Burned

kinda run, or float, or whatever it is you do for a while, and then come back here. If it’s okay with you, I’ll hang out here for a second. I need to rest a little.”
    “Sorry . . . sorry . . . I forgot you need to rest . . . forgot . . .”
    She started to float away, and Heath called after her, “Don’t go too far, though! And don’t forget to circle back here.”
    “I won’t forget . . . can’t forget
you
,” she said. Without looking at him, she disappeared into the shadows.
    Stark stepped away from the tree. His voice was rough with shock, “Oh, shit! It’s way worse than I thought.”
    Heath nodded grimly. “Yeah. I know. The shattered-soul thing’s totally messed her up. She can’t rest, so she can’t think, and that’s doing something to her—something really, really bad.”
    Still staring after Zoey, Stark said, “The High Council said this would happen. She’s turning into a Caoinic Shi’. She’s not dead and not alive, and she’s here in a realm of spirits without her own soul. It makes her like this, and it’ll get worse. She’ll never be able to rest—ever.”
    “Then we gotta get her to pull herself together. I think I might be able to do it, too. And, dude, I’m not trying to be an asshole, but this isn’t something you can help with. If you want to give me a hand, goout there and kick the ass of the scary shit that’s kept us trapped in here. You handle that. I’ll handle Zo.”
    Heath started to walk away, following Zoey, but Stark’s words halted him. “Yeah, you can get her spirit whole again by telling her you’ll stay here with her, but if you do that, you’ll fuck up everyone Zoey loves back in the real world.”
    Heath turned back to face Stark. “It’s not cool for you to say shit like that. Just let her go, dude. I know you love her and all, but seriously, you’ve only known her a little while. I’ve been with her for years. I get that you’ll miss her, but she’ll be good here with me—she’ll be happy.”
    “It’s not about love. It’s about doing the right thing. I give you my word as a Guardian that I’m telling you the truth. If Zoey doesn’t return to her body, the world as she knew it—as you knew it, will be destroyed.”
    “What’s this Guardian stuff about?”
    Stark drew in a deep breath. “It’s about honor.”
    Something about Stark’s voice made Heath look at him with new eyes. The guy had changed. He looked somehow taller, older, and not his normal, cocky self. He looked sad. Very sad.
    “You’re telling me the truth.”
    Stark nodded. “Aphrodite had a vision. What she saw is that you get Zoey to pull her soul together. You do it by promising you’ll stay here with her. So she doesn’t turn into a Caoinic Shi’. She’s herself again. And she does stay here with you—forever. But without Zoey, there’s no one to stop Neferet and Kalona.”
    “And they take over the world,” Heath finished for him.
    “And they take over the world,” Stark agreed.
    Heath’s eyes met Stark’s. “I have to leave Zoey.”
    “I won’t let her be alone,” Stark told him. “I’m her Warrior, her Guardian. I give you my Oath that I’ll be sure she’s always protected.”
    Heath nodded, looking away from Stark, trying to get a handle on his emotions. He wanted to run—to find Zo and to be sure she stayed with him, here or anywhere, forever. But when his gaze went back to Stark, he knew the absolute truth: Zoey would hate it if her friends were destroyed. She’d hate it more than she loved him, more thanshe loved anyone. So if he
really
loved her, Heath would have to leave her.
    Even though he felt like he was going to barf, Heath was glad his voice sounded calm and normal. “How are you gonna get her to pull herself together after I go?”
    “Can’t you tell her you’re staying, get her together, and then go?”
    Heath snorted, “Dude, I’m not gonna be too hard on you because you not being dead and all is totally making you moronic about this spirit stuff, but there’s no fucking way I can get Zo to call together pieces of her soul by telling her a lie. I mean, come on, that doesn’t even make sense.”
    “Yeah, okay. I guess you’re right.” Stark ran his hand through his hair. “Then I don’t know how I’m gonna do it, but I will. I have to. If you’re man enough to leave her, I’m man enough to figure out how to save her.”
    “Well, keep this in mind—Zo doesn’t like some dude saving her. She likes