Hidden (House of Night #10)(72)

"I thought the Aurox creature was your pet." Kalona forced himself to sound only vaguely interested. "Why would you abandon such a powerful creature for an old woman?"

"I did not abandon Aurox. The bull creature is flawed and has not been as useful as I had hoped he would be. A little like you, my lost love." She caressed a pulsing tendril. "But you already know that, don't you? You are Sword Master for the House of Night in Dragon Lankford's place. Surely you know how your predecessor was killed."

"Of course. Aurox killed him." Kalona began to move slowly toward Sylvia's cage. "And I have only taken Dragon's place so that I can gain the confidence of Thanatos and the High Council."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"For us, of course. They have shunned you, unanimously. You can no longer cause dissention among them, so I thought to cause it for you. Thanatos is beginning to trust me. The High Council trusts her. I have already begun whispering dissent to Death."

"Interesting," Neferet said. "And so considerate of you, especially as the last time we parted we did so as sworn enemies."

"I was wrong to so hastily leave you. I only realized how wrong when I learned that you had taken another as your Consort. I do not enjoy being made to feel jealousy." Kalona paced as he spoke to her. He hoped to appear frustrated at her questioning. In truth he made quite certain that his pacing kept bringing him closer and closer to Sylvia Redbird's cage.

"And I do not enjoy being betrayed. Yet here we are."

"I am not betraying you." Kalona said the words honestly. He was not betraying Neferet. He owed her absolutely no allegiance.

"Oh, I believe you are doing much more than betraying me. I believe you have also betrayed your own nature."

Her words halted his pacing. "You make no sense."

"How is your son, Rephaim?"

"Rephaim? What has he to do with us?" Kalona felt his first sliver of worry at the mention of his son's name.

"I saw you. I watched you grieve over his loss. You care for him." Neferet spat the words, as if they had a foul taste. She took a step toward him. He backed one step away.

"Rephaim has long been by my side. He has done my bidding for centuries. I missed his presence as I would any dedicated servant."

"I believe you lie."

He made himself chuckle. "And by believing so, you prove that immortality does not equate to infallibility."

"Tell me you have not allowed feelings and sentiment to make you weak. Tell me that you have not chosen, like a pathetic lapdog, to chase after a Goddess who already rejected you."

"My feelings do not make me weak. You are the one torturing an old woman to torment a child."

"You dare to speak to me of Zoey Redbird! You, who knows how much pain she has caused me?" Neferet was breathing hard. The tendrils of Darkness that slithered around her writhed in agitated response.

"Pain Zoey caused you?" Kalona shook his head in disbelief. "You leave chaos and pain in your wake. Zoey does not antagonize you-you attack her. I know. You have used me to hurt her."

"I knew you lied. I have always known you've loved her-your sweet, special little A-ya reborn."

"I do not love her!" Kalona almost blurted the truth: I have always and will always love Nyx! A moan from behind him changed his words. "But I do not hate her, either. Can you not consider that you might find contentment in fragmenting the High Council and ruling those vampyres who choose a more ancient path from your island castle on Capri? Your red vampyres in particular would worship you and be eager to breathe life into the ancient vampyre ways. I will aid you with that path, be your Consort, do your bidding," Kalona spoke in a calm, reasonable voice. He also moved another step backward. Farther from Neferet. Closer to Sylvia Redbird.

"You want me to leave Tulsa?"

"Why not? What is here? Ice in winter, heat in summer, and narrow-minded, religious humans. I believe we both have outgrown Tulsa."

"You make an excellent point." The tendrils of Darkness, still swollen from Kalona's blood, quieted as Neferet seemed to consider his proposition. "You would, of course, have to swear a blood oath to serve me."

"Of course," Kalona lied.

"Excellent. Perhaps I did misjudge you. I do have the perfect creatures to aid me in casting such a spell." She stroked the snake-like tendrils fondly. "Shall they mix my blood with yours and bind us together forever?"

Kalona tensed his muscles, readying himself to spring the few feet that now separated him from Sylvia Redbird. He would command the strands of Darkness from her, and then fly her to freedom as Neferet was slicing open her skin and conjuring a dark spell that would never be cast. Kalona smiled. "Whatever you wish, Goddess."

Neferet's full, red lips were beginning to turn up when the raven croaked its dismay. Neferet's eyes narrowed and her attention shifted to the bird, still perched on the balustrade, a clear target in the morning sunlight. She pointed one slender finger at the bird and commanded,

"With immortal blood you've been fed.

Now make the Rephaim bird dead!"

The tendrils that had been wrapped around her body released and shot like black arrows at the raven.

Kalona did not hesitate. He hurled himself between the raven and death, absorbing the blow meant for his son.