Marked

about a compromise? I'll allow you to stay in the third former Soc class, but I want to give you the text we use in the upper-level class, and have you agree to read a chapter a week, and promise that you'll discuss any questions you have with me.'

'Deal,' I said.

'You know, Zoey, as you Change, you literally are becoming an entirely new being. A vampyre is not a human, although we are humane. It may sound reprehensible to you now, but your desire for blood is as normal for your new life as your desire for'—she paused and smiled—'brown pop has been in your old life.'

'Jeesh! Do you know everything?'

'Nyx has gifted me generously. Besides my affinity for our lovely felines and my abilities as a healer, I am also an intuitive.'

'You can read my mind?' I asked nervously.

'Not exactly. But I can pick up bits and pieces of things. For instance, I know that there's something else you need to tell me about last night.'

I drew a deep breath. 'I was upset after I found out about the blood, so I ran out of the rec hall. That's how I found Nala. She was in a tree that was real close to the school's wall. I thought she was stuck up there, so I climbed up on the wall to get her and, well, while I was talking to her two kids from my old school found me.'

'What happened?' Neferet's hand had stilled; she was no longer petting Nala, and I had all of her attention.

'It wasn't good. They—they were wasted, high and drunk.' Okay, I hadn't meant to blurt that!

'Did they try to hurt you?'

'No, nothing like that. It was my ex–best friend and my almost-ex-boyfriend.'

Neferet raised her brow at me again.

'Well, I'd quit going out with him, but he and I still had a thing for each other.'

She nodded as though she understood. 'Go on.'

'Kayla and I kinda fought. She sees me differently now and I guess I see her differently, too. Neither one of us likes the new view.' As I said it I realized it was true. It wasn't that K had changed—actually, she'd been exactly the same. It was just that the little things I used to ignore, like her nonsensical babble and her mean side, were now suddenly too irritating to deal with. 'Anyway, she left and I was alone with Heath.' I stopped there, not sure how to say the rest of it.

Neferet's eyes narrowed. 'You experienced bloodlust for him.'

'Yes,' I whispered.

'Did you drink his blood, Zoey?' Her voice was sharp.

'I just tasted a drop of it. I'd scratched him. I hadn't meant to, but when I heard his pulse pounding it—it made me scratch him.'

'So you didn't actually drink from the wound?'

'I started to, but Kayla came back and interrupted us. She totally freaked, and that's how I finally got Heath to leave.'

'He didn't want to?'

I shook my head. 'No. He didn't want to.' I felt like I was going to cry again. 'Neferet, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to. I didn't even know what I was doing until Kayla screamed.'

'Of course you didn't realize what was happening. How could a newly Marked fledgling be expected to know about bloodlust?' She touched my arm in a reassuring, mom-like gesture. 'You probably didn't Imprint with him.'

'Imprint?'

'It's what often happens when vampyres drink directly from humans, especially if there is a bond that has been established between them prior to the blood-letting. This is why it is forbidden for fledglings to drink the blood of humans. Actually, it's strongly discouraged for adult vampyres to feed from humans, too. There's an entire sect of vampyres who consider it morally wrong and would like to make it illegal,' she said.

I watched her eyes darken as she talked. The expression in them suddenly made me very nervous and I shivered. Then Neferet blinked and her eyes changed back to normal. Or had I just imagined their weird darkness?

'But that's a discussion best left for my sixth form sociology class.'

'What do I do about Heath?'

'Nothing. Let me know if he tries to see you again. If he calls you, don't answer. If he began Imprinting even the sound of your voice will effect him and work as a lure to draw him to you.'

'It sounds like something out of Dracula,' I muttered.

'It's nothing like that wretched book!' she snapped. 'Stoker vilified vampyres, which has caused our kind endless petty troubles with humans.'

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean—'

She waved her hand dismissively. 'No, I shouldn't have taken out my frustration about that old fool's book on you. And don't worry about your friend Heath. I'm sure he'll be fine. You said that he was smoking and drinking? I assume you mean marijuana?'

I nodded. 'But I don't smoke,' I added. 'Actually, he didn't used to and neither did Kayla. I don't get what's happening to them. I think they're hanging with some of those druggie football players from Union, and none of them have enough sense to just say no.'

'Well, his reaction to you might have had more to do with his level of intoxication than a possible Imprint.' She paused, pulling a scratch pad out of her desk drawer, and handing me a pencil. 'But just in case, why don't you write down your friends' full names and where they live. Oh, and add the names of the Union football players, too, if you know them.'

'Why would you need all of their names?' I felt my heart fall into my shoes. 'You're not going to call their parents, are you?'

Neferet laughed. 'Of course not. The misbehavior of human teenagers is no concern of mine. I only ask so that I can focus my thoughts on the group and perhaps pick up any vestiges of a possible Imprint among them.'

'What happens if you do? What happens to Heath?'

'He's young and the Imprint will be weak, so time and distance should make it fade eventually. If he actually Imprinted in full, there are ways to break it.' I was about to say that maybe she should just go ahead and do whatever she did to break an Imprinting when she continued. 'None of the ways are pleasant.'

'Oh, okay.'

I wrote the names and addresses for Kayla and Heath. I didn't have a clue where the Union guys lived, but I did remember their names. Neferet got up and went to the back of the classroom to retrieve a thick textbook whose title in silver letters read Sociology 415.

'Begin with Chapter One and work your way through this entire book. Until you've finished it, let's consider it your homework instead of the work I assign to the rest of the Socioi class.'

I took the book. It was heavy and the cover felt cool in my hot, nervous grip.

'If you have any questions, any at all, come see me right away. If I'm not here you can come to my apartment in Nyx's Temple. Go in the front door and follow the stairs on your right. I am the only priestess at the school right now, so the entire second floor belongs to me. And don't worry about disturbing me. You're my fledgling—it's your job to disturb me,' she said with a warm smile.

'Thank you, Neferet.'

'Try not to worry. Nyx has touched you and the goddess cares for her own.' She hugged me. 'Now, I'm going to go tell Professor Nolan what's been keeping you. Go ahead and use the phone at my desk to call your grandma.' She hugged me again and then closed the classroom door gently behind her as she left.

I sat down at her desk and thought about how great she was, and how long it'd been since my mom had hugged me like that. And for some reason, I started to cry.

CHAPTER 21