"Let's go sit up front!"

"Okay, I'll follow you," I said, even though I wanted to run screaming from the room.

"I want to run screaming from the room." Aphrodite spookily echoed my thoughts as she followed me following Stevie Rae and Rephaim.

I clamped down on the "ditto" I wanted to say and, by default, took the desk on the other side of Stevie Rae that was front and center in the room.

The bell chimed and Thanatos entered from a door that led from a small office directly to the front of the room, which was raised, kinda like a stage, and had a podium smack in the middle of it with a Smart Board behind it.

"Oooh! Pretty colors!" Shaylin said from her seat behind me.

"Merry meet," Thanatos said. We all echoed her greeting. I thought she looked regal and powerful. She wore a night-colored dress that was decorated only with the silver threads of the embroidered outline of Nyx with her arms raised cupping a crescent moon. "Welcome to the first of a first. In all of our history there has never been a class quite like this one, made up of different types of fledglings, changelings, humans, and even vampyres. I stand before you representing the High Council of Vampyres which is, as long as you exist within our society, your ruling Council." Thanatos gave me a long look during the last part of her sentence. I met her gaze steadily. Hell, I agreed with her.

I just wasn't one hundred percent sure whether my group and I wanted to exist within vampyre society.

"I know you are wondering exactly what this class will entail, but I have only a partial answer to your wondering. I am here to hone and guide you on a journey that is as rare and unique as are each of you. This class will take the place of your vampyre sociology hour; therefore, I will bring to you subjects that all fledglings and vampyres must eventually attempt to understand, such as death and Darkness, Guardianship and Imprints, Light and love. But because of the unique makeup of this class there are also subjects you will bring to me, and thereby to all of us. I give you my oath that I will seek only the truth with you, and if I do not have an answer for your questioning I will do my best to discover it with you." I thought that so far the class didn't sound too bad, and was actually starting to feel kinda at ease and curious when the poo hit the fan.

"So, let us begin seeking truth. I want each of you to spend a few moments in reflection. Then, on a piece of paper, write at least one question you would like to have answered through this class. Fold it, and after you leave I will read them. Be honest with your inquiry, without fear of censure or judgment. You need not affix your name to the question if you would rather remain anonymous." There was a pause, and then Stevie Rae's hand went up.

"Yes, Stevie Rae," Thanatos called on her.

"I just wanna be sure we're all clear. We can ask about anything? Anything at all, without worryin' 'bout getting' in trouble?" Thanatos was smiling kindly at Stevie Rae, and began to respond saying, "That is an excellent-" when from the back of the room Dall as's exaggerated whisper of "I wanna ask what a bird has that a guy don't, and why she likes it so much!" could be heard clearly.

Stevie Rae grabbed Rephaim's hand and I knew it was to keep him from getting up to confront Dall as. Then I wasn't paying attention to my BFF

or her boyfriend as Thanatos reacted. The change that came over her was fast and utterly, totally scary. She seemed to grow larger. Wind whipped around her, lifting her hair. When she spoke I was reminded of the scene in LotR when Galadriel gave Frodo a look at what kind of terrible dark queen she would become if she took the ring from him.

"Do you mistake me for a lesser being, Dall as?" The power of her presence shivered against us. Thanatos was so gloriously angry that she was hard to look at, so I glanced over my shoulder at Dall as. He'd pressed back into his chair as far as he could. His face was winter white.

"N-no, Professor," he stuttered.

"Call me Priestess!" Thanatos exclaimed, looking like she could throw lightning bolts and call down thunder.

"No, Priestess," he corrected quickly. "I-I didn't mean to disrespect you."

"But you meant to disrespect at least one of your classmates and here, in my classroom, that is unacceptable. Do you understand me, young red vampyre?"

"Yes, Priestess."

The wind died around her and Thanatos went back to looking regal instead of lethal. "excellent," she said, and then turned her attention back to Stevie Rae. "The answer to your question is as long as you behave in a respectful manner, you may ask me anything without fearing rebuke."