikealittleHispanicwhirlwind.Ilikedherrightaway(her
tattooslookedoddlylikefeathers,sosheremindedmeofalittleSpanishbird),butshe
rantheclassspeakingentirelyinSpanish.Entirely.Ishouldprobablymentionhere
thatIhaven'thadSpanishsinceeighthgrade,andIfreelyadmittonotpayingmuch
attentiontoitthen.SoIwasprettylost,butIwrotedownthehomeworkandpromised
myselfthatI'dstudythevocabwords.Ihatebeinglost.
IntrotoEquestrianStudieswasheldintheFieldHouse.Itwasalong,low
brickbuildingoverbythesouthwall,attachedtoahugeindoorridingarena.The
wholeplacehadthatsawdusty,horseysmellthatmixedwithleathertoform
somethingthatwaspleasant,eventhoughyouknowthatpartofthe"pleasant"scent
waspoopie—horsepoopie.
Istoodnervouslywithasmallgroupofkidsjustinsidethecorralwhereatall,
stern-facedupperclassmanhaddirectedustowait.Therewereonlyabouttenofus,
andwewereallthirdformers.Oh,(great)thatannoyingredheadedElliottkidwas
slouchingagainstthewallkickingatthesawdustfloor.Heraisedenoughdusttomake
thegirlstandingclosesttohimsneeze.Shethrewhimadirtylookandmovedafew
stepsaway.God,didheirritateeveryone?Andwhycouldn'theusesomeproduct(or
perhapsacomb)onthatnappyhair?
ThesoundofhoovesdrewmyattentionfromElliottandIlookedupintimeto
seeamagnificentblackmarepoundingintothecorralatfullgallop.Sheslidtoastop
acouplefeetinfrontofus.Whileweallgawkedlikefools,themare'srider
dismountedgracefully.Shehadthickhairthatreachedtoherwaistandwassoblond
itwasalmostwhite,andeyesthatwereaweirdshadeofslategray.Herbodywastiny,
andthewayshestoodremindedmeofthosegirlswhoobsessivelytakedanceclasses
sothatevenwhenthey'renotinballettheystandliketheyhavesomethingstuckway
uptheirbutts.Hertattoowasanintricateseriesofknotsentwinedaroundherface—
withinthesapphiredesignIwassureIcouldseeplunginghorses.
"Goodevening.IamLenobia,andthis,"shepointedatthemareandgaveour
groupacontemptuouslookbeforefinishingthesentence,"isahorse."Hervoicerang
againstthewalls.Theblackmareblewthroughhernoseasiftopunctuateherwords.
"Andyouaremynewgroupofthirdformers.Eachofyouhasbeenchosenformy
classbecausewebelieveyoumightpossiblyhaveanaptitudeforriding.Thetruthis
thatlessthanhalfofyouwilllastthesemester,andlessthanhalfofthosewholast
willactuallydevelopintodecentequestrians.Arethereanyquestions?"Shedidn't
pauselongenoughforanyonetoaskanything."Good.Thenfollowmeandyoushall
begin."Sheturnedandmarchedbackintothestable.Wefollowed.
Iwantedtoaskwhothe"we"werewhothoughtImighthaveanaptitudefor
riding,butIwasscaredtosayanythingandjustscrambledafterherlikeeveryoneelse.
ShecametoahaltinfrontofarowofemptystallsOutsideofthemwerepitchforks
andwheelbarrows.Lenobiaturnedtofaceus.
"Horsesarenotbigdogs.Noraretheyalittlegirl'sromanticizeddreamimage
ofaperfectbestfriendwhowillalwaysunderstandyou.”
TwogirlsstandingbesidemefidgetedguiltilyandLenobiaskeweredthem
withhergrayeyes.
"Horsesarework.Horsestakededication,intelligence,andtime.We'llbegin
withtheworkpart.Inthetackroomdownthishallyou'llfindmuckingboots.Choose
apairquickly,whileweallgetgloves.Theneachofyoutakeyourownstallandget
busy.”
"ProfessorLenobia?"saidachubbygirlwithacuteface,whoraisedherhand
nervously.
"Lenobiawilldo.ThenameIchoseinhonoroftheancientvampyrequeen
needsnoothertitle.”
Ididn'thaveacluewhoLenobiawas,andmadeamentalnotetolookitup.
"Goon.Youhaveaquestion,Amanda?”
"Yeah,uh,yes.”
Lenobiaraisedonebrowatthegirl.
Amandaswallowednoisily."Getbusydoingwhat,Profes—,Imean,Lenobia,
ma'am?”
"Cleaningoutstalls,ofcourse.Themanuregoesinthewheelbarrows.When
yourbarrowisfullyoucandumpitinthecompostareaonthewallsideofthestables.
Thereisfreshsawdustinthestorageroombesidethetackroom.Youhavefifty
minutes.I'llbebackinforty-fivetoinspectyourstalls!’
Weallblinkedather.
"Youmaycommence.Now.”
Wecommenced.
Okay.Really.Iknowit'sgoingtosoundweird,butIdidn'tmindcleaningout
mystall.Imean,horsepoopiejustisn'tthatgross.Especiallybecauseitwasobvious
thatthesestallswerecleanedoutlikeeveryotherinstantoftheday.Igrabbedthe
muckingboots(whichwerebigrubbergaloshes—totallyugly,buttheydidcovermy
jeansallthewayuptomyknees)andapairofglovesandgottowork.Therewas
musicplayingthroughexcellentloudspeakers—somethingthatIwasprettysurewas
Enya'slatestCD(mymomusedtolistentoEnyabeforeshemarriedJohn,butthenhe
decidedthatitmightbewitchmusicsoshequit,whichiswhyI'llalwayslikeEnya).
SoIlistenedtothehauntingGaeliclyricsandpitch-forkeduppoopie.Itdidn'tseem
thathardlyanytimehadpassedwhenIwasdumpingthewheelbarrowandthenfilling
itwithcleansawdust.IwasjustsmoothingitaroundthestallwhenIgotthatprickly
feelingthatsomeonewaswatchingme.
"Goodjob,Zoey.”
IjumpedandwhirledaroundtoseeLenobiastandingjustoutsidemystall.In
onehandshewasholdingabig,softcurrybrush.Intheothershewasholdingthelead
ropeofadoe-eyedroanmare.
"You'vedonethisbefore,"Lenobiasaid.
"MygrandmausedtohaveareallysweetgraygeldingInamedBunny,"Isaid
beforeIrealizedhowstupidIsounded.Cheekshot,Ihurriedon,"Well,Iwasten,and
hiscolorremindedmeofBugsBunny,soIstartedcallinghimthatanditstuck.”
Lenobia'slipstiltedupinthebaresthintofasmile."ItwasBunny'sstallyou
cleaned?”
"Yeah.Ilikedtoridehim,andGrandmasaidthatnooneshouldrideahorse
unlesstheycleanupafterone."Ishrugged."SoIcleanedupafterhim.”
"Yourgrandmotherisawisewoman.”
Inodded.
"AnddidyoumindcleaningupafterBunny?”
"No,notreally.”
"Good.MeetPersephone,"Lenobianoddedherheadatthemarebesideher.
"You'vejustcleanedherstall.”
Themarecameintothestallandwalkedstraightuptome,stickinghermuzzle
inmyfaceandblowinggently,whichtickledandmademegiggle.Irubbedhernose
andautomaticallykissedthewarmvelvetofhermuzzle.
"Hithere,Persephone,youprettygirl.”
LenobianoddedinapprovalasthemareandIgottoknoweachother.
"Thereareonlyaboutfiveminutesleftbeforethebellringsforschooltoend,
soitisnotnecessarythatyoustayaspartoftoday'sclass,butifyou'dlike,Ibelieve
youhaveearnedtheprivilegeofbrushingPersephone.”
Surprised,Ilookedupfrompattingthehorse'sneck."Noproblem,I'llstay,"I
heardmyselfsaying.
"Excellent.Youcanreturnthebrushtothetackroomwhenyou'vefinished.
I'llseeyoutomorrow,Zoey."Lenobiahandedmethebrush,pattedthemare,andleft
usaloneinthestall.
Persephonestuckherheadinthemetalrackthatheldfreshhay,andgotto
workchewing,whileIgottoworkbrushing.I'dforgottenhowrelaxingitwasto
groomahorse.Bunnyhaddiedofasuddenandveryscaryheartattacktwoyearsago,
andGrandmahadbeentooupsettogetanotherhorse.She'dsaidthat"therabbit"
(whichiswhatsheusedtocallhim)couldn'tbereplaced.Soithadbeentwoyears
sinceI'dbeenaroundahorse,butitcamebacktomeinstantly—allofit.Thesmells,
thewarm,soothingsoundofahorseeating,andthegentleshooshthecurrybrush
madeasitslidoverthemare'sslickcoat.
AttheedgeofmyattentionIvaguelyheardLenobia'svoice,sharpandangry,
asshetotallychewedoutastudentIguessedwastheannoyingredheadedkid.I
peekedoverPersephone'sshoulderandtookaquicklookdownthestallline.Sure
enough,theredheadedkidwasslouchedinfrontofhisstall.Lenobiastoodbeside
him,handsonherhips.EvenfromthesideviewIcouldseeshewasmadashell.Was
itthatkid'smissiontopissoffeveryteacherhere?AndhismentorwasDragon?Okay,
theguylookednice,untilhepickedupasword—uh,Imeanfoil—thenheshifted
fromniceguytodeadly-dangerous-vampyre-warrior-guy.
"Thatredheadedslugkidmusthaveadeathwish,"ItoldPersephoneasI
returnedtohergrooming.Themaretwitchedanearbackatmeandblewthroughher
nose."Yep,Iknewyou'dagree.Wantahearmytheoryabouthowmygenerationcould
single-handedlywipeoutslugsandloserkidsfromAmerica?"Sheseemedreceptive,
soIlaunchedintomyDon'tProcreatewithLosersspeech.…
"Zoey!Thereyouare!”
"Ohmygod!StevieRae!Youscaredthepoooutofme!"Ipattedandreassured
Persephone,whohadshiedwhenI'dsquealed."Whatintheworldareyadoin'?”
Iwaggledthecurrybrushinherdirection."WhatdoesitlooklikeI'mdoing,
StevieRae,gettingapedicure?”
"Stopmessingaround.TheFullMoonRitualisgonnastartinliketwo
minutes?”
"Ah,hell!"IgavePersephoneonemorepatandhurriedoutofthestalltothe
tackroom.
"Youforgotallaboutit,didn'tyou?"StevieRaesaid,holdingmyhandtohelp
mebalancewhileIkickedmyfeetoutoftherubberbootsandputmycutelittleballet
slippersbackon.
"No,"Ilied.
ThenIrealizedthatI'dalsoforgottenallabouttheDarkDaughters'ritual
afterward.
"Ah,hell!”
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
AbouthalfwaytoNyx'sTempleIrealizedthatStevieRaewasbeingunusually
quiet.Iglancedsidewaysather.Wasshealsolookingpale?Igotacreepywalk-over-
your-gravefeeling.
"StevieRae,issomethingwrong?”
"Yeah,well,it'ssadandkindascary.”
"Whatis?TheFullMoonRitual?"Mystomachstartedtohurt.
"No,you'lllikethat—oratleastyou'lllikethisone."Iknewshemeant,versus
theDarkDaughters'ritualIhadtogotoafterward,butIdidn'twanttotalkaboutthat.
StevieRae'snextwordsmadethewholeissueoftheDarkDaughtersseemlikea
small,secondaryproblem."Agirldiedlasthour.”
"What?How?”
"Howtheyalldie.Shedidn'tmaketheChange,andherbodyjust…"Stevie
Raepaused,shuddering."IthappenedneartheendofTaeKwanDoclass.She'dbeen
coughing,likeshewasshortofbreathatthebeginningofourwarm-upexercises.I
didn'tthinkanythingofit.OrmaybeIdid,butIputitoutofmymind.”
StevieRaegavemeasmall,sadsmileandshelookedashamedofherself.
"Isthereanywaytosaveakid?After,youknow,theystart—"Ibrokeoffand
madeavague,uncomfortablegesture.
"No.There'snowayyoucanbesavedifyourbodystartstorejectthe
Change.”
"Thendon'tfeelbadaboutnotwantingtothinkaboutthegirlwhowas
coughing.There'snothingyoucouldhavedoneanyway.”
"Iknow.Ijust…itwasawful.AndElizabethwassonice.”
Ifeltasharpjoltsomewhereinthemiddleofmybody."ElizabethNoLast
Name?She'sthegirlwhodied?”
StevieRaenodded,blinkinghardandobviouslytryingnottocry.
"That'shorrible,"Isaid,myvoicesoweakitwasalmostawhisper.I
rememberedhowconsiderateshe'dbeenaboutmyMark,andhowshe'dnoticedErik
lookingatme."ButIjustsawherinDramaclass.Shewasfine.”
"That'showithappens.Onesecondthekidsittingnexttoyoulooksperfectly
normal.Thenext…"StevieRaeshiveredagain.
"Andeverything'sgoingtogoonlikenormal?Eventhoughsomeoneatthe
schooljustdied?"Irememberedthatlastyear,whenagroupofsophomoresfrom
SIHShadbeeninacaraccidentoneweekendandtwoofthemhadbeenkilled,extra
counselorshadbeencalledintoschoolonMondayandalltheathleticeventshad
beencancelledforthatweek.
"Everythinggoesonlikenormal.We'resupposedtogetusedtotheideathatit
mighthappentoanyone.You'llsee.Everyonewillactlikenothinghappened,
especiallyupperclassmen.It'sjustthirdformersandgoodfriendsofElizabeth,likeher
roommate,whowillshowanyreactionatall.Thethirdformers—that'sus—are
supposedtoactrightandgetoverit.Elizabeth'sroommateandbestfriendswill
probablykeeptothemselvesforacoupledays,butthenthey'llbeexpectedtogetit
together.”Sheloweredhervoice,"Truthfully,Idon'tthinkthevampsthinkofanyof
usasrealuntilweactuallyChange.”
Ithoughtaboutthis.Neferetdidn'tseemtotreatmelikeIwastemporary—
she'devensaidthatitwasanexcellentsignthatmyMarkwascoloredinalready,not
thatIwasasconfidentassheseemedtobeaboutmyfuture.ButIabsolutelywasnot
goingtosayanythingthatmightsoundasifNeferetwasgivingmespecialtreatment.I
didn'twanttobe"theweirdone."IjustwantedtobeStevieRae'sfriendandfitin
withmynewgroup.
"That'sreallyawful,"wasallIsaid.
"Yeah,butatleastifithappens,ithappensfast.”
Partofmewantedtoknowthedetails,andpartofmewastooscaredevento
askthequestion.
Thankfully,ShauneeinterruptedbeforeIcouldmakemyselfaskwhatIwas
reallytoofreakedouttowanttoknow.
"Justpleasewiththetakingsolong,"Shauneecalledfromthefrontstepsof
thetemple."ErinandDamienarealreadyinsidesavingaplaceinthecircleforus,but
youknowthatoncetheritualstartstheywon'tletanyoneelsein.Hurryup!”
Werushedupthesteps,andwithShauneeleadingus,hurriedintothetemple.
Sweet,smokyincenseengulfedmeasIenteredthedarkarchedfoyerofNyx's
Temple.Automatically,Ihesitated.StevieRaeandShauneeturnedtome.
"It'sokay.There'snothingtobenervousorscaredabout."StevieRaemetmy
eyesandadded,"Atleastnothinginthere.”
"TheFullMoonRitualisgreat.You'lllikeit.Oh,whenthevamptracesthe
pentagramonyourforeheadandsays'blessedbe'allyouhavetodoissay'blessedbe'
backtoher,"Shauneeexplained."Thenfollowusovertoourplaceinthecircle.”She
smiledreassuringlyatmeandhurriedaheadintothedimlylitinteriorroom.
"Wait."IgrabbedStevieRae'ssleeve."Idon'twanttosoundstupid,butisn'ta
pentagramasignofevilorsomethinglikethat?”
"That'swhatIthought,too,untilIgothere.Butallthatevilstuffisbullthat
thePeopleofFaithwantyoutobelievesothat…Heck,"shesaidwithashrug,"I'mnot
evensurewhythey'resosetonpeople—well,humansthatis—believingthatit'san
evilsign.Thetruthisthatforlikeazillionyearsthepentagramhasstoodforwisdom,
protection,perfection.Goodstufflikethat.It'sjustafive-pointedstar.Fourofthe
pointsstandfortheelements.Thefifth,theonethatpointsup,standsforthespirit.
That'sallitis.Noboogiemanthere.”
"Control.”Imuttered,gladwehadareasontoquittalkingaboutElizabethand
death.
"Huh?”
"ThePeopleofFaithwanttocontroleverything,andpartofthatcontrolisthat
everyonehastoalwaysbelieveexactlythesame.That'swhytheywantpeopletothink
thepentagramisbad."Ishookmyheadindisgust."Nevermind.Comeon.I'mreadier
thanIthoughtIwas.Let'sgoin.”
WewalkeddeeperintothefoyerandIheardrunningwater.Wepasseda
beautifulfountain,andthentheentrywaycurvedgentlytotheleft.Withinathick,
archedstonedoorwaystoodavampyreIdidn'trecognize.Shewasdressedentirelyin
black—alongskirtandasilky,bell-sleevedblouse.Theonlydecorationshehadon
wasthesilverembroideredgoddessfigureoverherbreast.Herhairwaslongandthe
colorofwheat.Sapphire-coloredspiralsradiatedfromhercrescentmoontattooto
downaroundherflawlessface.
"That'sAnastasia.SheteachestheSpellsandRitualsclass.She'salsoDragon's
wife,”StevieRaewhisperedquicklybeforeshesteppeduptothevampyreand
respectfullyplacedherfistoverherheart.
Anastasiasmiledanddippedherfingerinarockbowlshewasholding.Then
shetracedafive-pointedstaronStevieRae'sforehead.
"Blessedbe,StevieRae,"shesaid.
"Blessedbe,”StevieRaeresponded.Shegavemeanencouraginglookbefore
shedisappearedintothesmokyroombeyond.
Itookadeepbreathandmadeaconsciousdecisiontoputallthoughtsof
Elizabethanddeathandwhat-ifsoutofmymind—atleastduringthisritual.Imoved
purposefullyintothespaceinfrontofAnastasia.MimickingStevieRae,Iplacedmy
closedfistovermyheart.
ThevampyredippedherfingerinwhatIcouldnowseewasoil."Merrymeet,
ZoeyRedbird,welcometotheHouseofNightandyournewlife,"shesaidasshe
tracedthepentagramonmyforeheadovermyMark."Andblessedbe.”
"Blessedbe,"Imurmured,surprisedattheelectricshiverthatpassedthrough
mybodywhenthedampstarhadtakenformonmyforehead.
"Gooninandjoinyourfriends,"shesaidkindly."There'snoneedtobe
nervous,IbelievetheGoddessisalreadylookingafteryou.”
"Th-thankyou,"Isaid,andhurriedintotheroom.Therewerecandles
everywhere.Hugewhiteonessuspendedfromtheceilinginironchandeliers.Big
candletreesheldmoreofthemandwerelinedalongthewalls.Inthetemple,sconces
didn'tburnoiltamelyinlanterns,likeintherestoftheschool.Herethesconceswere
real.IknewthatthisplaceusedtobeaPeopleofFaithchurchdedicatedtoSt.
Augustine,butitlookedlikenochurchI'deverseenbefore.Besidesbeinglitonlyby
candlelight,therewerenopews.(And,bytheway,Ireallydislikepews—couldthey
beanymoreuncomfortable?)Actually,theonlyfurnitureinthebigroomwasan
antiquewoodentablesituatedinthecenterthatwaskindaliketheoneinthedining
hall—onlythisonewasn'tjustloadedwithfoodandwineandsuch.Thisonealsoheld
amarblestatueoftheGoddess,armsupraisedandlookingalotliketheembroidered
designthevampswore.Therewasahugecandelabrumonthetable,itsfatwhite
candlesburningbrightly,aswellasseveralthicksticksofsmokingincense.
Thenmyeyeswerecaughtbytheopenflameburningfromoutofarecessin
thestonefloor.Itflickeredwildly,itsyellowfirealmostwaisthigh.Itwasbeautiful,
inacontrolleddangerkindofaway,anditseemedtodrawmeforward.Thankfully,
StevieRae'swavinghandssnaggedmyattentionbeforeIcouldfollowmyimpulseto
approachtheflame,andthenInoticed,wonderinghowIcouldhavefailedtoseethis
fromthebeginning,thattherewasahugecircleofpeople—studentsaswellasadult
vamps—stretchingaroundtheedgesoftheroom.Feelingnervousandawestruckat
thesametime,ImademyfeetmovesoIcouldtakemyplaceinthecirclebeside
StevieRae.
"Finally,”Damiensaidunderhisbreath.
"Sorrywe'relate.”Isaid.
"Leaveheralone.She'snervousenoughasitis,"StevieRaetoldhim.
"Sssh!It'sstarting,”Shauneehissed.
Fourformsseemedtomaterializefromwithinthedarkenedcornersofthe
roomtobecomewomenwhomadetheirwaytofourspotsjustwithinthelivingcircle,
likethedirectionsonacompass.Twomoreenteredfromthedoorwaythroughwhich
I'djustcome.Onewasatallman—well,scratchthat—malevampyre(alloftheadults
werevamps),and,ohmygod,hewashot.Now,herewasanexcellentexampleofthe
stereotypeofthegorgeousvampguy,upcloseandpersonal.Hewasoversixfeettall
andlookedlikehebelongedonthebigscreen.
"AndthereistheonlyreasonI'mtakingthatdamnPoetryelective,"Shaunee
whispered.
"I'mwithyouthere,Twin,"Erinbreatheddreamily.
"Whoishe?"IaskedStevieRae.
"LorenBlake,VampPoetLaureate.He'sthefirstmalePoetLaureateintwo
hundredyears.Literally,"shewhispered."Andhe'sonlyliketwenty-something,and
that'sinrealyears,notjustinlooks.”
BeforeIcouldsayanythingelse,hestartedtospeakandmymouthwastoo
busyfloppingopenatthesoundofhisvoiceformetodoanythingbutlisten.
Shewalksinbeauty,likethenight
Ofcloudlessclimesandstarryskies…
Ashespokehemovedslowlytowardthecircle.Asifhisvoicewasmusic,the
womanwhohadenteredtheroomwithhimbegantosway,andthentodance
gracefullyaroundtheoutsideofthelivingcircle.
Andallthat'sbestofdarkandbright
Meetinheraspectandhereyes…
Thedancingwomanhadeveryone'sattention.WithajoltIrealizedthatitwas
Neferet.Shewaswearingalongsilkdressthathadtinycrystalbeadssewnalloverit,
sothatthecandlelightcaughteachofhermovementsandmadehershimmerlikethe
star-fillednightsky.Hermovementsseemedtocallalivethewordsoftheoldpoem
(atleastmymindwasstillworkingwellenoughthatIrecognizeditasLordByron's
"SheWalksinBeauty").
Thusmellowedtothattenderlight
Whichheaventogaudydaydenies.
SomehowbothNeferetandLorenmanagedtoendupinthecenterofthecircle
ashefinishedrecitingthestanza.ThenNeferettookagobletfromthetableandlifted
it,asifofferingadrinktothecircle.
"WelcomeNyx'schildrentotheGoddess'scelebrationofthefullmoon!”
Theadultvampschorused,"Merrymeet.”
Neferetsmiledandputthegobletbackonthetableandpickedupalongwhite
taperthatwasalreadylitandsittinginasinglecandlestickholder.Thenshewalked
acrossthecircletofaceavampIdidn'tknowwhowasstandingatwhatmustbethe
headofthecircle.Thevampsalutedher,handoverbreast,beforeturningaroundso
thatherbackwastoNeferet.
"Psst!"StevieRaewhispered."Weallfaceeachofthefourdirectionsas
NeferetevokestheelementsandcastsNyx'scircle.Eastandaircomefirst.”
Theneveryone,includingmeeventhoughIwaskindaslow,turnedtoface
east.OutofthecornerofmyeyeIcouldseeNeferetraiseherarmsoverherheadas
hervoicerangagainstthestonewallsofthetemple.
"FromtheeastIsummonairandaskthatyoucarrytothiscirclethegiftof
knowledgethatourritualwillbefilledwithlearning.”
TheinstantNeferetbeganspeakingtheinvocationIfelttheairchange.It
movedaroundme,rufflingmyhairandfillingmyearswiththesoundofwindsighing
throughleaves.Ilookedaround,expectingtoseethateveryoneelsehadbeencaught
inamini-whirlwind,butdidn'tnoticeanyoneelse'shairgettingmessedup.Weird.
Thevampwhowasstandingintheeastpulledathickyellowcandlefromthe
foldsofherdress,andNeferetlitit.Shelifteditintotheair,andthenplacedit,
flickering,atherfeet.
"Turntotheright,forfire,"StevieRaewhisperedagain.
WeturnedandNeferetcontinued."FromthesouthIsummonfireandaskthat
youlightinthiscirclethegiftofstrengthofwill,sothatourritualwillbebindingand
powerful.”
Thewindthathadbeenblowingsoftlyagainstmewasreplacedbyasensation
ofheat.Itwasn'texactlyuncomfortable;itwasmoreliketheflushyoufeelwhenyou
stepintoahottub,butitwaswarmenoughtomakealightsweatbreakoutovermy
body.IglancedatStevieRae.Shehadherheadraisedslightlyandhereyeswere
closed.Therewasnosignofsweatonherface.Theintensityoftheheatsuddenly
jumpedupanotch,andIlookedbackatNeferet.Shehadlitalargeredcandlethat
Penthesileawasholding.Then,astheeast-facingvamphaddone,Penthesilealiftedit
upinofferingbeforeplacingitbyherfeet.
ThistimeIdidn'tneedStevieRae'snudgingtoturnagaintomyrightandface
west.Somehow,Iknewnotjustthatweneededtoturn,butthatthenextelementtobe
summonedwouldbewater.
"FromthewestIsummonwaterandaskthatyouwashthiscirclein
compassion,thatthelightofthefullmooncanbeusedtobestowhealingtoourgroup
aswellasunderstanding.”
Neferetlitthewest-facingvamp'sbluecandle.Thevampliftedit,andplacedit
atherfeetasthesoundofwavesfilledmyearsandthesaltyscentoftheseafilledmy
nose.Eagerly,IcompletedthecirclebyfacingnorthandknewI'dbeembracingearth.
"FromthenorthIsummonearthandaskthatyougrowwithinthiscirclethe
giftofmanifestation,thatthewishesandprayersfromtonightwillcometofruition.”
SuddenlyIcouldfeelthesoftnessofagrassymeadowundermyfeet,andI
smelledhayandheardbirdsong.Agreencandlewaslitandplacedat"earth"'sfeet.
Ishouldhaveprobablybeenafraidoftheoddsensationsbreakingoverme,but
theyfilledmewithanalmostunbearablelightness—Ifeltgood!Sogoodthatwhen
Neferetfacedtheflamethatburnedinthemiddleoftheroomandtherestofusturned
totheinteriorofthecircleIhadtopressmylipstightlytogethertokeepfrom
laughingoutloud.Thedrop-deadgorgeouspoetwasstandingacrossthefirefrom
NeferetandIcouldseethathewasholdingabigpurplecandleinhishands.
"Andlast,Isummonspirittocompleteourcircleandaskthatyoufilluswith
connection,sothatasyourchildrenwemayprospertogether.”
Unbelievably,Ifeltmyownspiritleap,liketherewerebirdwingsfluttering
aroundinsidemychest,asthepoetlitthecandlefromthehugeflameandthenplaced
itonthetable.ThenNeferetbegantomovearoundwithinthecircle,speakingtous,
meetingoureyes,includingusinherwords.
"Thisisthetimeofthefullnessofthemoon.Allthingswaxandwane,even
Nyx'schildren,hervampyres.Butonthisnightthepowersoflife,ofmagick,andof
creationareattheirbrightest—asisourGoddess'smoon.Thisisthetimeof
building…ofdoing.”
MyheartwasbeatinghardasIwatchedNeferetspeak,andIrealizedwitha
littlestartthatshewasactuallygivingasermon.Thiswasaworshipservice,butthe
castingofthecircleandNeferet'swordscoupledtotouchmelikenoothersermonhad
everevenbeguntodo.Iglancedaround.Maybeitwasthesetting.Theroomwas
mistywithincenseandmagicalintheflickeringcandlelight.Neferetwaseverythinga
HighPriestessshouldbe.Herbeautywasaflameofitsown,andhervoicewasa
magicthatheldeveryone'sattention.Noonewasslumpeddowninapewsleepingor
sneakilydoingsudoku.
"Thisisatimewhentheveilbetweenthemundaneworldandthestrangeand
beautifulrealmsoftheGoddessbecomethinindeed.Onthisnightmayonetranscend
theboundariesoftheworldswithease,andknowthebeautyandenchantmentof
Nyx.”
Icouldfeelherwordswashagainstmyskinandclosemythroat.Ishivered
andtheMarkonmyforeheadsuddenlyfeltwarmandtingly.Thenthepoetbeganto
speakinhisdeep,powerfulvoice.
"Thisisatimeforweavingtheetherealintobeing,ofspinningthestrandsof
spaceandtimetobringforthCreation.Forlifeisacircleaswellasamystery.Our
Goddessunderstandsthis,asdoesherconsort,Erebus.”
AshespokeIfeltbetteraboutElizabeth'sdeath.Suddenlyitdidn'tseemso
scary,sohorrible.Itseemedmorelikeapartofthenaturalworld,aworldthatweall
hadaplacein.
"Light…dark…day…night…death…life…allistiedtogetherbyspiritandthe
touchoftheGoddess.IfwekeepthebalanceandlooktotheGoddesswecanlearnto
weaveaspellofmoonlightandfashionwithitafabricofpuremagicalsubstanceto
keepwithusallthedaysofourlives.”
"Closeyoureyes,ChildrenofNyx,"Neferetsaid"andsendasecretdesireto
yourGoddess.Tonight,whentheveilbetweentheworldsisthin—whenmagicis
afootwithinthemundane—perhapsNyxwillgrantyourpetitionsanddustyouwith
thegossamermistofdreamsfulfilled.”
Magic!Theyactuallywereprayingformagic!Woulditwork—coulditwork?
Wastherereallymagicinthisworld?Irememberedthewaymyspirithadbeenable
toseewordsandhowtheGoddesshadcalledmewithhervisiblevoicedownintothe
crevasseandthenkissedmyforeheadandchangedmylifeforever.Andhow,just
momentsago,I'dfeltthepowerofNeferet'scallingoftheelements.Ihadn'timagined
it—Icouldn'thaveimaginedit.
Iclosedmyeyesandthoughtaboutthemagicthatseemedtosurroundme,and
thenIsentupmywishintothenight.MysecretwishisthatIbelong…thatIhave
finallyfoundahomenoonecantakeawayfromme.
DespitetheunusualwarmthofmyMark,myheadfeltlightandunimaginably
happyasNeferetcalledforustoopenoureyesand,inavoicethatwasatthesame
timesoftandpowerful—womanandwarriorcombined—shecontinuedtheritual.
"Thisisatimeoftravelingunseeninthefullmoonlight.Atimetolistenfor
musicnotfashionedbyhumanorvampyrehands.Itisatimeforonenesswiththe
windsthatcaressus"—Neferetbowedherheadslightlytotheeast—"andtheboltof
lightningthatmimicsthesparkoffirstlife.”Shetiltedherheadtothesouth."Itisa
timetorevelintheeternalseaandthewarmrainsthatsootheus,aswellasthe
verdantlandthatsurroundsandkeepsus."Sheacknowledgedthewestandnorthin
turn.
AndeachtimeNeferetnamedanelementitfeltasthoughajoltofsweet
electricitysizzledthroughmybody.
Thenthefourwomenwhopersonifiedtheelementsmovedasonetothetable.
WithNeferetandLoren,eachofthemliftedagoblet.
"Allhail,OGoddessofNightandthefullmoon!"Neferetsaid."Allhail
Night,fromwhomourblessingscome.Onthisnightwegivethankstothee!”
Stillholdingthegoblets,thefourwomenscatteredbacktotheirplacesinthe
circle.
"InthemightynameofNyx,"Neferetsaid.
"AndofErebus,"thepoetadded.
"Weaskfromwithinyoursacredcirclethatyougiveustheknowledgeto
speakthelanguageofthewilds,toflywiththefreedomofthebird,tolivethepower
andgraceofthefeline,andtofindanecstasyandjoyinlifethatwouldstirthevery
heightsofourbeing.Blessedbe!”
Icouldn'tstopgrinning.I'dneverheardstufflikethisinchurchbefore,andI
sureashellhadneverfeltsoenergizedthere,either!
Neferetdrankfromthegobletsheheld,andthensheofferedittoLoren,who
drankfromitandsaid"blessedbe."Mirroringtheiractions,thefourwomenmoved
quicklyaroundthecircle,allowingeachperson,fledglingandadult,todrinkfroma
goblet.WhenitwasmyturnIwashappytoseethefamiliarfaceofPenthesileaoffer
meadrinkandablessing.ThewinewasredandIexpectedittobebitter,likethesip
ofmymom'shiddenCabernetItriedonce(anddefinitelydidnotlike),butitwasn't.It
wassweetandspicyanditmademyheadfeelevenlighter.
Wheneveryonehadbeengivenadrink,thegobletswerereturnedtothetable.
"TonightIwanteachofustospendatleastamomentortwoaloneinthelight
ofthefullmoon.Letitslightrefreshyouandhelpyoutorememberhowextraordinary
youare…oryouarebecoming."Shesmiledatsomeofthefledglings,includingme.
"Baskinyouruniqueness.Revelinyourstrength.Westandseparatefromtheworld
becauseofourgifts.Neverforgetthat,becauseyoumaybesuretheworldneverwill.
Nowletusclosethecircleandembracethenight.”
Inreverseorder,Neferetthankedeachelementandsentthemawayaseach
candlewasblownout,andasshedidsoIfeltalittletwingeofsadness,likeIwas
sayinggood-byetofriends.Thenshecompletedtheritualbysaying,"Thisriteis
ended.Merrymeetandmerrypartandmerrymeetagain!”
Thecrowdechoed:"Merrymeetandmerrypartandmerrymeetagain!”
Andthatwasit.MyfirstritualoftheGoddesswasover.
Thecirclebrokeupquickly—morequicklythanIwouldhavelikeditto.I
wantedtostandthereandthinkabouttheamazingthingsIhadfelt,especiallyduring
thecallingoftheelements,butthatwasimpossible.Iwascarriedoutofthetempleon
atideofchatter.Iwasgladthateveryonewassobusytalkingthatnoonenoticedhow
quietIwas;Ididn'tthinkIcouldexplaintothemwhathadjusthappenedtome.Hell!
Icouldn'tevenexplainittomyself.
"Hey,youthinkthey'llhaveChinesefoodagaintonight?Ijustloveditlastfull
moonwhentheyhadthatyummymoogoostuffafterward,"Shauneesaid."Notto
mention,myfortunecookiesaid'Youwillmakeanameforyourself,'whichisway
cool.”
"I'msostarvedIdon'tcarewhattheyfeedusaslongastheyfeedus,"Erin
said.
"Metoo,"StevieRaesaid.
"Foronceweareinperfectagreement,"Damiensaid,linkingarmswithStevie
Raeandme."Let'seat.”
Andsuddenly,thatremindedme."Uh,guys."Thatnicetinglyfeelingtheritual
hadgivenmewasgone."Ican'tgo.Ihaveto—"
"We'remorons."StevieRaethumpedherselfontheforeheadhardenoughto
makeasmackingsound."Wetotallyforgot."
"Ah,crap!"Shauneesaid.
"Thehagsfromhell,"Erinsaid.
"Wantmetosaveyouaplateofsomething?"Damienaskedsweetly.
"No.Aphroditesaidthey'regoingtofeedme.”
"Probablyrawmeat,"Shauneesaid.
"Yeah,fromsomepoorkidshecaughtinhernastyspiderweb,"Erinsaid.
"Bythatshemeanstheonebetweenherlegs,"Shauneeexplained.
"Stop,you'refreakingZoeyout,"StevieRaesaidasshestartednudgingme
towardthedoor."I'llshowherwheretherechallis,thenI'llmeetyouguysatour
table.”
OutsideIsaid,"Okay,tellmethatthey'rekiddingabouttherawmeat.”
"They'rekidding?"StevieRaesaidunconvincingly.
"Great.Idon'tevenlikemysteakrare.WhatamIgoingtodoiftheyreallydo
trytofeedmerawmeat?"Irefusedtothinkaboutwhatkindofrawmeatitmightbe.
"IthinkIhaveaTumssomewhereinmypurse.Doyouwantit?"StevieRae
asked.
"Yeah,"Isaid,alreadyfeelingnauseous.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
"That'sit."StevieRaehadstopped,lookinguncomfortableandapologeticin
frontofthestepsthatledtoaroundbrickbuildingsituatedonalittlehilloverlooking
theeasternpartofthewallsurroundingtheschool.Hugeoakswrappeditindarkness
withindarkness,soIcouldbarelymakeoutflickersofeithergasorcandleslighting
uptheentrance.Notonespeckoflightwascomingfromthedarkenedwindowsthat
werelongandarchedandseemedtobemadeofstainedglass.
"Okay,well,thanksfortheTums."Itriedtosoundbrave."Andsaveaplace
forme.Thisreallycan'ttakethatlong.Ishouldbeabletogetdonehereandjoinyou
guysfordinner.”
"Don'trush.Really.Youmightmeetsomeoneyoulikeandwanttohangout.
Don'tworryaboutitifyoudo.Iwon'tbemadandI'lljusttellDamienandtheTwins
thatyou'rereconnoitering.”
"I'mnotgoingtobecomeoneofthem,StevieRae.”
"Ibelieveyou,"shesaid,buthereyeslookedsuspiciouslybigandround.
"SoI'llseeyousoon.”
"'Kay.Seeyousoon,"shesaid,andstartedtofollowthesidewalkbacktothe
mainbuilding.
Ididn'twanttowatchherwalkaway—shelookedallforlornandspanked
puppy-like.InsteadIclimbedupthestepsandtoldmyselfthatthiswasgoingtobeno
bigdeal—nothingworsethanthetimemyBarbiesistertalkedmeintogoingto
cheerleadingcampwithher(Idon'tknowwhatthehellI'dbeenthinking).Atleastthis
fiascowouldn'tlastaweek.They'llprobablycastanothercircle,whichwasactually
verycool,dosomeunusualprayinglikeNeferetdid,andthenbreakfordinner.That
wouldbemycuetosmilenicelyandslipout.Easy-peasy.
Thetorchesoneithersideofthethickwoodendoorwerelitbygasandnotthe
rawflamesconcesusedinNyx'sTemple.Ireachedmyhandtowardtheheavyiron
knocker,but,withasoundthatwasdisturbinglylikeasigh,itopenedawayfrommy
touch.
"Merrymeet,Zoey.”
Oh.My.God.ItwasErik.Hewaswearingallblack,andhisdark,curlyhair
andhisinsanelyblueeyesremindedmeofClarkKent—well,okay,withoutthedorky
glassesandthenerdyslicked-backhair…so…Isupposedthatwouldmeanheactually
remindedme(again)ofSuperman—well,withoutthecapeortightsorthebigS…
Thenthebabbleinmymindtotallyshutitselfupwhenhisoil-dampened
fingerslidovermyforehead,tracingthefivepointsofthepentagram.
"Blessedbe,"hesaid.
"Blessedbe,"Ireplied,andwouldbeeternallygratefulthatmyvoicedidn't
croakorcrackorsqueak.Ah,man,hesmelledgood,butIcouldn'tplacewhathe
smelledlike.Itwasn'tanyofthetired,overusedcolognesguysapplybythegallon.He
smelledlike…hesmelledlike…theforestatnightjustafterit'srained…something
earthyandcleanand…
"Youcancomeonin,"hewassaying.
"Oh,uh,thanks,"Isaidbrilliantly.Isteppedinside.AndthenIstopped.The
interiorwasallonebigroom.Thecircular-shapedwallsweredrapedinblackvelvet,
totallyblockingthewindowsandthesilvermoonlight.Icouldseethatunderthe
heavycurtainstherewereweirdshapes,whichstartedtofreakmeoutuntilIrealized
that—hello—it'sarecroom.TheymusthaveshovedtheTVsandgamestufftothe
sidesoftheroomandcoveredthemsoeverythingwouldlook,well,creepier.Then
myattentionwascapturedbythecircleitself.Itwassituatedinthemiddleoftheroom
andmadeupentirelyofcandlesintallredglasscontainers,liketheprayercandlesyou
canbuyintheMexicanfoodssectionofthegrocerystorethatsmelllikerosesandold
ladies.Theremusthavebeenmorethanahundredofthemandtheylitupthekids
whowerestandinginaloosecirclebehindthemtalkingandlaughingwithaghostly
lightthatwastintedred.ThekidswereallwearingblackandInoticedrightawaythat
noneofthemwerewearinganyembroideredrankinsignias,buteachhadathick
silverchainthatglitteredaroundtheirnecksfromwhichanoddsymboldangled.It
lookedliketwocrescentmoonspositionedbacktobackagainstafullmoon.
"Thereyouare,Zoey!”
Aphrodite'svoiceslidacrosstheroomjustaheadofherbody.Shewas
wearingalongblackdressthatflashedwithonyxbeading,remindingmeweirdlyofa
darkversionofNeferet'sbeautifulgown.Shehadonthesamenecklaceastheothers,
butherswasbiggerandoutlinedinredjewelsthatmighthavebeengarnets.Herblond
hairwaslooseanddrapedaroundherlikeagoldveil.Shewasentirelytoopretty.
"Erik,thanksformakingZoeywelcome.Icantakeitfromhere."Shesounded
normal,andsheevenrestedhermanicuredfingertipsonErik'sarmforasecondin
whattheuninformedmightthinkofasjustafriendlygesture,butherfacetolda
differentstory.Itwassetandcold,andhereyesseemedtoblazeintohis.Erikbarely
gaveheralook,andhedefinitelymovedhisarmawayfromhertouch.Thenhegave
meaquicksmileand,withoutglancingatAphroditeagain,walkedaway.
Great.ExactlywhatIdidn'tneedwastogetinthemiddleofanastybreakup.
ButIcouldn'tseemtohelpthefactthatmyeyesfollowedhimacrosstheroom.
Stupidme.Again.Sigh.
Aphroditeclearedherthroat,andItried(unsuccessfully)nottolooklikeI'd
beencaughtdoingsomethingIshouldn'thavebeendoing.Herslick,meansmilesaid
therewasabsolutelynodoubtthatshe'dnoticedmyinterestinErik(andhisinterestin
me).And,again,Iwonderedifsheknewithadbeenmeinthehallthedaybefore.
Well,itwasn'tlikeIcouldaskher.
"Youneedtohurry,butIbroughtsomethingforyoutochangeinto."
Aphroditewastalkingquicklyasshemotionedformetofollowhertothegirls'
restroom.Shethrewmeadisgustedlookoverhershoulder."It'snotlikeyoucancome
toaDarkDaughters'ritualdressedlikethat."Oncewewereinthebathroomshe
brusquelyhandedmeadressthathadbeenhangingfromoneofthepartitionsand
kindapushedmeintothestall."Youcanputyourclothesonthehangerandcarry
thembacktothedormlikethat.”
Theredidn'tseemtobeanyarguingwithherand,anyway,Ifeltlikean
outsiderenoughasitwas.BeingdresseddifferentlymademefeellikeI'dshownupat
apartydressedlikeaduck,butnoonehadtoldmeitwasn'tacostumepartyso
everyoneelsewaswearingjeans.
Iquicklygotoutofmyclothesandslidtheblackdressovermyhead,sighing
withreliefwhenitfit.Itwassimplebutflattering.Thematerialwasthesoftclingy
stuffthatneverwrinkles.Ithadlongsleevesandaroundnecklinethatshowedmostof
myshoulders(goodthingI'dwornmyblackbra).Allaroundtheneckline,theedgeof
thelongsleeves,andthehem,whichwasrightabovemyknee,weresewnlittlered
sparklybeads.Itreallywaspretty.Islippedmyshoesbackonthinking,happily,thata
nicepairofballetflatscangowithjustaboutanyoutfit,andsteppedoutofthestall.
"Well,atleastitfits."Isaid.
ButInoticedAphroditewasn'tlookingatthedress.Shewaslookingatmy
Mark,whichbuggedthecrapoutofme.Okay,myMarkiscoloredin—getoverit
already!Ididn'tsayanything,though.Imean,thiswasher"party"andIwasaguest.
Translation:Iwastotallyoutnumbered,soIbetterbegood.
"I'llbeleadingtheritual,ofcourse,soI'mgonnabetoobusytoholdyourhand
throughit.”
Okay,Ishould'vejustkeptmymouthshut,butshewaswearingonmylast
nerve."Look,Aphrodite,Idon'tneedtoyouholdmyhand.”
HereyesnarrowedandIbracedmyselfforanotherpsychogirlscene.Instead
shesmiledatotallynon-nicesmilethatmadeherlooklikeasnarlingdog.NotthatI
wascallingherabitch,buttheanalogyseemedscarilyaccurate.
"Ofcourseyoudon'tneedyourhandheld.You'lljustbreezerightthroughthis
littlerituallikeyou'vebreezedthrougheverythingelsehere.Imean,afterall,youare
Neferet'snewfavorite.”
Wonderful.OntopoftheErikissueandtheweirdnessovermyMarkissue,
shewasjealousthatNeferetwasmymentor.
"Aphrodite,Idon'tthinkI'mNeferet'snewfavorite.I'mjustnew."Itriedto
soundreasonable,andIevensmiled.
"Whatever.So,areyouready?”
Igaveuptryingtoreasonwithherandnodded,wishingthiswholeritualthing
wouldhurryupandbeover.
"Fine.Let'sgo."Sheledmeoutoftherestroomandovertothecircle.I
recognizedthetwogirlswewalkeduptoastwoofthe"hagsfromhell"whohad
followedheraroundinthecafeteria.Onlyinsteadofwearingpursed-face,I-just-ate-a-
lemonexpressions,theyweresmilingwarmlyatme.
No.Iwasn'tfooled.ButImademyfacesmile,too.Wheninenemyterritory
it'sbesttoblendinandlookinconspicuousand/orstupid.
"Hi,I'mEnyo,"saidthetallerofthetwo.Shewas,ofcourse,blonde,buther
long,flowinglocksweremorethecolorofwavingwheatthangold.Althoughinthe
candlelightitwashardtobesurewhichclichéwasamoreappropriatedescription.
AndIstilldidn'tbelieveshewasanaturalblonde.
"Hi,"Isaid.
"I'mDeino,"saidtheothergirl.Shewasobviouslymixedandhadagorgeous
combinationofreallypretty,coffee-with-lots-of-creamskinandexcellentthick,curly
hair,whichprobablyhadneverhadthenervetonapuponherforaninstant,nomatter
thehumidity.
Thetwoofthemwerefreakishlyperfect.
"Hi,"Isaidagain.Feelingmorethanalittleclaustrophobic,Imovedintothe
spacethey'dcreatedbetweenthem.
"Youthreeenjoytheritual,"Aphroditesaid.
"Oh,wewill!"EnyoandDeinosaidtogether.Thethreeofthemsharedalook
thatmademyskincrawl.Iturnedmyattentionawayfromthembeforemybetter
judgmentwonoutovermyprideandIboltedfromtheroom.
Ihadagoodviewoftheinnerareaofthecirclenow,andagainitwassimilar
totheoneinNyx'sTemple,exceptthisonehadachairpulledupbesidethetableand
therewassomeonesittinginit.Well,kindasitting.Actually,thewhoeverwas
slumpeddownwiththehoodofacloakcoveringhisorherhead.
Well…hmmm…
Anyway,thetablewasdrapedwiththesameblackvelvetasthewalls,and
therewasaGoddessstatueonit,abowloffruitandbread,severalgoblets,anda
pitcher.Andaknife.IsquintedtobesureIwasseeingright.Yep.Itwasaknife—it
hadabonehandleandalong,wickedcurvingbladethatlookedentirelytoosharpto
beusedforcuttingfruitorbreadsafely.AgirlIthoughtIrecognizedfromthedorm
waslightingseveralfatsticksofincensethatsatinornatelycarvedincenseholderson
thetable,andtotallyignoringwhoeverwasslumpedinthechair.Jeesh,wasthekid
asleep?
ImmediatelytheairbegantofillwithsmokethatIswearwasgreen-tingedand
curled,ghostlike,aroundtheroom.Iexpectedittosmellsweet,liketheincenseat
Nyx'sTemple,butwhenafeatherywispofsmokereachedmeandIbreatheditinI
wassurprisedbyitsbitterness.ItwaskindafamiliarandIfrowned,tryingtofigureout
whatitremindedmeof…crap,whatwasit?Itwasalmostlikebayleaf,withaclovey
middle.(IhadtoremembertothankGrandmaRedbirdlaterforteachingmeabout
spicesandtheirsmells.)Isniffedagain,intrigued,andmyheadfeltalittlewoozy.
Weird.Okay,theincensewasodd.Itseemedtochangeasitfilledtheroom,like
expensiveperfumethatchangeswitheachpersonwhowearsit.Ibreathedinagain.
Yep.Cloveandbay,buttherewassomethingattheendofit;somethingthatmadethe
scentfinishtangyandbitter…darkandmysticandalluringinits…naughtiness.
Naughtiness?ThenIknew.
Well,hell!Theywerefillingtheroomwithpotsmokemixedwithspices.
Unbelievable.I'dstooduptopeerpressureandforyearssaidnotoeventhemost
politeofferstotryoneofthosegross-lookinghomemadejointsthatgetpassedaround
atpartiesandwhatnot.(Imean,please.Isthatevensanitary?Andjustexactlywhy
wouldIwanttodoadrugthatmademewanttoobsessivelyeatfatteningsnack
foods?)AndnowhereIstood,immersedinpotsmoke.Sigh.Kaylawouldnever
believeit.
Then,feelingparanoid(probablyanothersideeffectofthepotinvasion)I
lookedaroundthecircle,sureI'dseeaprofessorwhowasreadytoleapinandhaulus
allawayto…to…Idunno,somethingunspeakablyhorrid,likethebootcampMaury
sendsallofhistroubledteengueststo.
But,thankfully,unlikethecircleinNyx'sTemple,therewerenoadultvamps
here,andonlyabouttwentykids.Theyweretalkingquietlyandactinglikethetotally
illegalmarijuanaincensewasnobigdeal.(Potheads.)Tryingtobreatheshallowly,I
turnedtothegirltomyright.Whenindoubt(orpanic),makesmalltalk.
"So…Deinoisa,well,differentname.Doesitmeansomethingspecial?”
"Deinomeansterrible;"shesaid,smilingsweetly.
Frommyothersidethetallblondechimedinperkily,"AndEnyomeans
warlike.”
"Huh,"Isaid,tryinghardtobepolite.
"Yeah,Pemphredo,whichmeanswasp,istheonelightingtheincense,"
explainedEnyo."WegotthenamesfromGreekmythology.Theywerethethree
sistersoftheGorgonandScylla.Mythsaystheywerebornashagswhosharedaneye,
butwedecidedthatwasprobablyjustbullshitmale-dominantpropagandawrittenby
humanmenwhowantedtokeepstrongwomendown.”
"Really?"Ididn'tknowwhatelsetosay.Really.
"Yeah,"Deinosaid."Humanmensuck.”
"Theyshouldalldie,"Enyosaid.
Onthatlovelythoughtthemusicsuddenlystarted,makingitimpossible
(thankfully)totalk.
Okay,themusicwasdisturbing.Ithadadeep,pulsingbeatthatwasancientas
wellasmodern.Likesomeonehadmixedoneofthosenastybootie-humpingsongs
withatribalmatingdance.Andthen,muchtomyshock,Aphroditebegantodance
herwayaroundthecircle.Yes,Isupposeyoucouldsayshewashot.Imean,shehada
goodbodyandshemovedlikeCatherineZeta-JonesinChicago.Butsomehowit
didn'tworkforme.AndIdon'tmeanbecauseI'mnotgay(eventhoughI'mnotgay).It
didn'tworkbecauseitseemedlikeacrudeimitationofNeferet'sdanceto"SheWalks
inBeauty."Ifthismusicwasapoemitwouldbemorelike"SomeHoGrindsHer
Bootie.”
DuringAphrodite'scrotch-flailingdisplayeveryonewas,naturally,staringat
her,soIlookedaroundthecircle,pretendingthatIwasn'treallylookingforErik,
until…oh,crap…Ifoundhimalmostdirectlyoppositeme.Andhewastheonekidin
theroomnotwatchingAphrodite.Hewaswatchingme.BeforeIcouldfigureout
whetherIshouldlookaway,smileathimorwaveorwhatever(Damienhadsaidto
smileatthekid,andDamienwasaself-proclaimedexpertonguys),themusic
stoppedandIlookedfromEriktoAphrodite.Shewasstandinginthemiddleofthe
circleinfrontofthetable.Purposefully,shepickedupabigpurplepillarcandlein
onehand,andtheknifeinanother.Thecandlewaslit,andshecarriedit,holdingitin
frontofherlikeabeacon,tothesideofthecirclewhereInownoticedoneyellow
candlenestledamongsttheredones.Ididn'tneedanyproddingfromWarlikeor
Terrible(yeesh)toturntotheeast.Aswindruffledmyhair,fromthecornerofmy
visionIcouldseethatshehadlittheyellowcandleandnowsheraisedtheknife,
slashingapentagramintheairasshespoke:
Owindsofstorm,
inNyx'snameIdocalltheeforth,
castthyblessing,Idoask,
uponthemagicwhichshallbeworkedhere!
Iwilladmitthatshewasgood.ThoughnotaspowerfulasNeferet,itwas
obviousthatshe'dpracticedvoicecontrolandthesilkysoundofherwordscarried
easily.Weturnedtothesouthandsheapproachedthelargeredpillarcandleamong
theotherredones,andIcouldfeelwhatIwasalreadyrecognizingasthepowerofthe
fireandthemagiccirclewashovermyskin.
Ofireoflightning,inNyx'snameIdocalltheeforth,bringerofstormsand
powerofmagic,IaskyouraidinthespellIdoherework!
Weturnedagainand,alongwithAphrodite,Ifeltflushedandunexpectedly
drawntothebluecandlethatnestledwithintheredones.Eventhoughitthoroughly
freakedmeout,Ihadtokeepmyselffromsteppingfromcircleandjoiningherinthe
invocationofwater.
Otorrentsofrain,inNyx'snameIdocalltheeforth.Joinmewithyour
drowningstrength,inperformingthismostpowerfulofrituals!
Whatinthehellwaswrongwithme?Iwassweatingandinsteadoffeeling
justalittlewarm,likeduringtheearlierritual,theMarkonmyforeheadwashot—
burninghot—andIswearIcouldheartheroaroftheseainmyears.Numbly,Iturned
againtotheright.
Oearth,deepanddamp,inNyx'snameIdocalltheeforth,thatImayfeelthe
earthherselfmoveintheroarofthestormofpowerwhichdothcomewhenyouaid
meinthisrite!
Aphroditeslicedtheairagain,andIcouldfeelthepalmofmyrighthand
tingle,asifitachedtoholdtheknifeandcuttheair.
Ismelledcutgrassandheardthecryofawhippoorwill,likeitwasnesting
invisiblyintheairbesideme.Aphroditemovedbacktothecenterofthecircle.
Placingthestill-burningpurplecandlebackonitsplaceinthemiddleofthetableshe
completedthecasting.
Ospirit,wildandfree,inNyx'snameIdocalltheetome!Answerme!Stay
withmeduringthismightyritualandgrantmethyGoddess'spower!
AndsomehowIknewwhatshewasgoingtodonext.Icouldhearthewords
insidemymind—insidemyownspirit.Whensheraisedthegobletandbeganwalking
aroundthecircleIfeltherwords,andeventhoughshedidn'thavethepoiseandpower
ofNeferetwhatshesaidignitedwithinme,likeIwasburningfromtheinsideout.
"ThisisthetimeofthefullnessofourGoddess'smoon.Thereismagnificence
tothisnight.Theancientsknewthemysteriesofthisnight,andusedthemto
strengthenthemselves…andtosplittheveilbetweenworldsandhaveadventureswe
onlydreamabouttoday.Secret…mysterious…magical…truebeautyandpowerin
vampyreform—nottaintedbyhumanrulesorlaw.Wearenothumans!"Withthis,
hervoicedidringagainstthewalls,verymuchasNeferet'shadearlier."Andallyour
DarkDaughtersandSonsasktonightinthisriteiswhatwehavepetitionedeachfull
moonforthepastyear.Freethepowerwithinussothat,likethemightyfelinesofthe
wild,weknowthelithesupplenessofouranimalbrethrenandwearenotboundby
humanchainsorcagedbytheirignorantweaknesses.”
Aphroditehadstoppedrightinfrontofme.IknewIwasflushedandbreathing
hard,justasshewas.Sheraisedthegobletandofferedittome.
"Drink,ZoeyRedbird,andjoinusinaskingNyxforwhatisoursbytheright
ofbloodandbodyandtheMarkofthegreatChange—theMarkthatshehasalready
touchedyouwith.”
Yes,Iknow.Ishouldhaveprobablysaidno.Buthow?AndsuddenlyIdidn't
wantto.Idefinitelydidn'tlikeortrustAphrodite,butwasn'twhatshewassaying
basicallytrue?Mymotherandstepfather'sreactionstomyMarkcamebackhardand
clearinmymemory,alongwithKayla'slookoffearandDrew'sandDustin's
revulsion.Andhownoonehadcalledme,oreventext-messagedme,sinceI'dbeen
gone.They'djustletmebedumpedheretodealwithanewlifeallonmyown.
Itmademesad,butitalsomadememad.
IgrabbedthegobletfromAphroditeandtookabigdrink.Itwaswine,butit
didn'ttastelikethewineintheothermoonritual.Thisonewassweet,too,butthere
wasaspicetoitthattastedlikenothingI'deverexperiencedbefore.Itcausedan
explosionofsensationinmymouththattraveledwithahot,bittersweettraildownmy
throatandfilledmewithadizzydesiretodrinkmoreandmoreandmoreofit.
"Blessedbe,"Aphroditehissedatmeasshejerkedthegobletfromme,
sloshingsomeoftheredliquidovermyfingers.Thenshegavemeatight,triumphant
smile.
"Blessedbe,"Irepliedautomatically,headstillreelingwiththetasteofthe
wine.ShemovedtoEnyo,offeringherthegoblet,andIcouldn'tstopmyselffrom
lickingmyfingerstogetonemoretasteofthewinethathadspilledthere.Itwas
beyonddelicious.Anditsmelled…itsmelledfamiliar…butthroughthewhooshof
dizzinessinmyheadIcouldn'tconcentrateenoughtofigureoutwhereI'dsmelled
somethingthatincrediblebefore.
IthardlytookanytimeforAphroditetotravelaroundthecircle,givingeachof
thekidsatastefromthegoblet.Iwatchedherclosely,wishingIcouldhavemoreas
shereturnedtothetable.Sheliftedthegobletagain.
"GreatandmagicalGoddessofNightandofthefullmoon,shewhorides
throughthethunderandthetempest,leadingthespiritsandtheElderOnes,beautiful
andawesomeone,whoeventhosemostancientmustobey,aidusinwhatweask.Fill
uswithyourpowerandmagicandstrength!”
Thensheupendedthegoblet,andIwatched,jealously,asshedrankuntilshe
drainedthelastdrops.Whenshefinisheddrinking,themusicstartedupagain.Intime
withitshemadeherwaybackaroundthecircle,dancingandlaughingassheblewout
eachcandleandtoldeachelementgood-bye.Andsomehow,asshewasmoving
aroundthecircle,myvisiongotallscrewedupbecauseherbodyrippledandchanged
anditsuddenlyseemedasifIwaswatchingNeferetagain—onlynowshewasa
younger,rawerversionoftheHighPriestess.
"Merrymeetandmerrypartandmerrymeetagain!"shefinallysaid.Weall
respondedwhileIblinkedmyvisionclearandtheweirdimageofAphrodite-as-
Neferetfaded,asdidtheburningofmyMark.ButIcouldstilltastethewineonmy
tongue.Itwaswaystrange.Idon'tlikealcohol.Seriously.Ijustdon'tlikethewayit
tastes.Buttherewassomethingaboutthiswinethatwasdeliciousbeyond…well,
beyondevenGodivadarkchocolatetruffles(Iknow,it'shardtobelieve).AndIstill
couldn'tfigureoutwhyitsomehowseemedfamiliar.
Theneveryonestartedtotalkandlaughasthecirclebrokeup.Thegaslights
cameonoverhead,makingusblinkfromtheirbrightness.Ilookedacrossthecircle,
tryingtoseeifErikmightstillbewatchingme,andamovementatthetablecaught
myeye.Thepersonwhohadbeenslumpedandmotionlessduringtheentireritualwas
finallymoving.Hekindajerkedaround,awkwardlypullinghimselfmoreintoasitting
position.Thehoodonthedarkcloakfellback,andIwasshockedtoseebright
orange-red,bushy,unattractivehairandapudgytoo-whiteandfreckledface.
ItwasthatannoyingElliottkid!Very,veryoddthathewashere.Whatcould
theDarkDaughtersandSonswantwithhim?Ilookedaroundtheroomagain.Yep,as
I'dsuspected,therewasn'toneugly,dorky-lookingkidpresent.Everyone,andIdo
meaneveryone,exceptElliottwasattractive.Hedefinitelydidn'tbelong.
Hewasblinkingandyawningandlookedlikehe'dbeensniffingwaytoomuch
oftheincense.Heliftedhishandtowipesomethingoffhisnose(probablyoneofthe
boogershelikedtogospelunkingafter)andIsawthewhiteofthickbandagesthat
werewrappedaroundhiswrists.Whatthe…?
Aterrible,crawlyfeelingworkeditswayupmyspine.EnyoandDeinowere
standingnotfarfromme,talkinganimatedlytothegirlthey'dcalledPemphredo.I
walkedovertothemandwaitedtilltherewasalullintheconversation.Pretending
thatmystomachwasn'ttryingtosqueezeitselftodeath,Ismiledandnoddedinthe
generaldirectionofElliott.
"What'sthatkiddoinghere?”
EnyoglancedatElliottandthenrolledhereyes."He'snothing.Justthe
refrigeratorweusedtonight.”
"Whataloser,"Deinosaid,dismissingElliottwithasneer."He'spractically
human,"Pemphredosaidindisgust."Nowonderallhe'sgoodforisasnackbar.”
Mystomachfeltlikeitwasbeingturnedinsideout."Wait,Idon'tgetit.
Refrigerator?Snackbar?”
DeinotheTerribleturnedherhaughty,chocolate-coloredeyesonme."That's
whatwecallhumans—refrigeratorsandsnackbars.Youknow—breakfast,lunch,and
dinner.”
"Oranyofthemealsinbetween,"warlikeEnyopracticallypurred.
"Istilldon't—"Istarted,butDeinointerruptedme.
"Oh,comeon!Don'tpretendthatyoucouldn'ttellwhatwasinthewine,and
thatyoudidn'tlovethetasteofit.”
"Yeah,admitit,Zoey.Itwasobvious.Youwouldhavedownedthewhole
thing—youwanteditevenmorethanwedid.Wesawyoulickingitoffyourfingers,"
Enyosaid,leaningforwardallintomypersonalspaceasshestaredatmyMark."That
makesyousomekindoffreak,doesn'tit?Somehowyou'refledglingandvamp,allin
one,andyouwantedmoreofthatkid'sbloodthanjustataste.”
"Blood?"Ididn'trecognizemyownvoice.Theword"freak"keptechoing
roundandroundinmyhead.
"Yes,blood,"Terriblesaid.
Ifelthotandcoldatonceandlookedawayfromtheirknowingfaces,andright
intoAphrodite'seyes.ShewasstandingacrosstheroomfrommetalkingtoErik.Our
eyeslockedandslowly,purposefully,shesmiled.Shewasholdingthegobletagain,
andsheraiseditinanalmostimperceptiblesalutetomebeforetakingadrinkfromit
andturningbacktolaughatsomethingErikhadjustsaid.
Holdingmyselftogether,ImadealameexcusetoWarlike,Terrible,andthe
Wasp,andwalkedcalmlyfromtheroom.TheinstantIclosedthethickwoodendoor
oftherechallbehindmeIranlikeacrazyblindperson.Ididn'tknowwhereIwas
going,exceptthatIwantedtobeaway.
Idrankblood—thathorridElliottkid'sblood—andI'dlikedit!Andworse,the
delicioussmellhadbeenfamiliarbecauseI'dsmelleditbeforewhenHeath'shands
hadbeenbleeding.Ithadn'tbeenanewcologneI'dbeendrawnto;ithadbeenhis
blood.AndI'dsmelleditagaininthehallyesterdaywhenAphroditehadslitErik's
thighandIhadwantedtolickuphisblood,too.
Iwasafreak.
Finally,Icouldn'tbreatheandIcollapsedagainstthecoolstoneoftheschool's
protectivewall,gaspingforairandpukingmygutsup.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
Shakily,Iwipedthebackofmyhandacrossmymouthandthenstumbled
awayfromthepukespot(IrefusedtoevenconsiderwhatIpukedupandhowitmust
havelooked)untilIcametoagiantoakthathadgrownsoclosetothewallthathalfof
itsbrancheshungovertheothersideofit.Ileanedagainstthetree,concentratingon
notgettingsickagain.
WhathadIdone?Whatwashappeningtome?
Then,fromsomewhereinthelimbsoftheoakIheardameow.Okay,itwasn't
reallyyournormal,average,catlikemeow.Itwasmorelikeagrumpy,"me-eeh-uf-
me-eef-uf-snort.”
Ilookedup.Perchedonalimbthatwasrestingagainstthewallwasasmall
orangecat.Shewasstaringatmewithhugeeyesandshedefinitelylooked
disgruntled.
"Howdidyougetupthere?”
"Me-uf,"shesaid,sneezed,andinchedherwayalongthebranch,clearlytrying
togetclosertome.
"Well,comeonkitty-kitty-kitty,"Icoaxed.
"Me-eeh-of-ow,"shesaid,creepingforwardabouthalfoneofherlittlepaw
lengths.
"That'sit,comeon,babygirl.Moveyourlittletinypaddiesthisway."Yes,I
wasdisplacingmyfreak-outandchannelingitintosavingthecat,butthetruthwas
thatIcouldn'tthinkaboutwhathadjusthappened.Notnow.Itwastoosoon.Too
fresh.Sothecatwasanexcellentdistraction.Plus,shelookedfamiliar."Comeon
babygirl,comeon…"IkeptupaconversationwithherasIhookedthetoeofmyflats
intotheroughbrickofthewallandmanagedtopullmyselfupfarenoughsoIcould
grabontothelowestpartofthebranchthecatwason.ThenIwasabletousethe
branchasakindofropetoclimbfartherupthewall,thewholetimetalkingtothecat,
whileshekeptcomplainingatme.
FinallyIgotwithintouchingrangeofher.Westaredateachotherforalong
time,andIstartedtowonderifsheknewaboutme.CouldshetellthatI'djusttasted
(andliked)blood?DidIhavebloodpukebreath?DidIlookdifferent?HadIgrown
fangs?(Okay,thatlastquestionwasridiculous.Adultvampsdon'thavefangs,but
still.)
She"me-eeh-uf-owed"atmeagain,andmovedalittlecloser.Ireachedout
andscratchedthetopofherheadsothatherearswentdownandsheclosedhereyes,
purring.
"Youlooklikealittlelioness,"Itoldher."Seehowmuchniceryouarewhen
you'renotcomplaining?"ThenIblinkedinsurprise,realizingwhysheseemedso
familiar."Youwereinmydream."Andalittlehappinesspushedthroughthewallof
sicknessandfearinsideme."You'remycat!”
Thecatopenedhereyes,yawned,andsneezedagain,asiftocommentonwhy
ithadtakenmesolongtofigureitout.WithagruntofeffortIscrambledupsothatI
wassittingonthewidetopofthewallbesidethebranchwherethecatwasperched.
Withakittysigh,shejumpeddelicatelyoffthebranch,ontothetopofthewall,and
walkedontinywhitepawsovertometocrawlintomylap.Theredidn'tseemtobe
anythingformetodoexcepttoscratchherontheheadsomemore.Sheclosedher
eyesandpurredloudly.Ipettedthecatandtriedtostillthetumultinmymind.Theair
smelledlikeitmightrain,butthenightwasunusuallywarmfortheendofOctober,
andIputmyheadback,breathingdeeplyandlettingthesilvermoonlightthatpeeked
throughthecloudscalmme.
Ilookedatthecat."Well,Neferetsaidthatweshouldsitinthemoonlight.I
glancedupatthenightskyagain."Itwouldbebetterifthestupidcloudswouldblow
away,butstill…”
Ihadonlyjustspokenthewordsandagustofwindwhistledaroundme,
suddenlyblowingawaythewispyclouds.
"Well,thanks.”Icalledaloudtonothinginparticular."Thatwasavery
convenientwind."Thecatmuttered,remindingmethatI'dhadthenervetoquit
scratchingherears."IthinkI'llcallyouNalabecauseyouarealittlelioness.”Itold
her,resumingmyscratching."Youknow,babygirl,I'msogladIfoundyoutoday;I
reallyneededsomethinggoodtohappentomeafterthenightI'vehad.Youwouldnot
believe—”
Aweirdsmelldrifteduptome.ItwassooddthatIbrokeoffwhatIwas
saying.Whatwasthat?Isniffedandwrinkledmynose.Itwasadry,oldsmell.Likea
housethathadbeenclosedupfortoolong,orsomebody'sscaryoldbasement.It
wasn'tagoodsmell,butitalsowasn'tsogrossthatitmademewanttogag.Itwasjust
wrong.Likeitdidn'tbelongouthereintheopenatnight.
Thensomethingcaughtatthecornerofmyeyesight.Ilookeddownthelong,
windingbrickwall.Standingthere,halfturnedawayfrommelikeshewasn'tsure
whichwayshewantedtogo,wasagirl.Thelightfromthemoon,andmynewand
improvedfledglingabilitytoseewellatnight,letmeseehereventhoughtherewere
nooutsidelightsnearthispartofthewall.Ifeltmyselftense.Hadoneofthosehateful
DarkDaughtersfollowedme?NowaydidIfeellikedealingwithanymoreoftheir
craptonight.
ImusthaveactuallyvoicedthefrustratedgroanIthoughtIhadmadeinmy
mind,becausethegirllookeduptowardwhereIwassittingontopofthewall.
Igaspedinshockandfeltfearskitterthroughme.
ItwasElizabeth!TheElizabethNoLastNamekidwhowassupposedtobe
dead.Whenshesawmehereyes,whichwereaweird,glowingred,widenedandthen
shemadeanoddshriekingsoundbeforewhirlingaroundanddisappearingwith
inhumanspeedintothenight.
Atthesameinstant,Nalaarchedherbackandhissedwithsuchferocitythat
herlittlebodyshook.
"It'sokay!It'sokay!"Isaidoverandover,tryingtocalmthecatandme.Both
ofuswereshakingandNalawasstillgrowlinglowinherthroat."Itcouldn'thave
beenaghost.Itcouldn'thavebeen.Itwasjust…just…aweirdkid.Iprobablyscared
herandshe—”
"Zoey!Zoey!Isthatyou?”
Ijumpedandalmostfelloffthewall.ItwastoomuchforNala.Shegave
anothertremendoushissandleapedneatlyfrommylaptotheground.Completelyand
utterlyfreakedout,Igrabbedthebranchforbalanceandsquintedoutintothenight.
"Who—whoisit?"Icalledoverthepoundingofmyheart.ThenIwasblinded
bythebeamsoftwoflashlightsaimeddirectlyatme.
"Ofcourseit'sher!LikeIcouldn'trecognizemyownbestfriend'svoice?
Jeesh,shehasn'tbeengonethatlong!”
"Kayla?"Isaid,tryingtoshieldmyeyesfromtheglareoftheflashlightswith
myhand,whichwasshakinglikecrazy.
"Well,Itoldyouwe'dfindher,"aguy'svoicesaid."Youalwayswanttogive
uptoosoon.”
"Heath?"MaybeIwasdreaming.
"Yep!Whoo-hoo!Wefoundya,baby!"Heathyelled,andevenintheawful
flashlightglareIcouldseehimhurlhimselfatthewallandthenstarttoscrambleup
likeatall,blond,football-playingmonkey.
Incrediblyrelieveditwashimandnotaboogiemonster,Icalleddowntohim,
"Heath!Becareful.Ifyoufallyou'regoingtobreaksomething."Well,unlesshe
landedonhishead—thenhe'dprobablybeokay.
"Notme!"hesaid,pullinghimselfupandoversothathewassittingbeside
me,straddlingthewall."Hey,Zoey,checkitout—lookatme;I'mkingoftheworld!"
Heyelled,throwingouthisarms,grinninglikeatotalfool,andbreathingalcohol-
scentedairalloverme.
NowonderI'drefusedtogooutwithhim.
"Okay,there'snoneedtoforevermakefunofmyunfortunateex-infatuation
withLeonardo!'Iglaredathim,feelingmorelikemyselfthanIhadinhours.
"Actually,it'skindalikemyunfortunateex-infatuationwithyou.Onlyitdidn'tlastas
long,andyoudidn'tmakeabunchofcheesybutcoolmovies.”
"Hey,you'renotstillmadaboutDustinandDrewareyou?Forgetthem!
They'reretards."Heathsaid,givingmehispuppy-doglook,whichusedtobereally
cutewhenhewasineighthgrade.Toobadthecutenesshadstoppedworkingforhim
abouttwoyearsago."And,anyway,wecameallthewayoverheretobustyouout.”
"What?"Ishookmyheadandsquintedathim."Wait.Turnthoseflashlights
off.They'rekillingmyeyes.”
"Ifweturnthemoffwecan'tsee,"Heathsaid.
"Fine.Thenturnthemaway.Uh,pointthemoutthereorsomething,"I
gesturedoutawayfromtheschool(andme).Heathturnedthebeamoftheonehe'd
beenclutchingoutintothenight,andsodidKayla.Iwasabletodropmyhand,which
Iwaspleasedtoseehadquitshaking,andstopsquinting.Heath'seyeswidenedwhen
hesawmyMark.
"Checkitout!It'scoloredinnow.Wow!It'slike…like…onTVor
something.”
Well,itwasnicetoseethatsomethingsneverchange.Heathwasstill
Heath—cute,butnotthebrightestCrayolainthepack.
"Hey!Whataboutme?I'mheretoo,yaknow!"Kaylacalled."Someonehelp
megetupthere,butbecareful.Letmeputmynewpursedown.Oh,andIbettertake
offtheseshoes.Zoey,youwouldnotbelievethesaleyoumissedyesterdayatBakers.
Alloftheirsummershoestotallyoncloseout.Imean,seriouscloseout.Seventy
percentoff.Igotfivepairsfor….”
"Helpherup,"ItoldHeath."Now.It'stheonlywayshe'llstoptalking.”
Yep.Somethingsjustdidn'tchange.
Heathscootedaroundtillhewasonhisbelly,andthenleaneddowntooffer
hishandstoKayla.Giggling,shegrabbedthemandlethimhaulherupontopofthe
wallwithus.AnditwaswhileshewasgigglingandhewashaulingthatIsawit—the
unmistakablewayKaylagrinnedandgiggledandblushedatHeath.Iknewitaswell
asIknewIwouldneverbeamathematician.KaylalikedHeath.Okay,notliked.She
likedHeath.
SuddenlyHeath'sguiltycommentaboutmessingaroundonmeatthepartyI'd
missedmadeperfectsense.
"Sohow'sJared?"Iaskedabruptly,totallystoppingK-babble'sgiggles.
"Okay,Iguess,”shesaidwithoutmeetingmyeyes.
"Youguess?”
ShemovedhershouldersandIsawthatunderherverycuteleatherjacketshe
waswearingthetinylittlecreamlacecamiweusedtocalltheBoobShirt,becausenot
onlydiditshowalotofcleavage,butitwasthecolorofskin,soitlookedlikeitwas
showingevenmorethanitactuallywas.
"Idunno.Wehaven'treallytalkedmuchthepastcoupledaysorso.”
Shestillwouldn'tlookatme,butshedidglanceatHeath,wholooked
clueless—butthatwasreallyhisonlylook.Somybestfriendwasgoingaftermy
boyfriend.Nowthatpissedmeoff,andforasecondIwisheditwasn'tsuchanice
warmnight.IwisheditwascoldandKaylawouldfreezeherover-developedboobies
rightoff.
Fromthenorththewindwhippedaroundussuddenly,viciously,bringingan
almostfrighteningchill.
Tryingnottolookobvious,Kaylapulledherjacketclosedandgiggledagain,
thistimenervouslyinsteadofflirtatiously,andIgotanotherbigwhiffofbeer,and
somethingelse.SomethingthathadbeensorecentlyimprintedintomysensesthatI
wassurprisedIhadn'tsmelleditrightaway.
"Kaylayou'vebeendrinkingandsmoking?”
Sheshiveredandblinkedatmelikeaveryslowrabbit."Justacouple.Beers,I
mean.And,well,um,HeathhadonelittlebittyjointandIwasreally,reallyscaredto
comehere,soIjusthadacoupletinyhitsoffit.”
"Sheneededsomefortification,"Heathsaid,buthe'sneverbeengoodwith
wordsovertwosyllables,soitsoundedlikefort-fi-ka-shun.
"Sincewhenhaveyoustartedsmokingpot?"IaskedHeath.
Hegrinned."It'snobigdeal,Zo.Ijusthaveajointonceinawhile.They're
saferthancigarettes.”
IreallyhateditwhenhecalledmeZo.
"Heath,"Itriedtosoundpatient."Theyarenotsaferthancigarettes,andeven
iftheyarethat'snotsayingmuch.Cigarettesaredisgustingandtheykillyou.And,
seriously,thebiggestlosersatschoolsmokepot.Besidesthefactthatyoureallycan
notaffordtokillanymorebraincells."Ialmostadded"orsperms,"butIdidn'twant
togothere.HeathwoulddefinitelygetthewrongideaifImadeareferencetohisman
parts.
"Nuuh,"Kaylasaid.
"WhatKayla?”
Shewasstillclutchingherjacketagainstthechill.Hereyeshadchangedfrom
pitifulrabbittosly,tail-twitchycat.Irecognizedthechange.Shediditconstantlywith
peopleshedidn'tconsiderpartofhergirlfriendgroup.ItusedtodrivemecrazyandI
wouldyellatherandtellhersheshouldn'tbesomean.Nowshewasturningthatcrap
onme?
"Isaidnuuhbecausenotjustloserssmoke—atleastnotjustonceinawhile.
YouknowthosetworeallyhotrunningbackswhoplayforUnion,ChrisFordand
BradHigeons?IsawthematKatie'spartytheothernight.Theysmoke.”
"Hey,they'renotthathot,"Heathsaid.
Kaylaignoredhimandkepttalking."AndMorgansmokessometimes.”
"Morgan,asinMorgiewho'saTigette?"Yes,IwaspissedatK,butgood
gossipisgoodgossip.
"Yeah.Shealsojustgothertongueandher"—Kbrokeoffandmouthedthe
word"clit"—"pierced.Canyouimaginehowmuchthatmusthavehurt?”
"What?Whatdidshegetpierced?"Heathsaid.
"Nothing,"KandIsaidtogether,foramomentsoundingeerilylikethebest
friendsweusedtobe.
"Kayla,you'renotstayingonsubject.Again.TheUnionfootballplayershave
alwaysbeendrug-happy.Hello!Pleaserecalltheirsteroiduse,whichiswhyittook
sixteenyearsforustobeatthem.”
"Go,Tigers!Yeah,wekickedUnion'sass!"Heathsaid.Irolledmyeyesat
him.
"AndMorganhasclearlybegunlosinghermind,whichiswhyshe'spiercing
her…"IglancedatHeathandreconsidered."Herbodyandsmoking.Tellme
someonenormalwho'ssmoking."Kthoughtforasecond."Me!”
Isighed."Look,Ijustdon'tthinkit'ssmart.”
"Well,youdon'talwaysknoweverything."Thehatefulglintwasbackinher
eyes.
IlookedfromhertoHeath,andthenbacktoheragain."Clearly,you'reright.I
don'tknoweverything.”
Hermeanlookturnedstartledandthenflattenedouttomeanagain,andI
suddenlycouldn'thelpcomparinghertoStevieRae,who,eventhoughI'donlyknown
foracoupledays,Iwasabsolutely,totallysurewouldnotevergoaftermyboyfriend,
whetherhewasanalmost-exornot.Ialsodidn'tthinkshewouldrunawayfromme
andtreatmelikeIwasamonsterwhenIneededherthemost.
"Ithinkyoushouldleave,"IsaidtoKayla.
"Fine,"shesaid.
"It'sprobablynotagoodideaforyoutocomebackagain,either.”
SheshruggedoneshouldersothatherjacketfellopenandIcouldseethethin
strapofthecamislipdownhershoulder,makingitclearshewasn'twearingabra.
"Whatever,"shesaid.
"Helphergetdown,Heath.”
Heathwasgenerallyprettygoodatfollowingsimpledirections,sohehoisted
Kayladown.Shegrabbedtheflashlightandlookedbackupatus.
"Hurryup,Heath.I'mgettingreallycold."Thenshespunaroundandstarted
marchingofftowardtheroad.
"Well…,"Heathsaidalittleawkwardly."Itdidgetcoldallofasudden.”
"Yeah,itcanquitnow,"Isaidabsently,anddidn'tpaymuchattentionwhen
thewindsuddenlystopped.
"Hey,uh,Zo.Ireallydidcometobustyouout.”
"No.”
"Huh?"Heathsaid.
"Heath,lookatmyforehead.”
"Yeah,youhavethathalfmoonthing.Andit'scoloredin,whichisweird
becauseitwasn'tcoloredinbefore.”
"Well,itisnow.Okay,Heath,focus.I'vebeenMarked.Thatmeansthatmy
bodyisgoingthroughtheChangetobecomeavampyre.”
Heath'seyeswentfrommyMarkandtraveleddownmybody.Isawthem
hesitateatmyboobsandthenmylegs,whichmademerealizethattheywereshowing
allnakedalmostuptomycrotchbecausemyskirthadhikedupwhenIclimbedon
topofthewall.
"Zo,whatever'shappeningtoyourbodyiscoolwithme.Youlookseriously
hot.You'vealwaysbeenbeautiful,butnowyoulooklikearealgoddess.”Hesmiled
atmeandtouchedmycheekgently,remindingmewhyI'velikedhimsomuchfor
suchalongtime.Despitehisfaults,Heathcouldbereallysweet,andhealwaysmade
mefeelcompletelybeautiful.
"Heath,"Isaidsoftly."I'msorry,butthingshavechanged.”
"Notwithmetheyhaven't.”Takingmecompletelybysurpriseheleaned
forward,slidahandupovermykneeandkissedme.
Ijerkedbackandgrabbedhiswrist."StopitHeath!I'mtryingtotalktoyou.”
"Howaboutyoutalk,andIkiss?"hewhispered.
Istartedtotellhimnoagain.
ThenIfeltit.
Hispulseundermyfingers.
Itwasbeatinghardandfast.IswearIcouldhearit,too.Andasheleanedinto
metokissmeagainIcouldseetheveinthatranalonghisneck.Itmoved,beating
strongasthebloodpumpedthroughhisbody.Blood…HislipstouchedmineandI
rememberedthetasteofthebloodinthegoblet.Thatbloodhadbeencoldandmixed
withwine,andfromaweak,loserkidwhowasanothing.Heath'sbloodwouldbehot
andrich…sweet…sweeterthanElliotttheRefrigerator.…
"Ow!Damn,Zoey.Youscratchedme!"Hejerkedhiswristfrommyhand.
"Shit,Zo,youmademebleed.Ifyoudidn'twantmetokissyou,allyouhadtodowas
sayso.”
Heliftedhisbleedingwristtohismouthandsuckedatthedropofbloodthat
wasglisteningthere.Thenheraisedhiseyestomeetmine,andhefroze.Hehadblood
onhislips.Icouldsmellit—itwaslikethewine,onlybetter,worldsbetter.Thescent
ofitwrappedaroundmeandmadethehaironmyarmsrise.
Iwantedtotasteit.IwantedtotasteitmorethananythingI'deverwantedin
mylife.
"Iwant…"IheardmyselfwhisperinavoiceIdidn'tknow."Yes…,"Heath
answeredlikehewasinatrance."Yes…whateveryouwant.I'lldowhateveryou
want.”
ThistimeIleanedintohimandtouchedmytonguetohislip,takingthedrop
ofbloodintomymouthwhereitexploded—heat,sensation,andarushofpleasureI'd
neverknown.
"More,"Irasped.
Likehe'dlosttheabilitytospeakandcouldonlynod,Heathliftedhiswristto
me.Itwasbarelybleeding,andwhenIlickedthetinyscarletlineHeathmoaned.The
touchofmytongueseemedtodosomethingtothescratch,becauseinstantlyitstarted
drippingblood,faster…faster…MyhandswereshakingasIraisedhiswristtomy
mouthandpressedmylipsagainsthiswarmskin.Ishiveredandmoanedinpleasure
and—
"OhmyGod!Whatareyoudoingtohim!"Kayla'svoicewasascreamthat
piercedthroughthescarletfoginmybrain.IdroppedHeath'swristasthoughithad
burnedme.
"Getawayfromhim!"Kaylawasshrieking."Leavehimalone!"Heathdidn't
move.
"Go,"Itoldhim."Goanddon'tevercomeback.”
"No,"hesaid,lookingandsoundingoddlysober.
"Yes.Getoutofhere.”
"Lethimgo!"Kaylayelled.
"Kayla,ifyoudon'tshutupI'llflydownthereandsuckeverylastbitofblood
fromyourstupidcheatingcowbody!"Ispitthewordsather.
Shesquealedandtookoff.IturnedbacktoHeath,whowasstillstaringatme.
"Nowyouneedtogo,too.”
"I'mnotscaredofyou,Zo.”
"Heath,I'mscaredofmeenoughforbothofus.”
"ButIdon'tmindwhatyoudid.Iloveyou,Zoey.MorenowthanIeverhave.”
"Stopit!"Ididn'tmeantoyell,butIcausedhimtoflinchatthepowerthathad
filledmywords.Iswallowedhardandcalmedmyvoice."Justgo.Please."Then,
searchingforsomewaytomakehimleaveIadded,"Kayla'sprobablygoingtogetthe
copsrightnow.Neitherofusneedsthat.”
"Okay,I'llgo.ButIwon'tstayaway."Hekissedmehardandquick.Ifelta
white-hotstabofpleasurewhenItastedthebloodthatwasstillonourlips.Thenhe
sliddownthewallanddisappearedintothedarknessuntilallIcouldseeofhimwas
thelittledotoflightfromhisflashlight,andthen,finally,noteventhat.
Iwouldn'tletmyselfthink.Notyet.Movingmethodically,likearobot,Iused
thebranchtosteadymyselfasIclimbeddown.MykneeswereshakingsobadlythatI
wasabletowalkonlythecoupleoffeettothetreewhereIsankdownontheground,
pressingmybackagainstthesecurityofitsancientbark.Nalamaterialized,hopping
intomylapasifshe'dbeenmycatforyearsinsteadofminutes,andasmysobsstarted
shecrawledfrommylaptomychesttopressherwarmfaceagainstmywetcheek.
AfterwhatseemedlikealongtimemysobsturnedtohiccupsandIwishedI
hadn'trunoutoftherechallwithoutmypurse.IcouldreallyuseaKleenex.
"Here.Youlooklikeyouneedthis.”
NalacomplainedasIjumpedinsurpriseatthevoice,andblinkedupthrough
mytearstoseesomeonehandingmeatissue."Th-thanks,"Isaid,takingitandwiping
mynose.
"Noproblem,"ErikNightsaid.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
"Areyouokay?”
"Yeah,I'mokay.Totally.Fine."Ilied.
"Youdon'tlookfine,"Eriksaid."MindifIsitdown?”
"No,goahead,"Isaidlistlessly.Iknewmynosewasbrightred.I'ddefinitely
beensnottingonmyselfwhenhewalkedup,andIhadthesneakingsuspicionhe'd
witnessedatleastpartofthenightmarebetweenHeathandme.Thenightwasjust
gettingworseandworse.Iglancedathimanddecided,Whatthehell,Imightaswell
continuethetrend."Incaseyoudidn'trealizeit,itwasmewhosawthatlittlescene
betweenyouandAphroditeinthehallyesterday.”
Hedidn'tevenhesitate."Iknow,andIwishyouhadn't.Idon'twantyoutoget
thewrongideaaboutme.”
"Andwhatideawouldthatbe?”
"Thatthere'smoregoingonbetweenAphroditeandmethantherereallyis.”
"Notmybusiness,"Isaid.
Heshrugged."IjustwantyoutoknowthatsheandIarenotgoingout
anymore.”
IalmostsaidthatitsurelookedlikeAphroditewasn'tawareofthat,butthenI
thoughtaboutwhathadjusthappenedbetweenHeathandme,andwithasenseof
surpriseIrealizedthatmaybeIshouldn'tjudgeEriktooharshly.
"Okay.Youguysaren'tgoingout,"Isaid.
Hesatquietlybesidemeforalittlewhile,andwhenhespokeagainIthought
hesoundedalmostangry."Aphroditedidn'ttellyouaboutthebloodinthewine.”
Hehadn'tsaiditlikeaquestion,butIansweredanyway."Nope.”
HeshookhisheadandIsawhisjawtighten."Shetoldmeshewasgoingto.
Shesaidshe'dletyouknowwhileyouwerechangingyourclothessothatifyou
weren'tokaywithityoucouldskipdrinkingfromthegoblet.”
"Shelied.”
"Notabigsurprise,”hesaid.
"Yathink?"Icouldfeelmyownangerbuildinginsideme."Thiswholething
hasjustbeenwrong.IgetpressuredintogoingtotheDarkDaughters'ritualwhereI'm
trickedintodrinkingblood.ThenImeetupwithmyalmost-ex-boyfriendwhojust
happenstobeonehundredpercenthuman,andno-damn-bodybotheredtoexplainto
methatthetiniestspeckofhisbloodwouldturnmeinto…into…amonster."Ibitmy
lipandheldontomyangersoIwouldn'tstartcryingagain.IalsodecidedIwouldn't
sayanythingaboutthinkingIsawElizabeth'sghost—thatwastoomuchweirdto
admitforonenight.
"Nooneexplainedittoyoubecauseit'ssomethingthatshouldn'thavestarted
toeffectyouuntilyouwereasixthformer,"hesaidquietly.
"Huh?"Iwasbacktobeingdazzlinglyarticulate.
"Bloodlustdoesn'tusuallybeginuntilyou'reasixthformerandyou'realmost
completelyChanged.Onceinawhileyou'llhearaboutafifthformerwhohastodeal
withitearly,butthatdoesn'thappenveryoften.”
"Wait—whatareyousaying?"Mymindfeltlikebeeswerebuzzingaroundin
it.
"Youstarthavingclassesaboutbloodlustandotherthingsmaturevampshave
todealwithduringyourfifthform,andthen,inyourfinalyear,that'smostlywhat
schoolfocuseson—thatandwhateveryou'vedecidedtomajorin.”
"ButI'mathirdformer—barelyImean,I'veonlybeenMarkedafewdays.”
"YourMarkisdifferent;you'redifferent,"hesaid.
"Idon'twanttobedifferent!"IrealizedIwasshoutingandgotmyvoiceunder
control."Ijustwanttofigureouthowtogetthroughthislikeeverybodyelse.”
"Toolate,Z,"hesaid.
"Sowhatnow?”
"Ithinkyou'dbettertalktoyourmentor.It'sNeferet,isn'tit?"
"Yeah,"Isaidmiserably.
"Hey,cheerup.Neferet'sgreat.Shehardlyevertakesonfledglingstomentor
anymore,soshemustreallybelieveinyou.”
"Iknow,Iknow.It'sjustthatthismakesmefeel…"HowdidIfeelabout
talkingtoNeferetaboutwhathadhappenedtonight?Embarrassed.LikeIwastwelve
yearsoldagainandIhadtotellourmalegymteacherthatI'dstartedmyperiodand
hadtogotothelockerroomtochangemyshorts.IpeekedsidewaysatErik.Therehe
sat,gorgeousandattentiveandperfect.Hell.Icouldn'ttellhimthat.SoinsteadI
blurted,"Stupid.Itmakesmefeelstupid."Whichwasn'tactuallyalie,butmostly
whatitmademefeel,besidesembarrassedandstupid,wasscared.Ididn'twantthis
thingthatmadeitimpossibleformetofitin.
"Don'tfeelstupid.You'reactuallywayaheadoftherestofus."
"So…,"Ihesitated,thentookadeepbreathandbarreledon,"didyoulikethe
waythebloodinthegoblettastedtonight?”
"Well,here'sthedealwiththat:MyfirstFullMoonRitualwiththeDark
Daughterswasattheendofmythirdformeryear.Exceptforthe'refrigerator'that
night,Iwastheonlythirdformerthere—justlikeyoutonight.”Hegaveasmall,
humorlesslaugh."TheyonlyinvitedmebecauseI'dfinaledintheShakespeare
soliloquycontestandwasbeingflowntoLondonforthecompetitionthenextday.”
Heglancedatmeandlookedalittleembarrassed."NoonefromthisHouseofNight
hadevermadeittoLondon.Itwasabigdeal."Heshookhisheadself-mockingly.
"Actually,IthoughtIwasabigdeal.SotheDarkDaughtersinvitedmetojointhem,
andIdid.Iknewabouttheblood.Iwasgiventheopportunitytoturnitdown.I
didn't.”
"Butdidyoulikeit?”
Thistimehislaughwasreal."Igaggedandpukedmygutsup.Itwasthemost
disgustingthingI'devertasted.”
Igroaned.MyheaddroppedforwardandIputmyfaceinmyhands."You're
nothelpingme.”
"Becauseyouthoughtitwasgood?”
"Betterthangood,"Isaid,myfacestillinmyhands."Yousayitwasthemost
disgustingthingyou'devertasted?Ithoughtitwasthemostdelicious.Well,themost
deliciousuntilI—"Istopped,realizingwhatIhadbeenabouttosay.
"Untilyoutastedfreshblood?"heaskedgently.
Inoddedmyhead,afraidtospeak.
Hetuggedatmyhands,makingmeunburymyface.Thenheputhisfinger
undermychinandforcedmetolookstraightathim."Don'tbeembarrassedor
ashamed.It'snormal.”
"Lovingthetasteofbloodisnotnormal.Notforme.”
"Yes,itis.Allvampyreshavetodealwiththeirlustforblood,"hesaid.
"Iamnotavampyre!”
"Maybeyou'renot—yet.Butyou'realsodefinitelynottheaveragefledgling,
andthere'snothingwrongwiththat.You'respecial,Zoey,andspecialcanbe
amazing.”
Slowly,hetookhisfingerfrommychinand,ashehadearlierthatnight,he
tracedtheshapeofapentagramsoftlyovermydarkenedMark.Ilikedthewayhis
fingerfeltagainstmyskin—warmandalittlerough.Ialsolikedthatbeingnearhim
didn'tsetoffalltheweirdreactionsI'dhadtobeingclosetoHeath.Imean,Icouldn't
hearErik'sbloodbeatingorseethepulseinhisneckjumping.NotthatI'dmindifhe
kissedme.…
Hell!WasIbecomingavampyreslut?Whatwasnext?Wouldnomaleofany
species(whichmightevenincludeDamien)besafearoundme?MaybeIshouldavoid
allguysuntilIfiguredoutwhatwasgoingonwithmeandknewIcouldcontrol
myself.
ThenIrememberedthatIhadbeentryingtoavoideveryone,whichiswhyI
wasouthereinthefirstplace.
"Whatareyoudoingouthere,Erik?”
"Ifollowedyou,"hesaidsimply.
“ Why? ”
"IfiguredIknewwhatAphroditehadpulledinthereandIthoughtyoumight
needafriend.You'reroomingwithStevieRae,right?”
Inodded.
"Yeah,Ithoughtaboutfindingherandsendingheroutheretoyou,butIdidn't
knowifyou'dwanthertoknowabout…"Hepausedandmadeavaguegestureback
inthedirectionoftherechall.
"No!I—Idon'twanthertoknow."Istumbledoverthewords,Isaidthemso
fast.
"That'swhatIthought.So,that'swhyyou'restuckwithme."Hesmiledand
thenlookedkindauncomfortable."Ireallydidn'tmeantolisteninbetweenyouand
Heath.Sorryaboutthat.”
IfocusedonpettingNala.So,he'dwatchedHeathkissme,andthensawthe
wholebloodthing.God,howembarrassing…ThenathoughtstruckmeandIglanced
upathim,smilingironically."Iguessthatmakesuseven.Ididn'tmeantolistenin
betweenyouandAphrodite,either.”
Hesmiledbackatme."We'reeven.Ilikethat.”
Hissmilemademystomachdofunnythings."Iwouldn'treallyhaveflown
downandsuckedKayla'sblood,"Imanagedtosay.
Helaughed.(Hehadareallynicelaugh.)"Iknowthat.Vampyrescan'tfly.”
"Itfreakedherout,though,"Isaid.
"FromwhatIsaw,shedeservedit."Hewaitedabeatandthensaid,"CanIask
yousomething?It'skindapersonal.”
"Hey,you'veseenmedrinkbloodfromacupandlikeit,puke,kissaguy,lick
hisbloodlikeI'mapuppy,andthenbawlmyeyesout.AndI'veseenyouturndowna
blowjob.IthinkIcanmanagetoanswerakindapersonalquestion.”
"Washereallyinatrance?Helookedlikeitandhesoundedlikeit.”
IsquirmeduncomfortablyandNalacomplainedatmetillIpettedherquiet.
"Itseemedlikehewas,"Ifinallymanagedtosay."Idon'tknowifitwasa
tranceornot—andItotallydidn'tmeantoputhimundermypoweroranythingfreaky
likethat—buthedidchange.Idunno.He'dbeensmokinganddrinking.Hemight
havejustbeenhigh."IheardHeath'svoiceagain,risingfrommymemorylikea
cloyingmist:Yes…whateveryouwant…I'lldowhateveryouwant.AndIsawthat
intenselookhe'dgivenme.Hell,Ihadn'tevenknownHeaththeJockwascapableof
thatkindofintensity(atleastoffthefootballfield).Iknewforsurehecouldn'tspell
theword(intensity,notfootball).
"Hadhebeenlikethatthewholetime,orjustafteryou…um…startedto—”
"Notthewholetime.Why?”
"Well,thatrulesouttwothingsthatcouldhavebeenmakinghimactweird.
One—ifhewasjusthighthenhewouldhavebeenlikethatthewholetime.Two—he
mighthavebeenactinglikethatbecauseyou'rereallypretty,andthatalonecould
makeaguyfeellikehe'sinatrancearoundyou.”
Hiswordsmadesomethingflutterlowinmystomachagain—somethingthat
noguyhadmademefeelbefore.NotHeaththeJock,orJordontheSloth,orJonathan
theStupidBandKid(mydatinghistoryisn'tlong,butit'scolorful).
"Really?"Isaidlikeamoron.
"Really."Hesmiledveryunmoronically.
Howcouldthisguylikeme?I'mablood-drinkingdork.
"Butthatwasn'titeither,becauseheshouldhavenoticedhowhotyoulook
evenbeforeyoukissedhim,andwhatyou'resayingisthathedidn'tseementranced
untilafterbloodcameintothepicture.”
(Entranced—heehee—heactuallysaidentranced.)Iwastoobusygrinning
stupidlyathisuseofcomplexvocabtothinkbeforeIansweredhim."Actually,it
happenedwhenIstartedtohearhisblood.”
"Sayagain?”
Ah,crap.Ihadn'tmeanttosaythat.Iclearedmythroat."Heathstartedto
changewhenIheardthebloodpoundingthroughhisveins.”
"Onlyadultvampscanhearthat.”Hepausedandthen,withaquicksmile
added,"AndHeathsoundslikethenameofagaysoapoperastar.”
"Close.He'sBA'sstarquarterback.”
Eriknoddedandlookedamused.
"Uh,bytheway,Ilikewhatyouchangedyournameto.Nightisacoollast
name,"Isaid,tryingtoholdupmyendoftheconversationandsaysomethingeven
slightlyinsightful.
Hissmilewidened."Ididn'tchangeit.ErikNightisthenameIwasborn
with.”
"Oh,well.Ilikeit."Whydidn'tsomeonejustshootme?
"Thanks.”
HeglancedathiswatchandIcouldseethatitwasalmostsixthirty—inthe
A.M.,whichstillseemedfreaky.
"It'llbegettinglightsoon,"hesaid.
Guessingthatthiswasourcueforustogoourseparateways,Istartedto
gathermyfeetundermeandgetabetterholdonNalasoIcouldstandup,andIfelt
Erik'shandundermyelbow,steadyingme.Hehelpedmeupandthenjuststoodthere,
soclosethatNala'stailwasbrushingagainsthisblacksweater.
"I'daskifyouwantedtogetsomethingtoeat,buttheonlyplaceservingfood
rightnowistherechall,andIdon'tthinkyouwanttogobackthere.”
"No,definitelynot.ButI'mnothungryanyway."Which,IrealizedassoonasI
saidit,wasabiglie.AtthementionoffoodIwassuddenlystarving.
"Well,doyoumindifIwalkyoubacktoyourdorm?"heasked.
"Nope,"Isaid,tryingtobenonchalant.
StevieRae,Damien,andtheTwinswouldtotallydieiftheysawmewithErik.
Wedidn'tsayanythingaswestartedwalking,butitwasn'tanawkward,
uncomfortablesilence.Actually,itwasnice.Onceinawhileourarmswouldbrush
againsteachotherandIthoughtabouthowtallandcutehewasandhowmuchI'dlike
himtoholdmyhand.
"Oh,"hesaidafterawhile,"Ididn'tfinishansweringyourquestionbefore.
ThefirsttimeItastedbloodatoneoftheDarkDaughters'ritualsIhatedit,butitgot
betterandbettereachtime.Ican'tsayIthinkit'sdelicious,butit'sgrownonme.AndI
definitelylikethewayitmakesmefeel.”
Ilookedsharplyathim."Dizzyandkindaweak-kneed?Likeyou'redrunk,
onlyyou'renot.”
"Yeah.Hey,didyouknowit'simpossibleforavamptogetdrunk?"Ishook
myhead."It'ssomethingaboutwhattheChangedoestoourmetabolism.It'seven
toughforfledglingstogetwasted.”
"Sodrinkingbloodisthewayvampsgetwasted?”
Heshrugged."Isuppose.Anyway,drinkinghumanbloodisforbiddenfor
fledglings.”
"Wellthenwhyhasn'tanyonecluedtheteachersinonwhatAphrodite'sup
to?”
"She'snotdrinkinghumanblood.”
"Uh,Erik,Iwasthere.Bloodwasdefinitelyinthewineanditcamefromthat
Elliottkid.”Ishuddered."Andwhatagrosschoicehewas,too.”
"Buthe'snothuman,"Eriksaid.
"Wait—it'sforbiddentodrinkhumanblood,"Isaidslowly.(Oh,hell!That's
whatI'djustdone.)"Butit'sokaytodrinkanotherfledgling'sblood?”
"Onlyifit'sconsensual.”
"Thatmakesnosense.”
"Sureitdoes.It'snormalforourbloodlusttodevelopasourbodiesChange,so
weneedanoutlet.Fledglingshealquickly,sothere'snorealchanceofsomeone
gettinghurt.Andtherearen'tanyaftereffects,likewhenavampfeedsoffaliving
human.”
Whathewassayingwasbangingthroughmyheadliketheannoying,too-loud
musicthatblaredinWetSeal,andIgraspedthefirstthingIcouldthinkclearlyabout.
"Livinghuman?"Isqueaked."Tellmeyoudon'tmeanversusfeedingoffacorpse."I
wasfeelingalittlenauseousagain.
Helaughed."No,Imeanversusdrinkingbloodharvestedfromthevamps'
blooddonors.”
"Neverheardofsuchathing.”
"Mosthumanshaven't.Youwon'tlearnaboutituntilyou'reafifthformer.”
Thensomemoreofwhathe'dsaidbrokethroughtheconfusionthatwasmy
mind."Whatdidyoumeanbyaftereffects?”
"WejuststartedlearningaboutitinVampSociology312.Seemsthatwhenan
adultvampyrefeedsfromalivinghuman,therecanbeaverystrongbondformed.It's
notalwaysonthepartofthevamp,buthumansbecomeinfatuatedprettyeasily.It's
dangerousforthehuman.Imean,thinkaboutit.Thebloodlossaloneisn'tagood
thing.Thenaddthattothefactthatweoutlivehumansbydecades,sometimeseven
centuries.Lookatitfromahuman'spointofview;itwouldreallysucktobetotallyin
lovewithsomeonewhoneverseemstoagewhileyougetoldandwrinkledandthen
die.”
AgainIthoughtaboutthedazedbutintensewayHeathhadlookedatme,andI
knewthat,nomatterhowharditmightbe,I'dhavetotellNefereteverything.
"Yep,thatwouldsuck,"Isaidfaintly.
"Hereweare.”
Iwassurprisedtoseethatwe'dstoppedinfrontofthegirl'sdorm.Ilookedup
athim.
"Well,thanksforfollowingme—Ithink,"Isaid,withawrysmile.
"Hey,anytimeyouwantsomeonetobuttinwhenhe'snotinvited,I'mtheguy
foryou.”
"I'llkeepthatinmind,"Isaid."Thanks."IheftedNalauponmyhipand
startedtoopenthedoor.
"Hey,Z,"hecalled.
Iturnedback.
"Don'tgivebackthedresstoAphrodite.Byherincludingyouinthecircle
tonightsheformallyofferedyouapositionintheDarkDaughters,andit'stradition
thattheHighPriestessintraininggivesagifttothenewmemberonherfirstnight.I
don'timagineyou'llwanttojoin,butyoustillhavetherighttokeepthedress.
Especiallybecauseyoulooksomuchbetterinitthansheeverdid."Hereached
forwardandtookmyhand(theonethatwasn'tclutchingmycat),andturneditoverso
thatmywristfacedup.Thenhetookhisfingerandtracedtheveinthatwascloseto
thesurfacethere,makingmypulsejumpcrazily.
"AndyoushouldalsoknowthatI'mtheguyforyouifyoudecideyoumight
liketotryanothersipofblood.Keepthatinmind,too.”
Erikbentand,stilllookinginmyeyes,helightlybitthepulsepointatmy
wristbeforekissingthespotsoftly.Thistimetheflutteryfeelinginmystomachwas
moreintense.Itmadetheinsideofmythighstingleandmybreathingdeepen.Hislips
stillonmywristhemetmyeyesandIfeltashiverofdesirepassthroughmybody.I
knewhecouldfeelmetremble.Helethistongueflickagainstmywrist,whichmade
meshiveragain.Thenhesmiledatmeandwalkedawayintothepre-dawnlight.
CHAPTERNINETEEN
MywristwasstilltinglingfromErik'stotallyunexpectedkiss(andbiteand
lick),andIwasn'tsureIcouldspeakyet,soIwasrelievedthattherewereonlyafew
girlsinthebigentryroom,andtheydidlittlemorethanglanceatmebeforetheywent
backtowatchingwhatsoundedlikeAmerica'sNextTopModel.Ihurriedintothe
kitchenandplunkedNaladownonthefloor,hopingshewouldn'trunoffwhileImade
asandwich.Shedidn't;actuallyshefollowedmearoundtheroomlikealittleorange
dog,complainingatmeinherweirdnon-meow.Ikepttellingher"Iknow"and"I
understand"becauseIfiguredshewasyellingatmeaboutwhatamoronI'dbeen
tonight,and,well,shewasright.Sandwichmade,Igrabbedabagofpretzels(Stevie
Raehadbeenright,Icouldn'tfindanydecentjunkfoodinanyofthecabinets),some
brownpop(Idon'treallycarewhatkind,justsothatit'sbrownandnotdiet—eesh),
andmycat,andIslippedupthestairs.
"Zoey!I'vebeensoworriedaboutyou!Tellmeeverything.”Curledupinbed
withabook,StevieRaewasobviouslywaitingupforme.Shewaswearingher
pajamasthathadcowboyhatsalloverthedrawstringcottonpants,andhershorthair
wasstickingoutononesideasifshe'dfallenasleeponit.Iswearshelookedabout
twelveyearsold.
"Well,"Isaidbrightly."Lookslikewehaveapet."IturnedsothatStevieRae
couldseeNalasquishedagainstmyhip."Here,helpmebeforeIdropsomething.Ifit's
thecatshe'llprobablyneverstopcomplaining.”
"She'sadorable!"StevieRaeleapedupandrushedovertotrytotakeNala
fromme,butthecatclungtomeasthoughsomeonewouldkillherifsheletgo,so
StevieRaetookmyfoodinsteadandsetitonmybedsidetable.
"Hey,thatdressisamazing.”
"Yeah,Ichangedbeforetheritual."WhichremindedmethatIwasgoingto
havetogiveitbacktoAphrodite.Fine.Iwasnotkeepingthe"gift,"eventhoughErik
hadsaidIshould.Anyway,returningitseemedlikeagoodtimeto"thank"herfor
"forgetting"tocluemeinabouttheblood.Hagbitch.
"So…howwasit?”
IsatonmybedandgaveNalaapretzel,whichshepromptlystartedbatting
around(atleastshe'dstoppedcomplaining),thenItookabigbiteofsandwich.Yes,I
washungry,butIwasalsobuyingtime.Ididn'tknowwhatIshouldtellStevieRae,
andwhatIshouldn't.Thebloodthingwasjustsoconfusing—andsogross.Wouldshe
thinkIwasawful?Wouldshebescaredofme?
Iswallowedanddecidedtosteertheconversationtoasafertopic."ErikNight
walkedmehome.”
"Getout!"Shebobbedupanddownonthebedlikeacountryjack-in-the-box.
"Tellmeeverything.”
"Hekissedme,"Isaid,crinklingmyeyebrowsather.
"Youhavegottobekidding!Where?How?Wasitgood?”
"Hekissedmyhand."Idecidedquicklytolie.Ididn'twanttoexplainthe
wholewrist/pulse/blood/bitething."Itwaswhenhesaidgoodnight.Wewererightin
frontofthedorm.And,yes,itwasgood."Igrinnedatheraroundanothermouthfulof
sandwich.
"I'llbetAphroditeshitpuppieswhenyoulefttherechallwithhim.”
"Well,actually,Ileftbeforehimandhecaughtupwithme.I'd,uh,gonefora
walkalongthewall,whichiswhereIfoundNala,"Iscratchedthecat'shead.She
curledupnexttome,closedhereyes,andstartedpurring."Actually,Ithinkshefound
me.Anyway,IhadclimbeduponthewallbecauseIthoughtsheneededrescuing,and
then—andyouwillnotbelievethis—IsawsomethingthatlookedlikeElizabeth's
ghost,andthenmyalmost-ex-boyfriendfromSIHS,Heath,andmyex–bestfriend
showedup.”
"What?Who?Slowdown.StartwithElizabeth'sghost.”
Ishookmyheadandchewed.ThroughbitesofsandwichIexplained."Itwas
reallycreepyandreallyweird.IwassittingupthereonthewallpettingNala,and
somethingcaughtmyattention.Ilookeddownandtherewasthisgirlstandingnottoo
farawayfromme.Shelookedupatme,withredglowingeyes,andIswearitwas
Elizabeth.”
"Noway!Wereyoutotallyfreaked?”
"Totally.Thesecondshesawmeshegavethishorribleshriekandthenran
off.”
"Iwouldhavebeenscaredshitless.”
"Iwas,onlyIhardlyhadtimetothinkaboutitwhenHeathandKaylashowed
up.”
"Whatdoyoumean?Howcouldtheybehere?”
"No,nothere,theywereoutsidethewall.Theymusthaveheardmetryingto
settleNaladownaftershecompletelyfreakedatElizabeth'sghost,becausetheycame
runningup.”
"Nalasawher,too?”
Inodded.
StevieRaeshivered."Thenshemusthavereallybeenthere."
"Areyousureshe'sdead?"Myvoicewasalmostawhisper."Therecouldn't
havebeensomemistakemadeandshe'sstillalivebutwanderingaroundtheschool?"
Itsoundedridiculous,butnotmuchmoreridiculousthanmeseeinganactualghost.
StevieRaeswallowedhard."She'sdead.Isawherdie.Everyoneinclassdid.”
Shelookedlikeshewasgoingtocryandthewholesubjectwascreepingme
out,soIshiftedtoalessscarytopic."Well,Icouldbewrong.Maybeitwasjustsome
kidwithweirdeyeswholookedlikeher.Itwasdark,andthenHeathandKaylawere
suddenlythere.”
"Whatwasthatallabout?”
"Heathsaidtheycameto'bustmeout’,"Irolledmyeyes."Canyouimagine?”
"Aretheystupid?”
"Apparently.Oh,andthenKayla,myex-bestfriend,madeitobviousthatshe's
afterHeath!”
StevieRaegasped."Slut!”
"Nokidding.Anyway,Itoldthemtoleaveandnotcomeback,andthenIgot
upset,whichiswhenErikfoundme.”
"Aww!Washesweetandromantic?”
"Yeah,hewas,kinda.AndhecalledmeZ.”
"O000h,anicknameisaseriouslygoodsign.”
"That'swhatIthought.”
"Sothenhewalkedyoubacktothedorm?”
"Yeah,hesaidthathe'dtakemetogetsomethingtoeat,buttheonlythingthat
wasstillopenwastherechall,andIdidn'twanttogobackthere."Ah,crap.Iknew
rightawaythatIshouldn'thavesaidthatmuch.
"WeretheDarkDaughtersawful?”
IlookedatStevieRaewithherbigdeer-likeeyes,andknewIcouldn'ttellher
aboutdrinkingblood.Notyet."Well,youknowhowNeferetwassexyandbeautiful
andclassy?”
StevieRaenodded.
"AphroditedidbasicallywhatNeferetdid,butshelookedlikeaho.”
"I'vealwaysthoughtthatshewasreallynasty,"StevieRaesaid,shakingher
headindisgust.
"Tellmeaboutit."IlookedatStevieRaeandblurted,"Yesterday,rightbefore
NeferettookmeheretothedormIsawAphroditetryingtogiveErikablowjob.”
"Noway!Jeesh,she'sdisgusting.Wait,yousaidshewastryingtodoit.
What'supwiththat?”
"Hewastellinghernoandpushingheraway.Hesaidhedidn'twanther
anymore.”
StevieRaegiggled."I'llbetthatmadeherlosewhatlittleofhermindshehas
left.”
Irememberedhowshe'dbeenalloverhim,evenwhenhewasclearlytelling
herno."Actually,Iwouldhavefeltsorryforherifshehadn'tbeenso…so…"I
struggledtoputitintowords.
"Hagfromhell–like?"StevieRaeofferedhelpfully.
"Yeah,Iguessthat'sit.Shehasthisattitude,likeit'sherrighttobeasmean
andnastyasshewantstobe,andweshouldalljustbowdownandaccepther.”
StevieRaenodded."That'showherfriendsare,too."
"Yeah,Imettheawfultriplets.”
"YoumeanWarlike,Terrible,andWasp?”
"Exactly.Whatweretheythinkingwhentheytookthosehorridnames?"Isaid,
poppingpretzelsinmymouth.
"Theywerethinkingexactlywhatthatentiregroupofhersthinks—thatthey
arebetterthaneveryoneelseanduntouchablebecausenastyAphroditeisgoingtobe
thenextHighPriestess.”
Ispokethenextwordsastheywhisperedthroughmymind."Idon'tthinkNyx
willallowthat.”
"Whatdoyoumean?Theyarealreadythe'in'group,andAphroditehasbeen
leaderoftheDarkDaughterssinceheraffinitybecameobviousduringherfifthformer
year.”
"What'sheraffinity?”
"Shegetsvisions,likeoffuturetragedies,"StevieRaescowled.
"Doyouthinkshefakesthem?”
"Oh,heckno!She'samazinglyaccurate.WhatIthink,andDamienandthe
Twinsagreewithme,isthatsheonlytellsaboutthevisionsifshehasonewhenshe's
aroundpeopleoutsideherlittlegroup.”
"Wait,areyousayingsheknowsaboutbadthingsthataregoingtohappenin
timetostopthem,butshedoesn'tdoanythingaboutit?”
"Yep.Lastweekshehadavisionduringlunch,butthehagsclosedranks
aroundherandstartedleadingheroutofthedininghall.IfDamienhadn'trunright
intothembecausehewaslateandhurryingintolunch,makingthemscattersothathe
couldseethatAphroditewasinthemiddleofavision,noonewouldeverhave
known.Andawholeplanefullofpeoplewouldprobablybedead.”
Ichokedonapretzel.BetweencoughsIsputtered,"Aplanefullofpeople!
Whatthehell?”
"Yeah,DamiencouldtellAphroditewashavingavision,sohegotNeferet.
Aphroditehadtotellherthevision,whichwasseeingajetcrashjustaftertakeoff.
Hervisionsaresoclearthatshecoulddescribetheairportandreadthenumberson
thetailoftheplane.NeferettookthatinfoandcontactedtheDenverairport.They
double-checkedtheplaneandfoundsomeproblemthattheyhadn'tnoticedbefore,
andsaidthatiftheyhadn'tfixedittheplanewouldhavecrashedimmediatelyafter
takeoff.ButIknowdarnwellAphroditewouldn'thavesaidawordifshehadn'tbeen
caught,eventhoughshemadeupabiglieaboutherfriendsleadingherfromthe
dininghallbecausetheyknewshe'dwanttobetakentoNeferetrightaway.Totalb.s.”
IstartedtosaythatIcouldn'tbelievethatevenAphroditeandherhagswould
purposefullyallowthedeathofhundredsofpeople,butthenIrememberedthehateful
stuffthey'dsaidthatnight—Humanmensuck…Theyshouldalldie—andIrealized
theyhadn'tjustbeentalking;they'dbeenserious.
"Sowhydidn'tAphroditelietoNeferet?Youknow,tellheradifferentairport
orswitchthenumbersoftheplanearoundorsomething?”
"Vampsarealmostimpossibletolieto,especiallywhentheyaskyouadirect
question.And,remember,AphroditewantstobeaHighPriestessmorethananything.
IfNeferetbelievedshewasastwistedassheis,itwouldseriouslyhurtherfuture
plans.”
"AphroditehasnobusinessbeingaHighPriestess.She'sselfishandhateful,
andsoareherfriends.”
"Yeah,well,Neferetdoesn'tthinkso,andshewashermentor.”
Iblinkedinsurprise."You'vegottobekidding!Andshedoesn'tseethrough
Aphrodite'scrap?"Thatcouldn'tberight;Neferetiswaysmarterthanthat.
StevieRaeshrugged."SheactsdifferentaroundNeferet."
"Butstill…”
"Andshedoeshaveapowerfulaffinity,whichhastomeanthatNyxhas
specialplansforher.”
"Orshe'sademonfromhell,andshegetsherpowerfromthedarkside.Hello!
HasnooneseenStarWars?ItwashardtobelieveAnakinSkywalkerwouldturn,and
lookwhathappenedthere.”
"Uh,Zoey.That'sliketotalfiction.”
"Still,Ithinkitmakesagoodpoint.”
"Well,trytellingthattoNeferet.”
Ichewedmysandwichandthoughtaboutit.MaybeIshould.Neferetdidseem
waytoosmarttofallforAphrodite'sgames.Sheprobablyalreadyknewsomething
wasupwiththehags.Maybeallsheneededwassomeonetostandupandsay
somethingtoher.
"So,hasanyoneevertriedtotellNeferetaboutAphrodite?"Iasked.
"NotthatIknowof.”
"Whynot?”
StevieRaelookeduncomfortable."Well,Ithinkitseemskindatattletale-like.
Anyway,whatwouldwetellNeferet?ThatwethinkAphroditemighthidehervisions,
butthattheonlyproofwehaveisthatshe'sahatefulbitch.”StevieRaeshookher
head."No,Ican'tseethatgoingoververywellwithNeferet.Plus,ifbysomemiracle
shebelievedus,whatwouldNeferetdo?It'snotlikeshe'sgoingtokickheroutofthe
schoolsoshecancoughherselftodeathonthestreets.She'dstillbeherewithher
packofhagsandallthoseguyswhowoulddoanythingforherifshesnappedher
littleclawedfingersatthem.Iguessit'sjustnotworthit.”
StevieRaehadapoint,butIdidn'tlikeit.Ireally,reallydidn'tlikeit.
ThingsmightbedifferentifamorepowerfulfledglingtookAphrodite'splace
asleaderoftheDarkDaughters.
Ijumpedguiltily,andcovereditbytakingabiggulpofpop.WhatwasI
thinking?Iwasn'tpowerhungry.Ididn'twanttobeaHighPriestessorgetcaughtup
inapain-in-the-assbattlewithAphroditeandhalftheschool(themoreattractivehalf,
atthat).Ijustwantedtofindaplaceformyselfinthisnewlife,aplacethatfeltlike
home—aplacewhereIfitinandwasliketherestofthekids.
ThenIrememberedtheelectricjoltsI'dfeltduringthecastingofbothcircles,
andhowtheelementshadseemedtosizzlethroughmybody,andalsohowIhadhad
toforcemyselftostayinthecircleandnotjoinAphroditeinthecasting.
"StevieRae,whenacircle'sbeingcast,doyoufeelanything?"Iasked
abruptly.
"Whatdoyoumean?”
"Well,likewhenfire'scalledtothecircle.Doyoueverfeelhot?”
"Nah.Imean,Ireallylikethecirclestuff,andsometimeswhenNeferetis
prayingIfeelazapofenergytravelingthroughthecircleitself,butthat'sit.”
"Soyou'veneverfeltabreezewhenwind'scalled,orsmelledrainwithwater,
orfeltgrassunderyourfeetwithearth?”
"Noway.OnlyaHighPriestesswithamajoraffinityfortheelements
would—"Shebrokeoffsuddenlyandhereyesgothuge."Areyousayingthatyoufelt
thatstuff?Anyofthatstuff?”
Isquirmed."Maybe.”
"Maybe!"shesqueaked."Zoey!Doyouhaveanyideawhatthiscouldmean?”
Ishookmyhead.
"JustlastweekinSocclasswewerestudyingaboutthemostfamousvamp
HighPriestessesinhistory.Therehasn'tbeenapriestesswithanaffinityforallfourof
theelementsforhundredsofyears.”
"Five,"Isaidmiserably.
"Allfive!Youfeltsomethingwithspirit,too!”
"Yeah,Ithinkso.”
"Zoey!Thisisamazing.Idon'tthinkthere'severbeenaHighPriestesswho
feltallfiveoftheelements."ShenoddedatmyMark."It'sthat.Itmeansyou're
different,andyoureallyare.”
"StevieRae,canwejustkeepthisbetweenusforawhile?Imean,noteven
tellDamienortheTwins?Ijust—Ijustwanttotrytofigurethisoutonmyowna
little.Ifeellikeeverything'shappeningtoofast.”
"ButZoey,I—”
"AndImightbewrong,"Iinterruptedquickly."WhatifIwasjustexcitedand
nervousbecauseI'dneverbeeninaritualbefore?DoyouknowhowembarrassedI'd
beifItoldpeople'hey,I'mtheonlyfledglingevertohaveanaffinityforallthe
elements'anditturnedouttobenerves?”
StevieRaechewedhercheek."Idunno,Istillthinkyoushouldtellsomeone.”
"Yeah,thenAphroditeandherherdcouldberighttheretogloatifitturnedout
thatIwasimaginingthings.”
StevieRaepaled."Oh,man.You'retotallyright.Thatwouldbereallyawful.I
won'tsayanythingtillyou'reready.Promise.”
Herreactionremindedme."Hey,whatisitAphroditedidtoyou?”
StevieRaelookeddownatherlap,claspedherhandstogether,andhunched
hershouldersasifshesuddenlyfeltachill."Sheinvitedmetoaritual.Ihadn'tbeen
hereverylong,onlyaboutamonthorso,andIwaskindaexcitedthatthe'in'group
wantedme.”Sheshookherhead,stillnotlookingatme."Itwasstupidofme,butI
didn'treallyknowanyoneverywellyet,andIthoughtmaybetheywouldbemy
friends.SoIwent.Buttheydidn'twantmetobeoneofthem.Theywantedmetobe
a—a—blooddonorfortheirritual.Theyevencalledme'refrigerator:likeIwasn't
goodforanythingexceptholdingbloodforthem.TheymademecryandwhenIsaid
notheylaughedatmeandkickedmeout.That'showImetDamien,andthenErinand
Shaunee.Theywerehangingouttogetherandtheysawmerunoutoftherechall,so
theyfollowedmeandtoldmenottoworryaboutit.They'vebeenmyfriendsever
since."Shefinallylookedupatme."I'msorry.Iwouldhavesaidsomethingtoyou
before,exceptIknewtheywouldn'ttrythatwithyou.You'retoostrong,and
AphroditeistoocuriousaboutyourMark.Plus,you'rebeautifulenoughtobeoneof
them.”
"Hey,soareyou!"IfeltsicktomystomachthinkingaboutStevieRaebeing
slumpedinthechairlikeElliott…aboutdrinkingStevieRae'sblood.
"No,I'mjustkindacute.I'mnotthem.”
"I'mnotthem,either!"Iyelled,causingNalatowakeupandmutterrestlessly
atme.
"Iknowyou'renot.That'snotwhatImeant.IjustmeantthatIknewthey
wouldwantyouintheirgroup,sotheywouldn'ttrytouseyoulikethat.”
No,theymanagedtotrickmeandtriedtheirbesttofreakmeout.Butwhy?
Wait!Iknewwhatthey'dbeenupto.Eriksaidthatthefirsttimehedrankbloodhe'd
hatedit,andhadrunoutpuking.I'dbeenhereonlytwodays.They'dwantedtodo
somethingthatwoulddisgustmesobadlythatI'dbescaredawayfromthemandtheir
ritualforever.
Theydidn'twantmetobepartoftheDarkDaughters,buttheyalsodidn'twant
totellNeferettheydidn'twantme.Instead,theywantedmetorefusetojointhem.For
whatevertwistedreason,bullyAphroditewantedtokeepmeoutoftheDark
Daughters.Bullieshavealwayspissedmeoff,whichmeant,unfortunately,Iknew
whatIhadtodo.
Ah,crap.IwasgoingtojointheDarkDaughters.
"Zoey,you'renotmadatme,areyou?"StevieRaesaidinasmallvoice.
Iblinked,tryingtoclearmythoughts."Ofcoursenot!Youwereright;
Aphroditedidn'ttrytogetmetodoanythinglikegivingblood."Ipoppedthelastbite
ofsandwichintomymouth,chewingfast."Hey,I'mreallybeat.Doyouthinkyou
couldhelpmefindalitterboxforNalasothatIcangetsomesleep?”
StevieRaeinstantlybrightened,andhoppedoffthebedwithherusual
perkiness."Checkthisout."Shepracticallyskippedtothesideoftheroomandheld
upabiggreenbagthathad
FELICIA'SSOUTHERNAGRICULTURESTORE,2616S.
HARVARD,TULSA
printedinboldwhitelettersacrossit.Fromitshedumpedontothefloora
litterbox,foodandwaterdishes,aboxofFriskiescatfood(withextrahairball
protection),andasackofkittylitter.
"Howdidyouknow?”
"Ididn't.ItwassittinginfrontofourdoorwhenIgotbackfromdinner.”She
reachedintothebottomofthebagandpulledoutanenvelopeandanadorablepink
leathercollarthathadminiaturesilverspikesallaroundit.
"Here,thisisforyou.”
Shehandedmetheenvelope,whichIcouldnowseehadmynameprintedon
it,whileshecoaxedNalaintohercollar.Inside,writteninabeautiful,flowingscript
onexpensivebone-coloredstationarywasoneline.
Skylartoldmeshewascoming.Itwassignedwithasingleletter:N.
CHAPTERTWENTY
IwasgoingtohavetotalktoNeferet.IthoughtaboutitasStevieRaeandI
rushedthroughbreakfastthenextmorning.Ididn'twanttotellheranythingaboutmy
supposedstrangereactiontotheelements—Imean,Ihadn'tbeenlyingtoStevieRae.I
couldhaveimaginedtheentirething.WhatifItellNeferetandshemakesmetake
somekindofweirdaffinitytest(inthisschool,whoknew?)andshefindsoutthatI
don'thaveanythingotherthananoveractiveimagination?NowaydidIwanttogo
throughsomethinglikethat.I'djustkeepmymouthshutuntilIknewmoreaboutit.I
alsodidn'twanttosayanythingtoheraboutthinkingImighthaveseenElizabeth's
ghost.LikeIwantedNeferettothinkIwaspsycho?Neferetwascool,butshewasan
adult,andIcouldalmosthearthe"itwasjustyourimaginationbecauseyou'dbeen
throughsomanychanges"lectureIwouldgetifIadmittedtoseeingaghost.ButIdid
needtotalktoheraboutthebloodlustthing.(Yeesh—ifIlikeditsomuchwhydidthe
thoughtofitstillmakemefeelqueasy?)
"Yathinkshe'sgoingtofollowyoutoclass?"StevieRaesaid,pointingto
Nala.
Ilookeddownatmyfeetwherethecatlaycurled,purringcontentedly."Can
she?”
"Doyoumean,issheallowed?”
Inodded.
"Yeah,catscangoanywheretheywant.”
"Huh,"Isaid,reachingdowntoscratchthetopofherhead."Iguessshemight
followmearoundalldaythen.”
"Well,I'mgladshe'syoursandnotmine.FromwhatIsawwhenthealarm
whenoff,she'saseriouspillow-hogger.”
Ilaughed."You'rerightaboutthat.Howsuchapetitegirlcouldpushmeoff
myownpillow,Idonotknow."Igaveherheadonemorescratch."Let'sgo.We're
gonnabelate.”
Istoodupwithmybowlinmyhand,andalmostransmackintoAphrodite.
Shewas,asusual,flankedbyTerribleandWarlike.Waspwasnowheretobeseen
(maybeshe'dtakenashowerthismorningandmeltedwhenthewatertouchedher—
heehee).Aphrodite'snastysmileremindedmeofapiranhaI'dseenattheJenks
Aquariumwhenmybiologyclasswenttherelastyearonafieldtrip.
"Hi,Zoey.Gosh,youleftinsuchahurrylastnightIdidn'tgetachancetosay
bye.Sorryyoudidn'thaveagoodtime.It'stoobad,buttheDarkDaughtersisn'tfor
everyone."SheglancedatStevieRaeandcurledherlip.
"Actually,Ihadagreattimelastnight,andIabsolutelylovethedressyou
gaveme!"Igushed."ThankyouforinvitingmetojointheDarkDaughters.Iaccept.
Totally.”
Aphrodite'sferalsmileflattened."Really?”
Igrinnedlikeanutterlycluelessfool."Really!When'sthenextmeetingor
ritualorwhatever—orshouldIjustaskNeferet?I'mgoingtoseeherthismorning.I
knowshe'llbehappytohearhowwelcomeyoumademefeellastnightandthatI'm
nowaDarkDaughter.”
Aphroditehesitatedforjustamoment.Thenshesmiledagainandmatchedmy
cluelesstoneofvoiceperfectly."Yes,IbetNeferetwillbegladtohearyou'vejoined
us,butIamtheleaderoftheDarkDaughtersandIknowourschedulebyheart,so
there'snoneedtobotherherwithsillyquestions.TomorrowisourSamhain
celebration.Wearyourdress,"sheemphasizedtheword,andmysmilewidened.I'd
meanttogettoherandIhad."Andmeetattherechallrightafterdinner,fourthirty
A.M.,sharp.”
"Great.I'llbethere.”
"Good,whatanicesurprise,"shesaidslickly.Then,followedbyTerribleand
Warlike(wholookedvaguelyshell-shocked),thethreeofthemleftthekitchen.
"Hagsfromhell,"Imutteredundermybreath.IglancedatStevieRae,who
wasstaringatmewithastrickenexpressionfrozenonherface.
"You'rejoiningthem?"shewhispered.
"It'snotwhatyouthink.Comeon,I'lltellyouonthewaytoclass."Iputour
breakfastdishesinadishwasherandherdedthetooquietStevieRaeoutofthedorm.
Nalapaddedafterus,occasionallyhissingatanycatwhodaredwandertoocloseto
meonthesidewalk."I'mreconnoitering,justlikeyousaidlastnight,"Iexplained.
"No.Idon'tlikeit,"shesaid,shakingherheadsohardshemadehershorthair
bouncecrazily.
"Haveyouneverheardoftheoldsaying'keepyourfriendscloseandyour
enemiescloser'?”
"Yeah,but—”
"That'sallI'mdoing.Aphroditegetsawaywithtoomuchcrap.She'smean.
She'sselfish.Shecan'tbewhatNyxwantsforaHighPriestess.”
StevieRae'seyesgothuge."You'regoingtostopher?”
"Well,I'mgonnatry."AndasIspokeIfeltthesapphirecrescentmoononmy
foreheadtingle.
***
"ThanksforthecatthingsyougotforNala,"Isaid.
Neferetlookedupfromthepapershewasgradingandsmiled."Nala—that'sa
goodnameforher,butyoushouldthankSkylar,notme.He'stheonewhotoldmeshe
wascoming."Thensheglancedattheorangeballoffurthatwasimpatientlytwining
betweenmylegs."She'sreallyattachedtoyou."Hereyesliftedagaintomeetmine.
"Tellme,Zoey,doyoueverhearhervoiceinsideyourhead,orknowexactlywhere
sheis,evenwhenshe'snotinthesameroomasyou?”
Iblinked.NeferetthoughtImighthaveanaffinityforcats!"No,I—Idon't
hearherinmyhead.Butshedoescomplainatmealot.AndIwouldn'tknowabout
whetherornotIknowwheresheiswhenshe'snotwithme.She'salwayswithme.”
"Sheisdelightful."NeferetcrookedafingeratNalaandsaid,"Cometome,
child.”
Instantly,NalapaddedoverandjumpeduponNeferet'sdesk,scatteringpapers
everywhere.
"Oh,gosh,I'msorry,Neferet."IgrabbedforNala,butNeferetwavedme
away.ShescratchedNala'shead,andthecatclosedhereyesandpurred.
"Catsarealwayswelcome,andpapersareeasilyreorganized.Now,whatisit
youreallywantedtospeakwithmeabout,Zoeybird?”
Heruseofmygrandma'snicknameformemademyhearthurt,andIsuddenly
missedherwithanintensitythathadmeblinkingtearsfrommyeyes.
"Areyoumissingyouroldhome?"Neferetaskedsoftly.
"No,notreally.Well,exceptforGrandma,butI'vebeensobusythatIguessI
justnowrealizedit,"Isaidguiltily.
"Youdon'tmissyourmotherandfather.”
Itwasn'tlikeshe'dsaiditasaquestion,butIfeltthatIneededtoanswerher.
"No.Well,Idon'treallyhaveadad.HeleftuswhenIwaslittle.Mymomremarried
threeyearsagoand,well…”
"Youcantellme.IgiveyoumywordthatIwillunderstand,"Neferetsaid.
"Ihatehim!"IsaidwithmoreangerthanI'dexpectedtofeel."Sincehejoined
ourfamily"—Isaidthewordsarcastically—"nothinghasbeenright.Mymomtotally
changed.It'slikeshecan'tbehiswifeandmymotheranymore.Ithasn'tbeenmy
homeforalongtime.”
"MymotherdiedwhenIwastenyearsold.Myfatherdidnotremarry.Instead,
hebegantousemeashiswife.FromthetimeIwastenuntilNyxsavedmeby
MarkingmewhenIwasfifteen,heabusedme."Neferetpausedandlettheshockof
whatshewassayingsettleintomebeforeshecontinued."Soyousee,whenIsaythat
IunderstandwhatitistohaveyourhomebecomeanunbearableplaceIamnotjust
spoutingplatitudes.”
"That'sawful.”Ididn'tknowwhatelsetosay.
"Itwasthen.Nowitissimplyanothermemory.Zoey,humansinyourpast,
andeveninyourpresentandfuture,willbecomelessandlessimportanttoyouuntil,
eventually,youwillfeelverylittleforthem.You'llunderstandthismoreasyou
continuetoChange.”
Therewasacoldflatnesstohervoicethatmademefeelodd,andIheard
myselfsaying,"Idon'twanttostopcaringaboutmygrandma.”
"Ofcourseyoudon't.”Shewasbacktobeingwarmandcaringagain."It'sonly
nineP.M.,whydon'tyoucallher?YoucanbelatetoDramaclass;I'llletProfessor
Nolanknowthatyouareexcused.”
"Thankyou,I'dlikethat.Butit'snotwhatIwantedtotalktoyouabout."I
tookadeepbreath."Idrankbloodlastnight.”
Neferetnodded."Yes,theDarkDaughtersoftenmixfledglingbloodwiththeir
ritualwine.It'ssomethingtheyoungliketodo.Diditupsetyougreatly,Zoey?”
"Well,Ididn'tknowaboutituntilafterward.Then,yes,itdidupsetme.”
Neferetfrowned."Itwasn'tethicalofAphroditenottotellyoubefore.You
shouldhavehadachoiceaboutpartaking.I'llspeakwithher.”
"No!"Isaidalittletooquickly,andthenIforcedmyselftosoundcalmer."No,
there'sreallynoneed.I'lltakecareofit.I'vedecidedtojointheDarkDaughters,soI
don'twanttostartoffbylookinglikeIsetouttogetAphroditeintrouble.”
"You'reprobablyright.Aphroditecanberathertemperamental,andItrustthat
youcantakecareofityourself,Zoey.Wedoliketoencouragefledglingstosolvethe
problemstheyhavewitheachotheramongthemselveswheneverpossible."She
studiedme,concernobviousinherface."It'snormalforthefirstfewtastesofbloodto
belessthanappetizing.You'dknowthatifyouhadbeenwithuslonger.”
"It'snotthat.It—ittastedreallygood.Eriktoldmethatminewasanunusual
reaction.”
Neferet'sperfectbrowsshotup."Itis,indeed.Didyoualsofeeldizzyor
exhilarated?”
"Both,"Isaidsoftly.
NeferetglancedatmyMark."Youareunique,ZoeyRedbird.Well,Ithinkit
wouldbebesttopullyououtofthissectionofSociology,andmoveyouintoa
Sociology415.
"I'dreallyratheryoudidn'tdothat,"Isaidquickly."Ialreadyfeellikeenough
ofafreakwitheveryonestaringatmyMarkandwatchingtoseeifI'lldosomething
weird.Ifyoumovemeintoaclasswithkidswhohavebeenhereforthreeyears,
they'llreallythinkI'mbizarre.”
Neferethesitated,scratchingNala'sheadwhilesheconsidered.
"Iunderstandwhatyoumean,Zoey.Ihaven'tbeenateenagerforoverone
hundredyears,butvampyreshavelong,accuratememories,andIdorecallwhatit
wasliketogothroughtheChange.”Shesighed."Okay,howaboutacompromise?I'll
allowyoutostayinthethirdformerSocclass,butIwanttogiveyouthetextweuse
intheupper-levelclass,andhaveyouagreetoreadachapteraweek,andpromisethat
you'lldiscussanyquestionsyouhavewithme.”
"Deal,"Isaid.
"Youknow,Zoey,asyouChange,youliterallyarebecominganentirelynew
being.Avampyreisnotahuman,althoughwearehumane.Itmaysound
reprehensibletoyounow,butyourdesireforbloodisasnormalforyournewlifeas
yourdesirefor"—shepausedandsmiled—"brownpophasbeeninyouroldlife.”
"Jeesh!Doyouknoweverything?”
"Nyxhasgiftedmegenerously.Besidesmyaffinityforourlovelyfelinesand
myabilitiesasahealer,Iamalsoanintuitive.”
"Youcanreadmymind?"Iaskednervously.
"Notexactly.ButIcanpickupbitsandpiecesofthings.Forinstance,Iknow
thatthere'ssomethingelseyouneedtotellmeaboutlastnight.”
Idrewadeepbreath."IwasupsetafterIfoundoutabouttheblood,soIran
outoftherechall.That'showIfoundNala.Shewasinatreethatwasrealclosetothe
school'swall.Ithoughtshewasstuckupthere,soIclimbeduponthewalltogether
and,well,whileIwastalkingtohertwokidsfrommyoldschoolfoundme.”
"Whathappened?"Neferet'shandhadstilled;shewasnolongerpettingNala,
andIhadallofherattention.
"Itwasn'tgood.They—theywerewasted,highanddrunk."Okay,Ihadn't
meanttoblurtthat!
"Didtheytrytohurtyou?”
"No,nothinglikethat.Itwasmyex–bestfriendandmyalmost-ex-boyfriend.”
Neferetraisedherbrowatmeagain.
"Well,I'dquitgoingoutwithhim,butheandIstillhadathingforeach
other.”
Shenoddedasthoughsheunderstood."Goon.”
"KaylaandIkindafought.SheseesmedifferentlynowandIguessIseeher
differently,too.Neitheroneofuslikesthenewview."AsIsaiditIrealizeditwas
true.Itwasn'tthatKhadchanged—actually,she'dbeenexactlythesame.Itwasjust
thatthelittlethingsIusedtoignore,likehernonsensicalbabbleandhermeanside,
werenowsuddenlytooirritatingtodealwith."Anyway,sheleftandIwasalonewith
Heath."Istoppedthere,notsurehowtosaytherestofit.
Neferet'seyesnarrowed."Youexperiencedbloodlustforhim."
"Yes,"Iwhispered.
"Didyoudrinkhisblood,Zoey?"Hervoicewassharp.
"Ijusttastedadropofit.I'dscratchedhim.Ihadn'tmeantto,butwhenIheard
hispulsepoundingit—itmademescratchhim.”
"Soyoudidn'tactuallydrinkfromthewound?”
"Istartedto,butKaylacamebackandinterruptedus.Shetotallyfreaked,and
that'showIfinallygotHeathtoleave.”
"Hedidn'twantto?”
Ishookmyhead."No.Hedidn'twantto."IfeltlikeIwasgoingtocryagain.
"Neferet,I'msosorry!Ididn'tmeanto.Ididn'tevenknowwhatIwasdoinguntil
Kaylascreamed.”
"Ofcourseyoudidn'trealizewhatwashappening.HowcouldanewlyMarked
fledglingbeexpectedtoknowaboutbloodlust?"Shetouchedmyarminareassuring,
mom-likegesture."Youprobablydidn'tImprintwithhim.”
"Imprint?”
"It'swhatoftenhappenswhenvampyresdrinkdirectlyfromhumans,
especiallyifthereisabondthathasbeenestablishedbetweenthempriortotheblood-
letting.Thisiswhyitisforbiddenforfledglingstodrinkthebloodofhumans.
Actually,it'sstronglydiscouragedforadultvampyrestofeedfromhumans,too.
There'sanentiresectofvampyreswhoconsideritmorallywrongandwouldliketo
makeitillegal,"shesaid.
Iwatchedhereyesdarkenasshetalked.Theexpressioninthemsuddenly
mademeverynervousandIshivered.ThenNeferetblinkedandhereyeschanged
backtonormal.OrhadIjustimaginedtheirweirddarkness?
"Butthat'sadiscussionbestleftformysixthformsociologyclass.”
"WhatdoIdoaboutHeath?”
"Nothing.Letmeknowifhetriestoseeyouagain.Ifhecallsyou,don't
answer.IfhebeganImprintingeventhesoundofyourvoicewilleffecthimandwork
asaluretodrawhimtoyou.”
"ItsoundslikesomethingoutofDracula,"Imuttered.
"It'snothinglikethatwretchedbook!"shesnapped."Stokervilifiedvampyres,
whichhascausedourkindendlesspettytroubleswithhumans.”
"I'msorry,Ididn'tmean—”
Shewavedherhanddismissively."No,Ishouldn'thavetakenoutmy
frustrationaboutthatoldfool'sbookonyou.Anddon'tworryaboutyourfriendHeath.
I'msurehe'llbefine.Yousaidthathewassmokinganddrinking?Iassumeyoumean
marijuana?”
Inodded."ButIdon'tsmoke,"Iadded."Actually,hedidn'tusedtoandneither
didKayla.Idon'tgetwhat'shappeningtothem.Ithinkthey'rehangingwithsomeof
thosedruggiefootballplayersfromUnion,andnoneofthemhaveenoughsenseto
justsayno.”
"Well,hisreactiontoyoumighthavehadmoretodowithhislevelof
intoxicationthanapossibleImprint."Shepaused,pullingascratchpadoutofher
deskdrawer,andhandingmeapencil."Butjustincase,whydon'tyouwritedown
yourfriends'fullnamesandwheretheylive.Oh,andaddthenamesoftheUnion
footballplayers,too,ifyouknowthem.”
"Whywouldyouneedalloftheirnames?"Ifeltmyheartfallintomyshoes.
"You'renotgoingtocalltheirparents,areyou?”
Neferetlaughed."Ofcoursenot.Themisbehaviorofhumanteenagersisno
concernofmine.IonlyasksothatIcanfocusmythoughtsonthegroupandperhaps
pickupanyvestigesofapossibleImprintamongthem.”
"Whathappensifyoudo?WhathappenstoHeath?”
"He'syoungandtheImprintwillbeweak,sotimeanddistanceshouldmakeit
fadeeventually.IfheactuallyImprintedinfull,therearewaystobreakit."Iwas
abouttosaythatmaybesheshouldjustgoaheadanddowhatevershedidtobreakan
Imprintingwhenshecontinued."Noneofthewaysarepleasant.”
"Oh,okay.”
IwrotethenamesandaddressesforKaylaandHeath.Ididn'thaveaclue
wheretheUnionguyslived,butIdidremembertheirnames.Neferetgotupandwent
tothebackoftheclassroomtoretrieveathicktextbookwhosetitleinsilverletters
readSociology415.
"BeginwithChapterOneandworkyourwaythroughthisentirebook.Until
you'vefinishedit,let'sconsiderityourhomeworkinsteadoftheworkIassigntothe
restoftheSocioiclass.”
Itookthebook.Itwasheavyandthecoverfeltcoolinmyhot,nervousgrip.
"Ifyouhaveanyquestions,anyatall,comeseemerightaway.IfI'mnothere
youcancometomyapartmentinNyx'sTemple.Gointhefrontdoorandfollowthe
stairsonyourright.Iamtheonlypriestessattheschoolrightnow,sotheentire
secondfloorbelongstome.Anddon'tworryaboutdisturbingme.You'remy
fledgling—it'syourjobtodisturbme,"shesaidwithawarmsmile.
"Thankyou,Neferet.”
"Trynottoworry.Nyxhastouchedyouandthegoddesscaresforherown."
Shehuggedme."Now,I'mgoingtogotellProfessorNolanwhat'sbeenkeepingyou.
Goaheadandusethephoneatmydesktocallyourgrandma."Shehuggedmeagain
andthenclosedtheclassroomdoorgentlybehindherassheleft.
Isatdownatherdeskandthoughtabouthowgreatshewas,andhowlongit'd
beensincemymomhadhuggedmelikethat.Andforsomereason,Istartedtocry.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
"HiGrandma,it'sme.”
"Oh!MyZoeybird!Areyouokay,honey?”
Ismiledintothephoneandwipedmyeyes."I'mgood,Grandma.Ijustmiss
you.”
"Littlebird,Imissyou,too."Shepausedandthensaid,"Hasyourmomcalled
you?”
"No.”
Grandmasighed."Well,honey,maybeshedoesn'twanttobotheryouwhile
you'resettlingintoyournewlife.IdidtellherthatNeferethadexplainedtomethat
yourdaysandnightswillbeflip-flopped.”
"Thanks,Grandma,butIdon'tthinkthat'swhyshehasn'tcalledme.”
"Maybeshehastriedandyoujustmissedhercall.Icalledyourcellyesterday,
butIonlygotyourvoicemail.”
Ifeltatwingeofguilt.Ihadn'tevencheckedmyphoneformessages."Iforgot
toplugmycellphonein.It'sbackintheroom.SorryImissedyourcall,Grandma.”
Then,tomakeherfeelbetter(andtogethertoquittalkingaboutit),Isaid,"I'llcheck
myphonewhenIgetbacktomyroom.MaybeMomdidcall.”
"Maybeshedid,honey.So,tellme,howisitthere?”
"It'sgood.Imean,therearealotofthingsIlikeaboutit.Myclassesarecool.
Hey,Grandma,I'meventakingfencingandanequestrianclass.”
"That'swonderful!IrememberhowmuchyoulikedtorideBunny.”
"AndIgotacat!”
"Oh,Zoeybird,I'msoglad.You'vealwayslovedcats.Areyoumakingfriends
withtheotherkids?”
"Yeah,myroommate,StevieRae,isgreat.AndIalreadylikeherfriends,too.”
"So,ifeverythingisgoingsowell,whythetears?”
IshouldhaveknownIcouldn'thideanythingfrommygrandma."It's
just…justthatsomeofthethingsabouttheChangearereallyhardtodealwith.”
"You'rewell,aren'tyou?"Worrywasthickinhervoice."Isyourheadokay?”
"Yeah,it'snothinglikethat.It's—"Istopped.Iwantedtotellher;Iwantedto
tellhersobadIcouldexplode,butIdidn'tknowhow.AndIwasafraid—afraidshe
wouldn'tlovemeanymore.Imean,Momhadquitlovingme,hadn'tshe?Or,atthe
veryleast,Momhadtradedmeinforanewhusband,whichinsomewayswasworse
thanquittinglovingme.WhatwouldIdoifGrandmawalkedawayfromme,too?
"Zoeybird,youknowyoucantellmeanything,"shesaidgently.
"It'shard,Grandma."Ibitmyliptokeepfromcrying.
"Thenletmemakeiteasier.Thereisnothingyoucouldsaythatwouldmake
mestoplovingyou.I'myourGrandmatoday,tomorrow,andnextyear.I'llbeyour
GrandmaevenafterIjoinourancestorsinthespiritworld,andfromthereI'llstilllove
you,LittleBird.”
"IdrankbloodandIlikedit!"Iblurted.
Withoutanyhesitation,Grandmasaid,"Well,honey,isn'tthatwhatvampyres
do?”
"Yeah,butI'mnotavampyre.I'mjustafew-days-oldfledgling.”
"You'respecial,Zoey.Youalwayshavebeen.Whyshouldthatchangenow?”
"Idon'tfeelspecial.Ifeellikeafreak.”
"Thenremembersomething.You'restillyou.Doesn'tmatterthatyou'vebeen
Marked.Doesn'tmatterthatyou'regoingthroughtheChange.Inside,yourspiritis
stillyourspirit.Ontheoutsideyoumightlooklikeafamiliarstranger,butyouneed
onlylookinsidetofindtheyouyou'veknownforsixteenyears.”
"Thefamiliarstranger…,"Iwhispered."Howdidyouknow?”
"You'remygirl,Honey.You'redaughterofmyspirit.It'snothardto
understandwhatyoumustbefeeling—it'sverymuchlikewhatIimagineI'dbe
feeling.”
"Thankyou,Grandma.”
"Youarewelcome,U-we-tsia-ge-hu-tsa.”
Ismiled,lovinghowtheCherokeewordfordaughtersounded—somagical
andspecial,likeitwasaGoddess-giventitle.Goddess-given…
"Grandma,there'ssomethingelse.”
"Tellme,LittleBird.”
"IthinkIfeelthefiveelementswhenacircleiscast.”
"Ifthatisthetruth,youhavebeengivengreatpower,Zoey.Andyouknow
thatwithgreatpowercomesgreatresponsibility.Ourfamilyhasarichhistoryof
TribalElders,MedicineMen,andWiseWomen.Haveacare,LittleBird,tothink
beforeyouact.TheGoddesswouldnothavegrantedyouspecialpowersonawhim.
Usethemcarefully,andmakeNyx,aswellasyourancestors,lookdownandsmileon
you.”
"I'lltrymybest,Grandma.”
"That'sallIwouldeveraskofyou,Zoeybird.”
"There'sagirlherewhoalsohasspecialpowers,too,butshe'sawful.She'sa
bullyandshelies.Grandma,Ithink…Ithink…"Itookadeepbreathandsaidwhat
hadbeenbrewinginmymindallmorning."IthinkI'mstrongerthansheisandIthink
thatmaybeNyxMarkedmesothatIcangetheroutofthepositionshe'sin.But—but
thatwouldmeanthatIhavetotakeherplace,andIdon'tknowifI'mreadyforthat,
notnow.Maybenotever.”
"Followwhatyourspirittellsyou,Zoeybird."Shehesitated,thensaid,"Honey,
doyourememberthepurificationprayerofourpeople?”
Ithoughtaboutit.Icouldn'tcountthetimesI'dgonewithhertothelittle
streambehindGrandma'shouseandwatchedherbatheritualisticallyintherunning
waterandspeakthepurificationprayer.SometimesIsteppedintothestreamwithher
andsaidtheprayer,too.Theprayerhadbeenentwinedthroughoutmychildhood,
spokenatthechangeofseasons,inthanksforthelavenderharvest,orinpreparation
forthecomingwinter,aswellaswheneverGrandmawasfacedwithharddecisions.
SometimesIdidn'tknowwhyshepurifiedherselfandspoketheprayer.Itsimplyhad
alwaysbeen.
"Yes,"Isaid."Irememberit.”
"Isthererunningwaterinsidetheschoolgrounds?”
"Idon'tknow,Grandma.”
"Well,ifthereisn'tthengetsomethingtouseasasmudgestick.Sageand
lavendermixedtogetherarebest,butyoucanevenusefreshpineifyouhavenoother
choice.Doyouknowwhattodo,Zoeybird?”
"Smudgemyself,startingatmyfeetandworkingmywayupmybody,front
andback,"Irecited,asifIwasasmallchildagainandGrandmawasdrillingmein
thewaysofourpeople."Andthenfacetheeastandspeakthepurificationprayer.”
"Good,youdoremember.AskfortheGoddess'shelp,Zoey.Ibelievethatshe
willhearyou.Canyoudothisbeforesunrisetomorrow?”
"Ithinkso.”
"Iwillperformtheprayer,too,andaddagrandmother'svoicetoaskthe
Goddesstoguideyou.”
AndsuddenlyIfeltbetter.Grandmawasneverwrongaboutthesesortsof
things.Ifshebelieveditwouldbeokay,thenitreallywouldbeokay.
"I'llspeakthepurificationprayerbeforedawn.Ipromise.”
"Good,LittleBird.Nowthisoldwomanhadbetterletyougo.Youareinthe
middleofaschooldayrightnow,aren'tyou?”
"Yeah,I'monmywaytoDramaclass.And,Grandma,you'llneverbeold.”
"NotaslongasIcanhearyouryoungvoice,LittleBird.Iloveyou,U-we-tsia-
ge-hu-tsa.”
"Iloveyou,too,Grandma.”
TalkingtoGrandmahadliftedaterribleweightfrommyheart.Iwasstill
scaredandfreakedoutaboutthefuture,andIwasn'twildaboutthethoughtof
bringingdownAphrodite.NottomentionthatIreallydidn'thaveacluehowtogo
aboutit.ButIdidhaveaplan.Okay,maybeitwasn'ta"plan,"butatleastitwas
somethingtodo.I'dcompletethepurificationprayer,andthen…well…thenI'dfigure
outwhattodoafterthat.
Yeah,thatwouldwork.Oratleastthat'swhatIkepttellingmyselfthroughmy
morningclasses.BylunchI'ddecidedontheplaceformyritual—underthetreebythe
wallwhereI'dfoundNala.IthoughtaboutitwhileImademywaythroughthesalad
barbehindtheTwins.Trees,especiallyoaks,weresacredtotheCherokeepeople,so
thatseemedtobeagoodchoice.Plus,itwassecludedandeasytogetto.Sure,Heath
andKaylahadfoundmeoverthere,butIwasn'tplanningonsittingontopofthewall
again,andIcouldn'timagineHeathshowingupatdawntwodaysinarow,whether
hehadbeenImprintedornot.Imean,thiswastheguywhoslepttilltwointhe
afternooninthesummer,everyday.Ittooktwoalarmclocksandhismothershrieking
athimtogethimupforschool.Thekidwasnotgoingtobeupatpre-dawnagain.It
wouldprobablytakehimmonthstorecoverfromyesterday.No,actually,he'd
probablysnuckoutofthehouseandmetK(sneakingouthadalwaysbeeneasyfor
her,herparentsweretotallyclueless),andthey'dbeenupallnight.Whichmeantthat
he'dmissedschoolandwouldbeplayingsickandsleepinginforthenexttwodays.
Anyway,Iwasn'tworriedabouthimshowingup.
"Don'tyouthinkbabycornsarescary?There'sjustsomethingwrongabout
theirmidgetbodies.”
Ijumpedandalmostdroppedtheladleofranchdressingintothevatofwhite
liquid,andlookedupintoErik'slaughingblueeyes.
"Oh,hi,"Isaid."Youscaredme.”
"Z,IthinkI'mmakingahabitofsneakinguponyou.”
Igigglednervously,veryawarethattheTwinswerewatchingeverymovewe
made.
"Youlooklikeyou'verecoveredfromyesterday.”
"Yeah,noproblem.I'mfine.AndthistimeI'mnotlying."
"AndIheardyoujoinedtheDarkDaughters.”
ShauneeandErinsuckedairtogether.Iwascarefulnottolookatthem.
"Yep.”
"That'scool.Thatgroupneedssomenewblood.”
"Yousay'thatgroup'likeyoudon'tbelongtoit.Aren'tyouaDarkSon?”
"Yeah,butit'snotthesameasbeingaDarkDaughter.We'rejustornamental.
Kindatheoppositeofhowitisinthehumanworld.Alltheguysknowthatwe'rejust
theretolookgoodandkeepAphroditeamused.”
Ilookedupathim,readingsomethingelseinhiseyes."Andisthatwhatyou're
stilldoing,amusingAphrodite?”
"AsIsaidlastnight,notanymore,whichisonereasonIdon'treallyconsider
myselfamemberofthegroup.I'msurethey'dofficiallykickmeoutifitwasn'tfor
thatlittleactingthingIdo.”
"Youmean'little'asinBroadwayandLAalreadybeinginterestedinyou.”
"That'swhatImean."Hegrinnedatme."It'snotreal,youknow.Actingisall
pretend.It'snotwhatIreallyam."Hebentdowntowhisperinmyear."Really,I'ma
dork.”
"Oh,please.Doesthatlineworkforyou?”
Heexaggeratedalookofbeingoffended."Line?No,Z.That'snoline,andI
canproveit.”
"Sureyoucan.”
"Ican.Cometothemovieswithmetonight.We'llwatchmyfavoriteDVDsof
alltime.”
"Howdoesthatproveanything?”
"It'sStarWars,theoriginalones.Iknowallthelinesforalltheparts."He
leanedcloserandwhisperedagain."IcanevendoChewbacca'sparts.”
Ilaughed."You'reright.Youareadork.”
"Toldyou.”
We'dcometotheendofthesaladbarandhewalkedwithmeovertothetable
whereDamien,StevieRae,andtheTwinswerealreadyseated.And,no,theyweren't
makinganyattempttohidethefactthattheywerealltotallygawkingatthetwoofus.
"So,willyougo…withme…tonight?”
Icouldhearthefourofthemholdingtheirbreaths.Literally.
"I'dliketo,butIcan'ttonight.I—uh—Ialreadyhaveplans."
"Oh.Okay.Well…nexttime.Seeya."Henoddedatthetableandwalked
away.
Isatdown.Theywereallstaringatme."What?"Isaid.
"Youhavelosteverylastbitofyourmind,"Shauneesaid."Myexactthoughts,
Twin,"Erinsaid.
"Ihopeyouhaveareallygoodreasonforblowinghimoff,"StevieRaesaid.
"Itwasobviousyouhurthisfeelings.”
"Thinkhe'dletmecomforthim?"Damienasked,stillgazingdreamilyafter
Erik.
"Giveitup,"Erinsaid.
"Hedoesn'tplayforyourteam,”Shauneesaid.
"Shush!"StevieRaesaid.Sheturnedtolookmestraightintheeyes."Whydid
youtellhimno?Whatcouldbemoreimportantthanadatewithhim?”
"GettingridofAphrodite,"Isaidsimply.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
"Shehasapoint,"Damiensaid.
"ShejoinedtheDarkDaughters,"Shauneesaid.
"What!"Damiensqueaked,hisvoicegoingupabouttwentyoctaves.
"Leaveheralone,"StevieRaesaid,instantlycomingtomydefense."She's
reconnoitering.”
"Reconnoitering,hell!IfshejoinedtheDarkDaughtersshe'sengagingthe
enemyfullon,"Damiensaid.
"Well,shejoined,"Shauneesaid.
"Weheardher,"Erinsaid.
"Hello!I'mstillrighthere,"Isaid.
"Sowhatareyougoingtodo?"Damienaskedme.
"Idon'treallyknow,"Isaid.
"Youbettergetaplanandgetonequickorthosehagsaregonnahaveyoufor
lunch,"Erinsaid.
"Yep,"Shauneesaid,bitingviciouslyintohersaladforeffect.
"Hey!Shedoesn'thavetofigurethisoutonherown.Shehasus."StevieRae
crossedherarmsoverherchestandglaredattheTwins.
IsmiledmythankstoStevieRae."Well,Ikindahaveanidea."
"Good.Tellusandwe'llbrainstorm,"saidStevieRae.Everyonelooked
expectantlyatme.Isighed."Well.Um…,”
Istartedhesitantly,afraidIwassoundinglikeamoron,andthenIdecidedI
mightaswelltellthemwhathadbeenonmymindsinceItalkedtoGrandma,soI
finishedinarush."IthoughtI'dperformanancientpurificationprayerbasedon
CherokeeritualandaskNyxtohelpmecomeupwithaplan.”
Thesilenceatthetableseemedtolastforever.ThenDamienfinallysaid,
"AskingforNyx'shelpisn'tabadidea.”
"AreyouCherokee?"Shauneeasked.
"YoulookCherokee,"Erinsaid.
"Hello!HerlastnameisRedbird.She'sCherokee,"StevieRaesaidwith
finality.
"Well,that'sgood,"Shauneesaid,butshelookeddoubtful.
"IjustthinkthatNyxmightactuallyhearmeand—maybe—givemesome
kindofclueastowhatIshoulddoabouthorridAphrodite."Ilookedateachofmy
friends."Somethinginsidemesaysit'sjustwrongtolethergetawaywithallthecrap
she'sgettingawaywith.”
"Letmetellthem!"StevieRaesuddenlysaid."Theywon'ttellanyone.Really.
Andit'dhelpiftheyknew.”
"WhattheF?"Erinsaid.
"Okay,nowyouhavenochoice,"Shauneesaid,pointingatStevieRaewith
herfork."Sheknewifshesaidthatwewouldpesterthecrapouttayoutillyoutoldus
whateveritisshe'stalkingabout.”
IfrownedatStevieRae,whoshruggedhershoulderssheepishlyandsaid,
"Sorry.”
Reluctantly,Iloweredmyvoiceandleanedforward."Promiseyouwon'ttell
anyone.”
"Promise,"theysaid.
"IthinkIcanfeelthefiveelementswhenacircleiscast."Silence.Theyjust
stared.Threeofthemshocked,StevieRaesmug.
"So,youstillthinkshecan'ttakedownAphrodite?"StevieRaesaid.
"IknewtherewasmoretoyourMarkthanfallingdownandhittingyour
head!"Shauneesaid.
"Wow,"Erinsaid."Talkaboutgoodgossip.”
"Noonecanknow!"Isaidquickly.
"Please,"Shauneesaid."We'rejustsayin'thatsomedaythisisgonnabegreat
gossip.”
"Weknowhowtowaitforgreatgossip,"Erinsaid.
Damienignoredbothofthem."Idon'tthinkthere'sarecordofanyHigh
Priestesswhohashadanaffinitywithallfiveelements.”Damien'svoicegotmore
excitedashespoke."Doyouknowwhatthatmeans?"Hedidn'tgivemeachanceto
respond."ItmeansyoucouldpotentiallybethemostpuissantHighPriestessthe
vampyreshaveeverknown.”
"Huh?"Isaid.Puissant?
"Strong—powerful,"hesaidimpatiently."Youmightactuallybeabletotake
outAphrodite!”
"Now,that'ssomeseriouslygoodnews,"Erinsaid,asShauneenoddedin
enthusiasticagreement.
"Sowhenandwherearewedoingthepurificationthingy?"StevieRaesaid.
"We?"Isaid.
"You'renotinthisalone,Zoey,"shesaid.
Iopenedmymouthtoprotest—Imean,Iwasn'tevensurewhatIwasgoingto
do.Ididn'twanttogetmyfriendsmixedupinsomethingthatmightbe—actually,
wouldprobablybe—atotalmess.ButDamiendidn'tgivemetimetotellthemno.
"Youneedus,"hesaidsimply."EventhemostpuissantHighPriestessneeds
hercircle.”
"Well,Ihadn'treallythoughtaboutcastingacircle.Iwasjustgonnadoakind
ofpurificationprayerthing.”
"Can'tyoucastacircleandthenpraytheprayerandaskforNyx'shelp?"
StevieRaeasked.
"Seemslogical,"Shauneesaid.
"Plus,ifyoureallydohaveanaffinityforthefiveelements,I'llbetwe'llbe
abletosenseitwhenyoucastyourowncircle.Right,Damien?"StevieRaesaid.
Everyonelookedatthegayscholarofourgroup.
"Soundslikegoodlogictome,"hesaid.
Iwasstillgoingtoargue,eventhougheverythinginsideofmefeltrelieved
andhappyandgratefulthatmyfriendswouldbetherewithme,thattheywouldn'tlet
mefaceallofthisuncertaintyalone.
Valuethem;theyarepearlsofgreatprice.
Thefamiliarvoicefloatedthroughmymind,andIrealizedthatIshouldn't
questionthenewinstinctwithinmethatseemedtohavebeenbornwhenNyxkissed
myforeheadandpermanentlychangedmyMarkandmylife.
"Okay,I'mgoingtoneedasmudgestick."Theylookedatmeblankly,andI
wentontoexplain."It'sforthepurificationpartoftheritualbecauseIdon'thaveany
runningwaterhandy.OrdoI?”
"Youmeanlikeastreamorariverorsomethinglikethat?"StevieRaeasked.
"Yeah.”
"Well,there'salittlestreamthatrunsthroughthecourtyardoutsidethedining
hallanddisappearssomewhereundertheschool,"Damiensaid.
"That'snogood;it'stoopublic.We'llneedtousethesmudgestick.What
worksbestisdriedlavenderandsagemixedtogether,butifIhavetoIcanusepine.”
"Icangetthesageandlavender,"Damiensaid."Theyhavethatkindofstuffin
theschoolsuppliesstoreforthefifthandsixthformer'sSpellsandRitualsclass.I'll
justsayI'mhelpingoutanupperclassmanbypickingsomeupforhim.Whatelsedo
youneed?”
"Well,inthepurificationritualGrandmaalwaysthankedthesevensacred
directionstheCherokeepeoplehonor:north,south,east,west,sun,earth,andself.
ButIthinkIwanttomaketheprayermorespecifictoNyx."Ichewedmylip,
thinking.
"Ithinkthat'ssmart,"Shauneesaid.
"Yeah,"Erinadded."Imean,Nyxisn'talliedwiththesun.She'sNight.”
"Ithinkyoushouldfollowyourgut,"StevieRaesaid."Trustingherselfisone
ofthefirstthingsaHighPriestesslearnstodo,"Damiensaid.
"Okay,thenI'llalsoneedacandleforeachofthefiveelements,"Idecided.
"Easy-peasy,"Shauneesaid.
"Yeah,thetempleisneverlockedandtherearezillionsofcirclecandlesin
there.”
"Isitokaytotakethem?"StealingfromNyx'sTempledefinitelydidnotfeel
likeagoodidea.
"It'sfineaslongaswebringthemback,"Damiensaid."Whatelse?”
"That'sit."Ithink.Hell,Iwasn'tsure.It'snotlikeIactuallyknewwhatIwas
doing.
"Whenandwhere?"Damienasked.
"Afterdinner.Let'ssayfiveo'clock.Andwecan'tgotogether.Thelastthing
weneedisforAphroditeoranyoftheotherDarkDaughterstothinkwe'rehaving
somekindofmeetingandgetcuriousaboutus.Solet'smeetatahugeoaktreebythe
easternwall."Ismiledcrookedlyatthem."It'seasytofindifyoupretendthatyou've
justrunoutofoneoftheDarkDaughter'sritualsintherechall,andyouwanttoget
thehellawayfromthehags.”
"Thatdoesn'ttakemuchpretending,"Shauneesaid.
Erinsnorted.
"Okay,we'llbringthestuff,"Damiensaid.
"Yeah,we'llbringthestuff;youbringthepuissantness,"Shauneesaid,giving
Damienasmartasslook.
"Thatisnotthecorrectformofthatword.Youknow,youreallyshoulddo
morereading.Maybeyourvocabularywouldimprove.”Damiensaid.
"Yourmomneedstoreadmore.”Shauneesaid,andthensheandErin
dissolvedingigglesatthereallybad"yourmom"joke.
I,forone,wasgladthattheyshiftedthesubjectawayfrommeandIcouldeat
mysaladandthinkinrelativeprivacywhiletheybickeredbackandforth.Iwas
chewingandtryingtorememberallthewordstothepurificationprayerwhenNala
hoppeduponthebenchbesideme.Shelookedatmewithherbigeyesandthen
leanedintomeandstartedtopurrlikeajetengine.Idon'tknowwhy,butshemade
mefeelbetter.Andwhenthebellrangandweallhurriedofftoclass,eachofmyfour
friendssmiledatme,gavemeasecretwink,andsaid,"Later,Z."Theymademefeel
better,too,eventhoughtheireasyadoptionofErik'snicknameformegavemyhearta
twinge.
Spanishclasszoomedby:awholelessononlearninghowtosaythatwelike
thingsordon'tlikethings.Prof.Garmywascrackingmeup.Shesaiditwouldchange
ourlives.Megustagatos.(Ilikecats.)Megustaitdecompras.(Ilikeshopping.)No
megustacocinar.(Idon'tliketocook.)Nomegustalavantarelgato.(Idon'tliketo
washthecat.)ThosewereProf.Garmy'sfavorites,andwespentthehourcomingup
withourownfavorites.
ItriednottoscribblethingslikemegustaErik…andnomegustaelhag-o
Aphrodite.Okay,soI'msureelhag-oisnothowyousay"hag"inSpanish,butstill.
Anyway,classwasfunandIactuallyunderstoodwhatweweresaying.Equestrian
classdidn'tquitezoomby.Muckingstallswasgoodforthinking—Iwentoverand
overthepurificationprayer—butthehourdefinitelyseemedtotakeanhour.Thistime
StevieRaedidn'thavetocomegetme.Iwaswaytooanxioustolosetrackoftime.As
thebellrangIwasquicklyputtingupthecurrycombs,happythatLenobiahadletme
groomPersephoneagain,andpreoccupiedbecauseshehadalsotoldmethatstarting
nextweekshethoughtImightactuallybeginridingher.Ihurriedoutofthestables,
wishingthatthehourwasn'tsolatebackinthe"real"world.I'dhavelovedtocall
GrandmaandtellherhowwellIwasdoingwiththehorses.
"Iknowwhat'sgoingon.”
IswearIalmostchoked."God,Aphrodite!Couldyoumakeasoundor
something!Whatareyou,partspider?Youscaredthehellouttame.”
"What'swrong?"shepurred."Guiltyconscience?”
"Uh,whenyousneakupbehindpeople,youscarethem.Guilthasnothingto
dowithit.”
"Soyou'renotguilty?”
"Aphrodite,Idon'tknowwhatyou'retalkingabout."
"Iknowwhatyou'replanningfortonight.”
"AndyetIstilldon'tknowwhatyou'retalkingabout."Ah,crap!Howcould
shehavefoundout?
"Everyonethinksyou'resodamncuteandsodamninnocentandthey'reso
damnimpressedbythatfreakishMarkofyours.Everyonebutme.”Sheturnedtoface
me,andwestoppedinthemiddleofthesidewalk.Herblueeyesnarrowedandher
facetwisteduntilitwasscarilyhaggish.Huh.Iwondered(briefly)iftheTwins
realizedhowaccuratetheirnicknameforherwas."Nomatterwhatbullshityou've
heardhe'sstillmine.He'llalwaysbemine.”
MyeyeswidenedandIfeltawashofreliefsointenseitmademelaugh.She
wastalkingaboutErik,notaboutthepurificationprayer!"Wow,yousoundlikeErik's
mom.Doesheknowyou'recheckinguponhim?”
"DidIlooklikeErik'smomwhenyouwatchedmesuckhisdickinthehall?”
Soshedidknow.Whatever.Isupposeitwasinevitablethatwewouldhave
thisconversation."No,youdidn'tlooklikeErik'smom.Youlookedlikewhatyou
are—desperate—whileyoupatheticallytriedtothrowyourselfataguywhowas
clearlytellingyouhedidn'twantyouanymore.”
"Fuckingbitch!Nobodytalkstomelikethat!”
Sheraisedherhandand,clawlike,movedtoslashatmyface.Thenitseemed
thattheworldstopped,leavingthetwoofusinalittlebubbleofslow-motion.I
caughtherwrist,stoppinghereasily—tooeasily.Itwaslikeshewasasmall,sick
childwhohadstruckoutinanger,butwasreallytooweaktodoanyharm.Iheldher
thereforamoment,meetingherhatefuleyes.
"Don'tevertrytohitmeagain.I'mnotoneofthekidsyoucanbully.Getthis,
andgetthisnow.Iamnotscaredofyou."ThenIflungherwristawayfromme,and
wastotallyshockedtoseeherstaggerbackseveralfeet.
Rubbingherwrist,sheglaredatme."Don'tbothershowinguptomorrow.
ConsideryourselfuninvitedandnolongeraDarkDaughter.”
"Really?"Ifeltunbelievablycalm.IknewIheldthetrumpcardonthisandI
pulledit."Soyouwanttoexplaintomymentor,HighPriestessNeferet,thevamp
whoseideaitwasformetojointheDarkDaughtersinthefirstplace,thatyoukicked
meoutbecauseyou'rejealousthatyourex-boyfriendlikesme?”
Herfacepaled.
"Oh,andyoumaybeverysurethatI'llbetotally,completelyupsetwhen
Neferetasksmeaboutit."IsniffedandsobbedalittlelikeIwasfakecrying.
"Doyouknowwhatit'sliketobeapartofsomethingandhavenooneelsein
thegroupwantyouthere?"shesnarledbetweenherclenchedteeth.
Ifeltmystomachclenchandhadtoforcemyselfnottoletherseeshe'dstruck
anerve.Yes,Iknewexactlywhatitwasliketobeapartofsomething—asupposed
family—andhaveitfeellikenooneelsewantedmethere,butAphroditewasn'tgoing
toknowit.InsteadIsmiled,andinmysweetestvoiceIsaid,"Why,whateverdoyou
mean,Aphrodite?ErikispartoftheDarkSonsandjusttodayatlunchhetoldmehow
happyhewasthatI'djoinedtheDarkDaughters.”
"Cometotheritual.Pretendyou'repartoftheDarkDaughters.Butyou'd
betterremembersomething.They'remyDarkDaughters.You'retheoutsider;theone
whoisnotwanted.Andrememberthis,too.ErikNightandIhaveabondthatyou'll
neverunderstand.He'snotmyexanything.Youdidn'tstaytoseetheendofourlittle
gameinthehall.HewasthenandheisnowexactlywhatIwanthimtobe.Mine."
Thenshetossedherverybig,veryblondhairandstalkedaway.
AbouttwobreathslaterStevieRaestuckherheadoutfrombehindanoldoak
thatwasnotfarfromthesidewalkandsaid,"Isshegone?”
"Thankfully."IshookmyheadatStevieRae."Whatareyoudoingback
there?”
"Areyoukidding?I'mhiding.Shescaresthebejezzusouttame.Iwascoming
tomeetyouandsawthetwoofyouarguing.Man,sheactuallytriedtohityou!”
"Aphroditehassomeseriousanger-managementissues."StevieRaelaughed.
"Uh,StevieRae,youcancomeoutfrombehindtherenow."Stilllaughing,
StevieRaepracticallyskippedovertomeandlinkedherarmwithmine."Youreally
stooduptoher!”
"Ireallydid.”
"Shereally,reallyhatesyourguts.”
"Shereally,reallydoes.”
"Youknowwhatthatmeans?"StevieRaesaid.
"Yep.Idon'thaveanychoicenow.I'mgoingtohavetotakeherdown.”
"Yep.”
ButIknewthatI'dhadnochoiceevenbeforeAphroditetriedtoscratchmy
eyesout.Ihadn'thadanychoicesinceNyxhadplacedherMarkonme.AsStevieRae
andIwalkedtogetherinthegaslight-illuminatedrichnessofthenight,theGoddess's
wordsrepeatedoverandoverthroughmymind:Youareoldbeyondyouryears,
Zoeybird.Believeinyourselfandyouwillfindaway.Butremember,darknessdoes
notalwaysequatetoevil,justaslightdoesnotalwaysbringgood.
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
"Ihopetherestofthemcanfindit,"Isaid,glancingaroundmewhileStevie
RaeandIwaitedbythebigoaktree."Itdidn'tseemthisdarklastnight.”
"Itwasn't.It'sreallycloudytonight,sothemoon'shavingtroubleshining
through.Butdon'tworry,theChangeisdoingreallycoolthingsforournightvision.
Heck,IthinkIcanseeasgoodasNala."StevieRaescratchedthecataffectionatelyon
herheadandNalaclosedhereyesandpurred."They'llfindus.”
Ileanedagainstthetreeandworried.Dinnerhadbeengood—seriously
yummybroiledchicken,seasonedrice,andbabysnowpeas(onethingIcouldsayfor
thisplace,theycouldreallycook)—yeah,everythinghadbeengreat.UntilErikhad
comebyourtableandsaidhi.Okay,itwasn'treallya"hi,Z,Istilllikeyou"hi.Itwas
a"hi,Zoey."Period.Yep.Thatwasit.He'dgottenhisfoodandwaswalkingwitha
coupleotherguystheTwinscalledhotties.IwilladmitthatIdidn'tevennoticethem.
IwastoobusynoticingErik.Theycametoourtable.Ilookedupandsmiled.Hemet
myeyesforamillisecond,said,"Hi,Zoey,"andwalkedon.Andallofasuddenthe
chickendidn'ttastenearlyasgood.
"Youjusthurthisego.Benicetohimandhe'llaskyououtagain,"StevieRae
said,bringingmeandmythoughtsbacktothepresentunderthetree.
"How'dyouknowIwasthinkingaboutErik?"Iasked.StevieRaehadquit
pettingNala,soIreacheddowntoscratchthecatontopofherheadbeforeshestarted
complainingatme.
"'Causethat'swhatI'dbethinkingabout.”
"Well,IshouldbethinkingaboutthecircleIhavetocastbuthavenevercast
beforeinmyentirelife,andthepurificationritualIhavetoperform,andnotsome
boy.”
"He'snot'someboy:He'ssomefiiineboy,”StevieRaedrawled,makingme
laugh.
"YoumustbetalkingaboutErik,"Damiensaid,steppingoutoftheshadowof
thewall."Don'tworry.Isawthewayhewaslookingatyouatlunchtoday.He'llask
yououtagain.”
"Yeah,takeitfromhim,"Shauneesaid.
"HeisourgroupexpertonAllThingsPenile,"Erinsaidastheyjoinedthem
underthetree.
"Quitetrue,”Damiensaid.
BeforetheycouldmakemyheadhurtIchangedthesubject."Didyougetthe
stuffweneed?”
"Ihadtomixthedriedsageandlavendertogethermyself.Ihopeit'sokaythat
Itiedthemlikethis."Damienpulledthesmudgestickofdriedherbsoutofhisjacket
sleeveandhandedittome.Itwasthickandalmostafootlong,andrightawayI
smelledthefamiliarsweetnessoflavender.He'dwrappedthebundletightlytogether
ononeendwithwhatlookedlikeextra-thickthread.
"It'sperfect.”Ismiledathim.
Helookedrelieved,andthensaid,alittleshyly,"Iusedmycross-stitch
thread.”
"Hey,Itoldyoubeforeyoushouldn'tbeashamedthatyouliketocross-stitch.I
thinkit'sacutehobby.Plus,you'rereallygoodatit,"StevieRaesaid.
"Iwishmydadthoughtso,"Damiensaid.
Ihatedhearingthesadnessinhisvoice."Iwishyou'dteachmesometime.I've
alwayswantedtolearnhowtocross-stitch,"Ilied,andwasgladtoseeDamien'sface
brighten.
"Anytime,Z,"hesaid.
"Howaboutthecandles?"IaskedtheTwins.
"Hey,wetoldyou.Easy…"Shauneeopenedherpurseandpulledoutgreen,
yellow,andbluevotivesincorrespondinglycoloredthickglasscups.
"Peasy."FromherpurseErintookaredandpurplevotiveinthesamekindof
coloredcontainers.
"Good.Okay,let'ssee.Let'smoveoverhere,alittlewayfromthetrunk,but
closeenoughthatwe'restillstandingunderthebranches."TheyfollowedmeasI
walkedafewpacesfromthetree.Ilookedatthecandles.WhatshouldIdo?MaybeI
should…AndasIthoughtaboutit,Iknew.Withoutstoppingtowonderhoworwhy
orquestiontheintuitiveknowledgethathadsuddenlycometome,Isimplyactedon
it."I'mgoingtogiveeachofyouacandle.Then,justlikethevampsinNeferet'sFull
MoonRitual,you'regoingtorepresentthatelement.I'llbespirit."Erinhandedmethe
purplevotive."I'mthecenterofthecircle.Therestofyoutakeyourplacesaround
me."WithouthesitationItooktheredcandlefromErinandhandedittoShaunee.
"You'llbefire.”
"Soundsgoodtome.Imean,everyoneknowshowhotIam.”
Shegrinnedandshimmiedtothesouthernedgeofthecircle.Thegreencandle
wasnext.IturnedtoStevieRae."You'reearth."
"Andgreen'smyfavoritecolor!"shesaid,happilymovingtostandacrossfrom
Shaunee.
"Erin,you'rewater.”
"Good.Iusedtoliketolayout,whichinvolvesswimmingwhenIneededto
cooloff."Erinmovedtothewesternposition."SoImustbeair,"Damiensaid,taking
theyellowcandle
"Youare.Yourelementopensthecircle.”
"KindalikeIwishIcouldopenpeople'sminds,"hesaid,movingtotheeastern
position.
Ismiledwarmlyathim."Yep.Kindalikethat.”
"Okay.What'snext?"StevieRaeasked.
"Well,let'susethesmokefromthesmudgesticktopurifyourselves.”Isetthe
purplecandleatmyfeetsoIcouldconcentrateonthesmudgestick.ThenIrolledmy
eyes."Well,hell.Didanyoneremembermatchesoralighterorwhatever?”
"Naturally,"Damiensaid,pullingalighterfromhispocket."Thanks,air,"I
said.
"Don'tmentionit,HighPriestess,"hesaid.
Ididn'tsayanything,butwhenhecalledmethatashiverofexcitementtingled
throughmybody.
"Here'showyouusethesmudgestick,"Isaid,gladthatmyvoicesoundedway
calmerthanIfelt.IstoodinfrontofDamien,decidingthatIshouldbeginwherethe
circlewouldbestarted.RealizingthatIwaseerilyechoingmyGrandmaandthe
lessonsofmychildhood,Ibeganexplainingtheprocesstomyfriends."Smudgingisa
ritualwaytocleanseaperson,place,oranobjectofnegativeenergies,spirits,or
influences.Thesmudgingceremonyinvolvestheburningofspecial,sacredplantsand
herbalresins,then,eitherpassinganobjectthroughthesmoke,orfanningthesmoke
aroundapersonorplace.Thespiritoftheplantpurifieswhateverisbeingsmudged."I
smiledatDamien."Ready?”
"Affirmative,”hesaidintypicalDamienfashion.
Ilitthesmudgestickandletthefireburnthedryherbsforalittlewhile,and
thenIblewthemoutsothatallthatwasleftwasanicelysmokingember.Then,
startingatDamien'sfeet,IwaftedsmokeuphisbodywhileIcontinuedmy
explanationoftheancientceremony.
"It'sreallyimportanttorememberthatwe'reaskingthespiritsofthesacred
plantswe'reusingtohelpus,andweshouldshowthemproperrespectby
acknowledgingtheirpowers.”
"Whatdolavenderandsagedo?"StevieRaeaskedfromacrossthecircle.
WhileIsmudgedmywayupDamien'sbodyIansweredStevieRae."White
sageisusedalotintraditionalceremonies.Itdrivesoutnegativeenergies,spirits,and
influences.Actually,desertsagedoesthesamething,butIlikewhitesagebetter
becauseitsmellssweeter.”I'dmadeittoDamien'sheadandIgrinnedathim."Good
choice,Damien.”
"SometimesIthinkImightbealittlepsychic,"Damiensaid.ErinandShaunee
snorted,butweignoredthem.
"Okay,nowturnclockwiseandI'llfinishupwithyourback,"Itoldhim.He
turnedandIcontinued."Mygrandmaalwaysuseslavenderinallofhersmudge
sticks.I'msurepartofthereasonisthatsheownsalavenderfarm.”
"Cool!"StevieRaesaid.
"Yeah,it'sanawesomeplace."Ismiledovermyshoulderather,butIkept
smudgingDamien."Theotherpartofthereasonsheuseslavenderisbecauseitisable
torestorebalanceandcreateapeacefulatmosphere.Italsodrawslovingenergyand
positivespirits."ItappedDamien'sshouldersohe'dturnaround."You'redone."Then
ImovedaroundthecircletoShaunee,whowasrepresentingtheelementfire,andI
begansmudgingher.
"Positivespirits?"StevieRaesaid,soundingyoungandscared."Ididn'tknow
we'dbecallinganythingmorethantheelementstothecircle.”
"Please.Justplease,StevieRae,"Shauneesaid,frowningthroughthesmoketo
StevieRae."Youcannotbeavampyreandbeafraidofghosts.”
"Nope.Itdoesn'tevensoundright,"Erinsaid.
IglancedacrossthecircleatStevieRaeandoureyesmetbriefly.Wewere
boththinkingaboutmyencounterwithwhatmighthavebeenElizabeth'sghost,but
neitherofusseemedwillingtotalkaboutit.
"I'mnotavampyre.Yet.I'mjustafledgling.Soit'sokayformetobescaredof
ghosts.”
"Wait,isn'tZoeytalkingaboutCherokeespirits?Theyprobablywon'tpay
muchattentiontoaceremonydonebyabunchofvampyrefledglingswhosenon-
NativeAmerican-nessoutweighsourHighPriestess'sCherokee-nessfourtoone,"
Damiensaid.
IfinishedwithShauneeandmovedontoErin."Idon'tthinkitmattersthat
muchwhatweareontheoutside,"Isaid,instantlyfeelingtherightnessofwhatIwas
saying."Ithinkwhatmattersisourintent.It'skindalikethis:Aphroditeandhergroup
aresomeofthebestlooking,mosttalentedkidsatthisschool,andtheDarkDaughters
shouldbeanawesomeclub.Butinsteadwecallthemthehagsandthey'rebasicallya
bunchofbulliesandspoiledbrats.”WonderhowErikfitintoallofthat?Washe
reallyjust`whatever'aboutthegroup,likehetoldme,orwasheintoitmoredeeply
thanthat,asAphroditeimplied?
"Orkidswhohavebeenbulliedintojoiningandwhoarejustalongforthe
ride,"Erinsaid.
"Exactly."Imentallyshookmyself.Nowwasnotthetimetodaydreamabout
Erik.IfinishedsmudgingErinandwalkedovertostandinfrontofStevieRae."What
ImeanisthatIdothinkthespiritsofmyancestorscanhearus,justlikeIthinkthe
spiritsofthesageandthelavenderareworkingforus.ButIdon'tthinkyouhave
anythingtobeafraidof,StevieRae.Ourintentionisnottocallthemheresothatwe
canusethemtokickAphrodite'sass.”Ipausedinmysmudgingandadded,"Even
thoughthegirldefinitelyneedsagoodass-kicking.AndIdon'tthinktherewillbeany
scaryghostshangingaroundtonight,"Isaidfirmly,thenhandedStevieRaethe
smudgestickandsaid,"Okay,nowyoudome.”Shebeganmimickingmyactionsand
Irelaxedintothefamiliarsweetsmokeasitdriftedaroundme.
"We'renotgoingtoaskthemtohelpuskickherass?"Shauneedefinitely
soundeddisappointed.
"Nope.We'repurifyingourselvessothatwecanaskforNyx'sguidance.I
don'twanttobeatAphroditeup."Irememberedhowgoodit'dfelttotossheraway
frommeandtellheroff."Well,okay,Imightenjoyit,butthetruthisthatdoesn't
solvetheproblemoftheDarkDaughters.”
StevieRaewasdonesmudgingmeandItookthestickfromherandcarefully
rubbeditoutontheground.ThenIreturnedtothecenterofthecirclewhereNalawas
curledcontentedlyinalittleorangeballbesidethespiritcandle.Ilookedaroundatmy
friends."It'struethatwedon'tlikeAphrodite,butIthinkit'simportantnottofocuson
negativeslikekickingherassorpushingheroutoftheDarkDaughters.That'swhat
shewoulddoinourplace.Whatwewantiswhat'sright.Morelikejusticethan
revenge.We'redifferentthanher,andifwesomehowmanagetotakeherplaceinthe
DarkDaughters,thatgroupwillbedifferent,too.”
"See,that'swhyyou'llbetheHighPriestessandErinandIwilljustbeyour
veryattractivesidekicks.Becauseweareshallowandwejustwanttoknockher
bobble-headoffhershoulders,"ShauneesaidwhileErinnodded.
"Positivethoughtsonly,please,"Damiensaidsharply."Weareinthemiddle
ofapurificationritual!’
BeforeShauneecoulddoanythingmorethanglareatDamien,StevieRae
chirped,"'Kay!I'mthinkin'onlypositivethings,likehowgreatitwouldbeifZoey
wasleaderoftheDarkDaughters!’
"Goodidea,StevieRae,"Damiensaid."I'mthinkingthesame.”
"Hey!That'smyhappythought,too,"Erinsaid."PeterPanwithme,Twin,"
shecalledtoShaunee,whostoppedscowlingatDamienandsaid,"YouknowI'm
alwaysupforsomehappythoughts.AnditwouldbedamnniceifZoeywasincharge
oftheDarkDaughtersandonherwaytobeingHighPriestessforreal.”
HighPriestessforreal…Iwonderedbrieflywhetheritwasagoodorbadthing
thatthosewordsmademefeelasifImightneedtopuke.Again.Sighing,Ilitthe
purplecandle."Ready?"Iaskedthefourofthem.
"Ready!"theysaidtogether.
"Okay,pickupyourcandles.”
Withouthesitating(whichmeantIalsowasn'tgivingmyselftimetochicken
out),IcarriedthecandleovertoDamien.Iwasn'texperiencedandbrilliantlike
Neferet,orseductiveandconfidentlikeAphrodite.Iwasjustme.JustZoey—that
familiarstrangerwhohadgonefrombeinganalmostnormalhighschoolkidtoatruly
unusualvampyrefledgling.Itookadeepbreath.Asmygrandmawouldsay,allI
coulddowastrymybest.
"Airiseverywhere,soitonlymakessensethatitisthefirstelementtobe
calledintothecircle.Iaskthatyouhearme,air,andIsummonyoutothiscircle."Ilit
Damien'syellowcandlewithmypurpleoneandinstantlytheflamebegantoflicker
crazily.IwatchedDamien'seyesgetbigandroundandstartled-lookingaswind
suddenlywhippedinamini-whirlwindaroundourbodies,liftingourhairand
brushingsoftlyagainstourskin.
"It'strue,"hewhispered,staringatme."Youcanactuallymanifestthe
elements.”
"Well,"Iwhisperedback,feelinglightheaded,"oneofthematleast.Let'stry
fortwo.”
IwalkedovertoShaunee.Sheraisedhercandleeagerlyandmademesmile
whenshesaid,"I'mreadyforfire—bringiton!”
"Fireremindsmeofcoldwinternightsandthewarmthandsafetyofthe
fireplacethatheatsmygrandma'scabin.Iaskthatyouhearme,fire,andIsummon
youtothiscircle.”Ilittheredcandleandtheflameblazed,muchbrighterthanshould
havebeenpossibleforanordinaryvotive.TheairaroundShauneeandmewas
suddenlyfilledwiththerich,woodyscentandhomeywarmthofaroaringfireplace.
"Wow!"Shauneeexclaimed,herdarkeyesdancingwiththereflectionofthe
candle'sshimmeringflame."Now,that'scool!"
"That'stwo,"IheardDamiensay.
ErinwasgrinningwhenItookmyplaceinfrontofher."I'mreadyforwater,"
shesaidquickly.
"WaterisreliefonahotOklahomasummerday.It'stheamazingoceanthatI
reallywouldliketoseesomeday,andit'stherainthatmakesthelavendergrow.Iask
thatyouhearme,water,andIsummonyoutothiscircle.”
Ilitthebluecandleandfeltinstantcoolnessagainstmyskin,aswellas
smelledaclean,saltyscentthatcouldonlybetheoceanI'dneverseen.
"Awesome.Really,reallyawesome,"Erinsaid,drawinginadeepbreathof
oceanair.
"That'sthree,"Damiensaid.
"I'mnotscaredanymore,"StevieRaesaidwhenIstoodinfrontofher.
"Good,"Isaid.ThenIfocusedmymindonthefourthelement,earth."Earth
supportsandsurroundsus.Wewouldn'tbeanythingwithouther.Iaskthatyouhear
me,earth,andIsummonyoutothiscircle.”Thegreencandleliteasily,andsuddenly
StevieRaeandIwereoverwhelmedwiththesweetscentoffreshlycutgrass.Iheard
therustleoftheoak'sleavesandwelookeduptoseethegreatoakliterallybowingits
branchesoverusasthoughitwouldshieldusfromallharm.
"Totallyamazing,"StevieRaebreathed.
"Four,"Damiensaid,hisvoicefilledwithexcitement.
Iwalkedquicklytothecenterofthecircleandliftedmypurplecandle.
"Thelastelementisonethatfillseverythingandeveryone.Itmakesusunique
anditbreatheslifeintoallthings.Iaskthatyouhearme,spirit,andIsummonyouto
thiscircle.”
Incredibly,itseemedthatIwassuddenlysurroundedbythefourelements,that
Iwasinthemiddleofawhirlpoolmadeupofairandfire,waterandearth.Butit
wasn'tscary,notatall.Itfilledmewithpeace,andatthesametimeIfeltasurgeof
white-hotpowerandhadtopressmylipstightlytogethertokeepfromlaughingwith
purejoy.
"Look!Lookatthecircle!"Damienshouted.
Iblinkedmyvisionclearandinstantlyfelttheelementssettledown,asifthey
wereplayfulkittenswhoweresittingaroundme,waitinghappilyformetocallthem
tobatatstringandwhatnot.IwassmilingatthecomparisonwhenIsawtheglowing
lightthatwrappedaroundthecircumferenceofthecircle,joiningDamien,Shaunee,
Erin,andStevieRae.Itwasbrightandclear,andtheluminoussilverofafullmoon.
"Andthatmakesfive,"Damiensaid.
"Holycrap!"Iblurted,veryun—HighPriestess-like,andthefourofthem
laughed,fillingthenightwiththesoundsofhappiness.AndIunderstood,forthefirst
time,whyNeferetandAphroditehaddancedduringtherituals.Iwantedtodanceand
laughandshoutwithhappiness.Anothertime,Itoldmyself.Tonighttherewasmore
seriousworktobedone.
"Okay,I'mgoingtospeakthepurificationprayer,"Itoldmyfourfriends."And
whileIsaytheprayerI'mgoingtofaceeachoftheelements,oneatatime.”
"Whatdoyouwantustodo?"StevieRaeasked.
"Focusontheprayer.Concentrate.Believethattheelementswillcarryitto
Nyx,andthattheGoddesswillansweritbyhelpingmetoknowwhatIshoulddo,"I
saidwithwaymorecertaintythanIfelt.
OnceagainIfacedeast.Damiensmiledencouragementtome.AndIbeganto
recitetheancientpurificationprayerI'dsaidsomanytimeswithmygrandma—with
justafewchangesI'ddecidedonearlier.
GreatGoddessofNight,whosevoiceIhearinthewind,whobreathesthe
breathoflifetoHerchildren.Hearme;Ineedyourstrengthandwisdom.
IpausedbrieflyasIturnedtothesouth.
Letmewalkinbeauty,andmakemyeyeseverbeholdtheredandpurple
sunsetthatcomesbeforethebeautyofyournight.Makemyhandsrespectthethings
youhavemadeandmyearssharptohearyourvoice.MakemewisesothatImay
understandthethingsyouhavetaughtyourpeople.
Iturnedagaintotheright,andmyvoicefeltstrongerasIfellintotherhythm
oftheprayer.
Helpmetoremaincalmandstronginthefaceofallthatcomestowardme.
Letmelearnthelessonsyouhavehiddenineveryleafandrock.Helpmeseekpure
thoughtsandactwiththeintentionofhelpingothers.Helpmefindcompassion
withoutempathyoverwhelmingme.
IfacedStevieRae,whoseeyesweresqueezedshutasthoughshewas
concentratingwithallofhermight.
Iseekstrength,nottobegreaterthanothers,buttofightmygreatestenemy,
thedoubtswithinmyself
Iwalkedbacktothecenterofthecircleandfinishedtheprayer,andforthe
firsttimeinmylife,Ifeltaflushofsensationasthepoweroftheancientwords
rushedfrommetowhatIhopedwithallmyheartandsoulwasmylisteningGoddess.
Makemealwaysreadytocometoyouwithcleanhandsandstraighteyes.So
whenlifefades,asthefadingsunset,myspiritmaycometoyouwithoutshame.
Technically,thatwastheconclusionoftheCherokeeprayermygrandmahad
taughtme,butIfelttheneedtoadd:"AndNyx,Idon'tunderstandwhyyouMarked
meandwhyyouhavegivenmethegiftofanaffinityfortheelements.Idon'teven
havetoknow.WhatIwanttoaskisthatyouhelpmeknowtherightthingtodo,and
thengivemethecouragetodoit."AndIfinishedtheprayerthewayIremembered
Neferetcompletedherritual:"Blessedbe!”
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
"Thatwastrulythemostprodigiouscircle-castingI'veeverexperienced!"
Damiengushedafterthecirclehadbeenclosedandweweregatheringupthecandles
andsmudgestick.
"Ithought'prodigious'meant'big,'"Shauneesaid.
"Italsocanshowexcitingwonderandcanrefertosomethingstupendousand
monumental,"Damiensaid.
"ForonceI'mnotgoingtoarguewithyou,"Shauneesaid,surprisingeveryone
exceptErin.
"Yeah,thecirclewasprodigious,"Erinsaid.
"DoyouknowIactuallycouldfeelearthwhenZoeycalledit?"StevieRae
said."ItwaslikeIwassuddenlysurroundedbyagrowingwheatfield.No,itwas
morethanbeingsurroundedbyit.ItwaslikeIwassuddenlyapartofit.”
"Iknowexactlywhatyoumean.Whenshecalledflameitwaslikethefire
explodedthroughme,"Shauneesaid.
ItriedtounderstandwhatIwasfeelingwhilethefourofthemtalkedhappily
together.Iwasdefinitelyhappy,butoverwhelmedandmorethanalittleconfused.So
itwastrue,Ididhavesomekindofaffinitywithallfiveoftheelements.
Why?
JusttobringdownAphrodite?(Which,bytheby,Istilldidn'thaveacluehow
todo.)No,Ididn'tthinkso.WhywouldNyxtouchmewithsuchunusualpowerjust
sothatIcouldkickaspoiledbullyoutoftheleadershipofaclub?
Okay,theDarkDaughtersweremorethanastudentcouncilorwhatever,but
still.
"Zoey,areyouallright?”
TheconcerninDamien'svoicemademelookupfromNala,andIrealizedthat
Iwassittinginthemiddleofwhatusedtobethecircle,withmycatonmylap,
completelyengrossedinmyownthoughtsasIscratchedherhead.
"Oh,yeah.Sorry.I'mfine,justalittledistracted.”
"Weshouldgetback.It'sgettinglate,"StevieRaesaid.
"Okay.You'reright,"Isaid,andgotup,stillholdingNala.ButIcouldn'tmake
myfeetfollowthemastheystartedtoheadbacktothedorms.
"Zoey?”
Damien,thefirsttonoticemyhesitation,stoppedandcalledbacktome,and
thenmyotherfriendsstopped,lookingatmewithexpressionsthatrangedfrom
worriedtoconfused.
"Uh,whydon'tyouguysgoahead?I'mgoingtostayouthereforjustalittle
whilelonger.”
"Wecouldstaywithyouand—"Damienbegan,butStevieRae(blessherlittle
bumpkinheart)interruptedhim.
"Zoeyneedstodosomethinkin'onherown.Wouldn'tyouifyoujustfound
outyouweretheonlyfledglinginknownhistorytohaveanaffinityforallfive
elements?”
"Isuppose,"Damiensaidreluctantly.
"Butdon'tforgetthatit'llbegettinglightsoon,"Erinsaid.
Ismiledreassuringlyatthem."Iwon't.I'llbebackatthedormsoon.”
"I'llmakeasandwichforyouandtrytoscareupsomechipstogowithyour
brownnon-dietpop.It'simportantthataHighPriestesseatsaftersheperformsa
ritual,"StevieRaesaidwithasmileandawaveasshepulledtherestofthefouralong
withher.
IcalledthankstoStevieRaeastheydisappearedintothedarkness.ThenI
walkedovertothetreeandsatdown,restingmybackagainstitsthicktrunk.Iclosed
myeyesandpettedNala.Herpurrwasnormalandfamiliarandincrediblysoothing,
anditseemedtohelpgroundme.
"I'mstillme,"Iwhisperedtomycat."JustlikeGrandmasaid.Alltheother
stuffcanchange,butwhat'sreallyZoey—what'sbeenZoeyforsixteenyears—isstill
Zoey.”
MaybeifIrepeateditoverandoverenoughtomyself,I'dactuallybelieveit.I
restedmyfaceinonehandandscratchedmycatwiththeother,andtoldmyselfthatI
wasstillme…stillme…stillme…
"Seehowsheleanshercheekuponherhand!O,thatIwereagloveuponthat
hand,thatImighttouchthatcheek!”
Nala"me-eeh-uf-owed"incomplaintasIjumpedinsurprise.
"SeemslikeIkeepfindingyoubythistree,"Eriksaid,smilingdownatmeand
lookinglikeagod.
Hemademefeelallflutteryinmystomach,buttonighthealsomademefeel
somethingelse.Justexactlywhydidhekeep"finding"me?Andjustexactlyhowlong
hadhebeenwatchingthistime?
"Whatareyoudoingouthere,Erik?”
"Hi,it'snicetoseeyou,too.And,yes,Iwouldliketohaveaseat,thankyou,"
hesaidandstartedtositbesideme.
Istoodup,makingNalamutteratmeagain.
"Actually,Iwasjustgoingtogobacktothedorm.”
"Hey,Ididn'tmeantointrudeorwhatever.Ijustcouldn'tconcentrateonmy
homeworksoIwentforawalk.Iguessmyfeetcarriedmethiswaywithoutmetelling
themto,'causenextthingIknewhereIwasandhereyouare.I'mreallynotstalking
you.Promise.”
Hestuckhishandsinhispocketsandlookedtotallyembarrassed.Well,totally
cuteandembarrassed,andIrememberedhowmuchIhadwantedtosayyestohim
earlierwhenheaskedmetowatchdorkymovieswithhim.AndnowhereIwas,
rejectinghimandmakinghimuncomfortableagain.It'sawonderthekidevertalked
tome.Clearly,IwastakingthisHighPriestessthingwaytooseriously.
"Sohowaboutwalkingmebacktomydorm?Again,"Iasked."Soundsgood.”
ThistimeNalacomplainedwhenItriedtocarryher.Insteadshetrottedalong
afteruswhileErikandIfellintosteptogetheraseasilyaswehadbefore.Wedidn't
sayanythingforawhile.IwantedtoaskhimaboutAphrodite,orattheveryleasttell
himwhatshe'dsaidtomeabouthim,butIcouldn'tcomeupwithagoodwayof
sayingsomethingthatIprobablydidn'thaveanybusinessquestioninghimabout.
"Sowhatwereyoudoingoutherethistime?"heasked.
"Thinking,"Isaid,whichtechnicallywasn'talie.Ihadbeenthinking.Alot.
Before,during,andafterthecircle-castingIwasconvenientlynotgoingtomention.
"Oh.AreyouworriedaboutthatHeathkid?”
Actually,Ihadn'tthoughtaboutHeathorKaylasinceI'dtalkedtoNeferet,but
Ishrugged,notwantingtogetspecificaboutwhatI'dbeenthinking.
"Imean,Iguessit'sprobablyhardtobreakupwithsomeonejustbecauseyou
gotMarked,"hesaid.
"Ididn'tbreakupwithhimbecauseIgotMarked.HeandIwereprettymuch
finishedbeforethat.TheMarkjustmadeitmorefinal."IlookedatErikandtooka
deepbreath."WhataboutyouandAphrodite?”
Heblinkedinsurprise."Whatdoyoumean?”
"Imeantodayshetoldmethatyou'llneverbeherexbecauseyou'llalwaysbe
hers.”
Hiseyesnarrowedandhelookedtrulypissed."Aphroditehasaserious
problemwithtellingthetruth.”
"Well,notthatit'sanyofmybusiness,but—”
"Itisyourbusiness,"hesaidquickly.Andthen,totallyandutterlyshocking
me,hetookmyhand."AtleastI'dlikeittobeyourbusiness.”
"Oh,"Isaid."Okay,well,okay."Onceagain,IwassureIwasastoundinghim
withmywittyconversationskills.
"Soyouweren'tjustavoidingmetonight;youreallyhadsomethinkingto
do?"heaskedslowly.
"Iwasn'tavoidingyou.There'sjust…,"Ihesitated,notsurehowthehellto
explainsomethingIwasprettysureIshouldn'texplaintohim."There'salotofstuff
goingonwithmerightnow.ThiswholeChangethingisprettyconfusingsometimes.”
"Itgetsbetter,"hesaid,squeezingmyhand.
"Somehow,forme,Idoubtit,"Imuttered.
HelaughedandtappedmyMarkwithhisfinger."You'rejustaheadofsomeof
therestofus.That'shardatfirst,but,believeme,it'llgeteasier—evenforyou.”
Isighed."Ihopeso."ButIdoubtedit.
Westoppedinfrontofthedorm,andheturnedtome,hisvoicesuddenlylow
andserious."Z,don'tbelievethecrapAphroditesays.SheandIhaven'tbeentogether
inmonths.”
"Butyouusedtobe,"Isaid.
Henoddedandhisfacelookedstrained.
"She'snotaveryniceperson,Erik.”
"Iknowthat.”
AndthenIrealizedwhathadreallybeenbotheringmeanddecided,oh,well,
whatthehell,I'djustsayit.
"Idon'tlikeitthatyou'dbewithsomeonewho'ssomean.Itmakesmefeel
funnyaboutwantingtobewithyou."HeopeneduphismouthtosaysomethingandI
kepttalking,notwantingtohearexcusesIwasn'tsurethatIshouldorcouldbelieve.
"Thanksforwalkingmehome.Iamgladyoufoundmeagain.”
"I'mgladIfoundyou,too,"hesaid."I'dliketoseeyouagain,Z,andnotjust
byaccident.”
Ihesitated.AndwonderedwhyIwashesitating.Ididwanttoseehimagain.I
neededtoforgetAphrodite.Seriously,sheisreallyprettyandheisaguy.Heprobably
fellintoherhaggish(andhot)clutchesbeforeheknewwhatwashappening.Imean,
shedidkindaremindmeofaspider.Ishouldbegladthatshehadn'tbittenhishead
off,andgivetheguyachance.
"Okay,howaboutIwatchthosedorkyDVDswithyouSaturday?"Isaid
beforeIcouldfreakishlytalkmyselfoutofgoingoutwiththemostgorgeousguyat
thisschool.
"It'sadate,"hesaid.
ObviouslygivingmetimetopullawayifIwantedto,Erikslowlybentdown
andkissedme.Hislipswerewarmandhesmelledreallygood.Thekisswassoftand
nice.Honestly,itmademewanthimtokissmemore.Toosoonitwasover,buthe
didn'tmoveawayfromme.Wewerestandingclose,andIrealizedthatIhadmy
handsonhischest.Hiswererestinglightlyonmyshoulders.Ismiledupathim.
"I'mgladyouaskedmeoutagain,”Isaid.
"I'mgladyoufinallysaidyes,"hesaid.
Thenhekissedmeagain,onlythistimehewasn'thesitant.Thekissdeepened,
andmyarmswentuparoundhisshoulders.Ifelt,morethanheard,himmoanandas
hekissedmelongandharditwaslikeheflippedaswitchsomewheredeepinsideme,
andhot,sweet,electricdesireflashedthroughme.Itwascrazyandamazing,andmore
thananyoneelse'skisseshadevermademefeel.
Ilovedthewaymybodyfittedhis,hardagainstsoft,andIpressedmyself
againsthim,forgettingaboutAphroditeandthecircleI'djustcastandtheentirerest
oftheworld.Thistimewhenwebrokeoffthekisswewerebothbreathinghard,and
westaredateachother.AsmysensestartedtoreturntomeIrealizedthatIwastotally
smushedagainsthimandthatI'dbeenstandingthereinfrontofthedormmakingout
likeaslut.Istartedtopulloutofhisarms.
"What'swrong?Whydoyousuddenlylookdifferent?"hesaid,tighteninghis
armsaroundme.
"Erik,I'mnotlikeAphrodite."Ipulledharderandheletmego.
"Iknowyou'renot.Iwouldn'tlikeyouifyouwerelikeher.”
"Idon'tjustmeanmypersonality.Imeanstandingoutheremakingoutwith
youisn'tnormalbehaviorforme.”
"Okay."Hereachedonehandtowardmeasthoughhewantedtopullmeback
intohisarms,butthenheseemedtochangehismindandhishandfelltohisside.
"Zoey,youmakemefeeldifferentthananyonehasevermademefeelbefore.”
IfeltmyfacegettinghotandIcouldn'ttellifitwasfromangeror
embarrassment."Don'tpatronizeme,Erik.IsawyouinthehallwithAphrodite.
You'veclearlyfeltthiskindofstuffbefore,andmore.”
HeshookhisheadandIsawhurtinhiseyes."WhatAphroditemademefeel
wasallphysical.Whatyoumakemefeelisabouttouchingmyheart.Iknowthe
difference,Zoey,andIthoughtyoudid,too.”
Istaredathim—atthosegorgeousblueeyesthathadseemedtotouchmethe
firsttimehelookedatme."I'msorry,"Isaidsoftly."Thatwasmeanofme.Idoknow
thedifference.”
"Promisemethatyouwon'tletAphroditecomebetweenus."
"Ipromise."Itscaredme,butImeantit.
"Good.”
Nalamaterializedoutofthedarkandstartedwindingaroundmylegsand
complaining."Ibettergetherinsideandputhertobed.”
"Okay."Hesmiledandgavemeaquickkiss."SeeyouSaturday,Z.”
Mylipstingledallthewayuptomyroom.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
ThenextdaystartedwithwhatIlookedbackonlaterassuspiciousnormalcy.
StevieRaeandIatebreakfast,stillwhisperinggoodgossipabouthowhotErikwas
andtryingtofigureoutwhatI'dwearonourdateSaturday.Wedidn'tevensee
Aphroditeorthehagtriplets,Warlike,Terrible,andWasp.VampSocclasswasso
interesting—we'dmovedfromtheAmazonstolearningaboutanancientGreek
vampyrefestivalcalledCorreia—thatI'dstoppedthinkingabouttheDarkDaughters
ritualplannedforthatevening,andforalittlewhileI'dactuallyquitworryingabout
whatIwasgoingtodoaboutAphrodite.Dramaclasswasgood,too.Idecidedtodo
oneofKate'ssoliloquiesfromTheTamingoftheShrew(I'velovedthatplayever
sinceIsawtheoldmoviestarringElizabethTaylorandRichardBurton).ThenasI
wasleavingclassNeferetsnaggedmeinthehallandaskedhowfarI'dreadinthe
upperlevelVampSocbook.I'dhadtotellherthatIreallyhadn'treadmuch
(translation:Ihadn'treadany)yet,andIwastotallydistractedbyherobvious
disappointmentinmewhenIhurriedintoEnglishclass.I'djusttakenmyseatbetween
DamienandStevieRaewhenallhellbrokeloose,andeverythingvaguelyresembling
anythingnormalaboutthedayended.
Penthesileawasreading"YouGoandI'llStayaWhileChapterFour”ofA
NighttoRemember.It'sareallygoodbook,andwewerealllistening,asusual,then
thatstupidElliottkidstartedcoughing.Jeesh,thekidwastotallyandcompletely
annoying.
SomewhereinthemiddleofthechapterandtheobnoxiouscoughingIstarted
tosmellsomething.Itwasrichandsweet,delicious,andelusive.Automatically,I
inhaleddeeply,stilltryingtoconcentrateonthebook.
Elliott'scoughinggotworse,andwiththerestoftheclass,Iturnedtogivehim
adirtylook.Imean,please.Couldhenotgetacoughdroporadrinkorwhatever?
AndthenIsawtheblood.
Elliottwasn'tinhisusualslouchedandsleepingposition.Hewassitting
straightup,staringathishand,whichwascoveredwithfreshblood.AsIwatched
him,hecoughedagain,makinganasty,wetsoundthatremindedmeofthedayI'd
beenMarked.OnlywhenElliottcoughed,brightscarletbloodspewedfromhis
mouth.
"Wh—?"hegurgled.
"GetNeferet!"Penthesileasnappedthecommandasshejerkedopenoneof
herdeskdrawers,yankedoutaneatlyfoldedtowel,andmovedquicklydowntheaisle
toElliott.Thekidwhowassittingclosesttothedoortookoff.
InuttersilencewewatchedPenthesileamakeittoElliottjustintimeforhis
nextbloodycough,whichshecaughtinthetowel.Heclutchedthetoweltohisface,
hackingandspittingandgagging.Whenhefinallylookedup,bloodytearswere
runningdownhispale,roundface,andbloodwasrunningfromhisnoselikeitwasa
faucetsomeonehadlefton.WhenheturnedhisheadtolookupatPenthesilea,Icould
seethattherewasaredstreamcomingfromhisear,too.
"No!"ElliottsaidwithmoreemotionthanI'deverheardhimshow."No!I
don'twanttodie!”
"Sssh,"Penthesileasoothed,smoothinghisorangehairbackfromhissweaty
face."Yourpainwillendsoon.”
"But—but,noI—"Hestartedtoprotestagain,inawhinyvoicethatsounded
morelikehisown,thenhewasinterruptedbyanotherroundofhackingcoughs.He
gaggedagain,thistimepukingbloodintothealreadysoakedtowel.
Neferetenteredtheroomwithtwotall,powerful-lookingvampyremenclose
behindher.Theycarriedaflatstretcherandablanket;Neferetwascarryingonlyavial
filledwithmilky-coloredliquid.Nottwobreathsbehindthem,DragonLankfordburst
intotheroom.
"That'shismentor,”StevieRaewhisperedalmostsoundlessly.Inodded,
rememberingwhenPenthesileahadchastisedElliottforlettingDragondown.
NeferethandedDragonthevialshe'dbeenholding.Thenshestoodbehind
Elliott.Sheputherhandsonhisshoulders.Instantly,hisgaggingandcoughing
subsided.
"Drinkthisquickly,Elliott,"Dragontoldhim.Whenhestartedtoweakly
shakehisheadno,headdedgently,"Itwillmakeyourpainend.”
"Will—willyoustaywithme?"Elliottgasped.
"Ofcourse,”Dragonsaid."Iwon'tletyoubealoneforevenamoment.”
"Willyoucallmymom?"Elliottwhispered.
"Iwill.”
Elliottclosedhiseyesforasecond,andthen,withshakinghandsheheldthe
vialtohislipsanddrank.Neferetnoddedtothetwomen,andtheypickedhimupand
layhimonthestretcherasifhewasadollandnotadyingkid.WithDragonbyhis
side,theyhurriedfromtheroom.BeforeNeferetfollowedthemsheturnedtofacethe
shockedclassroomofthirdformers.
"IcouldtellyouthatElliottwillbefine—thathewillrecover,butthatwould
bealie."Hervoicewasserene,butfilledwithcommandingstrength."Thetruthishis
bodyhasrejectedtheChange.Inminuteshewilldiethepermanentdeathandwillnot
matureintoavampyre.Icouldtellyounottoworry,thatitwon'thappentoyou.But
thiswouldbealie,too.Onaverage,oneoutofeverytenofyouwillnotmakethe
Change.Somefledglingsdieearlyintheirthirdformeryear,asisElliott.Someofyou
willbestrongerandlastuntilyoursixthformeryear,andthensickenanddie
suddenly.Itellyouthisnotsothatyouwillliveinfear.Itellyoufortworeasons.
First,IwantyoutoknowthatasyourHighPriestessIwillnotlietoyou,butwillhelp
easeyourpassingintothenextworldifthattimecomes.Andsecond,Iwantyouto
liveasyouwouldberememberedifyouwoulddietomorrow,becauseyoumight.
Thenifyoudodieyourspiritcanrestpeacefullyknowingthatyouleavebehindan
honorablememory.Ifyoudonotdie,thenyouwillhavesetthefoundationforalong
liferichwithintegrity."Shelookedstraightintomyeyesasshefinished,saying,"I
askthatNyx'sblessingcomfortyoutoday,andthatyourememberdeathisanatural
partoflife,evenavampyrelife.Forsomedayweallmustreturntothebosomofthe
Goddess.”Sheclosedthedoorbehindherwithasoundthatseemedtoechofinality.
Penthesileaworkedquicklyandefficiently.Matter-of-factlyshecleanedupthe
spattersofbloodthatstainedElliot'sdesk.Whenallevidenceofthedyingkidwas
gone,shereturnedtothefrontoftheclassandledusinamomentofsilencefor
Elliott.Thenshepickedupthebookandbeganreadingwhereshe'dleftoff.Itriedto
listen.ItriedtoblockoutthevisionofElliottbleedingoutthroughhiseyesandears
andnoseandmouth.AndIalsotriednottothinkaboutthefactthatthedelicious
smellI'dnoticedhadbeen,withoutadoubt,Elliott'slifebloodpouringfromhisdying
body.
***
Iknowthingsaresupposedtogoonasusualafterafledglingdies,but
apparentlyitwasunusualfortwokidstodiesoclosetogether,andeveryonewas
unnaturallyquietfortherestoftheday.Lunchwassilentanddepressing,andI
noticedthatmostofthefoodwaspickedatratherthaneaten.TheTwinsdidn'teven
bickerwithDamien,whichmighthavebeenanicechangeifIhadn'tknowntheawful
reasonbehindit.WhenStevieRaemadesomelameexcusetoleavelunchearlyand
gobacktotheroombeforefifthhourstarted,IwasmorethanhappytosayI'dgowith
her.
Wewalkedalongthesidewalkinthethickdarkofanothercloudynight.
Tonightthegaslightsdidn'tfeelcheerfulandwarm.Insteadtheyseemedcoldandnot
brightenough.
"NoonelikedElliott,andsomehowIthinkthatmakesitworse,"StevieRae
said."ItwasweirdlyeasierwithElizabeth.Atleastwecouldfeelhonestlysorryshe
wasgone.”
"Iknowwhatyoumean.Ifeelupset,butIknowI'mreallyupsetthatIsaw
whatcanhappentousandnowIcan'tgetitoutofmymind,andnotupsetthatthe
kid'sdead.”
"Atleastithappensfast,"shesaidsoftly.
Ishivered."Iwonderifithurts.”
"Theygiveyousomething—thatwhitestuffElliottdrank.Itmakesitstop
hurting,butitletsyoubeconscioustilltheend.AndNeferetalwayshelpswiththe
actualdying.”
"It'sscary,isn'tit?"Isaid.
"Yeah.”
Wedidn'tsayanythingforawhile.Thenthemoonpeepedthroughtheclouds,
paintingtheleavesofthetreewithaneeriesilverwatercolor,andremindingme
suddenlyofAphroditeandherritual.
"AnychanceAphroditewillcanceltheSamhainritualtonight?"
"Noway.TheDarkDaughters'ritualsarenevercancelled.”
"Well,hell,"Isaid.ThenIglancedatStevieRae."Hewastheirrefrigerator.”
Shegavemeastartledlook."Elliott?”
"Yeah,itwasreallygross,andheactedalldruggedandweird.Hemusthave
beenstartingtorejecttheChangeeventhen."Therewasanuncomfortablesilence,
andthenIadded,"Ididn'twanttosayanythingtoyoubefore,especiallyafteryoutold
meabout…well…youknow.AreyousureAphroditewon'tcanceltonight?Imean,
whatwithElizabethandnowElliott.”
"Itwon'tmatter.AndtheDarkDaughtersdon'tcareaboutthekidtheyuseasa
refrigerator.They'lljustgetsomeoneelse.”
Shehesitated."Zoey,I'vebeenthinking.Maybeyoushouldn'tgotonight.I
heardwhatAphroditesaidtoyouyesterday.She'sgoingtomakesurenooneaccepts
you.She'llbereally,reallymean.”
"I'llbeokay,StevieRae.”
"No,Ihaveabadfeelingaboutit.Youdon'thaveaplanyet,doyou?”
"Well,no.I'mstillinthereconnoiteringstageIsaid,tryingtolightenupthe
conversation.
"Reconnoiterlater.Today'sbeentooawful.Everyone'supset.Ithinkyou
shouldwait.”
"Ican'tjustnotshowup,especiallyafterwhatAphroditesaidtomeyesterday.
She'llthinkshetoldmeandnowshecanintimidateme.”
StevieRaetookadeepbreath."Well,thenIthinkyoushouldtakemewith
you.”Istartedtoshakemyheadbutshekeptrightontalking."You'reaDark
Daughternow.Technically,youcaninvitepeopletotherituals.Soinviteme.I'llgo
andwatchyourback.”
Ithoughtaboutdrinkingbloodandlikingitsomuchthatitwasobvious,even
toWarlikeandTerrible.AndItried,andfailed,nottothinkaboutthescentof
blood—Heath'sandErik'sandevenElliott's.StevieRaewouldfindoutsomedayhow
bloodaffectedme,butitwouldn'tbetonight.Actually,ifIcouldhelpit,itwouldn'tbe
anytimesoon.Ididn'twanttochancelosingherortheTwinsorDamien—andIwas
afraidIwould.Yes,theyknewIwas"special,”andtheyacceptedmebecausethat
uniquenessmeantHighPriestesstothem,andthatwasgood.Mybloodlustwasnotso
good.Wouldtheyacceptitaseasily?
"Noway,StevieRae.”
"But,Zoey,youshouldn'tgointothathagpackalone."
"Iwon'tbealone.Erikwillbethere.”
"Yeah,butheusedtobeAphrodite'sboyfriend.Whoknowshowgoodhe'llbe
atstandinguptoherifshegetsrealhatefulwithyou.”
"Honey,Icanstandupformyself.”
"Iknow,but—"Shebrokeoffandgavemeafunnylook."Z,areyou
vibrating?”
"Huh?AmIwhat?"AndthenIheardit,too,andstartedlaughing."It'smycell
phone.Istuckitinmypurseafteritchargeduplastnight."Ipulleditoutofmypurse,
glancingatthetimeonthefacedial."It'spastmidnight,whotheheck…"Flippingthe
phoneopenIwasshockedtoseethatIhadfifteennewtextmessagesandfivemissed
calls."Jeesh,someone'sbeencallingandcalling,andIdidn'tevennotice.”Ichecked
thetextmessagesfirst,andfeltmystomachstarttoclenchasIreadthem.
ZocallmeIstlluvu
Zocallmeplz
Got2seeu
U&Me
Willucall?
Iwnt2talk2uZo!
Callmebak
Ididn'tneedtoreadanymoreofthem.Theywereallbasicallythesame."Ah,
crap.They'reallfromHeath.”
"Yourex?”
Isighed."Yeah.”
"Whatdoeshewant?”
"Apparently,me."Reluctantly,Ikeyedinthecodetoaccessmyvoice
messages,andHeath'scute,dopeyvoiceshockedmewithhowloudandanimatedhe
sounded.
"Zo!Callme.Like,Iknowit'slate,but…wait.It'snotlatetoyou,butit'slate
tome.Butthat'sokay'causeIdon'tcare.Ijustwantyoutocallme.Okay.So.Bye.
Callme.”
Igroanedanddeletedit.Thenextonesoundedevenmoremanic.
"Zoey!Okay.Youneedtocallme.Really.Anddon'tbemad.Hey,Idon'teven
likeKayla.She'slame.Istillloveyou,Zo,onlyyou.Socallme.Idon'tcarewhen.I'll
justwakeup.”
"Manohman,"StevieRaesaid,easilyoverhearingHeath'sgushing."The
boy'sobsessed.Nowonderyoudumpedhim.”
"Yeah,"Imumbled,quicklydeletingthesecondmessage.Thethirdwasmuch
likethefirsttwo,onlymoredesperate.Iturnedthevolumedownandtappedmyfoot
impatientlywhileIwentthroughallfivemessages,notlisteningexcepttoseewhenI
coulddeleteandmoveontothenextone."IgottagoseeNeferet,"Isaid,moreto
myselfthantoStevieRae.
"Howcome?Youneedtoblockhimfromcallingorsomething?"
"No.Yeah.Somethinglikethat.Ijustneedtotalktoherabout,well,about
whatIshoulddo.”IavoidedStevieRae'scuriousgaze.
"Imean,he'salreadyshoweduphereonce.Idon'twanthimtocomebyagain
andcauseanytrouble.”
"Oh,yeah,that'strue.It'dbebadifheranintoErik.”
"It'dbeawful.Okay,IbetterhurryandtrytocatchNeferetbeforefifthhour.
I'llseeyouafterschool.”
Ididn'twaitforStevieRae'sgood-bye,buttookoffinthedirectionof
Neferet'sroom.Couldthisdaygetanyworse?ElliottdiesandI'mattractedtohis
blood.IhavetogototheSamhainritualtonightwithabunchofkidswhohateme
andwanttomakesureIknowit,andI'veprobablyImprintedmyex-almost-boyfriend.
Yep.Todayreally,reallysucked.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
IfSkylar'shissingandgrowlinghadn'tcaughtmyattention,Iwouldneverhave
seenAphroditeslumpedinthelittlealcovedownthehallfromNeferet'sroom.
"Whatisit,Skylar?"Iheldmyhandoutgingerly,rememberingwhatNeferet
hadsaidabouthercatbeingaknownbiter.IwasalsosincerelygladthatNalawasn't
tagginglongaftermeasusual—Skylarwouldprobablyeatmypoorlittlecatfor
lunch."Kitty-kitty,"thebigorangetomgavemeaconsideringlook(probably
consideringwhetherornottobitethecrapoutofmyhand).Thenhemadehis
decision,un-puffedhimself,andtrottedovertome.Herubbedaroundmylegs,then
hegavethealcoveonemoregoodhissbeforehetookoff,disappearingdownthehall
inthedirectionofNeferet'sroom.
"Whatthehellwashisproblem?"Ilookedhesitantlyintothealcove,
wonderingwhatwouldmakeameancatlikeSkylarpuffupandhiss,andIfeltajolt
ofshock.Shewassittingrightonthefloor,hardtoseeintheshadowundertheledge
thatheldaprettystatueofNyx.Herheadwastiltedback,andhereyeswererolledso
thatonlytheirwhiteswereshowing.Shescaredthetotalcrapoutofme.Ifeltfrozen,
expectinganysecondtoseebloodpouringdownherface.Thenshemoanedand
mutteredsomethingIcouldn'tunderstandwhilehereyeballsshiftedaroundbehindher
closedlidsasthoughshewaswatchingascene.Irealizedwhatmustbehappening.
Aphroditewashavingavision.She'dprobablyfeltitcomingonandhiddeninthe
alcovesonoonewouldfindherandshecouldkeepherinfoaboutthedeathand
destructionshecouldpreventtoherhatefulself.Cow.Hag.
Well,Iwasdonelettinghergetawaywiththatcrap.Ibentdownandgrabbed
herunderthearms,pullinghertoherfeet.(Letmetellyou,she'salotheavierthanshe
looks.)
"Comeon,"Igroaned,halfcarryingherwhileshelurchedblindlyforwardwith
me."Let'stakealittletripdownthehallandseewhatkindoftragedyyouwantto
keepquietabout.”
Thankfully,Neferet'sroomwasn'tfaraway.WestaggeredinandNeferet
jumpedupfrombehindherdeskandrushedtous.
"Zoey!Aphrodite!What?"ButassoonasshegotagoodlookatAphrodite,
heralarmchangedtocalmunderstanding."Helpmebringheroverheretomychair.
She'llbemorecomfortablethere.”
WeledAphroditetoNeferet'sbigleatherchair,andlethersinkintoit.Then
Neferetcrouchedbesideherandtookherhand.
"Aphrodite,withtheGoddess'svoiceIbeseechyoutotellherPriestesswhatit
isyousee."Neferet'svoicewassoft,butcompelling,andIcouldfeelthepowerinher
command.
Aphrodite'seyelidsinstantlybegantoflicker,andshedrewadeep,gasping
breath.Thentheyopenedsuddenly.Hereyeslookedhugeandglassy.
"Somuchblood!There'ssomuchbloodcomingoutofhisbody!”
"Who,Aphrodite?Centeryourself.Focusandclearthevision,"Neferet
commanded.
Aphroditedrewanothergaspingbreath."They'redead!No.No.Thatcan'tbe!
Notright.No.Notnatural!Idon'tunderstand…Idon't…"Sheblinkedhereyesagain,
andhergazeseemedtoclear.Shelookedaroundtheroom,likeshedidn'trecognize
anything.Hereyestouchedme."You…,"shesaidfaintly."Youknow.”
"Yeah,"Isaid,thinkingthatIsuredidknowthatshewastryingtohideher
vision,butallIsaidwas,"Ifoundyouinthehalland—"Neferet'sraisedhandstopped
me.
"No,she'snotfinished.Sheshouldn'tbecomingtososoon.Thevisionisstill
tooabstract,"Neferettoldmequickly,andthensheloweredhervoiceagainand
assumedthecompelling,commandingtone."Aphrodite,goback.Seewhatitisyou
weremeanttowitness,andwhatyouweremeanttochange.”
Ha!Gotyounow.Icouldn'thelpbeingalittlesmug.Afterall,shehadtriedto
scratchmyeyesoutyesterday.
"Thedead…"Gettingmoreandmoredifficulttounderstand,Aphrodite
murmuredsomethingthatsoundedlike"Tunnels…theykill…someonethere…I
don't…Ican't…"Shewasfrantic,andIalmostfeltsorryforher.Clearly,whatevershe
wasseeingwasfreakingherout.ThenhersearchingeyesfoundNeferet,andIsaw
recognitionflashthroughthemandIstartedtorelax.Shewascomingaroundandthis
wholeweirdnesswouldbeclearedup.AndjustasIthoughtthat,Aphrodite'seyes,
whichseemedtobelockedonNeferet,widenedunbelievably.Alookofpureterror
blankedherfaceandshescreamed.
NeferetclampedherhandsonAphrodite'stremblingshoulders."Awaken!"
Shesparedhardlyaglanceoverhershoulderatmetosay,"Gonow,Zoey.Hervision
isconfused.Elliott'sdeathhasupsether.Ineedtobecertainsheisherselfonce
more.”
Ididn'tneedtobetoldtwice.Heath'sobsessionforgotten,Igotthehelloutta
thereandheadedtoSpanishclass.
Icouldn'tconcentrateonschool.IkeptreplayingtheweirdscenewithNeferet
andAphroditeoverandoverinmyhead.She'dobviouslybeenhavingavisionabout
peopledying,butfromNeferet'sreactionithadn'tbehavedlikeanormalvision(if
therewassuchathing).StevieRaehadsaidthatAphrodite'svisionsweresoclearthat
shecoulddirectpeopletotherightairportandeventhespecificplaneshe'dseen
crashing.Yettoday,allofasudden,nothingwasclear.Well,nothingbutseeingme
andsayingweirdstuff,andthenscreamingherbrainsoutatNeferet.Itsodidn'tmake
sense.Iwasalmostlookingforwardtoseeinghowshe'dacttonight.Almost.
IputawayPersephone'scurrybrushesandpickedupNala,who'dbeenperched
ontopofthehorse'sfeederwatchingandmakingherweirdme-eeh-uf-owsatme,and
startedslowlybacktothedorm.ThistimeAphroditedidn'thassleme,butwhenI
roundedthecornerbytheoldoakStevieRae,Damien,andtheTwinswerehuddled
togetherdoingalotoftalking—thatsuddenlyshutupwhenIcameintoview.Theyall
lookedguiltilyatme.Itwasprettyeasytoguesswhothey'dbeentalkingabout.
"What?"Isaid.
"Wewerejustwaitingforyou,"StevieRaesaid.Herusualperkinesswas
missing.
"What'swrongwithyou?"Iasked.
"She'sworriedaboutyou,"Shauneesaid.
"We'reworriedaboutyou,"Erinsaid.
"What'sgoingonwithyourex?"Damienasked.
"He'sbuggin',that'sall.Ifhedidn'tbug,hewouldn'tbemyex."Itriedtospeak
nonchalantly,withoutlookinganyofthefourofthemintheeyetoolong.(I'venever
beenaparticularlygoodliar.)
"WethinkIshouldgowithyoutonight,"StevieRaesaid.
"Actually,wethinkweshouldgowithyoutonight,"Damiencorrected.
Ifrownedatthem.NopossiblewayIwantedallfourofthemtowatchme
drinkwhateverloserkid'sbloodtheymanagedtomixintothewinetonight.
"No.”
"Zoey,it'sbeenareallybadday.Everyone'sstressed.Plus,Aphroditeisoutto
getyou.Itmakessensethatweshouldsticktogethertonight,"Damiensaidlogically.
Yeah,itwaslogical,buttheydidn'tknowthewholestory.Ididn'twantthem
toknowthewholestory.Yet.Thetruthwas,Icaredtoomuchaboutthem.Theymade
mefeelacceptedandsafe—theymademefeellikeIfitinhere.Icouldn'trisklosing
thatrightnow,notwhenallofthiswasstillsonewandsoscary.SoIdidwhatIhad
learnedtodotoowellathomewhenIwasscaredandupsetanddidn'tknowwhatelse
todo—Igotpissedanddefensive.
"YouguyssaythatIhavepowersthatwillsomedaymakemeyourHigh
Priestess?"Theyallnoddedeagerlyandsmiledatme,whichsqueezedmyheart.I
grittedmyteethandmademyvoicerealcold."ThenyouneedtolistentomewhenI
sayno.Idon'twantyoutheretonight.ThisissomethingIhavetodealwith.Alone.
AndIdon'twanttotalkaboutitanymore.”
AndthenIstompedawayfromthem.
Naturally,withinhalfanhourIwassorryI'dbeensoawful.Ipacedbackand
forthunderthebigoakthathadsomehowbecomemysanctuary,annoyingNalaand
wishingthatStevieRaewouldshowupsoIcouldapologize.Myfriendsdidn'tknow
whyIdidn'twantthemthere.Theywerejustlookingoutforme.Maybe…maybethey
wouldunderstandaboutthebloodthing.Erikseemedtounderstand.Okay,sure,he
wasafifthformer,butstill.Wewereallsupposedtogothroughit.Wewereall
supposedtostartcravingblood—orwedied.IbrightenedalittleandscratchedNala's
head.
"Whenthealternativeisdeath,blooddrinkingdoesn'tseemsobad.Right?”
Shepurred,soItookthatasayes.Icheckedthetimeonmywatch.Crap.Ihad
togobacktothedorm,changemyclothes,andgomeettheDarkDaughters.
Listlessly,Istartedfollowingthewallback.Itwasacloudynightagain,butIdidn't
mindthedarkness.Actually,Iwasstartingtolikethenight.Ishould.Itwasgoingto
bemyelementforaverylongtime.IfIlived.Asthoughshecouldreadmymorbid
thoughts,Nala"me-eeh-uf-owed"grumpilyatmeasshetrottedalongbesideme.
"Yeah,Iknow.Ishouldn'tbesonegative.I'llworkonthatrightafterI—”
Nala'slowgrowlsurprisedme.She'dstopped.Herbackwasarchedandher
hairwasstandingonend,makingherlooklikeafatlittlepuffball,butherslittedeyes
werenojoke,andneitherwastheferocioushissthatsnakedfromhermouth."Nala,
what…”
AterriblechillfingereditswaydownmyspineevenbeforeIturnedtolookin
thedirectionmycatwasstaring.Later,Icouldn'tfigureoutwhyIdidn'tscream.I
remembermymouthopeningsoIcouldgulpair,butIwasabsolutelysilent.Itseemed
I'dgonenumb,butthatwasimpossible.IfI'dbeennumbthere'snowayIcouldhave
beensothoroughlypetrified.
Elliottwasstandingnottenfeetfrommeinthedarknessthatshadowedthe
spacenexttothewall.HemusthavebeenheadinginthesamedirectionNalaandI
werewalking.Thenhe'dheardNala,andhalfturnedbacktowardus.Shehissedagain
athimand,withafrighteninglyquickmovementhewhirledaroundtofullyfaceus.
IswearIcouldn'tbreathe.Hewasaghost—hehadtobe,buthelookedso
solid,soreal.IfIhadn'twatchedhisbodyrejectingtheChange,Iwouldhavethought
hewasjustlookingespeciallypaleand…and…weird.Hewasabnormallywhite,but
therewasmorewrongabouthimthanthat.Hiseyeshadchanged.Theyreflectedwhat
littlelighttherewasandtheyglowedaterriblerustred,likedriedblood.
ExactlyastheghostofElizabeth'seyeshadglowed.
Therewassomethingelsedifferentabouthim,too.Hisbodylookedstrange—
thinner.Howwasthatpossible?Thesmellcametomethen.Oldanddryandoutof
place,likeaclosetthathadn'tbeenopenedinyearsoracreepybasement.Itwasthe
samesmellI'dnoticedjustbeforeI'dseenElizabeth.
NalagrowledandElliottdroppedintoanodd,halfcrouchandhissedbackat
her.Thenhebaredhisteeth,andIcouldseethathehadfangs!Hetookasteptoward
Nalaasifhewasgoingtoattackher.Ididn'tthink,Ijustreacted.
"Leaveheraloneandgetthehelloutofhere!"ItamazedmethatIsounded
likeIwasn'tdoinganythingmoreexcitingthanyellingatabaddog,becauseIwas
definitelyscaredtotallyshitless.
Hisheadswiveledinmydirectionandtheglowofhiseyestouchedmeforthe
firsttime.Wrong!Theintuitivevoiceinsidemethathadbecomefamiliarwas
screaming.Thisisanabomination!
"You…"Hisvoicewashorrible.Itwasraspyandguttural,asifsomethinghad
damagedhisthroat."Iwillhaveyou!"Andhebegantocometowardme.
Rawfearengulfedmelikeabitterwind.
Nala'sbattleyowlrentthenightasshehurledherselfatElliott'sghost.In
completeshockIwatched,expectingthecattogospittingandclawingthroughempty
air.Insteadshelandedonhisthigh,clawsextended,scratchingandhowlinglikean
animalthreetimeshersize.Hescreamed,grabbedherbythescruffofherneck,and
threwherawayfromhim.Then,withimpossiblespeedandstrengthheliterallyleaped
tothetopofthewall,anddisappearedintothenightthatsurroundedtheschool.
IwasshakingsohardthatIstumbled."Nala!"Isobbed."Whereareyou,little
girl?”
Puffedupandgrowling,shepaddedovertome,butherslittedeyeswerestill
focusedonthewall.Icrouchedbesideher,andwithshakinghandscheckedtomake
sureshefeltallinonepiece.Shefeltunbroken,soIscoopedherupandbeganjogging
awayfromthewallasfastasIcould.
"It'sokay.We'reokay.He'sgone.Whatabravegirlyouwere.”Ikepttalking
toher.Sheperchedhalfwayovermyshouldersothatshecouldseebehindus,andshe
continuedtogrowl.
WhenIgottothefirstgaslight,notfarfromtherechall,Istoppedandshifted
Nala'spositionsothatIcouldlookmorecloselytoseethatshewasreallyokay.What
IfoundmademystomachclenchsohardIthoughtIwasgoingtothrowup.Onher
pawswasblood.Onlyitwasn'tNala's.Anditdidn'tsmelldeliciouslikeotherblood
hadsmelled.Insteaditcarriedthescentofmustydryness,oldbasements.Iforced
myselfnottoretchasIwipedherpawsonthewintergrass.ThenIpickedherup
againandhurrieddownthesidewalkthatledtothedorm.Nalaneverstoppedlooking
behindusandgrowling.
StevieRae,theTwins,andDamienwereallconspicuouslyabsentfromthe
dorm.Theyweren'twatchingTV—theyweren'tinthecomputerroomorthelibrary,
andtheyweren'tinthekitchen,either.Iclimbedquicklyupthestairs,hoping
desperatelythatatleastStevieRaewouldbeinourroom.Nosuchluck.
Isatonmybed,pettingthestilldistraughtNala.ShouldItrytofindmy
friends?OrshouldIjuststayhere?StevieRaewouldeventuallycomebacktoour
room.IlookedathergyratingElvisclock.Ihadabouttenminutestogetchangedand
totherechall.ButhowcouldIgoontotheritualafterwhathadjusthappened?
Whathadjusthappened?
Aghosthadtriedtoattackme.No.Thatwasn'tright.Howcouldghostsbleed?
Buthaditbeenblood?Itdidn'tsmelllikeblood.Ihadnoideawhatwasgoingon.
IshouldgodirectlytoNeferetandtellherwhathadhappened.Ishouldgetup
rightnowandtakemyselfandmyfreaked-outcattoNeferetandtellherabout
ElizabethlastnightandnowElliotttonight.Ishould…Ishould…
No.Thistimeitwasn'tascreamwithinme.Itwasthestrengthofcertainty.I
couldnottellNeferet,atleastnotatthatmoment.
"Ihavetogototheritual."Isaidaloudthewordsthatwereechoingthrough
mymind."Ihavetobeatthisritual.”
AsIpulledontheblackdressandsearchedaroundtheclosetformyballet
flatsIfeltmyselfbecomingverycalm.Thingsheredidn'tplaybythesamerulesas
theydidinmyoldworld—inmyoldlife—anditwastimeIacceptedthatandstarted
gettingusedtoit.
Ihadanaffinityforthefiveelements,whichmeantthatIhadbeengiftedwith
incrediblepowersbyanancientgoddess.AsGrandmahadremindedme,withgreat
powercomesgreatresponsibility.MaybeIwasbeingallowedtoseethings—like
ghoststhatdidn'tactorlookorsmelllikeghostsshould—forareason.Ididn'tknow
whatthatmeantyet.Actually,Ididn'tknowmuchbesidesthetwothoughtsthatwere
clearestinmymind:Icouldn'ttellNeferet,andIhadtogototheritual.
HurryingtotherechallItriedtoatleastthinkpositively.MaybeAphrodite
wouldnotshowuptonight,orbetherebutforgettoharassme.
Itturnedout,asmyluckwouldhaveit,neitherwasthecase.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
"Nicedress,Zoey.Itlooksjustlikemine.Oh,wait!Itusedtobemine."
Aphroditelaughedathroaty,I'm-so-grown-up-and-you're-just-a-kidlaugh.Ireally
hateitwhengirlsdothat.Imean,yes,she'solder,butIhaveboobs,too.
Ismiled,purposefullyputtinganextradoseofcluelessnessintomyvoiceand
launchedintoagihugiclie,whichIthinkIpulledoffprettywellconsideringI'mabad
liar,Ihadjustbeenattackedbyaghost,andeverybodywasstaringatusandlistening
in.
"Hi,Aphrodite!Gosh,IwasjustreadingthechapterintheSoc415book
NeferetgavemeabouthowimportantitisfortheleaderoftheDarkDaughtersto
makeeverynewmemberofthegroupfeelwelcomeandaccepted.Youmustbeproud
thatyou'redoingyourjobsowell.”ThenIsteppedalittleclosertoherandlowered
myvoicesoshealonecouldhearme."AndImustsayyoulookbetterthanyoudidthe
lasttimeIsawyou."Iwatchedherpaleandwassurefearflickeredthroughhereyes.
Surprisingly,itdidn'tmakemefeelvictoriousandsmug.Itjustmademefeelmean
andshallowandtired.Isighed."Sorry.Ishouldn'thavesaidthat.”
Herfacehardened."Fuckoff,freak,"shehissed.Thenshelaughedasthough
she'djustmadeahugejoke(atmyexpense),turnedherbackonme,andwitha
hatefulflipofherhairwalkedtothemiddleoftherechall.
Okay,Ididn'tfeelbadanymore.Hatefulcow.Sheraisedoneslimarm,and
everyonewhohadbeengawkingatmenowturnedtheirattention(thankfully)toher.
Tonightshehadonanantique-lookingredsilkdressthatfitherasifithadbeen
paintedon.I'dliketoknowjustexactlywhereshegotherclothes.Gothhostore?
"Afledglingdiedyesterday,andthenanotheronediedtoday.”
Hervoicewasstrongandclear,andsoundedalmostcompassionate,which
surprisedme.ForasecondshereallydidremindmeofNeferet,andIwondered
whethershewasgoingtosaysomethingprofoundandleader-like.
"Weallknewbothofthem.Elizabethhadbeenniceandquiet.Elliotthadbeen
ourrefrigeratorforthepastseveralrituals."Shesmiledsuddenly;itwasferaland
mean,andanyresemblanceshemighthavehadtoNeferetended."Buttheywere
weak,andvampyresdonotneedweaknessintheircoven."Sheshruggedherscarlet-
coveredshoulders."Ifwewerehumanswe'dcallitsurvivalofthefittest.Thankthe
Goddesswe'renothumans,solet'sjustcallitFate,andbehappytonightthatitdidn't
kickanyofourasses.”
Iwastotallygrossedouttohearsoundsofgeneralagreement.Ihadn'treally
knownElizabeth,butshe'dbeennicetome.Okay,IadmitthatIhadn'tlikedElliott—
noonehad.Thekidwasannoyingandunattractive(andhisghostorwhateverseemed
tobecarryingonthosetraits),butIwasnotgladhedied.IfI'meverleaderofthe
DarkDaughtersIwon'tmakefunofthedeathofafledgling,nomatterhow
insignificant.Imadethepromisetomyself,butIwasalsoconsciousofsendingitout
likeaprayer.IhopedNyxheardme,andIhopedsheapproved.
"Butenoughgloomanddoom,"Aphroditewassaying."It'sSamhain!The
nightwhenwecelebratetheendoftheharvestseasonand,evenbetter,itisthetime
whenwerememberourancestors—allthegreatvampyreswhohavelivedanddied
beforeus."Thetoneofhervoicewascreepy,likeshewasgettingintotheshowshe
wasputtingonwaytoomuch,andIrolledmyeyesasshecontinued."It'sthenight
whentheveilbetweenlifeanddeathisthinnestandwhenspiritsaremostlikelyto
walktheearth."Shepausedandlookedaroundtheaudience,beingcarefultoignore
me(likeeveryoneelsewas).Ihadamomenttowonderaboutwhatshe'djustsaid.
CouldwhathavehappenedwithElliotthavesomethingtodowiththeveilbetween
lifeanddeathbeingthinnest,andthefactthathehaddiedonSamhain?Ididn'thave
timetowonderanymoreaboutitbecauseAphroditeraisedhervoiceandshouted,"So
whatarewegoingtodo?”
"Goout!"theDarkDaughtersandSonsyelledback.
Aphrodite'slaughwaswaytoosexualtobeappropriate,andIswearshe
touchedherself.Rightthereinfrontofeveryone.Jeesh,shewasnasty.
"That'sright.I'vechosenanawesomeplaceforustonight,andweevenhavea
newlittlerefrigeratorwaitingforustherewiththegirls.”
Ugh.By"thegirls"didshemeanWarlike,Terrible,andWasp?Iglanced
quicklyaroundtheroom.Didn'tseethemanywhere.Great.Icouldonlyimaginewhat
thosethreeplusAphroditewouldconsider"awesome."AndIdidn'tevenwantto
thinkaboutthepoorkidwhohadsomehowbeentalkedintobeingtheirnew
refrigerator.
And,yes,Iwasgoingtobeintotaldenialaboutthefactthatmymouth
wateredwhenAphroditementionedthattherewasarefrigeratorwaitingforus,which
meantIwasgoingtogettodrinkbloodagain.
"Solet'sgetoutofhere.Andremember,besilent.Focusyourmindsonbeing
invisible,andanyhumanwhohappenstostillbeawakewillsimplynotseeus."Then
shelookedrightatme."AndmayNyxhavemercyonanyonewhogivesusaway,
becausewecertainlywon't."Shesmiledsilkilybackatthegroup."Followme,Dark
DaughtersandSons!”
Insilentpairsandsmallgroups,everyonefollowedAphroditeouttheback
dooroftherechall.Naturally,theyignoredme.Ialmostdidn'tfollowthem.Ireally
didn'twantto.Imean,I'dhadenoughexcitementforonenight.Ishouldgobackto
thedormandapologizetoStevieRae.ThenwecouldfindtheTwinsandDamien,and
IcouldtellthemaboutElliott(Ipausedtoconsiderwhethermygutfeelingwas
warningmeagainsttellingmyfriends,butitstayedsilent).Okay.So.Icouldtell
them.ThatsoundedlikeabetterideathanfollowingbitchyAphroditeandagroupof
kidswhocouldn'tstandme.Butmyintuition,whichhadbeenquietwhenI'dthought
abouttalkingtomyfriends,suddenlyrearedupagain.Ihadtogototheritual.I
sighed.
"Comeon,Z.Youdon'twanttomisstheshow,doyou?”
Erikwasstandingbythebackdoor,lookinglikeSupermanwithhisblueeyes
smilingatme.
Well,hell.
"Areyoukidding?Hatefulgirls,totallycliquishdrama-trauma,andthe
possibilityforembarrassmentandbloodletting.What'snottolove?Iwouldn'tmissa
minuteofit.”TogetherErikandIfollowedthegroupoutthedoor.
Everyonewaswalkingquietlytothewallbehindtherechall,whichwastoo
closetowhereI'dseenElizabethandElliottformetofeelcomfortable.Andthen,
weirdly,thekidsseemedtodisappearintothewall.
"Whatthe—?"Iwhispered.
"It'sjustatrick.You'llsee.”
Idid.Itwasactuallyatrapdoor.Likethekindyouseeinthoseoldmurder
movies,onlyinsteadofadoorinalibrarywallorinsideafireplace(asinoneofthe
IndianaJonesmovies—yes,I'madork),thistrapdoorwasasmallsectionofthe
thick,otherwisesolid-lookingschoolwall.Partofitswungout,leavinganopenspace
justbigenoughforoneperson(orfledglingorvamporpossiblyevenafreakishly
solidghostortwo)toslipthrough.ErikandIwerethelastonesthrough.Iheardasoft
whoosh,andlookedbackintimetoseethewallclosingseamlessly.
"It'sonanautomatickeypad,likeacardoor,"Erikwhispered."Huh.Whoall
knowsaboutthis?”
"Anyonewho'severbeenaDarkDaughterorSon.”
"Huh."Isuspectedthatwasprobablymostoftheadultvamps.Iglanced
around.Ididn'tseeanyonewatchingus,orfollowingus.
Eriknoticedmylook."Theydon'tcare.It'sschooltraditionthatwesneakout
forsomeoftheritualsAslongaswedon'tdoanythingtoostupid,theypretendlike
theydon'tknowwe'regoing."Heshrugged."Itworksoutokay,Iguess.”
"Aslongaswedon'tdoanythingtoostupid,"Isaid.
"Shush!"Someoneinfrontofushissed.Iclosedmymouthanddecidedto
concentrateonwhereweweregoing.
ItwasaboutfourthirtyA.M.Uh,noonewasawake.Bigsurprise.Itwasweird
tobewalkingthroughthisreallycoolpartofTulsa—aneighborhoodfilledwith
mansionsbuiltbyoldoilmoney—andhavenobodynoticeus.Wewerecutting
throughamazinglylandscapedyardsandnodogswereevenbarkingatus.Itwasasif
wewereshadows…orghosts.…Thethoughtgavemeacreepychill.Themoonthat
earlierhadbeenmostlyobscuredbycloudswasnowshiningsilver-whiteinan
unexpectedlyclearsky.IswearthatevenbeforeIwasMarkedIcouldhavereadbyits
light.Itwascold,butthatdidn'tbothermelikeitwouldhavejustaweekago.Itried
nottothinkaboutwhatthatmeantabouttheChangethatwasgoingoninsidemy
body.
Wecrossedastreet,thenslidsoundlesslybetweentwoyards.Iheardrunning
waterbeforeIsawthelittlefootbridge.Themoonlightlitupthestreamasthough
someonehadspilledmercuryacrossthetopofit.Ifeltcapturedbyitsbeauty,andI
automaticallysloweddown,remindingmyselfthatnightwasmynewday.Ihoped
thatIwouldnevergetusedtothedarkmajestyofit.
"Comeon,Z,"whisperedErikfromtheothersideofthebridge.
Ilookedupathim.Hewassilhouettedagainstanincrediblemansionthat
stretchedupthehillbehindhimwithitshuge,terracedlawnandpondandgazeboand
fountainsandwaterfalls(thesepeopleclearlyhadentirelytoomuchmoney),andhe
remindedmeofoneofthoseromanticheroesoutofhistory,like…like…Well,the
onlytwoheroesIcouldthinkofwereSupermanandZorro,andneitherofthemwere
trulyhistorical.Buthedidlookveryknight-likeandromantic.Andthenitregistered
onmeexactlywhichamazingmansionweweretrespassingon,andIhurriedacross
thebridgetohim.
"Erik,"Iwhisperedfrantically,"thisisthePhilbrookMuseum!We'rereally
goingtogetintroubleiftheycatchusmessingaroundhere.”
"Theywon'tcatchus.”
Ihadtoscrambletokeepupwithhim.Hewaswalkingfast,muchmoreeager
thanmetocatchupwiththesilent,ghostlikegroup.
"Okay,thisisn'tjustsomerichguy'shouse.Thisisamuseum.Thereare
twenty-four-hoursecurityguardshere.”
"Aphroditewillhavedruggedthem.”
"What!”
"Ssssh.Itdoesn'thurtthem.They'llbegroggyforawhileandthengohome
andnotrememberanything.Nobigdeal.”
Ididn'treply,butIreallydidn'tlikethathewasso'whatever'aboutdrugging
securityguards.Itjustdidn'tseemright,eventhoughIcouldunderstandtheneedfor
it.Weweretrespassing.Wedidn'twanttogetcaught.Sotheguardsneededtobe
drugged.Igotit.Ijustdidn'tlikeit,anditsoundedlikeyetanotherthingthatwas
beggingtobechangedabouttheDarkDaughtersandtheirholier-than-thouattitudes.
TheyremindedmemoreandmoreofthePeopleofFaith,whichwasnotaflattering
comparison.Aphroditewasn'tGod(orGoddess,forthatmatter),despitewhatshe
calledherself.
Erikhadstoppedwalking.Westeppeduptojointhegroupwhereithad
formedaloosecirclearoundthedomedgazebosituatedatthebottomofthegentle
slopethatleduptothemuseum.Itwasclosetotheornamentalfishpondthatended
rightbeforetheterracesleadinguptothemuseumbegan.Itreallywasanincredibly
beautifulplace.I'dbeentheretwoorthreetimesonfieldtrips,andonce,withmyArt
class,I'devenbeeninspiredtosketchthegardens,eventhoughIdefinitelycannot
draw.Nowthenighthadchangeditfromaplacewithpretty,well-tendedgardensand
marblewaterfeaturesintoamagicalfairykingdomallwashedinthelightofthemoon
andshadedbylayersofgraysandsilversandmidnightblues.
Thegazeboitselfwasamazing.Itsatonthetopofhugeroundstairs,throne-
like,sothatyouhadtoclimbuptoit.Itwasmadeofcarvedwhitecolumns,andthe
domewaslitfrombeneath,sothatitlookedlikesomethingthatcouldhavebeen
foundinancientGreece,andthenrestoredtoitsoriginalgloryandlitforthenightto
see.
Aphroditeclimbedthestairstotakeherplaceinthemiddleofthegazebo,
whichimmediatelysuckedsomeofthemagicandbeautyfromit.Naturally,Warlike,
Terrible,andWaspwerethere,too.Anothergirlwaswiththem,whoIdidn't
recognize.OfcourseIcouldhaveseenherazilliontimesandwouldn'thave
remembered—shewasjustanotherBarbie-likeblond(althoughhernameprobably
meantsomethinglikeWickedorHateful).They'dsetupalittletableinthemiddleof
thegazeboanddrapeditwithblackcloth.Icouldseethattherewereabunchof
candlesonit,andsomeotherstuff,includingagobletandaknife.Somepoorkidwas
slumpedwithhisheaddownonthetable.Acloakhadbeenpulledaroundhim,sothat
itcoveredhisbody,andhelookedalotlikeElliottonthenighthe'dbeenthe
refrigerator.
ItmustreallytakealotoutofakidtohavehisblooddrainedforAphrodite's
rituals,andIwonderedwhetherthathadanythingtodowithbringingonElliott's
death.IblockedfrommymindthefactthatmymouthstartedwateringwhenIthought
aboutthekid'sbloodbeingmixedwiththewineinthegoblet.Weirdhowsomething
couldtotallygrossmeoutandmakemewantitreallybadatthesametime.
"Iwillcastthecircleandcallthespiritsofourancestorstodancewithinit
withus,"Aphroditesaid.Shespokesoftly,buthervoicetraveledarounduslikea
poisonousmist.ItwasspookytothinkaboutghostsbeingdrawntoAphrodite'scircle,
especiallyaftermyownrecentexperienceswithghosts,butIhavetoadmitthatit
intriguedmealmostasmuchasitscaredme.MaybeIwassocertainIhadtobehere
becauseIwasmeanttogetsomeclueaboutElizabethandElliotttonight.Plus,this
ritualwasobviouslysomethingtheDarkDaughtershadbeendoingforawhile.It
couldn'tbethatscaryordangerous.Aphroditeplayedallbigandcool,butIhada
feelingthatitwasanact.Underneathshewaswhatallbulliesare—insecureand
immature.Also,bulliestendedtoavoidanyonetougherthanthem,soitwasonly
logicalthatifAphroditewasgoingtocallspiritsintoacircleitmeantthattheywere
harmless,probablyevennice.Aphroditewasdefinitelynotgoingtofacedownabig,
bad,boogiemonster.
OranythingastrulyfreakyaswhatElliotthadbecome.
Istartedtorelaxintowelcomingwhatwasalreadybecomingafamiliarhumof
powerasthefourDarkDaughterstookcandlesthatcorrespondedtotheelementthey
wererepresenting,andthenmovedtothecorrectareaofthemini-circleinthegazebo.
Aphroditesummonedwind,andmyhairliftedgentlyinabreezethatonlyIcouldfeel.
Iclosedmyeyes,lovingtheelectricitythattingledacrossmyskin.Actually,inspite
ofAphroditeandthestuck-upDarkDaughters,Iwasalreadyenjoyingthebeginning
oftheritual.AndErikwasstandingbesideme,whichhelpedmenottocarethatno
oneelsetherewouldtalktome.
Irelaxedmore,certainsuddenlythatthefuturewasn'tgoingtobethatbad.I'd
makeupwithmyfriends,we'dfigureouttogetherwhatthehellwasgoingonwiththe
weirdghosts,andmaybeI'devengetatotallyhotboyfriend.Everythingwouldbe
okay.IopenedmyeyesandwatchedAphroditemovearoundthecircle.Eachelement
sizzledthroughme,andIwonderedhowErikcouldstandsoclosetomeandnot
noticeit.Ievensnuckapeekathim,halfexpectinghimtobestaringatmeasthe
elementsplayedovermyskin,but,likeeveryoneelse,hewaslookingatAphrodite.
(Whichwasactuallyannoying—wasn'thesupposedtobesneakinglooksatme,too?)
ThenAphroditebegantheritualofsummoningoftheancestralspirits,andevenI
couldn'tkeepmyattentionfromher.Shestoodatthetable,holdingalongbraidof
driedgrassoverthepurplespiritflame,sothatitlitquickly.Sheallowedittoburnfor
alittlewhile,andthenblewitout.Shewaveditgentlyaroundherasshebeganto
speak,fillingtheareawithtendrilsofsmoke.Isniffed,recognizingthescentofsweet
grass,oneofthemostsacredofceremonialherbsbecauseitattractedspiritualenergy.
Grandmauseditofteninherprayers.ThenIfrownedandfeltatendrilofworry.
Sweetgrassshouldbeusedonlyaftersagehasbeenburnedtocleanseandpurifythe
area;ifnot,itmightattractanyenergy—and"any"didn'talwaysmeangood.Butit
wastoolatetosayanything,evenifIcouldhavestoppedtheceremony.Shehad
alreadybeguncallingtothespirits,andhervoicehadtakenonaneerie,singsong
qualitythatwassomehowintensifiedbythesmokethatcurledthicklyaroundher.
OnthisSamhainnight,hearmyancientcallallyouspiritsofourancestors.
OnthisSamhainnight,letmyvoicecarrywiththissmoketotheOtherworldwhere
brightspiritsplayinthesweetgrassmistsofmemory.OnthisSamhainnightIdonot
callthespiritsofourhumanancestors.No,Iletthemsleep;Ihavenoneedforthem
inlifeorindeath.OnthisSamhainnightIcallmagicalancestors—mystical
ancestors—thosewhowereoncemorethanhuman,andwho,indeath,aremorethan
human.
Completelyentranced,Iwatchedwitheveryoneelseasthesmokeswirledand
changedandbegantotakeonforms.AtfirstIthoughtIwasseeingthings,andItried
toblinkmyvisionclear,butsoonIunderstoodwhatIwasseeinghadnothingtodo
withblurryvision.Therewerepeopleformingwithinthesmoke.Theywereindistinct,
moreliketheoutlinesofbodiesthanactualbodiesthemselves,butasAphrodite
continuedtowavethesweetgrasstheygrewmoresubstantial,andthensuddenlythe
circlewasfilledwithspectralfiguresthathaddark,cavernouseyesandopenmouths.
Theydidn'tlookanythinglikeElizabethorElliott.Actually,theylooked
exactlyasIimaginedghostswould—smokyandtransparentandcreepy.Isniffedthe
air.Nope,Idefinitelydidn'tsmellanyoldbasementyuckiness.
Aphroditeputdownthestill-smokinggrassandpickedupthegoblet.Even
fromwhereIwaswatching,itseemedthatshelookedunusuallypale,asthoughshe
hadtakenonsomeofthephysicalcharacteristicsoftheghosts.Herreddresswas
almostpainfullybrightwithinthecircleofsmokeandgrayandmist.
"Igreetyou,ancestralspirits,andaskthatyouacceptourofferingofwineand
bloodsothatyoumayrememberwhatitistotastelife."Sheliftedthegoblet,andthe
smokyshapeschurnedandroiledwithobviousexcitement."Igreetyou,ancestral
spirits,andwithintheprotectionofmycircleI—”
"Zo!IknewI'dfindyouifItriedhardenough!”
Heath'svoiceslicedthroughthenight,cuttingoffAphrodite'swords.
CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT
"Heath!Whatinthehellareyoudoinghere!”
"Well,youdidn'tcallmeback.”Oblivioustoeveryoneelse,hehuggedme.I
didn'tneedthebrightlightofthemoonformetoseehisbloodshoteyes."Imissed
you,Zo!"heblurted,waftingbeerbreathalloverme.
"Heath.Youneedtogo—”
"No.Lethimstay,"Aphroditeinterruptedme.
Heath'sgazeswiveleduptoher,andIimaginedwhatshemustlooklike
throughhiseyes.Shestoodinthepooloflightmadebythegazebo'sspotlights
shiningthroughthesweetgrasssmoke,illuminatingheralmostasthoughshewas
underwater.Herredsilkdressclungtoherbody.Herblondhairwasthickandheavy
downherback.Herlipsweretiltedupinamean-lookingsmile,whichI'msureHeath
wouldmisunderstandandthinkshewasbeingnice.Actually,heprobablywouldn't
evennoticethesmokyghoststhathadstoppedhoveringaroundthegobletandhad
nowturnedtheirblankeyestowardhim.Healsowouldn'tnoticethatAphrodite's
voicehadaweird,hollowsoundtoitandthathereyeswereglassyandstaring.Hell,
knowingHeathhewouldn'tnoticeanythingexceptherbigboobies.
"Cool,avampyrechick,"Heathsaid,totallyprovingmeright.
"Gethimoutofhere.”Erik'svoicewastightwithworry.
HeathtorehiseyesfromAphrodite'sboobstoglareatErik."Who'reyou?”
Ah,crap.Irecognizedthattone.ItwastheoneHeathusedwhenhewas
gettingreadytohaveajealousfit.(Anotherreasonhewasmyex.)
"Heath,youneedtogetoutofhere,”Isaid.
"No."Hesteppedclosertomeandputhisarmpossessivelyaroundmy
shoulders,buthedidn'tlookatme.HekeptstaringdownErik."Icametoseemy
girlfriend,andI'mgonnaseemygirlfriend.”
IignoredthefactthatIcouldfeelHeath'spulsewherehisarmrestedagainst
myshoulders.Insteadofdoingsomethingutterlygrossanddisturbing,likebitinginto
hiswrist,Ishruggedoffhisarmandthenyankedatitsohehadtofacemeandnot
Erik.
"Iamnotyourgirlfriend.”
"Aw,Zo,you'rejustsayin'that.”
Igrittedmyteeth.God,hewasdumb.(Yetanotherreasonhewasmyex.)
"Areyoustupid?"Eriksaid.
"Look,youbloodsuckingfuck,I'm—"Heathbegantosay,butAphrodite's
strangelyechoingvoicedrownedhimout.
"Comeuphere,human.”
Likeoureyesweremagnetstoherfreakyattraction,Heath,Erik,andI(and,
forthatmatter,therestoftheDarkDaughtersandSons)staredupather.Herbody
lookedweird.Wasitpulsing?Howcouldit?Sheflippedbackherhairandranone
handdownherbodylikeanastystripper,cuppingherbreastandthenmovingdownto
rubbetweenherlegs.Herotherhandliftedandshecurledherfinger,beckoning
Heath.
"Cometome,human.Letmetasteyou.”
Thiswasbad;thiswaswrong.Somethingterriblewasgoingtohappento
Heathifhewentupthereandsteppedwithinthatcircle.
Totallyentrancedbyher,Heathlurchedforwardwithoutanyhesitation(or
commonsense).Igrabbedoneofhisarms,andwaspleasedtoseeErikgrabhisother.
"Stopit,Heath!Iwantyoutogo.Now.Youdon'tbelonghere.”
Withaneffort,HeathpulledhiseyesfromAphrodite.Hejerkedhisarmfrom
Erik'sgripandpracticallygrowledathim.Thenheturnedonme.
"You'recheatingonme!”
"Canyounotlisten?It'simpossibleformetocheatonyou.Wearenot
together!Nowgetoutof—”
"Ifherefusesoursummons,thenweshallgotohim.”
MyheadjerkeduptoseeAphrodite'sbodyconvulseasgraywispsseepedout
ofher.Sheletoutagaspthatwasacrossbetweenasobandascream.Thespirits,
includingtheonesthathadobviouslybeenpossessingher,rushedtotheedgeofthe
circle,pressingagainstitinanefforttobreakfreeandgettoHeath.
"Stopthem,Aphrodite.Ifyoudon'tthey'llkillhim!"Damienshoutedashe
steppedoutfrombehindanornamentalhedgethatframedthepond.
"Damien,what—"Ibegan,butheshookhishead.
"Notimetoexplain,"hetoldmequicklybeforeturninghisattentionbackto
Aphrodite."Youknowwhattheyare,"hecalleduptoher."Youhavetocontainthem
inthecircleorhe'lldie.”
Aphroditewassopaleshelookedlikeaghostherself.Shemovedawayfrom
thesmokyshapesthatwerestilltryingtopushagainsttheinvisibleboundaryofthe
circle,untilshewaspressedagainstoneedgeofthetable.
"Iwon'tstopthem.Iftheywanthim,theycanhavehim.Betterhimthanme—
oranyoftherestofus,"Aphroditesaid.
"Yeah,wedon'twantanypartofthiskindofshit!"saidTerriblebefore
droppinghercandle,whichsputteredandwentout.Withoutanotherword,sheranout
ofthecircleanddownthegazebostairs.Theotherthreegirlswhoweresupposedto
bepersonifyingtheelementsfollowedherlead,disappearingquicklyintothenight
andleavingtheircandlesoverturnedandunlit.
Horrified,Iwatchedoneofthegrayshapesbegintomeltthroughthecircle.
Thesmokethatwashisspectralbodybeganseepingdownthestairs,remindingmeof
asnakeasitslitheredinourdirection.IfelttheDarkDaughtersandSonsstirand
glancedaroundme.Theywerenervouslybackingaway,looksoffeartwistingtheir
faces.
"It'suptoyou,Zoey.”
"StevieRae!”
Shewasstandingunsteadilyinthemiddleofthecircle.She'dthrownoffthe
capethathadcoveredher,andIcouldseethewhitelinenbandagesonherwrists.
"Itoldyouweneededtosticktogether."Shesmiledweaklyatme.
"Betterhurry,"Shauneesaid.
"Thoseghostsarescaringtheshitrightouttayourex,"Erinsaid.
IlookedovermyshouldertoseetheTwinsstandingbesidethewhite-faced,
open-mouthedHeath,andIfeltajoltofpurehappiness.Theyhadn'tabandonedme!I
wasn'talone!
"Let'sgetthisdone,"Isaid."Keephimhere,"ItoldErik,whowasstaringat
mewithobviousshock.
Withoutneedingtolookbacktobesuremyfriendswerefollowingme,I
hurriedupthesteepstairstotheghost-filledgazebo.WhenIreachedtheboundaryof
thecircleIhesitatedforasecond.Thespiritswereslowlydissolvingthroughit,their
attentioncompletelyfocusedonHeath.Itookadeepbreathandsteppedinsidethe
invisiblebarrier,feelinganawfulchillasthedeadbrushedrestlesslyagainstmyskin.
"Youhavenorighttobehere.Thisismycircle,"Aphroditesaid,pulling
herselftogetherenoughtowrinkleherlipatmeandblockmywaytothetableandthe
spiritcandle,whichwastheonlyonestilllit.
"Wasyourcircle.Nowyouneedtoshutupandmove,"Itoldher.
Aphroditenarrowedhereyesatme.
Ah,crap.Ireallydidn'thavetimeforthis.
"Bobble-head,youneedtodowhatZoeysays.Ihavebeendyingtokickthe
shitouttayoufortwoyears,"Shauneesaid,movinguptostandbesideme.
"Me,too,younastyhobag,"Erinsaid,steppinguptomyotherside.
BeforetheTwinscouldpounceonher,Heath'sscreamshatteredthenight.I
whirledaround.MistwascrawlingupHeath'slegs,leavinglong,thintearsinhis
jeansthatinstantlybegantoweepblood.Panicked,hewaskickingandshrieking.Erik
hadn'trunaway,butwashittingatthemist,too,eventhoughwheneversomeofit
stuckonhimitrippedhisclothesandtoreopenhisskin.
"Fast!Takeyourplaces,"Iyelledbeforetheseductivesmelloftheirblood
couldmesswithmyconcentration.
Myfriendsrantothedesertedcandles.Hastilytheypickedthemupandwaited
intheproperpositions.
ImovedaroundAphrodite,whowasstaringatHeathandErik,withherhand
pressedagainsthermouthasiftoholdbackherscreams.Igrabbedthepurplecandle
andrushedovertoDamien.
"Wind!Isummonyoutothiscircle,"Iyelled,touchingthepurplecandleto
theyellowone.Iwantedtocrywithreliefwhenthefamiliarwhirlwindsuddenly
sprangup,swirlingaroundmybodyandliftingmyhaircrazily.
ShieldingthepurplecandlewithmyhandIrantoShaunee.
"Fire!Isummonyoutothiscircle!"HeatflaredwiththewhirlingairasIlitthe
redcandle.Ididn'tpause,butkeptmovingclockwisearoundthecircle."Water!I
summonyoutothiscircle!"Theseawasthere,saltyandsweetatthesametime.
"Earth!Isummonyoutothiscircle!"ItouchedtheflametoStevieRae'scandle,trying
nottoflinchatthebandagesthatcoveredherwrists.Shewasabnormallypale,butshe
grinnedwhentheairfilledwiththescentoffreshlycuthay.
Heathscreamedagain,andIrushedbacktothecenterofthecircleandlifted
thepurplecandle."Spirit!Isummonyoutothiscircle!"Energysizzledintome.I
glancedaroundattheboundaryofmycircleand,sureenough,Icouldseetheribbon
ofpowermarkingitscircumference.Iclosedmyeyesforaninstant.Oh,thankyou,
Nyx!
ThenIputthecandledownonthetableandgrabbedthegobletofbloody
wine.IturnedtofaceHeathandErikandtheghostlyhorde.
"Hereisyoursacrifice!"Iyelled,sloshingtheliquidinthegobletinamessy
arcaroundme,sothatitmadeablood-coloredcircleonthegazebofloor."You
weren'tcalledheretokill.Youwerecalledherebecauseit'sSamhainandwewanted
tohonoryou."Ispilledmorewine,tryinghardtoignoretheseductivescentoffresh
bloodmixedwithwine.
Theghostspausedintheirattack.Ifocusedonthem,notwantingtodistract
myselfwiththeterrorinHeath'seyesandthepaininErik's.
"Wepreferthiswarmyoungblood,Priestess."Theeerievoiceechoedupto
me,sendingchillsovermyskin.IswearIcouldsmellhisrottingflesh-scentedbreath.
Iswallowedhard."Iunderstandthat,butthoselivesaren'tyourstotake.
Tonightisanightforcelebration,notfordeath."
"Andyetwechoosedeath—itisdearesttous."Ghostlylaughterfloated
throughtheairwiththetaintedsmokeofsweetgrass,andthespiritsbeganto
convergeagainonHeath.
Ithrewdownthegobletandraisedmyhands."ThenI'mnotaskinganymore;
I'mtellingyou.Wind,fire,water,earth,andspirit!IcommandinNyx'snamethatyou
closethiscircle,pullingbacktoitthedeadwhohavebeenallowedtoescape.Now!”
Heatsurgedthroughmybodyandshotfrommyoutstretchedhands.Inarush
ofsalt-scentedwindthatwasburninghot,ashininggreenmistwhooshedfromme
downthestairstowhiparoundHeathandErik,makingtheirclothesandhairflaplike
mad.Themagicalwindcaughtthesmokyshapesandtorethemfromtheirvictims,
andwithadeafeningroar,itsuckedthembackintotheboundaryofmycircle.
SuddenlyIwassurroundedbyghostlyshapes,fromwhichIcouldfeeldangerand
hungerpulsing,asclearlyasIhadfeltHeath'sbloodearlier.Aphroditewascurledup
onthechair,coweringfromthespecters.Oneofthembrushedagainstherandshelet
outalittleshriek,whichseemedtostirthemupevenmore,andtheypressedviolently
aroundme.
"Zoey!"StevieRaecriedmyname,hervoiceshrillwithfear.Isawhertakea
hesitantsteptowardme.
"No!"Damiensnapped."Don'tbreakthecircle.Theycan'thurtZoey—they
can'thurtanyofus,thecircleistoostrong.Butonlyifwedon'tbreakit.”
"We'renotgoinganywhere,"Shauneecalled.
"Nope.Ilikeitrighthere,"Erinsaid,soundingonlyalittlebreathless.
Ifelttheirloyaltyandtrustandacceptancelikeasixthelement.Itfilledme
withconfidence.Istraightenedmyspineandlookedattheswirling,angryghosts.
"So—we'renotleaving.Whichmeansyouguyshavegottogo.”
Ipointeddownatthespilledbloodandwine."Takeyoursacrificeandgetout
ofhere.It'sallthebloodthatisowedtoyoutonight.”
Thesmokyhordepausedintheirseething.IknewIhadthem.Idrewadeep
breathandfinishedit.
"WiththepoweroftheelementsIcommandyou:Go!”
Suddenly,asthoughaninvisiblegiantslappedthemdown,theydissolvedinto
thewine-soakedfloorofthegazebo,somehowabsorbingtheblood-tingedliquidand
makingitdisappearwiththem.
Ibreathedalong,raggedsighofrelief.Automatically,IturnedtoDamien.
"Thankyou,wind.Youmaydepart.”Hestartedtoblowouthiscandle,but
didn'tneedto,alittlepuffofwind,whichfeltsurprisinglyplayful,diditforhim.
Damiengrinnedatme.Andthenhiseyesgothugeandround.
"Zoey!YourMark!”
"What?"Iliftedmyhandtomyforehead.Ittingled,asdidmyshouldersand
myneck(whichfigured,Ialwaysgetshoulder/neckacheswhenI'mover-stressed),
plusmywholebodywasstillhummingwiththeaftereffectsofelementalpower,soI
hadn'tevennoticedit.
Hisshockedlookchangedtohappiness."Finishclosingthecircle.Thenyou
canuseoneofErin'smanymirrorstoseewhat'shappened.”
IturnedtoShauneetosaygood-byetofire.
"Wow…amazing,"Shauneesaid,staringatme.
"Hey,howdidyouknowIhavemorethanonemirrorinmypurse?"Erinwas
complainingfromacrossthecircleatDamienwhenIturnedtoherandsentwater
away.Hereyesgotbigwhenshecaughtagoodlookatme,too."Holyshit!"shesaid.
"Erin,youreallyshouldn'tcurseinasacredcircle.Y'allknowit'snot—"
StevieRaewassayinginhersweetOkietwangwhenIturnedtosaygood-byeto
earth,andherwordsweresuddenlycutoffasshegasped,"Oh,mygoodness!”
Isighed.Hell,whatnow?Iwentbacktothetableandliftedthespiritcandle.
"Thankyou,spirit.Youmaydepart,"Isaid.
"Why?"Aphroditestoodupsoabruptlythatsheknockedoverthechair.Like
everyoneelse,shewasstaringatmewitharidiculouslyshockedexpression."Why
you?Whynotme?”
"Aphrodite,whatareyoutalkingaboutnow?”
"She'stalkingaboutthis."Erinhandedmeacompactshepulledoutofthechic
leatherpurseshealwayshadslungoverhershoulder.
Iopeneditandlooked.AtfirstIdidn'tunderstandwhatIwasseeing—itwas
tooforeign,toosurprising.Then,frommyside,StevieRaewhispered,"It's
beautiful…”
AndIrealizedshewasright.Itwasbeautiful.MyMarkhadbeenaddedto.A
delicateswirloflace-likesapphiretattooingframedmyeyes.Notasintricateand
largeasanadultvamp,butunheardofinafledgling.Iletmyfingerstracethecurling
design,thinkingthatitlookedlikesomethingthatshoulddecoratethefaceofan
exoticforeignprincess…ormaybetheHighPriestessofagoddess.AndIstaredhard
atthemethatwasn'treallyme—thisstrangerwhowasbecomingmoreandmore
familiar.
"Andthat'snotallZoey.Lookatyourshoulder,"Damiensaidsoftly.
Iglanceddownatthedeep,off-the-shouldernecklineofmycooldressandfelt
ajoltofshocksurgethroughmybody.Myshoulderwastattooed,too.Stretchingfrom
myneck,downmyshoulderandback,weresapphiretattoosinaswirlingpattern
muchlikethatonmyface,onlythebluemarksonmybodylookedevenmoreancient,
evenmoremysterious,becausetheywereinterspersedwithletter-likesymbols.
Mymouthopened,butwordswouldn'tcomeout.
"Z,heneedshelp."ErikbrokethroughmyshockandIlookedupfrommy
shouldertoseehimstumblingintothegazebo,halfcarryinganunconsciousHeath.
"Whatever.Leavehimhere,"Aphroditesaid."Someonewillfindhiminthe
morning.Weneedtogetoutofherebeforetheguardswakeup.”
Iwhirledonher."Andyouaskwhymeandnotyou?MaybebecauseNyxis
sickandtiredofyoubeingselfish,spoiled,indulged,hateful…"Ipaused,sopissedI
couldn'tthinkofanymoreadjectives.
"Nasty!"ErinandShauneeaddedtogether.
"Yeah,andanastybully."Itookastepclosertoherandgotallinherface.
"ThiswholeChangeishardenoughwithoutsomeonelikeyou.Unlesswewanttobe
your"—IglancedupatDamienandsmiled—"yoursycophants,youmakeusfeellike
wedon'tbelong—likewe'renothing.That'sover,Aphrodite.Whatyoudidtonight
wastotally,completelywrong.YoualmostcausedHeathtodie.AndmaybeevenErik
andwhoknowswhoelse,anditwasallbecauseofyourselfishness.”
"Itwasn'tmyfaultyourboyfriendtrackedyouhere,"sheyelled.
"No,Heathwasn'tyourfault,butthat'stheonlythingthatwasn'tyourfault
tonight.Itwasyourfaultthatyourso-calledfriendswouldn'tstandbyyouandkeep
thecirclestrong.Anditwasyourfaultthatnegativespiritsfoundthecircletobegin
with."Shelookedconfused,whichpissedmeoffevenmore."Sage,youhatefulhag!
You'resupposedtousesagetoclearoutnegativeenergybeforeyouusesweetgrass.
Andit'snotsurprisingthatyoudrewsuchhorridspirits.”
"Yeah,'causeyou'rehorrid,"StevieRaesaid.
"Youdon'thaveshittosayaboutit,refrigerator,"Aphroditesneered.
"No!"Iputmyfingerinherface."Thisrefrigeratorcrapisthefirstthingthat's
ending.”
"Oh,sonowyou'regoingtopretendthatyoudon'tcravethetasteofblood
morethananyofus?”
Iglancedupatmyfriends.Theymetmyeyeswithoutflinching.Damien
smiledencouragement.StevieRaenoddedatme.TheTwinswinked.AndIrealized
thatI'dbeenafool.Theyweren'tgoingtoshunme.Theyweremyfriends;Ishould
havetrustedthemmore,evenifIhadn'tlearnedtotrustmyselfyet.
"We'llalleventuallycraveblood,"Isaidsimply."Orwe'lldie.Butthatdoesn't
makeusmonsters,andit'stimetheDarkDaughtersstoppedactingthepart.You're
finished,Aphrodite.You'renolongerleaderoftheDarkDaughters.”
"AndIsupposeyouthinkthatnowyou'retheleader?”
Inodded."Iam.Ididn'tcometotheHouseofNightaskingforthesepowers.
AllIwantedwasaplacetofitin.Well,IguessthisisNyx'swayofansweringmy
prayer.”Ismiledatmyfriendsandtheygrinnedbackatme."Clearly,theGoddesshas
asenseofhumor.”
"Youstupidbitch,youcan'tjusttakeovertheDarkDaughters.OnlyaHigh
Priestesscanchangetheirleadership.”
"Convenient,then,thatIamhere,isn'tit?"Neferetsaid.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
Neferetsteppedfromtheshadowsandintothegazebo,movingquicklyto
HeathandErik.First,shetouchedErik'sfaceandcheckedthebloodyslashmarkson
hisarmsfromwherehe'dstruggledfutilelytotrytopulltheghostsoffHeath.Asshe
passedherhandsoverhiswoundsIcouldactuallyseetheblooddrying.Erikbreathed
asighofrelief,likehispainhaddisappeared.
"Thesewillheal.CometotheinfirmarywhenwegetbacktoschoolandI'll
giveyousomesalvethatwilllessenthestingfromyourwounds."Shepattedhis
cheekandheblushedbrightred."Youshowedthebraveryofavampyrewarriorwhen
youstayedtoprotecttheboy.Iamproudofyou,ErikNight,asistheGoddess.”
Ifeltarushofpleasureatherapproval;Iwasproudofhim,too.ThenIheard
murmuredagreementallaroundmeandrealizedthattheDarkDaughtersandSons
hadreturnedandwerecrowdingthestairsofthegazebo.Howlonghadtheybeen
watching?NeferetturnedherattentiontoHeath,andIforgotabouteveryoneelse.She
liftedthetornlegsofhisjeansandexaminedthebloodymarksthereandonhisarms.
Thenshecuppedhispale,rigidfaceinherhandsandclosedhereyes.Iwatchedhis
bodystiffenevenmoreandconvulse,andthenhesighedand,likeErik,herelaxed.
Afteramoment,helookedlikehewassleepingpeacefullyinsteadoffightingsilently
againstdeath.Stillonherkneesbesidehim,Neferetsaid,"Hewillrecover,andhe
willremembernothingofthisnightexceptthathegotdrunkandthenlosttryingto
findhisex-almost-girlfriend.”Shelookedupatmeasshesaidthelastofit,hereyes
kindandfilledwithunderstanding.
"Thankyou,"Iwhispered.
Neferetnoddedslightlytome,beforeshestoodtoconfrontAphrodite.
"Iamasresponsibleforwhathappenedheretonightasyouare.Ihaveknown
foryearsofyourselfishness,butIchosetooverlookit,hopingthatageandthetouch
oftheGoddesswouldmatureyou.Iwaswrong.”Neferet'svoicetookontheclear,
powerfulqualityofacommand."Aphrodite,Iofficiallyreleaseyoufromyour
positionasleaderoftheDarkDaughtersandSons.Youarenolongerintrainingfor
HighPriestess.Youarenownodifferentthananyotherfledgling."Withoneswift
movement,Neferetreachedout,graspedthesilverandgarnetnecklaceofrankthat
dangledbetweenAphrodite'sbreasts,andtoreitfromherneck.
Aphroditedidn'tmakeasoundbutherfacewaschalkyandshestared
unblinkinglyatNeferet.
TheHighPriestessturnedherbackonAphroditeandapproachedme."Zoey
Redbird,IknewyouwerespecialfromthedayNyxletmeforeseethatyouwouldbe
Marked."Shesmiledatmeandputafingerundermychin,liftingmyheadsothatshe
couldgetabetterlookatthenewadditiontomyMark.Thenshebrushedmyhair
asidesothatthetattoosthathadappearedonmyneck,shoulders,andbackcouldalso
beseen.IheardtheDarkDaughtersandSonsgaspasthey,too,gottheirfirstlookat
myunusualMarks."Extraordinary,trulyextraordinary,”shebreathed,lettingherhand
fallbacktohersideasshecontinued."Tonightyoushowedthewisdomofthe
Goddess'schoiceingiftingyouwithspecialpowers.Youhaveearnedthepositionof
LeaderoftheDarkDaughtersandSonsandHighPriestessintraining,throughyour
Goddess-givengiftsaswellasthroughyourcompassionandwisdom."Shehanded
meAphrodite'snecklace.Itfeltheavyandwarminmyhands."Wearthismorewisely
thandidyourpredecessor."Thenshemadeatrulyamazinggesture.Neferet,High
PriestessofNyx,salutedme,fistcrossedoverherheart,headbowedformally,with
thevampyresignofrespect.EveryonearoundusexceptAphroditemimickedher.
Tearsblurredmyvisionasmyfourfriendsgrinnedatmeandbowedwiththeother
DarkDaughtersandSons.
ButeveninthemidstofsuchperfecthappinessIfelttheshadowofconfusion.
HowcouldIhaveeverdoubtedthatIcouldtellNeferetanything?
"Gobacktotheschool.I'lltakecareofwhatneedstobedonehere,"Neferet
toldme.Shehuggedmequicklyandwhisperedintomyear,"Iamsoveryproudof
you,Zoeybird."Thenshegavemealittlepushinthedirectionofmyfriends.
"WelcomethenewLeaderoftheDarkDaughtersandSons!"shesaid.
Damien,StevieRae,Shaunee,andErinledthecheering.Andtheneveryone
surroundedmeanditseemedthatIwaswashedfromthegazeboinanexuberantwave
oflaughterandcongratulations.Inoddedandsmiledatmynew"friends,"butIwasn't
afool.SilentlyIremindedmyselfthatonlymomentsbeforetheyhadbeenagreeing
witheverythingAphroditehadsaid.
Itwoulddefinitelytakeawhiletochangethings.
WegottothebridgeandIremindedmynewchargesthatwe'dhavetobequiet
aswemadeourwaybackthroughtheneighborhoodtotheschool,andImotionedfor
themtogoonaheadofme.WhenStevieRae,Damien,andtheTwinsstartedtocross
thebridgeIwhispered,"No,youguyswalkwithme.”
Grinningsobroadlytheylookedgoofy,thefourofthemstoodaroundme.I
metStevieRae'sbrightgaze."Youshouldn'thavevolunteeredtobetherefrigerator.I
knowhowscaredyouwere.”StevieRae'sgrinfadedatthereprimandinmyvoice.
"ButifIhadn't,wewouldn'thaveknownwheretheritualwasgoingtobe,
Zoey.IdiditsoIcouldtext-messageDamien,andheandtheTwinscouldmeetme
here.Weknewyou'dneedus.”
Iheldupmyhandsandshestoppedtalking,butshelookedlikeshewasgoing
tocry.Ismiledgentlyather."Youdidn'tletmefinish.Iwasgoingtosaythatyou
shouldn'thavedoneit,butI'msogladyoudid!"Ihuggedher,andsmiledthrough
tearsattheotherthreeofthem."Thankyou—I'mgladyouwereallthere.”
"Hey,Z,that'swhatfriendsdo,"Damiensaid.
"Yep,"saidShaunee.
"Exactly,"saidErin.
Andtheyclosedaroundmeinagiant,smotheringgrouphug—whichItotally
loved.
"Hey,canIgetinonthis?”
IlookeduptoseeErikstandingnearby.
"Well,yes,youabsolutelymay,"Damiensaidbrightly.
StevieRaedissolvedintogiggles,andShauneesighedandsaid,"Giveitup,
Damien.Wrongteam,remember?"ThenErinpushedmeoutofthecenterofthe
groupandtowardErik."Givetheguyahug.Hedidtrytosaveyourboyfriend
tonight,"shesaid.
"Myex-boyfriend,"Isaidquickly,steppingintoErik'sarms,morethanalittle
overwhelmedbythemixtureofthescentofthefreshbloodstillclingingtohimand
thefactthathewas,well,huggingme.Then,toaddtoeverythingelse,Erikkissedme
sohardthatIswearIthoughtthetopofmyheadwouldspinoff.
"Please,justplease,"IheardShauneesay.
"Getaroom!"Erinsaid.
DamiengiggledasIsteppedself-consciouslyoutofErik'sarms."I'm
starving,"StevieRaesaid."Thisrefrigeratorstuffmakesyouhungry.”
"Well,let'sgogetyousomethingtoeat,"Isaid.
MyfriendsstartedoverthebridgeandIcouldhearShauneebickeringwith
Damienaboutwhetherweshouldhavepizzaorsandwiches.
"MindifIwalkwithyou?"Erikasked.
"Nah,I'mgettingusedtoit,"Isaid,smilingupathim.
Helaughedandwalkedontothebridge.ThenfromthedarknessbehindmeI
heardaverydistinct,veryannoyed,"me-eeh-uf-ow!”
"Goon,I'llcatchupwithyouguysinaminute,"ItoldErikandthenIwalked
backintotheshadowsattheedgeofthePhilbrook'slawn."Nala?Kitty,kitty,
kitty…,"Icalled.And,sureenough,adisgruntledballoffurtrottedoutofthebushes,
complainingtheentiretime.Ibentdownandpickedherupandsheinstantlystartedto
purr."Well,sillygirl,whydidyoufollowmeallthewayouthereifyoudon'tlike
walkingthatfar?Likeyouhaven'tbeenthroughenoughtonightalready,"Imurmured,
butbeforeIcouldheadbacktothebridge,Aphroditesteppedoutoftheshadowsand
blockedmyway.
"Youmighthavewontonight,butthisisn'tover,"shetoldme.Shemademe
feelreallytired.
"Iwasn'ttryingto'win'anything.Iwasjusttryingtomakethingsright.”
"Andthat'swhatyouthinkyoudid?"Hereyesdartednervouslybackandforth
frommetothepaththatledtothegazebo,asifsomeonehadfollowedher."Youdon't
reallyknowwhathappenedheretonight.Youwerejustbeingused—wewerealljust
beingused.We'repuppets,that'sallweare."SheangrilywipedatherfaceandI
realizedshewascrying.
"Aphrodite,itdoesn'thavetobelikethisbetweenus,"Isaidsoftly.
"Yesitdoes!"shesnapped."It'sthepartswe'resupposedtoplay.You'll
see…you'llsee.…"Aphroditestartedtowalkaway.
Athoughtdriftedunexpectedlyfrommymemory.ItwasofAphrodite,during
hervision.Asifitwashappeningagain,Icouldhearhersay,They'redead!No.No.
Thatcan'tbe!Notright.No.Notnatural!Idon'tunderstand…Idon't…You…you
know.Herscreamofterrorechoedeerilythroughmymind.IthoughtofElizabeth…of
Elliott…thefactthattheyhadappearedtome.Toomuchofwhatshesaidmadesense.
"Aphrodite,wait!"Shelookedoverhershoulderatme."Thevisionyouhad
todayinNeferet'soffice,whatwasitreallyabout?”
Slowly,sheshookherhead."It'sonlybeginning.It'sgoingtogetmuch
worse."Sheturnedandsuddenlyhesitated.Herwaywasblockedbyfivekids—my
friends.
"It'sokay,"Itoldthem."Lethergo.”
ShauneeandErinparted.Aphroditeliftedherhead,shookbackherhair,and
marchedpastthemasifsheownedtheworld.Iwatchedherwalkoverthebridge,my
stomachclenching.AphroditeknewsomethingaboutElizabethandElliott,and
eventuallyIwasgoingtohavetofindoutwhatitwas.
"Hey,"StevieRaesaid.
Ilookedatmyroommateandnewbestfriend.
"Whateverhappens,we'reinittogether.”
Ifelttheknotinmystomachrelease."Let'sgo,"Isaid.Surroundedbymy
friends,weallwenthome.
[end]
v1.0
[Scanned&Proofedbyslaingodfromdt.Ilostsomeofmyproofnotations
fromthefirsthalfofthebook,soIapologizethatthisisn’tuptomyusualquality.I
amalsoironingoutthekinksofanewscanningprocedurewithadifferentOCRapp
whichhasmoreissueswithoptionalhyphens,andotherpunctuation.]
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