1-04

By the time Jeremy and I had returned to Mystic Falls in had turned from late evening to early night. My work on the Welcoming Sign still held, the moment that the car's headlight hit the area of warped space the spell did its work, hitting nothing to give the image of a sign that was no longer there. Jeremy had been driving at as a breakneck speed as he could without me fearing for my own life—to the point that we'd been stopped by an officer, one of which had been on Vervain, it was luck alone that he'd not tried to stake Jeremy but it all added together in us having to expect trouble from that particular town.

Jeremy drove into a section of the driveway in Grams' place, coming to a stop before he moved again, in an instant opening the door before I could.

"That's starting to get a little annoying," I said.

"I could carry you into the house," said Jeremy. "So don't tempt me."

"Don't do that," I said. I took a breath, feeling the darkness trying to descend on my vision but pushing it back. My heart was beating a little faster, the fear that there were more powerful witches in there but I was pushing all of that down. There was a measure of power in that I had home field advantage, even if it was in the people who would come to my aid.

"I have to show a measure of power," I said. "Things are already working against me with how young I am. There might be deceit with Lucy still being in New Orleans."

Jeremy nodded, looking serious of all a sudden. "I'll be your muscle," he said to me. I snorted at that but said nothing. We walked to the door, passing the small sedan that was parked closer to the door and entered the house.

Someone had cooked, a rich smell passed through the house and I had to guess it was my dad. It had been a little while since he'd been able to cook for me and Bonnie with the house being off-limits to him, but I was sure this was an opportunity he wouldn't miss. Sure enough he was at the door the moment we closed it, a smile on him as he looked at Jeremy and me.

"Hey, kiddo," he said to me.

"Hello, Dad," I said. "Sorry I didn't tell you about the trip."

"My fault," Jeremy added.

"It's okay," he said. "Prepared something to eat. The rest of us have already done so but yours is still warm. Should I set it up?"

I shook my head. "Business first, then food," I told him. "Hopefully this won't go too long and we'll have time to just chat after this."

Dad grinned a little wider at that, giving me a nod before leading us to the living room. There were three people already in the room, Bonnie and Enzo, and the new witches, both of which were familiar. I made sure to keep my expression as non-expressive as I could, making sure they wouldn't know I knew about them. But as I looked at the room I could see that I had failed.

Enzo was sitting up straighter, eyes flickering between me and the new witches, Dad was walking with his shoulders squared before he was beside Bonnie and Jeremy was closer to me than was comfortable. Mr Martin and Luka, though, didn't look like they'd noticed this, indeed they were looking at me while the former of the two found his feet.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," said Mr Martin. "Word of you has been passing through the grapevine and I was excited when finally my application at Mystic Falls general was accepted."

"That sounded a little stalker-y, Dad," said Luka. He looked at me. "Sorry about that. My Dad gets a little too excited when it comes to witch business." He stepped forward and extended a hand. "Luka Martin," he said. I automatically took the offered hand and shook it. "My Dad, Jonah."

"Again, a pleasure to meet you," said Mr Martin.

"The pleasure is mine," I said. I took a breath to calm myself, get my mind in order. "Please, sit." They did, moving to the couch they had been sitting on before. I took the chair Enzo had been sitting on which meant that he stood at my side just beside Jeremy.

I couldn't see it, but I sort of like the image it displayed. They both had their strength and could be dispatched by a powerful enough witch. But between them, Dad and Bonnie and me, we'd quickly had the situation under control—though that wasn't something I wanted.

"Bonnie called saying you wanted to introduce yourselves," I said. This was the first time I'd done this while carrying it myself. In all honesty I felt as though Jared should be here but Andrew had been against that, citing that the boy had homework—which he did, moving to a new town and attending a new school meant he had to impress.

A part of me told me though, that this was a control measure. Andrew was showing me that even though I had his brother in my coven, he still dictated what Jared did. I could let him have that. Did I have a younger brother I thought that I might treat him the same way, seek to distance him from danger. Something I was contravening when pretty soon—and sooner now—we would have Originals on our hands.

"Yes," said Mr Martin. "Traditions states that when you're entering a coven's territory, you should introduce yourselves perhaps even bring them a gift to show good faith. Which is the reason I have brought you this." He reached out into his pocket and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper.

He muttered something and the paper floated through the air, into my grasp. I took it, unrolling it to see names written down, about thirty in all and beside them were locations and phone numbers.

"Names?" I said, a little confused.

"Independents," Mr Martin returned. "It will sound…stalker-y," he said, "which I doubt is an actual word but semantics," he went on giving a shrug. "But I've been paying attention since I heard word of a clairvoyant, especially one of the few that are close to home. I watched what drove you, how you reacted when disturbances were levelled your way and the ultimate path you were taking."

"And that made you think that I want names?" I asked. There was another question I wanted to ask, something else in the way he'd spoken, but to do that would show the limits of my powers.

"That you want a coven," said Mr Martin. "Those names are a step in that. My gift to you, witches I've run across that are likely to accept the chance at joining your coven."

"This," I said, looking at the names, "is amazing, thank you." I rolled it up and put it in my pocket before reclining and looking at Mr Martin. "You said you accepted a job at the hospital," I said. "This mean you'll be staying here a while."

Mr Martin nodded. "Three to seven years at most," he said.

I nodded. "Okay," I said. "But you'll have to understand that here we have a different way of running things. The Allied Council ultimately sets the rules. We don't allow killing of any of the other species because we're moving toward Mystic Falls being the exemplar to a new age."

He nodded. "Your sister already informed us of this before your arrival," he said.

I gave another nod. "Good, then," I said. "I think that might be all. I don't know how these things are done beyond this."

"To my knowledge we've followed protocol in so far as we can," he said. "We'll keep to the rules in so far as we can without endangering ourselves. Though we might cast a few spells, boundaries around our apartment, fortified the hospital and some healing magic if it arises."

"So long as you aren't caught," I said. He nodded and came to a stand, Luka doing the same.

"It really was a pleasure meeting you," he said, taking my hand and giving it another shake.

"Likewise," I said.

"Dude," Luka said, an ease to his father's formality. We clapped hands and he took me into an shoulder bump. "See you at school maybe."

I nodded and watched as they got into the car and left.

"We have a problem, don't we?" said Enzo.

"We do," I said. "Can we check the house for anything they might have left behind. Bonnie, we need to set up a Boundary spell on the house, we'll do a derivation of a Lucy's spell to work on the abstract level. Blocking entry in the spirit realm."

Bonnie nodded and she was already moving to the kitchen. Dad, Jeremy and Enzo had moved even without my hearing, only noticing after. I took out my phone and called, it took three rings before the phone was answered.

"My brother's still busy," Andrew said. "Call back in an hour or so if you—"

"Stop," I told him. "Listen. Add another layer of protection around the house. Protective on the abstract level against spirits. Make sure that you don't have anything there that doesn't belong to you."

"Problems from the new arrivals?" he asked, his tone serious.

"Possibly," I said. "I'll have to ask for Jared before the night is done. We'll have to work on this of a variety of sources and I'm going to need to build a massive cloaking spell on something I've been putting off."

"Count me in on that," he said. "I don't want my brother out with novices."

"You do you," I said.

"We're ready," Bonnie said. Everything had already been set up, Jeremy or Dad must have drawn the symbols on the ground and the salt and candles had already been set up.

"Didn't find anything," said Enzo. "But we didn't really let them out of our sights."

"We'll have to do the same for the Salvatore House and back home, Bonnie," I said.

"They're bad?" asked Jeremy.

"Yes? No? They're misguided, I think. Mr Martin loves his children more than anything and one of them, he believes, works for Klaus. So they're working with Elijah to get her back."

"It's starting," said Dad. "So soon?"

I nodded.

"Then let's prepare," said Bonnie. "Move faster." She stepped into the circle and I followed. I took her hands and we began our spell.