"So, how do you know about this supernatural stuff?" Elena wondered.
"I'm a Sorceress…it runs in the family." Cheyenne confessed, holding her tea cup steady as she took a scorching sip.
"You are a supernatural, but you don't have the same aura as I do. Sorceress's can read aura's, you…you have something different about you." Cheyenne tried to see past the foggy mist that outlined Elena's form, but no matter how hard she tried, the mist became foggier.
"I'm the Doppelganger," Elena confirmed.
"That would be it then…" Cheyenne nodded. "Most supernaturals have auras; humans don't, unless they have been interacting with supernaturalism."
Damon seemed to be listening; his eyes were half closed as he leaned against the brick wall of the roaring fireplace. Cheyenne watched him for longer than she ought to; she knew she should look away, but a sudden impulse to get up and lay her head on his shoulder was hard to suppress.
Elena got up and poured herself another cup of tea.
"Damon? Are you okay?"
Damon mumbled but didn't look up, his eyes were still half shut and his casual lean looked more like a slump.
"Damon?" Stefan placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. Damon slid off the brick and Stefan only just managed to catch him.
"What's happening?" Elena rushed over and placed a hand on Damon's forehead. "He's burning up!"
"What happened? I didn't see anything…" Stefan glanced at Cheyenne.
"Don't look at me! I didn't do anything, low profile, remember?"
"V-Venom…" Damon moaned.
"What? How…what did you do?" Stefan demanded.
"H-H-Hybrid…" Damon choked out; his eyes closed as he let out a soft moan.
"Hybrid? Don't tell me, you got in a fight with Klaus?" Damon's head shook slightly at Stefan's suggestion. "Tyler?" Again, Damon shook his head.
"There can't be any more Hybrids…unless," Elena broke off, lost in a train of thought.
Cheyenne watched as Damon laid still, a trickle of fear invaded her mind.
"He's not dead, he can't be…Hybrid venom can't kill vampires because they are half vampire…" Cheyenne could feel the panic in her voice but tried her best not to let it over take her.
"No, he's just unconscious…and in a lot of pain because of that werewolf venom mixed in. Werewolf venom is like acid, so having that vampire venom and blood fighting it off has got to be painful."
Stefan stared intently at Damon, as if trying to figure out what was going on inside him.
"We should find Klaus, or Tyler…maybe they'd know." Elena suggested.
"Leave Damon here…what if something happens…?" Stefan wondered.
'I'll stay; you guys go…I'll be no help." Cheyenne stated.
Elena and Stefan bolted for the door; Cheyenne placed a hand on Damon's forehead, it was hot and clammy, she reached inside her small medicine pouch and dumped a portion of the contents into her hand.
She took a small sprig of lavender and crushed it in her hand, the delicate flowers turned to dust. She then sprinkled the flowers over Damon, the plant was used for healing, and she hoped this would give Elena and Stefan more time.
"Please be okay," she whispered as the last of the flowers fell soundlessly.
Damon stirred, but his eyes remained shut. Cheyenne sighed and went to stoke the fire, whose embers had died a short while before.
"Chey-"She heard him groan, but she didn't turn around. There was something wrong with his voice.
"Chey," the voice said again. She focused on the black singed logs, jabbing the poker into the grate.
"Ethan…" Cheyenne gritted her teeth, she could feel Damon stir behind her, but she had to remember, this wasn't Damon.
"Ethan, get the hell away from me…I swear." She placed one foot on the hearth rug, preparing to kick it up into his face.
"I know all your tricks, Chey, lets just skip the formalities." His voice was like a nail being driven into her head.
"How did you find me?" She turned carefully to give him her signature glare.
Ethan stared right back, leaning a hand on the armchair Stefan had just vacated.
"What happened to your old body? Because this one really doesn't suit you..." His golden-blue tinted eyes were the only thing that didn't belong to Damon. Cheyenne forced herself to glare, to hate, even though there was a strange, overwhelming desire to rescue.
"He's not the one, let him go." Cheyenne's voice was deadly calm. She could feel her heart pounding beside her medicine bag. Thump Thump, Thump, Thump.
"I can see through your little white lies…always have, always will." Ethan used Damon's smirk, his eyes, everything about him to make Cheyenne shiver. She felt the cold metal from her favorite sword as a new chill rippled up and down her spine; try as hard as she might to suppress it.
"Grab the sword, you know you want too." Ethan's aura a blinding red, Cheyenne looked away and watched the tiny circles of light dance across her eyelids.
"I know why you really came here, Chey…"
"Don't call me that!" She demanded, feeling her blood boil like water in a cauldron.
"You were drawn here, you can't resist…" Ethan smirked again.
Cheyenne swung her sword; Ethan caught the blade with Damon's hand, slicing the skin.
"Now, that wasn't very nice…" Ethan purred sadistically. He gripped the blade and pulled her closer; she twisted around and elbowed him in the ribs. He caught her around the waist and flipped her up; she did a few barrel rolls before coming back down, landing on her back.
Darkness obscured her vision for a split second; Ethan stepped on her chest, placing most of Damon's weight on it.
"I like this form…vampires are in now. I like keeping up with the trends."
"Go to Hell…" Cheyenne gasped, more spots formed in front of her eyes.
"Already there, love." Ethan smiled Damon's smile. Cheyenne felt her insides cringe with the lack of oxygen and fear as he released her,
"Until next time…" he gave a little sarcastic bow and disappeared.