"I think that depends entirely on what kind of person Shaylin is," Damien said.

"She's buddied up to Erik, which isn't a great sign," Aphrodite said.

"Hey, some of us who used to be buddied up with Erik have turned out okay," Zoey said. "And plus, a girl who can see his true colors could be really good for him."

Aphrodite snorted. "If she can actually translate them correctly-or whatever you want to call it."

"I want to believe that she can," Damien said.

"Yeah, me too," Stevie Rae said, but who she was really thinking about was Rephaim and Kalona. Please, Nyx, let Rephaim be able to see the truth. As she sent up the fervent but silent prayer, her eyes lifted and she met her BFF's gaze.

"I want to believe, too," Zoey said softly as if she could read Stevie Rae's mind.

"Well, I want to believe that when I step out of this room and down the hall I'm going to be instantly transported to a suite at the Ritz-Carlton on Grand Cayman Island. I understand the rest of you are sun challenged, but I could use a little shake and bake." Aphrodite paused and gave Darius a sexy grin. "I'll take care of the baking part if you can handle the shaking."

Stevie Rae stood up and yawned. "Okay, before y'all get totally gross I'm gonna go pass out. I'll see everybody at dusk."

"Ugh, school and no Ritz. Double ugh, reality," Aphrodite said. "Goddess, I'm glad tomorrow is Friday." She raised a blond brow at Zoey. "I can promise you I'm doing some serious shop and redecorate this weekend. Battling evil, Darkness, or whatever is just gonna have to wait."

"Hey, speaking of rooms, does anyone know where Erik put Shaylin?" Stevie Rae asked around another huge yawn.

"Elizabeth No Last Name's room," Damien said.

"Kinda creepy," Stevie Rae said.

"It's not like she's using it," Aphrodite said.

"I'm going to bed," Z said. "'Night guys."

Everyone called "night" to her, but Stevie Rae watched her walk slowly away down toward Dall as's old room that she and Stark were making their own. Her steps were slow and her shoulders were slumped, as if she was trying way too hard to carry way too much weight on them.

Stevie Rae sighed. She knew exactly how Z felt.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Lenobia

Lenobia sniffed the air. Mixed with sawdust, leather, sweet feed, and horse was something else-something smoky and vaguely familiar. She gave Mujaji-her favorite mare, a solid black quarter horse-a final stroke of the soft curry brush and, following her nose, left the stall. She turned down the long, wide hallway that was lined on either side with roomy stalls. Her nose led her exactly where she'd expected it to-the big foaling stal that was near the tack room. Moving quietly Lenobia told herself she wasn't really sneaking up on him. She was just being sure she didn't spook his mare.

Travis's back was to her. The cowboy was standing in the middle of the stall. In one hand he was holding a thick, smoking stick of dried herbs.

His other hand was passing through the light-colored smoke, wafting it around and over him. Bonnie, his big Percheron mare, was standing in front of him, dozing with one leg cocked. She only twitched an ear slightly when he moved to her and passed the smoking herb all along the outline of her very large body. He went from Bonnie to the cot he'd set up for himself in the far corner of the stall, giving it the same smoke-out treatment he'd given the mare and himself. It was only as he began to turn from the cot that Lenobia stepped back out of his view. Pondering what she'd seen, Lenobia went out the side door of the stable and walked a few feet to a bench where she sat, breathed in the still ness of the cool night, and tried to sift through her thoughts.

The cowboy had been burning sage. Actually, Lenobia was pretty sure from the scent that it had been white sage. Excellent for cleansing a space. But why would an Oklahoma cowboy have been doing that?

Human behavior? What did she know of it? She'd had only the most perfunctory contact with them for ... Lenobia considered twisting the slim gold band that held the heart-shaped emerald around and around the ring finger of her left hand. She knew exactly how long it had been since she'd been close to a human, specifically a human man-two hundred and twenty-three years.

Lenobia looked down at her ring finger. There wasn't much light. Dawn was just beginning to turn the sky from black to blue-gray, and she could almost see the pure green of the emerald. In this light its beauty was ill usive, shadowy-like memories of faces from her past.

Lenobia didn't like to think of those faces. She'd learned long ago to live in the here and now. Today was struggle enough. She looked to the east and squinted against the growing light. "Today is also happiness enough. Horses and happiness. Horses and happiness." Lenobia repeated the three words that had been her mantra for more than two hundred years. "Horses and happiness..."