Loved (House of Night Other World #1)(30)

“What is it?” I asked, intrigued.

“Well, the most powerful earth protection comes in the form of trees. And the rowan tree has special powers. It rules communication between the worlds. It’s known as the Quickening Tree because it can quicken your psychic abilities. I think it’s the perfect symbol for earth protection, but I don’t have one.”

“Stevie Rae, do you need an actual sapling, or would just a part of the tree work?” Grandma asked.

“Any part of the tree would work just fine. I can make it grow. Do ya have a rowan twig or somethin’, Grandma Redbird?”

“I do not, but I’m sure a rowan wand wouldn’t be difficult to find here at the House of Night,” Grandma said.

“There are tons of wands and such in the Spells and Rituals classroom, back in the supplies cupboard,” I said.

“That’ll work!” Stevie Rae said. “I’ll go find something rowan.”

“Four down, one to go,” Stark said. “So, what’s gonna be your spirit symbol?”

“I have no clue,” I said.

“Then it is good that you have your Grandma here with you, u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya.” Grandma went to her picnic basket and reached into its mysterious, fragrant depths to pull out a single red feather. She brought it to the table and handed it to me. “This is your symbol, Zoeybird, and the symbol of the spirit of your people.”

“Oh, Grandma! It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“That’s it then. You have all the elements of your spell,” Stark said.

“I do. What time is it?”

He checked his phone. “Ten thirty. Looks like we’re going to make the midnight deadline.”

“Looks like it,” I said.

“That’s gotta be a good sign,” Shaylin said.

“Yep. Okay, give me a few minutes to put all of this together in a spell form. By that time, Aphrodite and Damien should be back with the athame and candles, Shaunee will have made her fire-pyramid thing, and Stevie Rae will have found a rowan wand. Then we go to Woodward Park.”

“How are you feeling about the spell overall, Zoeybird?” Grandma asked when Stark went to fetch us some more pizza.

“Pretty good,” I said. “I mean, it’s really a simple spell. There’s not much that can go wrong.”

I saw a shadow pass over Grandma’s expression, but before I could ask her anything she brightened. “Exactly, u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya. Let’s go put an end to Neferet’s nonsense. Again.”





10


Zoey


Winter in Oklahoma is a mixture of anticipation and expectation—you know the ice and snow are coming. You just don’t know when, where, or how much. I should have been sick of winter weather, what with the icepocalypse that had shut the city down for weeks last winter, but as we walked through deserted Woodward Park with fat flakes of snow drifting lazily down from an ominously clouded sky I couldn’t help but feel the same sense of wonder and excitement I’d felt every school day of my life when the weather report hinted at snow. Seriously. What’s more awesome than a snow day? (Okay, yes, I hear you. Summer vacation. But I’m talking about surprise days off from school.)

Mature or immature, the snow had all of us in a positive mood. And there, tromping through leaves salted with shimmering white flakes, surrounded by the people I loved most in this world, I was filled with optimism. Neferet and Darkness felt like a half-remembered bad dream. The kind that you wake from crying, but as soon as you’re fully aware it fades into vague remembrances and forgotten fears.

“I like the replanting,” Stevie Rae said. She was walking beside me, gazing around at the snow-silent park. “It’s gonna be weird in the spring and summer—without most of the ginormous oaks and those huge azalea bushes everyone likes to take pictures in front of—but I can already see that it’s gonna be real pretty once everything grows up. Maybe even prettier than it used to be.”

“That’s what we’re hoping for. The House of Night poured a bunch of money into the renovation, and it was one of our landscape architects that created the new planting grids. She even added a gorgeous water feature over there by the Peoria side of the park, which we filled with koi.”

Stevie Rae shot me a look. “I hope I’m here to see it.”

I snagged her hand and made her slow with me until we lagged a little behind the others. “You’ll be here to see it if you want to be here. Stevie Rae, I didn’t know you’ve been unhappy. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Sure it is. I’m the one who set up our new High Council and had the semibrilliant idea of sending everyone scattered out like that.”

“It’s a good idea, Z. I just miss home. Too much I think. My heart’s here.” She glanced at where Rephaim walked beside Stark and added, “So’s his.”

“So’s Damien’s,” I said softly, glancing to where he was walking beside Aphrodite.

“Yeah, I don’t see Adam anywhere. What’s up with that?” she asked.

“They broke up. Damien’s not over Jack,” I said.

“Oh, man, that sucks. But I’m not surprised. Maybe being home will help him put Jack to rest.”