"I know Neferet can't read my mind because she didn't know about Stevie Rae and me." He took Stevie Rae's hand. "I tried not to think about you when she was near, but I couldn't help myself. I thought of you. Often."

Stevie Rae grinned and went up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

"Ugh," Aphrodite said. "So, moving on quickly before I puke, it's for sure that Neferet can't read my mind, Zoey's mind, or birdboy's mind. The rest of you need to watch yourselves."

"There is another bus that has just turned into the lane behind us," Darius said, looking in the rearview mirror. "It says House of Night on the side of it, too."

From one of the rear seats Johnny B called, "And it's not short. Why can't we get the normal-sized bus?"

"You ain't normal," Kramisha said.

"Your mom ain't-"

"Okay, let's get ready for school." I cut him off.

"Which means get ready for battle," Stark said.

"Park us," I told Darius.

He parked and then he and Stark and Rephaim exited the bus first, followed by the rest of us. I figured I might as well face whatever was going on, so flanked by Stevie Rae and Stark, I marched straight up to Neferet, bowed semi-respectfully to her and more respectfully to Dragon, and the Warriors. Then I said formally, "Merry meet."

"Oh, Zoey, Stevie Rae, I'm glad you and your students arrived with the other bus. It will save explanation time," Neferet said cryptically.

Before I could brilliantly say "huh?" or anything, the other bus parked next to ours and with the weird Star Trek noise they all had, its doors opened.

And my seer stone began to heat up.

Aurox exited first.

Behind him Dall as stepped off the bus. I heard Stevie Rae's shocked intake of breath. It was about then that my mouth flopped open because after Dall as a whole group of red fledglings, the bad red fledglings, including the totally awful Nichole and a very bruised up but still fat Kurtis kid exited the bus.

The red fledglings and Aurox lined up opposite us. I had a bizarre West Side Story dance scene flashback. Everything was weirdly quiet until Stevie Rae, in an unnaturally high-pitched voice, said, "Dall as, what in the Sam Hill are you doin' here?" Dall as lifted a lip. "I don't answer to you." He looked at Neferet and slowly, distinctly, fisted his right hand over his heart, bowed deeply, and said,

"Merry meet, my High Priestess." All the red fledglings behind him mimicked his greeting.

Neferet smiled graciously. Her voice was warm and deceptively kind. "What a lovely greeting. Thank you, Dall as." When her emerald gaze turned from the new kids to Stevie Rae, her voice and eyes hardened. "I will answer your question, Stevie Rae. What they are doing here is the same thing you are doing here-attending classes. Oh, wait. There is a slight difference between them and your little group. Dall as and his red fledglings will be living here at the school, and I will be their High Priestess."

"Is that him?" Dall as was staring at Rephaim, who was standing beside Stevie Rae. I could practically see the anger roll off him.

"Let me introduce you. Dall as, this is Rephaim. Oh, but, you two have already met, haven't you?" Neferet sounded like she was making introductions at prom. I swear it was so darn freaky that I had to stifle the urge to ask Stark to smack me so I'd know I wasn't dreaming.

Then my gaze went to Dall as, and the fear he made me feel told me no way was I sleeping. His eyes glowed faintly red. He looked feral and very, very dangerous. I remembered when I used to think he was so cute and nice. Well, that cute, nice kid must have died when this new red vampyre with his whip-looking tattoos Changed.

At my side, Stark moved restlessly closer to me.

At Dall as's side, Aurox, who I'd been trying not to look at, moved restlessly closer to me.

"Yeah, like you said. We've met," Dall as said.

"We have." Rephaim's voice was as hard and cold as Dall as's, and it reminded me that I shouldn't underestimate him just because he smiled so sweetly at Stevie Rae.

"While I have you all together, let me be very clear about something," Neferet said, and our eyes turned to her. She looked so darn normal!

Beautiful and regal and she sounded so darn reasonable that for a moment I felt a great sadness at the loss of who she could have been. "There has been unpleasantness between us in the recent past. That is over now. I will have no strife here, be you fledgling or vampyre, red or blue."

"Unpleasantness?" Stevie Rae's voice was incredulous. "They tried to kill me and Zoey!"