A/N: I don't own anyone but my OC's….though I wished I owned the rest…*sighs*
Brooklyn decided to start from the beginning of the massive tome while Mason busied himself in the kitchen. The hunter wanted to be certain she was armed with every bit of knowledge possible before returning to Mystic Falls. The runes left behind courtesy of Maddox were made of a stone not native to the New World but she quickly suspected it was from the Originals' homeland. But why leave something that was so priceless? Was this another one of Mikael's games or was he genuinely telling her something?
"I think we need to have a talk with Jason," Brooklyn muttered to herself.
"He'll be there for the Founder's Day events," Mason hollered over his shoulder.
"Then that saves me the trouble of tracking him down," Brooklyn said with a coy smile.
"Funny," Mason rolled his eyes.
"I try to be," she grinned wider.
"You do realize tomorrow is the beginning of the week of the full moon," Mason leaned against the counter.
"I have the day circled in my planner."
"Again you're funny," Mason rounded the edge and sat on the couch alongside her. "So anything new?"
"No," Brooklyn replaced the rune back in the sack. "The book covers the curse and the ritual sacrifice required to break it but every hunter who ever read this bedtime story knows how it goes."
"The blood of a werewolf, the blood of a vampire, a witch to conduct the spell, the moonstone, and the doppelganger are needed but no one knows what the doppelganger looks like. I guess that's in our favor right?"
"I think so," Mason agreed. "The vampires have been relentless in seeking the doppelganger for centuries. It would give them power over us if they broke the curse."
"Yeah that chapter was vague but it didn't spare the details on the Werewolf Genocide and how the vampires almost succeeded in wiping werewolves off the map."
"There's not many of us left," Mason sought out her hand. Brooklyn covered his hand with her other one knowing the period of his kind's history was painful to recall. "We formed packs as a survival mechanism. The vampires depleted us to so few numbers that a majority think we are nothing more than legend. A few families remained intact including mine."
"Mikael knows you're not," Brooklyn shook her head. "And Maddox definitely knows you're not a legend."
"What I didn't understand is why? Why did they wage such a bloody and violent war?"
"Because of what we can do to a vampire," Mason flipped the pages until a charcoal drawing emerged. "This is what happens when a vampire is bitten by one of us under a full moon. Our bite is fatal."
"My god," Brooklyn wanted to pull her eyes away but was compelled to look the opposite way. The drawing was detailed right down to the gleaming specs of bone and peeling chunks of flesh and skin. The veins embedded within the unblemished skin were swollen and angry as they surrounded the infected wound.
"There is no known cure for this either," he added.
"Except maybe a stake through the heart."
"That's about it," Mason nodded grimly.
"Pity the vampire who crosses paths with us."
Mason couldn't but help to grin at her revelation and planted a kiss against her cheek.
"Hey tonight a comet's going to be passing over and I was wondering if you wanted to watch it with me?"
"Did you even have to ask?" Brooklyn pouted playfully. "You bring the refreshments and you've got yourself a date."
"You're insane you know that!"
Mason rolled his eyes then threw daggers in Jules' direction. He had just about enough of her nastiness towards Brooklyn.
"She gave me her answer Jules," Mason straightened up. He was loading the truck with a blanket and cooler along with two pillows for the evening's date. "It's happening."
Jules's arms dropped to her sides as her mouth dropped into a perfect circle. Mason couldn't but help to smirk at the abrupt yet welcomed silence.
"What?" Jules was in absolute disbelief.
"Yeah," Mason shut the back of his truck then turned to his fellow pack mate. "She told me she wants to be with me….In every way possible. So back off of Brook okay?"
He turned and took the steps two at a time leaving Jules stunned and in disbelief.
The sun was dipping behind the sea when the truck pulled up to the clearing. Brooklyn pulled her hoodie tighter around her neck as the breeze picked up from the North. Florida was supposed to be known for its tropical breezes not Arctic gales.
"You sure we'll be okay with one blanket?" She hollered over to Mason who had set out everything he brought. He finished straightening the last corner of the blanket before looking up with a curious look.
"We'll be fine," he promised her. "If you get too cold I'll keep you warm."
Mason flashed his brilliant smile easing Brooklyn's apprehensions. They sprawled out alongside each other with Mason clasping his hand around hers as it came to rest against his chest. She snuggled tighter against him, finding his body the perfect wind block.
"So is there anything special about this comet you would like to share? The last comet I saw was Hale-Bopp and that was pretty impressive."
"Well," Mason turned up and on his side, "This one is seen every 145 years as it travels alone on a path it cannot break free from."
"Such a poet," Brooklyn sighed. "Do you say that to all the girls?"
"No," Mason kissed her lips then forehead, "Just you."
"Aw how sweet," she was sincere in her words.
"If we were back in Mystic Falls there's a celebration that's going on called Night of the Comet Festival where candles are light by the townspeople and anyone who joins can have their candle lit by another. The first one took place in 1864."
"Really?"
"The Founding Families decided it was something special that was to be commemorated."
"But some cultures see comets as an omen of evil or that something dark will befall the people. The Great Comet of 1811 was seen by some tribes as a harbinger of great evil or malice. Tecumseh foresaw the comet as the beginnings of a great disaster to befall the land. He called it the Panther-Across-The-Sky. He swore to a rival tribe he would reach Detroit and stomp his feet destroying the village. Then on December 16th, one month after this declaration, the Earth trembled and the great village crumbled to the ground. Some say when a comet is seen tragedy will strike wherever it crosses over the night sky."
"You are an incredible storyteller," Mason was clearly impressed.
"I just know my folklore and history," she shrugged it off, "Comes with the whole hunter gig."
"Brook," Mason pointed skyward as the comet slowly crawled across the starlit horizon. Brooklyn lifted her head up and over to the right and caught the bright cascade that awaited her eyes. It was small but exploded in rich vibrant shades of ice and crystal creating an ethereal magnificence about it. Its tail fanned out like that of a peacock's as it streaked along its solemn journey but it was more sublime and subtle in beauty.
Mason looked over to see the awe glazed over in Brooklyn's eyes. The silvery glow lightened her eyes from rich raincloud to brilliant sterling making her look even more beautiful than she already was. Her lips had lifted into a breathtaking smile which only had Mason falling even harder for the hunter.
"It's beautiful," she whispered.
The whiskey remained untouched in the cooler as the lovers basked in each other's presence.
The week of the full moon is upon us...