“When Kalona rose from the earth, he wasn’t being reborn, as Neferet tried to get us to believe, was he?” Lenobia said, still studying the poem.
“No. He’d been trapped there for more than a thousand years,” I said.
“By whom?”
“My grandmother’s Cherokee ancestors.”
“This seems to imply that whatever it was that your grandmother’s people did to bind him won’t work the same way again. This time it’ll make him run away. And that’s good enough for me. We must rid ourselves of him before he completely erodes the ties that bind us to Nyx.” She looked from the poem to me. “How did the Cherokee people bind him in the earth?”
I blew out a long gust of air, wishing with all my heart that Grandma was here and could lead me through this. “I just—I don’t know as much as I should about it!” I cried.
“Ssh,” Lenobia soothed, touching my arm as she would a nervous filly. “Wait, I have an idea.”
She hurried from the stall and returned shortly with a thick, soft, curry brush, which she handed to me. Then she left the stall again and came back carrying a bale of straw. Putting it in against the inside wall, she sat on it. Leaning comfortably back, she pulled out a long piece of golden straw and stuck it in her mouth.
“Now, brush your mare and think aloud. We will find the answer between the three of us.”
“Well,” I began as I stroked the brush down Persephone’s sorrel neck. “Grandma told me that Ghigua women, uh, those are Wise Women, from several tribes got together and created a maiden out of the earth, made especially to lure Kalona into a cave where they trapped him.”
“Wait, you said women came together to create a maiden?”
“Yeah, I know it sounds kinda crazy, but I promise that’s what happened.”
“No, I do not doubt the truth of what your grandmother reported. I’m only wondering how many women came together.”
“I don’t know. All Grandma told me was that A-ya was basically their tool, and each of them gave her a special gift.”
“A-ya? That was the maiden’s name?”
I nodded and then looked over the mare’s shoulder at her. “Kalona calls me A-ya.”
Lenobia sucked in a shocked breath. “Then you are the instrument through which he will be defeated again.”
“Yes, but not defeated, just chased away,” I said automatically, and then my instinct caught up with my mouth and I knew what I’d said was true. “It is me. This time he can’t be trapped because he’s expecting that. But I can make him run away.” I spoke more to Persephone than to Lenobia or even to myself.
“But you’re not just a tool this time. You’ve been given free will by our Goddess. You choose good, and good is what will make Kalona flee.” Lenobia spoke with a confidence that was infectious.
“Wait, what was that part about ‘five’?”
Lenobia retrieved the poem from where I’d laid it on the floor of the stall. “It says ‘place of power—joining of five.’ And then it lists the five: Night, Spirit, Blood, Humanity, Earth.”
“They
“Does it feel right to you, deep in your soul? Is the Goddess speaking to you?”
I smiled and my heart soared. “It does! It feels right.”
“The most obvious place of power is here at the House of Night,” she said.
“No!” I spoke with more emphasis than I’d intended, causing Persephone to snort nervously. I petted and soothed her and in a more reasonable voice said, “No, inside the school the place of power has been tainted by him. It was his power joined with Neferet’s and mixed with Stevie Rae’s blood that released him and—” I gasped, realizing the implications of what I’d just said. “Stevie Rae! I would have thought she’d represent earth. I mean, that’s her affinity and all, but she’s not earth: she’s blood!”
Lenobia smiled and nodded. “Very good. One down. Now all you must name is the other four.”
“And the place,” I muttered.
“Yes, the place,” she agreed. “Well, places of power are also tied to spirit. Like Avalon, the ancient isle of the Goddess, is tied in spirit to Glastonbury. Even Christians felt the pull of the power of the place and at one time built an abbey there.”
“What?” I came around Persephone to stand excitedly in front of Lenobia. “What did you say about an abbey and the Goddess?”
“Well, Avalon isn’t literally of this world, though it is a great place of power. Christians felt it and built an abbey dedicated to Mary there.”
“Oh, Lenobia, that’s it!” I had to blink hard to clear the tears of relief from my eyes. Then I laughed. “And it’s perfect! The place of power is at Twenty-first and Lewis, the abbey of the Benedictine nuns.”
Lenobia’s eyes widened, and then she smiled. “Our Goddess is wise. Now, all you need do is to figure out who the other four are, and get everyone there. The rest of the poem tells how they join together…” She paused. Glancing down she read:
“Blood is there already, or at least I hope she is,” I said. “I told Stevie Rae to get herself and the red fledglings to the abbey when I found out Kalona was going to grab her.”
“Why would you think of sending her there?”
My grin was so wide I swear I almost split a lip. “Because that’s where Spirit is! Spirit is the head nun, Sister Mary Angela. She saved my grandma from the Raven Mockers, and she’s been taking care of her there.”
“A nun? To represent Spirit and conquer an ancient fallen angel? Are you quite sure, Zoey?”
“Not conquer—just banish and give us enough time to regroup and figure out how to get rid of him permanently. And, yes, I’m sure.”
Lenobia hesitated only an instant, then she nodded. “So you have identified Blood and Spirit. Think. Who have Earth, Night, and Humanity hidden within them?”
I went back to currying Persephone, and then I laughed and had an urge to hit myself in the head. “Aphrodite. She has to be humanity, even though most of the time she wants nothing to do with it.”
“I will take your word for it,” Lenobia said caustically.
“Okay, so, only Night and Earth are left.” I hurried on. “As I said before, my first guess for earth would have been Stevie Rae, because of her affinity. But I know in my heart she’s blood. Earth…earth…” I sighed again.
“Could it be Anastasia? Her gift for spells and rituals is often grounded in the earth.”
I thought about it, and sadly didn’t feel the twinge that told me I had the right answer. “Nope, it’s not her.”
“Perhaps we’re focusing on the wrong people. Spirit came from outside the House of Night, which is something I would not have anticipated. Maybe Earth does, too.”
“Well, it’s worth considering when you look at it like that.”
“What person—not a fledgling or a vampyre—could symbolize Earth?”
“I guess the people I’ve known who are closest to the earth are my grandma’s people. The Cherokee have always respected the earth, versus using and owning and abusing it. The worldview of traditional Cherokee people is much different than today’s worldview.” And then I suddenly closed my mouth and rested my forehead against Persephone’s soft shoulder, whispering a small thank-you to Nyx.
“You know who it is, don’t you?”
I looked up, smiling. “It’s my grandma. She’s Earth.”
“Perfect!” Lenobia agreed. “Then you have them all!”
“Not Night. I still haven’t figured out who—” I broke off as I registered Lenobia’s knowing look.
“Look deeper, Zoey Redbird, and I do believe you will discover who Nyx has Chosen to personify Night.”
