Stevie Rae

I couldn't bring myself to look back at Rephaim as I walked away from him. I knew that where ever he went now I wouldn't be able to follow him. He'd given into the darkness. Again. Tears blurred my vision, but I fought them back angrily- what's the point you're imprinted he can feel everything that you do. This was better, we were wrong for each other, but were we so different. The memory of the boy I'd seen in the reflection on the fountain. He'd been human, he looked good as a human. I rolled my eyes Dang this was all getting confusing. Well at least you told him how you felt at least he knew how much you... I stopped suddenly, shocked. I'd already managed to forget about Zoey. Hello! Zoey your best friend, Zoey the one who had her soul shattered and was facing certain death and who now is back because of some sort of miracle, stark, a Scottish warrior and two cows- bulls! I played with one of my curls before I flipped open my phone and dialled Aphrodites number.

"Hey Stevie Rae"

I was shocked her usually sarcastic and bitchy tone was now chocked and tearful.

"What's the matter? Zoeys back isn't she?" A surge of panic rising in my stomach.

"No shit Sherlock."

I grinned, well she was back to her old self.

"Are you crying because you're happy?"

"Look what do you want Bumpkin?"

I smiled

"Don't get snappy, just 'cos we're not imprinted it don't mean I don't know how you feel"

"If I wanted someone to tell me they understood me I'd still see a therapist twice a week"

I ignored her totally hateful tone and just kept talking.

"What's going on over there? Is stark back is he even alive?"

"Yeah, he looks like he just got put through a shredder and looks severely unattractive and sleep deprived, but Zoey's been working her magic and he's fine and apparently so is Zoey"

I nodded and smiled as I felt a huge surge of relief wash over me and bring me to a stand still. I had already started making my way back to the house of night almost without realising it. It was automatic. 'Your fledgings need you' the thought flooded into my mind and I sighed. They needed me back with them now. I'd been gone all day and now I had a big mess of bullpoopie to go back to i.e Dallas and the other bad, red fledgings and explaining about Rephaim.

"That's good, Kalona's back too now"

"Really? How do you know" Aphrodite sounded shocked.

Well what had she been expecting. Zoey had come back so he had to too.

"Because Rep- the Earth told me"

I froze as I realised how close I'd come to saying his name.

"Huh, the Earth seems to know a lot more than we do, still"

Her voice trailed off. I sat and waited for her to clue me in.

"What is it?" I sighed after a while.

"It's just Neferet. When I touched Kalona before, Neferet's power over him seemed pretty strong and I guess I just thought that she might be cross enough at him for letting Zoey come back that she might just keep her power over him"

I shuddered at her words. Kalona might be an evil murderer bird man, but even he didn't deserve a life time controlled by Neferet.

"I have to go, but I'll call you later"

I rolled my eyes, but wasn't too surprised that Aphrodite hung up the phone without a goodbye and that's when it overwhelmed me. A sudden rush of emotion so powerful that I found it hard to stand and I found myself leaning against a tree to try and support myself. It was a sorrow so strong that all I could do was give into it and cry- for Dallas, for Rephaim, for the dead fledgings, for Zoey and for my mom who I really, really missed.