Charlotte could feel the tension grow in the room as Camille spent more time with her brother on the couch. She felt as if her throat would collapse seeing her enchant him in a way that terrified her. She underestimated the vampire before her and stood defenseless at her feet while she whisked her brother away. 

She wondered where Clary could be. Was she even looking for them? Did the shadowhunters convince her that her friends didn't matter? Where they screwed? She wanted to ignore the questions that hit against the inside of her brain, begging to come out but it was no use. At least she didn't wonder out loud the agonizing truths. 

It didn't take long for Simon to be under her enchantment of sorts, Charlotte felt like she was in a story, except she was a mere observer seeing the chaos to happen. She didn't know what to do to stop it.

"Would you like to help me?" She heard Camille ask. She turns her head slightly to see Simon nod eagerly, yet he looked drained. 

"Yes, anything." 

"Could you tell me where to find the Mortal Cup?" Charlotte took a deep breath, hoping Clary was already on her way to save them. She felt so useless now, couldn't Camille just let them go or at least shut up?

"I wish I could, but I don't know."

"Clary knows."

"No, she doesn't."

They resume their kiss, and Charlotte turned away again. It wasn't like she could tell the vampire to get her leach lips off her brother. That was just a death wish though it pained her not to give a quip towards her. 

"What if she didn't tell you?" Camille questions him again.

Before Simon could reply for Camille, Charlotte spoke up, "She would tell us. She barely knows anything, barely even knows what a shadowhunter is."

Camille slowly turns her head to the fiery twin of the boy she had her claws on. She wanted to leave the mundane girl for later, a midday snack, but she had more planned if she kept her mouth open. "Is that so?"

"We don't know anything, why keep us? They obviously aren't coming with the Cup, we're expendable to them." Charlotte continued. 

"Why do you think we went to the City of Bones?"

"Simon, shut up." Charlotte hissed at her brother, but the boy was too caught up in Camille. 

"She's trying to find a way to remember, but they said it's like someone erased her whole past."

"Simon."

"Some kind of spell or something."

"Simon! Snap out of it!" Charlotte snaps standing from her stance against the wall. Camille's face changed, as if knowing what Simon spoke of, and Charlotte cursed her brother for revealing anything to the witch, well a vampire, she knew. 

"Damn Magnus Bane." She says to herself.

"Magnus Bane? Who is that?" Charlotte questioned while her brother questioned what Magnus Bane was. It was as if Camille made her brother more stupid, Charlotte thought. Who was the Magnus Bane person that Camille cursed?

"None of your concern, sweetie." She stood up with a strut towards the mundane. Charlotte backed up into the bar and stayed a comfortable distance from her. "Bloody Mary?" She offered the twins. Charlotte wanted to gag seeing the solidified liquid that poured into the glass. She chuckled at Charlotte and poured another. "Maybe you should skip the Bloody Mary, you won't need it." She stepped forward towards Charlotte who was already backed against the bar. 

Camille picked up her hand and slowly Charlotte felt her vision become a bit fuzzy. "Everything will be fine for you,  I'm just in the mood to have some fun with my toy." 

---

"A little fun? Was that it?" Raphael asked with a glare towards the other vampire as he looks upon the scene. Blood covered her shirt, the smell was overwhelming to him. The cuts that were on her neck didn't help at all. She lay on the ground looking up in a daze at the brown eyed man. He looked down at the mundane with those brown sad eyes. He didn't want that to happen to her. He didn't want anything to happen to the mundane girl. 

Simon continued to hiss along Camille's neck where he had already bitten her and drawn blood. "It is quite enticing isn't it. Like ripping into a new present, you didn't want her. I may have gone too far, I can't say it wasn't fun."

"So she became your meal." Raphael stated in anger. "I didn't think you were still into toying with mundanes like that."

"I wanted to have some fun first. She was too feisty, I may just finish for the Fray girl to find her, unless you want to save her." 

"Charlie?" Simon called out. Camille looked back to the mundane boy with a conniving smile. 

"Relax, she's okay."

Raphael sighed and stared at the mundane with discomfort. "Hey, I know you." She whispered to him in her daze. He knew what had to be done, but couldn't face it or her. 

"Come on, you know you want to do it. Or save her." Raphael stood still and lifted his hand shakily with a frown on his face.

The few minutes of torture and self control were then interrupted and Camille and Raphael shifted towards the scent of shadowhunters. "I smell angel blood."

--

Charlotte laid on the couch, more blood on her chin. She felt like she was drunk but she had no alcohol. Raphael had gone, she didn't know where and didn't remember the moments after standing in fear of Camille. Maybe she knocked her out, that would have been good to her, then she wouldn't have to observe her brother hooking up with a vampire. She was coming to and the fear was coming back.

"We've been breached." Camille states to the two henchmen that stood in the doorway. "I don't know how many there are, but it's the real thing. I want them stopped now. I don't care how." 

Simon sat up from the couch, wiping the blood from his chin, still not clear minded. He still took no notice of his sister who lay on the couch in a slight daze still. 

"They're near the stairwell or in it. Go!" Camille orders the men. She walks towards Simon again. "It's all alright, darling. Will you just stay right there just for a minute?" She asks as she caresses his face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm a little light-hearted." He pauses and chuckles softly. "Light-headed. Light-hearted and light-headed." 

"I guess I had a little too much to drink."

Simon laughs unknowing, "You had? That's a mindblower because you had too much to drink and I'm... whatever I am."

"You certainly are." Camille sighs out and goes towards the phone away from the mundane. "They're in the building. Stop them."

"Stop who?" Charlotte asks from the couch on the other side. Camille turns to see the other mundane had woken up. 

"Ah, don't you worry your little mind. Sleep a little more." She tells the girl. 

"Okay. Where's Raphael?" She asks with a sigh. 

"You don't have to worry about that either."

--

Time was on Charlotte's side as her head became more clear and she realized the dire situation she was in and the fact that the shadowhunters had to be coming for her and Simon. She knew Clary wouldn't give up on her friends. It just had to be them, Charlotte thought.

"Why is it so loud out there? What is that?" Simon questions Camille as she paces the floor. Charlotte kept quiet not wanting to converse with the woman again. 

"It's nothing  dearest. A party." She tells him. Killer party, literally, Charlotte thought to herself again. "You know the neighbors in these places. Short-term rentals." 

"I know. Bloody Marys for everyone." Simon exclaims as he stands from the golden couch. 

Charlotte watched as Camille went over to the phone and Simon backed up. "Where is everyone?" She hissed into the phone.

"Clary! We're here!" Simon yells as he runs. He knew he shouldn't have left her but Clary would save them, he knew it. But it was no use, being pushed back Raphael came into the room.

"I told you, you're a hostage! Accept it!" Simon attempts to punch the vampire but fails causing a knife to his throat. Charlotte staggers up in defense for her brother. 

"Simon!" She yells, her eyes filled with worry. 

"Don't move. I know you wanna find out how this story ends." He says to Simon.

"Thank you Raphael. I'll take care of this from here. You've done enough." Camille says as she struts over slowly, grabbing Charlotte roughly by the shoulder. 

"You don't have to bother." Raphael refuses. 

"No honestly. I've had it with this thing. Give it to me, I'll finish it off. Then I'll finish the other one, I don't care."

Raphael still held the knife to Simon's throat and Charlotte stayed silent as the vampires argued. "Camille, we have a bigger problem. They're almost here and you can't be caught. You're too valuable. Don't worry. I'll kill it. And the other thing." 

"That's a little excessive yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Please, Simon." Charlotte whispers in desperation. She didn't want either of them to die, especially cause Camille was so annoyed with the twins. 

"Take the back passage out through the tunnels. Go!" Without a second thought, Camille let go of Charlotte's shoulder, no doubt leaving a bruise and walked out of the room. The clicking of her heels disappeared with her, but Charlotte didn't have the courage to look back and see if she was really gone. 

"Now you two listen and do exactly as I say, nothing more." 

"Wait you're going to help us?" Charlotte asks a whimper in her tone. It made her feel weak, but with the realization of cuts and blood on her she was becoming more terrified. 

Raphael didn't answer her and she was left with no answer as he just said, "They're coming." Footsteps came to Charlotte's attention and she turned around to see the three shadowhunters and Clary come into the room, weapons at the ready. 

"Simon, Charlotte!" Clary yells rushing forward to her friends.

"Clary! That's not gonna do any good." Jace warns her and grabs her arm. 

"Listen to him. Clary Fairchild. Put it away. I've had more than enough of your friends for one day. I'd love to cut this one's throat. Don't give me a reason." They kept their weapons at the ready, Jace fiddled with his, making Raphael more antsy. "Put it away!"

"Guys please." Charlotte begged the shadowhunters. Looking at the seriousness in Raphael's face and Charlotte's worry, the four put their weapons away. 

"Simon, Charlotte. Are you both alright?" Clary asks the twins. 

"Seeing as I'm covered in blood-"

"I wouldn't say alright"

"Stop talking!" Raphael yells at the twins who spoke in sync, while keeping the dagger closer to his throat. "Now... if you would all just follow me." Raphael looked at Charlotte, his eyes digging holes into hers. She figured she was part of the package deal of hostages and slowly made her way over. She looked back at Clary who stared at the two in worry. 

They all made their way through the hotel, up the stairs. "Come on, let's go! Up here now!" Raphael tells them.

"Just don't hurt him, Raphael, please." Charlotte begs him.

"Shut up!" He backs into a dark room as the rest go in with their hands away from their weapons. "That's right, get down there now!" 

"Look, we're not gonna hurt you, we just want Simon and Charlotte." Clary tries talking to the vampire. 

"I'm glad you do, we don't! We wanted you." 

"Well here I am!" Clary yells back trying to move forward but is pushed back by Jace. 

"Stop!" 

"I said wanted. Not my idea. Charlotte stood at the end of the stairs while the Lightwood siblings stood near the door that would be their freedom. Jace and Clary look at the Lewis twins with worry in both of their eyes, Clary more so than the trained shadowhunter. "Now get out! Go!" Raphael orders, the dagger still on Simon's throat.

"Not without Simon and Charlotte."

"Shut up! Open that door right now or I'll kill him right here." 

"Listen to him!" Jace yelled out. Alec shoves the door open to the sunlight without hesitation causing Raphael to hide behind Simon who whimpered under his grip.

"Simon will die if I-" Clary said as Charlotte felt her wrist grabbed tightly, she looked down to see the blonde shadowhunters hand wrapped around her wrist ready for escape despite her brother being in Raphael's grasp still.

"Clary go!"

"Go! Go! Go!" Jace repeated as he shoved Charlotte into Clary out the door. The light was so bright it hurt her eyes but she still turned back to look where her brother was. 

"Go! Take him! Go!" Raphael shouted to them, then hiding behind the pipes that lined the walls. 

"I don't know how to thank you." Simon tells the vampire.

"Don't thank me. You mean nothing. This is about Valentine and the chaos he can bring." Jace dragged Simon out of the building into the light as well. Charlotte felt compelled to go back to the door next to Jace. 

"Jace Wayland! Remember who your friends are."

 "Thank you, Raphael." Charlotte tells the older man, not knowing how much he may or may not have helped her. He simply nodded at her, not bothering to speak more with the sun glaring at them. 

"Come on!" Jace tells the Lewis girl, grabbing her by the shoulders and out the door. He slams the door shut on Raphael leaving him in the darkness.

Charlotte adjusted her glasses on her face, they were slanted slightly. She didn't realize in all the commotion how disheveled she looked. It didn't matter too much, but she looked like she went through hell and survived. At least she got a cool story out of it, she thought. 

"Shouldn't we get the hell out of here?" Simon asks them as everyone was too calm in the daylight. 

"Why Simon?" Jace asks. 

"They're right downstairs."

"Let them come after us. They'll just turn into a bunch of fried eggs out here." 

"Oh thank god!" Charlotte breathed out leaning against the exterior walls of the building. She could breath normally knowing the vampires wouldn't be after them. It was all over. 

"I thought you said you watch movies." Jace says to Simon.

"Yeah, movies didn't exactly warn us of wanting the "Mortal Cup". And the little bit of cat and mouse, absolutely terrifying. Thanks Hollywood for the lessons!" Charlotte sarcastically says into the air.

The shadowhunters made their way up the steps as the lower level was left with Clary and her mundane friends.

"Oh my god. It's over. It's actually over." Clary says in relief as she drags her two friends into a hug. She let go, and looked them in the eyes with love in her heart. "I was so afraid I would lose you two." 

"You know I would do anything for you." Simon intensely tells Clary.

"You don't have to die!" Clary sighs out with a chuckle. Clary looked over at Charlotte who had blood over her shirt. "We'll get you changed, don't worry Charlie. I know you both were so brave." 

Charlotte didn't feel so brave then. She wanted to collapse on the ground and just cry. She wanted to crumble into a ball and just ignore the world for a while. She hugged the two again tightly, "I couldn't live without you." Simon broke out of her grasp, with hope all over his face. 

"Say that again." 

"I couldn't live without you, Simon." Charlotte felt this meant more to Simon than it did to her powerful friend. She wanted to say something, but she let it go for now. "You're all I have left." She turned to Charlotte and smiled at her. "You both are. My whole life just disappeared. I'm supposed to... be this other thing, live this other way. You're my best friends." 

She ended with a kiss to Simon's cheek and rested her forehead against his head. "Thanks for not giving me a kiss, that'd be pretty awkward." Charlotte jokes with a chuckle as she stands quietly. 

"Don't you ever, ever let yourself get in that kind of trouble again. Got it?" Charlotte nodded as Simon embraced Clary again. Charlotte was tired of living the same way, being on the side waiting for her own story, just being what people needed for them. She was tired of being strong for everyone, hiding behind her wall of "strength".

As Charlotte got caught up in her exhausting thoughts she was dragged out by hearing Jace yell, "Alec stop!"

The three look up at Jace who stood with Alec. She didn't bother listening to them though, it didn't concern her. She was just a mundane who should have stayed out shadowhunters business. She knew should have kept her stare away from Clary and her neck as well. 

___

A/N: Hey guys! I hope you like this chapter I'm sorry it really sucks, I had a bit of a rut but I'm trying to get out of it. So Charlotte didn't have the best time in Hotel DuMort, but we'll see in future chapters how she is doing. I know you guys are looking forward to her seeing Magnus again, you'll see ;)

Questions to answer if you want: 

How do you feel about Charlotte after this chapter? 

Who would you want her to interact with more in future chapters? 

Do you think this will affect Charlotte a lot?

Vote and comment! Thanks for reading!