Tempted by P.C. Cast Read Free Book Online

area, sitting on those folding metal chairs that always make my butt cold, watching a large flat-screen TV that was perched on top of one of the washers. There was a lot of yawning going on with them, which meant it really must be almost dawn, but they seemed mesmerized by whatever was on TV. I glanced at the screen and felt my tired face break into a big grin.
    “
The Sound of Music
? They’re watching
The Sound of Music
?” I laughed.
    Sister Mary Angela lifted one eyebrow at me. “It’s one of our favorite DVDs. I thought the fledglings might enjoy it, too.”
    “It is a classic,” Damien said.
    “I used to think that Nazi kid was cute,” Shaunee said.
    “Except he rats out the Von Trapps,” Erin said.
    “Which is when he turned not so cute,” Shaunee continued as the Twins grabbed folding chairs and joined the other fledglings in front of the TV.
    “But everybody likes Julie Andrews,” Stevie Rae said.
    “She shoulda smacked them damn spoiled kids,” Kramisha said from her place in front of the TV. She glanced over her shoulder and gave Sister Mary Angela a tired smile. “Sorry ’bout the ‘damn,’ Sister, but they is brats.”
    “They just needed love and attention and understanding, like all children do,” said the sister.
    “Okay, barf. Seriously,” Aphrodite said, “before any of you break into a chorus of ‘How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?’ and I have to gnaw through my slender wrists, I’m going to find Darius and my room.” She waggled her brows and started to twitch out of the basement.
    “Aphrodite,” Sister Mary Angela called. When Aphrodite paused and looked back at her, the nun continued. “I imagine Darius is still with Stark. Saying good night to him would be just fine, but you’ll find your room on the fourth floor—you’ll be sharing it with Zoey and not with the warrior.”
    “Ugh,” I said under my breath.
    Aphrodite rolled her eyes. “Why does that not surprise me?” And, muttering to herself, she continued to twitch away.
    “Sorry, Z,” Stevie Rae said after she rolled her eyes at Aphrodite’s back. “I’d be your roomie again, but I think I should stay down here. Being underground really feels better to me after the sun rises, plus I need to stick close to the red fledglings.”
    “That’s okay,” I said a little too quickly.
So now I didn’t even want to be alone with my BFF?
    “Is everyone else still upstairs?” Damien asked. I saw him glancing around, and I was pretty sure he was looking for Jack.
    I, on the other hand, hadn’t been looking around for
any
of my boyfriends. Actually, after their stupid, testosterone display outside, I was thinking that being boyfriendless sounded better and better.
    And then there was Kalona and the memory I wish I’d never had.
    “Yeah, everyone else is upstairs in the cafeteria or already in bed. Hey, Earth to Zo! Check it out. The nuns have a massively big selection of Doritos, and I even found some brown pop for you—full of caffeine
and
sugar,” said Heath as he jumped down the last three steps into the basement.

CHAPTER SIX

Zoey

    “Thanks, Heath.” I suppressed a sigh as Heath walked over to me and, grinning, offered me some nacho cheese Doritos and a can of brown pop.
    “Z, if you’re really okay I’d like to find Jack and be sure Duchess is okay, then I’m going to sleep for a little bit of forever,” Damien said.
    “No problem,” I said quickly, not wanting Damien to say anything about my A-ya memory to Heath.
    “Where’s Erik?” Stevie Rae asked Heath as I chugged the can of brown pop.
    “He’s still outside being all king of the castle.”
    “Did you find anything after I left?” Stevie Rae’s voice suddenly got so sharp that several of the red fledglings glanced over from watching Maria and the Von Trapps sing “My Favorite Things.”
    “Nah, he’s just a butt and rechecking what Dallas and I already checked.”
    Dallas looked up from his place in front of the TV at the