Disclaimer: I do not own these characters as they belong to P.C and Kristin Cast. I simply borrow them and place them in my own story.

Resurrection

Chapter 10

I sat in my room for a while just pondering what Neferet had told me. I was so uneasy about all of it. I would have to kill Stevie Rae, my best friend, the one I had tried to save from the very beginning. I had really hoped it might not come down to this, but now it has. I had suggested that maybe my father would be able to bring them all back, but he hung his head and told me no. This was a final death and he would not take a chance in bringing them back only to bring more darkness into our world. Our world was dark enough.

I was startled when I heard the knock on the door and Stark had opened it to stick his head out, "Zoey?"

"Hey, come on in." I pulled my blanket up to knees, which were up at my chest and my arms were draped around them. I had my chin on the tops of my knees.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, just mulling over everything I've had to digest tonight." I felt sad, I knew I looked it. Stark came over to the edge of the bed and grabbed my hands.

"It will be ok. I promise." he smiled.

"How can you be so certain? I was told we had to KILL Stevie Rae and Erik. That my best friend had been deceiving me once again and is not the sweet Oklahoma girl I thought she was deep down inside? I feel horrible, no, not even horrible, more like execrable."

"Ex--what?" Stark almost started into a laugh.

"Like, sickened, horrible…I know, I've been around Damien way to long."

"I would say so! If we didn't have this bond, I might even be jealous."

"You don't need the bond dummy. Damien is gay, it would never even be like that." I laughed.

"Don't worry. Nyx would never give you more than you can handle. She will show you the way."

"I sure hope so…" I trailed off. I thought about that comment for a moment. Nyx would never give more than you could handle, huh? I sure felt like it, but funny how that statement was, it was true. I managed to handle everything that Nyx had given me so far, why was I so uptight about this? She knew what was right. I couldn't wrap my head around it that she kept giving Stevie Rae's affinity to Aphrodite and then giving it back to her. Maybe Stevie Rae was better, but because the darkness was still latched to her, she was easy to draw.

"Hey, do you really think that killing them might be the only option?" I asked suddenly. I don't think Stark was expecting that question.

"You saw the vision. If we were going to be successful that would have never happened."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but that's just it. We weren't, but why? Why weren't we successful? Or, maybe that's just what happened if we did nothing. Most of Aphrodite's visions are of the future, terrible things happen, only if you ignored it. If you purposely acted to prevent it, it would never happen. We can still do the ritual, it just has to complete no matter what. That's the only way!" I was glad for my thinking and was getting excited. We had to expel this demon from Stevie Rae first though. We would be much more powerful over Erik that way. "Go get everyone, I have a plan."

Stark's eye brow arched high up on his forehead, smirked and then kissed me before he silently walked out of the room. I got out of my bed and got fresh clothes on. I brushed my hair and pulled it into a high ponytail.

"Ok, what is it this time?" Aphrodite huffed as she walked into the room. "I swear to Nyx that if I end up having an Earth Affinity AGAIN, I'm going to be seriously pissed if I have to lose it. It was kind of fun for a while."

"I don't know what Nyx has planned for you yet, Aphrodite. Just feel grateful you're a vampire again." I huffed right back to her and gave her an evil, sarcastic smile.

"What's up Z?" Erin glumly said as she slowly came in the room, followed by Shaunee.

"Yea…hey Z."

Jack and Damien were in tow right behind them still as glum and Neferet, Dad and Stark concluded everyone.

"Why have you called for a meeting Zoey?" Neferet asked. Good, so Stark didn't tell anyone my plan so far.

"I have an idea."

I let it all spill out. I didn't think we could afford NOT to try the ritual again, the vision had only shown us what had happened if we failed or ignored it. We weren't doing that and we would not fail under any circumstances.

"Do you really think we can be successful twice?" Neferet asked, always the first to know.

"Who says we can't? It helped you didn't it? We can only try. That's all I ask is that we try. I honestly don't think I can actually kill either of them. We have to try though." I pleaded. Shaunee, Erin, Damien and Jack all perked up. They were getting excited. Aphrodite was indifferent, as usual, as was Stark. I had a feeling that he was more rooting for keeping Stevie Rae and offing Erik. I shuttered at the feeling.

"We are with you Z" said Erin

"Totally, we're so with you Z" said Shaunee.

"Jack and I concur" Damien spoke up.

"Priestess, I will always be on your side" Darius said as he crossed the fist over his heart and bowed.

"If you feel it beneficial, then ok. We will need to get Stevie Rae and get this over with" Neferet said as she stood. "Come, we have much to gather. Armand and I will go to your Grandma and get the tobacco that you require."

"Already taken care of" Aphrodite pulled the pipe and tobacco out of her hobo purse and put it right in Neferet's hands.

"Great, then we can start." Neferet finished. "What else do we need Zoey?"

"Nothing, just ourselves. I think we can handle Stevie Rae." I answered.

Shaunee and Erin practically skipped out of the room. Both yelling down the hall, "Stevie Raaaaae. Come out come out wherever you are!"

I figured it was probably better to do this in the common area. We had more space there. Shaunee and Erin were still searching for Stevie Rae, who happened to be in the kitchen getting some blood, while the rest of us got the circle ready.

"Hey Ya'll. We casting a circle?" Stevie Rae said in her okie twang.

"Sort of. You need to stand in the middle." Damien explained. "It's a special casting."

"Oh cool! I'm totally in. Hey Z! Feeling better?" Stevie Rae beamed. It made me very nervous that she was so chipper if she was supposed to be under an evil influence.

"I'm feeling much better, thanks. And yes, this is a special casting." I looked straight into her eyes. They were that soft blue they always were. Just a tiny bit of red flecked in them since she had recently fed. That feeling deep in my stomach came back again, and very strong. It made me wonder if we were doing the right thing. What if she hadn't been influenced by Erik yet. "Stevie Rae, if something was up, you'd tell me right?"

Still sipping on her blood bag Stevie Rae stopped and looked up at me, "Of course! Why do you ask, Z? Is something wrong?"

I pulled Stevie Rae to the side and whispered close to her ear. I knew she could hear really well, so it didn't matter how low that I talked, no one else other than Stark, Neferet and my Dad could hear us. "I swear to Nyx right now Stevie Rae, if your hiding anything from me, I don't know what I can do to possibly save your life…again." I was stern. Stevie Rae tensed and I knew I shot a nerve. "You tell me now or I find out anyways, are you with us…" long sigh "or against us?"

At this point Stevie Rae backed away, she blinked her eyes a few times which I took as a sign she was shocked at what she was hearing. She didn't bother to lower her voice, "Z, I may have done stuff in the past that I should be ashamed of, but I've NEVER betrayed you." her eyes started to welt up with tears of blood soon staining down her pale porcelain like skin.

I looked up at her; I felt my own eyes were tearing up with blood as well. My nose started to become runny, my mouth quivering. "I have always trusted you Stevie Rae."

"What is the meaning of all this Z? Why are you all gaping at me like I'm the red vampire Stevie Rae who ate people?" she put the blood bag down and gave us all a cross look.

I decided to let the cat out of the bag and just tell her what my vision was with Aphrodite. How she was with Erik and they both were against me and ready to kill me. That she had been enjoying it.

"That makes no sense at all. First off, I don't go running around….naked. Second, I wouldn't willingly, or at least feel amused about hurting anyone of ya'll!" Stevie Rae yelled as she tried to stomp away.

"No, you can't leave just yet. We have to be sure that there is no dark influence over you." I grabbed her arm and swung her around. Stark was right behind her to have my back.

"If you just cooperate with us Stevie Rae, this would be much easier" Stark said as he grabbed her shoulders. She screamed to be lose and tried to wiggle her way out.

"If you don't have anything to hide, then you'd cooperate!" Stark yelled again.

"Tell us the truth Stevie Rae!" Shaunee demanded.

"Yeah, you tell us the truth! At least we are able to fix you if you are….evil. We just want to help you!" Erin pleaded.

"You don't want to help me, you want to stake me and burn me alive! Ya'll going to kill me, I just know it! I should have listened to Erik!" Stevie Rae yelled and screamed until she lost energy. Stark had a firm grip on her and wouldn't let her budge.

"Tie her up" I said in a low voice to Stark. "She will squirm if we just lay her down; we need her to be still."

"Z…do you really think she's evil?" asked Shaunee.

"I'm not sure, but this is a sure fire way to find out." I answered.

"Fire, Fire…hehe hehe..." Stark said in his best Beavis impersonation. He made me laugh.

"Fire, Fire, I'll light you up!" Shaunee poked Stark in the arm, "Watch yourself!"

"Ok guys" I was chuckling a good bit now. "Let's get something to tie Stevie Rae to this chair."

"Will this do Priestess?" Darius came down the hall with I take it as a bed sheet of Aphrodite's and stripped it into pieces."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Aphrodite screamed. "Do you have ANY idea how much those sheets cost!"

"Do not fret my beautiful princess; I will buy you better ones." Darius kissed her lips lightly.

"Well, they better be! Those were my favorite sheets." Aphrodite crossed her arms and huffed as she stood in the same spot looking away from the entire situation.

Darius stripped the sheet into long strands so we could tie up Stevie Rae's feet and arms then we took a long strip and tied it around the chair to keep her still.

"Here, this will keep her quiet." Aphrodite coyly said as she stuffed a wad of bed sheet into Stevie Rae's mouth.

I peered around at the rest of the group. As usual Shaunee and Erin were stretched out on the couch watching TV with Damien and Jack. Damien happened to be engrossed in the book my Grandma had given me about ancient Cherokee songs, lullabies and spells. Stark was overseeing everything Darius and I were doing along with Aphrodite. Neferet and my dad seemed to be deep in discussion and curious eyes darted our way every so often.

"That should do it Priestess. She won't be able to get out of that hold." Darius said as he stood and put his arm around Aphrodite.

"Well then, chop, chop, let's get started and get this all over with don't we? Aphrodite, once again, I'm going to ask you to stand in place of Earth. We will call a circle first."

As everyone took their places, I rounded the circle and called the elements to me. Earth actually cooperated with us. Neferet was completely amazed. She had not seen me cast a real circle in her 'normal' state. I heard her say, "phenomenal!" as I passed by her to call to Spirit. I couldn't help the little smirk that came across my face. Stark had passed the goblet of blood and wine around behind me that he prepared for the ritual. Everyone was on top of their game now that we were all refreshed and centered with the Goddess Nyx.

I heard a soft humming sound and before I could start the ritual a bright light blinded all of us. It was so bright that we had to shield our eyes. I had a feeling of calm wash all over me. I new this light and who came from it. Nyx.