Chapter 8
Zoey's P.O.V
"We should go check on Jack again," I said to my friends. This time, everybody was there in my dorm – Stevie Rae, Erin, Shaunee, Aphrodite, Darius, Stark, and Raphael. Raphael was holding Stevie Rae's hand intently. It was night, so he was in the form of a man.
"Z, we've checked on him ten minutes ago," Erin reminded me. "He might...he might..." She didn't have to finish. We all knew what she was trying to say.
He might never wake up.
"We still should," I argued.
"Don't you think we'd hear Lover Boy's cries from here if he did?" Aphrodite said. "Problem solved."
"In a way, my beauty is correct," Darius agreed. "Damien will cry out in joy. We are not far from the infirmary."
"Fine," I said, "I'm going anyway."
"Alright, I'll come with," Stevie Rae said. "Raphael?"
"Of course I shall follow you," he replied.
"I'll come too, Zoey," Stark said, coming up to my side and clasping my hand. I smiled at his support.
"Me too," Shaunee and Erin said at the same time. They glanced at each other icily, and didn't say another word.
"I guess so," Aphrodite said.
"I shall follow my beauty," Darius said.
"So, in other words, we're all going," I said. "You know, that could've been a lot simpler."
"That wouldn't be as fun," Shaunee said cheekily. I sighed, opening the door. We all filed out, heading to the infirmary. In all likelihood, Jack hadn't woken up, but it didn't hurt to check.
We reached the door of the infirmary. I was about to grab the handle, when I heard Damien cry, "JACK!"
"See?" Aphrodite said, but we entered nonetheless. Damien was kissing Jack, holding him tight. Jack's chest was rising up and down steadily. He was definitely alive. My eyes traveled up to his forehead. Just as I thought, his Mark was red. It was still a fledging, but he was definitely a Red fledging.
Good, I thought, that makes Stevie Rae his High Priestess.
Damien let go of Jack, glancing over at us. His face with in pure joy. "He's back!" he exclaimed. "He's back!"
Jack looked at us, too. My heart lifted to see his innocent face again. His eyes held curiousity as he asked Damien, "Who are they?"
"What do you mean, love?" Damien asked.
"They seem familiar. But I don't think I know them," Jack replied.
"In the process, he must have lost his memory," Erin said. "What's your name?"
"Jack Twist."
"Who do you love?"
"Damien."
"Where are you?"
"The Tulsa House of Night."
"Who am I?"
"Umm...I don't know."
Erin turned back to me. "See? He doesn't know who we are. That's all."
"He's a Red fledging!" Stevie Rae noticed. "Huh."
"Really? My Mark went red?" Jack asked, pawing at his forehead. I had to smile. I realized just how much Jack had made me do that.
"Jack," I said, "who's the High Priestess for the Red fledgings and Vampyres?"
"Stevie Rae," he said instantly. "That's easy. Plus, the High Priestess to the Blue fledgings and Vampyres is Zoey Redbird."
"You're right about the Stevie Rae bit," I said, "but technically, I'm not High Priestess."
"You're Zoey?" Jack said in awe.
"Yes," I said.
"Yeah..." he said slowly. "You like Count Chocula in the morning and can't live without brown pop. Your soul shattered once. Stark...Stark, your boyfriend, brought you back."
Slowly, he began naming everybody until his memory was back. "Am I right? So who's High Priestess, if it's not you?"
I nodded, and then said, "Neferet is the High Priestess."
As if on cue, Neferet swept into the room, coming to stand by Jack's side. She looked down at him in fake caring. "Hello, Jack," she said.
Jack gave a little yelp. He shot away from Neferet, burying himself in Damien's chest. He whimpered several times. Neferet's eyebrows shot up, but like the actress she was, took the blow. "He needs time to adjust," she concluded.
"Neferet. We've got this," I said angrily.
"I have no doubt you do," she said dryly, gesturing to Jack, still whimpering.
"Thanks for the faith," I said. "Go now."
She left, but not out of respect to me. The moment the doors closed behind her, Jack came out of his hiding place. "What is it, love?" Damien said softly. He still held Jack close.
"Neferet...she...she...Darkness...the wall...I don't..." Jack seemed to have the pieces of the puzzle, but he couldn't fit them together.
"Neferet has Darkness at her command," I said, "We know that."
"The night I died," he said in s frightened whisper, "she killed me."
"She really did?" Stevie Rae gasped.
"She did," he whispered. "She did."
"She won't hurt you again," Damien whispered.
I wished I could be as confident.
I hope this long chapter made up for my couple of short ones!
Please R&R! 3's!
