"Hello Lily."
Only Lily's supernatural reflexes kept her teacup safely in her grasp. She leveled her cold gaze at the young woman seated on the settee in front of her. Her shock at seeing the woman was almost completely undetectable.
"Bonnie Bennett. How very unexpected," she said in a rather bored voice. The small smile the witch gave her in response was unsettling.
"I'm afraid my sons are not here presently." She continued as the silence grew prolonged. "It is Damon you wish to speak with is it not?"
"No Lily, I'm here to see you actually." Bonnie smiled brightly. "I hope I'm not disturbing you?"
What on earth is the meaning of this? Lily wondered to herself. From what she could remember, Bonnie Bennett was a far cry from the smiling, confident woman sitting across from her. In fact if memory served, Bonnie Bennett had been drained dry.
"Of course not., " Lily replied easily. "Although I must warn you, some of my family will be back shortly and I don't know if they'll be able to resist your beguiling combination of blood and magic."
Bonnie laughed outright at that. A full bellied laugh that made her youthful face seem almost childlike.
"I think in another time, under different circumstances, we may have enjoyed knowing each other," Bonnie began after she had finally gotten her laughter under control. Lily simply inclined her head.
"But you almost killed me yourself, then you conspired to convince my friends to do it for you. On top of that, you let loose not only your family, but evil from the other prison worlds. With the blood you stole from me. You lay waste to the town I love and sip tea as if you are not a complete and utter monster." Bonnie finished softly.
"I think that may be a matter of perspective Miss Bennett," Lily replied archly. "Your blood was a gift, a peace offering. And the town you say I laid waste to has been extremely useful." She smiled coldly at the young witch.
Bonnie pointed to her. "A matter of perspective. It's interesting that you used that phrase. That's why I'm here. To change your perspective," she said. Lily was instantly on her guard. Bonnie simply waived off her hostile posture.
"No need to get worked up. I'm not going to hurt you." she scoffed. "I'm just wondering if you'd think differently about your situation if the shoe were on the other foot."
For the first time since the conversation began, Lily visibly betrayed her frustration. "If you have a point to make Miss Bennett, please do so. My patience grows thin." she snapped.
Bonnie shrugged carelessly completely unbothered by the woman's growing agitation. "All I'm saying is what would you do if you were human? In a town, where heretics kill anything mortal. Do you think that whole family bond claim would work? If they were in a state of bloodlust?" she mused aloud.
Lily actually rolled her eyes. "What utter nonsense!" she snapped angrily. "If I were you, I wouldn't worry about what they would do to me. I'd be concerned about what they would do to you! After all, there are still more prison worlds we have yet to open. Your blood is still quite a commodity." she snarled.
Bonnie nodded gravely. "Yes I know. I thought about sending you all back to the prison world. Where you belonged. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. After having been there, I wouldn't wish a fate like that on anyone."
Lily laughed at Bonnie's audacity. "You send someone to the prison world? You couldn't stop three vampires and a human from killing you. How on earth do you think you have the power to banish someone to the prison world? I've grown tired of this conversation, child." She blew out an exasperated breath. And then found she had to take another. And another.
Her eyes rounded in surprise. She was breathing! Shaky fingers to her neck confirmed a steady pulse. A bloom of sweat broke out along her forehead. She couldn't be?
Lily attempted to speed to Bonnie, but found herself bumping her shin against the table instead.
"Ow!" she cried at the pain radiating from her shin. She looked into the laughing green eyes of the witch.
"How did you?" she sputtered as panic set in.
"Well," Bonnie drawled, clearly enjoying her distress. "One of my ancestors created a cure for immortality. Actually a few cures," she frowned thoughtfully. "So I learned all of them."
Lily looked stunned. She fell back weakly into the chair. She was human, a human. Lily couldn't feel even the tiniest trace of bloodlust.
"Dear Lord, do you realize what you've done?" she whispered weakly.
"Of course I do," Bonnie replied soberly as her smile fell away. "But really, what choice did you leave me? I won't send you back to the prison world, but I couldn't let you roam free in this world. We already know how that works."
"You must turn me back," Lily implored. "You don't understand."
Bonnie shook her head firmly. "Can't go back Lily. I hope your family bond is strong enough to keep them from killing you. Good bye." She stood with an apologetic smile. A moment later, the door to the boardinghouse burst open and three heretics blurred into the room, fangs bared.
"Where is it? I'm so hungry!" one whined. Lily stood behind the chair, her eyes wary as she took in her family. She didn't need her supernatural senses to see how feral they were. She watched their eyes roll back as they scented her fear.
They startled as they realized whose blood they were smelling.
"Oh god," another moaned. "Lily, we-"
She couldn't stop the tears that fell uselessly from her eyes. They were clearly struggling, their faces changing from one visage to the next as they fought against the bloodlust. It was a losing battle she was all too familiar with.
So she wasn't that surprised to feel the fangs tearing at her flesh, to hear the greedy sucking as they set to drain her. The pain was so intense. Her screams died out as Lily lost consciousness.
Almost immediately, the others began coughing and gagging, the bloodlust abruptly cut off. Panic set in as they realized what they had done to their friend.
"Lily, dear sweet lord, what have we done?"
"Quick open a vein. We have to feed her blood!"
"I can't…my fangs…I can't!"
"My spell, it isn't working! What's happening?"
Their worry became frenzied once they realized they had no supernatural means to help her.
And then they found more reason for their anxiety as the next bunch of heretics filled the doorway of the boardinghouse. Their pleas mixed with screams.
The scene repeated over and over. Bloodlust would drive the heretics to the only source to sate it. They would feast on their friends and become human prey for the next group.
There wasn't a trace of vampirism or magic left in the lot. A fact that caused no small amount of fear. The recriminations and finger pointing began in earnest when it became clear the condition was not temporary.
Bonnie watched the scene play out from her concealed location. She flitted from one emotional state to the next. Yes, there was the satisfaction that these people could no longer kill indiscriminately. It meant that Tyler could safely move his pack back to Mystic Falls.
But there was also guilt at having forcibly stripped away their magic. She still remembered how bereft and scared she had felt without hers.
And sadness because she could truly see why Lily considered these people her family. The care and concern for one another was tangible. She once knew what that felt like. She couldn't help thinking about Caroline and Elena, her Grams.