Awakened

let the arrow fly. It thunked with finality into the absolute center of the target.

“Wow,” I said. “That was amazing. You’re amazing.”

He blew out a long breath, and with it the tension that had been so obvious in his body seemed to be blown away, too. Stark smiled his cute, cocky grin. “Center of the target, Z. I hit it dead-on.”

“Of course you did, silly. You can’t miss.”

“Yeah, that’s right. And it’s just a target.”

“Are you gonna teach me or not? And this time don’t go so darn fast. Slow down. Show me.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Okay, here.” He aimed and shot more slowly, giving me time to follow his movements.

And the second arrow split the first one down the middle.

“Oh, woops. I forgot about doing that. I used to waste a lot of arrows that way.”

“Here, my turn. I’ll bet I don’t have that problem.”

I tried to do what Stark had done, but ended up shooting my arrow short and watching it skitter off the smooth, wet rocks.

“Well, crap. It’s definitely harder than it looks,” I said.

“Here. I’ll show you. You’re not standing right.” He came up behind me, fitting his arms over mine and snuggling against my backside. “Think of yourself as an ancient warrior queen. Stand strong and proud. Shoulders back! Chin up!” I did as he said and inside the powerful circle of his arms I felt myself transform into someone powerful and majestic. His hands guided mine to pulling the bow taut. “Stay steady and strong—focus,” he whispered. Together we sighted the target, and as we let loose the arrow, I could feet the jolt that rippled through his body and mine and guided the arrow to the dead center of the target again, splintering the two before it.

I turned and smiled up at my Guardian. “What you have is magick. It’s special. You have to use it, Stark. You have to.”

“I’ve missed it,” he said, speaking so softly I had to strain to hear him. “I don’t really feel right if I don’t stay connected to my bow.”

“It’s because through it you’re connected to Nyx. She gave you your gift.”

“Maybe I can start again here. This place feels different to me. Somehow I feel like I belong here—like we belong here.”

“I feel it, too. And it seems like it’s been forever since I’ve felt this safe and this happy.” I stepped into his arms. “Sgiach just told me that she’s going to start opening the island up to Warriors again—and also to other gifted fledglings.” I smiled up at Stark. “You know, like fledglings with special affinities.”

“Oh, you mean like affinities for the elements?”

“Yep, that’s exactly what I mean.” I hugged him, and spoke into his chest. “I want to stay here. I really do.”

Stark stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head. “I know you do, Z. And I’m with you. I’ll always be with you.”

“Maybe here we can get rid of the Darkness Neferet and Kalona have tried to bring to us,” I said.

Stark held me tightly. “I hope so, Z. I really do hope so.”

“Do you think it might be enough to just have one piece of the world that’s safe from Darkness? Is it still walking the path of the Goddess even if I’m just walking it here?”

“Well, I’m no expert, but it makes sense to me that what’s important is that you’re trying your best to stay true to Nyx. I can’t see that where you’re doing it is such a big deal.”

“I understand why Sgiach doesn’t leave this place,” I said.

“So do I, Z.”

Stark held me then, and I felt the bruised, battered places inside of me begin to warm and, slowly, I started to heal.

Stark

Zoey felt damn good in his arms. When Stark thought back to how close he’d come to losing her, it could still scare him so badly that it made his stomach sick. I did it. I got to her in the Otherworld and made sure she came back to me. She’s safe now and I’m gonna always keep her that way.

“Hey, you’re thinking awful hard,” Zoey said. Curled up with him in the big bed they shared, she nuzzled his neck and kissed his cheek. “I can practically hear the wheels turning inside your head.”

“I’m the one who’s supposed to have the super psychic abilities.” He said it with a kidding tone, but at the same time Stark gave a little mental push and slipped around just on the outskirts of her psyche—not close enough to her real thoughts to piss her off with his eavesdropping, but just near enough to be sure that she really did feel safe and happy.

“Want to know something?” she asked, with a hesitant tone to her voice.

Stark propped himself up on his elbow and grinned down at her. “Are you kidding, Z? I want to know everything.”

“Stop it—I’m being serious.”

“Me, too!” She gave him a look and he kissed her on the forehead. “Okay, fine. I’m being serious. What is it?”

“I, um, really like it when you touch me.”

Stark’s brows went up and he had to struggle not to break into a giant grin. “Well, that’s good.” He watched her cheeks get pink and a little grin slipped through. “I’m guessing that’s real good.”

Zoey chewed her lip. “Do you like it?”

Stark couldn’t help laughing then. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No. Dead. Serious. I mean, how am I supposed to know? I’m not exactly experienced—not like you are.”

Her cheeks were flaming by that time and he thought she looked mega uncomfortable, which put a damper on his laughter. The last thing he wanted to do was to embarrass her or make her feel weird about what was happening between them.

“Hey.” He cupped her flushed cheek. “Being with you is beyond awesome. And, Zoey, you’re wrong. You’re more experienced than me about love.” When she started to speak he pressed his finger against her lips. “No, let me say this. Yeah, I’ve had sex before. But I’ve never been in love. Never until you. You’re my first, and you’re going to be my last.”

She smiled up at him with such love and trust that he thought his heart would beat out of his chest. It was only Zoey—it would always be only Zoey for him.

“Would you make love to me again?” she whispered.

As her answer Stark held her even closer and began a long, slow kiss. His last thought before everything went wrong was, I’ve never been this happy in my life …

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Kalona

He could feel Neferet getting near and he steeled himself, schooling his expression and cloaking the hatred he had begun to feel for her with a careful demeanor of expectation and accommodation.

Kalona would bide his time. If there was one thing the immortal understood, it was the power of patience.

“Neferet approaches,” he told Rephaim. His son was standing before one of the several large sets of glass doors that opened onto the huge balcony that was the predominate feature of the penthouse loft the Tsi Sgili had purchased. Penthouse meant all the opulence Neferet craved and the privacy and rooftop access he required.

“Has she Imprinted with you?”

Rephaim’s question brought Kalona’s thoughts up short. “Imprinted? Neferet and I? What an odd question for you to ask me.”

Rephaim turned from the downtown Tulsa panorama to look at his father. “You can sense her approach. I assume she’s tasted of your blood and you’ve Imprinted.”