Tempted Chapters 14 & 15

Chapter 14

Why does Zoey trust in the wisdom of Nyx? Think about it for a second. Here is a god who hands out powers like candy on Halloween. She doesn’t care who they are, just as long as they’ve vampires when she hands them out. Then she won’t take them away because that would be mean.

I could understand all this except she’s directly responsible for the world being on the edge of ending. It was her giving magic to Neferet which allowed her to awaken Kalona. And then Nyx decides that she’ll give even more magic to Zoey, the reincarnation of Aya who was made to love Kalona and probably won’t be able to resist him. That’s the worst possible person to entrust. I’d be putting my faith in the wisdom of a lottery before Nyx at that point.

It turns out that fist banging, from last chapter, was Stark knocking on the door. He starts yelling and asking if Zoey is in there. Zoey opens the door and he’s leaning against the frame while wearing hospital scrubs. Because nuns keep that kind of thing on hand at all times. He’s also carrying his bow and has an arrow “notched”.

I don’t know about you, Stark, but I wouldn’t be firing arrows that are notched. That might prove to be a weak point and it could snap when you fire it. Or does PCK, once again, mean to say nocked and just can’t be bothered to learn a fucking thing between books?

“Shit! Get him in here before he passes out. If he falls down, we’ll never get him up again, and he’s too damn big to drag around.”

Wait, what? How big of a guy is Stark? PCK hasn’t really established that but I kind of figured he had that average, semi-athletic build that is a bare minimum for dating Zoey. Is he morbidly obese now? Seven feet tall and a bodybuilder? Because I don’t believe that Zoey and Aphro couldn’t drag a kid who probably weighs around a hundred sixty pounds or so. Unless they’ve all got brittle bone disease.

Starks declares that he’s fine but he felt Zoey was terrified so he came to her. Stark the guesses that it was Kalona and reminds us that he can get in your head if you sleep alone. Dumb question, PCK, how did Kalona corrupt the Native then? I mean, surely they weren’t all sleeping apart from one another. Stark then demands to know what Kalona was trying to do with her so PCK can pad the book by repeating things we already know.

They blather a bit and Stark suggests Zoey sleep with Erik or Heath. Aphro makes fun of him for this, rightfully so, and Stark pretends that he’s not really in love with her or anything. Aphro says Zoey should probably sleep with somebody and ducks out, saying three’s a crowd so she’ll sleep with Darius. Don’t worry though, as PCK has converted her to the side of “good”, Aphro assures us she has a headache and will be doing nothing but sleeping.

After Aphro is gone, Zoey checks the windows to make certain Stark won’t get hit by a stray beam of sunlight and become a crispy critter. There’s no light out though and Stark says he knew he was safe. Not that he cared, he says he would risk his life for her because that’s part of his oath. Not because he genuinely cares but because the oath has compelled him. Zoey seems to think this is terribly romantic because she’s too stupid to know the difference.

They curl up in bed and continue babbling about Kalona. Stark says Kalona will use things against you, which is just fucking rude. How dare a villain use the tools at his disposal to do evil things! Zoey figures they’re safe because he’s on an island and tells Stark to drink from her. He says he wants to but just can’t. I guess his fangs just aren’t popping out at the thought of Zoey. Maybe they make a pill for that.

He says all he wants is for her to be safe and that’s the source of his strength. Then he tells her to go to sleep and they both fall asleep. How many times in one day, can PCK use falling asleep as a chapter transition? Answer, a metric fuckton.

Chapter 15

And now we’re with Aphro instead. Aphro is telling Jack and Damien to go to bed together and leave her alone. She whines that it’s not fair that the nuns allow them to sleep together but don’t want the boys and girls bunking. Either these nuns are oblivious or they’re hypocrites. Aphro is upset and Damien wants to know why.

“What is it, Aphrodite? What’s wrong?” Darius hurried toward her, pulling a T-shirt over his completely gorgeous chest with one hand and slipping on his shoes with the other.

I’m trying to picture how you can pull on a shirt with one hand while putting on shoes. Either Damien is the same race as Goro or PCK learned everything she knows about human bodies from their best friend, Kali.

Aphro says that Stark is sleeping with Zoey and she doesn’t care to be around. Jack says that he didn’t think Stark was up for “stuff”. He’s not up for stuff but he can probably manage a semi for a little handy action. This causes Jack and Damien to engage in gossip because they’re walking stereotypes. Erik won’t like that and they gasp when Aphro says Erik and Zey are through. Damien wants to go check on her and Aphro asks who is he, her mom? Damien says no, he’s her friend.

“Please. Yawn. Like we all don’t know that. Zoey. Is. Fine. Goddess, try giving her some breathing room.”

Wow, Aphro is almost breaking the fourth wall there. Once the boys are sent away, assuring Aphro they’ll leave Zoey alone, Darius speaks to Aphro. He knows she had a vision because he’s been reading along with us. Now he has to talk about things we know. Blah blah, this vision was bad, blah blah blah. Three quarters of PCK’s books are people reacting to things and then rehashing it for other characters.

They decide to retreat to Stark’s room which is dark and private. We learn what drew Aphro to Darius, hotness and because he’s programmed to love her. That and he’s getting to know her for her and not just interested in her body. At least that’s what the narrator tells us. I’m still waiting for someone to find some evidence of it.

They both get undressed to go to sleep and we learn they haven’t had sex yet. Aphro doesn’t care what other people think and allows them to think they’re fucking all the time. Then Aphro realizes she likes taking it slow and that they’re falling in love. Because you can’t fall in love if you’ve had sex.

They both end up confessing their love and Aphro begins to panic. Something about her parents that’s not terribly clear. Darius says her parents aren’t in love and she’s not her mother. Aphro whines to herself how she doesn’t think she’s capable of being loved.

Aphro says she doesn’t think it can work, being as she’s human now and he’s still a vampire. Darius is dumb though and says she’s still special. Then he offers his warrior oath to her, saying Zoey already gave her blessing for it. She starts crying and says he’s too wonderful but accepts.

With a joyous shout, Darius stood and took his Prophetess into his arms. Then he held her gently until sunset as she cried out the knot of sadness and loneliness and anger that had for so long bound her heart.

Because people who are mean are just broken and in need of true love. True love can fix anybody. Unless they’re the antagonist, like Kalona, and then they’re just irredeemable assholes.