“So what you’re saying is that Neferet is…” His word trailed off, and he nodded, encouraging Thanatos to finish the sentence for him.

“Yes, it is a sad but true fact, Neferet is a disgruntled ex-employee with no whistle to blow,” Thanatos said smoothly.

Adam glanced at Stark, who was standing beside me not far from Thanatos. “That ex-employee made some disturbing comments about one House of Night member in particular—James Stark.”

“That’s me,” Stark said right away. I could tell he was uncomfortable, but I don’t think anyone else, including the TV audience, would see anything except a very cute guy with red facial tattooing that looked like opposing arrows.

“So, Jim. Is it okay that I call you that?” Adam asked.

“Well, it is, but it’d be cool with me if you called me Stark. Everyone else does.”

“Okay, Stark, Neferet said you killed your mentor at the Chicago House of Night, and she implied that you’re a threat to the community here. Would you care to respond to that?”

“Well, that’s a bunch of bullpoopie!” I heard my mouth saying.

Stark grinned his cocky half smile and took my hand, threading his fingers through mine for all of the video audience to see. “Z, don’t almost cuss on film. Your grandma might hear and that wouldn’t be cool.”

“Sorry,” I muttered. “How about I just let you talk.”

Stark’s grin got bigger. “Well, that’ll be a first.”

Annoyingly enough, my friends all laughed. I scowled. Stark kept speaking, even though I considered smothering him with a pillow next time we slept.

His voice was hesitant at first, but the longer he talked, the stronger and surer he became. “My mentor, William Chidsey, was awesome. He was nice. And smart. I mean, really smart. And talented. He helped me. Actually, he was more like a father than a mentor to me.” Stark paused and wiped his hand across his face. When he started talking again it was as if it were just him and the reporter, alone, like he’d forgotten that the camera was there at all. “Adam, I found out pretty early, when I was what humans would call a sophomore in high school, that I’d been given this gift.” Stark enunciated the word, not sarcastically, but not like it was an awesome thing, either. His voice said his gift was a responsibility, and not a cool responsibility at that. “I can’t miss my mark. I’m an archer,” he explained when Adam gave him a questioning look. “You know, bow and arrows. Well, whatever I aim at—I hit. Unfortunately, it’s not as literal as that. Think about it—there’s lots of wiggle room between what you’re looking at, and what you’re really thinking about, and what you’re aiming at. Here’s a simple example: imagine taking a bow and arrow and aiming at a stop sign. So, you draw the bow, point the arrow, and sight the middle of a big red sign. But what if, inside your head you’re thinking, ‘Okay, I want to hit that thing that stops cars.’ Next thing you know your arrow has found its way smack through the radiator of the next car that drives by.”

“Well, I see how that might cause some big problems,” Adam said.

“Yeah, big as in epic proportions. It took me a while to figure it out and to be able to control it. Between then and now, I made a really terrible mistake.” Stark paused again and I squeezed his hand, trying to telegraph my support through it. “And because of that my mentor died. I won’t let it happen again. I’ve given my oath on it.”

“And that is why James Stark is here at the Tulsa House of Night.” Thanatos took up the thread of conversation, and the camera followed her. “We believe in second chances in Tulsa.” Her gaze shifted to Aphrodite. I had to make my mouth not flop open as she continued smoothly, “Would you not say that this is an excellent place for second chances, Aphrodite LaFont?”

I shouldn’t have worried. With the camera rolling Aphrodite was totally in her element. She walked forward, toward the camera (of course), then sat at Thanatos’s side. “I couldn’t agree with you more, High Priestess. I was a fledgling for almost four years, but Nyx, our benevolent Goddess, chose to take my Mark from me and to replace it with a prophetic gift. My parents agree with my decision to remain at the House of Night. Actually, we’ve talked about the possibility of me serving an internship with the High Council in Venice when I graduate from here. My mom and dad are super supportive.” She grinned into the camera. “You can tell that if you pull our credit card bills for the last few months. Wow! I have such awesomely cool parents!”

Okay, seriously. That was such a load of stinking, festering bullpoopie that I couldn’t even speak. Thankfully, Stevie Rae was not so mute.

“Speaking of amazing parents, my mom, Ginny Johnson, is gonna make the best chocolate chip cookies in the known universe, and bring them to the open house and bake sale we’re havin’ here real soon, right, Thanatos?”

Thanatos didn’t miss a beat. “You are absolutely correct, Stevie Rae. This coming weekend, should the tempestuous Oklahoma weather allow, we are planning a campus open house. We are hoping that Street Cats will be here with cats for adoption. Actually, I’d like to announce right now that all proceeds from our bake sale”—she smiled in Stevie Rae’s direction—“will go to benefit our local charity, Street Cats. In addition, the grandmother of our fledging High Priestess, Zoey Redbird, is going to have her lavender products for sale on our grounds.”

“Don’t forget the job fair.”

Everyone, including the cameraman, turned at the sound of our Horse Mistress’s voice. Lenobia was standing there, leading her beautiful black mare, Mujaji, who looked like an absolute dream.

“Professor Lenobia, how good of you to join our press conference,” Thanatos said.

“Wow! What a gorgeous horse he is!” Adam gushed as the cameraman did a close-up on Mujaji.

Damien touched Adam’s arm and grinned. “Honey, that’s a she, not a he.”

“Oh, my mistake.” Adam took it all in stride, smiling with a cute flush to his cheeks. “The guy-girl thing never made much difference to me.”

“Because we’re all the same.” I heard the words coming from my mouth, and silently thanked Nyx for them. “Guy, girl, human, vampyre, what difference does it make? We’re sharing Tulsa, and we love it. So, let’s just all get along!”

Thanatos laughed, and the sound was like music. “Oh, Zoey, I could not have said it better myself. And Lenobia, you were correct to remind me. Adam, I would like to announce this evening that during the open house and Street Cat benefit, the Tulsa House of Night will, as the first House of Night in our written history, be taking job applications for human professors. We will be interviewing for professorial positions in our drama department, as well as in our literature department.” Thanatos stood and opened her arms, looking benevolent and wise. “The House of Night welcomes Tulsa. Until Saturday we wish you all merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.”

Neferet

Neferet would not have seen the press conference had she not called room service to her penthouse suite. The pleasingly subservient blond boy was almost young enough to interest her. The last bellboy who had had the good fortune to answer her summons would be calling in sick for the next several days. Weak and bruised, he would not remember anything except a fascination for her beauty and a series of dark, erotic dreams. Fever dreams, his doctor would no doubt call them. Humans were such frail creatures. Such a shame that she constantly needed to find a new plaything.

Neferet studied this bellboy. He was tall, and he looked extremely nervous. His skin was bad. He practically oozed virgin from his over-sized pores. Thinking that virgin blood would mix nicely with the chilled bottle of champagne he was carrying past her, she motioned to her sitting room.