Tempted (House of Night #6)(10)

That made me think there was probably more tunnel on the other side of it. So I pushed, with my mind and my hands and my element. And earth responded. Responded? Like it shook or something? I asked. More like it moved. Like I wanted it to. In my head. She paused. It's kinda hard to explain. But what happened was the dirt that had sealed the tunnel ended up crumbling and I stepped through the new bigger opening into a really, really old tunnel. And this old tunnel was made of dirt, not lined with concrete, like the tunnels under the depot and downtown, right? Damien said. Stevie Rae smiled and nodded, her blond hair bouncing around her shoulders.

Yeah! And instead of heading downtown it pointed to midtown. It came all the way here? I tried to guesstimate in my head how many miles that was and could no way do the math. Of course, I am math impaired, but still, it was a ways. Nope. What happened was that once I found the dirt tunnel and kinda opened it up, I went explorin' in it. Okay, it starts as one of the off shoots of the Philtower Building. I thought it was weird and kinda cool that it headed away from downtown. How could you tell that? Damien interrupted her. How could you even guess where you were heading? Easy-peasy for me! I can always find north, you know, the direction of my earth element. Once I find it--I can find anything. Hmm, he said. Go on, I said. Then what? Then it ran out. Just, well, stopped. Before you slipped me the note about meeting you here at the sisters' place, that's where I stopped, too. I mean, sure, I was plannin' to go back and check it out some more later, but it really wasn't a high priority to me. When you told me I might have to move the kids here, I couldn't quit thinkin' about the dirt tunnel. I remembered that it had been headed in this direction before it ran out. So I went back there. I thought about where I wanted to go and how I wished the tunnel would go there.

Then I pushed again, like I'd done to get the opening bigger, only more so. Then, well, presto-chango, the earth did what I told it to do, and here we are! Ta-da! She finished with a big smile and a flourish. Into the silence that surrounded Stevie Rae's explanation, Sister Mary Angela's voice sounded utterly normal and reasonable, which made me heart her even more than I already did. Remarkable, isn't it? Stevie Rae, you and I may disagree upon the source of your gift, but I am nonetheless in awe of its vastness. Thank you, Sister! I think you're pretty awesome, too, 'specially for a nun. How did you see down there? I asked. Well, I really don't have a problem seeing in the dark, but the other kids aren't as good at it as I am, so I brought some lanterns from the depot tunnels. Stevie Rae pointed to a few oil lanterns that I hadn't noticed before in the dark corners of the root cellar.

Still, it was a long way, Shaunee was saying. Seriously. It must have been dark and creepy, Erin said. Nah, the earth really isn't creepy to me, or to the red fledglings. She shrugged. Like I said, it was no big deal. Actually, it was super-easy. And you managed to get all the red fledglings here safely? Damien said. Yep! Which all? I asked. What do ya mean, which all? That doesn't make any sense, Z, she said. I brought all the red fledgings y'all met before, plus Erik and Heath. Who else are ya talkin' about? Her words sounded normal, but she ended with a weird, nervous laugh and wouldn't meet my eyes. My stomach clenched. Stevie Rae was still lying to me.

And I didn't know what to do about it. I think maybe Zoey is feeling confused because she's exhausted, as she should be after the experience she's had tonight. Sister Mary Angela's warm hand on my shoulder felt as reassuring as her voice. We're all tired, she added. Her smile took in Stevie Rae, the Twins, Aphrodite, and Damien. Dawn is not long off. Let's get you settled with the rest of your friends. Sleep. Everything will seem clearer when you're well rested. I nodded wearily and let Sister Mary Angela shepherd us out of the depths of the root cellar and up the staircase we'd come down not too long ago. But instead of continuing up and into the hallway of the abbey, the nun opened a door off the landing I hadn't noticed when I'd been hurrying after Damien earlier.

A shorter staircase led into the main basement area, a big but normal-looking cement basement, which had been transformed by the nuns from a giant laundry room to a temporary dorm. There were a bunch of cots spread out along two walls opposite each other, made up with blankets and pillows and looking cozy. There was a kid-sized mound in one of the beds, and the poof of red hair that was sticking out of the blanket he'd pulled up over most of his head told me that Elliott had already crashed. The rest of the red fledglings were clustered around the washer-dryer 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.