* Thank to Kamrusepas Night for her love of my story. Your going on my list
of favourite reviewers! Thanks for the enthusiasm. *
Chapter VI
Damon stared at the witch bouncing the ball of fire in her hand. She seemed mildly surprised but glad with his presence. His stare obviously started to unnerve her and she faltered, loosing control of her power. The ball of flame went out.
He reached down and grasped Alaric by the neck, dragging him to his feet. The good doctor smelled of sweat, fear and alcohol.
Giovanna held a tape in her hands and was trying to get his attention. "He's hiding something. I haven't had time to probe him. Perhaps we should watch what he didn't want us to see."
The two vampires moved to leave the room, pulling Alaric behind them.
"Wait!" Jolan yelled. "Your Damon? You know Bonnie?"
Damon turned smoothly and narrowed his eyes at the young woman. "What do you know of it?"
"She is our friend and we want to know what happened to her, as well. You can watch the tape on the equipment at the back of the lab. There is a hidden room where researchers are able to watch the experiments Alaric planned for his guinea pigs."
Damon nodded and he followed the two nervous human women into the lab. He shoved Alaric at Giovanna who scrambled to catch the panicked man. The fire witch grabbed Alaric's other arm and pulled him with them. He eyed the destroyed laboratory with interest until the young woman's voice called him back.
"I'm Jolan, that's Mina." The woman held out her hand as they moved, but he didn't bother to shake it. He wasn't here to make friends.
She lowered her hand quickly, obviously realizing that he didn't want to spend very much time in their company. "We warned him about pushing her too far, but he wouldn't listen."
Jolan reached forward to press a combination on a keypad to open a metal door hidden behind a tall bookshelf. Alaric's eyes widened when he realized that the witch knew the code.
"How-" Alaric began.
"You didn't think we'd be dumb enough not to know that people were watching us from behind that glass. Bonnie is psychic, you moron. She didn't want to be catalogued, anymore. I'm surprised she didn't just tell you to go to hell. Then again, she was always too sensitive of other people's feelings."
Giovanna was watching the scene with her eyes narrowed. Damon's eyes met hers and she shrugged, not caring what he had planned. The door's locks clicked off and they entered the plush room that overlooked the laboratory.
Giovanna handed the tape to Jolan who turned on the power of the television and inserted the tape into the VCR. It was security tape. The white lines disappeared once the automatic tracking took over and the screen revealed the image of a small young red head staring blankly at a wall while Alaric was slapping her face, trying to bring her back. Then the doctor was flung backwards, and knocked out cold. There was a flash of light, and the screen went blue.
Alaric cringed. Giovanna's hands tightened on his arms to keep him from bolting.
Mina narrowed her eyes and said, "Rewind it."
Jolan pressed the button and waited a ten seconds before releasing it. Bonnie was screaming and pulling at her hair. Glass was shattering and objects were flying around the room.
Damon raised an eyebrow. He was mildly surprised to find out that Bonnie was also telekinetic.
Jolan rewound it even more until it showed Bonnie still fully aware and telling Alaric that she couldn't go any further. Her face was covered in sweat.
Alaric's voice rung through the speakers saying, "Push past it."
The red head closed her eyes and raised her hands. Six balls on the table rose up and started to form a circle. Bonnie's face was pained, and her breathing rasping. He could swear that there were also tears on her face.
The balls still spun in a circle, speeding up slightly.
Bonnie's eyes flew open and her chest started to heave.
A child's scream broke the silence. It died almost instantly.
Her eyes darted around the room, searching for something unseen. They watched her powers destroy the room until she stopped yelling and slumped into a vacant state. The tape ended.
Damon was confused and unable to find out what the problem was. He looked at Giovanna who shook her head to indicate she didn't know.
Then he turned his eyes to look at Bonnie's friends. Jolan was crying softly and covering her mouth, muttering no over and over. Mina was breathing heavily and slowly turned her head to look at the doctor who cowered before her.
"You bastard!" She screamed and clenched her hand into a fist. Damon could hear the snap as Alaric's jaw broke from the force of impact. The young doctor slumped in Giovanna's arms and moaned in pain.
"What happened?" Damon snarled at Jolan, knowing that Mina was too angry to tell him what was going on.
Jolan's eyes met his. They were bleak and her face was pale. "Her psyche's barriers were lowered. It wouldn't have been so bad but something entered the room at the same time as her shields dropped and it attacked her. She lashed out blindly, trying to stop it from coming towards her but it was too late."
Damon turned to look at the doctor. Alaric wouldn't meet his eyes. Giovanna released Alaric and quickly stepped back, obviously feeling Damon's fury surge forth.
Damon grabbed and threw the frightened doctor through the one-way glass. He landed on the table below. The legs snapped under the impact of his weight.
Damon leapt through the window and grabbed Alaric's jacket, pulling his face so it was level with his. Without taking the time to be careful, he ripped open Alaric's mind and took what he needed.
He released the doctor, smiling when he noticed the vacant gaze he was receiving. Then his smile turned cruel. Damon's teeth ripped into Alaric's throat.
Revulsion was coming from the two humans watching him; obviously they could hear the animal snarls that were erupting from his throat as he drank.
He could also feel Giovanna's confusion at his reaction. No matter. He enjoyed keeping people on edge.
Alaric's pulse started to fade and slow. Knowing he couldn't take it as far as he wanted, Damon released the doctor's throat.
Giovanna and the human girls stared at him from behind the broken glass, waiting.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Damon narrowed his eyes in thought. He might need the power of the two human girls. The force that had attacked Bonnie was strong, perhaps stronger than he could manage alone.
His children would help him, and in the end, someone would pay. He was betting on Alaric.
Chapter VI
Damon stared at the witch bouncing the ball of fire in her hand. She seemed mildly surprised but glad with his presence. His stare obviously started to unnerve her and she faltered, loosing control of her power. The ball of flame went out.
He reached down and grasped Alaric by the neck, dragging him to his feet. The good doctor smelled of sweat, fear and alcohol.
Giovanna held a tape in her hands and was trying to get his attention. "He's hiding something. I haven't had time to probe him. Perhaps we should watch what he didn't want us to see."
The two vampires moved to leave the room, pulling Alaric behind them.
"Wait!" Jolan yelled. "Your Damon? You know Bonnie?"
Damon turned smoothly and narrowed his eyes at the young woman. "What do you know of it?"
"She is our friend and we want to know what happened to her, as well. You can watch the tape on the equipment at the back of the lab. There is a hidden room where researchers are able to watch the experiments Alaric planned for his guinea pigs."
Damon nodded and he followed the two nervous human women into the lab. He shoved Alaric at Giovanna who scrambled to catch the panicked man. The fire witch grabbed Alaric's other arm and pulled him with them. He eyed the destroyed laboratory with interest until the young woman's voice called him back.
"I'm Jolan, that's Mina." The woman held out her hand as they moved, but he didn't bother to shake it. He wasn't here to make friends.
She lowered her hand quickly, obviously realizing that he didn't want to spend very much time in their company. "We warned him about pushing her too far, but he wouldn't listen."
Jolan reached forward to press a combination on a keypad to open a metal door hidden behind a tall bookshelf. Alaric's eyes widened when he realized that the witch knew the code.
"How-" Alaric began.
"You didn't think we'd be dumb enough not to know that people were watching us from behind that glass. Bonnie is psychic, you moron. She didn't want to be catalogued, anymore. I'm surprised she didn't just tell you to go to hell. Then again, she was always too sensitive of other people's feelings."
Giovanna was watching the scene with her eyes narrowed. Damon's eyes met hers and she shrugged, not caring what he had planned. The door's locks clicked off and they entered the plush room that overlooked the laboratory.
Giovanna handed the tape to Jolan who turned on the power of the television and inserted the tape into the VCR. It was security tape. The white lines disappeared once the automatic tracking took over and the screen revealed the image of a small young red head staring blankly at a wall while Alaric was slapping her face, trying to bring her back. Then the doctor was flung backwards, and knocked out cold. There was a flash of light, and the screen went blue.
Alaric cringed. Giovanna's hands tightened on his arms to keep him from bolting.
Mina narrowed her eyes and said, "Rewind it."
Jolan pressed the button and waited a ten seconds before releasing it. Bonnie was screaming and pulling at her hair. Glass was shattering and objects were flying around the room.
Damon raised an eyebrow. He was mildly surprised to find out that Bonnie was also telekinetic.
Jolan rewound it even more until it showed Bonnie still fully aware and telling Alaric that she couldn't go any further. Her face was covered in sweat.
Alaric's voice rung through the speakers saying, "Push past it."
The red head closed her eyes and raised her hands. Six balls on the table rose up and started to form a circle. Bonnie's face was pained, and her breathing rasping. He could swear that there were also tears on her face.
The balls still spun in a circle, speeding up slightly.
Bonnie's eyes flew open and her chest started to heave.
A child's scream broke the silence. It died almost instantly.
Her eyes darted around the room, searching for something unseen. They watched her powers destroy the room until she stopped yelling and slumped into a vacant state. The tape ended.
Damon was confused and unable to find out what the problem was. He looked at Giovanna who shook her head to indicate she didn't know.
Then he turned his eyes to look at Bonnie's friends. Jolan was crying softly and covering her mouth, muttering no over and over. Mina was breathing heavily and slowly turned her head to look at the doctor who cowered before her.
"You bastard!" She screamed and clenched her hand into a fist. Damon could hear the snap as Alaric's jaw broke from the force of impact. The young doctor slumped in Giovanna's arms and moaned in pain.
"What happened?" Damon snarled at Jolan, knowing that Mina was too angry to tell him what was going on.
Jolan's eyes met his. They were bleak and her face was pale. "Her psyche's barriers were lowered. It wouldn't have been so bad but something entered the room at the same time as her shields dropped and it attacked her. She lashed out blindly, trying to stop it from coming towards her but it was too late."
Damon turned to look at the doctor. Alaric wouldn't meet his eyes. Giovanna released Alaric and quickly stepped back, obviously feeling Damon's fury surge forth.
Damon grabbed and threw the frightened doctor through the one-way glass. He landed on the table below. The legs snapped under the impact of his weight.
Damon leapt through the window and grabbed Alaric's jacket, pulling his face so it was level with his. Without taking the time to be careful, he ripped open Alaric's mind and took what he needed.
He released the doctor, smiling when he noticed the vacant gaze he was receiving. Then his smile turned cruel. Damon's teeth ripped into Alaric's throat.
Revulsion was coming from the two humans watching him; obviously they could hear the animal snarls that were erupting from his throat as he drank.
He could also feel Giovanna's confusion at his reaction. No matter. He enjoyed keeping people on edge.
Alaric's pulse started to fade and slow. Knowing he couldn't take it as far as he wanted, Damon released the doctor's throat.
Giovanna and the human girls stared at him from behind the broken glass, waiting.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Damon narrowed his eyes in thought. He might need the power of the two human girls. The force that had attacked Bonnie was strong, perhaps stronger than he could manage alone.
His children would help him, and in the end, someone would pay. He was betting on Alaric.