Zoey
No daughter, it's not all over. It's just the beginning...
The words seemed to cut through the air like a knife as their meaning sunk in. It was far from over. I still had Neferet and Kalona and the High council and a whole load of other messed up stuff to deal with. I sighed, yes it was far from being over. I gasped as I felt a familiar burning sensation over my legs and my back and my gasp was echoed by the vampires in the room around me.
"Shit you have another tattoo" Aphrodite whispered breaking the silence.
I rolled my eyes, but saw Aphrodite's face full on as I looked up. I wasn't quite sure if it was possible, but I thought that Aphrodite might be crying! I couldn't help looking down. An intricate design of flowers intertwined with arrows wove its way around my legs and down to my feet, reminding me of both the other world and Stark, my guardian, I wanted to see what had happened to my back because as far as I knew I already had tattoos there, but stripping in front of all of these people didn't seem like the best way to make a first impression. I smiled and whispered a silent thank you to my goddess.
"You have clearly pleased Nyx"
I looked up towards the throne and saw that it was the warrior who had been talking. She was beautiful. A mass of metallic, silver, cinnamon streaked hair framed her face. Beautiful amber eyes bored into mine so that I could see flecks of greens mixed into the gold. I notice that the man who had been hacking away into stark was now standing by her side their his hand touching her arm. It wasn't a particularly romantic gesture, but it was so intimate that I found that I kinda had to look away.
"Merry meet" I said slowly, bowing and fisting my hand over my heart. "I'm Zoey Redbird, High priestess of the Tulsa house of night."
"Merry meet Priestess, I am Sgiach, Queen of the warriors"
I had to try really hard to stop myself saying 'can't only men be warriors?' which was exactly what was on my mind. I nodded to her.
"Thank you. I think that it might be because of you I'm here"
She smiled knowingly reminding me of Nyx and Grandma Redbird at the same time.
"No. I think it's because of your guardian"
I turned my attention back to Stark. His wounds were no longer bleeding- the elements had made
sure of that, but he hadn't returned. I felt panic rise within me.
"He isn't here though"
I bent over and kissed his forehead. I shuddered. He was cold unnaturally cold.
"He will be returnen wumman" The warrior who stood beside Sgiach chirped up, in his thick Scottish accent.
I couldn't help smirking.
"Hurry up and get your soul back into your body will ya?" I whispered.
I don't know why I expected it to work and it didn't I sighed and closed my eyes. Almost instantly Aphrodite was by my side with a hand on Stark's wrist. It was almost funny how hard she was concentrating and she was whispering something softly which was too quiet for me to hear.
"He's on his way" Aphrodite finalised.
"How do you know that?"
As far as I knew Aphrodite didn't have the magical power of knowing if someones soul was on the way back to their body. Still I had been gone for... actually how long had I been gone for? It had seemed like an age had passed in the otherworld. A sudden wave of panic washed over me as I wondered what I could have missed, but then again Kalona had been there to so nothing too terrible could have happened.
"Being a Prophetess is not the only gift that this women possesses"
I looked up at Sgiach- again. I couldn't work out why but something about her reminded me of Kalona. Not in the way that she was evil and crazy and completely messed up, but the fact that she was ancient and powerful.
I grinned triumphantly as I heard a sigh escape Starks lips and he grinned his cockey grin before opening his eyes and sitting up. He looked up at me his eyes shining and without stopping to think about his injuries I wrapped my arms around him and held him close to me, promising myself that I'd never let him come so close to death again. It was a super inappropriate time, but it didn't stop Aphrodite's phone from blurting out the song respect as she answered it with a 'hey Stevie Rae'. I ignored her as Stark stroked my hair and put his lips against my ear.
"I'm so glad I've got you back Zo" He murmured. "But this really hurts"
I stepped away from him instantly as I looked at his bare chest and all the red scar lines that covered it, in the shape of arrows. I felt tears prick in the corner of my eyes, only it wasn't really me who should be crying. He'd been so brave and gone through all of this just to save me and I sure as hell hoped that I was worth it.
