Redeemed

“And exactly what did you see?” Marx prompted impatiently.

“They were laying there, at the base of the wall that makes the stone ridge over on the Twenty-first Street side of the park. I—I remember that I heard one of them moan, and I saw the other one twitch. It was obvious that I’d hurt them—maybe even badly—so I got scared, and I ran away. They must have been dying when I took off. I’m so sorry. I really am. I know that doesn’t make any difference. And I know it also doesn’t make any difference about the fact that they were in the park messing with girls, or that the Seer Stone gave me the power to do what I did. My anger is what killed those guys. I’m responsible.” I bit my lip hard. I was not going to start crying.

“No, Zoey. The truth is that you didn’t do it, and no, you’re not responsible for their deaths.” He swiped a key card over the pad on my cell door, and the steel lock sprung open with a click.

“Huh?” I blinked at him, feeling like I must be dreaming. I looked at Stark, who was staring at the detective.

“This has something to do with Neferet,” Stark said.

“This has everything to do with Neferet,” Marx agreed. “She confessed to killing those two men. No, that’s not totally accurate. Neferet gloated about killing those two men.”

Stark whooped and scooped me up into his arms. “Z, you didn’t kill anyone!”

“I didn’t kill anyone!” I echoed Stark’s shout as he held me, laughing. I was feeling light-headed, almost dizzy. I hadn’t killed anybody! Holy crap—I’d almost rejected the Change. I’d almost died. Because of Neferet.

It always came back to Neferet.

I thumped Stark’s shoulder, and he put me down (but I did keep hold of his hand).

I faced Detective Marx. “What else has she done?”

“You and your friends were right. Neferet did kill the mayor. He and the two men at the park were her warm-ups. She slaughtered a church full of people, and right now she’s declared that she’s a goddess. She’s made the Mayo her Temple, and she’s barricaded in there with a bunch of people who are under her spell.”

“Shit!” Stark said.

“Ohmygoddess!” Neferet had finally done it. She’d finally outed herself and shown everyone what she really was.

“You’re free, Zoey. You’ve been cleared of all charges. But before you go, I do have a favor to ask.”

I met his gaze. “You don’t have to ask. I’ll help you. I’ll do everything I can to stop her.”

Marx’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Thank you. I’m not going to lie to you, Zoey. What’s going on at the Mayo is bad, really bad. Neferet is powerful and dangerous.”

“And absolutely batshit crazy,” I finished for him. “I know. I’ve known for months.”

“Then you know what you’re up against.”

“We all do,” Stark said. “Because we’ve been the only ones fighting the crazy bitch.”

“All right, then. Do you need to get that Seer Stone thing before I take you to the Mayo and—”

“Wait, no, you don’t understand, Detective Marx. When I said I’ll do everything I can to stop Neferet, that doesn’t mean me alone.” I squeezed Stark’s hand. “One thing I’ve learned for sure is that I’m stronger with my friends.”

“Just tell me what you need, and I’ll make it so,” Marx said.

“Everything I need is at the House of Night,” I said.

“Then come with me, Zoey. I’ll take you home.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Zoey

I’d barely gotten out of Detective Marx’s shot-up town car when Grandma rushed out of the front of the school building and wrapped me in her arms.

“U-we-tsi-a-ge-ya! It is you! I knew it—I knew you were coming home.”

I hugged her quickly, then linked my arms with hers and guided her back into the House of Night, with Detective Marx and Stark close behind me. The sun was in the process of setting, but I was hyperaware that it could still cause Stark pain. As we hurried into the building, I smiled at Grandma and said, “I didn’t kill anybody!” Then I remembered who had—and what else she’d done—and my smile slipped from my face. “Neferet killed them.”

“Neferet?” I looked up from Grandma’s happy face to see Thanatos, Aphrodite, and Darius coming out of the High Priestess’s office.

“Zoey, Detective Marx, please explain what has happened.” Thanatos said.

“Neferet has confessed to killing the two men in the park—” Detective Marx began to explain, but I interrupted him. “Wait, there’s way more to it than that, and I need my circle to hear all of it.” I looked at Thanatos. “Neferet’s revealed herself. We have to hurry.”

“Darius, Stark, gather Zoey’s circle. Bring them to the school Council Chamber. Get Lenobia as well. She is the oldest Priestess at this house—we can use her wisdom. Go, now!” Thanatos said.

Stark and Darius took off.

“Detective, let me show you the way to our Council Chamber. Sylvia, I would appreciate it if you lent your wisdom to whatever it is we’re now facing with Neferet. Would you join us?”

“Of course,” Grandma said wryly. “I know more than a little about Neferet and her unique brand of evil.” Grandma kissed me softly on the cheek and began walking with Thanatos and Detective Marx toward the stairwell that led upstairs to the Council Chamber.

That left me alone with Aphrodite.

“I’m not asking whether you want me to or not. I am coming to this meeting,” she said before she started to follow the three adults.

I touched her arm and her head jerked around so that she could look at me. I couldn’t tell if I saw more fear or anger in her eyes—both made me feel terrible.

“I’m sorry,” I said simply. “I was wrong. You were right all along. You were right to go to Shaylin. You were right to have her watch me. You were right to keep your vision from me. I should have listened to you, but I didn’t, and I wouldn’t have, even if you’d told me about your vision. I was out of control. I was selfish. I was stupid. I’m sorry,” I repeated. “Please forgive me.”

While I’d been talking, Aphrodite had gone very still. She didn’t put her hand on her hip, sneer, or flip her hair. She listened to me and watched me with intent, bright eyes. She didn’t say anything for what felt like a really long time, and when she finally spoke, her voice wasn’t snide or bitchy or sarcastic. She was serious. Her ma

“I thought you were my friend,” she said.

“I am.”

“You hurt my feelings.”

“I know. I wish I could tell you that I didn’t mean to, but I’m not going to lie to you. At the time, I did mean to hurt you because I was hurting so bad. Aphrodite, the Seer Stone did something to me. I’m not using that as an excuse for what I said or did. It was still me. I was still wrong. I’m just trying to explain to you that I realize what happened—or at least how it happened. And I give you my oath that I won’t let it happen again.”

She kept studying me silently.

“I’m going to apologize to Shaylin, too,” I added.

Aphrodite nodded. “You should. You totally freaked her out.”

“It won’t happen again,” I repeated solemnly. “I swear it.”

“Do you want the stone back?”

“Hell no!” I said, taking a little step from her. “I want you to keep it away from me.”

“That’s my plan,” she said. “I just wondered what yours was.”

“I haven’t really got one past saying I’m sorry and asking you and Shaylin and, well, everyone else, to forgive me.”

“Well, that figures,” Aphrodite said, sounding more like herself. “You tend to be underprepared. And underdressed. Do they have no flat irons in jail?” She gave my bedhead hair an appraising look.

“No. Good hair isn’t a priority in jail.”

“Well, up until now I’d only heard that Oklahoma’s prison system sucked. Now I’m sure of it.”

That made me grin. “So, do you forgive me?”