Betrayed

been sleeping that I needed to set my alarm.' I guess it shouldn't have been a sur­prise that Stevie Rae hadn't gotten much sleep lately, either. We are best friends and she definitely knows when I'm overstressed. We probably both needed a good, long, comalike sleep.

'I'll be ready in just a sec. I'm just gonna put on some mascara and gloss. My hair will dry in like two minutes anyway,' Stevie Rae said.

We were out of there in five minutes. No time for breakfast, we bolted out of the dorm and practically ran to the auditorium. We made it to seats Erin had saved for us just as the lights flicked on and off, announcing that there were two minutes before the pro­gram began, and for people to take their seats.

'Erik stayed out here waiting for you until just a second ago,' Damien said. I was glad to see he was sitting beside Jack. The two really did make a cute couple.

'Is he mad?' I asked.

'I'd say confused is a better description,' Shaunee said.

'Or worried. He looked worried, too,' Erin added.

I sighed. 'Did you not tell him that I'd overslept?'

'Hence the reason my Twin said he looked worried,' Shaunee said.

'I filled him in on the deaths of the two friends of yours. Erik understands it's been hard on you, and that's why he looked wor­ried,' Damien said, frowning at Shaunee and Erin.

'I'm just sayin; Z, Erik is too hot to be stood up,' Erin said.

'Ditto, Twin,' Shaunee said.

'I did not—' I sputtered, but the lights going out cut me off.

The drama teacher, Professor Nolan, came out onstage and spent a while explaining the importance of actors being trained in the classics, and talking about how prestigious the Shakespeare monologue contest is for vamps around the world. She reminded us that each of the twenty-five House of Night campuses world­wide send their five strongest competitors, which meant there were a total of 125 talented fledglings who competed against one another.

'Jeesh, I had no idea Erik had to go up against so many kids,' I whispered to Stevie Rae.

'Erik probably kicked butt. He's awesome,' Stevie Rae whis­pered back. Then she yawned again and coughed.

I frowned at her. She looked like crap. How could she still be tired?

'Sorry.' She smiled sheepishly. 'I gotta frog in my throat.'

'Shhh!' the Twins hissed together.

I turned my attention back to Prof. Nolan.

'The results of the competition have been sealed until today, when all of the students have returned to their home schools. I will announce the placings of each of our five finalists as I intro­duce them. Each will perform their competition monologue. I cannot begin to tell you how proud we are of our team. Every one of them did an exceptional job.' Prof. Nolan beamed. Then she went on to introduce the first performer, who was a kid named Kaci Crump. She was a fourth former who I didn't know very well because around the dorm she was kinda shy and quiet, even though she seemed nice. I didn't think she was a member of the Dark Daughters, and I made a mental note to send her an invitation to join. Prof. Nolan announced that Kaci had placed fifty-second in the competition with her rendition of Beatrice's monologue from Much Ado About Nothing.

I thought she was good, but was blown away by the next kid, Cassie Kramme, a fifth former who'd placed twenty-fifth overall. She performed Portia's famous speech from The Merchant of Venice that begins, 'The quality of mercy is not strained ...' I rec­ognized it because I'd chosen it as the monologue I memorized my freshman year at SIHS. Uh, Cassie's acting definitely would have kicked my ass. I didn't think she was a member of the Dark Daughters, either. Huh. Seems Aphrodite hadn't wanted much competition in the way of other drama queens. Big surprise.

The next performer was a kid I knew because he was a friend of Erik's. Cole Clifton was tall, blond, and totally cute. He'd fin­ished twenty-second with his rendition of Romeo's 'But soft, what light through yonder window breaks …' speech. Okay, he was good. Really, really good. I heard Shaunee and Erin (espe­cially Shaunee) making lots of appreciative noises, and the clap­ping was furious from them when he finished. Hum ... I'd have to talk to Erik about fixing Shaunee up with Cole. In my opinion more white boys should date women of color. It was good for ex­panding their horizons (especially true in Oklahoma white boys).

Speaking of women of color—the next performer was Deino. She was a drop-dead mixed girl with to-die-for hair and skin the color of vanilla latte. She was also one of Aphrodite's inner circle, or she used to be. I'd been introduced to her at Aphrodite's Full Moon Ritual. Deino was one of Aphrodite's three best friends. They'd renamed themselves after the mythological sisters of the Gorgon and Scylla: Deino, Enyo, Pemphredo. Translated, the names mean Terrible, Warlike, and Wasp.

The names definitely fit. They were three hateful, selfish bitches who had run out on Aphrodite during the Samhain Rit­ual and, as far as I could tell, hadn't spoken to her since. Okay, Aphrodite had messed up, and she was definitely haggish, but I could mess up and be a total hag and I don't think Stevie Rae, the Twins, or Damien would turn their backs on me. Get pissed at me—yep, definitely. Tell me I'd lost my mind—of course. But run out on me— no way.

Professor Nolan introduced Deino, saying that she'd finished an amazing eleventh overall, and then Deino began Cleopatra's death scene monologue. I had to admit that she was good. Really good. Watching her I was so dazzled by her talent that I started to wonder how much of her hateful haggishness had been because of Aphrodite's influence. Since I'd taken over the Dark Daughters none of Aphrodite's close friends had caused any kind of problems. Actually, now that I thought about it, I realized that Ter­rible, Warlike, and Wasp had been keeping a pretty low profile. Huh. Well, I'd said that I wanted to include one of Aphrodite's old inner circle in my new Prefect Council. Maybe Deino would be the right choice. I could ask Erik about her. With Aphrodite out of power I could give Deino a chance (as well as sincerely wish her name wasn't so disturbing).

I was still considering how to go about telling my friends (who were also my fellow Prefects) that I was thinking about asking Terrible to join our Council when Professor Nolan returned to the stage and waited for the audience to quiet down. When she started speaking her eyes were shining with excitement and she seemed ready to burst. I felt a little thrill run through me. Erik had finished in the top ten!

'Erik Night is our final performer. He has been an incredible talent since the day he was Marked three years ago. I am proud to be his teacher and his mentor,' she said, beaming. 'Please give him the hero's welcome he deserves for placing first in the International Shakespearian Monologue Competition!'

The auditorium exploded as Erik strode, smiling, onto the stage. I could hardly breathe. How could I have forgotten how ut­terly gorgeous he is? Tall—taller than Cole even—he had black hair that did that adorable Superman curl thing, and eyes so bril­liant blue they were like staring into the summer sky. Like the other performers, he was dressed all in black, with the fifth for­mer insignia of Nyx's golden chariot pulling a trail of stars over his left breast as the only break in the dark color scheme. And, let me tell you, he made black look good.

He walked to center stage, stopped, smiled directly (and obvi­ously) into my eyes, and winked at me. He was so damn hot I thought I would die. Then he bowed his head and when he raised it he wasn't eighteen-year-old Erik Night, vampyre fledgling, fifth former at the House of Night, anymore. Somehow, right in front of our eyes, he had become a Moorish warrior who was try­ing to explain to a room full of doubters how a Venetian princess had fallen in love with him, and he with her.

'Her father lov'd me; oft invited me;

Still question’d me the story of my life

From year to year, the battles, sieges, fortunes

That I have pass'd.'

I couldn't take my eyes from him, and neither could anyone else in the room as he transformed into Othello. I also couldn't help but compare him to Heath. In his own way, Heath was as successful and talented as Erik. He was Broken Arrow's star quar­terback, with a bright collegiate and maybe even pro football ca­reer in front of him. Heath was a leader. Erik was a leader. I'd grown up watching Heath play ball, had been proud of him, and had cheered for him. But I had never been awed by his talent like I was awed by Erik. And the only time Heath had ever made me feel like I couldn't breathe was when he sliced into his skin and offered his blood to me.

Erik paused in his monologue, and moved forward until he was standing at the edge of the stage, so close that if I stood I could reach up and touch him. Then he looked into my eyes and completed Othello's speech