"Can't or won't?" Everyone's attention turned to Stevie Rae. She marched up beside Rephaim, took his hand, and faced Dragon. I thought she looked totally like a powerful High Priestess who was pissed enough to spit fire, and I was glad her element was earth and not flame. "Rephaim didn't even start this crap with Dall as. All he did was stand up for me when Dall as called me slut and whore and other stuff too awful for me to repeat. If anyone but Rephaim was standin' here you wouldn't be takin' Dall as's side."

"I can understand how Dall as and many of the students would have difficulty accepting Rephaim," Dragon said matter-of-factly.

"That is something you'll have to take up with the Goddess." Neferet's voice traveled silkily through the crowd. Everyone turned to see her standing at the head of the hallway with Thanatos beside her.

"From all reports, the Goddess has spoken on the matter of Rephaim's acceptance," Thanatos said. "Dall as, you will simply have to adhere to Nyx's decision, as will you, Sword Master."

"He's bein' accepted just fine." Stevie Rae sounded super annoyed. "Like I was tryin' to explain, it's Dall as who's causin' trouble, not Rephaim."

"And that trouble will now end," Dragon said. "I have made that clear."

"You've also made it clear that you don't want Rephaim here," Stevie Rae said.

"Our Sword Master is not required to like each of our students," Neferet said with a patronizing shake of her head. "His duty is to protect us, not mother us."

"His duty is also to be fair and honorable," Thanatos said. "Dragon Lankford, do you believe that you can be fair and honorable in your dealings with Rephaim, in spite of your personal feelings for him?"

Dragon's expression was tight, his voice strained, but his answer came with no hesitation. "I do."

"Then I accept that as your true and rightful word," Thanatos said. "As should we all."

"We should also all move on to second hour," Neferet said sharply. " This has taken far too much of our time." Her gaze rested disdainfully on Rephaim and Stevie Rae before she moved regally off, shooing kids before her. Dragon joined her, moving gawking students down the hallway like he was herding cattle.

"Can you see the Darkness that surrounds her and those other red fledglings?" I blinked in surprise. Stark was directing his question straight at Thanatos.

The High Council member hesitated and then slowly shook her head. "I have not trafficked with Darkness. It is not visible to me."

"I can see it," Rephaim said. "Stark's right."

"I can see it, too," Stevie Rae said quietly. "It slithers around all of them like insects, touching them and constantly hanging around." She shuddered. "It's disgusting."

"What about Dragon?" I asked. "Is it around him, too?"

It was Rephaim who answered me. "Yes and no. It is following him, but it does not wash against him like it does the others." He sighed heavily.

"At least not yet it doesn't."

"It's not your fault," Stevie Rae told him earnestly. "The choices Dragon's makin' right now aren't your fault."

"I'll believe that the day he forgives me," Rephaim said. "Come on, I'll walk you to second hour." We said our byes and see-ya-at-lunches, but Stark and I didn't go anywhere. We just stood there with Thanatos staring after Rephaim and Stevie Rae.

"The boy has a conscience," Thanatos said.

"Yeah, he does," I said.

"Then there is hope for him yet," she said.

"Can you tell that to Dragon?" Stark asked.

"Sadly, that is something Dragon Lankford is going to have to discover for himself, if the death of his mate has not caused him to completely lose who he is."

"Do you think that's happened? Do you think Dragon has completely lost himself?" I asked.

"I do," Thanatos said.

"Which means Darkness might be able to get a hold on him," Stark said. "And if our Sword Master goes over to Darkness, we're all gonna be in trouble."

"Indeed," Thanatos said.

Ah hell, I thought.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Lenobia

There were some school days when Lenobia didn't need the hour provided for each professor that was called their planning hour, which meant no students were scheduled in class with her for one solid hour.

Today was not one of those days.