"You've been close to him since he escaped from the earth. Can you truly tell me that you have never seen a glimmer of Nyx's Warrior still within him?"

I hesitated, not wanting to remember what a fool I'd been before Heath was killed. I lifted my chin. "Kalona killed Heath because I was stupid enough to let my guard down around him."

"Heath was not a High Priestess in the service of Nyx. And you did not answer me. Speak truly. You've glimpsed what he used to be, have you not?"

For about the zill ionth time I wished I was a better liar. I sighed. "Yeah, yes, okay. I thought I saw what he could have been. I thought I saw the Warrior of Nyx," I said honestly, then added, "but I was wrong."

"I don't think you were, at least not completely. I think the Warrior is still within him. He did, after all, allow me the freedom to choose my own path."

"But he's not letting you stay free of him. He's here, calling you."

"What if he's here calling me because he misses me!" Rephaim shouted, and then wiped a hand across his tense, sweaty face. In a more controlled voice he continued, "Please, Zoey. I give you my oath that I will not allow my father to hurt you, just like I will not allow him to hurt Stevie Rae. Please come with me and bear witness that I have broken with him so that no one at the House of Night can question my loyalties." And then he said the thing that tipped me over into being Queen of Stupidvil e. "He hasn't seen me since I've become a boy. Maybe when he sees evidence of Nyx's forgiveness, the Warrior in him will awaken. Wouldn't Nyx want you to give her Warrior one more chance?" I looked at him and saw what Stevie Rae must have seen that made her fall for him-basically he was a real cute boy who wanted his dad to love him. "Ah, hell," I said. "Fine. I'll go with you as long as we don't leave campus. And you should know if I get freaked or upset or scared or whatnot, Stark is gonna feel it and come running with his bow that cannot miss whatever he shoots at. And I promise you he will shoot. Nothing I can do about that."

Rephaim took my arm and started practically dragging me toward the east wall. "I won't put you in danger. You won't feel any of those things." I was gonna say something about pigs flying, but instead I saved my breath and jogged to keep up with him.

Of course I knew where we were headed. It made sense. "The stupid tree by the stupid wall," I panted. "I don't like this at all."

"It's easy to get to and no one goes over there," Rephaim said. "That's why he's there."

"That doesn't make it any better," I said.

We sprinted across the lawn. I looked over my shoulder. I could see the gaslights of the stable that stretched toward this area of campus, and I was thinking that I probably should abdicate my Queenship in Stupidvil e and send out a big, scary, mental SOS to Stark when Rephaim suddenly slowed and then stopped.

I turned my attention and my gaze back to what was going on in front of me, and saw Kalona standing beside the shattered tree. His back was to us. Later I had time to think about the fact that he should have been at least facing the direction from which he knew Rephaim would be coming, but then his presence overshadowed everything, just as he knew it would. He was tall and strong and, as per usual, naked from the waist up. His incredible black wings were folded and at rest, and they looked like a god had fashioned them from pieces of the night sky.

I'd forgotten how beautiful and powerful and majestic he was. I clenched my jaw and mentally shook myself. I hadn't forgotten how dangerous he was.

"Father, I am here," Rephaim said in a voice that sounded so small and childlike that I put my hand over his where it still held on to my arm.

Kalona turned around. His amber eyes went wide. For a moment his face lost all expression and then he looked utterly stunned.

"Rephaim? Is it truly you, my son?"

I felt the quake that went through Rephaim's body and I tightened my hand over his.

"Yes, Father." His voice got stronger as he spoke. "It is me, Rephaim, your son." I know the immortal has faked a lot of things. I know he's trafficked with Darkness and been a murderer, a liar, and a betrayer. But I think for my entire life I will remember the look on Kalona's face when he saw Rephaim that day. For an instant Kalona smiled and such pure joy suffused his entire being that I lost my grip on Rephaim. I stood there, slack jawed, and gaped at the wonder of Kalona's happiness, and realized that I saw within his expression the same love I'd seen when he'd gazed at Nyx in the Otherworld.