I paced the length of my new apartment with a few found worry. Fairies. The cute little winged people that were supposed to be sugar and spice and everything nice, was not in reality at all what they really were. Anastasia showed us text and pictures of what the Fae looked like. They are like small boney people with razor sharp teeth, large pointed ears and stringy hair. They had magnificent large eyes and finger nails that grew into sharp pointed spikes. They were at one with nature in their realm; they could blend into any element being air, earth, fire or water.

"It's going to have to be you Zoey" Anastasia said as I continued to pace my living room. "You have an affinity for all five elements, it is possible that only you would be able to stop the fae, or even enlist their help if they are not the ones that are chasing Heath."

"I think she's right Zoey, if these things can blend into any element, you should be able to tell and stop it" Aphrodite continued.

I didn't say anything, but shook my head with my arms crossed tightly across my body. I walked towards the large glass doors and peered outside, dusk had come, it had to have been around 7 in the evening, and everyone would be waking, if they hadn't already. I was starting to feel the Adderall wear off, granted that most drugs and alcohol don't affect Vampires or even fledglings; we can still get a tad hyper on some prescriptions.

Classes were to resume today and they started in an hour. "I'm going to need a warrior to go with me" I finally spoke as I saw the last rays of sunlight beam over the horizon. "I think it would be wise to have Stark come with me. He is diligent and strong and I know he would never let anything hurt me"

"Going alone is a difficult task in itself, I do not know if two can pass easily" Anastasia said with a look of worry on her face. "I know you feel you need protection, but Zoey, you are one of the most powerful Priestesses to ever live, it has been since the dawn of Nyx that such power has been welded. I have a feeling you could take care of yourself"

"I still want Stark to come with me. If I am as strong as everyone keeps telling me, then we should be able to enter unharmed" I had a seriousness to my voice that surprised me and both Aphrodite and Anastasia. "Plus, I have this book" I picked up the ancient book that Aphrodite and I found in the library. "There is a spell in here that tells you how to walk into another realm safely. This should be helpful"

Anastasia stood and touched the book, almost rearing away instantly, "Where did you find this?" she asked curiously.

"It was on the top shelf of your restricted section" Aphrodite butted in.

"This is not one of mine" Anastasia said. "This book belongs to the High Priestess in Venice."

My eyes widened, "So then how did it get here?"

"I do not know, but there is a reason to which you both found it. See, this book is very magical. It holds all the ancient rites and spells from the beginning of our time. It only reveals itself to those worthy of its power"

"And I found it, so would that mean that I am worthy then?" Aphrodite asked.

I rolled my eyes, "Of course you are silly. You're the consulate to the High Priestess of the most Powerful Vampire that ever existed, apart from Nyx. Duh!" I decided to use her own sass back at her. I noticed it worked when her lips turned upward and she laughed a good hearty laugh.

"You know Zoey, for the first time, I'm not going to talk back because you are 100% correct." Aphrodite said as her smile widened. "Come, let's get something to freshen up with and go meet up with the rest of the nerd herd."

"You know your part of that nerd herd too" I said slyly with a smile as I walked into my new little kitchen. I opened the fridge to see it fully stocked with bags of blood, fresh fruits, meats, vegetables, anything and everything I could imagine.

"Oh! Mango's!" Aphrodite squealed as she pushed passed me and grabbed the large fruit out of the fridge. "Ohmygod, these are sooo good!"

"I know, I know. Well, now you don't have to steal from the teacher's lounge anymore for your precious mangos" I rolled my eyes.

"I know! I can just steal them from you now" she smiled.

I took out three bags of blood and handed one to Aphrodite and offered another to Anastasia which she took gratefully. Each bag had a small straw attached to it. Made me think of the small milk pouches we got as kids in elementary school.

"You know, I just had a thought" Aphrodite started.

"Hmm" I said between pressed lips slurping up the blood as fast as I could.

"We don't even know where Stark is. Remember, he left to go find Heath but never returned"

I put my bag down, "I totally forgot! Maybe he just found a place to rest since it was so close to sunrise. You know him and the sun, he can't stand it. And he was out there without a cloak" my face suddenly felt withdrawn of color and my mind felt heavy. Where was Stark, was he ok? Had he found Heath and somehow they were both sucked into this alternate Realm. Nyx, please help me!

"Priestess" Anastasia stood and bowed and did the normal salute, "I need to be off to tend to my class, however, I will ask my students to keep a close lookout for him and let him know to see you immediately"

"Thank you" I nodded.

"Please, be very careful" she ended before throwing the blood bag away and heading out of the door.

I flopped down on my couch and threw my hand over my forehead. My head just hurt. I hurt all over. Where was Stark? It worried me to no end until I was interrupted by a knocking on the door.

Aphrodite walked over and opened the door and there were the Twins, Stevie Rae and Damien.

"Wow!" The Twins said together.

"Cool crib!" Shaunee said.

"Totally cool crib Z!" Erin said.

"Absolutely resplendent!" Damien blurted looking around the room with wide eyes.

"Respe what?!" Shaunee looked confused.

"Resplendent Twin, meaning radiant or bright! What a great word to describe the place Damien! It really is!" Erin said. Erin had always been smart; she just didn't show it very often. I think she just didn't want Shaunee to feel stupid.

"This place is so cool Z!" Stevie Rae said with a very strong twang. "This doesn't compare to my place!"

"Well I would hope not with your awful sense of fashion" Aphrodite snorted.

"Hey now, I happen to really love me my Kenny Chesney now!" Stevie Rae defended.

"Oh, I know!" Aphrodite spat, "So much I'm sure you kiss that stupid poster every night wishing he'd come in and…"

"Hey, hey, hey…let's not go there" I interrupted.

"So, what's up Z? You called us last night?" Stevie Rae asked. She was still the beautiful girl I met when I was first marked. Her hair was still the bouncy short curls. Stevie Rae had had it rough for the past few months. First dying. Which was awful, to undying, which I guess in a sense really was just as awful when you think about her munching on that dirty street woman that I saved. Then she became changed when she drank Aphrodite's blood in order to get her humanity back, only to revert from lack of blood, feeding and just about killing Damien in the process (thank the Goddess that my Dad, my REAL Dad was a healer) to dying again and being reborn as a normal Vampire, thanks to the special skills of my father. Actually, the same thing happened to Stark too. Except he was never a Red Vampire. Now, let's not forget about what happened just a few short weeks ago, when my best friend, was tricked into sleeping with Erik, my ex-boyfriend, who happened to be Stark's real brother, who knew! So the poor girl had been through a lot, and I wasn't much help as we were starting to drift a little more distant everyday.

"Yeah, why don't you all take a seat, would you like some Blood?"

"Eww…not for us, got any cokes?" the Twins asked.

"Sure, I got everything, Damien, Stevie Rae?" I asked.

"Sure, Blood sounds good to me" Stevie Rae answered. Damien just nodded as I threw him a pack of blood with a pre-stuck straw. "So, what's this all about Z?"

I took a seat in the nice upholstered chair that matched my lavender walls with the gold accents. I took a long sip from my second blood bag and started to unfold everything that happened last night. From leaving with Stark, to now not knowing where he is.

"Is your Grandma ok?" Damien asked his face full of worry.

"She is fine now. She is resting in the infirmary, Neferet has given her extra doses of pain meds so she will sleep, but she's alive."

"And you saw Heath in your vision, did you not see Stark?" Stevie Rae looked at Aphrodite who seemed to be caught off guard by the question as she was slowly sipping away at her blood bag and nibbling her mango.

"I didn't see Stark, but it doesn't mean that it's not possible they could be together. I just saw Heath" Aphrodite pointed out. "Actually, I'm getting quiet tired of this charade of constantly going to save the little human boy who can't get a clue. Maybe we should just leave him there"

"Aphrodite!" I yelled. "We will not do any such thing. Yes, I think Heath is foolish, foolish to even come here and offer to be a donor, but he has a family, parents, people who are probably right now freaking out at the fact he isn't home!"

"Well, then we save his ass and the tell him to get the hell lost! He brings nothing but trouble everytime he surfaces." Aphrodite countered. "I'll be damned if every other week or every month something bad goes down here."

I couldn't agree with her more, I didn't want anything bad to go down either, but I knew we had to. "I need us to cast a circle and ask for Nyx's guidance."

"Here, we can use these" Erin picked up 5 different colored candles that were in a sandbox in the middle of the coffee table. Ironically, they were the colors that each represented the elements, yellow, red, blue, green and purple. My whole apartment was surrounded by the elements.

"Here, we'll do it here" I turned to my right, "This is north"

Everyone got into place. It was actually just the space between where the front door was to my couch, it wasn't big, but it wasn't small either. I saw myself looking at the painting of Nyx that hung next to the door, her painting smiled and winked.

"Woah! Did you just see that!" Shaunee said as she pointed her finger towards the painting. I'd swear…"

"it winked at us Twin!" Erin finished.

"Yes, it did wink at you. It is my Spirit painting. When we get this all figured out, I'll show you all the pictures, they all move"

"Wow!" they both said in unison.

I turned to Damien, "It is our first breath, I call air to this circle." I lit the candle and the sweet breeze lifted our hair. I smiled and turned to Shaunee.

"It warms us on a cold day, I call fire to this circle" As always, I didn't even need to light the match to have the candle flame to life. I just shook my head and went to Erin, noticing that Shaunee had a shit eating grin on her face.

"You cleanse and purify us, I call water to this circle" Erin giggled as the water lapped up on her feet.

I walked to Stevie Rae who seemed to be humming a Kenny Chesney song. Sadly, I knew it, but it was a relaxing title, No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems. "You shelter us and we call you home, I call earth to this circle"

Instead of the freshly cut grass or the smell of flowers, I smelt of sand and beaches. "No, Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems is right" I said, "You got your mind on the beach"

"Yep!" she said with a smile humming along with her tune.

I returned to the center of the circle and cast my candle up, "You fill us with life, you are what we are and we are what you are, I call spirit to this circle" I felt the rush of all the five elements enter my body, the little sizzle that always happened. I looked up to the ceiling, envisioning the majestic sapphire sky above with it's millions of millions of stars, "Nyx, help me. Guide us on the right and true path. Help us to find Heath and Stark and hope that we aren't too late"

I felt the elements begin to stir, as if upset. The wind blew in an eerie howl around the entire circle, I looked to Damien and he just shrugged his shoulders. I could feel the warmth of fire becoming more predominant now as it entered into the twisting tunnel of air. Water twist around the fire as if they didn't touch at all and lastly it seemed as though everything in the room began lift up and join in the tunnel, ripping to shreds my beautiful apartment. A loud booming voice called from above, Be not of fear, for fear will ultimately be the end

I looked up at the twisting tornado in my apartment to see all five of the paintings dancing around and around, as if never being touched they stayed in place and ironically next to each person gifted with that affinity.

The end of all is near, the voice said again. Not a voice I was familiar with. This did not sound like Nyx, it was a much more masculine and deep voice to be our Goddess.

"Who are you!" I demanded. "Who dares to enter my circle!"

I am the almighty! I am the strong! It screamed.

I looked around at my friends, they all had fear written all over their faces. "Do not be afraid, nothing can harm us in our circle" I reminded them. "Hold your places! Concentrate on your element!"

Everyone of them closed their eyes, their faces struggled with what they felt was ultimate concentration. As if it took all their force and all them mind, body and soul in order to concentrate on the element and only the element. Aphrodite leaned in closer to me and almost hugged me she was so close. "I'm scared" she said.

"Don't be. Nothing can harm us" I was confident.

I will not harm you Priestess the voice called again. I am but a messenger

"Show your true form then we can talk!" I screamed and in that moment everything was back in place. As if nothing had happened at all, in the blink of an eye, it was gone. Everyone opened their eyes and looked around them, perplexed by what they had just witnessed. The only thing out of place was the paintings. Now they rested at the feet of everyone.

"So cool!" Stevie Rae exclaimed. "The fields are swaying!"

"Look at the pretty flowers floating in the air!" Damien shouted.

"I think that my roaring fire is better than all y'alls" Shaunee grinned.

"Twin, I'm going to have to disagree with you, look at these crashing waves! I've never seen any so big before!" Erin looked at the painting with amazement.

I felt Aphrodite's arm tighten around mine as she gasped at what lay in front of me. My spirit painting no longer contained the beautiful Goddess Nyx, but a large man. He was handsome and beautiful with a strong nose and lushish lips that anyone would die to kiss. His eyes were as dark as coal but yet seemed to reflect my image. The man's head bowed down as it spoke, I am Erebus