"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."

Chapter Ten

Stark