Since we had time to spare before Anastasia was to meet us in my new apartment to go over some mystic arts information with us, I decided it might be a good idea to check the place out myself. I hadn't been to my room since I was told I was moving, so I wasn't even sure if they even got my stuff or not. Knowing the vamps though, they would have everything moved out before I even realized it, just like they did with Stevie Rae's stuff when she died, the first time.

"This way" Aphrodite led me. She was more familiar with the professor apartments than I was. I had been to Neferet's and Erik's, which was about it. "I think you're down here" she pointed to a large wooden door at the end of the hallway. I noticed right away that the door was familiar. It was Loren's door. The same room that he used when he was a visiting Professor. I remembered he had the whole floor as well. As my body was shaking from the fact that my room MIGHT be the same of the treacherous man who stole my virginity and tricked me into thinking he loved me and feeling totally odd about that, to excited because I knew I was getting a new place and it was three times the size of Neferet's studio.

"Wait" I stopped right before I got to the door. Aphrodite was just about to open it and she peeked in the small window that was covered with iron bars.

"I would have to say, I think this is your room most defiantly"

"This was…L-Loren's apartment" a chill went down my spine.

Aphrodite's face changed from excitement to disgust. "Loren Blake? This was his space?" she asked.

I gulped and nodded at her. "Yep…."

Aphrodite rolled her eyes and as always flung her hair behind her, "Too bad, it's your space now and from what I can see…you're SO going to love it. Can I move in? Not that I want to live with you or anything, but, I think that you would be overwhelmed with the amount of space in here"

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, "Ok, I'll go in" I made myself move. I asked Nyx for bravery, which I knew that she knew I was already and pushed the door open.

I don't remember saying anything when I walked in the room. It was drastically different from Loren's; it didn't even look like the same apartment. The first thing I noticed was the walls. They were wallpapered in this rich lavender purple color with gold patterns of leaves and flowers that covered the walls from the ceiling to the floor. When you looked straight into the room on the opposite wall there was a large set of ceiling to floor length glass doors that were heavily curtained with beautiful gold and white satins and that opened up onto a balcony that overlooked the entire campus. To the left was a very modest and modern glass desk that had a single white lamp and a few photo's in frames. I walked over and picked up the pictures, one was of me and my friends that we had taken soon after I had come to the House of Night. The other was of me and my Grandma which was taken when I was a little girl, last but not least was a photo of my family. My mom, my older sister, and me, with our dad, Armand, or Paul as my mom knew him. Armand is what he changed it to when he was Marked, but his real name was Paul Montgomery. I smiled. I was just a tiny baby when the picture was taken and I don't remember ever seeing my mother with this picture, or her ever showing me. It must have been something my Dad kept. That made me happy.

"Oh. My. God!" Aphrodite yelled, "You have got to see this bedroom!"

I ran down the large hallway decorated with a modest glass table that held a white planter and my lavender plant that my Grandma gave me for my birthday. Above it was a painting of a lavender field. I stopped to look at the painting; it looked like the lavender was almost swaying in the wind. Like the painting was moving. I was totally mystified by it. I shook myself and continued down the hall, where I was in utter surprise myself.

The best was enormous. It was pale purple suede that looked like it was stuffed like a couch but looked like an oversized sleigh bed. The sheets were my favorite kind, Jersey Knit, they felt just like a t-shirt and I loved that. The bedding was a mixture of white and different shades of purples. Above the headboard was a beautiful gold metal sculpture of Nyx's golden wings, the symbol of Eros, much like the fourth former's emblem that they wore. The bedside tables were the matching glass with white table lamps on each end accompanied by a small vase of lavender. Everything matched, right down to each detail.

From the bedroom I walked right into the bathroom where I saw a large spa like shower and a huge garden tub that was surrounded by glowing purple candles. A silver metal sculpture overlooked the tub that was of a spiral, the same that was the third former's emblem. On the opposite side of the bathroom was another painting, this was of an ocean, this painting also looked as if it lived, I could hear the ocean's roar and the saltiness of the sea. I was starting to think there was a theme in my apartment so I strode to all the rooms, Aphrodite following me and just as amazed as I was. I had a decent size kitchen, which I was right again, followed the theme of the emblems since on the back wall that held the small table and chairs that served as a mini dining room hung the Fifth Former's emblem of the golden chariot pulled by stars. On the backsplash was a painting of fires blazing above the gas stove. It looked like the fire flickered and crackled as if it was really there. I felt a sudden warmth.

I noticed that the Sixth Former symbol was missing. I went back out to where the desk was, by the main door and right above the beautiful overstuffed white couch was the Sixth Former symbol of the three Fates. I smiled realizing that my entire apartment was devoted to all members of the House of Night. Regardless of age, was represented here. I turned to the opposite wall and there was a huge painting, this of just a clear blue sky and looked of wisps of flower petals dancing in the wind. It was so ironic that all the paintings seemed to live right here in my apartment space. Just as they elements lived in me, the elements lived in my apartment. I was anxious to see what painting I could have for Spirit as I searched the apartment.

"Wow Z, this place is really…amazing!" Aphrodite said, in a low and somber, but yet cheery mood. I looked over at her and see a small tear that started to flow out of her eyes. I turned to where she was standing and saw her looked at a painting by the door. Just to the right of the door was a small table that held a white bowl of small little nick nacks, above it was a picture of Nyx herself. It looked like she was smiling at us. When I smiled, she smiled larger.

"This place is so magical" I breathed, then looking at Aphrodite, knowing that she couldn't tear herself away from the painting, "What's the matter?" I asked.

"If I hadn't had screwed up so bad….this would be mine. I would have been Chosen to have this great place, and now I'm just nothing, stuck in the student dorms" she shrugged. Sometimes I really hated just how selfish she was sometimes, but I sympathized with her. She was right after all. If she was at least a nicer person to people and didn't do all the nasty things she did, she'd still be the High Priestess in training. "Well, we'll see about that" I said as I touched her shoulder. "You're no longer a student Aphrodite. You're my Consulate. You're an Adult Vampire now. You don't belong in the student dorms."

She took the back of her hand and wiped her cheek, "Thanks, but I don't need charity"

I was a little miffed at that response, "Look, I'm not holding a charity for you, I'm not offering you my bed or my couch, I'm just saying that since you are important as well, and you're an adult, you deserve to be in your own apartment as well. I will make sure that happens, ok?"

"Whatever" she shrugged.

Before I could even make a response I heard a light tapping at the door, "Zoey? Aphrodite?" the familiar soft voice called out.

"Come in" I called as Anastasia opened the heavy wooden door and walked into the apartment.

"I hope your new home is to your liking? Neferet was very specific about how she wanted it decorated" Anastasia smiled.

"I love it! It doesn't even look like it did….before" I didn't even want to say Loren's name.

"In your dressers are your clothes, everything was brought over from your old room. I even took the privilege of getting them stitched with the new emblem to signify your status."

"Thank you. I wasn't even aware things were already taken care of" I smiled at her and walked towards the couch. "Come, sit!"

Aphrodite took the chair opposite of the couch as Anastasia and I sat down on the overstuffed couch. Aphrodite has conveniently placed the old book we found on the white modern coffee table as Anastasia put down a handful of books on the floor. "First, I want to warn you Zoey, when trying to walk through Realms or worlds, you are using most dangerous magic. Everything has a cost. As you use your powers, it drains your energy; we counter that by drinking blood to replenish what was lost. However, for this kind of magic, it can have grave consequences, and I don't mean you just feeling tired, or blacking out. If you're not careful, you can get trapped between worlds, or worse, in the alternate world with no chance of coming back." Anastasia's face was very serious and stern.

"What kind of consequences?" I asked.

"Death" was all she answered. It was quick, to the point and blunt.

"Death" my ears perked and my soul felt uneasy. I felt this was something I had to do, but I was unsure about these consequences. "Meaning I could die walking through worlds?"

"You or someone else." Anastasia sifted and turned towards me placing her hands on top of my knees, "I need to know what you plan to do. I can not help you or guide you in the right direction if I do not know the situation. You can trust me Zoey. I know you have had trust issues before, and I don't blame you with wanting to take on the burden yourself as High Priestess, but we can not win a war without soldiers"

Her pun was odd, but I got what she was saying. You couldn't go into battle by yourself that was just asking to die; you had to have those fighting along side of you. Suddenly I really wished I had the Twins and Damien, Stark and Erik close by. I took a deep breath, "Aphrodite had a vision of Heath. He disappeared last night when my Grandma was attacked. Neferet said it was a Wendigo that attacked her. Stark went to find Heath, but he never returned. Aphrodite's vision showed that Heath was in another realm, and something, something horrible was chasing him. She said if we did not save him, he would die for sure. So not only am I concerned about Heath, but I'm worried sick about Stark, who could be anywhere, I'm worried about this Wendigo thing getting to fledglings or hurting someone else. I need to find a way to save Heath, and if that involves going through worlds, then I will do it" my voice sounded strong and sure, just like a High Priestess, hell, I was the High Priestess.

Anastasia nodded and sat there for a second, almost recollecting what she was told and thought about it. "This is going to be mighty tricky; as we don't know which Realm he is trapped. What did it look like?" she turned to Aphrodite.

"It looked like lush woods, trees so tall that I've never seen anywhere else, flowers that I've never smelt before. Everything was different, new, and yet dangerous at the same time. I couldn't get a sense if there was any sort of civilization, but I know my vision clearly made me feel as though it was not of this world." Aphrodite answered, and for the first time, was not sarcastic.

Anastasia bit the side of her cheek as her eyes narrowed and she was quiet for a minute. She then turned to a book lying next to her and flipped the pages open. She was silent as she read and then tapped her finger at a particular picture within her book as she passed it towards me. Aphrodite leaned in to see what she was showing me, "Here, this must be it. I've never heard of someone traveling to this place before, as it is very dangerous. It is in the Lower Realm. Evil lurks here. It is the Realm of the Fae."

"Fae? Like Fairy?" I asked a little confused. I was pretty sure Fairies were supposed to be nice, not evil. Made me think of Tinker bell in a whole new light, but of course Tink had quiet the attitude problem.

"Yes, Fairy. That is what they are. And contrary to what you might have been told, they are NOT nice creatures. The Fae are ruthless and mean and they will do whatever they can to protect what they believe is their's. If you think that Vampires and Raven Mockers are bad, the Fae are worse" Anastasia warned.

"Hmpf" I heard Aphrodite snort. "Well, like we don't have other things to worry about, but now we have to tell all those little girls in the world that Fairies will eat their hearts out!"

"Aphrodite!" scolded Anastasia and I at the same time.

"What?" she shrugged her shoulders. "No sense in making them think they are good only to get hurt"

I just rolled my eyes at her and turned my attentions back to Anastasia. "This is going to be tricky I supposed?"

"Very, if there is any hope that Heath may still be alive, and in the Realm of the Fae, we must act quickly."