Stark

It did not take long for me to receive an audience with Neferet. "Stark," she purred.

I fought to narrow my eyes at her. "I have rejected the values of Light in favor of my true calling. I am forever your servant, my Dark Goddess." Even after saying it earlier, the words were bitter in my mouth.

Of course, it took a little more convincing than that, but eventually she let me go. I headed straight for the library. Apollo had said she talked to scholars about her past, and that was when she started to gain her memory once more. Since that was most definitely the case, I needed all the information I could get before I actually ran into her.

Facing my Dark sister would not be fun.

The scribes all leaped to their feet when I entered. Something tickled the edge of my conscious, and a vision filled my mind. Starr, I thought, my throat closing at the hazy sight of her. "James Stark," the head scholar greeted. Gods, did everyone know my name around here? "You… you aren't one of them, are you?" Everybody looked ready to bolt if I said yes.

When I shook my head, they relaxed. "No. I would never belong to Emily." It was the fact that Starr's memories were overwhelming me that truly surprised me, not that Neferet's real first name was Emily. I still liked the 'ferret best, but I was biased. "My first loyalty is always to my Queen. My second is to my family – all of them." Starr was, in a way, a goddess, which meant I was kind of related to Nyx. It was a weird thought; so were the many thoughts that belonged to my sister.

"She came in here yesterday… no, today. It was the middle of the night, so forgive my memory. We work almost twenty-four hours a day." His eyes grew hard yet still remained sympathetic somehow. "We heard her screams from here. Darkness made sure to torture her, to have her feel pain as her memories were ripped out of her head."

I shuddered with anger. "I'm here to provide a distraction, and to enlighten her again. If it doesn't work, my friends and I have more plans. We'll get her back no matter what. And we'll free all of you, I promise." I moved back to the archived section. Ready to help, he followed me.

Deciding an hour was long enough, I said my farewells and then roamed around for a while. Neferet never limited me from anything, although she really should have.

A fight broke out during my inspection of the hidden camp/capital. I stopped in the shade of a few trees to watch undetected. From what I could see, it was three boys and a girl (if Dark creatures could be called that). Purposely ignoring some of the telltale marks that they were inhuman, I silently placed my bet on the girl. One, I did love an underdog. And two, vampyres were all about matriarchy. While humans and apparently Darkness were patriarchs, I knew in the back of my mind that this girl was not to be messed with.

My muscles stiffened at once. No, she couldn't be. She was blonde and had blue-green eyes. Starr was dark-looking, hair and eyes dark brown to match. But the shape of her face, the lift of her chin… I leaned forward, my eyes now fixed on her. There was a certain emptiness in her ocean-like gaze that a soul would have replaced. My heart ached for her, even though my brain rejected the thought. Was it too easy a feat?

Hell no. She took down the three of them almost as easily as I figured this out. It was clear they had wanted to taunt her, make her feel less than she was. It just so happened that she was too stubborn to let anything happen.

"Good job, Stella." Of course Neferet would take Aurox's fake name for her. Bitch. "Some other time?"

"I doubt it." She walked away with a forward step, as if she could not wait to get away, despite the nonchalant expression etched on her face. It puzzled me, but most things about this girl did. The onslaught of her memories was almost overwhelming now. I ran to catch up with her. She dropped to a defense position when I pulled up beside her. "Who are you?"

Her voice! I urged myself not to hug her. "Your partner," I lied. "Courtesy of the 'ferret." I had to try.

She jerked at the nickname, her irises darkening. Then they turned red and promptly back to blue-green. I mentally cursed off the white bull for what it did to her. "Maybe you should get an education before you become my partner. I hear the scribes in the library are smarter than anyone and everyone. Although I would never be seen in a library, personally." A low, wolfish growl escaped my lips. This time she winced. "Do you have a place to stay?" she offered. Her tone was almost mechanic. That was why her mind came to me; Neferet and the bull merely tossed it out like garbage.

Mindless servant, I reminded myself. She'll do anything she's asked.

"No. I was hoping I could stay with you."

"Sure." I blinked against the rising pain inside me. "Hey, are you okay? You look really drained."

I shrugged. "It took me a while to get here. I've been hanging out with Light fighters for a good portion of my life." She nodded in understanding, leading the way toward her home. I felt sick. When we got inside, I grabbed the nearest jar I could. Filling it to the brim with her subconscious, I sealed the lid, tracing the Protection Rune over it. The sigil changed as I drew it. The familiar horseshoe-like shape reformed to a pentagram, breaking into several unrecognizable dots. Upon closer inspection, I saw they were stars. "Where would you be on Erik?" I wondered softly. The skin on the back of my neck burned in response. It made sense. Even if I had his short hair, the Mark would be hidden well. Something so powerful could only be so small.

Not-Starr gazed at me curiously. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about," I assured her. She gave me a look, so I smirked. "It feels like I'm home."

She still seemed uncomfortable, but she smiled slightly. There had to be some glamour set up when she stepped outside, because she looked like a haggard version of the old goddess once more.

I will save you, Starr. I gazed out the window, overlooking the rest of the site. They could only trust such a view to somebody who was brainwashed. The new thought filled me with more rage than I ever imagined possible.

First I have to raise a little hell.