Hey everyone, so yep, a new chapter. Enjoy!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
"Zoey has named the people mentioned in the poem." Lenobia announced. "And the place of power at which they need to join."
"Poem?" I asked.
"I forgot you were out when Kramisha gave me the poem." Zoey said.
I blinked. I had passed out? I thought I had just fallen asleep.
She handed me a piece of paper. I quickly read the poem.
"Oh." I understood what they meant by people.
"The place of power is the Benedictine Abbey." Zoey said. "I remembered that one of the reasons Sister Mary Angela wasn't totally shocked when I could invoke the elements was that she'd felt elemental power herself." Zoey laughed a bit. "I just thought she was just being crazy-eccentric-nun-lady."
"Well, in your defense, the nun is kinda different." Aphrodite said.
"She is also the Spirit the poem talks about." Zoey said.
"Wow you did figure it out!" Damian said. Was I the only one who thought he sounded a bit surprised? I mean, Zoey wasn't a genius, but she wasn't dumb either. "Who are the rest of the personifications?"
"Blood is Stevie Rae."
"She definitely likes it enough." Aphrodite said. I rolled my eyes.
"You're Humanity." Zoey said with a huge grin. I wonder if there was an inside joke I was missing out on.
"Great. Just great. Let me state right now for the record: I. Do. Not. Want. To. Get. Bit. Again. Ever."
"No problem. I don't think you'd taste very good." I said wrinkling my nose. The Twins gave me amused smiles. Even Darius cracked a grin, but I think he was smiling more at Aphrodite who had puffed up a bit at my statement.
"Earth is my grandma." Zoey said.
"Good thing your grandma is already at the abbey." Damian said.
"How about Night?" Shaunee asked.
"It's Zoey." Aphrodite and me said at the same time. I don't know how I knew this, but then I reasoned that Zoey was pretty important to the Greek personification of Night so it made sense she would be Night.
Zoey gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I'm Night."
"So we need to get to the Benedictine Abbey." Darius said.
"I think that's a bit of a duh statement." I said.
"And you need to get there quickly before Kalona and Neferet cause more damage to our people." Lenobia said ignoring my smart ass comment.
"Or begin a war with humans."
My back prickled. A war with humans? Neferet I could see launching an attack on humans. She was such a damn control freak/power hungry villain. But my father? Why did he want to conquer humans? I thought he just wanted to create a new world.
"In his new world, only the ones he thinks deserves to live in it will live." Snap said.
"So he's creating this war to start his new world and determine who lives in it." I thought back.
She nodded.
"She's becoming Queen Tsi Sgili, the first vampyre Tsi Sgili, and that's something we've never known before." Zoey said.
I blinked and scolded myself for not pay attention. I probably missed something important.
"Yeah. That's what I saw." And because I got distracted and talked my cat I didn't know exactly what she saw. "I also know the war starts right here in Tulsa."
My heart pounded with fear. But I wasn't scared for myself, I was scared for my family and human friends.
"So the Council they want take over must be the council at this House of Night." Zoey said.
My stomach clenched. It still didn't seem right to me that they were going after this council. Maybe that was their plan right now, but that could all change very quickly.
"It stands to reason if we make Kalona and, hopefully, Neferet with him, flee Tulsa, then perhaps the war won't start." Darius said.
"I think they'll still try and start their war, but it just won't start here." I said.
"It is Neferet." Lenobia said in a scarily calm voice. "She is the impetus behind Kalona." I didn't know what impetus means, but I was guessing a driving force type of thing. "She has desire a war against the human for many years." She looked at Zoey. "You may have to kill her."
My initial response was yes! If she was killed then there would be no war, I doubted my father would still launch a war without Neferet impetus-ing him. But then my goodness kicked in and was appalled of killing someone, even someone as evil as Neferet. Part of me wanted her to piss whatever she was getting her power from and it gobble her up. It would have a nice bit of irony to it.
"No! We can't." Zoey said. "I cannot go there."
"Then we should get back on how to get you all out of here." Lenobia said smoothly.
"I could see if I can call up some animals to wreak havoc." I said.
"Between myself and you we could get the horses to rampage and distract the Raven Mockers while you escape." Lenobia said.
"But how are we going to get out?" Zoey asked. "We can't cloak the Hummer and the weather no helping at all. I couldn't even walk from the main building to the stables without almost breaking my butt. I had to use fire to melt some of the stupid ice. Not to mention Raven's leg probably won't let her walk all the way to the Benedictine Abbey."
Oh, that's why it was a lot easier to walk closer to the stables.
"Wait, what did you say about using the element fire to melt the ice?" Lenobia asked.
"I was sick of almost falling. So I focused some flame on the sidewalk. It melted the ice with no problem." Zoey explained.
I wish I could use the element of fire to do that.
"Do you think you could project flame specifically enough to melt the ice beneath a horse's hooves?" Lenobia asked.
"Probably." Shaunee said.
I turned sensing a presence. There were several horses standing at the door of their stables, craning their necks over the door with the nostrils flaring at my direction. But that wasn't what caught my attention. A midnight black mare had gotten out of her stall and was making her way towards me. I heard the others leave to go into Persephone's stall.
She blew into my face. I took her nose and rubbed her jaw.
"Hey girl. What's your name?"
She snorted, a little uneasy that she could understand me. "Hecate."
"Hello Hecate you pretty girl." I kissed her nose.
She blew air out of her nose and lipped my face. I giggled and kissed her nose.
"Raven?"
I turned and joined them at Persephone's stall. Hecate followed after me almost like a big dog.
Zoey's eyes were shining. "We have a plan."
"Good. I wasn't looking forward to winging it." I said. Hecate lipped my elbow. I stroked her chest which was the easiest thing for me to reach while facing forward.
"Lenobia and yourself are going to tell the horses to storm the campus while Anastasia creates a confusion spell. Then we are going to ride out of here." Zoey said almost excitedly.
"You'll be taking four horses rather than seven." Lenobia said.
"I'm going with you." Snap said stubbornly.
"You can't go with me." I said.
Snap leaped from the stall wall and landed on Hecate's back.
"I'm going with you." She repeated stubbornly.
"Can you ride a horse?" I asked her. "I can't carry you."
"What is it Raven?" Lenobia asked.
"Yeah, I think we're only catching half the conversation." Erin said.
"Snap wants to come."
"I am coming."
"It's too dangerous for you to come!" I argued.
"And it's dangerous for you. You need someone to keep an eye on you." Snap said.
"I can take care of myself." I said.
"That's highly debatable."
I opened my mouth to continue to argue, but Aphrodite interrupted me.
"Oh would you quite arguing with her! It's so annoying!" She said.
Damian giggled. "No offense, but you look kinda psycho talking to your cat. I know she talks back to you, but we only get half the conversation."
I smiled sheepishly. "One second." "You can't ride bareback."
Snap looked stumped.
"If your cat's determined to come then you can put her in my purse." Zoey said.
Snap hissed. "I will not be carted around like one of those glorified rats with the big ears."
I chuckled. "They're dogs."
"Rats."
"Snap won't be carted around in a bag like a mini dog." I told Zoey.
"Here." Lenobia came from the tack room and handed me a cloth back pack. I showed it to Snap.
"I'm pretty sure Hecate would appreciate you and your claws not riding bareback." I told her.
Grumbling Snap let me slip her into the bag. She peeked her head out of the top of the bag. I folded the flap down so she would be protected from the ice.
"Raven, will you need a bridle for Hecate?" Lenobia asked.
"I've never ridden a horse before." I said.
"Here." She cupped her hands. "I've already called Anastasia and Dragon and I would like to see your gift of communication work."
I frowned.
"I think she wants to see if you can steer me with thoughts rather than words." Hecate said. "She's curious about your gift and how it compares to hers."
"Oh." I said. "Um, Hecate, could you please bend down so I can get up on you?"
Hecate snorted. She got down onto her front legs and I swung myself onto her back.
"Interesting. Could you have her walk for a bit?" Lenobia pointed down the aisle.
I nodded. "Forward, Hecate."
Hecate snorted, but walked forward.
"Faster." I whispered.
She trotted faster.
"Stop." I thought.
Hecate skidded to a halt.
"Turn."
Hecate turned around.
"Go back to Lenobia and stop."
Hecate did as I told.
"Amazing." Lenobia said.
"I was a little surprised that she listened to me too. I guess because I've only ever talked to my cat and they don't listen very well."
"We listen very well. We just don't do what you want us to do."
I rolled my eyes.
"I meant your gift." Lenobia said. "You've been gifted generously."
I chewed my lip. A couple of days ago, I couldn't believe it was only two days ago and it might even be less than that, I was human or completely and a hundred human and know I find out that I'm only half-human and have a ton of gifts, some of them I probably haven't discovered yet. I was seriously starting to stress out!
Lenobia helped the others mount and we followed her to the rollaway doors that led out of the stables. She turned off the lights so we were sitting in the dark and not standing at the entrance like dark shadow creatures.
"They're waiting for you all. I can smell them." Snap hissed.
My heart pounded and I tangled my fingers in Hecate's mane.
"You will be fine. I will not those creatures harm you." Hecate said with steely promise.
"Your cue is that Anastasia will intensify the storm. Dragon will be at the front gate ready to cut down any Raven Mockers stationed there once he hears hooves. Raven, once Shaunee lights fire to the stall I want you to help me have the other horses to wreak havoc once they are free." I nodded. "I will tell Persephone when to go." Lenobia suddenly blinked. "Raven, do you think you could place a picture of the abbey into the horse's minds and where they need to go?"
I blinked. I had seen the abbey once before and I knew how to get to there from here.
"I can try." I said. I tried to remember what I could about the abbey. My parents brought there once for…something. It wasn't that far from here actually.
Lenobia nodded. She looked at Zoey. "Merry meet and merry part, and merry meet again, High Priestess." Then she fisted her hand over her heart and bowed to Zoey.
"Brightest blessings to you, Lenobia." She said. "Lenobia, please reconsider leaving here. If we don't get rid of Kalona, you and Dragon and Anastasia have to get underground-the tunnels under the depot, the abbey, or even the basement of one of the downtown buildings. That's really the only chance you have of being safe at all."
Shit. What would happen if we failed?
"Bad things." Snap said.
"Thank you Miss Obvious."
"But Priestess, you will succeed." And then she disappeared.
"Jeesh, she's stubborn." Shaunee said.
"But you will succeed." Hecate said echoing her horse mistress. "Stubbornness has nothing to do with it."
The element kids summoned their elements to wreak havoc around us to hide us from them. I sent out a mind wave, kinda of like radar, to pick up on any animals. The only sense I got was Lenobia's mares who poised for battle. Everyone else was curled up in their nice warm dens or napping with their fledgling/vampyre. Suddenly the storm increased and I really, really wanted to stay in the safe, warm stable and take a nice nap in the straw.
Of course, I wasn't getting any one of those things I wanted.
Shaunee threw a ball of fire into the stall filled with straw. Hecate jerked.
"You're okay." I petted her neck. Her nostrils flared when Shaunee and Zoey sent heat to her horseshoes. "We're okay." Snap suddenly buried herself into the bag.
"Hold on! Here we go!" Zoey suddenly shouted. I curled my fingers into Hecate's mane and squeezed her tightly with my thighs. Persephone lunged forward and the other horses lunged after her.
We galloped side-by-side through the corral and out of the gate. I focused on the Benedictine Abbey that was a right and another right or roughly from here.
Hecate snorted seeing the picture in my mind. I watched as steam rose from Hecate's hooves and the ice melt away.
"Oh Goddess! Look!" Damien cried. He pointed over at a man fighting three Raven Mockers. He was kinda scary the way he was spinning around and lashing out with his sword. The Raven Mockers heard us and turned. Snap hissed over my shoulder and Hecate's ears drew back.
The guy, who I realized was probably Dragon, stabbed one of them instantly causing them to whirl back around at him.
"Go! And may Nyx bless you!" He shouted when we tore past him.
"See nothing to worry about." Hecate said.
I rolled my eyes. And I thought cats were annoying. I was starting to think there was a reason people can't understand animals.
At the Twenty-first street light Hecate turned right without any direction from me. She thundered down the street, jumping over falling power lines and tree limbs like they weren't there. In my head I was trying to remember a Two Steps from Hell song that would fit this. Probably To Glory.
My back prickled and I knew the Raven Mockers were after us before they started screaming at us.
"Darius! Raven Mockers!" Zoey shouted.
I turned and saw multiple small shapes flying at the Raven Mockers.
"No don't!" I shouted at the birds. Evidently, not everyone was napping in their nice warm dens.
They shrieked and began pecking and clawing at the Raven Mockers. The Raven Mockers screamed at them and began swiping at them with their talons.
"Raven! Tell the those damn birds to beat it!" Aphrodite said.
I saw Darius raise a scary looking gun and point it at the Raven Mockers.
"MOVE!"
The birds immediately flew away and Darius let out a few bullets. The Raven Mockers shrieked and fell to the ground. The birds swarmed over our heads.
"Raven! If any of those birds poop on us I'm going to kill you!" Aphrodite screamed.
"Please tell the blonde girl we are perfectly civilized birds."
I almost cried with relief at the sound of my uncle's voice, or thoughts. Oh god telepathy-ing is so confusing.
"That's it! That's the abbey!" Zoey said. She turned right and I mind nudged Hecate to follow her. We plunged into an embankment and I was scared Hecate was going to break something. I mean people throw all kinds of things in ditches and the line of trees we ran into wasn't helping my nerves at all.
Finally we saw light.
"Stop." I told all the horses when we got close enough the brick building.
"Hello, child, I heard you were coming." A nun said. Zoey hoped off her horse and ran up and hugged her.
The birds that came to help us roosted on the roof of the abbey. A raven perched on my shoulder.
"Hi!"
"Glad to see you've kept out of trouble." My uncle said.
Snap began wriggling in the bag.
"We're here now. LET ME OUT!"
I slung off the bag and let Snap out. She shook herself and hissed at line of tree we had just sprang out of. Raven Mockers were landing on the trees and mocking us, their eyes glowing red like demons.
"Well, hell." Zoey said.
"Language." The nun said.
"Fudge nuggets." I supplied.
The birds began shrieking at the Raven Mockers and puffing up trying to look scary.
"I don't think any of them are going to get anywhere near us." I said.
"That's good." Zoey said. She looked at me funny. "Raven, never mind."
"What?"
"Why do you have a raven on your shoulder?" Erin asked.
"He's sorta my uncle reincarnated." I said.
Everyone's mouths dropped except Darius's and the nun's.
"He's here to keep an eye on me for my mom, but he didn't think he deserved to back as a human." I explained quickly.
"Hey, I hear y'all need some help out here."
We all turned and saw most of the red fledglings, the red vampyre, and Erik walk out of the abbey and fill the empty spaces between us.
The big fledgling, Johnny B I think, looked up at the birds on the roof. "What's with all the birds?"
I raised my head sheepishly. "I can communicate with animals and they sensed I needed help and followed us."
The red fledglings blinked. "We'll explain later." Zoey said. "Right now I need Sister Mary Angela and Stevie Rae."
"And me." Aphrodite said.
"Raven," Zoey turned to me. "We need my grandma, do you think you can heal her enough so it's easier for her to come out here?"
"Of course." I said trying to ignore the very strange looks the people who weren't in the stables for the big reveal were giving me.
"Kramisha, child, could you show Raven to Zoey's grandmother?" Sister Mary Angela said.
"Yes, ma'am." I followed after her.
"How can you heal?" She asked.
"I'm Kalona's reincarnated daughter." I said. Snap was padding beside me and my uncle was still perched on my shoulder.
Kramisha stopped and stared at me. "You has his eyes."
"Yep." I sighed.
Kramisha showed me through the abbey into the infirmary. An elderly woman was lying on a hospital bed. She might have been napping before we came in here, but her eyes were open. She had a bandage around her head, a cast on her arm, and stiches criss crossing her face.
"Hello Kramisha, who is your friend?" She asked.
"Grandma Redbird, this is Raven. She's a healer." Kramisha said.
Grandma Redbird smiled, but her brown eyes looked calculating. I didn't have a red or blue crescent on my forehead.
"Relax, she is wise." My uncle said. "She keeps in touch with her heritage."
"Hi." I said waving a bit. "I've actually never done some major healing so I probably won't be able to completely fix you, but it should be enough so you can help Zoey."
She nodded.
I took a deep breath and approached her bed side. Snap hopped up onto the bed.
"Relax. It will come natural to you." She assured me.
"Can I see your hands?" I held mine out. Grandma Redbird lifted her hands and pressed her palms against mine. I laced my fingers with hers.
A soft golden glow spread over our joined hands. I watched as tendrils spread out and wound around Grandma Redbird's arms. She sighed.
"It feels amazingly warm." She said.
I felt myself sort of slip into her body. I could see her damaged brain in my mind's eye. My soft gold glow wrapped around it and healed it. I skipped over to her arm and the glow filled the crack in her arm.
"Raven!"
I jerked out. I slid out of Grandma Redbird's grip.
She looked worried at me. "Is everything all right?"
"Yes, I just got a little caught up in my healing." I chewed my lip. That hadn't happened when I healed Darius.
"Help me move her into her wheelchair." Kramisha said.
We each took one of her arms and hoisted her into a wheelchair.
"I feel really fine." Grandma Redbird protested. "Almost…giddy."
"Nice going, reincarnated girl." Kramisha said.
"It's not my fault." I felt my head throb like the beginning of a headache and my leg was beginning to feel stiff.
We walked back down the hall back to the outside. My skin began to prickle. I knew he was here. Him, and her.
"Move it!" Kramisha snapped at some kids in our way of Zoey and her element group. A silver light surrounded them, it looked almost like a luminescent spider web. I was almost afraid it would bounce Grandma Redbird to keep her from entering. But she passed through the circle like nothing was there.
I watched, sorta of nervous I mean, what if my healing actually made her worse, as Grandma Redbird stood up. She took two short steps toward the Raven Mockers. Her eyes were on them rather than my father and that bitchy High Priestess.
"Oh, sons of my mothers' mothers!" She cried. "What have you allowed him to make you become? Do you not feel your mothers' blood? Can you not imagine their hearts breaking for you?"
I almost wish their mothers could manifest themselves like mine could. I doubted any of them hated their sons. My mother proved that a mother's love will never die.
The Raven Mockers looked away, uneasy while some stared at Grandma Redbird with the scary red light in their eyes dying. Maybe there was hope for them. After all, I doubted if I had lived that I would be any different than they are now. I would just look different.
"Be silent, Ani Yunwiya!" Kalona shouted.
"What does Ani Yunwiya mean?" I asked my uncle.
"It's the ancient name of the Cherokee." He whispered.
I mouthed Oh.
"I see you Old One. Will you never learn? Must women, once again, come together to defeat you?" She sounded amazingly strong. If I was my father, and especially if I was Neferet, I would be running in the other direction with my tail between my legs.
"Not this time, Ghigua. You will not find me so easy to trap this time." Kalona said dangerously.
"What does Ghigua mean?" I asked again.
"It is name for a powerful Wise Woman." My uncle said. I was wondering if my constant questioning was eventually going to drive him nuts.
"Perhaps this time we will wait for you trap yourself, like you did before."
"But this A-ya is different. Her soul calls to me from her dreams. It won't be long before her waking body calls me, too, and then I shall possess her."
My skin prickled and I bared my teeth. I hated people like this, who thought they could own people.
"No." Zoey said, sounding borderline pissed off. "Thinking you can possess me, like I'm a piece of property, is your first mistake. My soul is drawn to you. But like you said, I'm different A-ya. I have free will, and my will is not to give myself to the darkness. So here's the deal: Leave now. Take Neferet and the Raven Mockers and go someplace far away where you can live in peace and not hurt anyone else."
"Do you wish I take my daughter as well?" He said slyly, shifting his gaze over to me. All of the people who did not know Raven was Kalona's only baby girl looked at me shocked.
"Not if she doesn't want to." Zoey said.
"And I don't." I said. "My home and family is here."
"And what will happen if we do not leave?" Kalona asked shifting his attention back to Zoey.
"I will, as my human consort put it, kick your butt out of here." Zoey said.
He smiled amused. "A-ya, I do not believe I will leave this place. I find I like Tulsa very much."
"Remember you brought this on yourself." Zoey said. "The poem says: Joined not to conquer, instead to overcome. I'm Night. I've led you to Spirit." She joined hands with Sister Mary Angela. "Stevie Rae is Blood and she bounded to Humanity." Stevie Rae took the nun's hand and Aphrodite took Stevie Rae's other hand.
"What are they doing?" Neferet said walking towards us.
"Getting ready to kick your evil ass." I spat. My uncle croaked and it was echoed by a cat hiss, horses whinnying, and shrieks of the birds on the roof. Neferet stopped and looked at me with caution and anger.
"And Earth completes."
"Do not let the Ghigua join them!" Kalona shouted. The Raven Mockers stirred. Hecate and Persephone flanked me with Hope and Destiny flanking them, waiting for my signal to attack. I sensed the birds half-unfurling my wings ready to attack as well.
"Stark! Kill her!" Neferet commanded.
"Not A-ya! Kill the old Ghigua!" Kalona ordered.
"Kill Zoey."
At that I flicked my wrist and the birds flew off the roof and went at Neferet, but not before I saw the tar like darkness slither from her over to Stark.
A big falcon shrieked and dove at Neferet. Talons scored across her head and ripped out hair.
"You useless animal!" She screamed. I saw her fling out her wrist. Darkness slithered from her hand and struck my falcon.
"Leave them alone!" I screamed.
"By the power with which I awakened you, I command you hit the mark. Shoot Zoey through her heart!" She turned from Stark as another one of my birds poised to attack her. She lifted up her arm-
"Don't you dare hurt him!" I screamed. A small ball of dark energy hurtled at Neferet and hit her right in the chest. She stumbled back and fell onto her butt. I watched as my feathery darkness went after Neferet's tar darkness and absorbed it before it disappeared back into the shadows.
At that moment Zoey had hurtled a ball of elemental energy at an arrow that was streaking toward Stark. The arrow blasted into a flash of light and Stark was thrown back and was crumpled on the ground.
"You damn half-breed!" Neferet screamed at me getting up. She turned and saw Stark and then looked at Zoey. "You bitch whelp! Neither of you will stop this!"
"And Earth completes." This time Grandma Redbird joined hands with her granddaughter.
"Get out of there!" I screamed at them. My birds vacated, even the wounded falcon was able to get up into the air. It fell and thankfully landed in my arms.
"You were so brave." I muttered. A gold glow surrounded him. He chirped and hopped onto my other shoulder.
"Do not curse them." Sister Mary Angela said. "He is all too familiar with darkness and anger and curses."
"A blessing." Stevie Rae said.
"Yeah, people who are filled with hate don't know how to handle love." Aphrodite said.
But was Kalona filled entirely with hate? Neferet was too far gone, but was there hope for my father?
"Bless him, Grandma. We'll join you." Zoey said.
"Kalona, my u-do." I was going out on a limb and guessing that u-do meant brother. "This is my blessing to you. May the warm winds of heaven blow softly on your home…"
The five in the circle repeated her.
"And the Great Spirit bless all who enter there…"
I recited with her. Deep in my soul, the spirit he helped bring into this world touched my voice and I hoped he could hear his daughter blessing him.
"May your moccasins make happy tracks in many snows…"
This time the prayer was echoed by everyone, even the Benedictine nuns. But what really surprised me was the voices of all my animals rising to the point I wondered if anyone besides me could hear them.
"And may the rainbow always touch your shoulder…"
Kalona let out an agonized cry. My tongue curled back on itself. I hated causing him this much agony, but I knew that some pain was needed for people to heal and to change. I just prayed that he would change.
"Why, A-ya?" He cried out.
"Because I choose love."
A blinding light whipped around the five personified peoples and then hurtled toward Kalona and Neferet. It curled around them like a lasso. Kalona stumbled back with a horrible cry. Neferet clung to him like she thought he could protect her. The darkness that once pulsed around her untamed was now quivering and twitched like it was in agony.
He unfurled his wings and took Neferet in his arms. The light tightened around them and then snapped up hurling them up into the clouds. The Raven Mockers screamed and took off after them.
Then, he was gone.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Woot! I think this chapter is my favorite. We get to see a lot of Raven's powers! Woot! Go Raven, go Raven! And Falcon! Go Falcon!
Anywhere, sorry you guys had to wait so long for a new chapter. Please don't be mad! :( And I've notice some comments about me using a lot of dialogue from HoN. Not that I'm mad at you guys, I just want to apologize for my laziness. Yep, I'm lazy and don't really feel like making my own dialogue for them. So sorry and if it really bugs you then you should probably find a new fanfic to read.
So, cheers and happy tears to those who are still reading a reviewing! Love you guys!