Rebirth

5. Past and Present Problems

While I waited for Shannon to wake up and Miko to finish eating, I thought back on all that lead to this point: notably, my choosing Chicago over Tulsa.

In theory, the Tulsa campus should have been ideal. I was extremely young for a fledgling and hadn't been away from home for very long before. Oklahoma's a lot closer to Texas than Illinois. But my parents both went to Chicago and Uncle Remus said I should at least talk to the priestess there before making a decision. This lead to two life-changing interviews.

My parents and I talked with Eliante first. Naturally, they adored her because she was their priestess. I liked her a lot too, because she was so caring and motherly. I felt comfortable talking to her about anything, including my fears and secrets.

Then, there was Neferet.

After such a wonderful chat with Eliante, I thought all High Priestesses would be as open and understanding as she was. Wrong. From the minute Neferet sauntered into our living room, I knew something wasn't right. Once the interview started, I knew I might be in trouble. Sure, she acted nice and caring, but it all felt so forced. And when she asked if I had any questions, I felt this knot tighten in my gut. I wasn't supposed to tell her anything. I also felt the urge to look her in the eyes and smile politely, which I didn't like at all but did anyway. By the end of our brief interview, I was left feeling cold, and she seemed upset about something. Not that I cared. I was going to Chicago—a land far away from her and her games.

"Nnngg." My mind shifted back to the present when I heard someone groaning. Miko had set her bowl down and was now by Shannon's side. Crap.

"Shannon!" I exclaimed, racing over to her bed. "Hey, are you awake?"

"Wha?" she blinked, turning her head to the side. "Where am I? Why are you two here?"

"You're in the infirmary." Miko said. "We were all attacked, remember?"

"Yeah." She said, then noticed our foreheads and yelled "Oh my goddess! What happened to you two?"

"Same thing that happened to you, Shanda." Miko said. "We're changing. But not like Adults go through the change. It's different."

"B-b-but y-your green!!!" She stuttered.

"So are you, if you'd care to look, now pipe down before you draw the whole school down here." I hissed.

"No!" She said. "This can't happen! I can't be some freak."

"We're not freaks. We're just special." Miko said. "Like the kids that ride the short bus!"

"Not helping." I glared. "Look, Shan, Nyx showed up in your dream, didn't she?"

"Y-yes. But…"

"And she told you that you were a new kind of vampyre. Daughter of Night and Harvest Moon, right?"

She nodded her head.

"And she kissed you, right?" Miko asked. Shannon nodded again. "Then there's nothing to worry about. She's watching over you like she is us."

"But I don't want to be special!" Shannon groaned. "I just want to be normal!"

"Well too tough, 'cause our Goddess says otherwise." Miko said. "I know you have this whole parent-pleasing issue, but you gotta accept that we're different now. The three of us."

"Nyx isn't going to let you fall, Shannon." I said. "Or any of the rest of us. She has something planned for us. Something big that only we can do."

"How do we know it's big?" She blinked.

"Would she give us green Marks if it weren't?" Miko asked. "Just relax. What will be will be."

"You've been reading manga recently, haven't you?" I asked.

"So what if I have?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing. Just don't run around quoting it to everyone. They'll think we've really dove off the deep end." She feigned hurt feelings while I turned to Shannon again. "Just don't be afraid of it. We're specially chosen by our Goddess to do something amazing. Something never done before. But we can only do as she asks if we believe with all our hearts that this change we're going through is a good thing. You got it?"

Shanda and Meeks looked at me strangely. "Somehow, I get the feeling Carrigan will no longer serve as head of the Dark Daughters." My purple pigtailed friend stated. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah. And who's gonna vote me in?"

"The adults!" She chirped. "I'm sure they will."

"Let's wait and see just what we are first, Miko." I chided. "After we figure out just what the hell we can do, I'll consider trying to take over the Dark Daughters."

"Crap. That reminds me, how will we break the news to Angel and Isis?" Shanda gasped. Miko and I looked at each other and blinked.

"I never thought of that." Miko said. "Should we ask Eliante to tell them, or…."

"No." I sighed. "We should tell them, not our teachers. It'll be less complicated that way."

Both of my friends nodded and looked at me expectantly. I groaned. "What? They're already in class now! I think this discussion can wait until after school lets out."

"What about the adults?" Shannon asked. "Do they really know what's going on with us?"

"Of course they do." My little Asian-American buddy grinned. "Eliante met Amy when she woke up. And Althea and Cornelius and Professor Connor (A/N: Miko's Mentor) have all been down here to look at us anyway."

"Not like you can hide anything from a High Priestess who sees the future anyway." I shrugged. "Don't worry, Shanda. It'll work out the way it's supposed to." I really meant that sentence with all my heart. Still, I wish I had a clue as to what we were supposed to be working out in the first place.