P.C. Cast - Awakened

“He’s really dead,” Stevie Rae said through her own tears. “There’s no mistake, Z.”

“It’s so hard to believe, and it’s just not fair!” It felt good to get mad, better than breaking down in completely useless snot and tears. “Jack was the sweetest guy in the world. He didn’t deserve what happened to him.”

“No,” Stevie Rae said in a shaky voice. “He didn’t deserve it. I-I wanna believe Nyx has him and is takin’ care of him real good. You’ve been there—to the Otherworld, I mean. Is it true that it’s wonderful there?”

Her question tugged at my heart. “I know we’ve never talked about it, but didn’t you go there, before, you know, when you—”

“No!” she said as if she wanted to cut off my words. “I don’t remember much from that time, but I do know I wasn’t anywhere nice. And I didn’t see Nyx.”

The words came to me as I began to speak and I knew in my soul that Nyx was talking through me. “Stevie Rae, when you died Nyx was with you. You’re her daughter. You have to remember that always. I don’t know why you and the other kids died and un-died, but I can tell you that I am one hundred percent sure Nyx never abandoned you. You just took a different path than Jack. He is in the Otherworld with the Goddess, and he’s happier than he’s ever been in his life. It’s hard for those of us back here to understand, but I saw it with Heath. For whatever reason, it was Heath’s time to die this go-round, and he belonged there, with Nyx. Just like Jack belongs there, too, now. I know in my heart that they are both completely at peace.”

“Promise?”

“Absolutely. We have to be strong for each other back here, though, and believe we’ll see them again someday.”

“If you say it, then I’ll believe it, Z,” she said, her voice sounding better. “You really need to come home. It’s not just me who needs to hear your High Priestess everything’s-gonna-be-okay speech.”

“Damien’s pretty bad, huh?”

“Yeah, I’m worried ’bout him, and the Twins, and the rest of the kids. Heck, Z, I’m even worried ’bout Dragon. It’s like the whole world is drownin’ in sadness.”

I didn’t know what to say. No, that’s not true. I did know what I wanted to say: I wanted to shriek, If the whole world’s drowning in sadness why do I want to come back to it? But I knew that was weak and wrong on many different levels. So instead I said, kinda lamely, “We’ll make it through this. We really will.”

“Yeah, we will!” she said firmly. “Okay, look, together you and me, we gotta be able to figure out a way to expose Neferet’s evil to the High Council once and for all.”

“I still can’t believe they bought that load of bullpoopie she shoveled at them,” I said.

“Me neither. I guess it basically came down to a High Priestess’s word against a dead human kid. Heath lost.”

“Neferet isn’t a High Priestess anymore! Jeesh, it pisses me off! And now it’s not just Heath, but Jack. She’s going to pay for what she did, Stevie Rae. I’m gonna make sure she does.”

“She’s gotta be stopped.”

“Yeah, she does.” I knew we were right—that we had to fight to get Neferet out of power, but just the thought overwhelmed me. Even I heard the exhaustion in my voice. I was tired all the way down to my soul, truly sick and tired of fighting against Neferet’s evil. It seemed like for every one step forward I won I was somehow, eventually, no matter what, knocked two steps back.

“Hey, you’re not in this alone.”

“Thanks, Stevie Rae. I know I’m not. And anyway, this really isn’t about me. It’s really about doing what’s right for Heath and Jack and Anastasia and whoever else Neferet and her evil horde decide to mow down next.”

“Yeah, you can say that, but evil has taken a pretty dang big toll on you lately.”

“That’s true, but I’m still standing. A bunch of other folks aren’t.” I wiped my face with my sleeve again, wishing I had a Kleenex. “Speaking of evil and death and whatnot: have you seen Kalona? No way did Neferet really have him whipped and banished. He’s gotta be all into everything with her. That means if she’s in Tulsa, he’s in Tulsa.”

“Well, rumor has it she really did have him whipped,” Stevie Rae said.

I snorted. “That figures. He’s supposed to be her Consort, so she has him beaten. Wow. I kinda knew he liked pain, but even I’m surprised that he agreed to that.”

“Well, uh, rumor has it he didn’t exactly agree to it.”

“Oh, please. Neferet is scary, but she can’t order around an immortal.”

“Looks like she can order around this one. She has some kinda hold over him because he failed in his, uh, dastardly mission to annihilate you.”

I could hear the humor that Stevie Rae was trying to add to her voice and I attempted a little laugh for her benefit, but I think both of us knew the funny didn’t begin to overcome the horrible.

“Well, ya know, being bossed around by Neferet is something Kalona isn’t gonna like, and it’s about time he got a big old dose of not liking something,” I said.

“I hear you. I think Kalona’s probably here somewhere lurkin’ around all in her nasty shadow, and by that I mean her crotch,” said Stevie Rae.

“Eeeew!” That did make me laugh, and Stevie Rae’s giggle joined mine. For a moment we were BFFs again, being cracked up by the proliferation of skank in our world. Sadly, too soon the less amusing parts of our world intruded and our laughter dried up way faster than it used to. I sighed and said, “So, during all this rumor listening and stuff you didn’t actually happen to see Kalona, did you?”

“Nope, but I’m keepin’ my eyes open.”

“Good, ’cause catching that jerk with Neferet after she’s told the High Council she’s banished him for a hundred years would definitely be a step toward proving she’s not what everyone thinks,” I said. “Oh, while you’re keeping your eyes open, remember to have them pointed up. Wherever Kalona is, those gross birdboys of his will eventually show, too. No way do I think they’ve all suddenly disappeared.”

“Okay. Yeah. Got it.”

“And didn’t Stark tell me that there actually was a Raven Mocker spotted in Tulsa?” I paused, trying to remember what he had said.

“Yeah, there was one seen once, but not since then.”

Stevie Rae’s voice sounded weird, all tight like she was having trouble talking. Hell, who could blame her? I’d basically left her holding the ball there at my House of Night. Just thinking about what she’d gone through with Jack and Damien made me feel sick.

“Hey, be careful, ’kay? I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you,” I said.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”

“Good. So, sunset is in just a little over two hours. As soon as Stark’s up we’ll get our stuff together and be on the first plane home,” I heard myself say, even though it made my stomach feel sick.

“Oh, Z! I’m so glad! Besides needin’ you back here, I’ve missed you so much.”

I smiled into the phone. “I’ve missed you, too. And it’ll be good to be home,” I lied.

“So text me when you know what time y’all will get in. If I’m not in my coffin I’ll be there to meet ya.”

“Stevie Rae, you do not sleep in a coffin,” I said.

“I might as well ’cause I’m seriously dead to the world when the sun’s up.”

“Yeah, Stark, too.”

“Hey, how is your boy? Feelin’ better?”

“He’s good.” I paused and added, “ Real good, actually.”

True to form, Stevie Rae’s BFF radar heard between the lines. “Oh, nuh uh. Y’all did not ?”