House of Night 09 - Destined

bitch stayed out of the business of her betters, she wouldn’t have any worries, Neferet thought as she watched Zoey leave the sidewalk and kick rather noisily at a tin can that the yard maintenance humans had, no doubt, left behind them. Knowing what their discarded rubbish would do to the fastidious Gaea made Neferet smile.
    Zoey’s can rolled to a stop against an exposed root of one of the ancient oaks that dotted the school grounds. The winter bare branches waved in another strong gust of warm wind, almost obscuring Zoey from her view—almost as if they were reaching around to protect her as the child bent to pick up the can.
    Protect her …
    Neferet’s eyes widened. What if Zoey did need protecting? The trees certainly wouldn’t do it—not without the annoying child calling on earth. And Zoey wouldn’t know she needed to call the element if a sudden gust of wind—a sudden accident —caused a limb to break and fall on her.
    Zoey wouldn’t know what was happening until it was too late.
    Without flinching, Neferet stuck her fingernail into the pink slashes that had not yet healed. She held her hand up, cupping the blood, and saying:
    “Drink and obey
    The limb must do more than sway
    Rip it—break it—to the earth it should hurl
    Crush her—hurt her—kill the Zoey girl.”
    Neferet braced herself for the pain that feeding Darkness brought with it, and was surprised when she felt nothing. She glanced from the tree to her palm. The sticky tendrils of Darkness quivered and writhed around her, but they did not feed.
    What you ask tempts Fate
    For that the sacrifice must be great.
    The singsong words drifted through Neferet’s mind, and she recognized the echo of her power Consort in them.
    “What is it you need from me?
    What sacrifice must it be?”
    The answer rumbled in Neferet’s mind.
    Her life force does demand
    the sacrifice be equal to your command.
    Irritation filled Neferet. Zoey always caused her problems! With a mighty effort, Neferet tempered her tone so that her words would not offend her Consort.
    “I change my request
    not killing her would be best.
    Frighten her—bruise her
    but leave her lifeline unbroken and pure.”
    With painful abandon, the threads of Darkness descended upon the blood pooled in Neferet’s hand. She did not flinch. She did not cry out. Neferet smiled and pointed at the tree.
    “My blood from me to thee
    by command—so mote it be!”
    Darkness spewed from Neferet’s window. Mimicking the wind, it whirled around the mighty oak’s branches. Utterly captivated, Neferet watched. Zoey had picked up the can and was walking slowly away from the tree and toward the sidewalk.
    But the old oak was huge and the girl was still under its canopy.
    Like a whip, the tendrils of Darkness wrapped around the lowest hanging tree limb. There was a terrible, wonderful crack! The limb broke and hurtled down as Zoey was staring up in wide-eyed, open-mouthed shock.
    In spite of what her Consort had said, for an exquisite moment Neferet believed Zoey would, indeed, be killed.
    And then, quite unexpectedly, a silver blur intruded on the scene. Zoey was knocked out of the way and the massive branch crashed harmlessly to the ground. As Neferet stared disbelievingly, Aurox and Zoey began to slowly unwind themselves from the tangled ball they’d become when he’d saved her from the accident.
    With a sound of absolute disgust Neferet turned away from the window and closed the heavy drapes. “Tell my Consort that I said he could have allowed her to get a little more bruised than that.” She spoke to the writhing black threads that were her constant companions, knowing they would carry if not her actual words, then their intent, to the white bull. “I think my blood was worth more than a tumble, though I can see that it was wise of him to have Aurox come to her rescue. It will make the creature appear even more heroic to silly young fledglings.” Neferet’s emerald eyes widened as understanding dawned. “What a delicious complication if one of the silly young fledglings who see the vessel as heroic is Zoey Redbird herself!” Darkness lapped against her legs as she left her chamber and, smiling slyly, went to find Thanatos.
    Zoey
    So, I’d just done a good thing—two good things actually. I’d talked Shaunee out of leaving the depot, and I’d picked up litter. I was holding the pop can thinking about how much I’d like a nice cold drink of brown pop when the wind, which had