House Of Night - Amethyst's POV

Chapter Twenty Two

Authors Note:

Yes, it has been awhile but I've had a lot happen the past couple weeks... so!

First: Sorry for a long update.

Second: This chapter was hard to write because it is the ritual and I wanted it to be "my" version but since I'm "Copying" P.C & Kristin Cast's Marked, I "have" to keep it the same. So... bare with me, please(:

Third: I heard "Blown Away," by Carrie Underwood come on and let me tell you! That sound is SOOO Amethyst's point of view! She lives in Oklahoma, has an abusive dad, and her mother is dead. PERFECT! I mean not perfect... but you know perfect for my story. 

Fourth: Enjoy I worked my buttttt off with this chapter(:

Fifth: Listen to "Blown Away," by Carrie Underwood, even if you don't like Carrie Underwood or country, thanks(:

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Butterflies tumbled in my stomach, pinching every nerve and fiber in my body. You could say I was excited, but really I was nervous. Even with my friends and Arcos next to me, I was still frightened I'd screw something up. It was the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach that makes you want to run to the bathroom and hurl, that's what I was feeling.

Rolls of nausea hit me hard like ocean waves, I wanted it to stop.

"Pass around the goblet while I speak," Neferet told Loren who took the very large, very old looking goblet towards the closest Fledgling in the circle. She picked it up, her big brown eyes got even bigger as she took a gulp, then she passed it to her left. 

At first I focused heavily on Neferet's words, but as the goblet became closer and closer to me, I lost track of her words in the storm. Dite was the first to drink from the goblet of people I knew. The goblet looked ancient and out of place in her pale hands with pink nail polish. I have to give her credit, she took the goblet and held it like a champ. Dramatically, she brought the goblet to her lips and took a tiny sip, swallowed, smiled, and passed it to the Blonde's.

Each blonde did the same, but not with the same grace as Dite. She definitely had a way about her that demanding people to pay attention to her.

"Yeah because she's awful!" Zoey got inside my mind only because I left it open, hoping she would talk to me during this stressful moment.

"She's not so bad. She has a heart." It was weird defending Dite, it was like something in my chest told me that she is important in the way of life here at the House of Night.

"It's full of hate though."

"Not our decision to make."

"Good luck."

"You too."

I closed the link between us to focus on the goblet. Arcos had the goblet and lifted it to his lips and took a taste. I noticed his nose upturn. My heart spiked and I felt it beating, intensely. I can do this. Just take it and pretend to take a drink. No, I can't fake it. Something inside me also told me that it won't be that bad. I just can't puke. Arcos reluctantly handed me the goblet, and not because he wanted another sip, but because he knew I didn't want a drink from it. IT was blood after all and that is utterly a gross concept hat I am still foreign to.

My hands shook as I reached for the goblet, but the second my fingers made contact with the goblet they stopped. Somehow, I found the strength to bring the goblet to my pale lips and slowly, ever so slowly, tilt the glass so the liquid would slide into my mouth with little to no effort. It took long, maddening seconds for the blood to finally hit the inside of my mouth. Thick blood.