House of Night 09 - Destined

Sword Master’s face was like a storm cloud. “Dallas, you stand there.” He pointed to a place before him, then hardly glancing at Rephaim added, “And you there.” Dragon pointed to an empty space beside Dallas. The two guys did what they were told, though Dallas still sent Rephaim a hateful look. Rephaim’s gaze was totally focused on the Sword Master who began speaking sternly to them both.
    “I will not tolerate fighting at this school. This is not a human high school. I expect you to rise above such childish, base behavior.” Dragon looked from Dallas to Rephaim. “Do you understand me?”
    “I do.” Rephaim spoke clearly and quickly. “I do not want to be the cause of trouble.”
    “Then leave because as long as you’re here there’s gonna be trouble!” Dallas said.
    “No!” Dragon hurled the word like a whip. “There will be no more trouble at this school or you will answer to me.”
    “He doesn’t belong here,” Dallas said, but his voice was subdued and he looked more pouty than dangerous.
    “I agree with you, Dallas,” Dragon said. “But Nyx does not. As long as the House of Night serves Nyx, we will abide by her choices, even if she chooses forgiveness when we cannot.”
    “Can’t or won’t?” Everyone’s attention turned to Stevie Rae. She marched up beside Rephaim, took his hand, and faced Dragon. I thought she looked totally like a powerful High Priestess who was pissed enough to spit fire, and I was glad her element was earth and not flame. “Rephaim didn’t even start this crap with Dallas. All he did was stand up for me when Dallas called me slut and whore and other stuff too awful for me to repeat. If anyone but Rephaim was standin’ here you wouldn’t be takin’ Dallas’s side.”
    “I can understand how Dallas and many of the students would have difficulty accepting Rephaim,” Dragon said matter-of-factly.
    “That is something you’ll have to take up with the Goddess.” Neferet’s voice traveled silkily through the crowd. Everyone turned to see her standing at the head of the hallway with Thanatos beside her.
    “From all reports, the Goddess has spoken on the matter of Rephaim’s acceptance,” Thanatos said. “Dallas, you will simply have to adhere to Nyx’s decision, as will you, Sword Master.”
    “He’s bein’ accepted just fine.” Stevie Rae sounded super annoyed. “Like I was tryin’ to explain, it’s Dallas who’s causin’ trouble, not Rephaim.”
    “And that trouble will now end,” Dragon said. “I have made that clear.”
    “You’ve also made it clear that you don’t want Rephaim here,” Stevie Rae said.
    “Our Sword Master is not required to like each of our students,” Neferet said with a patronizing shake of her head. “His duty is to protect us, not mother us.”
    “His duty is also to be fair and honorable,” Thanatos said. “Dragon Lankford, do you believe that you can be fair and honorable in your dealings with Rephaim, in spite of your personal feelings for him?”
    Dragon’s expression was tight, his voice strained, but his answer came with no hesitation. “I do.”
    “Then I accept that as your true and rightful word,” Thanatos said. “As should we all.”
    “We should also all move on to second hour,” Neferet said sharply. “ This has taken far too much of our time.” Her gaze rested disdainfully on Rephaim and Stevie Rae before she moved regally off, shooing kids before her. Dragon joined her, moving gawking students down the hallway like he was herding cattle.
    “Can you see the Darkness that surrounds her and those other red fledglings?” I blinked in surprise. Stark was directing his question straight at Thanatos.
    The High Council member hesitated and then slowly shook her head. “I have not trafficked with Darkness. It is not visible to me.”
    “I can see it,” Rephaim said. “Stark’s right.”
    “I can see it, too,” Stevie Rae said quietly. “It slithers around all of them like insects, touching them and constantly hanging around.” She shuddered. “It’s disgusting.”
    “What about Dragon?” I asked. “Is it around him, too?”
    It was Rephaim who answered me. “Yes and no. It is following him, but it does not wash against him like it does the others.” He sighed heavily. “At least not yet it doesn’t.”
    “It’s not your fault,” Stevie Rae told him earnestly. “The choices Dragon’s makin’ right now aren’t your fault.”
    “I’ll believe that the day he