Hidden (House of Night #10)(86)

"This is not everyone," Aurox said after shutting the door and glancing around the interior.

"Uh, no, of course not," I said, thinking he sounded really nervous. "Thanatos pretended to split us up and send us on different errands so that Neferet wouldn't hear anything that would make her suspicious. Remember?"

"Oh, yes. Yes." He paused and then added, "Merry meet, Thanatos."

"Merry meet, Aurox. Do not be concerned. The rest of our group is joining us across the street from the Mayo."

"Are you okay? You're looking kinda pale." Shaylin spoke up from the backseat.

I craned my head around. "What kind of pale? Is his aura changing?"

"No, his aura's the same. I meant pale, pale. His face is really white," Shaylin said.

"I am fine," Aurox said firmly. "Just anxious to get this done."

"As are we," Thanatos said. "Calm yourself and save this tension for the battle."

Aurox nodded and went silent. I chewed on my lip, thinking about Grandma, and staring out the window. Thankfully, the Mayo wasn't far from the depot. Stark pulled off Fifth Street and parked in the rear of the Oneok Plaza. Another dark SUV was already there. Darius, Aphrodite, Shaunee, and Damien climbed out. Shaunee and Damien were holding their element candles. Aphrodite was holding on to Darius with one hand, and a super thick geometry textbook with her other.

"Geometry? Really? That was best choice for our pretend study session?" I realized I was doing some nervous babbling, but I seriously hated geometry.

"Pretend is the key word. We aren't really going to study. We're just pretending to study, retard."

"Yeah, okay, fine," I said. "I know we're not really studying. I'm just nervous as hell and worried about Grandma."

"Which is completely understandable." Damien hugged me. "That's why we're here. We're going to get her back." He looked at Aurox. "Are you ready?"

Aurox nodded. I didn't think he looked ready, but then again I probably didn't look ready, either, so I tried not to judge. Shaylin and I were pulling our element candles from our purses when Kalona, silent as the night itself, dropped from the sky.

"What news from the school?" Thanatos asked the winged immortal.

"Dallas and Erin have fragmented the red fledglings. They sow dissention, even within their own kind. They will have to be dealt with when this is over."

"Agreed," Thanatos said. "But the plan worked."

"It did. They are so busy lording the responsibility you have given them over the other students that they care nothing about what Zoey and you, or any of the rest of us, are doing," Kalona said.

"Erin's making a big mistake," Shaunee said quietly.

"I'm glad she's making it without you," Damien said.

"We're all glad of that," I agreed.

My Bug pulled up then, and Stevie Rae and Rephaim got out. "Sorry, y'all," she said, hurrying to us with her green candle. "Erin and Dallas were in a car behind me, so I had to pretend to start drivin' to Henrietta. Jeeze Louise, I was worried they were gonna follow me all the way, but then they turned off the highway and I realized they were just goin' to Garbee's lighting store." She paused and gave me a look. "You okay, Z? You're remindin' me of a deer in the headlights."

I blinked and realized I'd been staring at her. "It's just so weird to see you without your tattoos."

Stevie Rae lifted her hand and touched her forehead, careful not to smudge off the heavy makeup concealer that covered her beautiful vampyre Mark. "Yeah, looks weird to me, too. All you guys do."

"But we're less noticeable, and that's the point tonight," Stark said.

I understood and agreed that we all needed to keep a low profile-hell, even Kalona was wearing a long leather duster that, in the dark, actually mostly hid his giant wings. But it didn't change the fact that minus our Marks we looked strange and ordinary. Too ordinary. Tonight we needed to be powerful and confident and extraordinary. I tried to focus on the positive and believe we'd all be okay, but the truth was my stomach hurt and I was struggling not to cry.

No. I'm not crying. Weak little girls cry. Leaders act. For Grandma's sake, if not for my own, I am going to act.

"Hey, your Mark is inside. That can't ever be covered or lost or forgotten," Stark said, obviously feeling my tension.

"Thanks for reminding me," I said, touching his temporarily tattoo-free face gently.

"Let us all remember. Our power lies not in the trappings of our kind, but within, through our choices and the gifts given to us by our Goddess," Thanatos said. "And so, we shall begin. The first step tonight is the opening of our circle and the casting of a spell of protection. Once I have set the spell in motion, our circle will be cloaked. As long as the circle remains unbroken, each of the five of you will be safe. Human eyes will not see you. Human hands cannot harm you. But before and after the setting of the spell, you will all be vulnerable."

The little hairs on my forearms were standing up and I had to breathe deeply to keep from freaking totally out. I kept sneaking little glances at Aurox. He had hardly said anything since we picked him up. In my mind, I pictured the Goddess as I'd last seen her-lush and wise and strong-and prayed silently: Please, Goddess, let him be ready for this!