Tempted (House of Night #6)(76)

Consorts have long been allowed in the Council Chamber because of their importance to their vampyres. She paused here to smile at Heath, who was totally, obviously human. They are not allowed to speak before the High Council because humans do not have a say in intimate vampyre policies and issues. Heath sighed dramatically, smooshed himself next to me and, ignoring Stark, who was sitting on the other side of me, draped his arm possessively around my shoulders. I'm going to elbow the crap out of you if you don't put your arm down and act right, I whispered. Heath grinned sheepishly and moved his arm, though he didn't unsmoosh from me. So does that mean I can attend the almighty Council Meeting, but I have to shut up like the blood donor over there? Aphrodite asked. You they have made an exception for. You may attend, and you may speak, but you'll have to follow all the other rules of the Council. Which means no shopping right now, Aphrodite said. That is what it means, Erce said. I was impressed by her patience. Lenobia would probably have snapped Aphrodite's head off before then for her smart-alecky attitude.

Can all the rest of us come to the Council Meeting, too? Oh, hi and merry meet, I'm Jack, he said. You are all invited to meet before the Council. And what about Neferet and Kalona? Are they there also? I asked. Yes, though Neferet now calls herself Nyx Incarnate, and Kalona says his true name is Erebus. That's a lie, I said. Erce's smile was grim. That, my young and unusual fledgling, is exactly why you are here. We didn't say much more during the rest of the trip. The motor of the boat had kicked up and it was loud and more than a little disorienting inside the shrouded boat. It lurched a lot, and I was busy concentrating on not puking up my guts. The speed of the boat slowed, along with the tempo of the watery rolling and lurching, signaling our arrival at the island, when Darius's voice carried above the engine noise. Zoey! He and Aphrodite were sitting in one of the seats two rows behind me and I had to swivel around in my chair to see him.

Stark turned around with me, so both of us got to our feet at the same time. Aphrodite! What's wrong? I hurried over to her. She was holding her head in her hands as if she was afraid it was on the verge of exploding. Darius was looking helpless. He kept touching one of her shoulders, murmuring stuff I couldn't hear to her, and trying to get her to look at him. Oh, Goddess! My head is killing me. What the f**k? Is she having a vision? Erce said, coming up behind me. I don't know. Probably, I said. I got on my knees in front of Aphrodite and tried to get her to meet my eyes. Aphrodite, it's Zoey. Tell me what you're seeing.

I'm too hot. Too damn hot! Aphrodite was saying. Her face had become flushed and sweaty, even though it was actually cool in the boat. With wide, panicked eyes she stared around, though my guess was that she wasn't seeing the inside of the expensive little boat. Aphrodite, talk to me! What is your vision showing? She did look at me then, and I realized that her eyes were clear and not filled with the painful blood that had started coming with each of her visions. I'm not seeing anything. She gulped air, still fanning her sweating face. It's not a vision: It's Stevie Rae and our damn Imprint. Some-thing's happening to her. Something really, really bad.

Chapter Thirty-five

Stevie Rae knew she was going to die, and this time it would be for good. She was scared, more scared even than she'd been when she'd bled out her life in Zoey's arms surrounded by her friends. It was different this time. This time it was a betrayal and not a biological act. The pain in her head was terrible. She reached up and felt gingerly around on the back of her head. Her hand came away soaked in her blood. Her thoughts were woozy. What had happened? Stevie Rae tried to sit up, but a terrible dizziness claimed her, and with a groan, she puked her guts up, crying at the pain the movement caused her. Then she collapsed on her side, rolling away from the vomit.

That's when her tear-blurred gaze moved to the metal cage above her, and then the sky beyond it--a sky that was getting increasingly less gray and more blue. Her memory rushed back, and with it panic made her breath come in short little pants. They'd trapped her here and the sun was rising! Even now, even with the cage above her and the memory of their betrayal fresh in her mind, Stevie Rae didn't want to believe it. Another wave of nausea washed over her, and she closed her eyes, trying to regain her equilibrium. As long as her eyes were shut, she could control the horrible dizziness and her thoughts began to clear. The red fledglings had done this. Nicole had been late for their meeting. Not like that had been all that shocking, but Stevie Rae had been pissed and sick of waiting, so she had been in the process of leaving the empty tunnels to return to the House of Night when Nicole and Starr finally came into the basement.

They had been laughing and joking with each other, and had obviously just fed--their cheeks were still flushed and their eyes were glowing red from fresh blood. Stevie Rae had tried to talk to them. Actually, she'd tried to reason with them and get them to return to the House of Night with her. The two red fledglings had spent a long time being sarcastic and giving jerklike excuses not to go with her: Nah, the vamps don't let us eat junk food and we heart us some junkies! And Will Rogers High School is right down the street on Fifth. If I want to go to school I'll go there--after dark--for lunch." Still, she'd tried to be serious and give them good reasons for coming back to school, like not only was it their home, but there was lots of stuff about being vampyres they didn't know--that Stevie Rae didn't even know. They needed the House of Night. They'd laughed at her, called her an old woman, and said they were totally cool staying at the depot, especially now that they had it to themselves. Then Kurtis had lumbered into the basement, looking breathless and excited.