Untamed

with him, wagging her tail and panting a doggy welcome.
    "Yeah, we're really freaked about Grandma," Damien said, coming in right behind Jack and Duchess and taking his turn hugging me. "I lit a lavender candle for her and kept it burning all day."
    "Grandma would like that," I said.
    "So, what's the word? Is she gonna be okay?" Erin asked.
    "Yeah, Aphrodite wouldn't tell us shit," Shaunee said.
    "I told you everything I knew," Aphrodite said, following everyone else into my room. "And that was we wouldn't know anything for sure for a day or so."
    "That's still all we know," I said. "But it seems good that she's not getting any worse."
    "Was it really the Raven Mockers who caused her accident?" Jack asked.
    "I'm sure of it," I said. "There was one in her room when I got there."
    "Are you sure you should leave her there all alone? I mean, can't they hurt her?" Jack said.
    "I'm sure they can, but she's not alone. Remember the nun Aphrodite and I told you about who runs Street Cats? She's there with her, and she's not going to let anything get Grandma."
    "Nuns freak me out," Erin said.
    "They scare me, that's for sure. I spent five elementary school years in a private Catholic school, and I can promise you they are some meeeeean women," Shaunee said.
    "Sister Mary Angela can definitely handle herself," Aphrodite said.
    "And any Raven Mockers who try to mess with Grandma," I said.
    "So the nun knows about Raven Mockers?" Damien said.
    "She knows about all of it—the prophecy and everything. I had to tell her so that she'd know why it's so important she doesn't leave Grandma alone." I paused, and decided to admit all of it. "Plus, I trust her. I feel a great force for good whenever I'm with her. Actually, she reminds me a lot of Grandma."
    "Besides that, she thinks Nyx is just another version of their Virgin Mary, which means she doesn't see us as evil and going straight to hell," Aphrodite added.
    "That's interesting," Damien said. "I'd like to meet her—as soon as this Kalona craziness is taken care of."
    "Oh, speaking of craziness. Have you guys been keeping an eye on the nanny cam?" I asked.
    Jack nodded and patted his ever-present satchel. "Yep, I sure have, and all is still totally, well, dead quiet." He giggled and then slapped his hand over his mouth. "Sorry! I didn't mean to sound so disrespectful of the maybe d-e-a-d, " he spelled.
    "Honey, it's okay," Damien put an arm around him. "Humor helps in these kinds of situations. And you're really cute when you giggle."
    "Okay, before I get sick and perhaps barf on my lovely new dress, can we go over the basic plan for the ritual and then get going? Being late tonight would not be a good thing," Aphrodite said.
    "Yeah, you're right. We should get this going. But you guys really do look good," I said, grinning at all of them. "We are one pretty group."
    Everyone smiled and took turns curtseying, bowing, and making cute little spins. It had been the Twins' idea that we should all wear new clothes to this cleansing ritual. They said to symbolize the new year and the newness of a newly cleansed school we all needed new things. I'd thought that was a lot of "new," but I'd been too busy to care one way or another. So while I'd been at Grandma's bedside, the Twins had been shopping. (I didn't ask how they'd skipped class—some things are better if I don't know the details.) We were all wearing black, but each outfit was different. Aphrodite's dress was black velvet, with a teardrop neckline and a totally short skirt. It looked killer with her black stiletto boots. My guess was she was going with her motto of No matter what happens, if you look good, everything's better. Damien and Jack were wearing black boy clothes. I don't know crap about boy clothes, but they definitely looked cute. The Twins were wearing short black skirts and those blousy black silk tops that I can't figure out if I think are cute or just pregnant-looking. Of course I'd never mention that to the Twins. I was wearing a new dress Erin had picked out for me. It was black, but it had little red glass beads sewn around the neckline and the long tight sleeves, as well as dangling from the skirt that ended just above my knees. It fit me perfectly, and I knew when I lifted my arms to invoke the elements, the moonlight would shimmer like blood off the decorative glass. In other words, it would look majorly cool.
    Of course, we were all wearing our triple moon Dark Daughters and Sons pendants. Mine was trimmed