Welcome back to Hello Charlotte everyone I'm glad everyone enjoyed the first chapter. Please remember to COMMENT and VOTE, it means a lot to me. Plus I like talking to you guys and hearing your opinions. Also, remember to watch the video it goes with the chapter. 

The song is: The muzzle of nemesis by Mothy

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-Charlotte-

I dragged my feet as we entered the village, every hair on my body was screaming danger. One look at my tail showed that the fur there was standing up and bristling.

Slowly I look up at Ivo who was walking ahead of us. He was radiating rage, I could practically see it rolling off of him in dark waves.

I don't blame him. I knew Kessel was nuts but I figured I was the last person he'd attack.

"I don't know why you'd think that bullshit," Ivo answered as he looked back at me.

Lorithia flinched and seemed to curl in on herself. She looked at me like she wanted to say something but instead just stared back toward the ground.

"Are you sure you're okay Atlas?" Delilah asked as she walked beside him.

"Huh? Oh yeah, my feathers are a bit singed, but my flight feathers are fine so after I shed them it'll look better." Atlas reassured her.

"Atlas what did the village look like?" I asked him as I tried to calm my nerves.

"Oh really overgrown but that's to be expected. I think we're actually somewhere in some mountain forest though," he told me.

His answer didn't calm me down, in fact, it made me freeze in place.

No, there's no way, the mountains I'm thinking of are way too far from Kessel's castle.

My hand went to the spot on my stomach where a nice, new scar was forming. I scowled as I looked back over at Lorithia.

"Hey, what exactly does Kessel use in his arrows?" I asked her.

The edge in my tone caused her to flinch as she slowly looked at me. "I-I can't really tell you that." She whispered.

"Excuse me?" I growled as my eyes narrowed at her.

"Holy fuck," Atlas whispered as we finally entered the village.

I was the last one to enter through the moss and vine-covered archway, the moment I did that same disgusting chill I felt back at Kiree-Kiree village seemed to etch its way into my very skin.

The street of the village we stood on was lined with bones, skulls, horns, quills, wing bones, and sharp teeth.

"Holy fuck! Was everyone in this village killed?" Delilah whispered as she knelt down to examine one of the skeletons.

I could barely hear Delilah over the sudden buzzing sound in my ears. Slowly I walked forward past Ivo, before coming to a stop. I looked over at one of the houses. The front door was just wide open compared to the other houses where the doors appeared to be ripped off their hinges. A rust-colored streak ran across the door, in the green front lawn was a skeleton and on the nice white picket fence was a chimera skull with curved back horns.

The moment I saw the skull my eyes widened, I felt Ivo grab my wrist but I shook him free. Instantly I turned around everyone was looking at me with worried expressions however I could only stare at the gate.

It's open, it's my only way out!

I ran toward it my claws digging into the gravel as I sprinted on all fours.

"Delilah stop her before she hurts herself!" Ivo shouted.

Green veins immediately sprung up in front of me, I leaped up and over them continuing my sprint. The moment I reached the gate entrance I collided with something hard bouncing off, causing me to gather a few scratches as I rolled across the ground.

A blue shimmering barrier had appeared in the entrance way, it spread out on each side of the gate creating a wall that reached toward the sky.

No! There's absolutely no way I'm staying in this hellhole!

I put my scales up as I got to my feet and charged the barrier again only to once again bounce off. I looked up at the sky as I stared at the barrier quickly I opened my wings.

A moment later I felt something coiling around me locking me in place.

I growled as I wiggled and thrashed in the grip of Delilah's roots.

"It's okay Charlotte, just calm down sweetie," Delilah told me gently.

Ivo sighed as he walked over to me. "Considering where we are there's no calming her down."

"C-couldn't you just possess her like you did back at the castle?" Lorithia asked in a hesitant tone.

"Wow, that is the stupidest idea ever, I would be forced out immediately," Ivo told her as he reached out toward me.

I flinched back as he began to gently pat my head. I let out a loud whimper. "Ivo, I don't want to be here... I can't be here!" I pleaded with him.

Ivo looked at me frowning as he stroked my hair. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head. "Five minutes...if you can give me five minutes I may be able to take you over if you can calm down a bit."

"Promise?" I whispered. I knew how exhausted Ivo must have been, hell if I wasn't running on adrenaline and fear I probably would've just laid down on the ground and went to sleep. "I'll try...you're tired and need rest too Ivo," I said softly.

He looked at me for a moment with a slightly shocked expression then he smiled and patted my head again. "Good girl."

Delilah's roots slowly released uncoiling themselves from my body.

"Are you sure you'll be okay Charlotte?"

"Honestly, no. But I'll definitely try my hardest," I told her as I glanced back at the house.

Slowly I walked over to the skull that sat on the fence, I took a deep breath as I reached out. I grasped the skull with one hand and removed it from the fence. As my hand shook I stared at the skull, the empty black sockets seem to mock me as they stared back.

I glared as I tighten my grip, watching with satisfaction as cracks began to spread across the skull. Suddenly it shattered in my grasp making a sound that resembled shattered porcelain.

There now you can't see anything anymore.

Ivo was the first one to walk inside the vacant house, I was the last one in. I couldn't help but freeze in the doorway my eyes going to the dried blood streak on the floor that led from the kitchen to the front door.

Wow, Ivo wasn't lying when he said that he dragged her outside.

"It took about 3 minutes or so to drag her down the stairs kicking and screaming. She got loose in the kitchen and went for a knife so I scraped her up a bit before dragging her out to the fence." Ivo told me as he responded to my thoughts.

"Ivo what the hell are you talking about?" Delilah asked as she looked at him. Beside her, Lorithia looked slightly nauseous at what Ivo had said.

"Wait Ivo, you did this? The blood, the skeletons, and everything?" Atlas asked him quickly.

Ivo crossed his arms as a small smirk crossed his face. "It was an equal trade-off for what I wanted."

Atlas's eyes widened then he shuddered."We need to get out of here as soon as possible. It feels like Kiree-Kiree village all over again."

As I glanced around the very familiar house I tried my best to ignore the icy rock that had settled in the pit of my stomach and began to chill my veins. "That barrier is new, it wasn't here before not to mention it's an incredibly strong barrier," I informed Atlas.

Lorithia began stammering, "E-excuse me, that barrier it um-"

"Just spit it out already!" I growled at her which caused her to flinch slightly.

"That's one of Kessel's barriers...typically it's used to cage unstable paranormal creatures." She said quickly.

If I could've slammed my head into a wall I would've.

"Of course it is because he's always up to something," Ivo grumbled.

Delilah walked over to the front door and stared out toward the gate for a moment. "A barrier like that is powerful and typically they're not self-sustaining. Usually, the energy used to keep the barrier going is provided by the creature it's trapping."

"W-wait you understand how it works?" Lorithia asked slowly.

"Oh sweetie you're adorable, who do you think Kessel was talking about whenever he mentioned his teacher," Delilah chuckled as she grinned at Lorithia.

"Yeah even though Delilah's brain is a tulip she's smart," Ivo huffed as he walked over to Delilah.

"Hey!"

"The problem is there shouldn't be anyone here to sustain the barrier in the first place. I made sure to kill everyone and I basically ate everyone too." Ivo said.

I shuddered as I sat there nibbling on one of my claws. A fridged chill ran over my skin in waves causing my stomach to flip. I flicked my tail out as I reached into my pocket and pulled out my flask.

Thank god I didn't lose this.

"You mean that you killed them just like you did Lyssa!" Lorithia snapped.

Ivo glanced at her. "First of all she was trying to eat me, hell that's what that weird bulb on her head was for. Second of all, she belonged to Kessel it was either she dies at my hand or his."

"I could've calmed her down! She was only a little girl she didn't deserve to die. Especially not like that," Lorithia countered.

Ivo rolled his eyes as he walked up to her which made Lorithia stumble away. "Do you know how we therions eat or just the bullshit Kessel fed you? It takes one good grip and your gone, and if she had eaten me you wouldn't be here either."

Lorithia shook her head. "No you're wrong, Lyssa wouldn't do that. She didn't even know how to use her powers Kessel said-"

"At this point, I doubt that we can trust anything that came out of his mouth," I mumbled.

"Char...lotte..." A voice whispered. the noise seemed to echo all around me.

I sat up going stiff as a board as my eyes darted around.

Did Delilah call me? No that didn't sound like her voice...

Atlas walked up to Lorithia who was almost on the verge of tears and held out his hand with a smile. "Here let me show you how the contract markings work. You can call me Atlas."

Lorithia looked at his hand before she slowly held out her hand for him. He grabbed her wrist and began touching the markings on the back of her arm. "These things are pretty much multi-purpose, they allow your contract demon, in this case, Ivo to possess you. Read your thoughts and basically know where you are. The only thing that sucks is the pain split," he explained.

Lorithia's eyes widened. "P-pain split?"

"Whatever pain or injuries you receive will appear on your contract demon. The same is true for them," I sighed as I stood up.

My answer caused Lorithia to turn white and snatch her arm out of Atlas's hand.

A loud thump echoed throughout the house, it was thunderous like an elephant falling down the stairs. I jumped the tail on my fur bristling as my scales washed over my skin. I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried my best to block out the noise.

I felt someone tugging gently at one of my arms, I cracked one eye open to see Ivo kneeling down in front of me.

"It's okay Charlotte. I'm right here okay," he reminded me softly.

"D-didn't you hear that?" I forced out.

Ivo frowned at me as he grabbed my other arm and slowly moved my hands away from my ears. "Charlotte there was no noise other than us talking. What did you hear?" His voice was low enough that only I could hear him.

That fridge chill rolled over my skin as I carefully picked up my flask again. Ivo grabbed my other hand before he lifted it up so that I could see how much it was shaking in his grasp. I took a big gulp from my flask and let out a loud sigh. I glanced back toward the stairs that led to the second floor.

"You need rest Charlotte it's been a long day. In fact, we all need rest," Ivo said as he helped me to my feet.

If he hadn't had a strong grip on me I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to stand up.

"Do you think there are beds upstairs?" Atlas asked.

Almost immediately I yelled. "I'm not going upstairs!"

Atlas jumped his feathers ruffling he gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry, I meant me and Delilah will sleep upstairs."

"It's not safe upstairs," I said slowly.

However, Ivo petted my head as he smiled at me. "Delilah and Atlas can take care of themselves Charlotte. If they couldn't then we wouldn't have let them come along."

However, despite Ivo's reassurance, I couldn't shake the cold dread that was sitting in my stomach.