A/N- OMG, I haven't updated in forever. Sorry I'm becoming such a neglectful author. Anyway, POINT OF NEWS!!!! I'm changing my username. I'm leaning towards MO'sBaconBar (for personal reasons) but if any of you have an idea, submit! If I use it, I'll make sure to credit you!! : )

Disclaimer- I do not own the House of Night

Neferet's POV

I raised my arms over my head and gazed at the sky. There was no moon tonight, but the whole world seemed oddly bright and piercing, like stepping from a dark room into blinding sun.

There was chaos all around, people running left and right as the sky hung bloodred above them. I was cloaked in the night, invisible to the mobs. I watched, chuckling quietly.

"Neferet," I heard someone say. I whipped my head around, my hands rising in defense. No one.

I shook my head to clear it, rolling my shoulders, and stepped out into the world.


Sharin POV

The House of Night was in a state of complete and utter panic. There were screams ringing through the halls, and a resonating sound that beat low, beneath everything else, like the sound of a drum.

"Mom?" I screamed, my voice swallowed by the mass of panic.

I wrapped my arms around myself and shut my eyes tight, picturing my soft bed and mild dreams, Layne snoring softly above me. I pictured a better world when I opened my eyes, and was reminded of a game I would play with myself as I child. If I shut my eyes, and hoped hard enough, anything was possible. Too bad that didn't apply outside the world of fairy tales; of paper hats and eyepatches, wooden swords and gossamer sprinkles of glitter in little girl's hair.

"Mom!" I cried again, my voice hoarse. "Mommy!"

I felt a blow from behind, and gasped, my eyes flying open. I whirled, but there was no one there.

Or was there?

Upon closer inspection, there was something moving, only a slight distortion of view, like a bent spoon in water.

"I know you're there," I gulped, sounding braver than I was.

I heard what sounded like a deep, breathy chuckle, and shivered. The sound was like leaves rustling on a cold night, or rain falling on the roof of an empty house. Like darkness engulfing the world at night, with no one around to watch it go. Loneliness distilled.

Mom I mouthed, but no sound came out. I felt a deep, soul-searing cold as the creature, whatever it was, began to materialize before me.

It was like everything I remembered about nothing I wanted to remember.

All the terrifying things I'd ever seen, every deep, cold fear that'd ever filled my heart was awakened now, in this moment. I felt my muscles lock into place, my eyes wide.

It smiled, and I felt like screaming.

I was so cold now, and I couldn't see around me anymore, just the thing, as though the world around had ceased to exist.

It was so slow at first, I could hardly feel it, like a snake slithering through the weeds; the darkness creeping into my heart. I felt myself grow colder, but at the same time, I felt the cold become less biting, more of numbness then anything.

My vision was closing in now, a dark tunnel with only the blurriest view of something at the end.

I felt the moment when I stopped struggling, but it was buried under so many layers of coldness, and numbness, that at the same time, I didn't feel it at all.

Then, like a splash of cold water, there was an arm on my shoulder, yanking me away as my knees buckled.

Stark's POV

"Crap!" I muttered, shielding my eyes. The creature hissed, angry at my interruption.

"Yeah well, get over it," I said, wrapping my arms around Sharin. Goddess, she felt cold, I pulled her tighter, trying to transfer some of my heat into her.

Her eyes were wide and glazed, like windows frosted after a night of snow. Her skin was pale and hard, like marble.

Her lips were the ice blue of hypothermia, and she seemed almost too cold to shiver.

Almost without thinking about it, I bent down, and pressed my lips to hers.