Page 129 of Lost

“She’s right,” Aphrodite said. “You’ll just be another walking refrigerator to them. They’ll barely look at you.”

“This might actually work,” Dragon said.

“It has to,” I said.

“How will you call the sprites?” Anastasia asked.

“Together!” Kevin and I said at the same time.

“Jinx!” he said and punched my shoulder.

“Stop! Plus, I’m pretty sure I beat you. Again,” I told him. “But yeah. We’ll call the sprites together. They should hear us and come.”

“Can’t you call them here and explain what’s going on?” Aphrodite said. “Leaving the most important part of your plan up to last-minute chance with a magick that’s—like you said—capricious, doesn’t sound smart.”

“My gut says we wait until the game and call them only when Neferet gives the order for the Red Army to eat the losing team,” Kevin said. “Zo said they don’t take sides, but abominations of nature piss them off. Well, a salivating horde of zombielike red vampyres is a pretty damn big abomination.”

“I think Kev’s right,” I agreed. “The sprites have to understand how bad it is with the red vamps, and the best way to do that is to show them getting ready to slaughter a bunch of innocent people. But I see what Aphrodite’s saying. We need to talk about our circle.”

“What circle?” Aphrodite said.

“Exactly,” I said. “We need one. A strong one. If we spread out around the circumference of the stadium and cast a wide circle around it, we’ll pretty much be guaranteed the sprites will hear our call.”

“That sounds reasonable,” said Anastasia. “But you also explained that you need a circle made up of those who have elemental affinities, and we have none of those type of gifted vampyres here.”

“I said I’d need that kind of circle power to contain Kalona—an angry and kinda crazy immortal.” I glanced at Rephaim. “No offense.”

“None taken. My father was crazed when he was entombed by the Wise Women.”

“But,” I continued, “for a regular circle that’s strong enough to focus our call to the sprites, we shouldn’t need more power than we have right here.” Then I smiled at Anastasia. “And youdohave at least one vamp with an elemental affinity—or more specifically, elemental affinities.” I pointed at Kevin. “My brother, like me, has affinities for all five elements.”

“That is right! You are so young that I keep forgetting what a powerfully gifted vampyre you are, Kevin,” Anastasia said.

“Hang on, what?” Aphrodite looked utterly shocked. “Why didn’t you tell me anything about that, Kevin?”

He shrugged and his cheeks blazed pink. “I guess it didn’t come up.”

“And I’ve been gifted with earth,” said Stevie Rae.

“So, we have three of five with true elemental connections, correct?” Dragon said.

“Correct,” I said. Then I grinned at him. “Dragon, I believe you would be perfect to invoke fire.”

He blinked in surprise. “Me? But I am not a priestess.”

“No, but you’re definitely fiery,” said Kevin. “And I mean no disrespect by that.”

Anastasia stifled a giggle, which made her look like an adorable little girl. “Bryan, Zoey is right. You have the dragon within you, and that is definitely fiery.”

I smiled at Anastasia. “Which makes you the perfect choice to invoke air. You’ll always be able to stoke the dragon’s fire,andyou’ll always know when to blow it out.”

Her smile blazed as Anastasia bowed her head slightly to me. “High Priestess, I acknowledge your wisdom and I agree. I will be air tomorrow night.”

“Thank you, High Priestess,” I tipped my head to her in return.

“Oh, Zoey. I am not a High Priestess,” she said quickly.

“Sure you are,” I said. “That’s not a title that can be taken away by anyone but Nyx, and I happen to know that you and the Goddess are very close.”