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Once Nyx and Heath faded away, I felt so much better about Heath's death. Being able to talk to him one last time had really lifed a weight off my chest. But once Nyx and Heath faded, I was alone in complete darkness.
Some might think of it as soothing. Me? I thought it was annoying as hell. Jeesh, why couldn't I just get back to my friends who preobably thought I was dead?
I don't know how long the darkness lasted. It could have been seconds, minutes or hours. But anyway, I started to hear my friends voices.
"She's dead, isn't she?" Erin wailed. I imagined her Twin was comforting her, as she didn't say anything.
"She can't be," said the unmistakable voice of Darius, the macho warrior.
Then my own Macho Warrior spoke brokenly. "She is. I felt it." His voice shook.
I wanted to comfort all my friends, and tell them I was here, so they should shut up and help me kill Kalona. But of course the stupid darkness wouldn't let me.
"Zoey!" Aphrodite was screaming near my face. "Zoey, wake up! Now! Seriously! Zoey, please please," She broke off into sobs, giving my shoulders one last, pathetic shake.
Nyx, I thought, please help me. I want to get back to my friends. They all think I'm dead. How do I get back?
As your consort said, you will get back when your soul is ready, came the answer.
Well, hell. I was ready, but my stupid soul wasn't? When did I know my soul was ready? And how long would it take?
Not long, apparently. I felt someone lift me up. "They can help her. If we bring her inside, they can help her. She can live . . ." Stark started to run.
I could feel the wind against my cheek and hair. Soon, there were also a few drops of water on my face. "Come on, Zoey," Stark panted. "Hang in there. I know you can."
Then I coughed. It was a wracking, rattling, rasping cough, but it meant I was without a doubt intact with my body and my soul was as ready as it would ever be.
The wind stopped blowing against me, but the rain continued. Stark had stopped. "Zoey?" My name was filled with unwilling hope. Unwilling because although he wanted to believe I was alive, he didn't.
Yes! I could open my eyes. I stared into his beautiful face. His eyes were puffy and his cheeks were tear-stained. "Stark," I responded weakly.
He fell to his knees, making sure he didn't jostle me at all.
"Stark! Come back!" My friends were shouting not far behind us.
"Zoey . . . " Stark's voice wavered and broke.
My hand reached up shakily to touch his face. "You're alive," he whispered. I nodded.
Darius was the first to reach us. He touched Stark's shoulder. "Young Warrior, I know it is upsetting, but-" He gasped. "High Priestess," he said, "you live."
The rest of my friends were suddenly there. "Zoey!" Jack cried joyously before hugging me. Soon I was smothered in a gihugic group hug. When Stark said quietly, "Let her breathe," everyone was quick to obey. Then Stark was there, smiling at me, still holding me against his chest. Tears fell freely down his face.
"I love you, Zoey," he murmured as he pressed his lips to my forehead, just as Heath had done.
Some might think of it as soothing. Me? I thought it was annoying as hell. Jeesh, why couldn't I just get back to my friends who preobably thought I was dead?
I don't know how long the darkness lasted. It could have been seconds, minutes or hours. But anyway, I started to hear my friends voices.
"She's dead, isn't she?" Erin wailed. I imagined her Twin was comforting her, as she didn't say anything.
"She can't be," said the unmistakable voice of Darius, the macho warrior.
Then my own Macho Warrior spoke brokenly. "She is. I felt it." His voice shook.
I wanted to comfort all my friends, and tell them I was here, so they should shut up and help me kill Kalona. But of course the stupid darkness wouldn't let me.
"Zoey!" Aphrodite was screaming near my face. "Zoey, wake up! Now! Seriously! Zoey, please please," She broke off into sobs, giving my shoulders one last, pathetic shake.
Nyx, I thought, please help me. I want to get back to my friends. They all think I'm dead. How do I get back?
As your consort said, you will get back when your soul is ready, came the answer.
Well, hell. I was ready, but my stupid soul wasn't? When did I know my soul was ready? And how long would it take?
Not long, apparently. I felt someone lift me up. "They can help her. If we bring her inside, they can help her. She can live . . ." Stark started to run.
I could feel the wind against my cheek and hair. Soon, there were also a few drops of water on my face. "Come on, Zoey," Stark panted. "Hang in there. I know you can."
Then I coughed. It was a wracking, rattling, rasping cough, but it meant I was without a doubt intact with my body and my soul was as ready as it would ever be.
The wind stopped blowing against me, but the rain continued. Stark had stopped. "Zoey?" My name was filled with unwilling hope. Unwilling because although he wanted to believe I was alive, he didn't.
Yes! I could open my eyes. I stared into his beautiful face. His eyes were puffy and his cheeks were tear-stained. "Stark," I responded weakly.
He fell to his knees, making sure he didn't jostle me at all.
"Stark! Come back!" My friends were shouting not far behind us.
"Zoey . . . " Stark's voice wavered and broke.
My hand reached up shakily to touch his face. "You're alive," he whispered. I nodded.
Darius was the first to reach us. He touched Stark's shoulder. "Young Warrior, I know it is upsetting, but-" He gasped. "High Priestess," he said, "you live."
The rest of my friends were suddenly there. "Zoey!" Jack cried joyously before hugging me. Soon I was smothered in a gihugic group hug. When Stark said quietly, "Let her breathe," everyone was quick to obey. Then Stark was there, smiling at me, still holding me against his chest. Tears fell freely down his face.
"I love you, Zoey," he murmured as he pressed his lips to my forehead, just as Heath had done.
