by P. C. Cast
“Hey.” He touched her arm, just for a moment as she walked past him, coaxing her to pause. “I thought we were friends.”
Shaylin studied him. When Erik had Marked her his colors were mostly made up of an indecisive, pea green that overshadowed the bright flashes of something that might have been golden, like the rays of the sun, but were too fleeting for her to be sure. Other than that he’d just been kinda foggy and wishy-washy. She hadn’t paid much attention to his colors the past few days, so when she focused, Shaylin was surprised to see that, even though his green was still there, it had lightened and now it didn’t bring to mind mushy peas. Instead it reminded her of turquoise, like pretty sea foam green turquoise. And all around the green-blue the foggy mishmash of gray had lifted, revealing a solid tan, like the sand of a beautiful, untouched beach. Feeling a little like she’d fallen into deep water, Shaylin tried not to look nervous and blurted, “Yeah, we are friends, but that’s all.”
“I didn’t ask for anything else, did I?”
Shaylin met his eyes. They were bright and blue, and spent way too much time wandering south to her boobs. Of course, saying something like “you totally want to be friends with benefits” sounded way too much like something Aphrodite would say. So instead she chose a nicer answer. “No, you haven’t asked for anything else.”
He smiled again. “So, we can be friends?”
It was hard not to smile back at him, and truthfully, she couldn’t think of a reason not to. Shaylin grinned and nodded. “Yep, friends.”
“Awesome! How about I walk you to wherever you’re going? I can procrastinate just as well with you as I can by myself.”
“What are you procrastinating about?” Shaylin avoided the question of where she was going and just kinda meandered in the general direction of the dorms. Slowly.
“Lesson plans,” he said with a sigh. “I really hate writing them. You know, I never meant to be a professor.”
“Yeah, everyone knows that. You were meant to be a movie star,” Shaylin said. She spoke in an offhand manner. She hadn’t meant to be patronizing or sarcastic, but the hurt in his blue eyes said she’d probably sounded both.
“Yeah,” he repeated in a clipped voice, turning his gaze away from her and stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Everyone knows that.”
“Hey, but this Tracker thing is just a little speed bump in the road to Hollywood, right? What are you, twenty-one?”
“Nineteen. I just completed the Change a few months ago. Why? Do I look old?”
Shaylin laughed. “Twenty-one isn’t old.”
“It is if you have to add four years onto it, and I’ve just started a four-year Tracker job.”
“Does being a Tracker mean you have to stay at the House of Night in Tulsa?”
“Trying to get rid of me?” He only sounded about half kidding.
“No, of course not,” she assured him. “What I meant is, can’t you transfer to the West Coast and still be a Tracker? There must be a House of Night nearer to Hollywood than this.” As they talked, Shaylin realized that Erik didn’t sound like a pissed-off, spoiled brat. He just sounded tired and frustrated and maybe even kinda depressed.
“I already looked into it. The answer I got was weird and a little creepy.” He paused and sent her a sideways glance. “Well, probably creepier for the kids who are being Tracked than for me.”
“Been there—done that. It wasn’t so creepy. Actually, you were kinda funny,” she said.
Erik frowned. “I was supposed to be powerful and confident and maybe a little scary.”
“So, you want to be creepy?”
That made him laugh. “No, not really. And the actual Marking isn’t the creepy part anyway, or at least it’s not supposed to be. The part that’s definitely not normal is that there’s something in my blood that keeps me anchored to this place. Yeah, I can travel, but only if it’s because my blood’s calling me to Mark a kid who belongs at this House of Night.”
“So, you’re kinda like a GPS.”
“I suppose.” Erik didn’t sound thrilled about it. “Hey, but enough about me. Where are you going?”
Shaylin swallowed around the dryness in her throat and said the first lie that came to her mind. “I’m going to the dorm. Aphrodite asked me to pick up some of her stuff from her room.”
“She asked, as in please would you? Or she commanded, as in ‘Get my stuff or I’ll rubber band your hands together and shove you in a boiling pot like my mom’s chef would cook a lobster!’”
Shaylin giggled. “Your acting skills either went way up or way down in my opinion, because you sound entirely too much like Aphrodite.”
He shuddered. “I’ll try not to do that again.”
“But in answer to your question—it was more like the second example than the first.”
“Big surprise. So, I’ll walk you to the dorm. Okay?”
Shaylin met his eyes. What could it hurt? “Okay,” she said.
Erik
“I think I agree with you about the lesson plan stuff. It must be super boring to have to figure out what you’re going to teach—write it down—turn it in—then teach it. Talk about overkill,” Shaylin said.
“Tell me about it,” Erik said dryly. “We’re going into Shakespeare. I love the plays, but it was a lot cooler when I just got to act and didn’t have to be a damn robot for the school’s High Council. Yeah, lesson plans are boring. Writing them sucks.”
He had to keep reminding himself to stop looking at Shaylin’s boobs. Okay, but in his defense, she was wearing a white T-shirt that was sheer enough that it was obvious she had on a hot pink bra under it. And that bra had little black bows in the middle part and on the straps.
“So, which play will you teach in the Shakespeare class?” she was asking him.
Look at her face and concentrate! “Shakespeare class?”
She gave him a look that said she thought he was an idiot—and he had to agree with her because when he forced himself not to glance at her pink-bra-ed boobs he got all distracted by her thick mane of dark hair that curled and waved and looked like it would be soft as silk if he just—
“Oh, yeah, Shakespeare class. Definitely a comedy. There’s way too much tragedy in the world today.”
“Which one?”
She looked honestly interested, so he heard himself admitting, “I’m torn. My favorite is The Taming of the Shrew, but when you think about it and really look at Kate’s last speech, it doesn’t go with the matriarchal belief system of the House of Night, and the last thing I need is to piss off Thanatos. So, I’m thinking about doing As You Like It. Rosalind is one of the Bard’s strongest heroines. That shouldn’t cause me any hassles with the administration.”
“Isn’t that kinda like caving, though?”
“Probably, but teaching isn’t as easy as you’d think. There’s a bunch of crap that goes on behind the scenes, and that’s not counting the battle with Darkness that seems to be, like, never ending and the annoying fact that professors keep getting killed, and more and more fledglings are getting Marked, so we’re short staffed.”
There was a long, uncomfortable silence, then Shaylin said, “Yeah, it must be real inconvenient for you that professors have been disemboweled and decapitated and gored. Not to mention all the new red fledglings you have to teach because we haven’t died for real. Yet.”
Erik frowned. He hadn’t meant it like that. Not really.
“I think that came out wrong,” he said.
“And I think I need to remember that peas do not turn into pretty turquoise sea foam and an untouched beach.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She was really hot, but Shaylin totally messed with his head and confused him.
“It means I needed a reality check. Thanks for giving me one.” Shaylin picked up the pace, and Erik was still trying to figure out the peas and turquoise comment when they were suddenly stepping from the winter grass of the school grounds to the sidewalk that ran into th
e front of the girls’ dorm.
“Um, you’re welcome?” he offered as they came to the wide cement stairs that led to the porch of the dorm.
Shaylin was still a little ahead of him, so she reached the first step before him. Standing on it, she was almost at eye level with him, which was weird because she was so little.
“No, you don’t need to ‘you’re welcome’ me,” she said, sighing. “I really wasn’t thanking you. I was just reminding myself of something.”
“Of what?” he asked, honestly interested.
She sighed again. “Of the fact that what the eye can see is not what’s actually the most important thing about a person. The most important thing is what’s hidden inside.”
“Only with you, it’s not really hidden at all, right?”
“Right.” She spoke softly.
“I really didn’t mean what I said before. I was just venting. You know, girls do it all the time,” Erik said.
“Erik, you’re not making it any better by being a misogynist.”
“Misogynist … that’s bad, right? Nothing cool, like a gynecologist?”
“Erik, maybe you should try not to speak.” Shaylin sounded annoyed, but he could see that she was struggling not to laugh. And then a little giggle did escape from her pretty pink lips. “Gynecologist? Did you really just say that?”
“I did, and I’m proud of it.” Erik put on his best good ol’ boy Okie accent. “I do ’preciate me a career that’s all ’bout them thar girl parts.”
“Okay, that’s enough for me,” she said, still giggling. “I gotta go before—”
Shaylin moved back and completely missed the next step. She was absolutely going to fall right on her cute, round ass, but Erik was faster than gravity and, almost like a superhero, he caught her around her waist, keeping her from hurting herself.
And then there they were. She was standing on a step above him and he had his arms around her waist. When she was falling her arms had flailed out, and as he caught her they’d automatically wrapped around his shoulders. So she was pressed against him so hard he could feel the black bows on that pink bra.
“Careful,” he spoke softly, gently, like she was a frightened bird. “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Th-thanks. I almost fell.”
Shaylin gazed at him and he got lost in her big, brown eyes. She smelled as incredible as she had the night he’d Marked her—sweet, like peaches and strawberries mixed together. He’d never wanted anything as bad as he wanted to kiss her. Just once. For just a second. He bent. It seemed she was tilting her lips to his. He bent some more, pulling her closer.
And that’s when she whacked him in the chest.
“You’re trying to kiss me now? Really?” Shaylin shook her head and shoved, pushing him off his step.
Erik staggered back. He was trying to figure out exactly what had gone wrong when he heard the mocking laughter. Feeling like shit, he looked up to see Erin and Dallas standing at the top of the dorm stairs just outside the wide doorway.
“Damn, talk about mixed messages,” Dallas said. “First she’s all over you, then she’s shoving you away. That just ain’t right.”
“Yeah, when a girl says yes she should mean yes, and not ‘hey, I think I’ll tease you and then reject you.’” Erin air quoted.
“You two don’t know what you’re talking about.” Shaylin had one hand on her hip and her chin raised, but her face was flushed. Erik thought she looked cute, but not tough at all.
Dallas slid his hand around Erin’s waist, and she leaned against him as they walked down the stairs to Erik, laughing at Shaylin the whole way.
“Hey, man.” Dallas chuckled. “Don’t worry. My mermaid and I will let everyone know what a dick tease she is.” Erik tried to interrupt him, but Dallas just kept on talking. “No, you don’t need to thank me. Just consider it a favor from one vamp to another.”
Erik glanced up at Shaylin. Her face had gone from pink to white. He did consider it—just for a second, though. It’d be easier to laugh and walk off with Dallas and Erin. It might even make him feel as cool as it used to feel when he was the hottest fledgling at the school—when he could have any girl he wanted. Then he realized what he was thinking and felt sick to his stomach.
“No.” Erik met Dallas’s gaze. “Shaylin was right—you don’t know what you’re talking about. What you saw was me trying something stupid. Shaylin didn’t ask for it.”
“Ah, come on. You’re Erik Night.” Dallas’s voice was still all friendly, but his gaze had gone hard.
“Yeah, I am. And I’m telling you that you’re wrong. Shaylin isn’t a tease. I was being a dick. If you two have to talk about her, that’s what you should be saying.”
“You expect people to believe a little freak like her turned you down?” Erin didn’t even try to cover the spitefulness in her voice.
And I used to dream about being the center of a Twin sandwich. Goddess, I am a dick.
“What I expect is for you two to either tell the truth or shut up,” Erik said.
“Well, this wasn’t fun at all.” Shaylin walked down the stairs quickly. As she passed Erik, she paused. “I’ve changed my mind about getting stuff from the dorm. Aphrodite can run her own errands.” Shaylin looked from him to Erin. “I guess this means you won’t be catching the bus back to the depot again tonight.”
“I’ve ridden the short bus for the last time, but you go ahead. It fits you better than me, anyway.”
“You tell ’em, mermaid,” Dallas said, rubbing his hand over Erin’s ass. “Water needs to be free to go wherever it wants.”
“Yeah, and it’s time for us to go. I’m bored,” Erin said.
“I got somethin’ for that!” Dallas bit her neck. Erin’s squeal turned into a throaty laugh.
“And I won’t be saying yes-no, yes-no. I’ll just be saying yes-yes!” Erin sneered at Shaylin, grabbed Dallas’s hand, and they walked away, laughing sarcastically.
Erik stared after them. “When did the two of them happen?”
“Right after Erin and Shaunee un-happened,” Shaylin said. “And it’s as bad as Shaunee thought it might be.”
Erik’s eyes widened. “You didn’t come here to get Aphrodite’s stuff, did you?”
“Nope.”
Understanding hit him. “Ah, shit! Erin’s changed sides, hasn’t she? And that means Dallas and his group will know everything Zoey’s group knows.”
“Looks like it. I gotta go tell Z and Stevie Rae that Erin and Dallas really are together.” Shaylin hesitated, then she added, “Thanks for standing up for me. I know it wasn’t an easy thing for you to do.”
“You really do think I’m a jerk, don’t you?”
Shaylin didn’t respond right away. Instead she studied him as if she understood how important her answer would be to him. Finally she said, “I think you have the potential to become more turquoise green than pea green.”
“And that’s a good thing?”
She smiled. “Even better than being a misogynistic gynecologist.”
He laughed. “Okay, good. Hey, can I walk you to the bus?”
“No, not this time. But ask me again some time. For the record, when I say no I mean no, and when I say yes I mean yes.”
“I pretty much already knew that about you,” he said.
“Good, then next time you can wait until I say yes to kiss me. See ya later, Erik.”
As Shaylin walked away Erik’s smile got bigger and bigger. It wasn’t his one hundred watt smile—that one was acting happy. This smile was better—it was feeling happy. And for the first time in a long time, Erik Night realized feeling was way better than acting.…
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Kalona
“The clouds clear from the sky. I believe it is a good omen,” Kalona said. He spoke to the High Priestess of Death, who was standing before the busload of fledglings and vampyres who still had not left for their depot home.
“Yeah, okay, we hear ya.
We really gotta get our butts back to the depot,” Stevie Rae said. “But we all wish you good luck. I just know if Neferet has Grandma Redbird, you’re the right guy to get her back!” She smiled that innocent, joyful smile of hers at him, and his son waved in happy agreement, then the bus’s doors closed and Darius drove away.
Zoey said nothing before they left. Nothing at all. She’d just sat on the bus while everyone else talked and collected their schoolbooks and finished loading the bus. But he could feel her eyes watching him. He felt her mistrust through them. He also felt her hope. I am her only chance at getting her grandmother back alive, Kalona thought as the school bus disappeared down Utica Street. She could have at least wished me luck.
“Nyx, I ask that you watch over my Warrior, Kalona.”
Hearing the Goddess’s name startled Kalona and he refocused on Thanatos. The High Priestess was standing before him, arms raised, face lifted to the pre-dawn sky.
“He has chosen to bind himself to your path through me, your loyal High Priestess. He is my sword—my shield—my protector. And as I have been given dominion of this House of Night, Kalona has become its protector as well.”
Thanatos’s voice was rich with power and as it brushed over Kalona’s skin, he trembled. She is invoking Nyx! And the Goddess is responding! He held his breath as she continued.
“Thus, I beseech your aid, benevolent Goddess of Night. I ask that you strengthen him should he be weakened by Darkness and its trappings. Allow his choice to shine and, like moonlight through the grayness of mist, let his purpose part the shadows of that which might cloud his judgment and distract his intent. Do not let him fall prey to Darkness as long as his choice is for Light.”
Kalona fisted his hands so that Thanatos would not see how they had begun to tremble.
Nyx did not appear, but her listening presence was tangible. He could feel the sweet goodness that stirred the air in the wake of the Goddess. It had always been so. Wherever Nyx turned her immortal attention, there followed magick and Light, power and laughter, joy and love. Always love.
Kalona bowed his head. How I have missed her!
