Darius has just explained that Zoey needs to go back to the House of Night to be around other vampyres. I wish I had a better geographical understanding of where different groups of adult vampyres congregate because it seems like there has to be another, safer group of adult vampyres Zoey and co could be around to keep them healthy.
Hunted Chapter 14:
Everyone thinks it’s a terrible idea for Zoey to return to the House of Night, but she’s like, “Nah, it’s cool ’cause the Raven Mocker says he wanted me alive, so they probably won’t kill me.” But there are other things he can do, Zoey!
Instead of brainstorming other options, everyone gets sidetracked when Aphrodite starts shouting at Heath for messing things up because he wasn’t in her visions. I have to say this line of thought isn’t adding up for me, but it’s clearly meant to be an important detail and foreshadowing of some sort.
She rolled her eyes. ‘Hello! I’ve had two death visions of you, so it’s only logical to assume if you were going to be all grotesquely close to death, I’d know a little something about it, that’s all. But Nyx didn’t clue me in with any kind of a vision, so I figured Football Joe over there messed things up ’cause the goddess didn’t expect him to be poking around where he’s not supposed to be.’
…Her theory is that the all-knowing goddess couldn’t solve the Rubik Cube that is Heath’s life and not that Nyx actively chose to withhold a vision from Aphrodite. Huh. Let’s roll with that convincing line of thought for a moment. Nyx took one look at Heath and all the times he has previously gotten involved in Vampyre business and thought, “He seems like the kind of guy who will sit this one out. I won’t even keep an eye on this one.”
She frowned at Heath and shook her head in disgust. ‘I mean, come on! Are you special needs, special services or what? Weren’t you almost killed here once before?’
Heath explains that he thought Zoey would protect him if things got bad (which is exactly what happened) and that he didn’t think he’d be the reason she’d get hurt. This actually does make a lot of sense. If Heath hadn’t shown up in the tunnels when he did, I would have expected a Lois Lane situation where the villain captures him to blackmail Zoey.
It’s also reasonable that you’d want to get more information about what’s going on and decide to go seek out Zoey and pals to find out more. If I could have cracked that code in under 30 seconds, so too could Nyx who shows up to solve the plot all the time.
Zoey tells Aphrodite she just can’t foresee everything and comforts Heath. She then tells everyone the Raven Mocker looked like Neferet before it attacked. Everyone is shocked! Again I feel like this is supposed to mean something important, but the answer escapes me. The Raven Mocker could have looked like Conan O’Brien before it attacked and that would not have changed the situation except to momentarily distract you. In fact, that would be the perfect way to throw your opponent off-guard! If you disguise yourself as their mortal enemy, their hackles go up straight away, but if you go as Conan O’Brien and he is not their mortal enemy, distraction successful!
We then resume arguing about whether Zoey should return to school at all and if she does should she go alone or with her crew.
Erik’s voice sliced between us. ‘We can’t all go back with her.’ ‘Look, Erik,’ Aphrodite sneered. ‘We get that you’re Mr Jealous and that seeing your girlfriend sucking on another guy is probably not cool with you, but you’re going to just have to learn to deal.’
Erik completely ignored her. Instead, he met my eyes and I saw that he had, once again, reached into his acting bag of tricks and pulled out the character of a stranger. As I studied him, I saw absolutely no trace of the guy who wanted me so bad that his passion had gotten kinda scary. I couldn’t even find any trace of the possessive Neanderthal who had wanted to kick Heath’s butt and boss me around. He was able to cover all of those versions of himself and his emotions so effectively that I was beginning to wonder who the hell the real Erik was.
You all know I hate Erik, but I felt like it was a good thing he could set aside all of these things for five minutes to weigh in on a strategic decision of great import. Also, they’re in public, it’s good to lock that shit up until you have a minute alone.
Erik explains that only Darius and Zoey should go back because everyone else would be in danger and might even get themselves killed. This is too logical for the other characters to handle, so they do what makes them most comfortable: start yelling incoherently.
Heath reminds everyone of the major plot point that Zoey and pals are stronger when they are together, and Darius agrees that the circle should remain complete. DO NOT CAST ANOTHER CIRCLE RIGHT NOW, DO YOU HEAR ME, DARIUS?
This is all well and good, but Stevie Rae needs to stay back and keep the red fledglings in line, so the circle can’t stay complete…or can it? What if we had some sort of convoluted logic that would mean Zoey’s friends could return with her while Stevie Rae stays in the tunnels and the circle would be complete and everyone’s minds would be protected from Neferet so she wouldn’t be able to find the tunnels?
‘But,’ Aphrodite continued, ‘Zoey can evoke earth, just like she can any of the five elements. Right?’
I nodded again. ‘Right.’
‘And I just evoked spirit without any problem. So what if we just change positions? Zoey personifies earth and I call spirit. It worked just a little while ago. I think as long as Zoey’s around to help nudge spirit toward me, there’s no reason it won’t work again.’
Okay okay, so that’s one part of the argument conveniently satisfied, but what about the Neferet’s mind-reading abilities? There’s no way you’re going to be able to adequately tackle that concern too.
‘Uh, guys, I have an idea,’ Heath spoke up. ‘Okay, I don’t really know much about this stuff, so I might be totally wrong, but can’t each of you get help from an element to, I dunno, set up some kind of road-block around your minds?’
Heath, you stupid genius! You have quickly discerned that the elements can do damn near anything. If the gang really put their minds to it and circled the fuck up, they could get the elements to open the hottest FroYo shop in town.
Anyway, everyone is immediately like, “Yup! He’s right! That’ll do the trick.” And before you go worrying about Aphrodite, Neferet has never been able to read her mind before, and no one seems to worry that her new human status will change that. Damien says that they should at least double-check this plan to have Aphrodite call Spirit.
I had a sudden thought. ‘It doesn’t really matter whether Aphrodite can conjure the element outside a circle casting, because I can. Spirit,’ I said softly, ‘come to me.’ As easily as drawing a breath, I evoked the element and felt its wonderful presence. ‘Now go to Aphrodite. Protect and serve her.’ I flicked my fingers wearily in her direction, and felt spirit rush away from me. An instant later Aphrodite’s big blue eyes widened and she smiled.
‘Hey! It works,’ she said.
Is there anyone out there who thought for even a second this plan wouldn’t work? It’s just a shame they couldn’t have tried this out when Aphrodite needed to stand in for Stevie Rae to call Earth a one or two books ago.
With that settled, everyone turns their attention back to Heath and convincing him to go home where he’ll apparently be safer (I’m still not convinced, but sure.) Heath inappropriately kisses Zoey a couple times and tells her he loves her, and I gotta say I feel for Erik even though we don’t get his reaction shot here for some reason. Everyone else swoons over this scene, and I think that also is pretty weird given Erik is standing right there.
Jack who is the only one who acknowledges how awkward this is, which I appreciate greatly. For once, I’m with Jack.
What’s the old saying? Ah, right: “It’s Magic. I Ain’t Gotta Explain Shit.”
Aphrodite’s visions are being used exactly like Alice’s in Twilight. They only work when it’s convenient for the plot, and another character can block her visions without even trying, so she yells at him for existing.
On an unrelated topic, I was diagnosed with shingles over the weekend and have been in bed in excruciating pain, and re-reading your 50 Shades coverage has lifted my spirits and made me laugh during this ordeal. You two are seriously doing a public service with this blog. I should be fully recovered next week, which will give me plenty of time to try to figure out Ana’s Crap Scale and try to remember who the hell Bill and Ray are. Have a wonderful holiday!