I spent the next few classes trying to do what Leila said. I wasn't sure what exactly to do, so I spent a few free periods with Leila and Empress too. Leila told me to bring Empress gifts, and then she took me out shopping.

First was stuff to make Empress trust me. Food, apparently, was key to winning a horse's heart. Leila introduced me to every kind of apple there was, while I dully looked on. Then we went to a special apple place. Leila told me she had an affinity for horses, which was why she was good with them, and also, she said, why I should trust her to pick the stuff Empress would like. I did.

Leila decided that the Ariane apple was perfect. It was beautiful, considering it was an apple, the colors of sunset. The sales person explained that it was a French apple, usually used in desserts.

Leila mentioned we shouldn't just buy one kind, though. "Give Empress some variety and choices," she explained, "and make it seem like you're sparing no expense on her." Really, I wasn't, but it was the school's money.

So by the time we got out of the store, I had two paper bags full of apples, which I deposited in the backseat of the car, and a list of all the kinds of apple Empress might like. I put it in the car too.

Next Leila took me to a farm. She purchased carrots, onions, cilantro, lettuce, spinach, lemongrass, and scallions. We also put these in the backseat of the car. I was glad Leila had a spacious car.

Our next places included some oat place where we bought three pounds of luxury oats (whatever the difference was), a spice shop (we bought cinnamon), and a sweet shop.

"One pound of maple candy," Leila ordered, and the woman scampered to pull pieces onto the scale. "And three bags of sugar cubes."

We watched the woman heave the maple candy and sugar cubes onto the counter, giving us strange looks (although our marks were covered) and Leila added, "Oh, and two small pieces."

After we lugged the stuff back to the car, Leila handed one of the small pieces to me, and popped the other in her mouth. I took it out of it's wrapper. I'd never had one before. It was a light golden tan, and small and round. I tentatively put it in my mouth, and it was sweet, and melted quickly.

"Next we need to buy some wood stain," Leila declared, and brought me into a paint shop. The wood stain was the heaviest thing yet, although only narrowly (those oats were pretty heavy). Leila grabbed three giant cans of white wood stain, and we put them in the back as well. Leila paused after that, then checked her cell. "Crap! We have to get back now." She jumped in the driving seat, and I slid in next to her, and we drove back to the school.

"Where are we going to keep all that?" I asked, indicating the stuff in the backseat with a tilt of my head.

Leila looked in the rearview at it as though she had just noticed. I guess the apples and vegetables we can leave with Zara and me. She has a fridge, and she won't mind if we keep it there. Other stuff we can put in your room."

I nodded. Leila called Zara, who came down with Opal and Derek. They helped us heave the oats, woodstain, sugar cubes, and maple candy up into my dorm room. I hoped Brooke wouldn't mind (although I did store it on my side of the room).

Then we dragged all the vegetables and fruits to Leila and Zara's rooms. I checked my schedule. I had Art next.

We were doing landscapes in Art. I looked at my blank paper. Egypt came over. "Do you need any help, Ivory?"

"No, thanks. I'm just stuck." Egypt smiled slightly.

"Why don't you draw that garden you dreamed up?" she suggested. "The one where you were talking to Happy Will?"

I nodded, suddenly barely paying attention to Egypt. My pencil moved over the paper all on it's own, drawing grass midway up shins, with cobblestone paths and a fire in the center and flowers all around, a crescent moon in the sky.

The bell startled me. "Class dismissed," Egypt said calmly. "Homework for tonight is to make this a scene. Add yourself, or a friend, doing something."

I stayed in my seat. I had free period next, so I could draw a little longer. I sketched in a girl with a round face, curly hair, bright eyes, wearing sweatpants, a tee shirt, and slippers. Then I drew in a girl wearing long sleeves, with dark skinny jeans and black flats, her long pale hair covering her shirt.

I didn't notice Egypt behind me until she said, "You are very good at drawing. You must have a good memory." I looked back at the picture. It did seem good. I had never been good at drawing before. I said so. "Maybe it's part of Spirit," Egypt said. "Maybe you're perceptive enough to remember these things."

I shrugged. Then Egypt said, almost shyly, "I was drawing you. I thought you wouldn't mind. Would you like to see?" I nodded enthusiastically, saying, "I don't mind."

Egypt brought me up to her desk, where there was a very good sketch of me lying on the table. It looked exactly like me. Silver hair, sharp chin, dark eyes, small hands holding a pencil. And yet, the girl's hair glowed, her face seemed impossibly focused, her dark eyes intelligent, her small hands with a precision to them I did not possess.

"It's good," I said. "I love it. I wish I could draw like you."

Egypt shrugged. "I like the way you draw." Egypt smiled at me. I turned to go. I had to go talk to Leila about the next steps with Empress. "Wait, Ivory!"

"Yeah?"

"Here. I want you to have this." Egypt handed me a notebook, light blue in color, with silver swirls patterning it. "Practice your drawing for me. I don't think you have art for a few days now."

I took it from her. The swirls looked like they were moving. Hypnotized, I watched them, then dragged my eyes away. "Thanks," I said, and walked out.

I went back to my room, which was empty. I flopped onto my bed, and flipped it open to the first page. I drew Nyx, her hair swirling over down her side, wearing the long dress. It was her face I had the most problems with. How do you capture the face of a goddess?

I couldn't stop drawing after that. I sketched the room, Egypt, Isis, Brooke, Happy Will, Roo, my new friends. Finally, it was time for dinner and I went down. Roo appeared and followed me, trotting to keep up. I waited for her, then scooped her up.

I found the central table we sat at, and slipped next to Zara. "Dark Daughters meeting tonight," she reminded me. I nodded. "Is everyone here at this table a Dark Daughter?" I asked.

Zara nodded. "Yeah, and a girl named Liza. She's not here now." She was about to say more when Summer broke into a round of coughing. She turned to her. "Summer?"

Blood spurted into the napkin Summer clutched to her mouth. "Get Isis, now!" she ordered me.

I ran into the next room. Isis looked at me quizzically, a goblet of wine raised halfway to her mouth. "Ivory?" asked Egypt.

"It's Summer," I gasped. "I think she's going through the Change." Instantly Isis and Prof. Elizabeth, who I assumed was Summer's mentor, rose and were at Summer's side. Opal was next to me, backing away.

"She was my best friend," Opal murmured. "She was so nice." I remembered Summer's kindness. Some guy with red hair was there too, and Opal told me, "That's Eddie."

Everybody at our table was freaking out, scattering, except Zara. "That's Zara's power," Opal told me. "She stays calm, and confident, in every situation, to the point where it's not just a good quality. She can also sense others' powers. Isis can do those too." I watched them. I did see a certain similarity between Isis and Zara. "Isis has visions, too, though."

Summer was saying something. Isis turned to us. "Opal?" Opal's eyes were wide. "She's asking for you." Only Summer, Isis, Prof. Elizabeth, Eddie, and Opal were there by then. Zara slipped her arm around mine and led me from the hall. "There's nothing we can do for her now. We should leave them for their privacy."

The hall emptied, everybody talking quietly. I couldn't stop thinking of the sudden coughing, the blood. I glanced through the window. Summer had stopped moving. The stillness. Eddie and Opal were crying, openly, and I could feel it all the way out here, their overwhelming sadness, pulling me down into despair with them.

"You can feel what they feel," Zara said in recognition. "Your element's powers keep changing. You can feel what they feel." I nodded miserably.

Just then, a car pulled up, and out stepped Liza. She had dark skin and hair, wearing the school uniform. She was a fifth former, according to her badge. I wondered for the first time why I was a fourth former when this was my first year, and why I'd been marked at seventeen, not sixteen. Liza looked confused, and hurried over to us. "Why is everyone so upset?"

"Summer's dead," Zara said flatly. "Her body rejected the Change." Liza looked blank. She shivered. "Oh. Oh. Goddess."

That night I looked in the closet for something to wear. Finally, I pulled out a deep purple dress that came to my knees, with golden lace patterning the edges of the skirt and the long sleeves, and the small round neckline. Borrowed violet heels from Joan. Amethyst earrings.

I walked with my friends to the ceremony.

Brooke was wearing a light blue green dress, like sea foam. It was layers of sheer silk, six, I counted, to my knees, and the silk on the bodice clung to her curves. Her black hair was twisted into a bun. Light blue eye shadow and navy eye shadow and light pink lip gloss was on her face. No jewelry.

Alissa wore a yellow dress, the color of hay, and golden eye shadow, with a gold necklace with a ruby dangling from it. The dress was butterfly sleeved. Alissa looked older than she was, yet I'd never seen her look so vulnerable.

Anna was wearing maroon, the same style as Alissa's dress, and her accessories too, but with a sapphire instead of a ruby, with lavender eye shadow. She was unreadable, arms linked with Alissa.

Opal was wearing a pale pink dress, puffed sleeves, skirt just below her knees. Blush on her cheeks, light pink eyeshadow, and smudged mascara was on her face. She walked somewhat separate from us, her grief deeper, fiercer.

Leila had on a light green mini dress, with spaghetti straps. Cotton. Her minimal make up (light green eye shadow, light blush, clear lip gloss) made her even more beautiful.

Joan wore a flirty dress that still conveyed formalness and mourning. It was a minidress with no sleeves, white edged with black ribbon. Heavily applied make up. No jewelry.

Liza wore a fiery red dress. It came to her knees and flew out when she turned a corner. No make-up. No jewelry.

Zara was meeting us there. We arrived and formed a horse shoe shape. I stood between Brooke and Liza. Brooke quickly explained to me that six girls outside of the Dark Daughters were always invited by Zara, so they could experience a ceremony like it. I thought it was a wonderful idea, but the girls looked nervous, lined up across from us eight regulars. (Well, seven. I was new.)

Then the guys lined up, fifteen of them as well. They completed the other half of the circle. There was a table in the center, with a purple statue of Nyx and goblets and wine bottle resting in front of it. The four element candles surrounded it. I realized the statue was the spirit candle with a bit of a shock.

We were all silent, waiting for Zara. Then she entered. She was wearing a black skirt that came to her knees, and a black silk blouse too. Black earrings dangled from her ears. Thick eyeliner, and blush and lipstick were on her face, but no eyeshadow. Her face was cast into shadow but came into the light. She was beautiful. Her hair tumbled loose down her back, wavy and shiny.

She went to the center, and lit each candle, greeting each element. Then she picked up a goblet and poured wine into it, placing it between each candle and Nyx. Offerings. Then she lit the spirit candle, and I felt my power rise.

Zara's voice was clear when she began to speak. She named each of the twelve people who had been invited to attend that night's ceremony. Then she said, "I would like to welcome Ivory Labastria, fourth former, with an affinity for spirit, into our group." Everybody chorused, "We welcome you, Ivory Labastria." Then Zara continued, "And tonight we must also mourn our dear companion and friend, who has recently passed, Summer. We will miss and remember you, Summer."

We repeated, "We will miss and remember you, Summer."

Then we began talking about Summer, murmuring about how kind she was, how pretty she was, how generous, how lovely, how talented, how helpful, how amazing. Nobody had anything bad to say about Summer.

Zara said clearly and loudly and commandingly to us, now scattered and speaking, and we fell silent to hear her, "We will miss and remember you, Summer. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again."

I wondered briefly who that was directed towards, us Dark Daughters and Sons, or Summer.

We said back, together, "We will miss and remember you, Summer. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again."