Neferet looked down at her children. They had altered in appearance. They were still snakelike, but the prophetess was correct. Instead of blind faces and fanged mouths, they blinked up at her with golden eyes and expressions of adoration. She crouched and they came to her, eager to be close. She caressed them and whispered, “You are my beauties—my own. Be brave, children. Be brave.” Then she stood and pointed to the beleaguered Warriors. “Protect the Sons of Erebus. Kill those vile creatures who belong to the monster who wants to rule our world!”
The tendrils sped off, and Neferet stood frozen, watching them attack. Her children were vastly outnumbered, but they seemed stronger than the eyeless tendrils—and Neferet had no doubt they were. It had only been a few days since the Monstress had been released and they’d fed. It wasn’t possible that either she or her tendrils were fully recovered from a year of starvation and imprisonment.
“That was a good thing you just did,” said Aphrodite, looking surprised. “And Zoey was telling you the truth. You’re with us now, and we don’t abandon our own. You can count on the fact that we’ll do everything in our power to protect Lynette and you.”
Neferet began to say something sarcastic, but within the prophetess’s surprised expression she saw something else—perhaps it was appreciation—perhaps it was almost acceptance, and it brought to mind the Aphrodite from her world. The one who had died that day to give the red vampyres their humanity. She would have been my friend had I been able to let her close to me, as I have Lynette. The thought so shocked Neferet that all she could do was nod and say, “I will stand with you and your circle against that.”
Both women’s gazes went to the Monstress, who had her back to what remained of the wall, battling Kalona. Neither appeared to be winning, and as they watched, the Monstress parried a blow and then, with the speed of a skittering spider, she struck and the tip of one side of her spear turned red with the immortal’s blood.
“Can he defeat her?” Neferet asked.
“He has to,” Aphrodite said grimly.
“Z!” Stark shouted. He and James were side by side, lethal mirror images who fired together—their arrows slicing through tendrils of Darkness that seethed around the battling Sons of Erebus Warriors, hitting only the children of the Monstress and allowing Neferet’s tendrils to continue fighting beside the Warriors. “We’re almost out of arrows! We have to get inside—regroup—rearm!”
Zoey ran to the center of the circle. “Okay, we need to move this circle to the school, but do not let go of your element! No matter what, do not break this circle!”
“We got you, Z!” Stevie Rae shouted. As one, the four who represented the elements moved together toward the center, so that their circle was smaller and easier to manage.
The pop, pop, pop of assault rifles invaded the grounds as vampyre soldiers poured out of the Field House. They began cutting through the Sons of Erebus Warriors—who were armed only with swords, knives, bows, and courage.
“Anastasia!” Zoey turned to the High Priestess. “Where can we find more weapons?”
Anastasia was staring at the Sons of Erebus as they scattered and took cover. Tears poured down her pale cheeks. “I—I don’t know. The F-Field House is where we store the weapons.”
“Nyx’s Temple—the basement. Hurry!” said Neferet. She met Zoey’s gaze. “I hid weapons down there as well as the basement beside the Field House. There are grenades, guns, and crossbows down there.”
“Okay, you heard Neferet,” Zoey said. “Move this circle to Nyx’s Temple!”
Slowly, they all began walking across the grounds toward the distant temple. Neferet put her arm around Lynette’s waist to help her stand, and then half carried, half dragged her with them.
“Anastasia!” Neferet shouted at the High Priestess, who was still frozen and almost outside the moving circle. “You have to move! Now!”
Anastasia turned and looked at her. She wiped a hand across her face and nodded weakly and then began walking toward her—and a bullet sliced through her leg.
The High Priestess screamed and went down.
“NO! ” Dragon’s roar was a clarion call of agony from across the school grounds.
“Earth! Shield us!” Stevie Rae shouted, and a green bubble formed around their circle just as several more bullets ricocheted from it.
“Help her!” Lynette said. “I can walk on my own.”
Neferet rushed to Anastasia, and Rephaim met her there, along with Zoey and Aphrodite. Neferet pressed her hand over the bloody hole in the High Priestess’s thigh.
“Someone give me something to make a tourniquet!” Neferet said as blood poured from Anastasia.
Zoey ripped the hem of her shirt and handed it to Neferet, and she quickly wound it around Anastasia’s thigh, over the wound.
Without looking up Neferet ordered, “Now give me something to press over the hole!”
Rephaim handed his shirt to her. Neferet quickly folded it and pressed it against the wound as Anastasia moaned in pain. Neferet looked up at Rephaim. “Carry her!”
Neferet stood as Rephaim lifted Anastasia. She stared at the carnage spread across what used to be her school grounds. The Sons of Erebus Warriors were losing—that was obvious. They had taken cover and were still shooting arrows, and even though they outnumbered the attacking soldiers, their modern weapons more than made up for that.
Her tendrils were still fighting. They’d taken cover with the Sons of Erebus Warriors. They would dart out and strike at one of the Monstress’s black, eyeless creatures, but they were vastly outnumbered by her nest of vipers, and it was only a matter of time before they, along with the Warriors they protected, were overrun.
Neferet’s gaze went to Kalona and her insane counterpart. Still, they battled. Kalona had several wounds that bled freely down his body, but he didn’t seem to be tiring. The Monstress was unwounded. Her smile was feral as she parried the immortal’s blows over and over again.
He cannot defeat her—just as she cannot defeat him, Neferet thought. But she
