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Zoey
"Is he going to be okay?" How many times had I asked that in the past coupke of days?
"Just relax," a nurse (who told me her name was Hera) tried to soothe me back into my bed.
"No! I shouted, thrashing against her uselessly.
Several other nurses were gathered around the bed to my left where Stark lay unconcious.
Hera was clearly starting to get worried. "Zoey, please lie down. You must not forget that you need rest just as nuch, if not more, than your Warrior does."
Why was everyone so unfeeling recently, talking about Stark as if he was so easy to replace? Just as Heath, my consort, would never be replaced, neither would my Warrior Stark.
I stopped struggling against Hera and looked her in the eye. "Will Stark be okay?" My voice was hoarse.
She avoided my gaze. "We're doing the best we can." With that, she left, reminding me of a mouse as she scuttled away, her short (ironically mousy coloured) hair bobbing up and down.
I sat up and tried to get a glimpse of Stark. The nurses were rushing around him.
I sent up a silent prayer to Nyx. Please please please let Stark be okay. Please watch over him, Nyx.
Erce strode into the infirmary with a sense of power and authority about her. I guess it surprised me because she was a Horse Mistress, nothing like the High Priestess she acted like.
"Give him space," she commanded, and the nurses quickly bustled away to only the Goddess knows where. Erce breezed past me, her long dark hair rising and blowing back with her coat which swept the floor, though there was no wind. I wondered if she maybe had an affinity for air like me and Damien. Her heels clicked as she walked to Stark.
"Can you help him?" I asked as she took his pulse.
"Yes. I, like Neferet, or Nyx Incarnate as she seemingly prefers, have been gifted with healing powers by Nyx."
I stayed quiet as she put her hands on Stark's cheeks and closed her eyes. Almost immediately his eyelids fluttered and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Zoey," he mumbled, looking around.
"I'm here, Stark," I murmured.
He looked at me and relaxed.
"Stark, is everything okay?"
He glanced at Erce, who sighed. "Fine, I will leave you two alone to talk." Before she left, she looked at Stark. "And don't use up too much energy. You're low enough on it as it is."
"Stark-" I began.
"No." His tone was final.
"You don't even know what I was going to say!"
"You were going to tell me to suck your blood." He met my eyes calmly.
"Fine, so you do know. Please, Stark, you need it."
"No. I want to, Z, I told you that just before I Changed, remember? I just can't."
"But you can! That's the point! You need energy, Stark, and I can't risk losing you, too." I dropped my gaze from him.
"Hey," he said gently. "If I really, really think I need it, which is unlikely, I'll let you know. Okay?"
"Okay," I agreed. "Now, tell me what's up with Neferet."
He blew out a big breath. "I was hoping you'd forgotten."
"Uh, not likely."
Although we were the only people in the infirmary, Stark lowered his voice. "Maybe it's because she's the one who awakened me, I don't know, but I think she still has some kind of . . . power over me."
"What? Power! What kind of power?"
"I don't think it's a very strong hold, but it's something. She wants me on their side again, because of my gift. It's handy to them. I think she can send me some kind of message in my head, telling me to come to her."
"Is that what she did earlier?"
Stark nodded. "I don't want to give in to it, but when it happens . . . it's just so easy to do. I think I might have, if you weren't there."
"So now I'm the one who has to follow you around like a puppy?"
"No, I'll still follow you," he grinned. "You give me strength, Zoey."
"Well, okay then. Now please bite me."
"No. I vow that I will never bite you unless I abslolutely have to."
