“Neferet is there,” Kevin interrupted. “She’s magickally sealed inside the grotto in Woodward Park.”
“That’s right,” Grandma Redbird nodded. “You said she’d become immortal?”
“Yeah. I don’t really understand that part very well, but I believe Zo and her crew. They said she’d tried to make herself Goddess of Tulsa and went totally bat-shit crazy and killed bunches of people—humans and vamps. Uh, sorry ’bout the language, G-ma.”
She waved away his apology. “Sometimes strong language is required. Your description is valid.”
“Thanks, G-ma.” Kevin pointed at the copy of the journal Zoey had given him before he left her world. “Zo told me that explains a lot about Neferet’s past and her motivations. She and her friends discovered Neferet’s history is a weak spot for her. Zo thought that maybe we could find something in there that might help us defeat her here too.”
“That does make sense. So, Neferet is entombed. Zoey is in charge. And she has opened the Tulsa House of Night to humans? Truly?”
“Yep! You should see it—human kids were actually playing with red and blue fledglings in the snow. It was bizarre, but crazy cool, and Zo had her crew—they call themselves the Nerd Herd …” Kevin paused as his grandma giggled like a girl. “She had her Nerd Herd initiate human-student programs like the one in Tulsa all over the US. Apparently, it’s going pretty well, which is one reason why she was super worried when it seemed like Neferet might be stirring. She knew humans would be her second target.”
“Because Zoey herself would be her first?”
“Yep. They’re enemies. Um, G-ma, when I explained to Zo how she died here, she told me that she was positive Neferet had killed her, because in her world Neferet had killed two vamp professors the exact same way, though she staged the murders to look like the People of Faith did it.”
Grandma Redbird paled at the mention of her granddaughter’s gruesome death. Kevin reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “It’s okay, G-ma. Just remember that she’s still alive. She’s just not here anymore.”
The old woman nodded briskly and sipped her tea, obviously composing herself. “Neferet’s plan in both worlds was to create a war between humans and vampyres?”
“Yep.”
“Zoey and her … Nerd Herd were responsible for stopping her in that other world?”
“Yep again,” Kevin said.
“Well done, Zoeybird,” Grandma Redbird said softly. “That other world—Zoey’s world—sounds like a lovely place.”
“It is. Christmas decorations all over—humans and vamps mingling—G-ma, they even turned the Tulsa depot into a cool restaurant run by vamps. Humans pack it full every night.” Kevin quickly decided to leave out the additional detail about how red vamps and fledglings from this world had destroyed the restaurant and eaten everyone. G-ma didn’t need that sadness.
“Truly?” she said with wonderment.
“Absolutely! Zo told me they even have a farmers’ market on the House of Night school grounds every week, and the campus is completely open to humans for it.”
“That is, indeed, magickal,” she said. “Why ever did you return here?”
“I had to. I’m Zoey.”
“U-we-tsi, you’re going to have to explain better than that.”
“G-ma, just like Zo in that world, I have an affinity for all five of the elements.”
Her eyes widened in happy surprise. “Oh, Kevin! That is lovely news.”
“Well, yes and no. Yes, because it’s cool and a sign of Nyx’s favor. Hey, I almost forgot to tell you! Zo’s fully Changed tattoo is just like mine—only hers is blue, of course. But she also has a bunch of other tattoos—like on her palms, around her waist, down her back, across the top of her chest.”
“She went to a tattoo artist? It sounds beautiful, but it would certainly take quite a bit of time.”
“No, G-ma, Nyx gave her the tattoos as a sign that she was on the right path.” Kevin sighed. “I’m kinda hoping Nyx might help me out like that too. At least I’d know I was doing the right thing.”
“And what is this right thing you’d do?”
Kevin didn’t hesitate. “That brings me to the not-so-lovely part. Because I have an affinity for all five elements like Zo, that means I also have the Goddess-given responsibilities she does. G-ma, I have to defeat Neferet like Zo did in her world and set the balance of Light and Darkness right again.”
Grandma Redbird didn’t miss a beat. “And how do you plan on doing that?”
“No clue, G-ma. I have no clue.” He grinned cheekily at her. “But I’ll bet you can help me come up with a plan.”
“If I can’t I know who can. Kevin, what do you know about the Resistance?”
“I’m a lieutenant in Neferet’s Red Army. Our only mission right now is to find and eliminate every member of the Resistance.”
“You being a lieutenant might help. Do you have access to information like where Neferet believes the Resistance is hiding and how they smuggle people out of the Midwest to safety?”
“Not really. Strategy is left to Neferet, the generals in the Blue Army, and the Sons of Erebus Warriors. Even us red vamps who manage to retain enough of our humanity to be made officers aren’t included in planning. Basically, Neferet’s Warriors use us like we’re mindless weapons. When I first made the Change, I overheard General Stark talking about the Red Army. He called us expendables.”
“General Stark sounds despicable.”
“In this world, yep, he is. In Zo’s world he’s her Oathbound Warrior and mate—a really good guy.”
That had Grandma Redbird looking thoughtful.
“And General Stark isn’t wrong. All he has to do is just point the Red Army in a direction and set us loose.” Kevin shuddered. “Most red vampyres are mindless eating machines bent on devouring everything in their path.”
“That is actually good for us,” G-ma said.
“Huh?” Kevin said, sounding a lot like his sister.
“Well, if this General Stark is a good guy in Zoeybird’s world, then at his core there is goodness. Perhaps he can be reached. And you’re an officer. You have access to come and go easily from the House of Night, correct?”
“Yeah, I guess. But only between sunset and sunrise. During the day we’re all banished to the tunnels under the depot.”
“But no one at the House of Night—not one vampyre—would imagine that you are on the side of the Resistance.”