“Last time I saw him he was feeling mad, not sad,” Aphrodite said.

“What do you mean?” I asked her.

“After the funeral I caught him watching Stevie Rae and Rephaim,” Aphrodite said.

“His colors are bad,” Shaylin said. “Swirls of anger. I agree with Aphrodite. He’s mad, not sad. I hate to say this, but if he and his awful friends are hiding out in his room it’s not because they’re trying to make him feel better. I would bet he’s going to want revenge and not healing.”

“Then he needs to go after Neferet. If anyone’s to blame for Erin’s death, it’s her,” I said.

“His colors say he doesn’t think like that,” Shaylin said. “He’s mad. Period. And he’s going to want to strike out at someone who’s in front of his face.”

“We need to watch him,” Aphrodite added. “Especially you, Shaylin. If you see his colors doing some unusually crazy swirly shit, be sure you let one of our Warriors know—fast. And then find Thanatos or Z.”

I looked from one Prophetess to the other. “I like that you two are working together.”

“Me, too,” Stevie Rae said.

“We’re just doing our jobs,” Aphrodite said. “No need to get all huggy-kissy. And speaking of jobs—has anyone checked on Shaunee?”

I sighed. “She’s probably still by the pyre. Why don’t we all walk up and get her. She’s going to need a shower and some sleep.”

“Okie dokie,” Stevie Rae said. “I’m glad I’m roomin’ with her. I’ll make sure she gets somethin’ to eat before she goes to bed, too.”

“Okay, I gotta ask—how in the hell does Rephaim get back inside your room? Do ya just leave the window open, or what?” Aphrodite said.

“Are you askin’ just to be mean?”

“No, bumpkin. Not this time. I’m asking because I’m curious.”

I didn’t say anything. The truth was that I was curious, too. Shaylin and Darius stayed quiet as well. Okay, because it’s weird that Rephaim turns into a bird every day and we were dying to know the details.

“She does leave the window open, but only a little,” Rephaim answered for her.

“Huh,” Aphrodite said. “So you fly in and out?”

“Just in, usually,” Rephaim said. “I walk outside just before dawn. I fly back as the sun sets.”

“What about your clothes?” Shaylin asked the question I wanted to ask, but didn’t because I couldn’t think of a High Priestessly way to phrase it.

“He takes ’em off right before the sun rises,” Stevie Rae said. “And I bring them to our room. Then he puts ’em back on when he’s himself again.”

“I’ll bet it would suck if you timed that wrong,” Shaylin said.

Rephaim smiled. “You’re right. I’d hate to have to hang from that third-floor window, yelling, until someone heard me and helped me in.”

Stevie Rae giggled. “You’d be naked.”

“It’d be like one of my naked-at-school-in-the-middle-of-class nightmares,” I said.

“I have those, too!” Shaylin said. “They’re awful. And I can never find my shoes. Like I’d care about my shoes if I was naked at school?”

“I’m glad you’re just a tall, handsome, muscular Warrior,” Aphrodite told Darius, tiptoeing and kissing him. “The naked bird thing would stress me out.”

“He’s not naked when he’s a bird,” Stevie Rae said. “He has feathers.”

“Let’s go,” I said, before the two of them could give me a headache.

We waved good-bye to the group of kids that were snuggling down on mounds of sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows, all huddled around the biggest flat screen that would fit down the narrow basement stairs. Following us up the stairs was the crazy opening song of Django Unchained. “I can’t figure out if I like that movie or not,” I said.

“Z, Quentin Tarantino is a genius. Obviously crazy, but still—genius,” Aphrodite was saying as we closed the door to the basement.

“Unlike you. You’re just crazy,” Shaylin told her.

Stevie Rae was giggling at Shaylin when Nicole stepped from the field house into the hallway, cutting her giggles off like she’d flipped a switch. With a rustle of wings, Kalona appeared behind her.

“What’s she doin’ here?” Stevie Rae ignored Nicole and spoke to Kalona.

“She found me and told me that she was looking for you,” Kalona said.

“Spying’s more like it,” Stevie Rae said.

“Spying? Seriously? That’s stupider than calling Tarantino a genius,” Nicole said.

Aphrodite made a sound like a hissing cat.

I stepped forward, feeling Darius move to my side. “What do you want, Nicole?”

The red fledgling met my gaze steadily. “I have something to say to Stevie Rae.”

“So say it,” I said. “She’s right here.”

Nicole drew a deep breath, and then she walked up to Stevie Rae. Rephaim was watching her carefully, and Kalona was right behind her. I tensed, ready for anything crazy she might do, but I felt a touch on my arm.

“No,” Shaylin said quietly. “It’s nothing bad.”

And Shaylin was right. Nicole stopped in front of Stevie Rae, fisted her hand over her heart, and bowed respectfully. “What I want to say is that I’m sorry for the crap I caused before. I’m sorry I tried to hurt you. I don’t have any excuse for what I did. It was wrong. I’ve changed, and I want to change sides, too. I want you to be my High Priestess.”

I could tell that Stevie Rae was shocked—I think we all were shocked. Well, maybe not Shaylin, but the rest of us definitely were. Stevie Rae looked at me. I shrugged. She looked back at Nicole, asking her, “Why should I believe you?”

“Well, I thought about that before I came to talk to you, and I couldn’t come up with any for-sure answer, so I figured I’d just take a chance that you actually would believe me because I think High Priestesses just know things. If that’s true, then you’ll know you can believe me.”

“Consult your Prophetesses,” Kalona said.

“Hey, I got nothing. No vision. No woo-woo feeling either way. Nadda,” Aphrodite said. “Ask Shaylin.”

Stevie Rae looked at her other Prophetess. “What do ya see?”

“Her colors are pretty. She’s not red at all anymore. She’s pink, like a flower. She’s not hiding anything except that she’s way more nervous than she seems.” Shaylin paused and smiled at Nicole. “Sorry about that last part, but I have to tell Stevie Rae the truth.”

Nicole’s mouth was pressed in a straight line. She nodded, and then spoke quickly, “I understand. And you’re right. I am nervous.”

“Where’s Dallas?” Stevie Rae asked her.

“Last time I saw him I was on my way to my room. He said he was going to the guys’ dorm for a Resident Evil marathon in his room. I told him I couldn’t make it. I’d had enough blood and death for a while,” she said.

“So, you’re not going to hook up with him again?” Aphrodite asked her.

Nicole faced her. “I don’t want anything to do with him.”

“Because you’re still pissed he cheated on you with Erin?” Aphrodite prodded.

“Because I don’t want to be with someone who is mean. Dallas is mean,” she said.

“She’s telling the truth,” Shaylin said.

“You have a responsibility to give her a chance,” Kalona said.

At first I thought it was a strange thing for him to say, but then I really thought about it. If anyone would know about second chances, it was Kalona.

“I think he’s right,” I said. “You are the only red High Priestess she has, and if she’s swearing allegiance to you, then you have to accept her and give her a chance to prove that her oath is actually worth something.”

“Is that what you’re doin’? Swearing your allegiance to me?”

“Yes.”

“Well, then, I’ll give you a chance,” Stevie Rae said.

I watched a flush of color come over Nicole’s face, and she blinked her eyes real hard, like she might cry. Stevie Rae obviously noticed, too, because when she spoke to Nicole again, her voice had softened. “I have to be sure Shaunee’s okay, so I’m going to have Shaylin take you to the rest of the kids.”

“In the dorm?” Nicole asked.