Kalona

"You... did this... to him... Killed him," Zoey cried, her voice broken, between heart-wrenching sobs.

Kalona's face hardened.

"He was an obstacle. I couldn't get around him, so I destroyed him. A simple necessity. I refuse to let anyone stand in the way of us."

Kalona knew that Zoey would attack him. He knew that it would be painful. And he knew that he should move. But he couldn't. He wouldn't. He shouldn't. Should he?

The pain seared through Kalona's body. The power of the elements. All of them. The fire not loosening the grip of the earth, only making it squeeze tighter. The water not soothing the burning of fire, only making it burn more. Earth not helping to stop the drowning sensation, only drowning him further. And air, simply spreading the pain throughout the immortal. But spirit took the greatest toll on him. It was what was, and how he was here.

"I trusted you!" Zoey yelled, surprisingly loud, and powerful, her voice unbroken by tears. "How could you do it? Why did have to kill him?" Kalona suddenly felt like a little boy being scolded by his parent. Kalona felt surprisingly human.

"I am... sorry, Zoey," Kalona said, hesitating.

"You're not sorry. I know sure as hell that you're not sorry. You enjoyed taking his life away from him. You're a monster."

"Zoey, forgive me." Kalona was surprised at how power and control was in his voice.

"Forgive you?"

"Zoey," Kalona started, losing that control that he felt so much more comfortable with. "Please," he begged.

"I can't."

"I just want to be with you."

"Anything that I might have felt for you is gone, completely gone, now."

He saw the hurt and agony in her eyes and knew that he had caused her so much pain. She broke down in sobs, but not before she attacked him with the elements once again. It seemed to be more subdued than the first; it didn't have as much anger behind it.

He wished that he could soothe her, comfort her. But, no. He had caused this. And she would never belong to him, never be his.

If you wish to save her, you must let her go,a voice whispered into the night. It was eerily familiar to the fallen immortal. In the process, although you may save her, she will not love you. You are not Zoey's Erebus.

And he knew. It was her.

"Nyx," he breathed allowed the name that he had not spoken in centuries.

And the dream fell apart.

Stevie Rae

Stevie Rae pulled on her favorite pair of jeans, and a pair of cowboy boots, of course. She was going to the Gilcrese Museum to see him. Rephaim... He hadn't seen her in 3 days, and he must be worried about her. With thoughts of Rephaim in her head, Stevie Rae nearly walked into Dallas. "Dallas, oh my goddess, you are going to have stop scaring me like that."

"Where are you going?"

"Well, I've got some funky Earth thing..." her voice trailing off in an attempt to avoid his question.

"You're lying to me. Stop lying to me Stevie Rae."

"Can I go?"

"I won't let you go until you tell me the truth."

"What truth?"

"Are you going to see the other red fledglings?"

"No!"

"Is there someone else?"

"No," Stevie Rae said, avoiding Dallas' gaze.

"Who is he? Do I know him? Is he a vamp? A fledgling? One of them?

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Or is he human?"

"I'm not interested in no human, Dallas!"

"You've Imprinted with someone else. That's how the Imprint with Aphrodite broke. Just tell me."

There was a long pause before Stevie Rae finally admitted the truth. "I'm so sorry Dallas. It was an accident."

"I'm here for you, girl."

"Well, do you remember the night that we chased away Kalona?"

"Yes."

"When we did the security check, I found a Raven Mocker. But I couldn't kill him, he was too... human. So I fixed him up and sent to the depot, and when I went to go check on the others, they used him as bait, and trapped me in a metal cage."

Confusion crossed Dallas' face. "How did you get out?"

"He blocked from the sun long enough for me to make a hole in the ground."

"Finish."

"He made me drink from him. He don't smell right, but he tastes good. Real good."

"What's his name?"

Stevie Rae hesitated before answering. "Rephaim."

"He killed Anastasia," Dallas yelled at her.

"He saved me," she countered.

"He's evil. He'll only hurt you."

"He's changed. Just like you and me."

"At least let me come with you."

"No."

"I'm sure Dragon wouldn't like knowing that you Imprinted with the... creature," he said the word distastefully, "that killed his mate, would he?" Dallas shrugged his shoulders, failing to appear nonchalant.

"You wouldn't."

"You're right. Because I'm going with you."

"What will Rephaim say?"

This made Dallas think a little bit. "To hell with whatever the Birdman says."

"His name is Rephaim."

"Rephaim's daddy is Kalona."

"You shouldn't judge him because of who his daddy is."

"I'm sorry." He offered his hand. "Let's go."

"Okay," Stevie Rae said, and she took his hand as they walked towards Zoey's bug and drove silently to the Gilcrese Museum."

Rephaim

He didn't like the way she made him feel. No, it was that he liked it too much. This must surely be what his father was looking for in Zoey.

Stevie Rae made Rephaim feel warm. But she had abandoned him. "No, she was hurt," he said aloud. He still didn't regret saving her. A life debt was owed. But it was more than that. He couldn't let her die. He wouldn't let her die.

He felt her presence before he actually saw her. No, he felt their presence. And he felt a surge of anger.

"Stevie Rae, who is this?" He struggled to keep down his unfortunate hiss.

"He's my friend, Dallas."

He's not just your friend, is he?" Rephaim heard the jealousy that had crept into his voice.

Rephaim saw Stevie Rae look down uncomfortably, and suddenly felt bad. Just because she had saved him didn't mean that she would be his. Even the Imprint didn't make her his. "Break it."

"Break what?"

"The Imprint. Break this blood bond between us."

"But wouldn't that hurt you?" The boy, Dallas, questioned. Rephaim had all but forgotten that he was there.

"So what? She loves you. The Imprint should be with the one that she loves."

"Rephaim, stop acting like a chicken with its head cut off. I'm not going to do anything to hurt you... Are either of you hungry?"

"Yes."

Rephaim stared possessively at Stevie Rae as she prepared three sandwiches.

"I've got use the bathroom, be right back," Dallas said, and then he disappeared from the room.

"Stevie Rae, just break the Imprint."

"No...Why don't you do it?" She said, matching his tone.

Why couldn't he? He spoke the only reasonable answer in his thoughts. "I'm not a vampire."

Stevie Rae's cheeks reddened. "Well, why do you want it broken? Give me one good reason."

"You make me feel things. Things that I have never felt before. Things that I prefer not to feel again."

"What's the worst thing that you've felt so far?"

Rephaim placed one hand on Stevie Rae's cheek and answered honestly. "Love. I love you, Stevie Rae." And he bent down to kiss her, as he had seen others before him do. Rephaim had never touched anyone, other than to kill them, let alone kiss someone.

Rephaim's arms found their way around Stevie Rae's waist, and, naturally, instinctively, pulled her closer to him, deepening their kiss.

Stevie Rae's arms wrapped, hesitantly, around his neck as she, finally, closed her eyes. Rephaim suddenly felt a jolt of energy, rushing through his broken wing, fixing and repairing it, and then Stevie Rae pulled away from him. He knew what he would see if, and when, he looked away from her.