Zoey POV

Chapter 2: Plan A, B, C and Z

Everyone was waiting for me to deliver my plan; I had no idea what to do. I've just found out that I could die – again – and the person responsible for it was Kalona – again. Aphrodite could see my slight hesitation and then will a long and theatrical sigh, everyone turned to her.

"Perhaps what Zoey needs now is some rest. But how are we supposed to know that Kalona is going to come back into your dreams?"

Stevie Rae turned to Aphrodite, "I thought we were trying to get Kalona into Zoey's dreams."

"No one agreed on that." Erik began to protest again.

"I think it's a good idea. I mean it doesn't look like I'm going anywhere soon. But once I'm am better wewill go look for Neferet. Until then my dreams are the only connection."

"Zoey no," Erik said in a low voice towards me, "Can't you reconsider it? It kills me to see you in pain."

Damien then squeezed my shoulder, "Is this what you believed Zoey? What's Nyx telling you?"

I looked into my soul and felt a warm impulse, I felt confident and assured. I knew that had to be Nyx telling me that I could do this, "I think Nyx is okay with anything I do, so long as I know that I can fulfill it and with you guy but my side I am sure there is a lot that I can do."

Erik slouched, "I still think that you need to rest at least. I mean you've been through more than one person can take in one day, your hands are still twitching Z,"

Erik was right, my body was still stunned from the pain of today, "I'll rest tonight. Stark once told me that if a girl and a boy were to sleep together in the same room then Kalona wouldn't be able to enter it. You can stay here if you want Erik; just to sleep?"

Erik looked more than happy and agreed all most right away, "No second thoughts here."

"Then it's settled I supposed." Stevie Rae said, "Its all most time for dinner and I am a bit hungry perhaps we should all get something to eat. We'll come back after okay Zoe?"

I nodded, "Totally! If you guys are hungry then you should all go and freshen up and have something to eat; I'm sure I'll be fine for a little while." I concluded.

Hesitating they all went to freshen up. I didn't even know how long they were here for. I pressed my head against my pillow and began to think of Kalona. Was he really the one doing this to me? Though it was only a short while ago it feels like ages since he last entered a dream; let alone my own. Though the pain was gone I forced myself to sit up – my body was shaking. Goddess! I hate how these things happen to me.

I then heard someone walk into my room; I turned to see that it was Stark, "I heard you were in here. I came after your boyfriend left, though it was hard for me to stop myself from running in here when I heard you screaming in pain." Stark sat down in the chair beside me.

"That wasn't the best part. I guess you know what happened?"

"I do." Stark said simply, "But what I can't understand is how he was able to do it? Why now? Why after everything that's happened. It doesn't make sense." Stark seemed just as confused as everyone else was.

"We're not sure either but Stark you've still got to have a connection with Kalona; you were his favourite…until a point. There's got to be a way you can help us find him?"

He shook his head no, "I haven't felt anything from him since you sent him away."

I slouched back, "There's got to be some way. I can't believe Aphrodite did see this coming," I muttered hoping that Stark didn't hear it.

"Aphrodite once said that she saw two possible way's of you dying. Maybe Kalona could be connected to one of the two, or both."

I snapped my head at him, "Wow Stark thanks; that make me feel tones better." I said sarcastically.

Stark grinned, "Only being honest with you Zoe; I better go before the Professors notice I'm gone. They've been keeping a close eye on me since the incident. I'll come back and see you before I do my nightly run; I couldn't eat without knowing you're okay. I'll see you Z," Stark said giving me a kiss on my cheek and with a wink he left.

I felt a burning on my cheek from where Stark kissed me and then the fire started to spread over my face and into my body – oh no – I felt burning coming from my body again and then I felt my heart being squeezed tightly. I shouted out in pain and Stark ran into the room quicker than anything.

"Zoey! Is it happening again? I'll get help hold on!" Stark stroked my hair and ran out the room. Why was it when Stark kissed me the burning started again? Is it because he was once connected to Kalona? Stark wasn't evil anymore. This doesn't make sense!

I started to jerk again the pain was growing even worse than before. I could feel my heart and lungs being clamped and pulled, it was unbearable. Then what seemed to have been a billion years later Dragon ran into the room along with Erik and Stark following closely behind.

"How is this possible? Erik, Stark hold her down! Zoey listen to me, you've got to fight this!" Dragon was telling me but how could I fight it? I was breaking down in pain, something inside me was slowly killing me and this time I could feel it. I closed my eyes and tried to look for Nyx but I couldn't find her.

Nyx couldn't have abandoned me in my time of need could she? I was screaming uncontrollably again, I was screaming at them, telling them to make it stop, that I was in such unbelievable pain. I could hear Erik begging the Dragon to make it stop, Stark was telling him to hurry. But Dragon shook his head. It was as if he didn't want to stop my pain again. Could he be on Kalona side?

That's when I felt it, my heart giving away. I was dying this time; my body slowly came to a stop though the pain was still there. Erik was crying even harder at Dragon. That's when I saw Dragon pulled out the needle again and injected it into me. The pain was gone, but I still felt like I was falling. I'm dying… I totally have to come back and hunt Aphrodite for this one. She didn't even see this coming.

I saw Erik and Stark looking at me, their eyes showed like they knew what was happening to me. They were saying something but I couldn't hear them. I wanted to take them into my arms and say yes I was dying, but I would be with them, along with Nyx. My eyes began to close and I drifted away into darkness. But I felt my heart beating faster and faster. I wasn't dying? In the darkness I saw a light and a figure approached from that light. It was Nyx.

"Zoey Redbird you need to fight this. You and your friends have the power to make this stop. But there is another way to cure you curse Zoey, you need to find it within yourself. You need to make it happen. I believe in you."

I watched as the Goddess fade into the light and then I was left in the darkness.

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I woke up to see the moon shining onto my face; I squinted a little and felt a warm arm wrapped around me. I turned a little to see that Erik had slept here. Was that why I couldn't dream of Kalona and dreamt of the Goddess instead? Erik looked so peaceful sleeping there. His arms close around me holding me as if he were meant to protect me. Maybe I was wrong about Erik; perhaps he is the right guy for me. But just like everything else in my life it wasn't that simple.

I then heard a noise coming from behind Erik. It seems that even Stark had slept here; he was cuddle on the couch sleeping with his head slightly tipped over and drool pouring out of his mouth. I smiled and then felt Erik move. Pretending to sleep I closed my eyes and heard Erik stretch and sit up kissing me on my forehead. I flinched and then I knew that I had to wake up so I acted like I was just waking up. Moaning slightly and opening my eyes slowly.

"Morning Priestess." Erik said gently rubbing my face; he pressed his forehead down on mine and sighed a long and tired sigh, "I thought I lost you yesterday Z. I was scared."

I touched his face, "I was worried I had lost too," I confessed, "But Nyx was with me, and she told me that there is a way that I can fight this. But she said I needed the help of my friends."

Erik looked as if he didn't want to hear it, "You still hold such a strong faith to Nyx? After all of this?"

"Nyx didn't do this to me, Kalona did and I beat him once before. I can do it again, we can."

Erik looked like he was about to protest again when Dragon walked into the room with Professor Lenobia and Anastasia, "What's going on?" Erik asked. His voice sounded defensive.

I saw Stark jump up from his sleep in a defensive manner and looked at everyone with cold eyes. But the professors looked like they didn't notice him and stared right at me.

"Firstly Zoey I apologise for yesterday. I thought that the pain was mental and that you could fight it. But when your heart began to give away I saw that it was much worse. I brought your professors so they could ask you what you want to do from this point on." Dragon asked.

"I want to look for Kalona." I simply said.

"NO!" Erik and Stark objected together, they snapped their heads at one another and gave one another a cold stare. Everyone in the room – including myself – ignored them.

"I saw Nyx in my dream. She told me that along with my friends we could win this, we could fight Kalona and whatever it is that he has against me. I know that my friends and I can win this. We have done it before, what's stopping us from doing it again?"

"You seem sure enough Zoey," Anastasia said, "But you're risking your life here. What Professor Dragon has been injecting you with is blood. But this isn't ordinary blood, its blood mixed with snake venom. Dragon has a short supply of them. Enough to last you twelve days."

Twelve days didn't seem like enough time, "You've used two already. You're left with ten." Lenobia stated. They were just enjoying playing with my life at his point. I can tell.

Stevie Rae and Aphrodite were listening from the doorway, "I'll get Zoey all the blood she wants, mixed with whatever snake she wants. If there is a way we can save her life, then we're going to do it," Aphrodite called the attention to her as she stood in the doorway. She always had this women-empowering role that called attention towards her.

Professor Anastasia giggled, "Then Aphrodite, would you mind following me? We have some stuff to talk about now don't we?" Anastasia walked out of the room and Aphrodite followed closely without looking back at everyone in the room.

"Zoey, you're a powerful child and we know that. But you are still a child to us. You need to understand where you're limits are. And this is your limits. You're in no condition to do anything, especially take on Kalona again." Lenobia pleaded.

"I was dying once before and I survived. There's nothing stopping me from doing it a second time. I wouldn't be so mulish about this if I didn't know that we can win. And I know we can."

Dragon and Lenobia looked like they were just about tired out, "Zoey has powerful friends. We won't leave her for a second if we go out there looking for Kalona Professors. Zoey's life is just as much our as it is hers. We would never risk her life." Stevie assured them.

"Is there nothing we can do to change your mind?" Lenobia asked.

"Hardly." I heard Erik mutter.

I shook my head no, "Nope. I am going to do this." I was sure as hell that this was something that I had to do. I won't let anyone else solve my problems without me. Or at least with my being present there.

The professors looked drained and for a moment they seemed like they were going to come back at me with something else but they stopped and then walked out of my room assuring me that they would be back later to check up on me and see if I had changed my mind. I can tell you this much that my mind was not going to change – though I can't say the same for my condition.

"Your stubborn you know that?" Erik began.

"Get use to it." I complained, "Thanks Stevie for coming to my rescue like that."

Stevie Rae nodded, "Anytime. The others are still eating breakfast. We heard that you had another attack last night and we weren't allowed to come into your room. Well Damien and Jack could but professor Dragon didn't want to take any chances with girls coming in here. Sexist."

"That's Kalona." Stark spoke again after a long time, "And because Zoey looks like his A-ya he is not going to be easy on Z. Even more so since he is probably pissed off that you sent him off."

"Well at least we've got plan A." Stevie Rae said, "I still think that we need a possible backup plan. Possibly several backup plans actually."

"Like trying not to get Zoey killed by her dreams?" Erik said in a harsh tone. Goddess he didn't like Stevie Rae's plan – yeah we got it – but that's no reason to be mean to her for it.

Stark smiled, "I've got a plan. How's about we bring Kalona here?"

Everyone turned to Stark; that actually didn't sound bad, but it doesn't seem like it was possible either. We worked hard to get Kalona away from the House of Night. Why bring him back? I think the bigger question is why would he come back after all we did to him?

"We're listening?" Stevie Rae pressed him to continue.

"Kalona obviously is in love with Zoey, I mean who wouldn't be; but he also seems to be willing to give into her just as he wants Zoey to give into him. All we have to do is play with his emotions. He may be evil but he still came from the heavens, at one point he did love."

Stark was right. Kalona was born evil but he was in the heavens at first. There must be some humility in him, some kind of power that could make him love again…or perhaps he was too hurt to love. Perhaps I have too much empathy in me to understand that he might be hurting. Somehow this plan seemed to be a good option. Considering that we didn't have much time left I was willing to take any plan that was thrown at me.

"I'm willing to try." I agreed. I saw the look on Erik's face, his expression was stone like, "Erik it's the only way we could fight this. We can win this; since when have we fought evil with glamour's hands?"

Erik took my hand and nodded. I knew he didn't want to see me in pain but he also didn't want me to slip into a close death again. Erik pressed his head against my forehead again pulled away after a moment. Stevie Rae seemed to be watching him closely. I guess because since we're in a tense situation that getting along would be a little bit troublesome.

"Look we're all going to have to get along if we want to win. Kalona knows that without you guys I can't win. We can't have you guys wanting to kill each other! Let's try not to let anyone else die before we know what we're doing!" I told them.

Stevie, Stark and Erik all glanced at one another and nodded.

"We got it." Stevie Rae said in a low voice. Stark remained silent but his eyes said yes.

"If this is the only way then I am willing to do my part. But you dying is plan Z; we'll do everything we can before that." Erik whispered.

I was about to kiss him when someone ran into the room, "Z!"

Everyone snapped their head into the doorway and gasped, "Heath!" I shouted.

That's when the tension in the room grew to way beyond awkward. I could see everyone tensing their shoulders as Health stood in the doorway. Wonderful I wonder what else could happen next.