Home
Here's the 3rd chapter. I decided to go along with the style that was in Tempted and write from Stark's POV.
Stark
Zoey sobbed loud, heart-wrenching sobs. I guess everything was catching up on her. Her consort dying to protect her. Me doing absolutely nothing to save her. Heath had done my job. I had failed as Zoey's Warrior.
So why did I pull her closer to me, rub her back and soothe her? Because I thought I could 'learn from my mistakes'? Maybe, just maybe, I could actually do my job next time and hell, I might actually save her.
I knelt on the ground with Zoey on my lap and all her friends (I don't think they were included as my own. They probably blamed me for this, too. And they were right. It was my fault.) all around us. Then I was cocky enough to say, "Guys, do you mind if I talk to Zoey alone for a minute?"
It's a wonder they agreed. I wouldn't have. At least Aphrodite managed to give me a hard glare which I welcomed eagerly. When they were gone, I rocked Zoey back and forth for a little while. When she had calmed down as much as I thought she would be capable of, I pulled back to look at her face.
"How are you?" I heard myself ask.
She smiled sadly. "Like you don't know?"
She was right. I could feel exactly how she felt; heartbroken, miserable, angry and many more emotions along those lines.
"I'm so sorry, Zoey," I whispered and bowed my head shamefully.
"You are?" Zoey actually sounded surprised.
I looked up at her, and found shock in her eyes. Why was she so surprised? Maybe she just wasn't thinking clearly. "Zoey," I said gently. "I was incredibly stupid. I will never, ever forgive myself for what happened back there. Not if I live a hundred thousand years."
"Why? It wasn't your fault," she whispered, then curled in on herself, obviously blaming herself instead of me.
"It was, Zoey. I supidly walked away when I was oath-bound to you. That's not what a good Warrior would have done. You deserve better than me." I looked down again.
"Hey," Zoey said softly, pulling my chin up. "You're new to this whole Warrior thing. I understand that you are bound to go wrong somwhere. But I can promise you that what happened to Heath was not your fault."
I smiled sadly. "I wish I could believe you. That's one of the many things I love about you. You are able to persuade people so well. When I'm with you, I can almost believe you. I come this close," I demonstrated by almost touching my index finger and thumb together. Zoey laughed. "I come so so close, but I know deep down that you're just trying to make me feel better or something like that."
"But I'm not," she insisted. "It was not your fault, Stark. I promise it was mine."
I stood up and helped Zoey to her feet. She swayed a little, but grabbed my shoulder and was fine. "I think we will have to agree to disagree, my lady. But if I promise you one thing let it be this: You will never, ever have to worry about me not being there for you. Ever. Okay?" I bent and kissed her hand that wasn't clutching my shoulder.
"Okay," she agreed.
"Now let's get you inside, priestess."
Stark
Zoey sobbed loud, heart-wrenching sobs. I guess everything was catching up on her. Her consort dying to protect her. Me doing absolutely nothing to save her. Heath had done my job. I had failed as Zoey's Warrior.
So why did I pull her closer to me, rub her back and soothe her? Because I thought I could 'learn from my mistakes'? Maybe, just maybe, I could actually do my job next time and hell, I might actually save her.
I knelt on the ground with Zoey on my lap and all her friends (I don't think they were included as my own. They probably blamed me for this, too. And they were right. It was my fault.) all around us. Then I was cocky enough to say, "Guys, do you mind if I talk to Zoey alone for a minute?"
It's a wonder they agreed. I wouldn't have. At least Aphrodite managed to give me a hard glare which I welcomed eagerly. When they were gone, I rocked Zoey back and forth for a little while. When she had calmed down as much as I thought she would be capable of, I pulled back to look at her face.
"How are you?" I heard myself ask.
She smiled sadly. "Like you don't know?"
She was right. I could feel exactly how she felt; heartbroken, miserable, angry and many more emotions along those lines.
"I'm so sorry, Zoey," I whispered and bowed my head shamefully.
"You are?" Zoey actually sounded surprised.
I looked up at her, and found shock in her eyes. Why was she so surprised? Maybe she just wasn't thinking clearly. "Zoey," I said gently. "I was incredibly stupid. I will never, ever forgive myself for what happened back there. Not if I live a hundred thousand years."
"Why? It wasn't your fault," she whispered, then curled in on herself, obviously blaming herself instead of me.
"It was, Zoey. I supidly walked away when I was oath-bound to you. That's not what a good Warrior would have done. You deserve better than me." I looked down again.
"Hey," Zoey said softly, pulling my chin up. "You're new to this whole Warrior thing. I understand that you are bound to go wrong somwhere. But I can promise you that what happened to Heath was not your fault."
I smiled sadly. "I wish I could believe you. That's one of the many things I love about you. You are able to persuade people so well. When I'm with you, I can almost believe you. I come this close," I demonstrated by almost touching my index finger and thumb together. Zoey laughed. "I come so so close, but I know deep down that you're just trying to make me feel better or something like that."
"But I'm not," she insisted. "It was not your fault, Stark. I promise it was mine."
I stood up and helped Zoey to her feet. She swayed a little, but grabbed my shoulder and was fine. "I think we will have to agree to disagree, my lady. But if I promise you one thing let it be this: You will never, ever have to worry about me not being there for you. Ever. Okay?" I bent and kissed her hand that wasn't clutching my shoulder.
"Okay," she agreed.
"Now let's get you inside, priestess."
