The door was pulled open and Neferet was suddenly there, looking somber and deceptively beautiful. "Sylvia, I have heard of your loss. Please accept my sincere sorrow that it was your daughter who was killed."

Grandma had tensed at the sound of Neferet's voice and stepped out of my embrace. She drew a deep breath and met the vampyre's gaze.

"I accept your sorrow, Neferet. I do feel the sincerity in it."

"Is there anything the House of Night can do for you? Is there anything you need?"

"The elements have already strengthened me, and the Goddess has welcomed my daughter to the Otherworld." Neferet nodded. "Zoey and her friends are kind, and the Goddess is generous."

"I don't believe it was kindness or generosity that was behind the actions of Zoey and her friends or the Goddess. I believe it was love. Do you not think so, High Priestess?"

Neferet paused as if she was actually considering Grandma's question, then she said, "What I think is that you could be right."

"Yes, I could be. And there is one thing I need from the House of Night."

"We would be honored to aid a Wise Woman in a time of need," Neferet said.

"Thank you. I would ask that Zoey and her circle be allowed to come to my land in seven days to perform a cleansing ritual. That would complete my mourning and wash my home free of any lingering evil."

I saw something pass within Neferet's gaze-something that, for just a moment, might have been fear. But when she spoke her expression and her voice mirrored only polite concern. "Of course. I freely give permission for this ritual."

"Thank you, Neferet," Grandma said, and then she hugged me one more time and kissed me softly. "In seven days, u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya. I will see you again then."

I blinked fast, holding back my tears. I didn't want Grandma's last view of me to be about snot and bawling. "Seven days. I love you, Grandma.

Don't ever forget that."

"I could no more forget that than I could forget to breathe. I love you, too, daughter." Then Grandma turned and walked away. I stood in the doorway, watching her straight, strong back until the night blanketed her from me.

"Come on, Z." Stark slid his arm around my shoulders. "I think we've all had enough school for one day. Let's go home."

"Yeah, Z. Let's go home," Stevie Rae said.

I was nodding, getting ready to tell them okay when I felt a sudden warmth building in my chest. At first it confused me. I lifted my hand to rub the spot and touched the hard circle that had begun radiating heat.

And then Aurox stepped into view. He was with Dragon Lankford.

"Zoey, I heard the news about your mother. I am sorry," Dragon said.

"Th-thank you," I muttered. I didn't look at Aurox. I remembered Lenobia's words, that I needed to keep a poker face around him, but I felt too raw, too wounded to do anything except blurt at Stark, "I want to go home, but first I need a minute to myself." Before he could even say okay, I moved out of his encircling arm and pushed past Dragon and Aurox.

"Zoey?" Stark called after me. "Where are you-"

"I'll just be by the fountain that's in the courtyard next to the parking lot," I said over my shoulder to him. I could see he was frowning worriedly at me, but I couldn't help it. I needed to Get Out Of There. "Come get me when the bus is loaded and ready to go. Okay?" I didn't wait for his reply. I put my head down and hurried along the sidewalk that ran beside the main school building. Almost jogging I turned right and went straight to the iron bench that was beneath one of the circle of trees that framed the fountain and the little garden-like area the fledglings called the professors' courtyard because it sat next to the part of the school that housed them. I knew if someone was looking out of the large, ornate windows I'd be seen, but I also knew all of the professors should be finishing up sixth hour in their classrooms, which meant it was the one place on campus at this particular time that I could pretty much count on being alone.

So I sat there, in the shadow of a big elm, trying to control my thoughts. Aurox's presence messed with my mind, and I didn't know why. Right now, right at this second, I don't even care. Mom is dead. Whatever Neferet and Evil have planned for me, they can just back the hell off.

Everyone can just back the hell off. My thoughts felt mean and tough, but the tear that was sliding down my face told a different story.

Mom isn't in the world anymore. She's not at home waiting on the step-loser and puttering around the kitchen. I can't call and have her get mad at me and then lecture me for being a crappy daughter. It was a weird feeling, being momless. I mean, she and I hadn't been close for more than three years, but still it'd always been in the back of my mind that someday she'd come to her senses, leave that idiot she'd screwed up and married, and go back to being Mama.