Page 24 (1/2)

"Great I’ll be there" "Good, what a nice surprise," she said slickly Then, followed by Terrible and Warlike (who looked vaguely shell-shocked), the three of thes frolanced at Stevie Rae, as staring at me with a stricken expression frozen on her face

"You’re joining them?" she whispered

"It’s not what you think Come on, I’ll tell you on the way to class" I put our breakfast dishes in a dishwasher and herded the too quiet Stevie Rae out of the dor at any cat who dared wander too close to , just like you said last night," I explained

"No I don’t like it," she said, shaking her head so hard she made her short hair bounce crazily

"Have you never heard of the old saying ’keep your friends close and your enemies closer’?"

"Yeah, but--"

"That’s all I’ets aith too much crap She’s mean She’s selfish She can’t be what Nyx wants for a High Priestess"

Stevie Rae’s eyes got huge "You’re going to stop her?"

"Well, I’onna try" And as I spoke I felt the sapphire crescent s you got for Nala," I said

Neferet looked up froood name for her, but you should thank Skylar, not lanced at the orange ball of fur that was is "She’s really attached to you" Her eyes lifted again to meet mine "Tell me, Zoey, do you ever hear her voice inside your head, or know exactly where she is, even when she’s not in the saht have an affinity for cats! "No, I--I don’t hear her in my head But she does complain at me a lot And I wouldn’t know about whether or not I knohere she is when she’s not with htful" Neferet crooked a finger at Nala and said, "Come to me, child"

Instantly, Nala padded over and ju papers everywhere

"Oh, gosh, I’rabbed for Nala, but Neferet waved me away She scratched Nala’s head, and the cat closed her eyes and purred

"Cats are alelcoanized Nohat is it you really wanted to speak with randma’s nickname for me made my heart hurt, and I suddenlytears fro your old home?" Neferet asked softly

"No, not really Well, except for Granduess I just now realized it," I said guiltily

"You don’t miss your mother and father"

It wasn’t like she’d said it as a question, but I felt that I needed to answer her "No Well, I don’t really have a dad He left us when I was little My o and, well"

"You can tell ive you my word that I will understand," Neferet said

"I hate hier than I’d expected to feel "Since he joined our faht My ed It’s like she can’t be his wife andtime"

"My mother died when I was ten years old My father did not rean to use me as his wife Fro me when I was fifteen, he abusedsettle into me before she continued "So you see, when I say that I understand what it is to have your ho platitudes"

"That’s awful" I didn’t knohat else to say

"It was then Now it is simply another memory Zoey, humans in your past, and even in your present and future, will become less and less important to you until, eventually, you will feel very little for thee"

There was a cold flatness to her voice that , "I don’t want to stop caring about rand warain "It’s only nine PM, why don’t you call her? You can be late to Drama class; I’ll let Professor Nolan know that you are excused"

"Thank you, I’d like that But it’s not what I wanted to talk to you about" I took a deep breath "I drank blood last night"

Neferet nodded "Yes, the Dark Daughters oftenthe young like to do Did it upset you greatly, Zoey?"

"Well, I didn’t know about it until afterward Then, yes, it did upset me"

Neferet frowned "It wasn’t ethical of Aphrodite not to tell you before You should have had a choice about partaking I’ll speak with her"

"No!" I said a little too quickly, and then I forced myself to sound calmer "No, there’s really no need I’ll take care of it I’ve decided to join the Dark Daughters, so I don’t want to start off by looking like I set out to get Aphrodite in trouble"

"You’re probably right Aphrodite can be rather temperamental, and I trust that you can take care of it yourself, Zoey We do like to encourage fledglings to solve the proble themselves whenever possible" She studied me, concern obvious in her face "It’s normal for the first few tastes of blood to be less than appetizing You’d know that if you had been with us longer"

"It’s not that It--it tasted really good Erik told me that mine was an unusual reaction"

Neferet’s perfect brows shot up "It is, indeed Did you also feel dizzy or exhilarated?"

"Both," I said softly

Neferet glanced at my Mark "You are unique, Zoey Redbird Well, I think it would be best to pull you out of this section of Sociology, and y 415

"I’d really rather you didn’t do that," I said quickly "I already feel like enough of a freak with everyone staring atweird If you move me into a class with kids who have been here for three years, they’ll really think I’ Nala’s head while she considered

"I understand what you er for over one hundred years, but va, accurate h the Change" She sighed "Okay, how about a compromise? I’ll allow you to stay in the third forive you the text we use in the upper-level class, and have you agree to read a chapter a week, and promise that you’ll discuss any questions you have with e, you literally are becoh we are humane It may sound reprehensible to you now, but your desire for blood is as normal for your new life as your desire for"--she paused and smiled--"brown pop has been in your old life"

"Jeesh! Do you know everything?"

"Nyx has gifted enerously Besides my affinity for our lovely felines and my abilities as a healer, I am also an intuitive"

"You can read my mind?" I asked nervously