Prologue

As she laid her head to sleep on the soft pillow she could feel the nightmares taking hold of her. She tried to fight off the sleep, which she had managed to do for hours and hours, but she knew she couldn't escape them anymore; sooner or later they would catch up with her. Tiredness sank around her like a veil. Her whole body relaxed more and more until her consciousness had drifted off into the dream world.

Silence, darkness, the chill. She knew where she was and yet she had no idea where this place was. The chill bit down on her body as treetops blew in the wind. Trees, that's true. She was in a forest, a large dark forest. Then the fear settled in. She wasn't alone, someone moved around in the shadows, watching her, sensing her. She drew in a deep breath to scream, but as usual not a sound made it passed her cold blue lips. Rustles in the wind, someone, or something, was getting closer. She wanted to scream, to run, hide. She knew though that none of it would work. This dream was controlled by them, the creatures. It was their forest, their rules. A pair of shining green eyes appeared out of the shadows. Then she heard them, voices, murmurs coming from all around her. The voices rose in force.

Voices, angry voices entered her dreamlike state and pulled her back to reality. She snapped her eyes open just in time to see a largely built man break down her door and rush in, straight towards her. Her mind was still befuddled from her dreamy state making her slow to react. Luckily Irina rushed in between and pushed her out of the attack point. The silver in Irina's eyes blazed with a strong force she had never seen before. She tumbled off the bed and landed hard on the stone floor. The cold stone gave her shivers down her spine. She looked up only to stare into a pair of furiously golden eyes. By now there were many shadows in her room, among them several guards were holding the stranger back. But they couldn't stop him from staring at her, his eyes filled with hate and…something else, something darker. A different kind of cold shivered through her body. She knew too well what that darkness meant…

Then strong arms were around her, strong safe arms lifted her off the cold floor and carried her out the door as if she was weightless. Coal black strands of hair tickled her chin as she was carried away from the turmoil in her room. She raised a hand to brush the hair away, the soft hair felt like satin against her skin.

She was about to whisper his name, when her saviour pushed them through two heavy doors and continued with long strides down the dwindling stairs. She held tight as they rushed downward.

A soft female voice broke the long silence.

"It's not safe for you here anymore, we must think of another way, somewhere you can hide…" She then realised it wasn't him who had come to save her.

They continued downwards for another couple of minutes until they reached the end of the stairs. Irina kept her in a steady grip as they pushed through several doors. Numerous rooms flashed by as if they were fast forwarding. She was starting to get dizzy, she wanted Irina to stop, but she realised the seriousness of the situation and thus the need to hurry. Something had happened tonight, something out of the ordinary, and not in a good way. Then it dawned on her. Irina said it wasn't safe for her anymore; what had happened? Cold air filled her lungs making her shiver again. She realised they were outdoors by the parking lot. Up ahead there was a black car which was already running, as if waiting for them. "How…"

"No time Hun, no time." The back door was opened and Irina softly put her down in the seat. Those kind blue eyes looked at her then, truly looked at her. No trace of silver in them anymore, which made the girl relax. The midnight blue eyes entered her mind and spoke softly to her; not to worry. Yet they said it with a hint of anxiety in them.

"Don't worry, soon you'll be with us again, everything is going to be okay." Irina's left hand stroke the young girl's cheek as she whispered soothing words. The whisper lulled her into sleep. She could vaguely distinguish a soft thud when the car door closed behind her. Darkness pulled her down and enclosed her as the car sped out of the parking lot, away from the big mansion, away from…her home. She didn't understand what had just happened, why she was going away and whereto… Many questions filled her head, twirling about until they were swallowed by the mist and her mind shut off with a soundless click.