Chapter Thirteen: "One Day, You'll Die. And It's Gonna Be Because of Me"

We meet Damon in person in this chapter. I don't intend to be gentle. So if that's not your thing, I get it, but you probably won't like this chapter if Damon is bae soooo...

Also, we get to explore everyone's powers in this chapter. That's exciting, right? Shedim powers, siren powers, vampire powers! All the powers, bitches! (Little hint: our favorite siren may be gaining some Black Canary (DC Comics) vibes, alright? I make no apologies because Dinah Lance is a queen in all incarnations.

Songs for this chapter:

"Dark" by Breaking Benjamin

"Mermaid's Calling #2" by Marta Mazurek

"Give 'Em Hell" by Robbie Nevil

"Love in Damascus" by Lena Chamamyan

-O-

Dressed in all black, Damon Salvatore stood underneath the comfortable shadow of a towering oak tree. Taking a deep breath, she felt her eyes sharpen along with the rest of her features. The cuff on her arm burned. Sharpened canines pierced her lower lip, the stout taste of iron filling her mouth. A ringing from far away began in her ears. She watched as Damon helped Elena throw her last bag into the back of his blue Mustang. A thin smirk lined his mouth, and Sabrina had the inexplicable urge to wreck his car and then drive straight into him.

Her grip on the steering wheel became painful again.

Caroline's voice came small and quiet from the backseat. "Sabrina?"

The ringing stopped. Her face relaxed, her features softening away from the sharp-edged predator.

"Hmm?"

"Your face is doing that weird thing again,"

At the same moment, Reyna asked, "You ok?"

Sabrina's throat tightened. "I'm good." Her hands flexed on the steering wheel. Sabrina tried to catch Caroline's gaze in the mirror. "We don't have to do this today, Care. We can come back when we know he won't be here,"

That voice: 'She won't. I can feel the falls near us. Can you feel it? I can take us there. How long do you think he could resist our song, resist the lure into the water? Even the dead shall die,'

Caroline tapped on Sabrina's shoulder, "You can just let me out here,"

Sabrina sputtered. "Oh no. Oh hell no. You thought— oh, huh-uh." She shook her head. "This is in no way a drop off situation,"

"But you said—,"

Sabrina's eyes flashed as she interrupted her with a fierce, "No," baring sharp teeth. Caroline appeared surprised before she covered her surprise in annoyance.

"Ugh. Whatever. Just don't do anything weird. Since when did you get so snippy?"

Sabrina pinched the bridge of her nose. "Y'know, this is the kind of thing that they don't tell you in all of those mandatory adolescent psychology classes,"

"What? What's that supposed to mean?"

Reyna happily supplied, "She means you're being a pain in the butt,"

"Did, literally, anyone ask you?"

"Someone's hormonal,"

Caroline jumped out of the car before Sabrina shifted the car into park.

Sabrina said shrilly, "Caroline! What—,"

Sabrina slammed the car into park, ripping off her seatbelt. Reyna groaned before following Sabrina who leaped from the driver's side.

Elena spun around, alarmed by the noise. Caroline marched up the drive. Sabrina watched as Stefan angled himself in front of Elena.

Ugh, as if, Sabrina thought, following Caroline.

Caroline said as much as she passed, "Not now, Hero Hair,"

Caroline moved in a blur, faster than Sabrina could keep up. Her domain was water, not land, Reyna's air. Not that she planned on showing either of those cards this early.

From behind her, she heard Reyna slam her car door.

Sabrina knew Caroline well enough to know what she was going to do. Well, knew Caroline's pride well enough anyway, even if this went well beyond pride. But Sabrina also knew enough about the pride of a male predator about to lose face in front of a new obsession. The first strike might catch him off guard before the need to hit back faster and stronger took over.

Sabrina saw Caroline's expression reflected in the Mustang's window as she passed Elena— heartbreak, anger, longing, indifference. Caroline yelled Damon's name.

He turned with a lazy smirk. "Who're the rest of the doll's in Barbie's misfit Dream House,"

With his easy posture, Sabrina realized he believed Caroline would falter, would fold, under the threat of potential embarrassment. Caroline never faltered. Not when she drew her fist back, not when her knuckles cracked against Damon's porcelain jaw.

Damon reeled back, stumbling, as blood dripped from his chin. The heel of his boot caught on the edge of the asphalt, and he fell back onto the driveway.

Elena shouted at Caroline, rushing to Damon before Stefan caught her by the elbow, pulling her back behind him. An older man, who Sabrina didn't recognize, emerged from the boarding house with a large duffel bag slung over his shoulder. She didn't like the way his gaze prickled underneath her skin.

Damon rose from the ground, wiping his chin. The air around Sabrina electrified. Land wasn't her domain, but she still moved faster than a human. Damon bared sharp teeth as he pushed himself to a crouch. Sabrina pushed Caroline out of the way as Damon balled his fist made harsh contact with Sabrina's cheekbone. Sabrina's mouth filled with bitter iron.

Her eyes flashed as she met Damon's wide-eyed gaze. His mouth dropped in surprise.

"Not a good introduction," she growled.

After Damon's blow, Stefan rushed forward, "Damon!" When he pushed his brother away, Damon managed to wipe the surprise from his face. Sabrina felt an itch as the inside of her mouth knitted itself back together.

Stefan pushed Damon back again.

"Look," Stefan glanced between Sabrina and Caroline. "I know you both are upset, but if we can just—,"

Sabrina remained still. From her side, Caroline said warily, "Sabrina?"

Needing to save face, Damon sneered under his breath, "You take it better than your friend, little girl,"

A raging heat flooded Sabrina's chest, her claws bursting from her nail beds. Elena said his name with reproach before Sabrina slashed at his face, catching his cheek over Stefan's shoulder.

He looked at her again, and now Sabrina smelled his fear as she let her true face bleed through. Her jaw and cheekbones sharpened while her eyes reflected a deep iridescent. Her eyes flashed as she snarled.

Damon stood, intent on advancing before he hit the ground again, sliding against the gravel. Sabrina looked up, and Reyna hovered above Damon.

"Hey," she groused, grabbing him by the shirt collar and yanking him up. "No one hits my bitch." She looked him up and down disdainfully. "Bitch." She shoved his chest, and he stumbled back. She tipped her head. "You wanna go with someone?" She cracked her neck. "Let's go, momzer,"

She drew two bronze curved daggers from underneath her black leather jacket and tossed him one. He fumbled to catch it.

"Or do you not want to show your friends who you really are?" She taunted. She turned, pretending to approach Elena.

In the depths of her muddled consciousness, Sabrina thought, 'Oh, Reyna. Don't,'

When Reyna's back was turned, Damon turned the dagger over in his hand, considering. Stefan's eyes widened. Caroline grasped Sabrina's arm, hissing,

"Sabrina."

No response. Only a dead stare.

"Sabrina!" She shook Sabrina's arm. Sabrina jostled. She met Caroline's harried glare. "Sabrina, what is she doing?"

Sabrina shook her head once. "No one messes with mishpocheh,"

"What?" Caroline looked to Reyna with wide eyes as though not seeing the annoying best friend of her cousin. But a woman who did not kneel in matters of friends, of family. "Reyna?" She saw Damon turn the knife in his hands again and rush at Reyna's back. "Reyna!" Caroline yelled.

Reyna spun, deflecting the blade with her own. She turned, throwing Caroline a playful wink as if to say, 'You-know-I'm-better.' Caroline hadn't known, but she was learning.

Bronze brandished against itself, sending sparks into the grass. Damon possessed the anger necessary to fell any opponent. He slashed at her jacket, and she gasped, eyes flashing a deep gold. Damon straightened. She ripped off her jacket, tossing it to Caroline, grumbling, "Now, I know he's a monster. That was Prada,"

Her tank top revealed two enormous scroll tattoos with old Hebrew sketched onto the rolled parchments on each of her shoulder blades. They sparkled gold at her back.

Stefan's eyes widened as he held a breath. Damon had to be seeing it too, right?

Pure white wings unfurled at her back, spreading far past ten feet outstretched.

Damon tripped against the edge of the asphalt again. He murmured, "Oh, my god,"

Elena gasped, "Reyna?"

Sabrina followed Stefan's stare as it landed on the man who stood frozen on the stairs leading to the boarding house.

But Reyna's training paired with the same anger? In the next moment, Damon ended up on his back with Reyna's curved dagger against his neck, his face covered in the shadow of wings. She had also managed to take back the weapon she had thrown Damon.

"Gotcha," Reyna said. She tapped the blade against his throat as Damon swallowed.

Sabrina knew she was going to let him go, knew she wouldn't take Caroline's power from her. No one else knew that though.

Sabrina's heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline prickling down her arms. The bracelet burned her wrist. The voice in her head screamed, muffled underneath all of Miriam's magic,

'Protect the pod!'

Her eyes darted to the man on the stairs again. He had retrieved a crossbow from his bag, loading a silver arrow. And despite her wings, Reyna was more human than any of them.

Sabrina moved, ripping her arm away from Caroline.

"Sabrina, you can't—," Elena said.

Sabrina interrupted, instinct replying, "Cover your ears, doe eyes,"

She crossed the grass, pushing aside Reyna, catching the arrow before it pierced her back.

"Enough!" Sabrina yelled, even as Alaric loaded another arrow. Damon moved in a blur, nearly flying to his friend, "Reyna, down,"

With a push of her wings, Reyna landed near Caroline, covering her with her wings. Stefan covered Elena's head with his arms, crouching. Sabrina planted her feet, sucking in a deep breath, not giving herself time to think about what she was doing. She could call across oceans with her voice, but what would it do on land?

A piercing cry emanated from her, burning her throat. The ground shook as leaves fell from the trees. Damon crumbled to his knees with his arms over his ears while the shrill vortex tossed Alaric back onto the stairs. Blood dripped from his ears, and Sabrina stopped, panting.

She looked down at her bracelet, the blue quickly fading to an earthy green. Her skin tightened as the voice was no longer as muffled as before,

'We're the same— you and I,'

Sabrina didn't answer. Sabrina's rebuke to the two men was harsh, "I said, enough,"

Her gaze cut across to Stefan, who subtly wiped the blood away from one of his ears.

"We came to talk to Stefan, Salvatore. Not you,"

"You're really going to get high and mighty," Damon said, signaling Alaric to hold off. "Blondie's the one who started it,"

Stefan stepped in between Damon and Sabrina. "And she finished it," he nodded at Sabrina, who tipped her head once. "I think it's time for you three to hit the road. What do you think?"

Damon glared before filling back into his easy posture and expression. "Fine. Whatever. Just think about the fact, I got a long memory," he brushed past Sabrina, bumping against her shoulder. He smiled at Caroline as he said that. She was certain her dry skin cracked underneath her sweatshirt. He saluted Reyna, whose wings disappeared back into her tattoos,

"Nice meeting you, Feathers. It's a nice party trick, y'know,"

Reyna flipped him off.

He slid into the driver's seat, shaking his head, regaining his bearings. And Sabrina hoped he had the worst migraine of all time while he was driving to wherever they were going. Elena gave Sabrina a wide berth as she tiptoed to Stefan, giving him a brief kiss. She silently slid back into the front seat.

Alaric slid a finger into his ears as he loudly asked Damon, "What the hell did you do to them!?"

Alaric tossed his bag into the back.

"Keep it down, Ric. Not all of us are deaf,"

Alaric slid into the back seat, still rubbing his ears.

Sabrina watched as Damon turned the car on. She caught his eye in the mirror. She thought,

'One day, you'll die. And it is gonna be because of me,'

She wasn't sure if that was her thought or the voice's. She didn't know if it mattered. A deep tiredness suddenly settled in her bones.

Damon looked away first, undoubtedly to console Elena's thousand questions.

Sabrina thought Stefan would approach with sharp teeth, or with an even sharper reproach. Before Caroline could speed over, he asked under his breath,

"What the hell are you two?"

She was tempted to answer in her Batman voice, 'Your worst nightmare,'

Instead, she said, "We're just here to take care of Caroline. No one else seems to be on her side around here,"

"You haven't given us the chance," he said.

"That why you still let your crap brother around her too?" Sabrina hissed. He didn't say anything. "You want a chance, prove it to me. Prove to me she is safe with any of you,"

Caroline broke in between the two of them, talking so rapidly Sabrina didn't have the energy to interpret. Some sounded like an apology, some sounded a bit angry, another bit sounded manically hysterical.

Stefan interrupted by asking if she was ready for her lessons.

"Really?" Caroline's face erupted into pleased surprise. "Still? After.." She moved her hands grandly around her. He offered a small smile.

"To be honest, I thought it would be worse than this,"

Stefan pushed Caroline gently in the direction they needed to go.

"I think you just ignited his inner brooding hero," Reyna said, coming to stand next to Sabrina as Caroline and Stefan blurred into the woods.

"Good. Maybe that'll ignite whatever conscience he has in there too,"

"I thought he'd be more upset when I pummeled his brother into the ground,"

"Yeah, well." Sabrina kicked some gravel back onto the driveway. "I'm sure he's wanted to do that several times in the past,"

Reyna nodded. "It was probably cathartic,"

"Besides, didn't you see how our raven-haired villain was sniffing around his girlfriend?"

Reyna snorted, "Yeah, wow. That's all this friend group needs. A love triangle,"

Sabrina decided the fastest way to sit down was to collapse onto the grass. So she did. Reyna followed a bit more gracefully. Sabrina watched the space where Stefan and Caroline had disappeared.

Reyna allowed the silence for a few more moments before she said, "That guy they were with— he's a hunter. You know that, right?"

"I was hoping that the crossbow was just for decor," she said wryly. She wanted to say that Reyna's mom was going to kill both of them for revealing themselves.

"So that thing with your voice?" Reyna said carefully, looking down to the cuff on Sabrina's arm, seeing the gem was slowly changing colors. "That's new,"

"Yup,"

"They're not gonna stop now until they figure us out. Either to impress or to protect Elena from the big bads who have infringed on their territories. That's the stupid thing about vampires. So freakin' territorial,"

"Worse than werewolves?"

"Oh come on, man. You know, those things are probably extinct by now,"

"Your point?"

"My point is, they're both territorial idiots who need to move on from adolescence, but I don't see that happening any time soon,"

"And?"

"So what happens when they decide you're the one who Elena needs protecting from?"