Chapter 1

I woke up to hearing something fall on the floor then hearing voices outside the hall of someone and they didn't seem very happy. This day was no different. It may be a little different today though. I got up slowly, wincing a bit. The past few years have been very unkind to me. I sighed. I still had the task before me, to close the gate between the two worlds.

I got up and crossed over to relieve Ann of her slumber. If I couldn't sleep then she would suffer with me as well. I couldn't see her under the covers and I smiled a little groggily, looking at the heap on the bed. I went up to her and I whispered in her ear "You know Ann, Mrs. Nightwing will most likely be here in a moment, you might want to get up." Then a dark cloaked figure had it's back to me. "Hey you're not Ann….hmph!!"

"No I'm not your precious Ann." A dark voice replied as he slipped out and circled around and pinned my arms with one hand while muffling my scream with his other over my mouth. "Your little friends are I suspect in a lot of danger at this moment, that's why I'm here." Then he let his hand off my mouth and secured it on my arms, holding them down slightly tighter. "Don't scream I won't harm you." Then he smirked and he leaned forward his mouth towards my ear and whispered; "Unless that is of course you don't cooperate."

This was stupid. I was getting quite mad at my holder and tried to get out of his hold but it didn't work. So I dug the heel of my shoe into his foot which seemed to work momentarily, but that was enough. I ran around the other side of the bed. He was smiling at me. This was the first time I got a good look at him.

It was who I had suspected. Though his voice changed, much deeper and he seemed a little taller, it was Kartick. "Gemma" he said sympathetically. "Come with me." He held out his hand. I didn't know whether to trust him. Generally I would but there was something in the way he held himself, or maybe it was the way he talked to me. "I don't think so…" I said firmly. I wasn't about to give in, I stood there afraid of his reaction.

Then he simply stood there and crossed his arms stubbornly. "You have to come. Or else…." And Gemma froze looking over at him "Or else what?" she said trying to sound brave, though she couldn't help but shudder at the thought of what might happen. He noticed her fear and smiled. "Come with me Gemma. I know where your friends are." Holding out his hand.

Gemma thought about this for a moment. She had two decisions, either she could go off on her own, looking for them and not knowing in the least where to start, or she could trust Kartick and follow him to her friends. But before she was going to make this decision she had to ask one more question. "Why can I trust you?" she asked.

Kartick smiled mischievously. "I guess you'll just have to." He said quite enjoying the new found power of his. Gemma sighed. "Alright." She said giving in. "I'll follow you."

Kartick seemed satisfied with this and he motioned her toward the window. "Ladies first." He implied. She grinned and stepped out over to the window. She looked over the window and backed away.

"Do you need to assistance miss Gemma?" he said as though he was actually enjoying the fact I was afraid. "There's the rope." He said lifting it and gesturing to it. Gemma feeling relieved, came up to the window once more. She turned her self around and sat down on the ledge, lifting her dress and brought herself over. Sliding onto her stomach she found the rope and, once with a good grip, she started to climb down towards the ground.

Kartick went after and, not being in a dress (of course) seemed to scale down the rope quite fast. He almost seemed impatient when he found himself waiting for Gemma to climb down but with a much effort she finally reached the ground. When she got down there she realized a new found pain on her hands. "Ouch." She said quietly and then made her hands into fists, changing her facial expression to hide the pain.

But Kartick had already seen them. He had noticed her wincing and he looked at her for a moment. He was pondering on something. 'Why is he looking at me like that," I thought. It was almost as if he was daring me to wince in pain and that he didn't like my hiding weakness. 'Well, get used to it," I thought. 'It's something I've been adjusted to and I'm not about to change.'

"Here" he said finally and he delicately took her arm and held a hand in his. "Hmmm, one sec." He then ripped off a piece of his shirt and started wrapping it around the wounds. "Ow!" I said and pulled my hand away cradling it with my other arm. He looked at me frustrated. "Come, it will only be a moment." But I didn't move.

"Gemma, you're going to be in quite a bit more pain if you don't listen to me." He said sympathetically. I looked at him stubbornly for a moment, but when I felt another twinge of pain, resigned. After that he set to work carefully wrapping the cloth around the wounds. It was painful putting the cloths to the wounds but after I did feel better.

"Thank you" I said, quietly, when he was done. All the while, I had avoided eye contact with him.

"Anything for Miss Gemma." he replied half mockingly, and in a gentlemen like fashion then gave a sloppy bow. I was extremely annoyed at this but, let it go. Instead, I put my mind on the destination. "So, where should we go now?" I asked Kartick.

"We'll head into the forest. That way we can't be seen." Then he looked back at me. "What about your little life back there? Won't those people be worried?" he said half jokingly. "Yes" I replied "But only one of them will. And that's the one who's being paid for my schooling there."

"Now let's go Kartick." I said but paused for a moment, relishing the name on my tongue. I just loved saying it. Then, the next moment, I was heading towards the forest and with Kartick quickly catching up with me, we made our way to the forest.