Zoey’s voice broke the silence. “So, you really believe Neferet doesn’t know about the basement?”

“Had Neferet known there was a basement here, she would have used it to make me more malleable, especially after I refused to call myself Erebus Incarnate.”

“Since you mentioned it, why did you refuse to do that? I saw the stained glass windows in the temple on San Clemente Island, and the guy with the wings definitely looked like you. Some of the High Council were already on Neferet’s side that day, most of them would’ve probably believed you if you’d claimed to be him,” Stark said.

Kalona’s snort of laughter was filled with contempt. “Because, young Warrior, Erebus is my brother and I loathe him too much to pretend to be him.”

Zoey

“Your brother? Erebus? The Consort of Nyx is your brother?” He seriously couldn’t have really meant that.

“We are twins. Not identical, but close enough. Born on the same day. I am the elder.” Kalona seemed to be trying to sound nonchalant, but his fingers drumming against the desktop and his gaze looking everywhere but at me said something else besides “whatever.”

“Why didn’t you tell us you’re Erebus’s brother?” I asked.

He did look at me then. “Do you have a brother?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Yet I have never heard you speak of him.”

“Her brother isn’t our Goddess’s lover,” Stark said.

“Wait, if you’re Erebus’s brother, why don’t we know about you? I mean, I’m not super studious, especially about creation myths and whatnot, but I should have heard something about Erebus having a brother.” I looked to Darius and Stark for help. “Do you guys know anything about this?”

Both shook their heads and looked suspiciously at Kalona. The immortal sighed.

“Erebus is not overly fond of me, either. And, as I have already said, Nyx has turned from me. The ballads in which I was mentioned have long ago stopped being sung. Ask your studious friend Damien. He may have read rumors of me. I would have been called the Guardian of Night. Or ask Thanatos. She must know the old myths.” Kalona shrugged and his raven-colored wings rustled. “That matters little today. So, what is it you want with the school’s basement?”

I wanted to know more about Kalona and Erebus being brothers (OMG!), but the immortal was definitely done talking about it, so I let it go—for now. “Well, it looks like we might have to stay on campus for a few days or so, and the red fledglings rest better underground,” I said. “Darius showed us where the basement is, and we’re thinking about moving the kids down there.”

“But we would all feel safer about the fledglings being together in one room if we knew whether Neferet knows about the basement or not,” Darius said. “That is why we came to you.”

“Neferet doesn’t know, or she didn’t when I was her Consort. I understand how dangerous she is, and why you want a safe haven for the fledglings, but I am more concerned about the dangerous factions developing within the House of Night today than Neferet’s reappearance. Dallas reeks of treachery. He already hates Stevie Rae and my son. He must have encouraged Erin to break with your group. Now Erin is dead after circling with you. Dallas will conspire against you, which means he will be open to allying with Neferet, if he hasn’t already done so. Your basement will not long remain a secret, especially if there are local reporters roaming the school grounds.”

“They are not roaming free,” Darius said quickly. “Thanatos escorts and observes them. They have been confined to the cafeteria.”

“And my guess is they won’t be here very long,” I said.

“Long enough to combat Aphrodite’s mom’s hateful interview on that other channel,” Stark said.

“Communication is too easy in the modern world. It is a curse as well as a convenience,” Kalona said.

“I could ask Thanatos to confiscate Dallas’s cell phone,” I said, trying to think of something—anything—to help keep our business private.

“He’d just use someone else’s, even if he had to steal one,” Stark said. “And don’t forget—the kid’s affinity is with electronics. If he wants to communicate with Neferet, he will.”

“Let us hope he and his allies are not currently in the cafeteria,” Kalona said.

“Jeesh, it’s such a pain in the ass to have to worry about being betrayed by one of our own.” I was frustrated as hell. “I wish I could make everyone just act right!”

“This from the same young High Priestess who lectured me more than once about the importance of free choice?” Kalona’s raised brows and knowing look mocked me.

“I didn’t mean I wanted to take away people’s free choice,” I said.

“No, not as long as their choice allies with yours,” Kalona said.

“That’s not what she meant.” Stark frowned at Kalona. “You just don’t get her.”

Kalona said nothing, but his eyes remained mocking … knowing…

Did I really want to take away free choice? No! I just wished kids would make the right choice. Jeesh, that was way different. God, this whole thing was giving me major heartburn. I’d probably have IBS any second…

“Huh?” I’d totally missed what Stark had been saying.

“Z, I said that Darius and I would go gather up that old stuff that we found in the basement and get it out of the way so the kids could start moving sleeping bags and TVs and things down there.”

“Oh, uh, the stuff.” I stared at Stark. “What are you going to do with it?”

“I thought we’d box it up and ask Lenobia if she could find a place for it in one of the new storerooms she had built in the stables after the fire. Should be safe and out of the way there.”

“Why not pile it up and have Shaunee set it afire?” Kalona said.

“Because we can’t burn books!” I made up in a rush.

“Books?” Kalona looked super confused.

“Yeah, the old stuff is mostly books. You know, things that were probably moved out of the media center when they added the computers.” I hoped I didn’t sound as lame as I felt. I am absolutely a crappy liar—I’m especially a crappy unpremeditated liar.

“Well, as you say. I’ll help you in gathering—”

“No!” Stark, Darius, and I said together.

Kalona’s keen gaze said he thought we were up to something. I knew that even though the immortal was oath bound to be on our side, that didn’t mean we wanted him to know the old stuff in the basement was worth a small, or large, fortune.

“Okay, well, here’s the thing,” I said, trying to start with enough of the truth that I could tell myself that I was just exaggerating a story and not actually doing a really bad job of lying. “You’ve got to stay here and out of sight until we let you know that the reporters have totally left the school.”

“Yea,” Stark said with a smirk. “Wings are kinda noticeable to reporters.”

I hurried on before Kalona and Stark could bicker. Again. “I’ll tell Damien to come tell you when the reporters are gone. But then we don’t need you to help us box stuff up from downstairs. See, we’ve already, um, talked about the Dallas issue, and we know he’s trouble. So, we were hoping that you could figure out something that would keep him occupied while we clean out the basement and get the red fledglings who don’t hate us settled in down there.”

“Do you really expect to keep Dallas and his group from finding out that your fledglings have made the basement their home?”

“No, not forever,” Stark said. “But it would be nice if at least the first time they slept down there we could be sure nothing would try to eat them or trap them or light them on fire or—”

“Holy crap, enough already, Stark!” He was making my head hurt. “What Stark means is that, hopefully, we’re going to be able to go back to the depot soon, so if Dallas and his group could just be kinda distracted, and if our fledglings just didn’t mention that they were sleeping in the basement, well, then maybe we’d have a safe spot here at the House of Night Neferet doesn’t know about.”