Before I start this chapter I just want to address some comments! So here me go!
Mossfire I am so excited to see one of my previous readers here on my re-vamping of my crossover fanfiction. As for you're question I 100% plan on bringing back Zoë in this fic. Percy having a tiny kitten who follows him around is just to precious for me to not bring back. Patience is key young grasshopper :)
Chimera629 I love your interest in how I'm building the world, but I hate to say that your question just falls to much into spoiler territory. Again I love your interest and enthusiasm!
Now let's get into the story!
We were halfway to Nyx's temple when Zoey spoke up to Stevie Rae, and I noticed how pale Stevie Rae looked. I got a pit in my stomach, a feeling that it wouldn't be the last time I'd see her like that.
"Is something wrong?" Zoey asked, and Stevie Rae nodded.
"Yeah, it's kinda sad and scary." Stevie Rae answered, then continued after taking a deep breath. "A girl died last hour."
I felt a lump in my throat as Zoey spoke up. "What? How?"
Stevie Rae shook her head, "She rejected the change; it happened near the end of Tae Kwon Do." She explained; her voice was quiet. "She had been coughing like she was just constantly out of breath. I didn't think anything of it- or I did, but I just put it out of my mind." Stevie Rae looked ashamed of herself, and I bit the inside of my mouth. I couldn't blame her for trying to ignore the signs.
"Is there any way to save a kid? You know after…?" Zoey started to ask, and Stevie, Rae, and I shook our heads.
"No," I said, simply thinking back to when I first witnessed a kid rejecting the change. "If your body rejects the change, you can't be saved."
Zoey nodded and looked at Stevie Rae with a smile. "Then don't feel guilty for not wanting to think about the girl who was coughing." She gave Stevie Rae a kind smile. "There wasn't anything you could have done anyway."
Stevie Rae nodded, tears in her eyes. "I know; Elizabeth was just so nice."
"Elizabeth No Last Name? She's the one who died?" Zoey asked Stevie Rae, nodding, and Zoey suddenly looked pale. "Percy and I just had her in Drama, and she looked excellent."
I didn't have time to think back to drama class to figure out who Elizabeth was when Stevie Rae started talking again.
"That's how it happens," she mentioned, her voice shaking. "One second, the kid sitting next to you looks perfectly normal. The next…." Stevie Rae shivered.
"And everything carries on as normal? Even though a kid just died…?" Zoey asked, and I nodded, thinking back to CHB.
"Everything has to go on as normal," I said, and both of them looked at me. "We're supposed to get used to the idea that it might happen to anyone. You'll see that almost everyone will act as nothing happened."
Stevie Rae continued the explanation as I said my peace. "Third Formers and good friends of Elizabeth, like her roommate, will show any reaction. Even then, we Third Formers are supposed to act right and get over it. Her friends will probably keep to themselves, but after a few days, they'll be expected to get over it."
I sighed and shook my head, trying my best not to get angry, "I honestly think the vamps don't see us as real until we make the change."
"That's awful," Zoey said, and Stevie Rae and I nodded our heads. We were at the doors of Nyx's temple when Shaunnee interrupted our thoughts.
"Just please," she said in a super annoyed tone, staring at the three of us. "Erin and Damien are already inside saving a place in the circle- but you know they don't let anyone in after it starts, hurry up!"
We all entered, and the sweet smoker incense I had become familiar with engulfed the four of us. Zoey hesitated, and I linked my arm under hers and smiled. I then leaned to her ear and whispered;
"No need to worry; you'll like this." I led her through the arches and followed Shaunee and Stevie Rae. "The ritual is great; when the camp travels, the pentagram on your forehead say 'Blessed Be' back to them. Then follow us into the circle."
"Isn't the pentagram a sign of evil?" She asked me as we unlinked our arms, her nerves calming down.
"Common misconception that the Christian Church caused through fear-mongering," I said, and Zoey gave me a look. I just sounded like Damien and Annabeth. "What I mean is that it's not a sign of evil but one of protection. All of the elements come together as one."
Zoey looked utterly relaxed, and we both picked up the pace, following Shaunnee and Stevie Rae. The deeper we got, I heard running water and smiled as we passed the fountain, causing the sound. Then I had to take a double-take when I saw the vampyre standing next to the stone doorway. Her resemblance to Athena was so shocking, besides the ornate sapphire tattoos that swirled around her grey eyes—reminding me of dancing serpents.
"That's Anastasia; she's the Spells and Rituals professor and Dragon's wife." Stevie Rae quickly explained, and I nodded, standing up slightly straighter.
Stevie Rae stood up and dipped her finger into the rock bowl tracing the five-pointed star onto Stevie Rae's forehead. "Blessed be, Stevie Rae."
"Blessed be," Stevie Rae said and looked back at Zoey, smiling before hurrying to head inside.
I stepped forward, and Anastasia smiled kindly before dipping her finger into the oil. "Merry meet, Percy Blofis, welcome to our House of Night," She said, tracing the pentagram. "And blessed be."
"Blessed be," I said back, my voice seeking ever so slightly that caused Anastasia to chuckle.
"No need to be nervous, our parent's rivalry is not our own." She said, and I hurried to find the others in the room as my face felt hot.
I moved next to Damien and ignored the annoyed mutters between him and Erin. I needed to focus on moving my interaction with Professor Anastasia to the back of my mind for the full moon ritual. I took a deep breath calming down when four figures materialized seemingly out of nowhere as if on cue. Two more entered from the doorway we had just passed through. Of course, one was Neferet, the High Priestess; the other was a tall vampyre man, who, I'll finally admit, looked extremely hot. It was like he was a walking example of the hot vamp man stereotype. He had to be over six feet tall and looked as if he belonged on the big screen. I felt my face getting hot.
"And there is the only damn reason I'm taking the poetry elective," Shaunee whispered.
"I'm with you there, Twin." Erin breathlessly whispered.
"Who is he?" Zoey asked, and Damien interjected.
"Loren Blake, Vamp Poet Laureate." He quickly explained, ensuring his voice could only be heard by the six of us. "He's the first male Poet Laureate in 200 years."
"And he's only like twenty-something, and that's in years, not looks." Stevie Rae interjected, and I took a deep breath, praying my face wasn't as red as I thought it was.
He started to speak, and I felt like I was under a less threatening siren's spell. Neferet used his voice as if it were music danced gracefully around the outside of the living circle. Loren made his way to the center. Neferet wore this long silk dress with crystal beads that caught the dim candlelight and made her shimmer as she danced around the circle. Her movements paired harmoniously to the words of the poem Loren was speaking. Somehow by the time Loren finished reciting the stanza, he and Neferet met at the circle's center. Then Neferet lifted the goblet from the table and raised it to offer a drink to the circle.
"Welcome Nyx's Children!" Her voice rang across the circle, captivating us all. "To the goddess's celebration of the full moon!"
The adult vamps chorused, "Merry, Meet!"
Neferet wore a smile setting the goblet back onto the table, and picked up a long white taper that was already lit and sitting in a single candlestick holder. She walked across the circle, and I got ready to turn to face the four directions. I took a deep breath preparing to be guided by the masses. The vamp at east saluted her, hand over breast before she turned around back to Neferet. There was our cue, and I turned to face east with the other vamps and fledglings.
"From the east, I summon air and ask you carry to this circle the gift of knowledge that our ritual will be filled with learning."
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Neferet light a yellow candle before the vamp representing air placed the candle at her feet. Then I turned to the right for fire.
"From the south, I summon fire and ask that you bless this circle the gift of will so that our ritual will be binding and powerful."
I glazed over and noticed that Penthesilea represented fire as she placed the red candle at her feet. I turned right for water.
"From the west, I summon water and ask you wash this circle in compassion, that the light of the full moon can be used to bestow healing to our groups as well as understanding."
And just as I felt it when Antipoe cast her full moon ritual, I felt the calm, relaxing sensation of running water on my fingertips. The sound from the fountain was amplified in my ears. The smell of the sea- that smell was causing a lump in my throat, reminding me that I was a son of the sea god landlocked in Oklahoma. I didn't need to open my eyes to turn right one more time to embrace earth.
"From the north, I summon earth and ask you grow within this circle the gift of manifestation, that the wishes and prayers from tonight will come to fruition."
I smiled; still relaxed from summoning water, I opened my eyes and looked over to see that Zoey seemed to be lost in the circle. I noticed that Loren was holding the purple candle for spirit.
"At last, I summon spirit to complete our circle and ask that you fill us with connection so that as your children, we may prosper together."
I heard a small gasp from Zoey, and I made a mental note to ask Zoey about her experience on the way to the Dark Daughter Ritual. That's when Neferet made her way around the circle, speaking loudly and clearly to us.
"This is the time of the fullness of the moon. All things wax and wane, even Nyx's children, her vampyres. But on this night, the powers of life, of magick, and creation are at their brightest—as is our Goddess's moon. This is the time of building…of doing."
I smiled, listening to Nyx's words, the irony never leaving knowing this was a worship sermon. Just add some ancient rituals and no guilt. I felt at peace, and everything I was slowly discovering about myself didn't feel daunting as Neferet's words echoed in my ears.
"This is a time when the veil between the mundane world and the strange and beautiful realms of the Goddess becomes thin indeed. On this night, may one transcend the boundaries of the worlds with ease and know the beauty and enchantment of Nyx."
I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I relaxed, closing my eyes when I heard Loren start to speak. I thought back to CHB and to the sacrifices we burned and the prayers we would send out. I took slow deep breaths sending out a silent prayer to Nyx. I don't know why I did it or why it took so long for me to end my prayer. It just felt right. I also felt this strong sense of support as I prayed. Like whoever was watching me was letting me know that I was on track. I was doing the right thing. When I was done sending my prayer out, I noticed how we all were getting ready to file out. I looked over to Zoey, who had this look of pure wonder.
I couldn't help but smile as my new friends went on to talk about dinner and Zoey seemed to get distracted.
"I'm so starved I could care less about what they feed us, just as long as they feed us," Erin said, and Damien chuckled.
"For once, we are in perfect agreement," Damien said; then I felt a put in my stomach as he linked arms with Stevie Rae and me, Stevie Rae connecting hers with Zoey. "Let's eat!"
"I love the thought," I said, and Zoey continued our shared thought for me.
"We can't go, we have the-" she started, and Stevie Rae immediately looked at us both.
"We're morons; I can't believe we forgot."
"Ah, crap!" Shaunee exclaimed, and Erin wrinkled her nose.
"The hags from hell," Erin said, and Damien looked at both Zoey and me.
"Do either of you want me to save you a plate?" He asked, and Zoey shook her head.
"No, Neferet mentioned that they'll feed us," Zoey answered, and Damien looked at me. I just shrugged.
"Don't worry about me," I answered, and Damien smirked at me.
"Watch out for the raw meat," Shaunee said in jest, but I noticed Zoey looked a bit pale.
"Stop it, y'all!" Stevie Rae said, and Damien looked annoyed. "Damien and I are going to show Percy and Zoey to the rec hall. Well, be super quick."
"Just be faster than you are with getting to the ritual tonight." Erin teased, and with laughter from our group Zoey, and I made our way to the rec hall.
Time to endure some mean girl bullshit.