~Zoey~
Zoey couldn't contain the hatred that boiled through her whenever she saw Erik and Roxanne together. She didn't know why, but she hated Roxanne. It had nothing to do with all the information she was withholding. Hell Zoey had been in that position herself. She knew how hard it was to protect people by lying. "Are you two ever going to make up?" Stark asked as he walked behind Zoey to the rec room for the full moon ritual.
"She's the one being difficult. I've tried time and time again to fix things. I just give up," Zoey lied. She really didn't care about the false friendship they once had. It was a lie and in the past. Her one objective was to save Erik and Isis no matter the cost. Even if she had to get rid of Roxanne to do it.
"I'm sure this thing will blow over soon enough. Neferet has been quiet too long so we can't be vulnerable."
"We won't be," Zoey said turning to look into Stark's eyes. She kissed him for good measure. Zoey had to make sure her plan went off without a hitch. She was going to get rid of Roxanne if it took her last breath to do it.
Zoey never questioned the hatred bubbling inside of her. The yarning to take Roxanne down had quickly become second nature. Zoey could come up with seventy-five scenarios of plausible accidental death for Roxanne whenever they were in a room alone. She had let darkness into her heart and was so good at hiding it not only from everyone else, but from herself too, but secretes never stayed that way in the House of Night.
"Z, are you ready to start?" Damien asked when he noticed Zoey seating out by Nyx's statue.
"Oh, yeah I'm ready," Zoey said going back into the rec center. As she entered the room she noticed that Roxanne had disappeared again. Erik was talking with Lenobia in front of the crowd. They were smiling so it had to be about something good. "Hey," Zoey smiled at them.
"Hey, you're starting a little late aren't you?" Lenobia smiled at Zoey.
"I guess I got a little distracted," she nervously smiled. "I'm ready to start now. I kinda wish Roxanne were here though. The circle feels complete with her in it," she lied.
"She had to run an errand, but I'm sure she won't miss the next one," Erik smiled at her. Zoey loved it when she made Erik smile, mostly because Roxanne couldn't stand it when he agreed with her.
"We have rehearsal still?" Damien asked.
"Yep and we still need to do light blocking with Joseph and Tyler," Erik informed him. The two of them had become really close as the play preparation got deeper. Damien was the stage manager and he was making sure all the pieces were fitting seamlessly together. Zoey liked moments like these, simple ones were she could forget that the world was going to hell, and that evil lurked around every corner waiting to devour her friends. Zoey longed for the times were biggest problem in life was whether or not to shave her legs. That was before she discovered her destiny, before she met her friends, and loss so much more.
"Come on Damien, we're already starting late," she said dragging Damien away.
The gang finish the full moon ritual in good time, and soon they were off to the stage to work on the play.
~Roxanne~
I knew I wasn't crazy someone was following us. Miles, Aurox, and I were getting the club ready for another inspection which meant we need to go down to the wholesale warehouse to get new bar stools and a few tables. I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. "How are you and Erik doing with the whole parenting thing?" Miles asked in his silky smooth accent. His voice was like velvet and his gaze was questioning as he looked at me.
"It's good, we're on the same page with everything," I said in a teasing manner, but I hated that Erik and Miles refused to be friends. I he could accept Aurox as a friend Erik wasn't really a far stretch. Of course Miles didn't hate Erik as much as my dad did, but Miles was a pretty close second.
"I hope you say the same in a week," he smiled at me. "Can you help me get the last table in the van," he said to Aurox. The boys lifted the table and carried it to the car.
I started behind them with a chair, than I felt someone behind me. I turned to see who was there and there was nothing but the warehouse. I turned back around and there was Nyx standing before me. I dropped the chair as my surrounding started to blur. "What's wrong?" I asked know that Nyx only appeared when things were extremely bad.
"Merry meet young priestess," she smiled at me.
"Merry meet Goddess, please tell me Erik and Isis are okay?" I asked not knowing if I could bear it if I failed her.
"Fear not young priestess for your love ones aren't the one in danger. You are," she said plasing her hand on my forehead. I felt a chill work its way through my body than it was like I was on fire. "Strong magic has been performed on you and Zoey to pin you against one another. You mustn't let that happen young one. For you need each other very much," she informed me.
"Are we day and night? Are we supposed to join?" I asked her hoping to get a straight answer.
"It all depends on how the next few days unfold. If you and Zoey can make it past your hatred of one another than you will be able to commune with one another and connect as day and night."
"And if we can't?" I asked her.
"You know the answer to that my love," she said looking sadly at me.
"And if I do this Isis and Erik will defiantly be safe?" I asked.
"I gave you my word did I not?" I just nodded my head.
"So what are Zoey and I supposed to do?" I asked her.
"Follow the path before you as Zoey will follow her. Yours is the most risky so I had to remove the spell put around your mind. Do not fear what is about to happen to you," she said and than she was gone.
"Roxanne," Miles yelled as he held me.
"I'm okay," I said easing myself up. Aurox grabbed my other arm and helped me to my feet. "Thank you."
"You need to get to a doctor or something," Miles said as we walked to the van.
"I'm fine, it was a vampire thing," I said getting in.
~Zoey~
Erik and I had just put Isis to sleep and were waiting for Roxanne to get in. She was out with Miles and Aurox doing things for the club. I was hoping she'd sneak Aurox in, because it had been sometime since I got to see him and talk to Heath. I missed Heath a lot these last few days of rehearsal. I missed everything about my old life actually. I missed the simplicity of it all. "Do you ever wish you could go back and make it all stop? Just live in a happy moment?" I asked Erik.
He laughed at me. "I see playing Nyx is starting to get to you," he said handing me a glass of wine, than pouring one for himself. "I have."
"What was your happiest moment?" I asked him.
He laughed and looked lost in his thought. "You tell me yours."
"Before my mom got married, my family were really close. We'd all go to grandma's on the weekend. It was my brother's birthday this particular weekend, and we all were going to make this huge dinner, his favorite things. I remember looking around at them smiling and joking with one another and thinking, I never want this to end," I said with a tear falling down my cheek. Erik reached over and wiped it away. We looked each other in the eye and smiled. I slowly moved in and kissed his lips.
The door opened and we quickly pulled away from each other. I turned to see Roxanne and Aurox staring at us in utter shock. I smiled at the look on Roxanne's face and she rushed to their room. Erik quickly got up and followed her.
~Roxanne~
After seeing Erik and Zoey kissing I had to leave. I couldn't stand being in the same space as the vile girl. I trusted her and befriended her and now she stole my heart. I threw whatever I could in my bag. Nyx was wrong there is no way Zoey and I could move pass this and join as one. Zoey had obviously lost her mind. I stopped when I reached Isis' crib. I looked down at my beautiful baby, and I cried. The family I wanted to give her was broken, and I couldn't see it ever being fixed. Not to mention the fact that if I couldn't make things work with Zoey, Isis would be killed.
"That wasn't what it looked like," Erik started from the door way.
"So you didn't kiss Zoey…again?" I questioned as I held on to the side of the crib.
Erik rushed over and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. He placed his head on my shoulder and held me close and tight. "I don't know what to say to you. I love you so much Roxy."
"Erik if this is your love I don't want it. I can't even look at you without feeling sick to my stomach," I cried.
"I'm sorry baby. I don't know how this happened," he said trying to piece things together.
I managed to turn to Erik and be brave enough to say, "I just need so space Erik can you do that for me?"
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Home," I said picking up Isis carefully.
"You are home, both of you. We're home. Where ever we are together is home," he yelled.
"Shh," I said rocking Isis. "I'm going to stay at my dad's we can talk tomorrow," I said as I walked pass him.
"You can't just take her," he said making me stop.
"You don't get to say that. Not after what you just did. You don't get to make me feel bad," I said not looking at him.
I walked out to see Zoey arguing with Aurox who was probably translating for Heath. "We're leaving," I said and they both stopped and looked up at me.
"You can't just take her from him. He is perfectly capable of caring for her. It's not like you've been doing much of that anyway."
"Look, you don't know shit about me Zoey, but if you keep pushing me, Nefert will look like a walk in the park. I will kick your ass," I said than I walked out the door, not wasting a second to hear Zoey's rebuttal.
"Roxanne wait," Erik said coming after me, but Aurox punched him in the face when he go to the threshold of the door.
We made our way down the hall and got into the elevator. Aurox put his arm around me and I placed my head on his shoulder. "You're going to be okay," he promised me.
I just nodded my head even though I didn't see how it could be true. Everything I fought for in life was now gone. The one person that meant the world to me was gone. And now I had a baby and reincarnated vessel to care for on my own.