"Heath! What the hell are you doing here!" Zoey yelled at him, her voice laced with anger. Immediately I uncapped Riptide and Nico followed suit and morphed his ring into his Stygian sword.

"Well, you didn't call me back.: Heath said in a voice that told me he was intoxicated in some way. "I missed you, Zo!" He said and went to hug Zoey.

"Heath, I need you to go-" Zoey started to say but was then Aphrodite cut her off.

"No. Let him stay," Aphrodite said in a weird, hollow voice which caused me to grip onto Riptide and I sent a silent pray to Nyx and my father.

Heath turned his gaze to Aphrodite and this was the first time I looked at her sense the smoke and mist almost completely engulfing the room. The smoke and mist surrounding her made her look as if she was standing underwater and her red dress clung to her body. Her blonde hair was thick and heavy down her back, she wore a mean, smug, smile that I was positive Heath would take as kind and inviting considering his state. I quickly noticed how her eyes were glassy and just staring at Heath, yet he didn't notice.

"Cool, a vampyre chick." Was all that came out of heaths mouth in response.

"Get him out of here." Erik said, his voice tight with worry looking like he'd jump to protect Zoey at any second.

Heath tore his gaze from Aphrodite and stared down Erik, "Who're you?" He said in the exact same tone he used with me. Jealousy. I got up and started to move closer to the situation, getting a bad feeling about it all.

"Heath, you need to get out of here." Zoey said her voice stirn.

"No. I came to see my girlfriend, and I'm going to see my girlfriend." Heath said continuously looking at Erik with daggers in his eyes.

"I am not your girlfriend." Zoey said her voice laced with malice.

"Aw, Zo, you're just sayin' that." Heath said in this tone that reminded me of some of the jerks back at GHS.

"Are you stupid?" Erik said just as Zoey started to grit her teeth. I didn't realize it but I was right next to Damien.

"Look, you bloodsucking fuck, I'm-" Heath said but then something strange happened.

"Come up here, human." Aphrodite said, completely drowning out Heath's voice.

I fought back the urge to look at Aphrodite, I could tell she was putting everyone into a trance. I needed to pinpoint something, so I did. I pinpointed Will. His hand has stopped glowing and his foot stopped shaking. I caught eye contact with Nico and he just nodded to me. I noticed how the spirits started to get more violent and frowed.

"Come to me, human. Let me taste you." APhrodite said completely putting Heath into a trance.

Something definitely was going to happen if Heath stepped into the circle. I nuf=dged Damien and He looked at me startled. I nodded to the scene with Heath and then to the circle itself. Damien looked as I nodded then realized what I was thinking and nodded.

"Stop it, Heath! I want you to go. Now. You don't belong here." Zoey said as both she and Erik tried to stop Heath from coming near Aphrodite and the circle.

Heath for a slip second fell out of Aphrodite's spell. He pulled his eyes away from Aphrodite and jerked his arm from Erik's grip and basically growled at Erik. Then Heath turned to Zoey.

"You're cheating on me!" Heath practically screamed at Zoey.

"Can you not listen? It's impossible for me to cheat on you. We are not together! Now get out of-" Zoey started to yell back at him.

"If he refuses our summons. Then we shall go to him." Aphroditie said with a voice that wasn't her own.

Aphroditie's body then started to convulse as grey wisps seeped out of her. She let out a gasp that was a cross between a sob and a scream. I immediately stood up and pulled my sword in front of Erik, Zoey, and Heath. I watched as The spirits, all of them, rushed to the edge of the circle pushing to get to Heath. I kept my stace ready and didn't realize it at first but Riptide glowed within the mist. I saw that Nico had his stygian sword out and was ready if the spirits broke free as well.

"Stop them, Aphrodite. If you don't they'll kill him!" Damien shouted stepping behind the ornamental hedge he had stayed behind.

"Damien- Percy, what-" Zoey began to ask but I cut her off.

"No time to explain!" I said and swung my sword at the spirits and realized I did it very Star Wars like.

"You know what they are," Damien said, calling out to Aphrodite. "You have to contain them in the circle or he'll die."

I looked over to Aphrodite. She looked so pale and weak. I felt bad for her- but that sympathy didn't last long.

"I won't stop them, If they want him, they can have him. Better him than me- or any of the rest of us." Aphrodtie said her voice weak.

"Yeah, we don't want any part of this kind of shit!" said Enyo before dropping her candle, which sputtered and went out. Without another word, she ran out of the circle and down the gazebo stairs. The other three girls apart of the circles also dropped their candles and ran, leaving their candles overturned and lit.

I looked back and saw the spirits had formed and were starting to make their way to our direction. I gritted my teeth then saw Nico also making his way over to my direction. The Dark Daughters and Sons started to back away, horrified and scared they all looked to Zoey.

"It's up to you Zoey!" I said not turning my head to her, only watching the spirits make their way to us.

"Come on Zoey we all are here!" Stevie Rae said and quickly picked up the candle that represented Earth. Damien and the Twins followed suit.

"Stevie Rae!" Zoey yelled and I smiled a bit. I saw Will stand up shaking and Nico got hold of him and moved him out of the way slightly, standing to protect him.

"I told you we needed to stick together!" She said from her spot in the circle.

"Better hurry," Shaunee said looking directly at Heath.

"Those ghosts are scaring the shit right outta your ex," Erin continued from her spot in the circle.

"Let's get this done." Zoey said with so much more confidence then I would have. "Keep him here." She told Erik who was staring at my sword, which you know what- I understood.

Then she hurried to take her place as a High Priestess, hesitated for a split second looking at the spirits before stepping through and facing Aphrodite.

"You have no right to be here. This is my circle." Aphroditie said shakingly standing up and blocking Zoey's way to the table.

Zoey took none of Aphrodities crap. "Was your circle. Now you need to shut up and move." Zoey said in a harsh commanding voice.

Aphrodite narrowed her eyes at Zoey and I had enough.
"You spoiled little bitch! You need to do what Zoey says! I have three friends who'd love to kick the shit out of you!" I said with so much anger I didn't realize it but water droplets surrounded me.

"Nicely said WaterBoy!" Shaunee yelled back and smugly smiled at Aphrodite.

"Ditto for that, praise Twin!" Erin said looking at me.

BUt before the Twins really could attack her The mist had made its way to us. Panicking attacked the mist and then a sharp scream filled the gazebo and focused on me. Yet even though I tried to fight I heard a piercing scream that came from Heath. I looked over then tried to put myself in front of the mist and him.

"Fast! Take your places!" I heard Zoey scream as I was fighting off the mist and Erik was putting pressure on Heath's new wounds. "Wind! I summon you to this circle!" Zoey yelled and I felt a gust of wind around me that started to pull the mist off. "Fire! I summon you to this circle!" The mist started to turn to steam and dissipate closer to the circle. "Water! I summon you to this circle!" I smiled as I felt a rush of energy overcome me. "Earth! I summon you to this circle!" I had moved the mist back into the circle and stood between Stevie Rae and Erin once again fighting. "Spirit! I summon you to this circle!" Zoey yelled and the mist was trapped within the circle, and I lowered my sword moving back noticing the cuts on my arms and feeling the strings on my legs.

Zoey ran and grabbed the goblet of wine from the table and faced the spirit hord that was fighting to get to me and Heath. "Here is your sacrifice!" She said, sploshing the liquid in the gobet in a messy arch around her. "You weren't called here to kill. You were called here because it's Samhain and we wanted to honor you." She spilled more of the wine and I took a deep breath in.

"We prefer the warm blood, Priestess." The mist said speaking to her.

"I understand that, but those lives are not yours to take. Tonight is a night for celebration, not for death."

"And yet we choose death-its dearest to us." Ghostly laughter then haunted the room and I closed my eyes.

Zoey threw down the goblet and raised her hands, "Then I'm not asking anymore; I'm telling you you. Wind, fire, water, earth, and spirit! I command in Nyx's name that you close this circle, pulling back to it the dead who have been allowed to escape. Now!"

Soon there was a rush of heat- pulling back all the mist and smoke and spirits with it. I suddenly got really drained and looked down and saw Riptide was back in Pen form and Annabeth stood near me, her Yanky cap in her pocket and put her arm around my arm looking at me.

"Zoey!" Stevie Rae said in a scared worried tone.

"No!" Damien snapped holding onto his candle tightly. "Don't break the circle. They can't hurt Zoey-they can't hurt any of us, the circle is too strong. But only if we don't break it."

"We're not going anywhere," Shaunee said in a very confident tone.

"Nope. I like it right here," Erin said a tiny bit breathless.

"So-we're not leaving. Which means you guys have got to go." Zoey Pointed down at the spilled blood and wine. "Take your sacrifice and get out of here. It's all the blood that is owed to you tonight." Zoey paused and watched the hoard as it paused then in a strong voice. "With the power of the elements I command you: Go!"

Suddenly as if a god slammed them to the floor, they dissolved into the wine-soaked floor of the gazebo, somehow taking the blood-tinged liquid with them.

Zoey took a long breath of relief and I leaned against Annabeth and chuckled a bit. Zoey then went around departing the elements and everyone commented on her mark. I could really keep my eyes open so I didn't really understand it. But I was able to open my eyes and watch as the others as she departed spirit- then my eyes went wide.

"Why? Why you? Why not me?" Aphroditie said and I heard Annabeth mumble.

"Aphrodite, what are you talking about now?" Zoey asked in the most exasperated tone I've heard from her.

"She's talking about this." Erin said, handing Zoey a mirror so she could see her expanded Mark. It was a delicate lace pattern that looked like once it was completed it would fram her face well.

Zoey stared at her face then smiled a bit, "It's beautiful…"

"That's not all Zoey, look at your shoulder," Damien mentioned softly smiling.

As she looked at her new marks I managed to look over at Erik and Heath. Heath didn't look good at all, Erik looked up to Zoey, "Z, he needs help." Erik saiin a worried tone.

"Whatever. Leave him here," Aphrodite said. "Someone will find him in the morning. We need to get out of here before the guards wake up."

Zoey whirled on her and my mind went dizzy, "And you ask why me and not you? Maybe because Nyx is sick and tired of you being selfish, spoiled, indulged, hateful…" Zoey paused, unable to think of any more adjectives. Lucky we all were just as sick as Zoey.

"Nasty!" Erin and Shaunee said together.

"Yeah, and a nasty bully." Zoey said, taking a step closer to her, "This whole CHange is hard enough without someone like you. Unless we want to be your- your sycophants, you make us feel like we don't belong- like we're nothing. That's over, Aphrodite. What you did tonight was totally, completely wrong. You almost caused Heath to die- Percy almost died. And maybe even Erik and who knows who else, and it was all because of your selfishness."

"It wasn't my fault your boyfriend tracked you here and Percy decided to protect him!" Aphrodite yelled back at Zoey.

"No, Heath wasn't your fault, but that's the only thing that wasn't your fault, but that's the only thing that wasn't your fault tonight. It was your fault that your so-called friends wouldn't stand by you and keep the circle strong. And it was your fault negative spirits found the circle to begin with." Aphrodite then got a confused look. "Sage, you hateful hag! You're supposed to use sage to clear out negative energy before you use sweet grass. And it's not surprising that you drew such horrid spirits."

"Yeah, 'cause you're horrid, and spiteful, and-" Will started leaning onto Nico and Aphrodite turned to him glaring.

"You don't have shit to say about it, refrigerator," She sneered and I heard Annabeth suck in her breath.

I looked and Nico looked like he was planning the perfect way to send Aphroditie to his dad, I then looked at Zoey who had the meanest look on her face. "No! This refrigerator crap is the first thing that's ending."

"Oh, so now you're going to pretend that you don't crave the taste of blood more than any of us?" Aphroditie said with a smirk.

Zoey looked at us all and I realized why she didn't want us here. I gave her a smile and so did the others. She smiled back then turned to Aphrodite again. "We'll all eventually crave blood, or we'll die. But that doesn't make us monsters, and it's time the Dark Daughters stopped acting the part. You're finished, Aphrodite. You're no longer leader of the Dark Daughters."

"And I suppose you think that now you're the leader?"

Zoey nodded, "I am. I didn't come to the House of Night asking for these powers. All I wanted was a place to fit in. Well, I guess this is Nyx's way of answering my prayer." She smiled at us and we all smiled back. "Clearly, the Goddess has a sense of humor."

"You stupid bitch, you can't just take over the Dark Daughters. Only a High Priestess can change their leadership."

"Convenient, then, that I am here, isn't it?" Neferet said scaring the shit out of me causing me to flinch and then suck in my breath.