Page 36 of Lost

“I didn’t know,” I said softly, reaching across Stevie Rae to take Kramisha’s hand. “Kramisha, I’m so sorry.”

“You been distracted. No one holds it against you, Z. Other Kevin was only here for a little while, but everyone who met your little bro liked him. A lot.”

I shook my head. “No, I’m your High Priestess, and I’m doing a bad job of it.”

“You’ll be back to yourself soon, like me. We just need time and some rest.”

“You won’t get much rest if you go to Chicago. That House of Night is crazy busy,” Stevie Rae said. “And they don’t even have an equestrian program. I’ve been talkin’ to Lenobia ’bout—”

“I knows all about that. Me and Lenobia, we’ve been talkin’ too,” Kramisha said.

“She wants to go to Chicago with you?” I asked, not sure whether I should feel surprised, pissed, or relieved that there obviously was a bunch going on around me that I was clueless about.

“Just long enough to get the horse stuff settled. What do ya think, High Priestess?”

What do I think?I stared at the statue of Nyx.I think I need to figure out a way to help Kevin without totally messing up my own life.But what I said aloud was, “I think you’re highly capable. You and Lenobia will do a great job, as long as Stevie Rae doesn’t mind you taking over for her immediately.”

“Does that mean Rephaim and I get to stay here and not leave at all?”

“That’s what it means,” I said.

“Then I do not mind one tiny little bit! Kramisha, you just made me happier than a buzzard on a meat wagon!” Stevie Rae threw her arms around Kramisha, who grunted, briefly hugged her back, and then pulled away, straightening her wig.

“Watch the hair. I know it don’t look like it, but all this glamour can mess up fast if the hair goes wrong.”

I’d opened my mouth to ask Kramisha how soon she’d be ready to leave, when the first feeling hit me. It started in the middle of my chest—just a small building of heat—but not small enough that it went unnoticed. The feeling pulsed and spread, a little like I’d just sprinted up stadium stairs on a hot day (which I absolutely wouldnotdo unless someone was chasing me).

I coughed. Wiped my suddenly sweaty face. Cleared my throat. Coughed again.

My hand lifted as if I had no control over it, finding the center of my chest. My palm pressed against my skin.

There was nothing there. No heat. Nothing.

But I swear I’d felt something. Something hot and strong and strangely familiar.

“Zoey! Can you hear me?”

I looked up to see Stevie Rae standing over me with Kramisha at her side. I was still sitting on the bench, but they’d moved and were hovering, obviously worried.

“Yeah. I can hear you. I’m—I’m okay. I think.”

“What happened? You froze—with your hand pressed to your chest almost like you was clutching your pearls—’cept you don’t have no pearls on,” said Kramisha.

“I don’t know. It was a weird feeling. It’s gone now.”

The sound of running feet came from behind us and Stark was suddenly there, crouching before me, his hands on my knees as he peered up into my face. “Zoey! What is it?”

“Did you feel it too?”

“Heat? And something else. Something I couldn’t place.” He touched my face, brushing my hair from my damp cheek. “Z, is your breathing okay? Does your chest hurt?”

“No, not at all. There was never any pain. Just heat and… a strangeness.” I was relieved and afraid at the same time. If Stark had felt it, I hadn’t imagined it. But also, if Stark had felt it, whatever had happened was real—and that might berealbad news.

“I think we should take Z to the infirmary so she can get checked out,” said Stevie Rae. Rephaim must have been with Stark because he too was suddenly there, holding Stevie Rae’s hand and studying me with birdlike concentration.

“Infirmary? What the hell’s going on? Z, did you hurt yourself?”

I looked from Rephaim to see Aphrodite standing beside Darius (Goddess, had theyallbeen in the Field House with Stark?). Her hands were on her hips and she was giving me a narrow-eyed glare that she probably meant as concern but was actually coming off as OMG-what-now-you’re-bothering-me instead.