Burned (House of Night #7)(26)

"We aren't lurking, Hateful," Shaunee's voice was little more than a whisper.

"Yeah, we're respectful-ing ," Erin added in a twin whisper.

"Oh, for shit's sake. What are you two talking about?" Aphrodite said.

"It's disrespecting Zoey's, um, body to be all talking and stuff around her while she's - " Shaunee broke off, looking at her twin for help.

Before Erin could, as usual, finish her sentence, Stark said, "No. We aren't treating her like she's dead.

She's just not here, that's all."

"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."