Wow this is really amazing! When I put up chapter 27, there were 200 reviews. The next day there were 253!!!!!! Wow you guys RAWWK!!


Damien

Stark led the way to the dorms, but when we reached the door he stopped suddenly. "What is it?" I asked nervously, preparing myself for something horrible Stark's Warrior Bond let him feel from Zoey.

"I . . . I can't," he whispered. I was really worried about Stark. From what I knew of him (which wasn't a lot, but anyway . . . ) this was completely out of character. He really was the high school stereotype of the tall, hot, muscley guy that all the girls loved (and the gay guys, who still had high hopes that one day he would change teams . . . hmm . . . ). So, as I was saying, this was totally not him.

"Stark, what can't you do?"

"I - I can't go in there. I can't tell them. I can't - I can't - !"

"Yes, you can. Come on."

But Stark still didn't follow me.

"No," he whispered again. "No. Zoey needs me. She - " he turned away and started walking back in the direction from which we had just come.

"Stark!" I said again, grabbing his arm and twisting him around to face me. His face was pained and his eyes were tortured, glistening and threatening to let tears fall again. He didn't say anything.

"Stark," I said, more firmly this time. "Do you know what you're doing? As in, do you have a plan to help Zoey yet?"

A tear finally fell, encouraging many more to do the same. He shook his head, looking down in shame and defeat.

"Well then you have to come and tell the others what you know. They might think of something."

I could see he was torn between what he hoped would work and what he knew might actually work. Wistfully, he glanced back at the direction of Zoey, then his common sense kicked in. He took a deep, shaky breath and took a hesitant step towards the dorms.

"Come on," I said softly. He looked at me with trust and hope, reminding me of a toddler's faith in their parents. He really was not at all like the Stark who had strode into the cafeteria a couple of weeks before, standing up to the vamps and defending his dog in a cocky, assertive way. Who the hell was he now?

We went to Aphrodite's room for the simple reason that everyone else was in there. "What's going on?" I asked. Instead of moving straight to Jack's side like I would have liked to, I stayed by Stark, feeling he needed the moral support. Jack came to me.

"We're thinking of how to win this case," he told me.

I was about to ask him what the hell he was talking about. The morning's events had really pushed the whole Kalona/High Council thing right to the back of my mind. But Darius suddenly moved from him seemingly permanent place at Aphrodite's side to me and Stark.

"Stark? There is something wrong. Where is Zoey?"

I looked worriedly at Stark. His eyes were bloodshot, indicating he had been crying behind me on the way up here. He opened his mouth, and it looked like a lever for more tears to fall. "Just tell them," I said softly. "Tell them what you know."

The Twins and Aphrodite came closer. "Don't crowd him," I said quietly but they all heard and, worried for Zoey, they all backed away until only me and Darius were still next to Stark.

"I - I don't really know," Stark started. "I felt something. Then I found Zoey in the clearing and she was acting all weird. Then she was herself again and said that A-ya had taken half of her soul and she can't always be in control." His voice broke on Zoey's name.

No one spoke. I guess they were just so shocked that A-ya was actually ableto do that. I mean, Zoey was so strong, so powerful . . . She's only been Marked a few months, and she was already the High Priestess of Tulsa! Well, for now, anyway.

"What can we do?" Jack eventually asked, tears in his eyes.

"Well, we were hoping you guys could help us come up woth something," I smiled shyly. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Stark let his face drop into his hands, as if he was punishing himself for allowing himself to hope.

"We will think of something," Darius said, sounding extremely sure.

Suddenly Stark roared in agony and dropped to his knees, clutching his Mark (yes, it did in fact remind me of Harry Potter, one of my all-time favourite series ever). Once again, everyone crowded around him. Blindly, Stark tried to stand but fell again. I grabbed his arm to support him, and Darius did the same. Stark reached out aimlessly and his hand found my arm. Satisfied with something to cling on to, his breathing became more even. Not very even, but a little more.

"Stark? What has happened?" Darius asked, and for one his voice was not calm and collected.

"Is it Zoey?," Jack asked no one in particular, but Darius answered immediately.

"No. His Mark has virtually nothing to do with his Warrior Bond. Something is wrong with him, not Zoey."

The sense of relief that came with Zoey's safety (well, as safe as she could be right now) was quickly washed away when I realized my worry for Stark.

He moaned and fell into Darius, who pulled him back up again instead of comforting him like I would have thought would be better. But Darius was a warrior, and he knew best.

The Twins were clutching each others arms nervously. Jack had gone to sit back on the bed and Aphrodite was leaning on Darius's shoulder. Quietly and calmly, Darius said, "Give him space to breathe. This is not good for him." Everyone moved back again, but I stayed where I was. Darius looked at me. "Damien, I think it may be best if you leave him some air, too."

I nodded and gently released Stark's grasp on my bicep. I stood back and put my arm around Jack who thanked me by doing the same. He took a deep, shaky breath. I guess he was still digesting the news about Zoey.

"Stark, I want you to open your eyes," Darius was saying. Stark obediently, well, obeyed.

"Good. Now take a deep breath and do not shout any more."

Stark complied.

"Now tell us what is wrong."

Stark blinked. "I - Neferet. She - "

"Stark!" I could distinctly hear someone running up the stairs. The voice sounded strangely like Zoey's.

Stark's head snapped up as if he had been completely zoned out. "Zoey," he whispered almost inaudibly. Then he somehow found the power to get to his feet and call loudly, "Zoey!"

Zoey ran in to the room and straight into Stark. They were both crying and he held her tightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his shirt.

"What happened?" Stark asked. His voice was low and filled with anger. "What did he do to you?"

Zoey shook her head into his chest. "He - nothing. You were hurt." She stepped out of his arms to cup his face in her hand. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing happened to me, Zoey," Stark said and quickly gave Darius a meaningful look. Obviously he didn't want to upset her, worry her.

"Something happened." Zoey was determined. "Tell me what happened, Stark, or so help me I'll - "

"Zoey!" Stark said suddenly. "A-ya - she's not controlling you." Well, you couldn't blame him for being a little slow.

"No one was controllingme," Zoey said, making Stark smile. I hadn't seen him look so happy since . . . the night before. Had that all really happened in such a short time?

"Tell me what happened," Zoey insisted.

Stark sighed a long-suffering sigh. "Fine. Neferet, okay? That's what happened. She did something, I don't know what. My Mark hurt, and I don't really know what happened after that. Then you came."

"Stark, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For going to Kalona. But I really think that this has to happen. I just need to figure out what I'm going to say to him to save the world and all." She looked at us for the first time since she entered the room. "Please, guys, could you all really think? I mean really, really think. It has to be logical. What do I need to say to Kalona to make him go away?"

Great. So she was putting the pressure back on us. I loved Z and all, but sometimes being friends with an extremely powerful and gifted fledgling who was already a High Priestess was kind of exhausting.


Okay, sorry for the short chapter and for not updating in a while .. I'm just so irritated right now (well . . that's putting it mildly) because I completely forgot this great plot I had as to why Zoey's Marks were gone and all. So now I have to think up a whole new plot .. Wonderful.