Before I start this chapter, I feel the need to introduce the main staff of the Chicago HoN (at least, my version). Their names, subject taught, and mark patterns will be listed. Pronunciation keys will be provided for tricky names. We will start with the High Priestess.

Eliante (El-ee-ahn-tay)—High Priestess and Drama professor. Has a precognition (seeing things before they happen) affinity, and her mark is an intricate array of shooting stars and vapor wisps.

Sebastian March—Archery Coach, married to the History professor. His mark is intertwining geometric triangles and diamonds.

Katherine March—History professor and wife of Sebastian March. Affinity of a photographic memory, and a tattoo of swirls and knots with Hellenistic (or Greek) letters interspersed.

Cornelius (Core-nee-lee-us)—Psychology professor and Amy's Mentor. Unknown affinity, but his mark is a mask of leaves and twigs.

Althea (Al-thee-uh)—School Nurse. Healing affinity with a mark of strung-together rings that resembles a string of beads.

Jephthah (Jeff-thuh)—Fencing instructor. Mark is an awesome array of shields, and crossing swords and spears, but it's amethyst purple, not sapphire blue.

Any new professors will be introduced after the chapter they appear in. Thank you for paying attention.

Rebirth

4. Sunrise, Sunset

I stared at the two adults in confusion. I mean, I just woke up from dreaming of Nyx, and here they are staring at me with their mouths open. Could it have something to do with Miko and Shannon? Surely not; my Goddess said they were fine. So…

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Amy, something very…unusual has occurred." Eliante said. "Are you feeling well?"

"I'm fine. And Shannon and Amiko will be too. Nyx told me so." I answered. "Now what is the problem?"

"I'd hoped you could tell us." Althea breathed. "Oh my stars and garters…" (1)

"What?" I asked. "Is there something the matter with my face? Did my Mark change? Oh hell, did I complete the change in my sleep?"

"No, child." Eliante said. "Nothing like that. But, your Mark is changed. Why don't you look for yourself?"

She held out a compact mirror and I took it. Contrary to urban myth, Vampyres do have reflections. How else would we know we look so inhumanly stunning? Anyway, I opened the mirror, and gasped.

My crescent moon outline was still there. Still the same shape in the same place. But I definitely remember it being blue when I last checked myself. Not this bright emerald green color now stamped on my forehead. Well, at least it brings out my eyes…

"We are all quite fortunate that our Goddess saw fit to allow me a glimpse of your new Change." The Priestess said. "Many other vampyres would have panicked and tried to kill you and your friends."

"My friends…" I repeated. "Wait. Do they have emerald marks too?"

"See for yourself." Althea sighed, stepping aside so I could see the cots that Shanda and Miko lay on. Yep. Both of them had the same bright green outlines that I now possessed. But why?

You are a new breed of vampyre.

"Eliante, does this have anything to do with our being attacked by those beasts?" I asked, replaying Nyx's words in my head.

One part woman, the other part wolf.

"Amy, I believe it has everything to do with it." She said. "I feel that our Goddess has chosen you three for a special purpose. One that is clouded from even my sight."

Daughter of Night and the Full Harvest Moon.

"Will I have to leave the House of Night?" I asked.

"Absolutely not!" Althea exclaimed. "Not a one of you have completed the Change yet! Until you do, none of you will leave. Besides, we do not yet know what this special Mark means."

I nodded. Hey, she had a valid point: I had no idea just what I was now or what I could do. Same for Shannon and Miko.

"But we're still outcasts." I said. "As if we weren't unpopular enough before. How are we supposed to deal with this? You've both seen the way people treat Angel and Isis and their funky purple tattoos are kind of normal. Sure, there aren't a lot of them, but it has been known to happen! We're just some kind of freaks."

"I doubt Nyx sees you as 'freaks'." Eliante said. "I will keep this news restricted to the staff until Miss Lake and Miss Honada are well enough to leave the infirmary, however. Just to ensure their safety."

I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. "Thank you, Eliante. Oh, and please tell Cornelius not to worry about me."

"I will, dear one." She smiled warmly before walking out of the infirmary.

This is how a conversation between a HoN student and his/her priestess should go. No nagging feelings of doubt. No stomach-tightening reaction to the thought of even speaking a half-truth in her presence. Unfortunately, all of the "not's" mentioned were experienced by me in my interview with Neferet. I can't say if my parents felt the same intuition I did, but I knew from the moment I saw her that I could never trust her. Not in a million years. There's not a set reason for my distrust, but I know better than to dismiss it and tell her my life's story. Something about that woman is…evil.

But I digress.

By the time Cornelius came down with my breakfast (a muffin, a bowl of Fruity Pebbles cereal, and a glass of orange juice.), Miko began to stir. She opened her eyes slowly and stared up at the ceiling.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"The medical wing." I answered. She turned slowly to look at me and rubbed her eyes. She didn't seem to notice my mark, but then again, she's never been much of a morning (or in this case evening) person.

"Amy?" She moaned. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't you remember?" I asked. "Those furry monsters pretty much mauled you and Shanda-bear over there." I said through a mouthful of cereal, pointing my spoon at Shannon. "How're you feelin'?"

"I just had the strangest dream…" She yawned.

"Let me guess, Nyx was standing in a forest with a wolf and told you that you're a new kind of vampyre?" I asked. She stared up at me.

"Well, it was a cat, not a wolf." My purple-haired friend sighed. "You know, those kinda small ones with no tails, big feet, and those tufts on their ears?"

"A Lynx?" I suggested. She nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds right. She told me I was like 'one with the cat' or something." At that moment, her eyes bugged out and her jaw hit the floor. "Oh my Goddess, Amy! Your mark!"

"yeah, I know." I said. "Your mark looks the same. So does Shannon's." She looked over at Shannon and gasped.

"No way."

"Way."

"Does anyone know?"

"Eliante and the adults. No one else."

"And she's okay with it?"

"Nyx gave her a vision."

"I see. So, what now?"

Good question. I've been trying to wrap my head around this for about thirty minutes and still can't decide what all of this means.

"I have no idea." I sighed. "Once Shannon wakes up, we'll talk about it together and ask Nyx. Until then, ring for Althea and she'll send someone to get you some leftovers from breakfast."

"Sounds good to me." She smiled. She hit the call button for our nurse, and Althea bustled in and checked her over before sending out for Miko's mentor to bring her something to eat. As this occurred, I wondered just what the hell all of this meant and what it had to do with the strange goings on in Tulsa.

1. a nod to X-Men's Beast. That was his catchphrase.