by P. C. Cast
When he saw that Zoey and Stark followed Darius into the room he had to stifle a groan of irritation. Though it seemed he and Zoey had come to a truce, things were not simple between the two of them. Stark, of course, had long been an annoyance. Kalona supposed it didn’t help the boy’s attitude that he had skewered and killed him in the Otherworld.
“Wow,” Zoey said, looking from Kalona to the glass sunflower and vase, and then to the huge tapestry that took up the entire wall behind him, which depicted a black ship with the prow of a roaring dragon. “It’s super weird to see all of Dragon’s stuff here, and you there.” She pointed at Kalona, sitting behind the Sword Master’s desk.
“It is disconcerting,” Darius said softly, as if he hadn’t wanted to comment, but couldn’t stop himself from speaking.
“More like disturbing,” Stark said. His voice was cocky, like he enjoyed baiting the immortal.
It is the sliver of immortality he shares with me that makes him so bold, and so annoying, Kalona thought. I wonder how bold the boy would be if he knew that sliver is also a conduit I can follow to his soul?
Kalona acted as if none of them had spoken, but made a mental note to get rid of the old Sword Master’s belongings. It was past time to make room for the new.
“You said you wished a word with me, Darius?”
“I do. We do,” Darius corrected.
“Do you know if the school has a basement?” Stark asked.
Kalona shook his head. “I have never seen it, but the House of Night is an old building and I suppose it would be logical if it did exist.”
“So you and Neferet have never been down there?” Zoey asked.
He met her gaze, looking for an ancient maiden deep within her dark eyes. “Being beneath the earth has proven to be a complicated experience for me, and one I usually have no desire to repeat.” Purposefully, Kalona made his voice teasing, deep, knowing.
“You’re missing the point of the question.” Stark took a protective step forward so that he was positioned between Kalona and Zoey.
Kalona’s smile mocked the boy. “Perhaps you are missing the point of my answer.”
“Yeah? I don’t think so. I think your answers are fucked up most of the time,” Stark said.
“Then stop asking for them.”
As Stark moved forward, reaching for the bow he habitually carried slung across his back, Zoey grabbed his wrist, pulling him back.
“This is not helping,” she said.
“He started it!” Stark shouted.
“He’s doing it on purpose because he knows he’ll get a reaction from you,” Zoey told him. Then she frowned at Kalona. “Stop it. Now. We need to talk to our school’s Warrior, not a smartass with wings.”
“Then first you should have muzzled your pet,” Kalona said placidly.
“No, first I should have told you there is a Tulsa news crew in the cafeteria filming fledglings being normal kids instead of bloodsucking demons, so we don’t have time to screw around with egos, which means I shouldn’t have to remind you that you are oath bound to protect our school as long as Death is our High Priestess—Thanatos is still our High Priestess; therefore you owe us your oath!” Zoey’s voice went from sounding like an irritated girl to being so filled with the power of spirit that the hairs on Kalona’s forearms lifted and his skin shivered in automatic response. “I’m here asking you a question that has to do with our safety. You will answer me and stop these stupid games.”
Kalona was careful to hide his smile. This was the Zoey he most enjoyed. This was a young, strong High Priestess who was truly fit to wield the power of Nyx.
Kalona fisted his hand over his heart and began to tilt his head in a formal bow, showing the proper respect of a Warrior to a High Priestess. He opened his mouth to speak when a sweet, achingly familiar voice whispered through his mind.
You would do well to remember she is not me…
Kalona’s body jolted as if he’d been touched by a burning brand. He shot to his feet. There he paused, heart pumping, not knowing whether to cry out for joy or fall to his knees and weep. Nyx had spoken to him!
“Kalona? What’s going on?”
The immortal blinked his vision clear to see the three young people staring at him. The males were watching him suspiciously, both having stepped before the Priestess. Zoey was studying him with an expression that almost appeared concerned.
He drew a deep breath. Fisted his hand and, again, bowed formally to her, and then forced his legs to relax and his body to sit. “Your words have shamed me, Priestess. I acknowledge my responsibility for the protection of this school. Please, sit.” His hand shook when he motioned to the chairs that faced the desk. “Ask what you will of me.”
“Okaaaay.” Zoey dragged the word out, clearly not believing his attempt to cover the feelings that raged through him, but she and the young men sat, though they continued to watch him warily. “Here’s the deal,” she said, sounding like an ordinary girl again. “We’re asking you about the basement of the school because we need to know if Neferet knows about it.”
Kalona focused his chaotic thoughts on her question. “Neferet never mentioned a basement to me.”
“Which doesn’t necessarily mean she didn’t know there was one,” Zoey said.
“Actually, it does mean that,” Kalona said. “As you are aware, I have an aversion to being under the earth.”
“So? You two were lovers. Why would she tell her claustrophobic lover about a basement?” Stark said.
“He’s more than claustrophobic,” Zoey said. “His powers are different if he’s under the earth. It’s like the ground drains him. That’s how Neferet forced him to go after me in the Otherworld. She kept him trapped underground. Right?” she asked Kalona.
“Correct. Darkness obeys Neferet. She used it to force my spirit to the Otherworld while I was too weak to fight her.”
“Hey, let’s be real clear here—Neferet might have trapped you and forced you to the Otherworld, but you didn’t have to attack Zoey or me when you got there. That was your choice.”
“You are correct as well. Though you should know that had I not done her bidding, Neferet would have kept my spirit from my body indefinitely.”
“You’re immortal. Unlike Zoey, that wouldn’t have killed you,” Stark said.
“No, it would not have killed me. It would have driven me mad.” Kalona met Zoey’s gaze. “I think you can imagine it. Your spirit has been shattered from your body. You know what was happening to your sanity.”
The young Priestess’s face paled. “Yeah, I know. It was bad. Really bad.”
“Which doesn’t make what he did any better,” Stark said.
“It does make it understandable,” Darius said. “Stark, I hear what you are saying. You want us to remember Kalona’s past, but he has taken an oath that has allied him with us. We also must remember that.”
“Darkness no longer does my bidding,” Kalona said. “If nothing else proves to you that my allegiance lies far from Darkness, that should.”
“See, you say your allegiance lies far from Darkness instead of saying that your allegiance lies with us, or even with Nyx. I gotta be honest—that bothers me,” Stark said.
“Stark’s right. That bothers me, too,” Zoey said. “I’m not sure any fledgling at the House of Night could get Darkness to do his or her bidding, but that doesn’t mean they’re all on our side. Actually, we know a bunch of the red fledglings aren’t.”
Kalona inhaled deeply, and then, surprising himself as much as he did them, told Zoey and Stark and Darius the truth. “I have chosen the Goddess, but Nyx still turns from me. I cannot even enter her temple. She has not forgiven me.” He shook his head, staring at her image etched in the crystal vase. “I do not blame her. I do not deserve her forgiveness. But that does not alter the choice I have made. I have decided to serve the Goddess again, even if it is at a distance, though it is difficult for me to speak of it.” He looked up from the vase and met Stark’s g
aze. “You are Zoey’s Warrior. Imagine losing her. Then imagine that loss lasting eons. Then you might begin to know the burden I carry.”
Zoey’s voice broke the silence. “So, you really believe Neferet doesn’t know about the basement?”
“Had Neferet known there was a basement here, she would have used it to make me more malleable, especially after I refused to call myself Erebus Incarnate.”
“Since you mentioned it, why did you refuse to do that? I saw the stained glass windows in the temple on San Clemente Island, and the guy with the wings definitely looked like you. Some of the High Council were already on Neferet’s side that day, most of them would’ve probably believed you if you’d claimed to be him,” Stark said.
Kalona’s snort of laughter was filled with contempt. “Because, young Warrior, Erebus is my brother and I loathe him too much to pretend to be him.”
Zoey
“Your brother? Erebus? The Consort of Nyx is your brother?” He seriously couldn’t have really meant that.
“We are twins. Not identical, but close enough. Born on the same day. I am the elder.” Kalona seemed to be trying to sound nonchalant, but his fingers drumming against the desktop and his gaze looking everywhere but at me said something else besides “whatever.”
“Why didn’t you tell us you’re Erebus’s brother?” I asked.
He did look at me then. “Do you have a brother?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“Yet I have never heard you speak of him.”
“Her brother isn’t our Goddess’s lover,” Stark said.
“Wait, if you’re Erebus’s brother, why don’t we know about you? I mean, I’m not super studious, especially about creation myths and whatnot, but I should have heard something about Erebus having a brother.” I looked to Darius and Stark for help. “Do you guys know anything about this?”
Both shook their heads and looked suspiciously at Kalona. The immortal sighed.
“Erebus is not overly fond of me, either. And, as I have already said, Nyx has turned from me. The ballads in which I was mentioned have long ago stopped being sung. Ask your studious friend Damien. He may have read rumors of me. I would have been called the Guardian of Night. Or ask Thanatos. She must know the old myths.” Kalona shrugged and his raven-colored wings rustled. “That matters little today. So, what is it you want with the school’s basement?”
I wanted to know more about Kalona and Erebus being brothers (OMG!), but the immortal was definitely done talking about it, so I let it go—for now. “Well, it looks like we might have to stay on campus for a few days or so, and the red fledglings rest better underground,” I said. “Darius showed us where the basement is, and we’re thinking about moving the kids down there.”
“But we would all feel safer about the fledglings being together in one room if we knew whether Neferet knows about the basement or not,” Darius said. “That is why we came to you.”
“Neferet doesn’t know, or she didn’t when I was her Consort. I understand how dangerous she is, and why you want a safe haven for the fledglings, but I am more concerned about the dangerous factions developing within the House of Night today than Neferet’s reappearance. Dallas reeks of treachery. He already hates Stevie Rae and my son. He must have encouraged Erin to break with your group. Now Erin is dead after circling with you. Dallas will conspire against you, which means he will be open to allying with Neferet, if he hasn’t already done so. Your basement will not long remain a secret, especially if there are local reporters roaming the school grounds.”
“They are not roaming free,” Darius said quickly. “Thanatos escorts and observes them. They have been confined to the cafeteria.”
“And my guess is they won’t be here very long,” I said.
“Long enough to combat Aphrodite’s mom’s hateful interview on that other channel,” Stark said.
“Communication is too easy in the modern world. It is a curse as well as a convenience,” Kalona said.
“I could ask Thanatos to confiscate Dallas’s cell phone,” I said, trying to think of something—anything—to help keep our business private.
“He’d just use someone else’s, even if he had to steal one,” Stark said. “And don’t forget—the kid’s affinity is with electronics. If he wants to communicate with Neferet, he will.”
“Let us hope he and his allies are not currently in the cafeteria,” Kalona said.
“Jeesh, it’s such a pain in the ass to have to worry about being betrayed by one of our own.” I was frustrated as hell. “I wish I could make everyone just act right!”
“This from the same young High Priestess who lectured me more than once about the importance of free choice?” Kalona’s raised brows and knowing look mocked me.
“I didn’t mean I wanted to take away people’s free choice,” I said.
“No, not as long as their choice allies with yours,” Kalona said.
“That’s not what she meant.” Stark frowned at Kalona. “You just don’t get her.”
Kalona said nothing, but his eyes remained mocking … knowing…
Did I really want to take away free choice? No! I just wished kids would make the right choice. Jeesh, that was way different. God, this whole thing was giving me major heartburn. I’d probably have IBS any second…
“Huh?” I’d totally missed what Stark had been saying.
“Z, I said that Darius and I would go gather up that old stuff that we found in the basement and get it out of the way so the kids could start moving sleeping bags and TVs and things down there.”
“Oh, uh, the stuff.” I stared at Stark. “What are you going to do with it?”
“I thought we’d box it up and ask Lenobia if she could find a place for it in one of the new storerooms she had built in the stables after the fire. Should be safe and out of the way there.”
“Why not pile it up and have Shaunee set it afire?” Kalona said.
“Because we can’t burn books!” I made up in a rush.
“Books?” Kalona looked super confused.
“Yeah, the old stuff is mostly books. You know, things that were probably moved out of the media center when they added the computers.” I hoped I didn’t sound as lame as I felt. I am absolutely a crappy liar—I’m especially a crappy unpremeditated liar.
“Well, as you say. I’ll help you in gathering—”
“No!” Stark, Darius, and I said together.
Kalona’s keen gaze said he thought we were up to something. I knew that even though the immortal was oath bound to be on our side, that didn’t mean we wanted him to know the old stuff in the basement was worth a small, or large, fortune.
“Okay, well, here’s the thing,” I said, trying to start with enough of the truth that I could tell myself that I was just exaggerating a story and not actually doing a really bad job of lying. “You’ve got to stay here and out of sight until we let you know that the reporters have totally left the school.”
“Yea,” Stark said with a smirk. “Wings are kinda noticeable to reporters.”
I hurried on before Kalona and Stark could bicker. Again. “I’ll tell Damien to come tell you when the reporters are gone. But then we don’t need you to help us box stuff up from downstairs. See, we’ve already, um, talked about the Dallas issue, and we know he’s trouble. So, we were hoping that you could figure out something that would keep him occupied while we clean out the basement and get the red fledglings who don’t hate us settled in down there.”
“Do you really expect to keep Dallas and his group from finding out that your fledglings have made the basement their home?”
“No, not forever,” Stark said. “But it would be nice if at least the first time they slept down there we could be sure nothing would try to eat them or trap them or light them on fire or—”
“Holy crap, enough already, Stark!” He was making my head hurt. “What Stark means is that, hopefully, we’re going to be able to go back to the depot soon, so if Dallas and his group could
just be kinda distracted, and if our fledglings just didn’t mention that they were sleeping in the basement, well, then maybe we’d have a safe spot here at the House of Night Neferet doesn’t know about.”
“It is always wise to have a safe place to rest,” Darius added.
“So, like I said before, can you think of anything you could do to help us keep Dallas distracted and not nosing around while we get the basement cleared out and our kids moved down there?” I finished, deciding that all three of us were pretty crappy liars.
“There is the fledgling’s funeral,” Kalona said. “Though she used to be one of your group, everyone is aware that recently she changed her allegiance to Dallas. Would it not be a kind thing for you to ask that Dallas tend to the building and even, perhaps, the lighting of her pyre? That should keep him preoccupied, and he would, naturally, ask his group to assist him.”
“That’s actually an awesome idea,” I said. “It’ll definitely keep Dallas and his buddies busy, and it’s honestly a nice thing for us to step aside and let him publicly light her pyre and say good-bye. It’ll show that we believed he really cared about her.”
“If he’ll do it,” Stark said. “You heard him yesterday. He said he’d tell Erin good-bye in his own way, and that meant he didn’t want anything to do with us.”
“Which is the reason I should approach him instead of Zoey,” Kalona said. “I will tell him that Zoey has declined Thanatos’s invitation to conduct Erin’s funeral and so the job has been left to me.”
“That’ll piss him off,” Stark said.
“That is my intention,” Kalona said. “He can direct his anger at me as I supervise the building of the fledgling’s pyre.” The immortal’s lips turned up in a wicked smile. “I do like a good pyre. Such a shame humans ended that tradition. I can’t imagine even enjoying a modern human funeral. It’s sad, really.”
“Kalona, it’s a problem when what you say reminds me of Neferet,” I said.
Kalona’s smile widened, and I thought he looked like a little boy, as in the kind of little boy who would set fire to his family in the middle of the night and then say his sister’s Barbie made him do it.