The Morgue was just like any other Morgue. It was cold, sterile and uninviting. I was the last to enter the cremation room where the young fledglings' body laid on the cold table. Neferet and Caren were at each side of the table as I came up front. I stood, frozen looking into her angelic face. I had seen her once before.

"When did she die?" I asked hurriedly.

"Our guess is 2 days ago. She was found out in the middle of the woods" Neferet answered.

"As if something was chasing her" I added. Neferet and Caren looked up at me; I could feel their eyes studying me. "I've seen her before" I said.

"Are you sure?" Caren asked.

"Yes" was all the answer I gave. I noticed she looked at Neferet then back at me.

"Zoey, this girl was not apart of our House of Night. You would not have met her here at school. Did you meet her elsewhere?" Caren asked.

"No, I saw her in my bathroom" that's when I looked up and stared at them both.

"You saw her in your bathroom?" Neferet looked confused.

"I thought it was just a hallucination, I hadn't slept. I was in my bathroom, washing my face and I saw her" I looked down, "Just as she is now, ripped and torn, dirty and mangled. She asked me to help her."

"Zoey, if you were having visions, why didn't you tell anyone?" Caren asked me and Neferet gave me a look as to why she hadn't been told.

"I'm sorry Priestess; I had too much on my mind. Between my Grandma, and Heath, I didn't give much thought to a dirty half naked girl I saw in the mirror who vanished into thin air. I thought it was just me and my lack of sleep" I apologized.

"You will learn that a High Priestess is extremely intuitive. Fledglings can call aid to us. But why did she only come to you? We should have been able to pick up her distress" Neferet said.

"I think she was warning me" I admitted.

"Warning you about what?" Caren asked.

"About the Drekavac's"

"Drekavac's? As in the creatures that Vlad had told us about? Why Zoey" Neferet giggled, "That was just a fable. There is little truth in it."

"No, I am sure that it is for real. However, I think these things are being created by the Dark Queen of Fae. She's killing these children to get to Maurelle"

"But you only returned yesterday, this child has been dead for over 2 days at best. What is the excuse then?" Caren asked.

I thought about it for a minute, she did have a point. Did the Fairy Queen have a different agenda? "I just don't know, but I do know that it will probably get much worse."

"Then we must protect the students" Neferet said commandingly. "We have to create a barrier on the school. If one has already come through the wall and attacked Silvia Redbird, then tried to attack Zoey, then we have no choice"

"I agree." Caren said, then she turned and looked at me, "Zoey, you will need your Prefect, set up by the East Wall and cast a circle. We will need to set up a protection barrier around the school. Since your circle is the most powerful, we will need you to evoke it."

"Yes Priestess" I bowed to her and placed my fist over my heart. I may be a High Priestess, but I wasn't the High Priestess of all Vamps. Though I had that small reassuring voice in my head tell me: Good deeds bring great rewards, but not without sacrifice

I walked out of the Morgue and straight to the dorms. That would most likely be where everyone would be. Damien hardly leaves the Twins side anymore and when he does it's just to go to class or to bed. I was right about them being there. As I walked through the door to the girls dorm they were all sitting there watching TV, and of course, or ever favorite channel, the News.

This is Chera Kimiko from Fox News; we have a breaking story that developed late this evening as officials have discovered the body of a young girl just outside of the House of Night. Investigators are reporting that the High Priestess Neferet has been cooperating with officials. The girl's name has not yet been released until her family can be notified. No further information has been reported as to what happened to the young girl. Source's say that the body looked as if an animal had ripped her to shreds. We will be back for an update later this morning.

"Oh Shit!" Erin said as she sat up in her chair.

"Another body outside?" Shaunee asked. "I've had enough of dead bodies around here!"

"No kidding" Damien said glumly. When Damien isn't even in the mood to use vocab, you know that something is seriously up. I patted him on the shoulder and gave him a small smile.

"What is it Z?" asked Stevie Rae. "Is that why Neferet and Caren wanted to talk to you?"

"Yes, and she did look like someone ripped her up. I think she might have been turned into a Drekavac, or was attacked by one"

"Dreka – what?" Erin said.

"Vac – who?" Shaunee continued.

"Drekavac, it's a spiritual monster in other words, they look kind of like those werewolves you've seen on TV in just about every horror flick available." Damien said dryly, with no enthusiasm as he normally has.

I took a hardy look at him, "Damien, are you sure your alright?"

The Twins and Stevie Rae all looked over at Damien, "Yeah, are you ok?" Erin asked.

"You haven't gotten on to us like you normally do" Shaunee said bewildered.

"I think he's just been quiet. Are you depressed about Jack?" Stevie Rae asked.

"I'm fine. Really you guys, just, I want to be left alone" he said.

"Oh no!" Erin said slowly.

"Oh, Hell, No" Shaunee repeated.

"You are not going to be hanging out alone" Erin said sternly placing her hands on her hips.

"Oh, please, just please, Queen Damien, look, I'm sorry that your boyfriend died and all, but it happens" Shaunee said.

"It's not like we don't care either, we just know we have to go on" Stevie Rae said as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Will you guys get off my back!" Damien yelled. "If anyone knows what I'm going through it's Zoey. You guys don't have one lick of sense in your brains."

"Wow Twin, he didn't even use any big words" Shaunee said as she turned to look at Erin.

"I know Twin, so weird. It's like Damien was possessed by someone who speaks normal English!"

"I know right! Hey, strange kid, why don't you leave and bring back our, oh so annoying Queen Damien who corrects us on our lack of vocabulary usage." Shaunee smiled.

"Yes, Damien, your acting very…" Erin paused, "capricious"

"What?" Shaunee asked looking at Erin like Damien had just possessed her.

"Meaning having a sudden behavior change. It's not like Damien, he's acting capricious. He should be blithe"

"Blithe? Ok, Twin, you're starting to scare me" Shaunee said with wide eyes and starting to step away from Erin.

"Oh, stop being a silly nilly, Blithe means happy or gay…" Erin giggled, "Gay, not like gay like you are Damien, I mean…"

"Yes, Gay means Happy, I am perfectly aware of that" Damien interrupted. "A matter of fact, I am depressed, or you could say I was crummy, dejected, despondent, destroyed, disconsolate, dispirited, glum, grim, lugubrious, melancholy, moody, morose, pessimistic, ripped, sad, spiritless, unhappy, weeping, woebegone. There, I believe that is all the vocabulary you're going to get out of me today. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to go brood in my own room" Damien turned to me, "I'm sorry Zoey, I…"

"Damien, it's ok." I gave him a big hug without letting him finish what he was going to say, "I understand and totally get if you want some time to yourself" I looked at him in the eyes, "But don't push us away. We're trying to help and it doesn't make it better to sit and be melancholy all the time"

"Hey, you learned something today I see" Damien started to smile.

"Yes, a whole lot of adjectives that describe depressed, quiet impressed, they were all in alphabetic order too" I smiled.

"I study the dictionary" he admitted and laughed a bit more. "Ok, I guess I can stay a bit more, as long as the Twins don't give me a hard time" he shot Erin and Shaunee a narrow eyed look.

"Promise!" they both said in union.

I walked over and turned the TV off, "I have something I need to talk to you guys about."

Stevie Rae, the Twins and Damien all perked there ears to hear what I was going to say. It was like they sat up straighter and leaned in closer towards me to catch all the words I was going to say.

"Something really bad has happened today…well, actually 2 days ago and I guess you could even include it along with our totally messed up world for the past few months. First and foremost, we have been asked to set a protective barrier around the school grounds. Neferet and Caren have a reason to believe that Drekavac's may be on the loose and I don't want to argue because I almost got attacked today by one. Two, we're going to have to stay together. I have a feeling that the Dark Queen is here, in our Realm and is coming for Maurelle. So, Twins, keep extra watch on Maurelle"

"Easy" Erin said.

"Peasy" Shaunee finished.

"Stevie Rae, I need you to gather any of the remaining red fledglings and get them to help watch guard around the school grounds. Since they are of a different vampire all together, then their increased powers might help us."

"They will be so excited!" Stevie Rae jumped up and down on the couch.

"This isn't a talent contest, I just need them to keep their eyes open for anything suspicious"

"No problem Z, I'll make sure they are all in line" Stevie Rae said nodding her head.

"And what is my role?" Aphrodite interrupted from coming down the hall. "As your consulate I would hope I had a pretty decent role in all this?"

"Actually, yes, I need you and Darius to call upon whatever remaining Sons of Erebus there are left"

"I think I can handle that" she said with a smirk.

"Damien" I called to him and he looked up at me, with sad eyes, "I'm sending you on a special errand. I need you to retrieve Stark. I trust that you'll bring him back safe."

Damien looked confused, "But we don't know where he is"

"Actually, we do" I said. "He is in the Divine Realm, and just so happens, we have someone that can walk between them."

I turned to Aphrodite, "Can you get Maurelle from her room for me, I need to speak with her"

"What am I your errand boy?" she tossed her hair. I just gave her a very nasty look and she flipped her hair and huffed as she walked down the hall towards the girls rooms.

I walked over to Damien and put my hand on his, "I ask this of you because I know what kind of pain you are in. I can guarantee you that you'll come back feeling so much better…" I paused, wanting to know if I should say anything else. No, I will leave it a surprise that Jack was in the Divine Realm with Nyx and that I was doing him a great favor by doing this for him. "Now, once you return with Stark we need to remember to be on watch. Before everyone goes we need to get to the east wall to set up our boarder."

"Got her" Aphrodite chimed in with Maurelle on her heels.

"Yes Zoey?" Maurelle asked. I noticed that Erik was right behind her, with a cocky grin on his face.

"Maurelle, I need to ask you a favor. I wouldn't ask this of you unless I truly needed your help."

"Anything Zoey, do not hesitate."

"I need you to take Damien to the Divine Realm to retrieve Stark; I need you to bring them both back"

"I believe I can do that. Is this urgent or do I have time to freshen up?" she smiled and I caught her looking over at Erik. I pained with jealousy. But why was I so jealous? Erik wasn't my boyfriend anymore, though he said that he would love me always, and I knew deep down that he would always be in my life, I will wanted to be with him. No, Zoey, what are you thinking. You broke up with him because he was possessive and uber jealous. Why would you want that back? Yes, Erik could be sweet and gentlemanlike, but not the gentleman that Heath always was. Heath, now I was starting to miss him. Ugh, Hell, I needed to get my mind off boys, they weren't important at that moment.

"Thank you. Yes, you have time to freshen up. Meet us by the East Wall when you are ready" I instructed her. She bowed at the head to me and then turned to head to her room, but I noticed her taking Erik's hand with her as she left the common area.

"Uh oh Z" Erin started.

"I think our friend Maurelle has got bit by the Erik bug" Shaunee said.

"Oh Z! Are you ok with Maurelle seeing Erik?" Stevie Rae asked.

"I'm fine with it. Why would I not be?" I asked innocently, then I looked to see all my friends giving me the, "you know why you would be" look. Ugh, they were right. "Ok, ok, so yeah, I might have some feelings left for Erik, but he's a single guy and can date whomever he wants."

Shaunee and Erin crossed their arms at the same moment and popped their hips out in the same direction and just hummed "Uh huh" and rolled their eyes.

"Ok Dorkamese Twin's, hello, there are two girls here that have been with Erik, who dumped Erik and found way hot warriors instead, why the hell would Zoey be jealous?" Aphrodite bumped in. "Besides, we all know her heart has secretly been for Stark ever since they met"

"Yeah, and we tried to tell her, but she never listened…" Stevie Rae said.

"Oh shut it bumpkin, you guys would have let her go on with anyone she wanted." Aphrodite rolled her eyes, "Sure, her and Erik were cute, but they weren't right for each other. They are cool as friends, but I can't see anything else coming between them."

"And about Stark?" Stevie Rae chimed in.

"Ugh, do we have to go through my personal life right this minute!" I screamed in frustration, so many more things important than my love life, of lack there of.

"No!" Aphrodite, the Twins and Stevie Rae all said at the same time.

"Out with it" Erin said.

"Yeah, you can tell us Z. You got the hots for Mr. Hot Stark or not?"

"Oh, come on you guys, really." I just looked at them and they returned an equally blank stare waiting for my answer. "Ok, so I care about Stark, but that's all it is right now. Nothing more. We aren't even seeing each other anymore"

"But you wish you were" Shaunee said as she whistled.

"That's right Twin, you remember that night when she called Earth to the dorm to cover up her 'oh! Oh! Oh!' moments" Erin laughed.

The Twins burst out laughing, "Oh if she knew!" Shaunee practically fell over on the floor laughing.

My brows furrowed and was totally confused, I was aware that I had done that with Stark, but did I just do my room or just the dorm. Then moritification hit me, oh goddess, no, not everyone heard that did they? "What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh Z! You know everyone heard you right?" Erin said.

"Yeah, Twin and I were on the opposite side of the dorm and could hear that." Shaunee laughed again.

Well, Hell. I could feel the blood rushing to my face. Did vampire's blush now that they were changed? I certainly felt like I was blushing, hard.

"Forget it. Let's go, we have to get to the east wall" I turned quickly on my heel as the rest of the group erupted into laughter once again. Ugh, immaturity. I walked by myself outside as the rest of the group was running after me, still laughing and holding their stomach's. I had no time for jokes, this was serious. And that's when I heard the growl again.