Revealed

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Zoey

Cupped in my palm, the Seer Stone blazed. I knew why I hadn’t dissolved into tears or shrieked out in hysteria.

Thanatos was right. It was time to publicly swear allegiance to our House of Night and take a stand for good. We were up against too much to have to fight each other, too. It’s what she’d been saying all along. It’s what I’d come to believe as well.

I stepped forward, careful to stay out of the circle of Dallas’s blood. Holding tight to my Seer Stone I drew a deep breath and prayed, Old Magick, help me—strengthen me! Heat exploded from the Seer Stone and power sizzled through my body. When I spoke, the volume of my voice reverberated my words over the crowd.

“My circle and I choose the path of Nyx. We stand united with this House of Night!”

Damien and Shaunee were the first of my circle to join me. They moved up beside me and bowed respectfully to Thanatos, echoing me by saying, “We stand united!” Shaylin and Aphrodite stepped forward so that they were beside them. Darius and Stark and, I saw with a happy jolt, Aurox joined us. Surrounding me, the rest of my circle fisted their hands over their hearts and bowed respectfully, showing our solidarity.

That broke the tide. Kramisha, Erik, Johnny B, Ant, Nicole, and all the rest of Stevie Rae’s red fledglings swarmed forward through the crowd. I could see that some of them had been crying. Others, like Erik and Kramisha, were white-faced with shock, but they all bowed and swore allegiance to our House of Night.

The rest of the school began bowing and speaking their vows to stand together and follow the Goddess’s path. I paid special attention to the handful of kids left from Dallas’s fledglings. They were easy to pick out. The boys were super scruffy and slouchy, and the girls wore more eyeliner than clothes. They weren’t acting all tough and rebellious now, though. They were looking and acting scared. They all bowed to Thanatos. I couldn’t help but wonder how sincere their pledges were, because, seriously, what choice did they have? I thought about what I’d do in their place. No way would I take a chance at being killed. I’d totally pretend to join Thanatos. Later, though, my choice might be different.

And just as if it had never been a miniature oven, my Seer Stone cooled down, leaving me dizzy and nauseous, with a pounding headache starting in my right temple.

Old Magick was so creepy!

“And now I command that we return to the business of living. School shall continue,” Thanatos was saying. “We will be vigilant as to the Dark forces at work around us, but they should not be at work among us any longer. I ask Zoey and her circle to remain here and meet with me briefly, the rest of you have five minutes before second hour commences. Professors—see to your fledglings, and may you all blessed be.”

I felt a little like someone had just thrown cold water all over me. Dallas had been beheaded. Two fledglings were going to be dead very shortly, but don’t be tardy for second hour? WTF? How could it be that simple to go on with the day as if nothing had happened?

“Zoey, I need you to cast a circle,” Thanatos said, striding over to me as the silent crowd dispersed.

“Here? Now?”

“Here, yes. Around the vampyre’s body. But not now. Wait until the fledglings have returned to class.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “But I’ll need someone to stand in for Stevie Rae.”

“I can stand in for Stevie Rae.”

Everyone stared at Aurox.

“Why you?” Stark asked before I could say anything, which annoyed the crap out of me. It was my circle—not his!

“Why not me? I know where north is. I can hold a green candle and call earth. And I want to help Zoey.”

“Sounds good to me,” I said, not looking at Stark. “Damien, would you, Aurox, and Shaunee gather the circle candles and matches?”

Aurox bowed respectfully to me before the three of them headed toward Nyx’s Temple for the circle supplies.

“What’s going on? Why the circle now? Shouldn’t someone be cleaning up this mess?” Aphrodite asked, motioning to, but not looking at, Dallas’s body.

“That is exactly what Zoey and her circle will be doing,” Thanatos said. “A condemned and executed vampyre doesn’t deserve a pyre and the traditions of a funeral. He also shouldn’t be buried anywhere that could be made a shrine by misguided followers. His remains need to be simply, quietly, and quickly immolated.”

“Oh,” I said, getting it. “You want me to cast a circle and strengthen Shaunee so that she can, well, uh—” I hesitated, not sure how to put it, and feeling very squeed out at the thought of what we were going to have to do.

“Clean up this mess,” Aphrodite finished for me.

“Yes, well put.” Thanatos sounded like she was talking about taking out the trash. “And the less attention paid to this cleanup, the better. So, I thank both Prophetesses for fulfilling your role with dignity and wisdom, but now I must insist that Aphrodite go to class, and Shaylin join her directly after she has invoked water in Zoey’s circle.”

Aphrodite frowned. Class was not her favorite place to be. I frowned at her—not that she noticed—thinking that I’d be happy to change places with her.

“Come, my beauty, let us walk together,” Darius said, taking her hand and moving toward the main school building.

“I’ll go get my blue candle and tell Damien and those guys to hurry up,” Shaylin said. She began walking toward Nyx’s Temple, then she paused and turned back to Thanatos. “I read your colors. You were doing what needed to be done. Sometimes the ancient ways are the best,” she said.

“That is what I believe as well,” Thanatos said.

“That doesn’t make what happened here any less horrible,” Shaylin continued.

“Not less horrible, no, but necessary,” Thanatos said.

“The entire school isn’t for you,” Shaylin said.

“I am aware of that.”

“I think you would be surprised to know who all is having second thoughts about their pledge to you and to this school,” Shaylin said.

“I imagine you could tell me that by reading their colors, though. Couldn’t you?” Thanatos said.

My stomach rolled. “Okay, hang on,” I said. “I’m totally for a united front against Darkness, but I’m not for Shaylin being used to invade people’s thoughts.”

“What point are you making, Zoey?” Thanatos’s gaze seemed to pierce through me.

“That Shaylin shouldn’t be used as your spy!” I wasn’t sure exactly why the idea pissed me off so badly, but it definitely did.

“If she’s working in the service of Nyx—” Thanatos began.

I cut her off. “Nyx has given us all free choice. That means it’s not against even the Goddess’s rules for any of us to question the choices we’ve made and are going to make in the future. There’s nothing wrong with that. Only an idiot never questions what she’s been told to do.”

“Shaylin, did Dallas’s colors tell you he was dangerous?” Thanatos asked her, without taking her gaze from mine.

“I knew he was angry and violent. I didn’t know he was going to try to kill Stevie Rae and Shaunee.”

“But had Dallas been stopped because of what you saw within his aura before this morning, Stevie Rae would have been saved great pain,” Thanatos said.

“Stopped? Do you mean killed before he actually did anything?” I felt like I was going to explode.

“I don’t think that’s what Thanatos means,” Stark said.

“I’d like to hear Thanatos say that,” I said.

“In ancient times only vampyres who actually committed violence against other vampyres were executed,” she said.

“This isn’t ancient times,” I said. “And I don’t think it’s anyone’s business what people think. But you know who believed it was her business to listen in to what we all thought? Neferet. I don’t like what that did to her.”

Thanatos’s brows went up. “That is a point well taken, young Priestess.”

“Shaylin, go on and see what’s taking Damien and those guys so long,” I told her. Shaylin hesitated for just a second, then she bowed to me and hurried away.

“You have strong opinions,” Thanatos said.

“So do you.”

“Will you cast your circle and lead Shaunee in immolating the guilty vampyre?”

“Yes. I don’t want him martyred any more than you do,” I said.

“Thank you. Then I will leave you to your circle.” Her gaze went to Stark. “You did well today, Warrior. I am proud of you. Blessed be.” She bowed her head slightly and walked away.

“I swear she acts more and more like Death every day,” I said, staring after her.

“Z, I think she’s only doing her best to keep us all safe.”

My first impulse was to argue with Stark, to ask him why he wasn’t taking my side, but when I really looked at him I saw that his clothes were torn and muddy, and he had Dallas’s blood spattered all over his shirt and pants. His face was pale and strained, and I understood that even though Kalona had announced he’d brought Dallas back to school, it was Stark’s arrow that had made his execution possible.

Then Stark had watched Kalona behead the kid.

I put my arms around him, pressing my face into his shoulder. “I think you’re doing your best to keep us all safe.”

“Are you okay, Z? I wanted to tell you what Thanatos was going to do, but there wasn’t any time.” He hesitated, then added, “I felt that huge surge of power you had when you spoke up. It wasn’t like how you feel when spirit fills you, so I figured it might have something to do with Old Magick. Was I right?”

I fidgeted uncomfortably. “Well, my Seer Stone got hot, and now I feel crappy. So, yeah, I’m thinking it had something to do with Old Magick.”

“Guess that makes sense, especially with Thanatos invoking ancient rules and all.”

“Yeah, we were just talking about that in class, but I wish I knew whether that meant she’s doing the right thing or not,” I worried aloud.

“Hey.” He lifted my chin. “You’re the one with the Seer Stone. All you have to worry about is whether you’re doing the right thing. Cleaning up the Dallas mess is definitely the right thing to do. Okay?”

“Okay.” I kissed him. “How are you?”

“Tired,” he said. “And the whole cutting Dallas’s head off thing—well—I knew what was going to happen and I thought I was ready for it. But…” His words faded and he held me tightly.

“Stark, I don’t think there’s any way to get ready to see a kid’s head cut off.” I squeezed him back. “Hey, you should go take a shower and change. How about we meet at lunch?”

“How about we make a date to do nothing but curl up together after school alone and Roku a Big Bang Theory marathon.”

I grinned at him. “No one but me knows what a dork you truly are.”

“I need to laugh, and Sheldon makes me laugh.”

“Okay, but only if you don’t make fun of me when I don’t get all his jokes,” I said.

“That’s part of what makes me laugh,” he said.

“Fine. Laugh at me. I’ll sacrifice for you,” I said kiddingly.

His expression went serious. “I’ll always sacrifice for you.” He drew a deep breath, then blurted, “I don’t want you to start hooking up with Aurox.”

I pulled back from him. “What are you talking about?”

“I know I said I’d share you with Heath but I really only said that after the kid was already dead and now he’s back and I don’t think I can share you and I want you to stay away from him,” he said all in one big rush.

“Sorry it took forever! Someone put the ritual matches in the smudge stick drawer. I thought we’d never find them. I hate it when things get out of place,” Damien gushed, all out of breath and frazzled-looking as he, Shaylin, Shaunee, and Aurox hurried up to us, their hands filled with candles and matches.

“Shaylin told me what Thanatos wants, and I’m ready,” Shaunee said.

“Is something wrong?” Shaylin asked, looking from Stark to me with unsettling concentration.

“No, everything’s fine,” I said. “Stark was just on his way to take a shower and change. Right, Stark?”

Stark put his arms around me and pulled me to him. Then he kissed me. Right on the lips. Hard and possessive. One of his hands trailed down my back and rested on my butt as he said, “Right, Z. I’ll see you tonight. During our date. Alone.” He squeezed my butt and then hurried away.

Shaylin handed me the purple spirit candle, and I resisted the urge to throw the thick pillar at him. What the hell was I going to do about Stark? And did he really think acting possessive and telling me what to do was the way to get me to not want to be with another guy? Hell, no!

I pushed aside my irritation and forced a cheerful smile on my face.

“So, let’s get this circle cast,” I said. “Everyone ready?”

As we took our positions I ignored the fact that Shaylin kept watching me, and then I realized that I was going to have to take my position in the center of the circle, which meant I was going to have to stand by Dallas’s decapitated body in the middle of blood-soaked ash and burned earth, and I decided I didn’t care how close Shaylin was watching me or what an ass Stark was acting like. I just kinda froze at the edge of the blood, hating that the smell of it made my mouth water, but the sight made my stomach clench.

“Don’t look at him.” Aurox’s voice had me lifting my gaze from the horrible headless body. He smiled at me from the northernmost part of the circle. “Go to Damien and call air. By the time you have to move to the center you will be strengthened by the elements. You can do it, Zo.”

That last little part of what he said sounded so much like Heath it made my eyes fill with tears. I blinked hard, nodded, and went to Damien.

And Aurox was absolutely right. By the time I moved to the center, lit my purple candle, and called spirit I felt steady and grounded. It wasn’t difficult for me to lead Shaunee in forcing a blast of flame at Dallas’s body. After it was burned to ashes, it felt natural for me to ask Shaylin to have water wash the pyre site, and Damien to have wind blow away the burning stench. Finally, I used Aurox as the conduit for earth. Together we coaxed the ground to sprout fresh green grass where before there had been only ash and blood.

“That’s way better,” I said, standing in the middle of soft green grass and breathing deeply of springtime after I’d closed the circle.

Damien pulled his cell phone from his man purse and checked the time. “Oh, good! We’ve only missed half of third hour. I love lit and Professor Penthesilea.”

“Third hour! That’s fencing for me,” Shaunee said. “I’m outta here. See you guys at lunch.”

We waved bye to her and I sighed. “I wish it was sixth hour.”

“I thought you liked lit class,” Damien said.

“I do, but I don’t like Spanish class, which is fifth hour. So if it was sixth hour I would’ve missed Spanish.” I rubbed my forehead, feeling achy and dizzy again.

“Are you okay?” Shaylin asked.

I looked at her. She was staring at me. Again. Irritation bubbled, along with the rumble of my stomach. The Seer Stone started to heat the center of my chest, which only intensified my irritation. “Shaylin, stop creeping on me!” I hadn’t meant to sound as pissed as my words came out sounding, and I totally hadn’t meant to make Shaylin jump like I’d just smacked her, but that was exactly what happened.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean anything,” she said, almost cringing away from me.

I sighed and my hand found the stone, which had cooled to ordinary rock. “Look, I didn’t mean to yell at you. I have a headache and I’m hungry, that’s all.”

“Well, Z, you just circled. You should ground yourself. Go to the cafeteria and get something to eat,” Damien said, patting my arm. “I’ll tell Professor P where you are. It’ll be fine.”

“You’re right, Damien. Food would definitely help my head.”

“Food or brown pop?” Damien asked, smiling.

“Brown pop is food,” I said.

“Zoey, do you mind if I go to the cafeteria with you?” Aurox asked me.

“Don’t you have to get to class?” I said.

“No. I only go to first hour. Then I patrol the school grounds.”

“Oh, I, uh, didn’t know that,” I said inanely, not sure whether to be envious of him or feel sorry for him.

“Actually, it’s probably a good idea if Aurox ate something, too,” Damien said. “It was his first circle.” He paused and smiled at Aurox. “And you were excellent. Well done you.”

“Hey, thanks Damien.” A grin broke over Aurox’s face, making his eyes sparkle a little too familiarly.

How the hell could moonstone-colored eyes remind me of Heath’s?

“Zo, you don’t mind if I go with you, do you?”

I realized I’d been staring at Aurox—while Shaylin and Damien and Aurox had been staring at me—and I blinked. “No, that’s fine. You’ll have to hurry, though. I should try to make at least the last few minutes of lit class. Just because it’s not math doesn’t mean I’m great at it.” With Aurox following, I practically jogged away, saying a quick bye to Damien and Shaylin.

The cafeteria was deserted, but I could hear pots and pans clattering in the distance from the kitchen, and something smelled delicious. My mouth was watering like crazy when Aurox said, “If you get our drinks I’ll go back to the kitchen and see what’s ready to eat.”

I said okay without thinking about it, and went straight for the brown pop, sucking down a glass before I even left the drink dispenser. My head was a little clearer when I carried two big glasses to the table my group usually sat at. Sipping the cold brown goodness, I thought about how strange it was that some rooms totally changed when they were empty. Like, the cafeteria was usually loud and filled with kids and food, but right now, half an hour before lunch, it seemed unusually big and almost alien, as if it echoed with the ghosts of kids not here, but still, somehow, watching me.

It gave me a seriously creepy feeling.

“I got you grilled cheese sammiches and tomato poop.” Aurox smiled happily as he slid in beside me, plopping a tray filled with soup and sandwiches in front of us.

All I could do was stare at him.

His smile faded. He looked at the grilled cheese and soup, and then at me. “I thought you would like this. I can take it back. They have turkey and cheese, too, and the cook said they’re almost done making cobb salads.”

“It’s not that. I love grilled cheese. And the soup.”

“Then why do you look like that?”

“Grilled cheese sammiches and tomato poop. Why did you call them that?”

His brow scrunched. “It just came out of my mouth. That’s not what you call them?”

“Aurox, it’s what I’ve called them since grade school. It’s also what Heath called them. It was our favorite lunch because our school made seriously crappy spaghetti.”

“Psaghetti,” he said softly.

My mind told me to tell him to shut up and eat, but my mouth said, “We only call it that when it’s good. Psaghetti madness can’t happen with crappy spaghetti.” I knew I was babbling, but I couldn’t stop myself. “There’s a song and a dance that go with psaghetti madness, too.”

“I know.”

“What else do you know?” I felt hot and cold at the same time.

“That I want to touch you so badly that sometimes I think I might die if you don’t let me,” he said.

My stomach butterflied. “I’m with Stark.”

“I know, and I think you should take a chill pill about that.”

Chill pill! When he said that he sounded so much like Heath I couldn’t breathe.

Neither of us said anything, and then he reached slowly up toward me. One of my hands was resting on the table between us. Gently, he turned it over. With one finger he softly traced the filigree pattern of the tattoo that covered my palm.

“These were gifts from Nyx,” he said.

“Yes.”

“You have more special tattoos.” He moved his finger from my palm to my face, where he stroked the repeated pattern there.

His finger was warm and it brought alive my nerves so that everywhere he touched I tingled. He followed the line of my neck down to the deep vee of my BDG T-shirt, and began to trace the tattoo that stretched over the puckered scar, which ran from one of my shoulders to the other.

“This almost killed you,” he whispered.

“Almost.” The word came out breathy, like I was trying to talk and jog at the same time.

His fingertips still on my body, his eyes met mine. “You Imprinted with Heath and he saved you. That is why this didn’t kill you.”

“Yes.”

“You drank his blood.”

It was too hard to speak, so I just nodded.

“Zo, I want you to drink my blood.”

“Heath, uh, Aurox,” I stuttered, “I can’t. It would hurt Stark and—”

My words broke off when he lifted the knife and pricked the tip of the finger that had been touching my chest. A single drop of scarlet welled. The scent of his blood washed over and through me. It wasn’t human. It wasn’t fledgling or vampyre. It was magick.

I licked the tip of his finger and he moaned my name, “Zo!”

The taste hit my body like a nuclear bomb. My hands covered his, clutching, imprisoning, needing. I closed my eyes and took his finger in my mouth. He leaned forward, his head pressing against mine.

The bell that signaled the end of third hour and the beginning of lunch rang. My eyes opened wide and I realized what I was doing.

“No, this isn’t right! No. Aurox.” Shaking my head, I let loose his hand.

He was breathing as heavily as I was. “I won’t tell anyone. I won’t ever betray you like that.”

I wanted to cry. “If you really care about me you’ll just go. Please.”

He nodded, wrapped a napkin around his bleeding finger, and bolted from the cafeteria.

I drank an entire glass of pop in a single gulp. I wiped my mouth. I smoothed my T-shirt. I picked up a triangle of grilled cheese and forced myself to eat it. And when my friends all crowded into the booth I smiled and talked and let Stark put his arm around me possessively.

No one knew I was screaming inside. No one.