Tempted

gives him intuitive knowledge about you that makes it easier for him to protect you.”
    “Intuitive knowledge? You mean like an Imprint?”
Goddess! Was this like I was Imprinted with two guys?
    “An Imprint and a Warrior Bond have similarities. Both bind two people together. But an Imprint is a cruder form of a connection.”
    “Cruder? What do you mean?”
    “I mean that even though an Imprint often happens between a vampyre and a human for whom she cares deeply, it is a connection that originates in the blood and is ruled by the basest of our emotions: passion, lust, need, hunger, pain.” He hesitated, obviously trying to choose his words carefully. “You have experienced some of that with your consort, have you not?”
    My nod was stiff and my cheeks felt hot.
    “Contrast that bond with the Oath Bond you have with Stark.”
    “Well, I haven’t had it very long. I really don’t know much about it.” But as I said the words, I realized that I did already know that the connection I had with Stark went beyond wanting to drink from him. Actually, I hadn’t even really thought about drinking from him—or him drinking from me.
    “As your Warrior serves you longer, you will understand more of your bond with him. Your link with your Warrior means he could develop the ability to sense many of your emotions. For instance, if aHigh Priestess is suddenly threatened, the Warrior pledged to her may feel her fear, and follow that emotional trail to his Priestess so that he may protect her from whatever is threatening.”
    “I-I didn’t know that,” I stuttered nervously.
    Darius’s smile was wry. “I hate to sound like Damien, but you really should find time to read your
Fledgling Handbook
.”
    “Yeah, that’s on the top of my to-do list as soon as my world stops exploding. Okay, so, Stark might be able to tell if I’m afraid. What does that have to do with him being hurt?”
    “Your connection isn’t as simple as just the possibility of him sensing your fear. It’s also about energy and spirit. Your Warrior may eventually be able to feel many of your strong emotions, especially as he spends more and more time in your service.”
    The memory of the very emotional experience I’d shared with A-ya while she’d trapped Kalona had my stomach tightening at Darius’s explanation. “Go on,” I said.
    “A Warrior can absorb his Priestess’s emotions. He can also absorb spirit from her, especially if his Priestess has a strong affinity. Often he can tap into that affinity.”
    “What in the hell does that mean, Darius?”
    “It means he can literally absorb energy through your blood.”
    “Are you saying it’s me Stark needs to bite?” Okay, I’ll admit that my heart started to speed up at the thought. Seriously—I was already mega-attracted to Stark and I knew sharing blood with him would be a very hot experience.
    It would also break Heath’s heart, and what if drinking from me let Stark into my mind and he saw what was going on with my memories of A-ya? Hell! Hell! Hell! Hell! Hell! Hell! Then a new thought hit me. “Hey, wait. You said Stark couldn’t bite Aphrodite because she’s Imprinted with someone else and other vamps don’t want her blood. I’m Imprinted with Heath. Does that mess up my blood for Stark?”
    Darius shook his head. “No, the Imprint only changes a human’s blood.”
    “So mine will work for Stark?”
    “Yes, your blood would definitely help him to heal, and he knowsit, which is why I’m taking the time to explain all of this to you.” Darius continued as if I wasn’t having a mini emotional breakdown right in front of him. “And you should also know he is refusing to drink from you.”
    “
What?
He’s
refusing
to drink from me?” Okay, sure, a second before I’d been worried about what would happen if Stark bit me, but that didn’t mean I wanted to be rejected by him!
    “He knows you’ve recently healed from the Raven Mocker’s attack. The creature almost killed you, Zoey. Stark doesn’t want to take anything from you that might weaken you. If he drank from you he wouldn’t just be absorbing your blood; he would be taking energy and spirit from you. Factor in that none of us knows where Kalona and Neferet have gone, and that means we don’t know when you might have to face them again. I agree with his decision to refuse to drink. You need to be at full strength.”
    “So does my Warrior,” I countered.
    Darius sighed and nodded his head slowly.