Okay now this is a freakishly long chapter, so yeah. It holds a huge surprise involving Aphrodite, and the gang gets set to go home to Tulsa, but not before Stevie Rae ticks off Stark and Zoey!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything/anyone except those of whom I created myself. A.K.A Lissarillia, Joleen, Natalia and Brooke.

Stevie Rae

It hurts so badly! I can't believe Nicole did this. Z was right; I shouldn't have even tried to help them.

"Stevie Rae would you just tell us where it hurts?" Dallas insisted, kneeling beside Stevie Rae's bed. Ever since Darius had found out and demanded I come to the castle, Dallas had been pestering me. Gosh, for a dude, he could sure be annoying.

"You know, ya'll need to relax. I'll be fine! Just some minor burns. So what?!"

"Uh, okay. Firstly, they're second degree burns. And Secondly, they're second degree burns on top of first degree burns!" Dallas told me, obviously frustrated.

"Same thing, Dallas."

"No, it's not!" Dallas grunted out of frustration and left the room. I sighed, which hurt, and had a sip of the glass of cold water. Just then, Aphrodite and Darius came in. I smiled at them, and they grinned back.

"Hey, how're you doing?" Darius asked thoughtfully,

"Great, actually! I should be out in no time!" I said enthusiastically, glancing around the disgusting castle infirmary. Ew!

"Ah, now Stevie Rae, you have to wait until you are actually better. I know that Zoey and Stark are very worried about you." He paused, "Well, Stark is. We haven't told Zoey yet, I don't think."

I gasped and narrowed my eyes at Darius. "How can you not have told Zoey?!" I hissed at him sourly. I needed to see Z straight away. I jumped off the bed quickly, and used my super Vamp skills when Darius lunged himself at me. I ran down the hallway at an inhuman speed, and through the door connecting into the girls' part of the castle. I threw open the door to Z's room, and I instantly stopped in my footsteps.

Both sitting on the end of the bed, Z and Stark were in the middle of a passionate kiss. I started to back away to leave them in peace – they obviously didn't hear me enter – but as I was turning around, I ran straight into the side of the door. Ah crap.

I turned slowly around to see Z gawking at me, and Stark rubbing her back soothingly.

"Hey!" I said nervously, waving at the once.

"Stevie Rae, what the hell are you doing here?" Zoey hissed at me.

"Hey Zoey it's okay! We've seen Stevie Rae and Dallas before!" Stark told her.

"Wait WHAT?" I yelled. What were they talking about? I had only ever kissed Dallas in the dark! No one had seen us! At least not that I knew of…

Z took a deep breath and spoke. "Well, when we were just wondering around the hall last week, just after you arrived for the first time, and before you left and then came back again, we walked past your room and saw you and Dallas. We left straight away, promise! Oh yeah, and why was it pitch black in there?"

"Uh, Z, why didn't you tell me?" I asked skeptically. Then I thought of how annoyed Dallas was when he left. I was gonna have to make it up to him later…

"Stevie Rae!"

"Wha- huh?" I asked, totally confused after my internal blabbing.

Z smiled at me, "Were you day dreaming?"

"Kind of, I guess," I told her truthfully, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks.

"Oh yeah, hey Stevie Rae, how're the burns?" I looked at Zoey. She didn't seem fazed at all. Did someone tell her? Stark followed my gaze and nodded at me once. So they had.

"Well, they're getting better. But as Dallas pointed out before, they're second degree burns on top of first degree burns, so it's pretty bad." I explained. "Anyway, I'll leave you guys alone, to finish whatever you started doing!" And with that, I left the room, giggling like a little girl into my palm.

Aphrodite

Zoey reached over the cafeteria table, and snatched my phone in one swift movement.

"Hey!" I yelled at her.

"Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod!" Zoey quickly showed Erin and Shaunee what was on the screen, and they instantly started bobbing up and down in their seats.

"It's not that cool!" I insisted, trying, unsuccessfully, to get my phone back. I threw my hand out and got hold of my phone. Zoey narrowed her eyes at me, frowned and focused on my hand. No way.

"You wouldn't dare!" I hissed at her menacingly. Sure enough, I soon felt a horrible burning in my hand. With a little yelp, I let go of the phone and flung my hand back to cradle it. "I can't believe you just used your affinity to get my phone off me! That's a new low!" I growled.

When I finally got my phone back, I had forgotten why they stole it in the first place.

I glanced at the screen. Huh. "It's only a service message!" I said, totally confused.

"Aphrodite!" Erin wailed,

"Read it!" Shaunee insisted.

I read the screen, and I could feel my eyes widen and my mouth flap open. No way.

"THE BIG BANG IS COMING TO VENICE!" I screamed. The Big Bang was pretty much the most popular band of the twenty-first century. Zoey, Erin and Shaunee bobbed their heads in a nod excitedly.

"Yeah!" Zoey agreed, "They're going a little North from here, but it's only about a half-hours drive. It'll be awesome!" She paused, and then continued sadly, "But we can't go."

"WHAT?!" Erin yelled,

"We have to go!" I screamed. Glancing at Shaunee, I saw her frown at me. Oops, I had taken Shaunee's line of Twin-ness.

"I'm sorry guys, but we return to Tulsa in only one week! They're coming the day after we leave, and it's important we get back. We were only staying here because Neferet and Duantia convinced us it was better to be here in case Kalona returned. But if he doesn't come back in the next week, we're heading back to Tulsa with Neferet, the guys, and I'm pretty sure Duantia and Natalia are coming too, just in case anything happens." Zoey explained.

"Well, you have me. I'd rather get back home, I suppose." Then I stopped short, and immediately felt like bursting into tears. What if I wasn't allowed to stay there, because I was only a human now? It was like Zoey had read my mind, because she told me,

"Oh, yeah, Aphrodite, I've spoken to Neferet. You can stay at the House of Night; you'll have a permanent job at the school!"

"Oh, dear Nyx, thank you!" I cried happily. Zoey smiled at me and continued.

"However, Aphrodite, I have a plan. Follow me, Erin, Shaunee, we'll see you later!" Zoey stood up, wiped her plate clean into the bin, and sauntered out of the room, without waiting for me.

"What a High Priestess," I muttered under my breath as I scraped my plate.

I left the cafeteria, and met Zoey under the big tree near the clearing.

"Okay, Aphrodite, just follow my lead. Sit cross-legged there," Zoey motioned to a spot under the tree, and without question I placed myself there. Zoey grabbed a white candle and held it up. With her mind, she instantly set it alit. With a smile, she placed it in front of me. She started talking smoothly.

Dear Nyx,

We have asked a lot of favors from you lately,

But we are in need of one last one.

I ask that you understand,

The difference between our needs and wants,

But please consider what we have to ask…

Zoey spoke to Nyx easily, as if she wasn't our faithful goddess, but a friend that she needed a favor from. Suddenly a figure started to appear beside Zoey. She followed my gaze, and laid eyes on a beautiful Nyx. She had her long dark hair pinned up into a graceful bun, and she was wearing a long, flowing white gown with glitter sequins pinned to the side and three quarter sleeves.

Zoey gasped in surprise, but bowed respectfully, fist over heart. "Nyx," she started, but was silenced when Nyx held up one finger to her.

When Nyx spoke, it was in a voice as smooth as velvet.

"My dear children, I know what it is you ask me here for, and I shall answer you now."

I saw Zoey's face, and knew she needed to talk. With my eyes, I tried to divert Nyx's gaze from me to Zoey. She picked up on what I was trying to do, and faced Zoey. She smiled kindly.

"You may speak, my darling Zoeybird."

"Thank you, Nyx. If I may, I'd just like to inform you that Aphrodite doesn't know what I was going to ask you for, so could I just explain?"

"Of course, my u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya. I was not aware of this!" Zoey nodded to Nyx and turned to face me.

"I'll keep this short, Aphrodite. I was going to ask Nyx to re-mark you." I gasped and covered my open mouth with my palm. No way was Nyx ever going to do that!

"And my answer," Nyx started, No, no, no, no, NO! I don't want to hear myself be rejected! I screamed inside my head. "My answer is yes, Aphrodite. I am extremely proud of you. You will always be my daughter. I apologize for you having to start as a new third-former, though. I have also added to your affinity. Not only do you see tragedies, but also victories. Congratulations."

No way. This was literally the happiest day of my life. A beaming Zoey helped me up and Nyx kissed my forehead. I grinned at her like an utter idiot, and with that we bowed to her, and she disappeared. Zoey picked up the candle, blew it out and turned to face me, then repeated what Nyx had said.

"Congratulations, Aphrodite! You're now a new fledgling!" She took a pocket mirror out of her purse and handed it to me. I flipped it open and saw myself in the reflection. Only this version of me had a brand new outline of a crescent moon in between my eyebrows.

I'm not sure exactly when I started crying out of happiness, but it was somewhere between when I saw myself in the mirror, and when we opened the door back into the cafeteria. I was totally overjoyed. This couldn't be real.

As we approached the table we had been sitting at – which was now full of literally everyone. Darius, Stark, Damien, Jack, Erin, Shaunee, Neferet, Duantia and Natalia all turned to greet us at once. But when Zoey and I stood at the end of the table, I lifted my palm to my forehead and wiped, knowing that nothing would happen to my new crescent. Darius was the first one up. He sprinted around the table and picked me up in a big bear hug. We kissed and hugged for what seemed like forever. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Zoey explaining everything to Stark, Neferet and Duantia. They all seemed thrilled, and were smiling happily.

I can't believe it. I'm a fledgling again! But some part of me, deep down inside, was screaming at me to stop being happy. It was telling me that what just happened was impossible.

"You can't just ask to me marked…" I whispered to myself softly.

Okay guys, I know it was an uber-long chapter, but if you've made it this far then congratulations!! Aphrodite's now a 'fledgling' again for the moment.

P.S My friend Grace's grandpa just died. Sad face! He was so sweet. Please think happy thoughts and send them to him!!! Thank you.

P.P.S The Animal Welfare League in Australia just recently had a huge fire, destroying ALL of the food my friends and I raised for the animals there. WHY DOES THE WORLD HATE ME?! We spent forever RAISING THAT FOOD AND MONEY!!!!

~Love Nyx's special fledgling~ xx