Hunted House of Night - By Kristin Cast Page 0,112
special of all the fledglings. Yes, Zoey, what answer may I give you?"
"With you taking over Drama I was just wondering if that meant you expect Erik Night to be gone for quite some time?" Okay, I hadn't wanted to ask him a question, but my instincts had made me raise my hand, just as my instincts were telling me what to say. I knew taunting him with the fact that Erik had escaped was dangerous, but I was doing so in a way that I hoped wouldn't give him a reason for outright anger. I just wasn ~C91't sure why I was being prompted to bait an already volatile immortal.
Kalona didn't look fazed at all by my question. "I believe Erik Night may return to the House of Night sooner than some may think. But, sadly, I've heard he might not be in any shape to resume his duties as a professor, or as anything else for quite some time." His smile got warmer and more intimate, and I could feel Becca and Cassie and the rest of the girls in the room shooting daggered looks of envy at me. I realized with a terrible sense of fear and disbelief that the girls hadn't really heard anything Kalona had said. They couldn't grasp that he had just threatened Erik and said that he was coming back, probably just short of being hauled here in a body bag. All they'd heard was the sound of his beautiful voice. All they knew was that he'd singled me out for his attention.
"Now, sweet Zoey, or as I like to think of you, A-ya, I give you the honor of choosing what piece of work we shall study first. Be wary! The entire class must abide by your choice. And know that I shall play the lead in what ever you choose." He strode over to my side of the room. I was in the desk that sat second to the front, directly behind Becca, and I swear I could see her tremble at his nearness. "Perhaps I will give you a part to play in our little drama."
I stared at him, my heart hammering so violently in my chest that I was sure he must hear it. His being so close was hard on me. It reminded me of my dreams, where he'd come to me and held me in his arms. I could feel the tendrils of cold that snaked from his body...wrapping around me...making me yearn for the blanket of those ebony wings...
He's going to hurt Erik! I clung to that thought and felt the delicious chill slither from me. No matter what was going on between Erik and me, I wasn't about to be cool with anything happening to him.
"I know the perfect play for us to do." I was proud that my voice was calm and strong.
His smile was pure, sensual joy. "I'm intrigued! What is your choice?"
"Medea," I said without hesitation. "Ancient Greek tragedy set in a time when gods still walked the earth. It's about what happens when a man has too much hubris."
"Ah, yes, hubris. When a man exhibits godlike arrogance." His voice was still deep and seductive, but I could see the anger that had begun to burn in his eyes. "I think you will find that hubris only applies when you're dealing with mortals, and not the gods themselves."
"So you don't want to do the play?" I said with exaggerated innocence.
"On the contrary! I believe the play will be amusing. Perhaps I shall let you dramatize Medea herself." He broke eye contact with me and refocused his charisma on the class. "Study this play to night. We will begin acting it tomorrow. Rest well, my children. I look forward to seeing each of you again." He turned and, as abruptly as he'd entered the room, he left.
There was complete silence for what seemed like a long time. Finally, to no one and everyone I said, "Well, I guess I'll try to find some copies of Medea." I got up and went to the back of the room. But not even the sound of opening and closing cabinets and pawing through files of ^ X? old plays and mounds of scripts could cover the whispers that rained around me.
"Why should she get noticed by him?"
"It's not fair!" "If this is Nyx being mysterious, then I'm damn sick of it."
"Yeah, it's crap. If you're not Zoey Redbird, then you're not shit to Nyx."