A/N: I know there are alot of Erik fans and alot of Stark fans. I haven't decided who she should end up with yet. As you recall in the books, Zoey goes back and forth with her boy drama and who she wants to be with herself. Not even P.C or Kristin Cast know who she will end up with. I like to right what I'm feeling at the moment and I let it just flow out of me, I don't plan too much ahead of time, I just write in the moment as if I'm actually there. Please be patient.

I know many are disappointed about Jack, but I'm not making that the end of him. So don't worry! In a way, losing him is a good stepping stone for Zoey and for her friends, as losing someone close to them will help them in the long run with being on the High Council and the people they may lose later. Thank you for the kind responses and reviews and keep reading!


Erik and I walked back to the dorms hand in hand but not saying much to each other. I could catch myself looking at him from time to time and every so often I would catch him looking back at me and smiling. I missed him dearly. My heart leapt when I thought of him and us together. Maybe this was what Nyx wanted.

"Erik" I began. He stopped and turned to look at me. "I broke things off with Stark"

"I know" he said as he leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips. How his lips I missed. They tasted so sweet.

I pulled away, "How did you know?"

"He came and told me that you were all mine, that you left him for me anyways." Erik cocked a grin.

"Hold on, I broke things off because I'm tired of playing with people. I'm not sure what I want. Things have been too confusing lately, but I want to get one thing straight with you, I love Stark and he loves me. We'll always love each other, even if it's not in a romantic kind of way." I concluded and walked around him in a huff.

"Hey, I understand" Erik said as he pulled my hand from behind. "I'm sorry. I came off a little too strong. I want us to start over. Can we start over?"

"I don't know if I want to do that just yet. Can we just be friends right now?"

"There's too much unfinished business for us to just be friends Zoey. You know that or you wouldn't have dumped James."

I averted my eyes away from his, I knew he was right. Erik and I couldn't simply just be friends. We were together or we weren't. Those times we weren't, were not pleasant times either. "I just don't want to jump in head strong to find out I've made another mistake. I want Nyx to guide me to the right choice; I don't want to rush it on my own."

"Very sagacious choice" Damien's voice came from behind us.

"Well thank you Damien, I like to think I make smart choices myself, though I will admit I have made some, how would you say it, asinine choices in the past."

Damien laughed and put his arm around my shoulders and around Erik's. "Spot on High Priestess"

"You seem better?" I asked.

"You know, I asked Nyx for guidance when you left me and I heard her speak to me. Jack was a means for me to learn to love someone freely. That was his purpose. And for me to finally show my true self to my parents. I had called them the other day to tell them I was gay and my friend Jack they had met was actually my boyfriend. Surprisingly, they took it well, as if they expected it already." Damien smirked. "Death does not mean an end to all things; it can mean a new beginning."

"Now that is a sagacious remark!" Erik said. "Things will be fine Damien, and soon, maybe, you'll find someone else to love, just like everyone does. Life goes on and so shall we."

The three of us walked back to the dorms and met with Shaunee and Erin who were sitting with each other on the couch watching American's Next Top Model reruns and blowing there nose with probably the hundredth tissue from the box of Kleenex that was on the table. "Is he ok?" asked Erin.

Damien just shook his head and the Twins began to sob once again. Damien went to them and consoled them as they all cried together. Stevie Rae got up and gave me a big hug, "I'm going to retire for the evening. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" she said as she whispered in my ear.

I just smiled, "That's not a whole lot"

"I know!" she said as she waved good bye.

I walked past the group and up to my room, too glum and depressed to talk to anyone. I didn't even notice that Erik had silently followed me. Honestly, I didn't even care. He shut the door behind him and I flopped down on my bed smoothing my face into my pillow. "Why, why, why?" I kept saying over and over to myself.

I felt Erik's weight come down on the edge of the bed as he rubbed my back, "We don't ever know why Zoey. Fledglings just die sometimes for unknown reasons. Who knows why Jack's body rejected the change."

I turned over and propped myself up on my elbows. "But he was fine. FINE when I saw them earlier. Wouldn't he show some signs?" I could feel myself becoming increasingly angry.

"Not necessarily. Just like Neferet said, some just up and go, and they seem fine just seconds before hand."

"You don't think he'll come back as a red fledgling do you?" I pondered. It was a possibility.

"I think that's a bit far fetched. Anyways, Neferet created the red fledglings." Erik explained.

"So she could change Jack then?"

"Zoey, listen to yourself, you want to have Neferet create a red fledgling out of Jack? That preposterous."

Erik and I continued to bicker back and forth about the events of the day when the door flew open and Stark came running in and enveloped me in his arms. "Zoey, I just heard" he squeezed me tighter. I fell into his embrace and started to cry once again. It wasn't just me that needed comfort either, it was Damien. "Are you ok? I heard you guys were at the infirmary, but by the time I got there, you must have already left."

"Thanks, we're ok. Damien is taking it a bit rough though." I said.

"What about Duchess? Does Damien have her?" Stark asked. Duchess was originally Starks yellow lab, before he died and became a red fledgling. Jack had taken the large dog under his wing and they were much attached.

"I'm not sure, probably in Jack's room I suppose" I said.

"Do you want me to stay?" Stark asked looking at Erik who looked pissed off that Stark even invaded.

"Why don't you check on Duchess and then you can come back ok?" I told him hoping he would get the hint.

"Ahh, sure, I'll be back in about an hour is that ok?"

"That's fine."

Once Stark left the room Erik breathed a bit easier. I thought he was going to try and kill Stark with his glare. These boys really did need to learn to get along. "What's with you and him anyways?" I asked.

I guess I caught Erik off guard because he definitely wasn't expecting my question, "Ugh, what?"

"You and Stark, your brothers, why don't you get along? Or the real question, why can't you?"

"It's a complicated story. To make it short, we just never got along. When I was marked, I came here and changed my name in hopes that I could leave my past behind, it seems it only followed me here."

"Maybe this is Nyx's way of telling you that you should make amends?" I added only to feel my spirit leap. I was sure I was on the right track with that question.

"I don't see how that is going to happen Z. We are nothing alike, we've never liked each other, and we never will. And even more now that we're both fighting over you." Erik said as he leaned in closer to me.

I pushed him away, "Hey, I'm serious. I think maybe that Nyx placed Stark in the position to come here in order for you two to make amends. Nyx has a very mysterious way to guiding us on the right paths."

"True, but this is one confusing one here. What are we going to do?" Erik asked pointing to both him and I.

"That's a subject that I've been trying to drum into your thick skull." I walked over and sat on the bed and patted the mattress beside me inviting him to sit. "Look, I know you think that just because I broke things off with Stark that I'll automatically come right back to you. That isn't how it's going to work this time. I want some time to myself for a bit. I have too much on my plate to worry about boy drama. I'm done with it. I admit that I was young and stupid in the past, but if I am going to be the High Priestess, I need to learn to stand on my own two feet without you or Stark bickering back and forth and being mad at me because I chose one over the other."

Erik nodded his head, "I agree and I see your point that you're trying to make. But please Zoey. I...I love you. I just can't be just friends. I know we're connected Z. We've always been connected. I know I acted like an ass and I want to make up for it. Please let me make up for it."

"Then make up for it by making up with your brother. That would show me more than anything else that you've grown up."

"Is that what you really want?" Erik asked arching his eyebrow.

"Yes. I would feel much better if you two made friends and at least acted brotherly towards each other. I'm not saying you have to be buddy, buddy all the time, but at least be able to tolerate each other in the same room."

"If that's what my High Priestess wants, that is what I shall do."

"Thank you" I said as I kissed him on the cheek. "That is very big of you, now go, I have to do some thinking before tomorrow."

Erik gave me a hug and walked out of the door, not before sending me one last blow kiss on his way out. Boys, I just shook my head. What will I do with them? I was so confused about my feelings towards them both. I loved Stark dearly, but I also loved Erik. Stark I felt he was like my soul mate, I could tell him anything, but Erik, I felt a different kind of connection to. It's a connection that Nyx had told me and him about, which we were made for each other, to be together. Be together how though? That is the part that I needed to figure out. Maybe this break is well deserved and will be very good for me. I don't think it would be wise to have a High Priestess that is supposed to help guide fledglings to the right decisions that only makes bad ones when it comes to her love life. I needed to talk to someone with multiple boy experience.

I walked out of my room and down the hall to Aphrodite's room and knocked on her door. She answered the door with a towel around her body and her hair wrapped in a turbine. "Well, don't just stand there, come in!" she yanked me into the room. "Geesh, you think I want people to see me fresh out of the shower without even my face on yet!"

I just laughed at her and how vain she could be. "I need your advice"

"You want MY advice huh? Well that's rich. What can I help you with High Priestess Zoey?" Aphrodite said in a very mocking manner.

"How do you chose which man is the right one for you? How do you know? What if you love both of them but can't choose?"

Aphrodite rolled her eyes, "Let me guess, you've broken it off with Stark because now Erik has changed and you remember the sweet, gentle Erik that you used to be with. You love Erik but you also love Stark. Well hunny, sorry to tell you this, but I can't help you chose which one."

I huffed not knowing what to say. I was so confused and just needed someone's advice on what to do. "I didn't want to break things off with Stark; I just didn't want to be unfair to him when I still had feelings for Erik."

"Well, that's a wise choice if I ever heard one. At least you have the balls to tell him that." Aphrodite walked towards her mirror and started applying her moisturizer to her face and neck before patting herself with perfumed powder.

I flopped down on her overstuffed bed with my arms stretched out, looking up into her canopy, "I don't know what to do. I want to be with them both, but I know I can't"

Aphrodite turned around in her chair to look at me, "Ok, I'm not the best person to talk to about keeping a boyfriend, but I can tell you that when you find that special guy, he's all you can think about. He's the only person on your mind. You dream about being with him, you feel special when you are with him. He never puts you down and always cheers you up. That's why I'm hopelessly in love with Darius. He's all of those things. As much as I might have loved Erik at one point, I know now that he wasn't for me. And honestly Zoey, I don't know if he's right for you either."

I took what Aphrodite said to heart, because no matter how much of a witch she could act like in public, she was actually very insightful in private, I could tell Aphrodite just about anything and she knew all my secrets. A light bulb went off in my head, my consulate. Aphrodite. I guess my eyes showed my revelation because Aphrodite perked up and came over to the bed to sit next to me.

"Aphrodite!" I exclaimed.

"Umm, yeah, I'm right here, you don't have to yell."

"You're my consulate!" I said excitedly.

"What?" she asked shocked.

"My consulate. The High Priestess's advisor."

"I know what a consulate is dumbass."

"I come to you for advice all the time! You know all my secrets, you've known all along! I can't believe I never put it all together until right now. You've been my consulate since day one."

"You want mu' ah to be your consulate? Why Zoey, what ever do I say?"

"Thank you would be enough"

"Ha! I don't even thank my maids for cleaning my room. I just do my job and give you what you ask for. No thanks are necessary."

I rolled my eyes, typical difficult Aphrodite who wants to put on her mean girl face. But I knew deep inside she wasn't. She leaned in close to me and whispered in my ear, "Thank you!" I smiled knowing I was right all along. I turned and gave her a huge hug, which she didn't appreciate by any means. Aphrodite would prefer we never acted like we were friends, and now her becoming my consulate, she'll have to get over that.

"So about this boy problem…" she continued.

"I guess I'll just figure it out. Stark is coming over in a little bit, I should probably head back to my room." I rose to leave. "Aphrodite?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you"

"For what?"

"Just…listening. I know you're not the warmest person ever, and you would probably prefer for people not to know you're a nice person, but thank you for at least being nice in private, which it's really needed, and always being there when I really need you."

Aphrodite smiled bigger than I think I've ever seen her smile, and I never saw her eyes start to water as she looked on the verge of tears. "Ok, out you go before you make me have an emotional breakdown! I don't need puffy eyes before Darius gets here. Out!"

I shook my head and left the room, headed back towards my own, stills no closer to where I wanted to be with my boy drama situation. Like I had told myself before, I would just let Nyx guide me.

I got back to my room to find Stark sitting on my bed with his head in his hands and sobbing. I rushed to him and put my arms around his shoulders, "Oh James, what's wrong?"

"Why Zoey? Why do you have to do this?" he asked.

"Do what?" I asked confused.

"This between us. I would give anything for you and now you would rather be with HIM? I can't take this Zoey" Starks face was streaked with red blood that flowed like lava out of his eye sockets. I felt terrible for what I did to him, it was unfair and I know it, but I had to do it.

"I'm sorry." I pulled his face to look at mine and I brushed back the little bit of curl that feel on his forehead looking deep into his eyes, "I just want time to figure stuff out. I don't know where I want to go or even who with."

Stark took a deep breath and stood up in front of me, "You know, I told you when I died the first time, in front of the field house that I would wait for you. I meant it. I would wait for you. I feel it in my heart Zoey that we are meant to be together. In here it tells me so!" he kept pointing to his chest. "If time is what you need, time is what I will give you. I vowed to protect you and I will do my duty, but you will always been in my heart Zoey, no matter how long it takes."

And as abruptly as he came in the room, he left. Not looking behind him, only staring ahead. It left me very somber and moody. I could feel my energy draining from my body as I grabbed the second bag of blood that Neferet gave me and sipped on it. I lay back on my bed and sipped my blood bag thinking about all that had transpired this day. Breaking up with Stark, Jack rejecting the change, Damien's heartbreak, Erik, and Aphrodite. With so much weight on my shoulders, no matter how much blood I drank, I fell into a deep slumber.