Zoey's POV
I am brought to this gigundo castle in some otherworld and told to wait with Hecate (that rhymes) and wait for Artemis to come get us.
"Are the others coming?" I ask Hecate.
"Yes, Vulcan, or Hephaestus, Aphrodite, and Amphitrite are retrieving them."
"What about Eragon and Element? Don't tell me they're not real," I mutter.
"They are very real, my dear. And they will come when they are needed, but right now they are busy."
"Busy? Doing what?" I ask.
"I cannot tell you, Zoey. And for that, I am truly sorry."
Hecate and I sit in silence for a while, waiting for Artemis or somebody to come get us. It's rather boring, yet amazing. I've never been out of that funhouse, and now I am in another world. Talk about weird.
Something tells me if I think this is weird, I'm gonna be shocked at what happens next.
"You know I gave you Gifts like Nyx gave you vampyrism," Hecate says.
"But don't I start out a fledgling?" I ask.
"Traditionally, yes, but Nyx did not wish you to die, so she made you and Chloe become vampyres instead of fledglings first. That is something she has never done. So you and Chloe must be very special to her."
"What about you? You said you gave me Gifts too. What are they?" I ask.
"You will find out in due time."
Artemis appears in front of us. "Come, Chloe is injured!"
I jump up. "What? My sister's hurt?"
Artemis takes my hand and suddenly her, Hecate, and I are in another part of the castle and we are faced with someone who literally takes my breath away in shock. I do a double-take, then look at Artemis in shock. "You said. . ."
"Yes, I was never truly honest with you, but it was my mission to mislead you in case their mission to save her life failed and she died. You needed to believe she never existed, so I did so. When in reality, I was never her, she is real. And she is alive too," Artemis says.
I stare at the girl in front of me. "You're really here. . ."
She smiles and hugs me tight. "Yes, Zoey! I'm real!"
I bury my face in her long, brown hair and inhale her familiar scent. My best friend is back! Leigh really was real! I knew it!
