Chapter Eighteen

Stevie Rae

Stevie Rae snatched up her clothes, throwing them on as quickly as she could. She had to get to the House of Night before everything turned to hell. But before she went, she was gonna have to rally the troops.

"Rephaim!" she yelled. "Go get the rest of them up and get Christophe to start the buses. We're goin' to save our home."

Rephaim nodded and ran out of the room, following her order. She checked her expression in the mirror quickly before taking a deep breath and calling to Nyx. Goddess, please don't let me fail this time. I've made some crappy mistakes. Please don't let me make one tonight.

She drew from the power of her element softly, feeling herself get stronger. Once she was sure that everything was centered and perfect, she hurried from the room, running into the kitchen. To her surprise, a crowd of fledglings were there, including Shaunee, Nisroc, Shaylin, and Erik. Christophe was nowhere to be found- probably starting the buses. Pride for Rephaim swelled up in her throat, but she didn't have time to call him on it.

"Guys, the House of Night is under attack!" she yelled. "I know some of you don't have the proper Warrior trainin', but we're gonna have to do the best fightin' we've ever done if we wanna save our school. Nyx's school. You guys hear me?"

To her surprise, everyone nodded. She took a deep breath and walked to the door of the depot, walking outside. It was the middle of a human day- the perfect time to burn the House of Night. When all the vampyres were asleep. Stevie Rae shivered as she thought about what a terrible time they were going to have. She didn't want to fight humans, but if they were threatening her home, she wasn't gonna have a choice.

She ran straight to the buses, the crowd following close behind her. Damien ran up beside her and grasped her hand tightly. Shaunee grasped her other hand. She felt the infillings of fire and air, and water joined them as Shaylin appeared behind them. She could feel that Zoey had returned to the mortal world now, and spirit shivered over her.

She forced herself to remain calm. She refused to show the fledglings and vampyres around her that she was scared. She was gonna act like a High Priestess of Nyx, and High Priestesses of Nyx were never scared- or if they were they didn't show it. They stood up for what they believed in, and what they believed in was Nyx- the Goddess's magick and her serenity. And she truly, wholeheartedly, with everything in her, believed in the Goddess.

"I am not scared." Stevie Rae said the words so maturely that she didn't even recognize her own voice. She stood before the crowd of fledglings and vampyres, calling earth silently to magnify her voice so that they could all hear her. "I'm not scared, and neither should you be. Humans are not our enemy. They're being manipulated by Darkness and Neferet, and we're gonna go set everything straight." She squared her shoulders and turned towards the bus, letting everyone else climb onto it before she and Rephaim did, as well as the rest of the circle. Power flowed into her.

The bus ride to the House of Night was long, but short at the same time, much too short for her tastes. As much as she tried to hide it, she was terrified. She gnawed on the inside of her cheek, fear grinding inside her stomach. Rephaim threaded his fingers through hers, but he was mostly silent the entire ride. She was too. She feared for him, as well as for herself and the rest of her friends.

When the bus pulled into the House of Night parking lot, Stevie Rae's heart leapt into her throat. No. Their beloved school had been set aflame, and there was a desperate battle raging at the forefront of it. Most of the House of Night professors were fighting, and she'd forgotten about the Sons of Erebus who had remained at the school. They were fighting valiantly, but was it enough? Vampyres were dead on the ground, as well as humans. There was no clear winner, but she noticed a few more bodies on the vampyre side.

She looked at the battle with relish. Fear seemed to fade away from her as the bus stopped before the east wall, right where the battle was taking place. The doors opened, and she shot out of her seat. These humans weren't just going to attack her school, and think that was okay.

She took a deep breath, pulled from the earth and air and fire and water and spirit again, lowered her head, and exited the bus, walking straight into her future- a future that she could only guess at.

As she emerged from the bus, she saw a car pull up beside the House of Night, and a girl and two boys emerge from it. Her heart leaped as she realized who the girl was.

Zoey.

Lenobia

She'd been sleeping.

Before the battle, she'd been soundly asleep, Travis's arms wrapped tightly around her body, keeping her safe from Darkness and chaos and destruction. When she'd awakened, she'd heard the sounds of voices from the outside of her field house. She'd gone to the window, and stared in horror at the crowd of humans who had gathered around the House of Night. She'd recognized their stakes and crosses, and the looks in their eyes. These were the People of Faith.

As soon as she'd caught sight of them, she'd picked up her phone and dialed Stevie Rae's number. Stevie Rae had answered instantly. "Hello?"

"Stevie Rae, the People of Faith have gathered around the House of Night. They have torches and stakes and crosses, and they look like they're about to..." Lenobia had gasped as one of the People of Faith sent a torch at the foremost window of the House of Night. The fire spread across the room quickly, and before she could even blink half the school had caught fire. "No!" A thought had occurred to her, and it shone as a light in the darkness. "Has Zoey returned?"

"Yes, Zoey's back." Stevie Rae's voice was calm. She sounded like a High Priestess should, way older than her years. Energy from Stevie Rae flowed into and out of her.

"Have they returned to Tulsa?"

"They're almost home now."

"Well, tell her that the People of Faith are here, and that they're ready to attack."

"I'll... I'll tell her," Stevie Rae said slowly. Before Lenobia could say anymore, the call ended. Lenobia turned toward the window again, noticing how eerily dark it was even though it was the middle of the day, and cried out when a torch came hurtling toward her window. She'd been through this once before, and she was going to have to go through it again. The field house was about to set fire.

She turned to Travis as the flames crackled running along her walls softly and seeming to taunt her. "Travis!" she cried, shaking him awake. He opened his eyes quickly, staring up at her.

"The People of Faith are attacking the House of Night!"

Before she could continue, he was on his feet, putting his clothes on (reluctantly). "Well, we're not just gonna let them destroy the school. We're gonna have to give them a fight."

Lenobia nodded shakily and thought about Martin, who was inside Travis now. She remembered his deep voice: "I'll find you again, cherie. I vow it." She took a deep breath, moved closer to Travis, and walked towards the door.

She pulled the door open softly, and stared at the crowd of vampyres that had gathered before the House of Night. Some were coughing, having inhaled some of the dire smoke. Some of them stared at the People of Faith with disdain. Those who did were vampyres of Erebus, the Sons of Erebus.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and joined the vampyres against the Sons of Erebus.

"You filthy bastards," one of the men growled darkly. Lenobia gasped as she recognized him as John Heffer, Zoey's stepfather.

"It is you who is the bastard," she replied smartly before she could stop herself. "I honestly believe your God does exist, just not the version that you believe in. I believe he is as wise as our Nyx, and as powerful. He may even be our Erebus. But you have turned from him. You have chosen Darkness instead of embracing Light and coexisting with us."

"And you must now pay the price," one of the Sons of Erebus- Derrick- remarked darkly.

"Well, give us the fee," John remarked smartly, grinning at them. "I'd be happy to pay it."

"Gladly." The Sons of Erebus rushed forward coldly. Lenobia didn't even have time to blink before the battle had started. The vampyres had an advantage- they had swords where the humans only had burning torches and stakes. But the humans had certainly practiced. Derrick, the Son of Erebus who had spoken, was killed instantly, a stake shoved into his heart. The vampyres entered a graceful battle with the humans, and Lenobia felt right- she knew that the way they were fighting was the way Erebus would've fought. She remembered he was there, as she heard someone land beside her. She'd never really understood his purpose for coming to earth, but as she looked at the air around her, she recognized Darkness- that was what Erebus was here to fight, she realized as he swung his sword.

She recognized the gruesome, staked body of Professor Missal, falling to the ground beside her. Another professor who she didn't recognize was beside her. She gasped as a Person of Faith lunged at her darkly, his stake sharpened and already dried with blood.

"Lenobia!" Travis cried, slicing the sword he'd picked up at the Person. He sliced the sword through the Person's head cleanly, killing him instantly. He turned to her. "Are you okay?"

He'd thrown the stake, but it had landed harmlessly beside her. She was fine. She nodded. "I'm fine. I didn't know you could fight like that."

"I didn't either," he admitted.

Suddenly, more humans ran from the area behind the House of Night. Now, they were outnumbered. Despair filled Lenobia and it speared her like one of their stakes. She hoped dearly that the vision of loss she saw in her head didn't come to pass, but she could feel that it would happen if they were outnumbered. And now they were.

She picked up a sword from a fallen Son of Erebus and swung it, blocking the blow of a human and killing him quickly. She was a vampyre. She was stronger than any human here, and she knew she could win against them. But she couldn't take them all alone, and the mass of vampyres that had assembled weren't all of their Tulsan population; the rest of them were down in the tunnels.

Just as the thought entered her brain, she heard a voice whip across the battlefield like an arrow had been shot: "This fighting is not what Nyx would want!" It was Thanatos's voice. She'd been at the House of Night with Kalona, but they were not alone. Behind them were a phalanx of vampyres, humans and fledglings, including Shaunee, Nicole, Shaylin, Damien, Sylvia Redbird, Aurox, Darius, Stevie Rae Johnson, red vampyre High Priestess, and most shocking of all, Zoey Redbird, Fledgling Queen of the Elements and of Nyx.

Just at that moment, the sun entered the sky.

Sylvia Redbird

She felt the entrance of spirit back into the world as soon as it came about, and smiled serenely to herself. Zoey had entered the mortal world, and just as she was preparing to leave for the House of Night.

She tightened her grip on the redbirds that she had between her fingers, as well as the lavender in her other hand, as she climbed into the car. Taking one last look at her lavender farm, she drove off into the distance.

When she'd reached the House of Night, she drew a sharp intake of breath. The school had been touched by chaos and Darkness. War had broken out beside the east wall, on the foremost part of the House of Night. Vampyres were locked in a desperate battle with fierce humans, who looked to be far more capable of fighting back than any human should. A chill went down her spine- not for the humans, who she knew had turned to Darkness because humans and vampyres fighting was not what the Great Earth Mother desired, but for the vampyres, because most of them were her family. Faces flashed through her brain. Stevie Rae. Aphrodite- even though she was technically human. Stark. Shaunee. Erin. Damien. Darius...

Zoey.

And suddenly, a terrible fear was racing through her veins. Sylvia emerged from the car and ran toward the House of Night. Her eyes caught sight of a phalanx of vampyres walking in quick, determined strides toward the House of Night- and Zoey's face was the first that registered in her brain. Then she saw Stevie Rae, Darius, Shaylin, Damien, Shaunee, and several others. Erin and Aphrodite were decidedly absent. She raced up. Zoey gasped and threw her arms around her. "Grandma!"

Everyone else was murmuring her name, crying it out, embracing her. They'd missed her. She could feel their sorrow, and it was rightful, in the Earth Mother's name. She smiled as they embraced her. Zoey's hug was the tightest. Her smile was the largest. And her hug was the most meaningful. "Grandma, I've missed you so much."

'Yes, your soul has been restored," she murmured, sensing the calmness and peace resting at last within her granddaughter. She smirked at her. "It has a habit of breaking."

"That means it's weak," Zoey murmured.

"No, that simply means it is fragile," Sylvia said firmly. "It must be handled with care."

"I know that now," Zoey admitted. "I'll try to handle it more carefully from now on."

"A High Priestess must grow and learn from her mistakes," Sylvia instructed. She remembered saying that to Zoey the last time her soul has been frayed, and Zoey apparently remembered it too, because she smiled serenely, reminding her so of the Earth Mother that chills ran down her spine.

"So, are we gonna kick some human butt?" Damien said, sounding not at all like himself. Everyone laughed at his choice of words.

"What?" Sylvia's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Humans? Why are you fighting humans?"

"The people of Faith have launched an attack on the House of Night, as you saw," Shaunee said. "And we're gonna go defend our school."

"Okay." Sylvia took a deep breath and prayed up to the Earth Mother: Please, Goddess. Let these children so blessed by your serene elements be safe. Do not let Darkness touch them. Guard them, and arch over them with your power, Goddess. Please.

Then, opening her eyes, she joined the rest of the vampyres and fledglings- her family- in diving at the battle with humans.

Damien

They charged at the battle. Damien didn't remember how fast he was running, only that he was running fast. He knew Jack would be proud of him. He had no issue with humans, but they'd attacked his home, and now he had to defend it, no matter what the cost.

Damien picked up a fallen Son of Erebus's sword and sliced quickly, cutting down the first human he saw- who he realized with a gasp was Aphrodite's father. The mayor's body fell gruesomely to the ground. Damien had sliced his head off. He drew a deep, shuddering breath, thinking about the price he would've paid for killing the mayor if he'd been human, and struggled to force back his tears. No. This was wrong. There was no justified reason that humans and vampyres should fight. They should coexist peacefully, as they'd done for centuries upon centuries upon centuries.

In his moment of doubt, Damien remembered seeing someone charging at him, but not really registering why they were coming at him. His grip tightened on the sword, but it was too late. He cried out as the stake of the Person of Faith- who he recognized as John Heffer, Zoey's former stepfather- pierced straight through his clean, blessed heart.

He took a deep breath, and stared down at the stake, even as he heard Zoey's voice shouting his name, and Shaunee's, and Stevie Rae's, and the rest of them. They sounded like they were a mile away, and he couldn't respond, even trying with all his heart. He felt the grass brush against his knees, and then his back. The Goddess's magick protected him, washing the pain of being staked away, and before he could blink his soul exploded from his body.

He had died.

He was standing in the heavens, and Nyx's magickal voice poured over him like water. "Child Damien, you have perished. Your hesitance to kill has brought you death, but your death was wise, and it will be fought for." The Goddess smiled at him as she appeared. She was as beautiful as he remembered, but more now that she was real instead of a ghost. Long silver robes, long black hair, bottomless black eyes.

Thank you." He smiled back at her. "Where is Jack? I know he's here."

"You are correct." Nyx snapped her fingers, and suddenly he was gone. His soul disappeared in a flash of light, and Jack was before him. He ran to his Consort, laughing as he tackled him, and the two fell to the ground. Their lips met in a desperate kiss. Damien would never let him go.

He'd found his Soulmate again.

XOXO,

Casey