This Chapter deals with Sexual Assault, if that in anyway can harm you or makes you uncomfortable please skip this chapter. Your discretion has been advised.
"No!" Zoey screamed, running over to Erik and falling to her knees beside him. He was on his hands and knees, groaning in pain, with his head almost touching the floor. I couldn't see his face, but I could see that sweat-or maybe even blood, though I didn't smell it- it was already soaking his shirt. No, this was different- he wasn't sick before. He didn't even look sick now. I walked over at Zoey who looked around frantically for help. As always, Damien was there when she needed him. "Get towels and Neferet," She said. Damien took off with Jack on his heels.
She turned back to Erik, but before She could pull him into his arms, Aphrodite's voice cut through the noise of his moans and the sounds of the frightened, watching crowd of kids. "Zoey, he's not dying." Zoey looked up at her, not really getting what Aphrodite was saying. She grabbed Zoey's arm and pulled Zoey away from Erik. Zoey struggled, but Aphrodite's next words got through to Zoey and made her freeze. "Listen to me! He's not dying. He's Changing."
Suddenly Erik screamed, his body curling in on itself as if something inside his chest was trying to claw its way free. His hands were pressed against his face. He was still trembling violently. Clearly, he was in pain and something big was happening to him. But there was absolutely no blood. Aphrodite was right. Erik was Changing into an adult vampyre.
Jack rushed up and thrust several towels into Zoey's hands. The kid was bawling so hard he was snotting on himself. Zoey stood up and hugged him.
"He's not dying. He's Changing." Zoey's voice sounded weird-hoarse and strained-as she repeated Aphrodite's words.
Then Neferet burst into the room with Damien and several of the warriors following close behind her. She ran over to Erik. I watched her face closely, and felt a dizzying rush of relief as her tense, worried expression changed instantly to one of joy. Neferet dropped gracefully to the floor beside him. Murmuring something so softly that I couldn't catch the words, she gently touched his shoulder. His body jerked violently once, and then he began to relax. His awful trembling stopped, and so did his scary, painful moaning. Slowly Erik's body unwrapped from around itself and he pulled himself to his hands and knees. His head was still bent down toward the floor, so I couldn't see his face.
Neferet whispered something else to him and he nodded in response. Then she stood and turned to us. Her smile was amazing, completely filled with joy and almost blindingly beautiful. "Rejoice fledglings! Erik Night has completed the Change. Arise, Erik, and follow me for your purification ritual and the beginning of your new life!"
Erik stood up and raised his head. His face was luminous. It seemed someone had turned a switch on inside him. He'd been handsome before, but now everything was intensified. His eyes were bluer, his thick hair was wild and black and dangerous, he even appeared taller. And his Mark had been completed. The sapphire crescent was filled in. And framing his eyes, along his brows and over his well-defined cheekbones, was a stunning pattern of interlocking knots that formed the shape of a mask, reminding me instantly of Professor Nolan's beautiful Mark. I felt dizzy with the Tightness of it. Then he raised his arms over his head and cried out in a voice filled with power and pure joy, "I've Changed!"
All the kids started to cheer, though no one except Neferet and the vamps actually approached him.
"They'll take him to be anointed into the service of the Goddess," Aphrodite said. She was still standing beside me and Zoey, yet her voice sounded as bleak. "Fledglings don't know exactly what happens during the anointing. It's a big vamp secret, and they're not allowed to tell." She shrugged. "Whatever. Guess we'll find out some day."
"Or we die," I said through numb lips.
"Or we die," she agreed. Then she looked at Zoey. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Fine," She said automatically.
"Hey, Z! Was that cool or what?" Jack said.
"Man, it was incredible. I'm still reeling!" Damien fanned himself and his large vocabulary.
"Oh, baby! Now Erik Night joins the other vamp hotties like Brandon Routh and Josh Hartnett.
"And Jake Gyllenhaal, Twin. Do not leave his hottiness out," Erin said.
"Wouldn't think of it, Twin," Shaunee said.
"It is totally cool that Z's boyfriend is a vamp. I mean a real one," Jack said. Damien took a breath to say something and then shut his mouth and looked uncomfortable.
"What?" Zoey said.
"Well, it's just that... uh ... well..." He hesitated.
"God, what is it? Just spit it out!" Zoey snapped.
He flinched at Zoey's tone, making me feel a bit upset, but answered her. "Well, I don't know much about it, but once a fledgling goes through the Change he leaves the House of Night and starts his life as a full-grown vampyre."
"Zoey's boyfriend is gonna leave?" Jack said.
"Long-distance relationship, Z," Erin said quickly.
"Yeah, you two will work it out. Easy-peasy," Shaunee said. Zoey looked from the Twins to Damien and Jack, Annabeth, Nico, Will, and I, and finally at Aphrodite.
She nodded and took a deep breath still a bit shaken. I placed a hand on her shoulder and she smiled. "Yeah, we will." She then gave us a smile and stood up straighter. "Let's all get something to eat and clean up. Me and Percy need to catch you guys up on SR and Percy's family."
It seemed like it took forever for the Dark Daughters and Sons to eat and then clear out, but when I looked at the clock I realized that they had actually eaten quickly and were leaving early. There had been a lot of excited talk about Erik. Finally I realized the only kids left were us. So we quietly start to throw away the leftovers and bag up the trash.
"Uh, guys, I'll get that," Zoey said.
"We're just about done, Z," Damien said. "Really all that's left is to put away the stuff on Nyx's table in the middle of the circle."
"I'll do that," She said, nonchalantly.
"Z, is everything-" Will started to ask but Zoey held up her hand.
"I'm tired. I'm kinda freaked about Erik. And, honestly, I need some alone time." She sounded stressed and took a deep breath. "Guys, could you just give me awhile. Please?"
"No problem," the Twins said together. "Later, Z."
"All right. I'll, uh, see you later, too," Damien said.
"Bye, Z," Jack said.
"Z-bird, do you want me to accompany you? Or is it total Z.A.T.?" I asked her and she gave me a smile.
"Total Z.A.T- and while I'm gone can you catch everyone up on my idea?" She asked and I nodded.
She left rubbing her temples and I watched till the door closed getting a bad feeling. Aphrodite then nudged me a little bit as we all sat down after finishing cleaning up. We all sat at a table and everyone looked at me with a mixture of excitement and worry. They had the feeling too. I pushed my own feeling down and cleared my throat.
"You guys all know how Zoey helped heal our minds from N's weird mind erasing stuff?" They all nodded and I took a deep breath once again as I noticed Will's expression change looking at me in the eyes. "Zoey thinks she can do what she did, and ask the elements and Nyx to help restore SR's humanity and complete her new change."
That's when Will stood up shaking and I stood up as well. "Percy- I know she said she needs to be alone. But she's not in control with whatever is happening to her."
"What do you mean- how do you know?" I frantically asked.
"I can keep tabs on the emotions of people- like I'm the ultimate empath or something- just go to Zoey I'll explain more later." Will said and I ran out of the room we were in trying to see if I could hear Zoey.
That's when I saw Zoë, she then led me to where she saw Zoey and my blood boiled. Loren had Zoey pinned against the wall, her dress completely torn off and she was completely dazed. I smelt the iron scent of blood and went to pull Loren off of where he had his face to her breasts. When I put my hand on his shirt he reared up and smirked at me. He looked proud of himself. Like he already got what he wanted. I clenched my teeth looking at Zoey who looked as if she realized what had happened and was shaking, literally holding herself as she curled up on the floor.
I looked back at him and took riptide out of my pocket. He looked down at me and cackled. "Oh I may be a poet lit, but even I know the pen isn't actually mightier than a sword."
"Yeah, well mine is both- and you just violated a minor. She's only seventeen." I retorted through clenched teeth uncapping riptide then pointing it at him. I looked down at Zoë who was puffed up at Loren. "Go find the herd." I said to her and she ran off.
"Oh like a bunch of fledglings are going to be able to fight me-" I cut him off putting the tip of riptide to his throat. He sneered at me as I stared him down. "This is against the rules-"
"I'm sure violating a student is against the rules too." I said not standing down, knowing I was going to need to help get Zoey out of here, I sent a silent plea to Artemis and Nyx that the herd would get here on time.
"Look kid- it's too late Zoey is mine now. We've imprinted." He sneered and my blood started to boil. It calmed down as I heard frantic footsteps coming my way.
I heard Zoey sob and it took everything in me to not ram this sword through his throat right here and now. Suddenly I heard the door open and I saw Loren's eyes widen and he looked down at me.
"Zoey!" I heard Erik's voice cry and out of the corner of my eye I saw him go to Zoey and bring her closer to him using his jacket to cover her.
"Erik, take her out of here." I said keeping my gaze directly on the man in front of me. "Go through the doors that will lead to the eating area, get her to Will. Tell Nico to come here."
"On it." I heard Erik say in a harsh tone directed towards Loren. Loren then looked at me with a glare.
"What makes you think-" Loren started to say and I touched the tip to his throat.
"I am the son of Poseidon. Nico is the son of Hades. You do the math Professor." I said then gave him a little smirk. "You're not the first teacher that I would have killed." Suddenly I felt the presents of someone behind Loren and I saw that Stygian Iron Sword towards his back. I met Nico's gaze and smirked. "Alright Loren, here is the deal, either we kill you now or you go running back to Neferet, your tail between your legs, and you say you failed to do what she wanted."
"And if you don't- my sword and I can send you straight to my dad." Nico said with malice. That's when I saw Loren admit defeat, he relaxed and looked me in the eyes.
So I smirked, "Give me your oath or swear upon the river styx." I said and his eye twitched. "Tell me you will leave, tell Neferet you have failed and promise you will not come near Zoey willingly."
"I swear upon the river styx that I will leave, tell Neferet I have failed, and promise I will not come near Zoey willingly." He said and the ground rumbled as lightning flashed above and his face turned white.
I dropped my sword from his throat and caped riptide putting it back in my pocket. Nico turned his sword back into his ring with a slight smirk on his face. "For your own heath- you should break the oath you just made." Nico said and we walked back to meet up with the others not looking at a horrified Loren Blake.