Zoey Redbird had her weekend planned out. Zoey along with her boyfriend Erik Night, and her great friends: Damien, the Twins, Jack, Stevie Rae, and even Aphrodite were planning a little get away after their incredible events. But suddenly she wakes up one morning and finds herself in a hospital bed and she cannot remember a thing of how she got there! Everyone is concerned even more when Zoey finds out that her illness is a curse placed on her and the onlyperson that can help her save her life is that of Neferet's who has disappeared with Kalona.

Can Zoey and her friends help her find Neferet before it's too late?

Zoey POV


Chapter 1: Camping Trip Gone South

I was in my room packing along with Stevie Rae trying to find out what I should wear for this weekend's camping trip. Everyone was spending the afternoon packing just before we have our movie night – or night; however you want to look at it. I couldn't wait to spend a weekend with my friends! After everything that has happened with Kalona and the House of Night things were just starting to get back to normal – as far as normal goes.

I haven't heard from Heath in a while, I hope he's okay. Everyone is telling me that it is better that we haven't spoken. I am with Erik now, why would I want to ruin it. And our imprint hasn't really been broken so I still know that he's okay.

"Well I think I'm about done. How's bout you?" Stevie Rae asked.

I was hardly done. It was only two nights but I was having the hardest time thinking of what I should be packing. So I did something my mom would do: pack in three pants, three shorts, three tang tops, five T-shirts, six pairs of socks, a couple underwear's and bras. After I was done my suitcase wouldn't close without me sitting on it; as my mom would say: better to be over packed then under packed and in this case I really didn't know what to pack so I just stuffed my suitcase.

"We can work it out after movie night. We don't want to keep everyone waiting right?" I said.

Stevie Rae has been staying at the House of Night for the past few nights. Grandma is getting better and is in recovering at home so I thought that since everything has calmed down that she could stay here with me. We walked downstairs in our P.J's and everyone was there waiting for us. Erin and Shaunee were sitting on one couch together with their feet up on the table. Cole and T.J were in the middle of them. Damon and Jack were cuddled in each other's arm on the beanie bag chair on the floor.

Erik had the reclining chair for us. I plopped myself on top of Erik and he greeted me with a kiss on my neck. I grinned at him, "What's the movie pick for tonight?" I asked.

"I wanted to watch Star Wars, but it seems to me that the votes on 300." Erik whispered to me.

Naturally, I thought, everyone loved 300, "Sounds good to me." I agreed with everyone and then whispering to Erik, "Maybe Star Wars next time." I giggled.

Erik looked at me and sighed a tired and retreated sigh. Jack started the movie and everyone fell silent during the movie. It was a good movie, I really liked it. I couldn't imagine myself living a life like the one in the movie but my life as a vampire really didn't seem to compare. My life was real, but it seemed so natural.

When the movie was over I felt a bit more tired than I thought I would – and I even had three brown pop that night. But somehow my eyes were really heavy. I stretch and all most wacked Erik in his face. He looked at me and he went from playfully irritated to concern.

"You all right Z? You look like a bus just hit you?"

I nodded, "Somehow I look really tired but I'm not." My voice didn't give a hint of how I was feeling. But I could feel sleep coming over me.

"Who's up for another movie?" T.J asked.

Lucky for me Stevie Rae came to my rescue, "Actually Zoey and I still have a lot of packing to do for tomorrow. We're seriously behind. We'll see you guys tomorrow all right?"

Everyone also added that they needed to do some packing for themselves so we all ending up leaving to pack our things. But the moment I got into my room I hit my bed. Tonight my bed felt hard and uncomfortable.

"You okay Zoe? You did look like you were going to fall asleep through the movie. It was no Finding Nemo but still it was good enough to keep you awake wasn't it?"

I shook my head, "I don't know why I'm so tired all of a sudden. I think I just need a nap. Why don't you wake me up in an hour Stevie so we can finish packing our things?"

"Good idea. I'll take a shower then. I'll wake you up in an hour." Stevie told me. I sighed thanking her and then closing my eyes. God why was I tried all of a sudden? Three brown pop is normally enough to keep me going throughout the night.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I dreamt that I was in a deep hole in the ground and when I looked up I could see light. But there was no way I could get out of there. There was no one around for me to call for help. I began to walk in a circle screaming for my friends, screaming for their help. But no one was around, I was alone. That's when I heard a laugh. I knew that laugh. It was a sweet, seductive laugh that sounded like it came from an angle. Kalona.

I began to run but I kept hitting wall after wall. It was as if they were closing in on me. I was panicking. I then saw Kalona figure walking towards me, getting closer and closer. I wanted to scream but I was too scared, I felt my body freeze. I could no longer move, I wasn't even sure if I was still breathing. I was scared…no I was terrified.

"Zoey my love, my A-ya; did you think you could run from me forever?"

I was speechless; he was back in my dreams? How did he find me? I wanted to die right there. His face was just as beautiful as I remembered. I wanted to run into his arms, to be hidden within them. I knew he was dangerous, I knew he was evil. But everyone loved him, and even I had a hard time not looking at him within all of this darkness.

"Stay away." I managed to say. I saw the hurt on Kalona face. I wanted to tell him to run back to Neferet because I would not love him. I wouldn't allow myself to be in love with a monster…no matter how angelic he looked to me. I closed my eyes and then I could feel Kalona breathing over me. His breath smelt of blood…blood! Sweet and mouth-watering blood made me shiver inside. It made me want to jump onto him and just take in the taste but that was his trap. That is what he wanted me to do. I fought back with everything I could and then felt Kalona cup my face in his hands; my eyes still remained closed. I couldn't look at him.

"Zoey my Zoey bird; unless you give into me, you'll suffer. Is that what you want?"

I was about to say something but then I heard my name being called, "Zoey, Z, Zoe! " So I broke away from Kalona and began to look for my friends.

"You'll pay Zoey Redbird."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I woke up but my eyes were still close. What a nightmare. That's when I felt a burning in my chest. A horrible, unbearable burning. My eyes flung open and the first person I saw was Erik hovering over me. His eyes swimming with concern, that's when I grabbed onto his sleeve

"Ah! It burns!" I shouted. Before I knew it my body was jerking itself in multiple positions to make the pain stop, "Ah damn it! Erik it hurts!" I screamed holding onto to Erik tightly.

"Damien get help fast!" Erik shouted. I was screaming uncontrollably, the burning in my chest felt like someone had placed inside of me. Erik began to rub my head gently, "It's all right Z, we're getting help." Erik looked so scared. Moments later Stevie Rae to my other hand, I turned to her but couldn't speak.

"Erik what do we do she's in so much pain!" Stevie Rae voice was drenched in tears.

"Zoey look at me, you're going to be all right." Erik said, his voice was so confident, "You're going to be okay you understand me?" He repeated over and over but I wanted to tell him no, Erik I can't. I was in so much pain that I couldn't help but scream. It did no good – the pain was torturing me. It was as if my blood was trying to burn through my skin, and my skin was burning off my bone. My organs felt on fire too, I was dying – I was sure of it.

That moment Professor Dragon came and looked at me, "Everyone out of the room! Now!" He shouted. Within seconds everyone cleared the room. Professor Dragon looked over me and sighed, and then he injected something in me. Slowly the pain began to fade and I stopped twitching. My arms were gripped onto the bars. I couldn't let go. It was as if my hands were frozen on them. I was breathing hard, sobbing from the pain that left my body aching.

"Zoey! Zoey can you hear me?" Prof Dragon was calling to me. I was staring at him but I couldn't answer. It was as if my voice was gone and I had nothing inside of me anymore. It was as if the fire burnt up everything inside me and left me empty.

"Dragon?" It was Professor Lenobia, "I heard what happened to the student. Is it true?"

"She can still hear us Lenobia, call in her friends. They might be more help than we can be and we shall talk outside." Dragon looked so tired; he looked as if he couldn't look at me anymore. I watched as Dragon inject the IV's with blood in them to keep me going. I felt a little better and the pain was gone but I was still twitching.

My friends came flooding into the room. I looked around room to see that I wasn't in my room anymore. How did I get here? What happened to me last night? I was in the hospital wing that much I knew.

"Zoey, hey baby are you all right now?" Erik said I turned to him as he was holding my hands, but I couldn't reply to him, I tired but it wouldn't come out, "Zoey? Zoey it's me. Can you hear me Z? She isn't responding."

I then heard my friends breaking out into cries. I saw Jack break down into Damien's arm. The Twins were comforting each other and Stevie Rae was beside Aphrodite on the other side of my bed. Aphrodite noticed my hand gripped onto the bar railing and I saw her look as if she wanted to break down into a blood wrenching cry. But she composed herself and looked to Erik.

"Zoey's hand Erik; they're gripped onto the railing of her bed. She can't break loose it on her own." Aphrodite said.

Erik looked from her to my hand. He slowly began to rip them from the bars and gasped. My hands had gone blue and purple from grabbing onto the bar too hard from the pain. I was still breathing hard, remembering the pain…and then remembered the dream from Kalona.

"Z, you said you were just going to sleep for an hour. When I came to wake you, you wouldn't, I called the Twins to help me but no one could wake you up. We got so scared; though you were breathing we were sure something had happened to you." Stevie Rae said in tears.

I watched her, why couldn't I speak? What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I tell them that I wasn't in pain anymore? And that I don't remembered what happened to me to make me end up in the hospital wing. Darius walked into the room and over to Aphrodite. He took her into his arms and looked at her with assuring eyes. He then looked at the group; he had something to tell them. But first Darius walked over to me and held my face in his large hands for a moment. He looked worried and concerned for me also.

"I've just finished talking to Professor Dragon and Lenobia outside. They tell me that Zoey's pain is unlike what they've ever seen before. They believe that he only thing that could cause Zoey this pain is a curse."

"A curse?" Damien repeated, "That's impossible. There isn't anyone around to curse Zoey. No one wants to see her go through that much pain anymore!" Damien voice seemed fierce and most importantly worried. Everyone in the room knew that there was someone that wanted me to go through pain that badly. But they knew that Neferet wasn't there anymore, so how could it be her.

And then I thought back to my dream. Kalona said he would make me suffer, that he would make me pay for breaking his heart. Could this be what he meant? That he could cause me unbearable pain if I didn't do what he wanted me to? If I didn't give into him?

I then grasped onto Erik's hand, he shot a look at me, "Zoey?"

I tried to talk but no words came into my mouth, I felt like my voice was that of an ashy building. It was burnt down and there was nothing left to it.

"She can't speak?" Darius seemed surprised; he released Aphrodite and walked over to me, taking my hand from Stevie Rae gently, "Zoey look at me; you know who did this to you don't you?" I nodded and everyone gasped, "Zoey, you need to tell me how you know, somehow Zoey. Can you move your hands? Could you write? Try to speak to us."

I tried everything he told me to do but I couldn't, I couldn't do anything he asked of me and it made me so upset! Why couldn't I just move! Tears began to roll down my eyes. Frustration and sadness pulled over me. I felt so hopeless.

"Zoey do not cry. I am going to get you help." Darius said walking out of the room. Everyone came and sat around my bed; looking at me. They were worried for me, and to be honest I was worried for myself. I didn't know what was happening to me or what could happen to me. Dragon walked into the room again with Darius behind him; Dragon walked over to me and then pulled out a mirror and held it over me.

"This mirror looks into a person's soul. I am going to break the spell binds your soul. It might be painful. I apologize. Erik, Stevie Rae, and Damon I am going to have to ask you to hold her down from her chest and arms. Shaunee, Erin and Jack you need to hold her legs." Dragon explained.

"Will it be that painful Professor?" Jack asked. His voice was shaking.

Dragon said nothing and I felt everyone pressing down against me. Everyone looked away from me, tears in their eyes as Dragon held the mirror over me and chanted a few words onto me and suddenly I felt like my insides were ripping. I screamed and tired to break away from everyone but they held their grip on me. Keeping me down, I couldn't even pay attention to what they were saying to me, I looked to the professor. Dragon kept chanting as I felt my inside's moving! It was unbearable but then the pain began to stop and I wasn't moving anymore.

"It's over Zoey. I'm sorry about that." Dragon began. I was breathing hard, and uneven, "Can you talk?"

I took in a deep breath, "Never again." I said before realizing I could speak. Everyone smiled. Erik whipped the sweat from my face, "That was überpainful." My voice was low and weak.

"Zoey; you had me scared shitless." Erik whispered into my ear. I could hear the tears in his voice. Erik was rubbing the side of my face, he was hiding within my hair, I could feel his tears.

"Erik." I whispered back quietly into his face but he didn't move.

"Zoey who did this to you? Do you know how cursed you?" Darius asked.

I nodded, "I dreamt about Kalona. He told me that if I didn't become his love he'd make me suffer. I was alone in my dream and broke free. Then there was this burning in my chest as if a fire was running through me and burning everything inside of me. That mirror wasn't great either; I could feel as if my insides were ripping." I explained.

"And I am sorry to tell you that the pain is far from over Zoey Redbird. I am fearful that if we do not reverse this curse on you, the pain will only grow more and more unbearable until a point." Dragon's last words were low as if he didn't want to say it.

"You mean until she dies?" Aphrodite was the only one brave enough to say it.

Dragon nodded, "I am afraid so. And I am sure that Kalona would never take back his curse. There might be someone that could help you thought Zoey." Dragon took a pause before speaking again, "Neferet might however be able to counteract it."

"NO WAY!" Everyone shouted.

"Yeah Neferet wanted Zoey dead in the first place." Shaunee stated.

"There's no way that bad-ass would do what we want!" Erin followed.

Dragon nodded, "Then we have no choice. The Professors and I already figured that you were cursed. But we will try out best Zoey to help you. Until then you'll have to stay here in case of another attack. We cannot guarantee you how long you've got."

"Oh, Zoey no." Stevie Rae said sobbing into Aphrodite shoulder. Aphrodite face staid the same. She was scared for me. Even Darius could see it in her face and took her into his arms without moving Stevie.

I laid back on my pillow and watched Dragon leave the room, "You guys we have to track Neferet. We're going camping this weekend and we're going to find her." I proclaimed.

"Zoey no." Damien said in a stern voice, "You're in no condition to be running around in the middle of the woods when you could have another attack and we don't know how to help you."

"We'll tell Dragon. I can't just sit here and do nothing knowing that Kalona has me in his grasp!" I shouted. I was scared, tears were pouring onto my hands.

Erik then laid beside me on my bed and held me close, "Zoey we know you're scared but baby you can't leave. We'll look for Neferet together; we're going to make you better."

"You're not doing it without me." I persisted

"Z might be right," Stevie Rae spoke, "Kalona has on obsession for Zo, and maybe she can seduce him into telling her the truth. Her dreams are her connection to him."

Erik jumped up in alarm, "She can't see him Stevie! It will cause her pain."

"It's worth a shot Erik. If we can't go out looking for Kalona then we should do everything possible otherwise and that is having Zoey connect with him through her dreams. It's the only way." Stevie Rae snapped back at him.

"So you'd want to see your best friend in pain! It's killing her!" Erik shouted.

"Enough!" Aphrodite shouted, "We all know that Zoey hates to be told what to do and no matter how hard we try to stop her it never works! So why don't we shut up and let's hear her plan."

They all turned to me.

I hadn't really thought of a plan yet...