Destined (House of Night #9)(48)

"Yeah," I said. "Sounds like a good idea." I drew a deep breath and whispered, "Spirit, come to me." I felt the air over my skin stir with the power of the element. "Shield Shaylin. Keep her thoughts private."

"Oooh!" Shaylin giggled as the element washed over her. "That's so cool, and you're super purple when you do that."

"Thanks, I guess," I said. The new kid was definitely weird, but she seemed nice enough. I glanced back at the rest of the bus, picking out the Twins and Damien. "You guys keep your elements close, too."

"I think whenever Neferet is around it's an excellent opportunity for all of us to focus our thoughts on academics," Damien said.

We stared at him.

"Academics?" Shaunee asked.

"Like homework and whatnot?" Erin added.

"Or are you talking about the fashion show that really is school to us?" Shaunee said.

"We're confused," Erin concluded.

Damien sighed dramatically. "Academics-as in school work. For instance, when Neferet is near you should practice memorizing the definitions for your vocabulary words." He looked down his long nose at the Twins. "You two should start with the word miscreants."

"I have sort of no idea what that means, Twin. What about you?" Erin asked.

"Don't have a clue, Twin," Shaunee said.

"Be still, brain-sharers. Queen Damien has a point. We haven't been around Neferet like this in a while. Everyone needs to focus and keep their thoughts busy-and not busy on our business. Busy on stupid school business." Aphrodite glanced at Rephaim. "Can Neferet read your mind?" Rephaim looked surprised by the question, but hardly hesitated before saying, "She cannot."

"You know that for sure?" I asked.

"Yes," he said.

"How?" Aphrodite asked.

"He doesn't have to explain that to you," Stevie Rae said.

"Yeah, he does." Stark spoke before I could say anything. "Stevie Rae, you're going to have to stop being so defensive about Rephaim. He used to be on Neferet's side. He might have info we could use."

"I was never on Neferet's side." Rephaim's voice was as hard as the gaze he leveled on Stark. "I was on Kalona's side. As were you." That totally shut Stark up, and I took the opportunity to step between them and say, "Whatever the specifics, what we mean is that you were on an opposite side, and that might help us now." He looked at me and his gaze softened, though his expression was still guarded.

"I know Neferet can't read my mind because she didn't know about Stevie Rae and me." He took Stevie Rae's hand. "I tried not to think about you when she was near, but I couldn't help myself. I thought of you. Often."

Stevie Rae grinned and went up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

"Ugh," Aphrodite said. "So, moving on quickly before I puke, it's for sure that Neferet can't read my mind, Zoey's mind, or birdboy's mind. The rest of you need to watch yourselves."

"There is another bus that has just turned into the lane behind us," Darius said, looking in the rearview mirror. "It says House of Night on the side of it, too."

From one of the rear seats Johnny B called, "And it's not short. Why can't we get the normal-sized bus?"

"You ain't normal," Kramisha said.

"Your mom ain't-"

"Okay, let's get ready for school." I cut him off.

"Which means get ready for battle," Stark said.

"Park us," I told Darius.

He parked and then he and Stark and Rephaim exited the bus first, followed by the rest of us. I figured I might as well face whatever was going on, so flanked by Stevie Rae and Stark, I marched straight up to Neferet, bowed semi-respectfully to her and more respectfully to Dragon, and the Warriors. Then I said formally, "Merry meet."

"Oh, Zoey, Stevie Rae, I'm glad you and your students arrived with the other bus. It will save explanation time," Neferet said cryptically.

Before I could brilliantly say "huh?" or anything, the other bus parked next to ours and with the weird Star Trek noise they all had, its doors opened.

And my seer stone began to heat up.

Aurox exited first.

Behind him Dall as stepped off the bus. I heard Stevie Rae's shocked intake of breath. It was about then that my mouth flopped open because after Dall as a whole group of red fledglings, the bad red fledglings, including the totally awful Nichole and a very bruised up but still fat Kurtis kid exited the bus.

The red fledglings and Aurox lined up opposite us. I had a bizarre West Side Story dance scene flashback. Everything was weirdly quiet until Stevie Rae, in an unnaturally high-pitched voice, said, "Dall as, what in the Sam Hill are you doin' here?" Dall as lifted a lip. "I don't answer to you." He looked at Neferet and slowly, distinctly, fisted his right hand over his heart, bowed deeply, and said,

"Merry meet, my High Priestess." All the red fledglings behind him mimicked his greeting.

Neferet smiled graciously. Her voice was warm and deceptively kind. "What a lovely greeting. Thank you, Dall as." When her emerald gaze turned from the new kids to Stevie Rae, her voice and eyes hardened. "I will answer your question, Stevie Rae. What they are doing here is the same thing you are doing here-attending classes. Oh, wait. There is a slight difference between them and your little group. Dall as and his red fledglings will be living here at the school, and I will be their High Priestess."