"This is it," Stevie Rae told us, looking uncomfortable and apologetic in front of the stone steps leading to a round brick building. Giant oak trees wrapped the building in darkness, making it hard to see the flickers of light by the entrance. I took a deep breath and tried to shake off this uneasy feeling I had.

"Well, thanks for the Tums," Zoey said and gave Stevie Rae and Damien a smile. "Save us a place for dinner? This can't take too long; we'll be done and join you guys."

Damien looked at me, then shook his head. "Don't rush; you guys might meet some folks you like and want to hang out with."

"Yeah, and we'll tell the twins that y'all are….Reconnoitering!" Stevie Rae said, and Damien smiled and nodded.

"We're not one of them, Stevie Rae," Zoey said flatly, and I gave Stevie Rae and Damien a smile.

"I've only known you guys for 48 hours, and I already know I have found my group," I explained, and Damien smiled back at me.

"We believe you," Damien said, then locked his arm with Stevie Rae. "Let's go get some food."

Zoey and I walked up the steps in silence. An air of worry among us, yet I wasn't sure why. This was just another circle being cast mixed with some vamp fledgling prep rally shit. It couldn't be too bad. I've had to deal with things worse than mean girls. So I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to push the weight away from me and taking a deep breath following the flickers of light from the gas torches. Zoey brought her hand up to use the heavy iron knocker but the door opened with an intimidating sound.

"Merry Meet, Zoey and Percy."

Erik smiled at the two of us, holding a clothing bag. I looked him up and down, holding back a blush. He was dressed in an all-black suit with his hair in perfect curls. Well shit. My thoughts were cut short when I felt the oil being applied to my forehead and the clothing bag being placed in my hands.

"Blessed be," Erik said.

"Blessed be," I responded, a bit confused about the clothing bag.

"Ah, there is a dress code," Erik started to explain, and he smiled. "Professor Nolan asked me to give you the suit. Oh, and you can come in. I would hurry with getting changed."

I nodded and quickly went in to find that the rec hall was one big room. The walls were draped in black velvet, blocking the stained glass windows and moonlight: heavy curtains covering TVs, games, and other typical rec hall amenities. The circle in the middle of the room caught my attention. Tall candles illuminated the students standing around them. As I looked at them, I noticed that they all wore all-black outfits. None of them had a class symbol but wore a silver chain with a triple moon symbol. I shook my head and headed to the boy's bathroom, getting into one of the stalls. I put on the suit and put my previous clothes onto the hanger with the clothes bag. I held Riptide in my hand and walked out of the stall and over to one of the mirrors. I took a look at myself and placed riptide into my suit pocket before leaving once again.

When I exited the bathroom, I saw Erik waiting, and he smiled at me. "Weird how the vamps know our size for clothes, right?"

He asked, and I nodded, smiling back at him. "Yeah, it is a bit weird."

After a bit, Aphrodite exited the girl's restroom with Zoey. Zoey looked a bit annoyed and uncomfortable but smiled when she saw me.

"Thank you for watching over Percy," Aphrodite told Erik, and Erik rolled his eyes before walking away. Aphrodite then looked at me and motioned to follow her.

Then Aphrodite led us to a group of two girls who I recognized immediately as the "has from hell," as Shaunee and Erin called them. They smiled warmly, and both Zoey and me, but I wasn't fooled. I, of course, smiled back, trying to blend in.

"Hi, I'm Enyo,'' said the tallest of the two, and I tilted my head slightly. I looked at her, and she had long, straight golden blond hair.

"Hi," Zoey said, and the other girl spoke up.

"I'm Deino." She said, and I suddenly had the urge to bolt from the room.

I looked away, trying to block all the questions I had out of my mind. I looked to the middle of the circle and saw the table. It was very similar to the one used in Nyx's temple, except for someone sitting next to the table draped in a cloak obscuring their face. It caused me to pause, but I forced myself to focus on the other items around the table; it was draped with the same black fabric that covered the windows and walls, a statue of Nyx in the middle. A bowl of fruit and bread, several goblets, and a pitcher filled with a deep red liquid surrounded the statue. Then I saw the knife. An ornate, clearly ceremonial, blade that was entirely too sharp to be for cutting bread and fruit. I shifted my stance to see if I could get a better look at it, and I saw how the blade curved from a carved bone handle. Yet it didn't scare me. So I shrugged, thinking it was a little extra, and noticed the girl lighting incense around the room.

The air filled with smoke that I didn't recognize. It was bitter, like a bay leaf but also sweet like cloves. Like how my mom's apartment would smell after she and Paul cooked dinner and baked dessert on essential nights. I frowned, trying to place the smells. As the smoke went around the room, I smelt something else at the end of it. My nose curled as it got stronger. It reminded me of skunk spray. What plant smells like a skunk? I kept trying to go through my minimal knowledge of plants and their smells. I felt Zoey nudge my arm and look over to her. She just brought my ear closer to her and then whispered.

"They're filling the room with pot smoke!" Her voice was one of worry and anxiety.

I just nodded and wondered why I was ever offered pot if it smelt like skunk. I tried to block that smell by focusing on the cloves and bay leaves. It was harder than I thought, especially when I looked around at the other students calmly talking about—a pit formed in my stomach. The pot was legal. How a bunch of fledgling teams got weed was a big mystery to me. One that caused my anxiety to go through the roof.

Thankfully my anxiety didn't get too bad as Zoey spoke up to Deino.

"So….Deino is an interesting name." She said, trying to act calm. "Does it mean anything?"

"You should ask the Demigod boy," Deino said, looking at me with a condescending smile. "I'll tell you, though; it means terrible."

"Enyo means war-like," Enyo said in a perky tone which caused Zoey to nod before she continued. "And, Pemphredo, which means wasp, is the one lighting the incense."

"We got the names from Greek Mythology. They were the three sisters of the Gorgon and Scylla." Denio continued to explain to Zoey. Then she locked eyes with me like she would challenge me to say anything after she continued. "Myth says they were born as has who shared an eye, but we decided that was probably just some bullshit male-dominant propaganda written by human men who wanted to keep strong women down."

The hairs in the back of my neck stood up at one end, and I started Denio down. "It's not bullshit; they are three hags who share an eye." I stood up straighter and gave her a condescending smile back. "They do run the fastest taxi service in NYC. I do miss being able to hail their cab."

Denio and Enyo looked like they were about to strangle me as the music started to blare, making it impossible to talk. I just smirked and focused on the music. Pulsing music that was trying to be ancient and modern like someone mixed Baby's Got Back with Mozart. I shook my head as Aphrodite began to dance her way around the circle.

Yes, she was attractive. She was trying to be. Her moves were sensual and alluring. Everyone was captivated by her—well, almost everyone. One look around, I saw both Erik and Zoey were frowning. I had to hold back a chuckle. It figures that the people who didn't like Aphrodite were not "under her spell" like everyone else. I also noticed how both Zoey and Erik looked at each other from across the circle, and I smiled before moving my attention to Aphrodite, who was starting her ritual. Aphrodite picked up a big purple pillar candle that I hadn't noticed before in one hand and the ornate knife in the other. The candle was lit as she carried it, holding it in front of her like it was a beacon. That was when I saw the yellow candle and turned to the east. Aphrodite lit the yellow candle and slashed a pentagram into the air with the knife.

Oh winds of storm, in Nyx's name I do call there forth,

cast they blessing, I do ask

upon the magic which shall be worked here!

Aphrodite's words and voice were strong. Not as powerful as Neferet but her words, however extra they were, carried throughout the circle. I took a deep breath as we turned to the south, facing a red candle.

O fire of lighting, in Nyx's name I do call three forth,

bringer of storms and power of magic,

I ask your aid in the spell I do here work!

We turned again, and I swore I heard a voice to grab Zoey and keep her back, so I did. As we faced west, I grabbed Zoey's wrist and pulled her back.

O torrents of rain, in Nyx's name I do call there forth.

Join me with your drowning strength, in performing this

most powerful of rituals!

My face felt cool, and I heard the sounds of the sea calling me. Soon. I heard a voice tell me as a lump formed in my throat. Soon you will be near the sea again. I took a deep breath facing north.

O earth, deep and damp, in Nyx's name I do call there forth,

that I may feel the earth herself move in the roar of the storm if power

with doth come when you aid me in this rite!

I could hear Zoey taking a shaking breath, and I grabbed her arm and squeezed it. I felt her move closer to me, and I swear I could smell lavender all around her. I looked over and saw Aphrodite moving to the center of the circle, placing the purple candle on the table.

O spirit, wild and free, in Nyx's name I do call there to me!

Answer me! Stay with me during this mighty ritual

and grant me thy Goddess' power!

The next thing I knew, she raised one of the goblets and began walking around the circle. I felt her words echo in my mind, even if they weren't as poised as Neferet's.

"This is the time of the fullness of our Goddess's moon. The ancient vampyres knew the mysteries of this night. Using them to strengthen themselves, splitting the veil between worlds, and having adventures we only dream about today. Secret….mysterious….magical….true beauty and power in vampyre form—not tainted by human rules or law. We are not human!" Aphrodite's words echoed across the room, and I felt a pit in my stomach as I heard the muttering students agree with her words. "And all of your Dark Daughters and Sons ask tonight in this rite what we have petitioned each full moon for the past year. Free the power within us so that as the mighty felines of the wild, we know the lithe suppleness of our animal brethren, and we are not bound by human chains or ignorant weakness."

Aphrodite stopped right in front of Zoey. I watched and saw a glint of something in Aphrodite's eyes as she offered the goblet to Zoey.

"Drink, Zoey Redbird, and join us in asking Nyx for what is ours by the right of blood and body and the Mark of the great change—the Mark that she has already touched you with."

I watched as Zoey grabbed the goblet and took a big drink. I watched as Zoey's body language changed from being apprehensive to relaxed in a matter of seconds. I titled my head a bit, but I couldn't think about it for long. Aphrodite snatched the goblet away from Zoey then was in front of me.

"Drink, Percy Blofis, join us too in asking Nyx for what is our right in blood and body, and the Mark of the change. The gift Nyx gave to you is a sign that you'll earn the Mark."

I took a drink just as Zoey did, and it was like my taste buds got electrocuted. Not in the wrong way, mind you. I gave the goblet back to Aphrodite and thought about the taste of what I drank. I tasted the alcohol of the wine, the sweetness of it too. Yet there was another flavor that could only be described as what I imagine Nectar would taste like to the Gods. I liked it. I wanted to experience it again. Yet it was familiar too. Like I've tasted it before, but something about it changed. I got lost in my thoughts, not looking at anything in particular until I heard Aphrodite end the ritual.

"Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again!" Aphrodite said, and then everyone started to depart, talking and laughing, going into their own cliques. The glass lights came on over head, and I blinked, trying not to look like a dump found idiot. I went to talk to Zoey but noticed the figure in the middle pulling himself into a more seated position. It was that kid who called Damien the f-slur. I was trying to figure out why he was here when I overheard Zoey talking with Terrible, War-like, and Wasp.

"He's practically human," Wasp said with a sneer. "No wonder all he's good for is a snack bar."

My stomach dropped as I started to connect the dots.

"Wait," Zoey said, and she wore a confused and worried expression. "I don't get it. Refrigerator? Snack Bar?"

"We call humans—refrigerators and snack bars. You know—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any means in between." Terrible said, and I felt my chest tighter as it got harder to keep my breathing steady.

I guess Zoey still looked confused, so War-like spoke up. "Oh, come on! Don't pretend that you couldn't tell what was in the wine, and you didn't love the taste of it."

"Yeah, admit it," Terrible said as she moved into a traditional mean girl pose, looking at Zoey. "It was obvious. You would have downed the whole thing—you wanted it even more than we did. We saw you licking it off your fingers," Terrible then got closer to Zoey, staring at her mark. "This makes you some kinda freak. You're fledgling and vamp all in one; you wanted more of that kid's blood than just a taste."

I felt my blood get hot as the words echoed in my ears, and I watched Zoey get pale. I also noticed how Terrible, War-like, and Wasp looked for a reaction. So I put my affinity to use.

"Sorry, girls, but I just remembered that I promised Zoey that I'd tell her about my demigod adventures after the ritual." I smiled at them, keeping my voice steady linking my arm in Zoey's. "So we'll see you around."

I quickly took Zoey outside, and we walked as far as I could feel Zoey could walk. We met the school's stone protective wall,l and Zoey leaned against it. I held her hair up as she puked, gasping for air.