Chosen

in?"
    "Stevie Rae, let her go." I kept my voice calm, but my pulse was pounding like crazy. Stevie Rae looked and sounded dangerous and more than a little crazy.
    "I've never liked her, Zoey. You know that. I told you a zillion times she was no damn good and you should stay far away from her. I don't know why I shouldn't snap her neck."
    I was beginning to worry about how bugged Aphrodite's eyes looked and how bright red her face was turning. She struggled against Stevie Rae, but it was like a little kid trying to break the hold of a big, mean adult. Help me to get through to Stevie Rae. I sent up a silent prayer to the Goddess as I began to center myself so I could call the power of the elements to me. Then words whispered into my mind and I quickly repeated them.
    "You shouldn't snap her neck because you're not a monster."
    She didn't let go of Aphrodite, but Stevie Rae turned her head so she could look at me. "How do you know that?"
    I didn't hesitate, "Because I believe in our Goddess, and because I believe in the part of you that is still my best friend."
    Stevie Rae released Aphrodite, who started coughing and rubbing her neck.
    "Say you're sorry," I told Stevie Rae. Her red eyes pierced me, but I lifted my chin and stared right back at her. "Say you're sorry to Aphrodite," I repeated.
    "I'm not sorry," Stevie Rae said as she walked (at a normal speed) back to the chair.
    "Nyx has give Aphrodite an affinity for earth," I said abruptly. Stevie Rae's body jerked like I'd slapped her. "So by attacking her you're really attacking Nyx."
    "Nyx is letting her take my place!"
    "No. Nyx is letting her help you. I cannot figure this out on my own, Stevie Rae. I can't tell any of our friends about you because if I do it's only a matter of time before Neferet knows everything they know, and even though I'm not sure about much, I do absolutely believe Neferet has gone bad. So basically it's us against a powerful High Priestess. Aphrodite is the only fledgling besides me who Neferet can't read. We need her help."
    Stevie Rae narrowed her eyes at Aphrodite, who was still rubbing her neck and sucking air. "I still want to know why she'd bother to help us. She's never liked any of us. She's a liar and a user and a total bitch."
    "Atonement," Aphrodite managed to gasp.
    "What?" Stevie Rae said.
    Aphrodite glared at her. Her voice was raspy, but she was definitely regaining her breath and had gone from being scared to being pissed. "What's wrong? Is the word too big for you? A-T-O-N-E-M-E-N-T." She spelled it. "It means I have to make up for something I've done. A lot of somethings, actually. So I have to do what I didn't do before—which is to follow Nyx's will." She paused and cleared her throat, grimacing in pain. "No, I don't like it any better than you do. And, just by the by, you still smell bad and your country-ass clothes are stupid."
    "Aphrodite answered your question," I told Stevie Rae. "She could have been nicer about it, but you did just try to choke her to death. Now apologize to her." I stared hard at Stevie Rae while I silently called spirit energy to me. I saw Stevie Rae flinch, and she finally looked away.
    "Sorry," she muttered.
    "I can't hear her," Aphrodite said.
    "And I can't deal with the two of you acting like big of babies!" I snapped. "Stevie Rae, apologize to her like a normal person instead of spoiled brat."
    "I'm sorry," Stevie Rae said, frowning at Aphrodite.
    "Okay, look," I said. "We need to have some kind of truce between the three of us. I cannot be afraid if I turn my head the two of you are going to be trying to kill each other."
    "She couldn't kill me," Stevie Rae said, curling her lip unattractively.
    "Because you're already dead or because I don't want to get close enough to your stinkiness to kick your bony ass?" Aphrodite asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.
    "This is exactly what I mean!" I shouted. "Stop it! If we can't get along, how in the hell can we expect to figure out a way to stand up to Neferet and fix what's happened to Stevie Rae?"
    "We have to stand up to Neferet?" Aphrodite said.
    "Why do we have to stand up to her?" Stevie Rae said.
    "Because she's fucking evil!" I yelled.
    "You said fuck," Stevie Rae said.
    "Yeah, and you didn't get struck by lightning or melt or anyfuckingthing like that," Aphrodite said gleefully.

    "That didn't even look right coming out of your mouth, Z," Stevie Rae said.
    I couldn't help smiling at Stevie Rae. She suddenly looked and sounded so much