Revealed

Shaunee,” Stevie Rae said.

“Stevie Rae, we all deal with death our own way,” Aphrodite explained, sounding way more patient than she felt. “My way is to just say things right out, and I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but I’m not being mean. I’m being real. So, which is it, Shaunee?”

“Both,” Shaunee said slowly. “I’m going to remember my Twin like she really was, not all good or all bad. Most people aren’t all of either.” She looked from Aphrodite to Zoey. “How do you remember your mom?”

Zoey’s sigh was long and sad. “I try to remember the vision Nyx gave me of her entering the Otherworld. She was at peace then, and that’s a good memory.”

“Well, I don’t have that option with my dad,” Aphrodite said. “I’m not sure where he is, but my best guess is it’s not Nyx’s Otherworld.”

“You may be surprised,” Thanatos said.

Aphrodite looked at her in obvious shock. “Are you telling me you saw his spirit enter the Otherworld?”

“No, I was not present at his death, and his spirit did not stay to communicate with me, but I can tell you that I sensed a great amount of peace lingering in the earth at the site of his death. I hope it helps you to know that when I sense such a strong presence of peace after a death it is because the spirit that has departed has been freed from a life of turmoil, tragedy, or sadness. I believe your father’s spirit was relieved to be free of this life, and he will come around again reborn into happier circumstances.”

Aphrodite blinked hard several times, and kept the tears from falling from her eyes. It took a long time for her to collect herself, but her friends waited patiently. When she finally spoke, her voice was shaky. “Th-thank you for telling me that, Thanatos. It does help. I honestly can’t remember a time when my dad was ever really happy. I hope—” She paused, cleared her throat, and then continued. “I hope he finds happiness next time around.”

“That will be my prayer to Nyx,” Thanatos said.

“Mine, too. And mine. Yeah, me, too,” echoed the others.

“Are we going to watch Erin’s body for the next few days?” Zoey’s question seemed to jar the room.

“That won’t be necessary,” Thanatos said.

“Well, I know this isn’t exactly a pleasant subject, but someone needs to say it.” Zoey spoke as if she didn’t notice, or care, that everyone was staring at her in horror.

Aphrodite hid a surprised smile. Wow, Z was really starting to sound like a proper bitchy High Priestess.

“Right here are two vampyres,” Z continued as she motioned toward Stark and Stevie Rae, “who as fledglings rejected the Change and ‘died,’” she air quoted. “Just like Erin ‘died’ tonight,” Zoey air quoted again. “And both of them un-died and came back as red fledglings within a couple of days. So, I think we need to—”

“Z, no,” Stevie Rae said, looking uncomfortable. “Erin’s not coming back.”

“Stevie Rae, I said this isn’t pleasant, but we have to deal with it,” Zoey bulldozed on. “Who is going to watch—”

“No one need watch the dead fledgling,” Thanatos cut Zoey off. “She is truly dead.”

“Thanatos saw her spirit enter the Otherworld,” Shaunee said quietly. “Nyx welcomed her.”

“I can promise you that Nyx didn’t welcome any of us when we died and then un-died,” Stevie Rae added.

“Nope, she didn’t,” Stark agreed.

“Erin is really dead,” Damien said.

“Okay, I just … well, I didn’t mean to sound cold or anything like that,” Zoey explained haltingly. “It’s just that I thought we needed to be sure.”

“We are sure,” Thanatos said.

“I’m with Z about telling it how it is, and I think we need to be sure about something else, too,” Aphrodite said. She met Thanatos’s wise gaze. “The circle expelled what looked like Neferet’s partially reformed body, and when she was kicked out of campus, she passed through Erin, and went out in the exact direction Dad was found. I think we need to find out for sure if Neferet killed both of them—Erin and Dad.”

Thanatos’s shoulders slumped. “I’m afraid there is no way to be completely certain, but Aphrodite’s supposition about who could be responsible for both deaths does makes sense. I felt the presence of death only moments before Zoey called to tell me about the spiders. That death could have been Erin’s rejection of the Change beginning, or it could have been Neferet attempting to manifest from the dead.” She looked questioningly around the group. “Did any of you notice whether Erin was showing signs of sickness before tonight? Did anyone hear her cough or say she had been unusually tired lately?”

“Why don’t you try asking somebody who really knew her and gave a shit about her?” Dallas said from the hallway outside the room where he stood, looking pissed off.

“Dallas, I am glad you have joined us. Come, sit, talk with us. When you are ready to see Erin’s body, and to bid her farewell, I will take you within, and tell you of the joyous welcome our Goddess gave your dear friend’s spirit as she entered the Otherworld this night,” Thanatos said.

“I don’t got anything to say to any of you. She was fine before that goddamned circle was cast! I didn’t want her to do it. I tried to stop her. I would’ve stopped her if Miss I’m the Boss of Everyone hadn’t told her Warrior to get me outta the way. I didn’t even know Erin had died until a few minutes ago when I finally busted outta that fucking closet.” Dallas’s eyes were hostile red slits. “I don’t know who you’re trying to blame for this massive fuck-up, but I can tell you that I know the truth, and so will everyone else here at the House of Night—Erin is dead because of some shit Zoey Redbird and her friends caused to happen in that circle tonight. She was fine until then, and if I would’ve been able to stop her, she’d still be fine!”

The lights in the waiting room began to flicker as Dallas’s anger became palpable.

“It’s past time for you to shut up, Dallas,” Stark said, rising to stand between the angry red vampyre and Zoey.

Darius joined him, shoulder to shoulder. “Erin rejected the Change. That didn’t have anything to do with Zoey’s circle.”

“She didn’t want you to stop her,” Shaunee had started to cry again. “She wanted to be part of our circle again.”

“She didn’t want shit to do with any of you!” Dallas yelled.

“You will not raise your voice in anger so soon after a young fledgling’s untimely death.” The strength within Thanatos’s voice had the lights steadying and Dallas taking a step back. “If you wish to bid your friend farewell with peace and love and respect, then you are welcome to do so. If you wish to spew anger and sow dissent, then you must leave, Dallas, and take your negative energy with you. It has no place at the bedside of one who has recently joined our Goddess.”

“I’ll tell Erin good-bye in my own way, and it won’t be with the people who caused her death!” Dallas growled the words, and with a sneer he backed several more steps away before turning and running from the infirmary.

“He’s gonna be a serious problem,” Stark said.

“He’s been a serious problem since he found out about Rephaim and me,” Stevie Rae said, chewing her lip. “That screwed him up.”

“That is not your fault,” Rephaim said, taking Stevie Rae’s hand.

“Yeah, well, I wish I didn’t feel like it was,” Stevie Rae murmured, leaning into her boyfriend. “It’s just that he used to be so sweet, and now he’s not just a douche, he’s a dangerous douche.” She looked at Thanatos. “I hate to say it, but I have a feeling Erin’s death is going to be the excuse he needs to do something stupid like come after us.”

“Yeah, and with all of us being stuck together here on campus, Dallas and the asstards who follow him are going to be stirring up as much shit as they can,” Aphrodite said.

Stark’s intake of breath had the group turning to him. “Shit pot stirring—that’s the same thing that Neferet’s into. And we know that right before Neferet snatched Grandma Redbird, Dallas was in communication with her.”

“Which means if Neferet has managed to pull herself together enough to reform her body, chances are she’s going to contact Dallas again as a way to get the inside scoop on what’s going on at the House of Night,” Zoey finished for Stark.

“With Dallas blaming Erin’s death on us, he’ll be as happy as a vulture on a meat wagon to do anything he