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"Yep," Shaunee said, biting viciously into her salad for effect

"Hey! She doesn’t have to figure this out on her own She has us" Stevie Rae crossed her arlared at the Twins

I smiled my thanks to Stevie Rae "Well, I kinda have an idea"

"Good Tell us and we’ll brainstorhed "Well U like a ht as well tell them what had been on my mind since I talked to Grandht I’d perform an ancient purification prayer based on Cherokee ritual and ask Nyx to help me come up with a plan"

The silence at the table see for Nyx’s help isn’t a bad idea"

"Are you Cherokee?" Shaunee asked

"You look Cherokee," Erin said

"Hello! Her last name is Redbird She’s Cherokee," Stevie Rae said with finality

"Well, that’s good," Shaunee said, but she looked doubtful

"I just think that Nyx ive me some kind of clue as to what I should do about horrid Aphrodite" I looked at each ofto let her get aith all the crap she’s getting aith"

"Let me tell them!" Stevie Rae suddenly said "They won’t tell anyone Really And it’d help if they knew"

"What the F?" Erin said

"Okay, now you have no choice," Shaunee said, pointing at Stevie Rae with her fork "She knew if she said that ould pester the crap outta you till you told us whatever it is she’s talking about"

I frowned at Stevie Rae, who shrugged her shoulders sheepishly and said, "Sorry"

Reluctantly, I lowered my voice and leaned forward "Promise you won’t tell anyone"

"Promise," they said

"I think I can feel the five elements when a circle is cast" Silence They just stared Three of the

"So, you still think she can’t take down Aphrodite?" Stevie Rae said

"I knew there wasyour head!" Shaunee said

"Wow," Erin said "Talk about good gossip"

"No one can know!" I said quickly

"Please," Shaunee said "We’re just sayin’ that soossip" "We knoait for great gossip," Erin said

Danored both of theh Priestess who has had an affinity with all five eleot more excited as he spoke "Do you knohat that ive me a chance to respond "It h Priestess the va--powerful," he said iht actually be able to take out Aphrodite!"

"Now, that’s soood news," Erin said, as Shaunee nodded in enthusiastic agreey?" Stevie Rae said

"We?" I said

"You’re not in this alone, Zoey," she said

I opened my oing to do I didn’t want to get ht be--actually, would probably be--a total ive me time to tell them no

"You need us," he said sih Priestess needs her circle"

"Well, I hadn’t really thought about casting a circle I was just gonna do a kind of purification prayer thing"

"Can’t you cast a circle and then pray the prayer and ask for Nyx’s help?" Stevie Rae asked

"Seeical," Shaunee said

"Plus, if you really do have an affinity for the five elements, I’ll bet we’ll be able to sense it when you cast your own circle Right, Day scholar of our group

"Sounds like good logic to h everything inside of rateful that my friends would be there with me, that they wouldn’t let me face all of this uncertainty alone

Value thereat price

The fah my mind, and I realized that I shouldn’t question the new instinct within me that seemed to have been born when Nyx kissed ed e stick" They looked at me blankly, and I went on to explain "It’s for the purification part of the ritual because I don’t have any running water handy Or do I?"

"Youlike that?" Stevie Rae asked

"Yeah"

"Well, there’s a little strea hall and disappears soood; it’s too public We’ll need to use the se et the sage and lavender," Damien said "They have that kind of stuff in the school supplies store for the fifth and sixth former’s Spells and Rituals class I’ll just say I’ some up for him What else do you need?"