Redeemed

“Wow, that’s incredible!”

Thanatos’s smile was beautiful. “The circle of life is, indeed, incredible.”

“Yes, it sure is—Hang on, Thanatos. That means those were human souls you helped pass on.”

“Yes,” she said serenely.

“But you’re a vampyre.”

The High Priestess’s smile widened. “I thought we had already established that.”

“Yeah.” Adam ran his hand through his perfect hair. “But one of your own kind attacked you because you were helping human souls.”

“Adam, I have lived for more than five hundred years, and in that time I have learned that humanity is defined by choice and not by genetics. Quite simply, humans and vampyres are more alike than different.”

“Obviously Neferet doesn’t think the way you do,” Adam said.

“Neferet is mad. Her thoughts are erratic and dangerous.”

“What were those things she sent after us?” Adam asked.

“Evil that has taken tangible form. They follow Neferet’s commands—as long as she sacrifices to keep them loyal to her.” Thanatos turned her gaze directly to the camera. “I ca

Adam paused, looked shocked, and then glanced off camera. “Detective Marx, do you agree with Thanatos’s request regarding the Mayo?”

The cameraman turned toward an a

“Isn’t it true that Neferet has hostages inside the Mayo?” Adam asked.

“It is, but at this time we don’t know names or numbers,” Marx said. “I understand that people will be missing their loved ones. TPD has opened a 1-800 line for inquiries and missing person calls. The public should address their questions through that line.”

“Which Fox 23 will scroll across the bottom of the screen,” Adam said.

“Thank you,” Marx said, though he didn’t look particularly thankful.

“Detective Marx, I must ask—if you won’t allow anyone near the Mayo, how will Neferet be stopped?” Adam said.

“She will be stopped by me, and by those vampyres and fledglings who fight beside me. Neferet is of our kind—and it is our kind who must defeat her,” Kalona said.

All of us, including the cameraman, focused on the winged immortal.

“Kalona, you are not a vampyre, correct?” Adam said.

“Correct.”

“Then what are you?”

He didn’t even hesitate—he said it as if he was talking about what he’d had for di

There was a long, breathless silence, and then Adam asked, “What are you doing here?”

Kalona’s broad shoulders straightened and he looked directly into the camera. “I am trying to atone for my past mistakes and gain the forgiveness of Nyx.”

“Well”—Adam swallowed audibly—“it seems to me like you’re doing a pretty good job of atonement. You saved your High Priestess, a bunch of vampyres and fledglings, a detective, and me. If you can manage to stop Neferet, I’ll start calling you Superman.”

Kalona’s full lips turned up. “If you see Nyx, I would appreciate you telling her that.”

“Consider it done,” Adam said. Then he turned to Thanatos. “Is there anything you’d like to add, High Priestess? Any way the public can help?”

“There is,” she said. “They can pray and send positive thoughts and energy to us. The House of Night will do its best to protect the people of Tulsa, but we appreciate divine intervention.”

“Pray? To whom, God or Goddess?” Adam said.

“Why, to either or both, of course. I like to believe prayers aren’t tethered to semantics.”

Adam smiled. “I like to believe that, too.” He turned to the camera. “Let’s all pray for an end to Neferet’s insanity and the violence that has erupted because of it in Tulsa. And that’s the latest from the standoff at the Mayo. This is Adam Paluka reminding you to stay tuned to Fox 23 for all the breaking news.”

“The brother of Erebus. Isn’t that interesting?” Grandma said as Adam shook Thanatos’s hand and thanked her and Kalona for the interview.

“Did you know he was Erebus’s brother?” Damien whispered to me.

“Well, uh, yeah,” I said. “He did mention it a few days ago.”

“But we’ve been kinda busy since then,” Stark said.

Damien rubbed his forehead. “I vaguely remember in an anthology of ancient vampyre poetry a few mentions of the Son of the Moon and Warrior of Night, along with the usual descriptions of Erebus as Son of the Sun and Consort of Nyx. Initially, I assumed they were just different names for Erebus, but in retrospect it makes more sense that they were talking about two different immortals.”

“It makes Kalona’s centuries of rage more understandable,” Grandma said.

“Yeah, to have gone from the Warrior and companion of Nyx to not even being allowed entrance to the Otherworld. That must really hurt,” Damien said, watching Kalona with big, sad eyes.

“He raped and murdered people. Who knows what he did in the Otherworld before he Fell. Don’t feel too sorry for him,” Stark said.

“Everyone deserves a second chance, Tsi-ta-ga-a-s-ha-ya,” Grandma said, using Rooster, the Cherokee nickname she’d given him. “I remember not long ago, you were given a second chance.”

Stark looked at his feet.

I drew a deep breath and said, “So was I.”

Grandma raised her brows in a question.

“Today I was given a second chance,” I explained. I looked from Grandma to my friends, one at a time, and finally my gaze found Stark’s. “We’re a whole team of people who have needed second chances. I’m glad Kalona’s getting his with us.”

Grandma touched my arm. “Someday you should tell him that, u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya. I think you will be surprised at what a difference your words could make.”

CHAPTER TEN

Aphrodite

“Holy crap! You will not effing believe what’s just gone viral on YouTube!” Nicole ran up the stairs from the auditorium to the stage, waving her iPad like a crazy person.

Aphrodite glared at her and brushed the iPad away. “Seriously? The assembly just ended. You were on YouTube when I was speaking?”

“Seriously.” Nicole rolled her eyes. “Get over it. Everyone was on YouTube. You have to check this out.” She shoved the iPad at Aphrodite.

“Being a teacher is a pain in the ass. Teenagers suck,” Aphrodite said, still ignoring the iPad.

“Ohmygoodness, is that Kalona? On YouTube?” Stevie Rae pushed around Aphrodite to peek at the screen.

“What? Kalona?” Lenobia hurried to join Stevie Rae, with Darius and Rephaim close behind.

“Fine. I’ll look. Now that I’m done telling the entire student body that we’re going to have to save the world. Again.” Aphrodite glanced at the screen and her eyes went huge and round. “Oh, for shit’s sake! What took you so long to tell us? Turn that damn thing up!” She grabbed the iPad, tapped the replay button, and turned the volume up all the way.

The video wasn’t professional, but the begi