Awakened

you,” he retorted.

“He won’t,” Stevie Rae said.

“I wouldn’t bet on it,” Aphrodite said, running up to the two of them while Darius, his own sword drawn, joined Stark, joining the barrier between danger and their priestesses. “Bumpkin, you have royally fucked up this time.”

“Hate to agree with Aphrodikey,” Erin said.

“Really hate to, but she’s right,” Shaunee said.

Damien, looking haggard, knelt on the other side of Stevie Rae. “We can yell at Stevie Rae later. Right now let’s just figure out how to get her out of this mess,” he said.

“You don’t understand,” Stevie Rae told him, her eyes filling up with tears. “I don’t want out of it, and the only thing that’s a mess is that y’all found out like this instead of me tellin’ you ’bout Rephaim.”

Damien stared at her for what seemed like a long time before he replied, “Oh, I see. I do understand because before I lost it, I learned a lot about love.”

Before Stevie Rae could say anything else, a painful cry from one of the Sons of Erebus Warriors drew all of their eyes. Kalona had just stabbed him in the meaty part of his thigh, and the young Warrior had gone down, but as quickly as he’d fallen, another Warrior dragged him out of the way and yet another took his place, closing the break in the deadly circle around the winged beings.

They were fighting back to back. Stevie Rae wanted to curl up and die as she watched the House of Night Warriors press the attack over and over. Perfectly matched, perfectly in tune, Kalona and Rephaim complemented each other’s movements. In one part of her brain, Stevie Rae could acknowledge the beauty of the lethal dance that was going on between the Warriors and the winged beings—there was a grace and a symmetry to the fight that was awe-inspiring. But in most of her brain she just wanted to scream at Rephaim, Run! Fly away! Get outta here! Save yourself!

A Warrior lunged at Rephaim and at the very last moment he parried the blow. Sick and scared and almost completely defeated by the terrible unknown of what was going to happen to both of them, it took Stevie Rae longer than it should have for her to really see what Rephaim was doing—or rather, not doing. And when she did see it, Stevie Rae felt the sweet stirring of hope.

“Zoey,” she clutched her friend’s hand, unwilling to look away from the battle. “Watch Rephaim. He’s not attacking. He’s not hurting anyone. He’s only defending himself.”

Zoey paused, observing, and then said, “You’re right. Stevie Rae, you’re right! He’s not attacking.”

Pride for Rephaim made Stevie Rae’s chest hurt, like her heart was thudding too hard to be held inside her rib cage. The Warriors kept attacking, brutal and deadly in their intent. Kalona kept wounding, maiming, and even killing. Rephaim continued to only defend himself—he blocked blows, he feinted and lunged, but he harmed none of the Warriors who were so obviously trying to kill him.

“She’s correct,” Darius said. “The Raven Mocker is entirely on the defensive.”

“Press them! Kill them!” Neferet shouted. Stevie Rae took her gaze from Rephaim long enough to glance at her. Neferet looked bloated with power, reveling in the violence and destruction that was happening before her. Why didn’t anyone else see the horrible Darkness that pulsed and slithered in excitement around her, wrapping around her legs, caressing her body, feeding from her power as, in turn, Neferet fed from the death and destruction around her?

With an avenging Dragon Lankford leading them, the Sons of Erebus Warriors redoubled their attack.

“I have to stop it,” Stevie Rae spoke more to herself than aloud. “Before it’s gone too far and he can’t help but kill somebody, I have to stop it.”

“There’s no stopping it,” Zoey said quietly. “I think Neferet planned something like this all along. Kalona’s probably here because she told him to be.”

“Kalona may be, but Rephaim isn’t,” Stevie Rae said firmly. “He came here to be sure I’m okay, and I’m not gonna let him go down because of that.”

Still watching the bloody battle, Stevie Rae imagined she was a tree—a giant, strong oak, and her legs were roots going way, way down deep into the earth. So deep that Neferet’s sticky threads of Darkness couldn’t reach her. And then she imagined pulling power from the spirit of the earth—rich and fertile and mighty. The pure essence of the earth surged up into her body. Stevie Rae stood. She waved away Z’s hand, and when she did Stevie Rae caught sight of her own hand. It was glowing with a soft, familiar green. She started walking forward, toward Rephaim.

“Whoa, where do you think you’re going?” Stark asked. Beside him, Darius looked solid and very much in her way.

“To dance with beasts, so I’m gonna penetrate their disguise.” The quote from Kramisha’s poem drifted through her mind, dream-like.

“Okay, crazy much?” Aphrodite said. “You need to stay your butt here and out of that mess over there.”

Stevie Rae ignored Aphrodite and faced down the two Warriors. “I’m Imprinted with him. My decision’s made. If you gotta fight me—fight me, but I’m goin’ over there to Rephaim.”

“No one’s fighting you, Stevie Rae,” Zoey said. “Let her go,” she told Stark and Darius.

“I need your help,” Stevie Rae told Zoey. “If you’ll trust me, come with me and give me a boost with spirit.”

“No! You can’t get mixed up in that,” Stark told Zoey.

Zoey smiled at him. “But we’ve already mixed it up with Kalona and we won, remember?”

Stark snorted. “Yeah, after I died.”

“Don’t worry, Guardian. I’ll save you again if I need to.” Zoey turned back to Stevie Rae. “You said Rephaim saved your life?”

“Twice, and he had to stand up to Darkness to do it. Rephaim has good inside him. You got my promise on that, Z. Please, please trust me.”

“I trust you. I’ll always trust you,” Zoey said. “I’m going with Stevie Rae,” she told Stark, who didn’t look happy at all about that news.

“I’m going too,” Damien said, dry-eyed. “If you need air, it’ll be there for you. I still believe in love.”

“I don’t like the birdthing, but air’s not going without fire,” Shaunee said.

“Ditto, Twin,” Erin said.

Stevie Rae met each of their gazes. “Thank y’all. This means more than I can ever tell ya.”

“Oh, for shit’s sake. Let’s go save the unattractive birdboy so the bumpkin can live unhappily ever after,” Aphrodite said.

“Yeah, let’s do that, only take both uns outta that sentence,” Stevie Rae said, and with the circle forming around her, flanked by Stark and Darius, Stevie Rae led them forward. Still channeling the earth, she didn’t hesitate, but strode over to the scene of blood and destruction, getting as close to Rephaim as she could.

“No!” he yelled, catching a glimpse of her. “Stay back!”

“Like heck I will!” Stevie Rae looked at Damien. “Time to cowboy up. Call air.”

Damien faced east. “Air, I need you. Come to me!” Wind whirled around him, lifting his and everyone else’s hair.

Stevie Rae raised her brows at Shaunee, who rolled her eyes, but faced south and called, “Fire, come burn for me, baby!” While heat joined air, and without any prompting, Erin faced west and said, “Water, come on and join the circle!” The scent of spring showers touched their faces.

As quickly as water joined them, Stevie Rae looked northward and said, “Earth, you’re already with me. Please join the circle, too.” The root-like connection to the ground that she already had intensified, and Stevie Rae knew she was like a lighthouse shining bright mossy green.

From beside her, Z said, “Spirit, please complete our circle.”

There was a wonderful sense of well-being that Stevie Rae held onto as she stepped out from her group, as if she was their spearhead. Fully empowered by her element, she raised her arms, channeled the timeless, wise strength of trees, said, “Earth, make a barrier to end this fightin’. Please.” She pointed at the men.

“Help her, air,” Damien said.

“Fire her up, fire,” Shaunee added.

“Support her, water,” Erin said.