Loved (House of Night Other World #1)(23)

“You will, Z.” Stevie Rae’s voice was filled with a confidence I wasn’t feeling. “All you need to do is to call us, and your cavalry will arrive to save the day.”

“The Herd of Nerds rides again,” Aphrodite said, only semisardonically.

“You’re part of that herd,” I said.

“The most attractive part,” she quipped.

I rolled my eyes, feeling more and more normal. We had a plan—and that was a relief. And I had my circle around me—that was a blessing.

“Okay, so here’s what we need to do. First, everyone needs to read Neferet’s journal.”

“I’ll make copies,” Shaunee said.

“I’m going to the media center to research protective spells,” I said. “I’d appreciate any help you want to give me.”

“No problem,” Damien said. “My specialty is research.”

“Awesome, so we all know what to do. Let’s break until after dinner.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s not quite midnight. When’s sunrise, Stark?”

“Tomorrow it’ll be at 7:36 a.m.”

“Okay, how about we meet in the media center at 4:00 a.m. Oh, Lenobia, would you please make an announcement that the media center will be closed to students until further notice?”

“Of course,” Lenobia said.

“Hopefully, we’ll find the perfect spell quickly and then we can—”

Aphrodite’s purposeful throat-clearing interrupted me.

“Problem?” I asked.

“Potentially,” she said. “Sorry, Damien. Again. But as Nyx’s prophetess I’m going to insist on this. Damien cannot represent air when you cast the circle for the protective spell.”

“Of course I have to represent air! I am air,” Damien practically sputtered. “And I absolutely have to be there when the spell is cast.”

“Why?” Aphrodite asked, meeting his gaze steadily.

“Because I’m air,” Damien said stubbornly.

“I can stand in for you,” Aphrodite said. “You can’t be there.”

“I must be there!”

“Why?” she repeated the question in a calm, reasonable voice.

“Because I have to be!” Damien shouted.

Into the after-shout silence I spoke to him softly, kindly. “Jack won’t be there, Damien, but Aphrodite’s vision was clear about one thing. We don’t know why, but your life is in danger.”

“But it could be a metaphor,” he said miserably.

“Could be isn’t enough,” I said. “Take Jack out of the vision, and you’d know that.”

Damien hung his head. “I—I don’t know what to say.”

“Say that you’ll help Z find the perfect spell,” Stevie Rae said, squeezing Damien’s shoulder.

“Say that you understand we can’t let anything happen to you,” Shaylin said.

“Say that you know how well-loved you are, even though Jack isn’t here,” Shaunee said.

Damien lifted his head. His eyes were bright with tears. “I think all I can say right now is thank you, my friends. Thank you.”

“That’s a good start,” Aphrodite said. “Would you also say you forgive me?”

I was surprised by Aphrodite’s question until I remembered the agony in her voice as she’d come out of the vision—how she’d screamed Damien’s name over and over. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Aphrodite feels things deeply, personally—even though she doesn’t often feel safe enough to show her feelings.

“There is nothing to forgive, my friend,” Damien said.

I watched the last of the tension relax out of Aphrodite’s shoulders.

“Thank you,” she said. Then she turned to me. “I’m coming to the media room with you.”

“I thought you hated research,” I said.

“I hate sitting and waiting more.”

“Well, okay then.”

“We’re gonna put our suitcases in our rooms, then we’ll meet you there, too,” Stevie Rae said.

“Rooms? Don’t you mean your visiting professors’ quarters?” I asked.

“No, um. Well. That was another part of your birthday surprise,” Stark said.

“Jesus effing Christ, Bow Boy!” Aphrodite exploded. “Do you have to give away all of it?”

“WTF?” I asked.

“Please don’t,” Aphrodite said. “Cuss or don’t cuss. But give up the abbreviations.”

“Oh, just tell her!” Shaunee said.

“I’ll tell her.” Stevie Rae skipped over to me, grinning like a crazy person. “We’re gonna be staying in our old dorm room. Well, at least for the next few nights we are. That was part of Stark’s gift to you. He had our room done up like it used to be.”

“He did?” I looked from my BFF to Stark. “You did?”

“Yep.”

“You mean, my dorm room—the one I shared with Stevie Rae—looks like it used to?”

“Yep again. You two can slumber party to your heart’s content. Surprise!”

I turned to him. “James Stark, that is the nicest birthday gift I’ve ever been given.” I kissed him then, like no one was watching.