House of Night 09 - Destined

reached the halfway point she stopped and addressed all of us. “Fledglings and vampyres, this is Travis Foster. He’ll be working for me. His mare’s name is Bonnie. Show her the respect she deserves as a fine example of the majestic Percheron breed. Warriors, please note her size and the way she carries herself. Her ancestors were warhorses of old.”
    I looked at the cowboy and saw him smile and nod at Lenobia’s comment and pat the big mare affectionately before he threw an equally affectionate look the Horse Mistress’s way. Lenobia didn’t look at him at all. Instead she narrowed her eyes and included the entire group of us in her glare. “And now you can all stop staring and get back to work.” Then Lenobia marched from the arena and into the stables without so much as a glance back at Bonnie and Travis, who followed her like they were moths and she was a super shiny light.
    “That has interesting possibilities,” Aphrodite said.
    “No kidding, that mare is totally cool looking. I mean, big , but still totally cool,” I said.
    Aphrodite rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about the horse, Z.”
    I was frowning at Aphrodite when Damien hurried up to us. “Zoey, good, there you are. You need to come back to the main building.”
    “You mean after sixth hour? It’s almost over,” I said.
    “No, honey. I mean now. Your grandma’s here, and I’m pretty sure she’s been crying.”

CHAPTER EIGHT
    Zoey
    My stomach clenched and I felt like I was gonna puke. “Okay, I’m coming,” I told Damien. “But I’d appreciate it if you would come with me.” When he nodded somberly I looked at Stevie Rae and Aphrodite. “You guys, too. ’Kay?”
    “’Course we’ll come with you,” Stevie Rae said.
    For once Aphrodite didn’t gripe about Stevie Rae answering for her. She just nodded and said, “I’m in.”
    I was turning to look for Stark when he was suddenly there beside me. His hand trailed down my arm until our fingers met and threaded together. “Is it about your mom?”
    I didn’t trust my voice, so I just nodded.
    “Your momma? I thought Damien said your grandma’s here,” Stevie Rae said.
    “He did.” Aphrodite spoke before Damien could. She was studying me with a look that made her appear older (and nicer) than she was. “Is it about your mom?” she asked.
    Stark glanced at me and I gave another little nod. Then he said, “Zoey’s mom’s dead.”
    “Oh, no!” Damien said, tears instantly coming to his eyes.
    “Don’t, okay?” I said quickly. “Let’s not do this here. I don’t want everyone watching me.”
    Damien pressed his lips together, blinked hard, and nodded.
    “Come on, Z. Let’s all go see your grandmomma.” Stevie Rae went to my other side and put her arm through mine. Aphrodite grabbed Damien’s hand, and they followed us from the arena.
    All the way there I tried to get myself ready for what Grandma would tell me. I suppose I’d been trying to get myself ready to hear what Grandma would tell me ever since I woke up from my dream visit to the Otherworld where I witnessed Nyx welcoming my mom’s spirit there. The truth that I realized as I entered the main school building and approached the front lounge was that I’d never be ready to hear this news.
    Just before we walked through the final set of doors Stark squeezed my hand. “I’m right here, and I love you.”
    “I love you, too, Z,” Stevie Rae said.
    “Me, too,” Damien said and then he sobbed just a little.
    “You can borrow my two-carat diamond stud earrings,” Aphrodite said.
    I stopped and looked back at her. “Huh?”
    She shrugged. “That’s as close to a declaration of love as you’re gonna get from me.”
    I heard Stevie Rae expel a huge sigh and Damien’s forehead squidged as he looked disbelievingly at her.
    But I simply said, “Thanks. I’ll take you up on it,” which made Aphrodite frown and mumble, “Goddess, I hate being nice.”
    I untangled myself from Stevie Rae and Stark and pushed open the double doors. Grandma was alone in the room and sitting in a wide leather chair. Damien had been right; Grandma had been crying. She looked old and very, very sad. As soon as she saw me she stood up. We met in the middle of the room and clung to each other. When she finally stopped hugging me, Grandma stepped back just far enough to look into my face. She kept her hands on my shoulders. They felt warm and solid and familiar, and somehow that touch made the knot in my