tempted | Page 9

Angela evensqueaked astartled gasp. I was starting to do exactly what I`d just promised myself I wouldn`tdo--run likehell, when one of the heads stopped screaming and stepped forward into the beamof theflashlight. Shit, Zoey! What is wrong with you? It`s just the Twins and me. You scared uscrapless, saidAphrodite. Aphrodite? My hand clutched my chest over my heart, trying to keep it frompounding out ofmy body. Of course it`s me, she said, marching past me in disgust. Goddess! Get a grip. The Twins were still standing in the tunnel. Erin was holding a thick pillar candle sotightly herknuckles were white. Shaunee was standing next to her, so close their shoulderswere smashedtogether. They looked frozen and big-eyed. Uh, hi, I said. I didn`t know you guys were down here. Shaunee thawed first. Ya think? She wiped a shaking hand delicately across herforehead andturned to Erin. Twin, did she scare me white?Erin blinked at her BFF. I don`t think that`s possible. She squinted at Shaunee. But no, shedidn`t. You`re still a gorgeous cappuccino. Erin`s hand that wasn`t holding thecandle flew upto her thick, golden hair and patted through it frantically. Did she make my hair fallout or turnunattractively and prematurely gray?I frowned at the Twins. Erin, your hair is not falling out or turning gray, andShaunee, youcannot be scared white. Jeesh, you guys scared me first, I said. Look, next time you need to chase off Neferet and Kalona, just scream like that, Erin said. Yeah, it makes you sound like you lost every bit of your damn mind, Shauneesaid as theyswept past me. I followed them out into the root cellar where Damien was fanning himself andlooking gayerthan usual, and Sister Mary Angela had just finished crossing herself. I set theflashlight butt enddown on a table crowded with stuff in glass jars that looked eerily like floatingfetuses in themurky light. So, really, what were you guys doing down here? I said. That Dallas kid told us this is how they got here from the depot, Shaunee said. He said it was cool down here and that Stevie Rae had made it, Erin said. So we thought we`d come down here and see for ourselves, Shaunee said. And why are you down here with the Twins? I asked Aphrodite. The Dynamic Duo needed protecting. Naturally they turned to me. How did you guys suddenly appear like that, anyway? Damien asked before Twinbickeringcould start. Easy-peasy. Erin walked quickly back down the tunnel, still carrying her candle. She turned toface us after she`d gotten just a few feet farther in than I`d been. The tunnel makesa sharp lefthere. She stepped to the side and her light disappeared, then she stepped backand reappeared. That`s why we didn`t see each other till the last second. It really is amazing that Stevie Rae somehow did this, Damien said. I noticed hedidn`t moveany closer to the tunnel, but stayed by the flashlight. Sister Mary Angela approached the entrance. She touched the side of the newlyhollowed outhole with reverence and said, Stevie Rae did this, but she did it with divineintervention. By divine intervention, ` are you talkin` `bout more of your the-Virgin-Mary-is-just-anotherform-of-Nyx stuff? Stevie Rae`s twang coming from the other side of the root cellarmade us alljump. Yes, child. That is exactly what I mean. I don`t wanna off end you, but that`s just about the weirdest thing I`ve ever heard, Stevie Raesaid. She walked over to us, and I thought she looked pale. As she got closer tome I smelledsomething strange, but her grin made her face change to her cute, familiar self. Z, did that bigol` girl scream I heard come from you?Uh, yeah. I couldn`t help grinning back at her. I was inside the tunnel and I didn`texpect torun into the Twins and Aphrodite. Well, that makes sense. Aphrodite is kinda booger monstery, Stevie Rae said. I laughed, and then, grabbing the opportunity to change the subject, I said, Uh, speaking ofmonsters, did you find any Raven Mockers left up there?Stevie Rae`s eyes shifted from mine. It`s all safe. Nothin` for you to worry about, she said quickly. I`m so glad, Sister Mary Angela was saying. Those creatures were such anabomination--mixing man and beast. She shivered. I`m relieved we are rid of them. But it wasn`t their fault, Stevie Rae said abruptly. Pardon me? The nun looked more than a little confused at Stevie Rae`sdefensive tone. They didn`t ask to be born like they were--all mixed up because of rape and evil. They reallywere victims. I don`t feel sorry for them, I said, wondering why Stevie Rae sounded like shewas standing upfor the nasty Raven Mockers. Damien shivered. Do we have to talk about them?Nope, we sure don`t, Stevie Rae said quickly. Good, and anyway, the reason I brought Zoey down here was to show