Anastasia quickly read the paper. “Where did you get this?”
“Although it isn’t important, there is no reason you should not know. Old Magick sprites gave it to me. They said it is an ancient prophetic poem that tells how to raise a winged immortal. One of the sprites, let us call her a friend of mine, was very helpful and translated one line in particular for me.” She quoted, “ ‘By the blood of she who is neither foe nor friend he is free.’ Describes me perfectly, does it not?”
“Actually, no. You’re definitely a foe,” said Aphrodite.
“I thought you were dead,” Neferet said.
“Same,” Aphrodite shot back.
Neferet stared at her, taking in her red-and-blue tattoo. Then her gaze went to the two Starks and then me. She laughed softly. “I see! Several of you are from that mirror world. If I had more time and no life, I might find this interesting.” Neferet paused and shrugged a shoulder. “No, that’s a lie. I would never find any of you interesting. But what is interesting is the fact that I come to you today offering you a truce. We have a common enemy, which does not make us friends, but it can make us temporary allies. I have one piece of the puzzle that will call forth the winged immortal. I assume the rest of you can find the other pieces. But I am not going to stand here like a castle under siege. Are you willing to be allies, or shall I show myself out, disappear into Europe somewhere, and leave you to deal with that monster by yourselves?”
I walked around Anastasia’s desk. One glance at the paper was all it took. “It’s the prophetic poem,” I said.
“The same one we have?” Aphrodite asked.
“Yep,” I said.
Anastasia and I shared a look. I nodded slightly.
“We will talk,” Anastasia said.
“Excellent,” Neferet said. “But let us move to the Council Room. I can hardly bear the change in my office’s décor.”
“Dragon,” Anastasia called. “The Warriors and you will lead the way to the Council Room. Keep the fledglings well back. Neferet will follow, and we will bring up the rear.”
“So ridiculously dramatic,” Neferet muttered.
Lynette touched her arm gently. “Be strong, my lady. It will all be worth it.”
“Thank you for the reminder, dearest.”
I watched their exchange with interest. I’d seen our Neferet fake affection. She used to be good at it. She’d even fooled me for a while. This Neferet appeared to actually care for Lynette, which could be an act. But what really struck me was the ease with which Lynette responded to her. She looked at her with genuine affection, and she seemed relaxed and confident in her presence.
Could this Neferet really have formed a true friendship? With a human! And if she had, would that change her?
As Anastasia had commanded, Dragon and his Warriors led the way, clearing the halls and keeping Neferet under close watch. Neferet and Lynette followed with the nest of fat tendrils that seethed around them, creating a living barrier between the two women and the Warriors. Then the Starks, Kevin, and Rephaim left the room, with Anastasia, Stevie Rae, Kacie, Shaunee, and me bringing up the rear.
I grabbed Shaunee’s wrist as we came to the doorway. “Don’t come with us. We don’t know what’s going to happen, and you might not be safe.”
She looked at me and I had a moment of déjà vu when she said, “That’s why you need fire to come with you, ’cause it can burn, baby, burn!”
I couldn’t argue with that. I nodded gratefully, and we all trooped down the hall to the Conference Room. When we arrived, Dragon and a dozen linebacker-sized Warriors were already in the room. Neferet stopped just outside.
“This is absurd. We simply cannot all fit in there.” She turned and looked between the two Starks to find Anastasia. “If I wanted to hurt anyone here, I would not wait until I was in that room to do so. I give you my word that I have no violent intentions.”
“What is your word worth?” I asked.
She narrowed her green eyes as she turned her gaze to me. “You are no less annoying than you were the last time we met. If you won’t accept my word, accept logic. No matter how many Warriors you pack into that room, my children could devour them, and I would get free. More logic—you know your Neferet better than I, and I believe she is completely mad and a danger to us all. Don’t you?”
I answered truthfully. “I do.”
“Then let us do away with this boring show of force and get to work on how to stop her.”
“Dragon, the Warriors can wait outside the Conference Room,” said Anastasia.
As they trooped out, Neferet said, “Would one of you be a dear and bring me a lovely bottle of the red from my private collection and a carafe of blood—with two glasses.”
The Warriors looked to Anastasia, who nodded slightly.
Neferet smiled silkily, and she and Lynette entered the room. She glided past Dragon and then Damien, where she paused briefly. “You must be from Zoey’s world too.”
“I am,” Damien said, still holding his saber.
“You seem less morose than your version in this world was. Huh. Odd how small things can change us, is it not?”
“You expect us to believe you’ve changed?” James said as he took a seat beside Kacie.
Neferet’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she and Lynette took their seats—with her tendrils filling the space around the two of them. “Ah, you I recognize. You’re my Stark. You look as deliciously uptight as usual. Still following every tiny little rule possible?”
“I was never your anything,” James snapped.
Aphrodite whispered to me, “Does their Neferet have a sense of humor?”
“Who knows?” I whispered back. “All I know for sure is, right now, she doesn’t seem as crazy as ours.”
As we were taking our seats, Grandma rushed into the room.
“Merry meet, High Priestess Anastasia,” she said, fisting her hand over her heart,
