Hidden: House of Night: Book 10

most appreciative.”
    “So, are you talking field trip?” Erin’s voice sounded so weird coming from the back of the room.
    “I suppose some of what I need can be considered a field trip, as it will require you to leave campus. Erin, are you volunteering to help?”
    “If it means gettin’ out of class, then you have more volunteers than Erin,” Dallas said.
    I couldn’t even shoot Stevie Rae or Aphrodite a sideways look, but from the edge of my vision I was sure I saw Stevie Rae crossing her fingers.
    “Dallas, I can use your assistance. I spent many of the sunlight hours today googling charity events in Tulsa. It seems one of the most successful fund-raisers is called An Evening of Wine and Roses. It benefits the Tulsa Garden Center. It seems the Center strings myriads of lights around the Rose Gardens and then has an after-dusk wine tasting and dinner. And that, my interesting young red vampyre, is perfect for you.”
    “Perfect? I don’t like wine much,” he said.
    I heard Aphrodite snort, but I kept my eyes straight aheadand tried not to even breathe. I knew what Thanatos was setting up, and I hoped like hell it would work.
    “No, you mistake me,” Thanatos said. “I simply wish to use their lighting template as one for our open house. Dallas, think of how lovely our campus would be if ropes of electric bulbs were wrapped around our ancient oak trees.”
    “Lots of electricity would be good. I’ve been sayin’ for a while now that this school needs an update on its electricity. It’s not, like, 1960. We need real lights here. Our eyes can handle it.” Dallas sounded cocky, as per usual.
    “Well, I am agreeing with you, if only temporarily,” Thanatos said, smiling at him. Again, I marveled at her massive acting skills. Then she turned her attention to Erin. “Erin, as it seems you would work well partnered with Dallas, may I count on you to help guide the decorations for the open house? We do, of course, need exquisite lighting, but we also need tables, covered with fine linens, scattered throughout the central grounds. Can you handle the responsibility of coordinating with local humans, as well as Dallas’s electrical expertise, to get this done?”
    “I was born to decorate and shop. Give me the school’s gold card and I’m on it,” Erin said.
    “You will have a generous budget,” Thanatos assured her. “Especially as the open house is only a few days away. Time is of the essence.”
    “If I have money I’m good at deadlines,” Erin said, sounding totally up Thanatos’s butt.
    Right on cue Aphrodite waved her hand. “Uh, hello.” She sounded bored and bitchy. Even more than usual.
    “You have a question, Aphrodite?” Thanatos called on her.
    “More like an intelligent statement. If you’re going to put someone in charge of getting the accouterments together for a charity event, you should go to the expert:
moi.
I was teethed on what the middle class so barbarically calls
party planning.
”
    Thanatos’s smile and tone werepatronizing. “I am quite certain you were, but Erin and Dallas have already volunteered. I do have a job for you, though. I would like you to take a quick trip off campus and speak with your parents about attending the open house. From your comments to the press yesterday, I assume I can count on their support.”
    “Yeah, whatever. I’ll talk to them.” Aphrodite was doing an awesome job playing her part. She sounded pissed and absolutely annoyed that Thanatos hadn’t fired Erin and put her in charge—which was exactly what we’d wanted. If Erin (and by association, Dallas) believed they were doing something important, and the rest of us were either annoyed or just puttering around, they’d be smug. They’d be obnoxious.
They’d be totally distracted and not reporting anything to Neferet except that Thanatos was depending on them and giving them lots of responsibilities.
Step one was definitely going according to Plan.
    Damien’s hand went up, straight and strong. When Thanatos called on him he practically gushed, “Could I please go with Aphrodite? I’ve always wanted to see the inside workings of city politics.”
    “Barf,” Aphrodite said.
    “Yes, you may,” Thanatos said.
    It was my hand’s turn to go up. I’d prepared for this, but still it was hard to keep my voice steady. “Um, I’ve called Grandma about the open house and selling her lavender stuff, but she hasn’t answered her phone yet.”
    “Did you leave your