Untamed

whispered. "Well done, Zoeybird!"
    "They scare me, Grandma," I whispered back. "I think they're getting their bodies back."
    "I know, honey. I know."
    Shivering, we held tightly to each other as we hurried to my room. The night seemed to watch us go.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

    Not surprisingly, everydangbody was crammed into my dorm room.
    "Grandma Redbird!" Damien cried, and hurled himself into her arms. Then there was a big flurry of him introducing Jack to her, the Twins saying their hellos, and finally, Aphrodite, looking uncomfortable but pleased, getting a very tight, very heartfelt hug from Grandma. During the commotion, Damien and the Twins cornered me.
    "Z, are you okay?" Damien asked in a low voice.
    "Yeah, we were worried," Shaunee said.
    "Some scary crap is going on," Erin said.
    "I'm fine." I threw a furtive look to where Jack was babbling something at Grandma about how much he liked lavender. "Because of your help, I'm fine."
    "We're here for you, Z. You're not in this alone," Damien said.
    "Ditto," said the Twins together.
    "Zoey? Is that a dog?" Grandma had just noticed that the lump of blond fur stretched out on the end of my bed actually moved and caused every cat in the room to hiss at the same instant.
    "Yep, Grandma. It's a dog. And it's a long story."
    "Who does she belong to?" Grandma asked, giving Duchess a tentative head rub.
    "Well, kinda me. At least temporarily," Jack said.
    "Maybe this would be a good time to explain to your grandma about Stevie Rae and everyone," Aphrodite said.
    "Stevie Rae? Oh, honey. Are you still grieving her loss?"
    "Not exactly, Grandma," I said slowly. "There's really a lot to explain."
    "Then you should get started. Something tells me we're getting ready to run out of the luxury of time," Grandma said.
    "First, you should know that I haven't told you all of this, because Neferet is involved in it—in a bad way. And she's majorly psychic. So whatever I tell you, she may be able to pick out of your brain, and that's not good," I said.
    Grandma thought about that while she pulled the chair away from my desk and made herself comfortable. "Jack, sweetheart," she said. "I would really like a glass of cold water. Do you think you could scare up one for me?"
    "I have Fiji in the fridge in my room," Aphrodite said.
    "That would be lovely," Grandma said.
    "Go ahead and get it for her. But don't touch anything else," Aphrodite said.
    "Not even your—"
    "Not even."
    Jack pouted, but he hurried out to get the water for Grandma.
    "So, I'm guessing all the rest of you are up to date about the things Zoey is getting ready to tell me?" Grandma asked the group in general when Jack returned.
    They all nodded, looking round-eyed and baby bird–like.
    "And how are you all keeping Neferet from picking your brains?"
    "Well, it's just theory right now, but we figure if we focus on thinking about shallow, silly, teenage things," Damien said.
    "Like shoe sales and whatnot," Erin explained.
    "Yeah, the whatnot being cute guys or homework stress," Shaunee added.
    "Then she won't think to look any deeper," I finished. "But Neferet underestimates us. I don't think she'd make the same mistake with you, Grandma. She already knows you follow the Cherokee ways—that you're in touch with the spirit of the land. She might look deeper into you no matter what is buzzing around in the front of your mind."
    "Then I will have to clear my mind and practice the meditation skills I have been using since I was a girl." Grandma's smile was confident. "She cannot force herself into my mind, not if I block her first."
    "What if she's Queen of the Tsi Sgili?"
    Grandma's smile faltered. "You truly believe that might be so, u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya ?"
    "We think she might be," I said.
    "Then we are all in the gravest of dangers. You must tell me everything."
    And so I did—with the help of Aphrodite, Damien, the Twins, and Jack, we caught Grandma up on everything, even though I will admit to glossing over the part about Stevie Rae not being totally herself. Aphrodite shot me a look during that part, but she didn't say anything.
    As she heard all of it, Grandma's weather-lined face got grimmer and grimmer. I also gave everyone details about the latest Raven Mocker attack. Finally I concluded with explaining to her how Stark's death might not be permanent, and how Stevie Rae and Aphrodite and I had decided that, as morbid and disturbing as it sounded, we needed to keep an eye on his, well, corpse.
    "And so Jack was