"Raven! Raven!"
I opened my eyes and made a face. My chest really hurt. Even thinking about sitting up was making it ache.
Darius rushed out with Zoey and Aphrodite close behind.
"Fuck! What did you do Raven?"
I rolled over, trying to get up in the least painful way possible.
"Stay still, Raven." Darius said.
"I'm all healed." I said. "It's just sore."
"What the hell did you do?" Aphrodite said.
"Do you really think she would do this to herself?" Zoey snapped. "What happened, Ray?"
Darius helped me sit up.
"Can we get into the tunnels?" I felt too exposed. I was afraid a friend of Mister robes man would show up. I looked around, but there was no body. Just a gross blood spot. The unicorn was gone too. Huh. If it wasn't for the bruise and blood spot, I would have assumed I had a trippy ass dream.
Skye squawked and looked at Darius and then at me.
"I'm fine." I told her. I grabbed her and looked her over. There wasn't a mark on her. "He was a good shot."
"What?"
"I'll explain. Let's just get underground. This sun's probably a bitch for you guys." I creakily stood up. It felt like all my chest muscles were stone.
Darius put an arm around me and helped me into the tunnels. Imagine my surprise when a good chunk of the red fledglings where waiting in the kitchen.
There were a lot of felines too and Miss Duchess herself. They came over and sniffed me. I wondered if I sent a distress call out to the animals and that's why the red fledglings were up and looking zombized, but also freaked out.
"Fuck, what happened to your chest."
"Someone fucking stabbed me." I sat down in a chair
"What?!"
So, I told them about robes guy and what he told me.
"So, wait, he didn't really want to kill you?" Stevie Rae asked.
I nodded. "It was just weird. He acted like he had no other choice." I pressed the ice pack against my chest.
"I'm starting to think you're more trouble than your worth." Aphrodite said.
"Well, you inherit a position you don't know shit about and see how much trouble you get in." I retorted.
She gave me a nasty smile. "You just cussed."
I narrowed my eyes. Sparks of darkness and light shot out from the chair. Aphrodite gave a small scream as it fell apart and she landed on her butt.
"Whoopies." I said. I got up and tossed the ice pack into the freezer. The pain hadn't lessened and all it had done was make me cold. "Look, I'm really tired. I'm sorry, but I need to sleep. I'm going to bed. Night."
I picked up Skye and walked out of the kitchen. I swear I was a zombie. Everything felt dead and I felt like I was just floating around. Maybe I did die and was just floating around in a solid-ish ghost.
I kicked off my shoes and curled up under my covers. Skye chirped and curled up against my heart. Snap curled up near my head.
"Try not to get in trouble." She said.
"I make no promises." I mumbled and hugged my pillow to my chest.
It felt like I had only been asleep for a couple seconds when I heard a noise. I lifted my head and blinked stupidly.
My heart skipped a couple of beats when a huge shadow suddenly moved towards me.
"Gods Dominic!"
Dominic appeared out of the mass of shadows.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Shoo." I said lying back down.
He grabbed my upper arms and lifted me up.
"Dominic, I'm tired. Go away." I snapped. I tried to push him away. It was too much effort. "What do you want?"
"Who stabbed you? He asked. He pressed two fingers in between my breasts. He lightly traced the raised line and it actually tickled.
I smacked his hand. "Prev. Some robes guy stabbed me."
"Robes guy?"
"He didn't drop his name or what cult he's part of." I said rubbing my head. "So, leaving yet?"
"Where is he now?"
"Some unicorn pounded his head into the pavement." I said. I looked at him, really looked at him, and I probably shouldn't have. He was just wearing some low slung black pants and yes, his abs were really, really yummy.
Jerk. One, he's just playing with my sex crazed hormones by showing off his naked chest and delicious abs and two: it's so damn unfair , why can guys parade their boobs out in public and not girls? No one cares if a man shows off his man boobs (and pecs are boobs, okay? They have nipples, they're boobs), but everyone freaks out when I woman shows of her breasts (mostly when a mom is feeding her baby.)
It wasn't such a problem before wings, but now it was a pain to find a shirt that fits.
"Did he have some kind of symbol on his robe or anything?" he asked.
"I think there was a bird." I said. "He kept talking about a Phoenix."
"Phoenix? Are you sure Raven?" He said. He sounded scared, but I didn't care. I'm tired.
"Uh-huh." I yawned. I snuggled back under the covers. He sighed, but didn't bother to get me up again.
I heard a scraping sound and looked up. Dominic took Grandma Redbird's dream catcher and took off the middle feather and was replacing with one of his own.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"My feather will help project you." He leaned up and put the dream catcher back.
I sighed. I really don't care right now. He kissed my temple. "Sleep well, Raven."
"I'm trying." I mumbled.
He squeezed my hand tightly before leaving. I cracked open an eye to see him turn into threads of darkness and slip out of the window.
Weird.
XOXOXOXOXOXXO
My alarm blared, literally scaring the shit out of me. I thumped the snooze button and stretched.
"Ow! Ow!" I rubbed my chest. The bruise was still a blueberry stain color. I took a deep breath but nothing hurt. So stretching was not okay, but breathing was perfectly okay. Which, I guess was good because breathing is kinda vital, but stretching is really nice.
I got up and pulled on a dress with a low back, seriously wishing I could walk around with my boobies hanging out. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I still can't get over how different I looked. Even in a cute little sundress, I still looked exotic and kinda of badass, well, as badass as a dark haired, golden eyed, Cherokee/whatever ethnicity Kalona is, eighteen year old winged girl in a cute purple sundress can look.
I walked over and was surprised to see that Skye was still sleeping.
"Come on baby, wake up." I said. She raised her head and opened her jaws in a huge yawn.
I picked her up and walked down into the kitchen.
"Morning Raven."
"Morning." I waved to the sleepily eyed kids.
I feed Skye and then myself because there's no way she would have let me eat in peace if she hadn't been feed first. She still pranced over the table and made all sorts of sounds at me while I indulged myself in some Captain Crunch.
"You're going to school with us, right?" Damian asked.
"Yep. I didn't get to pillage the library yesterday." I said slurping my milk.
"You're sure you're up to going with us?" Stevie Rae asked.
"If I wasn't, then I wouldn't be out of bed." I said. I tickled Skye under the chin. She attacked my hand and mouthed my wrist. I rolled her other and shook her and bah-ed at her.
"Shouldn't you be concerned about that?" Aphrodite asked, nodding at my wrist in Skye's mouth.
"She's just mouthing, she's not actually biting." I said. "I probably should get her some dragon proof toys."
Skye warbled at me and scrambled up onto my shoulders. She tugged on my hair.
"Pee break. I'll see you guys at the bus." I grabbed my bag and headed for the outside.
"No way." Stevie Rae said. She hooked elbows with me. "You're not allowed to go out on your own anymore."
I scowled. "Okay, just because I got stabbed once does mean I need to be babysat all twenty four hours in a day."
"You were stabbed in the heart." Rephaim said.
"It wasn't lethal. I'm still alive and around to make sarcastic comments."
Rephaim rolled his eyes and shoved me playfully. "I swear, Ray."
We climbed up and out of the tunnels and back outside. We started heading for the huge mass of building eating bushes when a huge shadow moved towards us.
My muscles tensed and Stevie Rae tensed behind me. Rephaim grabbed my wrist.
A black unicorn walked out.
Black?
Okay, I was pretty sure that unicorns were white. Call me racist or I guess everyone since most unicorns are white and pearly looking in paintings and records. Could you even find a black unicorn via Google?
Its horn was still silver and it still glowed white-ish, although it was more purple-ish than blue. It was really beautiful with a radiant black coat and just looked just a majestic as Cander.
"Whoa." Stevie Rae said.
The unicorn bowed its head. "Hello, young Mediator. It's good to see you well rested and recovered."
"Yeah. I never got a chance to thank you for helping me." I said. "Thank you, a lot."
He flicked his ears, looking a bit embarrassed. "The Guardians are blinded by their Oath to keep the Phoenix safe. It pains me that I was forced to dispose him when he truly was not an evil soul, but you are more important."
Great. I hate being important.
"Okay, can you explain who the Guardians are and what the hell the Phoenix is?" I asked.
"The Guardians of the Phoenix protect the Key of Portals." The unicorn said.
"Then why aren't they called the Guardians of the Key?" Stevie Rae asked.
"At the time, most mortals knew what the Key of Portals was and what it was believed to be capable of. Not all mortals wanted to banish the Immortals or the Immortal beasts." The unicorn flared its wings and looked pissed. "Many mythical beasts were used for dark sorcery and forbidden alchemy. When the Key of Portals was created, it was up to the Mediators to hide it."
I blinked. "Is that why Damascus thinks I can find it?"
He nodded. "You are spiritual connected to all other incarnates of the Mediators. They can contact you and also help aide you in your time of need."
You know what I just realized, I'm kinda like the Avatar from Last Airbender (the cartoon, not the shitty live action). I'm supposed to bring peace to the world between warring factions, communicate with, and have power over the elements. I even have some cool body tattoos.
"The Mediators first tried to destroy it, but no matter what they tried, the energy continued on, appearing in animals or reforming into its crystal form."
"I suppose that's why they renamed it the Phoenix." Rephaim said.
"Yes. After the Mediators were killed, a group of humans and vampyres formed an organization that helped hide not only the Phoenix, but the detailed records of the mythical beasts and Immortals and the stories and myths of the Fae." He said.
"And they're just hogging all this information." I said. How selfish!
"Slowly, they've leaked information. Mostly in fantasy novels or movies, so humans and vampyres wouldn't be entirely shocked if they did see something uncommon."
"Uncommon." I said dryly.
"It's also gotten to the point that humans and vampyres will deny any random encounters with the mythical." He said.
I blinked. "Wait, they've tried to destroy the Key and it wouldn't be destroyed?"
The unicorn nodded. "The Mediators were able to draw the power back into a jewel before the last one was slain."
I shivered. Does being burned alive count as being slain? When I think of slain, I think of swords slicing people in half. Does that make me weird?
"Oh, whoa." Aphrodite said. "A black unicorn." I looked back and saw the rest of the kids had shown up and we're staring in shock at the unicorn.
"Oh whoa!" Shaylin said.
He snorted and drew his ears back.
"Raven, we're leaving a couple of minutes." Darius said. Obviously, he's hard to impress.
"Go pee Skye." I tossed her into a bush. I turned to the unicorn. "Where are you headed?"
"I supposed I better follow you and make sure you don't get into trouble."
Stevie Rae laughed and I scowled at her and the unicorn.
"I don't need to be babysat." I said for the gazillionth time.
No one paid attention to me. I picked up Skye and climbed onto the bus. Snap hopped into my seat and curled up next to me.
Evidently I am going to be babysat today. I sighed.
The unicorn spread its wings and took off into the night sky. I wondered what people would think if they saw a flying, glowing horse. Would they panic and try to kill it? Or stare up in wonder? What would happen to society when mythical beasts were suddenly exposed?
"Ah, hell." Zoey muttered when we got to the House of Night. I peered out the window and saw the High Priestess of Bitchess, Dragon, and some other Erebus peoples.
"Slow down." She begged Darius.
"Yeah, it don't look good." Kramisha said.
"Wow, you would not believe all the colors." Shaylin said. "Eek, and there's the Dead Fish Eye Lady, so gross!"
"Dead Fish Eye Lady-I like that." Aphrodite said. "It suits her."
"Dead Fish Eye Lady is super intuitive." Zoey said.
"And we all decided it's best if she doesn't know much about Shaylin's gift." Stevie Rae said walking up the aisle with Rephaim behind her. "Z, you want to call spirit and ask it to help shield Shaylin's thoughts, at least until we get past Neferet right now?"
"Yeah, sounds like a good idea." Zoey breathed in deeply. "Spirit, come to me. Shield Shaylin. Keep her thoughts private."
"Oooooh!" Shaylin giggled. "That's so cool, and you're super purple when you do that."
"Thanks, I guess." Zoey said. She glanced at the rest of her circle. "You guys keep your elements close, too."
"I think whenever Neferet is around it's an excellent opportunity for all of us to focus our thoughts on academics." Damien said.
"Ew." I said.
"What she said." Shaunee said.
"You are referring about the fashion show that is really school to us, right?" Erin asked.
Damien sighed. "Academics-as in schoolwork. For instance, when Neferet is near you should practice memorizing the definitions for your vocabulary words." He looked down at the Twins. "You two should start with the words miscreants."
"I have sort of no idea what that means, Twin. What about you?" Erin asked.
"Don't have a clue, Twin." Shaunee said.
"Be still, brain-sharers. Queen Damien has a point. We haven't been around Neferet like this in a while. Everyone needs to focus and keep their thoughts busy-and not busy on our business. Busy on stupid school business." Aphrodite glanced at Rephaim. "Can Neferet read your mind?"
"She cannot." Rephaim said.
"You know that for sure?" Zoey asked.
"Yes." He said.
"How?" Aphrodite asked.
"He doesn't have to explain that to you." Stevie Rae said.
"Yeah, he does." Stark said. "Stevie Rae, you're going to have to stop being so defensive about Rephiam. He used to be on Neferet's side. He might have info we could use."
"I was never on Neferet's side." Rephaim said in a cold tone. "I was on Kalona's side. As were you."
Oh! Burn!
"Whatever the specifics, what we mean is that you were on an opposite side, and that might help us now." Zoey said.
Rephaim's jaw clenched and then relaxed. "I know Neferet can't read my mind because she didn't know about Stevie Rae and me." He took Stevie Rae's hand. Gag me. "I tried not to think about you when she was near, but I couldn't help myself. I thought of you. Often."
Oh God! Disembowel me now! It's just so lovey dovey.
What made it worse was Stevie Rae's dopey smile and her stepping on tippie toe to kiss him.
"Ugh." Aphrodite said. "So, moving on quickly before I puke, it's for sure that Neferet can't read my mind, Zoey's mind, birdboy's and probably Raven's since has that whole Mediator mystical bullcrap. The rest of you need to watch yourselves."
"There is another bus that has just turned into the lane behind us." Darius said. I craned my head around and I saw a regular size bus with House of Night on the side riding along behind us.
What now?
"And it's not short. Why can't we get the normal-sized bus?" Johnny B complained.
"You ain't normal." Kramisha said.
"Your mom ain't-"
"Okay, let's get ready for school." Zoey said.
"Which means get ready for battle." Stark said.
"Park us." Zoey ordered Darius.
He parked and him, Stark, and Rephaim got out to scope it out before the rest of us filed off. Snap wound herself around my ankles and Skye perched the front of her body on my head with her back legs firmly planted on my shoulders.
I'm a winged Immortal in a cute sundress with a dragon hat.
I'm sure I look perfectly wonderful and sexy.
"Merry meet." Zoey said bowing slightly to the Warriors and Bitch Priestess.
"Oh, Zoey, Stevie Rae, I'm glad you and your students arrived with the other bus. It will save explanation time." Neferet said.
My muscles tensed and I felt my magic prickling through my body. The bus pulled to a stop with the rushing sound of the air brakes releasing before the folding doors opened.
Aurox stepped out first followed by…Dallas?
I mean, it looked like Dallas only he had red whipping marks all over his face and a filled in crescent. Did he Change and no one told me? I don't, maybe I didn't pay attention when we were informed of this.
I growled low in my throat when I saw that bitch and the other kids who had me tied up in the tunnels. Skye climbed off my head and head herself behind my hair.
They lined up in front of us. Some of them looked at me with weird looks. Maybe I do look different from being human.
"Dallas," Stevie Rae's voice was high pitched. "What in the Sam Hill are you doin' here?"
Dallas's lip curled. "I don't answer to you." He turned to Neferet and bowed to her. "Merry meet, my High Priestess." The red fledglings mimicked his bow.
Neferet smiled graciously, the power hungry bitch. "What a lovely greeting. Thank you, Dallas." She said in an annoyingly sweet voice. Why can't anyone else see she's so damn fake? I feel unclean being near her.
"I will answer your question, Stevie Rae. What they are doing here is the same thing you are doing here-attending classes. Oh, wait. There is a slight difference between them and your little group. Dallas and his red fledglings will be living here at the school, and I will be their High Priestess."
"Good." I said. "I don't want to have to inhale carrion eater stench twenty-four hours a day."
One of the girls flinched and then frowned at me. "You."
I grinned and let my teeth grow into fangs to snarl lightly before letting the beast slip way so I could grin like an innocent little child. "Yep. How's your wrist?"
Her fingers curled, but she didn't make a move towards me.
They are really just vultures.
"Raven," Neferet said condescendingly. "As the Mediator, I don't feel you should be antagonizing towards other people. You should be promoting peace between these red fledglings and Zoey's group."
I snorted. Really, I couldn't help it. Queen Bitch herself trying to tell me to be civil? She's lucky I didn't burst out laughing.
Instead I looked at her grinning slyly. "Why should I waste my time and energy promoting peace between these two groups when it's obvious that they are here to do the exact opposite?" I looked back at them. The bitch leader was glaring at me.
"We're here to learn." Dallas said evenly.
"Then why didn't you show up before?" I asked. "You've had a couple of weeks to continue your education before now."
Rephaim's hand squeezed my arm in warning. Dallas's flickered over to him and his eyes narrowed.
"Is that him?" He asked in a low voice.
"Let me introduce you. Dallas, this is Rephaim. Oh, but, you two have already met, haven't you?" She said obnoxiously sweetly.
His eyes glowed faintly red and I hissed in warning.
"Raven." Snap hissed.
"Yeah, like you said. We've met." Dallas said.
"We have." Rephaim said matching Dallas's cold tone.
"While I have you all together, let me be very clear about something." Neferet said. "There has been unpleasantness between us in the recent past. That is over now. I will have no strife here, be you fledgling or vampyre, red or blue."
Ha ha! No mention of half-breeds. I can continue to misbehave and she can't say shit. Sweet.
"Unpleasantness?" Stevie Rae shouted. "They tried to kill me and Zoey."
"Not to mention the fact I got tied up in a basement." I said.
"Zoey did kill some of us!" Dallas snapped. I heard the buzzing of electricity from above us.
"Wait, I didn't want to. Nichole and Kurtis and those guys attacked me and-"
"Enough!" Neferet's shouted. "I said the past is over."
I narrowed my eyes and almost make a comment about how you shouldn't completely dismiss the past as it usually caused mistakes to be repeated and people to not learn from the past to improve the future and such. Here, forgetting the past was definitely not a good idea. It needed to be resolved not forgotten.
But I didn't say this, even though probably should, but I did figure she wouldn't listen. She's kinda has lost that ability.
"Stevie Rae and Zoey, if you cannot control yourselves then you will be expelled from this school. Dallas, the same foes for you. Aurox and the Sons of Erebus Warriors will be patrolling the halls and classrooms. If any violence breaks out they will end it. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal." I breathed.
Neferet glared at me for a second before she smiled coldly. "Good. Now, get to class." She whirled around and walked away like she was gliding on water. I saw the nasty blood filled darkness clinging to her.
"There's Darkness all around her." Stark said in a low voice.
"She's totally engulfed in it." Rephaim confirmed.
"Absolutely." Stevie Rae said. She looked at the Warriors. "Don't y'all not see it? It's like sticky spider webs." She jerked her thumb at the bad red fledglings. "I'll bet they can see it."
"Don't know what the hell you're talking about." Dallas said.
"Do you still have imaginary tea parties in the basement with your dollies?" The bitch leader said.
The other fledglings and Dallas laughed.
"No. We go out flying with dragons and feed unicorns." I said. Skye peered out from behind my head and chittered grouchily at them.
Why couldn't I have a camera to record their faces? It was priceless.
I heard a loud whooshing sound and turned to see the black unicorn spreading his wings as he landed neatly onto the ground. He tossed his head and snorted. He looked at the red fledglings and then at me.
"Glad you stayed out of trouble."
"Gods! You all act like I taunt trouble to mess with me." I complained. I glanced at the bad apples, but they were too dumbfounded by the unicorn to be paying much attention to anything else. Even the Warriors looked awed. I guess Warrior training doesn't prepare them for unicorns. "I already get that from them." I jerked my thumb at my group. "And the cat." I nudged Snap with my calf.
"You guys can stop gawking now." Aphrodite said with a huff. "It's just a unicorn. Freaky half-breed girl there attracts all kinds of mythical beasts."
I blinked. "Wait, how did you know I was in trouble?"
"The Huntress of the Moon sent me." He said.
"Oh." I said. Good to know Artemis was still looking out for me.
His ears twitched and he gazed at Aurox. He had a suspicious look in his eyes.
Skye squawked loudly. I tickled her chin. "I'm heading to the library." I shot at a look at Stevie Rae. "Okay?" She didn't protest, although I left before she really could.
The unicorn followed after me.
"You never told me your name." I said just realizing all I could refer to him as the black unicorn.
"Dark Moon." He said.
I nodded.
"The creature. Did you know he wasn't…real?"
"What do you mean, real?"
"He wasn't born. He was made." Dark Moon said.
My skin prickled. "What is he?"
"Humans call them golems. But he is infused with evil, dark energy. I doubt he was made solely by mortal power. There is something odd though. I do sense that some good energy was put into him." Dark Moon said.
I strolled in silence thinking about what he said. Yes, Aurox was weird, but I didn't think he wasn't…real.
The library was actually easy to find and looked really awesome. The one thing I liked about this school was how old fashioned it looked. I always loved old fashion things rather than ridiculous looking modern buildings. I think was this was made out of old stone and felt solid and warm whereas glass and steel always came off cold and always looked weird.
Maybe it was my old soul or my connection to the old ways that had me leaning towards the older building designs and objects modeled after old fashion things.
"Well, wish me luck." I told Dark Moon.
He nodded. "Good luck, young Mediator."
I smiled and pushed my way inside.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Ha Ha! The evils of writer's block could not hold me back this time! Oh, he tried (I don't know why I picture Writer's block as he, but I do), but I triumphed and gave you this chapter! Even if there are some parts that seem awkward. XP. Not to worry, it's probably just me since I will never be satisfied with my own work. Anyway, enjoy!