so a quick thanks to all my reviewers! you guys are awesome and thanks alot for your support. Hopefully, i'll be able to update more often now that i'm only working on this story.
So here's the next chapter, don't forget to review!
3

The moment I met Grandma Redbird, I changed. No! Not into a vampyre! Sylvia Redbird was kind, and compassionate, and smelled like my favorite flower, Lavender. Seriously, when my parents were alive, I had an entire room filled completely with lavenders (it was my room).

"Grandma, the other day, Nova and I saw something in the tree outside, and then Aphrodite had a vision, where you were writing something, it was like a poem, it mentioned someone named Kalona…" Zoey started

Grandma froze. I call her grandma cause she asked me to.

"Oh dear…" She said quietly

"What is it grandma?" Aphrodite asked

The whole gang was here…me, Tyson, Zoey, and Aphrodite. We couldn't tell the others because Neferet could read their minds or something.

Zoey suspected that Neferet was a big part in whatever was going on.

"Who is Kalona?" Tyson asked

"There are legends in my tribe that were told when I was young, about a fallen angel. He was magnificent, the most beautiful man anyone had ever seen; with great black wings. Women of my tribe came to him in large hoards. Soon, he became obsessed with them, and the women fled. He raped the women, and enslaved the men. Soon, the women became pregnant with Kalona's spawn, wretched creatures, half man and half bird; their faces distorted by black beaks and their fingers long and sharp like talons, they used them to rip their way free from their mother's womb. The tribes of my people suffered, it was the wise women who rid the tribes of Kalona. A woman from each of the five tribes came together and made a plan to trap Kalona in the earth, the only thing Kalona truly despised. They came together and created a girl from clay, they gave her the elements and named her A-aya then, breathed life into her. She was beautiful, when Kalona saw her, he wanted to have her. She fled into the forest with the speed of a deer and Kalona chased her. He found her deep inside a cave, and instead of running A-aya embraced him. However, the moment he penetrated her, A-aya returned to clay on the cave floor, imprisoning him within the earth. Over time, A-aya's body crumpled within the cave, but so much time had passed that the cave had been sealed off and more than100 feet underground. It is said that even today, he whispers to women from within the cave in hopes that they will free him" Sylvia Redbird finished her tale.

I spared an anxious look at Tyson.

"What about his children?" I asked

"Raven Mockers. Their call resembles a Raven's. They were just as bad as the man who created them…if someone displeased their father they would rip out that person's throat using their beaks –I flinched. The whole ripping out throat and choking on my own blood thing seriously grossed me out. Hopefully I wouldn't have to do that to humans when I drank their blood…if I drank their blood- but most of the time, they would pick the person up and throw them against walls until every bone in their body was broken. The raven mockers are everywhere outside, still spirits now, but they seem to be materializing more and more." Grandma said.

We all nodded.

"The ritual is tomorrow…and me and Aphrodite volunteering at the alley cats. That should also be the day Stark wakes up" Zoey told me

"I thought Stark was dead?" I replied.

"Oh. I thought someone would have told you by now" she said quietly before continuing

"Hopefully, he's going to come back as a red fledgling and I could help him get his humanity back like Stevie Rae" She answered

"How did Stevie Rae become a red vampyre?" I pressed

"Well it sounds kinda weird, but she bit Aphrodite, making Aphrodite human again and Stevie Rae became the first red vampyre-"

"Wait, Aphrodite's a human?" I interrupted, staring at the blonde's mark. Aphrodite put one finger in her mouth and wiped it down her mark, and the little blue crescent smeared.

I nodded and mouthed Wow

"Well I'm gonna stay the night with Tyson, so you can visit with your grandma" I told Zoey

"You are?" She replied

"You are?" Tyson repeated, raising his eyebrows and flashing me a cocky smile.

"To sleep. Just. To. Sleep." I told him

"I don't know how much sleep you're gonna get sleeping next to that" Aphrodite remarked before giving me a questioning look. I smiled, after rolling my eyes.

"First I'm gonna head down to Nyx's temple" I said after a moment.

"What for?" Zoey asked, while petting KoKo.

"I don't know, I just feel like it might be my last chance to get stuff off my chest" I told her

"Cause' Nyx really wants to listen to your problems" Aphrodite sneered.

I stuck my tongue out at her.

"You know, for the goddess of love and beauty, you aren't very nice. And beauty won't last forever, especially with all that sneering you do, it's bound to cause premature wrinkles" I retorted with a wry smile

She glared at me but said nothing.

I said goodnight and left with Tyson, towards the temple.

When we arrived at the temple it was empty. Odd. It wasn't very late. I walked towards the statue of the goddess and turned back to Tyson.

"This'll just take a sec," I told him

He nodded before shoving his hands in his jean pockets and leaning against a near by column.

I turned back to the statue and closed my eyes.

Nyx I thought I need your guidance. Please help me.

I felt a soft breeze, and it brought the smell of a cliff-side wheat field. There was also an emptiness, but it wasn't empty. Someone was listening.

I opened my eyes and gasped.

There in front of me stood Nyx. She smiled serenely at me and returned the smile. I was mildly aware that my arm brushed against Tyson's.

How the hell did he get there so fast?

"Hello my children" Nyx said before flashing us her dazzling smile.

"I don't understand. Nyx. What's happening?" I asked

I could feel my worries and insecurities that I tried so expertly to shove under, begin to rise to the surface.

"I fear, my children are going to suffer, for a mistake in my judgment" She said, her face was saddened

"What do you mean?" Tyson asked the question this time

"Neferet, no longer hears me. She has turned away from me, and listens to another. She holds a grudge against humans for what happened to her when she was a child; she is planning something that cannot happen. Innocent lives will be taken if Neferet succeeds. You must look within yourself to find your answers, but fear not child, keeping others safe from Neferet is not your destiny. That belongs to another. Trust your heart and your gifts" Nyx said before shimmering and fading away.

I turned to Tyson.

"That didn't sound too good" He whispered

"No kidding" I replied

He took my hand and led me to his room. When he opened the door I noticed my stuff was already on the bed, including my school clothes for tomorrow.

I didn't even want to know…

His room was basic. A tiny fridge was in the corner, there was a TV and a desk covered in trophies. No pictures of family. I walked over to the desk covered in trophies.

1st place knife throwing

1st place archery

1st place hand to hand combat

1st place hand to claw combat…wait what?

"What's hand to claw combat?" I asked; he was taking the covers off the bed.

Tyson chuckled

"That's when you have to fight another werewolf while he's a wolf and you're a human, or whatever it is that we are when we aren't wolves"

"What? How in the bloody hell did you manage to do that?" I asked

He looked up at me and flashed me his cocky smile.

"I'm quick"

I laughed and hopped down onto the bed.

Tyson laid down next to me. I rolled over onto his chest and rested my head there.

"How you doing?" He asked while playing with my hair.

"Eh. I'm holding up, I guess," I said.

Candice asked me that question every time I saw her, and I always answered the same.

I was now fighting to keep my eyes open.

"Just relax. It sounds like tomorrow's going to be a big day," Tyson whispered before kissing my head.

I nodded and closed my eyes.

The morning moved by slowly. I had a dreadful feeling about today's upcoming events. After my shower I got dressed and waited for Tyson. That was where I saw her. She was standing outside a door down the hall. Neferet hadn't noticed me as she opened the door and ventured down the stairs to what I assumed was the basement.

What was she up to?

I needed to talk to Shekinah…

I ran back up to Tyson's room, he was still in the shower so I left him a note. He was becoming more anxious than I was, so there was no need to worry him. Then I closed my eyes and thought of being where Shekinah was…sonic boom sound.

I was now in a room trimmed with oak wood, it had a marble fireplace, the walls were a mixture of the red brick and black rock that made up the dining hall…I turned and there were double doors on my right and an oak desk with a high priestess name plate in the center. The double doors opened and Shekinah walked in, I felt mildly insignificant, I could feel her power fill the entire room.

"Nova, how are you? I apologize for being so distant; these past couple of days have been chaotic." Shekinah greeted me with the same loving smile I had received from Nyx.

"Shekinah, I need to talk to you," I told her. I flinched when I heard the hysteria leaking into my voice.

Shekinah's face flashed with understanding and her voice lowered.

"Come, child. Tell me what troubles you" Shekinah said quietly as she motioned for the couch next to the fireplace, the fire being the only source of light or warmth in the room. Yeesh, it was getting cold. I mean as cold as Chicago cold.

"I spoke with Nyx last night…" I said as I sat down on the sofa

"What did she tell you?" Shekinah asked

"She fears that Neferet has turned away from her. And that Neferet's been abusing her gifts with ill-intentions." I answered, sounding more like a forty-year old, then I ever had.

"Oh sweet goddess" Shekinah whispered and began slowly shaking her head.

"I saw the signs. She is changed. But I denied it, even to myself. Nyx tried to warn me. It was just so hard to believe a high priestess could commit such treachery." Shekinah continued shaking her head.

"But what should we do?" I whispered sharply

"We can't do anything until we have proof. Then we can go to the council to elect a new high priestess for the school."

I nodded

"I will see you at the ritual tonight" Shekinah said

I nodded and sonic boomed to the dining hall where I told Tyson I would meet him.

I grabbed some cereal and walked to the table. Everyone was there except Zoey and Aphrodite.

"Hi, Nova!" Jack said as he waved enthusiastically at me.

I smiled back at him.

"Hey Jack"

Damien and the twins smiled and greeted me. I returned the greetings before letting my eyes wander over to Tyson who looked more like a mythological hero/god than an adult werewolf. Well, he was a mythological creature, but creature sounds like a nasty word it reminds me too much of that 'precious' ring stealer in the Lord of the Rings movies.

I liked god better. He was an immortal anyway, so the word fit.

His arms were crossed and he was looking down, causing his hair to form a wild disarray of shag and covering his bootiful eyes. I felt a strange sense of deja' vu, from the first time I laid eyes on him in Chicago.

It looked like he was wearing the same black shirt that stretched to define every one of his perfectly sculpted muscles.

Yeah, 'god' sounded about right. With any other guy, the gods would have spited me for comparing their beauty to his. But in Tyson's case, even they would have to stop and gawk at him before sending a wild boar to gore out my insides or whatever.

Yeesh, I was smitten. Smitten like a kitten with a mitten being bitten while a' spitten.

Okay what in hell did I just say? Even I can see that I'm a dork just by my thoughts…

So you're falling for a werewolf warrior who has sworn to protect you, I don't see anything wrong with that.

Yeah, but the age thing is kind of scary. I don't know much about relationships, but I'm pretty sure the ones between fifteen-year-old girls and twenty-two year old guys don't necessarily work out…

Why are you even having this conversation with yourself right now?

WHAT THE F*%#! IS GOING ON!!!

I stopped talking to myself because Tyson was smiling at me.

Sigh, god that boy is gorgeous. Okay, you really need to shut up.

It was his cocky/flirty smile.

"Are you gonna sit down or just continue to gawk lamely at me?" Tyson asked, his smile widened

"Just a sec" I said, giving him my most dazzling smile possible. I looked him up and down slowly about three times, and then smiled innocently at him before sitting at the table, which was now bursting with laughter.

I sat down next to Tyson who threw his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close so he could kiss my hair.

"Mmmph. At least she appreciates what she has," Shaunee said

"I know I do!" Erin added

"Got that right twin"

We were standing to leave the dining hall when Neferet entered the room. She was wearing a long, flowing, red dress. Her emblem of Nyx? Not there. No, instead, hanging lightly from her throat (that I wished I could rip out) was a golden chain, at the end of which was a large black stone carved into black wings.

Traitor.

My teeth snapped together as she approached our table.

We were of course, already standing. Damien and the others all brought their fists to their chests and bowed.

Tyson and I just stared defiantly.

Neferet smiled pleasantly at us. It was when she turned to me that I saw what she was really doing.

Gloating.

"Nova, I hope your adjustment to the House of Night has been a pleasant one. I hear tonight will be your first ritual, I should hope to see you there, our very own Zoey Redbird is leading it tonight" Her words were sweet; but soft and sounded threatening

"Of course" I said inclining my head slightly. I continued to stare her down.

"And I assume your…er, guard dog will be there as well?" Neferet raised her perfectly plucked eyebrow.

My jaw clenched, and my fists began to shake.

Stay calm, I told myself.

I smiled but my eyes were narrowed to thin slits.

"Of course, Tyson will be present. I certainly hope he doesn't make your Nephilum – another word for Raven Mockers- uncomfortable. I've heard that upsetting the spawn of Satan and his bitch isn't wise" I replied in a low voice.

Neferet took a step closer to me, so that she was in my face (and all up in my personal space)

"No. It's not," She said in the same cold voice I had just used.

I smirked at her.

"We'll see- and I guess I'll see you at the ritual" I told her

Neferet's smile returned to her beautiful face.

"Wonderful"

And Neferet left the dining hall.

Great, I had her first period…

"God, she's icky" Jack said quietly

"You got that right. The chick has issues," Erin agreed

"Major issues" Shaunee said, nodding her head.

I stared after Neferet. Well stared isn't the right word. It was more like fumed or glowered.

"Are you okay Nova?" Damien whispered to me.

"Yeah. She just makes me really angry" I said, forcing a smile

"I've never seen anyone talk to Neferet that way. Not even Zoey or Aphrodite. They hate her, but she intimidates them too much" Damien said

"Well Neferet needs to be put in her place, now and then" Shaunee said

"More like now and forever" Erin corrected.

"True twin, very true"

"I'm gonna see you later," Tyson told me

"Where are you going?" I asked

He flashed me his cocky grin.

"To guard" He smiled " I have to check on some stuff, but I'll find you during the ritual"

Tyson bent and kissed me on the lips, before leaving.

"What did Neferet mean when she called Tyson a 'guard dog' and then you got all mad?" Jack asked

"Oh yeah" "What did she mean"

"Tyson is a werewolf," I told them

Gasp!

"Not only is he hot, but he can morph into a cute puppy too" Erin sighed shaking her head

I smiled at her.

"We should get to class," Damien said in a low voice.

We nodded and went our separate ways. Damien and I turned left towards the 200 hall, the twins to the right, for the 300 hall.

"Nova, seriously, what's wrong?" Damien asked

"I'm not sure…something just seems…off" I told him

Damien nodded

"I can feel it too. But what does it mean?"

"Maybe, Nyx is trying to tell us something" I shrugged

"Yeah, but what?" Damien whispered

"Your guess is as good as mine" I sighed

School whirled by in a blur. I was there, but I wasn't really there.

I was missing something. Something important.

I was rushing back to the dorms to get changed before the ritual. When I opened the door to my room, Zoey and Aphrodite were sitting on my bed crying.

Oh, no.

"What's wrong?" I asked

"My grandma got into a car accident," Zoey said between sobs.

"What? What happened?" I asked, rushing to the closet.

"A raven mocker flew into the car window on her way into town. She his a light pole." Zoey said

Ohmigod, this sucks.

I threw a tight-fitting black, long-sleeved beaded dress on Zoey's lap.

"Okay, I'm really sorry about that Zoey, I am, but the rituals going to start and you two need to be there. So pull it together and lets just go, cause' I promise you, your grandma's accident was just the tip of the iceberg on the whole 'problems' issue" I said whirling around the room.

"What do you mean?" Aphrodite asked.

I groaned

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? It isn't that hard to figure out people. What I mean is that Neferet's into some major shit. And that shit is going to hit the fan, tonight, at the ritual. So get dressed," I said a little rudely.

Aphrodite nodded and left the room.

I ransacked my stuff until I found my only gown, a gold silk dress that flowed out at the bottom, and hugged tightly to the rest of my curves. It was a spaghetti strap so I grabbed the creamy white sweater from my suitcase and threw it on.

Zoey was already dressed.

"Do you have a plan?" I asked her

"I told Stevie Rae to bring the red fledglings to the ritual tonight. I think it's time to tell the world about them, and how Neferet used her powers to bring them back"

I nodded

"Sounds good, lets go," I said

Well, the ritual was interesting. Although, terrifying is probably a better word. Zoey had to cut her ex boyfriend and now vampyre, Erik; whom she cheated on with a professor at the school, while she was imprinted with her human ex. Then she met Stark who she says she had an instant connection with and then he died.

Like bloody hell, does that girl have guy problems? Yeesh.

Zoey also told me that Stark's gift from Nyx was that he could never miss his mark with his bow and arrow.

We definitely needed him on our side.

I was when Zoey opened the circle that all hell broke loose. And I mean that in the most literal term possible.

Zoey asked the red fledglings to come out and they jumped from a tree near the main wall and beside the circle.

Gasps erupted from the fledglings, Shekinah, and myself.

Zoey then went on to tell how, Neferet had abused her power to bring them back, blah, blah, blah. Skipping forward

Neferet had Stark (who came back as a red fledgling after all) shoot Stevie Rae.

Zoey screamed as Stevie Rae fell to the ground and began bleeding out. Zoey flattened her hands around Stevie Rae's chest and the arrow protruding from it.

"KEEP THE CIRCLE INTACT!" Aphrodite bellowed as the others took an automatic step towards Stevie Rae.

"Zoey!" I screamed. She looked up, " GET HER OUT OF HERE, NOW!"

Darius one of the sons of Erebus, and Erik Night, picked up Stevie Rae and began walking with the circle to the secret (not so secret) door near the west wall that lead off campus. At that same moment, the place where Stevie Rae had just been (which was now covered in so much blood, it looked like the earth was bleeding) began to crumble and split open. More screams erupted. But Neferet looked nothing less than victorious. I wanted to rip that Cheshire cat grin from her face.

This was the hell part I was talking about…

From the cracking earth came hundreds of raven mockers, they flew into the sky clouding the night in darkness and blocking the moon. The trees became filled with glowing red eyes and dark auras. And the temperature dropped another ten degrees.

Then with a loud burst, Kalona flew from the ground.

Completely naked!

I will admit, the man was a sight, but not one I necessarily wanted to see.

Tyson was more godly than him.

Reminder; where in the bloody hell was Tyson?

Unlike the other fledglings who were now bowing (yes! Bowing!) at Kalona's feet, I felt no attraction to him. I felt the need to run in the opposite direction of where he was.

"Fledglings! This is Erebus, consort of Nyx. Do not fear, he is a god come to Earth" Neferet said as she stepped towards him.

He undressed Neferet with his eyes (ew) before taking her hand.

"My queen" He murmured before kissing Neferet passionately.

I'm pretty sure I started gagging.

And unlike the brainless fledglings who were still kneeling like idiots (sorry Nyx, but c'mon!)

Shekinah wasn't buying it. Suspicion was all over her face as she walked towards Neferet and Kalona, with the Sons of Erebus following closely after her.

You would have to be glaring at Neferet to see it. Glaring, like I was.

Neferet slightly, very slightly, raised her hand; she did a quick flicking motion and at that exact moment, Shekinah gasped and fell.

She was dead.

I knew it before her body hit the ground.

I shrieked a loud and clear pain-ridden scream at Neferet.

My scream echoed through the entire campus

Neferet's mouth didn't move but I heard her laughing in my head.

You want it- come and get it

Right now everyone was paused staring at me. Including Kalona and the raven mockers. I could see the questioning gaze Kalona gave me from my peripheral vision. But he wasn't the object of my attention.

Neferet was.

I stomped my way through the crowd until I was three feet away from her.

She smirked, and it soon widened into a sneer.

I was seeing red, and shaking with anger. I could honestly say I had never been angrier in my life.

I knew it. You're a coward. Just like Nyx and all of her followers.

That was it. That was the last straw.

I screamed and lunged for Neferet, but was stopped by two strong arms that secured around me, keeping me from gauging Neferet's eyes from their sockets.

I squirmed and writhed to be free of the vice-like grip.

"Nova, No!" Tyson said.

But I couldn't listen to logic right now.

I was passed that.

I wanted Tyson off of me. I wanted Neferet dead.

Sonic boom sound.

Tyson's arms were no longer around me. I watched as everyone around me was thrown at least three feet back, and away from me.

Everyone was sent flying except for Kalona and Neferet.

Even the raven mockers fell from their perches in the trees.

And Neferet would have flown backwards too, if Kalona had not caught her.

She glared at me incredulously.

It was now that Ate, the leader of the Sons of Erebus waged war on Kalona, thinking that it was him who killed Shekinah. But it provided the perfect distraction for escape.

Tyson grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd of fledglings, teachers, and raven mockers.

Outside the campus, things weren't looking much better.

There were fires and screams and nothing but darkness. Tyson grabbed my face, it was the first time I had seen him look truly frightened.

"We have to get out of here. I know a place. Follow close and don't let go of my hand please," Tyson said I a rush, before kissing me passionately, grabbing my hand, and sprinting off down the street, with me close behind.

As we ran through the city I could see the cause of the screams fro myself.

Raven mockers were closing their beaks around human's throats and then dragging them up into the sky before dropping them. A dead corpse landed with a loud thud right beside me, blood splattered all over my face and dress. I was frozen. I couldn't even scream.

I just began to hyperventilate.

Hell on Earth

Tyson had stopped running, I turned to see him not staring at the dead body but at a raven mocker who had landed in front of us, blocking the path. Two other raven mockers landed on either side of the first one.

Shit…

These things were gross…with their nasty, red eyes, and disgusting faces. I squeezed Tyson's hand.

"Ffffatther sssays bring back Zzzoey and Novvva," One of the raven mockers said.

WTF?!

What does Kalona want with me? Tyson shook his head.

"You. Are. Not. Taking. Her." Tyson growled- literally growled- "I'm going to give you three seconds to move, if you're still here I will kill you"

Tyson's voice was ominous and threatening, and his golden eyes smoldered a darker shade.

He would have made me pee my pants if he was speaking to me like that.

Now the raven mockers began to shake their heads.

"We do not disssobey father" Another raven mocker said

"Very well, you want her? Try and take her, then" Tyson dared. He let go of my hand and took a step towards them. The creatures (see good time to use the word creature!) mirrored Tyson's steps by taking a step away from him.

I saw what they were doing. I could here it in their thoughts. Just like I heard the raven mocker shuffling its wings in the tree behind me.

They were going to get Tyson far enough away from me so that the thing in the tree could take me, and the other three were going to kill Tyson.

We'll just see about that…I thought

I took a step forward so that I was beside Tyson. And began thinking of a plan. I thought of how Neferet killed Shekinah, maybe I could do that.

I focused on the neck of the raven mocker in the tree, and then I thought of it's neck just snapping. I bit my lip to concentrate, and then there was another loud thud as the dead raven mocker fell from the tree.

The raven mockers turned towards the noise, and once they were distracted Tyson took a knife from his pocket and forced it through the chest of the middle raven mocker. It fell to the ground and the other two launched themselves at Tyson. He grabbed one by its throat and with one flex of his muscles snapped its neck with his bare hands, while he did that he grabbed the knife from the first raven mockers chest and used it to slit the throat of the last one.

Tyson, then shoved the knife back into his jacket pocket, grabbed my hand, and took off running again.

After another twelve minutes of sprinting; I was gasping for air and walking up the driveway of a large (I mean very large) white house.

Tyson led us to the front door (it was unlocked) and led me inside. He locked the door behind us and then turned to the windows to close the blinds and lock the safety shutters.

"How did you know to get a hideout?" I asked wearily.

He stared at me for a couple of seconds (me being covered in blood probably freaked him out) before smiling his cocky smile.

"Rule #2 in the guard-dog handbook, always have a plan B" he recited

I laughed

"So then what's rule number one?" I asked, amused

"Always have a plan A" He replied with a smile.

We stared at each other in silence, before bursting into laughter. How was it that he could make me laugh after I just saw my mentor killed?

Tyson took off the backpack that I hadn't noticed he was wearing and opened it; KoKo peaked her cute little head out of the sac and leaped lightly to the floor.

"You remembered my KoKo" I cooed as I picked the cat up and cradled her.

Tyson leaned against the wall, with his ever so cocky smile.

"All in the handbook, darlin" He drawled

I rolled my eyes.

"So you were gone all day, searching for a hide-out?" I asked

"Nope. I spent the day at the airport, tracking down some of my old friends from school, it was Reed who found this place…he's good at finding things" Tyson explained.

I nodded

"Where are your friends?" I asked looking around

"Downstairs. We might be stuck here for awhile so they tried to set up beds and get food and such. We plan to have two guys watching at all times. One here, and one upstairs.

I bit my lip, Tyson's plan had one flaw…

"Is that doubt I see in those pretty brown eyes of yours?" Tyson asked raising his eyebrows.

"Yes" I nodded

"On what part, please?" Tyson asked

"The staying here for awhile part. I assume your friends are werewolves, I'm a fledgling and I need to be around adult vampyres or I will reject the change and die" I said

Tyson rolled his eyes.

"You, my love, assume way too much. Two of my five friends that are here are vampyres actually. So you should be safe" He chuckled before leading me towards the basement.

"You wanna meet my friends?" He asked innocently with a cocky grin.

"Like I really have a choice, you dork" I laughed

He smiled before opening the basement door and leading me down the stairs.