Hunted (House of Night #5)(78)

"I wasn't sleeping alone the first time it happened," I said.

"You were with a guy?"

I felt my cheeks start to get warm. "No. I was with my roommate."

"It has to be a guy. It's like he doesn't want to compete or something."

"Stark, that sounds like utter bullpoopie."

He smiled. "Is `bullpoopie' really a word?"

"It's my word," I said. "And how the hell would you know this little tidbit about Kalona?"

"He talks a lot around me. It's almost like he doesn't notice I'm there sometimes. I heard him and Rephaim talking about the dreams. Kalona said he was thinking about putting Raven Mocker guards up between the girls' and guys' dorms to keep them apart, but he decided he wouldn't because he really wasn't having an issue with controlling the fledglings--with or without being in their dreams."

"Gross," I said. "What about the professors? Are they all under his control, too?" "Apparently. At least none of them have stood up against him or Neferet."

I expected Stark to start to get defensive with my questioning, but he didn't seem to mind and was talking to me like it was no big deal to let me know this stuff. So I decided to see how much I could find out. "What about the Sons of Erebus? I saw one when we first came on campus but haven't even seen him since."

"There aren't many of them left," Stark said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean a bunch of them are dead. When Shekinah fell, Ate freaked and led an attack against Kalona, even though I don't think Kalona was the one who killed her."

"He didn't. Neferet killed Shekinah." Jui Stark

"Huh. Well, that figures. Neferet is a vindictive bitch."

"I thought you were one of her minions."

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Does she know that?" I asked.

"No," he said. "I remember something you said right before I died. You tried to warn me to be careful around Neferet."

"Yeah, I remember that, too."

"Well, you were right."

"Stark, she's changing, isn't she? I mean she's not just a vamp High Priestess anymore," I said.

"She's not normal, that's for sure. Her powers are bizarre. I swear she can spy on people better than Kalona can." He looked away from me, and when he met my eyes again, his were shadowed by a soul-deep sadness. "I wish you had been there instead of Neferet."

"Been there?" I asked, even though the tightening in my gut told me I knew exactly what he meant.

"You'd been watching my body, hadn't you? With that camera thing."

"Yeah," I said softly. "Jack installed it. I didn't want to leave you alone and that was the best way I could think of to keep an eye on you. Then my grandma was in an accident and things got crazy...I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too. It would have turned out differently if it had been you instead of her I opened my eyes to see."

I wanted to ask him questions about what exactly happened with the whole dying and un-dying thing, as well as question him further about Neferet, but his face was closed off and his eyes were filled with pain.

"Look," he said, abruptly changing the subject, "you want to get some sleep. I'm tired, too. What if we sleep together? Just sleep together. I promise I won't try anything."

"I don't think so," I said. "You'd rather have Kalona show up in your dreams again?"

"No, but I, well, I, uh, don't think you sleeping with me is a good idea."

His expression got hard and cold again, but I could see the pain that was still in his eyes. "Because you don't think I'll keep my promise."

"No, because I don't want anyone to know you've been here," I said honestly.

"I'll leave before anyone knows," he said quietly.

And suddenly I knew my response to him could be what tipped him over in the struggle for his humanity. The last two lines of Kramisha's poem echoed through my mind: "Humanity saves her / Will she save me?" I knew what I had to do.

"Okay, fine. But you really have to get out of here early before anyone sees you."nyone to k p>"><

His eyes widened in surprise, and then his lips tilted up in his cocky Bad Boy smile. "You mean it?"

"Sadly, yes. Now come over here because I'm about to fall asleep in the middle of talking to you."

"Cool! I don't have to be told twice. I'm a monster, not a moron." He moved quickly back to the bed.

I scooted over, dislodging Nala, which pissed her off. Grumbling, she padded to the end of the bed, made three quick circles, and I swear she was asleep again before her head was pillowed on her paws. I looked from her to Stark and hastily threw my arm across his side of the bed before he could tuck himself in.

"What?" he said.

"First you have to get rid of that bow and arrow business that's practically growing on your back."

"Oh, okay." He pulled over his head the leather contraption that held the bow and quiver of arrows to his back and dropped them on the floor beside the bed. When I still didn't move my arm, he said, "What now?"