Chosen

Damien's yellow candle and was instantly surrounded by a sweet, caressing wind.

I hurried to Shaunee and her red candle. Deciding to go with the special sense of priestess magic I was feeling, I began the invocation without lifting the lighter. 'Warming and quickening fire from afar, with the warmth that brings forth life, and in the name of Nyx, I send greetings unto thee, and call you here to me!' I flicked my fingers at the candlewick, and it burst into a beautiful flame. Shaunee and I grinned at each other before I followed the circle around to Erin.

'Cool waters of lake and of stream from afar, I offer greetings to thee. Flow clear and pure and swift in magical presence here. In the name of Nyx manifest so that we shall see, as I call you here to me!' I touched the lighter to Erin's blue candle and loved how the kids standing closest to her gasped and laughed as water that was visible, but that didn't actually touch them, lapped all around Erin's feet.

'Easy-peasy,' Erin whispered.

I grinned and moved clockwise to stand in front of Aphrodite and her green candle. The gentle laughter and happy whispering that had been traveling through the group with me quieted. Aphrodite's face was an emotionless mask. It was only in her eyes that I could see her nervous fear, and I wondered for a second how long she'd been hiding her emotions. Knowing her nightmare parents, I figured it had been a long time.

'It's going to be okay,' I whispered almost without moving my lips at all.

'I may puke,' she whispered back.

'Nah!' I grinned. And then lifted my voice and spoke the beautiful words that were floating through my mind. 'Lands afar and wild places of the earth, greetings I say unto thee. Awaken from your mossy sleep to bring forth bounty and beauty and stability. In Nyx's name I call earth here to me!' I lit Aphrodite's candle and the fresh, rich scent of a newly mown hay field completely filled the rec hall. The sound of chirping birds surrounded us. Lilacs made the air so sweet that it was like we'd been spritzed with the lightest and most perfect perfume ever. I met Aphrodite's shining eyes, and then turned to glance around the rest of the circle. Everyone was staring at Aphrodite, shocked into absolute silence.

'Yes,' I said simply, cutting through all the questions I knew were milling around in their heads, and (hopefully) putting an end to their doubts. They might not like her—they might not trust her—but they had to accept the fact that Nyx had blessed her. 'Aphrodite has been blessed with an affinity for the element earth.' Then I went to the center of the circle and picked up my purple candle. 'Spirit filled with magic and night, whispering soul of the Goddess, friend and stranger, mystery and knowledge, in Nyx's name I call thee here to me!' My candle lit, and I stood very still while the familiar cacophony of all five elements filled me, body and soul.

It was so amazing I almost forgot to breathe.

When I settled myself again, I lit the braided rope of dried eucalyptus and sage, and then blew them out, breathing deeply of the herbs and concentrating on the properties my grandmother's people had prized them for— eucalyptus for healing, protection, and purification, and white sage for its ability to drive out negative spirits, energies, and influences. With the spicy smoke swirling around me, I faced outward and began speaking, as conscious of all the eyes on me as I was of the glistening silver thread that so visibly tied together my circle. 'Merry meet!' I cried, and the group responded with, 'Merry meet!' I could feel my tension start to relax as I addressed them. 'You all know by now that yesterday Professor Nolan was killed. It was as horrible and true as the rumors have made it out to be. Right now I'd like to ask you to join me in asking Nyx to soothe her spirit and also to soothe us.' I paused and found Erik. 'I haven't been here very long, but I know a lot of you were really close to Professor Nolan.' Erik tried to smile, but his obvious sadness wouldn't let his lips turn up, and he blinked hard to keep the tears that were making his blue eyes sparkly and liquid from falling down his cheeks. 'She was a good teacher, and a nice person. We're going to miss her. Let's send her spirit a final blessed be.' The kids responded automatically with a heartfelt shout of 'Blessed be!'

I paused to let them get quiet again, and then I continued. 'I know I was supposed to announce who has been chosen to be Tapped for the Prefect Council, but because of everything that has happened in the past month I've decided to wait until the end of this school year, and then the Council and I will get together and have several names to pass along to you for your vote. Until then I have decided to automatically add one more fledgling to our Council.' I was careful to speak matter-of-factly, as if I wasn't saying anything that most of them would think was a completely insane idea. 'As you've already seen, Aphrodite has been given an affinity for earth. Like Stevie Rae, that gives her a position on our Council. Also like Stevie Rae, she has agreed to abide by my new rules for the Dark Daughters.' I turned then so that I could meet Aphrodite's eyes, and was relieved when she gave me a tight, nervous smile, and then nodded her head once. Then, not giving them time to start to babble among themselves, I took the goblet of sweet red wine from Nyx's table and began the official invocation of the Full Moon Prayer.

'Again this month we find that with the full moon we have to face many new beginnings. Last month it was a new order of the Dark Daughters and Sons. This month it is a new member of the Prefect Council, and the sadness of a professor's death. I've only been your leader for one month, but already I know that I—' I paused and then corrected myself. 'I mean that we can trust Nyx to love us and be with us, even when really awful things happen.' I lifted the goblet and worked my way around the circle, reciting the beautiful old poem I'd memorized the month before.

'Airy light of the moon

Mystery of the deep earth

Power of the flowing water

Warmth of the burning flame

In Nyx's name we call to thee!'

I offered each fledgling a taste of wine, nodding as they smiled at me. I concentrated on trying to look like someone they could count on—someone they could trust.

'Healing of ills

Righting of wrongs

Cleansing of impurity

Desiring of truths

In Nyx's name we call to thee!'

I was glad that they all murmured 'blessed be' after they drank, and that they didn't look particularly mutinous.

'Sight of the cat

Hearing of the dolphin

Speed of the snake

Mystery of the phoenix

In Nyx's name we call to thee

and ask that with us you will blessed be!'

I offered Aphrodite the last drink before me, and almost didn't hear her whispered, 'Good job, Zoey,' before she sipped from the goblet and handed it back to me, saying the standard 'Blessed be' loud enough for everyone else to hear.

Feeling relieved and pretty darn proud of myself, I drank the last of the wine and put the goblet back on the table. In reverse order, I thanked each element and sent them away in turn, as Aphrodite, Erin, Shaunee, and Damien blew out their candles. Then I completed the ritual by saying, 'This Full Moon Rite is ended. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again!'

The fledglings echoed, 'Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again!'

I remember that I was grinning like a clueless moron when Erik cried out in pain and fell to his knees.

CHAPTER 22

Unlike when Stevie Rae had been dying, I didn't have even an instant of numbness or hesitation.

'No!' I screamed, running over to Erik and falling to my knees beside him. He was on his hands and knees, groaning in pain, with his head almost touching the floor. I couldn't see his face, but I could see that sweat—or maybe even blood, though I didn't smell it yet—was already soaking his shirt. I knew what would follow: Blood would gush from his eyes, nose, mouth, and he would literally drown in his own fluids. And, yes, it would be as