Bulls. Goodbye, bumpkin.
Stevie Rae opened the door to leave her dorm room, still frowning about Aphrodites comments, and almost ran smack into Kramishas hand, raised to knock on her door. They both jumped and then Kramisha shook her head. Dont do weird shit like that. Makes me think you aint normal no more.
Kramisha, if Id known you were out here, I wouldnt have jumped when I opened the door. And none of us are normalat least not anymore.
Speak for yourself. Im still me. Meaning theys nothin wrong with me. You, on the other hand, look like one hot messatude.
I almost burned up on a roof two days ago. I think that gives me the right to look like crap.
I dont mean you look bad. Kramisha cocked her head to the side. Today she was wearing her bright yellow bob wig, which shed coordinated with sparkly fluorescent yellow eye shadow. Actually, you lookin goodall pink like white folks get when they real healthy. It kinda reminds me of cute little baby pigs with they pinkness.
Kramisha, I swear youre makin my head hurt. What are you talkin about?
Im just sayin that you look good, but you aint doing good. In there, and there. Kramisha pointed from Stevie Raes heart to her head.
Ive got a lot on my mind, Stevie Rae said evasively.
Yeah, I know that, what with Zoey totally jacked up and all, but you gotta keep your shit together just the same.
Im tryin.
Try harder. Zoey needs you. I know you aint there with her, but I got this feelin that you can help her. So you gotta be using your good sense.
Kramisha was staring at her with an intensity that made Stevie Rae want to fidget. Like I said, Im tryin.
You up to somethin crazy?
No!
You sure? Cause this is for you. Kramisha held up a piece of purple notebook paper that had something written on it in her distinctive mixture of cursive and printing. And it feels like a whole bunch of crazy to me.
Stevie Rae snatched the paper from her hand. Dang it, why didnt you just say you were bringin me one of your poems?
I was gettin round to it. Kramisha crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway, obviously waiting for Stevie Rae to read the poem.
Isnt there somethin you need to go do?
Nope. The rest of the kids is eatin. Oh, cept for Dallas. Hes working with Dragon on some sword stuff, even though school aint starting again officially, and I do not see no need to rush things, so I do not get why he in such a hurry to go to class. Anyway, just read the poem, High Priestess. I aint goin nowhere.
Stevie Rae stifled a sigh. Kramishas poems tended to be confusing and abstract, but they were also often prophetic, and just thinking about one of them being obviously for her had Stevie Raes stomach feeling like shed eaten raw eggs. Reluctantly, her eyes went to the paper and she started to read:
The Red One steps into the Light
girded loins for her part in
the apocalyptic fight.
Darkness hides in different forms
see beyond shape, color, lies
and the emotional storms.
Ally with him; pay with your heart
though trust cannot be given
unless the Darkness you part.
See with the soul and not your eyes
because to dance with beasts you
must penetrate their disguise.
Stevie Rae shook her head, glanced up at Kramisha, and then read the poem again, slowly, willing her heart to please stop beating so loud that it would betray the guilty terror the thing instantly made her feel. Cause Kramisha was right; it was obviously about her. Of course it was also obviously about her and Rephaim. Stevie Rae supposed she should be grateful the dang poem didnt say anything about wings and human eyes in a dang bird head. Shoot!
See what I mean bout it bein bout you?
Stevie Rae shifted her gaze from the poem to Kramishas intelligent eyes. Well, hell, Kramisha. Course its about me. The first line says that.
Yeah, see, I was sure bout that, too, even though I never heard nobody call you that.
It makes sense, Stevie Rae said quickly, trying to drown out the memory of Rephaims voice calling her The Red One. Im the only girl red vamp, so its gotta be talkin about me.
Thats what I thought, even though there is that whole bunch of freaky bout the beasts and stuff. I had to look up the gird-your-loins part cause it sounded nasty and sexual, but it ended up just bein a way to say you need to get real ready for a fight.
Yeah, well, theres been a bunch of fighting goin on lately, Stevie Rae said, looking back at the poem.
Looks like you in for some moreand its some bad shit, too, you got to be real ready for. Then she cleared her throat meaningfully, and Stevie Rae reluctantly met her eyes again. Who is he?
He?
Kramisha crossed her arms. Do not talk to me like Im stupid. Him. The guy my poem says youre gonna give your heart to.
I am not!
Oh, then you do know who he is. Kramisha tapped the toe of her leopard-print boots. And he definitely aint Dallas, cause you wouldnt be freaked about givin him your heart. Everyone knows you two got a thing. So, who is he?
I dont have a clue. Im not seein anyone but Dallas. Plus, Im way more worried about the parts that talk about Darkness and disguises and such, Stevie Rae lied.
Huh, Kramisha snorted through her nose.
Look, Im gonna keep this and think about it, Stevie Rae said, stuffing the poem into her jeans pocket.
Let me guessyou want me to keep my mouth shut bout it, Kramisha said, tapping her foot again.
Yeah, cause I want to try to . . . The excuse died under Kramishas knowing stare. Stevie Rae blew out a long breath, decided to tell as much of the truth as she could, and started again. I dont want you to say anything bout the poem cause I got a guy issue goin on, and havin it come out right now would suck for Dallas and for me, especially when Im not real sure whats goin on between me and this other guy.
Thats more like it. Guy shit can be one hot mess, and like my mama always says, it just aint right to put your personal business all out there for everbody to see.
Thanks, Kramisha. I preciate that.
Kramisha held up her hand. Hang on. Didnt nobody say I was done with this subject. My poems is important. This one is about more than your jacked-up love life. So like I said before, get the crazy cleared from your head and remember to use your good sense. And also, every time I wrote the word Darkness, it made my insides feel wrong.
Stevie Rae gave Kramisha a long look, then made her decision. Walk with me to the parking lot, kay? I got somethin to do off campus, but I wanna talk to you on the way.
No problem, Kramisha said. Plus, its bout time you said something bout whats going on inside your head to someone. You been actin wacked lately, and I mean even before Zoey got herself shattered.
Yeah, I know, Stevie Rae mumbled.
Neither one of them said anything more while they walked down the stairs and through the busy dorm. Stevie Rae thought it was like the thawing ice had also unfrozen the fledglings. Over the past couple of days, the kids had started coming out and acting more and more normal. Sure, she and Kramisha still got plenty of looks, but theyd gone from hostile and fearful to mostly curious.
You thinkin we might actually be able to come back here and go to school again, like this is still our home? Kramisha blurted once theyd reached the sidewalk outside the dorm,
Stevie Rae gave her a surprised look. Actually, I kinda have started to think that. Would it be so bad to be back here?
Kramisha shrugged. I aint sure. All Im sure of is I feel right when Im sleepin underground during the day.
Yeah, thats a problem here.
The Darkness in my poem that makes me feel wrongyou dont think thats bout us, do you?
No! Stevie Rae shook her head emphatically. Theres nothin wrong with us. You and me and Dallas and the rest of the red fledglings who came here decided. Nyx gave us a choice, and we chose good over evilLight over Darkness. The poem isnt talkin about us. Im sure of that.
Its the others, huh? Even though they were alone, Kramisha lowered her voice.
Stevie Rae thought about it and realized Kramisha could be right. Shed just been so preoccupied with guilt about Rephaim that it hadnt occurred to her. Dang! She did need to get her head on straight. Well, yeah, I guess it could be talkin bout them, but if it is, its really bad.
Please. We all know they real bad.
Yeah, well, I just found out some stuff from Aphrodite that gives Darkness with a capital D a whole new level of messed-up. And if theyre involved with that, then theyve reached a different kind of bad. Like Neferet bad.
Shit.
Yeah. So your poem might be talkin bout a fight with them. But also, and this is the part I wanted you to know, Aphrodite and I have started to learn about some ancient stuff. You know, really old. So old the vamps have even forgotten about it.
Thats some old shit.
Well, weremeaning me and Aphrodite and Stark and the rest of the kids with Zoeyare gonna try to see if we can use this old info to help Stark get to the Otherworld so he can protect Z while she puts her soul back together.
You mean get Stark to the Otherworld without him being all dead and stuff?
Yeah, apparently him showin up in the Otherworld dead wouldnt be good for Zoey.
So you gonna use that old shit to figure out how to do it right?
Stevie Rae smiled at her. Were gonna try. And you can help.
Say the wordIm there.
Okay, here goes: Aphrodites found some new Prophetess powers since shes been focused on them. Stevie Rae added a wry smile to her words. Even though shes bout as happy as a cat in a thunderstorm about it. Kramisha laughed, and Stevie Rae continued, Anyway, I was thinkin that even though I dont have a circle here like Z does around her there, I do have a Prophetess.
Kramisha blinked, looked confused, and when Stevie Rae kept staring at her, her eyes finally widened in understanding. Me?
You. Well, you and your poetry. You did it before and helped Z figure out how to chase Kalona outta here.
But
But look at it this way, Stevie Rae broke in. Aphrodite figured it out. So are you sayin shes smarter than you?
Kramishas eyes narrowed. I got a whole world of smart that rich white girl dont know nothin about.
Well, then, cowboy up.
You know you kinda scare me when you talk country.
I know. Stevie Rae dimpled at her. Okay, Im gonna go conjure up some earth and see if I can figure anything more out from my end. Hey, find Dallas and fill him in on everything but the poem.
I already told you I aint rattin you out.
Thanks, Kramisha. Youre a really good Poet Laureate.
You aint so bad yourself for a country girl.
See ya. Stevie Rae waved and started to jog for Zs car.
I got your back, High Priestess!
Kramishas parting words made Stevie Raes stomach feel all squishy, but also had her grinning as she started Zs car. She was just getting ready to put the car into gear when she realized (a) she didnt know where she was going, and (b) the whole conjure the earth thing would be loads easier if shed bothered to grab a green candle and maybe even some sweetgrass to draw some positive energy. Totally annoyed at herself, she put the car into neutral. Where in the Sam Hill was she going?
Back to Rephaim. The thought was like breathinginstant and natural. Stevie Rae reached for the gearshift, but her hand paused. Would going back to Rephaim right now really be the smartest thing for her to do?
Sure, on one hand shed gotten a bunch of info from him about Kalona and Darkness and such.
On the other, she didnt really trust him. She couldnt really trust him.
Plus, he messed with her head. When shed read Kramishas poem, shed been too dang busy obsessing about him to consider anything elselike the fact the poem could be a warning about the bad red fledglings and not just stuff about her and the Raven Mocker.
So what the heck should she do?
Shed told Rephaim shed come back to check on him, but she wanted to return because of more than just telling him she would. Stevie Rae needed to see him. Needed to? Yes, she admitted reluctantly to herself. She needed to see the Raven Mocker. The admission jarred Stevie Rae.
Im Imprinted with him. That means we got a connection, and theres not much I can do about it, she muttered to herself while she squeezed the Bugs steering wheel. Im just gonna have to get used to it and deal with it.
And I have to remember that he is his fathers son.
Fine. Okay. Shed check on him. Shed also ask him questions about Light as well as Darkness, and about two cows. She scowled. Well, bulls. But she should do some digging for herself without Rephaim. She really should evoke her element and see what info she could get on the cow/bulls. That would be using her good sense. Then Stevie Rae grinned and slapped the steering wheel.
I got it! Ill stop at that cute old park thats on the way to Gilcrease. Do a little earth magick, and then check on Rephaim. Easy-peasy! Of course first shed duck back into Nyxs Temple and grab a green candle, some matches, and some sweetgrass. Feeling better now that she had a plan, she was just getting ready to take the Bug outta neutral when she heard the sound of cowboy boots tapping against the asphalt of the parking lot and then Dallas speaking with exaggerated nonchalance.
Im just walkin out here to Zoeys car. Im not sneakin up on Stevie Rae and makin her jump.
Stevie Rae rolled down her window and grinned at him. Hey there, Dallas. I thought Kramisha said you were working out with Dragon.
I was. Check it outDragon gave me this cool knife. Said its a dirk. He also said I might be good with it.
Stevie Rae watched dubiously as Dallas pulled a pointy, double-edged knife from a leather holder he was wearing strapped around his waist and held it kinda awkwardly, like he wasnt sure whether it would cut someone else, or cut him.
Its real sharp-looking, Stevie Rae said, trying to sound positive.
Yeah, thats why Im not using it to practice with yet, but Dragon did say I could wear it. For a while. If I was careful.
Oh, okay. Cool. If she lived a million years Stevie Rae was sure shed never understand guy stuff.
Yeah, so, I got done with my dirk lessons and ran into Kramisha on my way out of the Field House, Dallas said while he sheathed the knife. She said shed left you here cause you were gettin ready to take off to go do some earth thing. I thought Id try to catch you before you left and come along.
Oh, well. Thats nice, Dallas, but Im fine by myself. Actually, it would really help if you grabbed a green candle and some matches for me from Nyxs Temple and ran them back out here to me. Oh, and if you see some sweetgrass in the temple, bring it here, too, would ya? Dont know where my minds been, but conjuring earth is definitely easier with an earth candle, and I totally forgot one, not to mention the sweetgrass for drawin positive energy.
She was surprised when Dallas didnt say kay and jog away for the stuff. Instead, he just stood there, watching her, with his hands shoved down in his jeans pockets and looked kinda annoyed.
What? she asked.
Im sorry Im not a Warrior! he blurted. Im tryin the best I can to learn somethin from Dragon, but its gonna take me a while to get decent at it. Ive never really cared about all that fightin stuff, and Im sorry! Dallas repeated, looking more and more upset.
Dallas, what the heck are you talkin about?
He threw his hands up in frustration. Im talkin about me not being good enough for you. I know you need morethat you need a Warrior. Hell, Stevie Rae, if Id been your Warrior, I couldve been there for you when those kids attacked you and almost killed you. If I were your Warrior, you wouldnt be sendin me off on stupid errands. Youd keep me close to you, so I could protect you during all this stuff youre goin through.
Im doin fine protecting myself, and gettin me an earth candle and stuff is not a stupid errand.
Yeah, okay, but you deserve better than a guy who doesnt know shit about protecting his woman.
Stevie Raes brows went up to meet her curly blond hair. Did you just call me your woman?
Well, yeah. He fidgeted, and then added, But in a good way.
Dallas, you couldnt have stopped what happened on the roof, she said truthfully. You know how those kids are.
I should have been with you; I should be your Warrior.
I dont need a Warrior! she yelled, exasperated at his stubbornness and hating the fact that he was so upset.
Well, you sure as hell dont need me anymore. He turned his back on the Bug and shoved his hands into his jeans pockets.
Stevie Rae looked at his hunched shoulders and felt terrible. Shed done this. Shed hurt him because shed been pushing him and everyone away to keep Rephaim a secret. Guilty as a rabbit in a carrot patch, she got out of the car and touched his shoulder gently. He didnt look at her.
Hey, thats not true. I do need you.
Sure. Thats why youve been busy shoving me away.
No, Ive just been busy. Sorry if Ive come across as mean, she said.
He turned to her. Not mean. Just not caring anymore.
I care! she said quickly, and stepped into his arms, hugging him back as tightly as he was hugging her.
Dallas spoke softly into her ear. Then let me come with you.
Stevie Rae pulled back so she could look at him, and the no, you cant shed been ready to say died on her lips. It was like she could see his heart through his eyes, and it was clear that she was breaking itbreaking him. What the hell was she doing hurting this kid because of Rephaim? Shed saved the Raven Mocker. She wasnt sorry about that. She was sorry that it was affecting the people around her. Well, thats it, then. Im not hurtin the folks I care about most.
Okay, yeah, you can come with me, she told him.
His eyes instantly brightened. You mean it?
Course I mean it. I do need that earth candle, though. Well, and the sweetgrass, too. And its still not a stupid errand.
Hell, Ill get you a whole bag of candles and all the grass you want! Dallas laughed, kissed her, and then, yelling that hed be right back, sprinted away.
Slowly, Stevie Rae got back into the Bug. She gripped the steering wheel and stared straight ahead, reciting her mental to-do list aloud like a mantra. Conjure earth with Dallas. Find out what I can about the cows. Bring Dallas back to the school. Make an excuse. A good excuse to leave again, only this time alone. Go to the Gilcrease and check on Rephaim. See if he knows anything else that might help Stark and Z. Come back here. Dont hurt your friends by shoving them away. Check on the red fledglings. Clue in Lenobia and the rest of em bout whats going on with Z. Call Aphrodite back. Figure out what the heck to do bout the bad fledglings at the depot. And then try, real hard, not to hurl yourself off the top of the nearest tall building . . . Feeling like she was drowning in a big ol stinkin, stagnant, Okie pond of stress, Stevie Rae lowered her head until her forehead pressed against the steering wheel.
How in the world did Z deal with all of this bullshit and stress?
She didnt, the thought came unbidden to her mind, it shattered her.
Chapter 12
Stevie Rae
Wow! It looks like one of those super tornados cut its way through Tulsa, Dallas said. He was gawking as Stevie Rae maneuvered the Bug carefully around yet another pile of fallen tree limbs. The entry road to the park was blocked by a Bradford pear tree that had been split almost perfectly in half, so Stevie Rae ended up stopping beside it.
At least some of the power is comin back on. She gestured at the streetlights that ringed the park, illuminating what was a total mess of ice-damaged trees and flattened azalea bushes.
Not for those folks, though. Dallas jerked his chin at the neat little houses near the park. Here and there a light shone bravely through a window, proving that some people had had the foresight to buy propane generators before the storm hit, but mostly the surrounding area remained dark and cold and silent.
It sucks for them, but makes my life easier tonight, Stevie Rae said, getting out of the car. Carrying a tall green ritual candle, a braided length of dried sweetgrass, and a box of long matches, Dallas joined her. Everyones all hunkered down and wont be paying any attention to what Im doin.
Youre definitely right about that, girl. Dallas draped his arm familiarly over Stevie Raes shoulders.
Aw, you know I like it when you tell me Im right. She threaded her arm around his waist, sticking her hand in the back pocket of his jeans like she used to do. He squeezed her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.
Then Ill tell ya youre right more often, he said.
Stevie Rae grinned up at him. You tryin to soften me up for somethin?
I dunno. Is it workin?
Maybe.
Good.
They both laughed. She bumped him with her hip. Lets go over there to the big oak. That looks like a good place.
Whatever you say, girl.
They made their way slowly to the center of the park, walking around shattered tree limbs and sloughing through the cold, wet muck that was left from the storm, trying not to slip on the patches of ice that had begun to refreeze in the chill of the night. Shed been right to let Dallas come with her. Maybe part of her confusion about Rephaim had happened because shed gotten kinda isolated from her friends and was focusing too hard on the weirdness of their Imprint. Heck, the Imprint with Aphrodite had seemed totally bizarre at first, too. Maybe she just needed some timeand spaceto deal with the newness of it.
Hey, check it out. Dallas pulled her attention back to him. He was pointing at the ground around the old oak. Its like the tree made a circle for you.
Thats cool! she said. And it was! The solid tree had weathered the storm well. The only branches it had lost were a smattering of limb tips. Theyd fallen onto the grass, forming a perfect circle completely around the tree.
Dallas hesitated at the edge of the circumference. Im gonna stay out here, okay? So it really can be like this is a circle cast especially for you, and I havent broken it, he said.
Stevie Rae looked up at him. Dallas was a good guy. He was always saying sweet things like that and letting her know he understood her better than most folks did. Thank you. Thats really nice, Dallas. She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly.
His arms tightened around her, and he held her closer to him. Anything for my High Priestess.
His breath was warm and sweet against her mouth and, on impulse, Stevie Rae kissed him again, liking that he was making her feel all tingly inside. And liking that his touch was blocking thoughts of Rephaim from her mind. She was more than a little breathless when he reluctantly let her go.
He cleared his throat and gave a little laugh. Be careful, girl. Its been a long time since you and me been alone.
Feeling kinda giggly and light-headed, she dimpled at him. Too long.
His smile was sexy and cute. Well have to fix that soon, but first you better get to work.
Oh, yeah, she said. Work, work, work . . .
Smiling, she took the sweetgrass braid, the green candle, and the matches hed brought her.
Hey, Dallas said, handing her the stuff, I just remembered something about sweetgrass. Arent you supposed to use somethin else before you burn it? I was kinda good in Spells and Rituals Class, and I swear there was more to it than just lighting the braid and waving it around.
Stevie Rae screwed up her forehead, thinking. I dunno. Zoey talked about it cause its a Native American thing. I swear she said it draws positive energy.
Okay, well, I guess Z would know, Dallas said.
Shrugging, Stevie Rae said, Yeah, plus it is just grass that smells good. I mean, how bad could it be?
Yeah, seriously. Besides, youre Earth Girl. You should be able to control some burnin grass.
Yep, she said. Okay, well, here goes. Whispering a simple, Thank you, earth, to her element, she turned her back to Dallas, stepped over the boundary and entered the earth-made circle. Stevie Rae strode confidently to the northernmost point inside the circumference, which was directly in front of the old tree. She stopped there and closed her eyes. Stevie Rae had learned early that the best way to connect with her element was through her senses. So she breathed in deeply, clearing her mind of all the cluttered thoughts she usually carried around with her and allowing only one thing to leak through: the sense of hearing.
She listened to the earth. Stevie Rae could hear the wind murmuring through the winter leaves, the night birds singing to each other, the sounds and sighings of the park settling down for a long, cold night.
When her sense of sound was full of earth, Stevie Rae drew in another breath and focused on smell. She breathed in the earth, scenting the damp heaviness of ice-encapsulated grass, the crisp cinnamon of the browned leaves, the uniquely mossy fragrance of the ancient oak.
Her sense of smell filled by earth, Stevie Rae drew another deep breath and imagined the rich, full taste of a garlic bulb and the ripeness of summer tomatoes. She thought about the simple earth magick of pulling at green, tufty tops and discovering below them thick, crisp carrots that had been nurtured within the earth.
Taste overflowing with earths bounty, she thought about the touch of the softness of summer grass against her feetof dandelions tickling her chin as she held one there to see if itd leave the telltale yellow blush of secret loveof the way the earth lifted to fill all of her senses after a spring rain.
And then, drawing an even deeper breath, Stevie Rae let her spirit embrace the wonderful, amazing, magickal way the gift of her element made her feel. Earth was mother, counselor, sister, and friend. Earth grounded her, and even when everything else in her world was totally screwed up, she could count on her element to calm and protect her.
Smiling, Stevie Rae opened her eyes. She turned to her right. Air, I ask you to please come to my circle. Even though she didnt have a yellow candle, or anyone to represent air, Stevie Rae knew it was important to acknowledge and pay respect to each of the other four elements. And, if she was really lucky, they might actually show up and strengthen her circle. Facing south, she continued, Fire, I ask that you please come to my circle. Turning deosil, or clockwise, she called, Water, Id like you to please come to my circle. Then, deviating from a traditional casting, Stevie Rae stepped back a few feet to the middle of the grassy area, and said, Spirit, this is out of order, but Id really like it if you joined my circle, too.
Walking forward to the north, Stevie Rae was almost one hundred percent sure she caught sight of a thin silver thread of light spiraling around her. She grinned over her shoulder at Dallas. Hey, I think its workin.
Of course its workin, girl. You got some serious High Priestess mojo.
It sounded really good that Dallas kept calling her High Priestess, and Stevie Rae was still smiling when she turned back to the north. Feeling proud and strong, she finally lit the green candle, saying, Earth, I know Im doin things outta order here, but I had to save the best for last. So now Im askin you to come to me like you always do, because you and me, we got a connection thats somethin even more special than fireflies filling Haikey Creek Park during a summer night. Come to me, earth. Please come to me.
Earth burst around her like an exuberant puppy. Moments before the night had been cold and wet and dominated by the crippling ice storm, but now Stevie Rae felt the welcomed warmth and humidity of an Oklahoma summer night as the presence of her element dominated the fully cast circle.