At the beginning of Loved, Zoey and the Nerd Herd have made the Change and are full vampyres. Almost a year before the new book opens, Zoey was named the High Priestess of the North American Vampyre High Council—which is a big responsibility for a girl who isn’t quite eighteen.
Stevie Rae Johnson is Z’s bestie. She’s a true Oklahoma girl who loves country music and everything Okie. She was Marked before Zoey and welcomed her to the HoN as her roommate. Tragically, Stevie Rae’s body rejected the Change and she died—though she was reborn as one of the first red fledglings. Nyx gifts Stevie Rae with an affinity for earth. Her mate is Rephaim, a magickal being who is the son of Kalona (see below). Because of crimes against humanity he committed with his father, Nyx sentenced Rephaim to be a raven during the day and a boy after sunset. Though Rephaim’s love for Stevie Rae caused him to turn from Darkness and Nyx forgave him for his past, the goddess believes he must take responsibility for those mistakes. At the beginning of Loved, Stevie Rae and Rephaim are living at the Chicago HoN where she is High Priestess. With the rest of the Nerd Herd, she returns to Tulsa to celebrate Z’s eighteenth birthday.
Aphrodite LaFont started the series as the mean girl in charge. She has visions of death and destruction given to her by Nyx, though she was not using them in a manner that helped humanity. Her father was Tulsa’s mayor, killed in Revealed. Her mother is a nightmare. Throughout the series Aphrodite matures and grows and becomes one of Zoey’s closest allies and friends. She is a fledgling who sacrifices herself so that Stevie Rae and the red vampyres can maintain their humanity, and in doing so she loses her Mark, but becomes Nyx’s Prophetess. She is bonded with the vampyre Warrior, Darius, who is completely devoted to her.
Damien Maslin is one of the Nerd Herd. He is studious, wise, kind, and very cute. Nyx gifts him with an affinity for air. His true love is Jack Twist, a fledgling who is tragically killed by Darkness. Damien is the first male to be appointed to the Vampyre High Council. He is in charge of the New York HoN, and with the rest of the Nerd Herd, he returns to Tulsa to celebrate Z’s birthday, though none of them realize that he has been struggling with depression since he was a child.
Shaunee Cole is another member of the Nerd Herd. Her affinity is for fire. She is confident and smart—smart enough to understand that her friendship with another member of the Nerd Herd, Erin Bates (gifted with a water affinity), had become all-consuming and unhealthy. Sadly, Erin did not complete the Change and died during Revealed. Shaunee’s boyfriend is Erik Night, a vampyre who once dated Zoey and Aphrodite. She is High Priestess at the New Orleans HoN and she, too, (along with Erik) returns to Tulsa for Z’s birthday.
Shaylin Ruede is not an original member of the Nerd Herd, but after she was Marked as a red fledgling and gifted with the ability to see auras, she also discovered she had an affinity for water, and she took Erin’s place in Zoey’s circle. Shaylin was blind before she was Marked, so she has a unique viewpoint and a special maturity. Her partner is Nicole, who is a red vampyre. Currently Shaylin and Nicole live at the San Francisco HoN—both come to Tulsa for Z’s birthday.
Kramisha is the Vampyre Poet Laureate and also a Prophetess of Nyx. She receives prophecies in the form of poetry.
Neferet was the High Priestess at the Tulsa HoN when Zoey was Marked. She was an especially powerful vampyre with abilities to see into people’s minds and to communicate with cats. She was born in the late eighteen hundreds in Chicago, where her father molested and abused her before she was Marked. Neferet chose revenge instead of healing, and that choice set her on a life path that led her into Darkness. Over the course of the HoN adventures, she revealed herself as a ruthless tyrant. She becomes an immortal Tsi Sgili witch and awakens Kalona, a fallen demigod who was once Nyx’s consort. Neferet is Zoey’s sworn enemy. Her greatest desire is to rule the world and make humans subservient to vampyres, which she would have accomplished if not for Zoey and her friends. Instead of being Goddess of the World, Neferet is entombed for eternity … or at least that’s what Zoey and the Nerd Herd hope.
Kalona is a winged, fallen demigod. He and his brother, Erebus, were created to be friend and consort to the Goddess, Nyx. Erebus was Nyx’s friend—like a brother to her. Kalona was her true love and consort, but jealousy caused him to listen to the destructive whispers of Darkness and he betrayed his Goddess, choosing to Fall to Earth and be banished from Nyx’s realm rather than open himself to truth and trust. When Kalona fell he was filled with anger and hatred—for himself and for humanity. He spent eons committing crimes against humanity until Native American Wise Women finally created A-ya, a magickal maiden brought to life from the earth. A-ya’s only purpose was to love Kalona and to compel him to follow her within the earth where his powers were weak enough that the Cherokee Wise Women were able to trap him and free their people from his tyranny.
Led by Darkness, from his prison within the earth, Kalona began whispering to Neferet so that she would fulfill the prophecy to release him. At first he was Neferet’s lover, pretending to be Erebus and intending to rule humanity at her side, but over the course of the HoN series Kalona found himself again and eventually gained the trust of Zoey and her friends. He was key in defeating Neferet, and was finally able to kneel before his true love, Nyx, and ask the Goddess for forgiveness, which she joyfully granted him. He now resides with Nyx and is her true love and consort.
The White Bull and the Black Bull are living symbols of pure good and pure evil.
The White Bull = Darkness The Black Bull = Light The White Bull was Neferet’s ally until she refused to be his consort, though it isn’t clear whether he has totally turned from her or not …
As Loved opens it is almost one year since Neferet was defeated. Zoey and the Nerd Herd are fully Changed vampyres. They created the first North American Vampyre High Council, and then the group scattered to fulfill their assignments at other House of Night schools. It is almost Zoey’s eighteenth birthday. As a surprise for Zoey, Stark gathers all of the Nerd Herd to celebrate at the Tulsa House of Night, where Zoey is High Priestess.
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