Hunted (House of Night #5)(103)

"Okay, you guys can lay off the elements now and let things calm down." The Twins and Damien whispered to their elements, and the madness of the storm began to quiet to a cold, cloudy night.

"Whoa!" I called, and our obedient, loyal mares skidded to a stop just before an awe-inspiring figure clothed in a dark robe and wimple.

"Hello, child. I heard you were coming," she said, smiling up at me.

I slid from Persephone's back and threw myself into her arms. "Sister Mary Angela! I am so glad to see you!"

"As I am glad to see you, too," she said. "But, child, perhaps we should put off our hellos until we've dealt with the dark creatures filling the trees behind you."

I spun around in time to see dozens of Raven Mockers landing in the trees. Except for the sounds of their wings they were absolutely silent, and their red eyes glowed like watching demons.

"Well, hell!" I said.

Chapter Thirty-three

"Language," Sister Mary Angela said serenely.

Darius had already dismounted and was helping Aphrodite and the Twins down. Damien hadn't waited for help, but dismounted almost as quickly as I had, and was standing beside me.

"Priestess," Darius addressed Sister Mary Angela, "you don't, by any chance, keep firearms at the abbey, do you?"

Her laughter sounded completely out of place yet utterly comforting. "Oh, Warrior, of course we do not."

"There aren't enough of us to fight them, but we have the circle," Darius said as he studied the bird-filled trees. "If you stay within it, you stay safe." Darius was right, of course. Our circle was intact. Though weirdly off center, the silver thread that bound us together still glowed between us. C="5O l

"I will run back to the House of Night and bring help," Darius said.

I heard the frustration in his voice. What help was he going to bring? I hadn't seen any of his brother warriors since we'd entered the school grounds. Dragon was great with a sword, but even he wouldn't be a match for all of these Raven Mockers. The trees that bordered the Twenty-first Street side of the abbey were filled with the dark shapes. Already groaning under the burden of ice, the additional weight of the Raven Mockers was more stress than many of them could bear, and the cracking and breaking of limbs was as terrible as the birds' mocking cries.

"Hey, I hear y'all need some help out here."

In my entire life, I had never been so happy to hear any voice as I was at that moment to hear Stevie Rae's Okie twang. I hugged her hard, not caring about the secrets she was keeping from me in the joy of seeing her safe. Breathing a sigh of relief, I saw the red fledglings step out of the darkness behind her.

"They is nasty!" Kramisha said, squidging up her face at the Raven Mockers.

"Let's kick their asses," Johnny B said, looking all testosterone-filled and muscle-y.

"They're nasty alright, but they aren't doing anything except watching us," said another familiar voice.

"Erik!" I cried. Smiling, Stevie Rae let go of me, and Erik pulled me into his strong arms.

There was a blur to my right and Jack launched himself at Damien.

I looked up at Erik, and even in the middle of the mess we were in, I wished it could be simple and easy between the two of us. For that instant I did wish it could just be Erik and me, instead of Erik and Stark and Kalona and Heath...

"Heath?" I asked, stepping out of his embrace.

Erik sighed and jerked his chin back at the abbey building. "He's in there. He's fine."

I smiled a little sheepishly and didn't know what to say.

"Zoey, Kalona will be here soon. The reason the Raven Mockers aren't attacking is because we're not trying to get away anymore. They're just keeping watch on us for him. Do not forget what you have to do," Darius's voice broke through the new awkwardness between Erik and me.

I nodded and turned to Sister Mary Angela. "Kalona will follow us here. Remember I told you he's immortal?"

"A fallen angel," she said, nodding.

"And remember I told you about our High Priestess? Well, she's gone bad for sure, and I'm sure she'll be with him. They're equally dangerous."

"I understand."

"So, he can't be killed, but I do think I know how to chase him away from here and, hopefully, Neferet will go with him. But I'll need your help."

"What ever I have is yours," Sister Mary Angela said.

"Good. What I need is you,&rdquo bqD DO; I told her, then I turned to Stevie Rae, "And you." Aphrodite stepped up beside me. "And me," she said.

"And I need Grandma. I know it's going to be hard for her, but I need her out here, or at least wherever it is that's the center of this power I feel around us."

"Kramisha, child, would you get Stevie Rae's grandmother?"

"Yes, ma'am," Kramisha said, and hurried away.

"Mary's Grotto is the seat of our power." Sister Mary Angela pointed behind me and to the side of where we were standing--a place that was between us, the northwesternmost edge of the neatly cut lawn, and the monster-filled grove of trees.

I turned to see what she was pointing at and gasped in surprise, wondering how I hadn't noticed it before now. It was the biggest shrine I'd ever seen. It was made of large pieces of Oklahoma sandstone. Each stone had been chosen carefully to fit snugly against its neighbors. It was bowl-like in shape, reminding me of pictures I'd seen of famous outdoor theaters. There was a bench sitting protected inside it, as well as several natural rock ledges running around the curved inside at various places, and every available surface was covered with candles, so that the entire shrine was glazed in candlelight and ice. As I walked toward it, I looked at its gracefully arched top, which stretched several feet over my head, and sucked in my breath. There, nestled toward the top of the structure, was the most beautiful statue of Mary I'd ever seen. Her face was serene in prayer, almost smiling as she looked up. And at her feet a riot of gorgeous roses twined around her as if they had given birth to her. I studied Mary's face and felt my heart give a little stutter beat. I recognized this Mary. How could I not? She'd appeared to me just days before in the form of my Goddess.