Chapter 11
Zoey
I woke up around 6 pm, my head on Stark's bare chest and his arm around me. He was absentmindedly tracing the tattoos on my back. I snuggled up against him, trying to make it seem like I was still asleep. Probably at this point he knew I was awake, but he kept on tracing just like I wanted him to. I kept my eyes closed and listened to the steady rhythm of his breathing chest, going up and down. "She's so beautiful when she's sleeping," he said to himself.
I turned and smiled at him. "Did you say something?" I asked.
"Hmmm? No, I was just thinking how pretty you are when you're sleeping."
"Ah," I said and I rolled back over to sleep. Wait. Did he say thinking?
"Yeah," he said absentmindedly. Then I realized what was happening.
"Holy crap!" I shouted. He jolted up.
"What is it?" he asked me. "What's wrong?"
"Stark, do you realize what's happening?"
"Huh?"
"With both of our connections telling us what the other is feeling, we have such a heightened sense of each other that we can literally read each other's mind!"
"What?"
"Well, I heard you thinking about how pretty I was. I thought you said it out loud. But then you said thinking. When I realized that, I asked if you said thinking to myself. And you responded. Stark, that's mind reading!"
He gazed at me wide eyed. Zoey, do you realize what this means?
We're special…more than once?
No. Well, actually, yeah. Did you read my mind for that one?
No, I already knew that. I rolled over and kissed him. I'm gonna go take a shower, k?
Sure, go ahead.
I walked into my bathroom and did my usual morning routine. As I was brushing my teeth, it really hit me what the prophecy was all about. I was going to have 3 kids. It said I would have one of my worship, one of whom I hate, and one of my mate. I was going to be a teenage mother. Chances of adoption? Like, nil.
"Z?" someone knocked on the door. "Zoey, you ok? Can I come in?"
"Sure, Stark. C'mon in."
He strolled through the door. "Do you mind?" he asked, pointing to the shower.
"Not at all. Go ahead."
"Thanks." As he walked into the shower, I continued to brush my hair. It wasn't a horse, but, hey, it would do.
Nyx, I thought. How am I going to guard my children? Can you give me a hint?
I heard Nyx's voice laugh in my head. All you have to do is ask, Daughter, she said.
Stark
He was just getting out of the shower when he heard the thump. "Zoey?" he called. No answer. Stark wrapped a towel around himself and walked out of the shower to see Zoey fallen to the floor. "Oh Goddess!" he cried. Why did this keep happening? What was with her and passing out?
He glanced at her face. It was glowing…wait, no. It was shining. He touched it. Sweat. What was going on in her mind? This was too serious for him to figure out by himself. He needed to call for help. He picked Zoey up in his arms and ran. "Darius!" he called. "Seoras! Sgiach!" No one was responding. He started screaming every name he could think of. "Aphrodite! Shaunee! Erin! Damien! Stevie RAAAAAEEEEEEEE!"
Just then, he stopped. Out of the door to his left walked Stevie Rae, yawning loudly. "It's too early for this, Stark," she said. Then she saw who he was holding. "Oh my goddess! What did you do now?"
"Never mind that. Where are the others?" snapped Stark.
"They're talking with Sgiach. That room there," she said, pointing.
"Thanks!" yelled Stark as he rushed off, cradling Zoey in his arms.