“No, I’m pissed because she’s with a freak of nature!” His words shot back at me. I noticed even though he was struggling and yelling, his gaze kept going back to a spot low on the wall he was inching closer and closer to. I followed his gaze and saw a single electrical outlet on the wall—one of the industrial three-pronged things.
“I’m not a freak!” Rephaim looked like he was going to explode. “I’m human!”
“Really? How ’bout we wait around until the sun comes up and let’s just see how human you are.” Dallas sneered and moved closer to the wall.
As nonchalantly as I could, I took a couple steps toward the outlet and wondered frantically which element would be the best to summon if I needed to fight electricity.
“That suits me fine,” Rephaim was saying. “Whether it’s from a human’s eye or a bird’s I’ll be glad to watch you burn up!”
“In your dreams, you asshole!” Dallas surged forward, toward the outlet, almost getting away from Johnny B and making me stumble and fall back.
And then strong hands caught me and strong arms kept me from tumbling onto my butt. All in one motion Stark steadied me on my feet and moved me behind him and against the wall. Then he faced Dallas.
“Walk away.” Stark didn’t raise his voice. He sounded calm and cold and completely dangerous.
“This isn’t your fight,” Dallas said, but he’d already stopped struggling against Johnny B.
“If Zoey’s in it, it’s my fight. And you need to understand I’ll win. Every time. So, walk away.”
“This ends now!” Sounding like a general commanding runaway troops, Dragon Lankford and several Sons of Erebus Warriors, including Darius, burst onto the scene making a big show of standing between Dallas and Rephaim. The Sword Master’s face was like a storm cloud. “Dallas, you stand there.” He pointed to a place before him, then hardly glancing at Rephaim added, “And you there.” Dragon pointed to an empty space beside Dallas. The two guys did what they were told, though Dallas still sent Rephaim a hateful look. Rephaim’s gaze was totally focused on the Sword Master who began speaking sternly to them both.
“I will not tolerate fighting at this school. This is not a human high school. I expect you to rise above such childish, base behavior.” Dragon looked from Dallas to Rephaim. “Do you understand me?”
“I do.” Rephaim spoke clearly and quickly. “I do not want to be the cause of trouble.”
“Then leave because as long as you’re here there’s gonna be trouble!” Dallas said.
“No!” Dragon hurled the word like a whip. “There will be no more trouble at this school or you will answer to me.”
“He doesn’t belong here,” Dallas said, but his voice was subdued and he looked more pouty than dangerous.
“I agree with you, Dallas,” Dragon said. “But Nyx does not. As long as the House of Night serves Nyx, we will abide by her choices, even if she chooses forgiveness when we cannot.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Everyone’s attention turned to Stevie Rae. She marched up beside Rephaim, took his hand, and faced Dragon. I thought she looked totally like a powerful High Priestess who was pissed enough to spit fire, and I was glad her element was earth and not flame. “Rephaim didn’t even start this crap with Dallas. All he did was stand up for me when Dallas called me slut and whore and other stuff too awful for me to repeat. If anyone but Rephaim was standin’ here you wouldn’t be takin’ Dallas’s side.”
“I can understand how Dallas and many of the students would have difficulty accepting Rephaim,” Dragon said matter-of-factly.
“That is something you’ll have to take up with the Goddess.” Neferet’s voice traveled silkily through the crowd. Everyone turned to see her standing at the head of the hallway with Thanatos beside her.
“From all reports, the Goddess has spoken on the matter of Rephaim’s acceptance,” Thanatos said. “Dallas, you will simply have to adhere to Nyx’s decision, as will you, Sword Master.”
“He’s bein’ accepted just fine.” Stevie Rae sounded super annoyed. “Like I was tryin’ to explain, it’s Dallas who’s causin’ trouble, not Rephaim.”
“And that trouble will now end,” Dragon said. “I have made that clear.”
“You’ve also made it clear that you don’t want Rephaim here,” Stevie Rae said.
“Our Sword Master is not required to like each of our students,” Neferet said with a patronizing shake of her head. “His duty is to protect us, not mother us.”
“His duty is also to be fair and honorable,” Thanatos said. “Dragon Lankford, do you believe that you can be fair and honorable in your dealings with Rephaim, in spite of your personal feelings for him?”
Dragon’s expression was tight, his voice strained, but his answer came with no hesitation. “I do.”
“Then I accept that as your true and rightful word,” Thanatos said. “As should we all.”
“We should also all move on to second hour,” Neferet said sharply. “
“Can you see the Darkness that surrounds her and those other red fledglings?” I blinked in surprise. Stark was directing his question straight at Thanatos.
The High Council member hesitated and then slowly shook her head. “I have not trafficked with Darkness. It is not visible to me.”
“I can see it,” Rephaim said. “Stark’s right.”
“I can see it, too,” Stevie Rae said quietly. “It slithers around all of them like insects, touching them and constantly hanging around.” She shuddered. “It’s disgusting.”
“What about Dragon?” I asked. “Is it around him, too?”
It was Rephaim who answered me. “Yes and no. It is following him, but it does not wash against him like it does the others.” He sighed heavily. “At least not yet it doesn’t.”
“It’s not your fault,” Stevie Rae told him earnestly. “The choices Dragon’s makin’ right now aren’t your fault.”
“I’ll believe that the day he forgives me,” Rephaim said. “Come on, I’ll walk you to second hour.”
We said our byes and see-ya-at-lunches, but Stark and I didn’t go anywhere. We just stood there with Thanatos staring after Rephaim and Stevie Rae.
“The boy has a conscience,” Thanatos said.
“Yeah, he does,” I said.
“Then there is hope for him yet,” she said.
“Can you tell that to Dragon?” Stark asked.
“Sadly, that is something Dragon Lankford is going to have to discover for himself, if the death of his mate has not caused him to completely lose who he is.”
“Do you think that’s happened? Do you think Dragon has completely lost himself?” I asked.
“I do,” Thanatos said.
“Which means Darkness might be able to get a hold on him,” Stark said. “And if our Sword Master goes over to Darkness, we’re all gonna be in trouble.”
“Indeed,” Thanatos said.
CHAPTER TWENTY
There were some school days when Lenobia didn’t need the hour provided for each professor that was called their planning hour, which meant no students were scheduled in class with her for one solid hour.
Today was not one of those days.
Today her fifth hour planning period couldn’t come soon enough or last long enough. As soon as the bell chimed to begin fifth hour she made a hasty exit from the arena. An arena that was
“Give Bonnie the hour off,” she told Travis as she passed him. “But keep an eye on those fledglings. I don’t
