Okay, what really caught my attention first was the woman's, Neferet, aura. It was…yucky. It made me want to run and fight at the same time. I swear that I can see something tar like shifting around her.
Snap hissed and growled. Her claws dug lightly into my skin and her ears were drawn back. Her tail whipped across my back. I was really afraid that she was going to leap at Neferet and claw her eyes out, not that I minded except I was afraid she would hurt Snap.
"Ah, so the prodigal returns?" She said in a pleasant voice.
"Nice biblical reference." I said sarcastically before I could control my mouth.
Her green eyes flicked over to me. "Why do you have a human with you?"
"Because I have a broken leg? Note the broom pole bonded to it." I stuck my leg out.
"Why is that my concern?" She asked. She looked down at me. "You're a human, I am a vamprye."
"Raven." Darius hissed in warning.
I ignored him. "First of all, you were human once so don't give me crap about which is superior." Her eyes narrowed. "Second, those Raven Mockers are the reason my leg broke because you sent them after me and Zoey." Well, in a round about way. I mean he didn't snap my leg like a twig or made me fall.
The others were holding their breath, well Darius looked pissed that I talked that way to Neferet.
"I didn't send them after you." She said icily.
"I did."
My body felt chilled. Kalona stepped out from the room behind Neferet.
He looked amused when he looked at me. The others were staring dumbfounded at him. I really hope the Twins don't drop me and start running toward him.
"Don't look at his eyes! Look at his chest instead." Aphrodite hissed.
I held his eyes. My legs twitched. Some part of me told me to go stand beside him where I belonged.
Neferet's eyes flicked in between me and Kalona. I should have worn sunglasses. Looking at him, I realized that I had almost the exact eye color as him, that's bound to give it away.
I looked over at Aphrodite, she too looked like she knew my little secret.
Kalona looked over at Zoey. Fury burned in his eyes at the sight of her cut. I felt like it was a greater thing than a cut, but there's not a word for huge gaping cut on her chest.
"She's wounded!" Neferet jumped and I tried not to giggle. "Why are neither of them being tended!"
I looked at a nearby window at the sound of wings. It was Rephaim. His eyes flickered over to me.
"Father, I told the warrior to bring the priestess and girl to the infirmary so they could be cared for."
"Right." I said.
"Bullshit!" Aphrodite said. "Bird boy kept us out there in the freezing rain while he yammered about the Red One this and the Red One that. Darius got Zoey and Raven in here despite his 'help.'"
"Yep." I said.
"You both are humans and should learn to stay silent with vamprye's affairs." Neferet said coldly. "You shouldn't even be here."
I snorted. "Where do vampryes come from, dingbat?" I suddenly wished I used a better insult. "Trackers mark human teenagers. We are both human teenagers and friends of Zoey. I think we deserve a say."
I held gazes with her. I had a feeling she wanted nothing more than to rip out my throat. Rage built up in my chest and a strange tremor flooded through my body. Neferet took a half-step back, her eyes light up with fear and curiosity.
"Easy Raven." Snap said. "Don't wind her up anymore."
Kalona chuckled. "Your tongue is sharp little Raven." He waved his hand toward a room beside us. "Bring the young priestess and the human girl here so that they may be tended." His mouth twitched in an amused grin when he called me a human girl.
The Twins shifted uneasily and glanced over at Darius who glanced over at them. He began walking to the infirmary as we hobbled after them. Kalona blocked the way.
"Your duty is finished here, Warrior." He told Darius. "Neferet and I shall attended her now." He glanced at Rephaim. "Could you help young Raven?"
"Certainly." Rephaim shuffled over towards me.
"Not." I said. "These two ladies are perfectly capable of helping me into the room."
His wings unfurled and he gave me an almost scolding look.
Neferet looked at him. "My consort, we should send the humans," She looked down at Aphrodite as well as me. "out where they belong."
I was okay with that. I didn't want to be around my fa-Kalona very much at all.
"They belong here." My heart tightened at how weak Zoey's voice sounded. "Aphrodite still has visions from Nyx. She belongs here." Zoey took a shaky breath, but before she could say something about me Kalona interrupted.
"Visions?" He said. "What type of visions?"
"Warnings of future disasters." Aphrodite said.
I blinked. Then shouldn't she have seen what would have happened to Zoey and me? That was pretty disastrous.
His eyes flickered over to me again. I wondered if he was making I sure was still there. Pity touched my heart. If I had been killed before I assumed it would have been hard on him. He was a father and I was his only daughter. I haven't been a parent yet, but I could only imagine how that must have felt.
"Interesting." He said after a pause. He turned to Neferet. "Neferet, my Queen, you did not tell me you had a Prophetess as the House of Night." Neferet opened her mouth, probably to diss Aphrodite, but Kalona spoke up first." Most excellent, most excellent. A prophetess can be quite useful."
Quite useful for what? Oh, please don't tell me he's planning to take over the world! That's such a villain cliché.
"But she is not a fledgling, nor the other girl. Thus they do not belong at the House of Night. So I say they should leave." Wait, was she pouting? Oh God! What a whining bitch.
Kalona reached out and stroked Neferet's cheek, her neck, her shoulder, and finally her back. I gagged.
"My Queen, surely a prophetess will be of some use to us." He said. He didn't mention me. Did he want Neferet to know who I was? If he didn't, then why was he keeping it a secret?
She stared at him, complete devotion in her eyes, and nodded.
"You stay, little prophetess and little Raven." He said happily.
"Yes." Aphrodite said. "I do. I stay with Zoey."
"Me too." I said. "I stay for Zoey." I didn't know her very well, but she seemed like a really nice girl and Kalona wasn't a nice person.
Something flickered across his amber eyes. I didn't focus on it too much.
"Prophetess," Kalona said looking away from me. "You say you are given warning of future disasters?"
"Yes." The little prophetess answered. I didn't like the feeling I was getting with his question.
"Tell me then, what you see in the future if we turn Zoey an even Raven away?" He asked coldly.
"I haven't had a vision, but I know Zoey and even Raven needs to be here." Aphrodite said. "Zoey's badly hurt."
"Then let me assure you that I, too, have been known to prophesy." His voice was cold. "And on my oath I tell you if you do not do as I command, this priestess will not live another night." His eyes flickered over to me. "And Raven will never walk properly again. Now leave us!"
Zoey said something to Darius, but it was too faint for me to hear.
"Give the priestess to me and the girl to Rephaim. I shall not ask another time." He said.
Aphrodite and Damian went over to Zoey and whispered something to her. Shaunee and Erin helped me hobble over to Zoey. They took her hands.
"We're pulling for you, Z." Erin said.
Rephaim shuffled over. Shaunee let go of my arm and I hooked it around the Raven Mocker's neck. Snap hopped off and stood beside me.
"Enough sentimentality. I'll take here now." I saw Kalona take Zoey from Darius and disappeared into the room with Neferet behind him.
Rephaim put a talon around my waist and helped me into the room.
"I will wait here for both of you." Darius whispered when we passed him.
I nodded. Neferet shut the door behind us.
Rephaim helped me to the bed closest to the door. Well, if I needed escape, I wouldn't have to hobble far.
Snap hopped onto the bed and nuzzled my elbow. I stroked her head.
Neferet looked at me then Kalona.
"Is Raven-" Rephaim stopped. I swung my busted leg onto the bed. I looked over at Zoey. She must have fainted because she was unconscious. Lucky.
"Yes. Raven is my daughter." Kalona said.
Neferet whirled around and stared at me.
"How?" She asked. "Your other children are not as fortunate when it comes to appearances."
I glanced at Rephaim as he flared his wings.
"You're one to talk about appearances." I told her. She looked at me. "Hasn't anyone told you appearances can be deceiving?"
She gave me a tight-lipped smile. "Your tongue is as witty as your father's."
"Shouldn't you be helping Zoey?" I asked.
"You will not give me orders." She hissed.
"Neferet." Kalona warned. "Please tend to the priestess."
Neferet turned to him and opened her mouth to speak. He gave her a hard look. She held her tongue and went over to Zoey.
"I don't like this child." Snap said.
I ran my hand down her spine. She curled close to me. My skin prickled under Rephaim's curious gaze.
Kalona went to the foot of my bed.
"You knew before you came today about your past." He said quietly.
I nodded. "My mother's spirit visited me last night and told me about my first life."
His eyes were sad. "I remember when Rephaim found your mother and her father and brother. And your corpse and brought it back to me."
I shivered.
He reached over and touched my face gently. "But here you are, my dear daughter. Safe and under my protection."
My back prickled. There would be payment for his protection. I knew in my gut.
Snap growled. She knew it too.
"I'm not stupid." She said. "Anyone can see with him, if he gives you something, he expects something in return."
"She had wings in her last life." Rephaim said.
Kalona nodded. "They will appear in due time."
I looked over and Neferet was muttered something under her breath over Zoey's limp, naked form.
Was the complete nakedness necessary?
Whoa, wait, back-up. In due time? Was I going to sprout wings one morning? How would I explain that to Zoey and her group?
"You're going to have to tell them evidently." Snap said. "Better they find out from you then one of these monsters."
Neferet pulled a sheet over Zoey and turned to me. She took scissors and cut away the rest of my pants. Man, these were my favorite jeans.
She unwrapped the make shift splint and put her cold hands on my leg. She whispered in some language and warmth spread through my leg. I scratched Snap's ribs.
"It was an unclean break, but it seems that the presence of your blood has sped up the healing process tremendously." She told Kalona. She took a roll of bandage and wrapped up my calf. "But you should rest and not walk for a couple of days."
"I don't have to listen to you." I told her.
She glared at me.
"You should rest dear daughter." Kalona petted my head. Snap curled up close to my stomach.
Neferet glared at me. I wasn't sure if it was because of the attention my father was giving me or because I called her out.
Kalona walked over and wrapped his arm around Neferet's waist and led her into an adjacent room. I slid under the covers.
"Your mother visits you?" Rephaim asked. "In your dreams?" He sounded truly interested.
I remembered it had been mentioned that the Raven Mockers were created through rape. Because he was part beast, I'm assuming his mother probably didn't survive.
Huh, well that's ironic. Their mothers didn't survive, but they did. My mother survived and I didn't, although I didn't die naturally.
I nodded. Snap slid under the covers and snuggled under my chin and against my neck.
"Father wept when he found you." Rephaim said. He sounded surprisingly human. "I had never seen him weep before."
My arm was tucked under my head and I was turned to face him. They weren't really that scary. Maybe at first or when they're getting read to attack you, but when they're just standing there, they're really not that scary.
Snap purred and I scratched her soft fur. My eyes felt unbelievably heavy. I snuggled against the pillow and fell asleep.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Sorry if you felt the insulting Neferet was a bit over done. Someone needed to insult that bitch. Pardon my French. Why do people say pardon my French when they cuss any way?
Well anyhoo. I wish lifetime happiness for the readers and extra lifetime goodies for reviewers. Thanks y'all.