Chosen

by P.C. Cast

  "It does." He was making a sandwich and he didn't even look up at me. "It's how vampyres drink their wine—laced with blood." He did glance up to meet my eyes then. "If the taste is disagreeable to you, I'll get you something else to drink."

  "No, it's fine. I'll drink it like this." I took another sip, forcing myself not to chug it all down in one huge swallow.

  "I had a feeling you wouldn't have a problem with it."

  My eyes shot back to his. "Why would you say that?" I could feel my strength as well as my wits returning to me as the wonderful blood settled into my body.

  He kept making the sandwich and shrugged. "You Imprinted that human boy, didn't you? That's how you were able to find and rescue him from the serial killer."

  "Yeah."

  When I didn't say anything else he glanced up at me and smiled. "I thought so. It happens. Sometimes we accidentally Imprint."

  "Fledglings don't. We're not even supposed to be drinking human blood," I said.

  Loren's smile was warm and filled with appreciation. "You're not a normal fledgling, so the normal rules don't apply to you." His gaze held mine and it seemed he was talking about much more than accidentally drinking a little human blood.

  He made me feel hot and cold—scared but totally grown-up and sexy—all at once.

  I kept my mouth shut and went back to sipping the blood-spiked wine. (I know it sounds completely gross, but it was delicious.)

  "Here, eat this." He passed the plate to me that held the ham and cheese sandwich he'd just made me. "Wait, you'll need some of these, too." He rummaged around in a cabinet until he made a little "ahha!" noise and turned around to pour a big ol' pile of nacho cheese-flavored Doritos on my plate.

  I smiled. This time my mouth felt more natural doing it. "Doritos! That's perfect." I took a big bite as I realized I really was starving. "You know, they don't like fledglings to eat junk food like this."

  "As I said"—Loren smiled his slow, sexy smile at me again— "you're not like the rest of those fledgling children. And I happen to adhere to the belief that some rules were meant to be broken." His eyes went from my eyes to the diamond earrings that nestled in my earlobes.

  I felt my face getting hot, so I refocused on eating, glancing up only once in a while at him. Loren hadn't made himself a sandwich, but he had poured himself a glass of wine and was drinking it slowly while he watched me eat. I was just getting ready to tell him that he was making me nervous when he finally said something.

  "Since when are you and Aphrodite friends?"

  "We're not," I said around a bite of sandwich (which actually was very good—so he's ridiculously handsome, sexy, smart, and he can cook!). "I was driving back to school and I saw her walking." I lifted one shoulder like I couldn't give a good poop about her. "I figure it's part of my job as leader of the Dark Daughters to be nice, even to her. So I gave her a ride."

  "I'm a little surprised she accepted a ride from you. Aren't you two sworn enemies?"

  "Whatever! Sworn enemies? I don't think much about her at all." I wished I could tell Loren the truth about Aphrodite. Actually, I hated lying (and I'm really not very good at it, although I seemed to be getting better with practice). But even as I thought about liking to unload to Loren, I was slammed in the gut with a feeling that plainly said no way do you tell him. So I smiled and chewed my sandwich and basically just tried to focus on the fact that I was feeling less Night of the Living Dead.

  Which reminded me of Professor Nolan. I put down the half-eaten sandwich and took another gulp of wine.

  "Loren, who could have done something like that to Professor Nolan?"

  The expression on his handsome face darkened. "I think the quote made it pretty obvious."

  "Quote?"

  "Didn't you see what was written on the paper they staked to her?"

  I shook my head, feeling a little queasy again. "I know there was something written on the paper, but I couldn't look long enough to read it."

  "It said, 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Exodus 22:18.' And repent written and underlined several times."

  Something tickled at my memory and I felt a burning begin inside of me that had nothing to do with the blood in my wine. "The People of Faith."

  "That's what it looks like." Loren shook his head. "I wondered what the priestesses were thinking when they decided to buy this place and set up a House of Night here. Seemed to be asking for trouble. There are few parts of the country more narrow-minded and rabid about what they call their religious beliefs." He shook his head and looked truly angry. "Although I don't understand worshipping a god who denigrates women and whose 'true believers' feel it's their right to look down on anyone who doesn't think exactly as they do."

  "That's not how everyone is in Oklahoma," I said firmly. "There's also a strong Native American belief system, and lots of regular people who don't buy into the stupid People of Faith prejudices."

  "Regardless, it's the People of Faith who are most vocal."

  "Just because they have the biggest mouths that doesn't make them right."

  He laughed and his face relaxed. "You're feeling better."

  "Yeah, I guess I am." I yawned.

  "Better but exhausted, I bet," he said. "Time to head to your dorm and your bed. You'll need to rest and regain your strength for what is to come."

  I felt an icy prick of fear in my stomach, and I wished I hadn't eaten so many chips. "What's going to happen?"

  "It's been decades since there's been an open attack by humans on vampyres. It will change things."

  The cold fear expanded in my gut. "Change things? How?"

  Loren met my gaze. "We will not suffer insult without giving insult in return." His expression went hard, and all of a sudden he looked more warrior than poet, more vampyre than human. He looked powerful and dangerous and exotic and more than a little scary. Okay, he was honestly the hottest thing I'd ever seen.

  Then, as if realizing he'd said too much, he smiled and walked around the counter to stand close to me. "But you don't need to worry about any of that. Within twenty-four hours the school will be flooded with our elite vampyre warriors, the Sons of Erebus. No human fanatic will be able to touch any of us."

  I frowned, worrying about the ramifications of increased security. How the hell was I supposed to sneak myself and squishy bags of blood out to Stevie Rae with a zillion testosterone-filled warriors banging their chests and being all superprotective?

  "Hey, you'll be safe. I promise." Loren took my chin in his hands and tilted my face up.

  Nervous anticipation made my breath go all quick and my stomach feel all fluttery. I'd tried to put him out of my mind, tried not to think about his kisses and the way he made my blood pound when he looked at me, but the truth was that even knowing how much my being with Loren would hurt Erik, and with the stress of Stevie Rae and Aphrodite and the horror of what had happened to Professor Nolan, I could still feel the imprint of his lips on mine. I wanted him to kiss me again and again and again.

  "I believe you," I whispered. Right then I swear I would have believed anything he said to me.

  "It pleases me to see you wearing my earrings."

  Before I could say anything, he bent and kissed me, long and deep. His tongue met mine and I could taste wine and a seductive hint of blood in his mouth. After what seemed like a long time he lifted his mouth from mine. His eyes were dark and he was breathing deeply.

  "I need to get you back to your dorm before I'm tempted to keep you beside me forever," he said.

  I used all the brilliance of my wit and managed to breathlessly say, "Okay."

  He took my arm again, like he had supported me on the way in. This time the touch felt hot and intimate. Our bodies brushed against each other as we walked through the gloomy morning to the girls' dorm. He led me up the front stairs and opened the door. The big dayroom was deserted. I glanced at the clock and could hardly believe it was a little after nine a.m.

  Loren lifted my hand quickly to his
mouth, kissing it warmly before he dropped it. "A thousand times good night. A thousand times the worse, to want thy light. Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books, but love from love, toward school with heavy looks."

  I vaguely recognized the lines from Romeo and Juliet. Was he telling me he loved me? My face flushed with nerves and excitement.

  "Good-bye," I said softly. "Thank you for taking care of me."

  "It was my pleasure, my lady," he said. "Adieu." He bowed to me, closing his fist over his heart in a respectful vampyre salute from a warrior to his High Priestess, and then he was gone.

  In a haze of leftover shock and the lightheadedness Loren's kisses made me feel, I practically stumbled up the stairs and to my room. I thought about going to see Aphrodite, but I was on the edge of total exhaustion and there was only one thing I had enough energy to do before I passed out. First, I dug into my wastepaper basket and found the two halves of the horrid birthmas card Mom and the step-loser had sent me.

  I felt a sick jolt in my stomach as I held the edges together and saw that I'd remembered right. It had been a cross with a note staked to the middle of it. Yes. It did remind me eerily of what had been done to Professor Nolan.

  Before I could change my mind, I took out my cell phone, drew a deep breath, and dialed the number. Mom answered on the third ring.

  "Hello! It's a blessed morning!" she said perkily. Clearly she hadn't checked the caller I.D.

  "Mom, it's me."

  As I expected, her tone instantly changed. "Zoey? What's happened now?"

  I was too tired to play our usual mother-daughter games. "Where was John late last night?"

  "What ever do you mean, Zoey?"

  "Mom, I don't have time for this crap. Just tell me. After you two left Utica Square, what did you do?"

  "I don't think I like your tone, young lady."

  I stifled an urge to scream in frustration. "Mom, this is important. Very important. As in life and death."

  "You're always so dramatic," she said. Then she gave a nervous little fake laugh. "Your father came home with me, of course. We watched a football game on TV and then we went to bed."

  "What time did he leave for work this morning?"

  "What a silly question! He left about an hour and a half ago, as usual. Zoey, what is this about?"

  I hesitated. Could I tell her? What had Neferet said about calling the police? Surely what had happened to Professor Nolan would be plastered all over the news later today. But not yet. Not now. And I knew darn well my mother couldn't be trusted to keep anything quiet.

  "Zoey? Are you going to answer me?"

  "Just watch the news. You'll see what it's about," I said.

  "What have you done?" I realized she didn't sound worried or upset, only resigned.

  "Nothing. It's not me. You better look closer to home for who did what. And remember, I don't live at your home anymore."

  Her voice turned brittle. "That's right. You most certainly do not. I don't know why you're even calling here. Didn't you and your hateful grandmother say you weren't going to talk to me anymore?"

  "Your mother is not hateful," I said automatically.

  "She is to me!" my mother snapped.

  "Never mind. You're right. I shouldn't have called. Have a good life, Mom." I said, and hung up on her.

  Mom had been right about one thing. I should never have called her. The card was probably just a coincidence anyway. I mean, there are only about a gazillion religious specialty stores in Tulsa and Broken Arrow. They all carry those crappy cards. And they all tend to look the same—either doves and waves washing over footprints in the sand, or crosses and blood and nails. It didn't necessarily mean anything. Did it?

  My head felt as woozy as my stomach felt sick. I needed to think, and I couldn't think while I was so tired. I'd sleep and then try to figure out what I should do. Instead of throwing the card away, I put the two halves in the top drawer of my desk. Then I yanked off my clothes and pulled on my most comfortable pair of sweats. Nala was already snoring on my pillow. I snuggled next to her, closed my eyes, forced my mind to clear of terrible images and unspeakable questions, and instead concentrated on my cat's purring until I finally drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  I knew the second Heath got back in town because he interrupted my dream. I had been lying out in the sun (see, clearly a dream) on a big, heart-shaped floatie in the middle of a lake made of Sprite (who knows?), when all of a sudden everything disappeared and Heath's familiar voice burst into my skull.

  "Zo!"

  My eyes fluttered open. Nala was staring at me with grumpy green cat eyes.

  "Nala? Did you hear something?"

  The cat "mee-uf-owed," sneezed, stood up long enough to pad around and around in a circle several times, then she plopped down and went right back to sleep.

  "You're really no help at all," I said.

  She ignored me.

  I looked at the clock and groaned. It was seven o'clock, p.m. Jeesh, I'd slept for about eight hours but my eyelids were like sandpaper. Ugh. What did I have to do today?

  Then I remembered Professor Nolan and the conversation with my mom and my stomach clenched.

  Should I tell someone about my suspicions? As Loren had said, the People of Faith had already been implicated in the murder by the awful note that was left behind. So, did I really need to say anything about the fact that I wouldn't be surprised if the step-loser was involved? Mom had made it clear to me that he'd been home all last night, and this morning. At least, that's what she was saying.

  Could she be lying?

  A shiver went through my body. Of course she could be. She'd do anything for that disgusting man. She'd already proven that by turning her back on me. But if she was lying, and I told on her, then I'd be responsible for what happened to her. I hated John Heffer, but did I hate him enough to cause my mom to go down with him?

  I felt like puking.

  "If the step-loser is tied up in the murder, the police will figure it out. If that happens, nothing that comes of it will be my fault." I said the words out loud, letting my voice calm me. "I'll wait and see what happens." I couldn't do it. I just couldn't. She was awful, but she was my mom, and I still remembered when she used to love me.

  So I wasn't going to do anything except try and put my mom and the step-loser out of my mind. Period. I mean it.

  While I was attempting to continue to convince myself I'd made the right choice, I remembered what else was going on today. The Dark Daughters' Full Moon Ritual. My heart sank into my clenching stomach. Normally, I'd be excited and a little nervous. Today I was just stressed. On top of everything else, having Aphrodite join our circle wasn't going to be a popular move. Whatever. My friends were just going to have to deal with it. I sighed. My life seriously sucked. Plus, I was probably depressed. Didn't depressed people sleep for, like, ever? I closed my bristly eyes, giving in to my self-diagnosis and was almost asleep when "Zoey baby!" screamed through my mind just as my alarm started bleating. Alarm? It was the weekend. I hadn't set my alarm.

  My cell phone was chiming with the little noise it made when I had a text message. Groggily, I flipped open the phone. Instead of finding one text message I found four.

  Zo! Im bak!

  Zoey I have to see u

  Still luv you Zo

  Zo? Call me.

  "Heath." I sighed and sat back on my bed. "Crap. This just keeps getting worse and worse." What in the hell was I going to do about him?

  He and I had Imprinted more than a month ago. He'd also been snatched by Stevie Rae's gross undead-dead kids' gang and almost killed. I'd played like I was the cavalry (or at the very least Storm from X-Men) and rescued him, but before we could get totally away Neferet had showed up and zapped our memories. Because of my gifts from Nyx, I'd regained my memories. I didn't have a clue if Heath remembered anything at all.

  Okay, clearly he remembered that we Imprinted. Or that we're still dating. Al
though we really weren't. I sighed again. How did I feel about Heath? He'd been my on-again, off-again boyfriend since I was in third grade and he was a fourth-grader. Truthfully, we'd mostly been on-again until he decided to have a deep and meaningful relationship with Budweiser. I so don't want my young lad to be a drunk, so I dumped him, even though he hadn't really seemed to understand he'd been dumped. Not even my being Marked and moving to the House of Night had made him understand we were through.

  I guess my sucking his blood and making out with him probably hadn't helped him realize we were supposed to be broken up, either.

  Jeesh, I was turning into such a ho.

  For about the zillionth time I wished I had someone I could talk to about all of my boy issues. Actually, counting Loren I should call them my boy-man issues. I rubbed my forehead and then tried to smooth my hair back into place.

  Okay, I really needed to make a decision and get some of myself straightened out.

  1. I liked Heath. I might actually love him. And the bloodlust thing with him was majorly hot, even though I'm not supposed to be drinking his blood. Did I want to break up with him? No.Should I break up with him? Definitely.

  2. I liked Erik. I liked him a lot. He's smart and funny and an honestly nice guy. His being the cutest, most popular fledgling at school didn't hurt, either. And, like he'd reminded me more than once, he and I had a lot in common. Did I want to break up with him? No. Should I break up with him? Well, only if I kept cheating on him with guy number one and man number three.

  3. I liked Loren. He existed in a whole other universe than Erik and Heath. He. Was. A. Man. An adult vampyre, with all the power and wealth and position that came along with it. He knew stuff that I was only beginning to guess at. He made me feel like no one had ever made me feel before; he made me feel like a real woman. Did I want to break up with him? No. Should I break up with him. Not just yes, but hell yes.

  So it was obvious what I should do. I needed to break up with Heath (for real this time), keep dating Erik, and (like I had some sense) never, ever be alone with Loren Blake again.