Stark didn’t bother to cover his laugh a second time. “I wish it worked that way with her, but it doesn’t.”
“Because she has legs and tits?”
Stark knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t stop himself. “I’m not sure. Maybe you should ask her next time you see her.”
Aurox nodded, looking as serious as a drunk could look. “I will.”
“That should be fun. But until then, show me where these humans are, and while we’re going there, start back at the beginning and tell me exactly what happened before and after you were introduced to the red Solo cup.”
Zoey
Aurox was Heath. Annoying, stupid, beer-soaked Heath. Vampyre pussy—who the hell even says something like that? I knew the answer to that ridiculous question: drunk teenage boys.
“Well, they look snug as fleas on an old dog,” Stevie Rae said, cutting into my internal dialogue and pulling my attention, thankfully, away from drunk Aurox/Heath and the fact that neither he nor Stark had returned to the basement yet.
“How long until dawn?” I asked her.
“Little less than an hour,” Rephaim said.
“Hey, is Stark back yet?” Aphrodite asked as she, Darius, and Shaylin joined us.
“No. Not yet,” I said. “But Aurox was pretty messed up. He may be awhile.” Kramisha had told everyone about Aurox being drunk. I’d said that Stark was sobering him up, which I assumed he was doing after he messed with the minds of the kids who had gotten Aurox drunk. But I hadn’t mentioned that part to anyone. They’d had enough stress for one day—hell, for one year—and I hadn’t wanted to freak anyone out for no reason. And Stark was usually right—he could handle almost anything, so I was letting him handle it.
Of course I was going to want to hear every single tiny detail when he got his butt back to me. I also had a few choice words ready for Aurox/Heath, after he sobered up. Moron.
“I gotta agree with Kramisha. Aurox drinkin’ is probably not a good thing,” Stevie Rae was saying.
“Typical boy behavior,” Aphrodite muttered.
“Well, Heath was a drinker. Remember when he showed up drunk at that—” Stevie Rae began, but broke off when Aphrodite elbowed her. “Oh, uh. Right.” Then she very obviously changed the subject. “Hey, y’all did a really good job down here!” She hugged Rephaim and smiled at Darius.
“Yeah,” I chimed in, glad she’d changed the subject. “Everything looks really good—cozy and nice.” Stark, Darius, and Rephaim had done most of the hard work—then Stevie Rae’s red fledglings had quickly and quietly carried sleeping bags and pillows and such down to the basement after the funeral (and while Dallas and his friends had retreated to Goddess only knew where).
“Thank you.” Rephaim grinned.
“It did turn out well,” Darius said, nodding in appreciation.
“It’s like a big slumber party!” Stevie Rae said.
“Which is exactly why Darius and I are not staying,” Aphrodite said. “Actually,” she made a big show of yawning, “I do believe I am ready for bed. What about you, handsome?”
“Your wish is my command, my beauty,” Darius said, kissing her.
“It is probably a good idea for all of us who are still staying in the dorm to head to our rooms—obviously,” I said.
“Has anyone seen Dallas and his idiot friends?” Aphrodite asked.
“No, but they have to be on campus somewhere,” I said.
“I say we should just be happy that they haven’t been hangin’ ’round here,” Stevie Rae said. “Maybe Dallas went back to his room ’cause he’s feelin’ sad about Erin. She was his girlfriend.”
“Last time I saw him he was feeling mad, not sad,” Aphrodite said.
“What do you mean?” I asked her.
“After the funeral I caught him watching Stevie Rae and Rephaim,” Aphrodite said.
“His colors are bad,” Shaylin said. “Swirls of anger. I agree with Aphrodite. He’s mad, not sad. I hate to say this, but if he and his awful friends are hiding out in his room it’s not because they’re trying to make him feel better. I would bet he’s going to want revenge and not healing.”
“Then he needs to go after Neferet. If anyone’s to blame for Erin’s death, it’s her,” I said.
“His colors say he doesn’t think like that,” Shaylin said. “He’s mad. Period. And he’s going to want to strike out at someone who’s in front of his face.”
“We need to watch him,” Aphrodite added. “Especially you, Shaylin. If you see his colors doing some unusually crazy swirly shit, be sure you let one of our Warriors know—fast. And then find Thanatos or Z.”
I looked from one Prophetess to the other. “I like that you two are working together.”
“Me, too,” Stevie Rae said.
“We’re just doing our jobs,” Aphrodite said. “No need to get all huggy-kissy. And speaking of jobs—has anyone checked on Shaunee?”
I sighed. “She’s probably still by the pyre. Why don’t we all walk up and get her. She’s going to need a shower and some sleep.”
“Okie dokie,” Stevie Rae said. “I’m glad I’m roomin’ with her. I’ll make sure she gets somethin’ to eat before she goes to bed, too.”
“Okay, I gotta ask—how in the hell does Rephaim get back inside your room? Do ya just leave the window open, or what?” Aphrodite said.
“Are you askin’ just to be mean?”
“No, bumpkin. Not this time. I’m asking because I’m curious.”
I didn’t say anything. The truth was that I was curious, too. Shaylin and Darius stayed quiet as well. Okay, because it’s weird that Rephaim turns into a bird every day and we were dying to know the details.
“She does leave the window open, but only a little,” Rephaim answered for her.
“Huh,” Aphrodite said. “So you fly in and out?”
“Just in, usually,” Rephaim said. “I walk outside just before dawn. I fly back as the sun sets.”
“What about your clothes?” Shaylin asked the question I wanted to ask, but didn’t because I couldn’t think of a High Priestessly way to phrase it.
“He takes ’em off right before the sun rises,” Stevie Rae said. “And I bring them to our room. Then he puts ’em back on when he’s himself again.”
“I’ll bet it would suck if you timed that wrong,” Shaylin said.
Rephaim smiled. “You’re right. I’d hate to have to hang from that third-floor window, yelling, until someone heard me and helped me in.”
Stevie Rae giggled. “You’d be naked.”
“It’d be like one of my naked-at-school-in-the-middle-of-class nightmares,” I said.
“I have those, too!” Shaylin said. “They’re awful. And I can never find my shoes. Like I’d care about my shoes if I was naked at school?”
“I’m glad you’re just a tall, handsome, muscular Warrior,” Aphrodite told Darius, tiptoeing and kissing him. “The naked bird thing would stress me out.”
“He’s not naked when he’s a bird,” Stevie Rae said. “He has feathers.”
“Let’s go,” I said, before the two of them could give me a headache.
We waved good-bye to the group of kids that were snuggling down on mounds of sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows, all huddled around the biggest flat screen that would fit down the narrow basement stairs. Following us up the stairs was the crazy opening song of Django Unchained. “I can’t figure out if I like that movie or not,” I said.
“Z, Quentin Tarantino is a genius. Obviously crazy, but still—genius,” Aphrodite was saying as we closed the door to the basement.
“Unlike you. You’re just crazy,” Shaylin told her.
Stevie Rae was giggling at Shaylin when Nicole stepped from the field house into the hallway, cutting her giggles off like she’d flipped a switch. With a rustle of wings, Kalona appeared behind her.