Loved (House of Night Other World #1)(48)

“Truth,” Aphrodite said.

“Yep. No question ’bout it,” Stevie Rae agreed.

“We’re with Lenobia,” Rephaim said.

“Absolutely,” Damien said. “If a rebel is someone who fights against Neferet, then I’m a rebel.”

“Definitely,” Stark said. “We battled that bitch once and won. We’d do it again.”

“But we don’t have to,” I told Jack, meeting his gaze steadily. “Neferet isn’t in charge of anything here. She tried to take over the world and we stopped her. And there is no war against humans here because we stopped her.”

“There is no Neferet here,” Jack said slowly. “No armies, either?”

“None,” I said firmly. “There are only the Sons of Erebus Warriors, and their job is to protect the House of Night and its priestesses. They also protect the humans of our community. Like right now if you look out on the wall you’ll see Warriors patrolling. Those Warriors will allow any human who wants sanctuary into the school. We aren’t at war against anything except whatever those creatures are who came into this world with you.”

Other Jack got up and walked to me. Stark came with him, fully on alert.

“I’m convinced. This isn’t my world.”

I let out a long breath in relief. “Good. We have questions. A lot of questions.”

He nodded. “I’ll help you. Would you help me, too? Please?” Red-tinged tears spilled from his eyes.

“I don’t know if I can get you back to your world,” I said.

“I don’t want to go back. Ever. And I don’t want to lose myself and turn into a red vampyre. Please. Please. Help me.”





15


Zoey


“Of course we’ll help you!” Damien gushed. Moving forward he stepped in front of me to take Jack into his arms. He managed to reach Jack and even embraced him awkwardly.

I saw the change happen as soon as Jack’s face got close to the soft skin on the side of Damien’s neck. His eyes glowed. He pulled his lips back in a snarl and opened his mouth impossibly wide, showing teeth dripping saliva and a too-red tongue.

“No!” Stark shouted, wrenching the two of them apart, and shoving Jack down into a seat. Then he rounded on Damien. “Have you not been paying attention? This is not your Jack. Damnit, Damien! Sniff him.”

“Would you care how Zoey smelled?” Damien said.

“No. Yes.” Stark sighed. “No, I wouldn’t care because I’d still love her, but yes, I would pay attention to her scent because it means something’s wrong.”

“Listen to him, Damien,” Jack said. His voice was rough. His eyes still glowed red. “You have to stay away from me. Your blood isn’t as sweet as a human’s, but I can’t always control myself, especially when I get hungry.”

“How often do you get hungry?” I asked. I mean, he’d just sucked down a big blood smoothie back in the basement.

“All the time,” Stevie Rae answered for him. “Right, Stark?”

Stark nodded solemnly. “She’s right. We understand how he feels. He might try—emphasis on the might—but it’s still hard to control his thirst for blood.”

“Not just blood,” Jack spoke slowly, as if forming the words had become difficult. “Living meat. I crave it, too.”

“Ohmygoodness,” Stevie Rae gasped. “You’re cannibals?”

“Not vampyres or fledglings. Not if we don’t have to. Humans. We eat humans.”

“Like that’s any less disgusting?” Stevie Rae said.

Jack’s hand was shaking as he wiped away the red tears that stained his cheeks. “I need—I need to feed. Can’t concentrate.”

“Rephaim, go find Shaunee. She was supposed to be bringing him another smoothie. We’re going to take Other Jack back to his room in the basement. Get the blood—a lot of blood—and take it to his room down there. Now.”

Rephaim shot out of the auditorium. I faced Jack. “We’re going to get you more blood. Actually, we’ll keep you in all the blood you can drink, but not flesh. Not human flesh. Never. Do you understand?”

He nodded.

“Can you control yourself enough to walk back to the basement?” I steeled myself and continued in a hard voice totally devoid of emotion. “Because if you can’t Aphrodite is going to taze you unconscious again and Stark will carry you.”

“I can do it.”

“Do not think I’m kidding. You threaten my people and you will be stopped.”

“I understand.”

“Do you? I’m holding the Taser and I’m the closest to a human in this room. You look sideways at any of us, and I’m going to zap you. Sorry, Damien,” Aphrodite said.

Damien hung his head and wiped his eyes with a shaky hand. I knew what Jack had just done—just said—had shaken him to his core. I had to be strong for him. We all did.

“Yes. I understand perfectly,” Jack said.

“Good. Let’s go. We have a lot of questions and we need answers right away,” I said. “Aphrodite and Stevie Rae, please gather the professors in our dining hall and update them on everything we know so far. Lenobia, please go to the infirmary and warn them that there is a probability that they’re going to have incoming.”