Aphrodite blew out a long breath. It didn't work out that way. Instead you listened to Nyx, I said softly. Well, first I tried like hell to stay queen of my bitchy kingdom, and being with the hottest guy at school, even if he was a possessive asshat, was part of that. It makes sense, I guess, I said. Aphrodite hesitated then added, It makes me sick to remember it. You mean doing it with Erik? Her lips curled up and she shook her head, laughing a little. Goddess, you're such a prude! No, doing it with Erik was actually not bad at all. It makes me sick to remember how I kept quiet about my visions and basically shit on Nyx's path. Well, recently you've pretty much cleaned up any poo you put on Nyx's path. And I am not a prude. Aphrodite snorted. You're really unattractive when you do that, I said. I'm never really unattractive, she said. Are you done with your serious nonquestion question? Yeah, I suppose. Good. My turn. Have you been able to talk to Stevie Rae? Alone? Uh-uh, not yet. But you're going to? Uh-huh. Soon? What do you know? Aphrodite said, She's definitely hiding things from you. Things like red fledglings? Like you told me before? Aphrodite didn't answer, which completely made my stomach clench. Well? I prompted. What? It feels like there's more going on with Stevie Rae than just hiding some random red fledglings from you. I didn't want to believe Aphrodite, but my gut said she was telling the truth, as did my common sense. Aphrodite's Imprint with Stevie Rae gave her a connection to my BFF no one else had. So Aphrodite knew things about her. Plus, no matter how much I wished otherwise, I realized things weren't right with Stevie Rae. You can't tell me anything more specific? Aphrodite shook her head.

No. She's really shut down. Shut down? What does that mean? Well, you know how your bumpkin BFF usually is, like our own transparently perky version of a countrified goodwill ambassador for Hey there, y'all! Check out how nice and sweet and white bread I am! Yuck! Yuck!' Aphrodite's exaggerated Okie accent mimicked Stevie Rae's voice a little too well, and I frowned severely at her when I said, Yes, I know she's usually honest and open, if that's what you meant to say. Yeah, well, she's not being honest and open anymore. Take it from me--and Goddess knows I wish you could take this damn Imprint from me--she's hiding a very big something that feels way more important than a few fledglings. Crap, I said. Yep, she said. But, hey, there's not shit you can do about it right now, so get some sleep. Our world will still need saving tomorrow. Great, I said. Oh, speaking of--How's your boyfriend? Which one? I asked glumly. Mr. Pain in the Ass Arrows. I shrugged. Better, I think. You didn't let him chomp on you, did you? I sighed. No. Darius was right about that, you know? As annoying as it might be for some of us, and as unqualified as you appear, you are the High Priestess right now. Which makes me feel ever so much better. Hey, no problem. Look, what I'm saying is you need to be one hundred percent, and not drained like an extra-dry martini during brunch at my mom's country club. Your mom really drinks martinis at brunch? Of course she does. Aphrodite shook her head and looked utterly disgusted.

Try not to be so na?ve. Anyway, just don't do something stupid because you're feeling all Lifetime Movie of the Week and in love with Stark. Give it a rest, would ya? I won't do anything stupid! I leaned over and blew out the fat pillar candle that was on the end table between our beds. The darkness of the room was comforting, and when neither of us had said anything for a little while I felt myself beginning to drift off, until Aphrodite's voice snapped me back to ?ber-aware. Are we going back to the House of Night tomorrow? I think we have to, I said slowly. No matter what, the House of Night is our home, and the fledglings and vampyres there are our people. We have to go back to them. Well, you better get some sleep. Tomorrow you're going to land right in the middle of what one of my mom's ex-military assistants would call a huge cluster f**k, Aphrodite said in her best happily sarcastic tone. As usual, Aphrodite was as right as she was annoying.

Chapter Twelve

After Aphrodite's gloomy, but probably accurate, prediction I didn't think I'd be able to sleep, but exhaustion caught up with me. I closed my eyes and then, for a little while there was blissful nothingness. Sadly, bliss didn't ever seem to last very long in my life.

In my dream the island was so blue and beautiful it dazzled me. I was standing on . . . I looked around . . . the roof of a castle! One of those real old-looking castles, made of big blocks of rough stone. The roof was massively cool. Framing it were those stone-sticking-up-things that looked like a giant's teeth. There were plants everywhere on the roof. I even noticed lemon and orange trees, branches all heavy and full of sweet-smelling fruit. In the center of everything was a fountain in the shape of a beautiful naked woman whose hands were lifted over her head, and from those cupped hands flowed crystal water. Something about the stone woman looked familiar, but my gaze kept getting pulled from the gorgeous rooft op garden to the even more awesome view that stretched around the castle. Holding my breath, I moved to the edge of the roof and looked down and down and down and out at the brilliant blue of the sea. The water was beyond beautiful. It was the color of dreams and laughter and perfect summer skies. The island itself was made of jagged mountains, covered in unusual-looking pine trees that reminded me of giant umbrellas.