Stevie Rae

Stevie Rae sat in the room she used to share with Zoey, waiting to hear Rephaim's voice in her head. He had assured her that Raven Mockers could fly faster than normal birds, and he would be in Italy in just a few hours. So why was she sitting in the room, almost twenty four hours later, waiting for him to tell her something? Even if he just told her he was in Italy she would really appreciate it.

Are you there yet? she asked, managing to make her inner voice sound impatient and annoyed.

She waited. And waited. And waited. Half an hour passed.

Yes.

Well, finally!

You could have bothered to tell me.

No answer. Again.

I was busy.

Stevie Rae was beginning to get very frustrated with this damn bird. Though she was glad she didn't kill him.

Fine. Just tell me when Kalona tells you what he's up to.

For the first time, Rephaim responded immediately.

Of course.

Stevie Rae sighed loudly. He really was driving her to insanity. What if, when he was around Kalona for a while, he began to trust him again? She decided it didn't bear thinking about. If that happened, she would feel it . . . wouldn't she? If that happened . . . what would she do? She would tell Zoey right away. She would apologize for not telling her before, and Zoey would forgive her as she did when Stevie Rae told her about the bad red fledglings. Or at least that's what Stevie Rae hoped. She shook her head, and commanded herself to stop thinking about it. So far, Rephaim was still good. Hopefully it would stay that way.

Stevie Rae's phone bleeped, telling her she had a new message. She flipped it up and saw that the message was from Nicole.

Wer r u?

Stevie Rae frowned. Nicole had tried to kill her. Why? Stevie Rae realized now more than ever that the bad red fledglings couldn't be saved. But she relished at the thought of killing them. Unlike Nicole, Starr and the others, she wasn't so cold blooded and heartless.

Y do u want 2 know?

Only a few seconds later, the reply came.

Wer r u?

Ugh. There really was no point in texting back. She was only encouraging Nicole, and probably getting herself into big, big trouble. So she wouldn't give Nicole the satisfaction. She wouldn't text back. The door opened.

"Stevie Rae?" Dallas seemed nervous, as if she had the power to rip his head off. Stevie Rae smiled sadly. She did.

"Ain't anyone ever told you to knock 'fore you enter a lady's room?"

"Stevie Rae, I'm really freaking out about that Raven Mocker thing."

"Well, don't be. It's all taken care of."

"Stevie Rae, please just tell me what it's all about. I need to know."

Stevie Rae gave him a hard glare. "No, you don't. So leave me alone, Dallas. I'll let you know if I actually need you to interfere in my life."

Looking really upset, Dallas left.

Zoey

When I woke up, Stark was gone. I looked around for him but he definitely wasn't there. I was starting to get really worried - what if he was with Kalona? - when the bathroom door opened and he emerged, drying his wet hair with a towel. He grinned at me.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Miss me much?"

My worry was gone immediately, and I settled on giving him a long, hard glare. "No."

Stark chuckled. "You know, you're in a much better mood when you're in touching distance of my awesome body. I think my looks are an antidote to your - "

"Shut up!" it came out sharper than I'd intended.

"Sorry," Stark muttered, looking uncomfortable.

I sighed. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just not in the mood for your joking. I mean, the Imprint between me and Erik and everything . . . It's just taken a toll on me, that's all."

Stark nodded. "I know exactly how you're feeling. No pun intended."

"See?" I was close to shouting now. "That's exactly what I'm talking about! I'm not in the mood, Stark! And it's really beginning to bug me how you continue physically eavesdropping when I specifically told you not to."

"Sorry Z. I should be more considerate, I know that. And I know it annoys you when I joke about having a good body - we all know that I don't." Actually, he did have a great body. And the jokes were only a little annoying . . . "But I really can't help the physically eavesdropping thing. Your emotions have been hitting me much harder these last few days."

"Really?" I was kinda-sorta surprised. My anger was forgotten.

"Really. I'm told it happens after a Warrior has been in his lady's service for a very long time, and if they are very close. But I've only been in your service for a couple of days, and Z, I've only known you for about two weeks."

It was almost three weeks, but I wasn't about to correct him. "It's because of what we've been through together," I said without thinking. I knew I was right. "We've gone through more than most Warriors and their ladies do in their whole lives. That's why you feel everyting I do so strongly."

"Hey, maybe in a couple of years we'll be like the Twins." Stark grinned.

I rolled my eyes.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" He asked happily as he finished drying his hair and put down the towel.

"Well. First I'm having a shower, because as you can probably tell I really need one. And no, I don't need you to wash my back, thanks," I added hastily as he opened his mouth. Smiling and shaking his head sadly, Stark said, "Suit yourself. You've missed out on a great opportunity, though."

"I'm sure I have," I replied sarcastically.

"Well, I think I'll take a walk if you're going to was yourself. Alone. I need to think about, well, things."

Now that made me curious. "What things?" I asked.

"You know. Everything that's happened. And I need to think about how to convince the High Council that Kalona's evil. Maybe if I read To Kill A Mockingbird again I can find something . . . "

I rolled my eyes yet again. "Stark, in case you've forgotten, Atticus doesn't actually win the court case in To Kill A Mockingbird."

"Yeah, I do know that. I have read it five times. But there might be some clue, something vital in it that could actually help us, you know?"

"No. I don't know. Stark, this isn't just some Sherlock Holmes thing where everything is a big jigsaw that needs to be completed. It's real life."

"I know. I won't be long, my lady." Stark bent and kissed my hand. Only then did I realise that he wasn't serious at all. Wow, for someone so cocky and funny, he really was good at keeping a straight face.

"What? Oh, no, take your time." The last thing I needed was for Stark to think he couldn't leave my side. I needed some time alone, just like he did.

"I'll see you soon, my lady."

I quickly got into the shower, and kept it short. I, like every other teenager in the world, find it impossible to have a shower under thirty minutes long. So it really shocked me that I was able to be ready in twenty minutes, dressed and dried and everything. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess.

I needed Stark to be gone while I talked to Kalona. I knew he wouldn't let me go. It was pretty obvious I had to though, sooner or later. Aphrodite's visions blatantly said that either A-ya would win or I would. And the outcome was either saving the world, or ending it as we knew it.

***

I met Kalona exactly where he'd told me to in my dream the night before. The clearing where Heath had been killed. I gulped. I had to do this. It just might save the whole world from ending.

I walked slowly along the path. I shuddered at the memory of me running along it, trying to save Heath. The river where I had flung Kalona into (or so my friends told me) was totally brown and looked more like watery mud than muddy water.

As I arrived at the clearing, I saw Heath. His dead body lay face down, his head turned towards me. His eyes were open, staring and vacant, just like Damien said mine were. The electric blue that used to shine so bright was now replaced by a misty grey colour, reminding me that Heath's soul, what made him Heath, was no longer there. it was just his remains, his empty shell.

Still, I couldn't help the small cry that escaped my mouth. I ran to Heath and pulled his limp body onto my lap. I bawled, rocking him back and forth. Why had no one movied his body? Buried him? Sent the remains back to his parents? I would have, I just assumed it had already been done. With a start, I realized that no one had told Heath's parents, Nancy and Steve Luck, about their son's death. I would probably have to do that. How does one do that? How could you possibly tell someone that their child is dead? The answer was simple: you couldn't.

"Hello, A-ya," Kalona stepped out from behind a tree. I noticed he had called me A-ya, something he had not called me in a while. When I didn't respond but kept sobbing, he sighed and knelt beside me. "Ah, yes. Heath, wasn't it? Such a waste, his death. A-ya, you must believe me when I tell you I did not plan for this."

Staring into his eyes that showed nothing but sincerity, kindness and worry, I would have totally believed him. But, knowing what I did, knowing why he killed Heath . . . I couldn't. My voice shook with anger when I turned to him. "I'm not A-ya," I said with venom.

"But you were, and you do know it. You are the reincarnation of the woman who was created to love me."

"Yeah, the reincarnation. As in not really her."

He smiled wickedly. "Your soul is hers. And it is drawn to me. You know it is, and my advice to you is to let it come. Come to me, my sweet A-ya, and we shall live together for eternity."

My brain said no, but my heart and soul said yes. And in an instant, Stark, Heath and Erik were forgotten. All I could think of was what could be, what might be. All I could think of was Kalona, me and Kalona.

My mouth opened, ready to say, "Hell no, I won't ever be with you." But the words stumbled and tripped over each other inside my mouth, and didn't bother getting back up again. All I knew how to say was, "Yes." And I did.

The word just hovered there for a moment, hanging between us and linking us. Linking us, possibly for eternity. Then Kalona smiled triumphantly. Possessively, he motioned for me to come to him. Though I was right beside him, I eagerly dropped Heath and moved closer to Kalona.

And that's when I knew it was over. I had let my mind wander, and in a stupid, spur of the moment decision I had let A-ya take over, and now belonged to Kalona for eternity. And what would be the outcome? Was this really Aphrodite's bad vision come true?

I willed myself to lean back from Kalona's cold but welcomed embrace. My soul recognized it, and I knew it. It rejoiced. Sharing a soul is not easy. In fact, it's incredibly annoying. But I had control of half of my soul. I don't know how I knew that, but I did. A-ya owned the other half of it, at least at the moment. Her half was much stronger than mine, as it had probably been resting, gaining strength for centuries.

I trembled as Kalona's black wing swept out and stroked the whole left side of my body. A-ya leaned into it, totally relaxed.

That's when I felt it. A sudden thwap! in my soul, followed by a thud! as Stark arrived, panting and clutching his chest.

It was the sound of an arrow being released and then hitting its target. Stark had reached his target: me.

"Zoey!" His cry was heartbroken. He must have been able to sense, through our bond, what had happened.

"Stark!" I called. I felt A-ya start to quickly take control and shouted, "Help me, Stark! A-ya has half of my soul! She's - "

"Leave." The voice that next came from my mouth was cold, harsh and beautiful.

I saw Stark freeze. "Zoey." His voice cracked and he took a hesitant step towards me.

"Leave now. Zoey will soon be gone," A-ya said.

The Warrior in Stark burst through the lover boy. "How dare you," he snarled, stalking towards Kalona. "I will kill you. So help me, I will kill you, Kalona." He spat out his name as if it was a filthy, worthless piece of trash.

Kalona's laugh echoed through the clearing, hitting off the trees and bouncing back to us. "As you wish, Stark."

His laugh made A-ya relax. Somehow I knew that the more relaxed she was, the longer it would take for her be able to take control again. So I waited until she was completely at ease. I didn't have to wait long. She still owned half of my soul, but for the time being I was in control.

"Stark," I said, relieved my voice was once again my own. So was he. "Stark, I can fix this. It's what Aphrodite saw, remember? So that means it was inevitable. I can still save everyone." I sounded much more sure than I was.

Stark's expression was pained. If he hadn't believed he had failed me as a Warrior before (which he did) he definitely did now. And I hated myself for it. "I shouldn't have left you alone." He came to stand beside me. I noticed he was much paler, as pale as he had been when he died, and then he looked transparent. It must have been from the shock. His hand fumbled for mine. It was surprisingly warm for a hand so pale. "You look like Boo Radley." I tried to lighten the moment with my reference from one of his favourite books, but it didn't work.

"Zoey," he said. "I love you. I love you more that anything or anyone in the whole world. I walked away from you before, and I was given a second chance. I'm not about to mess up again. I'll stick by your side no matter what."

I nearly cried again. My heart leaped at the sight of his obvious pain, and it wasn't from his chest. I reached up and cupped his cheek with my free hand. My movements were starting to become more exaggerated, taking more effort, and I knew A-ya was nearly in control again. I realized Kalona had remained quiet all this time, but didn't spare him a glance.

"Stark, I love you too. You know that. And I will always love you no matter what. Hell, I even loved you when you kept calling yourself a monster."

He leaned his face into my hand and closed his eyes. Before long there were silent tears rapidly streaming down his face.

Thanks for all your reviews. I took so long because this was kind of hard to write, and I think now the rest about Zoey will be hard, too. Just to clear something up from the reviews, I'm pretty sure that Zoey and Erik can be Imprinted, because Zoey took his blood. I don't think it matters that he didn't take hers, because Heath never took Zoey's and Rephaim never took Stevie Rae's. I think Loren DID take Zoey's blood, though . . . Can't really remember, I didn't find Betrayed and Chosen as interesting as the others. A bit of this chapter, such as the description of Heath and a few other things are based on personal experience (not that I ever had a consort who was killed, not yet, but in the past I've had bad experiences with looking at the dead body of someone I love).

Anyway, on that highly depressing note, hope you enjoyed the chapter!