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Zoey

No daughter, it's not all over. It's just the beginning…

The words flitted through my head with a purplish tinge, I knew no one else had heard them, it felt like Nyx had sent me that special message exclusively and I felt two things: 1. totally loved by my goddess and my friends and mega happy that I was no longer gross and dead. And 2. Slightly irritated that Nyx was laughing at my despair! Well not laughing, but she didn't seem worried about the plight that me and my gang now faced. I instantly sent a silent prayer up to Nyx. Sorry, sorry Nyx, your guidance is what leads us through the fight against darkness. Please continue to guide us.

"Zoey Redbird, high priestess of Nyx, we are all pleased to make your acquaintance" said a voice.

I jumped and looked wildly around me for the source. Everyone was staring at me wide eyed. Where the hell was I? I was surrounded by a bunch of rugged men dressed like Russell Crowe in Gladiator!

"Oh goddess! Being in the otherworld must've made her lose her mind!" said another voice, this time one that I recognised. I searched for Aphrodite and saw her standing with her hand over her mouth.

"Actually Aphrodite, I'm just wondering why all the men are wearing skirts!" I said defiantly. I shifted, kinda embarrassed and turned to the rugged man closest to me, "sorry, but you know." I said quietly. Aphrodite laughed and to my surprise she ran to me and actually hugged me. Aphrodite being nice? Surely ive come back to the wrong place, I thought.

When she pulled away and I saw her face, she was crying, real tears, but her eyes were bloodshot; I knew Nyx was right; this was definitely only the beginning.

"Your tattoos are back, your back" she sobbed.

Somehow I had already known that. It was strange, I knew that they'd gone, and that now they'd returned. I stopped though. "Where's Stark, is he back?" I said. I was suddenly frantic, had something gone wrong? What if he hadn't made it back okay?

The voice spoke again and I turned and saw the most beautifully powerful woman I think I will ever see. Not powered by darkness or evil as Neferet was. She reminded me of Nyx with it, I could tell tat her power was pure, and derived from natural elements. "Your guardian is safe, priestess."

I didn't know what to say, I really wanted to see stark, but I couldn't just tell her to take me to him. She looked important, I could tell from the two strong looking vampires that flanked her sides, but I didn't have a clue who she was. I played it safe. I said thank you, and then with my head bowed and my fist over my heart I said "merry meet."

It seemed odd that she did the same to me, head bowed and fist over heart she said "merry meet Zoey Redbird, priestess of Nyx. I am Sgiach, Queen of the warriors."

For some reason I found myself saying thank you again. Thank you for saying hello? Thank you for maybe saving my life, I really didn't have a clue what was going on. She nodded wisely as if she understood completely what I was trying to say. I was so relieved.

She stepped out of the way and the two vampires that flanked her sides parted so that I could see a stone table, there was a vampire bent down over it, tending to the guy who lay upon it, bleeding out of a gazillion cuts all over his body. I was beside him in a second. Stark was still pretty dead looking, which had me worried. I looked to Sgiach as if to say, how can I help him? But the worried look on her face had tears spilling over my eyelashes. Aphrodite was suddenly at my side, Darius too, holding her arm. "Is he still in the otherworld?" I cried, I was holding his hand, trying to fell the life inside him, but it was cold, and limp. I hadn't expected anyone to answer me. "Yes." Said Aphrodite. She was holding his other hand, and her eyes were closed. The vampyre who had been cutting him had stepped away as if his job was done and was now standing beside Sgiach. I looked over at them, the way he looked at her, It was sad, but I was immersed with the two of them for a second. With one look from eye she told him everything he wanted to hear. He had done all that he could. And I could see that he was so incredibly relieved that she had approved, even though the two of them were still worried about Stark. It was a tender moment, but I was pulled away by a cry from Aphrodite.

"What the fuck stark!" she said, she pulled away from him. And when she opened her eyes, they were tinged with red even more.

"What is it priestess!" said Sgiach, and she too was beside in an instant. "He's not the same as he was anymore!" said Aphrodite; she looked at stark with fear in her eyes, nursing her hand like he'd burned her. "I don't know what it is, he's on his way back, but he's not the home grown, red vamp warrior stark we used to know!" she said.

Sgiach held her hand out over Starks head, and I swear her hand glowed for a moment. "What is it Sgiach?" I cried. Sgiach smiled at Aphrodite, I could've kicked her, why wasn't she helping stark!

She spoke. "Child, he is a different man indeed. But do not fear him. He returns as a guardian, and their powers may not be harnessed by human hands"

I heard Aphrodite say something along the lines of "just because im human doesn't mean I couldn't whip his ass if I wanted" to Darius. But I was fixed on stark. I bent down and focused on spirit, the element with which my affinity was strongest, I thought about hope and strength and Nyx, and I put all of this into a kiss, which I planted on Starks lips. I whispered into his ear, "Come back to me, my guardian."

I could suddenly feel the heat coming off of his face, I backed away to take in the full view of his whole body. He was glowing, underneath the skin, his muscles rippled and swelled so that he was almost as built at the vampyre that stood beside Sgiach. His cuts, healed to the point where they were only pink lines. And then he opened his eyes. He turned to me and I beamed at him. "Aye, I be returnen furh ma wumman" he said. My face dropped. Sgiach's vampyre chuckled. Is this the joke that stark was referring to in the otherworld, was part of the deal that he was going to have a Scottish accent for the rest of time?

Sgiach looked at her vampyre, who I suspected was her guardian, lovingly. He said "aye the boys got life in 'im yet!"

Oh goddess, all guardians are Scottish aren't they?

Stark laughed out loud and punched me lightly on the arm. "Zo, it kills me that you don't want me anymore now that im a Scottie!" he said playfully. He grimaced slightly and I guessed he was still in pain. I kissed his cheek. "I'll always want you, stupid!" I said. He kissed me on the mouth, and I let him, he pushed against my lips for a deeper and more passionate kiss, but I pulled away. He looked offended. "People" I said gesturing towards the crowd of people around us.

"Gross" said Aphrodite.

Stark made a rude hand gesture at her, and then returned his focus to me. He did his cocky side grin that I love so much, "later then. "He said promiscuously. I smiled. I had a gorgeous guardian, who I loved, and I was alive, why shouldn't I smile?