I sat down hunched over with a major scowl on my face, I was sure of that. Shaunee and Erin just looked at me with a gapping mouth and didn't dare to speak anything. Damien eyed me suspiciously and Stevie Rae munched away at her food not bothering a care to look in my direction. It was only Aphrodite who spoke up. "I told you"
"I don't want to talk about it Aphrodite"
"Well, if you don't say something, people are going to start thinking that you're the new evil Neferet, buck it up. You can't make people change Zoey, he is what he is."
"Who's what?" asked Shaunee, and Erin for once just perked her ears and didn't say anything. Damien turned his attention in my direction as did Stevie Rae.
"Erik Night. She's having issues with his jealous streak and she's mad at him because he thinks he can pretty much command her into do what he wants." Aphrodite explained.
"Thanks, I didn't think I was able to speak for myself. I'm glad I have you to speak for me" I snapped at Aphrodite.
"No problem, anytime!" she smiled and went back to eating her salad.
"I'm going to get something to eat…" I said as I got up from the table, completely frustrated.
"I'll come with you" Damien said as he also got up from the table.
We walked towards the Professors lounge in order to get our 'bite'. Thank Nyx that Heath wasn't there. I don't know what I'd do if I saw him now. Not that I was mad at him, I was just mad at the world at the moment. "Why do you guys think that you can control anything we do and whoever we are friends with?" I snapped at Damien. "It's not fair! I can't have a single relationship with any guy without someone getting jealous or angry or envious!"
"Well, I really hope that the whole relationship with any guy doesn't include me, since obviously I'm not a threat of any kind." Damien smiled.
I just laughed. "Yeah, you're excluded. But why do guys do that? Heath tried to do that to me, Erik is doing it to me. The only person that doesn't is Stark."
"If you would like some, somewhat manly advice, I would just say that jealousy is normal. Erik is jealous of your relationship with Heath and it threatens him and whatever possibility he has with a relationship with you."
"I've told him over and over that I can't be in a relationship with Heath, I'm not interested, I don't want to be in a relationship with Heath. I just want to be his friend, we've known each other since grade school. We grew up together. How can I just wipe him from my life? I can't!"
"Well, it sounds like Erik has some security issues. He's a great guy though Z. He's always been polite and gentlemanly to you and to everyone. He's a fun guy to hang out with. Maybe he's just jealous because he's afraid he'll lose you again." Damien said as he walked towards a small male boy donor and took his hand, "Hey there…" he said in a sultry voice. The boy was almost enthralled with Damien, as if under a spell and followed him to a nearby table.
I took a look at the donors as I was thinking of what Damien was saying. How could Erik be jealous and worried about losing me when he doesn't even have me to begin with. I caught the eye of a young girl, she looked frightened. I tilted my head and looked at her. She looked dirty, as if running through the woods somewhere. I walked up to her and her eyes froze on mine as if she was ready to run away. "Hey, what's your name?"
"Coraline" she answered in a small voice.
"Hi, Coraline. I'm Zoey. Are you ok? You look a bit scared."
"Yeah, I guess. I've never done this before" she said tucking a strand of her dark chestnut hair behind her ear. She was a small frame girl, shorter than I, about five feet flat. Her hair was chin length, but just long enough for her to tuck away. She reminded me a lot of a Cherokee a-yu-li (young girl) with the features that she bore. She had steel grey eyes with dark as night irises, a round face, a strong nose and lushish lips.
"No, I mean, you look like your afraid of something. If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here?"
"I am afraid of something. Something horrible. If you've seen the things I've seen, you'd be scared too." The girl said, her eyes told her entire story. Grandma always said that the eyes were windows to the soul and each person told a story, unique to themselves.
"Do you want to sit down? We can talk about it if you like? I am the High Priestess here, I can help you if you need it." I offered my hand to her. She reached out to take mine but jerked back again.
"Are you going to bite me?" her voice cracked.
"Not if you don't want me to, but if you don't mind, I'll need someone to feed from. Do you mind if I bring someone quickly and then we can talk?"
"S-Sure." She cast her eyes down and went to a table close by. I just picked the next donor in line who happened to be someone I happened to know. Kayla. My ex-best friend. My ex-best friend that the moment I left for the House of Night went running to Heath. Some friend. I figured this was a perfect opportunity to vent my frustrations and get some nourishment out of it too.
"Kayla" I said. Normally I always called her K, but I figured it was a time to be more formal.
"Zoey, nice to see you here" her voice was raspy and mean.
"Well, I would think you'd know I was here. And now I'm the High Priestess so…" I trailed off. "Come, I'm hungry" I growled. Kayla's eyes went wide, I could tell that she was now nervous about what was going to happen.
"Your not going to turn me are you?" she asked.
"Turn you? How? You can't just be turned into a vampire Kayla by having one bite you" I rolled my eyes.
"Your not going to kill me are you?"
"Kill you? No, but I wouldn't mind feeding off of you" I grabbed her hand and turned her palm over. I could sense her pulse getting higher and higher as her heart rate increased. I could feel my bloodlust climbing and my desire to bite her. I loathed her now, so this was sweet justice for what she's done to me. You might even call it Karma. I gave her a sly look and I bit down on the fleshy part of her thumb. She yelped like a little dog who had their tail stepped on. I kept a firm grip on her hand so she couldn't pull away. After I was sated I threw her hand back at her, "Go, I have no use of you anymore"
I grabbed her hand, her breathing still labored as the desire from the feeding was subsiding. She took a deep breath and walked away. I turned to see Damien just smiling at me and I grabbed him as he was done with his 'dinner'. "Come, I want you to meet someone"
I brought Damien over to the table where Coraline was sitting. "Hi Coraline, this is my friend Damien, do you mind if he sits and talks with us?"
She just shook her head. I guess I was going to have to start this conversation. "So, Coraline, how did you come to the House of Night?"
"I ran"
Damien and I just looked at each other, each of our brows furrowed. "What do you mean you ran? Are you not with a group here? Did you not sign up to be a donor?"
"No, no group, I didn't sign up for anything. Some woman told me to go upstairs; I guess I just got mixed in with everyone else." She brushed her hair to the side, her long bangs finally parting from her forehead and that's when I saw it, the crescent moon.
"Coraline. Oh my Goddess, you're not to be up here! You've been marked." I gasped. Coraline reached up to her forehead and worry started to fill her.
"No, no. They'll come for me!" she started to get antsy and worried.
"Who will come for you?" Damien asked. "Don't fear, you're safe here."
"I'm not safe anywhere. They will find me and kill me!" she fumbled with her hands looking in all directions of the room. "You have to make it go away. Make the mark go away!"
I just looked at her and took a deep breath before replying, "I can't. Goddess Nyx gave you that mark for a specific reason. She marked you because you have purpose."
"You have to make it go away!" she started to cry. I turned to Damien and gave him a worried look.
"I'll go get Neferet" he said and got up from the table and out of the lounge.
"Coraline, what is after you? You can trust me" I reached my hand out for her's, which she didn't move and actually allowed me to touch her. "I won't hurt you, no one here will"
She grabbed my hand with both of her's, "Your marks are everywhere. Is it just on your face and your hands?"
I smiled at her, "No, actually about eighty percent of my body is covered in marks. I've been given special talents from the Goddess and she has been very good to me. Now, who is after you? I can't help if you don't tell me"
"The Elders. They killed my little sister. She was the first marked. Only 14 years of age. My mom thought that it was bad karma from all the drugs she had done in her youth that would have punished her children."
"The Elders? Who are they?" I had a feeling I knew, which means that my visions were close to happening now than later.
"The Elders of the People of the Faith. My family belongs to the church. I was in the youth group. I attended church every Sunday. Why would God punish me so as to have my marked by the Devil?"
"Oh, Coraline, there is much for you to learn. Our Goddess Nyx is anything but the Devil. She is a kind, loving and caring Goddess who truly loves her children."
"That's not what we've always been told. We've always been told that the House of Night was evil, they taught children how to do dealings with the devil, that you…" her voice got smaller, "kill people"
"Heavens no!" I was taken back by her statement. "We don't kill anyone! That's absurd!"
"Then why do you have all these human's here?" she inquired. This was going to be a sticky subject.
"Well, that's a funny and long story. Long story short, I and my friend Aphrodite, we can see visions, or at least I have recently, well anyways, we had a vision that our blood supply was tainted so we had to pitch everything. Normally we get our blood from a blood bank. So see, we don't need to feed off people. However, since we're taking precautions until we can figure out if our blood really was tainted, then we need donors for those of us that have changed because we require a certain amount a day in order to keep up our energy."
"So you bite people?" she inquired.
"Yes, for the time being. Hopefully not all that much longer. But it's not as bad as you may think."
"Zoey" Neferet called.
"Neferet, this is Coraline. She was in the line of donors and I noticed her mark"
"Oh dear child, I am so sorry! We did not expect you" Neferet looked puzzled. Normally the High Priestess always knew when a new child was coming.
"Why would you expect me?" Coraline asked.
"Normally, we can see if a new child has been marked and if they are to come to our House. However, I have had no such insight about your visit. All is well though, we will get you setup and we can arrange to have some stuff from your parents house moved…"
"No!" Coraline cut her off. "No, I don't need anything from my parents house." She said hurriedly.
Neferet looked puzzled and looked at me, "Her family are Elders of the PoF" I whispered to her. Neferet's eyes went wide in surprise.
"Well, let's get you all settled, come with me and I will find an open room for you and introduce you to your new roommate. Zoey, would you take care of the particulars"
I nodded my head and Neferet took Coraline down the hall, Coraline looked back at me with worried eyes, I mouthed to her, "It's ok" and she smiled back before turning her head back in the direction she was walking.
I went back down to the dining hall to sit the rest of the group. Everyone was still chit chatting up a storm and Aphrodite was playing on her blackberry, probably texting Darius. I saw that both Erik and Stark had joined the table. Great. I took the seat between the two of them and gave a smile to each. Stark kissed me on the cheek and then Erik. Man this was awkward.
"So Z, I heard you found a new fledgling in the professors lounge with all the donors" Erik asked.
I looked at Damien who shrugged his shoulders, "I didn't say anything"
"Ugh, I told them. They would have found out anyways" Aphrodite said, not even looking up from her blackberry.
I just rolled my eyes; I guess I didn't get the privilege of telling anyone anything anymore. "So, Shaunee, Erin, any plans tonight?" I asked.
"Actually, we were just talking" Shaunee started.
"Yeah, Twin and I were saying how we should have another movie night!" Erik blurted out.
"Oh that sounds like a great idea!" Stevie Rae beamed. "I've been dying to see Push. You know with Dakota Fanning and that steamy pile of hotness Chris Evan's!"
I laughed, "Yeah, it looked…interesting. Sure, why not." I said.
"Yeah! You're actually going to hang out with us for a change!"
"Are we invited?" Stark asked.
"If you want to watch the movie" I replied and gave him a smile.
"I'm invited as well right?" Erik asked.
"If you want to watch the movie" I replied again. Super, now I would have two guys fighting over who I was going to sit next to. Ugh, this was becoming more complicated than I expected.
"Zoey" called a voice from behind me. It was Natasha. "I've been instructed by Neferet to summon you to the girls quarters."
"Oh, ok" I gathered my things and got up out of my seat, "I'll meet you guys in the common room later. Ok?"
"Bye Z" everyone said as I left. Stark even snuck a kiss on my cheek before I got up. I noticed Erik's cold gaze at Stark as well.
I followed Natasha out to the girl's dormitory where Neferet was waiting at my room with Coraline. "Zoey, now that you are High Priestess, you will be moving out of the dormitories and into the apartments. I have decided due to lack of space at the moment, to put Coraline in your old room. You don't mind helping her do you?"
"Of course not, have you seen Grandma? I can at least tell her that we're moving out of the room."
"Yes, she was walking the grounds with Heath the last time I saw her. Seems they were engaged in quiet a serious conversation. I will have someone gather your things and move them."
"Thank you" I said and they all departed leaving no one but Coraline and I in the room.
"So this is your room?" she asked.
"Yep, well, was. I guess I got promoted." I laughed. "I didn't have a roommate since Stevie Rae moved over to the apartments, so I'm sorry if your going to be staying alone for a short bit, but we get new fledglings in all the time and we're always looking for space."
"Not a problem. I like to be by myself anyways. I'm not a big…people person"
"Well, hopefully we can change that" I smiled at her, "Hey, my friends and I are getting together in a short while to watch Push, did you want to join us?"
Coraline's face lit up, "Sure, I haven't seen it yet, but I wanted to. My dad said it was supernatural nonsense and I didn't need to fill my mind with such things."
"Well, you don't have to worry about him anymore, here, we are very open minded. Most of us actually have, what your dad would call, supernatural abilities."
"Do you have a special power?" she asked.
I giggled, "well, probably more than a special. I'm a different fledgling/vampire all together. I'm the first ever fledgling to be fully marked before I was turned. See, your mark" I walked her towards the mirror, "It's just a small moon right now. When I came here, just as clueless as you are, I had these marks on my face already."
"Wow! They are beautiful" Coraline said as she touched the markings on my cheeks. "Will I have beautiful markings like you?"
"Everyone's is different. Usually your marks will symbolize your specialty. Mine are various markings because I have an affinity for all the elements. I can command Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Spirit at my call."
"Show me" she asked.
I grinned, never really shown off before, but hell, I figured it was worth a little fun. I summoned Fire to me and made a small fire ball that floated in my palm.
"Wow!" she exclaimed. "That's too cool!"
"Yep, and my friends, they each have an affinity for one of the elements. My friend Stark, he can shoot an arrow and never miss his target, ever! Erik, is a super gifted poet and he's been touched by Nyx to be a Healer as well. Aphrodite, she's my consulate, she has visions."
"What is a consulate?"
I went through everything with Coraline. She was eager to learn and know how things worked. Who my friends were and what they were able to do. She was extremely fascinated about the visions. "Will I ever get any 'gifts'?"
"Sometimes it comes in time, other's, it might develop quickly after coming here."
Coraline and I talked for probably an hour or two before we were interrupted by a knock on the door, "Hey Z, oh hi" Stark looked stunned to see another girl in the room he'd never met. He walked over and stuck his hand out, "I'm James, James Stark. Just call me Stark"
Coraline blushed and cast her eyes down, "Coraline, just Coraline" she shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you" he smiled at her and then turned to me, "We're getting ready for the movie, you guys coming?"
"Defiantly" I said as I grabbed Coraline's hand and drug her out of the room for some downtime.
Everyone was seated. Stevie Rae was munching on some popcorn on the floor leaned up against the chair that Damien was sitting in. Shaunee and Erin were cuddled up with their boy toys TJ and Cole. There was another long couch where Erik was sitting that had enough room for Coraline and I to sit as well as Stark. Stark sat on the end and I sat next to him with Coraline and then Erik on the other end. Erik didn't look too happy that he was sitting so far from me, but him and Coraline started to talk and they seemed to get along pretty well. Throughout the movie I would look over and Erik's arm would resting behind Coraline's head but still on the couch, every time something came up that would startle her she was lean up against him. Maybe there hope in resolving this love triangle after all.
The movie was almost over and I was starting to get increasingly concerned about Grandma. Neferet said she was talking to Heath out on the grounds, it was getting late for her to be up. I whispered into Stark's ear, "After the movie, I want to go look for my Grandma. She should be back already"
Stark nodded and put his arm me and held me close to him as we both watched the movie. I rested my head on his shoulder as I was curled up next to him. Once the movie was done and the credits were rolling we all got up and stretched. I yawned knowing that it was really early in the morning. I looked at my phone that was in my pocket, it was 3am. Grandma would have defiantly been back by now.
"Hey Coraline, I need to go see where my Grandma is, are you going to be ok by yourself tonight?" I asked her as Erik came up.
"I can walk her to her room" he offered. Coraline's eyes widened and she smiled and nodded.
"Your in good hands, Erik will take good care of you" I gave her a small hug, as well as Erik and Stark and I took off. Coraline was a really pretty girl, I'm hoping that she'll catch Erik's eye. I loved Erik, but I wasn't sure I was in love with him as I was with Stark. I don't think I could survive a day with Stark; I could survive many without Erik. I hated to think that, but it was true. As good a person Erik is, he isn't the kind of person I need to be with. I need to be free, independent. I'm not a caged bird. Erik needed someone who would worship him, come at his beckon call and do as he pleased. I had a feeling that Coraline might be a good girl for him.
Stark and I took off out of the dormitory in search of Grandma. "Neferet said she saw her talking to Heath."
"Well, we can go ask him if he knows what happened to her. Don't worry Zoey, we'll find her." He reassured me as he grabbed my hand and we started on our search.
