“The kid’s. Can the cat’s eyes glow, too?” Marx shook his head. “No, don’t tell me. Now I understand why my sister says some vampyre things are off-limits to humans. It’s not good for our minds—might make us lose them.”

Kalona chuckled. “I think that has more to do with the strangeness of our times than the ability of humans to comprehend the abnormal.”

“You may have a point. These are definitely some weird-assed times.”

They walked on together without speaking, though Kalona didn’t feel the silence was awkward. They were just two men going about the business of protecting those who were important to them.

This is what it feels like to be part of a family. I like the way it feels! The thought came unbidden to Kalona’s mind, and he didn’t know what to do with it. How had the House of Night become his family? Kalona had no idea, but even Zoey Redbird, the fledgling he’d first tried to seduce and then destroy, had come to trust him enough that she sought him out to advise and aid Aurox when Neferet’s feline chose the vessel as his familiar.

Thus came Kalona’s third start of surprise.

“Hey, never mind. I didn’t mean to pry. My sister keeps telling me it’s a bad habit I’ve developed since I made detective.”

Kalona mentally shook himself. “I am sorry, my mind was elsewhere. Did you ask something?”

“Yeah, but it was too personal, especially because of who you were. Forget about it—I need to grab a few hours of shuteye before all hell breaks loose again,” Marx said quickly.

“You may ask me what you will. We battle Darkness together. There should be trust between us.”

They’d reached the girls’ dormitory building and Marx paused, leaning against the wide porch stairs. “All right, then. I was just wondering why Nyx doesn’t come down from heaven and stop Neferet herself. She’s the Goddess’s ex–High Priestess. I’d think it would really piss Nyx off that she’s misused her power.”

“First, Nyx doesn’t reside in heaven, or at least not the traditional heaven of modern Western civilization.”

“Right, sorry. I forgot. My sister explained that part to me years ago. Nyx lives in the Otherworld, correct?”

“The Otherworld is Nyx’s realm, that is correct.”

“And you’ve been there?”

“For eons it was my realm as well,” Kalona said slowly, unused to talking about the Goddess or the Otherworld.

“If I’m prying, I’ll shut up, and—”

“I do not mind speaking of it,” Kalona said, and realized only after he’d spoken the words that he was telling the truth.

“Then you know Nyx pretty well.”

Kalona drew in and breathed out several long, slow, breaths. The answer to the detective’s question was as simple as it was heartrending.

“I knew the Goddess well. Very well.”

“I see, past tense.” Marx seemed to be musing aloud. “That could explain what’s going on. Nyx has changed since you knew her. Maybe she’s lost interest in the modern world. Who could blame her? That’s why she’s letting Neferet get away with corrupting her Goddess-given power and hurting not just humans, but fledglings and vampyres as well.”

“That’s not true. Our Goddess hasn’t lost interest in us.”

Kalona looked from Marx to see Shaunee walking down the sidewalk toward them, carrying a gray cat in her arms. She had on dark sunglasses and a hoodie pulled over her face, but it was clear that the sunlight was making her uncomfortable. She must be close to completing the Change, Kalona thought, and then realized that the idea of Shaunee making the Change and becoming a vampyre Priestess gave him a feeling that was very close to pride.

The realization had his voice turning gruff. “Shaunee, you should be in your room asleep. Sunlight is not healthy for you.”

She brushed his words off with a shooing motion, but she did move past them and into the shadows that the dormitory’s overhanging roof provided.

“I’m going to bed. I just had to find Beelzebub. But before I go I wanna make something real clear to Detective Marx.” She focused her guileless brown eyes on the detective. “Nyx hasn’t lost interest in us,” she repeated.

Marx’s gaze flicked to Kalona and then back to Shaunee. Before he could respond, the fledgling was already speaking. “Don’t go to Kalona for answers about Nyx.” She sent an apologetic look to Kalona. “This is going to sound mean, but I’m not being cruel on purpose.” She refocused on Marx and continued. “Kalona Fell. That makes him not a good expert witness on Nyx, Detective. If you have questions about our Goddess, ask me. I talk to her every day, and sometimes she even answers.”

“Okay, then. Can you explain why Nyx would let Neferet cause so much pain and suffering, and just stand by and do nothing about it? She gave Neferet the gifts that allowed her to accumulate so much power. Why doesn’t Nyx at least revoke her gifts? That would make sense. Doing nothing doesn’t make any sense to me. I say this with respect for your Goddess, but hers don’t seem the actions of a loving deity.”

“Nyx won’t take away Neferet’s gifts, or the gifts she’s given any of us, because she loves us unconditionally and she always keeps her word, even if we don’t keep ours and betray her,” Shaunee explained as Kalona crossed his arms and pretended nonchalance while he did not move—did not breathe—but only listened.

“And she doesn’t swoop in and save the day because she loves us so much that she will always allow us free will.” She paused and then asked, “Do you have kids, Detective Marx?”

“Yes, two daughters, nine and eleven.”

“What if you never let them make any mistakes? Or, better yet, what if you let them make mistakes, but then you swooped in and took all the consequences from them?”

“I suppose I’d be raising a couple of spoiled brats,” he said.

“What kind of women do you think they’d grow up to be?” Shaunee asked.

“Selfish and irresponsible ones. If they grew up at all.”

“Exactly!” Shaunee smiled. “How would we learn and grow and evolve if Nyx rescued us from our bad decisions—or stopped allowing us to make our own decisions, good or bad?”

Kalona couldn’t keep silent another moment. “It would be easier if Nyx took over! I still know her well enough that I can promise you the Goddess would be benevolent and kind—and that’s more than any of us can promise about the general public, vampyres or humans.”

“If Nyx took over, the powers of Light and Darkness would be out of balance forever,” Shaunee said.

“Light would win! Is that not the point?” Kalona said.

“Ohmygoddess! Don’t you see what you’re asking for?”

“Yes! I’m asking for peace! An end to bloodlust and bloodshed, betrayal and destruction.”

“No!” Shaunee countered with, “You’re asking for an end to free will. We’d be like those fat, floating people on WALL•E, or worse.”

“What language are you speaking?”

“I know what she’s talking about. It’s from a Pixar movie. She means we’d turn in to lazy, unmotivated idiots.” Marx scratched his chin. “Actually, she might be right. Have you been to the state fair recently?” Then the detective chuckled at his own joke, which made no sense at all to Kalona.

Shaunee didn’t blink. She didn’t so much as smile at Marx. Soberly, she met Kalona’s gaze. “You’re not going to get close to Nyx that way. You gotta let go of your control issues and choose to really trust—really believe—really love.” Then she kissed the sleeping gray cat on top of its head. “So, does that answer your questions, Detective Marx?”

“Not all of them, but it’ll do for now,” he said.

“Awesome! I’m going to bed. See you guys at dusk.” She skipped up the rest of the stairs and disappeared inside the girls’ dorm.

“I’m hitting the hay myself. Thanatos said I could bunk in the professors’ residence. You look beat. Are you coming?”

“No. I’ll take Aurox’s shift and sweep the perimeter,” he said.