Burned. Part 15

"Did you know the white bull's bad and the black bull's good?"

"Yeah. Didn't I tell you that part?" Aphrodite said.

"No, which really sucked 'cause I called the white white bull to my circle." bull to my circle."

"Uh-oh. That's seriously not good. What happened?"

"Not good? Try understatement of the dang decade, Aphrodite. It was bad. Really, really really bad." Stevie Rae wanted to tell Len.o.bia and Sapphire and even Kramisha to go away so she could talk to Aphrodite in private, and then maybe have a really good breakdown and bawl her eyes out; but she knew they needed to hear what she had to say. Sadly, bad stuff didn't go away just because it was ignored. "Aphrodite, it's evil like nothing I've seen before. It makes Neferet look like a trick-or-treat kid." She ignored Sapphire's indignant snort and kept talking quickly. "And it's powerful beyond belief. I couldn't fight it. I don't think anything can fight it except the other bull." bad." Stevie Rae wanted to tell Len.o.bia and Sapphire and even Kramisha to go away so she could talk to Aphrodite in private, and then maybe have a really good breakdown and bawl her eyes out; but she knew they needed to hear what she had to say. Sadly, bad stuff didn't go away just because it was ignored. "Aphrodite, it's evil like nothing I've seen before. It makes Neferet look like a trick-or-treat kid." She ignored Sapphire's indignant snort and kept talking quickly. "And it's powerful beyond belief. I couldn't fight it. I don't think anything can fight it except the other bull."

"So how did you get away from it?" Aphrodite paused for half a heartbeat, and then added, "You are are away from it, aren't you? You're not all under its spell so that you're being used like a sock puppet for evil with a b.u.mpkin accent, right?" away from it, aren't you? You're not all under its spell so that you're being used like a sock puppet for evil with a b.u.mpkin accent, right?"

"That's just silly, Aphrodite."

"Still, say something to prove you're really you."

"You called me a r.e.t.a.r.d last time we talked. More than once. And said I was a.s.starded, which is not even a word. I'm still tellin' you that's not nice."

"Fine. It's you. So how did you get away from the bull?"

"I managed to call up the good bull, and he is as really, really really good as the other one is bad. He fought it, and they both disappeared." good as the other one is bad. He fought it, and they both disappeared."

"So you didn't learn anything?"

"Yeah, I did." Stevie Rae squinted while she concentrated hard, wanting to be sure she remembered word for word what the white bull had said. "I asked how Stark could get to Zoey so that he can protect her while she gets herself together and comes back here. This is what the bull said: 'The Warrior must look to his blood to discover the bridge to enter the Isle of Women, and then he must defeat himself to enter the arena. Only by acknowledging one before the other will he join his Priestess. After he joins her, it is her choice and not his whether she returns.' " 'The Warrior must look to his blood to discover the bridge to enter the Isle of Women, and then he must defeat himself to enter the arena. Only by acknowledging one before the other will he join his Priestess. After he joins her, it is her choice and not his whether she returns.' "

"He said Isle of Women? Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, I'm positive. That's exactly what he said."

"Good. Okay. Uh, hang on, I'm writing this all down so I don't forget any of it."

Stevie Rae could hear Aphrodite scribbling on a piece of paper. When she was done, her voice was filled with excitement. "This means we are on the right track! But how the h.e.l.l does Stark find a bridge by looking at blood? And what does that stuff about him having to defeat himself mean?"

Stevie Rae sighed. A ma.s.sive headache had started to throb between her temples. "I don't have a clue, but getting that answer almost killed me, so it has to mean somethin' important."

"Then Stark better figure it out." Aphrodite hesitated before saying, "If the black bull is so super good, why don't you just call it back again and-"

"No!" Stevie Rae spoke with such force she caused everyone in the room to jump. "Never again. And you shouldn't let anyone else conjure either of those bulls. The price is too much."

"What do you mean, the price is too much?" Aphrodite said.

"I mean they're too powerful. They can't be controlled, whether they're good or bad. Aphrodite, there're some things that weren't meant to be messed with, and those bulls are part of those things. Plus, I'm not so sure one can be called up without the other eventually showing up, and believe me, you don't want to ever, ever ever meet that white bull." meet that white bull."

"Okay, okay-relax. I get what you're saying, and I can tell you I have a kinda creepy feeling just talking about those bulls. I think you're right. Don't stress. No one's gonna do anything except try to help Stark find a blood bridge to the Isle of Skye."

"Aphrodite, I don't think it's a blood bridge. That doesn't even sound right." Stevie Rae rubbed her face and was surprised to see that her hand was shaking.

"Enough for now," Len.o.bia whispered. "You're strong, but you're not immortal."

Stevie Rae's gaze shot to hers, but she saw nothing in the Horse Mistress's gray eyes except concern.

"Hey, uh, I gotta go for now. I'm not feelin' so good."

"Oh, for c.r.a.p's sake. You're not almost dying again, are you? It's seriously inconvenient when you do that."

"No, I am not almost dyin'. Not anymore. And you are not even almost nice. At all. I'll call you later. Tell everyone I said hi."

"Yeah, I'll spread the love. Goodbye, b.u.mpkin."

"Bye." Stevie Rae punched the CALL END CALL END b.u.t.ton, gave Kramisha her phone, and then leaned heavily back on her pillow. "Uh, do y'all mind if maybe I sleep for a while?" b.u.t.ton, gave Kramisha her phone, and then leaned heavily back on her pillow. "Uh, do y'all mind if maybe I sleep for a while?"

"Drink one more of these." Sapphire gave Stevie Rae another bag of blood. "Then sleep. Both of you need to leave and let her rest." The vampyre nurse swept the b.l.o.o.d.y alcohol cotton b.a.l.l.s into a trash bag, snapped off her latex gloves, went to the doorway, and stood, tapping her foot and giving Len.o.bia and Kramisha the stank eye.

"I'll come back and check on you after you've rested," Len.o.bia said.

"Sounds good." Stevie Rae smiled at her.

Len.o.bia squeezed her hand before leaving. When Kramisha leaned close to her, Stevie Rae thought for one awkward, shocked second the kid was going to hug her-or worse, maybe even kiss her. Instead, Kramisha met her eyes and whispered: "See with the soul and not your eyes because to dance with beasts you must penetrate their disguise."

Stevie Rae suddenly felt cold. "I guess I should have listened to you better. Maybe I would've known I was callin' the wrong cow," she whispered back.

Kramisha's gaze was sharp and knowing. "Maybe you still should. Somethin' inside me says you ain't done dancing with beasts." Then she straightened up, and in a normal voice, said, "Get some sleep. You gonna need all your good sense tomorrow."

When the door closed, leaving her alone, Stevie Rae breathed an exhausted sigh of relief. Methodically, she drank the last baggie of blood and then pulled the hospital blanket up around her neck and curled on her side and, with a sigh, slowly twirled a blond curl around and around one finger. She was utterly exhausted. Apparently all of the power in Rephaim's blood had worn her the heck out while it fixed her.

Rephaim ...

Stevie Rae would never, ever forget what he looked like when he'd confronted Darkness for her. He'd been so strong and brave and good good. It didn't matter that Dallas and Len.o.bia and the whole dang world believed he was on the side of Darkness. It didn't matter that his daddy was a fallen Warrior of Nyx who had chosen evil centuries ago. None of that mattered. She'd seen the truth. He'd willingly sacrificed himself for her. He might not have chosen Light, but he had definitely rejected Darkness.

She'd been right to save him that day outside the abbey, and she'd also been right to call the white bull and save him today-no matter the cost to her.

Rephaim was worth saving.

Wasn't he?

He had to be. After what had happened today, he had to be had to be.

Her finger stilled, and her eyes started to flutter shut even though she didn't want to think anymore or to dream-didn't want to remember that terrifying Darkness and the pain that had been so unimaginable.

But her eyes did close, and the memory of Darkness and what he'd done to her did come. As she struggled against the unyielding pull of utter exhaustion, from the middle of that circle of terror Stevie Rae heard his voice again: "I'm here because she's here, and she belongs to me." "I'm here because she's here, and she belongs to me." And that simple statement chased her fear away, allowing the memory of Darkness to give way to the rescue of Light. And that simple statement chased her fear away, allowing the memory of Darkness to give way to the rescue of Light.

Just before Stevie Rae fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, she thought of the beautiful black bull and the payment he had exacted from her, and, again, Rephaim's words played through her mind: "I'm here because she's here, and she belongs to me." "I'm here because she's here, and she belongs to me."

With her last waking thought, she wondered if Rephaim would ever know how ironically true his words had suddenly become for them ...

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

Stark As Stark awoke, just for a second he didn't remember. All he knew was that Zoey was there, in bed, beside him. He smiled sleepily and turned, reaching an arm out to pull her close to him.

The chilled, lifeless feel of her unresponsive flesh brought him fully awake, and reality crashed and burned the last of his dreams.

"Finally. You know, you red vampyres might be all strong and whatever at night, but during the day you sleep creepily like the dead. h.e.l.lo, I have one word for you: stereotypical."

Stark sat up, scowling at Aphrodite, who was sitting in one of the cream-colored velvet chairs, long legs crossed gracefully, sipping a cup of steaming tea.

"Aphrodite, why are you in here?"

Instead of answering him, her gaze went to Zoey. "She hasn't moved at all since it happened, has she?"

Stark got out of bed and gently tucked the blanket back around Zoey. He touched her cheek with his fingertips and kissed the only Mark left on her body, an ordinary fledgling's crescent tattoo in the middle of her forehead. It's okay if you come back as a regular fledgling. Just come back, It's okay if you come back as a regular fledgling. Just come back, he thought as his lips brushed her Mark. Then he straightened and faced Aphrodite. "No. She hasn't moved. She can't. She's not here. And we have seven days to figure out how to get her back." he thought as his lips brushed her Mark. Then he straightened and faced Aphrodite. "No. She hasn't moved. She can't. She's not here. And we have seven days to figure out how to get her back."

"Six," Aphrodite corrected.

Stark swallowed hard. "Yeah, you're right. It's six now."

"Okay, come on then. Clearly we don't have time to waste." Aphrodite got up and started out of the room.

"Where're we going?" Stark started following her but kept glancing back over his shoulder at Zoey.

"Hey, you gotta snap out of it. You said it yourself: Zoey's not here Zoey's not here. So stop gawking at her like you're a little lost puppy."

"I love her! Do you even know what the h.e.l.l that means?"

Aphrodite stopped and turned to face him. "Love doesn't have s.h.i.t to do with it. You're her Warrior. That means more than 'I heart Zoey,' " she said sarcastically, using air quotes. "I have my own Warrior, so I do know what that that means, and here's the truth: if my soul was shattered, and I was stuck in the Otherworld, I wouldn't want Darius to boo-hoo about it and be all heartbroken. I'd want him to get the h.e.l.l to work and figure out how to do his job, which is to stay alive and means, and here's the truth: if my soul was shattered, and I was stuck in the Otherworld, I wouldn't want Darius to boo-hoo about it and be all heartbroken. I'd want him to get the h.e.l.l to work and figure out how to do his job, which is to stay alive and protect me so that I can figure out a way to get home protect me so that I can figure out a way to get home! Now are you coming or not?" She flipped her hair, turned her back to him, and started twitching down the hall.

Stark closed his mouth and went after her. They walked silently for a while as Aphrodite led him down some stairs, around increasingly narrow corridors, and down more stairs.

"Where are we going?" Stark asked again.

"Well, it feels like a dungeon. Smells like mold and kinda weird b.o., the inst.i.tutional decor is suitable for either a prison or a hospital psych ward, and it makes Damien think he's died and gone to dork heaven. So take a guess."

"We're going back to human high school?"

"Close," she said, her lips lifting in a hint of a smile. "We're going to a really old library filled with the frantically studying nerd herd."

Stark let out a long breath in a loud sigh to keep himself from laughing. Sometimes he almost liked Aphrodite-not that he'd ever admit it.

Stark Aphrodite had been right-the bas.e.m.e.nt of the palace did remind him of a tacky public school media center, minus the foldout windows and cheap, ratty mini-blinds, which was weird as h.e.l.l because the rest of San Clemente Island was over-the-top rich. Down in the bas.e.m.e.nt, though, there were just a bunch of worn wooden tables, hard benches, bare white stone walls, and tons and tons of shelves filled with a zillion different sizes, shapes, and styles of books.

Zoey's friends were cl.u.s.tered around one big table that was overflowing with books, pop cans, crumpled bags of chips, and one humongous tub full of red licorice whips. Stark thought they look tired but totally wired on sugar and caffeine. As he and Aphrodite walked up, Jack was holding up a large leather book and pointing to an ill.u.s.tration.

"Check it out-this is a copy of a painting of a Greek High Priestess named Calliope. It says she was also the Poet Laureate after Sappho. Doesn't she look exactly like Cher?"

"Wow, that's insane. She does look just like young Cher," Erin said.

"Yeah, before she started wearing those white wigs. What the h.e.l.l's up with that?" Shaunee said.

Damien gave the Twins a look look. "There is nothing wrong with Cher. Absolutely. Nothing."

"Uh-oh," Shaunee said.

"Stepped on a gay nerve," Erin agreed.

"I had a Cher Barbie doll. I loved that doll," Jack said.

"Barbies, herd of nerd? Seriously? You're supposed to be saving Z, remember?" Aphrodite said, shaking her head in disgust and curling up her lip at the licorice whips.

"We've been at it all day. We're just taking a little break. Thanatos and Darius went out for more food," Damien said. "We have made some headway, but I'll wait until they get back to report everything." He waved at Stark, and his "hi" was echoed by the other kids.

"Yeah, don't be so judgmental, Aphrodite. We've been working hard, you'll see."

"You're talking about dolls," Aphrodite said.

"Barbies," Jack corrected her. "And just for a second. Plus, Barbies are cool and an important part of American culture." He nodded in emphasis and clutched the "Cher" portrait to his chest. "Especially celebrity Barbies."

"Celebrity Barbies would only be important if they had interesting accoutrements you could buy with them," Aphrodite said.

"Accoutre-whats?" Shaunee said.

"You sound like you swallowed a French guy and are trying to spit him out," Erin said, and the Twins giggled.

"Left and right brain-listen up. Interesting accoutrements equals cool stuff, like unusual accessories," Aphrodite said, picking delicately at a chip.

"Okay, if you don't know anything about Barbies, your mother seriously hated you," Erin said.

"Not that we don't understand that," Shaunee added.

" 'Cause everyone who even had one Barbie knows you can buy stuff for them," Erin finished.

"Yeah, cool cool stuff," Jack agreed. stuff," Jack agreed.

"Not cool by my definition," Aphrodite said with a superior smirk.

"What's cool by your definition?" Jack asked, making Shaunee and Erin groan.

"Well, since you asked-I'd say it would be cool if Barbie made a Barbra Streisand doll, but you'd have to buy her fingernails and nose separately. And her fake nails would come in lots of different color choices."

There was a shocked silence, and then Jack, sounding awed, whispered, "That would be would be cool." cool."

Aphrodite looked smug. "And how about a bald Britney Spears doll that had extras like an umbrella, a fat suit, weird wigs, and, of course, optional panties."

"Eww," Jack said, and then giggled. "Yeah, and a Paris Hilton doll that had an optional brain."