Marked

over by the east wall. I'll meet you in front of Nyx's Temple before the school ritual so we can go in together, and then I can show you the way to the hall afterward.”
    "Actually, I already promised Stevie Rae that I'd meet her and we'd go to the school ritual together.” I really hate pushy people. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that." I was pleased to hear Stevie Rae lift her head and say.
    "Hey, you know where the rec hall is, don't you?" I asked Stevie Rae in my most perkily clueless voice.
    "Yep, I do.”
    "Then you can just show me how to get there, right? And that means Aphrodite doesn't have to worry about me getting lost.”
    "Anything I can do to help," Stevie Rae chirped, sounding like her old self.
    "Problem solved," I said with a big smile at Aphrodite.
    "Okay. Fine. I'll see you at four A.M. Don't be late.” She twitched off.
    "If she shakes her butt any more when she walks she's gonna break something," I said.
    Stevie Rae snorted and almost spewed milk from her nose. Coughing, she said, "Don't do that while I'm eating!" Then she swallowed and smiled at me. "You didn't let her boss you around.”
    "Neither did you.” I slurped the last spoonful of cereal. "Ready?”
    "Ready. Okay, this'll be easy. Your first hour is right next to my first hour. All of the third former core classes are in the same hall Come on―I'll point you in the right direction and you'll be set.”
    We rinsed off our dishes and stuffed them in one of the five dishwashers, then hurried outside into the darkness of a beautiful fall evening. Jeesh, it was weird going to school at night, even if my body was telling me that everything was normal. We followed the flow of students through one of the thick wooden doors.
    "Third Former Hall is just over here," Stevie Rae said, guiding me around a corner and up a short flight of stairs.
    "Is that a bathroom?" I asked as we hurried past water fountains situated between two doors.
    "Yep," she said. "Here's my class, and there's yours right next door. See you after class!”
    "Okay, thanks," I called.
    At least the bathroom was close. If I had a case of raging nervous- stomach diarrhea I wouldn't have far to run.

CHAPTER TWELVE

    "Zoey! Over here!”
    I almost cried in relief when I heard Damien's voice and saw his hand waving at an empty desk next to him.
    "Hi." I sat down and smiled gratefully at him.
    "Are you ready for your first day?”
    No.
    I nodded. "Yep." I wanted to say more, but just then a bell gave five quick rings and as the echo of it died Neferet swept into the room. She was wearing a long black skirt slit up the side to show great stiletto boots, and a deep purple silk sweater. Over her left breast, embroidered in silver, was the image of a goddess with her arms upraised, hands cupping a crescent moon. Her black hair was pulled back into a thick braid. The series of delicate wavelike tattoos that framed her face made her look like an ancient warrior priestess. She smiled at us and I could see that the entire class was as caught as I was by her powerful presence.
    "Good evening! I've been looking forward to beginning this unit. Delving into the rich sociology of the Amazons is one of my favorites.” Then she gestured to me. "It is excellent timing that Zoey Redbird has joined us today. I am Zoey's mentor, so I'll expect my students to welcome her. Damien, would you please get Zoey a textbook? Her cabinet is next to yours. While you explain our locker system to her I want the rest of you to journal about what preconceived impressions you have of the ancient vampyre warriors who are known as the Amazons.”
    The typical paper rustling and student whispering commenced while Damien led me to the back of the classroom where there was a wall of cabinets. He opened one that had the number "12" in silver on it. The cabinet contained neat, wide shelves filled with textbooks and supplies.
    "At the House of Night there aren't lockers, like at regular schools. Here, first hour is our homeroom and we each have a cabinet of our own. The room will always be open, so you come back here to get books and whatever, just like you would go to a locker in the hall. Here's the sociology book.”
    He handed me a thick leather book with the silhouette of a goddess stamped on the front of it along with the title, Vampyre Sociology 101. I grabbed a notebook and a couple of pens. When I shut the cabinet door I hesitated.
    "Isn't there a lock or something?”
    "No," Damien lowered his voice. "They don't need