Title:The Book of Terrors
Authoress:superhackaninja5
Rating:M
Summary:see chapter one
Warnings:see chapter one
Disclaimer:I do not own. Never have never will .
OMY FUCK THIS IS THE PENULTIMATE CHAPTER. And the next ones just going to be an epilogue to sort of state how Jeremy and Damon won. So this Is basically last chapter. Can you believe that? I'll do some extra notes and things on the epilogue. But I hope everyone who's stuck with this story from beginning to end liked it and thank you very much my readers. And just as a random note, I CANT FUCKING BELIEVE KATHERINE DIED IN THE NEW EP OF TVD. I am not watching anymore. The only way they could get me to watch again would be for Damon and Jeremy or Damon and Enzo to finally get it on.
Anyway, enough of my babbling. Enjoy this final(technically) installment of the book of terrors.
I had no idea the things we were awakening when Damon and I decided to fulfill our destiny and user in the new Dark Age. I thought it just meant we would take out the Shiraq and then reduce all of the humans to what they were before:slaves.
Boy, was I ever wrong.
Not only had we destroyed the Shiraq, but we were the keys to bringing back a force older and more twisted than anything I could ever have imagined. Well, I was;Damon was the key to our victory.
He was to be their ultimate weapon-which was why the guardians were unable to kill him at birth. Even as a newborn, his darkness was much stronger than any power they possessed. Hell, his darkness was even stronger than any power I possessed-and I was not only a vampire, but a Shiraq as well. If that wasn't scary as shit, I didn't know what was.
As Alaric and Damon both said:"Those asshole guardians had no clue what they were messing with."
(Jeremy's POV)
I couldn't believe my eyes. The lead shadow had been my father all of this time? How was that possible?How could I not have known that?
I felt Damon slip his hand into mine and squeeze, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the terrifyingly familiar face. This, this was too much. Nothing could have ever prepared me for this.
As if sensing my shock and confusion, the familiar male came to stand in front of me and answered my greeting in as gentle a tone as he could muster. "Yes and no, Jeremy. I do inhabit your father's body, but I haven't always,"he attempted to explain honestly, meeting my gaze evenly.
I swallowed hard, digesting that with difficulty. Okay, that I could accept, but that still brought up more questions than it answered. "How long?"I asked after a long period of silence, forcing myself to remain calm. "How long have you been in my father's body?"
"Long enough to inject my magic into your bloodline,"the lead shadow replied matter-of-factly, hands in retreating into the pockets of his dusty, but obvious tailored suit. "To make you what you were always meant to be-and to ensure our return."
I stared at him for several moments, processing his words carefully and analyzing his face for any trace of deception. It was my father's face, after all:I should have been able to read it.
Finally, when I had decided that he was telling me the truth, I found the inclination to look at our other companions and realized that there were other faces I recognized. None as surprising as that of one of my family, but some still rather shocking.
For example…
"Stefan?"Damon said from my side, arching one of his midnight eyebrows as the form of his brother came lumbering up next to my father, looking exactly the same as he had the day he'd died. He didn't sound as stunned as I had, but there was definitely a trace of bemusement in his normally perfectly composed tone.
"We were summoned into the corpses of people you knew so that we could blend in with this town and its society,"the leader declared before Stefan's vessel could reply, waving a careless hand in the direction of his followers. He paused briefly, then added in a thoughtful tone, "Though, I suppose with the Founders gone, that won't really be much of an issue anymore,"
"Okay, that's just…creepy,"I commented with a slight shudder, deliberately disregarding the last part of his statement in favour of focusing on the first. Stefan and my father weren't the only faces I recognized, either;there was also my formerly human friend, Matt, and if I wasn't mistaken, my sister.
But no, wait, that couldn't be right. She didn't look right-but she had Elena's face. So that meant it had to be…
"Katherine,"I voiced my deduction in a flat tone, folding my arms across my chest and arranging my olive-skinned features into a stern expression. The doppelganger shot me a toothy grin. "Long time, little Gilbert,"she shot back playfully, appraising me carefully, "See you've come up in the world. The consort of the Cantagherri prince. Who would have thought?"
I merely continued to frown at her, looking at her over my crossed arms until Damon broke the silence again. "So now that we've established that the shadows are basically demons with a superiority complex(honestly not all that impressive), how about we start talking business here?"he addressed our new allies in an authoritative tone, "You guys are supposed to help us usher in the new Dark Age, correct? How exactly are you going to do that?"
My father(okay, I can't call him that. Let's call him Grayson). Grayson inhaled deeply, locking eyes with my boyfriend without blinking. "We are just the bait. You are the one who has to finish it. Isn't that correct,"his gaze swiveled onto Damon's father who stood behind us, watching the exchange with mild interest, "Lord Silas?"
The Cantagherri king gave a soft, mirthless before striding forward, apparently oblivious to the probing glances Damon was shooting him at the familiar tone in which Grayson was addressing him. "You are correct,"Silas confirmed bluntly, eyes simmering beneath his charcoal lashes.
He turned on his heel to meet his son's stare. "He's right. I told you, this is your show, Damon. All of this started with you;you have to be the one to resurrect our rule,"
Damon's other eyebrow shot up to join the first. "And just how am I supposed to do that?"he questioned dully, not ringing up the fact that the lead shadow and his father had been talking as if they were old friends-not yet, at least-and focusing on the issue at hand.
Grayson tilted his head in Silas's direction and the senior vampire was the one to finally lay it all out. "You and Jeremy have to bond your souls together , and then you have to call upon the Empire of Demonic Shadows. Then the new Dark Age will finally begin,"
Damon appeared to consider that for a moment, then a perfectly bestial grin spread over his flawless lips, showing his pointed, white teeth. "Well then, shall we get it over with, then?"he suggested with a sneer, looking over his shoulder at me. "What do you say, Jer? Let's make our relationship truly permanent."
I smiled back at him, gripping his hand tightly. "Let's,"I agreed without hesitation, brushing my lips over the corner of his mouth.
He kissed me back lightly before posing another question. "Is there any particular place we have to do this?"he quipped curiously, tucking his free hand in the pocket of his leather jacket.
Silas nodded an affirmative."The falls,"he supplied without preamble, "The source of the shadows's power was buried underneath the falls. That's where the magic for the binding ritual will come from,"
"Hm,"my boyfriend made a low noise at the back of his throat, "Sounds like a fitting place for it," He shot a quick glance at our companions. "Let's do this."
I watched the smoke and shadows follow him like a haunting shroud, abysses swirling over him in tandem with his every motion. I didn't feel an ounce of fear, though;only admiration. I was more than willing to bind my soul to his to give him what he wanted;I was eager.
~FLASHBACK~
Candle flames lined the walls surrounding the chamber, illuminating the jet-black altar upon which the two males had positioned themselves with a Stygian glow. The stained glass windows allowed only the barest sliver of moonlight to creep through, throwing regal features underneath ebony silk cloaks into sharp relief.
The Cantagherri heir and his consort waited patiently as the varnished pews filled with members of the royal family and the other vampire lords. Outside, thunder crashed, as if in response to what was about to transpire.
It was ironic that the most unholy union to ever take place was about to be solidified inside a church. Ironic and profane and almost...poetic.
A grandfather clock tolled loudly in the background, signalling that it was nearly midnight. Clouds roiled against the windows, pelting the frosted panes with violent hails of moisture;the cacophony of sounds mixed to form what was almost a symphony, haunting strains to usher in this pivotal event.
"Are you two ready?"Silas appeared before them, tone barely above a whisper and yet perfectly audible over the raging storm. As a vampire and a warlock, this was going to be his ceremony to perform.
His son and the brunette at his side exchanged amused glances, moving closer to one another before Miet responded for the both of them. "Oh, I think we're more than ready,"he declared without hesitation, keenness clear in his velvet-like baritone.
The vampire king grinned, showing the tips of his fangs as the clock struck midnight. Eyes shone the virulent colour of freshly spilled blood.
"Let us...begin."
Miet and Jeremiah pushed back the hoods of their cloaks with slight flourishes and focused their attention on the king, hands finding one another between their bodies. The blacknette looked up through his charcoal lashes, eyes melting into pure gold with only a single sliver of rocket-blue.
A hush fell over the hall while everyone waited with bated breath for the ceremony to begin.
At the front of the raised platform, Silas inhaled deeply, closing his eyes and opening them again before speaking again;the words that came out of his mouth were something like a wedding sermon.
"We are gathered here today to join these two souls and forever intertwine their fates,"he announced in a silky, carrying tone, now addressing the room at large. He raised his chin slightly, directing his next words at the former Shiraq.
"Do you, Jeremiah, take Miet to be your mate?"
The brunette met the bright gaze of the man next to him, seeing actual, genuine emotion on his marble features. There was absolutely no question as to what his answer was going to be.
"I do."
A smile tugged at the corner of the heir's pale mouth as his father continued. "And do you promise to stand by his side without falter, never denying him that which he needs most?"the eldest vampire asked.
Jeremiah nodded another affirmative, "I do,"
Now came the final requirement. There was no alarm when Silas withdrew a black-bladed dagger from his boot, taking his son's hand and holding the jagged side against his palm. "So will you give him your blood and, in doing so, bind your two souls together from now until the end of eternity?"he questioned as he sliced open his heir's palm and dark red fluid dripped down the blacknette's wrist.
The former Shiraq offered his own hand, not even flinching when Silas did the same to him. He met his mate's eyes without blinking as he pressed their bleeding palms together and declared in a firm voice, "I will."
The warlock turned to his son and received a positive tilt of his head. "I do,"Miet whispered, curling his fingers through Jeremiah's as his lips curve into a genuinely happy smile.
Silas backed away, then, as tendrils if shadow began to trickle out from between their joined hands, rising in the air and coiling up their arms. "Then there is one final tradition that must be observed,"he cleared his throat, then added in the vampires' native tongue;
" Con sangue e ossa,
Fuoco e ghiaccio,
Io chiamo te, poteri oscuri,
Per unire queste due anime
Sempre come una."
A sudden gust of wind rippled throughout the chamber, snuffing out every single candle as the shadows enveloped Jeremiah and Miet, momentarily shielding them from view.
"Together, they will have the power to bring the human race to its knees;together, they will have the power to swallow the sun-and the moon. In their wake, the legion of true shadows will rise again"
When the blackness vanished, they stood there together, lips locking in a deep, passionate kiss. With that kiss, they sealed the ritual and the fate of the world.
The most unholy union the Earth had ever seen had just been created. And the human race was about to fall victim to the fallout.
(Damon's POV)
Well, the binding ritual turned out to be oddly similar to that of a human wedding-without the rings, of course. When it was over, something was definitely different. I felt...stronger, somehow, which was saying something considering I was already the strongest creature here. But then, Jeremy had always made me feel like I could do anything-and now, thanks to him, I was finally going to be able to fulfill my destiny.
The two of us were stationed at the very edge of the falls for which the town was named, watching as the sun rose from out of the water. This was where things were going to come full circle;this was where the Empire of Demonic Shadows, the empire that helped spawn me, would be resurrected. This was where the end began.
My father, the Originals and Alaric flanked us on either side like guards, waiting patiently for sunup. That was when we were going to finish this, once and for all.
I was flashing back to the first time we had bound ourselves together, remembering the profanity of doing it in holy ground, of vampires gathering inside a church. It brought a smile to my face;no one could ever accuse Jeremy and I of having a boring relationship.
When Jeremy caught sight of my grin, the corners of his mouth twitched as well and he nudged me with his elbow. "What's got you in such a good mood?"he asked out of the corner of his mouth, taking my hand in his. I let out a quiet laugh and lifted our joined hands, raising them so they were level with our eyes. "You and I, Jer,"I answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world-which, at that point, it should have been, but I didn't begrudge him an elaboration; "When we first met, did you ever imagine that we would end up here?The vampire equivalent of married and about to bring about the end of the human race's dominance over the Earth?"
I couldn't help but let my smile widen when I saw Jeremy bite his bottom lip, falling silent as he pondered my words. His shaggy brown hair rustled slightly when he shook his head. "No. I never would have thought that this would be the way my life would turn out-nor that you would have become the person I loved most in this world,"he stated truthfully, but with a hint of amusement.
He placed his free hand at the back of my neck and pulled me close until we were nearly nose to nose. Everyone else just sort of faded away as he brought his forehead to rest against mine.
"But I wouldn't have done it any other way,"he whispered against my lips, nipping lightly at my bottom one. He met my eyes without blinking, "I love you, Damon,"
I curled my hand around his chin, slotting our mouths together. "I love you, too,"I replied honestly as we broke apart, squeezing his hand.
We were interrupted by the sound of Alaric clearing his throat, more than a little uncomfortably.
"The sun is in the right spot,"he nodded toward the sky when we turned to look at him, hands tucked into the pockets of his flannel jacket. He looked straight at me, "You remember the correct summoning spell, Damon. You use it and this will all be over;you'll have fulfilled your destiny,"
I stared at him for a moment before taking a deep breath and returning to my original position, eyes melting into molten gold. I closed them then, as visions of performing this in another time, in another place consumed my vision.
A palace's throne room, completely surrounded by shadows that grew steadily as each second passed. As the darkness continued to close in, the Reaper stepped out into the very center of the dais. The Nightmare throne beckoned invitingly-but there was still one more thing left that he had to do. One last spell he had to perform before he could claim his birthright.
The blood pounded in my ears as I released Jeremy's hand and advanced toward the very edge of the cliff, tugging the black glove off of my right hand. There was a scar on my palm now, matching the one on Jeremy's right hand from where we had had to mix our blood in order to complete the binding ritual;his blood ran through my veins now, just as mine did through his. And our combined blood was the key to unleashing the darkest empire to ever rule over the Earth.
I dangled my now bare hand over the precipice, and more words from the alternate scene I was seeing inside my head streamed into my ears.
"The Empire of Demonic Shadows was the first true evil that the world knew. They were everything that made the humans monsters. They were the darkness from which the light was born."
The chant fell from my lips, as if I knew it off by heart.
"Bal mio sangue
Io chiamo su l'oscurità
che è rimasto nascosto
e portarlo
di nuovo al mondo della luce,"
As soon as the final syllable left my mouth, blood began to flow out of the cut on my hand, dripping down into the clear water beneath my feet. Blue bled into crimson and a thunderous explosion shook the very foundations of the cliff.
The waves parted, revealing a deep, unfathomable chasm that spiralled into oblivion. That was where the last of the shadows had been imprisoned, I knew. It was almost as if I could hear their voices calling out to me, begging me to set them free so that they could finish what I had started. So that they could bathe the world in blood and plunge the sun, stars and moon into complete darkness.
We are waiting, mietitore.
And I was only too happy to oblige.
Because I now understood why I was the ruler of the vampire lords. I was not some weak human who would give up everything that made me who I was for love. Nor was I a regular vampire who wanted nothing more than to have my humanity back. I was the, soon to be, ruler of the first and most powerful race of vampires;purebloods, with absolutely no humanity inside them.
And I was the Reaper, the Mietitore, the shadows's ultimate weapon;a ruthless assassin whose sole purpose in life was to end humans. Which was exactly what I was about to do.
I squeezed a few more drops of my blood into the gaping chasm that had appeared between the rushing walls of wine and uttered three words. Three words that would finally put the human race back where it belonged:at my feet.
"Usciranno, ombre demoniache!" 'Come forth, Demonic Shadows!"
ACTUALLY, I'm going to end this chapter there. And then do the Epilogue scene as a separate chapter. So this is like done. The Epilogue is going to be basically maybe a month or less after they raise the Empire and Damon and Jeremy will be ruling over the human race, just like Damon was always meant to. I shall do that tomorrow.