Page 89 of Lost

Everyone stared at him.

“How the hell do you know that?” Aphrodite said.

“I’m smart and I actually read,” Damien said.

“When he fences he listens to that song. A lot,” Jack said, hurrying back to Damien’s side. “And you know what an awesome fencer my Damien is!”

“That’s the truth,” I said. “So, you have the song on your playlist?”

“Correct,” Damien said.

Before I could ask if everyone knew it, Jack’s hand went up like a perfect little student. “Yes, Jack?”

“Um, I just thought of a song. A really,reallyhappy song I’m sure everyone knows. And it’s on my playlist.” He leaned into Damien. “Sorry, Damien. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind. What’s the song?” Damien asked.

Jack sang his answer. “ ‘Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…’ ”

Stevie Rae picked up the next line. “ ‘Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens!’ ” “ ‘Brown paper packages tied up with strings,’ ” Shaunee sang.

“ ‘These are a few of my favorite things!’ ” Aphrodite totally surprised me by chiming in. “What?” she frowned at everyone staring at her. “Who doesn’t like Julie Andrews?”

“What do you think, Damien?” I asked.

“I think I love cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels! It’s not scientific, but I vote for ‘My Favorite Things.’ ”

“Sounds great to me. Um, everyone knows it, right?” I asked the group, and everyone except Rephaim nodded.

“I’ll just try to follow along,” Rephaim said.

“It’s okay, babe,” Stevie Rae said. “I know all the words. I’ll help you.”

“Okay, perfect. So, when the song is over, we’ll end the smudging by making a minipyre there, in the middle of the circle, right in front of the tree.” I pointed to a place in front of the center of the dark, twisted oak. “I’ll go around the circle and get the smudge sticks from Damien, Shaunee, Shaylin, and Stevie Rae—and then I’ll add them to the rest of the sticks. Shaunee, then I’ll ask you to add some fire to the pile so that it’ll burn right.”

“Easy-peasy,” Shaunee said.

“That means you’re leaving the circle open after the smudging,” Aphrodite said. “So, what’s next?”

I met her gaze. “Next, I summon Oak, the Old Magick tree sprite who answered my questions before.”

“Why are you messing with Old Magick again?” Aphrodite asked.

“Because I’m going to ask her to lead me to the Other World where my brother needs my help.” I spoke quickly and was instantly filled with a wave of relief for finally having told everyone.

“That’s fucking nuts,” Aphrodite said.

“No!” Other Jack’s eyes had gone huge. He looked absolutely terrified. “Don’t go, Zoey! That world is horrible.” He shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself. “I know your brother told you some things about it, but you can’t possibly understand. You just can’t.Don’t go!” He started crying softly, and Damien took him in his arms.

“Why do you believe you must go there?” Darius asked me.

“Several reasons,” I said. “Kevin’s been using Old Magick. A lot of it. And he doesn’t have any idea how dangerous it is, or what it can do to him. I have to tell him before it changes him.”

“He’s using it because that’s the only way to defeat Neferet,” Aphrodite said.

“No, it’s not,” I countered. “It was the only way to defeatourNeferet, because she’d become immortal.”

“Well, doesn’t it make sense that becoming immortal is the path she’s on over there, just like it was over here?” Shaunee said.