Title:The Book of Terrors

Authoress:superhackaninja5

Rating:M

Summary:see chapter one

Warnings:see chapter one

Disclaimer:You know what it is. I don't own anything. :P


Hours later, in the small hours of the morning, he was sitting back against the wall in his bedroom with his legs spread out in front of him on the off-white carpet and the sleeve of his blue shirt pushed up past his elbow so he could stare at the multitude of black symbols etched into his exposed forearm.

They were like nothing he had ever seen before;the colour of raven's wings and crawling up his skin like some bizarre, multifaceted vine. He didn't even recognize the symbols;they were as alien to him as if they were written in Cyrillic. Not to mention the fact that they had appeared extremely recently.

As he continued to examine the odd brands embedded in his olive flesh, his preternatural hearing picked up the sound of Damon entering their room-but he didn't, couldn't look away. He felt fingers on the back of his neck before his lover's smooth voice punctured his reverie.

"Have you figured out what they mean yet?"the elder vampire spoke right next to his ear, pressing close so that they were cheek-to-cheek. "Or at least where they came from?"

Jeremy shook his head lightly, finally tearing his gaze away from his bared limb. "Nope, I don't have a clue about either,"he replied flatly, pinching the bridge of his nose and shutting his eyes tightly. "And there's something very wrong about that."

"Hn,"Damon murmured his agreement, absently edging his fingers into Jeremy's thick brown locks so the other began to unconsciously lean back into his touch. "We could always go back to Elijah-he seems to be the one to go to about this Book of Terrors stuff."

"No,"the brunette said thoughtfully. "He may have been the one to tell us about it, but he said so himself:he can't translate these. Neither could any of his siblings and they've all been around for millenia, a lot longer than either of us have." He turned his head to the side, peering at the blacknette through his copper lashes. "Know of anyone else?"

Steel-blue eyes met his chocolate brown ones, emotion flashing briefly across them before they returned to their usual insipid state. "Well,"Damon appeared to be thinking about it, lifting one of Jeremy's hands, turning it palm-up and stroking along the vein in his wrist, "There is one person-but you won't like going back to him."

The sun broke into their open window at that exact moment, glaring hard into Jeremy's face as his forehead wrinkled in a wary frown. "Don't tell me;Alaric?"

Damon shrugged offhandedly.

"I know he doesn't approve of your way of dealing with your family's death, but aside from the Originals, he is the only one who could possibly tell us what these mean,"he justified his suggestion bluntly, tracing one of the symbols with his index finger. He shot Jeremy a look, as if daring him to contradict him. "Unless you have a better solution."

Jeremy gave a resigned sigh, watching Damon continue to caress his arm. "Whatever,"he consented after a moment, tone dull and lifeless. He shifted so his side was pressed against Damon's and leaned his head against the latter's shoulder. "So, plans for my return to Mystic Falls, then."

He made a soft noise at the back of his throat when Damon brought Jeremy's hand to his lips, brushing a kiss over the upturned palm and nipping at his pulse point. "Despite his disapproval, Alaric is still an ally, if not a friend." He dropped Jeremy's arm then, moving his own to coil around his fledgling's waist. "And if anything, we can give that town a much-needed wake-up call while we're there."

Jeremy smirked at those words. "You'd think they would have gotten the picture by now,"he stated disdainfully, rolling his eyes. Damon chuckled lowly. "They believe what they want to:they don't want to believe that there are monsters worse than themselves out there."

"There aren't,"Jeremy mumbled, nuzzling his face into the crook of Damon's neck and smiling when the elder tilted his chin up to give him better access. "Mm,"he scraped his fangs over the blacknette's skin, savouring the taste. "May I?"he whispered.

Damon's response was to tug away the collar of his leather jacket, baring a tantalizing expanse of his ivory skin. "Go for it,"he permitted invitingly, relaxing his dark head against the wall.

The elder vampire's surrender just made it all the more satisfying when he stretched his jaw wide and sank his fangs into his lover's veins. He moaned huskily when that first warm gush of blood pooled inside his mouth-and he let himself get lost in the throes of feeding on Damon's sweet blood.

When the elder''s hand gripped his hair and pulled his head back, he didn't try to resist, locking his now dark eyes with Damon's bright blue ones. Jeremy saw his reflection in those sapphire ice crystals;saw the crimson veins lining his face and russet liquid dripping from his lips.

His breath caught when Damon moved, claiming his blood-drenched mouth in a fierce, messy kiss. It was all tongue and teeth and he couldn't help but let out a second moan when he felt his lower lip being punctured by Damon's fangs.

After a moment, Damon pulled away, tugging lightly at Jeremy's bottom lip as he did so. His tongue flicked out to catch one last drop of blood as it ran down Jeremy's chin.

"Well, that was...unexpected,"he commented, one of the corners of his mouth quirking slightly as he ran his index finger underneath the brunette's chin.

Jeremy chuckled ruefully, getting up off of the floor. "Not really." He stretched his arms over his head, rolling his shoulders to work out the stiffness from sitting in the same position for so long.

He had to smile when he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him from behind. "I love you,"Damon said softly, lips brushing the curve of his ear as the black-haired vampire molded himself to Jeremy's back. Jeremy clutched Damon's hand on his stomach, leaning into the embrace.

"I love you, too,"he replied in the same tone, feeling Damon kissing the back of his neck at the same moment the words left his mouth. He turned and placed his hands on Damon's shoulder's, touching their foreheads together. "Always."

Damon tightened his arms around Jeremy's waist, bringing the two of them chest-to-chest. "Always,"he repeated firmly, before pulling Jeremy into another kiss, this one slower and gentler than the previous one.

This time when they broke apart, Damon lifted Jeremy up and set him down on top of their bed, brushing a few errant strands of hair off of his forehead. "We'll pay a visit to Alaric later on."

"Okay,"Jeremy agreed grudgingly, sighing. "Can I get some sleep first, then?It's been one hell of a crazy night."

Damon rolled beside him, pulling the younger's back against his chest. "Sleep tight, Jer,"he pressed a kiss to the side of Jeremy's head, interlocking their fingers. Jeremy relaxed into him, squeezing his hand before letting his eyelids fall shut and drifting off.


That first night after I had completed the transition, after my first kill, outside and under the stars, Damon had shown me one of the best advantages of being a vampire.

He kissed my blood-drenched lips, seizing a handful of my dark hair and licking every inch of my mouth with deliberate slowness, making sure I felt every second of it. From that one kiss, every one of my senses instantly went into overdrive.

His free hand slid underneath the hem of my long-sleeved shirt, tracing the outline of my abdomen and stroking the bare skin there. I backed up into a nearby tree, pulling Damon with me and endeavouring strongly not to break our lips's contact. He followed without hesitation and tightened his grip on my hair, using it to tilt my head back so he could leave fevered kisses along my chin and throat.

I moaned unrestrainedly, feeling heat blossom everywhere Damon's lips landed and everywhere his hands touched. And when he tugged away the collar of my jacket and began to suck on my collarbone, I came completely undone.

"Damon,"I whined lowly, the word coming out strangled and hoarse as my heart rate skyrocketed and I started to feel my balance waver. I clutched at his shoulders in an effort to ground myself, my eyes slipping shut without any conscious thought.

It was like my entire world was spinning on its axis;the lightest touch had me gasping and aching for more. Damon's hands gradually ventured higher, skating over my nipples and hardening them instantly. His tongue dragged wetly up my jawline, stopping at my ear so he could lick the outer shell.

"Jeremy,"he purred, and his voice was so low, so dark that I almost didn't recognize it. He hummed as he took my earlobe into his mouth, roughly scraping his fangs over it. I arched into him, grinding my hips against his and inhaling sharply at the rush and sensation of his fangs on my over sensitized skin.

My breath rapidly became more and more ragged as Damon pushed my jacket off of my shoulders and scraped those razor-sharp teeth over the side of my neck this time.

"Did you know that blood-sharing between vampires is said to be a pleasure second only to sex?"he breathed into my skin;my pulse jumped at the obviously suggestive note in his voice. "Oh?"I replied shakily, trying-and failing epically to make my own voice sound as normal as possible.

He chuckled huskily at the catch in my tone, inhaling slowly as if he were trying to breathe me in. "Mm,"he hummed again in an affirmative and I shuddered when I felt his tongue tracing the muscle that connected my neck to my shoulder. "Would you be terribly averse to letting me test that theory?"Damon asked silkily.

I swallowed with anticipation-and I knew Damon could probably feel my pulse throbbing at the suggestion. I was powerless to deny him at that point;and, truth be told, I wanted Damon to bite me, wondering if it would feel just as good-or even better than it had when I had still been human. Surrendering, I turned my head to the side, downright offering Damon my neck.

"Do it."

I barely had time to breathe before Damon sank his fangs into my flesh, breaking the skin over my pulse point and entering my bloodstream.

Another strangled cry tore itself from the back of my throat;this was...euphoric, indescribable. Pure bliss. The sensation of having the blood siphoned from my body was a hundred times more intense and a hundred times better than it had been when I had still been human.

Damon's moan reverberated throughout my veins and only served to ramp up my arousal even further. The only thing that could have made it better was when Damon shifted his head and pressed his own neck into my fangs, making me drink his blood as well.

Well, the originator of Damon's theory was definitely correct;blood-sharing was a pleasure second only to sex.

And I was wrong;things got even better when Damon removed his own jacket and shirt before reaching for my belt. He undid it with practised ease and hooked his fingers under the waistband of my jeans, sliding them off my hips so they pooled untidily around my ankles.

I returned the favour soon after, revealing in the process that Damon happened to not be wearing any underwear.

The combination of the sweet nectar that was Damon's blood and seeing him utterly naked was too much. I hardened to the point of pain and to tear myself away from Damon's neck.

"Damon, please,"I whimpered needily, rocking forwards so I could press our erections together.

Damon finally lifted his head, drops of blood falling from his lips like crimson rain. He gripped my hip with one hand, using the other to rid me first of my t-shirt and then my boxers, leaving us both in the same state of undress.

"I didn't think it was possible for me to want you more,"he commented in a sensuous tone, tongue running over his lips and gathering t he excess blood so it wouldn't go to waste. He spun me around and molded his body to my back before adding, "But I do."

I hissed instinctively when he pressed a finger inside me, but he immediately soothed the burn by kissing behind my ear. "Relax, love,"he crooned reassuringly. "You know it will only get better." "I know,"I agreed, nodding, "Keep going."

When he added a second finger, it got much better and I began to push back against the two appendages, crying out when Damon tapped that special place inside me that made me see stars. The third was the tipping point, making me want to take them all even deeper. "Damn it, Day, I need you,"I pleaded impatiently, the friction his fingers were creating making my head spin.

I felt Damon press a kiss to the back of my neck before consenting, "As you wish." He retracted his fingers. I didn't even have time to miss them before my creator filled me with his thick, hard cock.

My hands clenched compulsively over Damon's wrists and I rolled my hips backward,eager for him to continue. "Move,"I demanded, voice hoarse with sexual pain.

He obeyed instantly, thrusting into me harder, rougher and deeper than he ever had before. The grip he had on my hips became like a lifeline as he fucked me into that tree, my mewls and groans mingling with his grunts and hisses.

In the heat of the moment, I felt him biting into my left shoulder, licking up the trails of blood that leaked out and taking this to a whole new level of ecstasy. I lost myself in the hypnotic rhythm of Damon's thrusts and the practically intoxicating sounds he was uttering against my ear.

I nearly screamed when one of Damon's hands moved to close around my cock and began to pump, inevitably speeding up my orgasm. I hit my peak when Damon hit that bundle of nerves again and I came, panting his name breathlessly as I spilled all over his fingers.

"I love you,"he whispered into my ear just before he joined me, groaning out my name as he filled me with his seed.

"I love you, too,"I responded while he rode out the very last drop of his orgasm, his undulating hips finally stilling behind mine.

We both sank to the ground as he slid out of me, and he let me use him as a pillow while I caught my breath. "I think eternity with you was the best choice I've ever made,"Damon declared truthfully, absently carding a hand through my hair.

I smiled at the sincerity in his voice. He was everything to me now-and I had him forever.


Alaric had been privy to the darker side of the world for a very long time. Ever since his parapsychologist wife had been killed and turned by a vampire, he had made it his life's mission to eradicate all of the bloodbeasts he came across.

Unfortunately, he happened to be technically related to two of them.

Even so, eh was still surprised to find the aforementioned vampires waiting for him in his loft when he woke up in the morning. Or, to be more specific, standing in the center of his sitting room, both clad almost entirely in black.

"Jeremy, Damon,"Alaric greeted them blearily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What are you two doing back in town?"

Damon grinned. "You say that like you don't want us back, Ric,"he mock-chided, putting a hand to his chest and faking hurt.

The vampire hunter/history teacher rolled his hazel eyes expressively, stifling a yawn and casting a cursory glance at the clock.

"Six am? Aren't you two usually not in bed until like four hours ago?"he quipped incredulously. "Vampire,"Jeremy pointed out as if that explained everything. Then he switched topics. "As for what we're doing here, there's a little legend that we want some information on, and it just so happens that you're the only one who might know something about it."

"And this mystery legend would be about what?"Alaric said, arching both of his dirty blonde eyebrows. The two vampires shared a brief look before Jeremy replied for both of them, "The Book of Terrors."

Alaric's eyebrows rose until they were practically touching his hairline. "Why are you interested in that?"he queried curiously, folding his arms over his chest. Damon's icy gaze narrowed fractionally.

"That's not really any of your business, now is it?"he shot back evasively, as if daring Alaric to enquire further.

"It is if you want my help,"the historian countered stubbornly, unwilling to drop the matter that easily. He ventured over to his kitchen to make himself some coffee while he waited patiently for his answer.

Finally, after nearly a full minute's silence, Damon made a decision. "The Originals want Klaus to break the hybrid curse;since the doppelganger is dead, he needs an alternative to the sacrifice-and apparently, there is one in this Book,"the blue-eyed vampire explained in a flat, monotonous tone, sitting down on the armrest of the leather loveseat behind him and resting an elbow on his upraised knee.

The human froze in the middle of pouring himself a cup of the caffeinated liquid, evidently stunned by that proclamation. "Why would you want him to do that?"Alaric wondered in disbelief.

"He's a friend,"Jeremy input without hesitation, "And you know we have no great love of humans. Whatever this costs them will be no skin off of our backs." "I don't know if this has occurred to you, Jeremy, but I happen to be human,"his former teacher interjected coolly, leaning his hip against the kitchen counter.

Appearing to lose patience, the black-haired vampire used his vampire speed to launch himself out of his sitting position, nearly bending Alaric backward as he seized him by his throat.

"There was a reason that Sage left you alive;she didn't think you and I were close enough for you to matter,"Damon hissed in a tone of nearly glacial calm. "If you don't give us what we want, I'll prove her right by ending your life myself."

Alaric stilled at the utter lack of emotion in the vampire's voice. He wasn't joking around, the human realized with legitimate fear. "Fine,"he surrendered after a moment's pause.

He waited until Damon had let him go before adopting a deceptively casual manner so the two creatures wouldn't hear his racing heart.

"Do you have anything more substantial for me to go on than just Elijah's tales?"he examined, taking on a decidedly business-like tone. Damon stepped away from him deliberately, "Show him your arm, Jer,"

The fledgling exhaled heavily then rolled his right sleeve up past his elbow so he could show Alaric the symbols engraved in his tawny skin. "Can you tell us what these mean?"he demanded bluntly without preamble.

His former history teacher set down his coffee cup and walked toward him, tentatively closing a hand around the outstretched limb when the distance between them had dissipated. He turned Jeremy's arm over slowly, eyes scrutinizing each and every stroke of ink individually and committing the symbols to memory.

A frown gradually began to crease his lined forehead. "These do look somewhat familiar..."Alaric started vaguely, tracing one of the etchings with his thumb. "But I can't quite remember where I've seen them before."

He released Jeremy's arm and turned on his heel, disappearing into his study. He came back a few minutes later, hefting a sizable stack of books in his two hands.

Setting the pile of thick bound volumes down on his coffee table, the historian picked up the top book and quickly opened it to a page marked by several yellow sticky notes. "Here,"He turned the book around and tapped the left page with his index finger so the vampire duo would get the picture. "I knew I recognized those symbols. They were created by the Shiraq, an ancient race that existed long before vampires and werewolves."

"Which means?"Damon prompted insistently, tapping his boot on the hardwood floor impatiently. Alaric sighed before elaborating. "Their leader invented the Book. Those symbols on your arm are meant to be a map. But here's the thing:the map can only appear on the flesh of one of their own."

Jeremy was stunned. He looked over at Damon and found an impassive expression on his lover's face. "So I...am one of these Shiraq,"he stated hesitantly, testing the word out on his tongue. His brow furrowed. "I did not see that coming,"the younger vampire admitted truthfully.

"Right, well,"Damon cut in smoothly, his ivory face unreadable under the dim light. "What do they say?" The human shrugged. "From what I can tell, it's a riddle," He cleared his throat warily before reading it;

"Where the mountains and rivers cross,

Where the ice turns to ash

You will find the throne of Fallen Glaciers

Underneath lies the final terror

In the tomb

Our final resting place for fear."

Silence fell once he had finished, all three of them mulling over the meaning of the words that had just been spoken. Jeremy was the first to broach his thoughts. "There's a lot of mentions of ice,"he pointed out, "Could that mean Iceland?Or possibly somewhere else where it's always snowing?"

"I'm no great shakes at solving riddles,"Damon confessed dully, "Ric?" "Iceland seems probable. Or Russia, or possibly somewhere in Canada,"Alaric mused, thinking out loud. The black-haired vampire shrugged for a second time. "Looks like we might need to have a talk with the others,"he suggested to Jeremy, who nodded his agreement. "Thanks for the help, brother."He said farewell to Alaric.

Jeremy inclined his head. "Thanks, Alaric,"he repeated gratefully as he and Damon made for the door.

"Next time call before just showing up,"the human called after them as they departed, All he got by way of a response was Damon's acerbic laughter echoing down the hallway before both he and Jeremy vanished as if they had never been there at all.


In the middle of Damon and Jeremy's sitting room, there were the six vampires, almost all clad in muted colours to blend in with the backdrop. The lights were off, but, being vampires, they were unnecessary.

Jeremy was the first to break the silence, calling everyone's attention to him as he cleared his throat.

"I found out what these mean,"he announced matter-of-factly, rolling up his right sleeve so his companion could see the dilapidated ink-black symbols etched into his skin. "They contain a riddle that is meant to lead us to the Book of Terrors. Moreover, they are in a language created by the same race that wrote the Book,"

"So what's the riddle, then?"Kol queried curiously, crossing his arms over his chest and tapping his foot expectantly.

Jeremy's almond eyes narrowed slightly. "Well, before I tell any of you anything, you better damn well convince me that you can be trusted,"the former human stated coolly.

A frown furrowed the copper-haired Original's brow. "Come on, Jeremy, we're mates,"he mock chided, "What makes you think we aren't trustworthy?" "Well, for one thing,the other night, Elijah there neglected to mention that inside the Book, there are several spells that would be useful to us, not you."

"Like what, for instance?"Klaus asked suspiciously, an unreadable expression on his alabaster face. Damon's gaze remained focused on Elijah while he answered. "One to raise the dead-and even one to make a regular vampire stronger than you and all of your siblings?"

The hybrid's head swivelled around to glare down at his younger brother almost disapprovingly. "Oh really?"

Elijah didn't appear fazed by his brother's reproach. "Can you blame me for keeping quiet about that one?"the shorter Original retorted in that infuriatingly calm tone of his without looking at Klaus; "I mean, I am an Original, so why would I want to advertise a spell that could make someone stronger than I?"

"I'll grant you that,"Damon conceded, "But what about the rest? I thought we were supposed to be friends. What else are you keeping from us, Elijah?"Jeremy pushed his sleeve back down, folding his arms over his chest, refusing to tell the elder vampire anything until he fessed up.

"A lie of omission is still a lie-and friends don't lie to each other,"the Gilbert pointed out. "I'd also like to know what is in this ''Book'', brother,"Rebekah put in.

With everyone's eyes on him, Elijah really had no other choice but to answer. He exhaled slowly before speaking. "Very well,"he surrendered grudgingly, "You want the full story? Here it is;there is also a spell to raise the dead and most of all, a spell to the existence of all vampires, including Originals. That spell is the reason why, after we break Niklaus's curse, I intend to destroy the Book of Terrors."

"But that's not your choice to make,"Damon interrupted pointedly. "The Book of Terrors doesn't belong exclusively to you. And, unless I'm mistaken, the only way you're getting it at all is if Jeremy tells you what those symbols on his arm mean."

"What about a spell to teach the humans a thing or two?"Jeremy asked suddenly, drawing the others' attention onto him.

Elijah's gaze snapped abruptly from Damon onto Jeremy at that, his jaw working furiously like he was considering how much to say. After a minute or two, he responded carefully, "No, but I think you're than capable of that without one." "Don't distract me with flattery,"the youngest vampire shot at him disdainfully. "Back to my original question, can you be trusted?"

His ''friend'' paused, weighing his words. Finally, he nodded. "What if I make you a deal?"Jeremy looked over at Damon for his thoughts;the blacknette gave a noncommittal jerk of his head. "We're listening,"the fledgling prompted, posture rigid.

"What if we find the Book, use it to break the curse and then discuss what to do with it, all of us? No final decisions until everyone agrees,"the brown-haired Original suggested in a placating tone. Damon tilted his chin in his boyfriend's direction. "What do you think, Jer?" "Sounds good to me,"the fledgling consented dully.

"That's settled, then,"Elijah concluded, switching tacks. "So what is this riddle?"

Jeremy cast him a dark glance before reciting the riddle inscribed on his arm without emotion;

"Where the mountains and rivers cross,

Where the ice turns to ash

You will find the throne of Fallen Glaciers.

Underneath lies the final terror

In the tomb;

Our final resting place for fear."

When Jeremy finished, he leaned back against the wall, allowing Damon's arm to slide around his hips. "Well, I think we can say it's in a tomb, that much is for sure,"Kol deduced frankly, "But it doesn't tell us much by way of what city, or even what country. For all we know, it could be hidden with some lost civilization."

"That's not too far from the truth, actually,"Elijah commented. He took a deep breath before announcing in a flat voice, "The tomb of the Shiraq is in Norilsk, Russia. It's also home ti Mount Leruska, named for the river that used to be there."

Everyone was silent after that pronouncement, while they all digested Elijah's words. "So we're off to Russia, then,"Damon surmised musingly. He grinned mischievously, "I've never been, so this should be fun."


I think the ending was a little flat, but eh.