Chosen

'Yeah, we have your back here. We'll wait around for Erik to show up and then tell him it's just too scary for little ol' us to be all alone,' Shaunee said.

'We definitely need protected,' Erin said. 'Which means he'll have to go get his friends and all of us will curl up and wait for you to get back from your meeting.'

Sounds like a plan. Oh, but don t tell him I went off campus. He might freak. Just be vague, like I might be talking to Neferet or whatnot.'

'Whatever. We'll cover for you. But, speaking of going off campus, are you sure it's safe?' Shaunee said. 'We're not completely making up the fact that it's scary around here right now.'

'Yeah, can't you break up with human boyfriend later, like after they catch the psycho who beheaded and crucified Professor Nolan?' Erin asked.

'It's something I have to do now. You know, what with the Imprint it's not exactly a normal breakup.'

'Drama,' Erin said.

'Serious drama.' Shaunee nodded in solemn agreement.

'Yeah, and the longer I put it off, the worse it's gonna be. I mean, Heath just got back in town and he's already text messaging me to death.' The Twins gave me sympathetic looks. 'So, later. I'll be back in time to change before Neferet's ritual.' I retreated fast while the Twins called 'see ya' after me.

I'd rushed out the door and had run right into what felt like a large male mountain. Impossibly strong hands steadied me before I could fall off the steps. I looked up (and up and up) into a stonelike, starkly handsome face. And then blinked in surprise. He was definitely a full-grown vampyre (complete with cool tattoo), even though he didn't look much older than me. But, dang, he was big!

'Careful, fledgling,' the mountain who was dressed all in black said. Then his nonexpression shifted. 'You're Zoey Redbird.'

'Yeah, I'm Zoey.'

Releasing me, he took a step back and pressed his fist over his heart in a snappy salute. 'Merry met. It is a pleasure to know the fledgling Nyx has so greatly gifted.'

Feeling awkward and silly, I returned his salute. 'Nice to meet you, too. And you are?'

'Darius, of the Sons of Erebus,' he said, bowing formally and making it a title and not just a description.

'You're one of the guys called in because of what happened with Professor Nolan?' My voice cracked a little, which he clearly noticed.

'Hey,' he said, looking even younger, yet also somehow incredibly powerful, 'You shouldn't worry, Zoey. The Sons of Erebus will protect Nyx's school with our last breath.'

The way he said it made my skin prickle. He was huge and muscular and very, very serious. I couldn't imagine anything or anyone who could get past him, let alone make him breathe his last breath. 'Th-thank you,' I stammered.

'My brother warriors are posted all over the school grounds. You may rest safely, little priestess,' he smiled at me. Little priestess? Please. The kid had to have just Changed recently.

'Oh, good. Uh, I will.' I started down the steps. 'I'm just going to the, uh, stable to visit my mare, Persephone. It was nice to meet you. I'm glad you're here,' I added, giving him a ridiculous wave and then hurrying down the sidewalk toward the stables. I could feel his eyes following me.

Crap. That was so not good. I wondered what the hell I was going to do. How was I going to sneak out of there with warrior mountains (no matter how young and cute) all over the place? Not that it mattered how young and cute he was. Like I had time for another possible boyfriend? Absolutely no way. Not to mention his hottiness didn't make him any less mountainous. Jeesh, I was a mess and I had such a dang headache.

And then the soft voice was in my head, telling me to think … be calm…

The words swirled soothingly through my frantic mind. Automatically I began to slow down. I breathed deeply, willing myself to relax and think. I needed to be calm … be still… think and—

And just like that it came to me. I knew what I had to do. In the shadows between the next two gaslights I stepped quietly off the sidewalk as if I'd decided to take a walk among the huge old oaks, only when I came to the first tree I paused in its shadow, closed my eyes, and centered myself. Then, as I had before, I called silence and invisibility to me, shrouding myself in the stillness of the grave (I briefly hoped that that metaphor was just me being overly imaginative and wasn't any kind of creepy, foretelling omen).

I'm perfectly silent… no one can see me… no one can hear me … I'm like mist… dreams…spirit…

I could sense the presence of the Sons of Erebus, but I didn't look around. I didn't allow my concentration to falter. Instead I kept up my internal prayer turned spell turned magic. I moved like the wisp of a thought or a secret, undetectable and hidden in layers of silence and fog, mist and magic. My body shivered. It seemed I actually floated, and when I glanced down at myself I saw only a shadow within fog within shadow. This must have been what Bram Stoker described in Dracula. Instead of startling me, the thought strengthened my concentration and I felt myself become even less substantial. Moving like a dream, I found the lightning- damaged tree and climbed up its broken trunk and out onto the thick branch that rested against the wall as if I was weightless.

Just like Aphrodite had said, there was a rope tied securely around a fork in the branch and coiled like a waiting snake. Still moving in silent, dreamlike motions I tossed the end over the wall. Then, following an instinct that rippled up from the core of my soul through my body, I lifted my arms and whispered, 'Come to me air and spirit. Like midnight mist, carry me to earth.'

I didn't have to jump from the wall. The wind swirled around me in an airy caress, lifting my body, which had turned as insubstantial as spirit, and floating me the twenty feet to the grass on the other side of the wall. For a moment the sense of wonder that filled me made me forget about murdered teachers, boyfriend issues, and the stress of my life in general. Arms still upraised, I twirled around, loving the feel of wind and power against my dewy, transparent skin. It was like I had become part of the night. Barely touching the ground I moved along the grassy path until I came to the sidewalk that led down Utica Street the short distance to Utica Square. I was feeling so amazing that I almost forgot to stop and dab the concealer over my facial tattoos. Reluctantly, I paused to fish the concealer and a mirror out of the canvas bag. My reflection made my breath catch in my throat. I looked iridescent. My skin shimmered with pearlized colors like a mirage. My dark hair lifted softly around me, floating in a breeze that blew for me alone. I didn't look human and I didn't look vampyre. I looked like a new kind of being, born of the night and blessed by the elements.

What was it Loren had said about me in the library? Something like me being a goddess among demigods. The way I looked right then made me think that he might be on to something. Power shivered through me, and my hair lifted from my shoulder. I swear I could feel the tattoos burning deliriously down my neck and back. Maybe Loren had been right about a lot of things—like about the two of us being star-crossed lovers. Maybe after I told Heath I couldn't see him again I should back away from Erik, too. The thought of leaving Erik made me feel a little breathless, but that was to be expected. I wasn't heartless—I really did like him. But hadn't Professor Nolan's death proved that you never knew what could happen? That life, even for vampyres, could be way too short. Maybe I should be with Loren—maybe that was the right thing to do. I kept staring at my magical reflection.

After all, I really wasn't like other fledglings.

That was something I should accept and stop fighting against or feeling freaky about.

And if I wasn't like other fledglings, then wasn't it only logical that I needed to be with something special— someone other fledglings wouldn't be able to be with?

But Erik cares about me, and I care about him, too. I'm not being fair to Erik…or to Heath…Loren is a grown man…he's supposed to be a teacher… 50 maybe we shouldn't be sneaking around together…

I ignored the guilty thoughts that my conscience whispered to me. And silently ordered the wind and mist and concealing darkness to lift so that I could materialize fully and cover my intricate tattoos. And then, lifting my chin and straightening my back, I headed down the sidewalk to Utica Square, Starbucks, and Heath, still not one hundred percent sure about what the hell I was doing.

I stayed on the dark side of the street where there were very few streetlights and walked slowly, trying to figure out what I would say to Heath to get him to understand he and I couldn't keep seeing each other. I'd gone less than half the distance to the square when I saw him coming toward me. Actually, I felt him first. Like an itch