"Mmmm, it is so good to see you, daughter," my grandma said adoringly as she hugged me. I pulled back from the hug feeling myself smile in spite of everything that had just happened. No matter what happened in my life I always had my grandma to help get me through it. She was the one thing that was always steady and always constant, and she always seemed to know what to do. I hoped that was true now.

"You couldn't have come at a better time," I said giving her a little grin.

"You can say that again," Aphrodite said joining too gave grandma a hug and I couldn't help but notice the smile that filled her beautiful features as she did. Aphrodite's parents had never exactly been the loving type. They expected her to be amazing at everything she did so that they looked good, but other than that they never seemed to take much interest in Aphrodite as a person. My grandma had, and the difference in Aphrodite when my grandma was around was above and beyond noticeable. Well at least to me.

I looked around quickly and noticed that Aphrodite's parents had already made their "escape" for the night. They generally didn't stay long. Just long enough to tell Aphrodite what a disappointment she was and that she better do something drastic to step it up. To Aphrodite's parents you had to be someone important or you weren't anything at all.

"Have there been more problems, girls?" My grandma questioned once again stepping back out of the hug. Both of us grew uncharacteristically quiet and I saw Marla fidgeting from the corner of my eye. Grandma looked at me, "more of what you told me on the phone?"

"Yes," I said nodding and trying hard to convey that I couldn't really discuss it here. My grandma seemed to understand and nodded back.

"Plus, this hasn't exactly been the best parent visitation we've ever had," Aphrodite added glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. That was the understatement of the year! I felt my stomach muscles clench as I thought about the step-loser and Marla's parents. I was still incredibly angry about the whole situation. I had never cared for John Heffer and from day one we had never really gotten along, or seen eye to eye on anything, but for him to actually raise a hand to me? Part of me wished Neferet hadn't interfered, though I knew it was probably good that she had. It probably wouldn't have gone over well with the parents if I had set the step-loser on fire.

"We had a little problem with a few of the People of Faith Elders," I said softly.

"The Elders," my grandma stated nodding. "Yes, I saw your mother's husband on my way in. I was wondering about the group of men he was standing with."

"What?" Aphrodite and I said at the same time. I watched my grandma's eyebrows pull together curiously as Aphrodite and I exchanged glances.

"Grandma, you saw all of the Elders?" I asked stepping forward.

"They appeared to be leaving," my grandma confirmed. "John looked at me but didn't say anything which is typical, but I was wondering why he had chosen to come, especially in light of what happened with your mother."

"Believe it or not he was trying to convince me to come home," I said scowling. "All the Elders with children at the House of Night are attempting that tonight it seems," I said glancing at Marla. My grandma followed me gaze and then looked back to me. "I just didn't realize anyone besides Marla and I had parents who were Elders," I said pulling Marla forward and into our little circle.

"Zoey, I don't think they do," Aphrodite said shaking her head. "There are several fledglings whose parents are church members, but not Elders."

"Then what were all the Elders doing here?" Marla asked skeptically.

That was a good question.

My grandma frowned, her face becoming suspicious. "I'm sensing you have much to tell me, Zoeybird."

"You have no idea," I said under my breath. I exhaled slowly watching a few more of the parents leave as we walked towards the doors.

"For some reason people just can't figure out that it's never a good idea to release anything ancient or evil!" Aphrodite sneered rolling her eyes.

I watched my grandma's frown deepen. "What exactly has been going on here?"

A group of fledglings looked at us from a few feet away, their faces filling with concern.

"Come on," I whispered heading back towards the dorm. "I'll explain everything when we get back to my room."

"I'll go round up the others," Aphrodite said and I nodded. I smiled when Aphrodite grabbed Marla's hand dragging her back towards the temple, "you can help," she said firmly. Marla's eyes widened for a second as she was yanked back through the temple doors, she gave me a look and I laughed.

"She seems like a nice girl," my grandma said softly as we began walking again.

"She is," I confirmed, "She's just been through a lot."

"So have you," My grandma said thoughtfully. "Dealing with your parents couldn't have been easy for you over the last month. How are you and Neferet doing?" My grandma asked precautious. She hadn't been as quick to trust Neferet this time around, though she too, had sensed a change in Neferet when we had returned to the school. Grandma had told Neferet that she had promised to look after me and that she had broken that promise. I had never seen so much pain in Neferet's eyes then when she told my grandma that she would do everything in her power to earn back my grandmother's trust. And so far she had.

"We're doing fine," I acknowledged glancing at my grandma from the corner of my eye, "it's nice to have her back."

"Then why do I sense something is bothering you?" My grandma asked.

"I'm not really bothered," I said shaking my head and then smiling when my grandma gave me a knowing look. "Grandma, I know Neferet has really changed, but Aphrodite mentioned something earlier that's just made me a little worried. Neferet still struggles with accepting the human race. What if this confrontation with the Elders is just too tempting for her to resist? Mostly I think Aphrodite is just being paranoid, but what if it leads her to make some wrong choices again?"

Grandma frowned as she examined my face. "What does your gut tell you?" She asked me softly.

"My gut tells me that she is trying. She's so open with me now grandma. She knows that she is struggling and she doesn't hide that fact from me."

"Perhaps she just needs someone to believe in her goodness, my u-wi-tsi-a-ge-ya," grandma said looking into my eyes. "It's a lot easier to believe in yourself if someone else also believes in you," my grandma said giving me a sad little smile, "I think your Neferet probably needs you just as much as you need her."

I smiled shaking my head at how well my grandma knew me, but I also knew she was right. Many of the things I had done over the last few months had been easier because I knew that my friends believed in me and so did Nyx. Neferet just needed the same little boost.

Sorry everyone that this chapter is so short, but I plan on starting another one tonight that will hopefully be posted by tomorrow if not sooner. Right now I'm brainstorming on how to start making this story more intense. So if you have any ideas or anything you'd like to see then please let me know. For example what do you think should be the Elder's next move? I have the start of a few ideas, but I'm just not sure. So please help!!! And thanks to all those who have been reviewing! ;-)