Again you come to me alone, Rephaim said.
CHAPTER 17
Stevie Rae
Rephaims words drifted to her out of the darkness. Without seeing the monster he was, his voice had a quality that made him sound hauntingly, heartbreakingly human. That was, after all, what had saved him the day before. His humanity had reached Stevie Rae, and she hadnt been able to kill him.
But today he sounded different, stronger than he had before. That relieved and worried her at the same time.
Then she shook off the worry. She wasnt some helpless kid who went running for the hills at the first sign of danger. She could definitely kick some bird butt. Stevie Rae straightened her spine. Shed made the decision to help him get away, and thats dang well what she was gonna do.
And whod ya expect? John Wayne and the cavalry? Pretending to be her mom when one of her brothers was being sick and annoying, Stevie Rae marched forward. The shape that had been a dark blob hunkered in the back of the shed came into focus and she gave him her best no-nonsense look. Well, youre not dead and youre sittin up. So you must be feelin better.
He cocked his head slightly to the side. Who is John Wayne and cavalry?
The cavalry. It just means the good guys comin to the rescue. Dont get excited, though. There isnt an army comin. All you got is me.
Dont you consider yourself one of the good guys?
He surprised her with his ability to have an actual conversation with her, and she thought if she could close her eyes or look away from him, she might almost fool herself into thinking he was just a normal guy. Of course she knew better. She could never close her eyes around him or look away, and he definitely wasnt a normal anything.
Well, yeah, Im good, but Im not exactly an army. Stevie Rae made an obvious show of looking him over. And he did still look like crapdefinitely battered and bloodied and brokenbut he wasnt lying on his side in a crumpled heap anymore. He was sitting up, leaning, mostly on his uninjured left side, against the back of the shed. Hed arranged the towels shed left with him over his body like pieces of a blanket. His eyes were bright and alert and never wavered from her face. So, you are feelin better?
As you said, I am not dead. Where are the others?
I told ya before, the rest of the Raven Mockers left with Kalona and Neferet.
No, I mean the other sons and daughters of man.
Oh, my friends. Theyre sleepin mostly. So we dont have much time. This isnt gonna be easy, but I think I figured out how to get you outta here in one piece. She paused, and stopped herself from picking at her fingernails. You can walk, cant you?
I will do what I need to do.
Now what the heck does that mean? Just give me a simple yes or no. Its kinda important.
Yessss.
Stevie Rae swallowed hard at the sound of his hissed word and decided shed been wrong about the whole if-she-didnt-look-at-himhed-seem-normal thing. All right, well, lets get goin then.
Where are you taking me?
All I could think of was that I need to get you someplace where you can be safe and heal. You cant stay here. Theyll find you for sure. Hey, you dont have your daddys problem with bein underground, do ya?
I prefer the ssssky to the earth. He sounded bitter, practically biting off the words and adding a special hissing emphasis to sky.
Stevie Rae put her hands on her hips. So does that mean you cant go underground?
I prefer not to.
Well, do you prefer to stay alive and hidden underground, or up here and about a minute away from bein found and dead? Or worse, she thought but didnt say aloud.
He didnt speak for quite a while and Stevie Rae began to wonder if maybe Rephaim didnt really want to live, which was a thought she hadnt considered. She guessed it might make sense, though. His own folks had left him for dead and the modern world was like a zillion times different than it had been when hed been alive and in the flesh beforeand terrorizing Cherokee villages. How badly had she messed up by not just letting him die?
I prefer to live.
By the look on his face, Stevie Rae thought that maybe his announcement was as much a surprise to him as it had been to her.
Okay. Fine. Then I need to get you outta here. She took a step toward him, but stopped. Do I need to make you promise to be good again?
I am too weak to be a danger to you, he said simply.
All right, then Ill just consider your word that you gave me earlier still holding. Just dont try anything stupid and we might get through this. Stevie Rae walked over to him and squatted down. I better take a look at your bandages. They might need to be changed or tightened before we leave. She checked him over methodically, all the while keeping up a running verbal commentary of what she was doing. Well, the moss looks like its workin. I dont see much blood. Your ankles pretty swollen, but I dont think its broken. Cant feel any breaks, anyway. She rewrapped the ankle and tightened his other bandages, leaving the shattered wing for last. Stevie Rae reached behind him and started to straighten the bandages that had come loose and Rephaim, who had been silent and perfectly still during her examination, flinched and groaned in pain.
Ah, shoot! Sorry. I know the wings bad.
Wrap more of the cloth around me. Tie it more tightly against my body. I will not be able to walk if you do not completely immobilize it.
Stevie Rae nodded. Ill do what I can. She ripped more lengths from one of the towels and then he leaned forward so that she had access to his back. She gritted her teeth and worked as quickly and gently as she could, hating the way he trembled and kept stifling moans of pain.
When shed finished with the wing, she ladled out some water and helped him drink it. After he stopped trembling, she stood and held out her hands to him. Okay, lets cowboy up.
He gazed at her and even in his strange face she could read confusion. She smiled. It just means stepping up and doin what you need to do, even when its hard as hell.
He nodded, and then slowly reached up and clasped her hands. Bracing herself, she pulled, allowing him time to shift his weight and gather himself. With a painful gasp, he managed to stand, though he put little weight on his hurt ankle and he didnt seem very steady.
Stevie Rae kept hold of his hands, giving him a chance to get used to being upright, and while she worried that he might pass out, she thought how weird it was that his hands felt so warm and so human. Shed always thought of birds as cold and flitty. Actually, she didnt like birds muchnever had. Her moms chickens tended to scare the bejesus outta her, what with their hysterical flapping and stupid squawking. She had a brief flashback of gathering eggs and having one fat, grumpy hen peck at her and just miss her eyes.
Stevie Rae shivered, and Rephaim dropped her hands.
Are you okay? she asked to cover up the awkward silence that gathered between them.
With a grunt, he nodded.
She nodded, too. Hang on. Before you try much walkin, lets see what I can find to help you. Stevie Rae looked through the garden stuff, finally settling on a good, sturdy wooden-handled shovel. She came back to Rephaim, measured it against him, and in one swift motion, snapped the handle from the spade end and handed it to him. Use this like a cane. You know, to take some of the weight off your bad ankle. You can lean on me for a little while, but once we get in the tunnel youre gonna have to go on by yourself, so youll need this.
Rephaim took the wooden handle from her. Your strength is impressive.
Stevie Rae shrugged. It comes in handy.
Rephaim took a tentative step forward, using the handle to help carry his weight, and he was actually able to walk, though Stevie Rae could see that it caused him a lot of pain. Still, he hobbled by himself to the door of the shed. There he paused and looked expectantly at her.
First, Im gonna wrap this around you. Im countin on no one seeing us, but on the outside chance that some nosy nun is gawkin out a window, shell just see me helpin someone wrapped in a blanket. Or at least thats what I hope.
Rephaim nodded, and Stevie Rae wrapped the blanket around him, positioning it over his head and tucking it into the side of the bandage across his chest to hold it closed.
So heres my plan: You know about the tunnels weve been stayin in under the depot downtown, right?
Yes.
Well, I kinda added to them.
I dont understand.
My affinity is for the element earth. I can control it, more or less. At least some aspects of it I can control. One of the things I recently found out I can do is to make it moveas in creating a tunnel through it. And I did that to link up the depot to the abbey.
It is this type of power that my father spoke of when he talked of you.
Stevie Rae definitely didnt want to discuss Rephaims horrible daddy with him, and she didnt even want to think about why he might have been talking about her and her powers. Yeah, well, anywayI opened up part of the tunnel I made so I could climb out of it and come here. Its not far from this shed. Im gonna help you get there. Once youre in the tunnel I want you to follow it back to the depot. Theres shelter there, and food. Actually, its pretty dang nice. You can get well there.
And why are the rest of your allies not going to find me in those tunnels?
First, Im gonna seal up the one that connects the depot to the abbey. Then Im gonna tell my friends somethin thats gonna make sure they stay outta the depot tunnels for a while. And Im hopin that a while translates into enough time for you to get well and get yourself away from here before they start pokin around.
What will you tell them that will keep them from going into the tunnels?
Stevie Rae sighed and wiped her hand across her face. Im gonna tell them the truth. That therere more red fledglingsthat theyre hiding in the depot tunnelsand that they are dangerous because they havent made the choice for good over evil.
Rephaim was silent for several heartbeats. Finally he said, Neferet was right.
Neferet! What do you mean?
She kept telling my father that she had allies among the red fledglingsthat they could be soldiers in her cause. These red fledglings are the ones she was speaking of.
They must be, Stevie Rae murmured miserably. I didnt want to believe it. I wanted to believe theyd eventually do the right thingchoose humanity over the darkness. They just needed some time to get things straight in their heads, thats all. I think I was wrong.
It is these fledglings that will keep your friends from the tunnels?
Kinda. Really, its more me thatll keep them out. Im gonna buy timefor you and for them. She met his eyes. Even if Im wrong. Without saying anything else, she opened the door, went to his side, lifted his arm, wrapped it around her shoulders, and the two of them stepped out into the icy dusk.
Stevie Rae knew Rephaim had to be in terrible pain as they walked haltingly from the shed toward the opening in the ground shed created to the tunnel. But the only sound he made was his panting breath. He leaned heavily on her, and Stevie Rae was again surprised by his warmth and by the familiar feel of a guys arm around her shoulder, mixed with the feathered body she was helping to support. She kept glancing around them, almost holding her breath in fear that someone, like annoying gotta-prove-how-macho-I-am Erik, had slipped outside. The veiled sun was setting. Stevie Rae could feel it leaving the ice-shrouded sky. It was just a matter of time before the fledglings, vamps, and nuns started to stir.
Come on, youre doing good. You can make it. We gotta hurry. She kept murmuring to him, encouraging Rephaim and trying to calm her own guilty fears.
But no one yelled after them. No one ran up to them, and in much less time than Stevie Rae had anticipated, the opening to the tunnel gaped at their feet.
Climb down backward, with your hands and feet. Its not far. Ill hold on to you for most of the way to help steady you.
Rephaim didnt waste time or energy on words. He nodded, turned, flung the blanket off of him, and then, as Stevie Rea held on to his good armglad that though he was big and appeared strong and solid, he actually weighed less than she didwith her help he slowly and painfully disappeared down into the earth. Stevie Rae followed him.
In the tunnel, Rephaim leaned against the dirt wall, trying to catch his breath. Stevie Rae wished she could let him rest there, but the crawling sensation in the back of her neck was screaming that the others would be waking up and coming to look for her, and finding her and her Raven Mocker!
You gotta keep going. Now. Get out of here. Go that way. She pointed into the darkness in front of them. Its gonna be really dark. Sorry bout that, but I dont have time to get a lamp for you. Are you okay in the dark?
He nodded. I have long preferred the night.
Good. Follow this tunnel until you come to the place where it changes from dirt to cement walls. Then turn to your right. Its gonna be confusing cause the closer you get to the depot, the more tunnels there are. But stay in the main one. Itll be litor at least I hope its still lit. Either way, if you keep goin, youll find lanterns and food and rooms with beds and everything.
And there are dark fledglings.
He didnt phrase it as a question, but Stevie Rae answered him. Yeah, there are. While the other red fledglings and I were livin there, they stayed away from the main tunnels and our rooms and such. I dont know what theyre doin now that were not there and I honestly dont know what theyll do with you. I dont think theyll want to eat youyou dont smell right. But I cant tell for sure. Theyre she paused, searching for the right words. Theyre different than I amthan the rest of us.
They are of the darkness. As I said, I am well acquainted with that.
All right. Well, Im just gonna believe youll be okay. Stevie Rae paused again, not knowing what to say and finally blurting out, So, I guess Ill see ya around sometime.
He stared at her and said nothing.
Stevie Rae fidgeted. Rephaim. You gotta go. Now. Its not safe here. As soon as youre down the tunnel a ways, Im gonna collapse this part so that no one can follow you from here, but you still gotta hurry.
I do not understand why you would betray your people to save me, he said.
Im not betraying anyone; Im just not killing you! she yelled, and then lowered her voice and continued. Why does letting you go have to mean I betrayed my friends? Cant it just mean that I choose life over death? Look, I chose good over evil. How is me lettin you live any different than that?
Did you not consider that choosing to save me was making a choice for what you would call evil?
Stevie Rae looked at him for a long time before she answered. Then let that be on your conscience. Your life is what you want it to be. Your daddys gone. The rest of the Raven Mockers are gone, too. My mamma used to sing a kinda silly song to me when I was a kid and Id messed up and gotten myself hurt. Shed sing that I needed to pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again. And thats what you need to do. Im just givin you a chance to do it. Stevie Rae stuck out her hand. So, heres hoping that next time we meet, were not enemies.
Rephaim looked from her outstretched hand to her face, and back to her hand. Then slowly, almost reluctantly, he grasped it. Not in a modern handshake, but in the traditional vampyre greeting of clasping forearms.
I owe you a life, Priestess.
Stevie Raes cheeks felt hot. Just call me Stevie Rae. I dont feel much like a Priestess right now.
He bowed his head. Then it is to Stevie Rae that I owe a life.
Do the right thing with yours and Ill consider myself paid up, she said. Merry meet, marry part, and merry meet again, Rephaim.
She tried to pull her arm from his grasp, but he didnt let her go. Are they all like you? All of your allies? he asked.
She smiled. Nah, Im weirder than most of the others. Im the first red vamp, and sometimes I think that makes me kinda an experiment.
Still gripping her arm he said, I was the first of my fathers children.
Though he held her gaze steadily, she couldnt read his expression. All she saw in the dim light of the tunnel was the human shape of his eyes and their unearthly red glowthe same red glow that haunted her dreams and sometimes overwhelmed her own vision, tainting everything with scarlet and anger and darkness. She shook her head, and more to herself than to him said, Being the first can be hard.
He nodded and finally released her arm. Without another word, he turned and hobbled away into the darkness.
Stevie Rae counted slowly to one hundred, then she raised her arms. Earth, I need you again. Instantly her element responded, filling the tunnel with the scents of a springtime meadow. She breathed in deeply before continuing. Collapse the ceiling. Fill up this part of the tunnel. Close the hole you made for me; plug it up; make it solid again, so that nobody can pass here.
She stepped back as the dirt in front and above her started to move, and then it rained down, shifting and solidifying until there was nothing but a solid wall of earth in front of her.
Stevie Rae, what the hell are ya doing?
Stevie Rae whirled around, pressing her hand over her heart. Dallas! You scared the livin daylights right outta me! Dang, I think you bout gave me a heart attack for real.
Sorry. Youre so hard to sneak up on I thought you knew I was standing here.
Heart pounding even harder, Stevie Rae searched Dallass face, trying to find a sign that he had even a hint that she hadnt been alone, but he didnt look suspicious or mad or betrayedhe just looked curious and kinda sad. His next words reinforced that he hadnt been there long enough to have caught even a glimpse of Rephaim.
You sealed it off to keep the rest of them from getting to the abbey, didnt you?
Stevie Rae nodded and tried not to let the wave of relief she felt show in her voice. Yeah. I didnt think it was smart to give em such easy access to the nuns.
It would be kinda like an old-lady smorgasbord for them. Dallass eyes glinted mischievously.
Dont be gross. But she couldnt help grinning at him. Dallas really was adorable. Not only was he her unofficial boyfriend, but he was also a genius with anything to do with electricity or plumbing or basically whatever youd find at Home Depot.
Grinning back at her, he moved closer and tugged on one of her blond curls. Im not being gross. Im being real. And you cant tell me you havent at least thought about how easy it would be to chomp on these nuns.
Dallas! She narrowed her eyes at him, truly shocked by what hed said. Heck no I havent thought about eatin a nun! It doesnt even sound right. And like I told ya before, its not smart to think a lot about eatin people. Its not good for you.
Hey, relax, cutie. Im just messing with you. He glanced behind her at the wall of earth. So, how are you going to explain this to Zoey and the rest of them?
Im gonna do what I probably shoulda done a while ago. Im gonna tell them the truth.
I thought you wanted to stay quiet about the rest of the fledglings because you thought they might come around and be more like us.
Yeah, well, Im startin to think Ive messed up with some of my choices.
All right, its up to you. Youre our High Priestess. Tell Zoey and them whatever you want. Actually, you can do that right now. Zoey just called a meeting in the cafeteria. I came looking for you to tell you about it.
Howd you know where to find me?
He smiled at her again and slipped his arm around her shoulders. I know you, cutie. It wasnt very hard to figure out where youd be.
They started walking out of the tunnel together. Stevie Rae wrapped her arm around Dallass waist. She let herself lean against him, glad that he felt normal and totally guy-like beside her. It was a relief to have her world shift back to what she knew was right. Shed put Rephaim out of her mind. Shed helped someone whod been hurt, thats all. And now she was done with him. Seriously, he was just one badly injured Raven Mocker. How much trouble could he cause?
You know me, huh? She butted him with her hip.
He pressed right back against her. Not as well as I wish I knew you, cutie.
Stevie Rae giggled, ignoring the fact that she sounded kinda manic in her effort to be normal.
She also ignored the fact that she could still smell Rephaims dark scent on her skin.
CHAPTER 18
Zoey
I was in that magical, misty place between awake and asleep when he pulled me against his body. He was so big and strong and hard that the contrast between his physical presence and the soft, sweet breath that tickled the side of my neck along with the gentle kisses he placed there had me shivering.
I was mostly asleep and didnt want to wake up all the way yet, but I sighed happily and stretched so that he could reach more of my neck. His arms felt so right around me. I loved being close to him and was thinking about how glad I was Stark was my Warrior when I murmured sleepily, You must really be feeling better.
His touch became sexier and less gentle.
I shivered again.
Then my groggy mind registered two things simultaneously. First: I wasnt shivering just because I liked what he was doing, even though I definitely liked what he was doing. I was shivering because his touch was cold. Second: The body that pressed against me was too big to be Starks.
At that instant he whispered, Do you see how your soul longs for me? You will come to me. You are fated to do so, and I am fated to wait for you.
I sucked in a gasp, came wide awake, and sat up.
I was completely alone.
Calm down calm down calm down Kalona is not here everythings fine it was just a dream
Without thinking about it, I automatically started to control my breathing and steady my emotions, which were definitely in overdrive. Stark wasnt in the room, and the last thing I wanted him to do was to come running back to me because he could feel how panicked I was, when I was not in any real danger. I might be uncertain about a bunch of things, but I was dead sure about one thing: I didnt want Stark to start thinking he couldnt leave my side.
Yeah, I was crazy about him, and glad we shared a bond, but that didnt mean I wanted him to believe I couldnt function without him. He was my Warrior, not my babysitter or my stalker, and if he started to think he had to watch me constantly gawking at me while I slept
I suppressed a groan of horror.
The door that led to the little bathroom my room shared with the guest room next door opened and Stark strode in, his gaze going straight to me. He had on jeans and a black Street Cats Catholic Charities T-shirt, and he was towel-drying his still-wet hair. I guess I must have calmed myself down and fixed the panicked expression on my face enough that as soon as he saw me sitting up in bed, alone and in no danger, his worried look changed to a smile.
Hey, you are awake. I thought so. You okay?
Yep. Fine and dandy, I said quickly. I just woke myself up by almost rolling off the bed. It kinda freaked me out.
His smile turned cocky. You were probably flailing around missing me and my hot body, and thats what had you rolling off the bed.
I raised a brow at him. Im so sure that wasnt it. His mention of his body (yes, it is hot, but Im not gonna let him think Im drooling over him) had me studying him, and I realized he did look goodas in more than just cute and hot. He was a lot less pale than he had been when wed gone to sleep, and he was a lot steadier on his feet. You seem better.
I am better. Darius was rightI heal quickly. A solid eight hours of sleep, plus the three baggies of blood I snagged while you were still snoring, have me feeling pretty good. He walked over to the bed, bent, and kissed me softly. Add to that me knowing I can keep you safe from Kalonas nightmares, and Id say Im ready to face just about anything.
I dont snore, I told him firmly, then I sighed and wrapped my arms around his waist, leaning into him, letting the strength of his physical presence chase away what remained of Kalonas nightmare presence. Im glad youre feeling better.
Should I have told Stark that Kalona had still snuck into my dreams, even with him so close and so focused on protecting me? Probably. Maybe telling him would have made a difference in what happened later. Then I was only thinking about not messing up the positive energy he had going, so I rested in his arms until I remembered I hadnt even brushed my hair or anything. Running my fingers through my wicked-ugly bed head, and averting my face from him to keep from blasting Stark with morning mouth, I pulled away from his embrace and hurried toward the bathroom. Over my shoulder I said, Hey, would you do me a favor while Im taking a shower?
Sure. He shot me a cocky grin, which telegraphed how good he really was feeling. Want me to wash your back?
Uh, no. But thanks. I think. Jeesh, guys had such one-track minds! I want you to round up the fledglings, red and blue, and find Aphrodite, Darius, Sister Mary Angela, my grandma, and anyone else you can think of who needs to be in on the discussion of when and how were getting back to the school.
Id rather wash your back, but no problem. Your wish, my lady, is my command. He bowed his head and saluted me, his hand over his heart.
Thank you. The words came out soft. His expression of respect and trust suddenly making me feel close to tears.
Hey. His smile faded. You look kinda sad. Is everything okay?
Im just glad youre my Warrior. What I said was the truth, if not all of it.
His smile was back. You are one lucky High Priestess.
I shook my head at his unending cockiness and blinked the ridiculous tears from my eyes. Just get everyone together for me, kay?
Kay. Want to meet in the basement?
I grimaced. Definitely not. How about you ask Sister Mary Angela if we can meet in their dining room? Then we can eat and talk.
Will do.
Thanks.
Ill see you soon, my lady. Eyes shining, he saluted me formally again before hurrying from the room.
More slowly, I entered the bathroom. Mechanically, I brushed my teeth and got in the shower. I stood for a long time just letting the hot water pour down over me. And then, when I knew I could keep my emotions calm, I thought about Kalona.
Id relaxed in his arms. I hadnt been reliving one of A-yas memories, or even under her influence, but Id let myself go when he touched me, and the result had been as terrifying as it was revealing. It had felt right to be with himso right that Id mistaken him for my oath-bound Warrior! And it hadnt seemed like a dream. Id been too awake; too close to full consciousness. Kalonas last visit had shaken me to my core.
No matter how hard I try to fight against it, my soul recognizes him, I whispered to myself. And then, as if my eyes were jealous of the water already running down my face, I began to cry.
To find the dining room I followed my nose and my ears. All down the hallway leading to it, I could hear familiar voices laughing amid the clanking of plates and silverware and I wondered briefly if the nuns were really cool with what amounted to an invasion of teenage vampyres-to-be. I paused outside the wide, open-arched entry to the big room, checking out how the nuns were getting along with the kids. There were three rows of long tables. Id expected the nuns to be clustered together, naturally segregating themselves from us, but they werent. Sure, they tended to be sitting in twos and threes, but they were surrounded by fledglingsred and blueand everyone was chattering, which totally killed the ste reo typical image I had in my head of the nuns dining room being a place of prayer and quiet (boring) reflection.
So are you going to loiter or are you going to actually go in there? I turned to see Aphrodite and Darius standing behind me. They were holding hands and looking very glowy and, as the Twins would say, happy-smappy.
Merry meet, Zoey. Darius saluted me formally, but his smile gave his respectful gesture a warm, casual feel.