Page 152 of Lost

“Zo, wait,” Kevin said. “We need to stop her before—”

Oak held a glowing, delicate hand out to Aphrodite.

“Come, Prophetess, our deal has been made.

Now the price must be paid.

I seal this deal between thee and me.

So I have spoken—so mote it be.”

“Aphrodite! Don’t!” Kevin lunged for her, but she moved more quickly and with no hesitation. Aphrodite stepped through the broken window and grasped Oak’s hand. I held my breath, sure we were going to watch her fall to the bleachers far below, but it didn’t happen like that.

Aphrodite floated with the sprite. They hovered in the air together as the people below pointed and cried out. I could see Aphrodite’s face. She was radiant. Her smile was filled with joy and I thought she looked like a young girl who had never known abuse or sadness, heartache or loneliness. Then the sprites surrounded her, engulfing her in a ball of brilliant silver light.

“What’s happening?” Kevin rushed to the window, staring out.

I couldn’t say anything because I knew what was happening. Aphrodite was sacrificing everything to save this world.

The glowing silver ball drifted slowly down toward the field, and as it got closer and closer, the light changed from silver to something that looked like ballerina-slipper pink, then a lovely salmon color. When it finally came to rest in the middle of the fifty-yard line, making both teams scatter to the sidelines, it changed color yet again to its final shade—the perfect red of fresh blood.

The instant it touched the field the ball of light exploded, sending scarlet beams away from it. Like waves crashing against a beach, the bloody light washed through the humans and the blue vampyres and found the Red Army. It crashed against them as they cried out, covered in brilliant, blazing red so bright that we all had to look away.

Then everything went dark. I was blinking spots from my eyes when the keening began. It lifted from the field, carried on the night wind like smoke. I rubbed at my eyes, frustrated that it was still so difficult to see. Then my vision suddenly cleared, and I understood the sound. On the field the red vampyres were sobbing. Some had fallen to their knees. Some were standing with their arms wrapped around themselves. Still others were laying on their sides in the fetal position. But all of them, every single man, was sobbing uncontrollably.

I whirled to face Neferet. “You did this. You used them instead of trying to help them. Their agony will forever be tied to you—so I have spoken. So mote it be!”

Neferet stood, her face completely expressionless—almost serene. Then she smiled, and I have never seen such evil reflected from another’s soul.

“And why should I care about those men? Men are all the same, no matter what skin suit they’re wrapped in. They are abusers and users. They have subjugated women for centuries. Raped us. Bought and sold us. They live to control us. Any agony those men feel is less than every one of their gender deserves.”

“I pity you,” I said.

“Neferet, High Priestess of the Tulsa House of Night,” Stark said formally, “I am going to escort you back to your chambers. There you will be held until the Vampyre High Council decides your fate.”

“No, boy. You will not.” With a movement so preternaturally swift that no one could stop her, Neferet hurled herself out of the glassless window.

We looked down, expecting to see her bloody and broken body on the bleachers below—but there was nothing. No body. No Neferet.

“Crap!” I said. “I should’ve known! I should’ve brought turquoise to tie her up with. Crap!”

“What happened to them?” Stark asked as he stared down at the field of keening red vampyres.

“They’re mourning,” Kevin said. “Their humanity has been returned and they understand exactly what monstrous things they’ve done.”

“That—that’s terrible,” Stark said, wiping a hand over his face. “Are they dangerous?”

“Only to themselves,” I said.

Stark picked up the microphone and commanded, “Blue officers—escort all humans from the field and the stadium. Leave the Red Army where they are. We will deal with them after the humans are safely outside the stadium.”

The blue officers and soldiers instantly did as Stark commanded, ushering humans to the exits.

“What is Neferet?” Stark turned to me and asked.

“Well, she’s not immortal. Yet. Or she wouldn’t have been this easy to defeat. But she’s definitely heading that way. Stark, you need to talk to my grandma, Sylvia Redbird. She can help you learn about the Tsi Sgili.”

“The what?”