Only one kind, Sgiach said.
Water magick? I asked, confused.
It isnea the element that matters. Tis the magick itself, Seoras said.
Before I could say the huh that was obviously all over my face, Sgiach explained, A seer stone is in tune with only the most ancient of magicks: the kind I protect on my isle. I am gifting you with it so that you might, indeed, recognize the Old Ones if any still exist in the outside world.
If she finds any of that kind of magick, what should she do? Stark asked, still giving the stone leery looks.
Rejoice or run, depending on what you discover, Sgiach said with a wry smile.
Mind, lass, it was the old magick that sent yur Warrior to the Otherworld, and the old magick that made him yur Guardian, Seoras said. It hasnea been watered down by civilization.
I closed my hand around the seer stone, the memory of Seoras standing over Stark, trance-like, cutting him over and over again so that his blood ran down the ancient knotwork in the stone they called the Seol ne Gigh, the Seat of the Spirit. Suddenly I realized I was trembling.
Then Starks warm, strong hand covered mine and I looked up into his steady gaze.
Dont worry. Ill be with you, and whether its time to run or rejoice, well be together. Ill always have your back, Z.
Then, for at least that moment, I felt safe.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Stevie Rae
Shes really coming home?
Damiens voice was so soft and shaky that Stevie Rae had to lean down over the bed to hear him. His eyes were glassy and more than a little vacant, and she couldnt tell if that was because the drug/blood cocktail the vamps in the infirmary had come up with was actually working, or whether he was still in shock.
Are you kiddin? Z got on the first plane outta there. Shell be home in, like, three hours. If you want, you can come to the airport with me to pick her and Stark up. Stevie Rae was sitting on the edge of Damiens bed, so it was easy for her to give Duchesss head a rubsince the dog was curled around Damien. When he didnt make any response except to stare blankly at the wall in front of him, she gave Duchess another pat. In return the Lab thumped her tail weakly once, twice. Youre a dang good dog and thats all there is to it, Stevie Rae told the blond Lab. Duchess opened her eyes and gave Stevie Rae a soulful look, but her tail didnt thump again and she didnt make her usual happy huffing dog noise. Stevie Rae frowned. Did she look thin? Damien, honey, has Duch had anything to eat recently?
He blinked at her, looked confused, looked at the dog curled around him, and then his eyes actually began to clear, but before he could say anything Neferets voice came from behind Stevie Rae, though she had no way heard the vamp enter the room.
Stevie Rae, Damien is in a very fragile emotional state right now. He should not have to be concerned about such trivialities as feeding a dog or acting like a common butler and going to the airport to collect a fledgling.
Neferet swept past her. Full of motherly concern, she bent over Damien. Stevie Rae automatically stood up and backed several feel away. She could have sworn that something in the shadows that lapped around the hem of Neferets long, silky dress had begun to slither toward her.
In a similar reaction, Duchess moved off Damiens lap and curled up morosely at the end of his bed, joining his still sleeping cat, all the while keeping her unblinking gaze trained on Damien.
Since when is picking a friend up from the airport the butlers job? And believe meI know whats what with a butlers job.
Stevie Rae glanced over at the doorway where Aphrodite seemed to have just materialized.
Well, slap me and call me a babyam I so out of it I cant hear nothing anymore? Stevie Rae thought.
Aphrodite, I have something to say to you that applies to everyone in this room, Neferet said, sounding regal and super-in-charge.
Aphrodite put a hand on her slim hip, and said, Yeah? What?
I have decided that Jacks funeral should be in the manner of a fully Changed vampyre. His funeral pyre will be lit tonight, as soon as Zoey arrives at the House of Night.
Youre waitin for Zoey? Why? Stevie Rae asked.
Because she was Jacks good friend, of course. But more important, because of the confusion that reigned here when I was under Kalonas influence, Zoey served as Jacks High Priestess. That unfortunate time is, thankfully, behind us, but it is only right that Zoey light Jacks pyre.
Stevie Rae thought how terrible it was that Neferets beautiful emerald eyes could look so perfectly guileless, even when she was weaving a web of deceit and lies. She wanted so badly to scream at the Tsi Sgili that she knew her secret; Kalona was here and she was controlling him, and not the other way around. Shed never been under his influence. Neferet had known from the start exactly who and what Kalona was, and what she was doing now was lying her butt off.
But Stevie Raes own terrible secret stopped the words in her throat. She heard Aphrodite draw in a breath, like she was getting ready to launch into a major ass-chewing, but at that moment Damien drew everyones attention to him when he put his head in his hands and began to sob, saying brokenly, I-I just c-cant understand how he can be gone.
Stevie Rae pushed around Neferet and pulled Damien into her arms. She was happy to see Aphrodite stride over to the other side of the bed and rest her hand on Damiens heaving shoulder. Both girls gave Neferet narrow-eyed looks of distrust and dislike.
Neferets face remained sad but impassive, like she knew Damiens grief but she let it wash around her and not into her. Damien, Ill leave you to the comfort of your friends. Zoeys plane lands at Tulsa International at 9:58 tonight. Ive set the funeral pyre for midnight exactly, as that is an auspicious time. I shall see all of you then. Neferet left the room, closing the door behind her with an almost inaudible click.
Fucking lying bitch, Aphrodite said under her breath. Why is she playing nice?
Shes seriously up to somethin, Stevie Rae said while Damien cried into her shoulder.
I cant do this. Damien suddenly pulled back and away from both of them. He shook his head back and forth, back and forth. The heaving sobs had stopped, but tears continued to leak down his cheeks. Duchess crawled up to him and lay across his lap, with her nose pointed up near his cheek. Cammy curled up tightly against his side. Damien wrapped one arm around the big blond dog, and another around his cat. I cant say goodbye to Jack and deal with Neferets drama. He looked from Stevie Rae to Aphrodite. I understand why Zoeys soul shattered.
No no no no. Aphrodite bent over and put her finger in Damiens face. I am not dealing with that stress again. Jack being dead is bad. Really bad. But you gotta keep yourself together.
For us, Stevie Rae added in a much softer tone, giving Aphrodite a be nice! look. You gotta keep yourself together for your friends. We almost lost Zoey. We lost Jack and Heath. We cant lose you, too.
I cant fight her anymore, Damien said. I dont have any heart left.
Its still there, Stevie Rae said softly. Its just broken.
Itll fix, Aphrodite added, not unkindly.
Damiens eyes were bright with tears when he looked at her. How do you know? Your hearts never been broken. He turned his gaze to Stevie Rae. Neither has yours. As Damien continued to speak, the tears fell faster and faster down his cheeks. Dont let your hearts be broken. It hurts too much.
Stevie Rae swallowed hard. She couldnt tell himshe couldnt tell any of them, but the more she cared about Rephaim, the more her heart broke every single day.
Zoeys going to make it, and she lost her Heath, Aphrodite said. If she can do it, you can do it, too, Damien.
And shes really coming home? Damien repeated the question hed started with.
Yes, Aphrodite and Stevie Rae said together.
Okay. Good. Yeah. Itll be better when Zoeys here, Damien said, still hugging Duchess, with Cameron pressed close to his side.
Hey, Duchess and Cammy look like they could use some dinner, Aphrodite said. Stevie Rae was surprised to see her reach out and, tentatively, pat the big dogs head. I dont see any dog food in here, and all Cammy has is that wretched dry stuff. Quite frankly Maleficent wont even look at anything that doesnt appear to be fresh catch. How about I have Darius help me bring some food up for them? Unless youd rather be alone. If so, I can take Cammy and Duchess with me and feed them for you.
Damiens eyes got all big and round. No! Dont take them. I want them to stay here with me.
Okay, okay, no problem. Darius can get Duchesss dog food, Stevie Rae spoke up, wondering what the heck Aphrodite was thinking. No way did Damien need to be without those two animals.
Duchs food and stuff is in Jacks room, Damien said, ending on a little sob.
Would you like us to bring all her stuff in here for you? Stevie Rae asked, taking Damiens hand.
Yes, he whispered. Then his body jerked and his face blanched even whiter than it had been. And dont let them throw away Jacks stuff! I have to see it! I have to go through it!
Im already ahead of you on that. No way was I letting those vamps get their claws into Jacks cool collections. I delegated the responsibility of boxing up his stuff and sneaking it out to the Twins, Aprodite said, looking smug.
Damien, clearly forgetting for just an instant that his world was filled with tragedy, almost smiled. You got the Twins to do something?
Damn right, Aphrodite said.
Whatd it cost you? Stevie Rae asked.
Aphrodite scowled. Two shirts from Hale Bobs new collection.
But I didnt think his spring stuff was out yet, Damien said.
A: Hellogay that you know that, and b: collections are always out early if youre filthy rich and your mom knows someone, she said, air-quoting the word.
Whos Hale Bob? Stevie Rae asked.
Oh, for shits sake, Aphrodite said. Just come with me. You can help me carry the dog accoutrements.
And by that you mean Im carryin them, right?
Right. Aphrodite bent and, like she did it every day, kissed Damien on the top of his head. Ill be right back with the dog and cat crap. Oh, want me to bring Maleficent? She
No! Damien and Stevie Rae said together with twin tones of horror.
Aphrodite lifted her chin indignantly. Its so typical that no one understands that magnificent creature except me.
See you soon, Stevie Rae told Damien, and kissed him on the cheek.
Out in the hall Stevie Rae frowned at Aphrodite. Seriously, even you couldnt have thought taking those animals away from him would be a good idea.
Aphrodite rolled her eyes and flipped her hair back. Of course not, moron. I knew it would horrify him and start to snap him out of his non-thinking-super-depressed state, which it did. Darius and I will bring animal food back for the dog and cat zoo up there and, just coincidentally, well stop by the dining hall and get some to-go stuff for our dinner, bring enough for him, and Damien is too much of a lady to kick us out or make us eat by ourselves. Et voilà! Damien has something in his stomach before he has to go through the whole funeral pyre horribleness.
Neferet is up to something really, really bad, Stevie Rae said.
Count on it, Aphrodite said.
Well, at least its gonna happen in front of everybody, so she cant, like, kill her.
Aphrodite raised her brow disdainfully at Stevie Rae. In front of everybody Neferet broke loose Kalona, killed Shekinah, and tried to order Stark, who cannot miss what the hell he shoots at, to fire an arrow at you once and at Z another time. Seriously, bumpkin, get a clue.
Well, there were extenuatin circumstances with me, and Neferet didnt order Stark to shoot Z in front of the whole school, just in front of us and a bunch of nuns. Of course now shes saying Kalona made her do it for both things. Plus, its still our word against hers. No one listens to teenagers, or nuns, for that matter.
Do you doubt for one single instant that Neferet can make whatever she does tonight look like shes as innocent as an infant? Aphrodite paused to grimace. Goddess, I cant stand babiesugh, all that puking and eating and pooping and stuff. Plus, they stretch out your
Really? Stevie Rae interrupted her tirade. Im not talkin bout girl parts and babies with you.
I was just using an analogy, stupid. Basically, were in for some shit in just a few hours. So get Z ready while I try to prop up Damien so he wont dissolve into a puddle of tears and snot and angst tonight.
You know, you cant pretend to be all I dont care about Damien with me after I saw you kiss him on the top of his head.
Which I will deny for the rest of my very long and attractive life, Aphrodite said.
Aphrodite, is you ever gonna get un-obsessed with your own self?
Stevie Rae and Aphrodite came to a sudden stop when Kramisha stood up from the shadows at the edge of the porch of the girls dorm.
Im gonna have to get my eyes checked. I cant see crap until its right in front of me, Stevie Rae said.
Its not you, Aphrodite said in a deadpan voice. Its Kramisha. Shes black. Shadows are blackhence the reason we didnt see her.
Kramisha stood up and looked down her nose at Aphrodite. No, you did not just
Oh, please, save it. Aphrodite breezed past her to the door of the dorm. Prejudice, oppression, the Man, blah, blah, yawn, blah. Im the biggest minority here, so dont even try to pull that on me.
Kramisha blinked twice and looked as stunned as Stevie Rae felt.
Uh, Aphrodite, Stevie Rae said. You look like Barbie. How in the heck can you be a minority?
Aphrodite pointed to her forehead, which was completely blank and unMarked. Human in a school full of fledglings and vamps equals mi-nor-i-ty. She opened the door and twitched into the building.
That girl aint no human, Kramisha said. Id say she more like a mad dog, but I dont want to offend no dogs.
Stevie Rae let out a long-suffering sigh. I know. Youre right. Shes really not nice, even when shes bein nice. For her. If that makes any sense.
It dont, but you aint been makin a whole lot of sense in general lately, Stevie Rae, Kramisha said.
You know what? I do not need this right now and I do not know what you mean and at this second I do not care. Ill see you later, Kramisha. Stevie Rae started to walk by her, but Kramisha stepped firmly in her way. She smoothed back the outside flip edge of her yellow bob wig and said, You got no call to have that hateful tone of voice with me.
My tones not hateful. My tones annoyed and tired.
Nope. It be hateful and you know it. You shouldnt lie much. You aint very good at it.
Fine. I wont lie much. Stevie Rae cleared her throat, gave herself a little shake like a cat caught in a springtime shower, planted a big, fake grin on her face, and started again in a super bright tone of voice. Hey there, girlfriend, nice to see ya, but I gotta be goin now!
Kramisha raised her brows. Okay, first, dont say girlfriend. You sound like that chick in that old movie, Clueless. The one the blonde and Stacey Dash reformed into somethin popular. Not. Good. Second, you cant run off right now cause I got to give you
Kramisha! Shaking her head, Stevie Rae backed away from the purple sheet of paper Kramisha had started to hand to her. I am just one person! I cannot handle anythin else right now other than the shit storm Im already caught inexcuse my French. But you gotta keep your future-telling poems to yourself. At least till Z gets here, gets settled, and helps me be sure Damien isnt gonna hurl himself off the top of the closest high building.
Kramisha gave her a narrowed-eye look. Too bad you aint just one person.
What in the Sam Hill do you mean? Course Im one person. Jeeze Louise, I wish there was more than one of me. Then I could keep an eye on Damien, be sure Dragon doesnt go totally postal, pick up Zoey from the dang airport on time and figure out whats goin on with her, get some dang thing to eat, and start to deal with the fact that Neferet is up to something of massive cat-herding proportions tonight at Jacks funeral. Oh, and maybe one of the mes could take a long bubble bath and listen to my Kenny Chesney while I read the end of A Night to Remember.
A Night to Remember? You mean that Titanic story I read last year in Lit class?
Yeah. Wed just started it when I died and un-died, so I never got to finish it. I kinda liked it.
Here. Ill help ya out. THE SHIP SINKS. THEY DIE. The end. Now can we please move on to somethin more important? She lifted the piece of purple paper again.
Yes, hateful, I do know what happens, but that doesnt mean its not a good story. Stevie Rae tucked an annoying blond curl behind her ear. You say I dont tell good lies? Okay, heres the truth. My mama would say I got too dang much on my plate right now to get even one more forkful of chicken-fried stress, so lets lay off the poem stuff for a while.
Totally surprising Stevie Rae, Kramisha took a big step into her personal space, and then grabbed her by the shoulders. Looking straight into her eyes, she said, You aint just one person. You a High Priestess. A red High Priestess. The only one they is. That means you gotta deal with stress. Lots of it. Specially right now when Neferet is creatin all kinds of crazy messes.
I know that, but
Kramisha squeezed her shoulders hard, and cut in saying, Jack is dead. Theys no tellin whos next. Then the Poet Laureate blinked a couple of times, her smooth brown brow furrowing, leaned forward, and took a giant noisy sniff of the air right next to Stevie Raes face.
Stevie Rae pulled out of her vise grip and stepped backward. Are you sniffing me?
Yes. You smell weird. I noticed it before. When you was in the hospital.
So?
Kramisha studied her. So, it reminds me of somethin.
Your mom? Stevie Rae said with forced nonchalance.
Dont even go there. And while Im thinkin a it, where is you goin?
Im supposed to be helping Aphrodite get stuff to feed Damiens cat and Duchess. Then I have to pick up Z from the airport and let her know that Neferet has decided to step aside and let her light Jacks funeral pyre. Tonight.
Yeah, we all heard bout that. It dont seem right to me.
Zoey lighting Jacks fire?
No, Neferet lettin her. Kramisha scratched her head and her yellow wig moved from side to side. So, heres the thing: let Aphrodite take care of the Damien stuff right now. You need to go out thereshe paused and waved one long, gold-fingernailed hand vaguely at the trees that ringed the House of Night campusand do that communing-with-the-earth-green-glowy-thing you do. Again.
Kramisha, I dont have time to do that.
I aint done yet. You need to recharge your business before all hell breaks loose. See, Im not real sure Zoey is gonna be up for what might be happenin tonight.
Instead of brushing Kramisha and her bossy self aside, Stevie Rae hesitated and thought about what she was saying. You could be right, she said slowly.
She dont want to come back. You know that, right? Kramisha said.
Stevie Rae hitched her shoulders. Well, would you? Shes been through a lot.
I dont think I would, thats why Im sayin this to you, cause I do understand. But Zoey aint the only one of us whos been through a lot lately. Some of us is still goin through a lot. We all have to learn to take care of our business and deal.
Hey, shes comin backshe is dealing, Stevie Rae said.
I aint just talkin bout Zoey. Kramisha folded the purple piece of notebook paper in half and handed it to Stevie Rae, who took it reluctantly; when she sighed and started to unfold it, Kramisha shook her head. You dont need to read it in front a me. Stevie Rae looked up at the Poet Laureate with a question mark on her face. Look, right now Im gonna talk to you like a Poet Laureate to her High Priestess, so you need to listen up. Take this poem and go out to the trees. Read it there. Think about it real good. Whatever it is you have goin on, you need to make a change. This is the third serious warnin Ive got bout you. Stop ignorin the truth, Stevie Rae, cause what you do dont just affect yourself. Are you hearin me?
Stevie Rae drew in a deep breath. Im hearing you.
Good. Go on now. Kramisha started to walk into the dorm.
Hey, would you explain to Aphrodite that I had somethin to do, so Im not comin in?
Kramisha looked over her shoulder at Stevie Rae. Yeah, but youll owe me dinner at Red Lobster.
Yeah, okay. I like the Loobster, Stevie Rae said.
Im gonna order anything I want.
Of course you will, Stevie Rae muttered, sighed again, and headed for the trees.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Stevie Rae
Stevie Rae wasnt entirely sure what the poem meant, but she was sure Kramisha was rightshe needed to stop ignoring the truth and make a change. The hard part was, she wasnt sure she could find the truth anymore, let alone know how to change stuff. She looked down at the poem. Her night vision was so good she didnt even have to move out from under the shadows beneath the old pin oaks that framed the Utica Street side of the campus and the side road that led to the entrance of the school.
Haiku is always so dang confusin, she muttered as she reread the three-line poem again:
You must tell your heart
The cloak of secrets smothers
Freedom: his to choose
It was about Rephaim. And her. Again. Stevie Rae plopped her butt down at the base of the big tree and let her back rest against its rough bark, taking comfort from the sense of strength the oak exuded. Im supposed to tell my heart, but what do I tell it? And I know keeping this secret is smothering me, but theres no one I can tell about Rephaim. Freedom is his to choose? Hell yeah, it is, but his daddy has such a hard grip on him that he cant see that.
Stevie Rae thought how ironic it was that an ancient immortal and his half-bird, half-immortal son had what was basically an old-school version of the same abusive daddy/son relationship a zillion other kids she knew had with their jerk daddies. Kalona had been treating him like a slave and making him believe messed-up stuff about himself for so long that Rephaim didnt even realize how wrong it was.
Then of course it was equally messed up that she was where she was with RephaimImprinted and bound to him because of a debt she promised the black bull of Light.
Well, not really just cause of a debt, Stevie Rae whispered to herself. Shed been drawn to him way before that. I l-like him. She stumbled over the words, even though the night was silent and only the listening trees were present. I wish I knew if thats cause of our Imprint or cause there really is something, someone inside him worth liking.
She sat there, staring up at the spiderweb of winter-bare boughs over her head. And then, because she was spilling her guts to the trees, she added, The truth is I shouldnt ever see him again. Just imagining Dragon finding out that shed saved and Imprinted with the creature who had killed Anastasia made her feel like she wanted to puke. Maybe the freedom part of the poem means that if I stop seein him, Rephaim will choose to leave. Maybe our Imprint will fade away if we stay apart. Just the thought of that made her want to puke, too. I really wish someone would tell me what to do, she said morosely, resting her chin on her hands.
As if in answer to her, the night breeze brought her the sound of someone sobbing. Frowning, Stevie Rae stood up, cocked her head, and listened. Yep, someone was definitely bawling their eyes out. She didnt really want to follow the sound. The truth was, shed had more than enough bawling lately to last for quite some time, but the cries were so heartbreaking, so deeply sad, that she couldnt just ignore itthat wouldnt be right. So Stevie Rae let the crying lead her up the little road that ended at the big, black iron gate that was the main entrance to the school.
At first she didnt understand what it was she was seeing. Yeah, she could tell the crying person was a woman, and she was outside the House of Night gate. As Stevie Rae got closer she could see that the woman was kneeling in front of the gate, just off to the right side of it. Shed leaned what looked like a big funeral wreath made of plastic pink carnations and green stuff against the stone pillar. In front of that shed lit a green candle and, as she continued to cry, she was pulling a picture out of her purse. It was when the woman brought the picture to her lips to kiss it that Stevie Raes eyes found her face.
Mama!
Shed barely whispered the word, but her moms head came up and her eyes instantly found Stevie Rae.
Stevie Rae? Baby?
At the sound of her mamas voice, the knot that had been building inside Stevie Raes stomach suddenly dissolved, and she ran to the gate. With no other thought except getting to her mama, Stevie Rae scaled the stone wall easily, landing on the other side.
Stevie Rae? she repeated, this time in a questioning whisper.
Finding it impossible to speak, Stevie Rae just nodded, making the tears that had started to pool in her eyes slosh over and spill down her face.
Oh, baby, Im so glad I got to see you one more time. Her mom dabbed at her face with the old-fashioned cloth handkerchief she was clutching in one hand, making an obvious effort to stop crying. Sweetheart, are you happy wherever you are? Not pausing for an answer, she kept talking, staring at Stevie Raes face as if she was trying to memorize it. I miss you so much. I wanted to come before and leave this wreath for you, and the candle and this real cute eighth-grade picture, but I couldnt get here because of the storm. Then when the roads was opened I couldnt make myself, cause visitin here and leavin all this for you would make it final. Youd really be dead. She mouthed the word, not able to speak it.
Oh, Mama! Ive missed you so much, too! Stevie Rae hurled herself into her arms, buried her face in her mamas poofy blue coat, and breathing in the scent of home, sobbed her heart out.
There, there, sweetheart. Its gonna be fine. Youll see. Everythingll be okay. She soothed and patted Stevie Raes back and hugged her fiercely.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Stevie Rae was able to look up at her mom. Virginia Ginny Johnson smiled through her tears and kissed her daughter, first on her forehead and then gently on her lips. Then she reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a second handkerchief, this one still neatly folded. Good thing I brought more than one.
Thanks, Mama. You always come prepared. Stevie Rae grinned and wiped her face and blew her nose. You dont have any of your chocolate chip cookies with you, do ya?
Her mamas brow furrowed. Baby, how can you eat?
Well, with my mouth like I always have.
Baby, she said, looking increasingly confused. I do not care that you are communing through the spirit world. Mama Johnson said the last part with a woo-woo tone to her voice and an attempt at mystical hand gestures. Im just real glad that I get to see my girl again, but I am gonna admit itll take a sec for me to get used to the idea of you bein a ghost, and all, specially one that cries real tears and eats. It just dont make good sense.
Mama, Im not a ghost.
Are you some kinda apparition? Again, baby, it dont matter to me. Ill still love you. Ill come here and visit you lots and lots if this is what you want to haunt. Im just askin so I can know.
Mama, Im not dead. Well, not anymore.
Baby, have you had a paranormal experience?
Mama, you have no idea.
And you aint dead? At all? Mama Johnson asked.
No, and I really dont know why. It did seem that I died, but then I came back, and now I have this, Stevie Rae pointed to the red tattoo Markings of vines and leaves that framed her face. Apparently, Im the first ever Red Vampyre High Priestess.
Mama Johnson had stopped crying, but at Stevie Raes explanation, tears filled her eyes and overflowed again. Not dead, she whispered between sobs. Not dead