Chapter Thirty Seven
Sephira Bennett wheeled Bonnie around the courtyard once more. She didn't say anything this time. Not in English anyway. She chanted quietly, and the leaves began to whip around the ground in little whirlwinds. They grew in size, more leaves joining in the dance as the wind picked up.
Bonnie became agitated in her seat and Sephira leaned forward, whispering in her ear. "Be still child. We both know this is no compulsion controlling you. Witches cannot be compelled. This is your own guilt and nothing more. But we don't have time for you to wallow any longer. Its time to make things right. Its time to get you out of here. " She straightened and her voice rose in volume, as the wind practically howled around them.
The courtyard was in chaos, nurses and orderlies rushing to get all the patients back indoors where it was safe. They didn't see the two Bennett women. The witches were concealed by the debris, leaves and dirt and the occasional bit of lawn furniture obscured the view.
Sephira didn't bother going to the gate, she approached the hedgerow and waved her hand. The arborvitae bent and twisted, leaving a wide gap for the two women. She had to leave the wheelchair behind, and instead took Bonnie's hand and pulled her up from the chair and through the archway.
The other side of the hedge was peaceful. The wind was still and the air was warm. The sun peeked through the thick green canopy of tree limbs that arched over the sidewalk. Sephira spoke a single word and the hedgerow closed itself with a creek of bending wood and the rustle of evergreen branches interweaving once more.
"We should be long gone before they ever realize you are missing. " She said leading her reluctant cousin toward her car. Katherine was seated in the driver seat.
TVD
Madelena stepped out of the car, smiling to the son who opened the door for her. Another dark haired, blue eyed beautiful boy. The second son by a long dead husband. She took his hand and let him help her out onto the sidewalk before he closed the door.
He walked behind her as they stepped up to the front door of the Salvatore Boarding house and walked inside without so much as a knock.
Tonia swore. She'd stepped out of the woods as the pair entered the house. She moved closer to the house pausing out of sight but near a window to listen within. This could not be good.
"You need to leave." Alexandra said firmly, seeing her mother in law up close and personal for the first time. "You are not welcome here."
Madelena looked over the woman before her. "Then you should have put up the proper protections, my darling. Did your father not teach you?" She said in a pleasant enough tone. She sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. For all that he chose to have daughters rather than sons I do believe that your father was very old world about some things. Such as the place of women in our society. Even you."
"You don't know my father." Alexandra said. "And you still need to leave."
"Oh but I do, Alexandra. I knew him quite well. We were in negotiations to marry one of my boys to one of his girls, you know. You and Damon were not the pairing we had in mind but I don't see it as a problem."
Alexandra's eyes narrowed. "I would say thank you, except I have the feeling you're so accepting because of what you're planning to do to Damon. I won't allow that. You can't have him."
Madelena laughed. "That is so sweet. I am pleased that you are protective of him. He will need that compassion. But you need to understand that I have no intention of harming Damon. Not my Darling boy."
Alexandra noticed that slight change in the newest brother's expression. It went bland. A careful, practiced blandness, Alex was sure. The woman was lying and he knew it. She wasn't surprised.
"Your Darling Boy is my husband. He's no longer your concern. You cut those apron strings when you faked your death. When you left him alone with the bastard you married knowing what he was like."
"Oh no, Guiseppe was definitely not a bastard. " Madelena laughed. "And Damon did very well for himself and his brother in spite of his gentle nature and Giuseppe's ... old world leanings."
"Is that what you're calling it? Old World Leanings? Whatever. Regardless.. this house is not part of your husband's estate, you are not entitled to it. You are not entitled to be here."
The older woman's blue eyes turned cold, and while her features retained the same gentle smile, the eyes changed it all. She looked predatory, monstrous… like Damon sans humanity. Like her own father before he laid waste to an enemy. Alexandra's blood chilled. "You mistake yourself, young Sauveterre. I don't take my entitlement from my dead husbands, or my father… I take it from my sons. Just as August would have taken it from you and Yvette, if you'd ever wed properly and had children to cement that line. Your education is sorely lacking. I will have to see to that." the smile brightened, and Alex could well imagine a hungry crocodile in her place. "But first things first. I need the book."
"Sorry. Can't help you there." Alexandra relaxed physically, locking gazes with Madelena. She reached out to the many bodies buried deep in the woods surrounding the estate. This was the first time she'd ever been glad for Damon's violent way of solving problems.
TVD
Elijah frowned.
"What is it?" Katherine asked as they stood around Klaus's desiccated, burned form. "You're not having second thoughts are you?" The Bennett girl was still out of it, but she was present and according to Sephira that was all that was needed to make the spell work.
He shook his head. "No… that's not it." He did want his brother back. He needed Klaus to help him locate Kol and deal with who or what had him. But he was being pulled away, pulled … "I have to go." He started toward the door and was stopped short by the barrier in place. "Sephira, do not cross me." He said turning his head only slightly to look into her eyes.
"You're not going -"
He moved lightning quick, one arm pulling Bonnie against him, the other hand clutching at her throat.
"-anywhere" she finished.
"If you do not drop that barrier I will rip her throat out, and then yours."
"Elijah, what is wrong with you?" Katherine demanded.
He said nothing, but Bonnie began to make choking sounds as he slowly increased pressure.
"Fine go." Sephira said. "Just go."
Bonnie slumped to the ground, one hand to her throat as she struggled to take those first few breaths past the bruises. Elijah was already gone.
TVD
"Invite me in." Tonia yelled as she slammed against the threshold.
"I can't." Alexandra answered, picking herself off the ground, not for the first time since the fight had begun. The two opponents could barely see each other for all of the spirits and flying debris. What angered her the most was that this wasn't even Madelena she was fighting. It was the son she'd brought with her and she was barely able to stand her ground against him… just him… how was she supposed to protect her family against the entire clan?
Elijah appeared at Tonia's side. There was an instant of recognition, but not time to comment. "Stand aside." He told the younger vampire as he pulled apart the door frame. Tonia had already laid waste to the door itself. He picked up a large piece of the hardwood, hefting it like a spear, he looked into the fray. He focused his awareness on first, Alexandra's location, then the secondary source of power was easy to locate. He threw the makeshift spear the length of the entry and into the parlor with enough force that it penetrated the enemy necromancer and exited the other side, embedding itself in the wall. "Alexandra." He called out and the woman ran toward the door.
She was pulled through it by both vampires and half way down the walk before she stopped them. "We can't leave. She's taking my father's books."
She waved off protests of sentimentality "Anything she wants that badly is dangerous in her hands." She looked to Tonia. "you know what kind of man my father was… do you want his life's work in Her hands?"
She glanced to Elijah and offered her hand to Alexandra "Then you're going to need to feed."
Alexandra nodded to her and took the offered hand, drawing energy to heal and replenish her power.
"We are going to have to discuss this when the battle is done." Elijah said, now realizing he was bound to her. He didn't offer his hand. Instead he moved to stand behind her Resting one hand on the back of her neck and the exposed skin.
Alexandra gasped at the power that ran through her.
"My sire and I are not what you are accustomed to I see." Antonia said, laughing quietly. The girl was not without power. She was a Sauveterre, there was no way she would be weak. But she was definitely untrained.
TVD
"Are you alright?" Sephira asked, kneeling beside Bonnie, who nodded.
"I'm fine." The girl said in a raspy voice, and Sephira smiled brightly.
"Welcome back." She said helping her to her feet.
"Putting him back in his body is a huge mistake." Bonnie said still trying speech on for size and not liking the fit.
"It's the only choice we have. They're looking for the soul stone to use Klaus as a sacrifice. The only way to actually kill him is by shattering the soul stone."
"What? What Sacrifice?"
"okay, " Katherine said. "long story not as long… Damon's mother and a whole family reunion of his older brothers… all necromancers by the way are looking for a means of turning Damon back into a human...well… a necromancer anyway. To do that they need a huge freaking sacrifice. Originals are the best way to do that. They're hard to capture much less kill. So the only one they can really get rid of and make a huge one off sacrifice of thousands is Klaus. If he's back in his body he's not killable. "
"But killing Klaus would mean killing Stefan too. " Bonnie said. "You know… her other son."
"Yeah, I don't think she cares so much since he's not a necromancer. He's a failure to launch like his father. Anyway.. she doesn't exactly want to turn Damon back out of motherly love either. She wants to use him as a spell component."
Sephira sighed. "Once a necromancer turns to vampire… then is turned back his blood becomes a powerful spell component in Necromancer magic. Including a lovely ritual that will turn all vampires into instant slaves to the nearest Necromancer. "
"I am guessing that's not as good as it sounds."
"oh please, Alexandra isn't even as sweet and innocent as she pretends to be. Psycho school teacher chick is just as bad as the rest of them."
"I can't believe we actually agree on something, Katherine. It might just be the first day of the apocalypse." Bonnie said with a frown. "Okay… as much as it's against my better judgement, let's get this done. Make sure that wall is back up. I'd like to be able to keep him contained until he cools off. "
TVD
Madelena entered the parlor, a single book in hand. She paused a moment at the side of her fallen son. She stroked a lock of dark hair from his pained face. "I'll see you soon." She told him and stood up, walking out of the house, leaving him where he lay.
Alexandra waited trembled slightly, glad of Elijah standing at her back. The power from the two ancient vampires was bolstering her, even though she was still exhausted from the previous fight. "I can't let you have that book."
Madelena didn't smile this time. She waved her hand at the woman, expecting her to fly out of her path. But the original held her tightly, standing her ground for her. "You've enthralled a so called Original vampire. There's hope for you yet. You and Damon will give me what I need after all."
Tonia moved in then. Not close enough to be touched by the Necromancer, she wasn't a fool. She couldn't directly fight any of them and she knew it. Even the youngest of them could devastate a vampire with a touch… the right touch anyway. Antonia instead chose to make her attack from a distance. She threw another piece of the wood from the door at her, but unlike her son Madelena's protective spirits were not busy fighting another. A mist like form surrounded the board and it was rendered to splinters.
Madelena laughed. "Ladybird, Ladybird, Fly away home." She told the vampire before one of the pale orbs that floated around her flew from her side and threw Antonia's chest.
The vampire gasped, and slid to her knees, one hand over her heart, instinctively feeling for a hole, as she slumped into unconsciousness.
"you cannot win. Not even with one such as he at your back. It is only one book. It is not worth ending a dynasty for, do not force my hand. " Madelena said. Originals were not immune to her powers. She had proven that with Kol.
"You may not have my father's book." Alexandra said. She knew that Madelena was right, but she couldn't simply give up. What if that was the book with the ritual that spelled the end for them all?
"I'll return it to you as a wedding present." She paused, looking at the car she'd arrived in, then back toward the house and her fallen son. "Well that is inconvenient." She spoke to the air a moment in Italian and the aura of spirits around her seemed to diminish a little.
Alexandra attempted to step toward her, but Elijah held her fast.
"You cannot defeat her alone." Elijah said. "I will not let you die over a book."
"Listen to your thrall, Alexandra. It would be a shame for Damon to have to find a new paramour. " Madelena began to walk away.
"Let me go." Alexandra demanded but he didn't move a muscle until Madelena was out of sight. Alexandra was furious but instead of following the woman down the street she instead ran into the house. She checked on the man on the floor "He's alive. Barely." She said.
"Its easily remedied. Time should take care of it on its own." Elijah said from the destroyed doorway. He eased Antonia to the floor of the porch after having assured himself that she was still alive.
Alexandra glared at him. "That would not be wise." She said and picked up the only unbroken bar glass. "I need some of your blood." She said and held out the glass to Elijah. "The minute he dies he goes to a soul stone. I need him kept here and alive."
Elijah shrugged and bit his wrist, then held it over the glass. "I doubt she cares much about his well being if she just walked away leaving him in pain." If he had a child that was just going to wind up in a soul stone and replaced in a body later, he'd put him out of his misery before walking away.
"That's part of what I'm counting on." She said. She took the glass and hurried back to her fallen foe. She held the blood to his lips and forced him to drink.
" I'm not so certain you can keep him prisoner as easily as you think you can. He nearly bested you before. "
"That's what Willow is for." Damon said walking up the steps to the door. "Some one want to tell me what the hell happened here?"
Stefan followed behind him, frowning at Elijah.
"Your lady mother paid a visit." Elijah said.
"I'd go lightly with that word." Damon said.
"She comported herself as a lady in spite of the conflict." Elijah said, shrugging.
"He meant mother." Stefan said. "What are you doing here?"
"He's enthralled to Alexandra." Damon said, unable to hold back the smirk. "I'd thank him for showing up to help but he really didn't have a choice."
Stefan's eyebrows went up. "Really? Good to know."
"She took one of father's books. I don't know which one." Alex said, running a hand through her hair.
"Josh and I made an inventory. We'll figure it out. What's the plan with my newest big brother. I'm assuming he's a brother anyway."
Alex nodded. "He is. She just abandoned him here. Like he was nothing." She couldn't wrap her head around that, even if she hoped to use it to her advantage.
"He is nothing in her eyes." Stefan said. "No matter what she says, we mean nothing to her. Including Damon."
"I think perhaps especially Damon." Elijah said from the doorway.
"Yeah, normally I'd say that was a good thing but I'm not liking her plans for me." Damon grumbled. "Speaking of plans… what are we doing with the vampire infused necromancer. Please tell me you want me to break his neck."
"Not yet. I want him in the cellar for now. I'm hoping we can use the blood in his system as leverage to get him to tell us what she's doing." Alexandra said. "And if that doesn't work you can break his neck and I'll enthrall him to make him spill the beans."
"That works too." He hefted the wounded man onto his shoulder and started for the stairs. "Good thing blood doesn't work as quickly on necromancers." It would save their lives but it wasn't an instant healing as it was with humans. "He'll be weak for a while. It'll give me time to come up with willow lined shackles."
Alexandra shuddered. That was torture in and of itself.
"Now isn't the time to go soft." Stefan said quietly. "You might not like it but its got to be done."
"I know."