House of Night 09 - Destined

roads that lead to desire and the fulfillment of passion, but you need to know that some of those roads should not be taken unless there is clear consent from all involved and a certain, deeper level of experience.” Dragon’s sigh made him sound old and tired. “Do you understand what it is I’m trying to explain to you?”
    “I do,” Aurox said. “The fledgling, Becca, has a mean spirit.”
    “Does she? I suppose I haven’t noticed.”
    “I do not believe Zoey Redbird has a mean spirit,” he said.
    Dragon’s brows lifted. “No, I do not believe she does, either. You do know that Neferet and Zoey don’t get along, don’t you?”
    Aurox met his gaze. “They are enemies.”
    Dragon’s gaze did not waver. “You could describe them as such, yes, though I wish circumstances were otherwise.”
    “You are not a follower of Neferet’s,” Aurox said.
    The Sword Master’s expression froze and his tired but open countenance shut down. “I follow myself and no one else.”
    “Not Nyx?”
    “I won’t stand against the Goddess, but I also won’t stand for anyone except myself. The dragon is the only path left to me.”
    Aurox studied him. His emotions were veiled. The vampyre gave off nothing—not anger, not despair, not fear. Nothing. It was a puzzlement. Perhaps it was that puzzlement that had him speaking of the mystery within himself. “I said Zoey’s name instead of Becca’s.”
    Dragon’s brows went up again, and his expression said he was mildly amused. “Well, Aurox, women—mean-spirited or not—do not like it when you’re with one of them and speak another’s name.”
    “But I do not know why I did it.”
    Dragon shrugged. “Zoey must have been on your mind.”
    “I did not realize it.”
    “Sometimes we don’t.”
    “So, it is normal?” Aurox asked.
    “Over more than one hundred years the one consistent thing I have found is that there really is no normal when it comes to women,” Dragon said.
    “Sword Master, may I ask a favor of you?”
    “You may,” he said.
    “Do not repeat any of what happened here tonight to Neferet.”
    “I keep my own counsel, boy. You should remember to keep yours, too.” The Sword Master clapped him on the shoulder and walked away, leaving Aurox confused, troubled, and as always, alone.

CHAPTER NINETEEN
    Zoey
    “This is going to be a cluster fuck of massive proportions,” Aphrodite whispered to me as we stood outside the room designated as Thanatos’s classroom first hour on Monday. The room was one of the biggest in the school. Actually, except for the drama classroom, which was really more like a mini-auditorium, and the auditorium itself, this was the biggest “regular” classroom in the school. Great, I thought, all the more room for the explosion that’s getting ready to happen.
    “It’s not like we can cut this class,” I muttered back to Aphrodite. Then, to the rest of my group I said, “Okay, let’s go in. Don’t worry. We’re together so it really can’t be that bad.” My nerd herd, as well as Stevie Rae, Rephaim, and all of her red fledglings flanked me. Everyone nodded and looked resigned and ready for whatever was getting ready to hit the fan. I opened the door and stepped inside.
    My seer stone immediately began radiating heat.
    Dallas and his group were already in class, predictably filling up the back row of desks.
    Aurox sat in a desk in the front row over at the far side, obviously separating himself from Dallas’s group. I wondered why he wasn’t hanging out with the bad guys, since he was on Neferet’s team like they obviously were, but I kept my gaze carefully averted from him.
    “I’m gonna try and keep a positive attitude,” Stevie Rae said, ignoring the sneer Dallas was sending her and the mean laughter that wafted like cheap perfume from Nichole. She took Rephaim’s hand and smiled, kissing his cheek. “Don’t let them get to you.”
    “Good luck with that,” Erin said.
    Shaunee, standing several kids away from Erin, said nothing.
    “He’s red, and I don’t mean a good red like Shaunee is,” Shaylin said, peeking over my shoulder at Dallas.
    I looked at her. “What do you mean?”
    “I’m red?” Shaunee asked.
    “Yeah,” Shaylin told her. “Your color’s clear and easy to understand. You’re like a campfire—warm and good.”
    “That’s real nice,” Stevie Rae said.
    “Thanks,” Shaunee said. “That is nice.”
    “But what about Dallas?” Rephaim asked.
    “He’s red