wolfgoddess77

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Neferet stepped from the shadows and into the gazebo, moving quickly to Heath and Erik. First, she touched Erik's face and checked the bloody slash marks on his arms from where he'd struggled futilely to try to pull the ghosts off Heath. As she passed her hands over his wounds I could actually see the blood drying. Erik breathed a sigh of relief, like his pain had disappeared.

Gee, guys, do you think his pain might have disappeared?

"These will heal. Come to the infirmary when we get back to school and I'll give you some salve that will lessen the sting from your wounds." She patted his cheek and he blushed bright red. "You showed the bravery of a vampyre warrior when you stayed to protect the boy. I am proud of you, Erik Night, as is the Goddess.”

Speaking of Heath, don’t you think his wounds might be a little bit more serious? Praise the boytoy later, go heal him!

I felt a rush of pleasure at her approval; I was proud of him, too.

Why? All he did was slap ineffectively at smoke.

Then I heard murmured agreement all around me and realized that the Dark Daughters and Sons had returned and were crowding the stairs of the gazebo. How long had they been watching?

Zoey gets an audience to worship her. What a shock.

Neferet turned her attention to Heath, and I forgot about everyone else. She lifted the torn legs of his jeans and examined the bloody marks there and on his arms. Then she cupped his pale, rigid face in her hands and closed her eyes. I watched his body stiffen even more and convulse, and then he sighed and, like Erik, he relaxed. After a moment, he looked like he was sleeping peacefully instead of fighting silently against death.

That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think? I don’t believe scratches on the arms and legs are fatal. Sure, they probably hurt like a bitch, and he would bleed a little, but I don’t think the spirits did that much damage to him.

Still on her knees beside him, Neferet said, "He will recover, and he will remember nothing of this night except that he got drunk and then lost trying to find his ex-almost-girlfriend.” She looked up at me as she said the last of it, her eyes kind and filled with understanding.

I can’t fault this; given the night he had, modifying his memory might actually be a mercy.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Neferet nodded slightly to me, before she stood to confront Aphrodite.

Oh, no. It’s starting.

"I am as responsible for what happened here tonight as you are. I have known for years of your selfishness, but I chose to overlook it, hoping that age and the touch of the Goddess would mature you. I was wrong.”

More proof of your negligence. You let Aphrodite run rampant, even though you knew all about this, you abandon a girl with a broken leg to play tour guide, you refuse to warn new fledglings about the dangers of drinking from a human, you leave a dying boy to monologue to a class…

Neferet's voice took on the clear, powerful quality of a command. "Aphrodite, I officially release you from your position as leader of the Dark Daughters and Sons. You are no longer in training for High Priestess. You are now no different than any other fledgling." With one swift movement, Neferet reached out, grasped the silver and garnet necklace of rank that dangled between Aphrodite's breasts, and tore it from her neck.

Zoey still has to pause and make a comment about Aphrodite’s breasts. The signs are there, guys, I’m not making this up!

Aphrodite didn't make a sound but her face was chalky and she stared unblinkingly at Neferet.

The High Priestess turned her back on Aphrodite and approached me. "Zoey Redbird, I knew you were special from the day Nyx let me foresee that you would be Marked."

Speshul Snowflake: 244

Since when do you get visions?

She smiled at me and put a finger under my chin, lifting my head so that she could get a better look at the new addition to my Mark.

Speshul Snowflake: 245

Then she brushed my hair aside so that the tattoos that had appeared on my neck, shoulders, and back could also be seen.

Speshul Snowflake: 246

I heard the Dark Daughters and Sons gasp as they, too, got their first look at my unusual Marks.

Speshul Snowflake: 247

See, this is why they came back. It wasn’t to make sure everyone was okay, nor was it to apologize for abandoning Aphrodite. They came back so they could ooh and ahh over Zoey.

"Extraordinary, truly extraordinary,” she breathed, letting her hand fall back to her side as she continued.

No, it’s really not. It’s typical Mary Sue fare.

Speshul Snowflake: 248

"Tonight you showed the wisdom of the Goddess's choice in gifting you with special powers.

Speshul Snowflake: 249

You have earned the position of Leader of the Dark Daughters and Sons and High Priestess in training, through your Goddess-given gifts as well as through your compassion and wisdom."

Speshul Snowflake: 250

*looks at the Judgemental Bastards count* What compassion? And Zoey had to have the idea of vampires going to night school explained to her twice. There isn’t a drop of wisdom in her body!

She handed me Aphrodite's necklace. It felt heavy and warm in my hands. "Wear this more wisely than did your predecessor."

You can’t wear something wisely. I think the word you were looking for is ‘responsibly’.

Then she made a truly amazing gesture. Neferet, High Priestess of Nyx, saluted me, fist crossed over her heart, head bowed formally, with the vampyre sign of respect.

No, PCK. Don’t you fucking dare rip off one of my favorite movies of all time.

I’m talking about the ending of Mulan, after she destroys Shan-Yu, and the Emperor bows down to her. That was a beautiful, poignant moment.

This is just trite, and PCK fapping again over Zoey.

Speshul Snowflake: 251

Everyone around us except Aphrodite mimicked her.

STOP IT.

Speshul Snowflake: 252

Tears blurred my vision as my four friends grinned at me and bowed with the other Dark Daughters and Sons.

Speshul Snowflake: 253

I FUCKING HATE YOU, YOU SCENE-STEALING SHIT BALLS MONKEY FECES—

But even in the midst of such perfect happiness I felt the shadow of confusion.

How could I have ever doubted that I could tell Neferet anything?

You didn’t. Nyx had her hand up your ass again, feeding you information.

"Go back to the school. I'll take care of what needs to be done here," Neferet told me. She hugged me quickly and whispered into my ear, "I am so very proud of you, Zoeybird." Then she gave me a little push in the direction of my friends. "Welcome the new Leader of the Dark Daughters and Sons!" she said.

Damien, Stevie Rae, Shaunee, and Erin led the cheering.

What, were they tossing her up in the air, as well?

Speshul Snowflake: 254

And then everyone surrounded me and it seemed that I was washed from the gazebo in an exuberant wave of laughter and congratulations.

Speshul Snowflake: 255

They so totally are, aren’t they?

I nodded and smiled at my new "friends," but I wasn't a fool.

Yes, you are.

Silently I reminded myself that only moments before they had been agreeing with everything Aphrodite had said.

Well, yeah. Why did you even call them ‘friends’, scare quotes or not? You know they don’t really like you, they’re just sucking up. And so is everyone else, for that matter.

It would definitely take a while to change things.

We got to the bridge and I reminded my new charges that we'd have to be quiet as we made our way back through the neighborhood to the school, and I motioned for them to go on ahead of me. When Stevie Rae, Damien, and the Twins started to cross the bridge I whispered, "No, you guys walk with me.”

Grinning so broadly they looked goofy, the four of them stood around me.

You Judgemental Bastards: 221

Still have to get in a few small digs, huh?

I met Stevie Rae's bright gaze. "You shouldn't have volunteered to be the refrigerator. I know how scared you were.”

You… FUCK YOU! WHERE THE HELL DO YOU GET OFF SCOLDING HER?! SHE HELPED SAVE ALL OF YOUR LIVES WHEN THE RITUAL FELL APART!

Stevie Rae's grin faded at the reprimand in my voice. "But if I hadn't, we wouldn't have known where the ritual was going to be, Zoey. I did it so I could text-message Damien, and he and the Twins could meet me here. We knew you'd need us.”

I held up my hands and she stopped talking, but she looked like she was going to cry. I smiled gently at her. "You didn't let me finish. I was going to say that you shouldn't have done it, but I'm so glad you did!" I hugged her, and smiled through tears at the other three of them. "Thank you—I'm glad you were all there.”

FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU! THIS DOES NOT ABSOLVE YOU OF SCOLDING HER IN THE FIRST PLACE!

"Hey, Z, that's what friends do," Damien said.

"Yep," said Shaunee.

"Exactly," said Erin.

And they closed around me in a giant, smothering group hug—which I totally loved.

God, this is sickening…

"Hey, can I get in on this?”

I looked up to see Erik standing nearby.

NO. GO AWAY.

"Well, yes, you absolutely may," Damien said brightly.

Stevie Rae dissolved into giggles, and Shaunee sighed and said, "Give it up, Damien. Wrong team, remember?"

Then Erin pushed me out of the center of the group and toward Erik. "Give the guy a hug. He did try to save your boyfriend tonight," she said.

"My ex-boyfriend," I said quickly, stepping into Erik's arms, more than a little overwhelmed by the mixture of the scent of the fresh blood still clinging to him and the fact that he was, well, hugging me.

It’s not fresh blood anymore. Neferet dried it up. I don’t imagine dried blood smells very good, even to a vampire.

Then, to add to everything else, Erik kissed me so hard that I swear I thought the top of my head would spin off.

I wish it would. Put all of us out of our misery.

"Please, just please," I heard Shaunee say.

"Get a room!" Erin said.

Damien giggled as I stepped self-consciously out of Erik's arms. "I'm starving," Stevie Rae said. "This refrigerator stuff makes you hungry.”

Stupid. Fucking. Name.

"Well, let's go get you something to eat," I said.

You better make her a sandwich, bitch. I’m serious. She made you food, now you better return the favor.

My friends started over the bridge and I could hear Shaunee bickering with Damien about whether we should have pizza or sandwiches.

"Mind if I walk with you?" Erik asked.

"Nah, I'm getting used to it," I said, smiling up at him.

I’m not. He’s still a creepy stalking fucker.

He laughed and walked onto the bridge. Then from the darkness behind me I heard a very distinct, very annoyed, "me-eeh-uf-ow!”

I FUCKING HATE THAT CAT!

"Go on, I'll catch up with you guys in a minute," I told Erik and then I walked back into the shadows at the edge of the Philbrook's lawn. "Nala? Kitty, kitty, kitty…," I called. And, sure enough, a disgruntled ball of fur trotted out of the bushes, complaining the entire time. I bent down and picked her up and she instantly started to purr.

Jesus, is everyone going to show up for the Big Happy Ending?

"Well, silly girl, why did you follow me all the way out here if you don't like walking that far? Like you haven't been through enough tonight already," I murmured, but before I could head back to the bridge, Aphrodite stepped out of the shadows and blocked my way.

"You might have won tonight, but this isn't over," she told me. She made me feel really tired.

You make me feel tired. And angry. Mainly angry.

"I wasn't trying to 'win' anything. I was just trying to make things right.”

"And that's what you think you did?" Her eyes darted nervously back and forth from me to the path that led to the gazebo, as if someone had followed her. "You don't really know what happened here tonight. You were just being used—we were all just being used. We're puppets, that's all we are." She angrily wiped at her face and I realized she was crying.

She is two feet in front of you and you didn’t realize she was crying until she wiped her face.

"Aphrodite, it doesn't have to be like this between us," I said softly.

"Yes it does!" she snapped. "It's the parts we're supposed to play. You'll see…you'll see.…" Aphrodite started to walk away.

I still feel bad for her, and like her vastly more than Zoey. Come here, honey, let me hug you.

A thought drifted unexpectedly from my memory. It was of Aphrodite, during her vision. As if it was happening again, I could hear her say, They're dead! No. No. That can't be! Not right. No. Not natural! I don't understand…I don't…You…you know. Her scream of terror echoed eerily through my mind. I thought of Elizabeth…of Elliott…the fact that they had appeared to me.

You were in the right place at the right time. They didn’t appear to you, moron. You seriously overestimate your importance.

Speshul Snowflake: 256

Too much of what she said made sense.

But they’re still ghosts, right? Just ghosts. Totally only ghosts. Yep, yep.

"Aphrodite, wait!" She looked over her shoulder at me. "The vision you had today in Neferet's office, what was it really about?”

Slowly, she shook her head. "It's only beginning. It's going to get much worse."

I really hope that’s not foreshadowing for these books, but I fear that it is.

She turned and suddenly hesitated. Her way was blocked by five kids—my friends.

"It's okay," I told them. "Let her go.”

Yes, please do. She’s been through enough.

Shaunee and Erin parted. Aphrodite lifted her head, shook back her hair, and marched past them as if she owned the world.

I watched her walk over the bridge, my stomach clenching. Aphrodite knew something about Elizabeth and Elliott, and eventually I was going to have to find out what it was.

Or more likely, lay around and be useless until the answer falls into your lap.

"Hey," Stevie Rae said.

I looked at my roommate and new best friend.

Yeah, we’ll see about that ‘new best friend’ thing. She’s still a minion, don’t even try.

"Whatever happens, we're in it together.”

I felt the knot in my stomach release. "Let's go," I said. Surrounded by my friends, we all went home.

Oh, my god, it’s done. IT’S DONE! IT’S FINALLY DOOOOOOONE!