"Okay, that's enough." With Stark moving restlessly at my side and keeping his gaze trained on the birdguy, I moved closer to Stevie Rae. "You gotta know how bad this looks."

"Yeah, I do."

"And you really are Imprinted with him?"

"Yeah, I am," she said firmly.

"Did he attack you or something?" I asked, trying to make some sense of it.

"No, Z, the opposite. He saved my life. Twice."

"Of course he did. You're in league with the creature and allied with Darkness!" Neferet turned to face the watching fledglings and vampyres.

The green glow surrounding Stevie Rae intensified as did her voice. "Rephaim saved me from Darkness. He was why I survived accidentally invoking the white bull. And just because most of these folks can't see what you're doing, don't ever forget that I can. I see the threads of Darkness that follow your command."

"You sound very familiar with that subject," Neferet said.

" 'Course I am," Stevie Rae said angrily. "Before Aphrodite's sacrifice I was filled with Darkness. I'll always recognize it; just like I'll always choose Light over it." "Really?" Neferet's smile was smug. "And that's what you're doing when you choose this creature? Choosing Light? Raven Mockers were created in anger and violence and hatred. They live for death and destruction. This one killed Anastasia Lankford. How can that be mistaken for Light and the Path of the Goddess?"

"It was wrong." Rephaim wasn't speaking to Neferet. He was looking directly at Stevie Rae. "What I was before I knew you was wrong. Then you found me and pulled me from a dark place." I held my breath as the Raven Mocker slowly, gently, touched Stevie Rae's cheek, wiping a tear away.

"You showed me kindness and for a little while I glimpsed happiness. That is enough for me. Release me, Stevie Rae, my Red One. Let them exact their vengeance upon me. Perhaps Nyx will take pity on my spirit and allow me to enter her realm where someday I will see you again."

Stevie Rae shook her head. "No. I can't. I won't. If I'm yours then you're mine, too. I'm not gonna let you go without a fight."

"Does that mean you'll fight your friends for him?" I shouted at her, feeling like everything was spinning out of control.

Calmly, Stevie Rae looked at me. I saw the answer in her eyes before she spoke in a sad butfirm voice. "If I have to, I will." And then she said the one thing--the only thing--that finally made sense of the whole crazy mess, and it changed everything for me. "Zoey, you would have fought anyone to protect me when I was filled with Darkness, even when you didn't know for sure if I'd ever be myself again. He's already Changed, Z. He's turned from Darkness. How can I do any less for him?"

"That thing killed my mate!" Dragon bellowed.

"For that, as well as for a multitude of other offenses, he must die," Neferet said. "Stevie Rae, if you choose to stand with the creature, then you choose to stand against the House of Night, and you will deserve to perish with him."

"Okay, no. Hang on," I said. "Sometimes things aren't just black and white, and there's more than one right answer. Dragon, I know this is terrible for you, but let's all just take a breath and step back for a second. You can't really be talking about killing Stevie Rae."

"If she stands with Darkness she deserves the same fate as the creature," Neferet said.

"Oh, please. You just admitted that you stood with Darkness, and Zoey forgave you for it," Aphrodite said. "I'm not saying that I'm cool with this whole birdboy/Stevie Rae weirdness, but how can it be okay for you to get forgiveness, but not okay for those two?"

"Because I no longer am under the influence of Darkness, which was personified by this creature's father," Neferet said smoothly. "I am not allied with him anymore. Let's ask the creature if he can say the same." She looked at the Raven Mocker. "Rephaim, will you swear that you are no longer your father's son? That you no longer are allied with him?" This time Rephaim did answer Neferet directly.

"Only my father can free me from his service." I could see the smugness in Neferet's face. "And have you asked Kalona to free you from him?"

"I have not." Rephaim looked from Neferet to Stevie Rae. "Please understand."

"I do. I promise you I do," she told him. Then she shouted at Neferet. "He hasn't asked Kalona to free him because he doesn't want to betray his daddy!"