Revealed

I’m gonna need to leave the window open for Rephaim.”
    “We can do that,” Shaunee said. “No problem.”
    “Just be sure you tie the blackout drapes into place so that no sun can get in during the day,” Zoey reminded her. She glanced at her watch. “How long until sunrise?”
    “Twenty-four minutes,” Stevie Rae and Rephaim said together.
    “Okay, you guys go get settled. Stark, go on up to my old room and do like I told Stevie Rae—be sure the drapes are tied closed. I’ll check up on the rest of our group and be sure they’re all set, at least for today,” Zoey said.
    Aphrodite watched her. Z sounded normal, but there was something about her—an edge to her voice—an unusually strained look to her face—dark shadows under her eyes. All that didn’t quite add up to everyday Zoey. Everyday Zoey got tired, and even grumpy once in a while, but she always snapped out of it, and did what needed to be done. Aphrodite realized that the more closely she studied Z, the more she saw a girl who was doing what needed to be done, but who was obviously
not
snapping out of it.
    “Z, why don’t you let Thanatos take care of tucking the kids in tonight. You pulled our circle together and kicked Neferet out of here. Using that kind of power drains you—physically and mentally. We’re not screw-ups hiding out and licking our wounds by ourselves anymore. It’s a pain in the ass to be stuck here, but there are good points to being stranded at our House of Night. No more calling for cheap pizza to be delivered down the street. Bow Boy, you need to take your girl by the kitchen and grab her something real to eat and drink before the sun turns you into toast,” Aphrodite said.
    “I don’t need you to tell me how to take care of Z,” Stark snapped at her.
    “Nice. That’s how you’re going to respond to decent advice? That’s real mature,” Aphrodite said, shaking her head woozily.
    “If Darius wasn’t holding on to you, you’d be on your ass,” Stark said.
    “Would you two
stop bickering
!” Zoey shouted, and then took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she continued. “Aphrodite’s right. I’m super tired and I need to eat.”
    “Rest and restore your energy,” Thanatos told Zoey. Then she glanced from Aphrodite to Stark. “And your High Priestess is correct. Your bickering helps no one except those who wish to sow dissention amongst us.”
    “Sorry,” Stark muttered to Aphrodite. “I get touchy when Z gets tired.”
    “Apology accepted. And I get messed up when one of my parents gets killed,” Aphrodite leaned even more heavily against Darius. “Would you please take me to bed, handsome?”
    “Gladly,” Darius said. He bowed respectfully to Thanatos, Zoey, and Stevie Rae, and then he practically carried Aphrodite from the room.
    They were walking under the old oaks that shaded the grounds around the girls’ dormitory building when pain knifed through Aphrodite’s temples, blinding her. Her body jerked spasmodically, causing her to cry out and fall from Darius’s arms, where she crumpled against the earth as the vision violated her.
    With great power come great responsibilities
    Weigh the pleasure of leadership and luxury with the sword Damocles
    When she believes the ancient is the key to all her needs
    Then is when all will tumble down; then is when Light bleeds and bleeds…
    Aphrodite was truly fucked. Not only was she having the killer of a headache and the blackout that came before one of her visions, she was also hearing poetry.
    Goddess, she hated poetry.
    Figurative language sucked hairy ball sacs, which was, indeed, personifying figurative language and therefore forcing her to use that which she hated to explain, that which she hated.
    She would have laughed at herself, but the pain wouldn’t let her.
    At the edge of her consciousness Aphrodite was aware that Darius was calling her name and stroking her hair.
    He’ll keep me safe. Okay, Nyx, I’m ready for whatever you have to show me. Goddess, I’m glad I already took a Xanax. Wonder if this will earn me one more glass of wine when I’m back and—
    Aphrodite’s consciousness was ripped from her body, exploding through her eyes with a force that broke blood vessels and caused her head to pulse with pain.
    Not that she felt those sensations just then. Aphrodite’s spirit was following a slender silver ribbon of light that carried her away … away…
    Aphrodite’s spirit dropped down into the vision, and