Awakened (House of Night #8)(73)

He quickly realized that he didn't need to worry about his late response. Nyx's attention was elsewhere. She was floating over to Damien, who, ironically, had no idea she approached because he was kneeling with his head bowed and his eyes closed.

"Damien, my son, look at me."

Damien's head lifted, and his eyes opened wide in surprise. "Oh, Nyx! It's really you! I thought I'd imagined you here."

"Perhaps in a way, you did. I want you to know that your Jack is with me, and he is one of the purest, most joy-filled spirits my realm has ever known."

Tears filled and overflowed Damien's eyes. "Thank you. Thank you for telling me that. It will help me try to get over him."

"My son, there is no need to get over Jack. Remember him, and rejoice in the brief, beautiful love you shared. Choosing to do so does not mean forgetting or getting over, it means healing."

Damien smiled through his tears. "I'll remember. I'll always remember and choose your path, Nyx. I give you my word."

The Goddess's hovering form turned so that her dark gaze took in the rest of them. Rephaim saw Nyx look fondly at Zoey, who grinned.

"Merry meet, my Goddess," Zoey said, shocking Rephaim with the familiar tone of her voice. Shouldn't she be more respectful--more fearful--when addressing the Goddess?

"Merry meet, Zoey Redbird!" The Goddess returned the fledgling High Priestess's grin, and he thought, for a moment, she looked like an exquisitely lovely little girl--a little girl who was suddenly familiar to him. With a jolt Rephaim recognized her. The ghost! The ghost had been the Goddess! Then Nyx began speaking, addressing the entire gathering, and her visage shifted to an ethereal being so brilliant and beautiful it was difficult to gaze upon her and impossible to think about anything except the words that she spoke like a symphony over them all. "Much has happened here this night. Spirit-altering choices were made, which means, for some of you, new life paths have opened. For others, your paths have been sealed, your choices made long ago. And yet others of you are at a life precipice." The Goddess's gaze lingered on Neferet, who instantly bowed her head. "You have changed, daughter. You are not as you once were. Truly, can I still call you daughter?"

"Nyx! Great Goddess! How could I not be your daughter?"

Neferet did not raise her head as she spoke to the Goddess, and her thick fall of auburn hair completely covered her face, blanketing her expression.

"Tonight you asked for forgiveness. Zoey gave one answer. I shall give you another. Forgiveness is a very special gift, and it must be earned."

"I ask humbly that you share that special gift with me, Nyx," Neferet said, still bowing her head and hiding her face.

"When you earn the gift, you will receive it." Abruptly, the Goddess turned from Neferet, her attention turning to the Sword Master, who closed his fist over his heart respectfully to her. "Your Anastasia is free of pain and remorse. Will you make Damien's choice, and learn to rejoice in the love you had and move on, or will your choice destroy that which she loved so much about you--your ability to be both strong and merciful?"

Rephaim was watching Dragon, waiting for a response from the Sword Master that did not come, when Nyx spoke his name.

"Rephaim."

He looked Nyx full in the face for only an instant, and then Rephaim remembered what he was and he bowed his head in shame and spoke the first words that flooded his mind. "Please don't look at me!"

He felt Stevie Rae's hand slide into his. "Don't worry. She's not here to punish you." "And how do you know that, young High Priestess?"

Stevie Rae's grip tightened spasmodically on his hand, but her voice didn't falter. " 'Cause you can see into his heart, and I know what you'll find there."

"What do you believe is in the Raven Mocker's heart, Stevie Rae?"

"Goodness. And I don't think he's a Raven Mocker anymore. His daddy released him. So now I think he's a-a new kinda, uh, boy-who's-never-been before." She tripped over the words, but managed to finish.

"I see you are bound to him," was the Goddess's enigmatic response.

"I am," she said firmly.

"Even if your bond means splitting this House of Night, and perhaps, this world, in two?"

"My mama used to prune her roses real fierce, and I thought she was gonna hurt them, maybe kill them. When I asked her about it she told me sometimes you have to cut away the old stuff to make room for the new. Maybe it's time to cut away some old stuff," Stevie Rae said.

Her words surprised him so much that Rephaim turned his eyes from the ground to Stevie Rae. She smiled at him and at that moment, he wished more than anything else, he could smile back at her and take her in his arms like a real boy would be able to do, because what he saw in her eyes was warmth and love and happiness with not even the slightest glimpse of remorse or rejection.

Stevie Rae gave him the strength to look up at the Goddess and meet her infinite gaze. And what he saw there was familiar because mirrored in Nyx's eyes was the same warmth and love and happiness he'd seen within Stevie Rae's gaze.

Rephaim dropped Stevie Rae's hand so that he could close his fist over his heart, in the ancient, respectful greeting. "Merry meet, Goddess Nyx." "Merry meet, Rephaim," she said. "You are the only child of Kalona's to turn from the rage and pain of your conception, and the hatred that has filled your long life, and seek Light."