Burned

Stevie Rae



"That boy's gone on you," Kramisha said, as Stevie Rae pulled out of the school's parking lot, leaving behind Dallas, who was looking more than kinda pitiful. "You know what you gonna do 'bout that other kid?"



Stevie Rae braked the car in the middle of the blacktop that led to Utica Street. "I'm too stressed-out to deal with guy stuff right now. So if all you wanna do is talk about that, you can stay here."



"Not dealing with guy stuff just causes more stress."



"Bye, Kramisha."



"If you gonna act all crazy, then I won't say nothin' about it. Right now. Anyway, I got other more important stuff that you need to deal with."



Stevie Rae put the Bug into gear and kept driving off campus though she wished Kramisha would press her about the guy stuff so she'd have an excuse to leave her behind, too.



"Remember when you told me to think harder 'bout my poems and such to try to get somethin' that might help Zoey?"



"Of course I remember."



"Well, I did. And I got somethin'." She dug around in her huge bag until she brought out a well-worn notebook with pages that were her signature purple color. "I think everbody, including me until I focused myself, is forgetting 'bout this." She opened the notebook and waved a page with her cursive print at Stevie Rae.



"Kramisha, you know I can't read that while I'm drivin'. Just tell me what you remembered."



"The poem I wrote right before Zoey and the rest of the kids took off for Venice. The one that sounds like it's from Kalona to Zoey. Here, I'll read it to ya: A double-edged sword



One side destroys



One releases



I am your Gordian knot



Will you release or destroy me?



Follow truth and you shall:



Find me on water



Purify me through fire



Trapped by earth nevermore



Air will whisper to you



What spirit already knows:



That even shattered



anything is possible



If you believe



Then we shall both be free.



"Ohmygood ness! I had totally forgotten 'bout that! Okay, okay, read it again, only slower." Stevie Rae listened closely while Kramisha read the poem again. "It has to be from Kalona, doesn't it? That part about being trapped by the earth makes it definitely from him."



"I'm practically sure it's from him to her."



"It must be, even though that's kinda scary, what with the whole double-edged sword beginning, but the end seems like a real good thing."



"It says, 'then we shall both be free,' " Kramisha quoted.



"Sounds to me like Z's gonna get free from the Otherworld."



"And so will Kalona," Kramisha added.



"We'll deal with that when it happens. Gettin' Z free is what's most important. Hang on! I think some of it's already come true! What was the part about water?"



"It says: 'Find me on water.' "



"And she did. San Clemente Island is definitely on water."



"It also says that Zoey has to 'follow truth.' What do you think that means?"



"I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I might have an idea. The last time I talked to Z, I told her to follow her heart, no matter that it might seem to everyone else in the world that she was messin' up royally, just follow what everything inside her said was the right thing to do." Stevie Rae paused, blinking hard against the sudden urge to bawl. "I-I've felt real guilty about sayin' that, though, 'cause of what happened to her right afterward."



"But maybe you was right. Maybe what's happenin' to Z is supposed to happen, 'cause I'm thinkin' to follow your heart and to hold on to what you believe is right, even when everbody else says you're dead-assed wrong, is a powerful kind of truth."



Stevie Rae felt a flutter of excitement. "And if she keeps doin' that, keeps holdin' to the truth she has in her heart, the end of the poem will happen, and she'll be free."



"It feels right to me, Stevie Rae. Real right, like down deep in my bones."



"Me, too," Stevie Rae said, grinning at Kramisha.



"Okay, but Z needs to know all this. The poem is like a map to the end. The first step, findin' him on water, already happened. Next she has to - "



"Purify him through fire," Stevie Rae broke in, remembering the line. "And then doesn't it say something



'bout earth and air?"



"Yeah, and spirit. It's all five of the elements."



"All of Z's affinities, ending in spirit, which is her most powerful affinity."



"And the one in charge of the realm she's in right now," Kramisha said. "Okay, I ain't gonna say this just



'cause I wrote me a kick-ass poem, so you gotta seriously listen up: Zoey has to know this stuff. It's gonna make the difference between her comin' back and her being killed dead by whatever's goin' on over there."



"Oh, I believe you."



"Then how you gonna do it?"



"Me? I'm not. I can't. I'm into earth. No way can my spirit take off and get to the Otherworld." Stevie Rae shivered. Just the thought gave her the heebie-jeebies. "But Stark's gonna get his butt there. He has



to - that disgusting cow said so."



"Bull," Kramisha said.



"Whatever."



"You want me to call Stark and read the poem to him? You got his number?"



Stevie Rae thought about it. "No. Aphrodite says Stark's head is seriously messed up right now. He might ignore your poem, thinkin' he has other, more important stuff to deal with."



"Well, he'd be wrong."



"Yeah, I agree. So, what we need to do is get the poem to Aphrodite. She's hateful and all, but she'll understand how important it is."



"And 'cause she's so hateful, there's no way she'll let Stark ignore her or the poem."



"Exactly. Text it to her right now and tell her I said to make Stark memorize it for Zoey. And to remember it's a prophecy, not just a poem."



"You know, I seriously question her amount of good sense 'cause she don't like poetry."



"Girl, you are preaching to the dang full-gospel Pentecostal choir," said Stevie Rae.



"Um-hum, that's all I have to say." And while Stevie Rae pulled into the newly plowed parking lot of the Benedictine Abbey, Kramisha bent her head over her phone and got busy texting.



Stevie Rae



Right away, Stevie Rae could tell that Grandma Redbird was getting better. The terrible bruises on her face had faded, and instead of being in bed, she was sitting in a rocking chair by the fireplace in the abbey's main lounge, so into the book she was reading that she didn't even notice Stevie Rae at first.



"Blue-Eyed Devil?" Even though she was there to tell Z's grandma awful news, Stevie Rae couldn't help smiling as she read the title. "Grandma, that sounds like a romance book to me."



Grandma Redbird's hand went to her throat. "Stevie Rae! Child, you startled me. And it is a romance - an excellent one at that. Hardy Cates is a magnificent hero."



"Magnificent?"



Grandma lifted her sliver brows at Stevie Rae. "I'm old, child. Not dead. I can still appreciate a magnificent man." She motioned to one of the padded wooden chairs not far away. "Pull that up, honey, and let's have a chat. I'm assuming you have news of Zoey all the way from Venice. Just think of it - Venice, Italy! I would love to visit . . ." The old woman's voice trailed off as she looked more closely at Stevie Rae. "I knew it. I knew something was wrong, but my mind has been so muddled since the accident." Sylvia Redbird went very, very still. Then, in a voice that that was rough with fear, she said,



"Tell me quickly."



With a sad sigh, Stevie Rae sat in the chair she'd pulled beside the rocker and took Grandma's hand.



"She's not dead, but it's not good."



"All of it. I want all of it. Don't stop, and don't leave anything out."



Grandma Redbird held on to Stevie Rae's hand as if it were a life-line as Zoey's best friend told her everything - from Heath's death to the bulls to the present and Kramisha's prophetic poem, leaving out only one thing: Rephaim. When she was finished, Grandma's face had gone as pale as it had been right after her accident, when she'd been in a coma and near death.



"Shattered. My granddaughter's soul is shattered," she said slowly, as if the words carried thick layers of grief all their own.



"Stark's gonna get to her, Grandma." Stevie Rae met the old woman's gaze steadily. "And then he's gonna protect her so that she can pull herself together."



"Cedar," Grandma said, nodding like she'd just answered a question, and Stevie Rae should be agreeing with her.



"Cedar?" Stevie Rae asked, hoping the news about Zoey hadn't made Grandma lose her mind. Literally.



"Cedar needles. Tell Stark to make whoever watches over his body while he's in the trance state to burn them the entire time."



"You just lost me, Grandma."



"Cedar needles are powerful medicine. They repel asgina, which are considered the most malevolent of spirits. Cedar is only used during times of dire need."



"Well, this is some seriously dire need," Stevie Rae said, relieved that the color was starting to come back into Grandma's cheeks.



"Tell Stark to breathe the smoke deeply, and to think about carrying it with him to the Otherworld - to believe it will follow his spirit there. The mind can be a powerful ally of the spirit. Sometimes our minds can even alter the very fabric of our souls. If Stark believes the cedar smoke can accompany his spirit, it might just do so and add an extra layer of protection to him on his quest."



"I'll tell him."



Grandma squeezed her hand even tighter. "Sometimes things that seem small or insignificant can aid us, even in our most difficult hour. Don't discount anything, and don't let Stark, either."



"I won't, Grandma. None of us will. I'll be sure of it."



"Sylvia, I just spoke with Kramisha outside," Sister Mary Angela hurried into the room. She came to a halt when she saw Stevie Rae holding the old woman's hand. "Oh, Mother Mary! It is true then." The nun bowed her head, obviously fighting tears, but when she lifted her chin, her eyes were dry, and her face was set in strong, resolute lines. "Well, then, we shall go on from here." Abruptly, she turned and began to leave the room.



"Sister, where are you going?" Grandma Redbird asked.



"To call the abbey to the chapel. We will pray. We all will pray."



"To Mary?" Stevie Rae asked, unable to keep the skepticism out of her voice.



The nun nodded, and in her firm, wise voice said, "Yes, Stevie Rae, to Mary - to the Lady we consider to be mother in spirit of us all. Perhaps she isn't the same deity as your Nyx; perhaps she is. But is that question really important right now? Tell me, High Priestess of the Red Fledglings, do you truly believe asking for help in the name of love to be a mistake, no matter what face that help is wearing?"



Stevie Rae had a flash of Rephaim's face with his human eyes as he stood up to Darkness and took on the debt she owed it, and her mouth suddenly went dry.



"I'm sorry, Sister. I was wrong. Ask for your Mary's help 'cause sometimes love does come from places that we don't expect."



Sister Mary Angela looked into Stevie Rae's eyes for what seemed like a very long time before saying,



"You may join us in prayer, child."



Stevie Rae smiled at her. "Thanks, but I have my own kind of pray-in' to do."



Stevie Rae



"Hell no I ain't gonna lie for you!" Kramisha said.



"I'm not askin' you to lie," Stevie Rae said.



"Yah you is. You want me to say you're all involved in checking out the tunnel with Sister Mary Angela.



Everbody already knows you totally sealed it up last time you was here."



"Not everyone knows that," Stevie Rae said.



"Yeah, they do. Plus, the nuns is all prayin' for Zoey, and it don't seem right at all to use a prayin' nun in your lie."



"Fine. I'll go down to the tunnel and check it out if it makes you feel better." Stevie Rae couldn't believe Kramisha was making such an issue out of telling a little white lie for her that she was costing her time - time away from Rephaim when Goddess only knew how hurt he was from that disgusting white cow. She remembered the agony she'd felt when Darkness had fed from her and knew it had been doubly bad for Rephaim. This time she was gonna have to figure out more to do than just bandaging him and feeding him to make him better. How badly had he been hurt? In her mind's eye, she could still see that creature looming over him, tongue red with his blood while -



With a jolt, Stevie Rae realized Kramisha had just been standing there, staring at her without saying anything.



Stevie Rae mentally shook herself and said the first excuse that came to her mind. "Look, I just don't want to deal with the shitstorm that'll happen if everyone in the House of Night knows I spent like 1.2



seconds alone. That's all."



"You a lie."



"I'm your High Priestess!"



"Then you should act like one," Kramisha told her. "Tell me the truth 'bout what you up to."



"I'm gonna go see the guy, and I don't want anyone to know about it!" Stevie Rae blurted.



Kramisha cocked her head to the side. "That's more like it. He ain't a fledgling or a vamp, is he?"



"No," Stevie Rae said with absolute honesty. "He's someone no one would like."



"He ain't abusing you, is he? 'Cause that's some wrong shit, and I know some females who been caught up in it and can't get their way out."



"Kramisha, I can make earth rise up and kick someone's ass. No guy would ever hit me. Ever."



"So that means he a human and he married."



"I promise he's not married," Stevie Rae evaded.



"Huh," Kramisha snorted through her nose. "Is he an asshole?"



"I don't think he is."



"Love sucks."



"Yep," Stevie Rae said. "But I'm not sayin' I'm in love with him," she added hastily. "All I'm sayin' is that - "



"He's messin' with your head, and you do not need that right now." Kramisha pursed her lips up, thinking. "Okay, how 'bout this: I get one of the nuns to take me back to the House of Night, and when everbody stresses 'bout you bein' out here all alone, I just tell them you needed to visit a human, so you ain't technically alone - and I ain't lying, either."



Stevie Rae thought about it. "Do you have to tell them it's a human guy?"



"I'll just say human and say they need to mind they own business. I'll only say guy if someone asks me specifically."



"Deal," Stevie Rae said.



"You know you gonna have to come clean about him sooner or later. And if he ain't married, there's really no issue. You're a High Priestess. You can have a human mate and a vamp consort at the same time."



It was Stevie Rae's turn to snort. "And you think Dallas is gonna be okay with that?"



"He will be if he wants to be with a High Priestess. All vampyres know that."



"Well, Dallas isn't a vampyre yet, so it might be a little much to ask of him. And here's the truth - I know it'll hurt his feelings, and I don't want to do that."



Kramisha nodded. "I can tell you don't, but I think you makin' too much of this. Dallas will have to learn to deal. What you need to figure out is if this human guy is worth it."



"I know that, Kramisha. That's what I'm tryin' to do. So, bye. I'll see you at the House of Night in a little while." Stevie Rae started to walk quickly toward the Bug.



"Hey!" Kramisha called after her. "He ain't black, is he?"



Thinking of Rephaim's night-colored wings Stevie Rae paused and looked over her shoulder at Kramisha. "What difference does his color make?"



"It make a lot of difference if you're ashamed of him," she shot back.



"Kramisha, that's just silly. No. He's not black. And, no, I wouldn't be ashamed of him if he was. Jeeze.



Bye. Again."



"Just checkin'."



"Just soundin' crazy," Stevie Rae muttered as she turned back to the parking lot.



"I heard that," Kramisha said.



"Good!" Stevie Rae yelled. She got into Zoey's Bug and headed toward the Gilcrease Museum, talking to herself out loud. "No, Kramisha, he's not black. He's a killer bird with evil for his daddy, and it's not just white folks and black folks who would be pissed at me bein' with him - it's all folks!" And then, completely surprising herself, Stevie Rae started to laugh.