Aphrodite thought she looked like a fire goddess. Not that she’d ever tell Shaunee that, but still…
As Thanatos closed the circle and bid everyone to blessed be, Aphrodite whispered to Darius, “Gotta do something real quick. I’ll meet you back in our room.” She kissed him and then ducked through the crowd, trying to catch sight of Shaylin, and wishing the girl wasn’t so effing short.
Distracted, she almost ran into a damn tree. Good thing she didn’t because on the other side of it, Rephaim was holding Stevie Rae, who was still bawling her eyes out and totally soaking the front of his T-shirt.
“I know it’s hard, but Erin is with Nyx,” Rephaim was saying to Stevie Rae. He glanced up as Aphrodite stumbled around the big oak.
She put her finger to her lips and mimed a shhh motion, shaking her head. That’s all she needed—Stevie Rae expecting Aphrodite to be included in her blubberfest. Luckily, Rephaim didn’t pay any attention to her, and went right back to overcomforting Stevie Rae while Aphrodite tiptoed away.
She felt a shivery, not right feeling and froze. Her gaze found Dallas immediately. He couldn’t see Aphrodite, though. The tree was in his way, but Aphrodite didn’t think he would have noticed if she’d stomped around unattractively like a heifer. He was too busy staring at Rephaim and Stevie Rae. The hatred in his gaze was frightening. Silently, Aphrodite worked her way around the tree, moving closer to Dallas. He was saying something, muttering to himself. Aphrodite concentrated, watching his too-thin lips and listening with all of her focus.
“It ain’t right. Mine is dead and hers ain’t even human. It ain’t right…”
That was it. That was all Dallas was muttering. Aphrodite waited, watched, ready to warn Rephaim and yell for Darius if Dallas actually tried anything, but the kid just kept saying the same shit over and over, even as he walked away.
Aphrodite shook her head. Dallas was seriously not right. Z might be having a mental breakdown, but she had a point about not wanting to be stuck at the House of Night with him.
“Okay, see ya tomorrow, Erik!”
Hearing Shaylin’s voice, Aphrodite sighed in relief, and hurried to catch up to her as she waved bye to Erik and started meandering toward the girls’ dorm.
“Pssst!” Aphrodite called after her.
Shaylin glanced back, questioningly.
“There. Now.” Aphrodite pointed to the shadows outside the flickering gaslights that illuminated part of the sidewalk.
They got to the dark part of the pathway together. Shaylin crossed her arms over her chest. “You can’t boss me around.”
“And yet you just did what I told you to do.”
Without saying anything Shaylin spun around and started to walk away.
“Hang on! I was just kidding. Come back.” When Shaylin didn’t stop walking, Aphrodite sighed and added, “Please.”
Shaylin immediately came back to her. “Please was all you needed to say. Next time try it first.”
“Fine. Fine. Whatever.”
Aphrodite looked at Shaylin. Shaylin stared back at her. Aphrodite flipped her hair. Shaylin’s eyes widened. “Are you nervous?”
“I never get nervous.”
“You’re fidgeting with your hair.”
“I’m flipping my hair.”
“You need something from me.” Shaylin smiled.
“No. I don’t need anything from you. Aphrodite, Prophetess of Nyx, needs something from you.”
“If you start talking about yourself in the third person I’m going to get very creeped out.”
“Just shut it and listen: I had a vision, and it had to do with Zoey losing control of her temper, and bad stuff happening because of it.”
Shaylin’s smile disappeared. “Did you tell Z?”
“I don’t think I should. Or at least I don’t think I should right now.”
“Have you prayed about it and really listened for an answer from Nyx?”
“Yes, moron. Of course I have. The answer I got is why I’m standing here talking to you and not Zoey.”
“Don’t call me a moron,” Shaylin said.
“Then don’t sound like one. You already know something’s up with Z.”
Shaylin chewed her lip.
“Well?” Aphrodite pressed.
“I’m not comfortable talking about this with you.”
“Forget you’re talking to me. Pretend like we’re one Prophetess talking to another Prophetess about our High Priestess, because that’s actually what we are.” Aphrodite met her gaze. “This isn’t gossip. This isn’t mean. This is us doing our jobs.”
“Her colors are getting weirder and weirder,” Shaylin said quietly.
“Weirder? Like it’s been happening?”
“Yeah, I talked to her about it in the tunnels. I noticed her colors were getting murky, swirling together, and I told her that it seemed to me that she was confused about something.”
“And then what?”
“She said I was kinda right, and basically, that I shouldn’t blab her business around to everyone.”
“Yeah, I can understand why she’d say that,” Aphrodite said.
“And now I’ve blabbed and I feel crappy about it.”
“I’m not going to say anything to anyone—not even Zoey. Shaylin, are Zoey’s colors still murky?”
“Very, and they’re swirling, almost like the beginning of a whirlpool or the tip of a tornado.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Anger. Confusion. Frustration. Basically, not good stuff. Okay, here’s an example: Dallas’s colors are always swirling.”
“Shit! Are Zoey’s always swirling?”
“No, that just started, and it doesn’t keep going. She was swirly when she first came up to the circle tonight, but as Thanatos talked and prayed, she got more and more still and clear. By the time Shaunee lit the pyre she was back to her normal purple with silver flecks. Sorry, I know it’s super confusing,” Shaylin said, shaking her head.
“Actually, I think you’re doing a good job of describing it.” When Shaylin blinked at her in surprise Aphrodite added, “I told you she’s Aphrodite, Prophetess of Nyx, right now.”
“Third person—creepy.”
“Get used to it. Here’s what the Prophetess wants you to do—keep watching Zoey and tell me whenever she starts to swirl.”
“Like, right away?”
“Yes, moron. Right away.”
“You’re sounding a lot more like Aphrodite than the Prophetess right now,” Shaylin said.
“That’s because she and I have mind melded. Just do what we say and no one gets hurt,” Aphrodite said.
“You’re so damn strange,” Shaylin said.
“Normal is overrated. Do we have a deal?”
“Do you promise not to tell anyone except Zoey and Nyx what I tell you?”
Aphrodite hesitated, then nodded. “I promise. You have my oath on it. I wouldn’t gossip about Zoey.”
Shaylin studied her. “I believe you. Both of you.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Aurox
Aurox wondered if funerals ever got easier. Would it be less sad if he had lived decades of life first? If he had friends he could talk with afterward?
He walked away from the main group, heading nowhere in particular. No one spoke to him. No one noticed him. But Aurox noticed everything and everyone.
Shaunee remained beside the burning pyre, crying softly, though the heat of the flames dried her tears almost instantly. Thanatos stood as close to her as she could bear. The winged immortal remained as well, standing statue-like in the shadows, eyes scanning the area around the pyre as if he expected an enemy to appear from the fledgling’s ashes.
Aurox moved swiftly and silently, staying out of Kalona’s line of vision. He didn’t know what to make of the immortal. Was he friend, foe, or simply a god whose purpose was to observe them and laugh?
Aurox continued to move through the shadows. Rephaim was comforting Stevie Rae. Aurox envied their closeness—especially the way Stevie Rae was able to accept Rephaim completely, without judgment or hesitation.
He noticed Dallas as well. The young red vampyre seemed miserable, filled with anger and envy. Aurox did not like how he stared at Stevie Rae and muttered to himself. Perhaps he should speak with Thanatos about him, though the High Priestess, as well as the rest of the House of Night, seemed well aware of Dallas’s potential for violence.
Aphrodite flitted off. Aurox saw her calling to Shaylin. It felt right that the two Prophetesses would seek one another out, especially during such trying times.
He should have continued to walk away—continued to fade into the night and wait until Stevie Rae’s red fledglings were settled for the daylight hours in their new lair in the basement. Then he could reappear to stand guard. To protect. To remain silent and vigilant, and to want no more than to serve this House, and through this House, the Goddess Nyx.
But, as always, Zoey drew his gaze. Aurox paused, and from the darkness allowed himself a moment to watch her. Stark was holding her hand as she talked with Damien and Darius. She kept glancing from whomever she was speaking to, to Shaunee. Zoey was nodding, and engaging in the conversation, but Aurox could tell that most of her attention was on her friend who stood so close to the pyre, weeping.