Okay. Not a clue what I'm doing this chapter. It's really more of a filler. I know the last time I said that, Kalona showed up, but that's not happening this time. I swear. I'm also not sure what to do with Lillia… She kinda through my story a little off balance. Time to do a time skip! I love these and have been planning one for a while. Just a little less than a year this time. It's January 7th, 2014. The story started in 2011; I skipped a year to do the birthday chapter. Then the next couple of months until Valentine's Day brought us to 2013. So, skip another year and it's 2014. Wow. I made a mistake. The birth date is Oct. 23, 2011. I was off a month. This chapter we have boy issues, we have prophetic poem analysis, and, most importantly, we have the cutest 2 year olds EVER! Read on!

Chapter 11: Told

Lillia

"Mom?" Lillia called to Zoey. She'd adjusted well to life with the Starks and was having difficulty talking to her mom about her dilemma.

"Yes?" Zoey called back.

"Can you come here a second?" Her voice shook slightly.

"Yes. Be right there." Sure enough, Zoey's young figure was zooming through her bedroom door.

"H-how do you feel about boyfriends?" Lillia asked hesitantly.

"Well, you're 17. I don't have a problem if you want to date. I met your dad when I was 16." Zoey said.

"Good. Because, well, me and my boyfriend are celebrating our one month anniversary." Lillia said.

"What? Why didn't you tell me a month ago?"

"I was scared. I didn't know how you'd react."

"Well, who is he?"

Stevie Rae

Alex sat before her, telling her a secret no one else knew.

"I'm dating Lillia Ellens-Stark." He said simply. He looked relieved to have finally told somebody.

"Why is it a secret?" Stevie Rae asked patiently.

"Because her parents have no idea. And I'm nothing compared to her. She's High Priestess in training and I'm nobody." He rushed to finish the sentence. Stevie Rae was shocked at how little he thought of himself.

"Alex McKarther, look at me. You are special. You're a Warrior and you can move the clouds and the stars and do all that stuff. Don't you ever look down on yourself."

"Fine. But, don't tell Zoey."

"I'll let Lillia take care of that." And so, they laughed.

Zoey

My adopted daughter sat in front of me with a classic mother-daughter dilemma. Boy issues.

"Come on, who is he?" I repeated.

"It's Alex." She got a dreamy look in her eye I knew well.

"McKarther?"

"Yup." She smiled dimly and looked lost.

"You really love him don't you?" I asked her. The thought made my heart bang in my chest.

"Yes." She looked at me. "Oh, Mom. I really do. And, I want to tell him. But, I don't know how. What do I do." Her smile had faded and she was biting her lip, trying not to cry. I pulled on her shoulders and laid her head on my lap, stoking her long brown hair that had grown to her waist.

"Come on, Lil. You're smart. Just come out and say it. What do you see in him anyway?" I asked, almost appalled. He reminded me of Stark for crying out loud!

"He's funny. He can always make me laugh. And he's sweet. He cares about everyone. And then there's just something about him. Plus, he is just so darn hot!" Her eyes were dreamy again. She laughed as she said the last part.

"He reminds me of your dad you know."

"I know." And so, mother and daughter dissolved into giggles as they recounted stories of the men they had fallen in love with.

(9 hours later) Still Zoey (House of Night, Staff room)

I looked around as my friends read the poem I had received a year ago.

"Well, the cold one. Neferet?" Damien said, always the thinker. All my friends nodded and murmered agreement.

"That's what I came up with. So, Neferet's last words?"

"Sounds like it." Erin said, her Twin nodding.

"And the four. "Two by Two is Four. Four will stand against the dark. Four will lead in war for life." That's go to mean Cassidy, Kalleb, Layla, and Joi, right?" Aphrodite chipped in.

"I figured that much, too." I spoke to my friends sadly. Stark rubbed my back to comfort. I put my arm around his waist.

"I've got no clue on the next phrase." Stevie Rae said. "Maybe it's describing our kids. Or, people vital to the war. Someone innocent will bleed. Someone lost will cry. Someone true will lose their heart. Maybe it's telling us the price of the war." She suggested.

"Maybe." I replied. "Let's move to the next verse. Make the choice. Listen to your heart and soul. The black of the night. And the white of the bull." I recited.

"The white bull." Stark said.

"Obviously. And the battle will be at night I'm thinking." Rephaim stated.

"Okay. But, what choice?" Darius said.

"It's a choice the four will make on their own." Aphrodite said in a voice that wasn't hers. All eyes turned to look at her. She was glowing and her eyes were shut.

"What do you see?"

"I see the same vision I had years ago. The one with Zoey and Kalona doing the nasty. Only, they're not doing the nasty. It's just heated kissing. And, this time, it doesn't look like Zoey. I can't tell who it is. Their back is to me." Aphrodite stopped abruptly. Then, in the same voice that had answered Darius's question, she said, "The four will make the choice alone." Then, Aphrodite collapsed.

Okay. Suspense! And, you never find out about the choice until the last book in the series I'm doing. Mwahaha! But, I know what it is. And, it is so totally shocking I can't believe I thought of it. And I literally just thought of it typing this. So, if you're psychic you might be able to sense what I was thinking as I typed. But, that's doubtful. Mwahahahaha! Feeling devious again (tee hee), StevieRae2011, signing off!