Stark
Stark's dream started okay. He'd been on an awesome beach with white sand around him and clear blue water before him. The sun hadn't burned him at all. Actually, it was just like before he'd been Marked and the sun had felt great on his face and shoulders. He was shooting arrows at a big round bull 's-eye target that magickally absorbed them and then made them reappear in the sand beside him so that he could continue to shoot and shoot and shoot.
He was just thinking how really great the dream would be if Zoey showed up on the beach in a bikini.
Or maybe it would be a European beach and Zoey would show up in a topless bikini. Now that would be even better.
And then, like what happens a lot in dreams, the scene shifted and all of a sudden Zoey was there, only they weren't on the beach. She was there, curled up in his arms, warm and soft and smelling really good.
"Hey," she said, smiling up at him. "You're awake and the sun hasn't set yet."
"Yeah." He grinned at her. "Let me show ya how awake I am." He kissed her and she tasted sweet. Her body fit with his perfectly. She made that little sighing moan she made when she was really feeling good.
But just as he was really getting into the dream Zoey pulled back from him. He looked questioningly at her, thinking maybe it was going to be an awesome-beyond-awesome dream and she'd do a sexy little strip for him. Then he saw the look on her face. It was wide-eyed terror.
"Stop them!" she yelled. "Stark! Guardian! Help me!"
She was reaching for him as dark, snake-like tendrils dragged her away.
Stark leaped up and the Guardian Sword appeared in his hand. He ran to her, vaulted over her fall en body, and landed smack in the middle of the tendrils of Darkness. Swinging the Guardian Sword he slashed through them over and over again, but where he cut one, two grew to take its place, and both reattached like Velcro to Zoey's body.
"Stark! Oh, Goddess! Help me!"
"I'm trying! Zoey, I'm doing my best!" But he was making no difference against Darkness. By now, Z was wrapped completely, cocooned like something a giant spider would snack on, and she was conscious and screaming for him to save her.
Stark fought and fought, but there was nothing he could do, and as Darkness pulled her from him, he saw Neferet, the puppet master commanding the black, sticky strings. She stood just out of his sword reach and laughed as she tightened the threads around Zoey until his love, his queen, was strangled, killed, and then absorbed by her enemy.
In the dream Stark stood there, sobbing and lost without his Zoey. In his mind he heard a voice strong and clear: This will happen unless Zoey Redbird publicly breaks from Neferet. She must stand up to the Tsi Sgili and stop these pretenses of a truce between them.
Stark, still shocked and broken from the dream loss of his queen, only heard the words and not the voice. He didn't think of where the message came from-only the warning itself.
He took a deep breath and woke with Zoey safe, warm, and willing in his arms, and she smiled up at him saying, "Hey, you're awake and the sun hasn't set yet." A terrible, portentous chil shivered through his body. It had been more than a dream-he knew it. Which meant the warning was more than just words-it was prophecy. Stark filled his arms with Zoey, pressing her hard against his body.
"Tell me you're okay. Tell me you feel fine."
"I will if you stop smothering me," she choked out.
He loosened his grip with one of his arms, with the other he ran up and down her back as he looked over her shoulder, being sure there were no tendrils there-no sticky memories from his dream.
"Stark, hey stop." She grabbed his hand and stared into his eyes. "What the heck is wrong?"
"Massively bad dream. Like of apocalyptic proportions. And then I woke up and you were saying the exact same words you said to me in the dream right before Darkness got you."
"First, eew, Darkness getting me is disgusting. How'd it happen?"
"You don't want to know," he said.
"Yes, I most certainly do. It could be a prophetic dream, and if it is I need to know what to avoid."
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too. Actually, I was trying not to think that, but you're right." He leaned back and ran his hand through his hair, trying to shake off sleep and foreboding. "It might be prophetic and you could need to know; Darkness got you like Shelob got Frodo, only worse," he said.
Stark watched Zoey's face drain of color. "As a girl who is deathly afraid of spiders, I don't know how that dream could be much worse."
"Make the spider Neferet and its web Darkness."
"Okay, well, you're right. That is worse." She gave him what he knew was a brave smile. "But you saved me, right?" He didn't say anything. He couldn't.
"hello, big strong Guardian! You. Saved. Me. Right?"
"No," he admitted. "I tried, but the Darkness Neferet controlled was too much for me."
"Well, hell," Zoey said. "I hate when that happens." Then she shook her head and added firmly, "Hey, it didn't really happen. For now at least it's just a dream."
"Too damn many things that seem like they could only happen in dreams have turned out to be real," he said grimly. "And there was something else. Someone was telling me that what I dreamed would really happen unless you start standing up to Neferet." Zoey frowned. "Hey, I do stand up to Neferet! All the darn time. And what do you mean 'someone' was telling you that? Was it Nyx? Did the Goddess speak to you?"
Stark thought back, trying to recall the dream voice, but even though the horror of it was fresh, the specifics were already fading back into his subconscious. "I can't really remember, but I don't think it was Nyx's voice, or at least not a voice of hers I recognized."
"I think you'd know for sure if it'd been the Goddess. Plus, like I said, I do stand up to Neferet, so I don't know what your dream voice was talking about."
"Actually, right now you are kinda in a truce with her," Stark said slowly.
"I supposed that depends on your definition of truce. If it means I-can't-kick-Neferet-out-of-the-House-of-Night-'cause-the-High-Council-forgave-her, then yeah, we're in a truce."
"Hey." He touched her cheek. "I didn't mean to piss you off. That dream scared me, that's all." She snuggled into his arms and he felt the tension in her body begin to relax. "You didn't really piss me off. You just surprised me. I mean, I thought you and I were on the same page about Neferet."
"We are." He held her tight. "We know Neferet's evil and crazy, and we know all of us on Nyx's side have to watch out for what-thehell-ever she's gonna do next."
Zoey shuddered and buried her face in his shoulder. "Makes me want to run back to Skye."
"Makes me want to take you back to Skye." He hesitated and almost didn't say anything else, but something in the back of his mind wouldn't allow him to let it go. "The dream, Z. Darkness got you and I couldn't save you. I think it was a warning; I really do. And the most sense I can make of it is that you've got to keep standing up to Neferet."
"I will," she said, tilting her head back to look at him. "You look tired and you're up early." He gave her his cocky smile. "I'm up early so that you and I can spend some quality time alone before we have to catch the short bus, and I may look tired, but I'm not that tired." He slid his hand up under the big, baggy T-shirt she was wearing and tickled her ribs with a light caress. Zoey giggled. He caught the sweet, happy laugh with his lips and turned it into a long, hot kiss. And then his hand quit tickling and almost all of the worry his dream had caused disappeared as he loved her ... almost ...
Zoey
"Ah, hell," I muttered as Darius pulled the bus into the long driveway that wound through the rear of the House of Night and led to the parking lot.
We'd just turned onto campus and I saw Neferet, Dragon, and five Sons of Erebus Warriors standing there as if they were a weird vampyre welcome wagon. "Slow down," I told Darius. "We need to get ready for this."
"Yeah, it don't look good," Kramisha said.
"Wow, you would not believe all the colors." Shaylin was gawking open-mouthed out the window at the group of professors. "Eek, and there's the Dead Fish Eye Lady, so gross!"
"Dead Fish Eye Lady-I like that," Aphrodite said. "It suits her."
"Dead Fish Eye Lady is super intuitive," I was reminding everyone, even though I was speaking specifically to Shaylin.
"And we all decided it's best if she doesn't know much about Shaylin's gift," Stevie Rae said, walking up from her seat with Rephaim in the back of the bus. "Z, you want to call spirit and ask it to help shield Shaylin's thoughts, at least until we get past Neferet right now?"
"Yeah," I said. "Sounds like a good idea." I drew a deep breath and whispered, "Spirit, come to me." I felt the air over my skin stir with the power of the element. "Shield Shaylin. Keep her thoughts private."
"Oooh!" Shaylin giggled as the element washed over her. "That's so cool, and you're super purple when you do that."
"Thanks, I guess," I said. The new kid was definitely weird, but she seemed nice enough. I glanced back at the rest of the bus, picking out the Twins and Damien. "You guys keep your elements close, too."
"I think whenever Neferet is around it's an excellent opportunity for all of us to focus our thoughts on academics," Damien said.
We stared at him.
"Academics?" Shaunee asked.
"Like homework and whatnot?" Erin added.
"Or are you talking about the fashion show that really is school to us?" Shaunee said.
"We're confused," Erin concluded.
Damien sighed dramatically. "Academics-as in school work. For instance, when Neferet is near you should practice memorizing the definitions for your vocabulary words." He looked down his long nose at the Twins. "You two should start with the word miscreants."
"I have sort of no idea what that means, Twin. What about you?" Erin asked.
"Don't have a clue, Twin," Shaunee said.
"Be still, brain-sharers. Queen Damien has a point. We haven't been around Neferet like this in a while. Everyone needs to focus and keep their thoughts busy-and not busy on our business. Busy on stupid school business." Aphrodite glanced at Rephaim. "Can Neferet read your mind?" Rephaim looked surprised by the question, but hardly hesitated before saying, "She cannot."
"You know that for sure?" I asked.
"Yes," he said.
"How?" Aphrodite asked.
"He doesn't have to explain that to you," Stevie Rae said.
"Yeah, he does." Stark spoke before I could say anything. "Stevie Rae, you're going to have to stop being so defensive about Rephaim. He used to be on Neferet's side. He might have info we could use."
"I was never on Neferet's side." Rephaim's voice was as hard as the gaze he leveled on Stark. "I was on Kalona's side. As were you." That totally shut Stark up, and I took the opportunity to step between them and say, "Whatever the specifics, what we mean is that you were on an opposite side, and that might help us now." He looked at me and his gaze softened, though his expression was still guarded.
"I know Neferet can't read my mind because she didn't know about Stevie Rae and me." He took Stevie Rae's hand. "I tried not to think about you when she was near, but I couldn't help myself. I thought of you. Often."
Stevie Rae grinned and went up on her tiptoes to kiss him.
"Ugh," Aphrodite said. "So, moving on quickly before I puke, it's for sure that Neferet can't read my mind, Zoey's mind, or birdboy's mind. The rest of you need to watch yourselves."
"There is another bus that has just turned into the lane behind us," Darius said, looking in the rearview mirror. "It says House of Night on the side of it, too."
From one of the rear seats Johnny B called, "And it's not short. Why can't we get the normal-sized bus?"
"You ain't normal," Kramisha said.
"Your mom ain't-"
"Okay, let's get ready for school." I cut him off.
"Which means get ready for battle," Stark said.
"Park us," I told Darius.
He parked and then he and Stark and Rephaim exited the bus first, followed by the rest of us. I figured I might as well face whatever was going on, so flanked by Stevie Rae and Stark, I marched straight up to Neferet, bowed semi-respectfully to her and more respectfully to Dragon, and the Warriors. Then I said formally, "Merry meet."
"Oh, Zoey, Stevie Rae, I'm glad you and your students arrived with the other bus. It will save explanation time," Neferet said cryptically.
Before I could brilliantly say "huh?" or anything, the other bus parked next to ours and with the weird Star Trek noise they all had, its doors opened.
And my seer stone began to heat up.
Aurox exited first.
Behind him Dall as stepped off the bus. I heard Stevie Rae's shocked intake of breath. It was about then that my mouth flopped open because after Dall as a whole group of red fledglings, the bad red fledglings, including the totally awful Nichole and a very bruised up but still fat Kurtis kid exited the bus.
The red fledglings and Aurox lined up opposite us. I had a bizarre West Side Story dance scene flashback. Everything was weirdly quiet until Stevie Rae, in an unnaturally high-pitched voice, said, "Dall as, what in the Sam Hill are you doin' here?" Dall as lifted a lip. "I don't answer to you." He looked at Neferet and slowly, distinctly, fisted his right hand over his heart, bowed deeply, and said,
"Merry meet, my High Priestess." All the red fledglings behind him mimicked his greeting.
Neferet smiled graciously. Her voice was warm and deceptively kind. "What a lovely greeting. Thank you, Dall as." When her emerald gaze turned from the new kids to Stevie Rae, her voice and eyes hardened. "I will answer your question, Stevie Rae. What they are doing here is the same thing you are doing here-attending classes. Oh, wait. There is a slight difference between them and your little group. Dall as and his red fledglings will be living here at the school, and I will be their High Priestess."
"Is that him?" Dall as was staring at Rephaim, who was standing beside Stevie Rae. I could practically see the anger roll off him.
"Let me introduce you. Dall as, this is Rephaim. Oh, but, you two have already met, haven't you?" Neferet sounded like she was making introductions at prom. I swear it was so darn freaky that I had to stifle the urge to ask Stark to smack me so I'd know I wasn't dreaming.
Then my gaze went to Dall as, and the fear he made me feel told me no way was I sleeping. His eyes glowed faintly red. He looked feral and very, very dangerous. I remembered when I used to think he was so cute and nice. Well, that cute, nice kid must have died when this new red vampyre with his whip-looking tattoos Changed.
At my side, Stark moved restlessly closer to me.
At Dall as's side, Aurox, who I'd been trying not to look at, moved restlessly closer to me.
"Yeah, like you said. We've met," Dall as said.
"We have." Rephaim's voice was as hard and cold as Dall as's, and it reminded me that I shouldn't underestimate him just because he smiled so sweetly at Stevie Rae.
"While I have you all together, let me be very clear about something," Neferet said, and our eyes turned to her. She looked so darn normal!
Beautiful and regal and she sounded so darn reasonable that for a moment I felt a great sadness at the loss of who she could have been. "There has been unpleasantness between us in the recent past. That is over now. I will have no strife here, be you fledgling or vampyre, red or blue."
"Unpleasantness?" Stevie Rae's voice was incredulous. "They tried to kill me and Zoey!"
"Zoey did kill some of us!" Dall as shouted, and I was sure I heard the hum of electricity in the lines above our heads that fed the school.
"Wait, I didn't want to. Nichole and Kurtis and those guys attacked me and-"
"Enough!" Neferet's command held a frightening power that pulsed around us seeming to leach even the silver light of the risen moon. "I said the past is over. Stevie Rae and Zoey, if you cannot control yourselves then you will be expelled from this school. Dall as, the same goes for you. Aurox and the Sons of Erebus Warriors will be patrolling the halls and classrooms. If any violence breaks out they will end it. Immediately. Do I make myself clear?" No one spoke a word. Neferet's smile was cold. "Good. Now, get to class." She whirled around and, with that strange, gliding walk Neferet headed back to the main campus building and the classroom waiting there.
"There's Darkness all around her," Stark said in a voice that was low, but not low enough.
"She's totally engulfed by it," Rephaim said.
"Absolutely," Stevie Rae said. Then she looked at Dragon and the other Warriors. "Don't y'all not see it? It's like sticky spiderwebs." She jerked her thumb at Dall as and the other red fledglings. "I'll bet they can see it."
"Don't know what the hell you're talking about," Dall as said.
"Do you still have imaginary tea parties in the basement with your doll ies?" Nichole asked sarcastically.
Dall as and his red fledglings laughed.
"Dall as, Neferet wants you to report to the media center. They've been having computer problems and she needs your help to straighten things out," Dragon said, stepping up to stand between our two groups. The Sons of Erebus Warriors joined him, as did Aurox. "Shaylin, this is your class schedule. Stevie Rae can guide you around today." He handed the new fledgling a piece of paper. "Stark, Darius," Dragon continued. "Get to the stable and begin setting up for your classes. The rest of you do as the High Priestess ordered. First hour begins shortly."
"Whatever the High Priestess wants sounds good to me," Dall as said, and brushed past Rephaim with a sneer.
I watched Rephaim hold his ground. He didn't look pissed off and all Crazy Boy, like he wanted to punch a locker or anything like that, but he did look solid and strong, and he stayed protectively close to Stevie Rae.
"Let's go to class and try to ignore those idiots," I said, taking Stark's hand.
"They do not want to be ignored," Rephaim said as we walked slowly to the main campus. "They're here to cause problems."
"Stirring the shit pot," Stevie Rae said, and for some reason that made her and Rephaim smile.
Rephaim looked so totally teenage-human-boy-grinning-at-his-girlfriend that I had to remind myself he wasn't exactly what he appeared to be. I needed to remember that I'd seen Raven Mockers fight, and I knew that they were mean and dangerous, so I was wondering about him, whether him actually fighting Dall as, if it came to that, would call alive an edge of Darkness within him, when I saw the change come over his expression.
One second he was smiling at Stevie Rae, and the next his face had gone still, as if he could hear a sound no one else could. Then I blinked and he seemed normal again.
"Hey, do I really get to ride horses sixth hour?" Shaylin asked, reading her schedule while she tried to keep up with us.
"If it says Equestrian Studies you do," Stevie Rae said. "See ya at lunch." She grinned once more at Rephaim, waved at the rest of us, and then went over to Shaylin. "Lemme see." She read the fledgling's schedule. "Oh, good, you have Spells and Rituals first hour. You'll like that class. I hear the new professor is cool."
"Hey, what's up with you?" Stark asked me.
"Not sure," I said quietly. "Actually, probably nothing more than the fact that I'm going to sociology class, which is taught by Neferet. Talk about stress."
"You'll be fine. She's pretending to be a professor and a High Priestess right now," he said.
"Yeah, which means she'll only humiliate me a little, versus ripping my head off with her claws," I muttered.
"If she tries, be sure to run around a lot and be scared so I can get to you in time to save you." He smiled his cocky grin at me, and I knew he was trying (unsuccessfully) to make me feel better.
"I'll keep that in mind. See you at lunch."
He kissed me, and then after one more worried look, headed toward the stables with Darius. Everyone scattered, leaving Damien, Rephaim, and me walking to class.
"You okay?" I asked Rephaim.
"Yes. Fine," he said.
I seriously didn't believe him, and I guess my sneaked peeks were super obvious because he finally stopped, sighed, and then he truly surprised me by saying, "Hey, Damien, I need to talk to Zoey. Can I meet you in class?"
Damien looked more than a little curious, but he was too polite to protest. "Sure, no problem. Don't be late, though. The professors here really get annoyed about tardiness."
"I'll make sure he hurries," I assured Damien, and then I slowed down so that Rephaim and I stayed outside the building when everyone else went in. "What's up?"
"My father is here. I can feel his presence."
"Kalona? Where?" I knew my eyes were all big and googly as I looked around us like I expected the immortal to pop out of the shadows.
"I don't know where, but I want you to know that I haven't contacted him, haven't seen him, haven't talked to him since he freed me." Rephaim shook his head. "I-I don't want you and the rest of your friends to think I'm keeping things from you."
"Okay. Well, at least that's a good thing. Do you have any idea what he wants?"
"No!"
"Okay, okay, I'm not accusing you of anything. You came to me with this, remember?"
"Yes, but I-" His face went still again. Then his eyes met mine and the sadness in them was so intense that it made my stomach ache. "He's calling me."