We smiled at that, and the soup began to seem easier to swal low. About halfway through the bowl, I had a sudden thought. "They're not going to have a funeral or anything like that for her, are they?" The Twins shook their heads. "Nope," Shaunee said. "They never do," Erin said. "Well, Twin, I think some of the kids' parents do, but that'd be back in their hometown."

"True, Twin," Erin said. "But I don't think anyone from here is going to travel to ..." she trailed off, thinking. "What was the name of that little bumpkin town Stevie Rae was from?"

"Henrietta," I said. "Home of the Fighting Hens."

"Fighting Hens?" the Twins said together. I nodded. "It drove Stevie Rae crazy. Even in her bumpkin ness she wasn't okay with being a Fighting Hen."

"Hens fight?" Shaunee asked. Erin shrugged. "How should I know, Twin?"

"I thought only cocks fought," I said. We all looked at each other and said, "Cocks!" and then burst out into laughter, which pretty soon was mixed with tears. "Stevie Rae would have thought that was hilarious," I said when I could catch my breath again. "Is it really going to be okay, Zoey?" Shaunee asked. "Is it?" Erin echoed. "I think so," I said. "How?" Shaunee asked. "I don't really know. I think all we can do is take one day at a time." Surprisingly, I'd finished all my soup. I did feel better--warmer, more normal. I was also unbelievably tired. The Twins must have noticed my eyelids getting heavy, because Erin took my tray. Shaunee handed me a little vial of milky liquid. "Neferet said you should drink this, that it'll help you sleep without nightmares," she said. "Thanks." I took it from her, but I didn't drink it. She and Erin just stood there looking at me. "I'll take it in a minute. After I go to the bathroom. Just leave my pop in case it tastes nasty." That seemed to satisfy them. Before they left Shaunee said, "Zoey, can we get you anything else?"

"No, thanks though."

"You'll call us if you need anything, right?" Erin said. "We promised Stevie Rae ..." Her voice broke and Shaunee finished for her, "We promised her we'd take care of you, and we live up to our promises."

"I'll call you," I said. "'Kay," they said. "Night ..."

"Night," I called to the closing door. As soon as they were gone I poured the creamy white liquid down the sink and threw away the vial.

Then I was alone. I glanced at my alarm clock, 6:00 A.M. It was amazing how much things could change in just a few hours. I tried not to, but flashes of Stevie Rae's death kept playing across my mind, like there was a horrible movie screen stuck inside my eyes. I jumped when my cell phone rang, and checked the caller ID. It was my grandma's number! Relief surged through me. I flipped the phone open and struggled not to burst into tears. "I'm so glad you called, Grandma!"

"Little Bird, I woke from a dream about you. Is everything all right?" Her worried tone said she already knew it wasn't, which didn't surprise me. For my whole life my grandma and I had been linked. "No. Nothing is right," I whispered as I began to cry again. "Grandma, Stevie Rae died tonight."

"Oh, Zoey! I'm so terribly sorry!"

"She died in my arms, Grandma, just minutes after Nyx gifted her with an affinity for the element earth."

"It must have been a great comfort for her that you were with her at the end." I could hear that Grandma was crying now, too. "We were all with her, all of my friends."

"And Nyx must have been with her, too."

"Yes," my voice caught on a sob. "I think the Goddess was, but I don't understand it, Grandma. It doesn't make any sense that Nyx would gift Stevie Rae, and then let her die."

"Death never makes sense when it happens to the young. But I believe that your Goddess was close to Stevie Rae, even though her death happened too soon, and now she is resting peacefully with Nyx."

"I hope so."

"I wish I could come visit you, but with all this snow the roads out here are impossible. How about I fast and pray for Stevie Rae today?"

"Thank you, Grandma. I know she'd appreciate that."

"And, honey, you have to move past this."

"How, Grandma?"

"By honoring her memory by living a life she'd be proud of you for living. Live for her, too."

"It's hard, Grandma, especially when the vamps want us to just forget about the kids who die. They're treated like speed bumps, just something to pause a little about, and then go on."