Hidden Chapters 3 & 4

Chapter 3

In case you were dying to go back to her, PCK switches over to the perspective of Zoey once more. She says she’s known before they saw the firetrucks that all hell had broken loose at the school. Not that I’d classify a barn fire and a dead cat as all hell. Not even all heck. Maybe a half heck was let loose.

Apparently Thanatos made an emergency call to get Neferet removed as the priest. Which is kind of stupid to me. I figured Thanatos was sent to investigate and review as she had the authority. Instead, she has to check in with the higher ups. Also, did we really need to know what bureaucratic hoops she went through? ‘Thanatos promised she would fill out and send in her temporary injunction paperwork just as soon as she reached a fax machine, lest Neferet be restored, on a provisionary basis, to the status of priestess until such time as a proper motion for removal may be filled.’

Being the angry bitch that she is, Zoey whines about the school being on fire, about Heath being Aurox and about Nicole getting attention. Nicole is dating Dallas and is “skanky” and being treated by “a couple of human EMTs hovering around her like she was the gold-winged baby Jesus.” The golden winged baby Jesus? Just what kind of church did you go to, Zoey?

Lenobia confirms that, yes what everyone is seeing is true. The stables are on fire. Thanatos then yells that Neferet has been witness to be in league with evil. Neferet has been charged to appear before the vampire council to be changed and face punishment. Or else what? Again, I would have sent someone with both the authority and the permission to dispense justice if necessary. Rather than telling the bad guy ‘hey, you have to go to court for your crimes’ and hope their sense of honor keeps them to it.

While they talk about things we already witnessed about half a dozen times, Zoey notices that Erik is standing close to Shaylin. Apparently he’s been standing close to her a lot lately. Rather than let us organically find out they’re together, the avatar has to shout ‘they are a couple, you guy!’

Stevie then start yelling at Nicole because she must be evil. They screech at each other until Thanatos lets out a “surging” of power which causes a crackling in air. Thanatos tells Nicole that she has to swear her allegiance to a high priestess of her kind. Yes, the vampires are segregated by their markings which is more than a little fucked up.

When Thanatos then yells at Zoey and Stevie for being bitchy, they whine that Nicole tried to kill them. Not that I recall and or care and neither does Thanatos. Thanatos says they can’t be whining like kids. Zoey says she’s right because, why not. Then she senses a dead spirit from the shed and heads that way. They realize that the only animal spirit Thanatos would be drawn to would be a cat and proceed to cry over their animals. Though they calm down when they realize their pets are safe.

“Just because the cat wasn’t one of yours doesn’t make its death any less awful.” Erik sounded way more mature than usual. “Wonder who’s on Team Selfish now?”

They have to steel themselves and have an escort of Stark and Kalona to face a dead cat. They are shocked to see Shakdowfax’s body there along with a blood circle and words. They’re shocked that Dragon’s cat was killed. Wait, Dragon wasn’t allied with Neferet and that was the requirement of darkness. I guess it forgot too. Thanatos says the words were part of a spell to compel Aurox to do what she wants.

Everyone then begins to suspect Aurox of being no good and an agent of evil. Zoey is quick to tell them that there’s more about him than meets the eye. Zoey tells them to remember that he said he choose a new future and was shocked that he’d killed Dragon. Thanatos figures that Neferet had to force him to do it as she was losing control of him.

“That doesn’t change the fact that Aurox killed Dragon,” Stark said. I could feel the tension coming from him and I hated that his face had turned into a hard mask.

Yeah, Stark. Turn your face back into that soft pliant mask that’s frozen in the ass kissing expression Zoey loves so much. And note how she hates how he looks, now how he sounds or how mistrustful he is. It’s always about appearances with her. Zoey then gets mad because Kalona knew Heath was just a golem under Neferet’s control but didn’t say anything. He, rightfully, tells her that no one asked him.

Then the spirits of the cats appear, both Dragon’s and Ana’s. And they’re not full grown, they’re plump kittens. Thanatos sends them on their way and Zoey is comforted to know that Dragon and Ana will see them in the afterlife. Why do they have to appear as kittens? Does going to vampire heaven mean you have to regress to childhood or does that only apply to animals? Do frogs go back to tadpoles then? I’m so confused right now.

Zoey then wonders if Neferet killing them would be so bad. Considering they could just hand out with god all day, probably nothing. Thanatos doesn’t offer a real argument to that. Instead, she asks Zoey to think of how Grandma would react if she heard Zoey say that. The mild disappointment Grandma might fleetingly feel is enough to guilt Zoey back into the plot. Stark then gives her a hug.

Chapter 4

Over to Aurox who’s running along, trying to get away from Grandma’s farm. He’s in bull form, running along the lavender fields. He’s feeling emotions and you can tell because PCK has each emotion indented and followed by a dash. E.g. ‘Sad—because he would never again taste a burrito’ Which is an even lazier way of telling us character emotions than just having the characters say it.

Aurox decides he’ll never let Neferet use him again and finally stops. He transforms back into human and is wearing only ripped jeans a la the Hulk. He drinks form a stream and falls asleep. When he wakes up he hears “her” song. Oh, I love the pronoun game, PCK. Don’t tell me, it’s Nyx.

Just about. It’s Grandma and she tells him she knows all about how he killed Dragon and tried to kill Rephy. He says he isn’t, he’s just there because he has no place to go. So he curls up and cries which makes Grandma come over and pat him on the back. He whines about being a monster and Grandma, ever cogent of characters who Zoey loves, says a monster wouldn’t have cried. Actually, horrible people can feel remorse for the things they do. What’s more horrible is they can go right on doing them anyway.

Aurox follows her to the house where she gives him tea and cookies. They’re chocolate chip with lavender. Which just sounds gross. Have you ever had lavender flavored stuff, PCK? It’s not that tasty, interesting maybe, but not great. And then pairing it with chocolate? Ugh. Aurox asks why she’s being so nice to him.

“Because I believe in the power of love. I believe in choosing Light over Darkness—happiness over hatred—trust over skepticism,” Grandma said.

One of these things is not like the others. ‘Hello, you seem to be up to some nefarious deed, who are you?’ ‘My name is Neferet, which coincidentally sounds similar to nefarious. You should never mind what I’m doing with this knife in my hand or the blood that’s soaked into my clothes.’ ‘Well I believe in trust over skepticism…oh no! I have been stabbed in the heart by the nefarious Neferet! Who could have foreseen something so vicious!’ Now if you said trust over fear that would have made a hair more sense, PCK.

Aurox keeps whining about how he’s a beast. Grandma says the beast is gone now, Aurox says it’s within him and Grandma says that by running he exerted some control over it. Also, he failed to do what was ordered so he’s probably not so evil. Then he says that might be true but no one will believe him. Grandma says Zoey will because she did before.

Aurox heads out the door and drives back to the school because of reasons. He smells and senses the fire because it’s pure evil. Which is funny because we saw how it was an accident of the clumsy, butterfingered darkness tentacles. He climbs over the wall and sees the ruins of the stables(yup, they’re still burned) when he’s attacked by a raven. Considering it’s daytime, it’s probably Rephy. Aurox tries to grab it, trip and falls into a magical hole that just keeps going. At least until he hits his head and suffers an author induced concussion which will give him much needed rest.