Stark

"What happened last night?" I thought to myself

It was probably just a dream. It's no surprise I would dream about Zoey but it seemed so real! Her voice was perfectly in my head. It was like she was really there. I quickly looked over the side of the bed at where I had left Zoey's body. It was no longer there. Darius probably came and got her this morning when I was still asleep. Then sudden realization came to me. In my 'dream' (I'm still not sure if it was real or not) Zoey said she would try to get control of her body. I needed to find her! I looked at myself quickly in the mirror and I looked horrible. My eyes were bright red that complimented the huge bags under them and my hair was sticking up in random places. I didn't care how I looked, I needed to find Zoey! I didn't know where anyone else was so I ran to Aphrodite's room because Darius would probably be there too. I ran as fast as possible to her room and ran right in without even knocking.

"Where's Zoey?" I asked a little too loudly which made it sound like a yell.

Both Darius and Aphrodite were lying on the bed giving me worried glances

"I think he is in denial" Aphrodite whispered quietly so I wouldn't hear. I shot her a glare but quickly looked back at Darius waiting for my answer.

"Um…" Darius started looking a little confused. "I felt that she should be put into proper care, she is in the watchful eyes of Jack and Damien because I felt they would watch her carefully while you were sleeping"

"Wait… so she is still…" I took a deep breath "um... Unconscious?" I said that because dead was not an accurate word and I don't think I was tough enough to actually say it out loud.

"Duhhhh! You said so yourself that her heart shattered moron. She wouldn't be awake now… Or would she? Is there something you're not telling us?" questioned Aphrodite.

"No I was just worried when she wasn't there when I woke up and I let myself hope too much" It was half a lie because I really was worried and I did hope too much that she was awake now but I couldn't tell them about last night. Not until I talked to Zoey again when I'm not half asleep.

"Uh, thanks guys. I'm probably going to go see Damien. I'll talk to you guys later."

"Good bye!" Aphrodite said rudely.

I was just outside Jack and Damien's door when I heard a voice. But not just any voice… her voice.

Zoey

What had happened? There were the vampires and the red vampires. Now I was a hot pink vampire?!?! This made no sense! I couldn't think about this anymore. I needed to find away to get back to Stark… My Stark!

"Soooo…." I said to myself." How do I do this?"

So First I called the elements to help me but when they showed up I could tell that they weren't real, they only came because in my dream world, I wanted them too.

The more I thought about it, it seemed less and less like a dream world and more like a prison. A prison with no escape!

Talking with Stark was a good idea. It helped me come to my senses so now I focus on getting back to my friends

I focused. I focused on leaving my mind. I focused on returning to my friends. I closed my eyes and focused with all my might. Then I heard someone say my name.

"Zoeybird"

I opened my eyes to see Nyx standing in front of me with a worried expression.

"Oh Nyx!" I cried "I'm so glad that you're here. I need your help. How do I get back to my friends?"

"Well, that's why I'm here. I need to talk to you about what has happened to you." She replied

"Like when some fledglings reject the change, it's their body and I have no control over it. Zoeybird, I can't help you. I'm sorry. But what I came to tell you is important. You are still very week and your body cannot handle you controlling it now so you need to let yourself heal more and in time you will be back with your friends."

I stared at Nyx for a long time. She felt like a stranger to me. She couldn't help me? I couldn't see Stark again until my body could support me. "AW FUCK!" I thought to myself.

"What?" was all I could make come out of my mouth.

Nyx waited patiently as I thought about everything I was just told.

"Ok I understand" I said eventually, "but I do have one question."

"Yes, ask away my Zoeybird"

"Why are my marks different? You took my other ones away and gave me these new ones but I don't understand why"

"You are a very exceptional fledgling and have survived many things. Your other marks showed how I have marked you especially as my own. These are the marks of a powerful, smart and tough fledgling. There has only been one other vampire that I have marked like this and that was many years ago. Kalona knew her and was scared. She made him hide and for once in his life, fear. He was scared of her. I wanted him to know that he should fear you and that I am watching over you. Your powers should not be overlooked Zoey and when you do get control over your body again, Kalona will come for you and so I want him to see you and shake. I want him to cringe and hide. When he sees you he will back down because these are the same marks that I had given myself when I was banishing Kalona. When I experience different moods, my marks change. When I am calm like now, I don't have any marks but when I am upset, worried or afraid then they change. I very rarely get as angry as I was that day so that was the first and last time they ever framed my face. I know Kalona will recognize them."

At first I was in awe. I didn't know what to say. Well if it made Kalona afraid then it was worth being more different than normal.

"Thank you Nyx" I said sincerely

"You're welcome my u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya"

"Um Nyx?" I asked "I have one last question"

"Yes Zoey, what is it?"

"In my last dream with Kalona, he told me, well he actually showed me when you banished him. Was it all real? Was he telling the truth?

"Zoeybird, in dreams things are only as much the truth as you want them to be. I leave you with this last piece of advice. Kalona is a good actor and very persuasive. Don't believe a word he says."

And with those last words, Nyx vanished, leaving me time to think over everything I had just learned. I stood there for what seemed like hours just thinking. At some point Stark came to my mind.

"He is probably awake by now" I said to myself.

Now that I knew what to do calling up stark was easy now. My mind filled with him and I felt the connection. Once again I saw what he saw… He was running? Then he was standing in front of a door.

"Stark! What's going on?"