She beamed a smile up at him and said, "It means we're comin' from a totally different place that some people don't think is so great."

"I'm hoping for urban renewal," Aphrodite grumbled.

Rephaim knew his expression was a huge question mark when Stevie Rae laughed and hugged him. "Don't worry. We'll have plenty of time for me to explain this modern stuff. For now all you need to know is that we're together and that Aphrodite usually isn't very nice." Stevie Rae stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, and Rephaim let her taste and touch drown out the voices of his past and the haunting memory of the wind under his wings ...

Chapter Twenty-Four

Neferet

She held herself under the strictest of control and allowed Zoey and her pathetic group of friends to leave the House of Night even though she wanted so very much to loose Darkness on them and crush them into nothingness.

Instead, carefully, secretly, she inhaled, absorbing the threads of Darkness that scuttled about her, slithering deliciously from shadow to shadow. When she felt strong and confident and in control again, she addressed her minions, those who remained at her House of Night.

"Rejoice, fledglings and vampyres! Nyx's appearance this night was a sign of her favor. The Goddess spoke of choice and gifts and life paths. Sadly, we see that Zoey Redbird and her friends have chosen to take a path that leads away from us and, therefore, away from Nyx. But we will stay through this test and persevere, praying to our merciful Goddess that those misguided fledglings choose to return to us." Neferet could see doubt in some of her listeners' eyes. With a barely discernable motion, she waved just her fingers, pointing the long, red tips of her sharpened nails toward the doubters--the naysayers. Darkness responded, targeting them, clinging to them, causing their minds to be muddled through the confusion of twinges of seemingly sourceless pain and doubt and fear. "Now let each of us retire to our cloistered chambers, each to light a candle the color of the element we feel closest to. I believe that Nyx will hear these elementally channeled prayers, and she will ease us through this time of suffering and strife."

"Neferet, what of the fledgling's body? Should we not continue to hold vigil?" Dragon Lankford asked.

She was careful to keep the disdain from her voice. "You are right to remind me, Sword Master. Those of you who honored Jack with purple spirit candles, throw them on the pyre as you leave. The Sons of Erebus Warriors will hold vigil over the poor fledgling's body for the remainder of the night." And in that way I will be rid of both the power of the spirit candles as the flames consume them, and the annoying presence of too many Warriors, Neferet thought.

"As you wish, Priestess," Dragon said, bowing to her.She barely spared him a glance. "Now I must seclude myself. I believe Nyx's message to me was multilayered. Some of it she whispered to my heart, and she has given me pause. Now I must pray and meditate."

"What Nyx said disturbed you?"

Neferet had already begun to hurry away from the prying eyes of the House of Night when Lenobia's voice stopped her. I should have known she did not remain because she was snared by my trap, Neferet acknowledged silently to herself. She remains to turn the captor into the captive.

Neferet regarded the Horse Mistress. With one flick of her fingertip, she sent Darkness in her direction, and was then surprised as well as concerned to see Lenobia's gaze darting around her as if she could actually see the seeking threads.

"Yes, what Nyx said did, indeed, disturb me,"

Neferet spoke abruptly, pulling everyone's attention from the Horse Mistress back to her. "I could tell that the Goddess is deeply worried about our House of Night. You heard her speak of a split in our world--and that has happened. She was warning me. I only wish I could have found the means to keep it from happening."

"But she forgave Rephaim. Could we not have--"

"The Goddess did forgive the creature. But does that mean we must suffer him in our midst?"

Gracefully, she swept her arm toward Dragon Lankford, who was standing miserably by the head of the fledgling's pyre. "Our Son of Erebus made the right choice. Sadly, too many young fledglings were led astray by Zoey and Stevie Rae and their tainted words. As Nyx herself said this night, forgiveness is a gift that must be earned. Let us hope for Zoey's sake she continues to have the Goddess's good will, but after her actions here I am afraid for her." While her people were gazing between her and the pitiful, guilty spectacle the Sword Master made, Neferet stroked the air, pulling from the shadows more and more threads of Darkness. Then, with a flicking motion, she threw them out at the crowd, suppressing her smile of satisfaction when the groans and confused, pain-filled gasps reached her ears. "Depart--go to your rooms, pray and rest. This evening has been entirely too taxing for all of us. I leave you now, and as the Goddess said, I wish you to blessed be."