YAY!! NEW CHAPTER!!!
Hey guys! Sorry that it took me sooooo long to update. But my 4 year old sister took and hid my book, and just recently (Right before i found my book) My Computer Screen Died On Me. So I'm lucky that my father is so kind to let me use his lap top. So here i am updating from my dad's lap top! :D
I also just thought it appropriate to say that this chapter is pretty long and I have a hunch that it's one of my best so far! Oh and also when we start with the book again she was passed out sooo... it's about page... 316 when we get the first reference from the book. :)
*UPDATE-7/15/09:I have put more pictures on my Profile! Check them out if you want visuals of what characters or something looks like. :D
Enjoy!
I awoke feeling as though I was suffering a nasty hangover (Don't ask how I know this, all I'm gonna say is that it wasn't my fault) and groaned as I tried to sit up.
I felt someone put their hand on the small of my back and push up, which helped me sit up the rest of the way before being handed a glass of water. I took a couple of drinks before looking at who was sitting with me.
"Stark?" I asked, surprised at exactly how dry my voice sounded. He didn't reply but pulled me into his arms and held me. I wondered what he was doing before my memories of before I was knocked out came flooding back to me all at once causing me to push him away in anger.
"Athena..." he whispered in a voice that indicated that my action had hurt him.
'Good. He's hurt me plenty of times.' I thought at first before noticing his tattoo.
"You... You've..." I couldn't form coherent thoughts, so instead I covered my mouth as a sob broke out of my chest.
"I changed when I pledged myself to Zoey." He whispered to me. I wondered why before realizing we weren't sitting in the stables anymore... We were... in an office? What the fuck was going on?
"You better start explaining, and fast." I demanded, with a glare.
He told me what happened in the closet, of course most of that I knew but I played dumb then how Zoey told him that she was going to break out and he needed to get to Dragon.
"I left her in the closet and walked out of the stables towards Dragon's office, when I was intercepted by the Raven Mockers. They attacked me, and next thing I knew I was waking up in Neferet's office and they threatened me into coming with them using you. At first I thought they were bluffing knowing that you could take care of yourself before they told me that they already had you. I panicked and agreed. They're getting the car ready as we speak." He told me. I looked up and saw that we were alone and when I tried to get up I was pulled back down, I nearly screamed but Stark covered my mouth before I could. I bit him before glaring at him.
"You broke your promise you know." I said.
"Angel, I—" He began but I cut him off.
"You promised me last night after she kissed you that you wouldn't do it again. YOU PROMISED!" I scream-whispered. "I knew you would turn out the same as them. I knew it! And yet I tried to prove myself wrong and for once followed my gut instead of my brain." I said tears streaming once again down my cheeks. "I thought you were different." I whispered so quietly that I was surprised when he wrapped his arms around me, causing my sobs to finally break free, and whispered his reply.
"I am, Angel, I truly am." He whispered into my hair. "I love you with all of my heart, but I have to contribute to this battle somehow..." I could tell from not only his tone, but my gut as well, that he was sincere.
"You won't do it again will you?" I asked him with my voice shaking as I looked into his eyes searching for the answer I was hoping for.
"I can't promise, but I can try my hardest not to." He said with a small smile that made my heart break. I nodded realizing that that was the most I could actually ask for. I kissed him softly realizing that I was in his lap. I blushed before I heard voices from outside the door.
"Angel, you need to act like you're still knocked out. I don't want them doing anything to you." Stark told me as quietly as possible. I nodded lying back down to where I was before I woke up and smiling up at him softly with a few tears coming out of my eyes. He leaned down and I gave him a quick peck before closing my eyes just as he straightened up and I heard the door open.
"You're time is up, Kalona has demanded to see his favorite student." I heard from the voice I identified automatically as Neferet's.
"I won't leave her." I heard him say in a strong voice, which was full of confidence.
"She can come, but you must carry her." Neferet hissed at him.
I felt him shuffle as he picked me up. 'Wind, aid him in his task, please?' I thought being nice. I felt the wind pick me up probably making me lighter to him.
"Ahh... Stark, Stark, Stark... And who do we have here?" I heard Kalona ask as I felt something on my arm before feeling Stark jerk me back.
"Her name is Athena Kieran, the one I asked you specifically to stay away from." He said saying stay away like it was a warning. I felt butterflies in my stomach as I heard what Stark had done specially for me. "I want her to come along with us, She's to precious to me to leave here." He said softly. I wished I could smile and give him a kiss but I had to keep the act of being unconscious up. There was a moment of silence during which I'm guessing Kalona contemplated letting me come before finally deciding.
"Very well. Place her in the back of the vehicle." I felt Stark nod as he started moving again. Then I felt him place me down.
"Don't do anything drastic," I whispered barely moving my lips as I opened my eyes to see him with tears in his eyes. He leaned down and kissed me softly, but there was a hint of desperation behind it, like he was saying goodbye just in case. "Be Safe," I said once more as he pulled away from me. He nodded unnoticeably before closing the door.
The drive was silent until we got there and I heard something that sounded quite similar to, "Oh Shit," and doors opening.
'Stay laying for a bit more Athena, you are doing splendid, my inìon.' I wanted to smile at the voice for once in my life but kept up my act as I was instructed. I heard nothing for a while until I felt Nyx's clearance to sit up.
When I did, I was surprised at what I saw. There standing in front of a statue of the Virgin Mother Mary, was Zoey, and a whole bunch of others standing there as an elder woman was pushed towards Zoey by a guy who I suspected was Human. When the elder reached Zoey she slipped her hand into Zoey's and said something. Zoey smiled and replied before glancing back at the Human who than smiled at her before saying something as well as the Elder stood.
I watched as somethings happened in a blur not understanding anything before finally sending a silent prayer to my goddess.
'Nyx, Please let me hear their words, I'm confused, and I would like to know what's happening so that I may be able to help.' I sent up and almost immediately began to hear them.
"...Tulsa very much." I heard Kalona say.
"Remember that you have brought this on yourself," Zoey replied to whatever Kalona had just said. Then her tone began to fill with one of power. "The poem says: Joined not to conquer, instead to overcome. I'm Night. I've led you to Sister"—Which explained the Nun outfit—"Mary Angela—she's Spirit." Zoey held out her hand as the Nun took it. "Stevie Rae,"—I smiled inwardly as I saw her—"you're Blood. Aphrodite,"—This time I actually smiled—"you're Humanity."
Stevie Rae walked to the Nun and grasped her free hand, before offering her other one to Aphrodite, who nodded and took it.
"What are they doing?" Neferet questioned and then I noticed that she had moved closer to the circle, and was now advancing much quicker.
"A-ya! What foolishness is this?" Kalona actually sounded frightened as he advanced as well.
"And Earth completes." Zoey said reaching out for the elder woman's hand.
"Do not let Ghigua join them!" Kalona cried out.
"Stark! Kill her," Neferet demanded.
"Not A-ya! Kill the old Ghigua." Kalona shouted.
"Kill Zoey. No mistakes this time. Aim for her heart!" Neferet cried out. I watched in horror as shadows began to wrap around Stark's ankles and advance upward. I cried out in horror, hoping that my goddess would shield my noise.
"NO!" Kalona roared in anger. "Do NOT kill her!!"
"I WILL NOT SHARE YOU!" Neferet screeched like the greedy Hag-Bitch she is. She then whirled to face Stark and shouted, "BY THE POWR WITH WHICH I AWAKENED YOU, I COMMAND YOU TO HIT THE MARK. SHOOT ZOEY THROUGH HER HEART!"
I though to myself silently, 'Don't do it Stark, Don't do it Stark...' over and over again as I watched him make his decision before finally realizing what I knew he would do and watching in complete fear-struck horror as he said the words that I knew were coming.
"That's what my aim won't miss. The part of my lady's heart I hold as my own." The shadows instantly vanished as he let the arrow go.
I watched as it did a complete 360 and shouted in panic, "Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Spirit, Protect him, DO NOT LET THAT ARROW TOUCH HIM!" and flinging my arms out towards Stark, realizing that Zoey was also screaming these words and flinging her arms at the same time. Then I remembered Time.
I slowed time down as the arrow advanced and then right as the magic got to the arrow let time move again.
"You bitch whelps!!" Neferet shrieked as I realized that I completely gave myself away by doing that, well at least I did to her. Evidently she was the only one who noticed, and nobody else noticed the s on the end of it either. "You're not going to win this!!"
Zoey held her hand out once again towards the elder woman shouting, "And earth completes!" At this I turned my attention back to Stark knowing we would need to be shielded.
"Air, I call upon you to keep the air around myself and my love clean. Fire, I call upon you to burn all things that try to break through you're protection around my love and myself. Water, I call upon you to slow any advances through your shield upon my love and I. Earth, I call upon you to cleanse any darkness the tries to break through our protection. And Spirit, I call upon you to keep life running through us as you keep us from turning to the side of death." I said pointing to each direction as I felt the magic spread from me to Stark as well.
Suddenly Kalona cried out and staggered in his step.
"Why, A-ya?" He directed towards Zoey.
"Because I choose love." Zoey said. Short, Sweet, and to the point. Nice. I have no clue how I knew what to do but I closed my eyes then before hearing a horrible cry and a shriek that would make Cruella de Vil jump.
It was silent as I opened my eyes to see Zoey closing her circle. I couldn't anything anymore. But I saw her speak some words to the Nun, Sister Mary Angela, before calling to whom I believed was a Son of Erebus, the ones I used to call mountain men, and walking in the direction of Stark.
I wanted to leave the shield up but I heard Nyx speak, 'You have done spectacularly, my inìon, rest now.' I sighed as I let down the shield thanking each element quietly as I heard Nyx say, 'Only a bit longer than you may exit.' I smiled towards the sky, sending a silent 'Thank you' to her.
Focusing back on Stark, I watched as Zoey knelt next to him and took his hand in her own. Jealousy shot through every nerve in my body as I saw him awake at that simple gesture. I missed the exchange of words because I was to worn out to try and focus on them.
Zoey went to talk to the Nun and that was when Stark found my eyes and I felt my gut tell me to go. I opened the trunk door and saw everybody, except Stark, visibly tense up at the noise. I looked directly into Stark's eyes before the tears came to my eyes again and a sob escaped before I ran towards him.
The Son of Erebus held me back before I got to him. "Let me go!" I cried silently calling fire to warm my skin where he touched me and burn him so that he would obey my order. He jumped back as my skin burned him and I ran straight to Stark's recently risen body (Silently thanking and dismissing Fire) and into his arms as he opened them for me, and wrapping mine around his neck as I did.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again." I told him softly as the sobs shook my body.
"I had to do something, my angel." He said just as soft into my hair as he rubbed my back and held onto me.
"Not to interrupt the moment, but who are you?" I heard the voice that had made me extremely jealous for the past month or two.
"Just because you say not to, doesn't mean you're not." I growled into Stark's chest. I felt him chuckle under my burrowed head.
"Be Nice, my flower." He said.
"Fine." I huffed like a teen finally giving into a punishment. Turning around in Starks arms I gave in.
"My name is—" I began but was cut off by a shout.
"ATHENA!!!"
'Wait a second... I know that voice... There's no way!' I thought as I turned in the direction of the voice.
"Artemis!?!?!?!?"
Didn't expect that did you?
What is Artemis Doing there? Is it just Artemis who's there? Why did Artemis choose to come out then? And is it ACTUALLY Artemis? Or was Athena just fooled by the resemblance?
Again, I hope Athena didn't seem TOO MUCH like a brat here... It's hard when the man you love, loves you AND someone else...
I hope to have another chapter up very soon, just as a present for making you guys wait for me to post again for so long. :D
The song listened to most while writing this one was Intuition by Jewel.
Review Please! I want to know your opinion, and if you have a suggestion on the story Feel free to add those as well. I will always take them into consideration.
~Xxfanpyre4lyfexX (A.K.A. Kim)