"You ain't yourself. You know that?"
Alena looked up at Kramisha. "What do you mean?" She asked.
"You picked the darkest, creepiest corner stuck all over here. You blew them candles out so it'd be even darker. And you sitting here moping so loud I can almost hear your thoughts."
"You can't hear my thoughts."
The hard edge to Alena's voice had Kramisha's eyes widening. " 'Course I can't. They's
no need for you to get all huffy. I said almost. I ain't Sookie Stackhouse. Plus, even if I was I wouldn't listen in to your thoughts. That'd be rude and my mama raised me better than that."
Kramisha sat next to Alena on the little wooden bench. "I got somethin' else we gotta discuss before we go into what I know is gonna be one majorly boring
Council Meeting."
"I know but we have to. Stevie Rae's is the High Priestess.
You're a Poet Laureate. We have to go to the Council Meetings. And we are under her orders."
"Yeah, yeah, I get that. What I don't get is what's got you so messed up in the head you seem turned
inside out."
"My boyfriend has lost his mind and disappeared off the face of the earth. Zoey almost died in the Otherworld. The red fledglings— the other ones—are still out there somewhere out there eating people. I think that's enough to mess up anyone's head."
"Yeah, it is. But it ain't enough to keep givin' me weird-assed poems that all have the same freaky
theme. They about you and beasts, and I want to know why."
"Kramisha, I do not know what you're talking about."
Alena started to stand up, but Kramisha reached into her huge bag and pulled out a piece of violet-colored paper that had her bold writing scrawled across it. With another heavy exhale of breath, Alena sat down and held out her hand.
"I wrote 'em both on this paper. The old one and the new one. Somethin' told me you might need your memory refreshed."
Alena didn't say anything. Her eyes went to the first poem on the paper. She took her time reading it. Not because she needed her memory refreshed. She didn't. Every line of the poem had been burned into her mind.
The daughter of the Red One steps into the Light
girded loins for her part in the apocalyptic fight.
Darkness hides in different forms
See beyond shape, color, lies and emotional storms.
Ally with him; pay with your heart though trust cannot be given
unless the Darkness you part.
See with the soul and not your eyes
because to dance with beasts you
must penetrate their disguise.
Alena told herself she wouldn't cry, but her heart felt bruised and broken. The poem had been
right. She'd seen Rephaim with her soul, not with her eyes. She'd parted Darkness and trusted and
accepted him—and because of that, because she'd allied herself with a beast, she had paid with her
heart. She was still paying with her heart.
Reluctantly, Alena looked to the second poem on the page—the new one. Reminding herself
not to react, not to let her face give away anything, she started reading:
Beasts can be beautiful
Dreams become desires
Reality changes with reason
Trust your truth
Man … monster … mystery … magick
Hear with your heart
See without scorn
Love will not lose
Trust his truth
His promise is proof
The test is time
Faith frees
If there is courage to change.
Alena's mouth felt dry. "Sorry, I don't know what they about." She tried to hand the piece of paper back to Kramisha, but the poet's hands were folded across her chest.
"You ain't a good liar, Alena."
"I'm not a liar!"
There was an edge of meanness to Alena's voice that had Kramisha shaking her head.
"What's happenin' to you? You dealing with somethin' that's eatin' you from the inside out. If you
was yourself, you'd be talkin' to me. You'd be trying to figure this out."
"I can't figure out this poetry stuff! It's too confusing. I never even liked poems!"
"That's a damn lie," Kramisha said. "We been figuring this stuff out. Zoey has. You and I did, or at
least we did enough to get word to Z in the Otherworld. And it helped. Stark said it did."
Kramisha pointed at the first poem. "Some of this one came true. You met the beasts. Those bulls. You been different ever since. Now I been given another one of them beast poems. I know they for you. And I know you know more than you sayin'."
"Look, Just leave me alone." Alena stood up, stepped out of the alcove, and as she walked right into Dragon Lankford she yelled back at Kramisha, "And I don't want to talk anymore about this beast stuff!"
"Hey, whoa, what's this about?" Dragon's strong hand steadied Alena when she stumbled because of their collision. "Did you say beast stuff?"
"She did." Kramisha pointed at the notebook page in Alena's hand. "Two poems come to
me, one the day Alena tangled with them bulls, and the second just a little while ago. She don't want to pay them no mind."
"I didn't say I wasn't going to ignore them. I just want to take care of it myself without everyone trying to help me. I can deal with it."
"Are you in agreement with me that Kramisha's poems are important." Dragon asked
"Yes."
"Then you can't just ignore them." Dragon rested his hand on Alena's shoulder. "I know how it
feels to want to keep your life private, but you've stepped into a position where there are more important things than your privacy."
"I know that, but I can deal with this by myself."
"You didn't deal with the bulls," Kramisha said. "They still happened."
"They're gone, aren't they?"
"I remember seeing you after your battle with the bull. You were gravely injured. Had you understood Kramisha's warning the cost to you might not have been so great. And then there is the fact that a Raven Mocker appeared, and he might even be the creature Rephaim. That monster is still out there somewhere and a danger to all of us. So, you must understand, young vampyre, that a forewarning meant for you cannot be kept private because it touches the lives of others."
Alena stared into Dragon's eyes. His words were strong. His tone was kind. But was that suspicion and anger she saw in his expression, or was it just the grief that had been shadowing him since the death of his wife?
While she hesitated, Dragon continued, "A beast killed Anastasia. We cannot allow any other innocent to be touched by these creatures of Darkness if we can prevent it. You know I speak truth, Alena."
"I-I know," she stuttered, trying to order her words.
Rephaim killed Anastasia the night Darius shot him from the sky. No one will ever forget that—I can never forget that, especially now that things have changed. It's been weeks and I haven't seen him. At all. Our Imprint is still there. I can feel it, but I haven't felt anything from him.
And that lack of feeling made the decision for Alena. "Okay, you're right. I need help."
Maybe this is the way it was meant to be, she
thought as she handed Dragon the poems.
Maybe Dragon will discover my secret, and when he does it will all be destroyed: Rephaim, our Imprint, and my heart. But at least it'll be over.
As Dragon read the poetry Alena watched his expression get darker. When he finally looked from the page and into her eyes, there was no mistaking his worry.
"The second bull you conjured, the black one that vanquished the evil bull, what type of connection did you have with him?"
Alena tried not to show how relieved she was that Dragon was focusing on the bulls and not questioning her about Rephaim.
"I don't know if you could really call it a connection, but I thought he was beautiful. He was black, but there was no Darkness about him. He was incredible—like the night sky or my force fields when I'm angry."
"The shield…" Dragon seemed to be thinking aloud. "If the bull reminds you of your power, perhaps that is enough for the two of you to remain connected."
"But we know he's good," Kramisha said. "They's no mystery 'bout that. The poems can't be talkin' 'bout him."
"So?" Alena couldn't hide her irritation. Kramisha just wouldn't leave it alone.
"So, the poem, 'specially the last one, is all about trusting the truth. We already know he's good. You can trust the black bull. Why do you need a poem to tell you that?"
"I do not know."
"I just don't think they's talkin' 'bout the black bull," Kramisha said.
"What else could they be talking about? Those are the only beasts I know." Alena said the words fast, as if speed could take away the lie.
"You said that Montoya has an unusual new affinity, and that he has seemed to go mad. Is that correct?"
Dragon asked.
"Yeah," Alena said.
"The beast reference could be symbolic of Montoya. The poem might mean that you need to trust the
humanity that is still within him," Dragon said.
"I don't know about that," Alena said. "I mean, he was super crazy last time I saw him. I mean he was saying some crazy stuff about that Raven Mocker he saw."
"Council Meeting is being called to session!" Lenobia's voice drifted down the hallway from the open door to the Council Chamber.
"Do you mind if I keep this?" Dragon lifted the piece of paper as they started down the hall. "I'll copy it, and then return it to you, but I'd like a chance to study and consider the poetry more thoroughly."
"Yeah, I guess," Alena said.
"Well, I'm glad we got your brain workin' on this, Dragon," Kramisha said.
"Yeah, me, too," Alena said, trying to sound like she was telling the truth.
Dragon paused. "I won't share this with everybody, only those vampyres I believe could help us understand the poetry's meaning. I understand your wish for privacy."
Everyone went when Lenobia called the Council Meeting to order.