Thanks for reviewing! This is awesome! But I think I'll have to draw it out a bit because I need time to think about what could actually happen to him, I mean it's not like he was Chosen by Nyx like Zoey was or anything, and he hardly did anything as great as she did. But, however, life goes on. So I'll do what I can XD
And btw, I will update Burned soon, I just have to slow it down a bit atm, because I really need to think about what I'm going to do next. God, I'm soo original (not). I called the last one Burned, and this one Marked. I mean come on, I can't even think up my own bloody NAMES!
"Come on, Stark," Nathan said, using my nickname again. I got into his car and slammed the door.
"Jeez, calm down. No need to take your anger out on my car," he said lightly. And it wasn't like he was trying to cheer me up or anything. He actually sounded like he was genuinely worried about his car, not his best friend of ten years dying. I was kinda surprised. We were always extremely close, almost like brothers. Sometimes people actually assumed we were, though we looked nothing alike. He had green eyes, I had brown; he had long hair, I had short hair. He was really small, I was kinda tall. He was really tan, I was always kind of pale. Almost like I was destined to be a vampyre really, I guess.
"Stop, Nathan. Just get me to the damn school already or - " I coughed violently again. When I stopped Nathan looked worried.
"We've gotta get you to that school, Stark," he muttered, starting up the car.
"Yeah, that's what I just said, Einstein," I said as he pulled out of his driveway.
The rest of the journey was silent, apart from my occassional, hacking cough. Every time I did cough, Nathan gave me a weird look, like he thought I was going to blow up any minute.
"Don't worry, I woudn't dare explode all over your precious car," I muttered once. He snorted, but other than that I got no reply.
***
When we pulled up at the school after a long, awkward journey, a tall woman with long, flowing black hair was standing by the door as if she was expecting us. She was totally pale, and she was kinda hot, though she was, like, at least ten years older than me.
"James Stark?" She asked it as a question, but it was obvious she already knew who I was. Hell, she probably knew my whole life story. Which wasn't a lot.
"That's me," I said after a long, throat throbbing cough. She smiled warmly.
"What took you so long, James?" she asked, sounding like the worried mother I never had.
"I dunno. I guess I fainted after the Tracker Marked me..." I trailed off.
She nodded knowingly. "Surprisingly, many people do."
"Yeah, I'll bet they do," I muttered. As I got closer to her, I noticed a sort of glow around her. It was really weird. It was pulsing, but it didn't look evil or anything, just like the warmth of a fire. She saw me looking kinda confused.
"Oh, sorry. That's just my gift."
"Gift?"
"My gift from Nyx, or goddess. I can kind of sense people's feelings."
"Really?"
"Yes, but it's not that simple. I only sense people's strong emotions when I'm really close to them. And if I concentrate on that person really hard. So I'm not that gifted, but with my gift I get this glow around me."
"Huh," was my genius response. She probably found it insulting when I stared, so I looked away, embarrassed. She just smiled again.
"So, James, my name is Achelois, after the Greek Moon Goddess."
"Interesting name," Nathan muttered.
"Indeed. It means, 'she who drives away pain.'"
"You'd think that'd be your gift then," I mumbled awkwardly. "You know, driving away pain."
She laughed. "Yes, I suppose you would. Now, James, has your coughing ceased?"
"Yeah," I said, just realizing it now.
"Good. It should stop when you're with vampyres."
"Well, thank God for that," I said.
Achelois smiled again. "Yes. Now, come with me and I will show you to the professor who has volunteered to be your mentor, Professor Chidsey." She gave Nathan a meaningful look.
"Alright, alright. I can take a hint. I'm outta here. See ya, James." Why had he called me James again? He really was acting strange. It was as if he thought of me as a different person since I had been Marked.
"Bye," I murmured.
Achelois smiled. "Come on, James. I'll show you to William, and than you will be in his care."
Nervously I followed Achelois into the Chicago House of Night, my new home.
I'm sooo so sorry, I know it's really short, but it's a wonder I've updated at all!! Thanks again for reviewing, and btw the reason I'm making Stark so different is because I'm thinking that he wasn't always the (totally awesome) way he is, and I'm going to make something happen to him (eventually) that will make him change a bit. Or maybe he will gradually over the four years. I'm not too sure yet :L
~Total Obsessive Bookworm
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