Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Never say that things cannot go worse than they already do. They can. And they will prove that quickly. 

At first I did not even realize that anything was wrong. No one did. Kayla was busy talking, I was busy brooding, both in our bubbles, and the rest of students were even busier rushing out and away from school – cannot fault them for that, life is way easier outside. 

"So, I know I am not Prohibition impersonated, really, like – no, but Zoe, I swear to God Heath didn’t even get that drunk after the game. Okay, maybe a little , but – My point is, you really shouldn’t be so hard on him. You should have seen him, he looks like a kicked puppy… By the way, have I showed you that pic of Waffles? I mean it, though. About Heath."

"Yeah, sure", I said absently, giving some obligatory thumbs ups to Waffles on the screen when Kayla showed me her phone. (He is a ball of sunshine, though, so the thumbs up was deserved.) Then I coughed for what felt like the hundredth time for today and groaned. I felt like crap, and I could not even pinpoint why exactly. 

I wondered for a moment if I could get a terrible, but curable fever for twenty four hours to miss my geometry test tomorrow. Maybe I could make a voodoo doll of myself and shove it into a cup of hot water? With how our class felt about our teacher, tests and geometry in general, it was a pretty valid idea to consider.

"Zoe, are you sure you are not coming down with something? Because you don’t look or sound – No? Are you sure sure? Fine, fine… Oh, where was I – right, so. I think Heath had, like, four – I dunno, six beers at max. I swear! And he probably wouldn’t have any if your parents hadn’t made you go home right after the game. He got sad, and then – you know how they get, they think that getting the star guys drunk is the best award, and he could not refuse. I bet if only you stayed…"

We shared a Look in total agreement about the injustice committed against me by my parents. Then, barely taking a breath in, K was back babbling away – something you had to get used to if you wanted to be friends with her, and we’ve been friends since primary school. 

"And after all, it’s hard to stay sober after you’ve been a star and beat Union. And we’ve beat Union! Everyone’s talking about that, even Lucie, the freckles Lucie, and she never talks about anything sport related. Hell, even I am talking about that, and you know me – I wouldn’t sit through a single game without you, I am only there to cheer on Heath… Hey, Zoe?" K shook my shoulder and put her face close to mine, squinting. "Hello! I think you really must be sick there, because your starboy is the topic, and you are not reacting at all! Anyway, let the guy celebrate a little, ok? It’s been a million years since Broken Arrow beat Union."

"Sixteen. Just sixteen years." I shook my head, smiling against myself.

"Like it matters, girl! It’s longer than we’ve been alive in any case! The point is, give the boy a break. You’re not his mom or something, jeez."

"The point is, he was wasted for, like… which time this week? And that’s after promising to not overdo it! So sorry, but I am pissed. And not just because of my parents, like… I’d like him to be able to walk ten steps without falling over, you know? ...I am aware I sound like a mom, yeah, but. Come on." I rolled my eyes and then paused to cough again. It was a fit this time, and after it was over, I had to take slow, deep breaths to not feel dizzy. K gave me another dirty look but did not speak up. 

"Walking straight is overrated", she said with an important face. "Besides, no one needs to walk straight in football. As long as he can still run in zig zags, he's gonna be alright."

I swallowed another cough and poked her with my elbow. "Next time Jared walks you home, I'll tell him to run in zig zags around you."

K scrunched her face and poked me right back in revenge. "Oh, shut uuuup. But come on, like you can stay mad at those puppy eyes. On top of a really hot bod."

I rolled my eyes and groaned, but paused for a second to think about that mental picture… What? I am not shallow. It is all hormones, I swear.

K shook her head. "You’re so grumpy when you’re sick. Don’t deny it, I bet it’s a flu. Anyway, speaking of puppy eyes, you have no idea how lost-puppy-like Heath was after you ignored him at lunch. He was all like…"

And then I looked past her, and my eyes focused on the person near my locker. The first thing I realized was that he was… well, very much undead. You couldn’t mistake him for a human even if you tried. There was no way you could miss his Mark: the sapphire-blue crescent moon on his forehead. He’d have really beautiful eyes if they weren’t as cold as sapphires, too. He was a vampire.

And he was standing right next to my locker.

"…Zoe?"

Before I could say anything, the vampire spoke. His ridiculously ceremonial words slicked across the space between us, as out of place here as he was himself.

"Zoe Heifer! Night has chosen thee; thy death will be thy birth. Night calls to thee; hearken to Her sweet voice. Your destiny awaits you at the House of Night!"

And then he pointed at me – and as my forehead exploded in pain, Kayla’s panicked yelp was all I could register before my head hit the floor.

When the bright splotches finally cleared from my eyes, I looked up to see K’s colorless face staring down at me. The man with stone-cold eyes was gone.

"Oh my God. Oh God..." K pressed her palms against her mouth. "No, no no no no no..."

"…What?" I sat up, coughing again. Well, now I felt like I was coming down with plague for real. I had a killer headache, I felt like I could puke any second, my head was swimming, and the spot between my eyebrows stung as if a particularly big wasp had bitten me there. I couldn’t stop rubbing it. 

"Zoe?" Kayla looked terrible herself. "Oh god, oh god oh no…" She bit on her lip, looking shaken. "It cannot be..."

"Kay…" I blinked hard, trying to think through the pain in my head. "Uh, can you… give me a hand? Please?"

Kayla did not reach out at once. She considered me first, looking almost… afraid. She must have seen the question in my eyes because she finally helped me up and even attempted a weak squeeze to my hand – her fingers shook like crazy.

"Oh God, Zoe – what are you going to do? It must be a mistake, you cannot… You cannot – just like that – just like that, and, and it will all be over – oh God, what am I even talking about…" She closed her mouth with her palms again. I looked at her stiff, shaking shoulders and tried to clamp down on the sick feeling that threatened to make me burst in tears as well. 

I was not dumb - I knew what this all was about. Vampires were too refined to bite random humans - or so they said. But everyone knew what happened when one came near you and then left you with that cursed Mark on your forehead and an invisible target on your back.

It meant you were a vampire too. And it was bullshit.

"Yeah, it’s probably some weird mistake", I said, trying to convince both her and myself.

Thankfully, K and I were the only ones left in the main hall – to think of it, five minutes ago a geometry test seemed the worst fate ever, worse than dying! And had I not been obsessing over the test, I would not have run to my locker to get the book so I could try to cram something in the last twelve hours. And then the Tracker would have found me standing outside, in front of the school, with the majority of the 1,300 kids who went to the Broken Arrow South Intermediate High, in the blinding sun and far worse off. Right now, though, there was only one other person in the hall with us, and he looked like a non-threatening dork who was currently staring at me with his mouth wide open.

Well, if that’s what popularity is like, I want nothing about it.

I coughed again, wet and disgusting this time (making K wince and turn away for a second). The dorky kid gasped and scuttled down the hall to Mrs. Day’s room, holding a flat board like a shield in front of him. Guess the chess club has changed its meetings to Mondays after school, huh.

Do vampires play chess, I wonder? Are there vampire dorks? Or vampire cheerleaders? Do vampires play in garage bands? Are there vampire Emos with weird clothes and bangs that cover up half of their faces? Or vampire Goths? How would those even look? How do normal vampire teenagers look? And what with everything I’d have to leave behind? With my friends, with Kayla, with my family, with everything that I thought made me myself?

All this whirled through my mind as I tried hard not to think about the main, most dangerous problem, and from the looks of it K was doing the same. I chuckled nervously, but it turned into another cough.

"Zoe? Are… you okay?" She looked uneasy, and a part of me felt hurt and angry at that. It wasn’t like I asked for this, after all, and right now the last thing I wanted was my best friend treating me like I was a bomb about to go out. Not like she was completely wrong, but… It was all just too much too sudden.

 "Of course I am not okay!" I finally felt the tears come and wiped them off with a sleeve like a grumpy toddler. "I just… God, stop looking at me like I am – like I’m gonna…"

"Your mascara is smearing", K said suddenly in a very clear voice, getting closer to me again. She still seemed miserable, but at the same time, babbling and tearing up, she managed to start doing something useful – just like she always did. She looked up and down the hall, all but dragging me to the ladies’ room. "You look like a depressed panda, Zoe. They won’t take you in like that – no they won’t, they are too fancy for that, and you’ll be left with no hot vampire boys to dream about. Imagine! Not even the drunk ex-football players who zig zag around you on dates." At that I made a chuckle so watery that even I grimaced. "Yeah, no more puppy-eyed handsome young men for you, miss, and – Come on, let’s make something out of you, okay? Just a little more…" 

She dragged me in, turned to the mirror, pulled out her emergency kit and started doing wonders to my red puffy face – obviously deciding to focus on task at hand rather than the implications of the Mark that still glowed on my forehead.

…At least I definitely have opted out of that test.

The thing is, aside from... the worse option I was really bent on ignoring, I’d still have to go through unspeakable physical changes (aside from puberty, that is). Worse, I’d have to leave everything behind and move into the House of Night, a private boarding school in Tulsa’s Midtown, known by my friends as vampire Finishing School, where I’d have to spend the following four years. And I was not the slightest bit excited about it. According to my step-"dad", it was a home of blasphemy where everyone did satanic rituals day and night, ran around naked, talked in profanities and also ate people while laughing an evil laugh. And according to everyone else in our town, it was a Very Strange Place filled with strange inhabitants doing strange things - a place Normal People should be wary of and stay well away from. Not the best place to move into, in a word.

And of course I didn’t want to do any of that, especially since I really wanted to be a part of those Normal People. I wanted to be a normal human girl (well, maybe a tad more special than most) who went to a normal human school. I wanted things to be better at home. I wanted to pass geometry. I wanted to keep my grades up so that I could get accepted into the veterinary college at OSU and maybe move to a big city and do something with my life. But most of all, I wanted to stay here, with my friends, with Kayla and Heath and the freckled Lucie and everyone else, because I had no idea what I would even do alone.

"There", Kayla said in a cheery voice, moving back and going to wash her hands. I sighed once again, but for all we knew, there were all those crazy theories that vampirism was somehow infectious, and I bet she wouldn’t be happy to join me in the school of naked satanic people. "As good as new! This is where you say ‘thank you, Kayla’, by the way. I spent, like, a ton of concealer there."

I looked into the mirror, trying to not really pay attention to what I saw. But even with a passing glance it was obvious that, while I looked a little less miserable now, all that concealer didn’t really help. The mark on my forehead still glowed dangerously through it.

"Yeah, thanks. All better now", I said, trying to sound positive.

Kayla opened her mouth to say something else, but then her cell phone started singing Madonna's "Material Girl." Automatically, she glanced at the caller ID. I could tell by her defeatedly blissful expression that it was her boyfriend, Jared. "Damn…"

I shrugged and waved it off. "Go on. He’s probably waiting there, and I know he hates waiting. It’s alright. I am alright now, honest."

K hesitated, frowning, but then her phone went off again. And after a minute of awkward shoulder pats, consolations and promises to "totally visit me in the Freak Finishing School", she finally left, and I was alone.

I imagined how she’d rush across the east lawn with her auburn hair flowing in the wind, and then she'd skitter through the parking lot and get into Jared’s car and tell him the latest news. Oh, haven’t you heard? Zoe’s leaving us, possibly forever, so terrible. Poor girl. Now she’ll have to study Cannibalism 101 and Dark Arts Advanced, I believe. How nice that it is not us this time, right?

I tried to enhance Kayla’s efforts by messing with my hair till I had bangs that covered the upper half of my face, hopefully hiding any trace of my mark. Keeping my head down and trying to signal "overworked, Do Not Approach" with my entire body, I hurried towards the door that led to the student parking lot.

But I stopped short of going outside. Through the side-by-side windows in the doors I saw Heath with his fanclub around him. He was talking to another guy from his team and smiling a bit awkwardly. Of course, there were also a couple of girls there who were pretending to have some sort of important business on the parking lot that was not Heath, and there were guys who were flexing their metaphorical muscles at each other. Once more, I caught myself sighing dreamily… but I must stay strong, I told myself, clenching my fists. First of all, I have bigger problems! Second of all, I am not some air-headed little girl who would fall for the shiniest thing she sees. And if I am still staring, well, it is pure aesthetic pleasure I am getting there. Platonic, aesthetic and absolutely harmless. Yeah! Right! 

Okay, maybe I really should stop staring first.

From where I was standing I could hear voices and laughter, a little muffled by the glass and steel. Great, now I felt even more alone, because I wanted to be out there with them, talking and laughing with everyone else. I would even put up with Kathy Richter, the Kathy who spilled her juice in the cafeteria and made me topple over like a ragdoll. The Kathy who was now all over Heath. I felt suddenly more annoyed than sad. Damn, even though I still was pissed at Heath, my boy deserved better than some doe-eyed, mannerless girl who wouldn’t even apologize after making people fall all over! 

But then I suddenly remembered something that made me groan and smack my forehead.

Nope, Kathy wasn’t my main problem, and neither were people surrounding my tiny old robin egg’s-blue Bug on the parking lot. Even though I definitely was not looking forward to more fear and awkwardness - I still remembered what happened when a Tracker had Chosen a kid last at SIHS. It was the beginning of the school year, and there was a crowd before the first hour, and I saw that kid rushing through like a drop of oil in water. He was crying, and everyone was staring, and people tried to move away to not touch him at all if possible because what if it is infectious? I moved away too, but I guess that did not help me much. 

 But staring wouldn’t kill me - and the sun would. The hot, relentless midday sun I completely forgot about. Everyone knew that the school was named House of Night for a good reason: there were stories about unfortunate kids who got Marked, felt too bold, stayed outside past dawn and were burnt to a crisp. And judging by the way even the reflected sun inside the building made my eyes hurt, those stories might turn out to be truth very soon. And you know what, dying in the parking lot next to shocked Heath and Kathy was very very far from the top in my wishlist.

So I did the most reasonable thing I could: I went back to the restroom and prepared to spend quite some time there. There wasn’t much I could do, but I barricaded the door with a broom I found in the locker in the corner and tried to remember what I knew about Tibetan monks and their ways of spending long periods of time staring away into nothing. I also texted Alex, my elder sister. Chatting with her about nothing grounded me enough to finally, finally take a good look into the mirror and face the new reality. Because here it was, glowing through the thick concealer on my forehead, new and frightening and strange.

My hazel eyes were the same, so were my nose and mouth and everything that I had looked at so many times in so many mirrors, sometimes with annoyance and sometimes with pride. I had always wanted to look more like Irene Papas, but all we had in common were the Greek blood and the black hair. But now everything about me seemed weird and wrong. Maybe it was me still panicking, maybe it was me already turning into something else. I could not tell.

I took a long, deep breath, hugged myself and wished for the best - because sometimes that’s all you can do.

Chapter Text

I had to stay for quite some time there, freezing like a deer in headlights the few times someone tried to open the door from the outside. Thankfully, Alex was away at her practice, Nick was likely assuming I am busy with some Big Kid Stuff, and mom and step-‘dad’ were probably doing something church-related together, so no one was there to panic about my absence. When the outside went dark enough, I finally felt ready to venture home.

At least everyone, including Heath and his fanclub, should have left already.

I checked if my Mark was hidden enough (it was), assured myself that the sun got covered with buildings already (it did), took away the broom and exited the bathroom feeling like an astronaut entering open space. The halls were empty, and I had no problem making it to the parking lot where my Bug was the only car left behind. However, even though it was already pretty late in the evening, the moment I stepped away from the protective walls of the school, I felt like someone had poured a bucket of boiling hot water all over me. Oh. Yeah, I see why vampires never walk around during the day.

I was too focused on the boiling hot sensation all over my body to notice anything amiss - so, when I stuffed myself into the driver seat of my car, panting and rolling my eyes, the voice from the passenger seat made me jump.

"Zo? Is everything alright?"

And of course Heath was right there, staring at me with his proverbial puppy eyes. The door on his side was half-open, letting in the cool air.

Well shit .

I need to digress a little here to explain what exactly Heath is to me. Well, we date back to the fateful day in the kindergarten when he stole and ate my chocolate chip cookie and I threw the nanny’s shoes at him. We’d been friends ever since. He was that person that you have at your side no matter what, well, unless you fuck up really bad. He was the one you’d phone from the cafe toilet to pick you up after a date has gone awry. I tried to be the same for him. Well, except that toilet part - he usually sorted out those problems by himself.

And now I was one part relieved to see him, a kind of Pavlovian reflex, I guess, and one bigger part terrified because! Well! I wasn’t prepared to deal with this in any way. Especially right now.

Especially given the fact that I was getting really hungry, and the inside of the car smelled like food. Maybe I dropped a fry or two somewhere?

"Oh hi", I said in a cheery tone, trying to pretend that the remaining sunlight wasn’t battering me through the front window. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I told you the lock is busted on that door. And I was worried. You never came outside, so I thought the invisible toilet snake got you there."

"Oh, haw haw. I, uh, I was studying too hard. You know, the - the geometry test tomorrow and everything. Very busy. Got too focused, I guess. And, uh, I have a cold. So. Maybe don’t sit too close or you will catch it too."

"Aw, are you still pissed at me?" Damn it, damn it, he was doing the puppy eyes again. I groaned, trying to push that overgrown mastiff away from me. He only grinned and leaned into me, trying to hug me. "I will be good, Zoe, I swear. I pinky swear. It was the last time ever I came anywhere near anything liquid, Zoe. From this time on I’m only chewing dry spirit."

"Heath, you moron, you won’t joke me into forgiving you." 

"Are you sure? Because I see a smile."

I elbowed him and shook my head. "It’s a grimace of pain, cut it off."

"Aw, harsh- Oh wow, that’s a big bruise you have there", he said suddenly, stopping the playfight and getting serious. "Do I have to have a talk with somebody, or…"

I blinked at him, not really understanding what was going on, but then he reached out and smudged the concealer on my forehead, and suddenly he had the exact same face Kayla wore back in the empty hall.

"That’s - not a bruise", he said, and at the same time I suddenly realised that somehow, the source of that delicious smell in my car was Heath. It was like he had been sitting in a bakery for three days straight, and now he smelled like the best, tastiest foods I had ever eaten in my life…

As if he was a piece of food himself.

"Get. Away", I said.

Heath slowly moved away from me, opening his mouth - and I did the dumb thing: I pushed him hard, and he was startled enough to miss it, so he ended up falling out of the car onto his back. Before he could react, I slammed the door shut, started the engine and sped away. When I looked into the side mirror, Heath was already standing up, not seeming too hurt - well, as a football player he must have been used to nasty falls. He was watching me drive away. I couldn’t tell his expression, but I was certain it was nothing good.

"Alright. Alright", I told myself. Of course it wasn’t alright. I never saw anything coming, so changes hit me like bricks falling off the skyscraper. It is not like they hand out pamphlets about any of that. My mom never gave me the Talk about what to do if you accidentally become a vampire. And of course I knew some things, but only from the outside perspective - I never thought they would happen to me. But I had to fool myself long enough to drive home, because breaking down in traffic is against the city rules.

It only took me fifteen minutes to get home, but time was acting weird today, so it felt like a blink and an eternity at the same time. Very soon I was sitting in my car in the dark driveway and trying to master the courage to go home. I never really enjoyed getting home, but now it felt twice as hard. Maybe if everything happened three years ago it would be easier, but now…

Well. I went through the notions of unbuckling my belt and checking everything I could think of, two or three times. I went through the garage and right to my room, as always. The temptation to stay there forever was strong, but I resisted. Maybe I just needed that one last nail in my metaphorical coffin. Or maybe I was still hoping that somehow, someone might know what to do, and my parents - well, a parent and a step parent - would make it alright again. Or maybe both. It was too much of a mess to sort through.

The house was quiet. I tiptoed through the hallway, wiping off the rest of concealer from my forehead, and glanced into the rooms. The person I needed right now was Mom. Of course I did not think she could magic the Mark away, but… well. Maybe she could at least give me a hug. A hug sounded awfully nice at the moment. 

She was in the living room, reading, sitting with her legs up on the couch. Three years ago she’d be wearing one of her silly, overly colorful dresses and giggling up a storm over some bad love story. Now her hair was in a bun, and her clothes were as plain as cold oatmeal with no sugar or salt in it. I could bet there was nothing about love in her book, either, unless it was a paragraph about love towards your husband or God.

"So, Mom", I said, not really knowing what to do with my hands.

Her head snapped at the sound, and she squinted in my direction, searching blindly for her glasses. "Oh! You’re home, dear. I didn’t hear your car… What’s with your tone, though? Is something wrong?"

"What - no! No. Absolutely not. Well. It is not really wrong, I guess? Ha ha. I mean.. It’s just…" I trailed off, not knowing what to say here. It’s just that I am mutating into a demon, mom, nothing bad, I’m sure chicken broth will help.

Mom stopped her search to look very pointedly in my general direction. "Miss Zoe Heifer, please just tell me what is going on, because I am getting really concerned."

I tried to think of something to say, but then mom found her glasses, put them on, looked at me and froze.

"Oh no," she said in a small voice. 

I instinctively tried to brush my hair back into place to cover the Mark somewhat, but mom’s eyes never left my forehead. She fidgeted, searching for words, and then asked, still in that small fearful voice:

"What are we going to do? What will we tell your father? Oh, he - he won’t like it, he won’t like it at all…" She covered her face. "How could it happen, Zoey? We did everything right! You prayed, you read the books, you went to the church every week… you did everything right, didn’t you? You didn’t do anything… bad, right?" 

"No, Mom, I was the holiest teenager there’s ever been, I swear", I said, fully not intending it. Because… well, who knows, maybe in some weird sense she was right and it was all a big punishment for reading the wrong books in secret and pulling allnighters to watch TV shows. Maybe somehow God sensed my utter lack of devotion and decided to scapegoat me. But I wasn’t admitting to it, definitely. The last thing I wanted was to give her reasons to think that it was somehow all my fault.

"I cannot understand… but Lord truly works in mysterious ways", Mom concluded with a sigh. She wiped her eyes under her glasses and stood up to give me a tight, slightly desperate hug. "Oh, my poor dear... What are we going to do, now? We will have to tell everyone…" She bit her lip. "John will be devastated…" 

...Alright, I felt a tiny bit hurt at that. I knew she was really devoted to step-‘dad’ and lately he had dragged her with him into the deep end of faith. I also knew she had changed a lot, and probably for the worse, from my point of view. But still, I’d hope that her priorities would be different. I couldn’t hold in a quip:

"So you are not concerned at all about the satanic school and possibly death on my part? Sure, John being content is faaaar more important."

Mom jerked as if I had hit her, and I regretted saying that right away.

"Zoey! How could you... You know I care about you three more than anything in the world." She tightened her hug and shook her head, pursing her lips. "I’m just… I don’t know what to think…" Her hands gently cupped my face, and she looked into my eyes. She seemed afraid. "Let’s not tell John about this for now, okay? He… does not need to know. I will prepare him first."

I nodded, relieved that I didn’t have to deal with the ‘dad’ as well right now. Mom lifted her eyes a bit, and her fingers traced the outline of my Mark, careful not to press too hard. "Does it hurt, sweetie?"

"A little."

"How do you feel?"

"Kinda coughy and sick. But I’m okay for now. I guess." 

She hugged me again. "I will get you something… let’s just keep you warm for now. I’ll pray over you tonight, and tomorrow we will think of something. Don’t worry, we won’t let you go to that awful place. Everything will be alright."

"Are you sure?" I pressed closer to Mom. She smelled like food too, but she also smelled like home, and home won. "I mean… I trust your mom senses, but it is not common cold, you know. And I don’t want to die, really."

"Of course you won’t!" Mom cried out before I could even finish talking. "John is sure all this… morbidness is just them trying to lure in more people. So it is all just in your head, dear. John says that as soon as you think about it critically, you realise it is nothing but smoke and mirrors and demons messing with humans’ minds."

I wondered if demons capable of illusion could also make people drop dead, but I was not too thrilled to voice that question.

"Okay. We’ll sort it out. Tomorrow. Somehow." I made a tired sigh. "I just hope John does not learn about this. I don’t really want him to nose around in my business."

Mom seemed guilty and appalled at the same time. I pressed my teeth shut.

"Zoe! Don’t you dare speak about him this way!"

"Why not? I’m just speaking my mind. Lying is a sin, right?"

Mom didn’t answer right away. "I know you don’t… get together well, which is too bad because John is a wonderful man, and he could be a wonderful father too if you just let him!" I huffed. No way. "At least, you should be grateful to him for everything he has done for us. For all of us. Including you. This house, the money… he even paid for your car! And the expenses when Nick broke his leg… you know I couldn’t have dealt with everything after I quit my job." I didn’t remind her that she quit it at John’s insistence. "Just… please, don’t antagonise him like you do. He is a good man. He might be a little… harsh, sometimes, but he means the best, alright? He only wants what’s the best for us all. Just like I do."

Well, now I felt like the scum of the earth for making her sad, so I nodded my agreement, and she gave me one last relieved hug before sending me off to bed. Walking to my room, I felt both comforted and sad. So… her solutions are medicine and prayers. But what if those are not enough?

What am I going to do?

I considered checking on Nick when I passed his door. I heard sounds of blasts and his animated voice, talking to someone, or maybe narrating his own battles. No, not today. Not like I didn’t like my younger brother. It’s just I did not feel ready for another round of explanations.

Though, knowing Nick, I could bet he’d think it was cool.

I spent most of the remaining evening in a very productive way: coughing and trying to figure out things. A quick Google search did nothing to calm me down - people seemed to be dying in a very real way, with no smoke or mirrors found at the crime scene. Different specialists offered different ways to stay alive, but their posts contained a few too many ‘maybe’-s and ‘supposedly’-s to really mean much. 

So… the satanic school remained a frightening possibility.

I heard John’s car in the driveway while I was sorting through my clothes. Would I look stupid if I was the only person in hoodies and jeans? Do I have to somehow get black lace and KISS-like makeup? Nah, screw it, I’d still take my favorite T-shirts over that. I’d better be comfortable than fancy-lacey. Just hoping it wouldn’t get me in trouble. 

That is, if I went there. At all.

I peeked out of my door to listen on what was going on there. I heard Mom’s muffled voice… then John’s… then a pause came, and slowly, Mom’s voice grew quieter and more apologetic, and John’s sounded loud and demanding.

Mom was a bad liar. Especially when upset.

I closed the door, sat against it and rubbed my forehead. Where’s that part when I wake up and this is all a bad dream? And it turns out that I am a happy, cheerful person possibly sleeping next to the love of my life?

Unfortunately, I didn’t wake up. Instead, someone knocked on my door, and Father John’s voice called:

"Zoe, I must tell you I need to talk to you as soon as possible."

"I’m asleep and half naked", I called back hopefully.

"Need I remind you that lying is a sin?"

I sighed, hang my head low and went outside - to do some emergency sin confessing, I guess.

Chapter Text

I walked down the hallway again. Well, at least the sun had set, and I could finally breathe free… metaphorically, since the nasty cough was still there. When I entered the family room, my lungs spasmed especially bad, so I bent over in a coughing fit that spared me a few seconds, but finally - I looked up and stared right into John Heifer’s eyes.

He was standing next to the couch, holding Mom by the hand. Mom looked like she’d rather be anywhere but right here right now, and she sent me a fleeting apologetic look before nervously turning away. 

John sized up my Mark, and I could tell by his face he wasn’t too pleased with his observation.

"I told you, Melissa", he told Mom, still looking at me. "You are far too soft. Now look where it got her. I’m sure, if not for your enabling… ‘He who loves his son is diligent to discipline him’, remember?" Mom pursed her lips. "You must have lacked love if she’s now sporting the Satan’s sigil. How will I explain this to others? How will I explain why one of my children is so far gone from God’s light?"

"I’m right here and I can hear you", I mumbled loud enough for him to hear.

"Zoey!" Mom hissed at me from behind his back.

John again looked at me as if I was a really annoying mosquito. "I wasn’t talking to you, young lady."

"You were talking about me in my presence and it is kinda rude."

"Zoe! Don’t make me angry." John frowned and let go of Mom’s hand to cross his arms. Mom checked if he was looking and immediately pulled her legs up, just like she likes to sit. "I told you if you didn’t take pains to improve yourself, God’s punishment would be swift. And here it is, just like I promised. Your foul mouth, your lies and disrespect towards your father and mother, your gluttony and sloth… Sooner or later, all sins become visible." 

Excuse me?! So maybe I like donuts and forget to take out trash sometimes, everyone does that. And I don’t even swear that much! Mind swearing doesn’t count, does it?

My thoughts on the matter must have been written all over my face, because John’s jaw tightened. "This is what I was talking about. Utter lack of respect. If we want to earn you forgiveness, we will have to work on that."

"Earn me what?" I blinked, feeling like the conversation was going sixty miles per hour and I just dropped out of its side door. "Wait, do you-"

"Satan has given you his sign", John said, solemnly. "It is up to God to take it away. And we will ask Him to give you another chance. Maybe He will listen." 

"Uh", I said, carefully. "Alright. Um. Do you have a plan B?"

"Are you questioning God’s power?"

"No, I mean - just, just in case God doesn’t listen?"

John looked at me as if I was a toddler and I had just asked why people don’t fall off Earth. "Then it means you deserve the curse."

Well shit . That was definitely optimistic of him.

‘Dad’ sighed, walked towards me and put his hands on my shoulders even though I tried to back away really hard. 

"I know you must be scared", he said in a softer voice. Ah, I hated this part most. The part where he seemed gentle enough for you to start wondering if you had somehow imagined the harsh parts. "But don’t worry, Zoe. You are in God’s hands, and He is merciful. And I will personally see it to that you get the treatment you need. I know it is not too late for your soul to be saved. Think of it as a chance to finally become a pure being you are designed to be. To leave the dirt behind. I will help you take that chance. I will lead you down the road of faith, just like I am leading your mother."

I looked at the couch and saw Mom. Mom who was trying to seem both invisible and agreeing with everything John said. 

And I didn’t know what exactly he had done to her down that road, but at that moment I felt with my entire being that I didn’t want that for myself. 

Suddenly, House of Night seemed like a decent holiday spot.

"Okay, um. I… guess I am fine with that. Thank you", I said. John smiled at me and pat my shoulders again, making me wince, and Mom on the couch made a relieved sigh. "I just… wow. I need to think about all of this."

"Of course, Zoe." ‘Dad’ finally stepped back, letting me walk past him and letting Mom come closer - which she did, taking that chance to fuss over me (stealing glances at John all the time.)

"Are you alright, darling? That cough… Now that we’re done, maybe you should go lie down. I will bring you some tea." She felt my forehead, frowning. "You feel so cold… yes, tea sounds nice right now."

"I am sure a little hot tea will not hurt", John chimed in, smiling. It was a harmless thing to say, but somehow it made my skin crawl with disgust.

"Yeah", I said, looking pointedly at Mom and smiling. "Yeah, I bet tea will make me feel all better."

She gave me another sad smile and ruffled my hair - not to cover my Mark, just to ruffle it. It felt nice. "I’ll be with you soon. Don’t worry."

I went back to my room, locked the door, nodded to myself and started packing up again.

I couldn’t stay here, but I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to leave everything behind. I had a life, and it wasn’t a perfect one, but now it was crumbling to pieces, and all promises and plans and good intentions went straight to hell. I didn’t want to go, but I couldn’t stay.

In this moment, I wished Mom had somehow gotten a Mark too so I could take her with me.

Chapter Text

Well, I still wasn’t thrilled about the whole thing. Not in the slightest. But it was the lesser evil, and beggars can't be choosers. So I stuffed my backpack full of clothes - another pair of jeans, a few t-shirts, a hoodie, a set of pajamas, some socks, some underwear. It wasn’t a super big backpack, unfortunately, but it would have to do for the start. My favorite stuffed fish Otis went in as well because, to be honest, I couldn’t fall asleep without him. It cost me a little backpack space that I could use for another T-shirt, but Otis was a family member and family means that no one gets left behind. 

Someone knocked on my door.

I jumped, stuffed my backpack into the closet and tried to look innocent. Hopefully, I was a better liar than Mom. "Yeah?"

"Honey? It’s me. I brought you tea, as promised."

I paused and opened the door to let Mom in. My room had always looked like it had just been thoroughly shaken by a hurricane or two, and I was glad that it did: there were no traces of my frantic packing. But I wasn’t only worried about being exposed. I suddenly realised this was the last time I’d see Mom in a long, long time, if not forever. 

Mom gave me the mug and felt my forehead again. "How is your cough?" I coughed instead of an answer, and she frowned. "Well, this isn’t good... "

"I know. I’m not super happy about this either", I said, shrugging. The tea somehow tasted absolutely bland, but it was warm. "Kind of lightheaded now, too. I’ll try to sleep it off, I guess. It usually works with colds."

Mom suddenly looked me all over. "...Huh. Why aren’t you in your pajamas yet?" She glanced around. "It doesn’t look like you lay down much, either…"

Oh no, oh no. I gripped the mug, trying to quickly think up something. "Uh, it’s just - I was just sitting and thinking, you know? It’s just… a lot at once."

Mom sighed, her frown gone, and I mentally gave myself an A+ for that. "I know, dear… These are trying times, for us all. But we will always be there for you, you know." 

I bit on my tongue: I knew she was lying without even knowing it, and I wanted to tell her the truth more than anything, but I couldn’t. 

Mom’s face suddenly lightened up, and she stepped towards my closet. "Say what, you should wear your lucky pajamas. Do you remember? The silly blue ones. I bet everything will feel better once you get them on."

Oh no no no, not the closet, that’s where - I stormed towards it, standing between Mom and the doors. "Um, I - I actually, uh, I got them dirty a week ago. Yeah. Put a jam stain right over my chest. They, uh, must be in the laundry somewhere, I think."

Mom looked a little deflated, but she didn’t seem to think much about it, thank goodness. "That’s unfortunate… Well, I hope you sleep well, Zoey." She gave me one more hug, and I clinged to her, trying to remember how she looked - smelled - how her arms squeezed me tight. How safe it felt around her.

"Love you, Mom", I said.

She moved away and blinked at me in surprise, but echoed:

"I love you too, dear."

"I know."

The door closed behind her with a soft click, and I was alone again… somehow feeling lonelier than I did before. But I had work to do and an escape plan to carry out. And they couldn’t wait.

I turned off the light in my room and threw a pile of clothes onto my bed, placing them under the blankets so that they’d look like a covered sleeping person. Then I tiptoed out of my room, listening close to the sounds of Mom and John walking around. The trip from my room to the garage was a short one, but I spent fifteen minutes crawling through the hallway, praying to whoever was listening so that the floorboards wouldn’t creak. I could swear my hair was steadily turning grey by the time I reached my car.

It was already dark outside, enough to cover me from any curious neighbours - or at least to throw them off. I slipped into my Bug quietly, placing the backpack on the passenger seat, and took a deep breath. Okay. Okay, I guess I was doing this. Somehow. 

Now that I had to make the final move, my reluctance tripled. I mean, it was bad at home, but it was a familiar bad, and now I was going to a place that could be much worse and completely unknown. Was that a good decision? Probably not.

"You could still come back up and put on your pajamas and go to sleep", I told myself. "You could still just… not go."

Then I sighed, coughed and turned the key, starting the engine.

Well, no way back now.

***

I turned off my cell phone right away. I definitely wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, and I could bet I wouldn’t hear anything nice from them. 

...Well, maybe there was one someone that I’d like to talk to. And if anything, I could bet Grandma had a spare toothbrush or a pack of tissues for me to grab.

Her name was actually Katerina, but it was weird to call her anything but Grandma. She lived in a small house with a big porch that stood just outside the town, surrounded by the forest from one side and by a field from another. There also was a small garden where she grew lavender, melissa, thyme, basil and a dozen of other herbs she then dried in small bundles above the ceiling. She always smelled like a garden, even when it was wintertime. 

And I loved that scent of dry grass and wood that clinged to her dress. I loved her small house and the way trees murmured around it at night. I loved sitting next to her on the porch and drinking tea and talking to her about whatever came to mind. And I came there quite often now that I had a car. I’d been her favorite as long as I could remember: Alex took after our father too much (Grandma never liked him) and Nick was too small and too much of a boy for them to get along, I guess. And after Mom remarried, she fell out of touch with Grandma as well, so it was just me who still visited her.

I drove through the purple dusk and yellow spots of light pouring from the streetlamps. Tulsa was a small place, and there was no traffic to slow me down, so half an hour later I glided away from the concrete streets and onto the dirt road that led to Grandma’s house. I could probably get there with my eyes closed by this point. It was my safe place. As a kid I often stayed over at Grandma’s house for weeks on end, and now I sometimes escaped there when things got too bad at home. John never went to Grandma’s house - they didn’t like each other at all, and he was afraid she’d hex him. 

I didn’t know if Grandma could hex people. It was probably better not to ask.

I parked my Bug to the side of the porch and climbed the three stairs that separated me from the front door. However, no one came to my rigorous knocking, and there was no light in the windows. Well, it was no surprise, given the time of the day, but somehow it felt unfair.

I squinted around. She could be really deep asleep. Or she could be taking a walk to get some fresh air before bed or something. In any case, it was pretty pointless to go look for her, so I did the only sensible thing I could think of: I knocked again for good measure, sat down and prepared to wait.

I didn’t notice drifting asleep.

Chapter Text

I slept, and I dreamt of the night.

I was standing alone in the middle of a field that stretched endlessly everywhere I could see, with its faraway edges hidden in streams of pale mist. The black grass reached to my knees, and on top of the stalks tiny blooms glistened like stars. I walked forward, and it was like walking through the night sky. 

I’d never think that the skies smelled like lavender, salt and laurel.

I kept walking forward. Clouds rolled above my head, and there was no wind but the grass bowed in waves. Somewhere far away drums hummed, and voices sang melodies I have never heard before - ringing and twirling and trembling in the cool air. The further I walked, the better I could hear the words, even though they still made little sense:

Éla, éla, ekeíno pou perímena.
Viasýni, viasýni, néa kóri tis skiás.
Chaíromai, chaíresai, paidí tou fengarioú...

Oh, right. I was dreaming.

I made another step, and somehow I was now standing on top of an enormous black lake - or was it the sea, maybe? It was perfectly still, and I had no trouble walking across the water as if it was a black mirror reflecting the sky. Tiny glowing fishes surfaced and dove down again under my feet as I kept going on and on, towards the sounds - towards the pale crescent moon that shone between the clouds. 

Somehow, with every step I could understand the trembling voice better, even though the words still sounded strange. Come, come, the one I waited for; hurry, hurry, the new daughter of the shadows. Rejoice, rejoice, the child of the moon… 

I kept going, as if hypnotised. Maybe I was. The sounds of the song suddenly became visible: they glided through the air like long, see-through ribbons of mist, and they guided me forward. Éla se ména, - whispered a quiet, soft female voice to me. - Come to me. Eísai dikó mou. You are mine. Eísai to paidí mou. You are my child. Éla se ména, ti Zoí mou, to fos tou fengarioú mou… Come to me, my Life, my moonlight…

"Mom?" I called, looking around. "Mom? Grandma? Where are you?" 

The mist rippled with soft laughter, floating around me in silver splashes. Come! Faster! Hurry, if you want us to meet!

I did a double take and then rushed forward, stumbling. My steps splashed loudly against the water surface, making it shiver… but then the sound changed to the clatter of soles on hard, polished stone. I was now running upwards, somehow without getting tired, up and towards the top of a mountain that now rose before me. The whispers and the song grew louder, louder, calling, urging, demanding…

Hurry, my Life…

I sped up, dashing forward, following a trail of polished black stone that coiled around the slope like a resting snake. I felt like I was flying, barely touching the ground at all. Up, up and forward, past broken columns and empty marble temples, till I passed the cloud level - till I was suddenly at the very top, and there was nothing around me but an ocean of dark clouds below and an infinite starry abyss above.

I took a deep breath, slowly turning around - and then there she was. She stood tall in front of me, in a white dress that flowed down her thick, curvy body. There was an olive tint to her skin, and her black hair shone blue and purple, like a raven’s wing. She was perfect - perfect like a marble statue, with not a hint of asymmetry or defect anywhere. And she was smiling at me.

I blinked at her. "...Hi?"

The woman laughed again, bringing a hand to her mouth in an all too graceful gesture. Hello. I am happy to welcome you here, Zoi.

"My name is Zoe, though", I said, feeling a little overshadowed.

Not here, not to me. The woman’s black eyes were completely calm. Aren’t you going to ask me who I am? I know you want to. All of you do when you reach the Nightshade… even those who think that they are ready to enter.

"Nightshade?" I asked before mentally stomping on my own leg. "I mean, um - right, so who are you?"

She smiled, seemingly amused by my attempts at communication. Nightshade is my realm, child. All this land, and all these skies, and every soul above or below. And I go by many names, but the one you are probably most familiar with is Nyx, Mother of the Night and of all souls that hide in shadows.

I was not really surprised. I felt like I wouldn’t even be surprised if a UFO dropped by to deliver pizza. Honestly, it would feel almost normal after everything that happened to me during the last ten hours. And it is easy to feel bold when you know that it is all a dream.

"Oh", I said, very smoothly, because talking to a goddess was a tad more than I was prepared for. "Um - it is, um, a great honor to meet you, but - you really shouldn’t have. I mean, I am not that special."

I do greet every new child of mine, Zoi. Nyx shone a calm, perfect smile at me. It was impossible not to feel uneasy around her: she was too measuredly perfect to empathise with. All of you need my guidance on this dark path. What Mother would I be to send my children into the Night without offering them a hand? But you are wrong: you are special. You are about to meet your destiny. And you will find this out very, very soon.

"Oh, okay", I said. "Wait - destiny? What kind of destiny? Is it some big hero-like sort of destiny? Where I’ll have to fight and everything?" 

Nyx breathed out a light chuckle. Perhaps .  

...I won’t lie, that sounded almost tempting. Everyone wants to be special, after all! Preferably in a good way. But also it made me feel anxious, because, truth be told, I wasn’t a hero. I wasn’t some justice warrior that would stand for the weak or speak up when no one else would. I wasn’t a coward either. I was just… me. Trying to not get into trouble more than necessary and keeping to myself and my small friend circle. And I felt like I wasn’t the best candidate for the job.

"Why me, though? I don’t really understand…"

You will, one day. Nyx gracefully waved me off. Good qualities, like iron, need to be tested with fire before they can be polished. And you have something most people lack… you have old magic, deep in your veins. Silent, dormant… but it will wake up. And you will rise above all as my most beloved Daughter. She walked closer to me and took my face in her palms, looking down upon me with a strange, eager expression. Will you be my eyes, Zoi? Will you be my ears? Will you be my tireless legs, my artful hands? Will you do my bidding and carry forth my word?

I wanted to argue, but then I looked into her black eyes that reflected no light, and my lips moved on their own accord: "Yes, Nyx".

The goddess smiled, wide and loving, and I saw her skin melt into the mist and her hair tangle in the night sky. Thank you, my Life, my Daughter. Keep your head up, and don’t be afraid of the shadows you walk. I will be with you, every step, every blink. 

I stared into her dark eyes, mesmerized, as the dream around me turned into nothingness. And the last thing I heard before falling into a deep, dreamless slumber was:

Sometimes the blinding light hides more than the deepest shadow, Zoi… Sometimes things are best hidden when they are seen by all. Don’t be afraid of the shadows… don’t try to escape the dark.

Chapter Text

I woke up in a very anticlimactic way: I simply realised that I wasn’t asleep anymore.

I stretched, feeling like after a midday nap that went wrong. Everything ached, my head was heavy, I had no idea how much time had passed and also I felt like biting off the head of anyone trying to bother me.

At least I was lying and not sitting up, outside, with mosquitoes. I even felt covered with some sort of blanket. Did Grandma?..

No, no, she couldn’t have dragged me in all the way to the bed without waking me up. Or hitting my head on something. She had always been a sturdy woman, but I was pretty sure she never did powerlifting. 

Then… where the hell was I?

I opened my eyes, blinking and hissing at the light. Well, I was not in the back of a van, surrounded by kidnappers, which was already a plus. I was in an actual bed in what looked like a very bland guest room that I didn’t recognise. The single window was curtained, so I had no idea what time of day it was.

And Grandma was there with me, apparently. She was sitting on a small chair, seemingly half asleep herself, but she jerked up and looked up when I looked at her, as if she could feel it somehow.

"Oh! Hello, dear", she cooed, hastily standing up and coming to sit at the edge of my bed as quickly as her legs could go. "I see you’ve finally decided to wake up… you’ve made me worry, young lady. I hope you won’t do this again."

I blinked at her, trying to understand. "What? Do what? But… uh. I just sat down to wait…" The events before that - the Marking, the trip home, the talk, the escape - rushed through my mind, and I groaned, trying to concentrate on the here and now. "I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I was just… tired and lightheaded, I guess. Where are we?"

Grandma reached out to take my hand into hers. "You’re safe, dear. We are at House of Night."

"...Ah." I paused, a little dumbfounded, and took another look around. Well, I was definitely relieved to find no red candles, blood sigils on the walls or horned skulls lying around as decorations. I guess I shouldn’t have trusted John on that.

Grandma made a very unceremonious giggle, watching me look for signs of black magic in the room. "The people here are actually very polite, my dear, so very polite. They made me a coffee and let me stay here while you slept. They even gave me a bed." Then, in her cranky voice, she added: "Though the bed could be better, let me tell you."

I snorted, and Grandma winked at me. 

"I see you are ordering them around already, good job. Wait - a bed? Why did you need it? How long was I asleep, Grandma?"

She sighed. "Longer than a day… The boy who was with you told me that it is a part of the process, though I did not understand all of it."

"...What boy, Grandma?" I felt like every question only led to more confusion.

"That vampire boy - a real gentleman! He met me on the path as I was walking home, he told me what to do later and called someone, and… oh, he actually came just a minute ago to check on you. He cannot be far away." She stood up for a second and called out: "Andrew?"

After a few moments the door opened, and someone peeked inside. He had a filled-in blue Mark, framed by soft black locks, and he was tall but scrawny. "Yes?- Oh! Oh, Zoe’s awake. That’s good. I’m glad." He smiled at me, grinning wide and happy so that I could see both sharp fangs on full display.

I wasn’t looking at the fangs, though. I was staring in his stone-cold sapphire eyes.

It was the Tracker. The one that gave me the Mark.

"It’s you", I said, barely above a whisper, crawling back a little. It was him. The one who sent my life tumbling upside down.

Grandma looked between us in confusion. "Zoey, did he hurt you? Do I ask him to leave? I do not have my frying pan here, but I can lead him out by the ear."

The boy’s grin died down, and he raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I know what you’re thinking - you’re not the first. You’re thinking, how horrible he is, how could he do this to me! And, well… it wasn’t me. Sorry. It is Nyx’s job to give Marks. Trackers cannot do that."

I frowned. He didn’t look like he was lying. He could be a very good liar, though. "No thank you, Grandma. And… what were you doing there, then?"

"Oh, um, well. Tracking? " He smiled again, a little sadder now. "This is what we do. We get… visions of who’s going to get a Mark and when and where. Then we go find them. The announcement is a ceremonial thing, but it is also for the people around so that they’d stay away, hopefully… Did I scare you?"

"Yeah," I mumbled.

"Oh! That’s good!" I sent Andrew a death glare, and he waved his hands at me. "Listen, I learned hard how to do it properly. It has to be scary. Otherwise…" For a second he was not as overly excited anymore. "Well, some people never make it to their Schools. Most often, because of the people they run into. We are just trying to prevent the damage.To scare the crowds away during the first few minutes, at least."

"Alright, let’s say the stroke I almost got back then was justified," I said, sighing. "What were you doing around me later?"

"Well… that is also part of the job." Andrew scratched the back of his head, making his locks even unrulier. "The Tracker and the newly Marked that they’d been called to… there is a link between them, in a way. So the Tracker stays behind until the fledgling makes it to safety. There are all sorts of situations out there, sometimes people need to be helped out. So we help them." He shrugged, smiling. "High Priestess Neferet will probably explain it better than me. I am not a theory guy. I am more about practice."

"High Priestess?" I asked, rubbing my temples. Oh boy, I needed a second head to deal with this onslaught of information.

"Yeah! Oh, right - I need to tell her you are awake. She was interested in your tattoo." And with this, Andrew was gone, faster than the passing wind.

I sent Grandma a helpless look. She shrugged. "Don’t look at me like this, dear. I am afraid I do not know much about vampires, myself… A little, but not much."

"A little?"

"I’ve been raised back on continent, remember?" Grandma sighed, obviously remembering her youth in Greece - the golden days she’d been retelling to me ever since. "It is impossible to know nothing about vampires if you grow up there. It is like growing up in France and never hearing a word about Napoleon."

"Oh, I love that cake", I said innocently, and Grandma gave me a look.

Well, it was true. I didn’t grow in Greece, but even I knew stories about Nyx that Grandma told me. After all, she was a Greek goddess, first and foremost, and that was where the first vampires came from. Which was a bit strange, actually. I’d think that, if you literally turned to ashes in the sun, you’d rather choose to appear somewhere around the North Pole.

I didn’t get to linger on this, because the door creaked open once more.

Andrew made an appearance again, grinning as if he had won the Olympics, twice. He was followed by an even taller red haired woman who looked… astonishing at the very least. She too had a cyan crescent moon etched between her brows. I was again reminded of a stone statue, polished and perfect, that somehow could walk and talk… and smile. Damn, I was going to die of embarrassment and envy at this rate. 

The woman nodded to the sapphire-eyed boy. "Thank you, Andrew. Good job on bringing her here." Andrew beamed, bowed in a very pompous way and disappeared, and the woman - High Priestess Neferet, as I guessed - turned to me. Her eyes were sharp. I shivered, feeling vulnerable, as if I was being scanned.

"Welcome to the House of Night, Zoe. My name is Neferet. I was hoping to talk to you soon. How do you feel?"

I decided to skip over the past-midday-nap sensations. "Fine enough, I guess… Is anything wrong?"

"I wouldn’t call it wrong", Neferet said carefully, smiling at me. "It is simply strange… though not unheard of… I’m talking about your tattoo." 

I frowned at her, not understanding, and with a swift gesture Neferet pulled out a little mirror. I looked at my reflection and made a tiny surprised sound: the outline of the crescent moon on my forehead was now filled in as well with a blue so pale that it was almost white.

My Life, my Moonlight…

"I was hoping that you’d have an explanation, though." Neferet looked at me, tilting her head. "Perhaps something happened… did you have any strange visions? Any dreams?"

I just happened to know a peculiar dream, indeed, but… I glanced in Neferet’s eyes, and suddenly I realised I really, really did not want to tell her anything. The feeling came and passed before I could recognise it, but the decision remained.

"Not really", I said, looking aside as if I was trying hard to remember. "I mean… I was really lightheaded by the end of the day, so I simply don’t remember much. Maybe I had something, but forgot? I don’t know."

Neferet held my stare for a few moments and then sighed and flashed an apologetic smile at me. "The visions Nyx sends us ar impossible to forget, child. I suppose it might be just her will - her ways are a mystery even to her most loyal servants." She shook her head. "In any case, while you were asleep, your body was reacting to the Mark and going through the primary Change, so now you are a real vampire fledgling. As long as you remain among your kind, you will be okay. Since you are now conscious, you can now have a tour around the premises and meet your new neighbours." 

"Are you sure she will be okay?" Grandma chimed in, seemingly not distracted by the fact she was talking to a vampire, and a high class one at that. "All this sleep…"

"It is a natural process. She is completely fine now." Neferet motioned for me to sit up, which I did, a little confusedly. My body was still sore, but everything seemed to be working just like it should, and the cough was gone. "Do not worry. I will personally oversee Zoe’s progress here as her mentor, and I can promise you that no harm will come to her while I care for her."

Grandma squinted at Neferet and slowly nodded. I knew that look. That was the exact kind of look she gave John on the rare occasions they saw each other, the one that made him complain about being hexed.

"Good. You will be held to your promise, Neferet. I will see to it." Then she pat me on the head and winked at me. "If anyone bullies you here, just you say a word to your old Grandma, okay, dear? Just you say a word, and I won’t even care if they are vampire or not, I will make them regret it a whole lot."

"I don’t even doubt it", I said earnestly, and Grandma hugged me one more time and left.

Neferet stood right in front of me, with her arms crossed, watching our exchange with a hint of amusement. "Well, are you ready for your new life, Zoe?"

What kind of question was that? I had no idea what was going on, my knees shook, and I felt like a garden gnome next to this woman. But I didn’t need any cosmic messages to make me understand that maybe admitting that was a bad idea.

"Yeah!" I lied through my teeth.

Neferet smiled even softer, taking me by the hand, and so my new life officially started.

Chapter Text

One thing I noticed right off the bat: there were cats. Everywhere.

A couple of them immediately went to me to sniff my legs as soon as we left the room, another one gave me a stinky eye and walked away showing me its butt, and whenever I looked up I saw a few cats chilling on shelves high above the ground. Huh. I mentally gave the House a few bonus points for that. Why do they never mention that? I bet less people would be freaked out if they knew that vampires were in fact old crazy cat people. They probably need a better PR manager. More ads in popular tabloids. "Wanted: new vampires. Cats and snacks on the House. Requirements: drinking blood, looking perfect."

I gave Neferet’s graceful gait a look and sighed in helpless envy. Together we looked like a typical nerd and a most-popular-girl-ever from a cheesy teen movie. According to the genre laws, eventually I would have to best her and steal her boyfriend or something. Well, hopefully not. Drama is only interesting as long as it happens to someone else.

"So, my dear", Neferet said softly, making me perk up, "what are you thinking of?"

...Well, I definitely wasn’t telling her that one cheesy teen movie part.

"Uh, cats," I said. "There is definitely…" A fluffy lightning rushed past me. "...A lot of cats here."

"It is. I suppose many people want a pet, especially in such a new environment. When your life is changed so drastically, it is nice to have someone trusted alongside. Even if that someone meows instead of talking." She smiled at me, as if she knew exactly how I felt. That was both a bit awkward and relieving. "However, dogs do not adjust to night lifestyle well, and exotic nocturnal pets are not everyone’s cup of tea… So cats are a more common choice. Besides, once they were believed to be gods themselves. That was quite some time ago and in a different place, but… who knows? I wouldn’t be surprised if they talked to Nyx in their free time." 

I nodded, looking at the cats around with more respect. One of them, busy licking its butt, paused briefly to make eye contact with me and then resumed its activity right away. I felt the respect leave my body once again.

"Alright, here are some essentials for you to remember", Neferet said. Her footsteps echoed in the stone hall, making the place feel solemn and a bit intimidating, and the big windows made of thick painted glass made me think of an old abandoned church or something. "Since we cannot survive in daylight, we work on a different timetable than most schools. Classes begin at eight PM and end at three AM. The gym is open until dawn. Nyx's Temple is open at all hours, but formal rituals are held twice a week right after school. The next ritual will be tomorrow. What else… There are clocks in every classroom and hall to help you keep track of time, and I strongly recommend you getting a watch to avoid accidents. However, with time you will learn to sense the sunrise getting closer." 

She paused, letting the information sink in. My head was already spinning a little, so I appreciated that.

"We organise small night tours to the town every other Friday to let the students restock on school supplies, snacks, clothing items and such. They are heavily guarded, of course. There’s also a small shop on the school grounds, just in case… Last but not least, I really don’t recommend sneaking away from the House." She gave me a sad look that was a bit too distant for my liking, as if she had seen too much. "Even if you think you can trust your family and friends, even if you think you can look after yourself well enough… sometimes you are wrong. There are visit days, in any case. I cannot stress it hard enough: you should leave the House under no circumstances. This is the only place that can keep you safe."

I gulped, nodding. Well, that was a fine way to start a new life.

Neferet’s expression softened. "Don’t worry, you can ask me or whoever else any time if you mix something up. A fledgling is never left without help here." She smiled, and I relaxed a little. "No one expects you to get everything right off the bat. Very few people are capable of making no mistakes at all, especially when they are so young and faced with something as big as this."

I barely had time to open my mouth when something red flew right past me like a cannonball and made a beeline up Neferet’s dress - so the only sound that came out of my mouth was a high pitched girly squeal. For a second I thought we were under a goblin attack or something, and when the red intruder meowed at me I breathed a sigh of both relief and embarrassment. Oh, okay, a cat. Right. Cats are a thing that exists. How unexpected.

"Well, hello there", Neferet cooed in a special cat owner voice, scratching behind the cat’s ears. The cat amiably headbutted her and made itself comfortable on her shoulder, looking ready to prowl at a moose if one happened to pass by. "Zoe, this is Skylar. He owns this hall, so better beware. Never try to manhandle him. He is a known biter."

I looked at Skylar and slowly blinked, offering him my hand to sniff. His tail wagged nervously, and I was already regretting my decision to get acquainted with him when Skylar finally gave my fingers a sniff and blinked back, briefly rubbing his cheek against my palm to scent me. I breathed out: okay, we were good. 

"Curious", my vampire mentor commented, watching me tame the beast. "He finds you okay enough… Do you have a cat of your own? You seem to know how to treat them."

"I did, but…" I shrugged helplessly. "His name was Fluffy, awful original, I know, and I had him for about… five years, I guess? But then… we had to give him up for adoption. He found a new home soon enough, but I still miss him." I didn’t mention that it was actually John who left one day with a cat carrier and returned back home alone, claiming that he was tired of being allergic. He definitely did not bother asking anyone beforehand. "He was a great little buddy, and I looked up stuff to be a responsible cat lady."

"That’s good. I’m sure if you’ll want to, you’ll find yourself a cat friend here soon." 

Skylar apparently decided that he’d had enough of us and skyrocketed away with his tail up in the air. I watched him disappear, sighing dreamily. "I’d love to. Cats are great. Man, I remember Fluffy liked collecting socks, and that one time we had to push the sofa away because he dragged-"

Neferet chuckled, waving her hand at me. "Careful, my dear. If we start sharing cat stories, we will spend a century in this spot, and it is not even a particularly good spot." She put a hand on my shoulder, guiding me forward once again. "It is about an hour left till dinner, so you have enough time to go to your room, unpack and change. Before you ask, yes, we still eat normal human food." I made an awkward sound because I almost blurted out the same exact question. "Only mature vampires need blood to go on. Fledglings are free to keep their preferred diets… Well, that is about everything, Zoe. I’d love to give you a tour around the grounds myself, but I can sense that I will be needed somewhere else soon."

I stared at her. "Oh my god - I mean, um. How?"

"Well, when you come of age as a mature vampire, sometimes you get a special power. It is always a bit of a lottery. And my special ability is sensing trouble in the House. Always. No matter what." Neferet watched me gaping at her for a few seconds and then suddenly smiled wide. "I am just joking. But it has been more than five hours without accidents, and my experience tells me that peace never lasts." 

She paused, studying my forehead. "I wish I knew what powers you’ll get", she mumbled absentmindedly.

"I wonder too", I said, making her blink as if she forgot she was speaking out loud.

"Well, you will know in time." She gave my shoulder a little comforting squeeze. "I’m sure you will surprise us all."

I nodded, feeling like a kid who’s being given a pep talk by a mall Santa, and we went all the way up to a huge wooden door that apparently would let us out. I glanced at the carvings on it - crescent moons, vines, columns that made me think of Acropolis - and held my breath.

"Um… Neferet? I wanted to ask…"

Neferet turned to me, the lamps’ lights trembling in her eyes. "Yes?"

I wanted to ask her about the dark mountain and the impossibly perfect woman who held my face and called me her Life. Instead, I opened my mouth and said:

"What about… what about the, uh… the possibility? You know… that I don’t make it through."

"Aw, my dear…" Neferet cupped my face pretty much like Nyx herself did. "Do not worry about it. I don’t think Nyx would mark you so uniquely without a reason. Besides, it is usually accidents that get mixed up in the statistics… unfortunately, we cannot predict everything." She pursed her lips for a second. "And finally… Usually there are clear signs that someone is not going to make the Change, and you show none."

"Signs?" I asked, a bit overwhelmed.

"Yes… I do not know how to put it; you will notice it if you pay attention and learn where to look. It feels like… imperfections." Neferet waved her hand. "It is hard to explain."

"...Okay." I was a bit confused, but at least I could stop thinking the inevitable demise, so in the end it checked out. 

Neferet nodded and opened the door for me, and I was treated to a sight of what looked like a large courtyard full of trees and intersected by tile paths (that had dandelions and grass blades sticking rebelliously from between the tiles). There were people, too: mostly other teens doing teen stuff. It looked like a boarding school, or more like a picture of a boarding school from a heavily photoshopped pamphlet. The school house itself was fairly normal as well, if old and covered in vines that probably were as ancient as Grandma, and next to it there was a very church-like building with pointy roof and a huge sculpture on top. I squinted and recognised Nyx’s face and figure; the resemblance was so uncanny that I almost expected her to move from her spot and start mingling with the students.

Right, the students. Despite my fears, there were no human teeth necklaces or cow skull hats or nakedness. They looked like any human teens did, except they were all dressed in dark uniforms. Oh great, I guess I could say goodbye to sitting all comfy in my hoodies and T-shirts. Welcome to my life, stiff shirts and skirts of weird shapes. At least I could spot a few kids with ridiculously neon hair and breathed a sigh of relief: if there were dorks present, then it couldn’t be too bad.

"Well, what do you think so far?" Neferet asked.

I took a deep breath and readied a reply, but then my stomach decided to make a dying whale sound and I coughed in terror.

Neferet laughed, and the sound was airy and soft. "Alright, I suppose I…" A shrill ring sounded off, and she fished out a phone only to stare at the screen and frown. "Ah, just as I thought… Zoe, you’ll have to find the dormitory by yourself - it’s way over there. Sorry to disappear so suddenly, but this is urgent."

"It’s alright", I assured her, feeling like I was pushing away my lifeline, and in a moment she was gone and I was alone.

By myself.

In a vampire school.

Well, if that was not the time to panic, then I don’t even know what was.

Chapter Text

I spent a good ten minutes all by myself, lurking by a particularly shady bush and trying to wish myself away to some nice far away beach with no one in sight. But alas, I was not a genie nor a witch, so eventually I had to stop staring at the people around and - gasp - ask them for help.

Eventually.

Not right now.

To be honest, though, the students around looked just like… students. They talked and laughed, and some of them were chewing on suspiciously normal lunches, so the yard looked like a normal school yard during recess, save for the night sky above. Something was weird, though.

I blinked and suddenly realised that I couldn’t see a single person who wouldn’t be pretty. Or handsome. Or at least vaguely interesting in some sort of way. It felt like I was stuck in a popular movie about college, with heavily makeuped, dashing thirty year olds pretending to be teenagers. I gulped, feeling even worse.

Alright, where was my backbone? I swear it was right here just a moment ago.

I managed to get unstuck and stumbled forward, squinting. Most students were hanging in pairs or groups, which only added to my uncertainty, but finally I spotted a single girl - a tiny blonde - who was walking across the lawn, looking like she owned the grass on it. She probably knew the place well, if anything, and she looked vaguely my age, so I hurried up, catching up with her.

"Hey, um - I’m sorry, but I’m new and kind of lost." The girl turned around to my universal newbie call for help, and I was treated to the Titular Popular Girl face. Damn. I swallowed nervously and fidgeted with the hem of my hoodie. That wasn’t fair, pretty people made me nervous. "I have to get to the dorm, but I have no idea where it is, so, um…"

"Ah", the girl replied. She put one hand on her hip, looking me up and down. Her eyes glided over my Mark before she stared me in the eye again. "Hello, then. My name is Aphrodite." Her voice pitched slightly with the unpronounced question.

"Oh, right. I’m Zoe", I said quickly. Do I shake her hand? No, that’s ridiculous. I elected to simply smile, hoping it didn’t look too awkward. Did I look awkward? Was my hoodie clean enough? ...What kind of parents name their daughter Aphrodite? I won’t lie, she did look doll-like pretty, but come on. "It’s nice to meet you." 

"Oh, I know", Aphrodite said in a tone that didn’t quite let you deduce if that was a joke or a sincere statement. I made a little chuckle just in case. "Well, you’re lucky. I was just walking to the dorm."

"Oh! Great." She started walking again, and I tried to follow her. It was a bit hard because she was smaller than me, and I had to settle into a weird hobble to keep up with her quick steps. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome. Just don’t make it a habit." She waved it off, not looking at me. "Zoe, Zoe… By any chance, are you that kid that decided to play Snow White and fell asleep for days?"

I made a wonderfully unnatural chuckle. "Um. Yeah. That’s me."

Aphrodite suddenly turned her face to me and watched me very carefully, as if studying me. Then she nodded to herself, turning away from me once more and leaving me to wonder what conclusions she had arrived to. "...Funny Mark you have there."

"Yeah, I know", I said, wondering if I should cover it with my hair again. "Kinda freaky, I guess, isn’t it?"

"I guess it is", Aphrodite said, not exactly helpful. She soared up the stairs and pushed the door to a smaller stone building. "Well, there it is. Try not to gawk around or get lost till I get you to your room." 

I sped up, but still gawked like no tomorrow. The place was actually amazing. The colors were warm and natural, there were lots of soft couches and pillows to sit on, and tiny tables to put your cups, and fresh flowers in vases, and everything that you only ever see in decor catalogues for shamelessly rich people. A few other girls chattered away in the hall but fell silent when we came closer, considering me in the same way Aphrodite did.

"Hey, everyone. This is Zoe. She’s new", my tiny guide announced, looking at them pointedly. "You know the drill. Don’t eat her whole." She motioned for me to follow, resuming her quick pace. I stumbled behind her and gave the girls a wave. Some of them waved back, and I relaxed just a bit. Well, that was not so bad.

Aphrodite walked me up the stairs to the second floor and then down the hall. She kept silent all the time. I wondered what she was thinking about.

"Alright", she suddenly said, turning to me as if she could read my thoughts. "Listen, here’s the deal. There are rules. Rules that are meant to be followed for your own sake. And as long as you stick to them and do as you are told, you will be fine and things will be easier for us both. I’ve worked hard to maintain this place’s reputation - and those flowers and snacks and disks with films don’t come from nowhere, too. This place is meant to be perfect, and I’d rather you kept it this way, understood ?" 

I nodded, unnerved, and Aphrodite’s tense frown disappeared, replaced by a calmer bossy look.

"Good. Now… No boys snuck in, no drinks or cigs left lying around for everyone to see. Nyx forbid, no ruining the furniture. I’ll hold you responsible for every scratch and every stain. If you think I won’t tear your head off for a cut sofa, trust me, I will." She waved for me to follow, walking down the hall, and I obeyed, still a bit dizzy from all that barrage. "Your room is to the left. If you suddenly get a severe case of topographic blindness, there’s literally a sign on the door with your name."

She didn’t lie: I noticed little silver signs with names on the other doors, and the one Aphrodite knocked on definitely had mine – though I didn’t have enough time to read the second one.

"Come on in!" called a perky voice with an Okie accent, and in a moment I was ushered inside.

I saw a light room with two beds – and a fair-headed girl who rushed forward to the two of us, though she paused and frowned at the sight of Aphrodite. Ah, so I wasn’t the only one getting the jibbies.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Alright, everyone, this is a public service announcement. Zoe, this is Stevie Rae. Stevie, this is Zoe. I hope we will all be good friends and don’t scratch each other’s faces off at least during the first ten minutes. Now, run along or something. I have important stuff to do." She waved her hand at us like a busy mom dismissing her children and left, her heels clacking away against the wooden floors.

I blinked and turned to Stevie Rae. We looked each other over, both unsure about each other. Then I asked: "Is she always like… this?"

Stevie gave me a little crooked smile in return. "Pretty much."

I returned the smile. "It’s kind of like she thinks the dorm is her swamp, to be honest."

That actually made Stevie giggle, and her smile grew. "Oh that she does, you have no idea."

"I think I am starting to get an idea," I said, snorting. "Is she, like, the headteacher’s… uh… the High Priestess’ daughter or something?"

"Nah, she’s not! But she’d definitely love to be, I guess", Stevie playfully retaliated with no real poison behind the words. "She looks adopted sometimes, with how she follows Neferet around! Maybe they are related, who knows…" She chewed on her lip for a moment and shook her head. "Anyway, I’m glad you’re here, Zoe! I’m glad you’re here and fine. We were really worried, you know."

"We? Worried?" I raised a brow, feeling ill at ease.

Stevie must have noticed because she waved her hands at me like a tiny panicking windmill. "It’s just, well, news spread fast here! It’s a small place, really… So we’ve all heard about a fledgling who slept for longer than usual. Some people were afraid that, well…" She stopped herself and shrugged. "Well, that’s just not good! And your tattoo… Like I said, news spread fast."

"I see..." I stared down at the tips of my boots, slowly shifting my weight and suddenly uncomfortable in my skin. Well, I guess everyone was more aware of my existence than I’d like them to be and I didn’t exactly enjoy that. It felt like moving houses and then finding out that your new neighbours have written "WELCOME NEW BUDDY" all over your roof in stark white paint. 

What came next shocked me because I was suddenly caught in a tight warm hug. I froze, not knowing what to do, but then Stevie pat me on the back, and it was all I needed to cling back like an emotionally deprived tick. 

"Hey, keep your chin up, okay? I know it is scary, especially at first, but… It’s not the end of the world! Promise!" She looked at me, smiling, and though it’s a bit weird to compare people to dogs, at that moment she resembled a young labrador to me - with her short blonde hair and big honest eyes. "We’ve all been through that, and no one’s gonna leave you all alone here. Even if you start fighting back!"

I snorted, snapping out of my sulk and moving away. "I guess that’s a deal… How long have you been here?"

"Three months now, and I’m glad I’ve finally got a roommate! It was way too quiet here." She grinned and plopped down onto her bed, patting the spot next to her in invitation. I sat down, taking the chance to look around. She had a liking for strangely grandma-like clay statuettes featuring birds, snakes and dressed up people, and there were posters hung over her bed and a guitar sitting in the corner. My half of the room looked bare and lifeless - save for my backpack sitting on the bed like a lone survivor. 

Stevie followed my stare. "Didn’t have time to pack?"

"Not really…" I shrugged, unsure of how much exactly I was going to tell. "I guess I’ll have to go minimalist. I like how your half looks, though."

"Don’t worry, you’ll have time to turn into a hoarder." She elbowed me, thankfully not asking any more questions. "And thanks! You should’ve seen mom trying to fit half of the house into my bags. I had to tell her that there’s no way I could drag three bean bags all the way to Tulsa."

I snorted. "Not with that attitude."

"Hey, I did take half a dozen of pillows with me. She caught me off guard with those." Stevie smiled and sighed at the memory. "Dad and my brothers helped me move in, I would never get all of it here alone."

"Oh, you have siblings too?" I latched onto that familiar line of thought. "I have a brother and a sister myself! Nick and Alex. I am the middle kid." Damn, I really wanted to call them by now, but… maybe not at midnight.

"That must be neat! I wonder how having a sister feels… I have three brothers." She shook her head, looking like a world weary hero. "Constant battle. First they are small and cute, but before you know it they start uniting against you and eating your favorite cereal while you don’t look."

"Oh, trust me, I know. And somehow each time it is your turn to do the dishes." We shared an understanding look. 

Stevie suddenly jumped. "Dishes! Right, we can’t miss dinner. You’ve got to change first, though…" She gave me a scrutinizing look and nodded. "I think we’re same size, so you can wear my shirt till you get some proper uniform. As long as your upper half is vaguely black, your jeans should be fine." 

While she was busy plundering her wardrobe I had a chance to take her own outfit in. To my surprise, what I took for black trousers at first were actually jeans. A slightly paler shirt and a dark blue sweater completed the look of a goth child in making, but her personal style still showed through in a bright red bandanna around her neck, an equally red belt and a pair of crimson and white sneakers on her feet. 

"Don’t we have to wear all black here?"

"Honestly…" She shrugged, not stopping in her tracks. "We do, but as long as you are mostly dark and wear the sign, you’re free to go. I mean, it’s crazy to go completely monochrome."

"Sign?"

"Mhm." She finally pulled a dark blue shirt and a sweater for me, the latter equipped with a big blue pin shaped like a crescent moon. I slid my fingers over it before starting to dress up. "There are four grades, each has a moon as a sign. The first one, also known as us, gets a blue crescent, the second gets a half moon, the third a growing one and the last one gets a full pale moon. Easy to remember." 

I turned around to pull my hoodie off and slide into the shirt. Stevie Rae was right, it did fit me fine. "Thanks. For, well. Everything. Not just clothes. For not being… well… dunno. Pushy. Or weird and bloodthirsty."

Stevie snorted, tilting her head to a side. "You’re welcome. And… You’re my roommate. I figured you’d tell me what you wanted when you wanted. One thing growing up in a small town taught me is that it’s best to mind your own business and to never spit into the well you’ll be drinking from. Metaphorically. And, well, we’re gonna be rooming together for four years...." She shrugged, letting the unpronounced ‘hopefully’ hang between us. "I figured I should be a good representative of Henrietta, Oklahoma."

I giggled and felt a tiny bit better about everything. "I think you’re doing a good job so far."

"Thanks, ma’am!" she replied with an exaggerated accent, and that was how I finally entered my new life: laughing and with the best friend I would ever have.

Chapter Text

Honestly, I half expected to see something straight out from Hogwarts when I was walking to the dining hall. So, when the doors opened to reveal a semi-normal cafeteria I couldn’t suppress a disappointed sigh. It looked nice, sure, but a sky-like ceiling would be a good idea, you know.

Most students seemed to have already found their way here and were now talking and munching away, paying the two of us little attention. I glanced around. It was a rather large hall, lit by cozy small lanterns and filled with wooden tables and padded benches, with a large counter in the center that held the food - and it actually looked like real food, not the cardboard tasting nonsense that you get at most cafeterias. Well, more bonus points in my book. (Do they allow taking food to the rooms, I wonder? For, you know, late night snacking purposes.) 

The rear wall was actually one big window made mostly of the same thick painted glass, which made sense with how direct sunlight would turn half the population here to ash. Of course, it was another picture of Nyx residing on a flowery hill, and when I squinted around I noticed more small figurines and statues of her. The walls were painted with an ornament that depicted different phases of the moon, one after another. I raised a brow, wondering silently if they hang her portraits in every classroom like some religious schools do with crucifixes. 

"Well, here you go", Stevie Rae said, making me snap out of my thoughts. She led me to the line where we both grabbed a tray - thankfully, there were no slowpokes that would meditate over which salad to pick, so the queue was short and moving fast. "The food is good here, don’t worry about starving, and if you want to, you can sit at our table. You know, the cool kids table." She grinned at me. "You can always join someone else, I mean…"

"I’ll sit with you", I said quickly, not thrilled by the idea. Nope, I had no desire to be the poor loner with the full tray who roams the hall begging for someone to lend them a seat.

"Oh, sure, then." 

I sniffed the air and melted into the cloud of smells that surrounded the counter. It was our turn, and I was hungry as a wolf on a particularly bad streak of luck, so I piled on spaghetti and meatballs. Then I imagined Alex squinting at me in her health freak way and guiltily took a small bowl of salad too. "Wait, is that garlic?"

Stevie snorted at me sniffling the dish with suspicion. "Yeah, it is - don’t worry, no one’s trying to assassinate you. It’s actually fine to eat it. I think I’ve heard something about it… Something like a certain vampire hating the smell of garlic so much that he invented the idea that it hurt vampires. Lots of stories start this way."

I chuckled. "Well, that’s one way to deal with the problem, I guess…" A very dramatic one, that’s for sure.

Stevie, as my ever helpful guide, took me to a table where three other people sat already: a boy and two girls. They were busy talking in the tone you use for slandering authority figures behind their backs, but they fell quiet when we approached. I swallowed and waved, sliding into the booth after Stevie Rae.

"Alright, all of you, this is Zoe. She’s a-okay, she has two siblings, and she’s just moved in." I smiled to myself at this quick summary. "She’s my new roommate, so be nice to her, or else I will eat your salami." 

They shared a little giggle at this, leaving me to wonder what kind of inside joke that was.

"Moving on… This is Erin." Stevie motioned to a tall girl who immediately tidied her auburn hair as if on reflex. "She’s the fashion police, she has more shoes than I have ever seen in my life, she’s big on design and color schemes and whatnot, and please never ask her for clothing advice if you are not ready for a three hour lecture."

Erin rolled her eyes. "Har har har. I’m not that much of a stuck up."

"Oh, believe me, you are", snorted a short, plump black girl sitting next to her. She flashed me a quick smile. "I’m Shaunee, and I am the stuck-up’s roommate who’s there to balance out her stuck-upness! Sorry for not waiting for you to make an official announcement, Stevie. I practiced this line in my head for too long."

"Well, I can still describe you", Stevie said graciously. "Yep, that’s Shaunee, she likes moths - this is a defining characteristic - she loves gossip and she’s the one to know something before anyone else and their mom does. Also Erin and Shaunee are a two-for-one deal."

The parts of the deal nodded with an important air. "Sisters", they said in unison. 

I blinked. They did not look like relatives to me, unless they were adopted. "What?"

Erin sighed, while Shaunee giggled and looked me in the eye. "Sisters. Soulmates! I mean, we are not related but we are really in tune with each other. We can even read each other’s thoughts! Listen: tell us to pick any number, and we will show you."

Huh. "Okay, um. Pick any number."

The girls put on a show of thinking hard for a few seconds and then nodded. Shaunee turned to Erin, smirking. "Alright, soulmate, ready? On one, two, three…"

And then they both inhaled and said in perfect harmony: "Any number."

I couldn’t help snorting and hiding my face in my palms, Stevie giggled, and the previously silent boy next to them sighed. "Oh for Nyx’s sake, you cannot keep doing the same thing every time." He turned his long suffering stare to me. "You won’t believe how many times they have done this already."

"And that’s Damien", Stevie commented. Damien made a little joking bow that looked even more ridiculous with how he was wedged into the corner. "He’s a bit of a grammar nerd, and he reads ridiculously much, and if you ever type out ‘your’ instead of ‘you’re’ around him he will sense it and come to screech at you. Oh, also when he starts talking like a full-fledged monarch, it’s time to run. He eats with his other friends sometimes, so don’t be confused if he skips on a meal with us."

"It’s always a terrible tragedy, but we manage somehow," Erin added immediately, which prompted Damien to send her another look full of suffering. "Though we always cry our eyes out till he comes back home into our open arms."

"Very funny. I know you love me," Damien calmly retaliated before returning to his meal.

"I do, and that’s the only reason I still tolerate you. Somehow. It’s hard."

"Oh - Are you, like, dating?" I blurted out.

Both Erin and Damien stared at me as if I had just suggested eating a few babies as a group bonding activity.

"Nah, I am too gay for that. We’re just old friends. Really old friends. We actually knew each other before all that thing, hence why I am here." Damien waved at the table in front of him. "We were parts of that obligatory ‘optional’ postcrossing program and then it turned out we both actually enjoyed sending postcards. And before you know it we were sending each other whole bunches of them. I think I made a postman cry one day. Guess he was too weak for the job."

"Well, as you see, this stone cold gentleman and me are not up to each other’s tastes", Erin stated. Damien nodded importantly. "Since, thank Nyx, I am not a boy. I wouldn’t manage. Those damn big feet of theirs. Do you know how hard it is to find decent heels of a big size?"

After they have finished snorting I gave a little hum of acknowledgement. "Well, I guess I’m in good hands here."

"Huh, so you had doubts about that?" Erin gave me a menacing look as Shaunee elbowed her, giggling. "Say thank you that Stevie has caught you before you ended up with Ditto over there."

"Ditto?"

"Aphrodite", Stevie clarified, frowning again. "She likes hogging new girls to herself."

"Not all girls," Shaunee added while I was struggling with a mental picture of dragon Aphrodite atop a pile of hoarded princesses. "Only the prettiest ones. Or those who have special powers… Or those who are special themselves, in a better sort of way." She shrugged. "Not too many make the cut, and that’s for the better."

"Why would she hog me, then?" I was definitely not the prettiest girl here (alas, I still was nothing like Irene Papas), nor with a special power… unless you counted the ability to lie with a straight face special.

"Your Mark, duh", Erin said, calmly watching her nails. When Stevie and Shaunee turned to her with silent huffy disapproval, she raised her brows. "What? I just addressed the elephant in the room. Sorry, but I am not going to awkwardly dance around the topic."

"No one asked you to do that…" Shaunee hid her face in her palms for a second and then looked up at me apologetically. "She is right, Zoe. Sorry. I’ve heard that she was planning to get you on her team while you were asleep because she thought your Mark means something. Something big." She waited for a few seconds, looking as if she was about to burst, and then blurted out: "Does it? Did you have any weird signs or anything? Any special powers? Sorry, sorry, but - I need to know, or I will catch fire!"

"I like the sound of ‘spontaneously combust’ more. And she can", Damien agreed, chuckling. "She absolutely can."

I made an uneasy attempt to shrug. "I’m not sure? I mean, Nyx gave me a pep talk, but apparently everyone gets one, so… If there were any signs, I must have been looking the other way. And I already tried flying and telekinesis. It does not work. Or I am using the wrong muscles."

Shaunee’s expression dimmed, but she nodded anyway. "Well, that’s already better than not knowing anything… But man, Aphrodite’s going to be so mad to learn that!"

"She will be." Damien nodded, sighing. "Don’t be sad you didn’t make it into Team Ditto. It’s a bad team that’s not really a team at all. Just girls who stick together as long as everything is nice and games but who will turn on you the second you do something wrong. The suckiest part is, there are actually good people in there, but when they are together? There’s the worst kind of crowd mentality at work."

"Oh, I… see. I’ve met groups like that before…" I shivered, remembering the worst summer camp of my life. Mom had to pull me out early because I kept calling her and sobbing into the phone. "...By the way, why Ditto?"

"Well… Aphro-dite. Dite. Ditto." Stevie half-smiled at me. "Not the best name, but we had to think of something."

"She also follows Neferet everywhere", Shaunee said with a conspirative voice. "As if she’s trying to imitate her. They fall out every once in a while over something, but then she comes running back each time. Like a kicked puppy."

I blinked. Somehow, the image of Aphrodite obediently waiting for Neferet’s approval did not sit right with the expression I had of her. "Really?"

"Really. She’s probably just trying to be a teacher’s pet or something to get away with more things. I’ve heard her parents are big jobs, and she probably already dreams of being the next High Priestess." Shaunee made a sour face. "Dunno if she will manage, but she bosses everyone around as if she already was one." 

"Yeah, I’ve noticed..." I grimaced, remembering the promise I was forced to give. Head ripped off for stains on sofas, yeesh. "Does she really, like… kill people for ruining furniture?"

Stevie made a sound like she was trying to snort but only managed to sigh. "No, but she has other ways to make you wish you hadn’t broken her rules- aaaaaaand she’s walking right here."

I turned my head, following her lead, and saw the object of our talk in person. She stopped in a step away from our table, with an easy small smile, and the way she stood up tall made her look like an excelling boss around her colleagues who could not even open Word without help. 

"Hello, everyone", Aphrodite said, looking directly at me. There was something about her expression that made me on edge, even though nothing seemed really amiss. "I hope I’m not interrupting anything?"

"Oh, no, not at all", Damien said, making a show of slowly sipping his tea. "We were all but sharing trivialities. Please proceed." 

Aphrodite gave him a disinterested glance and returned her attention to me. "Hello again, Zoe. I’ve just met Neferet, and we shared a talk." 

Shaunee mouthed ‘teacher pet’ at me from across the table, rolling her eyes.

"Oh", I said, since I felt like she was waiting for me to reply. "What about?"

"Well, we stage certain rituals at the right times for a carefully selected few. So there will be a private Full Moon Ritual tomorrow, and you were fortunate enough to come by right before the preparations started. Neferet thinks you should see the way it goes." She subtly pursed her lips just for a moment before returning to her smile. "That’s quite a privilege, you know, so I hope you will be at your best behaviour there. Do we understand each other?"

I nodded as quickly as I could, and Aphrodite, giving me one last strange look, flipped her hair and walked out of the hall with a firm staccato of her heels across the floor.

"Why do I feel like she will personally deepfry me if I as much as speak up there?" I asked aloud.

"Because she will", the ever helpful  Stevie Rae said.

Chapter Text

"Hubris", Damien suddenly said.

Stevie Rae stopped rolling the last meatball around her plate and looked up. "Huh?"

Damien shrugged. "Nothing. I was just thinking, and the word popped into my head."

"Let me guess, you were thinking of Aphrodite", Erin said, making a little ‘o’ with her lips.

"You’d be surprised, but no. I’m already mentally sitting the history test tomorrow."

Shaunee reached around Erin to give him a little shoulder pat. "We’ll remember you young and beautiful, don’t worry."

I shook my head. "Uh, sorry, guys, but - first of all, uh, I thought there weren’t… any normal lessons here? Right?"

The group gave me a sad, knowing look.

"...Right?"

"Rookie mistake", Shaunee said, sighing. "We all were just as pure, once."

"Sorry, Zoe. I guess weird tattoos and sudden allergy to sunlight don’t mean schoolbreak", Stevie chimed in with an apologetic smile. "So… history, geography, literature-"

"Please stop", I begged, already defeated.

"-Social studies, math, PE and other normal subjects", Stevie mercilessly finished. 

I dropped my head on the table and played dead, hoping that maybe they would believe it and throw me in the landfill instead of all of this.

Stevie pat my back. "Sorry. There are better ones too, though. Like, uh, horse riding. It’s a good one!"

"As long as you don’t fall face first into manure", Damien added.

Stevie sent him a look. "Or theatre! It’s also neat!"

"Until you have to act in front of the whole class", Erin said, calmly giving Damien a high five.

"You’re not helping!"

"Okay, okay…" I sighed, coming to terms with the fact that I was basically stuck in an edgy boarding school. "I got it, we are all still together in this hell of public education. I got it. Second of all…" I sent Damien an apologising look. "What’s hubris?"

Damien jerked back, as if mortally wounded by my ignorance, but then relented:

"Godlike arrogance. You’ll actually learn it quick since in Literature there are lots of Greek myths during the first year. And apparently, the leading cause of sudden weird death in Greece was being stuck up enough to challenge gods."

"I wonder why gods get to be arrogant, but the second a human does something, it’s a huge deal." Erin shrugged, toying with her glass. "Like, if I was a goddess, I would not give half a shit about that stuff. I would just chill all day, looking perfect. And maybe come to Earth sometimes to tell off assholes who don’t clean up after their dogs."

"I see your point, but listen", Shaunee said, "imagine some mortal woman was running around telling everyone that she was the shit and you were simply shit. Wouldn’t you get angry?"

Erin waved a hand at her. "Why? She can do her thing and shout her throat raw while I lie around in my cloud temple with grapes and, uh… cherubs? Cherubs work."

"As long as you are not eating them", Damien added, earning himself a subtle jod of her elbow.

"I guess gods are just big fat hypocrites", Shaunee said, clinking her glass to Erin’s. "Cheers! I’ll drink my apple juice to that."

Stevie hummed, finally dealing with the meatball. "I wonder if they were just really bored. Lying in some cloudy realm all day, every day, eating and drinking and nothing else for all eternity..."

"So their solution was to go and create problems for humans to feel entertained, huh." Erin rolled her eyes. "Sounds just like my grandparents. Typical."

"Wait, does that mean that humans were actually the first ever sitcom for the gods?" I said, snorting. "And lightnings were, like, negative reviews."

Shaunee giggled and pretended to hold a remote. "Ugh, same bullshit tonight again, and this one guy is all hubris! I hate his guts so much. I wish they threw him off the show and into the sea already. I’d better call Poseidon for that."

"Unfollowed, blocked, roasted on spot", Erin said as a nice final touch to the conversation.

I snorted again, studying the salad I got. Well… judging by its look, it would make Alex happy, because only health junkies like her are thrilled by an unseasoned bowl of veggies. "By the way… are there any gods there, aside from Nyx? Because, like…" I made a vague gesture with my fork. "Yeah. You know. World religions and all."

Stevie shrugged. "I’m not as into reading as Damien, but as far as I know the answer is ‘probably’. No one really knows! But there might be. Maybe they are just not as big on talking or miracles."

"If you are thinking what I am thinking", Erin said, "no, there are no sudden horny animals who would chase pretty boys and girls around the campus. Zeus is not allowed here."

Shaunee groaned. "Oh, please, not again, sis. Not again. I’ve been forever traumatised by the myths, and you are stomping on my trauma. Not cool."

"Oh thank god. No sudden swan babies. Good." I shook my head. "I wonder how would anyone even begin to explain something like that."

"Especially to Hera", Damien said. "Especially when you go to Olympus for long overdue child support."

"Please let’s move on", Shaunee groaned, covering her face. 

Erin pat her back. "Okay, okay, sis. As you wish."

"Actually", Damien said, turning to me, "I’m not sure about gods, but there are definitely deities."

"Aren’t they one and the same?"

"No, deities are smaller and not as powerful. They are like… freshly hired employees and gods are CEOs." He chewed on his lip. "Oh, there are also spirits and such. Those are more akin to unpaid interns. Very little power, but numerous."

"I think there are deities under Nyx", Stevie said. "Right? I’m not mixing it up?"

"No, no, you aren’t. There are, mostly male ones. But their cults kind of tapered out with time…" Damien wiggled his fingers, illustrating something dispersing in the air. "Eros, Erebus, Demon… They are still there, but it’s more of an afterthought. Nyx has the spotlight."

"Wait, wait wait. Demon?" I frowned. "Doesn’t sound too nice of a guy."

"Well, he wasn’t. He wasn’t too nice at all."

"Fitting, then…" My head felt heavy from everything I have seen and heard today. "Damn, I really don’t want to go to Aphrodite’s ritual."

Shaunee snorted, amused. "Did you really just jump from ‘demon’ to ‘Aphrodite’ like that?!"

"Oh - No, I was just thinking of cults and rituals and everything. Not demons. But also fitting, won’t lie." I sent Damien a helpless look. "Are there any spirits or deities I can send a quick prayer to for things to go fine?"

"Sorry. I don’t think any of them would want to cross her path."

"...Fair, but still hurts. Do you think I can just… not come? Say I’m sick?"

Stevie sighed. "Not if you want people to freak out and assume you are dying. Besides… It was Neferet’s idea, so by not coming you are pretty much telling her you don’t really care what she thinks. Which is bad."

"And also it’s the biggest ‘fuck you’ to Ditto I can imagine", Shaunee said, almost dreamily. "Normally, I’d be all for drama, but since you’re kind of our friend now, you should be spared the wrath."

"Right, right, I get the point." I lay my head on the table and covered it with my hands in defeat.

"I know that’s tough… being thrown in the middle of things off the bat like that." Stevie sent me a sympathetic smile. "But I’m sure you’ll do just fine! I know it’s scary…" She trailed away, looking lost in a bad thought.

I looked up at her. "...But?"

She blinked. "What? What butt?"

Everyone snorted in unison at that as the bunch of immature babies we secretly were. 

Stevie rolled her eyes at us, looking every bit like a mama of a whole bunch of stupid, unruly, yet beloved kids. "Ha ha, Stevie said butt." 

Somehow, that just led to more embarrassed giggling. At least I was already lying face down on the table, so it wasn’t like I could fall any lower. 

"But", Stevie said, ever patient, "you don’t have to show that you are scared. Just put on a brave face, and things will be fine." She paused to look aside. "At least better than they went for me."

I blinked a few times, wanting to probe, but Stevie looked every bit like a person who has said their bit and will not add anything on the topic, so I nodded. "Alright… Guess I’ll do that. After I sort through everything a little."

"Yeah, take it easy", Erin said, nonplussed. "They aren’t going anywhere. Literally. We’re stuck on campus together."

"Thanks, Erin", I groaned, earning a little smug hum from her. "I feel like I really should sleep on that."

Stevie smiled at me. "Yeah, you definitely deserve some rest. Come on, I’ll walk you back just in case. I don’t think you’ve learned the way yet. I need to study for sociology anyway..."

I nodded, relieved, and we both slided away from the table, exchanging quick goodbyes with the rest of the group. The halls were pretty quiet as we walked. It was a bit funny, but it really was just an edgy boarding school with the same school problems of homework and conflicts.

"Stevie?"

"Mhm?"

"I kind of wanted to ask… Where are all the teachers? Or is there another cafeteria?"

"Oh, right. Yeah, they don’t eat at the main hall with us. They have a room all to themselves." She lowered her voice to an exaggerated conspirative whisper and told me, "I’ve heard they eat raw meat there. Huge chunks."

"Ew!" I jokingly bumped her with my fist, snorting. "What should I do with that mental image now?"

"Enjoy!" Stevie dodged another fist of justice and laughed herself. "I’m just playing Shaunee’s role and spreading rumors while she’s not here."

"Well, thank you, but no thank you." I rolled my eyes. "Honestly… how does one become a teacher as a vampire?"

"Probably the same as everywhere else. Interviews, resumes, we-will-call-you-s… That stuff does not change, vampire or no."

"I wonder if there are vampire vets", I mumbled.

Stevie glanced at me. "I’m pretty sure there must be. Do you want to be one?"

"That was the plan, at least."

"Well… fingers crossed for you."

I smiled back at her. "Thanks. What about you?"

Stevie shook her head so hard that her short hair got even messier. "I’m not sure! I thought I’d stay behind with my family my whole life, maybe help dad out at the garage - well, you know. Thought I’d figure it out soon. I haven’t decided yet, though. Maybe I will return there and work as the night shift!" She snorted, making me smile again at the thought of an Okie vampire in overalls fixing my Bug. "But… yeah. Not sure."

"Fingers crossed for you deciding, then."

"Thanks! I bet I will, soon." 

A few cats rushed past us like a little whirlwind made of fur as we entered the dorm. I reflectively took a step aside. "Wow - I guess I’ll have to get used to that."

"You haven’t heard what happens every evening, yet." Stevie laughed at my confused face. "Imagine: all those cats, all suddenly starved like an unlucky cow in the middle of the desert, screaming for food just as you are trying to get five more minutes of sleep."

I shivered. "Wow. And here I thought the worst way to wake up is when your little brother jumps on you from the nightstand."

Stevie kept giggling all the way back to our room.

Chapter Text

When Stevie Rae shook me awake at 6 pm, it took me a good five minutes to remember who the heck she was and what she was doing in my room. At least she had a giggle at the sight of my sleepy face. I threw a pillow at her, which only added to her glee, and then it turned out that she was scarily good at pillow fights, so I begged mercy and got off with but a few feathers in my hair and a wounded pride.

While she hogged the shower, I had some more time to contemplate the bare half of the room that belonged to me. The absence of posters and photos made my eyes sting, and I could not hear the comforting sounds of Nick blaring some new horrid game and narrating his own battles behind the wall. I missed home fiercely. Not the parts that involved John, of course. But I wondered how Mom was doing. I was sure that he blamed her for me leaving, even though she didn’t know. I didn’t think about it before. If I had, I probably wouldn’t have the guts to run away. 

I glanced at my phone. It was dead silent. Oh, well. I felt a pang of angry sadness. Of course, no one wants to cause their friends and family too much grief, but some bitter part of me insisted that maybe they should have grieved just a little harder.

Happy or sad, life went on. With the help of a shower and Stevie’s makeup I made myself look more like a human - vampire - being and less like a confused zombie. I wish I could stop feeling like a confused zombie too, but, well, one step at a time.

It did not help that my tattoo glared right in the center of my forehead. I had a feeling that no matter how much effort I put into my lips or eyelashes, they won't be the first thing people notice. It was a stupid reason to get sad, but I still felt like someone had poured tar and feathers all over me and then pushed me to the prom stage.

Stevie Rae must have sensed my state, or maybe she remembered what it felt like to be a newbie, because she kept telling me funny local stories on our way to the cafeteria. We stumbled inside to the sounds of my snorts and her upbeat voice saying: "-well, believe it or not, but his girlfriend walked in on him trying to wipe off the booze with her cat, so I guess you can imagine how it went afterwards."

"What went when? And morning!" Shaunee already stood in the line hand in hand with Erin, waving at us to come closer. The two of us joined them (to the annoyance of students behind us.)

Stevie beamed like she hadn't seen her for months. "Morning! I'm just telling the Dylan story." 

"Ah, the classic." Shaunee nodded wisely, moving forward. "Once you join a new place, you must learn the lore as soon as you can. It's the most important thing."

"What about studying?" Damien asked loudly, edging in the line between me and Shaunee. The people behind us grunted, and I could feel the eyerolls at our growing group.

"Studying rumors is also studying", Shaunee parred. "And you can learn all sorts of stuff by simply listening." 

Erin nodded. "Agreed. I mean, it will be mostly crap, but you never know. Sometimes you get pearls."

"Like what?" I chimed in.

Shaunee sent me a grin. "Like Dylan's story." 

"Oh. Yeah. That's a diamond in the rough", I said, giggling.

"Where's the camera? I did not know I was on Gossip Girl. I did not even dress up for the part". Damien rolled his eyes and slided between Erin and Shaunee to grab a bowl first. "Here's a juicy tale for you: Damien the Smooth is going to embezzle a box of Count Chocula and you, the poor peasants, can't do much but stand and gape."

"Too bad. It's not a truthful tale, and I always speak the truth." Erin grabbed a box first and held it up high, using her heels for height advantage. "Damien the Smooth is downgraded to Damien the Slug. The crowds roar and boo."

"Can you please exercise your power of friendship somewhere else?" a kid behind us groaned. "Just take your cereal and move along, holy shit."

"Jealous much?" Erin bit back, but moved forward nonetheless.

"Anyway, Zoe", Stevie said in a cheery voice of an urban mom trying to distract her children, "what do you think of the school so far?" 

I thought hard for a couple of seconds. "I guess it is… normal? Strangely. It's just a boarding school. Or it looks like one. Except it's meant for night owls."

"Bingo!" Erin looked personally proud of me. "Also there's more blood included than usually, but not much." 

"...What do you mean, not much?" 

Erin shrugged. "Don't tell me no one ever stabbed anyone at your old school."

"It… was not a usual occurrence, no?!" 

"Ah. Well, I stabbed a guy once with a nail-file." Everyone except Shaunee stared, including a few kids around us in the line. "What? It was self-defence. He had no idea what 'get your hands away from me or you'll regret it' means."

A boy who stood right in front of Erin made a careful step away.

"Badass, isn't she?" Shaunee, who had clearly heard the story before, was eyeing her 'soulmate' with awe. 

"I'd pick a different descriptor, but I agree with the sentiment", Damien mumbled.

" Anyway", Stevie said, ever stubborn, "I'm sure you'll like the classes, Zoe."

I gave her a helpless shrug. "I don't even know yet what classes I have."

Stevie's looked like she went through the five stages of grief in five seconds.

"Oh no", she blurted and furiously went through her pockets, one by one. "Your schedule! I meant to hand it over to you, but I forgot…" After a few moments she fished out a square of folded paper. "There! I'll help you get through it, don't worry." 

I grabbed the paper along with the bowl, and together we marched to our table. After I set camp there, I unfolded the paper and gave it a hesitant look.

Well, it did not look too scary. It was a normal-ish timetable, with six classes each day. To my delight, there was a blank space after my name. Did it mean I could choose my last name? 

I did not want to be called Heifer even if someone gave me a thousand dollars each time it happened. Hell, maybe I did not exactly like Montgomery either: the guy who gave us this last name could be long abducted by aliens for all I knew. But I knew Mom's (and Grandma's) last name used to be Katopodis. Not the most melodic one, maybe, but definitely better than Heifer by a long shot.

"If I go by Zoe Katopodis, will it sound too weird?" I asked aloud, still staring at the timetable.

"Nah, it sounds neat." Stevie smiled at me. "Kind of unusual, but in a good way!" 

"Ooh, last name troubles?" Shaunee gave me a knowing look. "Apparently too many people here asked to change it in their papers, so they just leave a blank spot now."

"Why?"

"Well… some guys just want a cooler name", Shaunee chuckled. Then her sly, animated face suddenly turned serious for a moment. "And some guys want to cut ties. It depends." 

I guess I partially belonged to the second category, and something told me so did Shaunee, but talking about family problems, at breakfast, with people I barely knew for a day… it was not the brightest idea. So I said simply: "Nice to know I'm not the only one. Guess I'll tell Neferet."

"You have the first class with her anyway." Shaunee reached forward and bent her neck at a weird angle to take a peek at my timetable. "Yep! Social studies. The class of endless wonder." 

"The class where you constantly ask yourself how come vampires still exist", Erin said with the same intonation. 

"And get angry at Middle Ages", Shaunee continued.

"On behalf of both vamps and cats."

"Especially cats."

I blinked. "What? What happened to the cats?"

Erin and Shaunee gave me sad looks and said in unison, "Oh sweet summer child."

"I'm in this class too!" Damien sent me a smile. "You can sit next to me."

Invigorated, I studied the timetable again. "Wait, fencing? Equestrian studies?"

"Yep. Some subjects are kind of… old-fashioned." Stevie Rae shrugged. "There are also other options, though! Like Tae Kwan Do. I'm loving it. What elective will you pick, by the way?" 

Hmm. There was a grand choice between music, drama and sketching. As I learned, Stevie took music, and Damien was aspiring to be the next Da Vinci. Unfortunately, I could not join either of them. Given that my voice would only do at a heavy metal concert, and stick figures were the epitome of my drawing talent, I chose drama as the lesser evil. Here's hoping that I would not get stage fright last second.

"Hi, Zoe." 

Everyone turned as I fought a steady sense of deja vu. Yep, Aphrodite was there, just like yesterday, staring me down with a sweet smile and calculating eyes. 

"Hi, Aphrodite", I said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Did you want something?"

She glanced at my bowl of Count Chokula with a raised brow and then looked me in the eye again. "I won't be interrupting your feast for long, don't worry. In case I don't see you later I wanted to be sure you know where to go tonight. The Dark Daughters' Full Moon Ritual will start at four a.m., right after the school's ritual. It's in the rec hall over by the east wall. I'll meet you in front of Nyx's Temple before the school ritual so we can go in together, and then I can show you the way to the hall afterward."

I opened and closed my mouth, not knowing what to say. It was nice of her to offer, sure, but… I did not really like her, plain and simple, and the thought of being stuck with her among strangers did not make me too happy.

"Actually", Erin said, edging in both verbally and physically - by reaching forward and basically lying across the table so that her face was close to mine. "Actually, we were thinking of going together." 

Shaunee nodded. "Totally. We will walk her everywhere no problem, right, mate?"

"Absolutely", Erin echoed. "So don't you worry your pretty head. She'll be safe and sound."

"Yeah! It's fine", Stevie said, smiling at me a bit nervously.

"I will personally lead her by the hand", Damien promised with a serious face. "To show chivalry is not dead."

Aphrodite's face was unreadable. She looked at me again in silent question.

"I think I'll go with my friends", I said, relieved. "So you'll have me out of your hair."

She waved me off, already turning away. "Okay, fine, sure. Four a.m. Don't be late." And with that, she disappeared in the crowd.

I followed her with my eyes and then sent the group a grateful look. "Thanks, guys."

Erin chuckled. It was the first time I heard her laugh: dry, but not unpleasant. "Don't mention it. You looked like a live fish in the frying pan." 

Stevie bumped me with her fist. "We won't let her eat you whole! No way! You've got us, girl."

I blinked, flustered. "Aw, guys… that's so cheesy."

"Maybe so", Damien said, unperturbed. "And what about it?"

The breakfast was over sooner than I'd like. Stevie and Damien walked me right to the door of the class, where he grabbed me by the elbow and led me to his desk with the face of an experienced waiter showing me to my table. I snickered all the way.

Heels clacked across the hall, and Neferet glided into class with the final ring of the bell, ever graceful. I felt a soft pang of envy. Damn, how come some people get to be so… perfect so easily, while others have to work hard just to be considered cute? I wish I could flow like she did, in an effortless show-off of beauty and confidence. I never flowed. At best, I oozed forward. And if I tried to shake my hips on my way like that, I would either topple over or look like I'm having a stroke.

The first vampire school day commenced, and… it was strangely normal. Of course, I was surrounded by kids with crescent moon tattoos, and all the teachers were vamps, and the subjects were weird at times… but the students bickered and sent notes, and the classrooms smelled of chalk. Something intangible was there and the same as it used to be at my old school, and it was comforting. 

I'd still prefer a little fewer strangers around me.

The classes swept by. Social studies was about the Amazons and how the matriarchal vampire society could have inspired the tale. Damien looked like he was in his element, raising his hand every once in a while. I whisper-asked him for his notes, and he whisper-promised me a summary after class. (I did approach Neferet and she gave me a thumbs up about last name change.) 

Drama went okay… until Professor Nolan, a fit woman with a Texas accent, invited a fifth former by the name Erik Night. He was supposed to give us an example of a monologue from Othello, but in reality he could have read aloud a microwave user manual and no one would notice. He had blue eyes and a brilliant smile and a voice like warm honey. It was impossible not to stare. I stared. Everyone stared. It was impossible not to. Trust me, I tried.

However, somehow out of everyone it was me who got caught staring. The most humiliating part was that at the moment I was comparing Heath to Erik (and getting to the conclusion that Heath looked better. His playful, all-over-the-place personality shone through, and he looked like a friendly teenaged labrador. Erik was a bit too pointedly, proudly handsome.) Erik met my gaze and raised a brow at me with an incredulous smile, making me blush and retreat into the book. Hell! Here's hoping he could not read thoughts. I bet he would not like knowing that I was thinking about two guys at once and he lost in the comparison.

(I felt almost maternally proud of Heath, though.)

Fencing kicked my ass, literally. The small, round, smiley Professor Dragon Langford was a beast in a soft cover. After an hour of nothing but lunges I could not even walk - I crawled. Damien, who was in the class with me and actually got praised for his skills, looked at me with knowing sympathy. 

"Please end me", I whispered, sliding down the wall. "Or tell me that it is over."

"Neither", the ever merciless Damien replied. "Murder is strictly prohibited on school grounds, and you have Literature, Spanish and Equestrian Studies left. Don't pretend to be unconscious, it will not work." 

I opened my eyes and groaned. "Fine… Is it always that hard or only at the beginning?"

"It depends. Hopefully, you'll get used to it soon." 

"Hopefully?"

"Yeah, if your butt does not fall off first", Damien said with a serious face, making me snort.

Two classes went by peacefully (truth be told, I was mostly preoccupied with pain in said butt), and then I found myself at Horse Studies with Professor Lenobia and a whole lot of manure to clean out. I was secretly hoping for the class to be something from the horse girl fantasy, with friendly equines and riding into the sunset together. That hope literally went to shit when we were given shovels and protective gear and shown to the manure-covered stalls. Something told me that by the end of the day my entire body would be killing me.

I was busy grunting in my assigned stall when I felt something: wrongness . It was like suddenly smelling rot in a flower shop, except smells had nothing to do with it. I turned around, startled, and saw a chubby red haired kid walking by. His shoulders were slouched over, and his face was set in an expression of tired resolve.

Before I could think, I said: "Hi."

The kid stopped and turned to me, surprise written all over his face before his expression sank into tiredness again. He hesitated, but replied: "Hi."

"Have you already finished? It's a nightmare. A poo-smelling one." I smiled at him, trying to understand what was it, what was telling me that he was wrong wrong wrong . "I'm Zoe."

"Eliot", the boy mumbled. "No, I'm taking a break." Then he frowned. "If you're trying to chat me up out of pity, then stop."

"Pity? Why?" I blinked. "I just wanted to talk. I mean, I'm new, and I thought to meet more people? Become pals?"

Eliot's gaze softened, but the tiredness never left it. 

"Sorry. I'd make a lousy pal", he muttered before turning away and walking out of the stalls - and a small group of kids who had already finished stepped away from him when he passed them by.

I bit my lip, silently wondering. It was none of my business, sure, but… he did not sound okay. Maybe he just had a rough day, sure… yeah, that was hopefully it…

However, then the ritual came, and all thoughts of a tired red haired boy left my head - for better or for worse.

Chapter Text

"Zoe?" 

I was just finishing my dirty, dirty work (and thinking that I understood now why Hercules cleaning some stalls was such a big deal) when I heard Stevie's voice. I perked up right away, peeking out.

"Stevie! Hi." 

She waved at me from outside and ran towards me, still waving. "Hi, but hurry up!"

"What? Why?"

Stevie frowned. "I mean, don't you want to see the ritual? The school one?"

"Oh - oh. " I jumped, threw the last specks of manure into the wheelbarrow, grabbed its handles and sprinted out and towards the compost area. "Fuck! Fuck. I forgot all about it!"

"I had a feeling! That's why I am here ." Stevie followed me, scrunching her nose at the smell. "Damn, and I thought cars stink!"

"Well, cars don't shit..." I dumped the wheelbarrow contents into the compost and tried to jump out of my protective gear on the way back. "And that is why I drive a car instead of all that horse business."

"So you could say that you say neigh to horse riding?" Stevie asked with an innocent face.

I stopped in my tracks. "You didn’t just pun at me."

Stevie grinned. "I did and I liked it."

"Ew!" I threw one of the protective gloves at her, and she dodged with a chuckle. "Okay, okay, I am ready. Just gotta wait for Lenobia to give me an a-okay."

"Well, that is my judgement to make", said Lenobia who very predictably stood right behind my back. "If you do not mind."

I turned beetroot red all over. "Sorry! I really didn't…"

"Of course you didn't", Professor answered with just a tinge of humor in her eyes. "And that is your second rule of today's lesson: always pay attention to your environment."

"...What's the first one?"

Lenobia nodded to the compost. "If you love something, be prepared for the stinky parts of it as well."

Stevie snickered behind my back as I nodded, still feeling hot in the face. 

Despite everything, Lenobia was satisfied with the state of my stall, so five minutes after the bell rang I was already out of the protective gear and walking alongside Stevie to the temple. The lanterns were lit, and as we got closer I smelled laurel and… something else. Something sweet.

I was suddenly too aware of John's furious speeches about the place. Bloody pagans, he used to say. Probably burning human flesh in sacrifice to their unclean idol. Or at least dancing naked. I really hoped they did not make me dance naked, both because it would be really weird and really awkward - around all those really pretty people.

"Let's go! I bet everyone is already inside. Some profs let people go a few minutes early before the ritual, but…" Stevie shrugged with a look that said Lenobia was not really one of them. "You're lucky you are a new kid. They will go easier on you."

I nodded, not really trusting my voice. Up close, the temple loomed over us, bigger than it seemed from afar. Now I heard a faint sound of music from inside, strangely familiar, and a steady heartbeat of drums. It went on like a sound of thunder in the distance, faint but menacing.

Here's hoping John was wrong again.

Stevie helped me open a heavy wooden door, and I stepped in. The smells crushed into me: a heavy cloud of smoke, oil, laurel, incense… and, for some reason, barn. The space was filled with students, talking in hushed voices. I felt overwhelmed and froze in place, gaping and gulping thick hot air.

"Zoe, over here!" Someone gently but firmly grabbed my hand and dragged me closer to the wall and behind a column. I blindly followed, trying to hold on to that hand like to my only ticket to safety. It was slightly quieter in that little space away from the crowd, and I managed to blink and actually look around.

Of course it was Stevie holding my hand, who else. She smiled at me, finally letting go. "Alright, guys, I got her!"

"Wow, and it has been barely half a day", Erin said with an eyeroll. "You really ran all the way here."

Shaunee also rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, sis. Be nicer. It only took them five hours to cross campus."

Damien facepalmed. "You are impossible. All of you. Including the pair of snails over there."

Stevie playfully squinted at them. "We rushed! It is not our fault some professors don't understand timetables!"

"As you wish, miss Turtle", Erin readily agreed.

"Do I need to remind you who won that one race, miss Hare?" Stevie crossed her arms and stuck her tongue at Erin. "There! But really, we came as fast as we could. And the ritual is not even on yet! So everything is fine."

While they talked, I had a chance to look around. It was dusk inside, lit up by lanterns with their light reflecting in the polished dark grey marble of the walls and columns. A heavy dark curtain hid the back part of the temple. There were more marble statues of Nyx carrying the full moon in her outstretched hands. Even though drums and flutes kept weaving their haunting melody, I could not see the source of music anywhere. And for some reason, I faintly heard an occasional confused baa.

"Well… what do we have to do?" I nervously asked.

Stevie squeezed my hand. "Nothing much! Don't worry, the High Priestess does all the hard work. Just repeat what everyone says. And later when they will be spreading meat and wine, nod your head and say 'blessed be'."

"No naked dancing?" I blurted and immediately regretted being born with a long tongue.

Erin raised a brow at me. "What, you want to try?"

"No! No. Nope. Not being able to dance naked in a crowd of strangers will never be among my life regrets."

Shaunee grinned. "How can you tell before you try? Maybe you'll like it?"

I lightly pushed her as she giggled at me. "Stop it! No. Bad. Terrible. No naked Zoe for any of you."

"Oh thank Nyx", Damien said in an overly relieved voice, earning him some snorts.

Suddenly, a hush fell over the crowd, and people parted. I pathetically reached up, standing on my tiptoes, till Erin groaned and pushed me forward through the crowd to let me see.

Neferet, in flowing dark robes and golden sandals, was gliding across the temple like a black bird flying through. With her eyes closed and a serene, detached look on her face, she went on unhurried, carrying a basket on her head that she held in place with one hand.

The music changed, ever so slightly: it went slower now, and the melody pulsed in my ears.

Neferet stopped before the curtain and put the basket down, reaching in. When she stood up again and turned around, she had a knife in her hands - I took a step back. It was a big, curved blade that looked really sharp.

"Hear us, Nyx", Neferet said in a loud songlike voice. "Your children are calling to you. We who need no blades to defend ourselves, call to you to grant this edge sharpness, for it will start the celebration of your full moon. Cleanse it and keep evil from tainting it, like you keep it away from all of us. O Nyx, the pure one, hear us and blessed be."

"Blessed be", the crowd around me whispered, and I hastily mumbled it too.

Neferet bowed and then handed the knife over to someone behind the curtain. The music picked up, drums thundering. 

"Mother Nyx", Neferet said, and for a second her voice broke with emotion even though her face stayed calm. She made a pause, as if to collect herself. "Oh Mother Nyx, crown of perfection, Lady and Ruler of the night, your children are calling for you. You have always listened to our meek praises and wishes with condescension. Listen to us celebrating the full moon as you taught us, and rejoicing in the presence of your light. O Nyx, the radiant one, hear us and blessed be."

"Blessed be", I repeated after everyone else.

Neferet bowed her head again and clapped her hands. It was getting harder to hear her over music, even though her voice was loud and clear. "Mother Nyx! Here, in your temple, we came to extol you. You are the one that gifted us so generously, you are the one who took us to your bosom in endless love. You feed the hungry, settle the homeless, gift the poor, support the weak. We honor your name with this humble offering in your temple and raise our voices in our plea. Hear us!"

"Hear us!" everyone shouted. I winced, pressing my palms to my ears.

"Save us!" Neferet cried out.

"Save us!"

"Join us!"

"Join us!" 

"And bless us!"

" Bless us! " the crowd screamed. I could barely hear my thoughts in this noise, but instead I heard a weird short sound, something I could not recognise… 

The music suddenly dropped in volume, and Neferet lifted her hands up. "It is done!" she exclaimed. "Mother Nyx, hear your children. With that offering, we ask for your generosity. Grant us the strength of the night wind and the power of a tide. Like the moon that shines but does burn, be swift with guidance, but slow with punishments. Give our eyes sharpness, our ears attentiveness, our legs speed, our arms strength. Keep our souls from evil and our bodies from harm." For some reason, it started smelling like roasted meat. "O Nyx, the perfect one, hear us and blessed be."

"Blessed be", I said in the choir of other voices.

Suddenly the curtain opened, and I saw the back of the temple. I gasped. A huge statue of Nyx was the first thing I saw: she stood there with her arms reaching towards us, basking in the moonlight that came from an opening in the roof. In front of the statue, a fire was coming from a hole in the floor, and I guessed the big black stone next to it to be the altar. A weird black bundle lay upon it, and at its foot stood three vessels. Neferet approached the altar, bowed to the statue and threw the bundle into the fire. Then she took the first vessel and started slowly pouring its contents over the altar.

"What is she doing?" I whispered to no one in particular.

"A libation." I turned in surprise and saw Damien standing next to me. "Ritualistic pouring of wine, milk, oil or blood as an offering to the gods. The jug is called an oinochoē, by the way."

"Oh, thanks." I paused. "What was that black bundle?"

Damien sighed. "That used to be a black sheep. Or, well, its skin, bones and fat. Neferet is pouring its blood now. It is a major part of the ritual."

"What?!" People around us shushed at me, and I lowered my voice. "What?"

"What you've heard. Yeah. A sacrifice is needed to attract the god's attention and give them an incentive to listen. Look, the smoke is going upwards." Damien nodded at the steady column of smoke that floated towards the hole in the ceiling. "It is a good sign."

"Oh, um. Good to know." I still was not over what happened to the poor sheep, but now the weird sound made sense… as well as the lack of baa afterwards. 

Neferet was done with the first oinochoē (I knew I'd never pronounce that right) and went for the second. This time, she splashed some into the fire before sprinkling it over the altar.

"Wine mixed with water", Damien whispered to me.

The third oinochoē did not join the rest. Instead, Neferet took it up and turned to us. As if on cue, two older boys came out from the back, dressed in dark grey. Each of them carried a big plate full of roasted meat that was cut into small pieces. I squinted.

"...Is that also the sheep?"

"Yep. Now we'll share meat and wine."

I gave the plates a suspicious look. I had nothing against meat, but it was weird to eat someone who you'd just heard baaing and alive. 

The boys carried the plates around, inviting everyone to take a piece. I picked a small one despite myself. It was still hot. And tasty. Sorry, poor little sheep. I had to.

Neferet was walking around too, letting everyone take a gulp from her wine pitcher - oinochoē. When she approached me, I gave her a nervous smile. She smiled back, tipping the pitcher slightly so it was easier to drink. "Blessed be."

"Blessed be", I echoed. The wine was thick and sour, and it tasted old.

When everyone had their share of food and drink, Neferet returned to the altar. She raised her hands, mimicking the pose of the statue. "O Nyx! We have feasted alongside you today, soothed by your presence. We plead for your support and ask for safety." Did I imagine it, or did her face turn distant for a moment? "Guard these fledglings till they are ready to fly out of the nest, and then keep their wings steady so they can traverse your shiny night. Nyx, Mother, hear us and blessed be."

"Blessed be," I whispered.

Neferet lowered her hands and stood quiet for a moment. Then, she spoke in a softer voice: "You were chosen for a reason, each of you. Some already shine brightly, others are waiting for a chance to join them. Every fledgling is unique. All of you are stars in the endless sky of a summer night. As long as you learn, listen, stay true to yourself, protect your bonds and embrace life in its entirety, you will keep that brilliant light burning… When I say 'life in its entirety', I mean all parts of it: happiness and sadness, love and hate, weakness and strength… and eventually, loss as well. Don't let loss cloud your sky forever. For life is a circle, and nothing is ever truly gone... Tonight, the veil is lifted, hidden is brought to light, dreams become true, those who parted meet again. It is time to rejoice and remember. Stay safe, and blessed be." And with that, she kneeled at the altar and went silent.

I looked around. It was still quiet, but people started walking around and talking, and I guessed it was over.

"Zoe!" Stevie Rae crushed into me with the force of three enthusiastic locomotives. "How did you like it?"

"Oh! It was… nice." Especially compared to some fire and brimstone sermons Father John made me attend. "But it's kind of sad what happened to the sheep…" 

"I know… but it happens every time, and I guess you learn not to think about it after a few months." Stevie shrugged with an apologetic look, and I felt a chill between my shoulderblades. "Sorry."

"It's okay", I said, deciding to follow her advice at once. "I guess I have to sleep on it."

"Alright! You can have some rest as soon as you are done with the second one."

"Second one?" I said, blinking like a first grader who was just told that Santa is an alien. Then: "...Oh. Right…"

Stevie made a brave face at me. "Don't worry! I'll walk you the whole way."

"There will be mean people there..." 

"Yeah, but you'll make it!"

"And Aphrodite."

"...Yeah, but you will still make it!"

"I'm actually giving you chances to back off."

"Never!" She took my hand with a determined face. "I won't let you go there alone. Not on my watch!"

I snorted. "Stevie Rae, you are the bravest person I know."

She puffed, proud. "And you say it like you are surprised!"

Chapter Text

Stevie walked me all the way to the rec hall. We talked along the way, but her replies went shorter and quieter by the minute. At the end, she fell silent and stared at her hands.

I touched her shoulder. "Um, you don't need to follow me if you want to."

Stevie jerked, startled. "What? Oh, it's fine. Just… bad memories." She sighed. "It's silly, but I don't want you to go there alone."

"...Well, thanks for scaring me even more." I couldn't help but sound cranky. "Now I think that they will eat me whole."

Stevie winced and gave me a little apologetic smile that made me instantly regret my tone. "Sorry. They won't, just… try not to make them too mad with you." 

"I'll try." I smiled back at her, hoping it did not look too much like a grimace. "I'm sure it will go fine. Ish. Fineish." 

She patted me on the shoulder. "Yeah! We can always hope." 

The heavy-looking wooden door of the rec hall was already right in front of us. Stevie gave it a sad look. "Well, break a leg…" 

I sighed. "You should go before they see you and, dunno. Tie you to a really big stick and roast over the fire? Wait, that was lame. Lemme try again."

Stevie snorted, so I gave myself a B+ for effort. "Yeah, fair. Good luck."

"Thanks." I waved at her as she walked away and sighed again, talking myself up. Somehow, without Stevie, I felt ten times more lonely and uneasy. Well, here goes nothing…

I walked up the steps and reached for the door handle, but it soundlessly slid open before I could touch it. Shivering, I stepped in, feeling like a stupid horror movie character that is strolling unarmed and alone into the monster-infested basement. 

Inside it was even darker than outside, and I blinked for a few seconds, blinded. When my eyes adjusted, I found myself in a hall with doors to the right and to the left. Okay, where to now? There were no helpful glowing signs that would tell me where to go, so I weighed my options and carefully moved forward.

"Finally."

I squealed and instantly got annoyed because I recognized that voice. It was Aphrodite. God, why did she have to do that? Why did I have to squeal in front of her? Great. Just, great. Farewell, my last tiny chance to pass for at least a moderately cool girl.

"Don't do that!"

"Don't do what?" Aphrodite was shining an innocent smile at me from a side door. Judging by her slightly smug look, she knew she'd startle me and she heard the squeal too well. "I was just being a good host and waiting to welcome you, nothing else."

"Yeah. Definitely." I sent a weak glare in her direction. She snorted, so it must have been ineffective. "Well, lead the way, then."

"Not so fast." Before I could do anything, she grabbed me by the elbow and dragged into the side door she'd just come out of. I barely had time to open my mouth.

The room we entered was lit up by a few dim lights, so it was easier to navigate. It was some sort of a costume storage, or maybe a changing room? In either case, there were hangers and mirrors all around us. Every mirror showed my worried pale face. Numerous reflected Zoes staggered in sync as reflected Aphrodites came to stop all at once. 

"Um, Aphrodite?" I had no idea what was going on, but I suspected it was either more intimidation or something even worse.

She noticed me sneaking glances at the door and rolled her eyes, tsking. "A scaredy cat, aren't we? There." Something black and flowy was shoved into my hands. "I can't have you walking around at the ritual dressed like that."

I mumbled a thanks and spread the black something. It turned out to be a long dress, kind of alike what Neferet had been wearing, just smaller and (thankfully) not as showy. I ran my fingers along the fabric: it was smooth and light to the touch.

"Well? I don't have all night, and even if I did, I know better ways to spend it."

I winced. "Right… Um, won't you turn around?"

Aphrodite crossed her arms. I noticed her own dress was almost similar to mine, but with glitter that made it look like the night sky. "Just undress already. Do you really think I've never seen a pair of boobs in my life?"

Well, that settled it. I quickly pulled off my jeans and sweater, trying not to pay attention to Aphrodite's scrutinizing gaze or the fact that I've never been either a health junkie or a gym goer. (I'd do anything to look like my elder sister now. She would probably make Aphrodite jealous, or at least give her nothing to gloat over.) Thankfully, the stretchy dress fit, and it was long enough to hide my old snickers. I nervously pulled on the hem. "I'm done."

"I've noticed." Aphrodite pursed her lips, looking me all over. "That's more… decent. Now, I'll be leading the ritual, so you'll have to play nice and follow everyone's lead like a good little girl. And for Nyx's sake, don't make me regret inviting you. Do we understand each other?"

For a second, I wanted to step up and, dunno, tell her to cut it with being passive aggressive. Or say something witty. But then I met Aphrodite's cold eyes and remembered Stevie's fear and words, and the last tinges of my willpower disappeared. So I swallowed my annoyance and said: "Yeah. Sure. Okay."

For some reason, Aphrodite's frown deepened, and her expression suddenly bordered on a snark. "Ah, what a good, polite girl. So sweet and non-confrontational. Swallowing her pride if needed. Is that why she?.." She shook her head. "Whatever. Do what you can do best and follow me."

I blinked, feeling confused and honestly hurt, but Aphrodite already was out of the door so there was little to do except follow her like she said. 

There was now a knot in my stomach I was bent on ignoring.

We finally got to the main hall. It was draped in black and lit by red candles on every horizontal surface. The table in the center held a few fruit bowls and a wine pitcher - what was the name - oinochoē. A ray of moonlight came in and rested on a crude little stone statue on the table, with her arms reaching up: that must be Nyx. To my slight relief, there were less people here than in the temple, and none of them were adults. 

Aphrodite made a few orders to the kids around in a low no-nonsense voice. Then, without a pause, she flashed a sweet smile at someone and with a loud "Ah, there you are!" she rushed off, all but forgetting about me. And so I was left to mingle… which would be easier if I knew anyone at all except, well, Aphrodite. I circled around the room, feeling completely out of place, and then resigned to my wallflower fate - to watch the local (freakishly good-looking) people.

None of them paid much attention to me, which was both a blessing and a curse. I did not have to do smalltalk with potential meanies, but god it was boring.

My eyes wandered around the room, and suddenly I saw Aphrodite again. She was tucked in the corner, away from most prying eyes. With no one else but Erik the handsome theatre guy! They seemed to be talking quietly but heatedly, and when Aphrodite put her hand on Erik's shoulder he shook it off and rolled his eyes. Oof. Drama. The terrible yet irresistible high school drama.

It ended soon with Erik quietly snapping one last time and walking away. As he did, he caught me staring - again. He made a face at me that said 'really?', then side-eyed Aphrodite and grimaced in a very clear pantomime of frustration. I blushed, snorted and smiled at him. Yeah, I could empathize with being frustrated with her.

Erik smiled back, and I was caught wondering if it was a friendly or flirty smile for a moment before I saw Aphrodite's face. She was watching Erik's back, and she looked furious, but also… kind of dejected. I'd even feel bad for her if not for, you know, general threats and nastiness.

Then she turned to me, as if sensing my stare, and I turned away before we could make eye contact, pretending to be really interested in the table arrangement.

...Wait a minute, I knew one person here.

Eliot was sitting behind the table, half-hidden by the statue. He looked even more tired than before - in fact, he was downright falling asleep. I raised my brows, wondering how he ended here. He looked as out of place here as I did.

It wasn't like we've talked for long, so it would be awkward to approach him - or so I reasoned. Maybe, if I got really desperate…

Then a girl walked to the table and lighted several sticks of incense, and I gasped at the smell. It smelled like pot mixed with something spicy. I'd know, I once got in trouble because I sat next to a pot smoker in class and then John hovered over me for hours, watching me for symptoms of getting high. I never tried it myself since, as I figured, some munchies and a little excitement was not worth three weeks of grounding.

Welp, this was going just great.

A hush fell over the crowd, just like in the beginning of Neferet's ritual. Music started out of nowhere. I recognized the pulsating drums, but the melody sounded modern. It whirled and weaved, hypnotizing, and I did not know if it was pot or the music but my head was getting lighter.

I'd decided that I was more than fine with staying put at the wall when a girl approached me: tall, obviously older (and much, much prettier). She had her hands on her hips in display of bossy confidence.

God, why me. Why do I meet so many good-looking people. I am too weak to them.

"You're new, right?"

"What - um, yes. I am." After a second's pause, I added: "I'm Zoe."

"I know. We've been told so. I'm Medusa. And newbies go to the front." Before I could as much as squeak, Medusa grabbed me and pushed me forward. (Why is everyone so eager to manhandle me? Where is your sense of personal space?)

"Um - why Medusa?" I asked weakly while I was being pushed around. "Can you, like, turn people to stone?"

Medusa stopped to chuckle. "No, no. I cannot." A dreamy sigh. "Wish I could, though. Now shut it and look."

I shut it and looked.

Aphrodite was standing by the table, barefoot, in her night sky dress and a silver headpiece that reminded a laurel wreath. She inhaled and looked the crowd over.

"Tonight", she said, "we celebrate the night of the full moon once again. It's a night like no other. Since times untold, even humans felt its magic… but it's us who know its true significance. We don't hide in fear of monsters in the darkness. We traverse it ourselves. We are vampires.

"Vampires", she breathed out again. Her voice was clear and almost as powerful as Neferet's. I stared, hypnotized. "That is who I see here today. Future vampires who already possess great strength and power. We deserve that power! We paid for it! And we will pay for it again, if needed." She made a little pause. "Humans may not understand us, just like they do not understand the magic of the full moon. They never will. They hate the miracles they covet. They are afraid of creatures that best them in every way. We say, good! Let them be afraid. It is for a good reason. Let them remember why they are afraid as well. We don't need their love nor their recognition to thrive in the shadows."

The crowd murmured in agreement, and to my annoyance her words were starting to make sense. No, no, I could not have. Nope. No agreeing with Aphrodite. I needed a distraction.

My mind was still foggy, but I shook myself awake and turned to Medusa. "It's nothing like the school ritual."

"It isn't, right you are." Medusa almost purred, as transfixed on Aphrodite as I was. "Vamps are too stuck in their old ways."

"Their heads are too stuck in their asses, more like," someone muttered behind us, causing a few quiet snorts around. 

Medusa raised a brow at the unlucky jokester and turned back. "Anyway. The world has long moved on. The old guys should keep up."

I nodded and listened on because Aphrodite was speaking again. The smell of the incense was thick. I barely could concentrate. "Tonight, it is time to remember that. The veil is lifted, the hidden powers are freed, and magic floods the world. Rejoice in it! Find and free the power within you! Join our celebration and revel in knowing who you are."

I blinked, trying to wake up from the trance. Aphrodite was standing right in front of me with the wine pitcher whose name I'd never remember now. She smiled at me. "Drink, Zoe. Share our wine tonight."

I took a sip from the pitcher before I could think twice. I did not like the wine much, but there was something that made it bearable and weird at the same time. Something metallic and strangely familiar. I suddenly remembered falling and crushing my lip when I was twelve.

"What is it?" I asked and wondered why my voice sounded so quiet.

Aphrodite's smile grew as she moved to the next person in line. "Wine mixed with blood. A drink most sacred to Nyx."

I nodded and stared at my hands, trying to make sense of it through the fog in my head. I never had been squirmish, future vets cannot be, but… but…

Next thing I saw and comprehended was Aphrodite pouring the remains of bloody wine over Nyx's statue. The drink spilled down her stone clothing, making her look like a bloodthirsty demon rather than a gentle mother goddess. Somehow, it turned the fog I was swimming in up by eleven. The music got too loud. The smells were unbearable. I watched the wine drip down onto the table, and then I saw Aphrodite sprinkling water over the kneeling Eliot's brow. 

Everything was like a fever dream at this point, so I closed my eyes for a second. 

When I opened them again, Aphrodite was dancing. She moved like a thread of mist caught by a whirlwind. I could not look away. Her golden hair flowed in the air, and her bare feet hit the ground in the rhythm of drums. Her dress flowed. 

The world around me, too loud, too fast-moving, steadily turned to static, and the only thing I still saw was the lonely dancing figure. The longer I looked, overwhelmed, the clearer I felt that her dress was, in fact, a piece of the night sky she wore.

I wondered if she could get in trouble for that.

And then I closed my eyes and

fell

deep

in.

***

"Well?" 

I blinked, waking up. The party was gone. Music died down. It was quiet, now, in a way large stone halls are echoingly quiet. It smelled of smoke, but not of the pot kind. This one wasn't sweet. It was just bad and hard to breathe through.

I looked up and saw her: an impossibly tall woman I could not recognize, with black hair and a beak-like nose. She looked down at me with unfocused eyes, but I felt like she saw more than I'd like her to. Her long robes fluttered in the foggy air.

"...What?" I asked, feeling small.

The woman sighed. "You've traveled all the way to me, and you are not going to ask anything?"

I glanced around. We were in a dark stone room decorated with marble and gold. Painted statues raised their hands. Laurel branches with bleak leaves shivered in the hot air.

What could I ask? 

"Think quick!" the woman snapped at me. 

"My mother", I blurted. "What… is she going to be okay?"

The woman did not reply at once. She lifted her unfocused eyes from me and froze, as if listening to something I could not hear.

The passing wind moved her robes, and I suddenly noticed she was not that tall - she was simply seated on a golden three-legged chair above a crack in the ground. Thick smoke rose from it, enveloping us both. It smelled terrible, and I coughed.

As if reminded of my presence, the woman pierced me with the stare of her blind eyes. "For one: dressed in pink, with laurel above your head, there you will wait for your mother to give you something you already have. For another: the gardener tries healing before they cut. You cannot burn the tree yet keep the fruit." She tilted her head, listening to silence again, and took a deep breath. "For both: don't let your blood choose for your head. And don't make small gods for yourself."

"What?" I croaked. The room grew darker around me.

The woman smiled at me for the first time. I wished she did not. 

"You have to leave now. The smoke is not good for people who are not used to it."

"Please-"

"Go. Now."

"Please, explain", I mumbled even as the smoke rose and engulfed me whole. "I don't understand…"

***

"What's there to understand? It must be the smoke. It's too much for people who aren't used to it."

"Shut it, Medusa. It's not… Zoe, wake up! Now!"

Something slapped me hard across the cheek, and I yelped. Ouch?! That was unfair.

"Good. Come on, sleepy head."

I opened my eyes and saw Aphrodite's face. It was unreadable. She stood right in front of me, holding me by the shoulders - her nails dug in so deep she almost drew blood. I blinked and saw everyone standing around us, watching me with interest.

"...What?" I managed to get out.

"Yeah, she's with us. Now excuse us, we'll go get fresh air." Aphrodite did not give me a single chance to protest before she half-dragged me out of the room, through the hall and towards the exit.

It really felt better to be outside, and I gulped down the night air like a drowning man. However, Aphrodite did not let me enjoy the peace and quiet. She doubled her iron grip and shook me nearly hard enough for my head to break clean off. 

"What did you see?"

"Wha- What?"

"Do not 'what' me, Zoe! I know how it looks like! You had a vision!" She shook me again, desperately, growling. "What. Did. You. See?!"

"A woman!" I blurted out. "A tall woman. She was sitting on this… golden chair… and I asked her about Mom and she told me weird things. That's all!"

Aphrodite stopped shaking me. She studied my face for a few seconds, her nails digging deeper. Then she let go so suddenly I staggered. When I regained my shaky balance, she was sitting on the steps hunched over with her face in her hands.

"Why…" she mumbled.

I decided I was not in the right state of mind for this, so I leaned on the door and breathed deep, feeling the mental fog clear away. In its place came confusion, fear… and stark loneliness. What was that? God, what happened to me? Why did it have to happen like that? I needed a hug right now. Preferably from Mom. But she was so far away…

"First", Aphrodite said in an emotionless tense voice, lifting her head, "do not tell Neferet about this. Don't you dare tell her! Do you understand me?"

I nodded, on the verge of panic as I was.

"Good. Second: you'll tell me about your every vision from now on. Even if you get a premonition about stabbing your toe. Understood?" She waited for my nod and stood up, wiping off her dress. She pressed her fingers to her temples and exhaled. "Alright… alright. Alright. By Nyx's sake, you barely stand. Ugh, come on." My elbow was grabbed - again. "Can't have our precious Neferet's favorite wandering in the dark alone, right?"

I could only drag my legs as she pushed and pulled me to the dorm. Her bare feet fiercely stomped over the concrete. Thankfully, no one was outside to see us, so I was spared any more humiliation.

"There", she said as she shoved me into the building. "I believe I am all out of hospitality. Remember: not a squeak to Neferet. I'll know. And I'll make you regret it."

I nodded, barely seeing anything, and stumbled forward towards the stairs. Oh. I was crying. That explained the blurry vision.

God, what was going on? Why was it so fast and so much? And why me? Why was it all happening to me?

I missed Mom. I missed Grandma. I missed Alex and Nick. And Kayla, and Heath, and everyone - everyone who'd make it more familiar. Simpler. Easier.

I blindly searched for our door and fell in. It was dark, and Stevie was nowhere in sight. That was the last straw.

I crawled towards the bed and climbed in as I was - old snickers and a flowy dress. The pillow ended up hugged to my chest as I gasped for air.

I felt so lonely. So, so terribly lonely. A castaway would probably feel not as hopeless. 

"I just need someone", I whispered and started crying harder. "I just need someone… someone to be here with me…"

I did not know when exactly I stopped crying and fell asleep, but eventually I slipped into an exhausted slumber.

And my last sleepy thought dipped and sank like a stone in a well - an unheard, unheeded warning:

Do not make gods for yourself…

Chapter Text

"Mrraw."

I frowned and buried my face deeper in my pillow. "Mmmm… not now, Fluffy… it's too early…"

"Mrrah-aw!"

Nope, nuh-huh. I played dead, hoping that the angry little beast would fall for it.

"Mraw!" 

Well, it saw through my act. "You're not starving, I don't believe you… go bother Mom, she'll fall for your lies…" 

There was a quiet cat yawn-sigh, followed by an even more demanding cry. Alright, guess I was not sleeping in today.

"Okay, okay, hungry guy. You win." I rubbed my eyes and blinked. And immediately froze.

This was not home.

Fluffy was gone.

And I hadn't seen that cat ever before.

It was small and shaggy, on ridiculously short legs. Its orange fur was sticking in all directions like the hair of someone who's just woken up. It also had one and a half ears and approximately two thirds of a tail. And it was screaming at me.

We stared each other down for a few seconds.

"Um…" I sat up and lowered my legs to the ground, wincing at the sight of a crumpled up dress. Right, the previous night happened. Great. "Are you Stevie's?"

Stevie's bed was still - or already - empty, so I could not ask her. The cat gave me an annoyed look and sneezed.

"Right. Guess that is a no." I squinted back at the cat. "Okay, then. Go find your human! Shoo! Don't be a little traitor." 

The cat seemed perfectly fine with being a traitor because it did not go anywhere. Instead, it yawned again, stretched and jumped onto my bed to curl on my pillow.

"Alright, I warned you, little guy." I got up, finally changed my clothes, keeping my eyes on the infiltrator all the time, and then carefully grabbed the cat. It hang from my hands like a sack of potatoes. "Okay… no collar, and you seem to be a girl. Hmm. Time to go look for your owner, buddy." 

The cat, squeezed close to me, made a little protesting mrraw but her opinion on the matter was ignored.

It was already morning - I mean, early evening. I ran around the dorm, asking the half-awake girls if the beast in question was theirs. The answer was 'no' each time, and no one even recognized her. I grew desperate by the minute.

I grew even more desperate - and panicked - when another girl I approached from the back turned around and I recognized Medusa. And, as I realized with horror, she recognized me as well. 

She squinted. In daylight, with loose hair and no makeup, she looked slightly less intimidating, but as no-nonsense as before. (To be honest, no one can look too scary in pajamas and with the morning puffy face. It’s plain impossible. Even if you are the worst villain, you will still look cute.)

"Hello, pothead. Still kicking?"

I swallowed and backed away, hugging the cat. "Yeah?"

Medusa rolled her eyes and pointed at the feline with her chin. "Neat. And I don't bite. Is it yours?" 

"No, uh - I am trying to find the owner."

"Any luck?"

"No. She has no collar, and she was in my room, so it's hard to…"

"Then it's yours. Congrats." 

"What do you mean?.."

"I mean that it’s yours, dumbass. What else can I mean?" Medusa tsked and yawned. I wondered if the ritual went on for long after I left. They must have spent a lot of time there, looking fab and eating fruit. 

"Right." That was not exactly a good explanation, but I had a feeling that I would not get much more out of her. "Thanks?"

She gave me a smile that made something inside of me shiver. "You’re welcome." And with that, she walked away from me, looking dead set on finding the nearest coffee machine. 

She definitely was a lady of few words.

I stood in the empty hall for a few seconds and then held the cat up. She made a raspy complaining meow again and stared at me.

Apparently, it was no big deal for a cat to decide to camp with you, here. I didn't really believe in pets choosing their owners, but the cat was obviously no one's and hungry… And judging by its injuries, it didn't fare well in the streets.

"I guess we are a team now, huh? Unless someone claims you", I told her. "Okay, so… you'll be Lucky. Because the day we met will be the luckiest in your life. Yes I know this is lame. Don't look at me like that."

Lucky the cat tried to bite my hand, so I quickly set her down and let her waddle next to me. She did so by waltzing around me in wide circles, sometimes running off and then dashing back towards me with her short tail stuck proudly in the air. And oh, how she complained all the time.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

As I was walking out of the dorm, I looked down at Lucky for a second and immediately crashed into someone full force. How does that even happen?!

"Guh, sorry, I didn't see-" I blinked. "...Stevie?"

Stevie Rae was trying to awkwardly balance a sloshing mug in her hands. After she made sure that no hot liquids were escaping, she looked up at me and smiled.

"Zoe! Hi. Good evening!" She handed the mug over to me. It smelled like hot chocolate. "Sorry for not meeting you yesterday. They usually mingle for way longer at those meetings, so I thought I still had time… And when I came back you were already asleep, so. But, well, I... saw the dress and all and decided you'd probably need that in the morning." She nodded at the mug. "So here you go!"

I hugged the mug and grinned wide. How come a girl that nice even existed? "Oh man, that's… that's really sweet. Thanks. I totally needed that."

"You're welcome! And whoooo's that pretty thing?" Stevie sat on her knees and leaned towards Lucky, cooing. The forgotten me felt a pang of jealousy. Well, at least that wonderful hot chocolate would never betray me.

"That's Lucky. I found her this morning. She's mine till death or till I forget to feed her."

"Oh, what a pretty girl you are…" Stevie let Lucky sniffle her fingers. "We can circle to the shop after breakfast, they have pet food."

"Not before?"

Stevie sent me a guilty look. "No. Shaunee is really bent on knowing how everything went last night. I barely stopped her from dashing to our room and pulling you out of the bed by your leg. She made me promise to bring you quick or else she’ll combust. Sorry."

I sighed. "Well, let's go and... save her from combusting."

And so we did. 

Shaunee was delighted, and that was all that mattered. The events of the night before somehow turned into a funny story over breakfast, especially since Erin kept joking at Aphrodite's expense. I snorted, guiltily sneaking Lucky a piece of ham under the table and trying to render the narrative into something less dramatic. It was a hard job, but I managed. I left out the vision and Aphrodite’s threats - mostly because I did not know what to make of them, myself.

"And also at one point she grabbed my shoulders with her nails. If she pressed any harder, they would break off and I'd be walking with ten red fake nails sticking out of me."

"Kinky", Erin said calmly, pressing her paper napkin to her lips.

Damien stuttered and gave her an affronted look. "In front of my cereal?!"

"Sorry, Damien!" Shaunee gave him an innocent look. "Here, I will explain. When two people really love each other, they sometimes do nasty stuff to each other and that's perfectly normal."

"Neat. Then I think I’m in love with you two, against all odds. Because I want to gently strangle you both."

"Oh, calm down, guys", Stevie said, grinning. "Keep that cereal pure and innocent! Well, what next?"

I shrugged. "Nothing much. She half-dragged me to my room and left me there."

"How thoughtful of her", Damien said. "Truly amiable."

Shaunee rested her chin on her hands and gave me a look. "It's actually a big deal to come to one of their rituals, Zoe. They might offer you to join the club for real, you know. Will you?"

"No! No. No, I don’t think." I dropped my head on the table. "I feel like I am allergic to Aphrodite. And pot. And there’s too much of both there."

Stevie blinked, frowning. "Allergic?"

"Yeah. I got super sick because of it yesterday." A shiver ran all over me at the memory. "Super dizzy. And the time was going… weird."

"And the smells and colors were too much?" Stevie quietly asked.

I looked at her. "Yeah. How’d you know?"

She looked back at me with a sad smile. "I… went to one of their meetings. I made friends with one of the girls from there, and she brought me. But then I got sick, and… when I saw the blood wine… I got all sorts of creepy sensations." Stevie sighed. "I bolted. And then my new friend broke off the friendship all of a sudden. It was not that great."

"I see..." Not knowing what to say, I pat her on the shoulder. "Sounds like a mess."

"It was, but thankfully it’s over! But it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who gets weird with that smoke they use."

"You’re really not", Shaunee shrugged. "Pot gives you those effects sometimes. There are kids who get kicked out after their first ritual for the same thing. Unless they are really cool."

"Oh, really?"

"Yep. Don’t worry. You’re not the last unicorn there."

I bit on my fork, trying to decide if I trusted them enough. Aphrodite said not to tell Neferet, but she did not mention anyone else, right? 

Lucky jumped into my lap, and I smiled against myself, relaxing to the sound of her raspy purrs. Man, cats can really calm you down.

"Can, uh… can pot smoke make you hallucinate?"

Everyone turned to Damien. He raised a brow at us. "Since when am I a pot expert?"

"You are an Expert, period", Shaunee said, batting her eyelids. "On everything. Everyone knows that."

"I’m flattered but still not texting you the test answers", Damien replied, making Shaunee pout. "But… as far as I know, no it should not. Why? Have you seen something?"

Now everyone was looking at me. I fidgeted.

"I mean… kind of?"

"Ohmygosh", Shaunee breathed out in awe. She reached towards me with her entire body and stared at me like I suddenly grew a halo. "Really?! Wow, Aphrodite will be pi-issed… What did you see? Was it the future? Did you get anything important?"

"I, uh… Not really, no. Just a weird lady." I gave them a quick description of the mysterious woman. "I asked her about Mom, but what she said… It was kind of gibberish, you know? It did not make any sense."

"Huh. Pythia", Damien said.

"What?"

"You saw a Pythia. Also known as Delphian Oracle. She disposed at Apollo’s temple and sat on a golden tripod atop a smoking crack in the ground. And made occasionally nonsensical yet true prophecies." He squinted at me. "I wonder why you don’t know that, miss Zoe Katopodis."

I felt my cheeks burn. "Listen, I am more into the modern culture. And I’ve never even been to Greece."

"Neither have I, and yet I know that."

"Okay, okay, you won, no need to rub it in. Jeez." I gave the chuckling Damien a dirty look. "But, well, anyway, I still think pot has something to do with that."

Stevie blinked. "How so?"

"I, well… I never saw anything before the ritual. Not even at the all school big thing!" I waved my hands around for emphasis. "If I was Nyx, that’s where I’d send a vision to my loyal, extremely attractive and smart supporter."

"Too bad I did not see anything there", Erin said. 

Shaunee wheezed so hard she almost choked on her breakfast cereal. "Neither did I!"

I gave them dirty looks as well. "Anyway! That’s still kind of weird of Nyx, you know?"

"Then it might have been not Nyx", Damien mumbled.

"What?"

He waved it off. "It’s probably nothing. But… Yeah, that is kind of weird. Do you want to investigate it?"

I frowned. "I… guess?"

"Then you have to go to another ritual." Damien shrugged at the sight of my shocked face. "What? That’s just logical. If you end up in the same setting as before and have another vision, then your visions indeed stem from the setting. If nothing happens, then it must be something else that is responsible."

I played dead again. No. Nope. No way. "They probably will not invite me again, even..."

"What? Neferet is your mentor. Of course they will, if only to get in her good graces." Shaunee rolled her eyes. "No one wants to cross the head teacher slash High Priestess."

"But..." 

Stevie gave me an even weaker smile. "Sorry, Zoe. I know you really don’t like it there, but..." She took a deep breath. "I could go with you next time, if it is important for you."

"Count me in too", Erin chimed in. "I look great in glitter. And I make for a good bodyguard against creeps."

"Me too! Just to think of all the people there… and all the juicy gossip! I cannot miss that. You know me!" Shaunee licked her lips and giggled at herself.

"I guess I can find a free spot in my tight schedule as well", Damien stated importantly. 

I sighed and smiled. "Thanks, guys. What would I do without you?"

"Be alone with Ditto, that is what", Shaunee said. "No one deserves a fate like that."

"Right." I finished my cereal in silence, thinking. 

All of this was really strange. The vision, Aphrodite’s actions, Eliot’s appearance at the ritual… What happened to him? Was he alright? Why couldn’t I tell Neferet? What could Pythia’s words mean? Who were those ‘one’ and ‘another’ she spoke of? What could I take out of this? How was I supposed to decipher her message? I had my hands full with the vampire nonsense already, I did not have either time or energy to deal with this additional mess.

You have something most people lack… you have old magic, deep in your veins…

Why did I even get a vision like this?

I was so out of it that as I was walking to the class I ran into another person. Cursing under my breath and then saying a sorry out loud, I blinked. It was Aphrodite. Ah. Typical. Just the person I wanted to see the least. 

"Hello", she said in a bored voice. Her eyes slid down to Lucky who was trailing after me the whole time. "Is it yours? You are worth one another."

Lucky growled.

"Oh hiiii", I said with pretend enthusiasm. "Long time no see. Great ritual yesterday."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, cut it with that fake shit. I just need to know when I can have my dress back. I take it that you are not coming back for another ritual?"

I cringed. "About that..."

Aphrodite squinted at me. "Seriously? Did you like the smoke this much?"

"No - no, not really. It’s just, um..." I paused and settled on half-truth. "I’m sure it will go better this time. I want to meet more people, you know? And I promised my friends that I will show them the ritual. They were super curious."

"Great. More dorks. They’d better sit in a far corner and stay silent if they don’t want to be thrown out." Aphrodite grimaced. Then she gave me a long considering stare. I wondered what she was thinking about, but she never shared her thoughts. Instead, she shook her head and asked: "I hope you remember what you promised yesterday?"

I shivered. "Yes. Not a word to Neferet."

"Good girl." A sneer returned to her face before she turned away and started on her merry way.

I felt like I was making a mistake, but I still called after her. "But… why?"

She stopped for a second, without looking back at me. Finally, she uttered a single line before turning the corner:

"It’s for the best. For everyone."

Chapter Text

Stevie grabbed me by the elbow so suddenly that I squeaked. 

"Oh! - Oh. Stevie. Hi."

She let go of my arm. "Sorry! But I must ask, do you make that noise every time someone approaches or is it just my ability?"

"You startled me!"

"I noticed!" Stevie smiled at me. "Can we walk together?"

"Oh, um. Sure."

A week had passed since the rituals, and I was still out of it. Too many things were on my mind. I kept zoning out of conversations and could not focus enough on the classes, and Neferet even called me to her office to give me a pep talk. She must have sensed that something was wrong, because at some point she carefully asked me if I was feeling sick. I was not, not until she asked. 

We went down the hall and turned the corner, exchanging a few phrases about the classes and the weather. Constant darkness during my waking hours was still hard to get used to, but somehow rainy nights were even worse than the normal ones. Moonlight made things a little better. Though, I was starting to forget what the world looked like when it was not painted in blue and grey hues.

It hadn’t rained for a while, and it was a small relief.

"So", Stevie said carefully after a pause, "things must be pretty… hectic for you right now."

"You have no idea."

"I have some idea. I mean, I had no visions or filled tattoos, but I was new too. I know how it feels to be thrown in a pile of metaphorical manure."

I snorted. "Good comparison… But I guess you are right. It sucks, no matter the circumstances."

"Mhm… Well, the good news is that it gets better." Stevie noticed my skeptical look and sent me back an innocent one. "Seriously! Once you get settled in and used to everything, and some things get sorted out, you will feel better. You just need to… get in the groove. And in the zone. Groovy zone."

I snorted. "Okay. I’ll try. Thanks, Stevie."

"No problem! Oh, also maybe you could give me your number? So it is easier to find you in case of emergencies. Or when I want to chat! I always want to chat! And I’m kind of tired of running around the campus looking for you."

I told her my number before wincing. "Oh, right. Crap. I think I left my phone in my room… again. I probably should start carrying it around now that someone will call me."

"Good idea..." Stevie gave me a side eye, but did not comment.

I suddenly felt compelled to step away and closer to the wall for no reason. Stevie echoed my movements before blinking and sighing. "Ah."

Eliot was walking down the hall past us, dragging his feet and staring down. He did not seem to pay attention to anybody, except for when a kid was too slow to get out of his way and he grunted some curse at them.

I followed him with my eyes and turned to whisper at Stevie: "What’s his deal?"

She shrugged, apologetic. "I don’t know. We’ve never been friends..." After a pause spent biting her lip, she added even quieter: "That… feeling you get when he gets close… It is not a good sign."

I breathed in. Was that the ‘imperfection’ Neferet talked about? The feeling that something is wrong? 

"Can it be helped?"

Stevie made another pause and sighed. "Not by... conventional means."

I wanted to ask what she meant, but then the bell rang and we both had to run off to our respective classes. 

‘Not by conventional means’? Then... how?

In either case, the class started, and it was Literature, and Eliot was there with me, and he was sound asleep in the back row just as always. No one seemed to notice, or maybe they just did not care enough. I bit my lip, thinking.

I was dying to know why he was at the ritual, in a fit of morbid useless curiosity. I was dying to know a lot of things about his whole situation, to be honest. It would not help me in the long run, sure, but knowing more about something makes you feel just a little more confident. I remembered how Mom researched heart diseases after Grandpa died. Maybe it ran in the family.

Besides, I could not help but sympathise. He stuck out like a sore thumb. I could bet that it did not feel too good.

After class, I took another attempt at solving the case. I waited as Eliot got half-heartedly chewed off by the professor and waved at him as he walked towards the door. "Um. Hi!"

Eliot gave me a slightly confused, questioning look. Up close, he looked even worse than before. I sweated a bit.

"Um… I’m Zoe? From horse studies? We kinda talked?"

The red-headed boy looked defensive for a moment, but then he seemed to remember me, and his shoulders slouched. "...Don’t really feel like chatting."

"Oh." I fidgeted with my bag. "Sorry? I just wanted to say that I saw you at the ritual."

"Yeah?" Eliot frowned. "And what about it?"

Hoo boy, that was an awkward small talk. "Nothing, just… it was nice, I guess? To see a familiar face there? Sorry I did not say hi, I was kind of out of it."

He shrugged. "People don’t come there to mess with us blood tanks anyway."

"...What? What do you mean?.."

He gave me a dumbfounded stare, then sighed. “Right. You are new… right.” Eliot did not seem too thrilled about that revelation. He scratched his head. “Rituals… they need blood to work.”

I squirmed. “Yeah?..”

"Yeah. Well. They needed blood. I gave it. Kinda simple." Eliot suddenly smiled. It wasn’t a very happy smile. It did not reach his tired eyes at all. "At least I’m still good for something, right?"

I had no idea what to say, so I nervously chuckled on autopilot, since it seemed the reaction he was waiting for. Eliot nodded and walked past me, not bothering to say anything close to a goodbye.

Well, this did not do me much good. We clearly were not going to become best friends - or friends at all - anytime soon, so there was no need to pull out friendship bracelets. At least my morbid curiosity was satisfied… in an equally morbid way.

I tried not to think about the wine that held Eliot’s blood. I could not deal with this too.

Well, some things stayed the same: I still had classes, and I still had to fetch my phone. Stevie was quite insistent on that. I was really straying from the stereotype of a teenager stuck in the Net all the time, and by god I was going to set this right.

(I still did not always remember to say ‘Nyx’ instead of ‘God’, and I had to set this right as well.)

Lucky followed me everywhere this day. Sometimes she walked off to do her cat stuff and run after other felines, but every time I looked for her, she immediately came running back, short tail stuck in the air - I didn't even have to call her aloud. She ran alongside me as I jogged to the dorm, too, mocking me with her speed. I watched the two-thirds of her puffy tail bounce away ahead of me.

Fetching my phone proved to be a hard and dangerous task. I gulped my lunch down to make the trip and be back in time. Stevie had to pat me on the back twice because I choked, and Erin threatened to Heimlich maneuver me into hell and back if I did not stop trying to die. But I really had to hurry. So I ran like someone who is four hours late to a date, huffing and stumbling.

And of course I ran into someone. Again. I needed to start drawing stars on my coat for each victim. I groaned and looked up - only to feel like choking again.

"Hi", Erik Night said, looking at me with interest.

I suddenly became aware that I looked like a freshly hatched zombie. A freshly hatched zombie in Stevie’s vest and old snickers. Next to a very, very, very good-looking guy who seemed to be born with a Hollywood smile, abs and charisma to top it off. 

Why? Why are genes so unfair? Why do some get it all while others roll in the metaphorical dirt?

"Hi", I said in an attempt to at least radiate confidence. 

He quirked a brow at me. "I’d say you are a little late for the morning jog. But I’d give you a ten out of ten for your aim".

I did a fake little laugh to buy myself some precious time. "Oh, it’s - Yeah, you know. That’s the... vampire version of jogging. The later the better. Just what doctor Frankenstein advised."

Somehow, that made Erik snort. He looked different today: less lacquered over. With his shirt a little askew and his hair ruffled, he looked less like a Ken doll and more like a flesh and blood guy. Just, you know, really handsome.

And he was smiling at me. Fuck. Fuck.

"So, um", I said, trying to keep up the good impression, "you were at the ritual, right? I saw you there, um, chatting with the locals."

Erik rolled his eyes, puffing his cheeks in a suddenly playful gesture. "Oh, right. Those post-breakup talks. Amazing. Yeah. Lucky me. And all that fancy haunted-houseness before it’s even Halloween... Zoe, right? I guess Aph has bullied you into joining too, hasn’t she?" 

Hm. Post-breakup? That would explain the hell heat between them, yeesh.

"Oh. Yeah, right, and - The talks suck. Totally. And it is never not weird when you go to the same school with your ex. You keep running into each other and you are paired at activities and it never stops being awkward." I shrugged, feeling more at ease. Erik nodded in gloomy agreement. "Wait. Were you bullied into it too?.."

"Nah, I got kind of misled. They told me it was like a cool club or something, then it turns out people barely even talk there. And it’s all that… flexing at each other. Who’s the smartest, or the richest, or the most talented. And I am not into that. But then I’d look like a wuss for bailing." Erik made a face. "I am allergic to being called a wuss."

I laughed. Well, for someone so high-class (in all senses) he seemed really friendly. "I don’t think you are a wuss."

Erik gasped, slid down to one knee and assumed a pose of an awestruck lover. "Milady, that was the best compliment I have ever received." Then he winked at me and stood up. "Well, I’d love to chat more. You’re really sweet, you know? But I gotta run. Ew. Responsibilities."

"Um, yeah - a total nightmare", I said with an awkward chuckle, following him with my eyes. "Good luck!"

He turned briefly to wave at me and press his hand to his forehead in a gesture of absolute despair. "Farewell!"

I could not help but giggle. For someone from Aphrodite’s social circle, he was really amazing.

Wait. Wait a second there.

Did Erik just call me sweet?!

Okay, okay, relax. It must have been just friendliness. Totally. 

No, but - seriously?!?!

Alright! No time for that!!! I have other issues right now!

... Damn , though.

Still in a starstruck haze, I stumbled to our room and made a beeline towards my bed. Lucky seemed to think that I was going to sleep. She yawned and jumped on the bed, stretching.

"Oh you poor, mistaken child..." I sighed, looking for my phone in the bag. Nope, wasn’t there. Must have put it somewhere else. "You are a sleepy baby, aren’t you? You just want to sleep, and that big stupid Zoe keeps running around… Bad, bad Zoe! Does not let poor little Lucky-Loo sleep at all, no she doesn’t. No peace and quiet for the poor kitty..."

Lucky gave me a look and yawned. I yawned too. "...Stop it. You won’t get me to go to sleep anyway."

...I could not stop yawning now.

The phone was finally located under the covers. I pursed my lips, staring at the black screen. Alright, the lack of notifications was definitely distressing, but I had to move on. I was a strong independent woman. I had the spirit of an Amazonian warrior within me. I did not need anyone except my fish plushie and my trusty lucky bra. 

Well! I stuffed the phone into my pocket and jogged back out, desperately trying to feel more positive than I really was. It did not work. No matter how hard I tried, my inner Amazonian never made it out. I was stuck with my outer Zoey who felt like climbing into the bed for the next century or so. 

I got back to the dining hall, red, sweaty - and annoyed. Apparently, I did not even need to choke on soup and then show miracles of athleticism. Lunch was far from over; most people had not even finished yet.

"Hello again", Erin said, rolling her eyes, when I slid into my seat. "I hope you haven’t come back only to drown yourself in apple juice."

Shaunee’s amused giggles drowned out my groan.

"No. Though thank you for the idea." I sighed and resumed my beloved position: forehead pressed to the table, eyes closed. "Sounds like something I should try in my free time."

"Hey, hey!" Stevie pat me on the head. "None of that. No one is dying for any reason whatsoever on my watch."

"How long is your watch?" Shaunee asked, batting her eyelashes. "Because I’ve always wanted to punch a shark in the face, and no dying would be handy there."

"Sharks don’t have faces", Damien noted with an expression of a good-natured but tired professor. "Nor fists. It would be a one-sided fight. No boxing committee would allow this."

"Unless you do it backstreet style," Erin said. "Shark Fighting Club."

Stevie Rae hid her face in her palms. "I will ground anyone who tries to fight a shark." 

"On what grounds?" Damien said.

"On the grounds of me being the only person with common sense here." She stuck out her tongue proudly. "Also sharks are endangered and misunderstood."

Shaunee gave her a happy smile. "I have common sense! I just never wear it with my turquoise bag and heels."

"I just ran into Erik Night", I blurted out. 

Shaunee snapped her head at me immediately. "What? Where? How? When?"

"Just now, over there… I almost knocked him over." I sighed. "He was so sweet..."

"...Girl. Girl. I understand your yearning, but there’s a line to the guy that’s three miles long. As sad as it sounds, he’s out of our league." Shaunee reached out and pat my shoulder. "But… gosh, he’s cute."

"That smile", Damien added dreamily.

"And those strong hands", Shaunee said.

"And that butt", Erin joined in, sighing.

We shared a sad moment of hopeless yearning. Then there was a pause, and everyone turned to the quiet Stevie. 

She blinked. "What?"

"Don’t you have anything to add?" Erin asked.

"Oh, um. He’s… cute? I think he’s just not my type."

"And who is?" Shaunee perked up.

Stevie shrugged. "...Boys with a better personality?"

"And where’s the thrill in that?"

"Anyway," Stevie said, ever patient, "you know what I’m thinking of? Something great, for a change. Before we turn up at Aphrodite’s private party. What do you think of a sleepover?"

"Original. Extravagant and brave. But I am not letting you into my room", Damien said. "Not even if Erin sticks her fake nails into me."

Erin stretched her fingers and wiggled them in front of his face. "Those are real, boy. Be jealous all you like. No one wants to see your man cave anyway."

Damien squeezed out a fake tear. "Oh thank Nyx."

The sleepover was grand. 

Well, technically it was more of a really late party, since there were only two beds available and I was not looking forward to being pushed around and jostled all day in my sleep. We stayed up late and talked silly things. Damien pretended to be a rock star. Erin let us try on her shoes and stumble around in ten inch heels like drunk giggly ducks. We only stopped when a yawning girl nearly busted our door in and told us that at this rate none of us would make it to the graduation and the reason for our untimely deaths would be her.

God, I needed something like that. Normal.

When I crawled back to our room, I was barely awake enough to put one leg past another. Stevie was no better. She stumbled to her bed, weakly shed her clothes, dove under the blanket and immediately started snoring. All under five seconds.

I gave her an impressed look and tried to follow her example, but something hard and angular bit into my thigh. I barely kept from yelping. 

Oh. Right. The phone. I pulled it out and pressed the button to check the battery life.

Nothing. The screen stayed black. Perhaps it was too low on battery?..

And suddenly I remembered, in vivid detail, turning my phone off just as I was preparing to drive into the unknown a week ago.

No. No, no, it could not be.

Struck by a sudden realisation, I pressed the button again. The screen lit up, and after a brief moment of watching the logo I saw my home screen, alive and well.

And then, the notifications started coming. Missed messages, missed calls. Heath, Kayla, Alex, Nick, Mom… More, and more, and more.

I turned off the screen, hugged the phone to my chest and fell backwards on the bed. Lucky meowed in protest.

"I’m dumb, baby girl", I told her. "I’m way, way dumb."

Lucky squinted at me and sneezed. 

What can I say? Fair enough.

Chapter Text

I set up an alarm for about 5pm - which left me with about two to three hours of sleep that day. Still better than staying up from dusk till dawn as I had done a few times, either to binge-watch a show or to desperately cram up before an exam. Back then, I believed the guys who boasted emerging from their allnighters like fresh rejuvenated Phoenixes. I was young and naive. All I ever got from staying up were red puffy eyes, funny hair and a strong feeling that I was stuck as a pile of ash and feathers instead.

In either case, when I woke up three hours later and smacked my phone to silence the alarm, all I wanted was to drop back down right away. Lucky was softly snoring on my chest, the bed was toasty, the room was dark, and there was little reason to wake up at that ungodly hour.

Well, except for all the people that were apparently freaking out back home.

I rubbed my eyes and carefully moved Lucky away so I could sit up. She complained, but still curled at my side. I smiled at her little snoring form before turning to my phone.

Alright… where to start?

I was not going to text Mom first, even though I was really worried about her. It was a bit like getting into a cold pool: you had to start with awkwardly splashing yourself with water while gathering courage on the shore.

So I started with Alex.

Zoe, 17:07: hi

Immediately (no, I mean it - like, three seconds later ) she replied:

Lexus, 17:08: BITCH

Ouch, but I guess I deserved it. 

Zoe, 17:08: so i am alive

Lexus, 17:10: I hope so because I need to strangle you myself 

Zoe, 17:10: haha nice to hear from you too lex

Lexus, 17:11: silent for days
Lexus, 17:11: Mom had us searching for your half eaten body
Lexus, 17:12: do not Lex me
Lexus, 17:12: where are you

I snorted, relishing in the familiar banter. Siblings are weird: you love each other unconditionally, but still would sell each other to Satan for half a burrito if you could.

Zoe, 17:13: its a long story but in a word i am at the satan high. dancing around naked and eating babies
Zoe, 17:14: i won a baby eating contest today

There was a small pause where I wondered if I rushed it.

Lexus, 17:18: Atta girl. That’s my little sis, making me proud
Lexus, 17:18: how did you get there though
Lexus, 17:19: did they throw a fishing rod with a hot guy as a bait
Lexus, 17:20: but seriously, are you okay?

I groaned, rolling my eyes.

Zoe, 17:21: NO they did NOT ha ha haaaa very funny miss hypocrite lets make fun of your sister who is SUFFERING
Zoe, 17:22: ... they do have really pretty boys here true but THATS BESIDE THE POINT
Zoe, 17:23: also cats. like really the place is crawling with cats

Lexus, 17:23: suuuuuuuuuuuure ;)
Lexus, 17:24: wait. Really?

Zoe, 17:24: mhm. i got one her name is lucky and shes a precious girl
Zoe, 17:25: i will keep it short cuz its like 5 in the morn to me but it is not that bad and its pretty tame here overall and i am fine really i swear lex
Zoe, 17:25: i am eating well and no one bullies me aside from you right now and i met some people who are really nice

Lexus, 17:26: okay, I need to know one thing: is she an adorable cinnamon roll
Lexus, 17:26: do you call that bullying? Weak.
Lexus, 17:27: do you remember that one time when Jack the Jerk annoyed you?

I snorted and shook my head.

Zoe, 17:28: yes absolutely
Zoe, 17:28: how can i forget

Lexus, 17:29: same will happen to anyone else who annoys you, vampire or not

Zoe, 17:30: i dont even doubt that

Lexus, 17:30: atta girl!

Zoe, 17:30: thanks my big and terrifying sis

Lexus, 17:31: contrary to popular belief, cheerleaders are scarier than football players thanks to their core muscle strength and brass knuckles in pom poms :)

Zoe, 17:32: ok im legit terrified now gn

Lexus, 17:33: good night! Don't let the bad boys bite ;) ;) ;)

Zoe, 17:33: HA. HA. HA.

I rolled my eyes and checked out other messages. Heath and Kay had to wait: I did not exactly have the energy for more awkward explanations. Nick was likely to blow up my phone at the news. Mom, though…

I sighed and tried to get myself together. Come on, inner warrior queen, I know you are in there, no need to hide.

A deep breath, and I hit send:

Zoe, 17:48: so. hi

I had to wait twenty minutes, so i almost fell asleep again. The vibration of a new message notification made me jerk awake, and I was filled with a premonition even before I rubbed my eyes and read it.

Ma, 18:05: Good evening, young lady.

John.

Zoe, 18:05: it is rude to invade others conversations

Ma, 18:07: You forgot an apostrophe in the word others'. And in this case, I have no choice since you are clearly out of control. We are deeply disappointed and we must let you know that things will be vastly different for you when you return home. You and me will discuss it later, though. 

Zoe, 18:07: cool. can i talk to mom now

Ma, 18:08: You will once you are home. 

Zoe, 18:08: look i just want to know if she is okay

Ma, 18:12: It is a bit too late for such a sentiment now, don't you think? Not after you had disappeared like this, without a notice. Do you even understand what a great pain you brought to us all? I cannot call it anything else: you made a disgrace of yourself. We’ve shown you such kindness, and that’s how you respond to it? Your escapade has broken both her heart and mine. You broke the trust given to you as well. Worse yet, you have strayed yet further from God in your childish rebellion. This saddens me so much... 

Ma, 18:15: I understand that those are hard times for us all, but you ought to be reasonable. Don't make this harder than it should be. Do you think I enjoy being harsh with you? No, I am not. I am only doing what is best for you. One day you will understand this and thank me for guiding you to happiness and safety. And guide you I will. I believe you are not past forgiveness and redemption, but first you must show the desire to better yourself. Return home, and I will help you face this trial.

Zoe, 18:16: is mom okay

Ma, 18:16: Where are you?

Zoe, 18:17: is mom okay

Ma, 18:17: Young miss, I asked you a question. The polite option is to answer.

I dropped the phone and hid my face in my palms. It buzzed again, but I did not bother looking.

John was obviously pissed with me, and I really hoped Mom was not getting the short end of the stick… though a part of me was relieved to know I missed it myself. But with John blocking her access to the phone, there was little I could do. I could not even apologise properly. There was a voice of hope telling me that John was playing up her brokenheartedness, but at the same time I could not help but doubt...

There was one last person I wanted to talk to, though. 

I sighed, slipped out of the bed and groaned the second my bare feet hit the floor. Okay, instant regret. But I had to make a phone call, and something told me Stevie would not be thrilled to wake up so early. I sure wasn't. Today's Zoe would really like to exchange some cross words with yesterday's Zoe, since she was the one to set the alarm. 

And Today Zoe would absolutely slap Yesterday Zoe across the face for going to bed when she did.

I stumbled out of the room and into the hall. It was cold and empty, and the TVs were off, so the room looked a bit liminal - like a half-lit midnight mall. The sofa's embrace was equally chilly, but at least it was better than standing barefoot. (I belatedly realised that shoes were totally a Thing that Existed.) 

Well, time to make that call. I'd text, but she had always had trouble with technology more complicated than a toaster. 

She picked up after three rings. 

"Hi, Grandma", I said, smiling already out of habit.

"Hello, moro mou", Grandma said. Aw, Greek pet names? She saved those for special occasions. "I thought you forgot all about your poor old grandmother. Of course, you must be having so much fun there, there is no time left for old boring women anymore."

"Oh, come on. You know it's not true. I mean, there is a twelve hour difference between us now. I did not want to wake you up in the middle of the night."

"Sure, sure", she replied, but I could tell by her voice that she was smiling. "How are you?"

"I'm fine! I'm fine. Mostly. It's just a lot at once." I pulled my legs up, sitting up on the sofa - a habit I got from Mom. "I made friends, I got a cat, and now I am just sorting through everything. I think I've got it together so far… more or less. Oh, and there are visiting days too, so you can come see me! So… yeah, it could be worse." I winced, recalling the messages from John. "Much worse. By the way, do you know what's going on back home?"

"I am glad to hear that! I will come visit you when I can, dear. And yes, oh yes. I know." Grandma tsked. "That man came yesterday, looking for you. I told him that I last saw you walking towards the woods in a little red bonnet. Ah, how mad he was. I believe you have disturbed a hornet's nest." 

"Ouch. That's not too reassuring. Do you maybe know how Mom took it?"

Grandma made a little pause. "She did not bother telling me." I blinked at a sting of an unknown unpleasant feeling, but she immediately added in a softer voice: "Anyway, I want to know everything about that school. Unless you are being censored. I would not want you to get into trouble so early on."

"Uh… right. School. Yes. No, I think it's fine." I gave her a quick summary of my few days here - excluding everything about the Pythia dream and blood drinking. It was a strange feeling to hold my tongue: I have always been honest when talking to her, even oversharing. But I was honestly afraid she would freak out too much. Besides, it did not make a whole lot of sense even to me myself, so it was probably better to put it off till I sorted it out.

"That is a strange place", Grandma concluded importantly when I was done. "Strange, but it does not sound too bad so far. Keep your eyes open, though, moro mou."

"Why, because of vampires?"

"No, because it is a new place and you need to look out for yourself. I know how it is to be stranded away as a young girl. And you are very young, my dear girl, so young and away from your family... I have no idea how you will fare on your own."

"I'm not in another country, you know… And I am not a baby. But thanks." I smiled to myself. "Love you, Grandma." 

"Now say this in a proper language."

I snorted. "S… s'agapo, yaya." 

"That's better", Grandma said in a contentedly grumpy voice. "S'agapo, moro mou. You'll always be my little girl, no matter what. Call me whenever you can."

"Sure thing. Goodbye, yaya." I ended the call and sighed, smiling.

Well, certain things don't ever change, do they?

***

Having less than four hours of sleep was one of my worst ideas ever, among showing up at Aphrodite’s ritual and sending a jokingly flirty message to a wrong number. But at least the rest of the group looked about the same when I entered the dinner hall. Damien showed up in fluffy panda slippers and did not understand the reason of our snickering till Erin lovingly kicked his foot two minutes later.

I was yawning when an equally sleepy Shaunee suddenly gasped, jumped up as if struck by a lightning and started flailing her hands at me, again, as if struck by a lightning. I could almost smell ozone. 

"What? Is something really wrong with my face? I don't-"

I became abruptly aware that everyone at the table was now staring somewhere behind my back with round eyes. Even Erin seemed thrown off. A couple of tables around were suddenly really interested too. 

I blinked and turned around as well - and almost ended up with my nose pressed into someone's stomach.

No, not someone's. Erik's. It was Erik and he was standing right there and oh my god, was he going to run into me only in the instances when I looked like a week old shitpile? I bet that was exactly the case. Nothing else to expect in this cold, cruel world.

"Hi", he said, looking down at me, and I could swear that he managed to make this short word sound sweet and original. Those damn charismatic people.

"Hi", I said, trying to discreetly adjust my vest. "So… um…"

"Did I startle you? Sorry for sneaking up." He gave me a smile and put his hands up. "I just wanted to ask if you were going to the next meeting of the preppie meeting club. I heard you were, but…"

I blinked a few times before realising. "Oh - oh, you mean Aphrodite's - right. Yes, I am." 

"Cool! Do you mind if I join you there?" 

"What?" 

Shaunee grabbed Erin's arm and seemingly forgot how to breathe. Damien mirrored her from the other side, unblinking.

"I just wanted to hang out or something". Erik shrugged, looking apologetic, and stepped back a bit. "Is it cool with you? I mean, no pressure. I'd just rather go with someone that's actually nice to be with."

I breathed in, suddenly noticing how many eyes were on me - both from our table and several others - and how distressingly great Erik looked next to me. 

Only someone really, really stupid would miss on that, right?

"Yes. I - yes, of course!" I smiled back, trying to look coquettish. "I will - uh - grant you this favor, kind sir. I think." 

Erik laughed at that, bowed in a playfully grand way and made his leave after thanking me.

I breathed out.

"Holy shit", Damien said, shaking his head. He paused. "Grant a favor? Kind sir? Seriously?"

"Mom's romance stories were big on this expression, don't judge me. I already feel like a crushing spinster." I hid my face in my hands.

"For real, though!" Shaunee grabbed my arm and shook it like she wanted to tear it off and keep as a trophy. "Erik Night just went and asked you on a - does everyone agree with me that this is basically a date?"

"I wouldn't rush to conclusions yet, but it can turn into a date", Erin said, nodding.

"And then it can turn into a romance story", Damien added.

I groaned and weakly swatted on him. "Or a comedy plot. Guys, come on, he probably just wants to be friends…"

"You can be friends with your datemate", Shaunee quickly said, grinning. 

"Oh, come on!"

Stevie giggled. "Zoe, I am sorry, but I am with them on this one. This is a very suspicious move on his part."

"Then… holy shit. " I shook my head. "Holy shit. "

"Exactly". Erin studied her nails. "Rumor has it that he has only dated the best of the best, right, Shaun?" 

"Mhm! He must have seen something in you. I believe in love at first sight, by the way." 

I blushed, unable to look up. Me and Erik… the smart, confident, handsome Erik… the thought was endlessly flattering. 

Love at first sight was also something from Mom's long forgotten love stories, but I still allowed myself to toy with the thought. 

Being a crushing spinster might be not that bad.

***

"One would think that you wouldn't gaze upon other boys after Erik gave you a better spectacle."

"Okay, first of all, the hell." I blushed and lunged forward, trying to poke Damien with the fencing sword - what was the name - but he dodged, snorting. "Second of all, I am not staring. I am just thinking."

"Uh huh… Did not think you were into more... corpulent guys, either."

"Damien, I swear to god - to whoever. I will tell Stevie you were mean to me, and you will be sorry."

"Okay, okay, my most sincere apologies, etc. etc." Damien pressed his palms together for a moment like a repentant sinner. "But jokes aside, this is not the first time I see you staring at Eliot. Is everything alright between you two?"

"I guess…"

"Then what's the matter?.."

Fencing was a fun class, if a bit anachronistic, but after half an hour of training my whole body was screaming mercy. And yet, even though I was wincing, sweating and panting like a nerdy teen on his first ever date, I could not help but glance to the far corner every once in a while.

Eliot was there, paired with the teacher. He did not seem too enthused about the class. It did not seem like he openly sabotaged it, but he did the barest possible minimum and not a yota more. Dragon Langford could frown and squint and tell him off all he wanted. Eliot nodded and then did everything the same.

Actually, that was what he did at every class we shared: he did the bare minimum and nothing more. He just barely scraped by. The teachers seemed to be used to his shtick enough by this point so they barely noticed him unless he fell asleep and snored too loud.

He did not talk to anyone, he did not stand out at all, but every time he passed by I was clouded by the steady sense of something being very, very wrong about him. A sense that did not make sense.

I didn't even know what made me so involved. He was just another quiet kid that sat in the back and ate alone at lunch. I did not know him and frankly, there was little reason to want to know him better. But… something bugged me about him. Something just did not sit right out there.

Maybe it was again that morbid curiosity that makes you pick on the scabbed scratches. I did not know. But I wanted to.

"Do you know anything about him? Why he is… you know… that way?"

Damien paused to scratch his head. "Uh, if you mean him being all aloof… I heard his uncle died or something. I mean, I don't know the whole thing, we've never been friends, but… you know. It's a shame, he used to be a good musician before the whole thing. I heard him once play a flute in the orchestra on a school ball. A leading part, too. That tells you something."

"Oh." I glanced at him again. "Wow. That's… sad. I guess it makes sense why he'd be… you know, broody. Wait. Wrong word, ugh, it sounds mean of me to say that. Aloof, it makes sense why he'd be so aloof. But… you know."

Damien gave me a sad smile. "Yes, I know. But it's not like you can help with things like that, right? No one is able to cure grief on a whim or bring people back from dead. Even Nyx."

"Yeah… true." I tore my eyes away from Eliot and tried to concentrate on the lesson. It is not like I could help him… 

But maybe, I could at least talk? Maybe I could at least try to do something...

I looked over once more - but suddenly Eliot looked back as if feeling my stare. His eyes were dark and tired, as always. He did not smile, he did not raise his brows. He simply stared at me as if prompting me to look away.

I blinked and snapped my head away, turning red. Awkward, awkward, awkward. What was I thinking? He probably already thought I was a creepy weirdo. And what would we even talk about? What would I say? 'Sorry for your dead relative I have never met?' Ugh. Awkward. 

He probably had another people to give him pep talks, anyway. I was not a savior. Or a free therapist.

I sighed and tried to forget the ever tired Eliot for the sake of making a perfect lunge - and the thoughts of him were washed out from my mind distressingly soon.

“You know what I’m thinking of, Dam?”

He raised a brow at me. “You have the energy to hold a thought? I need to notify the teacher immediately.”

I snorted. “Very funny… Actually, I was reading the myths for the Literature test and I am still wondering, if Nyx is still around, then where is everyone else? Apollo? Aphrodite? Zeus?”

“Do you want Zeus around, really?”

“Ew, no!” I waved my epee at him. “No, nooo. No. No, I don’t want that.”

Damien wiggled his eyebrows at me. “He will turn into a swan, and he’s gonna get it on…”

“No! Stop that! No. I refuse. Please leave me be with my Disney kind of Zeus that is nice and fatherly and does not try to seduce everyone he sees.”

“Good luck with that.” Damien chuckled. “It gets harder to stay in denial the longer you go on. But, well, the answer to your question is… No one knows. Nyx keeps silent on the matter. If you dig deeper, you can claim that her realm is awfully alike the Mount Olympus except completely deserted, and some early vampire poetry I found - which is really neat, by the way - well, it called Nyx ‘standing still in a flow of a passing crowd’, and if you think about it that can mean something besides being a strange metaphor. Maybe the gods left? Escaped? But to where and why? Maybe they changed into something else, maybe they disappeared. No one knows.”

I sighed. “It’s just kind of strange, you know… More strange than people seem to just accept it as a fact. And I am not talking just about the gods thing there, I guess.”

I could swear Damien’s eyes darted towards the far corner for a second. “...I know what you mean, yes. The worst kind of crowd mentality… But sadly, sometimes you really cannot do anything, so the better option is to try and make peace with it.”

I chewed on my lip. “Maybe…”

Damien lowered his epee so that he could reach out and pat my shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”

I was not sure if it was a good or a bad thing, but I could not do anything about it either.

Maybe I did not have to.

I was still feeling philosophical, so, as I was walking from fencing class to the showers, I pondered on my new life for a little while. Strangely enough, it was not all that bad. If someone told me a month ago that I’d feel at home at Tulsa Monster High, I would not even politely chuckle. And yet, here I was.

I was slowly getting used to everything, even though I still felt stuck in a bad sitcom for goth teens. Metaphysical worries stayed, of course. But they were becoming second to normal school anxieties over homework and relationships. Even though I still felt a jolt of panic every time I looked into a mirror, I felt a little bit more okay with the mark on my forehead as well. 

Perhaps one day I would learn to like it, who knows.

My half of the room was slowly sprouting personal belongings. A poster of a vague local singer who looked cool, a couple of old vests and jackets left around - it turned out there were anonymous donations of shoes and clothes to grab from if your Tracking went awry and you left in a hurry, like I did. Lucky had her personal corner with her bed and cat tree (gift from Neferet - I had no idea how to thank her enough because I'd never get it otherwise). And my stuffed fish plushie was sitting on a shelf above all, radiating homely vibes at me.

Yet the most important addition was a planner on the wall. I figured that I deserved a compensation for my life going sideways and bought myself the tackiest one. A few dates were circled in dangerous red. My first test in Literature came first. The first Visiting Day would happen on the last Friday of the month - I texted Alex the date in case she wanted to smuggle me a set of brass knuckles. And then, between the two, in a week, there was the much dreaded Aphrodite's ritual. I drew a bunch of skulls and sick-looking faces around the date. Stevie still snickered every time when she noticed it. 

I probably could do it fine enough here. I just had to get into it a bit more.

Survive the test, survive the ritual, meet up with Alex…

I clenched my fists. Yes! I can do that. I can get used to it. Just another week or two, and I will feel at home.

I did not have any idea what was coming, yet.

Chapter Text

Time slipped between my fingers just as it always does. 

I got caught in homework and normal school things, and days blurred together into one colorful smudge - till I woke up one morning and suddenly felt the terror of an Important Date being right in front of me.

Somehow, it was time for the ritual and I was not prepared for any of this at all.

I gulped, my stomach sinking to the depth of Tartarus. Oh no. I’d have to face Aphrodite, and then I’d have to face Erik, and then I’d possibly have to deal with another vision - and the fact I now had visions - and it was all too much, and I started pondering over the distance to the nearest airport and the cost of becoming a recluse in Siberia.

“Hey... I was going to say good morning, but it’s probably not really the right thing to say today.”

I turned around to look at Stevie. She tugged off her pajamas (with a print of a kitty hanging off a tree and a ‘Hold On!’ sign) and gave me an apologetic smile. 

“Yeah… not today.” I fidgeted with the T-shirt I slept in. “Damn, I am getting some serious cold feet here. I feel like you could freeze water with my feet right now.”

“Oh, maybe you just need to… chill out?” Stevie grinned at me with the most innocent expression possible and giggled when she heard me groan. “What? I think you should just play it cool.”

“I think you should go and drink a cup of water except it will be kinda warm and there will be no ice cubes anywhere around.”

Stevie paled. “Nyx almighty, Zoe, I feel really cursed. Why would you do that to me?!”

“Because I have one rule and the rule is no puns under the roof of this room.”

“Technically, I only punned on my half of the room so I have all the right to do so. You cannot tell me what to do on my half!”

“Yeah, but it still reaches my ears!”

“Oh? Reaches like this?” And with that the ever mature and polite Stevie threw a pillow at me. 

Of course, being just as mature and well-mannered, I threw it back, and so we arrived at the breakfast fashionably late and with feathers in our hair. 

“You are awfully chipper for someone who is being led to the gallows of today’s ritual”, Damien commented at the sight of my face.

I immediately felt my good mood sink and crash like Leonardo DiCaprio in the icy Atlantic waters.

“Don’t. Don’t remind me. I can only function while I am not reminded. Now forgive me as I try to brainwash myself into thinking it’s not today.”

“Technically, we are all marching to the gallows”, Damien replied melancholically, stirring his tea. “We are like innocent culprits of the society machine, trying to seem tranquil while walking tantalisingly slowly towards our imminent doom. How tragically beautiful.”

“Damien, I will kill you. I love you, but I will kill you.”

“Mood, though”, Erin said, saluting to the air with her glass. “Amen.”

“All is ashes”, Shaunee chipped in, holding her palms together and raising her eyes.

Stevie glanced at my suffering expression and sent them a helpless look. “Can you cheer up, guys? At least a little?”

Erin hummed and shrugged. “Sure. We will all die, but it won’t be today. Today we’ll only mildly suffer.”

“The hell flames are set on mild instead of well-done, you know”, Shaunee continued in the same tone without skipping a beat. “We will survive, but at what cost.”

“But at least we will be together in that hell”, Damien said.

I groaned and almost fell face-first into a bowl of cereal. “Guys…”

Stevie pat me on the back. “Well, it’s true. You won’t be alone.”

I gave her a grateful smile. “And that’s the only reason why I haven’t run away screaming yet.”

“Anyway”, Erin said in a voice of someone all too eager to change the topic, “cryptids. Discuss.”

And so we discussed cryptids till the end of the break. (Shaunee was hellbent on proving the existence of Mothman. Damien and Erin united in their love for werebears. I was partial to the Flying Pasta Monster. Stevie said Cthulhu rights.) By the time Damien challenged me to a spoon duel I started thinking that it was really not all that bad.

I should have known it does not work like this.

Literature was the first on my timetable. I rushed to the room, chewing on my apple as I went. It was not exactly my favorite, and so far we were stuck on Greek mythology that I knew already for the most part - thanks to Grandma. But the prof was nice enough, if not really attentive - just like the rest of them, and I figured you cannot like every class there is anyway.

We were finally done with Orpheus and moving onto Odyssey. Professor had us read pieces of the text from the book, sometimes stopping to elaborate or make a joke, and the steady rhythmic mumble lulled me pretty quick. I half-dreamed, thinking about the tragic life of Greek heroes. It seemed like it was a bad idea to be a public figure back in the day: you were just asking to lose either your head or your loved ones, or sometimes both. Sure, sometimes it paid off, but it was simply not worth the risk in my book.

Speaking of the book, it was almost my turn. 

I yawned into the back of my palm. Where was I? Oh, right. If I was a Greek guy and someone told me that I was going to be a hero just because Zeus had the hots for my mom eighteen years ago, I’d say ‘no thank you’ and spend the rest of my life raising sheep or something. It is just… rational. You cannot save everyone, after all. No one can demand that from you.

Eliot snored from his corner, making me jerk awake. Several other students snickered. Well, that guy never missed his beauty sleep, did he?

I glanced over today’s text. Telemachus was being pissed about his mom’s suitors. That was highly relatable. If Mom had a hundred Johns lurking all over the house, I’d throw a tantrum too. Although, would that mean that they would collectively cancel each other out and stop any individual John from rising to full power? Or would they rather amplify the assholery of each other and build up one giant bigot, like a Transformer made of smaller Transformers? That was an interesting theory.

The loud snore repeated, and I rolled my eyes. Jeez, what a sound sleeper…

Then Eliot snored again, and again, and then I suddenly realised that it did not really sound like a snore anymore.

I turned around, confused and a bit on edge, and saw Eliot. He was wide awake, scratching on his throat and gasping, but his expression was weirdly blank. He seemed even paler than usually too, like he was more marble than flesh. Air entered his throat with a painful sound of someone trying to suck the last drops of their juice through a twisted straw.

No one was reading anymore. All eyes were on him. I felt like this was the most attention he ever received at Literature.

Professor Penthesilea dropped her book on the table, so heavily that everyone jumped in their seats, and then said in a carefully steady voice: “Elizabeth, please, would you kindly go fetch Neferet?”

Elizabeth, who was just as pale herself, nodded and lunged out of the classroom. 

Eliot kept making raspy breaths, rigid but almost unmoving. He began toppling over to a side in his seat. I glanced around, feeling sick and confused. Why didn’t anyone do anything? Why didn’t anyone even come closer? It felt like a badly written scene in a school play: a silent crowd watching a kid wheeze out his lungs. It would probably be a commentary on the cold cruel world, or maybe on the harm cigarettes do. 

Outside, a patter of rapid footsteps rolled closer, and Neferet fluttered in, followed by two quiet boys with a stretcher and a panicking Elizabeth. The Priestess’ face was set in an emotion I could not recognize. She glided through the room and fell to her knees in front of Eliot, putting her hands to his face and examining it with a tense frown. Eliot latched to her arms immediately, trying to suck in the air and failing. 

“Shh, shh… I’m with you, little one.” Neferet motioned to one of the boys, and he handed her a small vial that she pressed to Eliot’s lips. The kid choked on its contents and started coughing, but the next breath he took was a little easier.

I felt a rush of relief and looked around to see if anyone else felt the same. It was a good sign, right? But everyone in class still looked some degree of shocked, sad or confused, and the sinking feeling came back tenfold.

The Priestess’ hands cupped Eliot’s face once again. “It’s alright, little fledgling. You did well. I’m sorry.” I could not see her face, but she sounded really sad. “I’ll be with you, I promise.”

Two quiet boys carefully picked Eliot up and put him onto the stretcher. He was calmer now, pale and still as a statue, and his breaths left his chest with a quiet whistling sound. I watched, unable to make a sound, as he was carried outside. Neferet followed suit after solemnly nodding to Professor. She paused to close the door after them. The click of the lock gave it all an unpleasant taste of finality.

Elizabeth silently slipped to her desk and stared at her twitching fingers.

No one moved or said anything. It was as if people did not know what to do with all of this. Even the most talkative rumour-spreaders were quiet and looked away from each other. Eliot’s empty seat loomed above us: even though no one paid it a glance, we all felt its presence.

Penthesilea coughed, making us turn to her. She had a distant look on her face, closed-off and resolved, as if she hadn’t joked about entitled Greek frat boys a minute ago. 

“Let’s move on”, she said quietly. Someone made a sound of a person about to speak up, but she raised her voice before they could say anything: “I know you are… distressed, to put it mildly. But you need to understand that this is not the last time you see something like that happen. You have to make peace with it and find comfort in the fact that they all join Nyx in a better world. The best you can do for them, and yourself, is living on.” She sighed. “So, let’s move on. Elizabeth, I believe you are the next.”

Elizabeth obediently set on reading, even though her voice broke once or twice. 

I stared in front of myself. Yeah, everyone knew that if you were marked and then decided to stay home you’d slowly break down and die. People saw that. There were witnesses of teens with poorly covered crescents on their foreheads falling over and coughing like they could not get enough air. But… things that happened behind closed doors were a different thing.

There were rumors that, even if you did the right thing and stayed close to other vampires and obeyed every rule, you could still die for no real reason - just like that. But there was little evidence. Vampires were not that eager to share anything. Besides, I’d heard John talk about it and I decided that it must have been a lie because John never said anything worth listening.

I guess I should have listened, this once.

I could not think of anything. My mind was as blank as Eliot’s face when he was carried away.

I could not think.

I somehow read my part, went out of the classroom when the bell rang and walked halfway to the next one on autopilot. If I was abducted by a UFO at the moment, I wouldn’t notice until the little green men started dissecting me.

Something bumped into my legs. I looked down and saw Lucky pawing at my shin, meowing loudly. Her two-thirds of a tail twitched in distress.

“Baby girl”, I murmured, kneeling. Lucky leaped into my arms, and I held her close to my chest. And the next moment, an all-encompassing feeling of calm washed over me. It felt like a mom’s embrace after you climb into her bed, seeking refuge from monsters. Lucky’s green eyes stared at me, unblinking, as if asking me what was with all that fuss. Suddenly, I realised I was not alone in this. 

I shivered and breathed out, noticing how tense I was a second ago. Cats are something else, aren’t they?

“Zoe?”

I turned to the voice. Stevie stood next to me with a worried face. She tilted her head like a bird, watching me. “Is everything alright? You look really out of it.”

I got up with Lucky still in my hands and blinked helplessly, unsure what to say. “Eliot…”

Stevie frowned, but then her eyes widened and she pulled me into a tight desperate hug. Lucky squeaked, sandwiched between us. “Oh no, Zoe - I’m so sorry… Are you alright?”

“I… don’t know.” I buried my face in her shoulder. She smelled like cotton and fruity shampoo. “I really don't. It all… it happened so fast, and no one did anything, and…”

“I’m sorry. But.. you know how it is. It’s… no one could do anything.” Stevie rubbed my back. 

I tried really hard to concentrate on how it felt instead of the mush of my thoughts.

“And we - we kept on with the lesson, like no one even - like nothing happened…”

“I… yeah, they do that…” Stevie sighed. Her short hair tickled my cheek. “It’s a bit scary, how fast they move on. They clear out rooms in a few hours as if no one lived there before. And the way they look at us sometimes…” She shook her head. “Sorry, I shouldn’t add to your worries. Do you think you can make it this evening? I mean… you should probably just stay at the dorm and have some rest. I don’t think even Ditey can blame you for bailing after you just saw something… like that.”

I bit my lip. It was a nice thought. But I did not want to bail. Not just because I was allergic to being called a wuss, too. “I don’t know, Stevie. I kind of… I think I will go.” The mental image of the ever tired Eliot slumped against the ritual table made me screw up my eyes to disperse it. “I need a distraction. I really don’t want to be thinking too hard about any of it. And I feel like if I stay in the room alone I will go crazy.”

Stevie tightened the hug before stepping back and taking my free hand in hers. “Okay. But don’t overdo it, alright? Don’t be too hard on yourself. Uh, I wish we had geometry together, I don’t want to let you go there alone like that…”

I squeezed her hand, feeling just a bit warmer. What would I do without her? “Thanks. So much. I’ll manage… or I will try to. Promise.” Lucky meowed, and I smiled down at her. “I have a little guardian right there, after all.”

The cat stuck up her little head and bumped into my chin. Stevie snorted. “Sure you do… I’ll check on you later too, okay?”

I sighed. Well, and who was the lucky one, here?

***

The rest of the classes were uneventful and unusually quiet. 

Lucky followed me everywhere, as if sensing my state. Eventually I simply picked her up and carried her like a plushie, cuddled to my chest. I felt a little more okay with her close to me. She purred up a storm and sometimes kneaded at my arms.

Even with Lucky at my side, I still zoned out every ten minutes. Not thinking about things turned out harder than I thought. Thankfully the professors must have been notified, because no one gave anyone much trouble. I was not the only one with a distant expression that day, after all. 

Even fencing was not as exhaustive. A strangely curt and resigned Dragon Lankford paired me with Damien, barked a few instructions and leaned to a wall, watching us wearily. At some point he covered his eyes with a hand and froze, looking every bit like someone a century old.

“He was Eliot’s mentor”, Damien whispered to me, checking my pose. Sorry, but today I was half-assing it at best. “He’s supposed to move on, but… few people can pretend like nothing happened.”

That was the second time I’d heard that phrase today. “Is that what people do here? Just… pretend?”

“Pretty much, yeah.” Damien lightly poked me with his epee. “Being openly sad is… discouraged. No one will probably say a word to you, especially if you used to be close, but… you know. They’ll judge. Especially the teachers.”

I shivered and helplessly glanced at the corner where Eliot used to train with Dragon. It seemed so recent, like it was a second ago. He never stood out, never spoke up, but the emptiness in his spot was glaring. “Wow. That’s… cold and kinda scary.”

“It is”, Damien reluctantly agreed. “But I guess it is a bit of a protective mechanism. Just think of all the people they saw die. You’d treat it much differently if it was such a constant part of your life.”

“No, I don’t want to think of that...” I cringed, looking away from the empty spot. 

Dragon hadn’t changed his position. He stood by the wall, small and quiet, and his epee was hanging loosely from his hand.

Something was whispering to me that this was right. That it was practical, logical to try and live on. That grieving every single little loss along the way was stupid and… not the perfect way of dealing with things.

But I couldn't help but think that this was a bit of a bullshit.

“Congrats”, Erin said when I sat down at our table at lunch.

I frowned at her. “What? For what?”

“First rejection witnessed”, she replied calmly. When Stevie choked on soup and started angrily flailing at her, she simply shrugged. “What? It’s a milestone. It will get better after that. Almost everyone here saw at least one of those.”

“Thanks…” Lucky was a warm bun in my lap, and I gave her a scratch behind the ears. “I guess.”

Erin waved me off. “Anyway, with that out of the way, are you still heading to the witch gathering tonight?”

“Yeah. I know it’s probably a bad idea, but still”

“Damn, I guess I am not watching that Supernatural episode. Oh well.” Erin went back to her meal as if she said everything she could.

“Right, the episode…” Shaunee dropped her head on her plump palms, pouting. “I totally forgot it was today! But I guess there’s no going back. What wouldn’t you do for friendship…”

Damien smirked. “And rumors?”

“And rumors”.

The classes were over before I knew, and it was time to go to the school ritual. It was a distraction like any other, I figured. I was not too excited about dying sheep, but at least I did not have to see that. Though… poor souls that had to perform the sacrifice. Did they feel bad about it? Did they remember someone else who died today? 

The grand ritual was not as grand as the first one felt. 

I did not have much of an incentive to elbow my way to the front of the crowd, so I did not see Neferet this time, but I heard her voice. Her speech was almost the same, save for a few tweaks here and there - which made sense if it was something like an incantation. But in the end she paused and added:

“Tonight, we pray not only for ourselves. We pray for our classmate and our friend who has left our circle before his time was due. We pray, so that he has a safe journey and joins Nyx in her endless mercy and love.” She paused. “The ways of Nyx are unclear even to her closest followers, so we are not to know why he was chosen to join her so early. But we are to live as he should have lived, and rejoice in knowing that he won’t be alone ever again.”

Wine tasted even more sour today. 

I waited till the end, staying close to my friends. We could not talk, but I decided to find comfort in occasional nudges from Stevie and the feeling of Lucky’s soft fur by my feet. When it was over and the crowd started dispersing, I turned to them.

“This is your last chance to bail, folks.”

“And leave a lady out for the tigers? Never.” Damien posed as if he was holding an imaginary sword. “Ma’am, I am better than that.”

“Mommy raised no quitter!” Stevie chirped in, throwing a fist up.

“Seconded”, Erin said.

“Thirded, but with passion ”, Shaunee said, half-hugging her.

I sighed and shook my head, smiling. “Okay, let’s do it. I’ll have to wear the dress again, I guess, so-”

“Is that your cat over there?” Erin said.

I turned around and saw Lucky strotting towards Neferet. The priestess was still kneeling at the altar, but she looked up when she heard the pitter-patter of paws over stone. For a few seconds the cat and the priestess looked at each other. Then Neferet carefully reached out, letting Lucky sniff her. 

“What a curious little creature you are…” I heard her say. “Hm. Haven’t seen you among the other cats before…”

I tried to wildly flap my hands at Lucky to come close and stop bothering Neferet, but she either did not notice me or ignored me. She casually rubbed her cheek over Neferet’s fingers and went to sniff the wet altar.

I made a squeak. Neferet heard me and turned around.

“Ah. Hello, Zoe. Is that your little friend? I guess I’ve finally got to meet her.”

“Right - Hello. Yes. It’s her. Lucky the baby girl. A very naughty girl.”

“Cats are allowed everywhere on the school grounds, remember.” Neferet gave me a small smile. “I do not mind if one comes to greet me.”

Lucky looked like she was about to lick up the droplets of wine from the stone, so I rushed closer and picked her up. She protested and writhed, but I held tight. I was not about to let my cat become an alcoholic. They probably didn’t even have AA meetings on campus.

“I really should hurry to make it to the, uh, the other ritual. Say bye to Neferet, Lucky.” I scratched the fussy feline behind the ear to soothe her. “Goodbye and good night. Day? Good day.”

Neferet smiled at me. Her eyes glistened with the reflections of lamps above.

“Good night and blessed be, Zoe.”

I gave her an awkward bow, which made her softly chuckle, and stumbled towards the exit where everyone was waiting for me. But before I ran out of the door, something made me turn around. 

Neferet was kneeling with her head hung low. Nyx’s statue, so immeasurably grand and ideal, loomed above her, making her look tiny. But then the High Priestess suddenly raised her head and gave the statue’s blind eyes a long, piercing stare. The polished stone altar reflected Neferet's face: lips pressed together and and a thoughtful frown. They stayed like that, the marble goddess and her servant, looking at each other in silence as the lamps slowly died down and the temple settled in the dark.

I did not waste too much time. I had the dress already with me, and there was a nice secluded corner by the rec hall where I could change. The dress did not look as dashing after I slept in it and then stuffed it into a tiny bag, but I comforted myself that it would be dark inside anyway.

We walked the final steps in complete silence. Even Stevie did not find anything optimistic to say. Erin and Shaunee held onto each other for dear life, Damien tried to look like he was not affected but his shoulder bumped into Erin every once in a while. 

It was getting colder. The clouds were gathering above, closing off what little light the moon provided. It was a book example of premonition. And, according to the genre, we were the stupid teenagers walking into a monster’s cave. 

Aphrodite was already waiting on the steps: arms crossed and face set in a displeased frown.

“Running late”, she quipped when we got closer. “Not even bothered to show the common decency?”

“Insulting guests”, Erin echoed with a grim smirk. “Not even bothered to show the barest hospitality?”

Stevie gulped. “Guys, guys, come on… Let’s try and get along.”

“Yeah, listen to Miss Goody Two Shoes and play nice while you are on my ground”. Aphrodite waved us off, looking straight at me. “Oh, and Zoe? Irons exist.”

I felt a hot, deep blush overcome my cheeks and ears. “Yeah, uh. Sorry. Let’s go.”

Aphrodite tsked and led us to the ritual room. Little had changed there, as far as I could see - the same people in dark clothes talked in the same hushed voices, the table was set the exact same way, and the crude faceless statue of Nyx was in its place. Except Eliot’s place at the table was now taken by Elizabeth - the scared girl from Literature. I blinked, a little unnerved. 

Stevie, still attached to my arm, suddenly made a little startled noise and stepped away. I turned to the sound and saw her standing in front of another girl, the two staring each other down. Stevie looked apprehensive; the other girl frowned.

“Hi, Alyssa”, Stevie said in a small, careful voice.

Alyssa looked every bit like she belonged here: short, perfectly sculpted and confident in the way rich people are. However, her face was just a little bit uncertain. She slowly nodded, clasping her hands together as if not knowing what to do with them. 

“Hello, Stevie. I did not expect to see you at the meeting again.” After a tiny pause, she looked away and added, softer: “...I told you, you could call me Lyss.”

Stevie sighed. “I wasn’t sure if it still stood.”

Alyssa flinched. 

I raised my brows and looked away, cringing. The situation screamed of emotional baggage, and the air was nearly cracking with sad tension. And I was really thirdwheeling on that baggage bandwagon. But it’s not like I could leave Stevie alone for the local harpies either. Not unless she asked.

The perfect girl Alyssa furtively glanced back at her friends that stood behind her at a small distance, watching her. “I… don’t see why it shouldn’t… Can we talk somewhere else, please?”

“We could.” Stevie gave me a small smile, as if just remembering I was there. “Oh - Zoe, I’ll go talk to Alyssa… Lyss... for a minute, okay? I will be quick.”

“No problem”, I said, and she walked off to another side of the room with Alyssa in tow. They seemed awkward, not getting within an arm’s length or looking at each other. At some point Alyssa reached out, but quickly disguised the gesture as simply adjusting her sleeve.

I remembered a talk we shared some time ago. Was it that friend who cut off contact after Stevie ran away from a ritual? That would explain things. I wondered if it would go well for them but then again, things like that almost never go well.

“Wow”. Aphrodite, who was standing behind me the whole time, slowly clapped. “Nerds are getting acclimated. How brave of her. What next, you’ll start a conversation? Attempt small-talk? Get a raise from a wallflower to a stutterer?”

I bristled. “I, uh, I actually wanted to go talk to…” My eyes landed on the small hunched figure at the table. “Elizabeth.”

“Ah”, Aphrodite said, not terribly impressed.

“If you want to mingle, go off”, Erin said to me, glancing at Aphrodite. “I’ll stay right here in that cozy corner devoid of stuck-up dolls.”

“Same”, Shaunee piped in. “We must bless at least one corner with our presence.”

I looked at Damien. He shrugged. “Same. I have my phone with me. Playing Snake seems like a better activity than whatever is going on. You are not feeling anything weird yet?”

“Just a bit of a cold feet syndrome… Alright. Don’t have too much fun without me.” I waved at them and defiantly marched to the table under Aphrodite’s cocky stare.

Elizabeth seemed half-asleep, but she perked up when she sensed someone approach. She blinked at me owlishly. “Hello?”

“Hi,” I said, feeling the eyes on me. “I’m Zoe. From Literature.”

Elizabeth jerked awake. “Oh! - Oh. Oh. ” She shivered, uneasy. “Right…”

“Right.” Come on, you can do it, you can talk like a proper person. “Surprising to see you here.”

“Oh, um - yeah, you know…” She squirmed, and I felt a little better knowing that I was not the only awkward one here. “Yeah, I just - I just thought about that whole thing, and I’ve been feeling - feeling kind of off myself, so I thought, well, it won’t hurt, you know…”

“Won’t hurt what?”

“...Oh, right, you are new.” Elizabeth scratched her wrist, and I noticed a bandage peeking from under her long sleeve. “They - they say that if you go here as a - a donator, then you have a better chance, a better chance to - you know, make it. And there were people who felt better after - after they went here, so.” She scratched again and then pulled her sleeve down, catching herself. “So - yeah. I thought, why not? It won’t hurt to make sure.”

“Right”, I said, starting to understand. So that’s probably why Eliot came here… “I’m sure it will help.”

Elizabeth made a little pause. “Yeah. I hope.” It definitely did not help Eliot was left hanging between us, unspoken. “Nice dress.”

I tugged the hem down, hoping that the wrinkles would be less visible that way. “Thanks. I, um, I like your shirt.”

She nodded, and then we stared at each other, trying to think of new things to say. I could feel Aphrodite’s eyes drilling a hole between my shoulder blades. Then Elizabeth suddenly nervously giggled. I couldn’t help but snicker too, and we shared a nicer look of mutual understanding. Yes, we both sucked at small talk, and it was a bonding point. In a way.

Then Elizabeth looked at something behind my back. “Guess you’re making someone wait. You, um, you can go on. I feel kind of sleepy anyway, I’ll just catch some z’s.”

I turned around and lo and behold, Erik was right there, smiling at me. I smiled back, happy to see him, and nodded to Elizabeth.

“Thanks! And good luck on that.” 

Elizabeth went back to slouching over the table. Feeling like the conversation was over, I jogged closer to Erik. “So. Um. Hi!”

“Hi”, he echoed, looking me up and down. “Nice dress.”

“Oh, thanks. Aphrodite gave it to me”, I said and immediately cursed my long tongue.

To my relief, Erik just laughed. “I know. To be honest, it looks better where it is right now. I see you are not alone here?”

“Yeah, all the gang came”, I said, not sure how to react to the compliment. My body decided for me and settled on blushing. “You know. The emotional support gang. That kind of gang.”

“The best kind of gang”, Erik said, nodding. “You sound pretty lucky there.”

“I guess I am… We are like highwaymen. Or more like… high-spirits-men.” I chuckled, wringing my hands. 

“I think ‘Zoe Hood and her Merry Men’ would work better”, Erik said with a grin.

“...It would if I remembered that exists in time to make the joke.” 

“How about we pretend you did and I was charmed by your literary prowess?”

“Oh, thanks a lot. I like that idea so much.”

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Aphrodite. She was looking at us with a frozen, unreadable face. 

Erik stopped smiling and coughed. “Yeah, about literary… I heard what happened today. It... was in your class, right?”

Oh, right. I felt like I was doused with cold water out of nowhere. My smile fell, and I looked away. “Yeah. Not really the best experience.”

“I bet... Sorry that you had to witness this. It must have been hard on you.” Erik pat me on the arm. “Shouldn’t have brought this up.”

“No, no, it’s okay”, I said quickly. “It’s alright. I barely knew the guy anyway. I’m just trying not to think about it.”

“As you say… Hey, do you know what I think?” Erik nudged me. “The statue looks a bit like a badly cut cauliflower. I’d never tell it was Nyx if I did not know.”

I snorted, welcoming the distraction. “Oh my - you shouldn’t say that!”

“Why not? It’s true.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s, like, blasphemy. If Nyx could throw lightning, you’d already be roasted for your hubris.”

“What’s hubris?” Erik said.

I opened my mouth, but had no time to answer.

Drums blasted out of nowhere. I cringed, pressing my palms to my ears. Everyone surged forward, dragging me along, and suddenly I was in the middle of the crowd, with Erik nowhere to be seen. I blindly stumbled in one spot, turning around in hopes of seeing him again, till someone grabbed me and pulled closer to the wall.

“There you are”, Erin said. “I’m getting better at dragging you places, huh.”

I blinked. Our entire group was there, pressed to the wall. Stevie was also with them, biting her lip. I wanted to ask what was up but then thought twice and decided that it was her own business.

“Anything yet?” Damien asked me.

I shook my head. “Not yet. But it did not happen right away, next time. I hope it does not happen at all, to be honest.”

“Well, hopefully it was a one time deal”, Stevie muttered to me, a bit distracted. She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “That smell again…”

I breathed in and smelled it too. The room was slowly growing hazier, colors and shapes diluted in the smoke. They must have lit the incense back at the table.

“It’s starting, guys!” Shaunee sniffed the air. “There it is, the good old pot. Wow. That’s, like, so inefficient to burn it up like that. But whatever.”

“Am I the only one who’s getting a headache from the music?” Erin said, wincing.

Damien sighed. “Nope. Me too.”

I heard Aphrodite’s voice and tried to listen in. This time her words were different. It did not sound rehearsed, even though it probably was. She never mentioned Eliot, but she spoke of strength, of ability, of chasing perfection till the end. Her voice seemed a bit raw with an emotion other than pride. 

I flinched, and the smoky room around me slowly started swimming just like before.

“Strange”, Shaunee suddenly said in a smaller, unsure voice. She pressed a palm to her forehead. “That’s… strange. Pot shouldn’t work like that, especially if it’s just burnt like incense… I’d know!” She turned to Erin. “Right, sis?”

“Right.” Erin’s eyes were sharp and cold. “My head is being weird too. Something is wrong. Very wrong. And I don’t like it one bit.”

“Wait, yours too?” Stevie asked. “I thought it was only me.”

“Nope, me as well.” Damien looked slightly pale. “Is it too late to bail yet, guys?”

I gulped. “I don’t know, but I’d be the first to…”

The crowd suddenly dispersed, and I realised that the speech was over. I turned around and saw Aphrodite with the pitcher approaching us. She gave everyone on her way a drink, nodding as she went, and in a moment she stepped in front of me. 

“Blessed be, Zoe”, she said, smiling.

I mumbled a response and took a sip - this time I was prepared for the effects to kick in, but the sudden surge of dizziness still hit me hard. I groaned and rubbed my forehead, squeezing my eyes shut. It was not as bad as before, but it didn’t make it any more pleasant, and I needed a moment to slip back to consciousness.

Something clashed behind my back. I whipped my head to a side and saw Erin holding a startled Aphrodite by the front of her dress. The pitcher was on the ground, rolling and slowly coming to a stop, and the dark wine spilled. It glistened in the unsteady candlelight.

“What”, Erin said, mulling over her words like someone falling asleep. “What did - what did you slip us? What was in the wine?”

The crowd murmured in shock. Aphrodite, snapping out of her fear, snarled and tried to tear Erin’s hands away. “Nothing! If you cannot handle a stick of pot and a sip of alcohol…”

Shaunee, quiet, slid down the wall behind them. Damien looked like he was standing only because he grabbed hard on a curtain. Stevie was on her knees, asleep… or something else.

I tried to blink through the haze. My tongue felt heavy and numb, and my mind was no better. “Erin… what…”

Erin turned to me. Her eyes were slipping close, but she still held on to Aphrodite for dear life. “Zoe… Something is wrong.”

“Freakshow!” Aphrodite finally unclasped Erin’s hands, picked up the pitcher and fled, huffing. “Turned the ritual into a fucking circus…”

I stared down at the puddle of wine at my feet. It spread and wobbled in my hazy vision, muddling my thoughts. Something splashed at the other side of the room, and I thought of the drops of bloody wine over the crude stone statue. It was wrong. Something was wrong, but I could not understand…

Lucky appeared in the corner of my eye. She was sitting between someone’s legs and licking up the red puddle, purring. The waves running from her muzzle broke her shadow, made it into something else… bigger...

It somehow made perfect sense to me as I stumbled to my knees and closed my eyes in surrender.

***

Pictures blinked by me, passing and changing too fast to recognise. I could not keep up with smudges of color. Red, yellow, green, blue… the clear sky, the laurel trees, the road dust as two pairs of sandals chase down the hill, the sunrise over the sea… more, more, further and further, as I flew somewhere through the whirlwind of sensations.

Deeper, deeper I fell. I sensed the heavy smoke, and I almost could see the Pythia’s detached face before it slipped out of my fingers too. Deeper, deeper down, until...

What do you want, my life? I heard someone say.

I blinked my eyes open. 

Darkness surrounded me. It was a safe, familiar darkness, like the one under your covers. I was lying in soft black grass. Stars hovered above my face; I felt like I could reach them if I held up my hand. 

It was Nightshade. I was back at Nyx’s realm.

I did not see the goddess anywhere, but I could never mistake her voice for anything.

The Nightshade gets so lonely when I cannot see you, my dear. Every moment without you is torture. What is it that I cannot give you? What is it that you seek elsewhere? Tell me, what do you want? 

“I don’t know”, I muttered.

I can give you anything you want, you know.

“Anything I want…” I brushed the grass with my hand. It was perfectly soft and ideally cool. Normal grass never feels like that. “That’s big.”

That’s as big as my love for you, my life.

“Heh, alright. My life… that sounds good…”

Have you decided?

“Yeah”, I said. “Yeah, I guess I have.”

Nyx leaned over me. Her face was lit up by a sweet smile. What is it, child?

“Can I breathe fire?” I asked earnestly.

Nyx paused and then laughed. Her laugh was perfect too, like the sound of porcelain bells. No, I am afraid you cannot. But I can give you something just as… fun… 

She held out a hand for me. I grabbed it - and suddenly I was back to falling through the night sky, until-

The hand I was holding belonged to Aphrodite. I blinked.

“Out”, Aphrodite said.

Next to me, Shaunee groaned and twitched. Erin was rubbing her eyes. Damien was already standing and helping the shivering Stevie to her feet.

“What?”

Aphrodite pulled me upwards and pushed me onto the unsuspecting Erin. “Out! All of you, out. I am done with stoners and losers shoving me around like a ragdoll. I let you in out of sheer kindness, and then you accuse and manhandle me. And then, to add to the offense, you topple over all together! That’s it. I’m done. Out. Out!” She shoved us towards the door like a tiny, but motivated bulldozer. “Out. And don’t come back anymore.”

The door was slammed shut in front of our noses. 

Still out of it and reeling, we stood there for a few moments, unsure what to do.

“Well,” Erin said. “Something tells me we did not make that good of an impression.”

Chapter Text

We looked at the dark closed door of the rec hall for a minute, not really sure what to do next. 

Drums faintly pulsed from inside; here, in the cool night air, away from the sickening smoke, it did not sound half as hypnotizing. Lucky appeared out of nowhere and purred, circling my legs. I automatically bent down to pet her, and she pressed her muzzle into my palm. Her fur left a wet trace over my skin. 

It was getting colder, and the clouds were still blocking off the sky. Rain seemed imminent.

“So… How about relocating?” Shaunee asked, holding her head and wincing.

“Sure”, Damien said. “Where to?” 

Erin rolled her eyes. “Our room have been thrashed by one sleepover already. Your turn.”

To my surprise, and probably to Erin’s as well, Damien did not even try to argue. He must have been pretty shaken.

And so we relocated.

Damien’s ‘man cave’ was actually quite neat - and with no roommate at the moment, which was lucky. He materialized a few paper cups and tea packets, Shaunee fetched some hot water, Stevie spread a spare blanket over the floor to sit on, Lucky jumped into my lap, and we were good to go.

Except we did not. We looked at each other, hoping for someone else to start the unpleasant talk.

“You’ve got a nice room, Damien”, Stevie said with the face of a drowning person desperately trying to get a few last gulps of air.

“Oh. Thanks.” Damien fidgeted, looking guiltily at a few books and various clothing articles strewn around. “I was not expecting guests.”

“It’s okay, dude”, Shaunee quickly assured him. “We got it, none of us lives in a museum. Unless it is a museum of modern art.” She looked around, and her eyes skipped over Lucky in my lap. “Hey, why is your cat’s face all red?”

I shrugged, ruffling the soft fur. “I think she might have drunk some of that wine… you know, back there.”

“Isn’t alcohol toxic for pets?” Damien said.

“Oh.” I frowned. “Toxic how?”

“Toxic very. She should be throwing up all over right now.”

I took Lucky by her front paws and looked her all over. She seemed perfectly fine, if a bit disgruntled at the world. Nothing was visibly amiss.

“Maybe she only licked it a little?” I set her back into my lap, where she immediately rolled into a warm soft ball of cat. “I will ask Neferet in the morning, anyway.”

Shaunee suddenly giggled. “What if she already puked? I wish she puked in that hall, in some dark corner.”

“Hey!” I said, chuckling against myself.

“What?” Shaunee fluttered her eyelashes at me. “It is a perfectly normal spiteful wish to have.”

“Nyx have mercy on the poor soul that has to clean up the puked rec hall”, Damien declared loudly, and we had a minute’s giggle at that.

It was a good giggle, but it eventually died down, and we were left in that unsteady silence again.

“Well”, Erin said, rocking her cup like a wine glass, “can I just spell that? It was a bunch of bullshit.”

“Grade-A bullshit”, Shaunee added.

“Grade-A metaphysical bullshit”, Damien muttered, staring blankly into his cup.

Stevie quietly snorted. “Guess I am next… Grade-A metaphysical bullshit with cherry on top”.

I sighed. “Okay, I forfeit. I cannot think of anything better than a cherry on top of bullshit.”

It was not really funny, but we shared a lackluster laugh over that. I guess we were desperate for some normalcy.

“So…” I trailed off. “I saw another thing.”

“Me too,” Erin said.

“You too?!” 

“Ditto”, Shaunee sighed.

Damien shrugged and put his cup down. “I did as well.”

“I… guess I did too”, Stevie said weakly. 

“Wow.” I wasn’t sure what to say. “...Wow.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t say it better”, Damien said. 

Shaunee perked up slightly. “I want to know what everyone else saw! Come on, spill the beans, guys. Who wants to start?”

When no one volunteered, I shrugged and put up a hand. “Well, ugh, me first? Me first. Well. In short, I saw Nyx, and she was talking to me… Something about gifts. She promised to give me something. It is a blur. She was sweet, I guess.”

“Oh, so yours was better than mine.” Erin gulped her tea down in one go. “I saw the night sky, black birds… I think… I don’t remember much. And a voice. I remember a voice.” She made a vague gesture. “I’m not sure. It sounded like a whisper. Very repetitive… Maybe not in English because I did not understand a word. And then I woke up.”

“Sis?” Shaunee called. “You know, I kinda saw a version of that. Yes to night sky and whispers, no to birds. I saw… I guess it was a girl? Maybe? They had long hair, that’s for sure. There was not much going on, they were sitting in front of me in a white sheet. But the whispers almost drove me insane. Soulmate power or something?”

“Well, I’m not your soulmate, but I saw the same thing. Except, well. With some kids throwing stones into a big black lake.” Damien sent Erin a long stare. “That’s strange.”

“I did too”, Stevie said weakly. “Night sky, whispers, making clay little figures. Toys? Maybe… And… guys, I should apologise.”

Erin quirked a brow. “For what?”

Stevie fidgeted. “I, um… I kind of knew what we were walking into, I guess... At least a little bit, because the last time I was at their ritual I felt the same exact thing, just without the visions. And I did not warn you. I mean, I didn’t mean any harm! I just did not think it was relevant, or that you’d feel the same exact thing… I promise! I’m really sorry.”

“I believe you”, Erin said, with a slightly confused face. “I… know you are not lying…” She rubbed her forehead and sighed. “Anyway, I would probably still go. Out of spite.”

“And I’d go with Erin, out of sisterhood”, Shaunee said solemnly.

“And I’d go with the lot of you to lend you that lone brain cell we’d have to share, like the noble Perseus giving the eye to the Graeae”, Damien added with a stoic face, resting his hands on the hilt of an imaginary sword.

Stevie sighed. “I guess… I still feel bad about it. I should have said something.”

“Well, you did not, so we might as well move on.” Erin shrugged, making Stevie wince a bit. “What? It’s true.”

I coughed. “Well, weird visions aside… I just think the thing was… fucked up. The whole ritual, I mean.”

“Oh, you don’t say”, Damien grumbled. “The sacrifice was messed up. Using human blood for libation? That’s stupid. She was not even black-haired.”

Everyone stared.

“ Who wasn’t black-haired, Damien?” Stevie asked carefully.

“Uh… I don’t know her name. The girl at the table.” Damien shook his head. “It’s a rule that Nyx gets black-colored sacrifices. Everyone knows that.”

“So the whole human blood thing does not phase you?” 

“Of course it does?! It’s just not the only thing that phases me there. So I went for the one that is less obvious.”

“...Fair enough.” Stevie sighed, looking absolutely miserable. “At least this is all over.”

I reached out to awkwardly pat her shoulder. She sent me a grateful glance.

“I’m not sure just how over this is”, Erin mumbled.

Shaunee looked up at her. “What do you mean, sis?”

“I mean that the whole thing is incredibly shady. Ungodly amounts of shade.”

I reluctantly nodded. “I agree. It was… I’m not even talking about the blood. Just… a bunch of random kids go to a weird ritual and all get weird visions out of nowhere. What are the odds?”

“Incredibly low odds, incredibly high shade”, Damien summed up. “Yeah. Something is going on there, and it is not a good something.”

“Which is also not exactly our business”, Erin reminded. I could not decide if she was more annoyed or relieved at that fact. “Since something tells me none of us are thrilled to go back there once again or, Nyx forbid, become a permanent part of the stuck-up clan.”

“I mean, it is not our business yet ”, Shaunee lulled, toying with her paper cup. “And that could change.”

Stevie huddled up, pulling her knees closer to her chest. “So… you are saying that we should make it our business?”

“Maybe”, Erin said. “Your opinion, Zoe?”

I jerked. “What?”

“What? You had the first vision and it was your... slightly assisted decision to go there tonight. I want your input.”

“Well…” I fidgeted. “I really don’t want to jump into this mess again, agreed. But…”

I remembered my friends, toppled over and unconscious. I remembered Aphrodite’s furious face and her nails piercing my shoulders. I remembered Elizabeth, nodding off in Eliot’s spot, with bandages poking from under her sleeves.

And I am not a hero, trust me. I am not a justice fighter. When I see a street fight or a bully getting their way, I usually lower my head and speed up, because this is the sensible thing to do. But this… this was something else. 

When a bully turns against you, things take a different turn.

“I feel like it is already kind of my business anyway”, I mumbled. “I… If anything, I want to know what happened. And… I feel like something is really wrong with these rituals. And not just with the color of the sacrifices.”

“Right.” Erin considered me for a second. “Well, I am with you.”

“Just like that?” Damien said.

Erin huffed. “This is a unique opportunity to get back at Miss Absolute Perfection. I have been here longer than Zoe and Stevie. They might not know, but I have some A-grade beef with her.”

“We both have”, Shaunee added with a sigh. “And she’s just so… fake! She will bend backwards to seem like the best thing ever since sliced bread, but then one misstep with her, and you will see her true colors. I hate that sort of thing.”

“Me too”, Erin said. “With passion. Fakers, liars, they all are the worst.”

“Well, I don’t really care about her, but I’d certainly like to know what the hell happened to us”, Damien said.

Stevie sighed and tried to make a brave face. “Well, I’d like to know that it won’t happen to anyone else!”

“And also I’d like to know”, Shaunee said, resting her face on her palms and giving me a long look, “why Zoe had a different sort of vision.”

I looked back helplessly. “Um… I don’t know?”

“It’s a good question, though.” Damien considered me too. “I wonder if that is for the same reason your mark is solid blue already. Did Nyx ever say anything about that?”

“Guys, I told you already: I don’t know. I have no idea.” I rubbed my forehead where I knew the damned mark was. “It was all very vague. She never told me outright what was up. She was sweet, she smiled, she called me her life a lot…”

“Her life?” Shaunee asked, intrigued.

I waved her off. “It’s nothing much. It’s just… ‘Zoe’ means ‘life’ in Greek. That’s all. She was basically just calling me my name, only in translation.” 

“Ah”, Shaunee said, quickly deflating.

“Well, let’s just call that unknown magic fuckery for now.” Erin was up to the point, as always. “So… what are we going to do?”

Damien poked his chin. “I guess I will play the poster kid and say that Neferet may be our best bet. We don’t necessarily have to denounce Aphrodite’s games as foul play, not right away at least, but we should probably ask Neferet about what she knows. She gave miss Ditto the permission to hold the rituals, after all. She must know something.”

“We could also ask around. I heard some rumors, but I haven’t really paid attention much. I figured they were being squareheads!” Shaunee grinned. “My bad, but people say all sorts of garbage. You gotta filter some out, you know.”

“I could help you with that”, Erin said graciously.

“I can talk to Lyss”, Stevie muttered, looking away. “I… we are not friends, but we agreed to be civil. She’s been in there for a long time.”

“Can I go with you?” I said quickly.

Stevie frowned. “Sorry, Zoe, but… I’d rather not. I just want to keep it one on one, you know? It’s still kinda… sore. I’m really sorry, but…” 

“No, no, it’s okay”, I said, mentally beating myself up. “I’ll just… um…”

Noticing my struggles, Damien helped me out. “You can accompany me to Neferet. You wanted to talk to her, anyway… With our combined charm, she will be positively coerced into honesty.” 

“Oh! Thank you... Your Majesty”. 

He threw his head back and sent me a condescending glance. “Of course, my child. Of course.”

“The longer I talk to that guy”, Erin said, “the more I feel like someone should call England and tell the old Queen she’s not getting her long lost grandson back.”

Even though we really did not want to separate, and there was no danger of sudden horniness leading to teenage unprotected lovemaking, the dorm rules were strict about boys and girls sharing a room. We crawled to our rooms each, grumbling. Damien was not thrilled about spending a night alone, but he gave a solemn oath that he was a big boy and would be fine enough.

It was a long walk, and it was quiet and awkward - at least to me. When Stevie and I got to our room, I said: “Sorry. For dragging you there. I know you feel bad about this. You don’t have to go along.”

Stevie blinked at me, but then she smiled. “Oh. It’s fine!”

“Are you sure? I mean… you were my first friend here, and you are my best friend here definitely, and… I don’t want to be a shitty friend to you.” I remembered the tense silence between her and Lyss earlier today. How hard should you fuck up for someone like Stevie Rae to no longer consider you a friend? “I really, really don’t.”

Stevie’s eyes softened, and she pulled me into a quick side hug. “Zoe, you’re a good friend! I promise. You did not know it would come to that. And I got to settle it down with Lyss, too... And yes, I am coming along. I really want to help. It’s weird and confusing, and I have a bad feeling about this… so there is no way I can leave you guys alone in that. Momma raised no quitter!” She bent her arm, showing off her bicep with a comically tense face. “You’ve got me till the end, Zoe Katopodis.”

I looked at her and felt something warm shiver within me, inside my rib cage. It made my arms break into goosebumps at the sudden change - from cold anxiety to this gentle warmth.

“Stevie Rae Johnson, you are the absolute best”, I said with conviction.

Stevie Rae blushed and grinned at me. “I guess I can be, sometimes!”

And so we undressed and brushed our teeth like proper girls and went to bed, but even as I was falling asleep, the warmth inside stayed.

Chapter Text

The next morning, we exchanged grim glances of spies on a mission and spread out.

My part came into play after the second lesson. It was recess, and our next class was conveniently just behind the corner from the head teacher’s office, so Damien caught me by the elbow and gently led towards Neferet’s door. I sighed, squinting at it. I was more than a bit nervous. I did not seek to destroy Aphrodite’s entire reputation, but she was still a teacher’s pet, and Neferet could react badly if we threw shade on her favorite student.

Besides… I shivered at the memory of Aphrodite’s nails in my shoulders. I was not going to break my promise to her, but it was still scary to get close to Neferet after that encounter. From what little I knew about Aphrodite, I suspected she could and would take that out of context.

“Alright,” Damien said, looking at the door, “it is time to reveal the secrets of the school's most infamous assemblage. I wonder what frightening secrets they hide beneath their already frightening surface.” 

“Damien?”

“Hm?”

“How come you don’t know something?”

Damien paused and laughed. “I may disappoint you, but I am sadly not omniscient. Besides, the Dark Sisters are… well. Overwhelmingly matriarchal, just like the rest of vampire society. I mean, being named Dark Sisters instead of, say, Dark Siblings already tells you something. It is hard for a guy to learn much about something he is not really allowed into. And I’m not hot enough to skew their judgement.”

I snorted quietly and side-eyed Neferet’s door. “That’s sad… but, um, maybe there’s still another way?”

“Oh, it won’t be bad”, Damien said, winking at me. “Come on, Zoe. She does not bite”.

“How do you know?”

“Zoe-”

“I mean, maybe she just hides her evil deeds really well. Throws the evidence into the sewers.”

“Zoe.”

“She probably has minions, too. Evil minions who do everything she says to uphold the illusion. And she totally does the evil laugh.”

“Zoe, it’s Neferet, not Izma the evil chemist sorcerer. She is a nice, sane woman,” Damien said, rolling his eyes. “You have already talked to her, even. You saw that for yourself. And she does not bite.”

I grumbled, but capitulated before his arguments and allowed him to usher me inside after a polite knock.

Neferet was at her table, reading a paper and slightly frowning to herself. When she heard us enter, though, she looked up, set the paper down and smiled at us. “Ah, hello, Zoe, Damien. How can I help you?”

Well, I really did not think that through.

“Um…” I wringed my hands, not knowing where to start.

“Zoe wanted to ask something about the Dark Sisters,” Damien helped me out.

That was a start as good as any. “Yeah. Sorry for bothering you with this.”

Neferet frowned just a little, leaning towards us. “Is anything wrong?”

I started sweating. “No, um - everything is fine, it is…”

“It is the more formal stuff, you see”, Damien added again, like the savior he was. “The origins, the purpose. Nothing scandalous.”

“Ah.” Neferet raised a brow. “Why don’t you ask Aphrodite?”

Damien stalled at this, leaving me alone. Fortunately, making up believable excuses on the spot was a skill I actually had. “Well, I - we barely see each other, because she’s a different grade, and I never have enough time to ask even if we bump into each other. And she’s always busy… I understand if you don’t have time either, but I thought-”

“Oh, no, it’s fine. I do have a spare minute, and there is not much to tell.” The priestess smiled at me, and I let out a breath I did not know I held in. “The Dark Sisters is an old community that, in a way, juxtaposes the all-school rituals we hold. Those can be dazzling and grandiose, but they are also a bit… too formal. So, those who need their prayers to Nyx to be a private matter, or those who want a more intimate environment, usually join the Dark Sisters. Aphrodite has been in charge of them for a long time now.”

“Oh.” I blinked, processing. “I did not know that. But I guess it… makes sense.”

“What exactly is Aphrodite in charge of?” Damien asked suddenly.

Neferet turned her head to him, frowning a little. “What makes you ask that?”

“Nothing. Just… curious about some ritual details”, he said, batting his eyelashes. “I wondered if those were novelties of her choice or simply a part of a normal, albeit unfamiliar, religious practice.”

I suppressed a snort at his choice of words. Damien gave me an exaggeratedly condescending side glance.

Neferet coughed. “Well, it is hard to tell. The very purpose of the Dark Sisters is to differentiate from the canon. Even though there are certain rules to follow, the Priestesses in charge are allowed quite a lot of freedom when they stage their sermons. So the answer is yes and no. While the overall difference is a part of the Dark Sisters’ legacy, the exact details are up to each Priestess - in that case, Aphrodite. She also approves the requests for membership.”

“I heard that the Priestess of Dark Sisters is handpicked, isn’t she?” Damien mused.

“She is. I personally selected Aphrodite.” Neferet smiled. “Before you ask, I was moved by her leader qualities and the fact that she was obviously blessed by Nyx herself. Her family status or wealth did not play a role, as many people sadly insinuate.”

I was helplessly looking between them, a bit overwhelmed. I had a feeling I was just a prop in their conversation.

Damien bit on a lip.

“One last question. Do you like how Aphrodite carries out her duties as a leader?”

Neferet’s smile widened a little as she made a quiet, amused huff. “I feel like I am being interrogated… But she hasn’t given me any reason to distrust her so far.”

Damien nodded and slightly elbowed me. When I stared at him, he wiggled his eyebrows and then, seeing that I was not taking the hint at all, pressed on:

“Zoe, is it all that you wanted to know?”

“Oh. Yes, I think I’ve got all my questions answered. Thank you, High Priestess.”

“You are welcome. And please, Zoe, call me Neferet.”

 “Oh, alright. Thanks. Goodbye, Neferet.”

She nodded to us and went back to her papers, resting her chin on her hand. Her face fell a little, and she sighed. For a second she looked like a college student deep in homework. I felt a weird sense of unity with her before remembering how many years she had over me.

For a moment I imagined centuries of paperwork lying ahead and shuddered, asking myself for the first time if immortality is really worth it.

When the door closed behind us, Damien said: “She must like you. Few people are allowed to call her by the name.”

“Oh.” I blushed a little, not knowing what to say. Then I remembered something that was bugging me. “Oh, wait. What did she mean when she said that Aphrodite was chosen by Nyx?”

“Oh, right, you don’t know… She has visions of the future.” Damien snorted at my long face. “Yeah, you’ve heard it right. No one knows how they work, though. She and Neferet kind of keep it between themselves. But people say all kinds of stuff about them. If you want to hear more, ask Shaunee.”

“Oh… What did you learn, though?”

“Just that, whatever could be going on with those rituals, Neferet is not aware of it. And also… that Aphrodite’s position is not set in stone.”

“...Huh.”

The bell rang. Damien saluted me, and we dashed towards our respective classes. I was just a few seconds late, bursting into the room and falling into my seat moments before the Professor could turn the corner. She raised a brow, but did not comment on me desperately digging through my bag for the right papers, thank god.

Soon, I was neck deep in math. I was never good with numbers, and when letters came into play, I felt like digging my own grave. But even as I stumbled through the equations, I couldn't help but wonder about the whole thing.

I remembered Aphrodite making me swear to never tell Neferet about my vision. Did she simply want to keep a monopoly on those? Or was it something else?

Her position was not set in stone, Damien said. Neferet picked her for leader qualities… and for her gift. Her gift of future visions.

Could it be that Neferet was likely to change her mind if she saw a better option? Or at least that it seemed so?

Could it be that Aphrodite was afraid ?

Could it be that Aphrodite was afraid of… me ?

We met during the next recess and exchanged information.

After Damien and I said our (short) part, Shaunee whipped her hand up like a grade-A student who just heard an easy question. “We next! We’ve got tasty rumors.”

“ Tasty ”, Erin echoed with a stone face.

“It’s not much”, Shaunee added quickly, “but it is what it is. Turns out lots of people actually feel bad the first few times.”

“Some people,” Erin chimed in, crossing her arms. “Just some. Not ‘lots’. Lily said she did, Emily from the fourth grade… that guy from Equestrian Studies… a few other girls. But no one said a word because they were afraid of being labeled freaks. Or lightweights.”

“Lyss said she felt funny too,” Stevie added. “But it was just a little dizziness. She thought it was the pot. Then it got better, so she shrugged it off.”

Shaunee hummed. “Really? Emily said it was bad enough that she had to lean onto someone to stay up and not topple over.”

“Wait”, Damien said, frowning, “Emily who? Emily the Mind Reading Emily?”

“She’s not mind reading, she reads faces. Like. Emotions. But yeah, her.” Shaunee blinked. “Why?”

“Nothing. Just… I don’t know, I thought I was onto something.”

“Come to think of it,” Erin said slowly, “the horse guy - I think he can understand horses. It is a minor gift, but still. And he said he puked a little in his mouth.”

“I would do without that last bit, thank you,” I mumbled, earning me an amused scoff.

“Not sure about Lily, but I know she’s good at drawing. Who knows if it is a gift or just lots of practice.” Shaunee pouted and sighed, deep in thought. “She said she almost passed out, too.”

“Weird,” Stevie said. She was frowning now too. 

I coughed. “I am not an expert in pot, or anything, but something tells me it is not normal.”

“Nah, not at all,” Shaunee said, looking like she was an expert. “Some people do feel bad, but when a good half of the kids on the party goes fainting? Then you’d start suspecting that there was something else in that package you bought behind the parking lots.”

Damien stared down at his boots. “Or that there was something else at play… I seriously have no idea what, though. We need to get to the bottom of this.”

“Whoa, whoa, Sherlock, you forgot your magnifying glass,” Erin told him, huffing.

“I think we can return to the rec hall,” I said. “It is probably our best bet if we want to find something… out of line.”

Damien hummed. “I’m not sure about that, but it does not hurt to check. Who knows what sort of clues they may have left there.” 

“Rec hall, voting, yay or nay. Raise your hands,” Erin said. “Who’s for yay? Who’s for nay?”

By popular vote, we skipped dinner in favor of mysteries and trudged towards the rec hall once more, chewing on snackbars as we went. 

We started off cheerily enough, elbowing each other and joking about the weak-hearted damsels that we were. However, the jokes slowly tapered off, and by the time rec hall loomed above us, we were almost completely silent.

The door raised from the darkness all too soon, lit up by a lone lightbulb above. A padlock on the hinge suggested that it was locked. Erin tried it anyway - gently at first, then with three rough jerks. It held tight.

“Figures,” she said. “Well, we tried, we failed, let’s go eat.”

“Wait.” Damien stepped closer, studying the keyhole. “Huh… This one is old. Someone, I will need two hairpins you won’t miss. And also please cover me so no one sees what I am doing.”

“Are you seriously going to try and pick that lock?” Erin said, obediently taking off her hairpins. “Wow. That’s a hard fall from grace. From royalty to a burglar. Riches to dirts.”

“Why do I hear envy in your voice, then, sis?” Shaunee chuckled.

“Because that is seriously metal.” Erin shrugged. “Where did you learn that?”

Damien paused before taking the hairpin. “It’s… a long story. I’d rather… not.”

Stevie winced and reached out for his shoulder. “Oh, Damien… I’m sorry.” 

For a moment, everyone stared at Stevie, not really knowing how to react. She blinked and slowly took away her hand. “...Um, I did not mean to make this awkward. I just… felt like it. You sounded really sad, so…”

“Did I?” Damien asked, a bit confused. He rubbed his shoulder, looking a bit out of it, but then shook his head and set to work on the lock. “Huh… Thanks, I guess. It wasn’t overly awkward, don’t worry, and even if I did feel bad, it is all gone. You always try to make people feel better, anyway. Must be a Pavlovian reflex by now to reach out.”

Stevie giggled, sounding half flattered, half nervous.

“I feel so criminal,” Shaunee whispered, watching Damien work his magic. “If someone asks, we will need an alibi.”

“Um… We were walking by, the door was open, and we went in to check?” I suggested.

Shaunee fingergunned me. “Nice one! That can do. Totally legal actions of proper citizens.”

“Still trespassing,” Erin said.

“Yes, but it is trespassing done out of, uh… civic duty? That’s different.”

Stevie chuckled. “I remember that guy back home who was caught breaking in a shop. He said that he heard a kitten crying inside! He still got jail time.”

“Okay, but was there a kitten?” Shaunee asked.

“I don’t think that’s the point…” Erin told her.

“There was. He got saved and adopted.” Stevie sighed. “It would be a sweet story if the guy did not also steal a radio on his way out.”

“Think Batman, guys,” Damien said without turning away from the padlock. “Crime is okay if it is done with the right intentions and for a good cause.”

“I personally think that setting your underwear on fire is an amazing idea because it will serve as a reminder for the other guys to change it often,” Erin replied with a stone face. “What, should I do it?”

Damien sent her a glare and huffed.

I hummed. “I think there is a difference between crime crime, like murder or assault, and just… bending the rules a bit. Like stealing a car because you really really need it and putting it back into place later. Or trespassing if you do not want to hurt anyone.”

“Okay, but that just means that anyone can get away with anything if they argue hard enough that they did not mean to hurt anyone,” Erin said, raising a brow. “Like that guy with a kitten.”

“I mean, the kitten was still saved?” Stevie said. “I think that makes it just a little worth it.”

“Guys, I am done,” Damien groaned, standing up straight and groaning. He took away the now open padlock, looked back at us and smiled. “I’d say we’re done with the theory of crime. Let’s make it practical.”

I gulped and looked around. No one was in sight to catch us red-handed, but I still felt just a bit shivering with the adrenaline. I stood closest to the door, so I was the first to follow Damien inside.

Without the drums and smoke, the rec hall looked like any other school building that is not too well cleaned and not frequented by the older staff. The windows were uncovered, and the dramatic drapings were gone. Stevie took a flashlight with her, like the most sensible person, and after a few clicks and a muttered colorful adjective we had a dim circle of light travelling over the floorboards. 

I felt like a teen in a haunted house - judging by the fact I was introverted and no one's love interest, the scenarists would have me dead by the end of the first twenty minutes. 

“Watch out for cat puke,” Erin said, making Stevie snort and elbow her. 

“Oh, look.” Shaunee pointed the toe of her shoe at the faded red shape on the floor. “I think this is where the wine went. Icky stuff.”

Stevie shone the flashlight there, then slid the light over the rest of the room. “Table is still there. Nothing else. They put everything away.”

I glanced over. There was no statue, and the spiked incense was gone - thankfully. But that also meant that we had no clues left.

“I’ll check the other rooms,” Damien said. “Stevie, come with me, I’ll need that light. You three, try to see if that feeling returns.”

“Okay, Sherlock, no shit,” Erin said, rolling her eyes. She paused. “Alright, I guess.”

Stevie waved us a goodbye with her flashlight, and we were left in the dusk. The only remaining source of light was the street lamp outside the window. The room seemed suddenly smaller. It was as if it grew a thousand more hiding places for medium-sized monsters.

The three of us unknowingly pressed closer.

“Creepy,” Shaunee said with a tiny, nervous chuckle. 

“I guess,” Erin said. She tried to stand up tall as she usually did, but even her shoulders seemed tense, and she kept stealing glances at the dark corners.

I fidgeted. “At least there are no weird feelings this time.”

“It did not start at once, remember?” Erin said. “Let’s wait a little.” 

Shaunee made a circle around the room in concentration, listening to herself. “No, nothing.”

“Stealing my words,” Damien called out, entering again with Stevie in tow. “We found dust and an apple core, nothing else.”

“Well, bummer,” I said.

Even the reappearance of the flashlight did little to dispel the heavy feeling of anticipation. We all fidgeted, not quite knowing what to do next.

A loud meow ringed out, making us jump. Stevie beamed the light in its direction. Lucky was sitting on the table right where the statue used to stand. She looked at us and meowed again. 

Erin squinted. “I don’t remember her making it in with us.”

“Wait.” Something glinted in the light: something that was partially hidden by the table legs and wedged into the corner. I pointed there. “What’s that?”

The circle of light jumped to the corner, making the glint brighter.

“Good eye,” Erin said, reaching over the table to grab that something. It was the wine pitcher from before. “It must have fallen from the table.”

“Haven’t they heard the clank?” Shaunee asked.

Damien took the pitcher from Erin and turned it this way and that, studying. “With all that music? Hardly.” He looked at the bottom and snorted. “Made in China.”

“Give it to me,” I said, taking it too. It was a pitcher, a metal one and rather heavy. It still smelled of wine and blood. There were no other clues to be found. I had no idea what I was looking for. 

“My turn!” Stevie stretched out her free arm and grabbed the pitcher. “Hmm… My inner Sherlock concludes that, by the power of deduction, considering all the evidence… this is a wine pitcher.”

Shaunee rolled her eyes and took the pitcher away from her. “Ha ha! Funny.” Abusing the fact that she was the last in line and no one was waiting on her, she took her sweet time studying the object. She pursed her lips. “Damn, the only clue and it is useless… Why don’t you show us your secrets, buddy?”

She paused, as if hoping for an answer, and we made a few obligatory polite chuckles.

Then the pause stretched, and when it became just a beat too long for comedic effect I realised that Shaunee was not breathing-

And the next thing I knew was that she was breathing too fast and deep, her eyes blinking rapidly. 

“Do… you see that too, guys?” she asked in a voice that was just a bit off.

Erin was near her in a heartbeat, clenching her by the shoulders. “What?”

“Shaun, cut it off,” Damien said, his voice jumping into a nervous squeak.

“It’s… us! Wow. It’s wonky…” Shaunee shook her head, but her stare remained trained on the pitcher. Her tone slowly trailed from excited to uneasy. “People… wine… people… is it Eliot? Oh, it is going backwards… people, people, people… there’s Neferet? She is… talking to someone I cannot see… wait, wait, I need to look closer, stop speeding, I am going to get sick…”

Stevie’s flashlight shook, making the circle of light flicker and dash over the room. Damien and I instinctively stepped closer to her. Erin's hands on Shaunee’s shoulders were pale and tense.

 Shaunee suddenly whimpered, shaking her head again. “No - who are you? No, I… make it stop!” Her voice was loud and desperate as she stared at the unseen danger. Stevie’s light darted across the room, trying and failing to guard us against the dark. The shadows loomed. “No, no, stop, I don’t want to - get away from me! GET AWAY FROM ME!”

The pitcher crashed to the floor with a loud metal bang, and everything went silent. Erin looked at it in disgust, her hand still raised after smacking it out of Shaunee’s hands. She took a deep breath. “I did not sign for this.”

“What was it?!” Damien looked like he did not know whether to rush forward or step back. “Shaunee Cole, this is - this is not funny! Cut it off!”

“Guys, please don’t freak out,” Stevie called, but she was not heard.

“Funny? What isn’t funny?!” Shaunee frowned, still a little disoriented, and flapped her hands. “I saw things! For real!”

“Yeah, first Zoe, now you, we have an influx of supernatural talents out of nowhere!”

“She’s telling the truth!” Erin raised her voice for the first time since I met her. I instinctively hunched over, wincing. 

“How can you tell that?”

“I just… can! Somehow!”

“Well, this is not much of an argument!”

“Guys!” Stevie called.

“I don’t understand what is going on!” Damien pressed his hands to his temples, breathing as fast as Shaunee did a few minutes earlier. “This… nothing of this makes any sense! I don’t know anything!”

“Yeah, as if I do!” Erin growled. “As if I asked for anything like that!”

Shaunee elbowed her. “Hello?! I just saw things , and you are going to stand there and shout like it is no big deal?!”

Stevie Rae took a deep breath and suddenly flew in between the three of them, grabbing Erin and Damien by the shirts. “Guys, will you please maybe SHUT UP AND BREATHE?!”

And out of nowhere, I felt a powerful wave of calm rolling over me. 

I have never been at the ocean. I only saw it in films and documentaries that ran on Sundays: mighty, relentless waves dashing towards the shore. But I imagined that this was how it felt to be knocked off your feet and rolled over by a tide. I had as much of a chance to fight it: it rose and rushed in, flooding me from inside, and then receded and washed away the anger and fear, leaving me a little empty and lost in its wake.

There was a long pause. Damien blinked, his breathing finally settling. Erin’s shoulders relaxed. Shaunee stared at Stevie with a confused frown.

Stevie nodded to herself and smoothed out the shirts she was just holding in a grip. “That’s better.”

“I forgot the force of nature that you can be,” Damien muttered. “Sorry. I… overreacted."

“What did you just do?” Erin asked slowly. “It did not feel natural.”

Stevie looked her hands over. “I don’t know. It just… happened? Sorry.”

“That’s freaky,” I muttered. “First me, then Shaunee, now Stevie…”

“Wait,” Erin said with the expression of someone who’s about to eat an onion whole. “Someone, tell me something. Either lie or truth. But hard to guess.” When everyone gave her a surprised look, she waved it off. “Just trying to check something.”

“I have a fish plushie,” I blurted.

Erin did not miss a beat. “True.”

“I think this is a load of bullshit,” Damien mumbled.

“True, and try harder.”

“Okay, um… I once broke a finger when biking with my cousin who sang me serenades,” Shaunee said, eyes wide with wonder.

Erin frowned. “Hm. You did break a finger, but not biking. And that cousin part… Hard to say. It is not entirely true, but not completely a lie either. Weird.”

“He sang me ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ exactly once, start to finish,” Shaunee clarified, grinning.

Erin nodded in solemn silence as we tried to soak it in.

“So,” Damien said, breathing out. “Zoe and Shaunee have visions. Erin can tell the truth. Stevie commands emotions. That is statistically impossible.”

“We all had those weird visions too, though,” Stevie mused. “Maybe it was Nyx warning us about that?”

“Maybe. In either case, wow. That is more than we could hope to gather from an empty rec hall.” Damien shook his head and suddenly turned to Shaunee. “Oh, right, what did you see?”

She shrugged. “Just… things, I guess. Things that happened around that pitcher. It was in reverse and from the pitcher's point of view, so it was… wonky. Yeah. There was a lot, so I will need to sort it out in my head, I guess.”

“Wait,” I said. “It's an awesome thing, Shaunee, and I don't want to steal the spotlight, but… if the ritual visions were just a sign from Nyx and not the power itself, then what is my power?”

“Something you just did not find out yet?” Shaunee shrugged, waving me off. “Or maybe it is something small. Like never getting your laces untied when you run.”

I groaned. “I want something cool…”

“I mean, I don't know my power either,” Damien said helpfully. “If that comforts you any.”

“It just makes me sad for both of us, but thanks anyway.”

“I’m sure you two will also get something fancy!” Stevie smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back. “Just you see! You don’t have to worry, really.”

“Stevie, is that you making me feel good?” Damien asked, squinting at her.

Stevie paused and giggled with a guilty look. “I… might be, actually. Just a little bit. Sorry. I’m still trying to wrap my head around how it works.”

“Well,” Erin said, clasping her hands together. “We still have classes, if you remember.”

Oh. Right. We all sank a little at the realisation. Normal life took priority to whatever weirdness was going on.

“Let’s go. I think we all need to think long and hard about… everything,” Damien said. “Especially you lucky ones.”

“I could not agree more,” Erin said, expressing the general opinion.

I took a step towards the exit only to see Shaunee stuffing the pitcher into her backpack with a suspicious look. Thankfully, if just barely fit.

“I’m taking this,” she said proudly. “As physical evidence.”

“Theft,” Erin commented with a blank face.

“For good reasons!”

Later that day, when classes were over and I was walking towards the dorms to catch a breather, Damien caught up with me. He was breathing hard, his expression tense.

“I found my power,” he blurted.

I felt a pang of envy, but it soon drowned in excitement. “Really? What is it?”

“We were reading Plato, and the textbook had examples of the original text,” he said. “And I looked at them and realised that I could read them. I never studied Greek. Not even anything close to it.”

“Wow.” I shook my head. “Damien, that’s seriously amazing!”

“Thanks! Even though it is not really my achievement.” Damien paused and then motioned me to move closer. “Do you remember that we all had the same vision? More or less?”

“Yeah?”

“There was that word, repeating itself over and over. It did not sound like complete gibberish, and I felt like it was a real word, just foreign. I couldn’t remember it, so I tried different sound combinations that sounded like it till I found one that had meaning.” He fished a small piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it over to me. 

I looked at it. It had only one word written on it: epistrefo .

“What does it mean?”

Damien looked at me with dark serious eyes. “It is in Greek. It means ‘I return’.”

I stared at the piece of paper, so innocent-looking but suddenly so vaguely threatening.

Epistrefo…

Chapter Text

“Honestly,” Erin said, “this is a big pain in the ass.”

I looked up from my breakfast cereal. For the first time in my life, I saw Erin looking almost defeated.

She sighed and rubbed her temples. “I’m losing the sad remains of my faith in humanity. I always knew people lied. But I never wanted to know just how much they did. I wonder if there’s an off switch somewhere.”

“I’d never lie to you, sis,” Shaunee swore solemnly, placing a hand on Erin’s shoulder.

“Lie,” Erin stated, squirming out of the touch.

Shaunee dimmed down, but did not give up. “I... would never lie to you unless made by law or friend conduct?”

“...Fine, that’s better,” Erin relented, this time allowing Shaunee to pat her on the shoulder.

I sipped on my juice. I felt both sympathetic and jealous. On one hand, it did sound like an inconvenience, but on the other… I wanted in. Listening to my friends share details of their newfound talents made me feel like an outsider.

Damien had already babbled all about how he could apparently read more languages than he ever hoped - he broke his head with the grammar, he said, but it was worth it. Shaunee was euphoric, too. Apparently, she could tell an object’s past by touching it, and she had spent the night clutching anything she could find. She spotted dark circles under her bloodshot eyes, but she grinned too, so the experiments had gone well enough. She said that the point of view was important: stationary lamps and chairs showed her something like a video from a security camera, while trying to see from the point of constantly moving shoes and bracelets almost made her puke. 

I already knew how it went with Stevie. Before bed, she asked the permission to try her power out on me, and the next ten minutes were a wild ride of mood swings that left me completely worn out. 

(At least I slept like a baby, and in the morning the regretful Stevie brought me a cocoa before I could even properly open my eyes, which earned her an immediate and genuine forgiveness.) 

“Okay, but listen,” Damien said, wiggling, “I really, really wondered how it works, because - like, does it give you the cultural knowledge too, or does it just translate everything word by word? I mean, context is key. A lot of Shakespearian jokes are lost if you just read the text without annotations, just to think of an example. And so far I have no idea, since, well, I already know a lot about Homer so reading his texts was easy without extra clues, but I really wonder. I really, really do.”

“I wonder how to stop getting a gut knot every time I hear a lie,” Erin said through pressed teeth.

“ I wonder if I can stalk people by stealing their stuff and seeing where they go!” Shaunee chirped.

“Whoa, whoa, hey.” Damien raised both hands. “When did you turn to the dark side?”

“Uh, yesterday? I am a criminal now. I know no law. I steal.”

“Let’s put a boundary there, maybe?” Stevie piped up. “I mean, okay, borrowing-”

“Stealing!”

“- borrowing a pitcher is one thing, but stalking is where I draw the line. And, um, by the way, I guess emotion manipulation is also really creepy if you think about it, unless there’s a really good reason.”

“I wonder what counts as a good reason, then…”

I said, a little too loud and maybe a little too annoyed: “ I wonder what is next.”

Talking came to a halt. Stevie blinked at me, as if remembering I was there too. “What?”

“I said, what’s next? Okay, like. You guys got all these cool toys, great…” I stopped myself, because I suddenly imagined Father John giving me an earful for my attitude and okay, maybe there was a little attitude going on. “Anyway… Yeah, but - what now? The ritual just gave more questions, and I don’t think we actually got anywhere with that trespassing, unless you count that pitcher as a possible lead. What do we do next?”

Shaunee beamed. “Oh! Right, about the pitcher-”

“Oh, I can tell you what you do next. In detail.”

We turned our heads at the oh-too-familiar voice. Aphrodite was standing right there, and by the look on her face I could tell that she was royally pissed. She did not even try to smile. She slapped both her palms onto our table and leaned over, her golden locks hanging down.

Erin groaned. “Aphrodite, what now-”

“All of you,” Aphrodite breathed out without a hint of pretend politeness. “You are going to do as I say, and I say we need a talk. I’m waiting for you after the classes in the dorm. Yes, even you,” she spat at Damien who had barely opened his mouth. “I know, I know, all these girls that you'll never score, yay. Try not to gawk too much.”

“Woe is me,” Damien muttered.

Erin slammed her palms into the table and stood up too, facing off Aphrodite. They loomed over the table like battling titans. “I asked a question . What the hell is going on?” 

“Language,” Aphrodite said through pressed teeth and smiled. I recoiled. “And you'll have to wait till you get there. I should have handled it earlier, but… Well. I am handling it now. Anyway, don’t keep a girl waiting. Or else. ” 

She waved her hand and made a sharp turn around, marching off. We stared at her retreating back without a word. There was something menacing about the way her shoes clacked.

“Bitch,” Erin grunted quietly, falling back into her seat. 

I blinked and looked at Erin closer. She was tugging onto a lock of her auburn hair, and her eyes burned with something that looked vaguely like… “Erin, why are you so angry?”

Erin blinked and let go of her hair. Her face returned to its usual expressionless state. “I’m not angry, just pissed. Anyway, I wish she said anything of substance there because I cannot even fact-check her.”

“Damn.”

“Actually, that reminds me.” Damien smiled at me. “That’s what we can do next. We can fact-check Aphrodite.”

“Huh?”

“I mean… She wants to speak to us for some reason, and I feel like I’ll express the common opinion by calling that less than desirable, but we might use it as a chance to see where she stands. Erin will know if, and when, she lies.”

I slowly nodded. “Yeah, that actually sounds like a good idea. I don’t think she will hand her secrets on a silver plate, but at least we’ll learn more about her role in all that mess.”

“Precisely. I mean, what are the odds that Aphrodite is completely ignorant? She’s the one in charge, it would be simply natural to suspect her of... shady business.”

“Well, we are going to speak to her later anyway, it seems,” Stevie mused. “Convenient. And she does not know we have a lie detector in the team now. Double convenient.”

“Good chance to get anything out of her,” Shaunee concluded with an important nod. 

I coughed. “Well… so, the plan is to crack Aphrodite and then improvise?”

“Baby,” Shaunee said, gently smacking me on the shoulder, “improvisation is the entire plan.”

Well, plans are plans, but I had a fur baby to take care of. Sometimes pets go before pals, especially after those pets prove to be drunkards.

I was still keeping an eye on Lucky, but she did not seem sick. She was trotting with me everywhere, even to restroom stalls, meowing loudly at the door if I was being mean and did not let her inside. Her two thirds of a tail stuck tall and proud. She looked completely normal.

Still, I could not help but look out for her. Eventually, while me and Stevie were waiting for our history class to start, I even crouched in front of Lucky and said, “Listen, just so we are clear, I do not support underage drinking. It is bad for you. Bad.”

Lucky blinked at me and yawned.

“...I know what you are thinking, and I am a bit of a hypocrite, yes, but it is still bad. Even if I drink too. But it does not kill me, unlike you.”

“Meow.”

“Do you want me to worry? Huh? Do you want your mom to worry? Do you want to make me mad with worry for you? Is that what you want?”

“Meow.”

“That’s it, young lady. Don’t backtalk me. You are grounded from alcohol forever. And also you get a punishment boop to the sweet nose. Boop.”

Lucky sneezed.

“You are a strict mom,” Stevie said, snorting. She crouched too and rubbed Lucky between the ears, and the little traitor immediately trotted towards her for more.

“Hey, sometimes parenting involves iron gloves,” I said absentmindedly. Lucky showed her pale belly to Stevie, purring. “She cannot have two enabling mommies at once, this is not allowed.”

Stevie giggled. “Caught red-handed, I melt too easy. But she deserves at least one doting mom like that. She’s kind of our cat, after all.”

I smiled a bit awkwardly. For some weird reason, it felt nice to hear that. “Oh? Since when?”

“Since the moment I woke up with her butt in my face. Things like that are for family members only.” Stevie glanced at me and made a little uncertain pause. “Unless you don’t want me to say that? She can be just yours, I don’t mind.”

“No, no, it’s - it’s okay. It’s, um, it’s kind of nice… that… I don’t mind too.”

“Cool!” Stevie grinned and went right back to combing her fingers through Lucky’s fur. I simply sat next to her with an awkward smile until Lucky smacked me with her tail, reminding me of my real job: the cat petter. I sent her an apologetic glance and rubbed her ruffled head.

“Stevie, why don’t you have your own cat?”

She shrugged. “Dunno. None of them really chose me. I guess I am more of a dog person, anyway. Back home, we had Spark, the big old boy. We found him as a stray puppy when I was five. He’s a great boy, even if a little old…” She looked away. “We grew together, so. My heart is occupied.”

I thought about it for a second and felt a pang of sadness. “You miss him?”

“Yeah, a lot. But that is just life. Maybe mom and pops will bring him here to see me, though. And he has my brothers to roughhouse with!” Stevie smiled in that special way that shuts the door to further questions. “So it is really okay.”

I smiled back, not sure what to say. Leaving pets behind is one thing, but leaving old pets behind poses very special dangers and sadnesses. To fill in the pause, I mumbled, “Back home, I had a cat, Fluffy. I liked him a lot.”

“Oh. So, a cat person from the start?”

“Yeah. Through and through.”

“How old is he?”

“Uh, about ten, I think.”

“Oh, he’s a big boy! Will your fam bring him to see you, too?”

“Uh… no. Not really. John… um, my stepfather kind of took him to the shelter some time ago.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” I cringed at myself. “Sorry, it’s probably not the best thing to bring up.”

“No, it’s fine.” We fell into uncomfortable silence until Stevie perked up and said, “Oh, right, I brought the photos of Spark with me! Do you want to see them after classes?”

“Sure thing, bring them out,” I said, thanking every deity possible that Stevie was Stevie. 

Stevie giggled, and we spent the rest of the period exchanging funny stories about our pets - which is, objectively, the best ever thing to do. When the bell rang, Stevie suddenly remembered that she forgot her phone in the classroom three hallways away. She sprang into running so fast that her feet blurred together, and I could swear her hair puffed up in distress like a dandelion in a gust of wind.

I smiled against myself. 

“Huh. Did not pin you as someone who’d be excited about school bells.”

I already knew who I would see before I even turned around and looked up. Of course it was Erik, and he was grinning down at me, looking fresh and pristine as always. I smiled back and tried to seem at ease as well. Thankfully, by now I was a little more used to the guy to not start sweating right away.

“Oh, um. Hi. Not usually, no… Why are you here, though? Aren’t you going to be late? Wait, I am going to be late!..”

“Nah. I have an hour off. They needed help with the decorations at the theatre, so I’m walking there. And about your own lateness… You’ve got History, right?” He gestured at the door. “The prof takes frequent tea breaks, and the break room is all the way to the other wing. If she hasn’t appeared by now, it means we’ve got another five minutes.”

“Huh! How do you know that?”

“Well, when you spend enough time with the Romans, you learn what they tend to do.” Erik chuckled and gave me another glance. “So... the rituals really don’t treat you right.”

My cheeks blazed, and I tried to cough very naturally to pass that for a fever. “Yeah, uh… they don’t.”

Erik clicked his tongue. “Honestly, you’re not the first one. Aph never warns people about the pot, that’s the problem. I told her so many times, but she’s insufferable… That’s really on her, and not on you. I bet you never even tried it before.”

The heat died down a little as I shook my head, relieved. “No! No. I never tried it, I mean. My step-dad is kind of strict on that one, so…” Suddenly aware that I am about to unload half of my life story unprompted, I bit my tongue. “So. No. I’m glad you don’t think I’m some kind of… a weirdo, I don’t even know.”

Erik laughed. Even his laugh was strangely perfect. Movie stars laugh that way. Ideal dream boyfriends laugh that way. A flesh-and-blood kid, even an immortal one, had no permission to do this to me.

“No, no,” he said, still snorting. “By Nyx, I don’t think that you are a weirdo. No. I think you are actually kind of cute.”

My heart sank right into my stomach and burst into nervous butterflies. Haven’t we all watched a movie or two and got ideas? A movie where a shy loser gets noticed by the most popular kid and then finds themselves loved and cherished? Maybe we never expect that to happen, but it feels good to dream about it. Now, though, it definitely felt like it was happening, and I had no idea what to do with that.

“Cute?”

“Yeah. You’re sweet and, well, you’re real. Not like those lacquered-over girls from the pompous club,” Erik said, still grinning, as if we were sharing an inside joke. It felt good - knowing that you had a sort of an inside joke just with him. Just for the two of you. It felt good and a little dreamy. “Really kind of - okay, I now realize that it sounds stupid to call something ‘refreshing’ when you are not talking about vegetables, but, you know what? You are refreshing. In a really nice way.”

I kept my mouth shut, because I was afraid I would squeak like a thirteen year old.

Erik frowned. “...I hope that wasn’t rude?”

“No - no. No. No. God, no. I just… no.” I rubbed my cheeks in a weak attempt to ground myself. “Cute. It was cute.”

“Well, I’m glad, then!” Erik Night stood up a little straighter, and my head felt a little dizzier still. “By the way, speaking of refreshing… I bet you never saw the little spring by the wall, have you? I think it is a bit of a secret place, even though it is not really hidden. Most people just don’t seem to stumble upon it.”

My brain decided to flip me off and grab a pink slip, so it was the autopilot that moved my mouth to mumble, “No, I haven’t.”

“Aw. How about I show you? It’s really nice there. After I graduate, it would be a shame if no one else knew about it.” Erik hummed. “How about tomorrow, after the classes? I won’t take you out for long, but that could be a sweet little walk.”

I opened my mouth, counted my chances to say something intelligent, closed my mouth and simply nodded. 

Erik beamed at me like a stadium projector. “Sweet! I’ll be waiting for you at, say, four? By the eastern wall, right at the big oak. Please, do come, milady.” 

I nodded again and remembered to make a hurried clumsy bow as he walked away, to his delight. My head was still spinning a little. That… that was a date, right? A real deal date? With Erik? The future-movie-star Erik? The Erik who had queues waiting for him? Who had the looks, and the talents, and the charisma, and everything a god could give to an earthly guy?

And he said I was cute! He thought I was cute!!!

History came and went in a blur. So did the classes after that. I woke up at dinner because Erin poked my forehead with a fork.

“Ah, you are still alive,” she said when I gave her a glare. “Sweet.”

I rubbed my forehead and huffed. “Yeah, you could have gone with a pinch. Normal people go with a pinch.”

“Say thank you that it was not a nail-file,” Erin said with not an ounce of regret on her face.

“I won’t thank you for something that is a baseline! It is like thanking someone for not cutting your head off in your sleep!”

“Yeah,” Erin said nonchalantly. “You should probably be grateful for that as well.”

Stevie pat me on the back, snorting. “Don’t worry. She will have to get through me first. And I know Tae Kwon Do.”

Erin pointed her fork at my roomie. “Do you need a reminder that I’m taking fencing, Miss Bumpkin Pie?”

“Sis, Stevie, come on,” Shaunee moaned. “I am meaning to ask her what’s up, and you two are hogging the tabletalk!”

Erin huffed, but deflated and gestured for Shaunee to take the lead. “Sure, sis.”

“Atta girl! Now, Zoe, what’s up? You seem really out of it. Like, really.”

I opened my mouth, took a deep breath and said, “Erik called me cute.”

Four pairs of owlish eyes stared at me in shock. Shaunee was the first to shake it off and wheeze, “Oh my goddess.”

“And he might have asked me out on a sort of a date.”

“Wow. The dreams do come true...” Shaunee grabbed my arm. “And you said yes? Right? Please tell me you said yes, this is a once in a lifetime chance.”

“I did.”

Shaunee threw her arms up and performed the Amazonian victorious war cry.

“Damn, girl.” Damien pouted. “Please, teach me your ways. I humbly plead with you. I implore. I beg in despair. I also desire a boy, but my heartfelt desire stays unfulfilled.”

“I can teach you just fine,” Erin told him. “Step one: you come up to the boy and talk to him with your goddamn mouth.”

“...I want to be taught different ways that miss that step.” 

“Okay, wow,” Stevie said, shaking her head and, for some reason, frowning. “I… congratulations…”

I frowned too. “Something wrong?”

“No, uh, it’s… nothing. I’m happy for you!” She smiled at me. “I’m glad that someone you like likes you back. I wish I knew him better, but if you think he’s good, then I believe you on that!”

Huh. Some inner itch remained, and I promised myself to ask her about that later, but for now I sighed and returned to feeling happy about the whole thing. I mean, come on! If someone as great as Erik liked me, then I was doing something right.

“Damn, Ditto will be pissed,” Shaunee whispered dreamily. “You’ve totally stolen her guy.”

“Hey, I did not steal anyone. I’m not a heartbreaker. It’s not my fault that he noticed me right after they broke up.”

Shaunee smirked, sliding a finger over the table. “Yeah, but just think of the timing. You waltz in a day or two after they are done, get a vision and snatch Erik. And you are not as stuck up as she is, and your friends are way better.” She made a meaningful pause, wiggling her eyebrows and gesturing at herself, and I couldn’t help but snort. “I bet she feels owned up on every front.”

She did have a point, but I didn't really like what it implied.

Or more like, did not like it at all. 

Did you ever notice that time rushes really fast before a bad thing? And before something good is meant to happen, it drags its feet all the way.

The rest of the classes were miserably short and uneventful. I did not even pay attention much: my thoughts were occupied, in turn, by Erik and Aphrodite. Thoughts of the first kind made me grin in a stupid way, thoughts of the second kind poured cold sweat all over my back. It felt like I was at school again and John phoned me and said that we had to talk about something back home. The anxiety before the unknown badness was twisting my guts in knots that even the Erik-related butterflies could not untie.

To distract myself, I kept trying to move things, summon things, set them on fire, but all I got was a headache and an even sourer mood. I started to realize that maybe Nyx simply liked practical jokes. Why even bother with visions and vague promises if you are not going to keep your word?

Then again, she was the Goddess, she was probably allowed worse things.

Not even the smelly horses could ground me. Lenobia gave me a few dirty looks before snapping at me, because apparently I had been brushing the same spot on my horse as if trying to rub a hole into her side. Well, I was stopped before I could do any real harm and I got my hair playfully chewed after my apology, so I believe the accident was done with, even if Lenobia squinted at me hard before letting go.

I crawled towards the dorm with the speed of an aging tortoise who is really not into winning any races. Suddenly, I wondered if I could scale the wall and go back home for a day or so to wait it over.

“Hey, girl.”

I turned around. Erin - just Erin alone, which was unusual - waved and sped up to catch up with me. I realized that I was so used to seeing her mostly sitted, during dinners and breakfasts, that she seemed even taller to me now. Her heels did not help. I had trouble keeping up with her long legs.

“Hi. So… Where’s Shaunee?”

“She went to pee. I figured she did not need help with that.” Erin shrugged, giving me a look when I snorted out of surprise. “What? Don’t tell me you thought she was an angel without bodily functions.”

“No, no, it’s just… nevermind.” It was a bit surreal to talk to her without Shaunee or Damien. “So, well, how do you feel?”

“Just about normal. Why?”

“Don’t you feel… worried about Aphrodite?”

“Ditto? No. What do you think she can do? She will fume a bit, foam at the mouth, at most she’ll try to talk shit about us to people we don’t even know.”

“Right… Don’t you care about that? About, um, what other people think about you?”

“Should I?”

That was a novel way to go about it, and while I was thinking about the answer, Shaunee caught up with us. “Sis! There you are, leaving me for Zoe already.”

Erin shrugged. “Sorry, she’s that irresistible.”

“Oh shush, you are not allowed to say that about anyone but me!” Shaunee frowned and bumped her fist into Erin’s side. “Not cool!”

“Relax. You’re pretty okay, too.”

“Hey!!!”

I snorted. “I guess you are also not too worried about Dite and her shittalking.”

Shaunee waved me off, trying to tear off Erin’s arm. “Nah, I mean, she cannot make it worse!”

“What do you- What do you mean, worse?”

She immediately looked like she regretted that. “Oh, that… um…”

Stevie Rae decided to appear in this very moment, and even though I was as happy to see her as always, some gossip-hungry part of me screamed in torture. She put her hands over my and Shaunee’s shoulders and leaned in, grinning. “Howdy, pals, what did I miss?”

I snorted. “Not much. We’re just walking. Where’s Damien?”

“Lost in the library, I bet. I saw him running there every recess.”

“A little more, and he’ll need an intervention,” Shaunee told us in a confidential voice, seemingly glad to change the topic. “I wonder if they have Academics Anonymous on the campus.”

“I hope,” I said, “he has not tried crystal Math yet.”

Stevie snorted and shook my shoulder. “Hey, you hated puns!”

“Only those I don’t get to make.”

The question of Damien’s whereabouts was answered in a second. From behind us, someone declared, loud and clear, “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Damien is the sun!”, and in a moment we saw Damien, trying to wrap into his scarf like a cape. He definitely would never die from lack of dramatics - or excess of modesty.

With that final addition, and with only a few steps left to the dorm, we had nothing separating us from Aphrodite. This time, somehow, the atmosphere was lighter than when we were marching to the ritual. We had a plan, now. We could stand up to her. That was already something.

“So, we go in, we talk, we get some information out of her, and we leave whole.”

“Sounds like a plan, sis! Okay, guys, let’s go.”

“I am keeping my fingers crossed...”

Except in just a moment our plans were broken.

“Oh, there you are. I was meaning to talk to you the whole day, but you kids are so elusive when it is least convenient…”

The voice that sounded behind our backs made all of us blink and do a double take. We knew it all too well, but we certainly did not expect her here! Not now! Not even when we agreed to improvise, because this was too big of a variable.

Neferet was looking at us, her red hair gently touched by the night wind. She was smiling, patient and impossible to read. “Well?”

Somehow, something was telling me that things would only go downhill from there.

Chapter Text

Stevie was the first one to grab the reins, and she did so with a sunny smile of a girl that could do no wrong - except for something small and excusable, like being late after helping a granny cross the street. “Good night, Priestess! I hope we aren’t in trouble or anything?”

“No, no,” Neferet chuckled. “I was simply worried after certain… news. I have asked Aphrodite to pass you the note, but she must be quite busy…” Her eyebrows twitched in what looked like annoyance. She was unhappy with Aphrodite, and for some reason it was comforting. “Thankfully, I am not too old yet to take a walk myself. Would you mind joining me in my quarters, or would you rather have a stroll as we talk?”

We shared an uneasy look. Neferet must have picked on it. “Is something wrong?”

“We, uh, just wanted to talk to Aphrodite ourselves,” Shaunee mumbled, immediately looking like she would have rather kept her mouth shut. When no salvation came in the next three seconds and Neferet looked at her in a prompting way, she added, “About the rituals.”

“Oh, that is quite lucky. I have been told that there was a commotion during the last one, and I am trying to look into the matter.” The Priestess nodded to her thoughts. “If you do not mind, may I join you? I feel like it might be beneficial for all of us.”

Well, how could we say no? After a series of awkward nods, Erin held open the door of the dorm, and Neferet let herself in with a tiny polite nod.

I held Damien back by the sleeve, covering my mouth with another hand. “Dam, does Neferet have some kind of power too?”

“She does,” Damien whispered back. “All Priestesses do. But no one knows for sure what kind. A High Priestess does not have to disclose it. It’s between them and Nyx. And the Council.”

“Oh.”

“People say that she can read minds, so… that’s why no one tries to lie to her. But who knows. Anyway, try to be honest. Or at least don’t say aloud something that’s untrue.”

I nodded, following the rest of the group inside. That explained the uneasy silence and the unusually honest Shaunee. My skull suddenly felt itchy. How does it feel when someone reads your thoughts? Would I even know?

Aphrodite was already there. She was standing with her back to the door and her arms crossed. When she heard the sound of multiple steps, she turned around gracefully, her face set in a mask of displeasure, every tiny detail obviously thought out. However, when she noticed Neferet, she stumbled like a kid caught drinking with an adult magazine. She looked so startled that I almost felt pity for her; though, I quickly settled on smugness instead. 

“Aphrodite, child, I hope you do not mind if we have a talk,” Neferet said softly, quickly lowering herself on one of the sofas as if to make up for the height difference. Her red hair blazed in the artificial lightning. “If you have a spare minute, I was hoping to discuss the latest trouble with everyone involved. I understand that I am taking your free time, as well as your territory, but I did not want to intrude on your lessons - time spent studying is hard to compensate for.”

I almost coughed, remembering six classes spent dreaming about Erik. Neferet’s eyes slided to the side to take me in, and I shivered. Please, Nyx, don’t let her be a mind reader.

“O… of course, Priestess,” Aphrodite said, her tone suddenly nearly reverent. I expected her to flatter and fawn over like a typical teacher’s pet, but instead she was looking at Neferet like at Nyx incarnate - which was true, in a way. “I was going to handle it myself, but… if you think that you need to be involved…”

“I do think so,” Neferet told her, just as softly, but Aphrodite still frowned and glanced away. “May I hear what exactly happened there?”

Damien was the best with speaking, so he carefully told the story from our side - dancing around the sharp edges of the truth and not saying a word about visions up until Neferet sighed and told him, “Child, I do not know what you must think of me, but it saddens me to think that you’d rather hide what must be my duty to handle.”

Damien sputtered and stopped mid-word, reddening. 

Neferet took pity on him. “Whether it is a personal conflict or something else… I can tell you are hiding something, and I understand you might be less than eager to share, but I still ask you to show honesty. I do not mean to reprehend you. I merely need to know what is going on. It is my responsibility to handle complicated matters, and I am not going to blame anyone without looking into the matter carefully first. Of that I can assure you.”

Aphrodite glared from behind her back, looking ready to pounce if our honesty clashed with her image. I shivered, fearing for the integrity of my throat in my sleep. The mental picture of Aph slicing my neck into ribbons with her nails (while also laughing) seemed not that far from the truth.

Before anyone could say anything, Erin whipped up her head and said almost victoriously, “We had visions.”

Neferet’s eyes widened. “Visions?”

“Yes.”

“By Nyx… What a blessed night... You said ‘we’. How many of you did?”

Aphrodite slowly shook her head, her face now blank. Erin’s smirk grew shark-like, and for the first time I realized that I was glad we were friends and not enemies. “All of us.”

Now that was a shell dropping. Both Priestesses froze for different reasons: Neferet looked entranced while her bitchy protegee was more on the haunted side. Neferet spoke first, quiet and soft. “All of you… What kind of visions were they?”

Erin did not hurry to answer that - no one did, in fact - so I decided to pick up that duty. “Um… We saw the Nightshade. It was a little different for everyone, but all of us were there. That’s pretty much it.”

“Did you see some future event, perhaps? Receive a warning?”

“No?”

“Did Nyx speak to you?”

I opened my mouth to say yes, but for some reason instead I said, “No, she didn’t speak to any of us.”

Neferet gave me a long look, and I wondered if she was trying to glance into my thoughts. For some reason, I felt calm about that. I knew I saw Nyx, and yet somehow I didn’t feel like what I said was a lie. I had no idea why, and I had no idea why I said what I said in the first place, but I decided to play it cool for now and panic later and alone.

After a moment, Neferet slowly nodded. “Was there anything or anyone else?”

No inner feelings bothered to give me a hint this time, so I glanced back at the others. Erin raised a brow at me, as if saying that I might as well keep talking, and I coughed. “I don’t remember… but the guys said they heard a voice. It said something, but they could not tell what. Not in English.”

Neferet did not react at all except for a hum of acknowledgment and a few rapid blinks. However, she kept silent for quite a while after that, to the point where I started to wonder if she forgot about us completely. Just when I prepared to fake cough, she shook her head and smiled at us again. “Well, then it’s wonderful news. Even if you did not receive advice from Nyx herself, establishing such a link to her realm is a good sign. Dreams are often a medium through which magic is accessed. It speaks much about the Priestess’ abilities - I’m glad to hear that Aphrodite managed to achieve that during a ritual of hers.”

Aphrodite puffed up proudly, visibly calming down. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to the group - and shivered at the sight of Erin’s face. 

Erin looked scary. She was staring right at Aphrodite, lips pressed together tightly and eyes squinted. The very air around her seemed to crack with electricity. My heart sank before she even opened her mouth.

“That’s not all.”

Neferet raised a brow. “Well, alright. What else would you like to tell me?”

Stevie, with a pained face, put a hand upon Erin’s shoulder, but Erin shook it off with a small grunt. She looked Aphrodite in the eye when she said, curt and final, “It’s just a small thing, but… We got powers.”

It was not a bomb, it was nuclear winter. No one dared move or blink, for different reasons. Neferet seemed lost for words, Aphrodite pressed her hands to her mouth. All of us were at various levels of horrified. Erin herself apparently realized what kind of a red button she had pressed and raised her brows in a clear expression of ‘whoops.’

“How many of you did?” Neferet asked, near dreamlike.

Damage control was necessary, and at that very moment I felt something click and slide inside my brain, like rusty gears switched. Oh, I was good at extremal lying to authority figures. I had lots of experience with that.

“Not all of us, obviously,” I said, which was true because so far I myself had nothing to report. I glanced back at the others, trying to determine which power was the most innocuous. “Damien can understand other languages now.”

“Oh, yes,” Damien breathed out, blissful once again. “And I am abusing it, just like intended. If I disappear in the next three to ten days, please search for my withered body on library grounds.”

Neferet made a little laugh, breaking the tension a bit. “Oh, how wonderful! Who else?”

“Me! It’s me,” Stevie piped up, again beaming like the little dandelion of a living being she was. “I can influence emotions!”

“That’s a strong one!” Neferet said admiringly, nodding. “I hope you’ll use it responsibly, child. You should understand that powers that affect other people require even more care and consideration.”

“Of course, High Priestess,” Stevie agreed easily, and I snorted, remembering how that girl had no qualms making me go from laughing to crying to laughing again the night before.

Neferet’s gaze slid to me, thankfully failing to check with the rest of the group. Then again, two out of five must already be big enough to not suspect more.  “And you, Zoe… Did you receive a blessing, yourself?”

I reddened, feeling like an overheated tomato. “N… no, Neferet. I’m sorry, but I only had the same vision of Nightshade.”

I could feel Neferet’s eyes on the crescent in the middle of my forehead. “Strange. One would think that Nyx would for sure gift someone she Marked so uniquely… Are you certain, Zoe?”

“I’m really trying to flex everything I can,” I said honestly, “but so far nothing. Maybe it needs some activation?”

“It is possible that your gift is of a more… episodic nature, yes,” Neferet agreed with a sigh. “Perhaps it is similar to Aphrodite’s?”

Oof, that was the wrong wording. Aphrodite gave me a scalding glare. I responded with a weak shrug, trying not to look at her.

“In any case...” Neferet paused. “Was the commotion in any way related to your abilities manifesting?”

“Yep,” Erin said, nonplussed once more. “We sort of fainted.”

“Fainted?” Now Neferet was fully frowning. “That is unusual. Aphrodite, why didn't you notify me of this? While dizzy spells are understandable, losing consciousness may be dangerous. You know that.”

Aphrodite sank down even more. “Of course, High Priestess, but-”

“She probably thought it was the pot,” Erin concluded and fell silent with the face of a person who said everything there was to say.

Neferet’s brows rose. “Pot?”

Aphrodite looked really pitiful, especially in contrast to her usual high horsitude. The ball was now firmly in her court, and she clearly had no idea what to do with it. “I - I knew what I was doing, I promise, High Priestess! I had everything under control, as always! It was simply added to the incense, a small amount, for relaxation - to make it easier to sense the magic bond - as a part of the Scythian tradition-”

“Child,” Neferet interrupted her in a ‘I’m not mad just disappointed’ voice. “While, as a Priestess yourself, you have control over the lesser rituals, you should understand that you must consult me before decisions like that. Using mind-altering substances is a serious risk to take. I am aware that cannabis was used by our ancestors as part of their tradition, but it is more dangerous than laurel or incense - especially combined with wine. We will revisit the topic, but I do hope that you will be more responsible in the future.”

Aphrodite silently nodded, not looking up at Neferet. I almost felt a little bad for her, but then remembered the throat slicing mental picture and decided not to sympathise.

Neferet turned to us once again. “I sincerely apologise for any and all harm you took during Aphrodite’s rituals. I knew little about her… certain decisions.” Aphrodite shivered. “If you feel sick, please go to the medical wing immediately. And, of course, you are free to decline any future invitations to those rituals. I understand that it might have been stressful.”

“It’s fine, Priestess,” Stevie said in an earnest voice, apparently using her Goody Two Shoes look to her advantage. “But… can we keep going?”

Everyone blinked at her.

Stevie flapped her eyelashes. “What? I mean, all that magic stuff only happened to us there. It won’t hurt too much to see if it keeps happening.”

“It makes sense,” Neferet admitted. “In any other case, I would probably dismiss your visions as hallucinations… but getting powers definitely clashes with this explanation. Perhaps Aphrodite had reason to include cannabis smoke… the Scythian branch had always been skilled priests…” Aphrodite perked up only for Neferet to add, “But, of course, her choice was still rushed and inconsiderate, and I by no means excuse it.”

Aphrodite sank again.

“Thank you, Priestess,” Stevie said, bowing her head. I startled and bowed too, for good measure, and then saw Erin, Shaunee and Damien a bit belatedly follow the trend. 

“Of course, children.” Neferet waved her hand, wordlessly telling us to straighten back up. “Please, do not hesitate to come to me with matters like these. It is my job and my responsibility to sort them out. Damien, Stevie Rae, I will be waiting for you to speak more about your abilities. How about tomorrow after your classes are done?”

Damien and Stevie Rae responded with a not very enthused acceptance.

“Good. And Aphrodite…” Neferet turned to her liege, and after a moment’s pause said, “We will be talking more about this.”

“Yes, High Priestess,” Aphrodite muttered.

Neferet nodded, bid her goodbyes and left. Her red hair blared one last time in the doorway, like a house fire breaking out, and then she was gone.

Everything was silent for a moment. Then Aphrodite raised her head. The tamed, guilty look was gone - she was furious, and for some reason the most of that fury was directed at me.

“Assholes,” she breathed out, looking me in the eye. “Oh, I know what you are trying to do. And like hell you’ll win this game. This is not over. I promised you’ll be sorry, and trust me: you will.”

With that, she turned and stomped away - presumably, to her room. A few seconds later a door opened and slammed closed.

“Well, that is over,” Erin said coldly.

Shaunee turned to her, brows knit together. “Sis, what were you thinking?! I know you hate her guts, but this… this was not worth it!”

Erin jerked her head like a horse moving away from an annoying rider. “Yeah, I fucked up. Whatever. What is done is done. Anyway, I have info.”

Oh, right. All annoyance gone, Shaunee nodded solemnly. “Our room?”

“Emergency meeting,” Damien said. “I believe this is clearly a reason for one.”

“I’ll fetch the teabags,” Stevie said, and so it was decided.

Ten minutes later, when we had a moment to unwind and think clearer with our hot drinks of choice, Erin finally recounted what she got:

“Honestly, it’s not much. I’m disappointed.”

“What?!” Shaunee was reasonably appalled, even shaking Erin by the shoulders a few times. “You did not hear anything?!”

“Of course I did. Just less than I hoped for. It’s hard to see if it is a lie or a truth with vague statements.” Erin frowned. “But I did notice a few things.”

“And what were they?” I asked quietly.

“First of all… I don’t think Neferet’s power is like mine, because I heard your recount of events, Dam, and it seemed all true. A little watery, but true. So either she’s just really good at reading people or she’s really a mind reader. Maybe both.”

All of us winced, probably all thinking back at the Less Than Great things that could be read in our minds.

“Second, Aph did say something interesting back there. She did know what she was doing, that was true, but when she said she had it under control, she lied.”

“Well, obviously,” Shaunee mused. “The word got out, Neferet will probably look into it. Zero control going on there.”

“It might not be that simple,” Damien argued, curling over his tea mug. “What if she got into something way over her head? Some dark magic sort of thing?”

Shaunee stuck her tongue out at him. “And what if you’ve watched too much Supernatural?”

“I mean, though, Damien might be right,” I said. “All those visions and faintings and powers that only go on at her rituals… It cannot be all pot. By the way, is it really a ritual part?”

“It was, in some early branches of Nyx worship,” Damien reluctantly admitted. “Though it’s really weird why she decided to use it. Even aside from the fact that the tradition was small and relatively unpopular, it just does not make sense with how she went about it. Cannabis did not serve any special purpose aside from relaxation and slight perception change, but that is exactly what she couldn’t be achieving. Unless you throw a heap of it into the fire… even if the incense stick is made entirely of cannabis, you won’t get much of an effect going on.”

“Yeah, it was weird. Erin and I smoked a few times, so we can tell you that normally it does not feel like that.” Shaunee bit onto her lip, thoughtful. When she noticed Stevie’s squint, she playfully slapped her on the knee. “Oh, come on, miss Mom Friend, it was safe and all, we did not drive or anything. And I usually know better than getting drunk on wine right after.”

“You’d better,” Stevie grumbled, relenting.

“Ditto was not being too honest about her reasons, either,” Erin noted calmly.

I turned to her. “What? How so?”

“When she said she used it as a part of a tradition, she was not completely truthful. So… you might just be onto something. It’s hard to get high on an incense stick, so there must have been another reason for her to bring it.”

“Wait,” Stevie said, now completely serious. “Remember all the people who felt weird there? Including me? Everyone assumed it was just them feeling weird because of the pot, but… If it is really that weak, then what was the cause?”

“To be honest…” Damien started, then fell silent. 

Erin rolled her eyes. “Go on, don’t leave it hanging.”

“Okay, okay. Just… It might be a bit of a stretch, but - anxiety, restlessness, dizziness, fainting, nausea… All these are symptoms of extreme magic overload.”

Now all eyes were on Damien. He shrugged, looking a bit nervous. “I said it was a stretch. There are lots of other explanations…”

“But none that include weird visions and sudden powers,” Erin said, frowning. 

I raised my hand. “But - I mean, these are rituals. Isn’t magic… supposed to be there?”

“Not in amounts that start to cause overload,” Damien told me. “I mean, causing half of your worshipers to barf and faint is sort of… not ideal, especially not right in the middle of your temple. It messes with the interior design.”

Shaunee pressed her palms to her mouth. “Guys, guys, I have a theory. What if Ditto used pot to mask whatever was going wrong? So that she had something to blame for barfing and fainting?”

“And so that people that felt weird would not report it to anyone, because they’d be a snitch and a laughingstock for freaking out at a wisp of Mary Jane smoke. Just as it happened to everyone who made a scene.” Erin rubbed her temples. “At this rate, I will need a smoke. A normal one. I think I’ll throw up if I smell pot ever again.”

“I feel like it’s just getting weirder and weirder,” I muttered. “What have we gotten into?”

“Nothing good, I can tell that much,” Stevie said.

“Oh, one last thing.” Erin pursed her lips. “Neferet… she was weird.”

“You mean, she lied?”

“Not once. But… she said a few things that seemed as watery as Dam’s version of events. Very careful wording.” She looked away. “I could not tell if she really did not know about the pot, by the way. She never lied, but…”

“But the very fact she was not entirely honest is telling,” Stevie finished. “But what does that mean?”

Erin huffed. “Who knows? Maybe she figured it wasn’t that bad and let it slide till now, and then threw Ditto under the bus when the girlie got caught. Maybe she really did not know. I’m a lie detector, not a mind reader.”

Stevie gave me an evaluating look. “Hey, Zoe? Go on, try to read my mind.”

I turned to her. “What?”

“I mean, you are the only one who hasn't shown an ability yet? You could be a mind reader! That would make it really easy for us.” She squinted. “Maybe, if I scare you, you'll accidentally mind-read me? I mean, you can scare people out of hiccups… though it is a bit different… maybe a big scare would do?”

“Just a few days of power, and it’s already corrupted you.”

She giggled with the most innocent look ever. “Hey, it would be useful! But yeah, I bet yours is going to be a big one. Sort of a nuke. Just you see.”

I gave her a sour smile, feeling like a shortie who’s being told that they will hit their growth spurt somewhere closer to their thirties.

Shaunee suddenly gasped. “Right! Powers! You know how I stole that pitcher?”

“Yeah, what about that borrowed pitcher?” Stevie asked with a strained smile.

“Well, I stole it specifically to try to look into it later, right? And I did! And I hated it. I hated every moment.” Shaunee rubbed her forehead as if trying to stave off a headache. “And, like Erin, I don’t have much. I think it was only taken out of the box during rituals, so it was a lot of darkness with small bits of ritual stuff. Mostly boring.”

“Mostly?” I probed.

Shaunee did not beam - she glowed, and in a very smug way. “I noticed a few things! There was that voice again, very deep. The same one that I dreamed, and probably you all dreamed as well, if it was really the same thing. I heard it once in the beginning, and then a few more times… It didn’t speak English. I don’t have Damien’s brain, so I have no idea what it said. But there was a bunch of ‘epistrefo’-s. I did not see who was speaking, though, it was very dreamlike. Can pitchers dream?”

“Hm. What else?”

“Well, I saw that Neferet was at a few rituals in the beginning too, and nothing weird happened around her ever. No people fainting, no weird smokes, no voices. But maybe it was just too early for Ditto to dip into things yet, she didn't even have any blood donors back then, and that was pretty much her first big decision. Oh, and the last very strange thing.” Shaunee pressed her lips together. “I mean, I don’t know how that works yet, so maybe it’s not really strange at all, but… I can only look till a certain point. Then it’s like I wake up from a nightmare. Every single time.”

Stevie frowned too. “Could it mean that you are tired? Or that it is too far back?”

Erin shook her head, apparently in the know as Shaunee’s roommate. “She saw her phone being put together. And it is about three years old.”

“Congratulations,” Damien mumbled. “I said the dark magic bit in jest, but now I feel like Apollo has granted me the gift of prophesying for a fleeting minute.”

We mulled over this for a moment.

“So, we still don’t know what it is,” I summed up. “But it gives people magic overload, it messes up with powers, it does not let Shaunee see something from the past, and it only comes around at Aphrodite’s rituals and never at Neferet’s.”

“And also Ditto does not have it under control,” Erin said through her teeth. “And might not be from Nyx. And Neferet might not know. Perfect.”

“But why would Aphrodite even try to get into something like that?” I wondered aloud.

Erin rolled her eyes at me. “Didn’t you see her beam today? She’s trying hard to play the perfect Priestess. It looks good on her if there’s magic happening at her rituals. Shows that she’s really chosen.” She huffed. “The nerve of that bitch.”

I winced at how personal that sounded, but did not say anything - I could already tell that Erin had a deep dislike for Aphrodite, to put it lightly.

“Maybe we should tell Neferet?” Stevie said carefully. “She’s right, she’s the Priestess. She has to handle things like that.”

“Yeah, after my very beloved sis told her all about the powers and visions we got at Ditto’s rituals?” Shaunee parried, elbowing Erin. “No way. She might be angry with her, but - Ditto’s a serious suck up to her. Us, not so much. She’s letting Zoe call her by the name, true, but…” She gave me a calculating look. “I don’t know what her deal is, actually. Zoe, do you have some secret rich relative who’s sponsoring the school or something?”

I snorted. “If so, I’d love to meet the guy in person. I’ve been dying for some rich relatives myself.”

“So that’s a no. Well, who knows, maybe Nyx told her or something. Doesn’t matter.” Shaunee shook her head. “I don’t think you can compete with Ditto just yet, anyway. Sorry.”

“No offense taken, I get it. Teachers’ pets and everything.”

“So that is a no on Neferet,” Damien said. “I’d keep that option as a last resort thing, but we have to find another way. Erin, can I get a sheet of paper?” 

Erin raised a brow, but stood up and fetched a nondescript sheet of paper together with a marker. “Your Majesty.”

Damien nodded with a royal air, grabbing both. He divided the paper in two with a line. In one half, he wrote:

- Magic overload(?) - does pot influence things?

- Powers manifesting more than usual - statistical anomaly or correlation?

- Aphrodite: how much does she control?

- Source of power?

- How much does Neferet know?

- ‘Epistrefo’ - ‘I return’; meaning?

“That’s to keep track of things,” he explained very seriously as he tapped the list with a marker. “We probably won’t answer everything, but it does not hurt to try.”

“I think we’ve answered the first one,” Shaunee mumbled. “Unless pot somehow makes magic stronger.”

“No more than other kinds of incense,” Damien said, ticking that line. “And I have an idea how to answer the second. The number of students here is more or less the same every year. And there is a list with the names of all the gifted vampires that manifest annually - it looks good on the school, so they keep track of that. Aphrodite is second year, so we’ll just compare the usual number of manifesters to the number that came along after her rituals started.” While we were all respectfully staring at his giant brain, he turned to Erin and Shaunee. “Also, hate to rain on the parade, but you’ll have to make your abilities known eventually.”

I felt curious. “Why?”

“Bureaucracy.” Damien chuckled at my unimpressed face. “And also having a big ability means that your chances to make it to the graduation are nearly 100%, so the teachers will treat you better. Powerful fledglings very rarely go rotten.”

“So you four…” I started.

“Us five, girl!” Shaunee poked my forehead, by my guess in the area of the filled crescent tattoo. “The five of us pretty much got a golden ticket to the prom.”

“Unless some of us decide to smear feces over Nyx’s statue,” Damien added.

“Please don’t invite me to that kind of party,” Erin said. “Anyway, good thinking, book boy.”

Shaunee nodded in agreement. “We could probably question Aphrodite more. Something will eventually slip." 

“Either new info or our collective sanity,” Erin quipped.

Shaunee gave her a loving side eye. 

“Anyway,” Damien said with the patience of a preschool teacher, “back on track. Here's what we already know.”

He filled the second part of the list:

- A person (?)

- Speaks Greek

- Deep voice. Male(??)

- "I return" 

- Tied to Nyx in some way(???)

“I am assuming that this power source might be somewhat sentient and the one speaking to us in our dreams, by Occam's razor rule,” he explained. “But I’ll keep my mind open to other possibilities.”

“Why do you think they are connected to Nyx?” I asked, looking at the last line.

“All of us had visions of Nightshade, remember? I admit it might have been a red herring, but in order to imitate something, you still need to know how it looks in either case.” 

“Damien,” I said emotionally. “Your brain is enormous. I bow to you. You are really a king and you deserve the title a thousand times over.” 

Damien stuttered, but quickly recovered and gave me a royally proud nod.

“That isn't much,” Stevie said. “I think we need to find out more before we do - well, anything. But that returning thing sort of sets me on edge. Just who might be returning? From where?”

“Well, present tense means that they are not here yet,” Damien said, looking cautiously optimistic. “We might have a bit of time.”

Shaunee hummed. “But what if it's not a bad thing?”

The collective “What?!” made the cats in the corner jump.

Shaunee shrugged. “I mean, we are all assuming that it's bad news because it is Ditto and we all nearly puked our guts out. But maybe it is someone nice and cool, like a ghost trying to break a curse or something? Someone thwarted by Zeus for not being terrible? Or some minor god trying to come back from a really long hibernation?”

That… was a new and interesting take. A very confused silence ensued, while everyone tried to connect the notions of ‘Aphrodite’ and ‘not terrible’.

“Counterargument,” Damien piped up in the quietness. “Aphrodite herself cannot be thinking that it is a good thing.”

“How so?”

“Imagine. If it was really some unlucky but harmless soul, there would be no reason for her to keep it secret. She’d receive even more acclaim from everyone if it was known that her rituals were enough to reach through to someone from the nether. What does she gain from actively hiding it?”

“So,” Stevie said, “I guess that settles it. She’s in for no good.”

“And who knows what will happen if she keeps being up to it,” I muttered. “Damn. Erin, if you do smoke today, can I bum your cig?”

Erin gave me a look of subtle respect. “Dream on. I didn’t think you smoked, though.”

“I didn’t, up until now.”

She shrugged. “Don’t start. The smoke gets everywhere. You’ll smell like a busy transit station.”

“Oh.”

“Well,” Stevie said in the voice of a professor summing up their lecture, “what is the plan?”

“Mission number two,” I said. “Erin and Stevie can go drill Aphrodite’s skull and soul for info… Shaunee, maybe you could try to write down the non-English things that you heard in the pitcher’s past? Damien could try to decipher them.”

“Try is the right word,” Damien warned. “But I guess I could do that while I am not busy cracking the Minoan writings.”

Judging by his cranky tone, he was not thrilled to stay away from the Minoans and was only making the sacrifice for the sake of friendship.

“What about you?” Stevie said.

I sighed. “Well, I’ll go check the library list. I don’t need powers for that. And then go face Ditto’s fury at the ritual - I don’t want to subject you guys to that mess. Besides, maybe finally something will happen there to me.”

“The next next ritual?”

“God, no, I am not facing her that soon. The full moon one.”

“That’s quite a bit of time away,” Shaunee mused. “So, while we are slaving away, you’ll be chilling around?”

I waved my hands in panic. “No, no! I just… really can’t think of something else to do. I mean… we have already done everything we could do without the powers. I'm a bit... useless right now as I am.”

“Whoa, hey, stop that.” Stevie bumped her shoulder into mine. “No negative self-talk here, young miss!”

I made a face at her, bumping back. “Even if it is legitimate?”

“No such thing,” Stevie told me, bumping so hard that I nearly fell over. “Not on my watch. It is outlawed, and I am the law here.”

I giggled, sitting back up. “Someone has to get your corrupt ass out of the office.”

Stevie gave me a Mom look, huffing in mock annoyance. “You can only dream, Zoe. You can only dream.”

“Impromptu therapy session aside,” Erin said with a mighty sigh, “I think we've got it. The plan is as solid as it gets, given that we know very little and rely mostly on guesswork.”

“And the unifying hate for Ditto,” Shaunee piped up.

I chuckled. “Yeah, we have to uncover her evil, evil plans.” Lucky softly leaped into my lap, meowing, and I scratched behind her ear. “We have to stop her, right, babygirl?”

Lucky looked up at me and nodded once.

Chapter Text

I froze. 

Okay. Well. Cats are really, really smart, that is something both cats and humans know. Cats can also learn commands and words, and respond to them in their own cat ways. But nodding?

Maybe I blinked?

“Can you understand me?” I asked, dumbfounded and feeling stupid.

Lucky gave me a long stare, yawned and turned her butt to me. Huh.

“Checking for signs of druid abilities?” Damien asked.

“Yeah… I can swear she nodded just now. Like she understood me.” I picked her up and turned her back around. “Lucky, come on, girl, this is important. I need to know.”

I got an annoyed tail flick and nothing else.

“Inconclusive,” I said, feeling even more stupid than before.

“Maybe she’s just being a cat.” Shaunee shrugged. “They are not really cooperative.”

“Right…” Okay, how to get a cat to do what you want? “Uh, Lucky, if you want a tasty tasty treat, please nod again.”

That got her attention. She turned back to me, yawned again and after a pause gave me a slow, seemingly annoyed nod, like a mom giving in to her toddler’s demands.

We all stared.

“Alright,” I said just to say something. “Uh, Erin, can I borrow a cat treat?”

“Cheap. But sure.”

I fed Lucky the treat, trying to process things. Alright, so that happened. Now what?

“Okay,” Damien said, “theory number one: druid powers.”

I snorted against myself. “Yeah, working with one cat and in only one direction. Does not seem to be much of a nuke.”

“Testing the theory,” Stevie said, reaching over to Lucky. “Lucky, are you the best, smartest, prettiest kitty ever?”

Lucky gave her a condescending stare.

“Okay, take two… Are you the mightiest, most ferocious creature ever?”

That seemed to catch Lucky’s attention, since she jerked her tail a few times, nodded and went to rub her head against Stevie. Traitor.

“That’s a no on druid stuff,” I sighed. “Or Stevie is also one.”

“I don’t think so,” Damien mumbled. “Have any other creatures suddenly gotten smarter around you?”

“Not that I know. I’d think someone would notice, though, as there are cats literally everywhere.” I scratched Lucky behind the ear, making her turn her head back to me. “Though she might have been special from the beginning. Just a natural smartie. She just kind of… seems to know when I’m feeling sad or lonely… I guess cats have that ability.”

“That, yes,” Damien said thoughtfully. “Drinking wine without harm, not so much. And nodding, seemingly with full understanding and in reply to a question…” He fell silent for a moment. “Actually, how did you even get her?”

I thought back. “I found her in my room one morning as I woke up. Right after the first ritual of Ditto’s. She might have slipped in when Stevie was coming or leaving?”

“She… did not,” Stevie said, glancing at the cat beside her with confusion. “I always check for cats, I locked a cat in by accident one day and then came back to a mess, and I don’t want a repeat. I never saw her in the room.” She shrugged. “Might have been hiding… Are you sure she did not slip in when you were returning that night yourself?”

“...No, I’m not sure.” I fidgeted, remembering the incredible loneliness I felt that night. “But I think I’d remember. I wouldn’t have minded a kitty friend, back then…”

Lucky immediately sprung into my lap, and I sighed, patting her back. The heavy memory subsided a little.

Damien made a long, heavy sigh. “So, we are adding ‘sudden manifestation in a locked room’ into the mix.”

“Wait,” Shaunee said. “Did you just say that she came around right after Dite’s ritual? Right after you had the vision and all?”

Everyone froze, staring at my cat. I sweated. “Are you saying… are you saying she is my power?”

“Or the manifestation of it,” Damien mumbled. “If so, you might not be as much of a late bloomer as everyone thought you were.”

“Hey!” I bumped his shoulder, to his delight. “Not cool! Not cool. Besides, what kind of power is that? Cat attraction?”

“Who knows. Maybe there is some sort of a druidic connection going on. Cats are independent and hard to order around, after all, so she might be understanding you perfectly and simply choosing not to act on it. That does not quite explain the immunity to poison, though you might be inadvertently boosting her health as well…” Damien bit on his finger. “Honestly, it is hard to tell right now. I suppose you could try connecting with other living creatures to test it.”

I looked at Lucky with her one and a half ears and two thirds of a tail. “So… I’m guessing she’s my familiar. I guess we are worth each other… Oh well, at least that means I am not completely useless.”

“What did I say?” Stevie asked me. “Of course you aren’t useless. You’ve never been.”

I sent her a smile. “Thanks. Almost forgot.”

“You know what else you are forgetting?” Erin asked, studying her nails.

“What?”

“A date. With Erik. Tomorrow.”

I gasped, all thoughts of possible black magic evaporating. The threat of Aphrodite’s bad rituals was still lurking - the date was already looming , which was a serious step up in the threat grading system. “Oh no.”

“Oh right,” Shaunee sang sweetly, poking my side. “Don’t worry, the guy has seen you all kinds of messed up already, he knows what he’s dealing with.”

That did not calm me down much, but I nodded anyway. “Right…”

“Relax, babygirl,” Erin said in her usual calm voice. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

Damien coughed. “Well, if you ask…”

“I don’t, so shut it.”

“Just saying, a lot of failed enterprises started with this exact phrase.”

“Name one, smartiepants.”

“Gladly. Remember that one time when you decided to paint your nails five minutes before the piano rehearsal?”

Erin rolled her eyes to the sound of a collective giggling and looked at me. “Well, then: don’t do that , and you’ll be fine.”

“Okay, I… promise not to, I guess.”

It was a hard promise to make, but what won’t you do for love.

***

The next day I thought long and hard and eventually decided to hit the library right before seeing Erik. Something told me that, if I was having trouble concentrating before the date, I wouldn’t be able to tie two words together after it.

The list of the gifted students was really there, and what’s even better, it had notes: mostly just tiny biographies or phrases, like in the school yearbook. It went all the way to the year 1905. I was slightly disappointed to see that it was not nearly as old as I thought. You’d think that a vampire college would have at least a few centuries of history, or even better, go all the way back to prehistory. Yes, I was more than aware that Tulsa itself was only about two centuries old, but come on!

In a fit of a sudden scientific curiosity (probably caused by too much time spent with Damien), I went to the librarian for help. There was, indeed, a leaflet on the school’s history, and the House was, indeed, founded in 1905 by Neferet herself. However, the first vampire to visit the place was the first vampire to visit America, period: it was some Don Doroteo Teodoro who arrived here around the 1530s before disappearing from the records altogether. I had no idea what the guy was doing here, among the sun and heat and other vampire-hostile perks of Oklahoma, but I was content nonetheless. Finally, there it was: some proper history on a proper timescale, something to be proud of even for a long-living vampire. A small and kind of shitty piece, but oh well.

Could the guy still be alive? Now that would be interesting.

With my curiosity sated, I had to return to the main task - and to the book of the gifted students. I hummed, taking out a notepad and listing down the numbers. Apparently the House was getting fifteen to twenty newly gifted students each year, which was… not that little, given that there weren’t too many people enrolled overall. I checked the leaflet again - yep, just about five hundred at a time. Which made sense, given that most vampires gravitated towards the northern regions if they could help it. That, and there was a bigger House in Oklahoma City.

Alright, so there’s the baseline. 

I skipped forward, checking the lists as I went. Thirteen gifted, eighteen gifted, twelve, fifteen, nineteen, twenty, seventeen, fifteen again… 

Twenty-five. Twenty-nine. 

I blinked. The two last years were uncharacteristically rich in gifted kids, indeed… which correlated very nicely with the time when Aphrodite started her novelty rituals. Then again, the number was not freakishly high. Higher than usual, yes, but not… overly so. Could be a statistical fluke.

Alright, more research time. Feeling like either a detective or a scientist on a mission, I checked the notes that came with the names of the students. It looked like usually the gifted were usually spread more or less evenly across the five grades. The first year was normally the richest in manifestations, but only by two-three students.

I went back to Aphrodite’s pages.

Year one, twenty-five new gifted students. Sixteen of them are first-graders, including Aphrodite herself. 

Year two, twenty-nine gifteds. Twenty-three of them came from the newly enrolled first grade, leaving only the measly amount of six for the remaining four grades combined. This was… abnormal, but I could not explain it away at the moment.

I had to get Damien's phone number from Stevie first, but as soon as I could, I sent him a quick message with the summary of my findings. He replied nearly right away. 

Damien: K, got it
Damien: I might have a hunch

Zoe: what hunch

Damien: In short, the rituals might be serving as a boost/catalyst. See how the number of late manifestations drops? It looks like the rituals might be forcing talents into manifesting early, aka during the first grade
Damien: Or it can be a statistical fluke.

I snorted. 

Zoe: so all we know is that we dont know shit

Damien: Yes, but so did Socrates.

I snorted again and promptly exited the library before the librarian could scold me for having too much fun on the premises.

Alright, it was all fun and games until suddenly it was nearing four o’clock, and by all accounts, the doom was closing onto me. 

I had enough time to rush to the dorms and find some proper clothes. That was a difficult task, since I did not exactly pack any cocktail dresses, and the shop on the grounds did not have any either. And I really did not want to wear Aphrodite’s dress to meet Erik, even if it was the nicest piece of clothing I had. So I figured that he’d have to see me in a shirt and jeans yet again. At least Erin lended me some decent eyeliner, and I had my eyeshadow, so there was that.

I went to the bathroom mirror to shape my face into something more presentable. The sight of a crescent moon on my forehead still freaked me out a bit, but I tried hard to look strictly at my eyelids and nowhere else. The tattoo was much too big and obvious for my tastes, and, while it did look nice, it felt as if I had no other facial features anymore - it was the first and the last thing I saw in a mirror. It did not feel like a part of me.

At least it looked well enough with a blue shirt and earrings. A small grace.

I sighed, loosened my hair and decided that I was decent enough. Nowhere near Aphrodite’s levels, definitely, but maybe just enough to at least look cute. 

Here’s hoping Erik likes cute. 

I realized that I was spiraling into self-doubt only when Lucky meowed and rubbed her forehead against my leg. I shook my head, rubbed Lucky behind the ears and tried to prepare myself for what was coming.

Which was, in hindsight, a useless task.

Erik was already waiting for me near the dormitories, as promised - a little away from the road to avoid stares. I was both a bit disappointed (was he trying not to let anyone see us together?) and a whole lot relieved. I wouldn’t want anyone to stare, and it was impossible not to stare at Erik Night.

“Hi, Zo,” he said. Only Heath called me ‘Zo’ before, and I couldn’t decide on the spot if I liked Erik calling me that. However, the next thing he did was dramatically give me the tiniest bouquet of forget-me-nots I’ve ever seen, tied with a tiny golden ribbon to boot, and proclaim, “Perchance we could continue this rendez-vous by the school wall?”

I snickered and accepted the flowers gracefully. “I guess we just might. Yes.”

“Marvelous,” Erik said really seriously, making me laugh again, and so we continued by the school wall. 

The wall was lit by small yellowish lamps that attracted countless moths and illuminated a fading pathway. There was, indeed, a tiny spring by the wall, between two large stones and under a large willow. It had dug out a thin groove that rolled downhill and made a turn towards the strategically placed opening in the wall. However, right now there was barely any water trickling down it. Stray water threads ran over the mud, almost seeping into the ground and just barely managing to get from puddle to puddle. Yellow lights reflected and danced in the droplets.

“Yeah, it’s not much to look at right now,” Erik said a bit apologetically. “The thing looks great in fall, though. You’ll see.”

“Oh. Alright.” I reached out to dip my finger into the trickles of water over the stone. My skin went numb immediately from the cold. “You think it’s drinkable?”

“Most likely. Though I guess it’s your call.”

I bravely put my finger to my lips and tasted the water. It was cold and almost sweet. “Huh! I feel like I might just survive this one.”

“I’m guessing it does not taste too much like sewer water.”

“Ew, no!” I vindictively poked Erik with my wet finger, to his amusement. “No, it’s fine. It’s a perfectly good little spring, doing its job in a great way.” 

“Hardly working rather than working hard, I’d say myself. It’s clearly slacking.”

“Don’t bully it!” I pat the stones affectionately. “It’ll be a mighty stream one day, I have a feeling. It’s already doing well for itself.”

“Careful, then, not to take a dip,” Erik said nonchalantly. “I wouldn’t want my fair lady to drown.”

I blushed hard and did not find anything better to say than “No, you will drown,” coupled with a light push towards the water. I immediately regretted doing that, as well as leaving my room and being born generally.

Erik laughed, to my relief, and caught my hand. “What, me? For what crimes? Nay, I did not deserve this.”

I wiggled my hand around rebelliously. “For the crimes of being way too cheesy in public. Sir, there are ladies present.”

He snorted, still not giving my hand back. “Exactly, and those ladies wouldn’t be threatened by a little gallantry if they had nothing to be flattered about.”

I squeaked, losing easily. Erik smiled his picture-perfect smile at me, and my knees went just a little bit weak…

“Hey! Let go of her, right now!”

Erik, startled, let go of my hand and stumbled back on instinct. I blinked, more confused than anything. I knew that voice, but it did not belong here. 

There was no way Heath would be around. At four o’clock, in a highly secretive and forbidden territory, alone and doing something incredibly stupid…

Alright, that actually sounded like something he’d do in a heartbeat.

I finally turned my head to look, and Heath was, indeed, right there - stradling the wall like a poster cowboy, in all his star player glory, with a look of rightful indignation all over his wind-worn face. He jumped down easily to stumble closer to me and insert himself between me and Erik - who was tall in his own might, but definitely never made a habit of bodyslamming people for sport. 

“Did he hurt you, Zo?” Heath asked me, glaring at Erik. “He grabbed you!” Then, as if Erik did not understand his own actions, he told him as well, “You grabbed her!”

“Totally did,” another familiar voice said. Kayla was right there too, except she was more nested on the wall than anything, and she did not look ready to meet the ground again. “You alright there, Zoey girl? I snapped a pic just in case. He won't be getting out of that one.”

Erik was staring at me in slightly unnerved confusion. I did not know whether to laugh, cry or run away. Crying was useless, and ditching Erik seemed rude, so I decided to laugh. “Guys, really, it’s okay. He’s a good guy, we were just fooling around.”

Heath glared at me now, clearly let down by the fact that apparently there was no one to bodyslam. “Are you sure? You know me, you have nothing to be afraid of. I’ll wipe this weebo out.”

“Heath - really. It’s fine.” I shook my head, wishing it all to be a dream. “I’m fine, and also that’s Erik. Erik, Heath. The girl on the wall is Kayla. They are my friends, and they mean well… I guess...”

“Oh, finally someone remembered me,” Kayla groaned. “Now get me down, I so did not sign up for this.”

Erik and Heath stared at each other for a few moments awkwardly and then, for the lack of better variants, went to shake hands. Erik seemed confused still, and Heath was clearly out of his element - like a hound who stumbled into a pond during a chase. I helped Kayla climb down with minor damage, and then the four of us just looked between each other, not knowing what to do. 

“Right,” Erik finally said. “I guess... I’ll let you catch up, then?”

I felt bad. “I didn’t mean to - I’m sorry, really. Give us a moment, okay? Just a minute?”

For someone who’s just been called a weebo and threatened with being wiped out, Erik was an awfully good sport about the whole thing. He simply nodded, promised to be around if I needed him, and strolled away towards the main alley.

I sighed and turned to my friends. “Right…”

Kayla was looking at me with the excitedly gleamy eyes of a semiprofessional matchmaker. “Did we interrupt something?”

“No! Well, a little. Maybe.” I whined, feeling too hot for a night creature. “Look, it wasn’t a date or anything…”

“But you wish it was,” Kayla continued in a knowing tone. “Break a leg, girl. He’s a cutie… wouldn’t want to ruin that kind of chance willingly, trust me. If I knew, I’d never interrupt a date night. Never. It was all Heath’s idea.”

Heath managed to look regretful and proud at the same time. “Well, yeah. Sorry for that, Zo. I did not know he's a decent one.” He paused. “...You think he’s scared of me?”

I poked him straight in the chest. “Have some modesty and don’t look so smug when you’re asking this!”

“What? I think you can do way better, anyway.” And then he polished it over with a merciless characteristic, “He looks like a hungry twink.”

“Oh my god, Heath!” I wanted to scream, so I shook him by the forearm instead - he merely grinned. “Not everyone can be a football player!”

“He could at least bulk up a little ,” Heath grumbled relentlessly, his professional pride hurt. “What if you are attacked? He’d stand no chance.”

“Attacked by who , Heath?”

“I don’t know, vampire mountain lions? You tell me, I know nothing about that natural selection stuff. Do vampires have predators or something?”

I covered my face with my palms, screamed inside and then said aloud, “God, I missed you so much, Heath.”

Heath grinned, rubbing my back with his palm. “I missed you too! Kayla cried.”

“No I didn’t”, Kayla said, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, Zoey, are you alright?”

I fidgeted. “...Yeah?”

“You sure? Right now we’re here alone, and Heath can tear apart anyone if they come close. You can be honest. If you want to ditch those night bastards, just give a hint.”

Only then I noticed bags that they were holding - a backpack behind Heath’s back, and an over the shoulder handbag of Kayla. Both were also dressed in dark, nondescript clothes, and Heath spotted a flashlight, strapped to his belt. 

I squinted. 

“...Are you trying to break me out, by any chance?”

“It was Heath’s idea,” Kayla said quickly.

“Yeah!” Heath grinned, proud. “We were all worried. You disappeared like that overnight, and did not reply for a long time, and I figured something had to be done. You’d never ghost people like that willingly.”

If in that very moment the gentle earth came up and swallowed me whole, I’d be happy. Instead, I had to open my mouth and say, “No, really, I am fine. I am very, very sorry that I did not reply. I just… I couldn’t. Not, like, physically couldn't, I just…” I shrugged, feeling the weight of everything rise and crush into me once again. “There was so much going on, and… I did not forget you, I promise, I just… it was too much, and I couldn’t face you, too. I’m sorry…”

Heath huffed like a good-natured horse and awkwardly patted my shoulder, strong enough to make me lose balance for a moment. “Hey… I get it. I’m just glad they did not suck you dry.” He paused before asking very seriously, “They won’t, right? If they try to, I’ll make them regret it.”

It was awful and stupid and cheesy in the best kind of way, and also very much like something Heath would say with absolute sincerity. I could not hold it in any longer, so I grabbed Heath by the shirt, pressed my face into his chest and started crying. It came out of nowhere, but once it started, nothing could stop that spring until it ran dry. I heard Kayla grumble something before patting my back, and then Heath put his arms around me. He still smelled like the best treat ever, making my mouth water, but right now it was ridiculously easy to overcome, and if anything, I was not the one for stress-eating. 

I felt terribly, painfully relieved. Relieved to know that not everything was new and strange, that people cared, that something good remained despite the mess. I felt incredibly guilty, too, for making them worry, but some selfish part of me was happy as well - exactly because they were worried.

“Just you know,” Kayla said after my tears finally dried, “I’m not busting you out again if you change your mind, so that’s your last chance. My couch is totally yours, has your name on it and everything.”

I snorted into Heath’s chest and finally released him, sniffling. “No… no, thank you. Thank you so much, guys, and I really appreciate it, but I guess I’ll stay here. It’s not all bad, and they got cats everywhere.”

“Eh. If you said dogs, I’d be sold.” Kayla gave me a scrutinizing look. “Say, are you still in the mood for that date of yours?”

I felt life drain from me. “Oh god. Erik. I forgot.”

“At least he couldn’t have gone far,” Heath said, helpful as always. “Do you want me to catch him?”

I imagined Heath carrying Erik fireman-style and snorted again, wiping my face. “No, you really shouldn’t be here at all, you can get in trouble as it is, please don’t go running across campus to add to it… Damn, I can imagine how I look.”

“Nothing that a little water and concealer can’t fix,” Kayla said. She squinted at my face. “That’s some damn good eyeliner, though. Not a smudge. I’ll need that brand.”

“I’ll text you,” I said, feeling weirdly proud of myself, Erin's eyeliner and my own unbeatable linework. “No idea where to get water, though.”

“Uh, here?” She motioned at something to her side. “Probably not really chlorinated, but beggars and choosers and all.”

I looked.

The tiny spring was not too tiny anymore. Not exactly a geyser, either, but now the water stream was strong and steady. The previously dry gutter was quickly filling with water, and the first dusty waves raced each other down and towards the opening in the wall. I blinked, put my palm under the clear flow and took it to my lips. It was burning cold, and it tasted slightly sweet on my tongue. I realized I was thirsty only when my palm went dry.

“Thank you,” I said for some reason, patting the stones again, and then washed my face. My skin protested at the cold, but there was little alternative. “I guess anything’s better than nothing.”

“Don’t settle for ‘anything’, girl. We’ll make you look date-ready to the elevens,” Kayla said, already tugging a bottle of concealer from somewhere. I was amazed by her strategic genius. “Heath, sweetheart, you’ll need to give the girls some mood lighting with that flashlight. I can’t see shit as it is.”

I snorted and gave my face to the professional. It felt weirdly safe to sense Kayla’s careful movements and touches over my skin. Heath hovered over with his flashlight, at times clumsily assuring me that ‘that twink weebo’ had better like my face, ‘or else’ . 

It felt like home, like the sleepovers we pulled all the time in Kayla’s house - her couch had a me-shaped indent by now. I didn’t feel this safe ever since my panicked escape to the House. Of course, Stevie and the rest of their group tried hard to include and welcome me, and I could see that easily, but… I was a bit ashamed to admit it to myself, but, despite their efforts, I still felt a bit alien. They had shared history, shared jokes. Shared past. It was just inevitable that I was a bit of a third - or fifth - wheel among them. 

But I had my own history with Heath and Kayla. I just needed to remember that.

“Done and done, girl,” Kayla finally declared, snapping the palette shut. “If he says anything except ‘hot damn’, then sorry, you snatched yourself a dumb one.”

I snickered and went to hug her, but hesitated. I remembered her reaction too well when I was Marked, and I was ot sure if I was ready to see her freak out again.

She must have noticed my hesitation, because she said bluntly, “If you are thinking about getting a taste of me, sorry, try Heath. He’s got more stuff.”

“Why do you keep throwing me under the bus?!” Heath cried out, rightfully indignant.

I laughed and a bit hesitantly wrapped my arms around Kayla. She did the same almost without a pause. The hug was short and strange, but it happened, and for that I was thankful. She needed time to adjust to that new reality, too. 

“Don’t worry, I’m a vegetarian. And I don't bite friends.”

“Thank god,” she said, rolling her eyes again, but she was smiling too.

Of course they refused to leave without exchanging news first, and then we got collectively carried away. When I forced the two trespassing criminals to go home, it was nearly five in the morning, and the sky was steadily growing lighter.

Erik was still dutifully hanging around the main alley. I rushed towards him, feeling my cheeks redden again. “Erik - I’m so sorry. I never thought they would…”

Erik simply laughed. “It’s alright. They seemed very… hard to say no to.”

“That they are,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief. “So… what now?”

“I’m sorry, but... I guess we’ll have to cut it short, at least for today.” Erik sighed and glanced at the sky. “I bet you are feeling it, too.”

I did - the slight, but persistent itch that signaled about the coming sunrise. “Erik, I’m really -”

“Zoe, it’s fine. You don’t have to apologize again and again for something you had no control over. You had no idea the meeting would be crashed like that.” Erik shook his head, looking a bit amused. “And I guess I got a few interesting acquaintances out of it, too. Was it your brother?”

I snorted. “Not really, he’s a really old friend. Both of them are.”

“That does make sense, yes.” Erik sighed, stepped back and looked me all over. “I was meaning to mention that before we were interrupted, but: you look great today.”

I did not know if that was a compliment to me or rather to Kayla’s makeup skills, but I felt flattered anyway. “Thanks. You look great always.”

“Aw, shacks, I am being bested at my own game.” Erik chuckled, ruffling his hair in pride. “I guess now I have no choice but to ask you out again, if only to receive another compliment.”

I felt hot all over again. “Oh! Really? I mean, yes. Of course. Sure. I don’t mind.”

“Great. I’m usually wrapped up in all sorts of activities, but I’ll be looking forward to seeing you again.”

“Right. Me too. Very much too. Uh, I mean...”

Erik laughed again, caught my hand in his, gave the back of my palm a short, soft kiss, and left for good, waving me a goodbye.

I stood there, feeling warm inside, right until the moment when the warmth on my skin turned into an unpleasant feeling of a fresh upcoming sunburn. Only then I turned around and went back to the dorm. My legs were very obviously shaking.

Nobody has ever kissed my hands before. Nobody has ever kissed me before, period , and aside from a few unpleasant experiences with random creeps, I hadn’t enjoyed much attention. Definitely not from boys who looked like Greek gods, or Hollywood actors employed to play Greek gods. 

I felt beautiful and stylish. I felt invincible. On top of the world. My eyeliner game was impeccable, and my old blue shirt was washed out in a very interesting way.

However, the moment I fluttered inside, I felt like a butterfly caught in the rain, because I was immediately pierced by Aphrodite’s eyes. 

Ah.

She was sitting on one of the sofas, watching the TV - something with explosions going off. She must have turned to the sound of the opening door, because she almost looked away again before doing a double-take and staring at me much more directly. I fidgeted, feeling my cocoon of beauty and stylishness coming apart at the seams.

“Felt like dressing up?” Aphrodite said in a pointedly nonchalant tone. “High time you put some thought into it.” Before I could say anything, she added, “At least, a little more than before.”

I pressed my lips together tight before replying, “Yeah. I guess.”

She kept staring. Judging by the look on her face, she really wanted to say something else, but she also really wanted to keep her cool, and the battle was visible. Finally, with the expression of someone merely engaging in smalltalk, she chirped, “Does it feel good to have my sloppy seconds?”

I spluttered, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment rather than sunburn. “I- I don’t-”

“Oh, please.” Aphrodite waved her hand. “As if you were being overly secretive. I guess the poor boy is willing to downgrade hard. Well, everyone gets one of those rebound flings every once in a while.”

All my joy and pride drained away faster than ice cream on a hot stove. I felt small, laughable and foolish. It was a bit like hearing Father John’s fiery speech, promising a warm place in Hell for anyone who breaks curfew. Except it was somehow worse. Maybe because Father never understood me enough to hit where it really hurt.

“He’s - he can do whatever he can,” I said as defiantly as I could. “And so do I! He’s not your property!”

“Sure he’s not. I wouldn’t want him back.” 

Before I could think twice, some stupid part of my brain - the same one that talked back to John - made me say, “It sure didn’t look this way at the ritual. You were chasing after him. Still not over him, are you? You’re probably just mad that he moved on and you didn’t.”

Aphrodite froze. In this very moment I realized I fucked up bad. She stared me down, somehow seeming bigger than me even when sitting. “What did you just say?”

“Nothing.”

“No, Zoey-Zo,” she sang softly. “Big girls own up to their stupid misdeeds, and you just did something really stupid.” 

She stood up and made a slow, graceful step towards me. I made the tiniest step back.

“Do you really think I care? ” Aphrodite asked in the gentest voice possible, as if talking to a kid. “Do you think I care about things you do? Oh, no no no. You can waltz around, show off, be a drama queen, steal attention, go after my ex, flutter your eyelashes all the way into Neferet’s heart-”

She stepped closer. I stepped back. She was smaller than me, but somehow she still loomed.

“Truth is,” she said, “nothing you do even matters. I see right through your games. I’m not that stupid. But I can play that kind of game way better than you.”

She moved even closer. I backed away until I felt the door with my back. Now I could see her face closely: tense, fervent… but there was something strange in her eyes. Like an off-key note in a melody.

“Aphrodite, I don’t understand-”

“Of course, Zoey.” Aphrodite smiled. “Oh, of course you don’t. Definitely. But you know what-” Her nail pressed into the center of my chest, and then she kept pressing until I felt pain. “Screw you. Screw him. Screw Neferet, she does not understand shit. You can make each other friendship bracelets while I do the real thing. Someone has to carry out the proper duties, after all.”

I blinked. “What?” 

Her smirk was smug and triumphant. “Oh, nothing, Zoey. Nothing… nothing at all. Really, that’s the deal with you. Kind of sad to see it, to be honest. Nyx just blesses people differently, you know? Sometimes she messes with people hard. It’s none of your fault. You just really let it get to your head for a minute. But I’ll sort it out for you.” She now made a show of smoothing out the creases on my shirt where she just poked me. “Don’t worry. I will sort it all out very soon.”

“Aphrodite,” I said as sincerely as I could, “I really don’t understand what you are talking about.”

Aphrodite squinted at me, as if wanting to say ‘Of course’ again, but then paused. Her eyes searched my face, probably looking for signs that I was pretending. I knew there were none. I was really clueless.

Slowly, her face fell. She stared at me, and without the veneer of anger, I could catch a better glimpse of that strange expression I noticed before. I could almost tell what it was…

She let go of me, then took the smallest step back. She opened her mouth…

“There you are. We’ve almost started searching the grounds for your dead body.”

I squeezed my teeth together. I liked Erin, I really did, but right now she was the worst person to show up, at the worst possible moment. Just when I thought we could maybe solve this like mature people…

Aphrodite’s expression snapped shut. She huffed and glanced back, annoyed. “What now, Bates?”

Erin stood there with her arms crossed and her face blank. Shaunee was peeking from behind her, possibly as a damage control team as she was very obviously holding Erin by the elbow. 

“Nothing much. Just trying to get our girl back before you suck her dry.”

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. “Fun-ny. I have a much better taste than that.” She did budge, though, giving me just enough space to awkwardly squeeze past her. 

I slipped away and towards the ‘soulmates’. Erin grabbed my shoulder, making me slightly flinch and told me, “Let’s go.”

“...Not yet,” I whispered.

“What?”

“Don’t go. And listen.”

I really, really did not want to set Aphrodite off. Any more than I somehow already did, I mean. But I needed to know. To sort something out , I guess.

“Aphrodite,” I called hesitantly, “what are you…” Wait, only the yes or no questions work. “Are you planning to do something, soon?”

Aphrodite’s face remained perfectly calm. “Yeah. Like go back to my Tarantino, if you will excuse me.”

“No, you said… you said you’ll sort it out.” I shivered under her icy stare. “And also… I know you are up to something. Everything… the visions, the voices, the secrecy… you don’t want Neferet to know…” She does not understand. “What doesn’t she understand? What’s going on?”

“Perfectly nothing, you neurotic.”

Before I could say anything, Erin casually said, “So, is it okay if we ask Neferet to visit a few rituals of yours?”

Even if the lighting struck us all at that moment, it wouldn’t cause as much shock. Aphrodite froze entirely for a moment, and I have never seen her looking so close to afraid.

That’s what it was. That strange expression. For the tiniest moment, she stared at us like a deer at an approaching truck.

Then she blazed with such fury that I could almost feel the heat. She dashed towards the three of us, snarling.

“Don’t you think ,” she hissed, “don’t you dare think that you can do anything to me. You can’t stop it. It’s too late. And if you try, I’ll destroy you.” She stared me in the eye. “At the end of the day, I’m the Priestess. I’m the one who makes the magic happen. Don’t forget that, any of you. Don’t you dare forget.”

“Or what?” Erin said despite Shaunee’s attempts to pull onto her sleeve. “Are you going to ask your evil spirit friends to take care of us?”

“Are you calling me a witch?!” Aphrodite looked one step away from literally exploding. “How dare-”

“I heard from the Dark Sisters that you’re planning something big at the next ritual,” Shaunee suddenly piped up. “Isn’t it so? Wouldn’t you love Neferet to see it?”

Aphrodite gulped down air and snarled, “What are you-”

“Zoe has her contact,” Erin said in the most infuriatingly calm voice possible. Which was actually a bluff, I wouldn’t dream of having it. “She might as well call her favorite prof to witness your success. Should she?”

“Erin Bates-”

“Yes, that’s me. And I asked a simple question. Yes or no?”

Aphrodite stared at her long and hard, and then said simply, “Get fucked.”

Erin blinked, looking slightly taken aback. “Excuse me-”

“You are excused. And I’m not forgetting this interaction any time soon, trust me.” She twirled around, walked towards her earlier spot, breathed out and sat back. Like a lightswitch, her expression flipped back to casually calm annoyance. 

I could tell that the talk was over.

Well, there was that.

The three of us, still reeling, wordlessly scampered back to the room of Stevie and I. Only then I asked Erin, “So?..”

Erin huffed, her face darkening. She looked at me and pressed her lips together. “Nothing good. I can tell you that right away.”

“She does not want Neferet to be there, I could tell even without a gift,” Shaunee breathed out. “What kind of thing could it-?”

“Guys,” Stevie called out helplessly, “what’s going on?”

We turned to her voice. Stevie, previously unnoticed, was sitting on her bed with the face of someone who really needs at least a single clue. She looked between us. “You all feel incredibly stressed… and I heard the shouting… What has happened?”

I glanced back at Erin and Shaunee, sighed and said:

“...Nothing yet. But it will. And soon.”