I practically ran the whole way to Natasha's study and once again made it with only seconds to spare. I walked through the doors to find her in pretty much the same position as she had been yesterday, over her desk sorting through books. She looked up as I moved into the room and smiled at me, "Good morning," she said as I approached her desk.
"Morning," I mumbled back trying to stifle a yawn.
She frowned, "Zoey, didn't you go back to sleep as I asked?" She questioned raising a hand to brush my cheek and running her thumb over the dark circles that I was sure framed my eyes.
"There was just too much going on and too much to figure out," I said shrugging. I sighed. I knew I needed to tell her everything about the dreams but I just wasn't sure how to start. And what if they were only that? Just dreams. But even as I thought it my spirit leapt and I knew it wasn't just a dream. "Natasha, I need to talk to you about something," I said slowly.
Her expression instantly became serious as she moved us over to sit in our favorite chairs. "What is troubling you, Zoey?"
"I think I need your help," I said taking a deep breath. She looked at me patiently waiting for me to continue, kindness filling her face. "I don't believe that it is just a raven out there, and the reason I don't believe it is because of a dream I had last night." I decided to start out slowly and work my way up to the crazy Neferet dream. Not that all the dreams weren't crazy but that was the only one that had wounded me.
"We don't believe it is just a raven either, Zoey," she confided, "But, please go on."
I looked down at my hands as I said the words, "Kalona and Neferet have been making appearances in my dreams the last two nights, which is part of the reason I look so tired today. It wasn't just because I woke up early." I looked up to see that her expression had grown tense. "Last night, the dream I was having just before the cawing started was of Kalona telling me that he was watching us."
Natasha had gone perfectly still, "was that all?" she asked softly.
Her lack of response was making me nervous. She probably thought I was imagining it, "No he was trying to convince me to go to the palace of the High Council."
She sighed, "Zoey, I would like you to sleep in the infirmary tonight. I will stay there with you. I want to examine your dreams," she stopped then examining my face. "Is there more you would like to share with me? I'm sensing that it goes much deeper than what you have told me so far."
"Yes," I said taking a deep breath. "The night after the vision Neferet came to me. It was a really strange dream because for half of it I was floating over the scene watching myself surrender to her. When I rejoined my body she brought a dagger to my neck and said, 'if you come to me now, your life will be spared.'" I let my words sink in before I continued, "She then made a small cut on my neck. When I woke up, my neck was burning and when I looked down my pillow was covered in blood." I tilted my head so that she could see, "the cut still hasn't completely healed."
Natasha kept her face expressionless as she reached out slowly to touch the scratch. She brushed my skin and instantly recoiled as if she had been burned, and I realized in absolute terror that she had been. She held out her palm face up. Across the tips of her fingers was a small, thin red line. I gasped and looked at her mortified, tears welling up in my eyes. She only looked at my face a second before taking me into her arms and beginning to sooth me.
"Zoey, listen to me, it's going to be ok. I'm going to take care of it," she said gently caressing my back as I tried to get a handle on my breathing.
"The cut burned you!" I said, my voice shaking with the panic I was feeling.
"It's going to be fine, but I need you to come with me, we need to go see Mallika," she said pulling back slightly and taking my face in her hands. "It's going to be fine," she whispered again as she pulled me from my chair.
She grabbed my hand and it felt like we were literally speeding down the halls. I couldn't get my mind to stop freaking. Stark had been right, there was something dark around the cut! I barely realized it when we began cutting through the library towards the conference room. Mallika was standing outside waiting for us, a troubled expression written on her face, "what is it, Natasha?" She asked taking me from Natasha's grasp and ushering us both into the room. I didn't understand how she could possibly have known anything was wrong considering my world had been turned upside down only seconds ago. Then again how did priestesses know anything they knew?
"Zoey has a wound we need you to look at Mallika," Natasha said moving behind me and tilting my head so that the scratch was visible.
Mallika's eyes narrowed as she moved towards us observing the thin line that ran along my fresh. She reached out and was still two inches from my skin when she recoiled as Natasha had. I was starting to feel like I was the plague!
"How did this happen to you, Zoey?" she asked softly.
Natasha had gone back to trying to comfort me, rubbing gently circles over my back. I took a deep breath, "it happened in a dream," I said a little uncertainly. I wished they would just tell me what was wrong.
Mallika's face became even more concerned as she looked to Natasha.
"We have reason to believe Neferet is responsible," Natasha said calmly and then launched into all I had told her about the dreams.
"What's wrong with me?" I finally managed to whisper. I was sure my face looked as petrified as I felt.
"I am uncertain of that as of yet, but we're going to find out," Mallika said moving to the door. She opened it speaking softly to the library attendant. "Could you send for Ariana, please?"
"Of course, Priestess," I heard her reply.
Mallika walked over to me once again tilting my face up, "Zoey, I want you to stay as still as possible."
I nodded as she once again reached out her hand whispering words I couldn't quite hear. I was vaguely aware that Natasha was still holding me as Mallika's hand got within two inches of my skin again. She cringed slightly but did not pull away. Finally after what seemed like an eternity she looked at me, her face grim.
"Mallika?" Arian asked as she came through the door.
"We have a problem," Mallika said dully. I could tell she was trying to hold back exactly how worried she was. I wished she wouldn't, it only made me more panicked! "Zoey, I need you to remember as many details about the dream as possible. Anything you can remember no matter how small."
I thought about it, "I was kneeling before her when she pulled a dagger. It was curvy and about six to seven inches long. She dragged it along my skin as she circled me, but didn't pierce it at first. Then after I rejoined my body she came behind me and brought the dagger to my throat. She pulled it so that it cut me, but not enough to do any real damage. It burned," I said recalling the sensation that traveled over my skin. "She let my blood run into her hand and whispered that if I came to her she would spare my life," I finished looking at each of them.
Mallika sighed loudly, "What Neferet did was some very deep, very powerful magic."
"Neferet?!" Ariana said looking alarmed.
"Unfortunately, Neferet has been using Zoey's dreams to manipulate her," Mallika said sadly. "She's been tracking you through this," she said turning to me motioning to my cut.
"Tracking me?!" Ah, hell!
Mallika nodded, "yes there may be more to it that that but I am definitely sensing a connection. She can sense where you are."
I could feel myself beginning to hyperventilate, but I couldn't stop, "How do you know all that?"
"Zoey relax," Natasha said once again trying to sooth me. She touched my back and I automatically felt relaxed as if I could take a nap easily and I suddenly remembered exactly how tired I was.
Mallika stepped forward, "One of my gifts is to be able to trace the origins of magic. I can sense it, sense where it is, where it came from, and what its purpose is. Your cut however didn't take much effort to sense. It was radiating…"
"Dark energy?" I supplied for her.
She smiled at me, "Zoey we are going to do everything possible to fix this."
"Can this be fixed?" I asked mostly to myself and to Nyx. I had no clue what I was going to do, but now that the initial shock was wearing off I was getting angry.
"The elements can often heal and restore, Zoey," Mallika smiled softly reciting the very words Nyx had once said to me.
I smiled as I felt Nyx leap within me and knew they were right. If Nyx could use the elements to bring back my memory and save Stevie Rae, then she could certainly break Neferet's curse. Curse, uhg, I was cursed! She had cursed me!
"We'll perform the circle tonight. You and I will cast it together," Natasha said hugging me gently.
"Between your friends and the Council, the power of Nyx will make it well," Mallika said giving me a slight nod and an encouraging look.
"Why tonight?" I asked, "Why not now?" I didn't think it was wise to keep this connection intact any longer than necessary.
"Because you need rest," Natasha said kindly, "and I intend to see that you get it."
I sighed, she was probably right; the circle would be stronger if I was stronger.
The walk back to Natasha's study seemed to take forever. Or, maybe it only seemed that way because the walk to the library had been so fast. Natasha led me back to one of the soft comfy chairs as soon as we entered her study. I sank into it closing my eyes. I felt Natasha grip my shoulder and I immediately began drifting off to sleep.
I was standing in the middle of the room on the cold marble floor. I sighed resigned to be here once again. I turned as Neferet came into the room looking as beautiful as ever. She was dressed in a dark green floor length dress that shimmered as she moved. Her auburn hair hung down her back in gorgeous waves flowing around her as she walked.
Her ruby red lips smiled as she approached me, "You know the elements won't be able to bail you out of every situation," she said smoothly clearly knowing all about the conversation I had had with the Council members.
"They've worked for me so far," I said cooly.
"Really?" She asked raising both eyebrows, "Then why was it only a week ago I had to heal you?" She stopped then coming to stand right in front of me, "end this, Zoey. All, I want is for you to come to me. I've made it perfectly clear as to where I am and you can't possibly hope to win this."
"I wouldn't count on that, Neferet. We already sent you running once, and now I have half the Council backing me!"
She smiled cooly looking into my eyes, "So do I."
My face instantly sobered, "That's not possible," I whispered.
She laughed as she began walking again, "Actually it's quite possible, Zoey."
I felt my body lurch as if something was trying to pull on it and looked around. Neferet had stopped as well examining our surroundings. She smirked then and walked to the window, "Natasha is very powerful, but make no mistake, Zoey, so am I. Come to me while you still have a chance."
"Why do you need me?" I asked.
She turned back to me, her face cold, "Is it not enough that I'm offering you an opportunity to live?!"
I took a step back. She really scared the crap out of me sometimes. I felt the strange pull again and this time I started moving back, my surroundings becoming hazy as I did. Neferet smiled at me on last time, "My kindness will only last so long, Zoey. Come to me while I'm still willing to make an allowance."
I awoke gasping to see Natasha leaning over me gripping my arms, "It's all right, Zoey. It's all right."
I sat up looking around to see that Stark and Aphrodite were also there. I ran my fingers through my hair looking back to Natasha, "Neferet," I breathed.
"I know," Natasha said brushing a strand of hair from my face. "I felt it as soon as she entered your dreamscape. Unfortunately, she was ready for me. She put up a lot of walls and it took me a while to get through."
I nodded, "I could feel you and so could she." I looked at Aphrodite, "what are you doing here?" I asked a little confused.
"Fifth hour," she said simply.
"You were right about the cut," I told both her and Stark.
"Well at least you can admit it," Aphrodite said grinning.
I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, well, you were wrong about the vision," I said trying to stand.
Aphrodite froze dropping the book she had been holding, "What do you mean?"
I looked back at Natasha, "They're already on the island. She as good as said she has half the Council behind her."
"What?!" Stark exclaimed.
"She's already taken over the Council," I said discouraged.
"Zoey are you sure?" Natasha asked.
"Zo, she could just be trying to draw you there," Aphrodite said looking a little freaked.
I sighed, "I think she may be telling the truth for once."
Natasha nodded, "I'll look into it. All of you are to stay here," She said giving each of us a hard look and then sweeping from the room.