AN: In the wake of a prophecy, uneasy alliances are formed and Bonnie needs to learn a new type of magic.
This story is LOOSELY canon-based, and I mean so loose that there's barely a mention of Silas as a legend and it's my own interpretation on how they will find a cure with no meddling from Silas or Shane. Basically, we're going in another direction.
**It should be noted that I don't own these characters
Elijah's POV
Klaus was rambling about something but Elijah was paying no attention as he was deep in thought. He failed to make sense of the power his mother harnessed since she rose. As an intermediate-skilled witch, she nearly perished from over-exertion doing the spell that birthed the Mikaelson's into their undead life. And on this day when she suddenly attacked, he felt the magic throughout the mansion that reanimated her. It was as if she's been a seasoned witch for thousands of years, far too much power she could ever behold.
"What is it, Elijah?" Klaus strolled over to his older brother, speaking so lowly that his words were inaudible to anyone else with supernatural hearing.
"Have you observed that our mother has been able to harness double the power than in her first life without reaching the point of exertion?" The elder Mikaelson responded in the same hushed tone.
"What are you getting at?"
"Esther now manifests a great deal of power than in her first lifetime. My concern being, where did all this power come from?"
Elijah saw the look on his hybrid brother's face, he too had realized something was amiss. Elijah threw the bottom of his suit jacket behind his hip and slipped a hand into the pocket of his pants.
"I need to pay Bonnie Bennett a visit. I believe she and Elena may know something about Esther's power since they had words the night of the ball."
"Why not have Kol do it? He clearly fancies her."
"So much he's protecting her, despite her and her companions' part in Esther's treachery. From what, I'm not certain."
"Very well then, leave the witch to me." Klaus smiled his friendly but blatantly unscrupulous smile. Elijah knew it all too well and couldn't let Klaus's impulsive nature or usual intimidation tactics put a damper on their already uneasy alliance.
"I'll see to it, Niklaus," Elijah countered, mentally rolling his eyes. "The last thing we need is another reason for you to dagger Kol when he inevitably retaliates for you interfering with him and the witch. With any of us vulnerable, Esther would have an advantage."
Elijah, fulfilling his daily need to remind him that ensuring the survival of their family was the objective.
"Whatever you do Elijah, we need to maintain the pretense of an alliance."
"For now."
"Of course, brother." Klaus's grin widened. "We can't let Stefan and his mates' planned deceit go unpunished, now can we?"
Damon's POV
Stefan flashed into the boarding house at lightning speed and pinned Damon by his throat against a wall.
"Well, hello to you too, brother. Did you find your precious Elena?" The elder Salvatore bit out through clenched teeth.
"You didn't even tail the hunter!" His younger brother hissed back.
"Oh, about that," he smirked. "He's got a trailer in the woods. Not much to report."
"What have you done to Bonnie, Damon?"
Stefan slammed Damon against the wall again.
"I did what you and Bonnie failed to do! Esther asked for blood, the blood of her demented children no less, and you trying to gentle arm the witch into getting Kol's blood wasn't working, Stefan!"
Using force was the only way to get anything done around there, and it frustrated Damon to no end that he was the only one who seemed to understand that. He shoved his younger brother off of him and stepped closer, eyeing him an inch away from his face.
"But thanks to me, we're one step closer to getting rid of the Originals."
"You fed on her, didn't you?" Stefan guessed.
Memories of when he force-fed himself the little witches blood seared through Damon. He would have loved to taste her blood again, though regretfully, that did not coincide with his plan.
Damon scoffed. "Sadly, no. I gave her a flesh wound so Kol could heal her. I'm not a fucking id-"
Stefan's eyes widened in shock and he attempted to flash out of the house but Damon caught him by the door. "What's the big deal, Stef?"
"I was given a prophecy. If Esther is successful in killing the Originals, we'll die too."
"What?"
"Don't you get it? The Originals each originate a sire line. All vampires come from them. If they die, so do we. It's been prophesized, you dumb fuck!"
Stefan shoved his brother out of his way and sped out of the house. Upon reflection, Damon guessed, he was back a moment later watching Damon who still wore his dumbfounded expression.
"Oh, and we have an alliance with the Originals, at least until we figure this out." He sped away again.
"Stefan, wait," Damon called.
"I have to get to Bonnie's," was his brother's only reply.
Damon kept pace with the younger vampire, who filled him in along the way. Apparently, there was a dark prophecy underway. He wanted to get to the root of it and ease his brother's paranoia before it spread to the rest of the gang since Damon didn't believe in prophecies. He also figured he could play the hero and slip back into Elena's good graces since she was, after all, the queen of forgiveness.
Bonnie woke to the smell of sage in the air. She tasted blood in her mouth and heard voices murmuring nearby. Considering the debacle with her ancestors tormenting her at her meeting with Kol and the flavor of blood still on her tongue, she silently reached for her magic. Bonnie was unsure of how long she'd been out and couldn't be sure where or when she'd land as she'd dreamed of even further torment at the hands of her ancestors. She wanted to prepare herself. Only, there was nothing there. Her eyes snapped open and she recognized the interior of her living room.
Taking a deep breath, Bonnie looked down to survey the damage that had been inflicted on her, but surprisingly there was none. She felt all over her arms and stomach and there were no scars of the lacerations previously inflicted. Not even Damon's gash was present. The only thing that was different was what looked like a charm bracelet she'd never before laid eyes upon. She decided that as long as she was sentient, she wouldn't complain. It was likely protecting her from her angry ancestors. The hushed voices she heard stopped as footsteps came closer, Abby and Elena coming into view.
"Bonnie, Abby called me when you were out. She filled me in. How do you feel?" Elena queried.
"I feel completely fine," Bonnie admitted. "There's not a scratch on me, not even Damon's gash."
Elena frowned as Bonnie looked to Abby, holding up her wrist with the charm. "I'm guessing that was your doing? Thank you," she added when Abby only nodded in response. Abby was looking over, visibly scanning for a trace of magic that Bonnie already knew she wouldn't find.
"What did Damon do?" Elena asked. "I thought the ancestors attacked you. Did Damon attack you too?"
" Damon stabbed me so Kol could think a hunter attacked me and offer me his blood to heal me." sighing, she continued. "I know he's Stefan's brother, Elena. But-"
"You don't even have to say it. He's already done so much damage. We need to desiccate him."
"Right," Bonnie agreed. They needed Damon out of the way, at this point he was only doing more harm to the town and their friend group. All his ways of trying to help situations always resulted in someone dead or a new vampire and now he was spilling Bonnie's blood. He was as good as gone. At least for a few generations and Stefan can deal with him later.
"Stefan and I already discussed it, and he wants to do it the old-fashioned way. The good news is that you don't have to exhaust yourself and you can preserve your magic." Elena attempted a hopeful smile that was halted by Bonnie's morose expression.
"About that," Abby and Bonnie both spoke at the same time. Abby clammed up so Bonnie continued. She didn't understand why Abby was acting so strangely, a witch not having her magic was indeed scary, but it wasn't the end-all survival factor, which Abby should well know.
"My magic is gone, Elena. Damon commissioned me to get Kols blood and I couldn't do it. That's why the ancestors tortured me and they stripped me of my magic."
"What?" Elena cried.
"Bonnie, you'll need to get out of town." Abby declared. "Esther can't channel you alive anymore since her link to our ancestors' magic was broken when they stripped you of yours."
She gestured towards the bracelet on Bonnie's left wrist.
"That will protect you for now but not forever."
"Abby, Esther's left town. She wouldn't hurt Bonnie, she's on our side. What's going on?" Elena asked, trying to make sense of what she was hearing.
"She left town?" Bonnie gasped. That could only mean one thing!
"Yeah, she was on her way out right when Abby called me. She'll be b-"
"Esther will be looking to kill Bonnie to restore the link, she's weakened right now. Since Bonnie is a natural witch that's had her powers stripped, she'd have to die and be resurrected for her power to be restored." Abby explained as she cut off Elena. "Her magic at the core of her soul needs a host. In order for her body to host her magic again, she needs rebirth, resurrection. But if Bonnie's dead, Esther will know right away. She'll continue to channel her spirit along with the rest of the ancestors and take too much power out of Bonnie's soul for her to come back."
Bonnie's eyes widened in horror as she realized the gravity of her mother's warning.
Abby paused a moment. "Bonnie, you'll stay dead."
"Oh my God," Elena gasped.
"Abby, I can't just leave town!" Bonnie lamented. "Esther will go after all my friends. She's going to get them killed going up against the Mikaelson's!"
"I'm sorry Bonnie, there's no other way. Please! Come with me. I can protect you, I know some witches,"
"I know another way." Bonnie raised her brows. "I know you used expression, Abby."
"NO!" Abby shouted but then she tried again calmly. "That's dangerous, Bonnie. Trust me. "
Bonnie began to protest until she witnessed Abby reach into the pocket of her jean jacket. Her hands were black with ash and Bonnie raised her brow at Elena who took the cue. She was off her feet and her world went by in a blur for a few moments until she'd landed in the middle of Elena's living room. Elena closed the front door.
"Thanks for getting me out there. I didn't want to be incapacitated again, by yet another one of my relatives." Bonnie said softly.
"No problem Bon. Um.." Elena looked around uncomfortably as she entered her living room.
"What is it?"
"I spun Abby as we ran out, so she may have gotten a face full of that knockout dust."
"Oh my God. The nerve of that woman, telling me what to do. Abby doesn't get to tell me what kind of magic I can and can't use. She'll be fine, she probably landed on my dad's fluffy carpet anyway,"
Bonnie let out an aggravated laugh and Elena joined until she realized her laughter had turned into tears.
"Hey, hey come here," Elena pulled Bonnie into an embrace. "Is it Abby?"
Bonnie said nothing for a few moments as she sobbed. She didn't feel like discussing Abby anymore. Sighing a sob, she finally spoke. "Elena?"
"What's up?"
"How did you know that you could trust Stefan?" Bonnie looked at her best friend through her tears. "I need to know, Elena."
Bonnie knew her friend would figure that this was about Kol, but she didn't care. Elena was dating a vampire as well and she was the queen of understanding and forgiveness. The only people her mercy didn't extend to were Damon and the Originals, understandably. Too many loved ones had been hurt at their hands. There was only so much forgiveness Elena could offer. Still, Elena had never let her down so Bonnie was counting on her to understand.
"This is about Kol, isn't it?"
Bonnie said nothing, just stared with her wet, green eyes.
"Bonnie, I don't know if it's a good idea.."
"Please," Bonnie finally said. "I need to know. Because all I've had to go off lately is my magic and it's gone now. I can practice the expression but that's going to take some time. My magic didn't fear Kol. It trusted him, it wanted him or something in him. I've been trying to figure it out, but I've got nothing to go off of now."
"Well, Stefan trusted me with his secret." the doppelganger let out a deep breath she didn't realize she was holding. "As soon as he realized I'd be better protected that way, he told me. And he trusted me to tell you too, he cares about the safety of everyone I love. He came back to me Bonnie, after the whole Klaus ordeal. He's done everything he can to keep me safe, right from the start. It was just instinctual, that's the only way I can put it."
"And you trusted him enough to tell him about the doppelgänger."
"Yeah. He hasn't let it slip to Damon or he'd have left town by now. I trust him with everything. Is that what you have with Kol?"
"I… I think so. I just haven't spent any time around him without my magic so I can't be sure if it's only magic-related."
There was no longer any doubt about the gravity that pulled her to Kol, but Bonnie couldn't shake the feeling that this was only connected to her magic. She was worried she'd feel less bonded to him now that her magic had been compromised. The only thing that was good about this was that since her magic was giving her nausea at the prospect of betraying him, that was one less thing she needed to worry about. Moral Bonnie was experiencing an inner struggle about what to do next, all she knew for sure was that he wouldn't harm her and she couldn't take advantage of that trust. At the same time, she could no longer access witch Bonnie.
With that thought in mind, Bonnie figured it'd be best to relay that sentiment to Elena, who was watching her with that look of uncertainty. She wiped her eyes and cleared her throat.
"I know he won't hurt me. That's on pure instinct. He has no desire to, which is a lot more than I can say for Damon," she scoffed.
"Right. But don't worry, Stefan and I will take care of it. It'll keep you safe from him too."
Both teens nodded in agreement.
"So, you and Kol, huh?" Elena suggested tentatively.
Bonnies shrugged. "All I can tell is that my magic seeks him. I'm not sure if it will be the same without it. Are the grimoires I left here still in the library?"
"Up in my room." She pointed up the stairs.
"Ok, I'm going to go clean myself up and grab the books. Will you put on some vervain tea?"
"Alright and then I need to fill you in on what Esther said."
Bonnie started up the stairs as she heard Elena moving around the kitchen and yelling an ok for her to borrow some clothes from her closet as well.
The witch opted to lay out three grimoires on Elena's bed first before she entered the adjoining bathroom. She tied her hair back to wash her face, washing away the traces of the tear-stained makeup she'd acquired as a result of her attack. Once she was satisfied she pulled off her shirt striding into the room, heading towards Elena's closet. Browsing the selection of blouses, she began pulling out a few potentials when something caught her eye.
Out of her peripheral vision, she saw two of the grimoires suddenly fly open. Pages fluttered as they were flipped through before they slowed and splayed open on one particular page in the middle of one, while the other spellbook landed on a page towards the back of the book.
What the… she cocked one brow and shot a quick glance towards the door. She idled towards the books, unsure if it was a trap from her ancestors.
Elena's POV
Elena grabbed the tea kettle with a potholder and poured the steaming water into two teacups that were waiting on a tray. She dropped a chamomile tea bag into one and used tongs to drop the pouch of vervain into the other. She laid out spoons and sugar before she carefully carried the tray to the dining table.
Knock, knock, knock!
At the door was Stefan and his eternally insufferable ass of a brother. Other than rolling her eyes at Damon's signature smirk, she hardly spared him a glance as she quickly kissed Stefan.
"Hey. I was going to call you. Stefan, now isn't really a good time. Bonnie's-"
"Elena, please. This is important," Stefan urged.
"May we come in?" Damon asked innocently.
Elena suppressed another eye roll before she opened the door wide enough for the brothers to step inside.
"Bonnie'll be down in a minute. What's going on?"
"Call her down," Damon said as if it were obvious. "She needs to hear this."
"In a minute," Elena scoffed at his demands, he was no one to waltz into her home and start giving orders. "She's cleaning herself up after the torture you helped inflict on her so you'll have to forgive me if I'm in no hurry to put her in the same room as you again."
Damon waved away her territorial sentiment.
"Bygones, Elena. After all, this is about all of our survival."
She raised a brow. "Survival?"
Damon looked at his brother.
"Elena, I was visited by an Oracle or a Seer of sorts." He stated. "She gave me a prophecy."
"The prophecy that dooms us all," Damon mused with his bug-eyed expression, as Stefan recanted his encounter with the Oracle.
Stefan's POV
Stefan had been on his way to the Mikaelson mansion in his car when something caught his eye as he waited at the stoplight. He figured he really should go after Elena but whatever it was, enticed him. He saw a red glow coming from outside of the Grille as a couple who didn't seem to notice the glow was walking in. Curiosity got the best of him and then he detected an alluring, intoxicating aroma. It may have been the ripper in him looking to sate his bloodlust but he needed to find the source of that smell.
The red glow remained by the door of the Grille but seemed to travel as Stefan got closer, leading him to the back exit of the establishment.
Once alone with the glow, which looked like red dust floating in the air, it expanded and the glow became so bright Stefan had to shield his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, standing before him was a red-haired woman with a long and red flowing asymmetrical dress. As the woman manifested, the scent grew stronger, activating Stefan's bloodlust.
She smiled warmly at Stefan before she blew out a breath in his face and uttered the word "Immobile."
Stefan, visibly confused at the fact he couldn't move, tried to squirm. The red-headed woman laughed.
"It's no use, Stefan. But it's good to see you! I've always liked you. You're one of the good ones. Even if you tend to stray with that bloodlust of yours." She said, with a knowing grin.
"Who the hell are you?"
"That's not what you should be asking, Stefan! But there's not a lot of time. I have a message for you. You are not to kill Klaus or any of the Original vampires." She was still beaming a warm smile when suddenly her eyes either rolled back or turned completely white. She recited as if in a trance "If Mikaelson falls, all vampires will fall. Unless you can break the ties that bond, all that animates you will soon be gone."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Stefan yelled. None of that sounded good because they needed the Originals out of the way, yet it sounded like a warning that worse was yet to come if the Originals were taken out.
The woman repeated the chant once more before her eyes returned to normal. "Did you get all of that?"
"What does it mean? Why can't we kill the Mikaelson's?" He asked.
"The Originals sired all vampire lines. Killing the head, kills the whole line. Go, tell everyone!" She exclaimed, way too cheerfully. She blew some of her strange magic at him again and he found himself sitting in his car, waiting at the stoplight again. He looked towards the Grille and saw the same couple from before, re-entering the building as if the first time.
Elena's POV
"I was already on my way to the mansion but when I got there, Esther had already left. The Oracle said ' If Mikaelson falls, all vampires will fall. Unless you can break the ties that bond, all that animates you will soon be gone. ' She was in a trance when she told me this, so she couldn't really elaborate." Elena's eyes popped.
"What she did tell me was that each of the Originals is the head of a sire line. I don't know who started the line of vampires that led to Katherine, but we can't kill any of them, at least not yet, not until we know who sired Katherine. If Esther completes the ritual, with your human blood, Finn's death will take us all down. Every vampire." Stefan stared at his girlfriend, grave expression set on his face, his eyes making a silent statement.
Panic set in. Elena wasn't seeing how letting any Originals live would fare her or her friends well. Nothing but chaos and destruction transpired since the Original Vampires came to town. Klaus was insane, Elijah couldn't be trusted, and Rebekah would kill her the second she saw an opportunity. Not to mention there was Kol was just as maniacal as Klaus, if not more.
"So what, we-we're just going to let Klaus live? He's going to find out about the cure and use it on me so he can have my blood for his damn hybrids, Stefan!"
The only thing that seemed to be keeping Elena safe was that Klaus was searching for a way to make her blood useful for his hybrid experiment. If he didn't find a way to do that, eventually he would deem her useless and dispose of her and Damon as well. Ironic as it was, nature's loophole to prevent him from siring hybrids was that she was supposed to die at the ritual. Her blood as a human was key in being able to create his minions. Being a vampire, she was now a walking reminder of his failed endeavor, but as long as he thought there was a way to utilize her blood, she was safe. Theoretically, of course.
"I didn't tell him about the cure," he arched his brow, continuing his silent statement. "just that we need to call a truce for now. Just until we figure out how to stop Esther."
"Oh my God. She's…" Elena clamped her mouth shut when she realized Damon was still in the room. She wasn't waiting for Elena to be cured. She went after the new doppelganger to fulfill the prophecy! He cocked his head at her. "So what do we do, just wait on Esther? And what did you find out about the hunter?" Hoping he didn't catch her near slip, she narrowed her eyes on him.
"A Bennett witch desiccated Mikael before, a Bennett witch can desiccate the rest of them. One by one." Damon supplied as he tapped off his fingers, casually side-stepping her hunter inquiry.
"Yeah, but Abby lost her magic when she did that. That was one Original! We have multiple to worry about!" Elena exclaimed. "Besides, Bonnie lost her magic when her ancestors attacked her. She can try and get it back but she could lose it again or even die! I know you don't care but she's my best friend. It's not an option, Damon."
The doppelganger shook her head furiously while Damon pressed his fingers into his temples while he grumbled about naive teen witches. The older vampire could really use some empathy and people skills. It was no wonder he had but one friend. Elena was losing count of how many people she had to defend against Damon's impulses. She already lost her brother to one of his tantrums…
"Elena, we may not have another option, Damon already ensured Esther more than half of the blood she needs. Unless we can find the cure first…" Stefan spoke up, breaking her out of her thoughts.
"What if that's what the prophecy was about, we find the cure and use it on Klaus and we're all goners?"
"I have a hunch that the prophecy only applies to vampire Originals. Their deaths. If he's made human, we can just kill him. That might be why she tried to warn me."
"Who's to say Elijah won't rip our hearts out if we take out Klaus? He's a sap for his brother, he's already proved he can't be trusted!" Damon snorted. "And where is that damn witch?"
He zipped upstairs to Elena's bedroom. Elena growled, following suit with Stefan in tow. She found Damon pinning Bonnie against the wall and saw that her friend was without a shirt. She rushed over and grabbed Damon by the back of his shirt and thrust him backward as he was telling 'witchy' she had work.
"Get him out of my house, Stefan! I'll talk to Bonnie," she donned her vampire face as she made her demand.
Stefan, being ever the gentleman, made sure to keep his eyes off of Bonnie as he callously pulled Damon up but Damon flashed in front of the two teen girls again. Elena sharpened her glare and Bonnie wore a confused frown.
"This is about all of our survival, Bonbon." he looked her up and down before he scoffed and walked out the door, jerking away from Stefan who apologized on behalf of his brother. Again.
Elena's vampire face slowly faded as she turned towards Bonnie.
"You should sit down," she suggested, as she tossed Bonnie a shirt.
Elena filled Bonnie in on what Stefan had divulged earlier that evening. The young witch understood that she, as the only town witch, had a duty to protect her friends. Yet she was conflicted now that she now needed to consider the Originals as allies, for real this time. At the very least, she needed to ensure their survival. The prophecy stated ties to a bond needed to be broken and she figured it was the sire bond that had each of the Original's ancient blood flowing through each of her friends. It made sense, how Originals were able to compel other vampires because it was their blood, diluted as it may be, flowing through each of them as a parent's DNA flows through their offspring. Their blood commanded that each new generation of vampires obliged their superior's decree.
So on the agenda was making nice with the Mikaelson's, somehow completing the hunter's mark and finding the cure, and learning a new type of magic so Bonnie could remove her protection charm, which she currently couldn't risk taking it off. It was the only thing keeping Esther from killing her and completely taking over her powers. But being a natural witch the expression magic would likely come easily to Bonnie, it already called to her.
And then there was Kol. But first things first…
"Alright, I'm here!" the young blonde vampire announced as she slammed the front door shut, carrying two duffel bags. Caroline had been summoned to Elena's for a much-needed girls' night sleepover. She had been thoroughly briefed on the latest Mikaelson threat and the trio decided that some sense of normalcy was needed amongst the chaos that was their life as of late.
"And I've got junk food, romantic comedies, and tequila!" Caroline said, taking the bottle of alcohol out of her bag and waving it around.
"I'll take that!" Bonnie grabbed the bottle and cradled it to her chest. "And Abby?"
"Sent packing! With a piece of my mind, too. I mean seriously, who even thinks that she can just waltz right in here and magically drug-"
"Caroline, it's ok. I'm just glad she's away from all this. She doesn't belong in the middle of it, anyway."
"No," Caroline shook her head. "It's not ok, Bonnie! She's supposed to be your mother!"
"She stepped out of that role a long time ago. Grams was the only mother I knew." Bonnie smiled, thinking how Caroline was like a terrier when defending her bestie.
"I think Grams would be proud that you've been handling vampire business and simultaneously making it to all your classes," Elena chimed in. "Even though I'm sure she'd be telling you-"
"Stay out of vampire business!" They all said at once and dissolved into a fit of laughter.
Elena squeezed Bonnie's hand. "I miss her too,"
"We'll never forget her," Caroline added.
"You guys, this is supposed to be a fun girls' night and we're getting all sentimental. I love you guys but let's get to drinking and binging!" Bonnie declared. Tonight would be a normal teenaged drama night.
Her besties agreed and they set up everything in the living room. Makeshift beds, snacks, and glasses for the drinks were all strategically organized, courtesy of Caroline.
"Oh Bonnie, Abby did ask me to give you this before she left." Caroline handed her an old grimoire. "She said it might help, but to use it carefully."
Bonnie hardly glanced at the grimoire but she eyed Caroline and said, "Later."
Caroline nodded in agreement.
A few hours later, after Caroline and Elena had fallen asleep in the past half hour, Bonnie found herself unable to sleep. After tossing and turning for the better half of twenty minutes, she decided to read up on the pages that had opened up to her earlier that day. She quietly made her way to Elena's bedroom and got out the books again. They were closed. Bonnie placed them on Elena's desk and just watched them for a few minutes. She narrowed her eyes when nothing happened.
Sighing, Bonnie went into the bathroom to wash her face for the night. She had barely had a chance to see what pages were open earlier before Damon had suddenly rushed her. When she emerged from the bathroom, she found two books open to what looked like familiar pages.
She donned a satisfied grin and went to study them. One grimoire discussed expression magic and how to wield it and the other one had various spells that had been used with expression. Bonnie took heed of the warning in the first book that only very seasoned witches should attempt to use expression and still should never practice alone, a mentor was needed.
Bonnie reasoned that working on the basics wouldn't be harmful, she could mentor herself through that. She grabbed a bag of supplies, put on a thin robe over her tank and shorts, and slipped outside into the backyard.
Kol's POV
Kol watched from the shadows as the Bennett witch concentrated on the candle in front of her. The candle was perched on a stool that was seated next to a tree stump that held two grimoires. Bonnie had been out in her friend's yard for about half an hour and spent most of the time trying to get it lit magically. Every few failed attempts, she would consult her grimoires and try again. It didn't appear to be working and Kol could sense why. He felt drawn to her still, but he didn't feel her magic reaching back out for him.
Not once did it occur to him that it may be considered creepy he was watching her unsuspectingly in the middle of the night. He hadn't had a chance to check on her after her attack, and he just needed to see that his witch was okay, then he could leave.
Again, he cursed fate for being so cruel to him, taunting him with the idea of his soulmate then ripping her away. She'd probably never even consider the idea of him now that her magic wasn't pushing her towards him. Not with her being a vampire-hating, natural witch at her core.
Clearly, he couldn't rely on fate itself to bring them together, he had some legwork to do. And since the visions had been of them practicing magic together, what better way to incorporate himself into her routine? Of course, he'd have to meet with her under less ominous conditions rather than startle her in the middle of the night.
From the looks of it, Bonnie was practicing expression, or attempting to. Thankfully, the magic of expression didn't yet manifest or Bonnie could've been overcome. She was courageous enough to attempt it, courageous to a fault even, the ancient vampire surmised.
"Did you even heed the warning about attempting this alone, little witch?" Kol asked. Foregoing his former plan to merely observe, he announced his presence after her latest futile effort. He watched her blow out a breath in frustration, causing the bangs laid across her forehead to flutter. The bronze of her skin glistened in both the moonlight and dimly lit security light. She bit her lip and glared at the candle in frustration then swiped her tongue across her lips when Kol could no longer contain his distance. She was breathtaking, he had to be by her side...
At the sound of Kol's voice, she whipped her head up with a gasp.
"Kol! What are you doing here?"
"Don't be frightened darling, I mean you no harm." With one hand on his torso, one hand slightly raised, he approached the young witch slowly. The magnetism was burning in him but other than being startled, she didn't seem to be affected. The cruelty that was fate, rearing its ugly head, yet again. Another thing making him move towards her gradually was that Kol heard how fast her heartbeat sounded and it pained him, softly. He didn't want her frightened, not by him and especially with all she had endured that afternoon.
As Kol neared Bonnie, he clasped both hands behind his back, gripping his hands firmly out of frustration that coursed through him.
"I know you don't. And I appreciate what you did for me, earlier. You saved my life," she responded solemnly.
"I came to check on you, love."
"In the middle of the night?"
"Can't very well have you dying on me when we haven't gotten to the bottom of these mysterious dreams, have we? How have you been sleeping, sweet Bonnie?" he noticed Bonnie shuddered at that.
"I'm trying to thank you, please don't be weird."
Kol scoffed and stared at the little witch, as if in disbelief.
"If you really want to thank me, you'll refrain from doing things that further endanger your life, darling."
Bonnie winced at his sharp tone. "How am I-"
"You realize by your conspiring with my mother, my family could've killed you by now. Yet, here you are trying to inevitably kill yourself? Did you not see the warning about practicing this kind of magic on your own?"
"I did, I just thought-"
"I hardly believe you were thinking, clearly at least." Kol snatched one of the books and skimmed it a moment, before replacing it with the other. "It specifically states here that you need a mentor."
He slapped his hand on the open page.
"Who wrote this damn book? It should also have a clear description warning about the effects expression can have on you if not properly wielded."
"One of the witches in my family, I suppose. I've heard expression can be dangerous but that's it. What is the risk? Why is it dangerous?"
Bonnie eyed him expectantly. She frowned when instead of directly answering, Kol took to insulting Abby instead.
It frustrated Kol to no end that her way of practicing magic was set up to make her fail.
"A seasoned witch and she didn't tell you the dangers? Why the nerve and naivety. That's akin to leaving hot coals on the furnace in plain sight and demanding a curious, unsupervised toddler leave it be. I understand you've lost your magic due to your ancestors but I've asked your birther to ensure you were protected. One simple, bloody task, and here you are out in the-"
Before Kol could finish his angry rant, Bonnie interjected. "Kol, what is the risk?"
He pierced her with a stern look. "You could destroy yourself and everything around you, and you wouldn't even realize it. Most people tend to get lost in it because of the type of magic it is. Its origins are very manipulative."
Bonnie flipped through a few pages in each book.
"The origins of expression aren't discussed in any of these. They've been torn out. Kol?"
Kol was nearly aroused by the expectant but still pleasantly patient look on his darling witch's face. The curiosity in her ocular jade stare was captivating. He took a subtle step back to add a little distance between them in hopes of easing his nerves or at the very least his hormones. It didn't help that she kept giving him information that frustrated him to no end. All he wanted to do was teach her a lesson in true loyalty she wouldn't soon forget. That way she'd no longer see it fit to put the lives of her so-called friends before. Additionally, it was an injustice to him that he was getting the brunt of this painful pull towards the witch and she was now immune to it. It wasn't that he wanted for her to suffer the same affliction, he would gladly take the heat for her. It just irked him that if they could only give into their desires then neither of them had to suffer. Only, he knew Bonnie wasn't ready for that.
Kol had a hunch that if he could help her harness the power of expression, he'd be able to feel the pull of her magic again. It was within her, she just needed access to magic. Whatever kind of magic flowed through her would reach for his own. Not to mention that a young witch needed help harnessing expression, they needed a center to talk them down through big spells.
"This is why you need a mentor, darling. You want to cure your friend of her loathed vampirism, right?"
"How do you know about the cure?" Kol heard her heart drop.
"We all do. The hunter in town gave it away. I assume you're trying to harness expression to get said cure, right? To save the doppelwhore from a life of blood and violence?"
"Of course! I just- Kol, don't you dare interrupt me again,"
Kol had opened his mouth to speak but instead, he grinned at Bonnie's assertive tone. He loved his women feisty. "Go on then, love."
She continued. "I'm guessing that using expression can somehow lead to the cure. What else am I missing?"
"There are three parts to the puzzle. The magic, the hunter, and the mark."
"The hunter! That almost makes sense. But he killed April. Isn't he only supposed to kill vampires?"
"Hunter's usually target vampires but if humans are in the way, they'll be seen as exterminable obstacles. Bonnie," Kol leaned in and lowered his voice, fighting the temptation to move closer. "There is only one way to find that cure. You aren't going to like it, darling. But it has to be done. Let me mentor you, I won't let you lose yourself."
His voice was so soft yet it had a serious edge to it. He could hear Bonnie's heartbeat skip in anticipation as well as the gulp she took before responding.
"I need to know what I'm getting into, Kol," the ancient vampire detected a slight shakiness in her voice as she glanced down at his lips, but she looked assured. Brave little witch, he thought. "And I'm sorry about the thing with Esther. Obviously, I couldn't go through with it, and I know you guys can kill us all for it. And that was before I knew it would kill my friends as well."
"I would never dream of harming you, beautiful one," He was downright offended she'd even suggest that she'd be the one he'd seek retribution on. Of course, he'd expect her not to initially trust him, they were natural enemies. He felt her magic and knew although she might try, her magic wouldn't let her betray him. Kol's anger over the situation wasn't with Bonnie. It was more likely her friends or Esther wanted to exploit the chemistry between them.
He decided to focus because anger paired with his growing arousal wouldn't fare them well at all. "The expression is used to cast a spell to open a portal at a certain axis point. The mark of the hunter will map the exact location, and a hunter's mark is only complete when he kills an unidentified large quantity of vampires."
Kol heard Bonnie's heart drop. "One other thing, little witch. In order to harness all the power of expression to open the portal, you'll need to complete the expression triangle. It requires the sacrifice of at least thirteen or more witches, vampires, and humans in three distinct landmarks."
"You mean altogether, right?"
"Each, darling." he caught Bonnie as she began sinking to the ground. His skin burned with desire at the contact and he fought a difficult inner struggle to pull her into his arms. A vision flashed in his mind. Bonnie rested her head on his chest as they leaned against a car. His breath abated and he attempted to block out the vision. He focused on holding her steady as he knew if he pulled her any closer he couldn't trust himself to not taste her lips, finally. "I told you, you wouldn't like it."
"That's almost forty people! I can't. I won't! There has to be another way," Bonnie cried, looking into his eyes. Kol shook his head.
"After a thousand years, I would've discovered one by now. You don't have to kill anyone innocent, darling. The human part of the sacrifice has already taken place."
"Oh my God, did Esther do that? I thought the hunter did."
"The hunter doesn't know about expression, much less the sacrifices, just that he needs to complete his mark. If he can round up a dozen vampires to execute, he'd still need to make sure it's at one end of the triangle. My guess is the explosion may have been orchestrated by Esther somehow."
"The Salvatores and my friends are the only vampires I know, Kol. This makes no sense, killing vampires to find a cure for vampirism?"
"And witches."
"This is beyond fucked up, Kol."
"Indeed it is, darling. Luckily my family has many enemies of the witch and vampire sort." Kol smirked as he released his grip on Bonnie. He inhaled deeply, breathing in her scent and silently lamenting at the loss of contact as fury from it pushed through his veins.
"So you have a hit list?" she accused.
"You shouldn't ask questions you don't really want to know the answer to," was Kol's nonchalant reply.
"As long as my friends aren't on it…"
When Kol said nothing, still wearing that evil smile, Bonnie fumed. "We have an alliance with your family, Kol!"
His smile faded, all traces of amusement gone.
"I understand that, love. What you fail to understand is you are too attached to those who are destined to fail you."
Kol stood so close because the distance was scorching his insides, he knew he had to go soon or he wouldn't be able to stop himself from touching her. "Bonnie," his voice barely a whisper.
Bonnie closed her eyes, sucking in a breath. "Why can't I feel you anymore?" She whispered as a response, incontestably attempting to change the subject.
Dammit, there's no time for distractions! "I won't harm your friends, lover." He and Bonnie both tensed at his slip of the endearment and her eyes snapped open.
"Lover?"
Kol sighed. There was even less time for another debate, he'd heard one of the slumbering vampires awaken.
"I have to go, Bonnie. Practicing expression without a proper mentor is suicide, understand?"
He placed his hand on Bonnie's chin as he spoke. His mind was instantly invaded with a vision of him holding Bonnie up against the wall in a shower. They were naked, pressed chest to chest and lips seeking each other hungrily. He could feel the hunger, passion, and arousal vibrating through his core. Why the bloody hell couldn't Bonnie have seen the naked vision? Then she'd have a better clue of what was in store for them. Oh yeah, she couldn't deny where this was inevitably going if she'd caught that vision. But of course, it had to happen while she was immune to it. He released her chin and Bonnie remained perfectly still as she stared up at him, visibly disturbed by the way his eyes darted from her eyes to her lips, which curled between her teeth as the black veins underneath Kol's eyes swirled. He needed to leave instantly, he could feel her anticipation which wasn't helping matters. This was torture! Being near her didn't appear that it was going to get any easier was something he realized as he flashed away.
AN: Thank you for reading and staying with me on this journey! Please share, comment your thoughts, and leave kudos if you are enjoying this fic! And thank you for your patience, I aim to update as often as I can. :)