so.. sorry this is a short chapter because i wrote this really quickly ;) i'm so excited that you guys like this! WHoOo! sooo i like this chapter a lot.. because i love kalona :) he's my weakness

Chapter 4:

Kalona

Rephaim sat across from his father, staring at him. "So are you going to say anything? Or do you want me to say it."

Kalona lifted his head in response, yet said nothing.

"It's almost sunrise—Stevie Rae will be waiting for me. So I might as well start…" Rephaim said, obviously lying. Kalona had watched his son transform from human to raven, and it was all a punishment for the things Kalona made him do. "What are we going to do about the others?"

The immortal finally lifted his amber gaze to meet with his son's. "Others? You mean your brothers?"

Rephaim nodded his head up and down. "So what's your plan?"

Kalona strode over to the balcony and opened the glass doors. He walked to the edge and gripped the railing. "I'll call them at dusk. They'll stay here and protect the House of Night with us."

"They're like a ticking time bomb. The students wouldn't be safe with them here."

"Rephaim, you know they can listen to simple orders like that. Think of the last time I had them 'protect the school'." Kalona said.

"Oh, I completely forgot how well that went last time. If I remember correctly one of them almost killed Zoey."

"I'll be more careful in my directions."

"You were careful last time. You didn't want them to hurt her, yet they did. You know they are volatile " Rephaim retorted.

"Fine! They'll guard the perimeter." Kalona rubbed his temples. "I'll have Nisroc guard within the school." He paused and looked into the sky. "He's changed as well. His humanity is shining through."

"I know." Rephaim laughed. "It must run in the family." Kalona laughed along with his eldest son. Then, much too quickly, Rephaim shivered. "I have to go now. I can't keep everyone waiting."

"Don't lie to me." Kalona said. Rephaim was taken aback.

"What do you mean?" Rephaim asked, shifting in his place.

"I watched you. Damn Nyx for punishing you for what I forced you to do!"

"Father, you didn't make me do anything. They were my decisions and my actions and now I'm facing the consequences."

"Why did keep it from me." Kalona asked softly.

"I was ashamed. I don't know. I wanted you to believe that if Nyx could forgive me, that she would forgive you too."

Kalona looked at the glowing horizon. "You can stay here until you transform. I need to know, what you're going through." The sun rose even more, and Rephaim started to gasp in pain. "It hurts you a lot?" Kalona turned around to face Rephaim who was already taking off his shirt. Obviously he didn't need human clothing as a raven.

"It feels like every bone in my body is breaking." Rephaim chuckled as much as he could without wincing in pain. "Which is probably what is actually happening."

The next thing that Rephaim did was scream as he dropped to his knees, and before Kalona knew it, his favorite son became a raven.

The raven flew off into the horizon, towards his brothers.

. . .

Kalona had his own room in the professor dorms and he paced it back and forth. After a while he finally lay down on the bed and thought about so many different things, but most of all Nyx. Could he ever gain her forgiveness? His son did. He's helping this House of Night fight against darkness; at least he's on the right track.

Then, he felt pain. Much more pain than he ever felt before. His breathing shortened and he grabbed his abdomen to try and stop the throbbing. The only way Kalona could think of describing the pain was death. The pain felt like death.

Kalona knew where to go.

He ran through the corridors, dodging any gazing fledglings that hadn't made it to bed. When he reached her door he forced it open, not paying any attention to the lock. When he entered he saw Thanatos standing at the edge of her bed, trance-like, and it wasn't until now that he noticed there was a ghostly figure in the room as well. Kalona didn't recognize the vampyre, but Thanatos talked to her like she was an old friend.

"My dear friend, close your eyes...

hold my hand, and hear me whisper...

My dear friend, you must leave.

The world no longer needs you, but the Otherworld awaits.

until we meet again someday."

Thanatos then made the air around her swirl, causing the ghost to fade and then disappear completely. As soon as Thanatos came out of her trance, Kalona was free of his pain.

She turned to see Kalona in the doorway. "Do you need something?" she asked in a completely normal voice.

"What was that? I felt… I though you were being attacked." He explained.

Thanatos laughed as she sat on her bed, which made her look like a young girl. "I know what you were feeling. And because you've never experienced death before, it hurt you."

"I thought you were dying."

"No, just helping someone pass from this world to the next. When I was a fledgling, these passing were extraordinarily painful, similar to what Aphrodite experiences, but I've gotten used to it after all these years. You, on the other hand, have never felt it before."

"No. But you are okay?" he asked.

"Perfect." Thanatos smiled again as she crawled into her bed.

"Do you mind if I stay. I just… still feel like you need protection."

Thanatos gestured to a small couch. "Feel free." She reached over and turned off the lamp. "Goodnight, Kalona, my warrior."

"Goodnight, Death." Kalona said as he found his way to the leather couch. As his eyelids drooped he couldn't help but feel… good. It felt as if something, or someone was telling him he was doing the right thing. And once again he found himself thinking of Nyx and only Nyx.

hope you like it :) once again, sorry it's short :( let me know what you think REVIEW PLEASE