If she did, so be it. Life as he had known it was over for him. He would welcome the chance to die battling anyone who tried to keep him prisoner.
But it hadnt seemed shed been imprisoning him. He thought hard, forcing his mind to work through pain and exhaustion and despair. Stevie Rae. That had been the name shed given him. What was her motive in saving him if not to imprison and use him? Torture. It made sense that she had kept him alive so that she and her allies could force him to tell her all he knew about Father. What other reason could she have for not killing him? He would have done the same had he been lucky enough to have been in her place.
They will discover that the son of an immortal will not be easily broken, he thought.
Stressed beyond the reserves of even his great strength, Rephaim collapsed. He tried to position himself so that he could attain some relief from the agony that wracked his body with every beat of his heart, but it was impossible. Only time could relieve his physical pain. Nothing would relieve the soul-deep pain of never being able to fly againof never being whole.
She should have killed me, he thought. Perhaps I can goad her into it if she returns alone. And if she comes back with her allies and attempts to torture my fathers secrets from me, I will not be the only one to shriek in pain.
Father? Where are you? Why did you desert me?
That was the thought foremost in his mind when unconsciousness finally claimed Rephaim again and, at last, he slept.
CHAPTER 9
Zoey
Hey, remember you promised the nun youd go to bed. And Im pretty sure that didnt mean going to his bed. Heath jerked his chin at the door to Starks room.
I raised my brows at Heath.
He sighed. I said Id share you with the stupid vamps if I had to, but I didnt say Id like it.
I shook my head. Youre not sharing me with anyone tonight. Im just going to make sure Starks okay, then go to my own bed. Alone. By myself. Got it?
Got it. He grinned and then kissed me softly. See you soon, Zo.
See you soon, Heath.
I watched him walk away down the hall. He was tall and muscular and looked every inch the star quarterback. He was all set to go to OU on a full-ride scholarship next year, and then, after college, he was going to be either a cop or a fireman. Whichever he chose there was one thing for certainHeath would be one of the good guys.
But could he do all that, would he do all that, and also be a vampyre High Priestesss consort?
Yes. Hell, yes. I am going to make sure Heath gets the future hes dreamed of and planned since we were kids. Sure, some parts of it will be different. Neither of us planned on the vamp stuff. Some parts of it will be hardlike, well, the vamp stuff. But the truth is, I care about Heath too much to force him out of my life and I care about him too much to mess up his life. So we are just going to have to make it work. Period. The end.
You going to go in, or are you just going to stand out here and stress?
Holy crap, Aphrodite! Could you not sneak up and scare me?
No one was sneaking, and holy crap, is that a curse? Cause if it is, Im afraid Im going to have to wake up the Potty Mouth Police and have them make an arrest. Darius followed Aphrodite into the hall and gave her a be nice look, which made her sigh and say, So. Starks not dead yet.
Gosh, thanks for that update. You just made me feel ever so much better, I said sarcastically.
Dont be a pain in my ass while Im trying to be nice.
I turned my attention to the only responsible adult in the area and asked Darius, Does he need anything?
The warrior hesitated for only an instant, but it was an instant that I caught. Then he said, No. He is doing well. I believe he will recover completely.
Well I dragged out the word, wondering what the hell was really going on. Was Stark hurt worse than Darius was admitting? Ill check on him real quick, then Im going to bed. I raised a brow at Aphrodite. You and I are roomies. Darius is rooming with Damien and Jack. Uh, that means youre not sleeping with him cause that would freak the nuns. You got that, right?
Oh. No. You so didnt need to give me that Anne of Green Gables lecture! Like I cant behave with some propriety? Are you remembering my parents purchased propriety for Tulsa? My. Dad. Is. The. Mayor. I cant believe I have to deal with this shit.
Darius and I stared, speechless, as Aphrodite worked herself up into a seriously extraordinary hissy fit.
I heard the damn nun. Plus, its not like this abbey is exactly romantic. Like I want to have hot monkey sex while the penguins cross themselves and pray? Ugh. Not hardly. Goddess! I may melt if I stay here too long.
When she paused to take a breath, I inserted, I didnt mean I didnt think you knew how to act. I was just kinda reminding you, thats all.
Yeah? Bullshit. Youre a really bad liar, Z. She walked over to Darius and kissed him hard on the mouth. Later, lover. Ill miss you in my bed. She gave me a disgusted glance. Just say night-night to boyfriend number three and get your butt to our room. I do not like to be awakened after Ive retired to my boudoir. Aphrodite tossed her long, gorgeous blond hair and twitched away.
Shes really amazing, Darius said as he gazed lovingly after her.
If by amazing you mean a total pain in the butt, then Ill agree with you. I held up my hand, stopping his shes-really-not-that-bad comment before he could make it. I dont want to talk about your girlfriend right now. I just want to know how Starks really doing.
Stark is healing.
I could almost see the big gap in the rest of his sentence. I raised both brows at the warrior. But
But nothing. Stark is healing.
Why do I think theres more to it than that?
Darius waited a beat and then he smiled a little sheepishly. Perhaps because you are intuitive enough to feel that there is more to it than that.
All right, what is it?
Its about energy and spirit and blood. Or rather Starks need of and lack of them.
I blinked a couple times, trying to understand exactly what Darius was saying, and then I sucked in air as the lightbulb went on over my head and I felt like a total idiot for not understanding sooner. Hes been hurtlike I wasand he has to have blood to heal, just like I did. Well, why didnt you say something before? Crap! I kept babbling on as my mind raced, I dont especially want him to bite Aphrodite, but
No! Darius interrupted, looking more than a little upset at the thought of Stark drinking from his girlfriend. Aphrodites Imprint with Stevie Rae makes her blood repellent to other vampyres.
Well, hell! Lets get him a blood baggie or whatever, and I guess I could try to find a human he could bite My voice trailed off. I hated, hated, hated thinking about Stark drinking from anyone else. I mean, I had already had to deal with his extracurricular biting before hed pledged himself as my Warrior and gone through the Change. I had hoped that the days of his biting other girls were behind him. I still hoped it! But I wouldnt be so selfish that my feelings kept him from getting what he needed to heal.
Ive already given him some blood the sisters had on ice in the infirmary. Hes not in danger of dying. He will recover.
But? I was exasperated that Dariuss sentences all seemed to have these big unfilled-in blanks at the end of them.
But when a Warrior is pledged to the service of a High Priestess, there is a special bond between them.
Yeah, I already know that.
That bond is more than just an oath. Since ancient times Nyx has blessed her High Priestesses and the Warriors who serve them. The two of you are linked through the Goddesss blessing. It gives him intuitive knowledge about you that makes it easier for him to protect you.
Intuitive knowledge? You mean like an Imprint? Goddess! Was this like I was Imprinted with two guys?
An Imprint and a Warrior Bond have similarities. Both bind two people together. But an Imprint is a cruder form of a connection.
Cruder? What do you mean?
I mean that even though an Imprint often happens between a vampyre and a human for whom she cares deeply, it is a connection that originates in the blood and is ruled by the basest of our emotions: passion, lust, need, hunger, pain. He hesitated, obviously trying to choose his words carefully. You have experienced some of that with your consort, have you not?
My nod was stiff and my cheeks felt hot.
Contrast that bond with the Oath Bond you have with Stark.
Well, I havent had it very long. I really dont know much about it. But as I said the words, I realized that I did already know that the connection I had with Stark went beyond wanting to drink from him. Actually, I hadnt even really thought about drinking from himor him drinking from me.
As your Warrior serves you longer, you will understand more of your bond with him. Your link with your Warrior means he could develop the ability to sense many of your emotions. For instance, if a High Priestess is suddenly threatened, the Warrior pledged to her may feel her fear, and follow that emotional trail to his Priestess so that he may protect her from whatever is threatening.
II didnt know that, I stuttered nervously.
Dariuss smile was wry. I hate to sound like Damien, but you really should find time to read your Fledgling Handbook.
Yeah, thats on the top of my to-do list as soon as my world stops exploding. Okay, so, Stark might be able to tell if Im afraid. What does that have to do with him being hurt?
Your connection isnt as simple as just the possibility of him sensing your fear. Its also about energy and spirit. Your Warrior may eventually be able to feel many of your strong emotions, especially as he spends more and more time in your service.
The memory of the very emotional experience Id shared with A-ya while shed trapped Kalona had my stomach tightening at Dariuss explanation. Go on, I said.
A Warrior can absorb his Priestesss emotions. He can also absorb spirit from her, especially if his Priestess has a strong affinity. Often he can tap into that affinity.
What in the hell does that mean, Darius?
It means he can literally absorb energy through your blood.
Are you saying its me Stark needs to bite? Okay, Ill admit that my heart started to speed up at the thought. SeriouslyI was already mega-attracted to Stark and I knew sharing blood with him would be a very hot experience.
It would also break Heaths heart, and what if drinking from me let Stark into my mind and he saw what was going on with my memories of A-ya? Hell! Hell! Hell! Hell! Hell! Hell! Then a new thought hit me. Hey, wait. You said Stark couldnt bite Aphrodite because shes Imprinted with someone else and other vamps dont want her blood. Im Imprinted with Heath. Does that mess up my blood for Stark?
Darius shook his head. No, the Imprint only changes a humans blood.
So mine will work for Stark?
Yes, your blood would definitely help him to heal, and he knows it, which is why Im taking the time to explain all of this to you. Darius continued as if I wasnt having a mini emotional breakdown right in front of him. And you should also know he is refusing to drink from you.
What? Hes refusing to drink from me? Okay, sure, a second before Id been worried about what would happen if Stark bit me, but that didnt mean I wanted to be rejected by him!
He knows youve recently healed from the Raven Mockers attack. The creature almost killed you, Zoey. Stark doesnt want to take anything from you that might weaken you. If he drank from you he wouldnt just be absorbing your blood; he would be taking energy and spirit from you. Factor in that none of us knows where Kalona and Neferet have gone, and that means we dont know when you might have to face them again. I agree with his decision to refuse to drink. You need to be at full strength.
So does my Warrior, I countered.
Darius sighed and nodded his head slowly. Agreed, but he can be replaced. You cannot.
He cant be replaced! I blurted.
I do not mean to sound unfeeling, but you must be wisein all of your decisions.
Stark cant be replaced, I repeated stubbornly.
As you will, Priestess. He bowed his head slightly, and then suddenly changed the subject. Now that you understand the ramifications of a Warriors Oath, I would like to ask your permission for me to pledge myself formally.
I swallowed hard. Well, Darius, I really like you and youve taken seriously good care of me, but I think Id feel kinda awkward having two guys pledged to me. As if I didnt have enough guy issues?
Dariuss smile was quick. He shook his head and I got the distinct impression he was trying not to laugh at me. You misunderstand. I will stay with you and lead those who guard you, but I would like to pledge my Warriors Oath to Aphroditethat is what Im asking your permission to do.
You want to be bound to Aphrodite?
I do. I know it is irregular for a vampyre Warrior to pledge to a human, but Aphrodite is not a normal human.
Youre telling me, I mumbled. He went on as if I hadnt spoken.
She is truly a prophetess, which puts her in the same category as a High Priestess of Nyx.
It wont mess up your Warriors bond to have her Imprinted with Stevie Rae?
Darius shrugged. We shall see. I am willing to take the chance.
You love her, dont you?
He met my gaze steadily and his smile warmed. I do.
Shes seriously a pain in the butt.
Shes unique, he countered. And she needs my protection, especially in the days to come.
Well, you have a point there. I shrugged. Okay, you have my permission. Dont say I didnt warn you about the pain-in-the-butt part, though.
I wouldnt think of it. Thank you, Priestess. Please, do not say anything to Aphrodite. I would like to make my offer privately to her.
My lips are totally sealed. I made a little pantomime of zipping up my lips and throwing away the key.
Then I bid you good night. He fisted his hand over his heart, bowed, and he was gone.
CHAPTER 10
Zoey
I stayed out in the hall, trying to sift through the mess of thoughts in my head.
Wow! Darius was going to ask Aphrodite to accept his Warriors Oath. Jeesh. A vampyre warrior and a human prophet of the Goddess. Huh. Who knew?
On an equally freaky note: Stark could feel my emotions if they were strong enough. Well, I had a strong feeling that was going to be inconvenient. And then I realized I was feeling strong about feeling strongly, and I tried to clamp down on everything, which just stressed me out, which he could probably sense. Undoubtedly, I was going to drive my own self crazy.
Stifling a sigh, I opened the door quietly. The only light was coming from one of those tall prayer candlesthe kind you can find in the grocery store that have really weird religious pictures on them. This one wasnt so weird. It was pink, had a pretty picture of Mary on it, and it smelled like roses.
I tiptoed over to Starks bedside.
He didnt look good, but he also wasnt as pale and awful as he had been not long before. He seemed to be asleepor at least his eyes were closedhis breathing was regular, and he looked relaxed. He didnt have a shirt on, and the hospital sheet was pulled up under his arms so that I could just see the white top of what must have been a huge bandage covering his chest. I remembered how terrible the burn had been and wondered if, even considering the possible ramifications, I should make a cut in my arm like Heath had done for me, and then shove it against his mouth. Hed probably latch on to it automatically and, without thinking, drink what he needed to heal. But would he be pissed when hed realized what Id done? Probably. I knew Heath and Erik certainly would be.
Crap. Erik. I hadnt even begun to deal with him yet.
Stop stressing.
I jumped and my gaze instantly went to Starks face. His eyes werent closed any longer. He was watching me with an expression that was somewhere between amused and sarcastic.
Stop psychically eavesdropping.
I wasnt. I could tell by watching you gnaw your lip that you were stressing yourself out. So, I guess Darius talked to you.
Yeah, he has. Did you know about all that went along with giving me your Warriors Oath before you did it?
Yeah, mostly. I mean Id read about it at school, and we talked about it in Vamp Soc Class this past year. Its different to actually experience it, though.
Can you really feel what I feel? I asked hesitantly, almost as afraid to know the truth as to not know it.
Im starting to, only its not like I can hear your thoughts or anything crazy like that. I just feel things sometimes, and I know theyre not coming from me. I mostly ignored it when it first happened, but then I realized what was going on and paid more attention to it. He started to smile.
Stark, I have to tell you that kinda makes me feel spied on.
His expression went totally serious. Im not spying on you. This isnt about me following you around with my mind. Im not going to invade your privacy; Im going to keep you safe. I thought you He broke off, looking away from me. Never mind. Its not important. You should just know Im not going to use this thing between us to be like a creeper and mentally stalk you.
You thought I what? Finish what you started to say.
He let out a long, exasperated breath and met my eyes again. What I started to say is that I thought you trusted me more than that. Thats one of the reasons I decided to give you my oath, because you trusted me when no one else did.
I do trust you, I said quickly.
But you think Id spy on you? Trust and spying dont go together.
When he put it that way, I could see his point, and some of my initial freak-out started to fade. I dont think youd do it on purpose, but if my emotions are blabbing at you, or whatever they do, then it would be easy for you to, well I trailed off and fidgeted, not comfortable with the whole conversation.
Spy? he finished for me. No. I wont. Hows this: Ill pay attention to the psychic stuff I get from you if youre scared. Other than that Ill ignore how youre feeling. He met my eyes and I could see his hurt there. Crap! I hadnt meant to hurt him.
Youll ignore everything Im feeling? I asked softly.
He nodded and the movement made him grimace in pain, but his voice was steady when he answered. Everything except what I need to know to protect you.
Without speaking, I reached out slowly and took his hand.
He didnt pull away from me, but he also didnt say anything.
Look, I started this whole conversation wrong. I do trust you. I was just surprised when Darius told me about the psychic thing.
Surprised? Starks lips tilted up.
Okay, maybe completely freaked is a better word. Its just that I have a bunch of stuff going on and I guess Im stressing.
Youre stressing for sure, he said. And by bunch of stuff do you mean those two guys, Heath and Erik?
I sighed. Sadly, I do.
He laced his fingers through mine. Those other guys dont change anything. My Oath binds us.
For a second he sounded too darn much like Heath, and I had to force myself not to fidget again.
I really dont want to talk about them with you right now. Or ever I thought, but didnt say.
I got ya, he said. I dont feel like talking about those punks right now either. He tugged on my hand. Why dont you sit by me for a little while?
I sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, not wanting to jostle him too much or hurt him.
Im not gonna break, he said, giving me his cocky grin.
You almost broke, I said.
Nah, you saved me. And Im going to be okay.
So, does it hurt really bad?
Ive felt better, he said. But the creamy stuff the nuns gave Darius to spread on the burn helps. Except for my chest being all tight, its mostly numb right now. But even as he spoke he shifted restlessly, as if he couldnt get comfortable. Hows it going out there? He abruptly changed the subject before I could ask him any more about how he was feeling. Did all the Raven Mockers take off with Kalona?
I think so. Stevie Rae and the guys found three of them dead. I paused, remembering Stevie Raes weird reaction to Dallas telling her that theyd put the bodies in the trash.
What is it? Stark asked.
I dont know exactly, I answered him honestly. Therere things going on with Stevie Rae that are worrying me.
Like? he prompted.
I looked down at our joined hands. How much could I tell him? Could I really talk to him?
Im your Warrior. You can trust me with your life. That means you can also trust me with your secrets. I met his eyes, and he continued, smiling sweetly at me. Were Oath-bound. Thats a stronger tie than what happens between an Imprint or even between mates. Ill never betray you, Zoey. Ever. You can count on me.
For an instant I wanted to tell him about my memory of A-ya, but instead I blurted, I think Stevie Raes hiding red fledglings. Bad ones.
His easy smile vanished and he started to sit up, then sucked in a sharp breath and went totally white.
No! You cant get up! I pressed his shoulders gently back.
You have to tell Darius, Stark said through clenched teeth.
I have to talk to Stevie Rae first.
I dont think thats
Seriously! I have to talk to Stevie Rae first. I took his hand again, trying to will him through my touch to understand. Shes my best friend.
You trust her?
I want to trust her. I have trusted her. My shoulders slumped in defeat. But if she doesnt come clean with the truth when I talk to her, I will go to Darius.
I need to get out of this damn bed so I can make sure youre not surrounded by enemies!
Im not surrounded by enemies! Stevie Rae isnt my enemy. I sent up a silent prayer to Nyx that I was right about that. Look, Ive kept things from my friends beforebad things. I raised a brow and shot him a Look. I kept you from my friends.
He grinned. Well, thats different.
I didnt let him tease me out of being serious. No, its really not.
Okay, I hear what youre saying, but Im still not okay with it. I dont suppose I can get you to bring Stevie Rae here when you talk to her?
I squidged my forehead at him. No, not likely.
Then promise me that youll be careful and you wont go off alone with her somewhere to talk.
She wouldnt do anything to hurt me!
Actually, Im assuming she cant hurt you, being as you have control of five elements to her one. But you dont know what kind of powers these rogue fledglings shes hiding have, or how many of them there are. And I know a little something about being a badass red fledgling. So promise youll be careful.
Yeah, okay. I promise.
Good. He relaxed a little bit back on the bed.
Hey, I dont want you to worry about me right now. You just need to concentrate on getting better. I drew a deep, fortifying breath and continued, I think its a good idea for you to drink from me.
No.
Look, you want to be able to protect me, right?
Right, he said, nodding tightly.
Then that means you have to get well fast so you can. Right?
Yeah.
And youll get well quicker if you drink from me, so its only logical that you do.
Have you looked in a mirror lately? he asked abruptly.
Huh?
Do you have any idea how tired you look?
I could feel my cheeks getting warm. I really havent had time lately to worry about stuff like makeup and doing my hair, I said defensively.
Im not talking about makeup or hair. Im talking about how pale you look. You have dark circles under your eyes. His gaze slid down to where my shirt covered the long scar that stretched from one of my shoulders to another. Hows your cut?
Fine. With my free hand I tugged up my shirt, even though I knew none of the scar was exposed.
Hey, he said gently. Ive already seen it, remember?
I met his eyes. Yes, I remembered. Actually, hed not just seen my scarhed seen all of me. Naked. Okay, now my entire face felt hot.
Im not mentioning it to embarrass you. Im just trying to remind you that youve almost died lately, too. We need you to be strong and well, Zoey. I need you to be strong and well. And thats why Im not going to take anything from you right now.
But I need you to be strong and well, too.
I will be. Hey, dont worry about me. Apparently, Im practically impossible to kill. He grinned his cute, cocky smile.
Keep my stress level in mind. Practically impossible is not the same as impossible.
Ill try to remember that. He pulled on my hand. Lay down next to me for a little while. I like it when youre close.
Are you sure Im not going to hurt you?
Im almost positive you will hurt me. He smiled, making his words teasing, but I still want you close. Come here to me.
I let him tug me down so that I was lying next to him. Curled on my side I faced him, resting my head carefully against his shoulder. He reached across his body and draped an arm over me, pulling me more firmly against him. I said Im not going to break. Now relax.
I sighed, and willed myself to relax. I wrapped my arm around his waist, being careful not to jostle him too much or touch his chest. Stark closed his eyes and I watched his face go from tight and pale to relaxed and pale as his breathing deepened. I swear within a minute he was sound asleep.
That was exactly what I wanted him to be for what Id decided to do. I drew three deep, cleansing breaths, centered myself, and then whispered, Spirit, come to me.
Instantly I felt the familiar stirring within me, like Id just understood something unbelievably magickal, as my soul responded to the infilling of the fifth element, spirit.
Now, quietly, carefully, gently, go to Stark. Help him. Fill him. Strengthen him, but dont wake him up. I spoke softly, mentally crossing my fingers that hed stay asleep. As spirit left me I felt Starks body stiffen for an instant, then he trembled, and then he let out a long, sleepy sigh while spirit soothed and, hopefully, strengthened him. I watched for a little while more; then slowly, I untangled myself from Stark and, with a last whisper asking spirit to stay with him while he slept, tiptoed from the room, closing the door gently behind me.
Id only taken a couple steps when I realized I didnt have a clue where I was going. I stopped and felt my shoulders slump. A nun, who had been walking with her eyes cast down, hurried past me and gave a little jolt as she looked up and our gazes met.
Sister Bianca? I thought I recognized her.
Oh, Zoey, yes its me. Its so dark in the hall I almost didnt see you.
Sister, I guess Im lost. Can you point me in the right direction to my room?
She smiled kindly, reminding me of Sister Mary Angela, even though she wasnt nearly as old. Keep going down this hall until you come to the stairwell. Take it up to the top floor, and I do believe the room youre sharing with Aphrodite is number thirteen.
Lucky thirteen, I sighed. That figures.
Dont you believe we make our own luck?
I shrugged. Actually, Sister, Im too tired to know what I believe right now.
She patted my arm. Well, go on to bed then. Ill say a prayer to Our Lady for you. Her intervention is better than luck any day.
Thanks.
I headed in the direction of the stairwell. By the time I got to the top floor I was sucking air like an old woman, and the scar that stretched across my chest was burning and throbbing in time with the fast beating of my heart. I opened the door, went out into the hallway, and leaned heavily against the wall, trying to catch my breath. Absently, I rubbed at my chest, wincing because it was still really sore. I pulled down the neck of my shirt, hoping the stupid wound hadnt broken open again. My breath caught as I saw the new tattooing that decorated either side of the raised red line.