Revealed (26 page)

“That’s a good question, Aphrodite. I wish I had a definitive answer for you. I can tell you that I believe the shift has to do with a major change in the balance of Darkness and Light.”

“Maybe Nyx is giving us gifts so that we can fight back and balance things again,” Shaunee said.

“Perhaps,” Thanatos nodded.

“Could it have something to do with Old Magick?” Aurox asked.

We all gawked at him.

“What makes you ask that?” Thanatos said.

He shrugged and looked uncomfortable. “The bulls. Are they not a manifestation of Old Magick?”

“They are,” she said.

“Zoey’s Seer Stone is Old Magick, too. Isn’t it?” Aphrodite said.

I frowned at her.

“That is true as well,” Thanatos said.

“Okay, but does any of us know what Old Magick really is?” I said, irritated at the whole subject.

“Old Magick has not manifested outside the Isle of Skye for longer than I have been Marked,” Thanatos began slowly, as if she were remembering and reasoning aloud at the same time. “From what I know of it, the best description I can give you is that it is energy at its most basic level—raw, powerful, and neutral. Old Magick is creation and destruction at once.”

“Which is probably why ancient spells, like Cleopatra’s Protection Ritual, were so dependent upon the Priestess who cast the spell,” Damien said. “It could be that the five Major Rituals all had roots in Old Magick.”

“That does seem logical,” Thanatos said.

“It still doesn’t explain exactly what it is or why it’s become active again,” Aphrodite said. “But I’d say it’s definitely active again. Wouldn’t you, Z?”

Thankfully, the sound of the classroom door banging open and Kalona striding down the center aisle interrupted her.

The winged immortal bowed respectfully to Thanatos. “High Priestess, I have returned with your prisoner.”

“You have done well,” she said, and then faced the class. “I want you all to assemble at the center of campus near the pyre site immediately. Class is dismissed.”

As we filed out of class, I watched Thanatos speaking quietly to Kalona. I saw the immortal’s eyes widen, and then he nodded, and bowed to her again—this time unusually low, holding the pose longer than normal. While he was still bowing, Thanatos went to her desk, picked up the phone, and punched a button. Her voice echoed from the school’s intercom system. “All students and faculty will assemble at the center of campus at the pyre site! Professors who are members of our Council will report to the Council Chamber immediately. All classes are suspended until after our assembly.” Then she clicked off and hurried out through the back door to the classroom, with Kalona on her heels.

I had a bad feeling. “I wonder what the hell’s going on?”

“Don’t have a clue,” Aphrodite said. “But whatever it is, it’s going to happen in front of everyone
and
it gets us out of at least one class, so how bad could it be?”

We went right to the pyre site and formed a big circle around the black burned area that had definitely seen too much use lately. I looked for Stark, but didn’t see him or Kalona. Darius met us, taking Aphrodite’s hand and saying he didn’t know what was going on, either. Just when everyone was starting to get restless and the talking was heading toward the I-have-to-yell-to-be-heard level, the people at the opposite side of the group I was in shifted and then parted.

Thanatos stepped into view first. She’d changed her clothes to a long black velvet dress that was decorated only with the emblem of Nyx in silver thread, hands upraised cupping a crescent moon. Thanatos had let her hair down, and it fell long and dark, in a thick veil around her waist. Within its depths I could see silver glinting, which reminded me of the thread used to embroider Nyx’s emblem. Her face was grim. I thought she looked scary but beautiful—ancient yet timeless.

Then my attention was pulled from her as Kalona and Stark came into view. Dallas limped between them. He looked like crap. His hands were tied in front of him. His face was a bloody, scratched-up mess. His clothes were wet and filthy. Buried to its feathers, one of Stark’s arrows was stuck through his right thigh. Kalona and Stark looked as serious and powerful as Thanatos as they pulled Dallas into the center of our assembly. They didn’t stop until he was standing right in the middle of the blackened pyre site.

Dallas didn’t look grim or powerful. He looked pissed. I saw when his eyes found Shaunee. He sneered at her and hacked up a nasty loogie, then spit it into the ashes at his feet.

“Professors of the Tulsa House of Night Council, come forth!” Thanatos commanded.

Lenobia, Penthesilea, Garmy, and Erik stepped from the crowd to stand to one side of Thanatos. I was thinking that the Council looked sparse with the absence of Dragon and Anastasia Lankford and Professor Nolan, when Thanatos continued, “I also command our two Prophetesses, come forth!”

“Oh, for shit’s sake,” Aphrodite grumbled, but she let go of Darius’s hand and went to join Thanatos. Shaylin took longer to make her way forward, but when she joined Thanatos, the High Priestess nodded and motioned for her to stand beside Aphrodite.

“Our school has been richly gifted with two additional High Priestesses. Sadly, one of them, the first red High Priestess, Stevie Rae, is unable to take her place beside me today because she has been gravely wounded.” I was just realizing she’d said
two
when Thanatos’s dark gaze found me. “But I do call our second High Priestess to join me. Zoey Redbird, come forth!”

Feeling nervous and unsure, I went to stand beside Aphrodite and Shaylin.

Thanatos faced Dallas. “Are you the red vampyre known as Dallas?”

Dallas curled his lip. “Everybody knows who I am.”

“Dallas, at dawn you attacked the red High Priestess, Stevie Rae, with the intent to expose her to sunlight until she died. Do you deny this?”

“No, I ain’t denying it.”

“Dallas, at dawn you also planned to kill the fledgling Shaunee with the power you have been gifted with by Nyx. Do you deny this?”

“I ain’t denying anything!” His voice was mean and his eyes glinted with a rust-colored glow. “Shun me! I’m more than ready to leave this shithole of a school.”

Thanatos turned so that she faced the crowd. “I know this vampyre has followers who share his same views. I believe they knew and even may have assisted him in his crimes. They, too, should share his fate. I now call forth the followers of Dallas who wish to stand with him!”

I was super curious about what was going to happen next. There were probably about ten kids who hung around Dallas all the time. Well, nine now that Nicole had come over from the Dark Side. I kinda expected a whole herd of his red fledglings to come forth, swaggering like jerks and throwing notes at people.

Only two actually joined Dallas. One of them was the big kid named Kurtis. I remembered him from the fight in the tunnels. He was a total ass. The other kid was Elliott, the fledgling I’d watched die all those months ago in English class. I knew Elliott was a mean breather (a kid who didn’t do much in class but breathe), but I would have figured he was too lazy to stand up with Dallas, especially since it looked like he was going to be kicked out of school with him.

Oh, wait.
That
made sense. The kid didn’t like school. Getting expelled with Dallas would seem like a permanent vacation to him.

“Elliott and Kurtis, do the two of you knowingly stand with this vampyre as accomplices to his crimes?” Thanatos asked.

“Hell yes!” Kurtis said. He looked nervously around, but he was trying to sound all tough and sure of himself.

“Yeah, whatever,” Elliott said.

“Now I ask my Council—do you acknowledge the guilt of this vampyre and his fledgling followers?”

The instant Thanatos asked that question, my Seer Stone began to radiate heat. I cupped my hand around it, wishing I knew what it was reacting to, and wishing I knew what to do about it.

Each of the Council members answered Thanatos by solemnly saying, “I do.”

“Prophetesses of Nyx, these three have been found guilty of plotting to murder a vampyre High Priestess. Look within you. Use your gifts. Are you in agreement with me that, as in ancient times, their punishment should be swift and public?”

Aphrodite answered first. “I agree with you.”

Shaylin took longer. She walked a few steps closer to where Dallas, Kurtis, and Elliott stood and studied them. Her face looked like she smelled something disgusting, but she didn’t say anything to them. She returned to her place near Thanatos. She still didn’t say anything. She just stared at Thanatos for what seemed like an uncomfortably long time. Finally, Shaylin drew a deep breath and said, “I believe the right thing to do is to agree with you.” Then Shaylin bowed her head. I was pretty sure she also closed her eyes, and it looked like she might have been praying, but I didn’t have any more time to watch because it was my turn to be called on.

“Zoey Redbird, as the only other High Priestess present, do you stand in agreement with me and my ancient right to condemn these three for the violence they admit to conspiring and committing?”

I felt like I got the easiest question. “Yes, I agree,” I answered quickly. The Seer Stone was scorching my hand.

Thanatos raised her arms. Power crackled around her, lifting the hairs on my neck and arms. Her voice was amplified by the power of Nyx and she sounded like Death personified.

“Then I invoke my right as High Priestess of this House of Night. Crimes against a High Priestess under my protection shall be punished as they were in ancient times. I command my Oath Bound Warrior to execute the red vampyre and then to cast his two fledgling followers into the country, far enough away from any vampyre that their bodies will reject the Change and they, too, shall die!”

I didn’t even have time to gasp. Kalona moved with lightning speed. He drew the longsword that had been strapped across his back and in one swift stroke beheaded Dallas. Stark stepped away as the body convulsed and blood geysered from the stump that had been his neck. I couldn’t stop staring at Dallas’s head. His eyes were wide open. He looked stunned. And his mouth kept opening and closing—opening and closing—like a fish on dry ground.

Kurtis and Elliott screamed and started to run. The winged immortal caught them before they’d broken the circle of the shocked crowd. He grabbed them around their waists. The crowd surged away from him and he ran forward, taking mighty strides, his huge wings beat the air once, twice, three times, and then he and the two boys were airborne. The boys kicked and screamed, but it didn’t seem to affect Kalona at all, and within moments he’d flown out of sight, to the west, and into the darkness.

“Silence!” Thanatos’s command was like an off switch. It was then that I realized that everyone around me, except Stark, Shaylin, and the members of the School Council, had either been crying out in horror or sobbing in shock. “The time for weakness and infighting is finished. Violence against our House will be avenged. Our Goddess is merciful, but she is also just, and all who come against her shall feel her righteous wrath. Let this be your warning and my promise to you—those who stand with the Goddess and me will be protected. Those who come against us will be punished. Tulsa House of Night, make your choice!”

Cupped in my palm, the Seer Stone blazed. I knew why I hadn’t dissolved into tears or shrieked out in hysteria.

Thanatos was right. It was time to publicly swear allegiance to our House of Night and take a stand for good. We were up against too much to have to fight each other, too. It’s what she’d been saying all along. It’s what I’d come to believe as well.

I stepped forward, careful to stay out of the circle of Dallas’s blood. Holding tight to my Seer Stone I drew a deep breath and prayed,
Old Magick, help me—strengthen me!
Heat exploded from the Seer Stone and power sizzled through my body. When I spoke, the volume of my voice reverberated my words over the crowd.

“My circle and I choose the path of Nyx. We stand united with this House of Night!”

Damien and Shaunee were the first of my circle to join me. They moved up beside me and bowed respectfully to Thanatos, echoing me by saying, “We stand united!” Shaylin and Aphrodite stepped forward so that they were beside them. Darius and Stark and, I saw with a happy jolt, Aurox joined us. Surrounding me, the rest of my circle fisted their hands over their hearts and bowed respectfully, showing our solidarity.

That broke the tide. Kramisha, Erik, Johnny B, Ant, Nicole, and all the rest of Stevie Rae’s red fledglings swarmed forward through the crowd. I could see that some of them had been crying. Others, like Erik and Kramisha, were white-faced with shock, but they all bowed and swore allegiance to our House of Night.

The rest of the school began bowing and speaking their vows to stand together and follow the Goddess’s path. I paid special attention to the handful of kids left from Dallas’s fledglings. They were easy to pick out. The boys were super scruffy and slouchy, and the girls wore more eyeliner than clothes. They weren’t acting all tough and rebellious now, though. They were looking and acting scared. They all bowed to Thanatos. I couldn’t help but wonder how sincere their pledges were, because, seriously, what choice did they have? I thought about what I’d do in their place. No way would I take a chance at being killed. I’d totally pretend to join Thanatos. Later, though, my choice might be different.

And just as if it had never been a miniature oven, my Seer Stone cooled down, leaving me dizzy and nauseous, with a pounding headache starting in my right temple.

Old Magick was so creepy!

“And now I command that we return to the business of living. School shall continue,” Thanatos was saying. “We will be vigilant as to the Dark forces at work around us, but they should not be at work among us any longer. I ask Zoey and her circle to remain here and meet with me briefly, the rest of you have five minutes before second hour commences. Professors—see to your fledglings, and may you all blessed be.”

I felt a little like someone had just thrown cold water all over me. Dallas had been beheaded. Two fledglings were going to be dead very shortly, but don’t be tardy for second hour? WTF? How could it be that simple to go on with the day as if nothing had happened?