I didn't think I'd be able to sleep with all the things I had on my mind, but thankfully I passed out as soon as we returned from the movie, which Heath did not show up to! I definitely wouldn't have been able to handle another confrontation with him after the day I'd had. I'd become a mentor, lost my fledgling, had a strong foreboding feeling in my gut surrounding everything that had happened with Marla, and to top it off I had watched a fledgling die! Another confrontation with Heath definitely wouldn't have been good.

I yawned as Nala crawled across my bed complaining at me and gently nuzzling my face. I reached up scratching her lightly behind the ears and smiling when she purred softly. I loved how Nala always seemed to know when I needed a little comfort. I got up stretching slightly and checked her food dish before finding a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt to change into. As much as I loved working at street cats I wasn't as thrilled about fur getting all over my good clothes. I went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth and then hastily covered my Mark.

The common was fairly empty when I entered it aside from my group of friends. (I mean, come on, who gets up at 7:00 on a Saturday if they don't have to?) Everyone was seated around one of the tables munching on their breakfast quietly as I walked down the stairs. Stevie Rae like me was dressed in old grungy jeans and an old paint smeared shirt while Aphrodite and the twins insisted on looking good no matter what they were doing. I swear they would wear designer brands to muck a stable in!

"Morning, Z!" Damien beamed at me as soon as I walked into the room. His clothes weren't as bad. He was wearing a comfortable pair of jeans and a button up black short sleeved short. I giggled when I realized he and jack almost matched. The only difference was that Jack's t-shirt was gray. That was almost as bad as the twins!

"Do you have to be so perky this early in the morning?" Shaunee asked taking a sip of milk and scowling in Damien's direction.

"It never hurts to start the day out with a good attitude," Jack said briskly, his face just as bright and cheery as Damien's. I had to admit it was a little annoying being around overly cheerful people this early in the morning. (On the bright side Damien hadn't begun correcting our grammar…yet.)

"You know what else doesn't hurt?" Aphrodite asked glaring at Jack who seemed to back away slightly. "Me not beating the tar out of you for being such a morning person!"

"Now, ya'll play nice and eat your cereal," Stevie Rae said letting out a yawn of her own, which in turn made me yawn as well. (Why are yawns contagious? Anyone know?) I was a little tired still too, but I knew I'd feel better once I got some Count Choculah and some brown pop. I walked to the cupboards rummaging through the cabinets until I found my favorite cereal in the whole universe, and then joined everyone at the table.

"Morning," Erik said walking in as I took a bite of delicious chocolate cereal with yummy marshmallow pieces.

"Hey," Erin and Shaunee said together.

"How did everything go last night?" I asked him between bites of cereal. Erik had helped Dragon attend to some of the matters pertaining to Jacob including helping Jacob's best friend Mateo handle the loss.

"Neferet notified the parents, and they had his stuff removed from the dorm before we even returned from the movie last night," he said calmly. "His roommate is taking it pretty hard."

I nodded. I knew only too well what it was like to lose your roommate, and the way the school focused only on moving forward wasn't always as helpful as it was meant to be.

"It really is sad," Erin said simply.

"I know, twin," Shaunee continued. "The boy was definitely a hottie!" Shaunee said frowning dramatically and I glared at them both.

"Neferet's concerned about the cause of death," Erik said suddenly causing me to not yell at the twins as I had been about to do.

"What do you mean?" I asked as that creepy crawly feeling began to sweep over my body again, filling the air around me. "He rejected the change, right?"

"I think she's concerned with why he rejected the change, Z," Erik said softly grabbing some frosted flakes from the cupboard.

"But, last night Neferet said that his body was probably just too weak to make the change," I stammered feeling anxious and confused, a feeling that had seemed to fill the whole room. Everyone at the table had grown deathly silent (ok bad choice of words) each of them watching Erik and I intently.

"That was before she did her examination, Zoey," he said seriously sitting down across from me.

I swallowed, "so what does she think happened to him?" I asked not liking the feeling I was getting about this. Fledglings died all the time; there really was only one cause of death.

"I'm not sure," he said shrugging. "She and Natasha were both in the morgue this morning discussing the possibilities. I'm not even sure they know for certain. But, they informed all the professors to watch all the fledglings very closely today. If we see someone who even looks tired or like they could be ill we are supposed to send them to the infirmary right away."

"Zoey," Neferet's voice carried across the common room causing my head to snap up. Neferet was standing in the doorway looking very powerful and very much like a High Priestess. She was wearing a short black dress that stopped just abover her knees. Her hair was pinned back but still flowed down her back. "Good morning, everyone," Neferet smiled addressing my friends who all smiled back at her. She let her eyes run over the table before turning back to me, her green eyes boring into mine. "Zoey, I need to speak with you," she said serenely though I could see the stress and worry behind the smile that brightened her features. It still surprised me how open this Neferet was and how easy I found it to read her compared to how she had been before. I nodded at her and watched as she looked across the table, "Aphrodite, I would like it if you would accompany us as well. Natasha would like a word with you."

Aphrodite and I exchanged a glance before we stood up and walked to Neferet's side.

"I've called Sister Mary Angela and informed her that you all will be running a little late," Neferet said looking at each of my friends. "Furthermore, we are assigning two more warriors to accompany you besides Darius, Erik and Stark."

"Does this have to do with what happened when Zoey went out yesterday?" Jack asked and I glared at him.

"Partly," Neferet said looking at me out of the corner of her eye. I frowned, but didn't say anything. "And, partly because Natasha and I believe that there is danger close by." Neferet continued, "As such, I would like all of you to take extra care when you go out today."

They all nodded at her and she smiled again before she turned back through the door with Aphrodite and I right on her heels.

"Neferet, what's going on?" I asked as we crossed the grounds heading towards the temple.

She didn't stop, but continued walking at a very fast pace as she spoke. "We have suspicions concerning Jacob's death," Neferet said simply as she pushed open the temple doors. Natasha was already there and had already lit several candles. Neferet turned to face me as we reached the table where Natasha stood. "There was something in his blood."

"Something in his blood?" I repeated confused, I had no clue what that meant.

"Like what?" Aphrodite asked.

"We are uncertain of that," Natasha said firmly, "but it's not something we have seen in any other fledgling."

"Which concerns us considerably," Neferet continued. "His blood almost appeared to have an illness, but as you know fledglings don't get sick."

"Which is why you wanted all the professors watching for signs of illness," I said nodding.

"Yes," Neferet said softly. "If something is causing fledglings to become ill then we need to know about it." I nodded and sighed as Neferet moved around the table and began looking through a spells and rituals book.

I looked over and saw that Natasha was speaking with Aphrodite about something before I turned back to Neferet. "Did Darius tell you everything that happened yesterday?" I asked cautiously.

She lifted her eyes from the book meeting mine. "Yes," she said giving me a little smile. "I was just waiting for you to bring it up."

I frowned. "You were right about Heath," I acknowledged.

"I'm glad you have come to see the seriousness of the situation, Zoey. However, I am sensing that is not the reason you brought it up," she said raising an eyebrow.

"I think someone is still after Marla," I said exhaling softly.

She nodded once in agreement, "I've sensed that as well. I know only too well that injuries like that don't happen on accident," Neferet said frowning and I knew she was thinking about her own life before she was Marked. She sighed then and walked back around the table and over to me. "Keep her close to you, Zoey. Open yourself up to her and perhaps she will open herself up to you."

"I've been trying," I said slowly. "It's seems to be working a little bit," I shrugged trying to figure out what more I could do to gain her trust.

"You'll figure it out, Zoeybird. Nyx would not have given you this task if she didn't think you would succeed," she said brushing a strand of hair from my face. "I have complete confidence in your abilities."

"I wish I was so certain," I admitted softly.

She smiled chuckling softly, "Zoey, you have defeated great evil and darkness and you are worried you won't make a good mentor?"

"I'm worried because I know there is something else going on here," I said somewhat frustrated. Her face sobered as she searched my eyes. I looked at her my face softening in response, "Neferet, I can feel it. There is danger surrounding Marla, but I think it might be bigger than that."

"I've told you this before, but you should always trust your instincts, Zoey. If that's what you believe then I trust your judgment."

"Zoey, we have to go," Aphrodite said from across the room. She had just shut her cell phone and was giving me an impatient glare. "We're already a half hour late and Sister Mary Angela will probably make us clean litter boxes the whole time to make up for it!"

I laughed, "She already knows we're going to be late. Besides, I'll just tell her that you gladly volunteer to do all the litter boxes by yourself."

"You do and you die," she said her eyes narrowing.

I turned back to Neferet who was smirking at the two of us. It probably was amusing for her to watch. Until recently she had never really observed Aphrodite and I together since we had stopped hating each other's guts. She smiled at me then and embraced me quickly, "Be safe, Zoey. I shall see you when you return."

I nodded and then Aphrodite and I flew out the door meeting Darius and the others at the front gate.