Oh, for shits sake. Could you two be more obvious?
I lifted my head dreamily from Starks shoulder and saw Aphrodite standing in a pool of torchlight at the entrance to the castle, toe tapping in annoyance.
My beauty, leave them be. Theyve earned their piece of happiness. Dariuss deep voice came from the shadows beside her.
One fine blond eyebrow lifted mockingly. I dont think happiness is the piece she just gave Stark.
Seriously, even your crudeness cant bother me right now, I told her.
It can bother me, though, Stark said. Shouldnt you be pulling the wings off seagulls or the claws off crabs?
Aphrodite acted like Stark hadnt spoken and walked up to me. Is it true?
Is what true? That youre a pain in the butt? I said.
Stark snorted. Thats definitely true.
If its true, then youre gonna have to tell him. Im not listening to him blubber. Aphrodite waved her iPhone around, using it to punctuate her words.
Jeesh, youre acting super crazy, even for you, I said. Do you need shopping therapy intervention? Is. What. True? I spoke slowly, pretending she was an English-as-a-second-language-learner.
Is it true what the Queen of Every Damn Thing Skye just told methat youre not leaving with us tomorrow? That youre staying here?
Oh. I shuffled my feet, wondering why I should feel guilty. Yeah, thats true.
Great. Just great. Then, like I said before, you tell him.
Who him?
Jack. Here. Hes gonna burst into snotty tears and ruin his makeup, which will make him boo-hoo even more. And I want nothing to do with gay snot. At all. Aphrodite punched the screen of her phone. It was ringing when she handed it to me.
Jack sounded sweet but defensive when he answered. Aphrodite, if youre going to say something else mean about the Ritual, then I think you should just say nothing at all. Plus, Im not going to listen to you because Im busy defying gravity. So there.
Uh, hi, Jack, I said.
I could almost see his smile blaze through the phone. Zoey! Hi! Oooh, its so cool that youre not dead, or even dead-like. Oh, oh, did Aphrodite tell you what were planning for tomorrow after you get back? Ohmigoddess, its going to be so totally cool!
No, Jack. Aphrodite didnt tell me cause
Goodie! I get to tell you. So, were going to have a special Dark Daughters and Sons Ritual of Celebration, like with proper nouns and such, because you being un-shattered is a big deal.
Jack, I have to
No, no, no, you dont have to do anything. I have it all handled. I even have the food planned, well, with Damiens help, of course. I mean
I sighed and waited for him to take a breath.
See, told ya, Aphrodite said under her breath while Jack gushed. Hes going to bawl when you burst his little pink bubble.
and my favorite part is when you come into the circle Im going to be singing Defying Gravity. You know, like Kurt did on Glee, except Im going to actually hit that high note. So what do you think?
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and said, I think youre a really good friend.
Oooh! Thank you!
But lets postpone the Ritual.
Postpone? How come? His voice already sounded trembly.
Because I hesitated. Crap. Aphrodite was right. He probably was going to cry.
Stark pried the phone gently from my hand and tapped the speaker button.
Hey there, Jack, he said.
Hi, Stark!
Could you do me a favor?
Ohmigoddess! Of course!
Well, Im still kinda out of it from the Otherworld thing and all. Aphrodite and Darius are coming back tomorrow, but Zoey is going to stay here on Skye with me while I get stronger. So could you let everyone know that we wont be back in Tulsa for a couple more weeks or so? Just pass the word for me and smooth everything over?
I held my breath, waiting for the tears, but instead Jack sounded totally grown and mature. Absolutely. Dont worry about anything, Stark. Ill let Lenobia and Damien and everyone know. And Z, no problem. We can definitely postpone. Itll just give me more time to practice my song and figure out how to make origami swords for decorations. I thought Id hang them with fishing line, that see-through stuff, so it would look like, you know, theyre defying gravity.
I smiled and mouthed thank you to Stark. Sounds perfect, Jack. I wont worry about a thing if I know youre in charge of the decorations and the music.
Jacks happy laughter bubbled. Its going to be a great Ritual! You wait and see. Stark, just get well. Oh, and Aphrodite, you shouldnt assume that Im going to burst into tears at the first hint of a change in party plans.
Aphrodite frowned at the phone. How the hell did you know thats what I assumed?
Im gay. I know things.
Whatever. Say goodbye, Jack. My phones roaming, Aphrodite said.
Goodbye, Jack! Jack said, giggling, while Aphrodite snatched the phone from Stark and ended the call.
That went better than you thought it was going to go, I said to Aphrodite.
Yeah, she took it well. Wonder how that other one will take it, since shes exponentially worse than Miss Jack.
Look, Aphrodite, Damien isnt a fluttery gay, not that theres anything wrong with that. But I really wish youd be nicer about both of them.
Oh, please. Im not talking your gays. Im talking about Neferet.
Neferet! My voice was sharp. I hated even saying her name. What have you heard from her?
Nothing, and thats exactly what Im worried about. But, hey, Z, dont lose any sleep over it. After all, youre going to be here, on Skye, with a gazillion big, strong guysand Starkto protect you, while the rest of us mere mortals get on with the whole good versus evil, Darkness v. Light, epic battle, blah, blah, et cetera, ad nauseam. Aphrodite turned and stomped up the front stairs of the castle.
Aphrodites a mere mortal? I thought her pain-in-the-ass level was well beyond mere, Stark said.
I heard that! Aphrodite called over her shoulder. Oh, and FYI, Z, I had a luggage emergency, as in I didnt have enough of it, so Im confiscating that suitcase you bought the other day. Im off to do some power packing. Later, peasants. She slammed the thick, wooden door to the castle, which really took some doing.
Shes magnificent, Darius said, smiling proudly as he vaulted the steps and followed Aphrodite.
I can think of a lot of m words that she could be. Magnificent isnt one of them, Stark grumbled.
Mental and mean pop into my head, I said.
Manure pops into mine, Stark said.
Manure?
I think shes full of shit, but its too many words and doesnt start with an m, so thats as close as I could get, he said.
Heehees, I said. Then I linked my arm with his. Youre just trying to distract me from the Neferet stuff, arent you?
Is it working?
Not really.
Starks arm slid around me. Then Ill have to work on my distraction skills.
Arm in arm, we walked to the castle entrance. I let Stark amuse me with his list of m words that fit Aphrodite better than magnificent, and tried to regain the sense of contented happiness Id felt so recently and so briefly. I kept telling myself that Neferet was a world awayand the adults of that world could handle her. As Stark opened the castle door for me, something pulled my vision upward and my eyes caught on the flag that waved proudly over Sgiachs domain. I paused, appreciating the beauty of the powerful black bull with the shape of the glittering Goddess within his body. Just then, a trail of mist lifted from the waters that flanked the castle, altering my sight of the flag and changing the black bull to ghostly white as it blanked out the Goddess image completely.
Fear skittered through my body.
What is it? Instantly alert, Stark moved to my side.
I blinked. The fog dissipated and the flag shifted back into its proper form.
Nothing, I said quickly. Just me being paranoid.
Hey, Im right here. You dont have to be paranoid; you dont have to worry. I can protect you.
Stark took me into his arms and held me tightly, blocking the outside world and what my gut was trying to tell me.
CHAPTER FIVE
Stevie Rae
You aint yourself. You know that?
Stevie Rae looked up at Kramisha. All Im doin is just sittin here, minding my own business. She paused, letting the unlike you implication sink in. How is that not being myself?
You picked the darkest, creepiest corner stuck all over here. You blew them candles out so itd be even darker. And you sitting here moping so loud I can almost hear your thoughts.
You cant hear my thoughts.
The hard edge to Stevie Raes voice had Kramishas eyes widening. Course I cant. Theys no need for you to get all huffy. I said almost. I aint Sookie Stackhouse. Plus, even if I was I wouldnt listen in to your thoughts. Thatd be rude and my mama raised me better than that. Kramisha sat next to Stevie Rae on the little wooden bench. Speaking ofam I the only one who thinks that werewolf is hotter than Bill and Eric put together?
Kramisha, do not mess up season three of True Blood for me. I havent finished my DVDs of season two.
Well, Im just sayin, prepare for some serious four-footed hotness.
Seriously. Dont you dare tell me anything else.
Okayokay, but the whole wolf-monster-hotness-guy thing is somethin I need to talk to you bout.
This bench is made of wood. Wood equals earth. Which means I can probably figure out a way to make it smack the living crap right outta you if you mess up True Blood for me.
Would you please relax? Im already offa that. I got somethin else we gotta discuss before we go into what I know is gonna be one majorly boring Council Meeting.
Its part of what we gotta do. Im a High Priestess. Youre a Poet Laureate. We have to go to the Council Meetings. Stevie Rae let out a long puff of air and felt her shoulders slump. Dang, Ill be glad when Z gets back here tomorrow.
Yeah, yeah, I get that. What I dont get is whats got you so messed up in the head you seem turned inside out.
My boyfriend has lost his dang mind and disappeared off the face of the earth. My best friend almost died in the Otherworld. The red fledglingsthe other onesare still out there somewhere doin Bubba-knows-what, which Im pretty sure means eating people. And to top it all off Im supposed to be a High Priestess, even though Im not even sure what all that means. I think thats enough to mess up anyones head.
Yeah, it is. But it aint enough to keep givin me weird-assed poems that all have the same freaky theme. They about you and beasts, and I want to know why.
Kramisha, I do not know what youre talkin bout.
Stevie Rae started to stand up, but Kramisha reached into her huge bag and pulled out a piece of violet-colored paper that had her bold writing scrawled across it. With another heavy exhale of breath, Stevie Rae sat down and held out her hand.
Fine. Let me see.
I wrote em both on this paper. The old one and the new one. Somethin told me you might need your memory refreshed.
Stevie Rae didnt say anything. Her eyes went to the first poem on the paper. She took her time reading it. Not because she needed her memory refreshed. She didnt. Every line of the poem had been burned into her mind.
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 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 told herself she wouldnt cry, but her heart felt bruised and broken. The poem had been right. Shed seen Rephaim with her soul, not with her eyes. Shed parted Darkness and trusted and accepted himand because of that, because shed allied herself with a beast, she had paid with her heart. She was still paying with her heart.
Reluctantly, Stevie Rae looked to the second poem on the pagethe new one. Reminding herself not to react, not to let her face give away anything, she started reading:
Beasts can be beautiful
Dreams become desires
Reality changes with reason
Trust your truth
Man monster mystery magick
Hear with your heart
See without scorn
Love will not lose
Trust his truth
His promise is proof
The test is time
Faith frees
If there is courage to change.
Stevie Raes mouth felt dry. Sorry, I cant help you. I dont know what these things are about. She tried to hand the piece of paper back to Kramisha, but the poets hands were folded across her chest.
You aint a good liar, Stevie Rae.
Its not smart to call your High Priestess a liar. There was an edge of meanness to Stevie Raes voice that had Kramisha shaking her head.
Whats happenin to you? You dealing with somethin thats eatin you from the inside out. If you was yourself, youd be talkin to me. Youd be trying to figure this out.
I cant figure out this poetry stuff! Its metaphor and symbolism and weird, confusing predictions.
Thats a damn lie, Kramisha said. We been figuring this stuff out. Zoey has. You and I did, or at least we did enough to get word to Z in the Otherworld. And it helped. Stark said it did. Kramisha pointed at the first poem. Some of this one came true. You met the beasts. Those bulls. You been different ever since. Now I been given another one of them beast poems. I know they for you. And I know you know more than you sayin.
Look, stay outta my business, Kramisha. Stevie Rae stood up, stepped out of the alcove, and as she walked right into Dragon Lankford she yelled back at Kramisha, Im done talking bout this beast stuff!