couldn’t stop staring at him, her shock clear on her face. “Yes, it was. It still is.”
“Tell me what has happened.”
Instead of answering him, she asked, “Why did you call me here?”
“You were feeling pain. I could feel it, too.” He paused, obviously disconcerted by what he was saying, and then continued, “I wanted to stop feeling it. So I sent you strength and called you to me.”
“How did you do it? What was that red misty stuff?”
“Answer my question, and I will answer yours.”
“Fine. What has happened is your daddy killed Heath, the human guy who was Zoey’s consort. Zoey saw him do it and couldn’t stop him, and that shattered her soul.”
Rephaim continued to stare at her until it felt to Stevie Rae as if he was looking through her body and directly into her soul. She couldn’t look away, though, and the longer their gazes met, the harder it was for her to hold on to her anger. His eyes were just so human. Only their color was off, and to Stevie Rae, the scarlet within them wasn’t as alien as it should be. Truthfully, it was frighteningly familiar; it had once tinted her own eyes.
“Don’t you have anything to say about that?” she blurted, pulling her gaze from his so that she was staring out at the empty night.
“There is more. What is it you aren’t telling me?”
Gathering her anger back to her, Stevie Rae met his gaze again. “Word has it your daddy’s soul is shattered, too.”
Rephaim blinked, shock clear in his blood-colored eyes. “I don’t believe that,” he said.
“Neither do I, but Neferet’s dumped his spiritless body on the High Council, and apparently they’re buying the story. You know what I think?” She didn’t wait for him to respond, but went on, her voice rising with her frustration and anger and fear. “I think Kalona’s followed Zoey into the Otherworld because he’s totally obsessed with her.” Stevie Rae wiped at her cheeks, brushing off the tears she thought she’d finished shedding.
“That is impossible.” Rephaim sounded almost as upset as she felt.“My father cannot return to the Otherworld. The realm has been eternally forbidden to him.”
“Well, obviously he figured out a way to get around being forbidden.”
“A way to get around having been eternally banished by the Goddess of Night herself? How could that be accomplished?”
“Nyx kicked him out of the Otherworld?” Stevie Rae said.
“It was my father’s choice. He was once Nyx’s Warrior. Their Oath Bond was broken when he fell.”
“Ohmygood
ness
, Kalona used to be on Nyx’s side?” Without consciously knowing she was doing so, Stevie Rae moved closer to Rephaim.
“Yes. He guarded her against Darkness.” Rephaim stared out at the night.
“What happened? Why did he fall?”
“Father never speaks of it. I know whatever it was filled him with an anger that burned for centuries.”
“And that’s how you were created. From that anger.”
His gaze found her again. “Yes.”
“Does it fill you, too? That anger and darkness?” she couldn’t stop herself from asking.
“Wouldn’t you know if it did? Just as I know your pain? Is that not how this Imprint between us works?”
“Well, it’s complicated. See, you’ve been kinda forced into the role of my consort since I’m the vampyre here and all. And it’s easier for a consort to sense things about their vampyre than the other way around. What I get from you is—”
“My power,” he broke in. She didn’t think he sounded mad, just tired and almost hopeless. “You get my immortal strength.”
“Holy crap! That’s why I healed so dang fast.”
“Yes, and why I don’t.”
Stevie Rae blinked in surprise. “Well, shoot. You must feel awful—you look pretty bad.”
He made a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a snort. “And you look healthy and whole again.”
“I am healthy, but I won’t be really whole until I figure out how to help Zoey. She’s my best friend,
“Tell me what has happened.”
Instead of answering him, she asked, “Why did you call me here?”
“You were feeling pain. I could feel it, too.” He paused, obviously disconcerted by what he was saying, and then continued, “I wanted to stop feeling it. So I sent you strength and called you to me.”
“How did you do it? What was that red misty stuff?”
“Answer my question, and I will answer yours.”
“Fine. What has happened is your daddy killed Heath, the human guy who was Zoey’s consort. Zoey saw him do it and couldn’t stop him, and that shattered her soul.”
Rephaim continued to stare at her until it felt to Stevie Rae as if he was looking through her body and directly into her soul. She couldn’t look away, though, and the longer their gazes met, the harder it was for her to hold on to her anger. His eyes were just so human. Only their color was off, and to Stevie Rae, the scarlet within them wasn’t as alien as it should be. Truthfully, it was frighteningly familiar; it had once tinted her own eyes.
“Don’t you have anything to say about that?” she blurted, pulling her gaze from his so that she was staring out at the empty night.
“There is more. What is it you aren’t telling me?”
Gathering her anger back to her, Stevie Rae met his gaze again. “Word has it your daddy’s soul is shattered, too.”
Rephaim blinked, shock clear in his blood-colored eyes. “I don’t believe that,” he said.
“Neither do I, but Neferet’s dumped his spiritless body on the High Council, and apparently they’re buying the story. You know what I think?” She didn’t wait for him to respond, but went on, her voice rising with her frustration and anger and fear. “I think Kalona’s followed Zoey into the Otherworld because he’s totally obsessed with her.” Stevie Rae wiped at her cheeks, brushing off the tears she thought she’d finished shedding.
“That is impossible.” Rephaim sounded almost as upset as she felt.“My father cannot return to the Otherworld. The realm has been eternally forbidden to him.”
“Well, obviously he figured out a way to get around being forbidden.”
“A way to get around having been eternally banished by the Goddess of Night herself? How could that be accomplished?”
“Nyx kicked him out of the Otherworld?” Stevie Rae said.
“It was my father’s choice. He was once Nyx’s Warrior. Their Oath Bond was broken when he fell.”
“Ohmygood
ness
, Kalona used to be on Nyx’s side?” Without consciously knowing she was doing so, Stevie Rae moved closer to Rephaim.
“Yes. He guarded her against Darkness.” Rephaim stared out at the night.
“What happened? Why did he fall?”
“Father never speaks of it. I know whatever it was filled him with an anger that burned for centuries.”
“And that’s how you were created. From that anger.”
His gaze found her again. “Yes.”
“Does it fill you, too? That anger and darkness?” she couldn’t stop herself from asking.
“Wouldn’t you know if it did? Just as I know your pain? Is that not how this Imprint between us works?”
“Well, it’s complicated. See, you’ve been kinda forced into the role of my consort since I’m the vampyre here and all. And it’s easier for a consort to sense things about their vampyre than the other way around. What I get from you is—”
“My power,” he broke in. She didn’t think he sounded mad, just tired and almost hopeless. “You get my immortal strength.”
“Holy crap! That’s why I healed so dang fast.”
“Yes, and why I don’t.”
Stevie Rae blinked in surprise. “Well, shoot. You must feel awful—you look pretty bad.”
He made a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a snort. “And you look healthy and whole again.”
“I am healthy, but I won’t be really whole until I figure out how to help Zoey. She’s my best friend,
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