“I know it was. Goddess, I’m so, so sorry! I’ll speak with Stephan before we leave for the Other World tomorrow and I’ll have the priestesses in the temple light candles and burn sweetgrass in honor of Odin.”
“Tomorrow?” Stark and Darius said together.
I nodded grimly. “With what Sgiach told me today, we don’t have time to wait. She’s certain that Batshit is going to go to the Other World soon. We need to beat her there and raise Other Kalona—and get ready for a fight that will shape the future of both of our worlds.”
Darius put the mug of tea down and saluted me formally. “High Priestess, I must remain here to lead the Sons of Erebus. It pains me more than I can put to words that I cannot go with my prophetess to protect her in the Other World; therefore, I formally request that you allow me to ask your brother to swear to be our Aphrodite’s Warrior—if only for the time that she is in his world.”
What Darius asked didn’t shock me. A lesser vampyre would’ve let jealousy and his own feelings get in the way of his duty, but Darius was not a lesser vampyre.
“You have my permission as well as my gratitude. Kevin will watch over her. I know he will.”
“As do I. Now, unless you have more duties for me, I ask to leave and go to Aphrodite.”
“Go. Rest,” I said.
Stark grasped his forearm. “My friend, I will also watch over Aphrodite—no matter how annoying she becomes.”
Darius’s lips twitched. “Thank you. I know how difficult that will be for you.”
I walked Darius to the door where I hugged him tightly. “Nyx and I thank you for your loyalty and your integrity.”
There were tears in his eyes when Darius hugged me back, nodded, and then silently left our chamber.
“We leave tomorrow? Really?” Stark said.
“Really. We don’t have time to wait for Shaunee and Shaylin. I’m going to believe Kacie is ready. I promise you, James Stark, we are going to figure out a way to end Neferet. I do not give a damn if she’s immortal. Our Kalona was immortal too, and he died.”
“I know we can do it,” Stark said. “I believe in us—I believe in you.” Then he took me into his arms and held me for a very long time.
27
Zoey
At sunset the next night, Lenobia, Darius, and everyone who was traveling to the Other World with us—Stark, Damien, Rephaim, Stevie Rae, Aphrodite, and Kacie—as well as James and Kevin, gathered around me in the foyer of the school. There was an air of nervousness, but also of quiet excitement. Aphrodite and Darius were holding hands and the Warrior looked pale and intense. I addressed Lenobia first.
“Lenobia, I formally name you High Priestess of the Tulsa House of Night in my absence.”
Lenobia saluted me. “Thank you, Zoey. I will take good care of the school and our people.”
“I have no doubt about that.”
“All the professors and the sixth former fledglings are assembling in the drama room. As soon as you have crossed through the portal, and Kevin and James have entered Nyx’s Realm, we will begin casting protective spells all around the walls of the school. As you requested yesterday, we have opened our doors to the neighborhood, and humans are beginning to fill the dorms. We will probably need to expand the temporary accommodations to cots in the Field House, as we did the last time the House of Night was a sanctuary.”
“I don’t think it’ll be long before Neferet goes to the Other World, but do whatever you need to do to keep people safe until then.” I met Darius’s gaze. “Darius, how has Marx decided to handle evacuating humans?”
“He wisely decided not to make a public announcement as Neferet could also hear it and turn her attention to the House of Night. Instead, under his direction, the TPD has been going house to house in Midtown, beginning with those closest to Woodward Park, warning people and giving them the option of seeking the safety of our campus. I will take a group of Warriors and join him shortly.”
“Sounds good. Just remember, don’t engage with Batshit if you find her. Just have everyone withdraw—quietly and quickly. Isolate her and make it difficult for her to feed. She won’t want to use her energy fighting you or hunting, so it’ll encourage her to leave this world for the other.”
“We will remember, and I will make certain Marx and the TPD fully understand as well.”
“Zoey?” Rephaim lifted his hand.
I nodded for him to speak.
“Father answered me. He came to my dreams today while I was in raven form.” Rephaim smiled. “The news is good. He reminded me that at his core he is a Warrior, sworn to fight Darkness—in any realm—in any world. So, if the Wise Women are correct, in Kevin’s world that version of my father never Fell from Nyx’s Realm and was entombed for a selfless reason, he should be willing to join our battle against Batshit, as she is definitely on the side of Darkness.”
A little of the tension between my shoulder blades released. “That’s really good to know, Rephaim. Thank you.”
Grandma hurried into the foyer and my friends parted so that she could make her way to my side. “U-we-tsi-a-ge-ya, before you leave may I gift your tribe with the things I made for them?”
“Of course!” I said.
She began walking among us. “Warriors and priestesses, I have made each of you a bracelet of power. My Wise Woman friends and I smudged them and prayed over them, asking that the Great Earth Mother invest them with protection medicine.” As she came to my side and handed me my bracelet, I felt power radiating from the turquoise and amethyst stones. I put it on and it warmed against my wrist. “May these stones protect you—no matter which world you find yourselves in. May
