Chapter Two.
In my room I wasn't sure what to pack for a school like the House of Night. I'd never seen a kid from there before, let alone any adults besides the occasioinal tracker. Here in Tulsa, Oklahoma, everyone knew vampires existed. It wasn't something frightening and scary though some saw it that way. I've seen plenty of kids get marked. From all over, they come here to Tulsa to attend the House of Night, a house for vampires. There they guide you through the long change. Technically I was just a fledgling still, not yet a full vampire. I wouldn't be for a while.
I was pawing through my clothes trying to go quickly. I could hear my mother downstairs calling step loser from work to explain everything and she was freaking out. Did they wear black? Was there a dress code? Too hell with it, I decided throwing in a few pairs of my favorite jeans. The door opened and startled I turned around to see Heath standing there.
He gave me a small sad smile, something telling me he already knew I had been marked. "Hey Zoe," he said. Heath was my boyfriend, well ex sort of, we'd been off and onf or a while now. He's the star quarter back for Broken Arrow. I'd known him forever, he was the sweetest kid you could meet. His father raised him right to be a gentlemen. He had classic good looks, tall and broad tanned body. Blonde hair that stook up all over and childish blue eyes that crinkles at the corners when he laughed.
"Hey Heath," I said quietly turning to continue packing. He walked in closing the door quietly behind him. He'd been drinking a lot lately, even getting into some drugs, and he just wasn't the same. That summed up our relationship problems.
"Those jeans look great on you," He grinned as I packed a few more pairs and I smiled. His smile quickly faded and I tried to avoid his eyes. "Look Zoe, I know you got marked and everything, but what about us?" He said. I threw in a cute sparkly top, and a few tank tops followed that.
"I don't think there can be an us anymore, Heath. It just won't work. I have to go to House of Night, or I'll die.. You know that," I added quietly. I tossed in a couple of tee shirts.
"I love you Zoey. You know that, there has to be an us," He pleaded. It broke my heart. I tossed in my favorite perfume and my small makeup bag. I was silent as he watched me pack for my new life.
"There just can't be," I whispered. "Look I have to go, but I'll be in touch okay?" I was starting to feel dizzy as my head pounded steadily, the light hurting my eyes. I pointed to my cell phone in my pocket when he didn't respond. He just nodded sadly. Then his arms were around me and I was blinking back tears as a lump formed in my throat. His smell was so familiar, so safe.
"Bye, I love you." He whispered against my hair. I hugged him tightly and watched him go. I took a deep breath and threw in the last of my things. Trying to avoid my mother I threw my bag out my window, grabbed my car keys, and with many years of practice sneaking out, I gracefully climbed down the fencing by my window and landed lightly on the ground.
I dashed to my car and threw my bag in the front seat. There was one more place I had to go first. Grandma Redbird's.
I made the drive out on the edge of town to grandma's where her wooden house was set back from the road, the smell of lavender from her farm always in the air. Grandma Redbird was the only one who could help me when I was upset. She understood me, and was there for me when my mom wasn't. And I loved her dearly.
I continued to feel crappier and crappier on the way there. I started a hacking cough that wouldn't let up. As I pulled up the gravel driveway Grandma Redbird appeared at the door with a small smile on her face. She always knew when I was coming. "Ah Zoey Bird, what a surprise," She said wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. I breathed in her familiar smell of lavendar and vanilla. Her voice became gentler. "You've been marked love, you need to go to the House of Night." I pulled back nodding.
"I know, but I came to see you first. Mom didn't take it so well." She smiled sympathetically, knowing. She took my elbow and guided me inside to the small kitchen. I coughed loudly and winced at the horrific sound.
"Sit down and I'll make you some tea," I sat down as the floor shook beneath me. I tried to keep my breathing even but I was blacking out, and then I fainted.
I was dreaming. Or so I thought that what it was, but it was so real.
"Zoey Bird," A beautiful melidous voice echoed around me. That was my grandmothers nickname for me. I looked around trying to find the source of the voice. "Come to me, Zoey," The voice echoed again. Where are you? I thought. I was walking in the woods, on a trail. Deep in a forrest, I was lost. Stumbling along the trees trying to find the source. I should have been scared, but for some reason an odd calmness had come over me. I saw a pale golden light shining at the end of the trail and I ran towards it. My mouth dropped open as I saw the beautiful woman sitting before me. She was sitting cross legged floating in air, wait floating? Yes. She had on a long white gown and she was easily the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. She had a pale complexion and wide mossy green eyes. A slight trace of freckles across her perfect nose and tumbles of silky auburn hair that fell to her waist.
I didn't know how I knew, but somehow I did. "Nyx? The vampire goddess?" I asked breathlessly. She nodded and smiled at me.
"Hello Zoey Bird. You have been chosen. You're special and the House of Night will show you that. You have incredible gifts, and the strength to face the terrible things that await you." She started to fade away will a sad smile. "Good luck Zoey, may I always be with you."
"What? Wait!," I called out panic rising in my chest. "What do you mean? I'm just a teenager!" I cried.
"You will understand soon, I promise." She echoed and was gone. I was crying stumbling around blindly. I tripped and fell onto the ground and I curled into a ball. Rocking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth..
No, I was being shook awake. Slowly my eyes opened and my vision cleared. I was in an unfamiliar room. It had dim lighting and a large window told me the sun was just setting. The walls were stone and I was laying on a bed. Then all of the events of the afternoon came back to me and I sat up quickly confused. I instantly regretted it as my head spun in protest.
"Lay down Zoey," Grandma Redbird pushed me gently back down and I let her. I looked at her soft concerened eyes, such a pretty brown. Her piles of long silver hair was piledon her head and her face was unlined despite her age. She hugged me tightly.
"Where am I Grandma? What happened?" I asked. A different woman answered my question as I turned to see someone else in the room with us.
"Hello Zoey, welcome to the House of Night. I'm High Priestess Neferet and I will be your mentor." The woman smiled at me widely and I was struck by her beauty and resemblence to the Goddess Nyx. She had curls upon curls of thick auburn hair that spun to her waist. She had a lovely olive complexion and wide brown eyes. A faint sprinkle of freckles, but other than that beautiful flawless skin. She was tall and moved with such grace it awed me.
She gave a faint musical laugh as she saw my stare. Blushing I sat up slowly and Grandma squeezed my hand smiling. "Sorry," I mumbled embarassed.
"That's quite alright. It's a lot to take in. You fainted after you went to your Grandma's and you hit your head. She brought you here to the House of Night infirmary. You're so lucky to have such a wonderful Grandmother," She explained smiling.
"Yeah, I am." I said. I noticed then that my head ached, but the dizziness had gone. I touched my forehead about my eyebrow to feel the spot where there was a small cut with stitches.
"Don't worry about that, it'll heal in a day or so. Part of being a vampire fledgling. As for the headache, diziness, and all the other side effects, those should be gone by now. Once a fledgling arrives at the House of Night we give them a special drink to help them get through that. Your head my hurt for that," She pointed to my eyebrow. "But take these and it'll be gone by morning." She handed me two pills that I popped in my mouth. They tingled and dissolved under my tongue. It was so much to take in.
"Thank you," I said.
"Your stuff was taken to your room, and your car is in the parking lot for fledgling, though we encourage you don't leave campus much," I nodded and she turned to my grandmother. "I'll leave you two for a moment while you say goodbye, the kids will be waking soon and I'm sure you'd love to sleep. But remember you can visit anytime," She gave my grandma a hug and me a smile, and drifted gracefully out of the room.
"She's really something," My grandmother whispered with a smile. "Well Zoey Bird, it's time for me to go. This is your home now, make the best of it." She hugged me tightly, stroking my hair. "I'll be in touch. Call anytime you need, you're in good hands. I'll speak with your mother also," She told me walking over to the door then pausing. "She'll get over it. I love you u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya." The cherrokee word for daughter. I felt a lump in my throat, did you always get this emotional as a vampire?
"I love you too Grandma, thanks for bring me here." I got up and hugged her one last time tightly. "I'll call you tomorrow," I promised.
"Call whenever you can Zoey Bird, I'll understand." And with that she turned and left. Iwent and looked in the mirror that was hanging above a large sink. I looked the same, except for the mark. Holy crap, I thought. The mark. It was now filled in, completley navy blue. A crescent moon right on my forehead. I didn't know much about fledgling but I knew that only your filled in mark happened when you changed to a vampire.
My long dark, incredibly thick, hair hung town to the middle of back in waves. It had started out straight and silky that day and now I was a mess. I was glad I remembered I had packed my straightener and all my other hair stuff. My smooth pale skin was the same, but it looked paler somehow. But not a nasty pasty pale, a pretty one that went in good contrast with my dark hair.
I had the same big striking blue eyes, with long thick curly lashes that most girls, (so I had been told) would kill for. I hardly ever work makeup, it already looked like I did. I had the same small nicely proportioned nose, a mouth with full pink lips. As Kayla had also told me many times, long incredible legs that any model would kill for. Why do you get the perfect model body AND face? She always whined.
I looked the same and felt completley different. "Zoey?" Neferet said quietly from the doorway. I turned and looked at her. I smiled and she smiled back. "Would you like to see your room?"