P.C. Cast - Awakened

Mama Johnson’s expression didn’t change, but her grip on Stevie Rae’s hands tightened. “Is this creature here? In Tulsa?”

Stevie Rae nodded. “He’s hidin’, though. No one at the House of Night knows about him and me.”

“Not even Zoey?”

“No, ’specially not Zoey. She’d really freak. Heck, Mama, anyone who knew would freak. I know I’m gonna get found out. It has to happen, and I don’t know what to do. It’s so awful. Everyone’ll hate me. No one will understand.”

“Not everyone will hate you, baby. I don’t hate you.”

Stevie Rae sighed and then smiled. “But you’re my mama. It’s your job to love me.”

“It’s a friend’s job to love you, too, if they’re real friends.” Mama Johnson paused and then asked slowly, “Baby, does this creature have somethin’ on you? I mean, I don’t know much about vampyre ways, but everyone knows Imprinting with a vampyre is a serious thing. Did he somehow make you do it with him? If that’s what happened we can go to the school. They’ll have to understand and they must have some way to help you get rid of him.”

“No, Mama. I Imprinted with Rephaim because he saved my life.”

“He brought you back from the dead?”

Stevie Rae shook her head. “No, I’m not sure how I un-died, but it has somethin’ to do with Neferet.”

“Then I should thank her, baby. Maybe I’ll—”

“No, Mama! You have to stay away from the school and away from Neferet. Whatever she did wasn’t because she’s good. She pretends to be, but she’s the opposite.”

“And this creature you call Rephaim?”

“He’s been on the side of Darkness for a long time. His daddy is seriously bad news and has messed with his head.”

“But he saved your life?” Mama Johnson asked.

“Twice, Mama, and he’d do it again. I know he would.”

“Baby, think hard before you answer me two questions.”

“Okay, Mama.”

“First, do you see good in him?”

“Yes,” Stevie Rae said without hesitation. “I really do.”

“Second, would he hurt you? Are you safe with him?”

“Mama, he faced a monster more terrible than I can describe to save me, and when he did that, the monster turned on him and hurt him. Real bad. He did that so I wouldn’t be hurt. I honestly think he’d die before he hurt me.”

“Then, here’s the truth from my heart to yours: I can’t begin to understand how he could be a mixture of a man and a bird, but I’m settin’ that craziness aside ’cause he saved you and you’re bound to him. What that means, sweetheart, is when the time comes for him to choose between the bad things in his past and a different future with you, if he’s strong enough he will choose you.”

“But my friends won’t accept him, and worse than that, the vampyres will try to kill him.”

“Baby, if your Rephaim’s done the bad things you say he has, and I do believe you, then he’s got some consequences to pay. That’s for him to do, not you. What you need to remember is this: the only person’s actions you can control are you own. You do what’s right, baby. You’ve always been good at that. Protect your own. Stand up for what you believe in. That’s it—that’s all you can do. And if this Rephaim stands beside you, you may be surprised at what happens.”

Stevie Rae could feel her eyes filling up with tears again. “He said I had to go see you. He never knew his mama. She was raped by his daddy and she died when he was born. But he told me not too long ago that I had to find a way to see you.”

“Baby, a monster wouldn’t say that.”

“He’s not human, Mama.” Stevie Rae was gripping her mama’s hands so hard her fingers felt numb, but she couldn’t let go. She didn’t ever want to let go.

“Stevie Rae, you’re not human either, not no more, and that don’t make a dang bit of difference to me. This Rephaim boy saved your life. Twice. So I really don’t care if he’s part rhinoceros and has a horn growing outta his forehead. He saved my girl, and you tell him next time you see him that he’s gettin’ a big ol’ hug from me for that.”

A giggle escaped Stevie Rae’s mouth at the mental image of her mama hugging Rephaim. “I’ll tell him.”

Mama Johnson’s face hardened into her serious expression. “You know, the sooner you come clean with everybody ’bout him, the better. Right?”

“I know. I’ll try. There’s a lot goin’ on right now and it’s not a good time for me to dump this on everybody.”

“It’s always the right time for the truth,” said Mama Johnson.

“Oh, Mama, I don’t know how I got myself into this mess.”

“Sure you do, baby. I wasn’t even there and I can tell you that somethin’ ’bout this creature got through to you, and that somethin’ might end up bein’ his redemption.”

“Only if he’s strong enough,” Stevie Rae said. “And I don’t know if he is. Far as I know he’s never stood up to his daddy before.”

“Would his daddy approve of you bein’ with him?”

Stevie Rae scoffed, “No dang way.”

“But he’s saved your life twice and Imprinted with you. Baby, to me that says he’s been standing up to his daddy for a while now.”

“No, he did all that while his daddy was, well, let’s just say out of the country. He’s back now, and Rephaim is back to doin’ whatever he wants him to do.”

“Really? How do you know that?”

“He told me today when he—” Stevie Rae’s words broke off and her eyes widened.

Her mama smiled and nodded. “See?”

“Ohmygood ness , you might be right!”

“ ’Course I’m right. I’m your mama.”

“I love you, Mama,” Stevie Rae said.

“And I love you right back, baby girl.”

“I cannot believe you are going to do this,” Kalona said, pacing back and forth across the rooftop balcony of the Mayo.

“I am doing this because it is necessary, it is time, and it is the right thing to do!” Neferet’s voice rose in tempo while she spoke as if she were exploding from the inside out.

“The right thing to do! As if you’re a creature of Light?” Rephaim couldn’t stop the words, nor could he school his voice to sound anything but incredulous.

Neferet rounded on him. She raised her hand. Rephaim could see threads of power quivering in the air around her, absorbing into her skin, crawling beneath it. The sight made his stomach tighten as he remembered the terrible touch of those Dark threads. Automatically, he moved a step back from her.

“Are you questioning me, bird creature?” Neferet looked like she was readying herself to hurl the Darkness at him.

“Rephaim does not question you, just as I do not question you.” His father moved closer to Neferet, stepping between the Tsi Sgili and him as he continued to speak with the calm voice of authority. “We are both simply surprised.”

“It is what Zoey and her allies would least expect me to do. So, even though it sickens me, I will abase myself—temporarily. By doing so I make Zoey impotent. If she so much as whispers against me, she will reveal herself to be the petulant child she really is.”

“I would think you would rather destroy her than humiliate her,” Rephaim said.

Neferet sneered at him and spoke to him as if he were an utter fool. “I have the ability to kill her tonight, but no matter how I orchestrated it, I would be implicated. Even those dotards on the High Council would be compelled to come here—to watch me, and to interfere with my plans. No, I am not ready for that, and until I am, I want Zoey Redbird gagged and put back in her place. She is a mere fledgling; she will be treated as such from here on out. And as I am taking care of Zoey I will also be revisiting her little group of friends—especially the one who calls herself the first red High Priestess.” Neferet’s laughter was mocking. “Stevie Rae? A High Priestess? I intend to reveal what she really is.”