P.C. Cast - Burned

“So it’s more like a waiting room than a hospital room,” Jack said, reaching from his chair to touch Zoey’s hand.

“Yeah,” Stark said. “Only it’s a waiting room for something really good.”

“Like at the DMV when you’ve passed your driver’s test and had a really bad picture taken and you’re just waiting for them to bring you your license?” Jack said.

“Exactly, only without the filth and the peasants,” Aphrodite said. “So pull up some chairs, brain-sharers, and stop acting like Zoey’s a corpse.”

The Twins hesitated, shared a glance, shrugged, and then pulled chairs into the bedroom and joined the group’s little circle.

“All right, now that we’re all together on this, you need to tell us what you found out from Stevie Rae,” Darius said.

Aphrodite smiled at her Warrior. “How’d you know I got the info from Stevie Rae?”

Darius touched her face gently. “I know you.”

Stark clenched his fists and looked away from the bond that was so obvious between Aphrodite and Darius. He wanted to hit something. He needed to hit something. He was going to explode if he didn’t get rid of some of the feelings that were choking him from the inside out. Then Aphrodite’s words penetrated the mess that was his mind, and he whirled around to face her. “Say that again!”

“I said, Kalona really is in the Otherworld. Neferet’s sent him there to be sure Zoey doesn’t pull herself together and make it back here.”

“Wait, no, I remember overhearing Kalona talking to Rephaim once. He was real pissed because the Raven Mocker had said something about returning to the Otherworld. I’m sure Kalona said he couldn’t go back because Nyx kicked him out,” Stark said.

“She kicked out his body . His body isn’t there,” Aphrodite said. “It’s his soul that’s slithered its way back in.”

“OhmyGoddess!” Damien said.

“Zoey’s in bigger trouble than we thought,” Erin said sadly.

“And that was already some really big trouble,” Shaunee agreed.

“It gets worse,” Aphrodite said. “Neferet’s behind all of this.” She sighed and met Stark’s eyes. “Okay, this is gonna be not so nice for you to hear, but you need to listen up and deal with it. Kalona used to be Nyx’s Warrior.”

The color drained from Stark’s face. “That’s what Zoey told me right before . . .” He rubbed a hand through his hair. “I didn’t believe her. I got pissed and jealous and stupid. That’s why I wasn’t with her when she saw Kalona kill Heath.”

“You’re going to have to find a way to forgive yourself for that mistake,” Darius told Stark. “If you do not, you will not be able to focus on the here and now.”

“And it’s going to take a shitload of focus to save Zoey,” Aphrodite said.

“Because Stark’s gonna have to go to the Otherworld and fight Kalona for Zoey.” Jack’s voice was hushed, almost like he was talking during church.

“And figure out a way to help her get the pieces of her soul together,” Damien said.

“Then that’s what I’ll do.” Stark was glad he sounded confident because his gut felt like someone had punched him in it.

“If you try to do that without the right preparation, you will have no chance at all of succeeding, young Warrior.”

Stark’s eyes followed the voice to the doorway, where Thanatos stood, looking tall and grim and way too much like death personified.

“Then tell me how to prepare!” Stark wanted to shout his frustration from the rooftops of the world.

“To do battle in the Otherworld, the Warrior in you must die to give birth to the Shaman.”

Stark didn’t hesitate. “All I have to do is kill myself? You mean then my soul can go to the Otherworld and help Zoey?”

“It cannot be a literal death, Warrior. Think what it would do to Zoey’s already wounded spirit were she to have to bear your death as well as that of her consort.”

“There’s no way she’d ever leave the Otherworld then,” Damien said solemnly. “Even if she could get the pieces of her soul together.”

“Exactly, and that is what I believe happened to the other High Priestesses whose Warriors followed them into the Otherworld,” Thanatos said, entering the room and walking to Zoey’s bedside.

“So the other Warriors really did kill themselves to protect their Priestesses?” Aphrodite moved even closer to Darius and threaded her fingers through his.

“Most of them did, and the Warriors who didn’t die before their souls left their bodies did so shortly thereafter. You must understand that Warriors aren’t High Priestesses. They don’t have the gifts it takes to move freely in the spirit realm.”

“Kalona is there, and he’s definitely not a High Priestess,” Stark said.

“Even those of us who do not believe he is Erebus come to earth know that this being you call Kalona is an immortal who has somehow arrived here from the Otherworld. The rules that bind a Warrior, or even a male vampyre who is not a Warrior, do not apply to him.”

“He is bound, though,” Aphrodite said, leaning forward with urgency. “I can see his chains. His body is covered by them.”

“Tell me what you’ve seen, Prophetess,” Thanatos said.

Aphrodite hesitated.

“Tell her everything,” Damien said. Aphrodite met his eyes. “We have to trust someone, or it won’t end up any different for Stark and Zoey than it has for those other Warriors and High Priestesses.”

“We might as well trust Death,” Stark said. “Because, one way or another, that’s what I’m going to have to face to get to Zoey.”

Aphrodite looked from Stark’s pale face to Darius. “I agree.”

“Me, too,” said Jack.

“Yeah,” said Shaunee.

“Tell her everything,” added Erin.

“All right,” Aphrodite said. She gave Thanatos a wry smile. “So, I better start with Neferet, and you better sit down.”

Stark thought it was pretty impressive that Thanatos kept her shock to a minimum as Aphrodite, with some help from Damien, explained everything to the High Priestess, beginning with Zoey’s entrance to the House of Night, going through the discovery of the red fledglings, Kalona’s rising, their slow realization of the depth of Neferet’s evil, and finally finishing up with the conversation she’d had with Stevie Rae on the phone.

At the story’s conclusion, Thanatos stood and walked over to stare down at Zoey’s body. When the High Priestess finally spoke, it seemed she was talking to Z more than to them.

“So from the beginning this has been a battle between Light and Darkness, only until now it has been fought mostly in the physical realm.”

“Light and Darkness? It sounds like you’re using those two words as titles,” said Damien.

“Very astute of you, young fledgling,” Thanatos said.

“That’s what Stevie Rae was doing, too. Using Darkness like a title,” Aphrodite said.

“Titles? Like they’re two people?” Jack asked.

“Not people—that’s too limiting. Think of them more as immortals who are so powerful that they can manipulate energy to such an extent that spirit can be made tangible,” Thanatos said.

“You mean like Nyx is Light and Kalona, or at least what he represents, is Darkness?” Damien said.

“It is more accurate to say that Nyx is allied with Light. The same can be said for Kalona and Darkness.”

“Okay, I’m not Miss Perfect Schoolgirl, but I’m smart, and I actually did pay attention in class. Most of the time. I haven’t heard of any of this stuff,” Aphrodite said.

“Neither have I,” Damien said.

“And that’s saying something, ’cause Damien is definitely Miss Perfect Schoolgirl,” said Erin.