"Honey, it's okay," Damien put an arm around him. "Humor helps in these kinds of situations. And you're really cute when you giggle." "Okay, before I get sick and perhaps barf on my lovely new dress, can we go over the basic plan for the ritual and then get going? Being late tonight would not be a good thing," Aphrodite said.

"Yeah, you're right. We should get this going. But you guys really do look good," I said, grinning at all of them. "We are one pretty group."

Everyone smiled and took turns curtseying, bowing, and making cute little spins. It had been the Twins' idea that we should all wear new clothes to this cleansing ritual. They said to symbolize the new year and the newness of a newly cleansed school we all needed new things. I'd thought that was a lot of "new," but I'd been too busy to care one way or another. So while I'd been at Grandma's bedside, the Twins had been shopping. (I didn't ask how they'd skipped class--some things are better if I don't know the details.) We were all wearing black, but each outfit was different. Aphrodite's dress was black velvet, with a teardrop neckline and a totally short skirt. It looked killer with her black stiletto boots. My guess was she was going with her motto of No matter what happens, if you look good, everything's better. Damien and Jack were wearing black boy clothes. I don't know crap about boy clothes, but they definitely looked cute. The Twins were wearing short black skirts and those blousy black silk tops that I can't figure out if I think are cute or just pregnant-looking. Of course I'd never mention that to the Twins. I was wearing a new dress Erin had picked out for me. It was black, but it had little red glass beads sewn around the neckline and the long tight sleeves, as well as dangling from the skirt that ended just above my knees. It fit me perfectly, and I knew when I lifted my arms to invoke the elements, the moonlight would shimmer like blood off the decorative glass. In other words, it would look majorly cool.

Of course, we were all wearing our triple moon Dark Daughters and Sons pendants. Mine was trimmed in red stones that sparkled like my dress.

I grinned at my friends, feeling proud and confident. Grandma was in excellent hands with Sister Mary Angela. My friends were beside me--this time with no secrets between us. The ritual would go well, and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings would be out in the open, which meant Neferet would no longer be able to hide, whether she admitted her part in their existence or not. Erik had sorta started to talk to me again. And, speaking of guys, I was even feeling hopeful about Stark undeading. This time a kid coming back from death would be witnessed by the vamp power of Shekinah. And I wasn't going to worry about the possibility of being interested in two guys at the same time (again). Or at least not right now I wasn't going to worry about that.

Basically, I was feeling good and we were ready to take on any stupid ancient evil that tried to mess with us.

"Okay, so the ritual will go pretty much like it always does. I'll come in to whatever music Jack plays."

Jack nodded enthusiastically. "I'm ready! The best parts of the Memoirs of a Geisha soundtrack mixed with something else is what you're gonna come in to. But I'll wait and surprise you with the something-else part."

I frowned at him. Like I needed a surprise tonight?

"Don't worry," Damien said. "You'll like it."

I sighed. It was too damn late to change whatever it was now anyway. "So then I'll cast the circle with the elemental invocations. Aphrodite, let's be sure you're standing right in front of that huge oak by the east wall." "Already taken care of, Z," Erin said.

"Yeah, we set up the candles and the ritual table when Jack and Damien did the audio stuff. So we put the earth candle right next to the tree."

"Uh, you guys didn't catch sight of Stevie Rae, did you?"

"Nope," the Twins, Damien, and Jack all said.

I sighed again. She'd better show.

"Don't worry about it. She'll be there," Damien said.

Aphrodite and I exchanged a quick look. "I hope so," I said, "or I don't know what the hell we're gonna do about the earth candle being zapped from your hands when I try to invoke it."

"Aphrodite could always put the candle down while you light it and do an interpretive earth dance," Jack said helpfully.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes, but I said, "Let's consider that a Plan B we hope never happens. So once Stevie Rae appears and all of the elements are invoked and the circle cast, I'll make some kind of general announcement about the red fledglings and how their appearance should help cleanse the school of secrets."