by P. C. Cast
Aphrodite popped the pill into her mouth and swallowed it without anything to drink. “When I remember my dad, I’m going to remember a weak man who was bullied by my mom into being a shitty guy. I’m not sure I want to remember that. What are you going to remember about Erin? How you two split one brain for all that time, or how you two split up?”
“Seriously, Aphrodite, I’m real sorry your daddy died tonight, but that’s no reason for you to be mean to Shaunee,” Stevie Rae said.
“Stevie Rae, we all deal with death our own way,” Aphrodite explained, sounding way more patient than she felt. “My way is to just say things right out, and I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but I’m not being mean. I’m being real. So, which is it, Shaunee?”
“Both,” Shaunee said slowly. “I’m going to remember my Twin like she really was, not all good or all bad. Most people aren’t all of either.” She looked from Aphrodite to Zoey. “How do you remember your mom?”
Zoey’s sigh was long and sad. “I try to remember the vision Nyx gave me of her entering the Otherworld. She was at peace then, and that’s a good memory.”
“Well, I don’t have that option with my dad,” Aphrodite said. “I’m not sure where he is, but my best guess is it’s not Nyx’s Otherworld.”
“You may be surprised,” Thanatos said.
Aphrodite looked at her in obvious shock. “Are you telling me you saw his spirit enter the Otherworld?”
“No, I was not present at his death, and his spirit did not stay to communicate with me, but I can tell you that I sensed a great amount of peace lingering in the earth at the site of his death. I hope it helps you to know that when I sense such a strong presence of peace after a death it is because the spirit that has departed has been freed from a life of turmoil, tragedy, or sadness. I believe your father’s spirit was relieved to be free of this life, and he will come around again reborn into happier circumstances.”
Aphrodite blinked hard several times, and kept the tears from falling from her eyes. It took a long time for her to collect herself, but her friends waited patiently. When she finally spoke, her voice was shaky. “Th-thank you for telling me that, Thanatos. It does help. I honestly can’t remember a time when my dad was ever really happy. I hope—” She paused, cleared her throat, and then continued. “I hope he finds happiness next time around.”
“That will be my prayer to Nyx,” Thanatos said.
“Mine, too. And mine. Yeah, me, too,” echoed the others.
“Are we going to watch Erin’s body for the next few days?” Zoey’s question seemed to jar the room.
“That won’t be necessary,” Thanatos said.
“Well, I know this isn’t exactly a pleasant subject, but someone needs to say it.” Zoey spoke as if she didn’t notice, or care, that everyone was staring at her in horror.
Aphrodite hid a surprised smile. Wow, Z was really starting to sound like a proper bitchy High Priestess.
“Right here are two vampyres,” Z continued as she motioned toward Stark and Stevie Rae, “who as fledglings rejected the Change and ‘died,’” she air quoted. “Just like Erin ‘died’ tonight,” Zoey air quoted again. “And both of them un-died and came back as red fledglings within a couple of days. So, I think we need to—”
“Z, no,” Stevie Rae said, looking uncomfortable. “Erin’s not coming back.”
“Stevie Rae, I said this isn’t pleasant, but we have to deal with it,” Zoey bulldozed on. “Who is going to watch—”
“No one need watch the dead fledgling,” Thanatos cut Zoey off. “She is truly dead.”
“Thanatos saw her spirit enter the Otherworld,” Shaunee said quietly. “Nyx welcomed her.”
“I can promise you that Nyx didn’t welcome any of us when we died and then un-died,” Stevie Rae added.
“Nope, she didn’t,” Stark agreed.
“Erin is really dead,” Damien said.
“Okay, I just … well, I didn’t mean to sound cold or anything like that,” Zoey explained haltingly. “It’s just that I thought we needed to be sure.”
“We are sure,” Thanatos said.
“I’m with Z about telling it how it is, and I think we need to be sure about something else, too,” Aphrodite said. She met Thanatos’s wise gaze. “The circle expelled what looked like Neferet’s partially reformed body, and when she was kicked out of campus, she passed through Erin, and went out in the exact direction Dad was found. I think we need to find out for sure if Neferet killed both of them—Erin and Dad.”
Thanatos’s shoulders slumped. “I’m afraid there is no way to be completely certain, but Aphrodite’s supposition about who could be responsible for both deaths does makes sense. I felt the presence of death only moments before Zoey called to tell me about the spiders. That death could have been Erin’s rejection of the Change beginning, or it could have been Neferet attempting to manifest from the dead.” She looked questioningly around the group. “Did any of you notice whether Erin was showing signs of sickness before tonight? Did anyone hear her cough or say she had been unusually tired lately?”
“Why don’t you try asking somebody who really knew her and gave a shit about her?” Dallas said from the hallway outside the room where he stood, looking pissed off.
“Dallas, I am glad you have joined us. Come, sit, talk with us. When you are ready to see Erin’s body, and to bid her farewell, I will take you within, and tell you of the joyous welcome our Goddess gave your dear friend’s spirit as she entered the Otherworld this night,” Thanatos said.
“I don’t got anything to say to any of you. She was fine before that goddamned circle was cast! I didn’t want her to do it. I tried to stop her. I would’ve stopped her if Miss I’m the Boss of Everyone hadn’t told her Warrior to get me outta the way. I didn’t even know Erin had died until a few minutes ago when I finally busted outta that fucking closet.” Dallas’s eyes were hostile red slits. “I don’t know who you’re trying to blame for this massive fuck-up, but I can tell you that I know the truth, and so will everyone else here at the House of Night—Erin is dead because of some shit Zoey Redbird and her friends caused to happen in that circle tonight. She was fine until then, and if I would’ve been able to stop her, she’d still be fine!”
The lights in the waiting room began to flicker as Dallas’s anger became palpable.
“It’s past time for you to shut up, Dallas,” Stark said, rising to stand between the angry red vampyre and Zoey.
Darius joined him, shoulder to shoulder. “Erin rejected the Change. That didn’t have anything to do with Zoey’s circle.”
“She didn’t want you to stop her,” Shaunee had started to cry again. “She wanted to be part of our circle again.”
“She didn’t want shit to do with any of you!” Dallas yelled.
“You will not raise your voice in anger so soon after a young fledgling’s untimely death.” The strength within Thanatos’s voice had the lights steadying and Dallas taking a step back. “If you wish to bid your friend farewell with peace and love and respect, then you are welcome to do so. If you wish to spew anger and sow dissent, then you must leave, Dallas, and take your negative energy with you. It has no place at the bedside of one who has recently joined our Goddess.”
“I’ll tell Erin good-bye in my own way, and it won’t be with the people who caused her death!” Dallas growled the words, and with a sneer he backed several more steps away before turning and running from the infirmary.
“He’s gonna be a serious problem,” Stark said.
“He’s been a serious problem since he found out about Rephaim and me,” Stevie Rae said, chewing her lip. “That screwed him up.”
“That is not your fault,” Rephaim said, taking Stevie Rae’s hand.
“Yeah, well, I wish I didn’t feel like it was,” Stevie Rae murmured, leaning into her boyfriend. “It’s just that he used to be so sweet, and now he’s not just a douche, he’s a dangerous douche.” She looked at Thanatos. “I hate to say it
, but I have a feeling Erin’s death is going to be the excuse he needs to do something stupid like come after us.”
“Yeah, and with all of us being stuck together here on campus, Dallas and the asstards who follow him are going to be stirring up as much shit as they can,” Aphrodite said.
Stark’s intake of breath had the group turning to him. “Shit pot stirring—that’s the same thing that Neferet’s into. And we know that right before Neferet snatched Grandma Redbird, Dallas was in communication with her.”
“Which means if Neferet has managed to pull herself together enough to reform her body, chances are she’s going to contact Dallas again as a way to get the inside scoop on what’s going on at the House of Night,” Zoey finished for Stark.
“With Dallas blaming Erin’s death on us, he’ll be as happy as a vulture on a meat wagon to do anything he can to mess us up,” Stevie Rae said.
Aphrodite grimaced at Stevie Rae’s bumpkin analogy, but she had to agree with her logic. “The worst thing that could be done to mess us up would be to figure out a way to prove one of the House of Night vampyres killed my dad.”
“I believe your supposition is correct. Neferet killed your father. I also believe her manifestation may have caused Erin’s body so much trauma that it rejected the Change—so, quite literally, Neferet could be guilty of the taking of two precious lives tonight,” Thanatos said.
“She’ll be wanting to shove that guilt onto someone else,” Aphrodite said.
“Yep, she’ll be wanting to plant evidence to make it look like someone from here did it,” Z agreed with her. “Dallas would help her do that. There’s no doubt about it.”
“That must be prevented,” Thanatos said.
“How? This is a school, not a military fortress. It’s just not that tough to sneak in and out of here. We all know that—we’ve all done it. And we have to remember that Neferet knows her way around this school even better than we do,” Aphrodite said.
“Then my task is really rather simple. I must devise a way to prevent Neferet from entering our campus,” Thanatos said.
“Actually, you need to prevent more than just Neferet. I can see Dallas, or any of his disgusting friends, sneaking in and out and doing whatever batshit crazy thing Neferet has cooked up for them to do. She wouldn’t actually have to do anything; she likes to delegate. It makes her feel powerful,” Aphrodite said.
“Good point,” Z agreed.
“I will meditate on this, and until I have an answer I will be quite certain the school grounds are being patrolled diligently. Kalona and Aurox will not allow anyone to enter our campus during daylight hours.” Thanatos said. “In the meantime, it is almost dawn. You all need rest.”
Aphrodite stood up, and was surprised to feel the room rock slowly around her. Grateful the Xanax was beginning to work, she leaned against Darius’s strong arm. “Well, I’d say that I don’t want to sound like a bitch, but that would be a lie. I don’t care what I sound like. You and the rest of the School Council need to know that Darius is going to be staying with me in my old dorm room.” Aphrodite spoke to Thanatos in a firm, no nonsense voice that reminded her a little uncomfortably of her mother. “I know that’s against the rules, but so is kidnapping someone’s grandma, killing a human for no reason, and causing a fledgling to reject the Change and die—and that’s only three of the long list of rules that have been broken by the bad guys recently. So, I’m breaking a rule for the good guys. I don’t want to sleep without my Warrior, and I can promise you that Z feels the same way.” Aphrodite shot a humorous look at Stevie Rae. “The bumpkin would be insisting that she sleeps with her Bird Boy, but he’s going to be a bird and, apparently, she’s still refusing to put him in a cage at night—right, Stevie Rae?”
“I’m not talkin’ to you when you call Rephaim Bird Boy.” She frowned at Aphrodite.
“Yep, just as I thought. Still no cage. Anyway, we’ve been fighting evil and saving the effing world for months now, and I need my Warrior. I’m not sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. The end.”
There was a long pause while Thanatos and Aphrodite locked gazes, and then Thanatos said, “I believe there is precedence for Warriors to share the sleeping quarters of their Priestesses, especially if they believe their Priestesses could be in danger.”
“Z is always in danger,” Stark said quickly.
“As is my Prophetess,” Darius added, sliding a protective arm around her.
Aphrodite smiled. “I guess that settles that.”
“Stevie Rae, I know you’ll be sleeping alone as soon as the sun rises,” Shaunee spoke softly. “And if you wouldn’t mind too much, I’d really appreciate it if you stayed with me in the dorm room I used to share with Erin. I—I don’t think I can stay there by myself.”
“Oh, heck yeah, I’ll stay with you!” Stevie Rae said, hugging Shaunee. “But I’m gonna need to leave the window open for Rephaim.”
“We can do that,” Shaunee said. “No problem.”
“Just be sure you tie the blackout drapes into place so that no sun can get in during the day,” Zoey reminded her. She glanced at her watch. “How long until sunrise?”
“Twenty-four minutes,” Stevie Rae and Rephaim said together.
“Okay, you guys go get settled. Stark, go on up to my old room and do like I told Stevie Rae—be sure the drapes are tied closed. I’ll check up on the rest of our group and be sure they’re all set, at least for today,” Zoey said.
Aphrodite watched her. Z sounded normal, but there was something about her—an edge to her voice—an unusually strained look to her face—dark shadows under her eyes. All that didn’t quite add up to everyday Zoey. Everyday Zoey got tired, and even grumpy once in a while, but she always snapped out of it, and did what needed to be done. Aphrodite realized that the more closely she studied Z, the more she saw a girl who was doing what needed to be done, but who was obviously not snapping out of it.
“Z, why don’t you let Thanatos take care of tucking the kids in tonight. You pulled our circle together and kicked Neferet out of here. Using that kind of power drains you—physically and mentally. We’re not screw-ups hiding out and licking our wounds by ourselves anymore. It’s a pain in the ass to be stuck here, but there are good points to being stranded at our House of Night. No more calling for cheap pizza to be delivered down the street. Bow Boy, you need to take your girl by the kitchen and grab her something real to eat and drink before the sun turns you into toast,” Aphrodite said.
“I don’t need you to tell me how to take care of Z,” Stark snapped at her.
“Nice. That’s how you’re going to respond to decent advice? That’s real mature,” Aphrodite said, shaking her head woozily.
“If Darius wasn’t holding on to you, you’d be on your ass,” Stark said.
“Would you two stop bickering!” Zoey shouted, and then took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she continued. “Aphrodite’s right. I’m super tired and I need to eat.”
“Rest and restore your energy,” Thanatos told Zoey. Then she glanced from Aphrodite to Stark. “And your High Priestess is correct. Your bickering helps no one except those who wish to sow dissention amongst us.”
“Sorry,” Stark muttered to Aphrodite. “I get touchy when Z gets tired.”
“Apology accepted. And I get messed up when one of my parents gets killed,” Aphrodite leaned even more heavily against Darius. “Would you please take me to bed, handsome?”
“Gladly,” Darius said. He bowed respectfully to Thanatos, Zoey, and Stevie Rae, and then he practically carried Aphrodite from the room.
They were walking under the old oaks that shaded the grounds around the girls’ dormitory building when pain knifed through Aphrodite’s temples, blinding her. Her body jerked spasmodically, causing her to cry out and fall from Darius’s arms, where she crumpled against the earth as the vision violated her.
With great power come great responsibilities
Weigh the pleasure of leadership and luxur
y with the sword Damocles
When she believes the ancient is the key to all her needs
Then is when all will tumble down; then is when Light bleeds and bleeds…
Aphrodite was truly fucked. Not only was she having the killer of a headache and the blackout that came before one of her visions, she was also hearing poetry.
Goddess, she hated poetry.
Figurative language sucked hairy ball sacs, which was, indeed, personifying figurative language and therefore forcing her to use that which she hated to explain, that which she hated.
She would have laughed at herself, but the pain wouldn’t let her.
At the edge of her consciousness Aphrodite was aware that Darius was calling her name and stroking her hair.
He’ll keep me safe. Okay, Nyx, I’m ready for whatever you have to show me. Goddess, I’m glad I already took a Xanax. Wonder if this will earn me one more glass of wine when I’m back and—
Aphrodite’s consciousness was ripped from her body, exploding through her eyes with a force that broke blood vessels and caused her head to pulse with pain.
Not that she felt those sensations just then. Aphrodite’s spirit was following a slender silver ribbon of light that carried her away … away…
Aphrodite’s spirit dropped down into the vision, and into Zoey’s body.
Goddess, she hated experiencing terrible shit that happened to people, especially when those people were her friends. Aphrodite steeled herself and peered out of Zoey’s eyes.
Z was sitting in the cafeteria. It seemed like she was alone in there, except for Aurox. She was staring up into Aurox’s eyes, and he was calling her Zo and telling her to take a chill pill. Aphrodite felt the flood of Z’s emotions as his words awakened something within her. She was so confused and torn between what she wanted, and what she thought she should do, that Zoey’s insides felt like a cauldron of boiling emotions. Aphrodite could feel the heat of her emotions expanding from the center of Z’s chest, almost like they were actually burning her. She was wondering what the hell that was about, but then Z, along with Aphrodite, was tasting Aurox’s blood. So, pretty much everything else went out of her mind.