Chapter Seven

Stark

Those two words were enough to make his blood run cold. He hadn't read the poem, nor did he especially want to after hearing the fear and shock in someone like Aphrodite, someone who usually would burry her emotions so deep you'd never even know they were there. But if it had effected her he knew it'd only be 10x worse for him.

Fear should not be of your concern, young Guardian. The goddess' pure and beautiful voice said. It sounded as if she were right next to him, whispering in his ear.

"Read it aloud." Darius commanded.

His expression had gone hard and he looked every bit the strong, deadly, and dangerous Warrior Stark knew to the very bone he was. If looks could kill, they'd all have been dead.

Damien cleared his throut before reciting in his school teacher voice and making the skin of everyone listening crawl as he read them their fate.

"They return once again

with the gift of domination.

Her choice decides,

are we to live or are we to burn?

Though the Darkness is tempting,

the Light shines through

Follow the truth,

and the hold shall be lifted."

"So your trying to tell me, someone you know nothing about, that I'm going to be a part in the whole world going to hell?" Amery basically shrieked at Damien, whose face had paled and eyes were filled with fear.

"I never said that." Damien replied quickly.

Kramisha broke in then in a low voice. "No, my poems, they's always come true. Always."

"She's right you know. Unless you try to change the future, both her poems and Aphrodite's visons always come true." Zoey said.

"Then we must change this, or at the very least strengthen Zoey's role in this." Darius said.

"Are you kidding me?" Amery yelled, causing Stark's eyes to instinctively dart to Zoey. His Queen, his Priestess, his mo bann ri. She didn't seemed worried about herself at all but he could feel her fear for her friends. Her friends came first, always, no matter what the situation. "You barely know me and your saying that I'm allied with Darkness?"

"Amery-" Stevie Rae said standing up before her newest red fledgling. She reached out trying to place her hand on Amery's shoulder but she took a quick step back. Stevie Rae sighed in frustration, why now? "Amery, no one ever said you were..."

The dark eyed girl glared at the red vampyre. "They didn't have to. I could feel it."

"Defensive much?" Aphrodite snorted unattractively. She hadn't spoken above a whisper but suddenly Amery's dark glare settled on the blonde.

"I am not defensive!"Amery roared causing everyone to cringe. Stark moved closer to Zoey not trusting that Stevie Rae could control Amery at this point in her anger. When Amery noticed the movement, this simple gesture, it sent her anger blaring. "See? They all believe it and you know it! And you call yourself a fucking High Priestess." She shouted, grabbing her bag and leaving the abbey with tears trailing down her cheeks.

Rephaim

Over the days that passed since Rephaim last seen Stevie Rae he'd come to realize just how much he had enjoyed her company. She'd always made him laugh; something he'd never before felt the desire to do, also he'd brought love into his life. Rephaim would've never in his wildest dreams imagined himself falling in love with someone, especially someone as kind and honestly good hearted as Stevie Rae.

"Stevie Rae..." he said her name softly feeling emotion erupt in the pit of his stomach.

He shut his eyes and thought of her, short springy blonde curls, bright blue eyes like an endless blue sky, her constant babbling. All of it, he missed it all. Why did I walk away from her? A vision of his father came to mind, strong, powerful, and driven by anger and lust. It was his father that kept him from Stevie Rae. Not physically ofcourse but mentally.

The wind picked up a little, caressing and calling Rephaim to let it carry him away. But Rephaim knew running away was no use, he'd still miss her just as much if he were by his father's side. Only he'd feel that he'd failed Stevie Rae after all her attempts to turn him to the Light.

"I am a creature of lust and rape, I cannot possibly chose Light." Rephaim said to himself.

Why should someone of such a violent, horrible past be forgiven? He thought of all the innocent lifes lost because of him. The vampyre professor whose name he believed was Anastasia. She had not done anything to deserve the death he'd cruelly brought upon her. He remembered the pain-filled face of her mate as he turned to find his love had been murdered. He could not possibly be good enough to make up for his past mistakes.

Darkness is a choice, it is not a birth trait. If it were, Neferet would still be a High Priestess. The mysterious woman whispered softly to him. Rephaim sighed and replied to the unkown voice. It seemed so familiar but he couldn't place just who the voice belonged to. The voice was kind, caring and filled with affection. Things he'd only just begun to recognize after meeting Stevie Rae.

"But my father..." the son of Kalona murmered.

Chose his own destiny, it was his choice that made him fall. It was also his choice to embrace the Darkness. You are not forced to follow in his path, but you are able as any being, to chose your own.

Rephaim understood what she meant, he really did. But it just did not seem possible that he- the son of a fallen Warrior to the Goddess Nyx- could make the choice for Light. He wasn't even sure he wanted to. The Darkness was what had healed his wing and enabled him to fly again. Though in turn the Darkness had almost been the cause of Stevie Rae's second death. Darkness, so suductive and pulsing. How could Light possibly compare? He pictured the black bull and his unbelievable kindness.

"Why must I be torn!" Rephaim shouted up at the Goddess' cresent moon that shown ancient and powerful in the endless midnight sky. For his tie to both Stevie Rae and his father, his seemingly impossible choice between Light and Darkness and for the beliefs his father had placed in his mind and those of the guiding voice.

Zoey

I watched with eyes filled with concern for Stevie Rae as she stood emotionlessly watching the door. "Stevie Rae..." I said placing a hand on her shoulder. "Honey, are you okay?"

"She's my fledgling, my responsibility. What if she is allied with Darkness?"

I understood how she felt. She believed it was her fault and that she had let it happen. "You have to understand that you couldn't have known. She's only been your fledgling for a day. You couldn't possibly have had time to stop this from happening."

"I just wish there was something I could do." Stevie Rae said. She turned her head to look at me and I could see the pain in her eyes.

"It's her choice and you can't make it for her. If she has embraced Darkness...you can't change that." I said gently.

"And no one ever said she did." Damien said.

"Yeah, maybe she's just..." Shaunee began and looked to her Twin for help.

"A private person." Erin finished.

It was as if Stevie Rae hadn't heard anything any of us had said. "I think I'm gonna take a walk, I'll see ya'll back at the school." she told us before leaving the abbey quickly.

"We should go after her." I said, moving towards the door.

"No u-we-tsi-a-ge-a, give her time to collect. This has upset her and she needs time to sort her feelings." Grandma said. Her eyes were dark and filled with understanding.

"She's right. Let's just go see what's going on at home. Bumpkin can handle herself." Aphrodite said picking up her expensive Gucci purse and holding Darius' hand, ready to go back and face whatever crap was going on back at the House of Night.

I nodded, still worried for Stevie Rae and hugged Grandma, kissing her cheek. "I missed you Grandma."

"And I've missed you my Zoeybird." she said choking back tears.

Zoey pulled back and smiled at her Grandmother before turning to Sister Mary Angela. "Thank you for taking care of my Grandma, Sister. I have no idea how to repay you.

The good sister smiled. "It's my job, and it's your job to go back to the House of Night and make things right there."

"Come on guys, let's go take back our home!" I yelled dorkishly as we all charged out of the abbey, wooping and yelling as the golden cresent moon of the Goddess of Night lit our way to the Hummer.

So I know I'm being super slow with updating and you's have every right to be pissed at me. But school, friends and just plain DRAMA are holding me up right now. I currently have a C in Science so ofcourse I have to bring that up to at least a B this marking period. Is it just me or is this school year passing by really fast? I mean, it's already almost midterms. It seems like just yesterday I was finishing 7th grade.