"Please. We all know they real bad."

"Yeah, well, I just found out some stuff from Aphrodite that gives Darkness with a capital D a whole new level of messed-up. And if they're involved with that, then they've reached a different kind of bad.

Like Neferet bad."

"Shit."

"Yeah. So your poem might be talkin' 'bout a fight with them. But also, and this is the part I wanted you to know, Aphrodite and I have started to learn about some ancient stuff. You know, really old. So old the vamps have even forgotten about it."

"That's some old shit."

"Well, we're - meaning me and Aphrodite and Stark and the rest of the kids with Zoey - are gonna try to see if we can use this old info to help Stark get to the Otherworld so he can protect Z while she puts her soul back together."

"You mean get Stark to the Otherworld without him being all dead and stuff?"

"Yeah, apparently him showin' up in the Otherworld dead wouldn't be good for Zoey."

"So you gonna use that old shit to figure out how to do it right?"

Stevie Rae smiled at her. "We're gonna try. And you can help."

"Say the word - I'm there."

"Okay, here goes: Aphrodite's found some new Prophetess powers since she's been focused on them."

Stevie Rae added a wry smile to her words. "Even though she's 'bout as happy as a cat in a thunderstorm about it." Kramisha laughed, and Stevie Rae continued, "Anyway, I was thinkin' that even though I don't have a circle here like Z does around her there, I do have a Prophetess."

Kramisha blinked, looked confused, and when Stevie Rae kept staring at her, her eyes finally widened in understanding. "Me?"

"You. Well, you and your poetry. You did it before and helped Z figure out how to chase Kalona outta here."

"But - "

"But look at it this way," Stevie Rae broke in. "Aphrodite figured it out. So are you sayin' she's smarter than you?"

Kramisha's eyes narrowed. "I got a whole world of smart that rich white girl don't know nothin' about."

"Well, then, cowboy up."

"You know you kinda scare me when you talk country."

"I know." Stevie Rae dimpled at her. "Okay, I'm gonna go conjure up some earth and see if I can figure anything more out from my end. Hey, find Dallas and fill him in on everything but the poem."

"I already told you I ain't rattin' you out."

"Thanks, Kramisha. You're a really good Poet Laureate."

"You ain't so bad yourself for a country girl."

"See ya." Stevie Rae waved and started to jog for Z's car.

"I got your back, High Priestess!"

Kramisha's parting words made Stevie Rae's stomach feel all squishy, but also had her grinning as she started Z's car. She was just getting ready to put the car into gear when she realized (a) she didn't know

where she was going, and (b) the whole "conjure the earth" thing would be loads easier if she'd bothered to grab a green candle and maybe even some sweetgrass to draw some positive energy. Totally annoyed at herself, she put the car into neutral. Where in the Sam Hill was she going?

Back to Rephaim. The thought was like breathing - instant and natural. Stevie Rae reached for the gearshift, but her hand paused. Would going back to Rephaim right now really be the smartest thing for her to do?

Sure, on one hand she'd gotten a bunch of info from him about Kalona and Darkness and such.

On the other, she didn't really trust him. She couldn't really trust him.

Plus, he messed with her head. When she'd read Kramisha's poem, she'd been too dang busy obsessing about him to consider anything else - like the fact the poem could be a warning about the bad red fledglings and not just stuff about her and the Raven Mocker.

So what the heck should she do?

She'd told Rephaim she'd come back to check on him, but she wanted to return because of more than just telling him she would. Stevie Rae needed to see him. Needed to? Yes, she admitted reluctantly to herself. She needed to see the Raven Mocker. The admission jarred Stevie Rae.

"I'm Imprinted with him. That means we got a connection, and there's not much I can do about it," she muttered to herself while she squeezed the Bug's steering wheel. "I'm just gonna have to get used to it and deal with it."

And I have to remember that he is his father's son.

Fine. Okay. She'd check on him. She'd also ask him questions about Light as well as Darkness, and about two cows. She scowled. Well, bulls. But she should do some digging for herself without Rephaim.