Ivan's POV  

"Sam, the longer you keep me here, the more danger you're putting us in!" Ivan threatened. Trying to control his anger, his trembling voice betrayed him. Knowing Sam never held him in high esteem, if he found out about Charlotte, there was no telling what he would do to her just out of spite.  

"Why don't you enlighten us as to what this danger is? Your friend here told us he had a message of peace from your Queen...you mean to tell me that's a lie?" Sam cast his bait.  

Kheelan chuckled, "No, never...we leave all the nasty, dirty lying to the Unseelie kind" he joked but cursed inwardly that he had no access to his darker magic, instant death the preferable spell. Beside him, the same thought ran through his Ivan's mind.  

"And where were you headed in such a hurry? There is no danger of your faerie kind within the sacred circle but you seem....scared" Sam spoke as he paced the room, running his finger along the various parts as if searching for dust.  

"We were simply going to visit a student of mine in the hospital. She has been in a coma for a long time and Kheelan was going to see if he could help. He is of the water realm...in our world, they're responsible for healing--"  

"Really, the hospital..." Sam echoed intriguingly "that's actually where our seers have located the source of our little time problem" his black eyes jumped from Kheelan, to Ivan then back to Kheelan.  

"Time problem? What time problem? Time seems just fine to me, what say you Ivan?" Kheelan rambled. Ivan closed his eyes, having difficulty taming his rage.  

"Sam, you don't know what you're dealing with. She's very dangerous--"  

"And that is why our men are on their way there right now, prepared to take whatever action necessary" Sam threatened. Finally breaking, Ivan charged at him but Kheelan held his brother back.  

"She's human you idiot!" Ivan thundered "A child!"  

"Child or not--" Sam began but was drowned out by Kheelan's voice in Ivan's mind.  

'Ivan, listen to me. Perhaps I can get there faster than his men--"  

"No, you can't take her out of the burial circle...she isn't ready--"  

"I will take her to Elena then--"  

Ivan nodded and turned his attention back to a screaming Sam.  

"Are you listening to me?!" Sam demanded. Ivan glared at the shorter man, thinking of all the things he'd like to do, starting with feeding him to Elena. Kheelan stepped back slowly, wanting a head start, lest they had some magic to prevent him from shadow shifting.  

Eyeing him suspiciously, Sam scowled at Kheelan but turned his attention back to Ivan. Kheelan casually walked to a nearby lamp and turned it off. He couldn't transform in the light, not when he was turning into shadow. As the lamp shut off, Kheelan dissolved and disappeared into the night.  

"You traitor! After everything we've done for you! You still bring your dark magic to our land! Bind him Billy!" Sam ordered the large man. Billy reached into his back pocket and pulled out rope.  

Ivan weighed his options. He could give in and go with the men. It would surely help his cause if he cooperated but he also realized that Kheelan needed time to get to Charlotte. The longer he kept Sam entertained, the longer before he called his men to warn them of Kheelan's approach.  

Billy stepped behind Ivan and as he pulled back one of his hands, Ivan turned and punched him in the face. The man stumbled back but attacked instantly, ramming Ivan into a mirror. The shards of glass stabbed Ivan's back but he ignored the burning pain and kneed Billy in the stomach. Billy grabbed his leg and slammed him to the floor , sending more glass piercing into his back. Unlike Billy's leather jacket, Ivan had on a white tshirt that was white no longer. Sam ran to the door to get the other guard and in between punches, Ivan saw Sam pull out his cell phone. His stalling plan was done, but before he could think another thought, everything went black.  

****  

Charlotte's POV  

Wrapping a blanket tightly around my shoulders, I walked slowly down the hall. Maybe it was first time jitters but I had this weird thought that if I made any noise, everyone would wake up and the world would resume its normal pace. I even held my breath in hopes of getting my heart to stop beating so fast. The silence was eerie but strangely enough it helped me concentrate. Even though it was my first time, I instinctively knew how to keep the stillness going. I just had to focus on it. Focus on the nothingness and continuously seek it out. It didn't hurt, though I did feel a strong tension in my head, more like a lingering headache, but the pain was worth it.  

The hall was pretty empty. A few nurses in running position lined the middle of the hall, led by Nurse Ross. She must've thought she would need help holding me down...but I was so small....whatever.  

My legs were tired but the coolness of the tile on my bare feet helped refresh me. Reaching the elevator, I pressed the button but then laughed at myself. Was I kidding? Guess my brain wasn't working as fast as it normally did. Stepping back, I caught sight of my reflection on the shiny metal elevator doors. Goodness, I looked awful. I had lost weight...a significant amount, and I was so pale. The dark circles didn't help, neither did my blond roots and black hair. I sighed. Everything would go back to normal soon, I just had to get out of that hospital first.  

Something suddenly swept across the floor. I turned quickly but there was nothing there.... must've been seeing things. Maybe it was the headache. It was getting a little stronger...  

Locating the sign pointing towards the stairs, I wrapped the blanket tighter around myself I started down the narrow corridor but a squeaking halted my steps. It came from the direction of the staircase. It wasn't loud but in that infinite silence, I could hear anything. Instinctively I pressed up against the wall, and slowly ducked behind a still nurse rolling a supply cart. Before I was able to reprimand myself for being so dramatic, a face peeked from inside the stairwell. Supressing a gasp, I quickly covered my mouth and held my breath. It was a man and he wasn't frozen!...but he hadn't seen me.  

What sounded like a small stampede approached and i knew I didn't have much time but what was I supposed to do? Were they like me? Is that why they weren't frozen? How did they know where I was?  

I bit my nails while peeking through the nurses legs. My head started pounding violently. It was something from having my heart beating so fast while trying to keep everything still, it was too much. I couldn't focus. Something hot tickled my upper lip and after swiping it, my fingers were covered in blood... I couldn't keep it up for much longer.  

The footsteps got louder and closer and then stopped. A man dressed in black and denim rushed from the staircase and hid around the corner of the adjacent hall. The one in the staircase peeked out again but didn't look straight....rather he looked up, almost above me. I followed his sight and realized how foolish I'd been! There was a large circular mirror right above me, giving away my hiding spot. But even worse, when I looked up at the mirror, I locked eyes with the man. He signaled to the other one and suddenly they rushed from the stairs in my direction!  

The lights went out.  

The emergency lights flickered on and looks of terror spread across the faces of each of the men after me. They looked in my direction but not directly at me. Looks of terror spread over their faces and looking up at the mirror that betrayed me earlier, I saw myself......surrounded by a cloud of black....  

My breathing hitched and I wanted to move but didn't know where. What was this cloud? It wasn't my doing. I didn't feel any energy leaving me....  

There was blackness everywhere. The sensation was black. Shadow engulfed my surroundings, muffling all sound. It molded me like a thick, humid second skin. Like tinted windows,I could see out but they couldn't see in. The group of men hesitated and there was stillness.  

"Walk" a voice spoke in the shadow. I hesitated but then rattling, I managed to put one shaking foot in front of the other. The men drew weapons, everything from guns to machetes while one bent down and began drawing something on the ground. I stopped.  

"He must not be allowed to finish it....WALK" the voice ordered. One of the men said something and they all charged but just as quickly started to fall....  

One by one they fell into the shadow and though I could see out, once they were within two feet they just.....vanished. They didn't scream or maybe they did, but in the black cloud I couldn't hear anything except for the cloud itself. It was a constant hushing sound, like a never-ending wave.  

Creeping forward, I nearly slipped and looking down I noticed myself standing in a pile of ash beside remnants of clothing.....A weird substance floated about, kind of like onion paper and though I was there, I was beside myself. What was happening to these men?  

There was but one man standing between the staircase and my own personal storm and that was the man drawing something on the ground. They were different symbols forming a circle but once we stepped in front of him, he dropped the chalk and scurried back in terror.  

"It's either them or us" the thought echoed in my head and my heart pounded to a painful stop. I don't think I could ever forget the look in his eyes just before he....disappeared.  

"Now walk" the voice said again and I had no choice but to trample the piles of ash underfoot and move forward in black. Once at the staircase, the voice pushed me to go down and once outside in the bitter cold night it unwrapped me and swept across the grounds and away from the light. There was nothing running through my head....nothing. The headache was gone....but the blood still fell, warming my cold lips.  

Seconds later, wheels crunched the pavement and a black Yukon approached. It was so cold and I was so scared, running wasn't an option. The car rolled to a slow stop and the passenger door flew open.  

"We don't have much time" spoke the voice of the shadow but coming from the mouth of a beautiful blond haired man.....one of the most beautiful men I'd ever seen.  

"It's your choice" he warned looking over my shoulder. My focus had been broken and I no longer controlled time...slowly things began to move and I realized if I didn't go with him, more people would end up dead.  

Choice? What choice?  

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Thank you so much for reading!  

As promised, next chapter will be a very big chapter and will explain a lot but I hope you've enjoyed it so far!  

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