A/N: Hello readers, here is the first chapter of Redemption. Please let me know what you think. Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own House of Night the books belong to P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast. I only own Philomena

CHAPTER ONE

I stopped dead in my tracks as I walked into my dorm room. There was pink everywhere and to top it off there was a huge four poster bed in the middle of everything and in a corner was a small cot type bed thing (not exactly sure what to call it). I groaned internally and prayed that I wouldn't strangle my roommate the moment I saw her. Setting down the items I was carrying, on the little bed, I went to the bathroom and blinked, it was like a spa. In the corner was a very expensive Vicchi shower and then next to it was a Jacuzzi bathtub. I could tell by looking at the towels that they were expensive and on a hook was a cashmere bathrobe. I started to approach it, to touch it, but then shook my head. It wasn't mine, I had no right to touch it. I didn't feel like I could touch anything in the room, but that was impractical.

I shook my head again and turned to the large mirror. I looked at myself, which just by glancing I could tell I was tired—I had bags under my eyes, which was highly unattractive (not that I particularly cared). I slowly and methodically parted my bangs and looked at the sapphire blue outline of a crescent moon on my forehead. I had been marked just hours ago. So now I was a fledgling learning how to be a vampyre at the Tulsa House of Night. The only upside I could see at the moment was that I was away from my stuck-in-the-past parents who believed children should be seen and unheard, and that adult woman barely had more freedom of speech than that.

I let my bangs fall back into place just as a scream sounded in the other room. I ran out concerned until I saw the girl's face. She was angrily looking around the room pushing her blonde hair out of her face. I repressed a sigh, was this seriously my roommate? I could tell she was stuck up, very stuck up. Then she looked at me and our eyes met.

She glared, pointed at me, and shrieked, "You! You could have waited for me to move my stuff! Instead you go and mess up everything!"

I went to where I had set my stuff down and grabbed the notebook with a pen attached to the cover and flipped it open to a clean page and wrote, Gee thanks for the warm welcome, I feel so at home now, my voice would be dripping with sarcasm not that you would know what that is. And news flash, Barbie, it was like this when I arrived like two minutes ago! Do not ask about why I wrote it out right now… The reason I wrote out all that is that being raised to be seen and not heard had its effects on me. When I was little and I talked when not spoken to I was spanked, so I shut down my voice box.

She read the note and then growled, "The name's Aphrodite. Let's just make a few things clear between us right now. One, I don't care why you are not speaking out loud, nor will I care. Two, this is my room so it's my rules. And three, I don't like the idea of having a roommate so I will act like you aren't here. Capiche?"

I rolled my eyes and turned the notebook so I could write again, My name is Philomena. I understand your feelings about this, but we are roommates and we are going to have to find a way to live with each other. I'm too tired to talk this over so I will leave it at that so I can rest. I turned the notebook around and waited for her to finish reading it. Then I set all my stuff on the floor at the foot of me bed. Then I sat on the bed and pulled off my moccasins, I noticed Aphrodite make a face but I ignored it as I pushed them slightly under the bed. Then I laid back against hard mattress. The bed wasn't comfortable, but my tired body didn't care and before I even had a chance to think I was out.

The next time I woke up the sun was setting, I had slept through a whole day. I sat up and looked around and saw Aphrodite was still asleep on her bed. My back was so sore from the hard mattress, I needed to talk to someone about that. I stretched and felt and heard a series of little popping noises coming from my shoulders and spine. I then got up, grabbed my notebook, and quietly left the room. I walked down the hall to the stairs and just about jumped out of my skin as a door to my left opened.

"Oh my Goddess! I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were there!" the panicked voice said from the doorway. I looked to see a black haired girl standing there covering her mouth with her hands.

I opened my notebook again to the same page as the night before and scribbled, It's fine just startled me. I took a breath as a laughter came from behind the girl.

A girl with short blonde curls came into view still laughing, "I bet that's for the hateful hag-bitch, Aphrodite." Then she smiled, "I'm Stevie Rae."

I nodded and turned the notebook around again and wrote, Like you probably read, I'm Philomena.

The first smiled, "Nice to meet you, I'm Zoey." She too started to giggle, but then sobered up as she came to a realization, "You aren't speaking…I know you said don't ask to Aphrodite, but I am curious. You don't have to give me the long answer."

I thought about that for a while then I thought of the perfect thing to write that wouldn't be a lie, For reasons I'm not ready to talk about yet, I shut down my voice box a long time ago.

They nodded and didn't question further. Instead Stevie Rae smiled and said, "We were just about to meet a couple of our friends downstairs for breakfast. Want to join us?"

I nodded and we walked downstairs, the two girls were nearly tackled by two others who exclaimed at the same time, "There you two are. We were worried the Hag from Hell stopped you guys!"

Zoey and Stevie Rae laughed. Zoey managed to answer, "No we were talking to her new roommate. Who is definitely not a Hag." They burst into laughter again.

The two other girls looked at me and seemed to be analyzing me. The lighter skinned of the two looked to the darker, mocha-colored skinned and said, "She looks normal, doesn't she, Twin?"

"That she does, Twin. I can't believe she got placed with that hag," the other said with a smile.

Stevie Rae looked at me, "These two are Shaunee and Erin. Shaunee is the darker skinned one. We call them the 'Twins' because they act the same way and share the same thought pattern."

I nodded thinking this was an interesting group. I shrugged inwardly and then wrote, Hey Shaunee and Erin. I'm Philomena. You can read the above comments if you like.

They looked it over and then started laughing. Then they sobered up and looked at Zoey, "So what's your plans for the ritual?"

Zoey shrugged, "I'm not quite sure yet, I have to do more research. But first I want to eat." She walked over to the kitchen area.

I followed her as I felt my stomach grumble. I quickly wrote, What is there for breakfast around this place? And then I handed her my notebook. I was craving me some eggs, but wasn't sure if there would be any around.

She handed me back my notebook. "Anything healthy. You will be hard-pressed finding any junk food around here," she sighed, turning to face me. And that was when I got a good look at her mark, they were filled in and expanded down her face and neck.

I paused and then decided to ask, Are you a vampyre?

To my surprise she laughed, "No far from it. I'm just a very special fledgling. Nyx has gifted me with the affinity for all five elements and these marks are to show I am on the right path." She turned back and got down a bowl and then got some cereal, I looked and it was "Count Chocula".

I opened the fridge and found the eggs and pulled out two. Then I started fry them. When they were done I scooped them on a plate and almost ran straight into Aphrodite, and almost spilling the hot eggs all over her. I quickly took a back step as she glared at me.

Then she shoved past me, "Watch it, mute." She went to the cupboards to look for food.

The comment left me slightly shaken, but I went and joined Zoey and her group of friends at one of the many couches in the living area. They all smiled at me and for the first time in my life I felt like I actually might belong somewhere. The Twins looked at my eggs and told me the next day I should make them some and I nodded. We watched America's Next Top Model while we ate.

A/N: again thank you for reading and let me know what you think. Chapter 2 should be up soon.