I sat facing the windows. Maybe not the best decision I could have made. It made it all to easy to track the time.

The rain started soon after I sat down. Five ambulances delivered patients. Countless people came and went. A nurse came and asked Ann to sign papers to admit Beth. Finally a doctor came out and called for the Phillips family.

Ann and I both stood warily.

"I'm Dr. Grant Chapelridge. I'm Miss. Phillips attending physician. I was informed that you were aware of her illness," He paused. Ann and I both nodded.

"I'm her sister," Ann told him.

"I'm sorry to inform you that she's in a coma," He spoke calmly but if he had expected an equally calm reaction he was mistaken.

Ann let out a wail of sorrow, reached out and I grabbed her hand. I pulled her to me. I needed the support as much as she did. My heart was pounding in my chest. This was not how this was supposed to be.

Beth was supposed to be okay. They told her six months. She still had six months.

I felt large hands on me. One hand on my shoulder, the other was on my back.

I let them guide both Ann and I to the row of seats. Crying, we both sat. I felt the hands lift. I felt the doctor's heat move away.

He pulled a chair closer to us and lowered his body onto it.

"I know that you have received a shock. But I need to speak with you about your sister," He said still sounding calm.

Ann nodded, hiccuped a few breaths and tried to pull herself together. The doctor gave her a few moments.

"We did new scans. The AVM is still there. It is in the same place. However, it is a few centimeters smaller," He paused a moment.

It was smaller? How was that possible? The doctor was watching us. He was nodding.

"Yes, you heard me correctly. But the problem is that Bethany had not been showing a positive response to the medication or the radiation. Our question to you is has Bethany-"

"Beth," We interrupted him.

"-Beth been taking anything else?" He searched our faces. "Vitamins? Supplements? Home remedies?"

As far as I knew she only took her prescription. No, wait she took a few pain pills before her sister had called. It was just an over the counter thing. I told him. Ann told him that Beth was taking Omaga3, vitamin C and Ylang Ylang.

The doctor wrote down what we told him then looked up at us again.

With no new information coming from us he put his little book in his white coat.

"I don't understand. If it's smaller then why is she in a coma?" Ann asked.

"Fatigue and she's dehydrated. The mass is smaller but her body is exhausted. She's not getting enough liquids. If she were in better health she may not have experienced any problems. We're infusing her system with two IVs. If she doesn't wake up in three hours we'll give her epinephrine. We would like to allow her to wake on her own."

Then it was back to waiting and thinking.

I knew I was part of the problem. I had only taken a small amount of blood but in her condition it had been to much.

I sat with my elbows on my knees and my forehead in the palm of my hands. I couldn't take this.

I needed to call my creator and ask him about spells.

Jeremy Sands had created three vampires. I had been the last. Stephano Geova had been the second.

The first had been Mila Gates. He had found her as a human, turned her as she lay dying and watched helplessly she wallowed in despair at her new existence. She had eventually gone mad and threatened the secret of the paranormal world.

Eventually the Keepers had stepped in to handle the situation. Jeremy had no choice but to inform them of her actions.

Because Jeremy had brought Mila's actions to the council it was determined that her creation would not effect his ability to turn two others after her death.

However he had to witness her death. There are many ways a vampire could die. Beheading, starvation, crushing, and exsanguination (bleeding out).

Because Mila had had no choice in starting her new life as a vampire the counsel gave her a choice on how she would die.

She choose the silver sword, beheading.

In the age of cell phones I found only one payphone. Jeremy accepted the charges and the call went through with just a few clicks.

"Hello, darling. To what do I owe the pleasure of a collect call from my youngest charge and from the United States?" He asked. I hoped it was a smile I heard in his voice and not a sneer.

"I think I'm in trouble," I said dispensing with the formalities.

"Alexis, in all the years I have known you, you have avoided trouble and I fear that you sometimes over estimate the situation. Things are rarely as dire as you believe. So tell me... What is the problem, love. Werewolf stalker? A vampire coven intent on dominating the city? A voodoo priest trying to steal your vampire blood?"

Now, I was sure that it was amusement in his voice. Those things he said had happened. They were not as amusing as he seemed to think.

The Lycan had taken fifteen months to get rid of. The coven of vampires had been eliminated by the Keeper's but it had taken thirty years. The voodoo priest had been taken care of by others in his order, but not before he had held me prisoner for a week.

"No. I wish it was that simple," I told him ignoring his amusement. "There is a girl. A human. I'm drawn to her."

There was silence for a moment when I didn't say any more he asked, "So feed. If you can't feed without killing her then relocate," He sounded like he thought this was no big deal.

"I did feed. She's alive but in the hospital. Her-"

"Alexis, for utter chaos, you are way too old to make this kind of mistake. You should have finished her and disposed of the body. This is irresponsibly, especially for you."

"Jeremy, I didn't drain her," I hissed under my breath. "She was already ill," I looked around, making sure no one was listening to my conversation.

"See. This is what I mean, Alexis, if you are not responsible then leave. Do not borrow the troubles of others. I think it is time you came home. Catch a flight, I'll meet you at the airport."

"I can't leave. I think it is a spell, but I can't leave her," Something must have been in my voice that he couldn't ignore. When he spoke he no longer sounded amused.

"Where are you? I'll catch the next flight."