Destined

“He faced Darkness for you?” Duantia sounded shocked.

“Yes.”

“Actually, he turned away from Darkness for her.” I took up the story. “And last night he asked forgiveness from Nyx and pledged himself to her path.”

“Then the Goddess made him a boy!” Stevie Rae said with such enthusiasm that even Duantia’s lips twitched up in a smile.

“Only from sunset to sunrise,” Neferet added, in a throw-cold-water-on-the-moment voice. “During the day he is condemned to be a raven—a beast—with no memory of his humanity.”

“That was his consequence for the bad stuff in his past,” Stevie Rae explained.

“And now, during the time he’s a boy, Rephaim wants to come to school like any other fledgling,” I said.

“Remarkable,” Duantia said.

“The creature does not belong at this school,” Dragon said.

“The creature isn’t at this school,” I said. “The boy is. The same boy Nyx forgave. The same boy Stevie Rae has chosen as her Consort. The same boy who tried to swear himself into your service.”

“Dragon, you rejected him?” Duantia asked.

“I did,” Dragon said tightly.

“And that is why I expelled them all,” Neferet said in a calm, reasonable, adult voice. “My Sword Master cannot tolerate his presence, and rightly so. When Zoey’s group decided to turn their allegiance from us to Stevie Rae and the Raven Mocker I saw no choice except that they all had to go.”

“He isn’t a Raven Mocker anymore.” Stevie Rae sounded totally pissed-off.

“And yet he is still the being who murdered my mate.” Dragon’s voice was a lash.

“Hold!” Duantia’s command shot from the computer. Even from thousands of miles away and through Skype, the power in her voice was a tangible presence in the room. “Neferet, let me be certain that I am absolutely clear about last night’s events. Our Goddess, Nyx, appeared at your House of Night and forgave the Raven Mocker, Rephaim, and then gifted him with the form of a human boy during the night, and as penance cursed him with a bestial form of a raven during the day?”

“Yes,” Neferet said.

Duantia shook her head slowly. “Neferet, there is a part of me—the remnants of a very young me, mind you —that understands your response to such unusual events, though you were mistaken. Simply put, you cannot expel a group of fledglings who have done nothing more than stand by their friends. Especially not this group of fledglings,” Duantia said. “This group has been far too goddess-touched to be cast away.”

“That kinda brings up the second thing I need to talk to you about,” I said. “Because of the differences between red fledglings and regular fledglings, it’s really better that they were expelled.” I frowned. “Wait, that didn’t come out right.”

“What she means is we can’t rest right unless we’re underground,” Stevie Rae explained for me. “And there isn’t much underground here.”

“So during daylight they’d like to stay in the tunnels under the Tulsa depot, and at night during the week they’d like to be bussed here for classes. There aren’t very many red fledglings in Stevie Rae’s group, and except for me no blue fledglings left the school at all, so I’m thinking between me, a Red High Priestess, and two Changed Warriors, we should be able to handle ourselves okay over there.” I fixed my face into a giant smile and beamed up at Neferet. “And I know Neferet is such an awesome High Priestess that she’ll be able to handle all the changes going on over here.”

There was a long silence during which Neferet and I locked gazes. Finally Duantia said, “Neferet, what say you?”

I caught a glimpse of smugness in her expression before Neferet turned to the camera. “After listening to your wisdom, Duantia, I do see that I made my decision too hastily last night. As someone who is, myself, newly forgiven by Nyx, I can only strive to emulate the Goddess’s benevolence. She clearly has special plans for Zoey and her group. Perhaps a resting place separate from us would be best. Of course they must still abide by the rules of this House of Night, and acknowledge me as their rightful High Priestess.”

“Uh, not necessarily,” I said, ignoring Neferet’s piercing look and concentrating on Duantia. “The time I spent on Skye with Queen Sgiach really meant a lot to me. She and I got close. Sgiach even said she’d like me to mentor under her, that she would start opening up Skye to the modern world. Right now I can’t be on Skye with her, but I’d still like to follow in her footsteps.” I drew a deep breath and finished in a rush, “So, I want to officially declare the Tulsa Depot outside of the jurisdiction of the House of Night, like Sgiach has declared Skye.” I looked directly at Neferet. “And just like Sgiach, I won’t get in your business if you don’t get in mine.”

“You dare declare yourself a queen?” Neferet sounded stunned.

“Well, I didn’t. But Sgiach did and so did her Guardian. Plus, Stark has been accepted as a Guardian. In the Otherworld he had the sword and everything. He’s my Warrior, so kinda by default that means I’m being declared a queen. A little one, though,” I added.

“This does not feel right to me,” Neferet said.

“I agree with Neferet,” Dragon said.

I stared at him, trying to telegraph: Really? Are you really saying you agree with Neferet after all you know about her? But Dragon looked past me as if he couldn’t see me.

“I must consult the High Council on this matter, Zoey Redbird. We do not support the idea of vampyre queens. Vampyres are Priestesses and Warriors and Professors, and the various life paths that spring from those callings. That has long been our tradition.”

“But Sgiach is a queen,” I insisted. “She has been for centuries. That has to be long enough to be a tradition, too.”

“Not a vampyre tradition!” Duantia’s raised voice made the little hairs on my arms lift. The Leader of the High Council drew a deep breath, obviously steadying herself, before she continued in a calmer tone. “Sgiach is barely considered vampyre. She has maintained her existence separate from us for many centuries. We have an uneasy truce with her by default. We cannot enter her isle. She will not leave it.” Duantia paused and lifted a brow. “Has that changed, Zoey? Is Sgiach planning on leaving Skye?”

“No,” I said. “But she did tell me she was going to consider taking in students again.”

“Allowing outsiders to come and go from Skye would be extraordinary.” The way Duantia said it made me think she didn’t believe “extraordinary” was synonymous with “a good thing.”

“I believe opening up to outsiders is something we all must do in these changing times,” Neferet said.

Everyone stared at her. Even Duantia was speechless.

“Because I feel so strongly about it I have decided to open the doors of my House of Night in the form of some of the more menial jobs, to local humans. I think it wise and responsible, especially in these hard economic times. I hope Sgiach follows suit.”

“That is an excellent idea, Neferet,” Duantia said. “As you are aware, humans have had a steady presence here on San Clemente Island for the past several centuries.” The Vampyre High Priestess smiled. “Since we have become civilized and modern.”

“As the Tulsa House of Night would like to become, as well,” Neferet said.

“Well, then. That is decided. The Tulsa House of Night will employ local humans. Rephaim, the red fledglings, and Zoey’s group of students will attend school at the Tulsa House of Night while resting in the tunnels under the depot during the day. I will make a note to speak to the Tulsa City Council about the purchase of the depot.”

“And what of Zoey’s status as queen and the depot’s allegiance to me and this House of Night?” Neferet asked.

I held my breath.

“As I already ruled, I will consult the full High Council on a matter as serious as a young and gifted fledgling being considered a queen, even if just a queen in training. Until a decision can be made, Zoey Redbird and the Tulsa Depot are to be an extension of the Tulsa House of Night.”

“And thus I remain their High Priestess,” Neferet said.

Stevie Rae cleared her throat. Our eyes turned to her. “Uh, not to be mean or anything, but if Z’s not gonna be called queen, and we have to have a High Priestess, I’m next in line. My red fledglings need someone like them