Nyx in the House of Night

runs away from his lion pride after the death of his father. She gets Simba to return, freeing herself and the rest of the pride from the evil Scar.
    In the House of Night . . .
Nala first appears to Zoey in a dream. Though she never speaks a word, her general message is “Hurry up and find me, woman!” Eventually, she gets tired of waiting and finds Zoey herself. Like all cats at the House of Night (and Stark and Jack’s dog Duchess), Nala is a gift that also has ownership of her fledgling. Her scenes mostly consist of either warning and protecting Zoey—talk about smart and feisty—or sneezing ( mee-uf-ow! ).
    Of note . . .
Nala is based on a cat Kristin had for years. (She was just like the fictional one, grumpiness, sneezing, and all!)
    Nefertiti
    (Egyptian) the beautiful one has arrived (also see Neferet )
    In history . . .
Nefertiti is one of the most well-known queens of ancient Egypt (see Neferet ).
    In the House of Night . . .
Nefertiti is Darius’ cat. And as the warrior is highly courteous, there is no question he treats this cat like a queen.
    Of note . . .
Cats were highly esteemed in many parts of ancient Egypt and were even mummified after death (although sometimes as offerings to Bast). The Egyptian pantheon also contained many cat goddesses. So it seems fitting Darius would name his cat after a beautiful queen from this cat-loving nation.
    Persephone
    (Greek) daughter of Demeter (goddess of the harvest) and Zeus (king of the gods)
    In mythology . . .
Persephone was minding her own business, planting flowers in her mother’s garden one day, when Hades, god of the Underworld, rose up from the earth in a chariot and kidnapped her. Hades was forced to return her after Demeter’s grief caused the earth and crops to wither and die, but not before he tricked Persephone into eating some pomegranate seeds. Those who eat food from the land of the dead must return, and thus Persephone would spend part of the year with her mother and part of the year with her husband. During the time she is with Hades, the earth dies again in winter. But when she returns, it reawakens in spring.
    In the House of Night . . .
Persephone is a mild-mannered horse cared for by Lenobia and the fledglings in the House of Night stables.
    Of note . . .
Horses appear many times in Greek myth as drawers of the gods’ chariots. Nyx is often depicted in a chariot drawn by horses, and we see in Marked that Zoey has a natural affinity for them.
    Skylar
    (Dutch) from the name Schuyler, meaning “scholar”
    In reality . . .
Skylar was a cat of P.C.’s that has since gone on to frolic with the Goddess. Sky was also labeled as a “known biter” by his vet.
    In the House of Night . . .
Skylar is Neferet’s cat. A bit less feisty than his namesake, he tells Neferet that Nala is on her way to Zoey.
    Shadowfax
    (Old English) shadow-hair
    In the books . . .
Shadowfax is Gandalf the Gray’s horse in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books. The silvery-gray stallion can understand human speech and can outrun any horse in Middle-earth. He will wear no bridle or saddle, and only permits Gandalf to ride him.
    In the House of Night . . .
Shadowfax is Dragon Lankford’s cat. Because of their bonds with their owners, Shadowfax and the other House of Night cats can and do communicate with their fledglings/vampyres at an uncanny level. And like Middle-earth’s Shadowfax, the cats choose their two-legged partners carefully.
    Of note . . .
Shadowfax is also based on a real cat owned by P.C.’s friend Christopher Matthews. Shadowfax has moved on to join Skylar with the Goddess.

{ Acknowledgments }

    FROM P.C.
Thank you to Alan Torrance for creating such beautiful art.
A special thank you to Leah Wilson and the BenBella family. It is always such a pleasure to work with you!

    FROM THE PUBLISHER
Thank you to Olubunmi Mia Olufemi for her invaluable work on “Behind the House of Night Names.”