The Raven Mockers were everywhere. It was just after midnight New Year's Eve, and the creatures had their pickings of tipsy, celebrating humans who poured out of clubs and restaurants and beautiful old oil mansions because they'd heard the crackle and pop of the creatures' inhuman fire and, thinking the city had set off fireworks, rushed out to watch the show. I wondered with oddly detached horror how many of them looked up at the sky only to have their last sight be terrible red eyes of men looking out at them from monstrous faces.

Before we'd reached the halfway point near Cincinnati and Thirteenth I started hearing police and fire sirens, along with gunshots, which made me smile grimly. This was Oklahoma, and us Okies did love our guns. Yep, we exercise our Second Amendment right with pride and vigor. I wished I had a clue if modern weapons would make any difference to creatures born of magic and myth, and knew I wouldn't have to wonder long. Soon we'd all find out.

Within a block of the abandoned Tulsa depot, it began to rain a cold, miserable misty wetness that chilled us to the bone, but it did help to hide our little group even more from probing eyes--whether they were human or beast.

We hurried into the basement of the abandoned Tulsa depot, gaining entrance easily by swinging open a metal grate that looked deceptively well barred. As soon as the darkness of the basement swallowed us, we gave a group sigh of relief.

"Okay, now we can close the circle."

"Thank you spirit, you may depart," I began. I turned to Stevie Rae, still in Erik's arms. "I am grateful to you, earth, you may depart." Erin was on my left, and I smiled through the darkness to her. "Water, you did well tonight. You may depart." Still turning to my left, I found Shaunee. "Fire, thank you, please depart." Then I closed the circle with the element that opened it. "Wind, you have my gratitude as always. You may depart." And with a little pop and sizzle, the silver thread that had bound us and saved us, disappeared. I gritted my teeth against the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm me, and I think I would have fallen had Darius not grabbed my arm to steady my wobbly knees.

"Let's get down there. We're still not completely safe," Aphrodite said.

We all moved toward the rear of the basement to the drainage entrance I knew hid a wide system of tunnels. Reentering these tunnels was as surreal an experience as the night had become. The last time I'd been here had been in the middle of a snowstorm. I was struggling to save Heath from Stevie Rae and a bunch of the fledglings I was now struggling to save.

Heath!

"Zoey, come on," Erik said when I hesitated. He had passed Stevie Rae to Darius, so he and I were the last of the group left aboveground.

"Gotta make two phone calls first. There's no reception down there."

"Then make it quick," he said. "I'll tell them you're coming."

"Thanks." I smiled wearily at him. "I'll hurry."

He gave me a tight nod and then disappeared down the steel ladder into the tunnels.

I was surprised when Heath picked up on the first ring. "What do you want, Zoey?"

"Listen to me, Heath, I have to be quick. Something terrible has been released at the House of Night. It's going to be bad, really bad. I don't know for how long because I don't know how to stop it. But the only way you'll be safe is if you get underground. It doesn't like to be under the earth. Do you understand?"

"Yes," he said.

"Do you believe me?"

He didn't even hesitate. "Yes."

I sighed in relief. "Get your family and anyone else you care about and get underground. Doesn't your grandpa's house have a big ol' basement?"

"Yeah, we can go there."

"Good, I'll call you again when I can."

"Zoey, are you going to be safe, too?"

My heart squeezed. "I am."

"Where?"

"In the old tunnels under the depot," I said.

"But they're dangerous!"

"No, no--it's not like that anymore. Don't worry. You just stay safe, too. 'Kay?"

" 'Kay," he said.

I hung up before I said something both of us would regret. Then I dialed the second number I had to call. My mom didn't answer. The phone went to voice mail after five rings. Her overly perky voice said, "This is the Heffer residence, we love and fear the Lord and wish you a blessed day. Leave us a message. Amen!" I rolled my eyes and when the beep came I said, "Mom, you're gonna think that Satan has been let loose on earth, and for once you're close to right. This thing is bad, and the only way you can be safe from it is if you get underground, like in a basement or a cave. So get to the church basement and stay there. Okay? I do love you, Mom, and I've made sure that Grandma is safe, too, she's with the--" Her answering service cut me off. I sighed and hoped that she would, for the first time in a long time, listen to me. Then I followed everyone else into the tunnels.