strong and straight and proud, stood next to Rephaim. She took his hand. She raised her other hand, and when the creature tried to get up she made a smacking motion and said, “No! Stay down.” A wave of glowing green washed against him, pinning him to the ground.
“Enough!” Neferet said, marching over to the creature. “Aurox is not the enemy here. Free him immediately.”
“Not if he’s gonna charge Rephaim,” Stevie Rae said. She turned to Dragon and asked, “Was Rephaim in league with the Raven Mockers?”
Without even a glance at Rephaim, Dragon said, “He was talking with them, but he did not attack with them.”
“ They did not attack!” Rephaim said. “They were here to see me—nothing more. You attacked them!”
Dragon finally looked at Rephaim. “Raven Mockers are our enemies.”
“They’re my brothers.” Rephaim’s voice sounded incredibly sad.
“You’re going to have to decide whose side you’re on,” Dragon said solemnly.
“I have already done that.”
“And that is something the Goddess seems to believe as well,” Neferet said. “Aurox,” she spoke to the creature who was still lying on his back, encased in the power of the earth, “the battle is over. There is no need to protect or attack.” She turned her emerald gaze to Stevie Rae. “Now, release him.”
“Thank you, earth,” Stevie Rae said. “You can go now.” With a wave of her hand the green glow evaporated allowing the creature to stand.
Except a creature wasn’t what was left standing. A boy stood there—a beautiful, blond boy who had eyes like moonstones and a face like an angel.
“Who’s that? And what the hell’s going on with all that blood?” Stark’s voice, suddenly beside me, made me jump.
“Oh, for shit’s sake. It’s a dead Raven Mocker,” Aphrodite said as she and Darius and what seemed like most of the school crowded around us.
“And it’s a very pretty human kid,” Kramisha said, giving him a look.
“He’s not human,” I said, holding onto my seer stone.
“What is he?” Stark asked.
“Old magick,” I said as the puzzle pieces in my mind fitted together.
“This time you are correct, Zoey.” Neferet stepped up beside the guy and with a flourish announced, “House of Night, this is Aurox—the gift Nyx gave me proving her forgiveness!”
Aurox stepped forward. His strange-colored eyes met mine. Facing the crowd, but looking only at me, he fisted his hand over his heart and bowed.
“No damn way is he a gift from Nyx,” Stevie Rae muttered.
For once agreeing with Stevie Rae, Aphrodite snorted.
All I could do was stare. All I could feel was the heat from the seer stone.
“Zoey, what is it?” Stark said softly.
I didn’t answer Stark. Instead I forced my gaze from Aurox and faced Neferet. “Where did he really come from?” My voice was hard and strong, but I felt like my stomach was trying to turn inside out.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear the buzz and whispers of the kids around me, and I knew forcing a confrontation with Neferet here and now wasn’t smart. But I couldn’t stop myself. Neferet was lying about this Aurox thing, and for some reason that was all that mattered to me.
“I already told you where he came from. And, Zoey, I must say this is exactly why you need to be back in school, attending class and refocusing on studying. I do believe you have lost the ability to listen.”
“You said he’s old magick.” I ignored her passive-aggressive crap. “The only old magick I know of is on the Isle of Skye.” And that, I told myself, was what I’d seen the night before when I’d looked through the stone at Stark—the old magick of the Guardian Warriors that still clung to him from the Isle of Skye. Mind whirring, but still confronting Neferet I continued, “Are you telling me he came from the Isle of Skye?”
“Silly child, old magick isn’t restricted to an island. You know, you might think twice about believing everything
“Enough!” Neferet said, marching over to the creature. “Aurox is not the enemy here. Free him immediately.”
“Not if he’s gonna charge Rephaim,” Stevie Rae said. She turned to Dragon and asked, “Was Rephaim in league with the Raven Mockers?”
Without even a glance at Rephaim, Dragon said, “He was talking with them, but he did not attack with them.”
“ They did not attack!” Rephaim said. “They were here to see me—nothing more. You attacked them!”
Dragon finally looked at Rephaim. “Raven Mockers are our enemies.”
“They’re my brothers.” Rephaim’s voice sounded incredibly sad.
“You’re going to have to decide whose side you’re on,” Dragon said solemnly.
“I have already done that.”
“And that is something the Goddess seems to believe as well,” Neferet said. “Aurox,” she spoke to the creature who was still lying on his back, encased in the power of the earth, “the battle is over. There is no need to protect or attack.” She turned her emerald gaze to Stevie Rae. “Now, release him.”
“Thank you, earth,” Stevie Rae said. “You can go now.” With a wave of her hand the green glow evaporated allowing the creature to stand.
Except a creature wasn’t what was left standing. A boy stood there—a beautiful, blond boy who had eyes like moonstones and a face like an angel.
“Who’s that? And what the hell’s going on with all that blood?” Stark’s voice, suddenly beside me, made me jump.
“Oh, for shit’s sake. It’s a dead Raven Mocker,” Aphrodite said as she and Darius and what seemed like most of the school crowded around us.
“And it’s a very pretty human kid,” Kramisha said, giving him a look.
“He’s not human,” I said, holding onto my seer stone.
“What is he?” Stark asked.
“Old magick,” I said as the puzzle pieces in my mind fitted together.
“This time you are correct, Zoey.” Neferet stepped up beside the guy and with a flourish announced, “House of Night, this is Aurox—the gift Nyx gave me proving her forgiveness!”
Aurox stepped forward. His strange-colored eyes met mine. Facing the crowd, but looking only at me, he fisted his hand over his heart and bowed.
“No damn way is he a gift from Nyx,” Stevie Rae muttered.
For once agreeing with Stevie Rae, Aphrodite snorted.
All I could do was stare. All I could feel was the heat from the seer stone.
“Zoey, what is it?” Stark said softly.
I didn’t answer Stark. Instead I forced my gaze from Aurox and faced Neferet. “Where did he really come from?” My voice was hard and strong, but I felt like my stomach was trying to turn inside out.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear the buzz and whispers of the kids around me, and I knew forcing a confrontation with Neferet here and now wasn’t smart. But I couldn’t stop myself. Neferet was lying about this Aurox thing, and for some reason that was all that mattered to me.
“I already told you where he came from. And, Zoey, I must say this is exactly why you need to be back in school, attending class and refocusing on studying. I do believe you have lost the ability to listen.”
“You said he’s old magick.” I ignored her passive-aggressive crap. “The only old magick I know of is on the Isle of Skye.” And that, I told myself, was what I’d seen the night before when I’d looked through the stone at Stark—the old magick of the Guardian Warriors that still clung to him from the Isle of Skye. Mind whirring, but still confronting Neferet I continued, “Are you telling me he came from the Isle of Skye?”
“Silly child, old magick isn’t restricted to an island. You know, you might think twice about believing everything
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