AN: I always am glad to see lots of reviews, so if you have been sending me them, thank you!

I don't own House of Night. Sadly.

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Yay for making it to double numbered chapters! Lol.

Anyway..

Chapter 10

Zoey

Sleeping on the plane hadn't been bad. It was completely Kalona-free. I guess I hadn't realized he wasn't present because Stark was right there with me. Which is why tonight's dream was so weird. Stark was sleeping in the bed next to me, yet here I was, dreaming about Kalona.

"So what are you doing here?" I asked, not looking at him. "I thought you didn't go into girls' dreams when there's a man in their bed."

"I don't. But I don't know who you think is in your bed but you're certainly sleeping alone." His silky voice caressed my cheek in a way that made me shiver.

What did he mean? Where was Stark? Maybe he was just going to the bathroom. Kalona would be gone in no time.

"Ok. So. What are you doing here?" I really just wanted a dream filled with vague, random things that I will hardly remember once I wake up. Not a sharp, unforgettable dream full of Kalona poison.

"I just thought I'd stop by and say hi." He smiled big, showing a mouth full of white, gleaming teeth. His smile was replaced with and sorrowful grimace quickly.

"What's wrong?" It's not like I was really concerned, just curious at his rapid mood swing. Not that this was new about Kalona.

"I wanted to say something to you Zoey" Kalona said in an abnormally gruff voice.

It was silent between us for awhile.

"Well…?" I was getting impatient. What would he have to say to me? If it had anything to do with me being with him, I would use every effort in waking up. I'd had enough of that.

"I'm sorry. I know it isn't enough of an apology for the pain I inflicted when your soul shattered, but-but all I can do is try and make you understand; it wasn't my intention to hurt you. I promise. I would never have harmed that boy if I'd known he was so important to you." He was on the verge of tears.

"Saying sorry won't bring him back," was all I said and I turned around. I didn't leave, but I couldn't stare at him any longer. I knew he was evil and couldn't be trusted, but when someone was crying and vulnerable like that, I tended to pity them. For me, pity is care. And there's no chance of me caring for Kalona after what he'd done to Heath. I couldn't. Wouldn't.

It took me a moment to decipher what the sound was coming from behind me.

I looked back.

It was Kalona, hunched over on the ground, weeping. Then I noticed something.

His wings weren't black! They were a very dark grey, almost black, but definitely not black anymore. That's weird..

Before I knew it, I was over next to him, my hand hovering in the air like it wanted to comfort him, but still hesitating because I really knew I shouldn't.

He killed Heath for Nyx' sake!

I hurried back over to my little bench that I had been sitting on. We weren't at the castle setting like we always had in the past. We were in a cloudy place, like a white open void that was filled with clouds or fog. Almost one of those simple dreams that doesn't have a distinct background, except for the Kalona part.

"Will you forever hate me?" Kalona asked me, now having had recovered from his weeping.

"Why do you care?" I didn't want to sound heartless but he'd killed Heath in cold blood, I didn't really feel like handing out sympathy cards.

"Why do I care? Why? Because, no matter how many times I attempt to convince you of this you refuse to understand: I love you with all of my immortal self. That will never change" He said this so emotionally it had me taken aback. Why was he acting even crazier about me than usual? Ehhhh I really needed to wake up. I can't keep feeling bad for this fallen angel.

"Ok. So you love me. I'm sorry, but I can never love you after what you did to Heath. That's unforgiveable. No will you tell me how to get out of here? I'd like to get back to my normal dreaming now." I looked at him expectantly.

"I'll do you even better. In order to wake up just say "è il momento di svegliarsi" and your body will respond." He wasn't crying but I could hear so much depression in it that it was so much worse than his tears.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It's Italian for 'it's time to wake up now'. The reason your body will respond is because the most ancient vampyres originated in Italy." He answered in the same tone of utter despair.

"Oh. Alright, thank you." What could it hurt to be polite?

As I was turning, he spoke up, "My son Rephaim has not returned. Do you by chance, know where he could be?" There was a knowing note to how he said that. Hadn't Rephaim gone to join his father though? If he wasn't with Kalona, then where was he? Not still in Oklahoma…?

Oh Goddess!

What would happen if he came near Stevie Rae again? I know I said it was okay, but that's when I thought they wouldn't be seeing each other for a long time and their Imprint would hopefully have broken.

"What is wrong? I sense fear in you…" Kalona broke her reverie.

"What are you, a Jedi Knight?" I muttered. He seemed amused. Yet still sad somehow.

"I don't know where he is. I have to go. Goodbye." I said curtly, not wanting to confirm his thoughts which probably told him his precious son was in her hometown still.

"Do not worry young Zoey, I am not going to come after you and your friends for harboring my ill willed son. If he wishes to stay that is no matter to me. If he wants to join me, he'll know where I am." With that, he walked away into the fog.

Ok so Kalona was out of the dream. It was still creepy though. I didn't really know the Italian way to say "switch dreams" so I decided to simply wake up. "è il momento di svegliarsi" I said the Italian phrase aloud, looking upwards.

I woke up with a loud gasp. My first reaction was wow, what Kalona said had actually worked. And the second reaction was where's Stark? Because again, Kalona was right and there wasn't anyone in bed with her.

"Stark?" I said into the dark silent room. Technically it was sunny and bright outside, but most of the rooms [because of the red fledglings/vamps arrival] had had special shades put in where it came down in a slide that was a thick, plane slate of fabric that shut out all the light. There were little remotes and everything so you could open and close them from wherever in the room. It was actually quite cool.

"What is it?" A dark figure was on top of me the second after I'd uttered my Guardians' name.

"AH-!" I screamed because there was someone on top of me. But my shriek was cut off almost as soon as I'd started screaming my head off by a soft, strong hand covering my mouth.

"Ssshhh! Calm down Z, it's all alright, I'm here, I'm here, it's okay.." He was stroking my face and hair, trying to shush me in a gentle way.

"Shmarg?" I mumbled through his hand.

He laughed quietly, pulling his hand away, "Yeah, its Shmarg. What's wrong?"

"You scared the bageezus outa me!" I whispered at him, smiling in turn at my silliness.

"Well let's just hope you didn't wake up the cowgirl," Stark said, and then we both looked over at Stevie Rae's bed. She was moving restlessly, but didn't wake up.

Stark and I held our breath until she stopped moving. Phew.

We sat there for a few more silent minutes, just staring at each other.

"So where were you? Obviously you weren't sleeping with me because-" I stopped.

"Because why? How'd you know?" He looked puzzled. Why would any normal person know or not if someone was in the bed, when they're supposed to be unconscious?

But of course Stark was too quick, "Kalona was in your dream wasn't he?" He looked mad.

"It's okay, it wasn't like a scary nightmare where he tries to seduce me" I looked away guiltily, because those hadn't always been nightmares.

"Then why was he there?" Stark demanded.

I continued to lay there and think about that for a second. Why had he been there? It wasn't like he'd really said much. He'd said sorry and told me how to wake up, by commanding my body in Italian. And about Rephaim being able to do what he wants.

Wait! I wonder if that whole Italian thing works when I'm awake too. I'll have to test that out sometime [once I find a translating book that is].

And Rephaim? I'd let Stevie Rae know that little fun fact later when we were alone.

"He wanted to say sorry." I answered truthfully. That really had been his true purpose in reality.

Not really reality reality, but you know what I mean.

I saw the expressions flash across Starks' face. Confusion, frustration, epiphany-ism, and understanding.

"About what he did to Heath?" he said.

"Yeah" I had cried out my tears for Heath, I was just for Stark now. Not a bunch of different Zoeys. I was sad about Heath, and I always would, but I wasn't going to hurt Stark too by crying about my dead ex-boyfriend in front of him.

"And you forgave him?"

"Heck no! Why would I forgive him? He's evil! He killed Heath, and tried to kill you too in the Otherworld." I said incredulously. Did he really think I was going to forgive him that easily? Geez.

"Hey hey! I didn't actually think you did, I was just double-checking. And yeah, I guess you're right." He put his hands up in surrender.

Just then I realized Stark was still sitting on top of me. Not putting all of his weight on me [would have made me die awhile ago] but just enough where it was comfortable for us.

He saw me staring at the place where he was sitting on me. He laughed, "Oh yeah. Uhm, should I get down?"

"You don't have too" I chuckled quietly; trying not to disturb Stevie Rae's sleeping form. What came as a surprise was that she wasn't in her bed anymore. Huh. I guess she went to sleep in Aphrodite's room or something.

"Ohh, you wanna play, huh?" Stark grinned wickedly at me. He put his hands down by my ribs and gently tickled me, I tried to stop him but it became the out of control tickling that made me crazy and squirming and bucking myself up at him.

"Ok, ok, ok, please" giggle, "stop, please." I was gasping from the tickle attack. At least he finally stopped.

He laughed at me; apparently my abused expression was funny to him. I had an inspiration.

Pulling my legs out from underneath him, I got on top of him and pinned him to the bed with my hands on his.

"Ooo kinky" He said as he licked his lips. His put his legs up around my hips so he had a tight grip on me, just like I had on his wrists.

I looked down at our entangled bodies.

"Well, we seem to be at an impasse." I said, trying not to laugh.

"Hmm, I do conquer." He said, arching his eyebrows in a funny way.

"I think I can win though.." I said.

"Oh yeah? How?" He asked.

"What? You don't think I can?" I said.

"I'm not entirely sure… Prove it!" He challenged.

"Ok, you asked for it." I leaned over him and my lips reached out to meet with his a dance that wasn't known to man.

At first he pretended to fight back and resist the kiss, but he was no match for my charm. His legs loosened and then so did my hands. It started out as a battle, now it's as if we were working together against the forces of the heat that was rapidly building between us. I guess we were trying to cool it down with our mouths?

We were all over the place, I swear my blankets had never been that shambled up. I felt him shifting, placing himself above me, pressing against me. It was such a passion filled moment, it was almost too late when I realized he was still trying to win! What a fool!

I shoved him back down against the bed, not allowing him to move anymore, including stopping him from winning.

I pulled away and got up into a sitting position and said, "Seems to me like I'm the winner" I bent down and nipped at his ear playfully.

As I was there, he lifted his head and bit into my neck, drawing some blood.

End of Chapter 10

Mwa ha ha haa!

I'm so evil xD

I'm sorry, I just had to do it!

Please review, and yes, chapter eleven is soon to come ;)