Destined Chapters 22 & 23

Chapter 22

We start off with a sermon from Zoey, who’s skipping out on class. She tells us that, contrary to her behavior, she doesn’t normally skip class. I always love when characters tell us that their actions aren’t representative of their character. ‘Sure I just stabbed six people but I’m not a murderer! Don’t let my actions speak louder than words!’

With that out of the way, PCK then criticizes school again. Zoey says she doesn’t like getting in trouble for ditching.

Let me just say ugh to in-house and all other weird ineffective high school punishment systems that stick good kids in a study hall with frequent offender/gang members. Like that’s not gonna just cause more problems?

Because how dare the “good kids” be stuck sharing the same air or space as all those fucking delinquents. God damn you classist bitch, Zoey. Thanotos magically shows up then and Zoey is in awe of how powerful she is, what with the wind swirling around when she yelled at Dallas.

Really, PCK? That more says she’s out of control than powerful. I would think that an ancient vampire would have spent some of those hundreds of years learning to reign in their magic. Sure, I would get angry at a student and scare/harm them with my power but that’s the kind of thing an asshole would do.

Thanatos says that sure, sometimes air shows up when she needs it. You mean like when you need to make an example of one of kids in class? Her real “affinity” is death which means she can see ghosts. Then she asks Zoey if she will come up to the front of class for a discussion.

Zoey says sure though wonders what for. Thanatos says it will be about the loss of a parent. Zoey is shocked and Thanatos says that three students asked about it. Well, Zoey’s tip would be to just not care about them. Then you can’t miss them when they die. Zoey says that her loss wasn’t like everyone else’s, Zoey’s mom didn’t die of old age but was murdered.

Being as Zoey truly cares about her dead mom, she says she could probably get over it if she knew how she died. Zoey mutters something about closure or some other pop psychology PCK overhead on the Oxygen network. Thanatos says, being as she can see the dead, she can sometimes see how they died and such. Though she’ll need to have a chat with Grandma about it first.

Thanatos gets Grandma’s number from Zoey, which was an important detail. Without which the whole house of cards would have fallen down. She also tells Zoey that she lied earlier when talking to Stark. Turns out that Thanatos can see the darkness surrounding the bad undeadlings.

Which should mean she can see the darkness around Neferet. And that means this whole goddamned farce should be over and done with. I would think a member of the vampire council would be able to convince the others by telling them she saw the very embodiment of evil surrounding the dean and a number of her students.

Thanatos then tells Zoey that she’s been alive so long she’s forgotten what the opposite of darkness looks like. She says that Zoey is that and is destined to stand against darkness, blah blah blah one true hero of light or something. We get it, PCK, she’s the chosen one.

Over to Butthead now who’s whining about not being a “twin” anymore and sad. Damien comes over and asks if she’s seen Zoey. Butthead says yes and then asks if he thinks the air feels wrong. She’s bothered by the wind that came by and shook the branch. Thank the author that Aurox showed up and saved Zoey from certain death.

Butthead then asks if anyone else thinks it’s weird that Aurox only goes to one class. Damien says no, he’s Neferet’s boy toy. Butthead says she doesn’t think they’re having sex. She can’t justify it when Damien asks how she knows. Butthead just says he acts more like Neferet’s slave.

Chapter 23

Back with Zoey, she’s telling herself that she won’t tell Stark about Aurox or the branch. Wait, PCK, are we really making a plot point out of falling twig? You do realize that regular people in this world have near misses with tree limbs on a common basis? It’d be like trying to squeeze drama out of a malfunctioning microwave.

Zoey has decided she’s going to use her macguffin, the seer stone, to look at Aurox. She decided this because, ever since he touched her, she hasn’t been scared of him. She then listens to Aphro babbling about decorating and what to order for dinner. Then her eyes roll into her head and she start weeping blood as she falls over. Darius saves her from hitting the floor and Stevie convinces everyone to go upstairs to decide on a pizza order.

I could have kissed my BFF. She’d totally distracted everyone from Aphrodite’s horrendous and unattractive vision, and she’d made sure they’d be up here deciding on pizza and payback versus down in the tunnels gawking and talking about Aphrodite.

‘Oh my god! Aphrodite’s crying blood like a Bond villain and unconscious! Wait, where’s everyone going?’ ‘Stevie’s going to order us pizza!’ ‘Hell yeah, let’s go aboveground!’ ‘Shouldn’t someone keep an eye on Aphrodite?’ ‘I don’t understand what you’re saying. It’s not pizza related so I can’t spare any fucks.’

PCK spares us not one detail of their pizza order. Zoey wants extra cheese and olives because her taste in pizzae toppings is almost as bad as her choice in men. Then she talks to Stark about how worried she is about Aprho and her visions. Stark says sure but it’s information that Nyx wants them to have. Zoey says he’s right but, being a guy, Stark has a limited number of times he’s allowed to be right.

Over in Aphro’s room, she wants some wine and a Xanax. Zoey says maybe Aphro shouldn’t combine them. Aphro says her mom does but she’s not her mom so she’ll take just the wine. Take that all you self medicating housewives, PCK certainly showed you. Also, whileZoey doesn’t drink she knows wine should breath. That only applies to wine that doesn’t come in boxes, PCK.

Aphro says to bring another bottle because she’ll need it before Zoey convinces her to start talking about her vision. Aphro imagines that a sort of post modern, modern mash up will should be the overall theme of the tunnels and they should start tomorrow. Also, she saw inside of Rephy’s head while he was getting killed. He is “messed up” so she says but won’t elaborate yet.

Rephy was surrounded by boobs and wouldn’t look at the lady’s face. Then Dragon was there crying and cut him in half. Stevie was doing some ritual which she was focused on. Aphro then realizes they were at Grandma’s lavender farm. Which Aprho knows by heart because her and Zoey spent so many summer vacations there, helping herd the lavender bushes.

Stevie and Rephy come back and they get filled in. Aphro says that flying is scary, in spite of what Rephy thinks. They debate leaving Rephy behind for this cleansing ritual which Zoey is supposed to show up for later. Stevie isn’t worried because Aprho’s visions have been wrong before. Aprho then mentions the shadow of the bull was there which concerns exactly no one.

Aphro is tired and needs sleep so she tells them to leave. They do and Zoey tells Stark that she think Stevie will try so hard to protect Rephy that he’ll die. Stark says that’s what darkness does, twists love into something evil. Then he whines that he sometime’s wishes it was Heath who lived instead of him. Zoey then gives him a hug because she can’t seem to reassure him.