Okay. I'm back. Just a tiny message for LaurenRedBird, I'd join if I could but I'm only saying this once more, my mom turned off my PMs, so no can do. That's the end of that message, by the way. So now, I'm telling you at that moment I'm contemplating another time skip for this skip represented by the triple period, lol… … … … … … … … umm, I don't think I will. As a note for this story, not just the chapter, Heath is not going to be in this. The whole section with Heath and Nyx never happened according to my story. Hey, are my chapters really that short? Gotta step it up. Oh well, I'll try. Read on.
Chapter 7: Comforted
Stevie Rae
Stevie Rae sat and stared at her children and cried. It was 11 a.m. so the kids were asleep and she had no one. Her children, who were the best things in her life along with Rephaim, would never have a normal life. And, she was afraid. What if Kalona came back but this time for Kalleb and Cassidy? She would never be able to live with herself if something happened to them.
"Goddess, help me." She cried and prayed. "Help me."
Rephaim
Rephaim flew through the air with his eyes on the ground. He landed on a rooftop so he could go to sleep. But, Nyx had other plans for this son of hers.
"My son, wake up. Here me and awaken. Stevie Rae needs you." Her voice washed over his mind, soft like silk. His eyes fluttered open to see the Goddess floating in front of him. And, to his surprise, he was human.
"Goddess, what is happening?" he asked.
"For this one night, I'm allowing you to maintain human form. Your wife needs your comfort. I hear her prayer and send answer through you, my son." The Goddess's whispered words floated to him through the short space and he was no longer groggy and shocked.
"She is home? She needs me?" he asked Nyx.
"Yes, now leave. Go to her." And, the Goddess disappeared. Rephaim rose and drew out his wings. He took off in the direction of home. Now that he was human he felt her distress through their Imprint. Hold on, my love. Please, just hold on. He thought to his afraid and horribly saddened wife. When he landed outside the tunnels, he drew in his wings and ran. He saw her in what served as the living room.
"Stevie Rae, why are you still awake?" he asked her. As she looked up, he saw the tear streaks on her face and the ones she still held on the brink of her lower eyelid.
"Rephaim? How can you be here? Why are you not a raven?" she asked him, bewildered. Her tears stayed still in her eyes as she wiped her nose on her sleeve, looking awfully young.
"Nyx allowed me to be human this night, in order to comfort you. What has gotten you so sad? He asked her his own question.
"What are we going to do, Rephaim? How are we goin' to be sure Kalona won't come near them? How are we to be sure he never gets a hand on them, never a hold?" she sobbed back, tears flowing again. Rephaim didn't know what to say, so he just sat next to it. He decided not to give the stupid answers everyone seemed to give.
"I don't know. But, I promise you he will not. Please cheer up." He kissed away the tears remaining on her cheeks before kissing her lips. She let him hold her until she fell asleep. He carried her to bed, tucked her in, and, for the first time since Dallas tried to kill him and went evil; he lay down next to her. He fell asleep in a bed for the first time in his life. H slept next to his wife and rested peacefully.
Stark
For only the 3rd time since he'd met Zoey, Stark was crying. For much the same reason as Stevie Rae had been. He was afraid for his daughters' lives.
"Why me? Why us? Zoey didn't ask for this anymore than I did. We did, of course, expect our children to be Marked, but not to be Destined to defeat Kalona, Goddess, why?" He spoke out loud. To no one in particular.
"Because the Goddess has deemed it so." Zoey said from behind him. She had silently walked in behind him. She had been up, too. Not crying, just thinking. "Because, while our lives may suck sometimes, we always knew no kid of ours would ever be normal. We'll get through it." She continued when he just stared.
"How is it I'm the Warrior here but you're the one taking care of me?" he asked, feeling helpless. He was not supposed to be freaking out. He was supposed to be strong.
"I know that look, Stark. You are not weak. You are a father, concerned for his children as any good father would be." Her tone was strong.
"But why aren't you breaking down? Why is it me?"
"Because, the man always underestimates the girl. Girl power, hon. Plus, you have to understand, for a while I felt like breaking down. But I came to the realization that Nyx has never given me or you more than we could handle, now has she?"
"Not really. But your soul shattered, and that itself almost killed me."
"And we survived. We will always survive. And so will they." She shot a look to her daughters.
"How do you know?"
"A mother's instinct. Now come on. You need sleep." She pulled him up and kissed him. They laid down together and fell asleep.
Okay, massively short chapter but it was all my brain could think of at the moment. I have lots of homework to do tomorrow, so no new chapter, most likely. I'll try my darnedest, though. Tired brained and smiling at my funny word (darnedest), StevieRae2011, signing off.
