Hidden (House of Night #10)(79)

"Aurox, if this works"-Thanatos joined Zoey in the middle of the circle-"then it will prove that you are more than the Darkness from which you were fashioned."

"Then it will work because I am not Darkness. I cannot be," he said firmly.

"Prove it," Stark said.

"I will," Aurox replied. He met Zoey's gaze. "I am ready."

"Then we begin with air." Thanatos took the lighter Zoey offered her and walked to Damien. Speaking simply Thantos called, "Air, you are the first of the elements, and I call you to this circle." After she lit Damien's yellow candle, she moved to Shaunee, invoking fire in the same way. When she stood before the True Sight fledgling, she took longer, saying, "Water, you are ever changeable, always adapting. You have been called to this circle and manifested many times for your fledgling, Erin Bates. But that fledgling has, like water, changed and adapted to another environment. This new daughter of Nyx stands here, open and excited to accept your gifts. As High Priestess I invite you to this circle. Come, water, and show Shaylin she may blessed be!" Aurox watched as Thanatos lit the fledgling's blue candle, and then she gasped in pleasure.

"I can feel it! Water is here, all around me!"

Thanatos smiled. "And for that gift we thank Nyx most profoundly." The High Priestess moved to Stevie Rae, invoked earth, and lit the green candle. Aurox could smell grass and earth. He breathed deeply as it reminded him of the morning he'd woken to Grandma Redbird's singing.

I must do this. She believed in me and I will not desert her.

Then Thanatos was standing in front of Zoey. "Spirit, you are the last element to join a circle. You open and close our union. I call you here with a resounding, merry meet! Come, spirit!"

When she touched the lighter to the purple candle, there was a sizzling sound and Zoey's candle flamed a pure, silver color. It grew and flashed, and suddenly the silver flame became a glowing rope, connecting each of them around the circle. Aurox could feel the power stir the air around him. He drew a deep breath and readied himself.

"Let's do this," Zoey said. "Warriors, bring him pain!"

This time Stark attacked him first. Aurox had thought himself prepared, but the vampyre surprised him. Instead of punching, he kicked his legs out from under him. Aurox went down hard. He was trying to collect himself and get up when Kalona kicked him in the stomach as Darius sliced the knife's blade across his other shoulder.

Aurox reacted automatically. He grabbed the immortal's legs and twisted as he turned and struck out with his hand, which was already solidifying into a cloven hoof, and struck Darius in the back. Both Warriors grunted in pain and that pain lit within Aurox like a match on dry tinder. The beast within him exploded to the surface. He roared and charged Stark.

"It's time!" Thanatos said.

"Command your elements to fill Aurox! Show him what it's like to feel the joy of air, fire, water, earth, and spirit!" Zoey shouted.

Aurox could dimly hear Zoey. His head swung in her direction. The silver flame she held before her caught the beast's attention. He roared, wanting to change course, wanting to attack the flame.

"Watch him, Z!" Stark was yelling. "Over here, you bastard! Don't you f**king look at her!" The Warrior rammed Aurox with his shoulder, knocking him backward. Aurox pretended to stumble, but instead he feinted right and his left fist, now a fully formed hoof, caught Stark in the middle of his gut, doubling him over. Aurox was lowering his head, ready to gore the Warrior when the elements hit him.

This time his stagger was not pretended. He felt spirit first. Felt it deep within him. Something stirred. Something that was the opposite of the beast of Darkness that shared his skin. Joy leaped to life. It was an oddly familiar sensation, and with it Aurox turned his head, his gaze automatically seeking and then finding Zoey. Their eyes met. Hers had tears in them. In one hand she held the silver-flamed candle. Her other hand was pressed against the middle of her chest.

"Don't cry, Zo. You'll get snot everywhere," he heard himself say in a perfectly normal, perfectly human voice.

Then air whooshed into him and he gasped-and laughed. It felt like a mini-tornado. Fire was a sizzling rush, which water cooled. Earth was a fragrant field of lavender, calming and strengthening.

Aurox laughed. He looked down at what had been hooves, cloven and deadly. He had hands and feet again!

"Don't take a victory lap yet. This doesn't mean shit if you can't fight." And Stark punched him. Hard. Blood rained with pain from his nose.

Aurox grunted and threw his own punch, which caught Stark on the side of his chin. "I can fight!" he shouted. Stark went down.

The beast quivered within him, but Aurox thought of the elements and their presence strengthened him, and as it did, he felt the creature shrink and cower.

Aurox was grinning when Darius struck at him. Aurox deflected the blow, knocking the Warrior's wrist so hard that his grip on the knife loosened. The blade skittered across the basement floor. Aurox was still grinning when he kicked Darius's legs out from under him and the Warrior fell back on his ass.

Kalona wasn't so easy. His speed was otherworldly, and now that Aurox didn't have the beast's reflexes, he was only able to block a third of his blows. But it didn't matter. What mattered was that Aurox was still fighting, and he was still a human.