Destined Chapters 20 & 21

Chapter 20

One of the tropes I’m sick of watching PCK beat with a chain whip is the one where boys are all rage puppets. Each one of them is one misplaced word away from breaking their manacles and wreaking havoc among the townsfolk. In some of the cases they offer a paper thin excuse which barely covers their motivation.

So why don’t the girls don’t ever get in a fight? I know that harpies don’t go to high school as no public building’s plumbing is equipped to deal with the corrosive spray that leaks from their beak so they probably lack experience. But I saw a number of fights during my time in high school and just under half were girls beating on one another.

We pick up with Lenobia who proudly advises us that she doesn’t always use the hour that’s allocated to every teacher, per day, to plan. Really? Who would have thought a teacher whose entire curriculum is horseback riding doesn’t spend a lot of time planning it out. I get that it’s not so easy as sitting on a saddle and holding on but I doubt anyone would need an hour a day to plan out riding lessons.

Lenobia runs off as soon as the bell rings, telling Cowboy to keep an eye on the kids practicing in the “arena”. She tells him to keep them away from the horses. Cowboy nods and says some of them think the horses are big dogs. What? Like, are these kids so dumb they don’t know what a horse is? Or are you saying they’re confused by horse behavior? Regardless which it is, isn’t it up to Lenobia to teach them?

Lenobia is having feelings and attempting not to. She’s bothered by the fact he’s twenty seven and probably only has thirty or forty years left. Does this guy do a lot of meth when we’re not looking? Because he probably has closer to fifty years left. Maybe he only has another thirty of forty years left that Lenobia would be willing to date him.

PCK tries to fill in some back story by telling us Lenobia and Neferet used to be friends. Lenobia is bothered by Neferet’s transformation but only enough to comment on it. She doesn’t really care, any more than Zoey cares about her mother’s death.

Cowboy and his horse wanders over to Lenobia’s bench. He feeds his horse some wafers and they flirt some more. He says Lenobia reminds him of his mom. Which is exactly the kind of winning thing to say to an older woman. Cowboy says his mom was also no nonsense and in charge and blah blah blah just fuck already you two.

Cowboy finds out she’s older when she mentions her name comes from the eighteenth century. He asks if she ever gets tired of living so long. She says she would if it weren’t for horses. Cowboy says a lot has changed since then and she says not horses. Then she decides she doesn’t want the feels and says he’s not watching the stables. Cowboy says it’s fine and he came over to offer her a ride.

Lenobia takes the horse on a ride and it’s exhilarating and fun and just fuck the cowboy already! She comes back after her ride and gets off the horse, then trips because she misjudged the distance. This gives him a chance to catch her in his “strong grip” and banter more. Then they kiss and it’s passionate, or so the author assures us.

Then, because PCK thinks they’re writing a supernatural romance for middle aged women now, Lenobia suddenly pulls away. Cowboy says they should sit down and talk about it. Lenobia says no, whatever he’s feeling is what any normal man would if she kisses him because humans always want to bone vampires. Lenobia says it won’t happen again, marches off to her room and sits down to cry in private.

Chapter 21

Nothing like a dull chapter that’s completely focused on secondary characters who add nothing to the plot. It may be boring but at least it’s not about Zoey. Though moving on to a chapter spearheaded by Neferet’s point of view is more than dull. Nobody cares about a villain whose idea of chaos is moving Taco Tuesday to Friday.

Neferet is reveling in her “chaos”. Students clashing, humans working in the gardens which caused the gardener to leave the gate unlocked. Now they have homeless people wandering on campus. Dragon almost killed them because he’s paranoid. Also, there’s the strife between Zoey’s slaves.

We learn a little bit about Neferet’s psychic abilities. She can’t really read thoughts unless they’re coming from someone weak minded and strongly. She mostly picks up on emotions when they’re strong. Of course every one of Zoey’s slaves are completely immune, including Rephy.

We also learn that the picking of Cowboy for Lenobia was intentional. They once talked about taking human lovers when they were younger. Neferet says she couldn’t admit she would never let a human man touch her without hurting him. Lenobia admitted she once had a human but he died and she’ll never let herself love one again.

Neferet cuts her hand and feeds a bit of blood to the darkness to spy on Lenobia. She can feel Lenobia’s heartbreak and she’s pleased. Because doing something with magic that could be done by an accomplished catfisher on facebook is efficient. She then overhears Zoey talking to Butthead. Butthead is whining that Beavis keeps hurting her feelings and what does it matter that she’s leaving the depot?

“It matters ’cause you’re one of us!” Neferet hated the honest warmth in Zoey’s voice. “You can be pissed at Erin. You can even stop being BFFs, but you can’t let your whole life explode because of it.”

Butthead says it’s Beavis whose life is exploding. Surely this isn’t just the hyperbole of a teenager. Zoey convinces her to stay there. Butthead says that Zoey has to talk to Beavis for her. Neferet watches in disgust as Zoey walks along, kicking a tin can which she’s sure was left behind by the lawn crew.

Apparently the lawn crew is a herd of hobos. Because that’s the only explanation I can come up with. Who else would drag a tin can to work? I mean, where in the world would they heat up their knock-off beefaroni anyways? If Neferet wanted more chaos, why not let them have lunch with the students?

Neferet notices a tree branch hanging preponderously hanging over Zoey’s head. Neferet cuts her palm again and asks darkness to drop it on her head. The white bull says he can’t because that would be tempting fate and he needs a bigger sacrifice. Neferet dials it down and asks that she get bruised instead.

A magic wind appears, breaks the branch and it falls towards her. Heath as Aurox suddenly appears and knocks her out of the way. Neferet laughs that Zoey will think the cause of her distress was actually saving her.

Over to Zoey who’s marveling at what a wonderful person she is. She just convinced Butthead to stay and she picked up a pop can, which you should note is not a tin can like Neferet said. She whines about being knocked over by Heath. He mumbles how he heard the branch breaking while on patrol and didn’t think he’d make it in time.

Zoey is amazed that Aurox just saved her life. Also, he’s acting awkward around her which surprises her as well. In spite of having no memories, clumsy boners are still a source of discomfort.

He says he still has to keep patrolling. Zoey asks if that means Heath only attends first period. Heath says yes, at the order of Neferet. She says she’ll see him in class then. He smiles and tells her to watch out while walking under trees before walking aware.