I dont know how much of your human boyfriend I can stand, Erik said.
I kept meeting Eriks steady gaze and almost blurted Im not sure how much of your possessiveness I can stand, but I was too tired. Id save that till later, after I had more time and energy to think things through. Instead I just said, Hes not my boyfriend. Hes the human Ive Imprinted with. Theres a big difference.
Consort, Erik said bitterly. Its called being the High Priestesss human consort. Many of them have one. Often they have more than one.
I blinked in surprise. I sure hadnt gotten to that part in my Vamp Sociology class. I mean, was this consort stuff even covered in the The Fledgling Handbook? Guess Id have to read the darn thing more carefully. I did remember Darius mentioning something about it being difficult for a human to be involved with a High Priestess the day Heath and I had had our official breakup scene, and Darius had definitely used the word consort for the human. Huh. Um. Does that mean the High Priestess doesnt have a vampyre, uh, consort?
Mate, he said quietly. If hes a human who has Imprinted with a High Priestess, hes called her consort. If hes a vampyre, hes given the title of the High Priestesss mate. And no. It doesnt mean she cant have both.
That seemed like good news to me. Clearly it wasnt such good news to Erik, but at least I was beginning to believe other priestesses had gone through this kind of boyfriend stress before. Maybe I could read up on it or tactfully question Darius when the end-of-the-world stuff was resolved. For the time being I decided to put a Band-Aid on the issue and clean up the consequences later. If there was a later. Okay, Erik. I dont know what Im going to do about Heath. Its all a little too much for me to deal with right now on top of everything else. Hell, I dont know what Im going to do about you, either.
Were together, Erik said softly. And I want us to stay together.
I opened my mouth to tell him I really wasnt totally sure that was the best idea, but Erik bent and kissed me gently on the lips, silencing my comment. Then someone cleared his throat and we looked at the entryway to see Heath standing there, looking pale and pissed.
Heath! What are you doing here? I hated how shrill and guilty I sounded as I frantically wondered how much hed overheard.
Darius sent me to tell you the roads are too bad. Theres no way I can get back to B.A. tonight. He and Stevie Rae went to find a four-wheel drive so that he can get you and the rest of the fledglings back to the House of Night. He paused. I recognized a tone Id only heard in his voice a very few times. He was seriously pissed, but he was also hurt. The last time hed sounded like this had been when hed told me Id killed part of his soul when Id had sex with Loren and broken our Imprint. Hey, carry on. Pretend Im not here, just like you were doing before. Didnt mean to interrupt you two.
Heath, I began, but just then Aphrodite, followed by a bunch of cats, including my Nala and her hateful white Persian, appropriately named Maleficent, came into the room.
Awkward. Again, Aphrodite added, looking knowingly from Heath to Erik and me.
I sighed and realized my head was starting to hurt almost as much as the cut across my chest. Then the Twins and Kramisha piled into the room, too.
Ah, oh, Shaunee said.
Whats ex-boyfriend doing here? Erin said.
The roads are too bad. Heath cant get home, I said.
So that means he be staying here? Kramisha asked, giving Heath a long look.
Hell have to. Hes safer here than at the House of Night, I said, keeping an eye on Kramisha and adding silently to myself that I wasnt convinced hed be safe here either. He and I have Imprinted again, I added for good measure.
Kramisha curled her lip. I know that. I can smell you in his blood. He aint good for nothin now cept for being your boy toy.
Hes not I started, but Heaths sharp voice cut me off.
No, the girls right. Thats all I am to you, Heath said bluntly.
Heath. Thats not how I think of you, I said.
Yeah, well, I dont want to say shit more about it. Im your blood donor, and thats it. He turned away from me and I saw him grab a bottle of wine someone had left by the bed and take a big swig of it.
Damien, a puffy-eyed Jack, and Duchess (causing all of the cats except Nala to hiss like insane creatures) crowded back into the room then.
Hey, Heath, Jack said. I thought you were on your way home.
I cant get home. Looks like Im stuck here with you in the left-behind pile.
Jack frowned, close to bursting into tears again. Damiens not leaving me behind. Not really. I justI just cant go with him right now this second.
Thats right. Well be back together as soon as we can, Damien said, putting his arm around Jack.
Okay, I hate to interrupt all this gay-boy romance stuff, but I wrote me some more poems when I woke up and thought you better see them, Kramisha said.
That broke though my confusion about what to do about Heath and Erik. Youre right. I do need to see them, I said. Damien, did Jack get a chance to explain to you about Kramishas poetry?
Yes. I even got a copy of the poems before Kramisha went to sleep and read them while Jack and I were on watch, Damien said.
What the hell are you guys talking about? Aphrodite said.
When you were all drunk and disorderly, Z discovered poetry written on the walls of Aphrodites room, Erin said.
Written by Kramisha, but all of it seemed to be about Kalona, which is totally creepy, Shaunee said.
Its like shes channeling abstract images about him, Damien said. I think the poems in her room were meant to catch our attention, which means we need to check out everything Kramisha writes.
Oh, great. Thats all we need. More gloom and doom poetry, Aphrodite said.
Well speaking of, heres two new ones. Kramisha tried to hand me the couple of sheets of paper the poems were written on, but moving my arms up so I could hold them made me suck air with pain.
Here. Erik smoothly took the papers from her. Then he brought them to me and held them up so that Damien, the Twins, Aphrodite, Jack, and I could read them at the same time. The first one was baffling:
What once bound him
Will make him flee
Place of powerjoining of five
Night
Spirit
Blood
Humanity
Earth
Joined not to conquer,
Instead to overcome
Night leads to Spirit
Blood binds Humanity
And Earth completes.
That makes my head hurt. I mean, more than it already does. I cannot tell you how much I hate poetry, Aphrodite said.
Do you have a clue about this? I asked Damien.
I think its giving us directions on how we can make Kalona flee, or run away, he said.
We know what flee means, Mr. Vocab, Erin said.
Its kinda depressing that it says flee instead of kill, Jack said.
Kalona cant be killed, I said, speaking the words automatically. Hes immortal. He can be trapped. He can be chased away, although it boggles my mind to think about what might make him run. But he cant be killed.
Those five thingies together, in a place of power, make him run, Jack said.
Wherever that is, and whatever they are, I said.
Theyre people who represent each of those things. Or at least that would be my first guess. See how theyre capitalized? That usually means they are proper nouns, or names, Damien said.
Theyre names, Kramisha said.
Do you know anything else about it? Can you tell who they are? Damien asked.
Kramisha shook her head, looking frustrated. No. Its just when you said that they be people, I knew you was right.
How about the next one? Damien said. Maybe itll help us make sense of this one.
I turned my attention to the other sheet of paper. The new poem wasnt long, but it made my skin crawl.
She comes back
Through blood by blood
She returns
Cut deep now
Like me
Humanity saves her
Will she save me?
What were you thinking when you wrote this? I asked Kramisha.
Nothin. I was barely awake. I just wrote the words that come to me with both of em.
I dont like it, Erik said.
Well, it doesnt help us with the other poem, thats for sure. Actually, I think it&rsq1awl.
But whos speaking? Who is this me thats asking if Ill save him or her? I was feeling weaker and weaker by the moment, and the long strip of my wound was throbbing in time with the beat of my heart.
It could be Kalona, Aphrodite said. Thats who the first poems about.
Yes, but were not so sure Kalona ever had any humanity in him to lose, Damien said.
I carefully kept my mouth shut, even though my first impulse was to say that I did think Kalona had not always been like he was now.
On the other hand, Damien continued, we know that Neferet has turned from Nyx, which could also mean that shes lost herself, or her humanity. It could be referring to Neferet.
Ugh, Erin said.
She has definitely lost her damn mind, Shaunee said.
Actually, doesnt it make the most sense that its that new undead kid talking? Erik said slowly.
You may be on to something, Damien said. I could practically see the wheels in his mind turning. The Cut deep now / Like me part could be metaphorical for his death. Zoeys wound is definitely life threatening, and theyve certainly both been drawn to the House of Night because of blood.
And his humanity is missing. Like the rest of the red fledglings, Aphrodite said.
Hey, I dont know what you talkin bout. I got me plenty of humanity, Kramisha said, clearly offended.
But you didnt have your humanity when you first rose, did you? Damien said.
His voice was so clinical that Kramishas feathers instantly unruffled. No. You right about that. I had no damn sense about me at first. None of us did.
Sounds like a good guess about the meaning of the second one, Damien said. And because we have Kramisha on our side, her gift with words gives us a glimpse into the possible future. The first poemI dont know. Ill think about it. What we need is to spend some time brainstorming possible meaningstime we dont have right now. But thats really inconsequential. We should still appreciate Kramisha.
Hey, not a problem, Kramisha said. Its all part a bein the Poet Laureate.
The who? Aphrodite said.
Kramisha fixed a sharp look on Aphrodite. Zoey made me the new Vamp Poet Laureate.
Aphrodite opened her mouth, but I beat her to speaking. Actually, lets have a quick vote of my Prefect Council on whether Kramisha should be our new Poet Laureate. I looked at Damien. Whats your vote?
Yes, definitely, Damien said.
I say 6 V O Dt tyes, too, Shaunee said,
Ditto. Were due for a female Poet Laureate, Erin said.
I already gave my yes vote, Erik said.
We all looked at Aphrodite.
Yeah, yeah, whatever, she said.
And I can promise Stevie Rae will vote yes, too, I said. So its official.
Everyone smiled at Kramisha who looked totally pleased with herself.
Okay, so, to summarize, Damien said, weve pretty much decided that Kramishas first poem is outlining a way Kalona can be forced to run away, even though we dont really have a good understanding of the details provided in the poem. The second is saying that Zoeys return to the House of Night might somehow save Stark. Erik said.
Yeah, thats what it sounds like. I handed the pieces of paper on which the poems were written to Aphrodite. Would you put those in my purse, please? She nodded and folded them neatly, tucking them into my cute little bag. I wish both poems had come with more instructions, I said.
I think you should start by paying special attention to Stark, Damien said.
Or at least she should be on her guard around him, Erik said. The poem does mention being cut, and right now thats way more than a poetic metaphor.
I listened while Damien semi-agreed with him and I looked away from Eriks penetrating gaze and right into Heaths sad brown eyes.
Let me guess. Starks another guy, isnt he? Heath said.
When I didnt answer, he took a long drink from the bottle of wine.
Well, uh, yeah, Heath, Jack said, sitting next to Heath on the bed and looking concerned. Stark is a fledgling who, I guess, was kinda a friend of Zoeys before he died and then un-died. He was a new kid, so none of us had gotten to know him very well.
But you knew things about him no one else did. Like that his gift from Nyx was that he never missed any mark he aimed at, right? Damien said.
Yeah. I knew stuff about him no one else knew, except Neferet and the professors, I said, trying not to watch Heath guzzle down the bottle of wine and avoiding Eriks sharp gaze.
I didnt know that about his gift, and Im a professor, Erik said.
I closed my eyes and leaned heavily back on the pillow. Then maybe that was more info Neferet kept to herself, I said wearily.
So why would he tell you about something that was top secret? Erik said.
Annoyed that he sounded like he was interrogating me, I didnt say anything, and against my closed eyes I easily recalled the image of Starks cute, cocky half smile and how Id felt a sudden connection with him and even kissed him as he died in my arms.
Well, lets s:
As my friendswell, all of them except for my consort and my possible matemumbled apologies, I kept my eyes closed and wondered just how badly I wanted to get all healed up, because it seemed, once again, I found myself in a situation that involved three guys. And that wasnt even counting Kalona.
Well, hell
CHAPTER 16
Thankfully, Stevie Raes return stopped all of the Stark speculation.
Kay. Im supposed to tell Erik to carry Zoey. The rest of you stay close. Darius is right outside in the parking lot, Stevie Rae said.
But we cant all fit in Heaths truck, I said, forcing my heavy eyelids to open.
You wont have to. We found something thatll work better, Stevie Rae said. Before I could ask any questions she hurried on. And Darius also said Z should bite Heath again for one fast suck before you head out. He said she ought to be gettin real weak about now.
Thats okay. Im fine. Lets just go, I said quickly. Yes, I felt like utter poop. No, I didnt want to bite Heath again. Well, I didnt mean I really didnt want to. I meant I really didnt think I should, especially with him being pissed at me just then.
Just do it, Heath said. Suddenly he was there beside me, still holding the bottle of wine in one hand. He didnt even look at me. Instead he focused his attention on Erik. So cut me. He held out his arm to Erik.
My pleasure, Erik said.
No. Im not okay with this, I continued to protest.
In one blindingly quick movement Erik slashed Heaths forearm, and the scent of his blood hit me. I closed my eyes against the spike of desire and need that was driving into me with every breath I inhaled. I was gently jostled and then Heaths strong, warm thigh was again my pillow. He wrapped his arm around me so that his cut arm was just under my nose. I opened my eyes then and, ignoring the need that was screaming through my body, I looked up at Heath. He was staring across the room at nothing.
Heath, I said. I cant take anything from you youre not willing to give me.
He looked down at me and I saw several emotions cross his expressive face, the foremost of which was a terrible sadness. In a voice that sounded almost as weary as I felt, he said, Theres nothing Im not willing to give you, Zo. When are you going to understand that? Im just wishing you would leave me with a little pride.
His words broke my heart. I love you, Heath. You know that.
His expression softened into a slight smile. Its good to hear you say it. Then he looked from me to Erik. Did you hear that, vamp? She loves me. And remember that no matter how big and bad you think you are, youll never be able to do this for her. Heath lifted his arm so that the bloody slash Erik had made in it was pressed against my lips.
Yeah, I see what you can do for her. I might have to put up with it, but I dont have to have it shoved in my face. Angrily knocking the blanket aside, Erik left the room.
Dont think about him, Heath told me softly, stroking my hair. Just drink from me and think about getting well.
I looked from the doorway to Heaths sweet gaze, and with a small moan I gave in to the need that raged within me. I drank from him, sucking in energy and life, passion and desire, along with his blood. I closed my eyes again, this time because of the intensity of the pleasure drinking from Heath gave me. I heard Heaths moan echo mine and felt him curl around me, pressing his arm more firmly against my lips and whispering sweet things to me that werent entirely understandable.
My head was spinning by the time someone pulled Heaths arm from my grip. I felt stronger, even though my wound was burning like there was a fire camped out on my chest. But I was also feeling dizzy and weirdly giggly.
Hey, she dont look right, Kramisha said.
But I feel more right. Or is that righter? Which is it, Damien-Shamien? I paused and giggled, which hurt my chest so I clamped my lips tight together to make myself stop.
Whats wrong with her? Jack asked.
Theres definitely something abnormal going on, Damien said.
I know whats wrong with her, Stevie Rae said. Shes drunk.
Nuhuh! I dont even like to drink, I said, and then burped softly. Oh, oopsie.
Boyfriend is drunk. She just drank from boyfriend, Shaunee said.
So that means Zs trashed, too, Erin said. She and Shaunee had a wobbly Heath between them and they were guiding him back to the bed.
Hey, Im not drunk. Yet, Heath said. Then he collapsed onto the bed.
I didnt know vamps could get drunk off a humans blood, Aphrodite said. Thats really interesting. She handed me my purse while she studied me like I was a specimen under a microscope.
Youd think it was less interesting if youd eaten a wino and had a hangover headache and then burped cheap wine for days, Stevie Rae said. All I can say about that is nasty.
Aphrodite, the Twins, Damien, Jack, and I all stared at her. Finally I was able to say, Stevie Rae. Please dont eat any more people. Its really dis-dis-disturbing, I slurred.
She sure wont eat another wino. That last one tasted bad for real,&rdqu s a specimuo; So; Kramisha said.
Kramisha! Dont freak Zoey out. No one is eating anyone anymore. I was just usin that one time a long time ago as an example of why I know Heaths being trashed made her trashed. Stevie Rae patted my arm. So dont worry, kay? Well be fine here, and so will the street people. Dont stress about us. You just get well.
Oh, yeah. I rolled my eyes at Stevie Rae. Im not going to worry bout a thing.
Hey, you have my promise. No eating people while youre gone. Stevie Rae looked solemn and pretended to draw an X over her heart. Cross my heart and hope to die.
Hope to die! Jeesh, I really hoped that none of us would have to die. Again. And just like that I was able to think through the wine fog that had woozied my brain, and I knew what I had to do. On purpose I gave Aphrodite a tipsy smile. Hey there, Afro! Why dont you guys go on out to Darius? I gotta give Stevie Rae a phone number, then Ill be right there.
Fine. Well meet you out there. And do not ever call me Afro again. In a huff, Aphrodite led the Twins, Damien, Jack, and a whole passel of annoyed cats out of the room.
As they left the room, Erik came back in. Crossing his arms, he leaned silently against the wall and watched me. I used my drunkenness as an excuse to ignore him.
Hey, could you manage to focus? Do you want me to add a number to my phone? Stevie Rae said.
No, I said stubbornly. I gotta write it down.
Okay, okay, she said quickly, obviously humoring the drunk.
She was looking around for something to write on when Kramisha marched over to her and handed her a piece of paper and a pen. Heres something to write on.
Looking utterly confused, Stevie Rae shook her head at me. Z, are you sure you cant just tell me the
No! I snapped.
Okay, here, dont have a big ol cow. Stevie Rae slipped the paper and pen into my hands. I could feel Erik, who had come over to stand closer to my table, watching me. I gave him a boozy frown. Dont peek at what I write!
All right, all right! He held his hands up in surrender and walked over to Kramisha. I could hear both of them talking about how goofy I acted when I was trashed.
It was hard as hell to concentrate through the ridiculous buzz Heath had passed on to me, but the pain the movement of my hands caused helped to sober me up. I scrawled down Sister Mary Angelas cell phone number and then quickly wrote Plan B: be ready to move everyone to the abbey but dont tell. No one knowing = Neferet not knowing where you are.
Okay, here. Stevie Rae tried to take the paper from my hand, but I held it tight, which made her look up at me in exasperation. I met her eyes, trying to look and sound as sober as possible as I whispered, If I tell you to move, you move!
Her gaze went down to the note Id just written, and I saw her eyes widen. She looked quickly up at me and then nodded almost imperceptibly. Awash in relief, I closed my eyes and gave in to the dizziness.
All done with her secret phone number note? Erik said.
Yep, Stevie Rae teased back. As soon as I put this in my phone, Im gonna destroy the evidence.
Or it might self-destruct, Heath slurred from over on the bed.
I opened my eyes and looked at him. Hey!
What? he said.
Thanks again, I said.
Heath shrugged. No big deal.
Yeah, it is, I said. Stay safe, okay?
Does it matter? he asked.
Yeah, it does. But next time I really wish you wouldnt drink. I burped again and then grimaced when the movement hurt my chest.
Ill try to remember that, he said, tipping the wine bottle back to his lips.
I sighed, told Stevie Rae, Get me out of here, and closed my eyes, clutching my purse and the two indecipherable poems to me.
Thats your cue, Erik, Stevie Rae said.
Erik was suddenly at my side. This is going to hurt, and Im sorry, but you really need to get back to the House of Night.
I know. Im just gonna close my eyes and try to pretend Im someplace else, okay?
Sounds like a good idea, Erik said.
Ill be right here with you, too, Z, Stevie Rae said.
No. Stay with Heath, I said quickly. If you let anyone eat him, Im gonna be majorly pissed. And I mean it.
Im right here, Kramisha said, and I heard that. I aint eatin your boyfriend. He dont taste good no more.
Thats not what Zo says! Heath slurred and lifted his almost empty bottle like he was going to toast to us.
I ignored both of them and kept my eyes on Stevie Rae.
Dont worry. Heathll be fine. Ill take care of him. Stevie Rae hugged me and kissed my cheek. Stay safe, she said.
Remember what I wrote, I whispered. She nodded.
Okay, lets go, I told Erik, and squidged my eyes shut tight.
Erik lifted me as gently as he could, but the pain that sheared through my body was so awful that I couldnt even scream. I kept my eyes closed and tried to breathe in shallow little pants while Erik hurried down the tunnel with me in his arms, murmuring that everything would be finewed be there soon
When we got to the iron ladder that led up to the basement, Erik said, Im sorry, but this is going to hurt like hell. Just hang on, though, Z. Its almost over. Then he shifted his grip on me and lifted me to Darius, who was reaching down for me.
That was when I fainted.
Sadly, I came to when the freezing rain and an icy wind slapped against my face.
Ssh, dont struggle. Youll only make it worse, Darius said. He was holding me in his arms. Erik was walking at his side, watching me with worried eyes as we made our way toward a huge black Hummer that was idling in the parking lot. Jack was standing beside the open door to the wide backseat. I could see Aphrodite in the passengers seat and the Twins together with a whole buttload of cats in the far back area. Damien was sitting by the open door.
Slide over and help me lay her down here, Darius said.
They somehow transferred me to the backseat of the Hummer, pillowing my head on Damiens lap. Unfortunately I didnt pass out again. Before Darius closed the door, Erik squeezed my ankle.
You have to get well, okay? Erik said.
I barely managed a weak Okay.
When Darius closed the door and jumped into the drivers seat and we took off, I made a conscious decision to avoid the whole Erik-Heath issue until my life was calmer and I could deal with the two of them. I admit that at that moment I left the two of them behind with a guilty sense of relief.
Most of the ride back was as dark and silent as ice-swept Tulsa had become. Darius had to battle the Hummer to keep it on the sheets of ice that masqueraded as streets, and Aphrodite only commented once in a while on a fallen limb in their way or a turn they should take. Damien, tense and speechless, held me securely on his lap, and the Twins were, for a change, not chattering with each other. I closed my eyes, trying to control the dizziness and the pain. A disturbingly familiar sense of numbness had started to creep slowly over my body again. This time I recognized it, though, and knew how dangerous it would be to give in to the numbness, no matter how restful and compelling it seemed. This time I knew the numbness was a disguise for death. I forced myself to take deeper breaths, even though each one made pain radiate throughout my body.
Pain was good. If I hurt, it meant I wasnt dead.
I opened my eyes and cleared my throat, making myself speak. My blood-wine buzz was gone and all I felt was exhausted and consumed by pain. We have to remember what were walking into. Its not the old House of Night. Its not our home, I said. My voice carried, but I sounded like a hoarse stranger. Besides keeping our elements close to us, I think the smartest thing we can do is to try to stick as close to the truth as possible whenever were questioned about anything.
Thats logical, Damien said. If they sense were telling the truth, theyll be less likely to feel the need to probe farther into our minds.
Especially if those minds are protected by the elements, Erin said.
We might very well baffle them with our supposed ignorance, and Neferet will underestimate us again, Shaunee said.
So were coming back because of that text message sent from the school calling all of us back, Damien said. And because Zoeys been hurt.
Aphrodite nodded. Yeah, and the only reason we left was because we were scared.
And thats the damn truth, Erin said.
Totally, Shaunee added.
Just remember: Tell the truth when possible and keep your guard up, I said.
Our High Priestess is correct. We are entering the enemys camp, and we cant afford to be lulled into forgetting that by the familiarity of our surroundings, Darius said.
I have a feeling we wont be tempted to forget it, Aphrodite said slowly.
What kind of feeling do you mean? I asked.
I think our entire world has changed, Aphrodite said. No, I know it has. The closer we get to the school, the more wrong it feels. She swiveled and looked over the seat at me. Can you feel it?
I shook my head slightly. I cant feel anything except the cut in my chest.
I can feel it, Damien said. Its like all the hair on the back of my neck is standing up.
Ditto, Shaunee said.
My stomach feels awful, Erin said.
I took another deep breath and blinked hard, concentrating on staying conscious. Its Nyx. Shes warning you with those feelings. Remember the effect Kalonas appearance had on the other fledglings?
Aphrodite nodded. Zoeys right. Nyx is making us feel like crap so we dont give in to this guy. We have to fight against whatever it is about him that sucks the rest of the fledglings in.