An air of arrogance steamed from his body as he walked away, one palm behind his back, teasing me as the fire orb danced in his hand. Turning, the reddish hue of the flame reflected dangerously in his eyes. If it weren't for the lightheadedness I wouldn't ever have realized I wasn't breathing.

"Fire," he started, smirking as his gaze intensified, "Unpredictable, powerful, erratic." Each word withdrawing his lips left me hanging on each syllable. He was completely enthralled by being able to use his powers freely. In sensing him, there was an intoxicating openness as if he had not one care in the world and it was rather refreshing coming from him.

Bringing his other palm over the orb, he pulled it, reducing it to two spheres, "Obedient, stubborn...." He smirked with an arched brow. Why did I have the feeling he spoke of something else?

"It will challenge you for power and if you let it, it will consume you." he warned as the flame instantly grew alarmingly, consuming his hands. I gasped, my heart invading my throat but Ivan just watched it in an admiring awe.

The reddish orange flames wrapped themselves around his arms like ravenous snakes. "But it is also submissive." He snapped his arms at his side and instantly the flames fell to the floor like ropes still in his hold. He reached for me instantly. I jerked away but before I could move or even scream, the fire lines were wrapped around my waist.

Closing my eyes in expectation of the pain...it never came. Instead, the fire was more of a thickness wrapped around me, its intensity but a prickle at my skin. Somehow he managed not burn through my clothing by how deadened he had the fire. Roping around me continuously, my steps were demanded from me as Ivan began reeling me in. Approaching him, the look in his eyes had changed. It was more of a hunter drawing in its prey, the red of the fire possessing his silvery eyes. His glance was mind-altering, calling for me to abandon all sense. If there was one thing I'd learned about Faeries, is that they were highly sexual creatures. Having seen Kheelan in his true state and now Ivan on the verge of dropping all glamour, they both held such a seductive nature that I could then see why Jaime was so addicted. It was alluring and demanding but also made me want to scream mercy.

Swallowing deeply, I attempted to speak but Ivan shook his head, pulling me closer and closer. His gray eyes suddenly grew black with desire. Standing face to face, the flaming rope unwound and fell with a dry snap to his sides. I jumped at the crackling sound, but Ivan just smirked, his scent exponentially strong.

"As with water, you control the intensity. You control where it goes, always focused. It is a different feeling." He walked around me and as much as I wanted to follow, my feet remained rooted.

Stopping behind me, he continued, his lips brushing my ear with each word, "An entirely different animal." His voice a low growl. "It will hurt more but find pleasure in that pain--Feed from that pain. Where water is feeling, fire is passion. White hot desire...and if you can't handle it, it will eat you alive."

Walking back to my front, he demanded "Open your hands." Hell, he could've demanded anything of me at that moment and it would have been done, stat. His accent practically had me shivering like an addict.

Without even thinking, my upturned palms lifted between us. My eyes never left his, his never left mine. Neither of us said anything. I didn't need to read his thoughts to know that what ran through his mind would have left me gasping for air if not dead. Suddenly an intense prickling stabbed my palms and in looking down, Ivan had placed an orb in my hands as if placing a gift. It sat sorely in the center of my palms, though his hands still hovered above it, clearly guiding it.

"Control it Charlotte. Lose yourself in it-"

"But-but I thought you said I was supposed to control it. Now you're saying to lose myself in it. I don't understand" I stammered, trailing off and lowering my head. I never knew what reaction I could expect from Ivan, though normally it wasn't anything pleasant.

He whispered softly, "Look at me Charlotte."

Lifting my eyes, I was suddenly thrust into a consuming kiss as his lips crashed against mine. Gasping at the fire in his lips, we fell into an intense rhythm where with every breath he went deeper, continuously seeking me out. At first slow, he growled into our exchange as it instantly became manic with need though keeping the same rhythm. Suddenly he broke away and stepped back, leaving me panting as if I'd just run a marathon. He looked down and smiled and in following his sight, the orb hovered in my hands. It grew larger instantly, though a bit malformed. Jagged edges jerked from it as it wobbled and swirled erratically.

Ivan chuckled, "It feeds off your desires the same way water fed from your feelings. Direct your desires into the flame. Focus on the rhythm of our kiss."

"So did you kiss all your students?" I arched a brow, wanting to bring my roaring heart under control. If I thought any more about the kiss, I would set the whole place on fire. Running his nose along my jaw to my ear, he whispered,

"Only you."

My insides quivered but in suppressing the insane wanton need that rippled through me, I noticed the fireballs had formed into perfect spheres. Damn Ivan and his teaching techniques.

Instinctively I brought my palms together as Ivan had done and split the fireball into two. Quite impressive might I add for a first time and I controlled each flawlessly. Through they were a bit shaky and their swirl pattern still erratic, I never once lost focus. Testing Ivan's words about my desires fueling the fire, I allowed myself one thought of our fusion, the simple memory of him promising me his life. My blood instantly shot through my body as the flames burst into a blinding blue that seemed to light up the night. My veins burned as did my skin but it was a cold scorching that didn't hurt all at once but instead blistered and numbed until it was sore. I could deal with that.

Stepping closer, Ivan reached into my fire, drawing from it as if it were water, until pools of red flames danced in his palms "That is the passion you need to wield fire. Remember that."

How the hell could I forget? With my head still spinning from that rather sudden kiss, a dry chuckle surprised me from behind. Looking to Ivan, the amusement fell from his face as did the flames that fell from his hands onto the floor, extinguishing into nothingness. Following his gaze, it seemed that Elena had decided to join the party. And it's safe to say, the prickling in my hands intensified monumentally.

"I think the celebration might be a bit too, dare I say, premature?" she purred, her heels clicking dryly toward me; her gaze never left Ivan's, neither did the smirk on her blood red lips. Suddenly snapping her attention toward me, her grin fell, "They seem to forget Charlotte, that a fighting fey will employ whatever tricks necessary to shift your focus."

Kheelan sighed, "Elena, we've barely started-"

"And is this not the time you want to teach her the basics?" she retorted with a sickening sweetness, "Simply teaching her to focus while enduring other forms of distractions is surely the basic of basics. Is that not what we are taught as buddings, lover?"

Ivan stared, remaining silent which made everything so uncomfortable. Why wasn't he saying anything? Why wasn't he telling her to butt out or shut up or hell, tell her to go away? And why the hell did he not say anything when she called him lover? No. He remained silent, expressing nothing, doing nothing....

Elena walked beside him, "Allow me to teach her to evade a few distractions, perhaps even a few attacks. She'll have to learn them at some point won't she?"

Ivan's glare was so deep and all I could sense from him was, strangely enough, fear. Did he think I was going to get hurt? Sure I'd only trained for barely an hour but I clearly had a handle on all the elements, I just needed to focus-I think.

"Attacks?" I stepped back though for a testament to my focus, the fireballs still swirled in my hand, "I'm not sure I can-"

"You can Charlotte. Remember, you defend yourself with the employed element as you would your own hands."

"Defending myself is not what I'm worried about." I chuckled awkwardly. Not being cocky or anything but I now understood the simple bending of the elements. Controlling them was an entirely different matter.

I stammered, "What if I lose control? Or what if Maris-"

"I can handle it if it gets to that point Charlotte but Elena is right. You seem to have a grasp at basic elemental control, now you need to learn to call to each when needed but also keep your concentration regardless of what comes your way."

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Elena smirked, "So, shall we begin?"

Shooting Ivan an uncertain glance, he simply nodded and walked beside Kheelan. Shit, why did I have the feeling Elena was going to play dirty? Maintaining the flaming orbs in my hands, I followed her as she walked curiously around me.

"Where should we begin?" she tapped her polished finger on her lips, "Air being my mother element, perhaps some wind?-No, no, "she giggled as if prolonging the inevitable. Her eyebrow arched tauntingly when suddenly Ivan snapped.

"Get on with it Elena." He warned in a low growl short of patience.

She stopped in front of me, her smile widening, "Two core things to remember are to be ready for anything and to never attack as your opponent is expecting. For example, while you think I'm going to use an element, I guarantee you I can take you down with just one word."

Maintaining my focus as best I could through the annoyance, the orbs in my hands were a dead giveaway. They swirled in bright red, bluish hues at its core, "Then get on with it." I snipped.

"Very well." She clasped her hands in front of her casually and with eyes blacker than the night she whispered, "Memorium."

Before my next blink, my world crashed at my feet and in and in that moment, Elena whipped a band of gusting cold air around me with a single finger, which sent me slamming to the ground, a flash of light blinding me as my head hit the ground. I couldn't breathe and the pain in my head left my sight blurry but the pain....the pain from what she did...

Everything seemed to move at slow motion. It wasn't me; rather the poison of what she did setting in. Ivan ran toward her, taking sharp hold of her shoulders. He shook her and said something but my heart was thumping in my ears and I couldn't....I couldn't hear a thing. Kheelan suddenly blocked my sight, taking my face into his hands. Closing his eyes, coolness swept through me as he tried to heal but it didn't ease anything, just allowing me to hear once more.

"Are you crazy!" was the first thing I heard as Ivan growled to Elena, "Why did you do a spell! She hasn't been exposed to spells!" Elena did nothing but laugh, when all I could do was gasp for air.

Kheelan's voice came into hearing, "Charlotte, are you all right?"

Wide eyed I stared, still trying to cope with what she did. "What was that? What did she do?" I panted, needing him to tell me that it wasn't real. That what she showed me wasn't real, "Dammit Kheelan tell me! Memorium? What is it?!"

Ivan was still screaming at Elena but all she did was shrug and laugh. Meanwhile Kheelan hesitated, his eyes an indigo blue. I'd never seen them that way; so solemn, so sad.

"Memorium is a spell, "Kheelan started wearily, clearly not wanting to tell me, "It's when you transfer a memory into someone else's mind-"

"A memory?" my chest caved, "What do you mean a memory? You mean a thought right?" my words escaped me desperately; "Can it be a lie? Can't it just be a fabricated thought? Maybe a fantasy? Please tell me it can be a lie, Kheelan please." I gripped his shirt begging desperately because if it was a memory then it meant it was true and it couldn't be-

Kheelan peeled my uncontrollable shaking hands from his jacket holding them tightly in his "I'm sorry love. Memoriums are real, experienced memories. They're meant to be like seeds planted that will fester in the minds of the opponent calling for slow, torturous pain as the memory is normally of someone you love suffering or of...what you saw. I'm really sorry Charlotte, I'm so sorry."

At first I didn't understand why he apologized but then, with the look of guilt that stained his eyes I realized that he knew. That his knowing was the only reason he didn't leave me alone that night. Why he decided to drag me from bed and occupy my thoughts with that of training. Because by lying in bed and being linked with Ivan I would have gotten some sense and I would have known--he was my common after all.

From behind, Ivan still fought with Elena, his voice a loud growl, desperate and angry-

"What did you show her?!"

"Only what she needed to see to realize that she does not belong with us! She's a fake! A farce-"

"She's my common!"

Their voices drowned out somewhere where all I could hear were muffled screams and whimpers which turned out to be my own. Kheelan stormed to them, his expression heated and his pale face flushed with anger but I couldn't understand a word they said. God and my chest, how it ached! Because I wanted to scream and tear at them and cry at the same time but I couldn't even breathe.

Because I had no feeling in my legs, I crawled toward the door. I needed to leave. Nothing could make the pain go away. The embarrassment, the shame, the insult was too raw. I clawed closer and closer to the door when I saw it. On the ground, beside the water bottle was the book of matches. I was wrong; something could make the pain go away....more pain.

Ripping it open, I took out one match and struck it but the tears that finally decided to fall were soaking my fingers and the damned match wouldn't light! Struggling to take out another, my shaking hands dropped it to the floor. Then another out and another, I struck them one after the other but they hated me too and refused to light! Why didn't they understand that I needed them to because only the blistering fire could take away the hurt and make her pay...make him pay.

Down to the last match, I heard them still arguing, their searing voices in my head pounding incessantly. But I was down to the last match and if it didn't light then I would be left there because I could no longer move. I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe, a cold fury rendering me paralyzed. Suddenly, the snap of the last match coming to life pulled me back to life and gaining awareness I noticed Kheelan kneeling at my side, shielding match light in his hands-

Meeting his apologetic stare, he didn't speak but in his gaze he needed me to tell him I was sure I wanted to do this.

"No, I'm not sure" I whimpered, "but how else will the pain go away?" I shrugged shyly. Just when I thought I was getting on my own two feet, I got knocked off.

Solemnly he shook his head and whispered the words I knew he would, "It won't." And so with a regretful smile, I absorbed the flames into my hands. Heaven help me, but they were going to pay.

The orb instantly swirled violently, no restraint. A blistering pain swept through my arms and in looking down, the sphere had dissolved, blue flames slowly creeping up my arms.

"Focus Charlie-control it." Kheelan warned from behind me, but didn't he understand? I was. I was focusing on the sheer hate I had for that cold hearted woman standing in front of Ivan. That I was focusing on the fact that she called him lover and he didn't mind. On the fact that I was supposed to be his lover but I wasn't. He didn't want me. I was focusing on the fact that where once I was blind....I clearly saw everything then. Lover.....

"Tell me what you showed her or so help me Elena I will kill you." Ivan threatened as I stepped behind him. Waiting in silence until he noticed me, Elena noticed me first, her eyes bulging in shock. Turning slowly, Ivan shook his head in awe but before he could whisper a single lie, I shrugged--

"You want to know what memory she gifted me?" I smiled a single tear evaporating into the heat, "I can show you." I whispered, the sound of crackling fire becoming a constant hushing. Replaying the memory over and over in my head, Ivan's eyes widened. Opening his mouth to speak, he was silenced as I thrust the memory torturously, over and over in his filthy mind!

What did Elena show me you ask? It started as whispering sounds, indiscernible at first but then I heard them clearly. There were soft sighs, and whimpering moans and dammit then there were grunts and giggles then cries of a passion as undeniable as the flames that torched my arms. And then---and then the veil of sounds lifted and I saw them. I saw how after he left me that night, having denied me, refused me--he went to her. I saw how after our morning in bed together, he left and went to her--To her! And she comforted him, and kissed him, and pleasured him all the while I was alone... and he let her.

My skin burned! Everywhere he touched felt like filth, every word he ever said to me like trash and I needed the fire to cleanse me because dammit, he'd made love to me-I was his common, his mate and he touched her. I heard Kheelan's voice from behind me. But I couldn't listen because the intensity of the flames increased, becoming almost an obsession.

With an ease that came from somewhere deep, I felt my pores open, absorbing the heat as if I depended on it to live. Ivan's eyes widened as he stepped back. And there, in the reflection of his crustal eyes I saw the fire absorb me, from head to toe but in the hushing sound of the energy leaving me to feed it, I danced with it, swayed with it. Tears flooded my eyes because despite all the ugliness, the experience was so utterly beautiful. Being engulfed in the fire felt like home. The warmth, the pain, the intensity, the insanity--all of it was a part of me, it had always been.

Pale, Ivan looked at me "Charlotte please-"his eyes begging me to stop. There was an explanation, but I didn't want it. Regardless it wouldn't change anything. I was done. But wait, almost done.

Turning to Elena who seemed much too satisfied, I decided it was time to wipe that smirk off of her face, "How about we try that attack one more time?"

Before she opened her mouth, I whipped a band of fire stealthy around her neck, the fire blue with all the hate I felt for her. She attempted to murmur something, perhaps another spell but with every breath I squeezed the band tighter.

"Charlotte! Let her go!" Ivan yelled. Oh God, Ivan. He was talking, I know because his lying lips were moving but I couldn't hear anything. My heart pounded so hard in my head, the blood pumping through my veins and I needed release-

Ivan flinched as the building shook with a deafening boom beneath us as shards of glass blasted all around, whipping in a frightening gusts that came from all directions. The windows, they'd exploded and the building shook because of me. All the while Elena struggled for life.

He stepped closer to me. Summoning the flame from me, he attempted to fight fire with fire but I simultaneously summoned air to expand my flames. Shooting a wall of fire between us, I stepped back when a wave of water destroyed all my flames. It was Kheelan, Damn him! Oh but if he thought I'd give up, he was wrong. One of us was not walking out of there alive!

"Christ Charlotte, please! Let her go and let me explain!"

Words, just bloody words from a bloody liar. Whirling the flames all around me, I shielded myself in a ball of cold blue fire. He couldn't reach me there. No one could. I knew this because Ivan's thoughts were running wild trying to figure out how to break through.

Being there in the middle of it all began to feel different; eternal when suddenly again, I began to glow. Outside of the sphere of fire, another formed of water, and then another of air, and then finally one last one from the rubble of the building, of earth. And in all coming together, everything vanished into white, the orb swirling faster and faster, brighter and brighter until Kheelan and Elena covered their eyes from the blinding light. Ivan shielded his eyes but stepped closer, trying to reach me.

"Charlotte please, let me explain, I am so sorry, I'm so sorry--"

Listening to his words, only one thought came to mind; why would I stay? There was truly nothing for me in this world. And in smiling at him one last time, I said,

"I'm not. Goodbye Ivan."

And in closing my eyes, I fell back into the whiteness.

**

After what seemed like an eternity of falling through whiteness I was suddenly thrust on a hard surface, the slamming fall knocking the air from my lungs. My back burned immensely and I wriggled, trying to get past the pain not to mention what the hell had just happened. Moments later, I opened my eyes and found myself...on my bedroom floor... What the hell.

Panting madly, I gripped my area rug and patted the floor, needing to know it was real. And then almost like fate playing a cruel joke, my door burst open--

"Charlotte?"

And in turning, my world spun to a stop. "Daddy?"

**

A/N

So, so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out but it was NOT supposed to be this way. I had an entirely different story planned for it but when I started writing it...this came out so tada!

Enjoy and if you like then comment, vote, like, tweet, fan, sing, dance and all that fun stuff.

<3Thanks for reading!