"Perhaps no one has explained to you that vampyre males do not abuse females, be they human, vampyre, or fledgling." Darius spoke calmly, as if he were having an ordinary conversation with a friend.

"I'm not a vampyre." Stark pointed to the outline of the red crescent moon on his forehead.

"That is an inconsequential detail. quo;"xmWe"--Darius motioned from himself to Stark--"do not abuse females. Ever. The Goddess has taught us better."

Stark smiled, but the gesture lacked any real humor. "I think you're gonna find that the rules have changed around here."

"Well, boy, I think you'll find that some of us have rules written here"--Darius pointed to his heart--"and rules written there aren't subject to the changing whims of those around us."

Stark's face hardened. He reached back and pulled free a bow that had been fitted in a strap on his back. Then he took an arrow from the quiver I'd assumed was a man purse hanging over his shoulder (I should have know it wasn't; Stark isn't exactly a man-purse kind of guy). He fitted the arrow in the bow and said, "I think I'll make sure you're never in my way again."

"No!" I stood up and moved to Darius's side, my heart pounding like crazy. "What the hell's happened to you, Stark?"

"I died!" he yelled, his face twisting in anger as the ghostly darkness rolled around him. Now that it was visible to me, I wondered how I could ever have missed it. Ignoring the shadowy evil, I continued to confront him.

"I know that!" I yelled. "I was there, remember?" That made him pause. The bow dipped down a little. I took that as a good sign, and went on. "You said you'd come back to Duchess and to me."

When I said his dog's name, pain flashed across his face, and all of a sudden he looked young and vulnerable. But the expression only lasted an instant. I blinked and he was back to being dangerous and sarcastic, though his eyes had stopped glowing red.

"Yeah, I'm back. But things are different now. And bigger changes are coming." He gave Darius a look of utter disgust. "All that old shit you believe in doesn't mean anything anymore. It makes you weak, and when you're weak you die."

Darius shook his head. "Honoring the way of the Goddess is never weakness."

"Yeah, well, I haven't seen much of any goddess hanging around here, have you?"

"Yes, actually I have," I spoke up. "I've seen Nyx. She appeared right in there"--I pointed at the girls' dorm--"just a couple days ago."

Stark looked at me silently for a long time. I searched his face, trying to find some hint of that guy I'd felt such a connection with--whom I'd kissed right before he'd died in my arms. But all I could see was an unpredictable stranger, and foremost in my mind was the knowledge that if he shot that bow he would not miss what ever he aimed at.

And suddenly that reminded me. He hadn't killed Stevie Rae. The fact that she was alive proved that he hadn't meant to kill her. So maybe there was some piece of the old Stark left within him.

"Stevie Rae's fine, by the way," I said.

"That's nothing to me," he said.

I shrugged. "Just thought you'd want to know, siv h Zmeantince it was your arrow that made her a shish kebab."

"I was doing what I was told to do. The boss said make her bleed; I made her bleed."

"Neferet? Is she who's controlling you?" I asked.

His eyes blazed. "No one's controlling me!"

"Your bloodlust is controlling you," Darius said. "If you weren't under its control, you wouldn't have had to force yourself on that fledgling."

"Yeah? Ya think so? Well, you're wrong. I happen to like my bloodlust! I liked doing what ever I want with that girl. It's time vampyres stopped slinking around. We're smarter, stronger, better than humans. We should be in charge, not them!"

"That fledgling isn't a human." Darius's voice was like a naked blade, reminding me that he wasn't just a big brother?type guy; he was a Son of Erebus and one of the most powerful warriors alive.

"I was thirsty and there wasn't a human handy," Stark said.

"Zoey, get the girl into the dorm." Darius didn't take his eyes off Stark. "She is done serving his convenience."

I hurried over to Becca and helped her to her feet. She was a little wobbly but able to walk. As we reached Darius, he moved forward with us, always keeping himself between us and Stark. Just as we were passing by him, Stark spoke with an angry intensity that sent a chill down the back of my neck.