Текст книги "Redeemed"

Автор книги: P. C. Cast

Соавторы: Kristin Cast,P. C. Cast
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Текущая страница: 20 (всего у книги 21 страниц)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Zoey

Neferet’s command released total chaos. Threads of Darkness moved in a wave of teeth and writhing, muscular bodies toward the stone stairs.

There was a deafening roar, and Aurox rushed from behind the rocks that had been concealing him. He didn’t hesitate. He charged straight into the thick of them, goring with his horns, tearing and stomping with his cloven hooves.

He was as terrifying as he was magnificent.

“The betrayer vessel!” Neferet shrieked at him. “Broken! You will forever be broken!”

Unable to speak, Aurox’s only response was a roar, as he kept spreading carnage around him.

It was hard for me to look away from him. As I stared I realized that he, too, had changed.

“His horns,” I shouted to Stark. “They aren’t that sickening white anymore!”

“No,” Stark said. “They’re black, like Nyx’s night.”

“And like the other bull. The good one.”

“Stay sharp, Z. Good bull or not, they’re getting past him,” Stark told me. “Watch Neferet. The second she’s close enough, get that circle cast.” Then Stark raised his bow and said, “Kill those bastards of Darkness!”

Arrows rained down on them, all around Aurox. But Stark’s aim was true. The bull was not pierced by them, though tendrils of Darkness all around him were skewered to the ground.

“More!” Neferet called into the night. “I need more of my children!”

It seemed that the shadows vomited Darkness. The things swarmed from everywhere.

And still Neferet wasn’t close enough.

“Her face! Do it!” I told him.

“Strike Neferet’s vanity,” Stark commanded as he pulled his bow taut and let fly two arrows at once.

Both sailed in a beautiful arch, falling in perfect timing with one another. Together they sliced her cheeks, scoring bloody, gaping wounds through her sapphire tattoos.

Screaming over and over, Neferet staggered, holding her face in her hands, trying to keep the skin on her cheeks from flapping open.

I’d thought wounding her would at least confuse her tendrils of Darkness, make them pause if she was unable to call out commands.

I’d been wrong.

Wounding her worked on them like spurs on a horse. Suddenly they were everywhere, and Aurox’s roar was no longer one of challenge but of pain.

“Zoey! Get back to the Hummer! Lock yourself in!” Stark yelled at me as he shot his last arrow. “I’ll follow you!”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said.

He looked up at me and smiled grimly. “Then neither am I.” Stark planted his feet wide and held his fists up, ready to battle the tendrils with his bare hands.

Instantly, a longsword materialized before him, glistening with deadly beauty.

Stark’s hand closed around the Guardian Sword’s hilt, and with a triumphant shout, he began slicing through the tendrils of Darkness that dared try to get past him.

And still Neferet wasn’t close enough.

Grimly, I slashed the arrowhead across my other palm. This time deeper, causing my blood to rush into my hand. I held up the Seer Stone. “Sprites of air, fire, water, and earth—come to me!” I blew my blood through the center of the stone, and Fey appeared all around me in the forms of birds and fairies, merefolk and forest nymphs. “No matter the cost, I’ll pay it. Just get me to Neferet.”

The cost will be

Your true love from thee

I had no choice. Either Stark dies or the world as I know it dies. “You have my oath. I agree!” I said, promising silently to myself, When this is over, I’ll follow Stark. I’ll know where to find him. Under the wishing tree …

The Fey bowed their glowing heads briefly in acknowledgment of my oath, then they formed a circle around me.

Go to the Dark Goddess.

I did as they commanded, moving past Stark.

“Zoey? What the hell?”

“Stay there, Stark! Keep fighting them. I’m going to her.” I couldn’t look at Stark. I knew he wouldn’t listen to me. I knew he wouldn’t stay up on the stairs where he had a chance against the tendrils. “James Stark, I will always love you!” I shouted.

Then I ran. The Fey surrounded me and moved with me, a solid shield of ancient power, repelling any tendril that approached them. I circled around behind Neferet. And then, using my Fey shield as a battering ram, I hurled myself at her.

The Fey hit her from behind. Blinded by blood and pain, she didn’t see us coming. I knocked her toward the grotto. One step, then another.

Hissing at me like she was a cobra, she whirled around and her terrible, long fingers sliced through the Fey closest to her.

It was a water Fey, a mermaid, and the beautiful blue sprite gave a horrible, inhumane shriek of pain and dissolved into the ground.

I gritted my teeth and took another step toward her.

“You little bitch! That is you inside there. Do you think Old Magick will stop me from killing you? I truly command Old Magick! A mortal cannot defeat me!”

She struck again, and a fire sprite exploded.

I battered her back another step, and she hacked through a Fey in the shape of a graceful heron.

With only a forest nymph between Neferet and me, I ran at her. Neferet raked her talons through the Fey, who screamed and disappeared, but the dark Goddess was off balance from the uneven Oklahoma sandstones beneath her feet, and she fell.

Finally! Close enough!

“Damien, where are you?” I cried.

“Here!” His head popped up from behind a clump of azaleas to my left. “Air, I call you to our circle!” I shouted, and wind rushed around us.

“I’m here!” Shaunee yelled, stepping out from behind a fire-blackened tree.

“Fire, I call you to our circle!” I felt the heat of her element.

“Children! Stop her! Kill her!” Neferet commanded.

I stood my ground, even as I felt a tendril of Darkness slice into my leg. “Shaylin!”

“Right here!” She jumped and waved from the top of the ridge to my right.

“Water, I call you to our circle!”

“Stevie Rae!” I cried, as I grabbed a snake-creature as it shot toward my throat and bashed it against a rock.

“I’m right behind you, Z, and I got your back!”

I turned. Rephaim’s sword sang in an arc around us, while I called, “Earth, I call you to our circle!” I breathed in the scents of a meadow as I completed my casting by calling, “Spirit, I call you to our circle!”

A wide silver ribbon of light crackled into being, connecting the five of us and completely encircling Neferet.

“Do you think a circle will hold me?” Neferet was on her hands and knees. Her face was bloody but already healing. She looked at me and laughed. “You’ve just made this easier. I destroy this circle, I destroy you. Come to me, children! All of you come to me!”

Her creatures obeyed her. They slithered from all the shadows within the park, a dark tide rising around her.

I ignored her and the creatures she called to execute me. I raised my arms. “Air, fire, water, earth, and spirit—hear me! I am Zoey Redbird. My ancestors danced beneath the sky, evoking you in the name of the Great Earth Mother, in respect and love, themselves caretakers of this land, keepers of the mortal realm’s balance of Light and Darkness. Tonight I invoke your aid as a daughter of those ancient caretakers. This Tsi Sgili and her creatures defile us all and create unbalance. So as the Wise Women before me did, I beg of you, Great Earth Mother and the powers of Old Magick, entrap Neferet and her children!” Imagining myself as a fountain and the elements as streams of power shooting up from the bowels of the earth and through me, I threw air, fire, water, earth, and spirit at Neferet.

The silver ribbon that connected me to the circle rushed from me, closing like a noose around Neferet and her tendrils of Darkness, and drawing them back, together, into the open mouth of the grotto.

“Stevie Rae, help me!” Instantly, she was at my side, taking my hand.

“Earth,” she commanded, “close ’em in!” A green glow lit up the rocks all around the grotto. The earth beneath our feet began to shake, harder and harder, until the stones fell free, avalanching to seal the mouth of the grotto.

The silence that followed was incredible. I felt wobbly. My knees were weak. Stevie Rae and I were still holding hands.

“Stark!” I called. “Where are you?” My eyes were already beginning to tear. I knew he wouldn’t answer. I staggered, and Aurox caught me.

He was a boy again, bloody but alive.

“Take it easy,” he said as he and Stevie Rae helped me sit down. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

No, nothing is going to be okay.

“Take a few deep breaths, and before you close the circle, borrow some energy from spirit,” Aurox said.

I nodded numbly, staring at the silver ribbon that still circled me.

“Z! We did it!” Damien cried as he hurried up to us.

“That was super scary,” Shaylin said.

“But awesome,” Shaunee agreed.

They were all around me—all of my circle. And we had done it. We’d trapped Neferet. I was the only one who knew the cost, though.

“Yeah, it was awesome, but painful,” he said.

I looked up, and through my tears saw Stark. He was standing there, smiling down at me. He had a bunch of cuts on his arms and legs, and he was bleeding like crazy, but he was alive!

“Stark! Ohmygoddess!” I was in the process of hurling myself into his arms when the mound of rocks that were supposed to be sealing Neferet inside the grotto began to move.

“Oh, shit!” Stark said. “The tendrils—they’re boring holes through the rocks.”

I stood, in the center of my circle, and raised my hands again. I noticed there was blood all over them. I didn’t care. Stark was alive!

The cost will be

Your true love from thee

The Feys’ voices echoed in my mind, and I realized why Stark was alive.

They hadn’t meant they were taking Stark away from me. They’d meant I was going. It was my turn. This time I had to love my friends and my world enough that I would be the sacrifice that would make it right. I had to exchange my life for entombing Neferet.

“You promised to be sure they’re safe,” I said to Stark.

He narrowed his eyes. “Z, what are you up to?”

I drew a deep breath, readying myself. I lifted my Seer Stone and started walking forward. Grandma said it. Sgiach said it. And, most important, Nyx said it. My blood is special. There’s ancient power in it, living in the modern world. And I’m going to use my blood to seal that tomb.

“It won’t work.” Aurox was suddenly there in front of me, blocking my path.

“Get out of my way,” I told him. “And keep Stark out of my way. I know what I’m doing. You were right. Everything is going to be okay.”

“No, Zoey. You’re strong and wise, but you’re wrong about this. You aren’t an immortal. No matter what you do. No matter what you’re willing to sacrifice, you don’t have enough power to hold her. But I do. I was created from Old Magick as a tool of Darkness.”

“But you chose Light. You changed.”

“Because Heath’s spirit within me gave me a choice. I’m making that choice now, out of love. Not just for you, Zo, but for all of you. This is the right thing to do. I know I’m right. Zo, make Stark take care of Skylar for me, ’kay?” He smiled, and I saw Heath within his moonstone eyes. “Oh, and remember the two things I wanted? Got one of them tonight. Nyx spoke to me through you.” He reached out and took the Seer Stone from me, putting it over his head so that it dangled, flashing silver, in the middle of his chest. “I am the Old Magick you had to wield.”

“And what about the second thing you wanted? What about the girl?” I asked, my eyes filling with tears.

“Next time around, Zo. How ’bout you and me, we make a date for my next time around. ’Cause it’s true. The one thing that never dies is love, always love!”

Then Heath disappeared within Aurox’s sweet, serious eyes. He turned, lowered his head, and roared an ancient challenge. As Aurox charged the grotto, his body convulsed, shifted, and changed so that by the time he reached the stones and the tendrils that were trying to slither free, he had taken the form of a powerful, beautiful black bull. He gored the rocks, and his body changed again, expanding into a huge black shield that folded over the grotto, closing it, sealing Neferet forever within.

There was a terrible rumbling that became a deafening thunder, coming from the east and the west.

“What is it?” Stark yelled.

I started to say I didn’t know, and then I saw the shadow. It spread from the east—an enormous black cloud, taking shape as it grew—horns, mighty chest, and cloven hooves.

“The west! Look to the west!” Shaunee cried.

My gaze went there, and I saw the twin of the other bull taking form, only this one was the white of frost, of death, of the grave.

The two bulls met in the sky above us with a crash that had us covering our ears, even though the sound couldn’t be muffled. Pain flashed through my forehead, and I heard my friends cry out with me. I fell to the ground, feeling like my head was going to explode. Stark was holding me. I looked around wildly, and I could see that Rephaim had gone to Shaylin, and Stevie Rae was rushing from Damien to Shaunee. All of them were collapsed in pain with me.

What was happening to us? Ohmygoddess, what now?

Just when I thought I couldn’t stand any more pain, the sky flashed with a blinding light, and both bulls disappeared together, taking with them the terrible agony in my head.

Shakily, I sat up.

“Z, are you okay? What happened—” His smile interrupted his words. “Oh, that’s what happened!”

I frowned. What was he talking about? I rubbed my face. Man, my forehead hurt.

“Ohmygoddess! That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” Stevie Rae practically squealed.

Still confused, I glanced over to where she was, kneeling beside Shaunee. Shaunee looked as dazed as I felt. Blinking, she turned her head to me—and I understood.

My gaze went from her to Damien and from Damien to Shaylin.

“All of them!” I said. “They all made the Change!”

“All of you. You all Changed, Z. Even you!” Stark reached forward and traced a delicate filigree pattern that now spread down around my cheekbones—a real Mark for a real vampyre.

I looked up, through eyes filled and overflowing with grateful tears, and saw the moon shinning full and glorious down on us.

“Thank you, Nyx. Oh, thank you so much!” I called to the moon.

Zoey Redbird, may you and your faithful friends, eternally blessed be …

THE END. REALLY.

AFTERWARD …

Nyx giggled. “May I look now?”

Kalona thought she sounded like a carefree young maiden who was incredibly, eternally alluring. He grinned but managed to keep his voice stern, saying, “Not quite yet, Goddess.”

“But I want to see what you’ve been up to!” Nyx said.

“It wouldn’t be a surprise if you knew what we’ve been up to.”

“Erebus, what are you doing here?” Kalona growled at him.

“I’m not letting you take all the credit for this. It was, after all, me who found the thing ages ago and kept it here, safe, waiting for your return,” Erebus said, laughing at his brother’s thundercloud look.

“That’s it! I simply must look!”

Before the Goddess could open her eyes, Kalona turned her so that she was facing the Otherworld’s most lovely lake. He was standing behind her, holding her smooth shoulders in his hands, when she gasped and clapped in delight.

“My boat! The one you carved for me so long ago!” She turned and threw her arms around Kalona, laughing and kissing him. “Thank you!”

Erebus cleared his throat. “What about me?”

Nyx opened one arm, inviting Erebus to share her embrace. “Thank you, too, Erebus, for your unwavering faith in our Kalona.”

“Ah, it was nothing,” Erebus said, hugging both of them.

Kalona returned his embrace before shoving him teasingly. “Nothing? Maybe for you it was nothing, but I have spent days restoring what centuries of neglect caused.”

“Yes, well, when you put it like that, I can say that I know exactly what you mean,” Erebus said, shoving his brother back good-naturedly.

“Well, I love my surprise,” Nyx said, going to the little boat and running her hands appreciatively over the carvings of flowers and stars and moons and other symbols that Kalona had long ago created in remembrance of her. “And you found a pelt and a picnic basket! That does make this gift perfect.”

“I found them,” Kalona said. Then he glanced at his brother and smiled. “But Erebus suggested the nectar instead of wine, and he went to the mortal realm to gather it for you.”

“I gathered it for both of you,” Erebus said, returning his brother’s smile. “And now I will leave you to your boating. I bribed the naiads to stay away from this lake for the evening, and I have to make yet another trip to the mortal realm to fulfill that bribe.” He kissed Nyx gently on the cheek, saluted his brother, and disappeared in an explosion of golden glitter.

Kalona coughed and shook glitter from his hair. “I wish he would stop doing that.”

Nyx unsuccessfully hid a giggle behind her hand. “I think the dust of sunlight looks lovely on you.”

Kalona went to his Goddess and took her into his arms. “If you like it, I shall ask Erebus to explode more often.” He stifled her laughter with a kiss, and then picked Nyx up and gently placed her in the boat on the soft, thick pelt. He pushed the little boat into the lake and then joined his Goddess within, paddling lazily over the shimmering turquoise waters.

“If you would like, we could go back to the lake you loved so well,” he said. “Though I would have to ask that you call the elements to conceal us. I visited there earlier. Did you know it is now called Crater Lake, and humans flock to it?”

“I did,” Nyx said, letting her fingers trail over the surface of the lake. “I visited there often when you were no longer here.” Her eyes met his, and within them he could see a great sadness. “I hoped that someday I might see you there, though I never did.”

Kalona put the paddle down and took her hands in his. “It will never happen again. I vow that I have banished my jealousy and anger. I will never make the mistake of listening to those base emotions again and letting Darkness come between us.” He kissed each of her hands, slowly, reverently, willing the sadness to leave her beautiful eyes.

“The mistake was not yours alone, my Warrior, my love,” she said. “I, too, was at fault. I was so young, so inexperienced. I allowed a secret to come between us.”

“A secret? What do you mean?” Kalona’s stomach tightened. What could Nyx have been keeping secret from him?

“That night, that terrible night that you found me with Erebus. You misunderstood my words to him. I never spoke of it afterward, and I should have, if only to assure you that your brother and I were not betraying you.”

“No, we all vowed silence because of what happened that night. It was right to keep that vow,” Kalona said, feeling a measure of relief. “And then I wouldn’t have listened to you. Then I could only hear jealousy.”

“Well, I was wrong to make you and Erebus vow silence, but I do think what we created that night turned out rather well, even if we have been unable to speak of it.”

Kalona met her eyes. “Your children the vampyres are remarkable and unusual, and I admit that I have become very fond of them.”

“Do you not mean our children the vampyres? We both had a hand in their creation.”

“I kept my vow, Nyx. I never spoke of it to them, or to any living being,” Kalona said.

“I know.” Nyx leaned forward and kissed him. “You did not break that vow, even when you were filled with Darkness and rage. That was when I first began to hope that you would find yourself and your way back to me.”

“I will never lose my way again.”

Nyx went into his arms, resting in complete contentment within the circle of his love and strength.

“I do miss them, though. Our vampyres,” he said. “And, of course, my son.”

She smiled up at him. “You should visit Rephaim.”

Kalona blinked in surprise. “You would not mind it?”

“Of course not! He is your son, mated to a special favorite of mine.”

Kalona held his Goddess tightly. “I forget that you have never trafficked with jealousy and hatred.”

“Nor will I ever, my love,” Nyx said. Then her serious expression brightened. “Shall we look in on them, our children?”

“Now?” Kalona’s gaze took in the boat, the lazy lake, and the beautiful Goddess.

She smiled. “Yes, now. But we can do so without disrupting your surprise for me.” Nyx changed position so that, even though she still rested within the circle of his arms, her back was against his chest. He peered over her shoulder as she leaned over the lip of the boat and waved her hand over the waters of the Otherworld lake.

Magickal lake I call on your crystal might

open to me, bringing what I seek to light.

My wish is to see those who we hold dear

Though far away, I would they were near.

From across the veil of time and space,

Show us our children in their mortal place.

The waters swirled gently, rippling as if Nyx had skipped a stone over the surface of the lake, then they went still and perfectly glass-like. Like the magickal equivalent of a mortal television screen, a scene was being played out before them, in full color and with sound.

“It’s Zoey and Stark and Grandma Redbird!” Kalona said. “They’re all backstage of the auditorium at the House of Night.”

“Shhh, my love,” Nyx said softly. “Let us watch without intruding upon them.”

“What is Zoey Redbird up to now?” Kalona whispered to his Goddess.

Nyx’s shoulders shook in silent laughter. Kalona wrapped his arms more tightly around her and watched, admitting silently to himself how eager he was for news of those whom he had come to think of as his family.

Zoey

“I’m nervous. Ugh, and my stomach’s upset,” I said, trying not to pick at my fingernails. “Do I look okay? Maybe I should change into jeans. This dress is kinda over the top.” I looked down at myself and picked a long orangy-cream hair from my über-dressy dress and glared at the big orange and cream cat who was attempting to look innocent as he purred and rubbed against Stark’s legs. “Skylar, you’re not fooling me. You’re shedding on purpose.”

“You look gorgeous, Z. Don’t change. Again. You don’t have time anyway. And Skylar has long hair—he can’t help it that he sheds. A lot,” Stark said, and bent to tickle the big cat on the top of his head. Nala padded delicately into the room, sneezed at Skylar, and then, belly swaying, my fat cat took off. Looking very kitten-like, Skylar chased happily after her.

“He’s really growing on me,” Stark said, smiling after the cat. “And he’s not as mean as he used to be.”

“Well, don’t tell Duchess. Her nose is still bleeding from where he smacked her the other night.”

“She’s gotta learn to leave him alone. His new collar does say KNOWN BITER.” Stark was trying to sound nonchalant, but I noticed that even he was fidgeting with the kilt he’d chosen to wear.

“I think your legs might be better than mine,” I said only half jokingly.

“Do not tell your Rooster that, u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya. He already struts enough,” Grandma teased, patting Stark’s cheek fondly. She came to me and smoothed the low, heart-shaped neckline of the crimson velvet dress I’d let Aphrodite talk me into wearing. Then she brushed off another cat hair from the silver embroidered image of the Goddess with her hands raised cupping a crescent moon that rested over my heart. “There, that is the last of Skylar’s shedding. And you look absolutely lovely, Zoeybird. This dress becomes the first High Priestess of the new North American High Council.”

High Priestess of the North American High Council—when would my stomach stop clenching whenever I heard my new title?

As if reading my mind, Grandma took my face in her hands. “Your title will rest easily with you when you rest easily with yourself. I believe that will happen after you complete what you must today.”

“Yeah, Z. You know what you need to do. The sooner you get it over with, the better,” Stark said.

I met his eyes, looking for signs of jealousy or anger, and I saw none. All I saw was love and trust. I drew a deep breath. “You’re right. You’re both right. Let’s stop wasting time. It’s not going to be that bad.”

“Bad, Z? Are you kidding? It’s going to be great! Hey, remember—the world is a small place. We’re not losing anyone. They’re just going to fledge.” Stark chuckled and gave me his cute cocky smile. “Get it? Fledge.”

I shook my head but managed not to roll my eyes at him. “I get it.”

“Zoeybird, you must not think of this as the end of something. Think of it as the beginning of a grand adventure for all of you,” Grandma said.

“Okay, yeah, you’re right, Grandma. And anyway, we’re going to circle one more time before everyone takes off. Let’s do this.” With Stark on one side of me, and Grandma on the other, I walked out onto the auditorium’s stage.

The auditorium was packed, and I could see people standing all along the rear and side walls.

“Where did they all come from?” I whispered to Stark, trying not to move my lips.

“Uh, Z, your mic is on,” Stevie Rae’s voice lifted from somewhere near the front of the auditorium.

“Ah, hell,” I whispered. And then pressed my lips together as my ah, hell echoed out over the crowd. Laugher rippled back to me, but it didn’t feel mean-spirited. It felt friendly. I blinked, and as my eyes accustomed themselves to the gaslights in the auditorium, I saw that yes, the crowd was, indeed, huge, but it was also smiling up at me. I searched the faces until I found a curly blond head next to another blonde whose hair was long and straight and almost impossibly perfect. I met Aphrodite’s gaze. She lifted a blond brow and nodded at me. Then I met Stevie Rae’s sparkling blue eyes. She gave me a big smile and a thumbs-up. I let out the breath I’d been holding, cleared my throat, and began.

“I want to thank all of you for coming tonight for this swearing in of the North American Vampyre High Council, especially the humans who are here and who have become such good friends of this House of Night.” Detective Marx was easy to find in the crowd—he was taller than almost everyone else. I smiled at him and he tipped an imaginary hat to me. I liked that a half dozen or so uniformed officers had accompanied him, and made a mental note to remember to buy a bunch of tickets to the next TPD fund-raising event. “Today we’re going to do something that has never before been done in vampyre society. We’re going to make a new beginning of our own, and we’re going to include humans in that beginning.”

I paused when spontaneous applause broke out, so surprised that I could feel my cheeks get warm.

“So, well, I’m going to start by calling up to the stage the six new members of our High Council.” I met her eyes and began with my BFF. “Stevie Rae!”

There were a bunch of whoohoos accompanied by arm pumps coming from the seats behind Stevie Rae. I grinned, realizing her family had made the drive up from Henrietta. Stevie Rae kissed Rephaim quickly, then hurried to the stage.

“Aphrodite!”

All of the Sons of Erebus Warriors, led by Darius, stood and applauded loudly as Aphrodite flipped by her hair and gracefully came up to the stage.

“Shaunee!”

“That is right! Good job, Shaunee!” Detective Marx called, as he and the other TPD members, along with Erik Night all cheered and whistled.

“Shaylin!”

I was happy to see that Erik had stood and high-fived her as she walked past him—after Nicole kissed her smack on the lips.

“Lenobia!”

A big cowboy whooped and waved his appropriately white hat as the Horse Mistress, looking ethereally beautiful, made her way to the stage.

“And the last name I call is the first male to be a member of any vampyre High Council. Damien!” I said. And I joined the clapping and cheering as Damien, blushing but smiling, smoothed his impeccably tailored shirt, hugged Adam Paluka, and hurried to join us.

My friends spread out on either side of me, all looking to me for what was to come next. I swallowed my nerves and sat. They followed my lead, taking the seats waiting for them.

Okay, it wasn’t like the Vampyre High Council that still reigned in Europe from San Clemente Island. We didn’t have stone thrones and big rules about how everyone in the crowd had to act. Nor did we exclude humans from our auditorium/High Council Chamber. Right up front we’d decided to do things way differently here. To start with, we’d decided that our “thrones” would be stools with comfy padded seats that were decorated in the school’s plaid of purple, blue, and green on a black background. As I perched on mine, I continued the ceremony.

“Now I want to call to the stage our Vampyre poet laureate, Kramisha, who is also a Prophetess of Nyx. She is going to swear us in as your new High Council. Kramisha, come on up!”

The red fledglings all cheered super loud as Kramisha clomped up the stairs to the stage. She was wearing her favorite six-inch gold patent-leather stiletto boots, which matched her gold bobbed wig. She had one of her lavender-colored notebooks with her, and as she took the microphone Grandma offered her, she opened it and moved into position facing us.

“Is you ready?”

“Yes,” said the seven of us.

“Then say what I say, and know that this oath be binding from now until you’s dead.”

“Uh, or until our first four-year term is up and the North American House of Nights vote us back into our positions,” I corrected her quickly.

“Yeah, what Z says.” Kramisha nodded, totally unrattled. When she began speaking the words of the oath, her voice changed, was amplified, and seemed as if a silently watching Nyx had suddenly breathed power into her.

New times call for new places, faces.

Balance restored, we now look ahead.

Kramisha paused. Together, the seven of us repeated the binding words of her poem:

Our tests were great, but we stayed true.

Our losses were great, but we came through.

Again she paused and we repeated her words:

Tonight we pledge to stand in the Light.

To lead with wisdom, love, and might.

As I spoke the words with my six friends, I prayed that Nyx would help me, help them, to continue to grow in wisdom, to be filled with love, and to always show others the respect they deserved as I wielded my Goddess-given might.

Behold! The new High Council you see!

So we have chosen; so mote it be!

As we repeated the last lines of the oath, the seven of us stood and, as one, bowed to the crowd, who all erupted in riotous cheers.

“Okay, Z. Now tell ’em the rest of it,” Stevie Rae said. “After all, it was your awesome idea.”