Break
Chapter 9: Ugly Birds In A Beautiful Cage.
This Story is set after Hunted and before Tempted and Burned. Zoey has just betrayed Stark. She lied to him and went into the thickset of the battle alone, with only her powers to protect her. What will happen to Zoey? Will she find Kalona or Neferet? Will Zoey die the same horrible death that fell upon the young House of Night students only days before? Find out in Chapter 9: Ugly Birds In A Beautiful Cage. This chapter is a bit different to the others. In this chapter, you will get point of views from Zoey, Stark and Aphrodite. As always... I do not own any of the House Of Night Characters but they have currently been kidnapped to star in my story. Please review! I always appreciate and love reading your comments! If you like Break then check out some of my other fanfics, just head to my profile!
"ZOEY!" Stark cried, throwing a look over his shoulder. Stark could see Zooey's receding figure draw farther and farther away from him. "ZOEY!" He yelled, but she didn't turn back. The last thing he saw before the Raven Mocker hit him square in the jaw, was Zoey's long brown hair twisting in the wind. Stark fell to his knees, clutching his head in agony. Zoey, he thought, before the Raven Mocker grinned the most malicious of grins and knocked him hard over the head. The world went dark.
I ran, as fast as lightening, as agile as a bird, towards a Raven Mocker with silver patterns around his eyes. The Raven Mocker swooped a young boy, digging its talons into his back before lifting him into the night sky. The boy yelled and threw a dazed punch over his shoulder that missed the Raven by miles. Skidding to a halt, I called fire to me, breathing it in. Visualizing molten balls of fury in my mind, I threw the lava ball at the Raven Mocker.
To my surprise, I opened my eyes and the Raven lay at my feet, smoldering in ashes and the boy crouched a few feet away, trying to stop the blood flow from the wound the Raven had made. I rushed over to him, worry setting in at the sight of the poor boys blood, dripping onto the grass.
"Are you OK?" I asked, tearing off my jacket and pressing it to his wounds.
"I... I'm OK. Your'e Zoey, aren't you?" He asked, bright blue eyes shining up at me.
I nodded, to worried about how much blood he was losing to notice the look on his face.
"I'm Sam," whispered the boy, "Thank you, you saved my life."
It was only then, when I heard the softness of his voice, the tightness of his expression did I look in this boys eyes.
They were filled with tears and gratitude. It was then, I realised, that this boy was saying his goodbyes.
"No Sam, don't you do this to me! Your'e not going to die!" I croaked, tears of my own spilling onto the poor boys torn shirt.
With a last pitiful smile, Sam said, "At least this way, my parents will have something to bury; instead of the mutilated remains the Raven Mocker would have left me in. Thanks Zoey."
Sam went still. The smile on his face slowly faded away and his blue eyes finally went glassy. The world around me evaporated into nothingness. All I could see was Sam's petite little face and the gratefulness in his round, Bambi eyes. I had failed him. That was my one and only thought. I had failed this poor boy and he had died because of me. How many other people were going to die tonight because of me? Because I was to weak to finish Kalona off? No, that was not going to happen. I had already witnessed the death of one innocent boy and I was not going to let that happen again. I would stand and fight. Kalona was going down and nobody was going to get in my way.
"Jeez Zoey," Aphrodite seethed under her breath while she skidded down the corridor. She was trying to find Zoey, praying to Nyx that she was here.
"ZOEY!" She yelled, dodging a burly 6th year. Thankfully, the Raven Mockers hadn't penetrated the main building yet. Damien and the twins were covering all entrances into the building. With any luck, they would be able to keep the Raven Mockers and God knows what else at bay while she tried to find Zoey.
All around her, kids and teachers were streaming throughout the hallways and corridors each of them either trying to find loved ones or preparing for the inevitable battle. On her way down from the girls dorms, Aphrodite had snagged a huge kitchen knife from the bench, just in case she needed to protect herself. Darius had gone outside to help the people fending off the Raven Mockers and it made her sick to the core to think of him getting hurt.
Chewing her lip, she tied her hair up out of the way and picked up the pace. Darius had warned her not to go outside but she had to find Zoey. And, of late, Zoey had always been right in the dead center of things.
With a new determination, I ran towards the main building, dead set on killing as many of the hideous beasts as I could on my way. A Raven Mocker clawed its way unsuspectingly, towards a girl who was trying to fend off a Raven Mocker smeared in crimson blood.. With a jolt, I recognized the girl was Vesper Ringdove, a tall, brown haired girl who sat behind me in History class.
Not even thinking about it, I ran and jumped on the prowling Raven Mockers back. With a screech, the thing reared, leaving me to clutch on to its straw like feathers as if my life depended on it. I kneed it in the back and fell off as it screamed in pain. Now it was advancing on me. Taking a deep breath, I looked right into the pits of its evil eyes as I eroded the earth beneath it feet. A surprised look crossed the Ravens face before it fell into the crevice I had made. Smiling darkly to myself, I spun and kicked the Raven Mocker Vesper was fighting right in the face. It stumbled back a few steps; just giving me enough time to blast it with ice shards right to the stomach.
Vesper turned and twinkled a smile at me before she ran back into the middle of the fight. At least I saved someone, I thought. Shaking away my fragmented thoughts, I pushed on. I fought my way around the foundations of the fight, trying my best to get to the school. At long last, I stumbled my way onto the steps. For just a moment, I leaned against a gray pillar, stewing over what was happening and trying to devise a plan. Then, a single word as clear as the colours of the rainbow, echoed around my brain. Stark... No. I couldn't let my thoughts stray to him. He would be OK, he had to be. He's a great fighter. His alive, I assured myself, though something in my heart thumped loudly in response. Ignoring every sensation in my body screaming at me to go look for him, I turned and collided straight into a frenzied looking Aphrodite.
"Where the freaking hell have you been!" She screamed at me, waving something in her hand around sporadically. Silver caught the light and I realised she was waving around a butchers knife as if she were insane.
"Whoa, Aphrodite, put the knife down," I said, looking steadily into her eyes.
She looked as though she were about to say something when her eyes flicked to the knife. Rolling her eyes in that very snobbish way of hers, Aphrodite grabbed me by my shirt and literally dragged me into the entrance way. Turning a sharp right, she stabbed the knife into a door frame while she jiggled the door open. Ripping her knife out of the wall, she pushed me through the door and slammed it after her.
"Just calm down," I said, my eyes adjusting to the dim surroundings. We were in a tiny broom closet filled with buckets and mops.
"I. Won't. Calm. Down. Do you know how many times I have tried to call you? Do you know how long iv'e been trying to find you?" She breathed down my neck.
"Um... No," I answered, mildly scared of her viscousness and the knife she was holding. One thing was for sure, Aphrodite was a hell of a lot more scary then a Raven Mocker. Right now, she was scary beyond all reason.
"I have called you thirty seven times. I have been looking for you, for three hours – all, just to tell you about a little vision I had."
I frowned. Had she had a vision about what was happening outside? Guilt washed through me. This all could have been prevented if I had just had my phone on me. This mess really was all my fault.
Something in Aphrodite's expression changed.
"Look, none of that matters anymore. We just have to focus on whats happening now; and right now, there are about two hundred filthy vermin flying around this stupid school and an evil son of a bitch that goes by the name of Kalona, has turned the top most floor into his own personalized throne room." She said. If Aphrodite wasn't such a clean kept and posh girl, I would have sworn she would have spat at that moment.
"Wait, Kalona is here!" I practically yelled. Aphrodite's hand clasped around my mouth.
"Listen, loud mouth. If anyone close to Kalona gets wind that you're here, you're done for. He has plans for you, Zoey. In my vision, Kalona did the most disgusting, the most cruelest things I have ever seen to you. He raped you Zoey and not only that, he got everyone thats close to you and slaughtered them in front of your eyes – including me! I mean, I like you and all, but there is no fucking way I am dying for you!"
I thought about that. So Kalona was coming after me through my friends? Fine. Two can play dirty.
"Where is he exactly Aphrodite?" I said, fighting for calm in my voice.
"Zoey it doesn't matter! We have to get out! If you can't fulfill the prophecy, we can't get hurt."
"And what about all the other people! Are we just going to let them die!" I yelled. She had to see how important this was to me. I had betrayed Stark for this moment and I was not going to let her dictate my life. I was going to get answers one way or another.
Aphrodite went quite. Even she couldn't deny the astronomical amount of deaths there would be if we didn't fight back.
She sighed, "Top floor, door at the end of the hall."
I made to leave but she grabbed my elbow. "You aren't doing this alone. We have been in this from the start and it's not going to stop now, I'm coming with you." She said, her was mouth set and her eyes glittered with determination.
Oh Boy.
Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be out soon! Please review! It means a lot. If you like Break check out some of my other fanfics and review them. Some include Harry Potter, The Mortal Instruments and lots more. So just head to my profile. Thanks guys! xox
