PART 1
CHAPTER 21
Tame Impala/ Elephant
Hey Rosetta!/ Gold Teeth
"Rosabella."
The raven-haired immortal swung around at Sheila's call. The older woman looked past Rose at Stefan. "Alone." Stefan nodded and reached out for Rose, but she moved away from him before Stefan could touch her hand. "I'll meet you back at the house." Rose could feel Stefan's gaze on her, but she ignored him, and her sire's brother left using their supernatural speed.
Sheila gave her a knowing look but didn't comment on her uncertain relationship with Stefan. "Would you like to come in?" All thoughts of her and Stefan vanished. Rose was sure her eyebrows had disappeared into her hairline and the lower half of her mouth had fallen open, slack.
"I thought…" she trailed off, unsure what to make of the offer. Sheila smiled and stepped aside. "I told Stefan that I protect my own. You are my own. You are my blood."
After the conversation with Sheila Bennet, Rose was too emotional to return to her home. So she lay the in street all night, waiting for prey just like Damon taught her. She had eaten two people and at least three couples, or at least that's where she lost count. Rose didn't linger on the fact that all of her victims that night were eaten until their heads were separated from their bodies. When morning came she ventured into the forest to bury the bodies, or rather body parts. It was safer to dismember them before hiding the bodies, and the cars had been a massive pain too.
When Rose left the woods for the road again, she laid down once more, not for a meal but to try and get her racing mind to stop. All night she had succeeded at blocking out her conversation with Sheila, Bonnie who had been seated next to her as her grandmother shattered Rose's life, how she had stormed out of the Bennet home glaring at Sheila for her lies.
Except she knew it couldn't be lies. Sheila had said there was no one like her that the older woman had ever seen. She doubted Damon and Stefan had any knowledge of her abilities because Damon himself had told her when witches became vampires they were no longer witches.
Rose's train of thought was cut off by the sound of a car door slamming shut, and then Damon hovering over her with a look of concern on his face. "I do this when my world goes to shit. What happened while I was gone?" He asked, reaching for her arm and pulling Rose up to stand.
"I was just hungry and bored." Rose had the feeling that Damon didn't quite believe her, but perhaps the brunette that stood by his car hesitating to approach them is what stopped him from making Rose tell him the truth.
Damon lowered his voice, speaking against Rose's ear. "How many?" Rose leaned away, finding no judgment in Damon's icy gaze. "I stopped counting after eleven." She shrugged. Damon examined the road around them, finding the spots of blood that wouldn't be visible to the human eye and the lack of bodies and cars. Nodding his head Damon motioned to the car.
"Let's go."
Bonnie opened the door for her when she arrived at Sheila's house. There was an awkward pause between them before Bonnie spoke. "We should tell Elena." Rose gave Bonnie a harsh glare and stepped inside the house shoving Bonnie aside. "Elena just found out she was adopted, and you want to tell her that I am too." Bonnie closed the door moving closer to Rose. "She'll have someone who knows what she's going through."
Rose scoffed, "It's not the same thing Bonnie. Elena has no idea who her real family is, I do somewhat. And besides, it's no one's business except mine." Rose headed for the kitchen, thinking the conversation was over.
"It's not something you get to decide on!" The younger girl shouted. "She's my best friend! She's the person I tell when I suddenly have a sister!" Bonnie stepped closer to Rose, screaming at her. "Why are you so selfish!?"
"Bonnie!" Sheila's words of warning came too late. The arrogance of Bonnie Bennet was infuriating. Who was she to spread around that she wasn't a Gilbert, who was she to tell Elena Rose wasn't her sister? To tell everyone Rose was a freak of nature, a vampire who could still do magic. What right did she have?
The numerous candles that were unlit before spewed fire as Rose's anger spiked, her face changed veins crawling under her eyes teeth extended. She charged for Bonnie but before she could bite into her sister's neck the world went black.
The pain in her neck was enough to explain what had happened. Sheila sat in the chair next to her couch. Rose heard no one else in the house, sitting up she hung her head over the back of the couch. Head aching, she stared at Sheila waiting for the woman to throw her out. "I forbid Bonnie from telling anyone." Sheila smiled sweetly at her, reaching over and placing her hand on her knee. "Your magic is strong. Stronger than mine and Bonnie's combined. I'll teach you everything you need to know. I'll teach you control."
Rose just nodded; Sheila placed a cup of tea in Rose's hands. She pulled out an old and withered book placing it in front of Rose.
"This is a grimoire…"
She had spent most of the day ignoring everyone's calls and learning magic from Sheila. Sheila had given her the best explanation possible for why Rose could still use her magic. Sometimes witches were born that could not use their power but could drain magic. These witches were called Siphons. It was extremely rare, except for the Gemini coven who had a history of siphons. It was even rarer for a siphon to come from the Bennet line, Sheila said that Rose was most likely the only one.
When Damon sent a message about an attack on Elena she cursed and headed for the door. "Rose, please look after Bonnie for me. When I'm gone." Rose frowned at Sheila, "You're not dying any time soon Sheila. Besides I don't know if I can promise you that." Sheila just smiled and motioned to the door.
Using her super speed, she made it to the house. "Where the hell have you been all day!" Damon shouted, "Why the hell weren't you answering my calls!? What if this guy got to you." Rose glared at Damon pushing him away from her. "If he had attacked me, he would be dead."
Her statement was met with silence, Rose finally looked Elena over before she burst into laughter. "I'm sorry but why do you look like that?" She asked struggling to stop her laughter. Despite having been attacked Elena smiled, "It's the decade dance at school. Do I look that bad? Should I change?" Elena's smile turned into a frown.
Rose sighed, sitting in the space not occupied by Stefan. "You look cute, Lena, ridiculous but cute." Elena smiled at her sister, hesitating to move closer. Rose picking up on her movement shifted close enough to Elena that the girl could lean her head on her older sister's shoulder. "Are you hurt?" Rose asked, speaking softer than before, not that it mattered since Damon and Stefan could hear her. "I'm just spooked."
"He got into the house," Damon said, giving Rose a pointed look. Rose gave him a hard stare in return, "So we get him before he gets us."
Rose and Damon ventured to the snack bar, Damon pulling a flask out of his jacket pocket and drinking from it before he passed it to Rose. "Where were you all day? You don't ignore me, you've never ignored me?" Before Rose could lie to him, the pair were interrupted by another man. Someone who seemed vaguely familiar to Rose.
"Hey, I don't recognize you two. How'd you get roped into chaperoning?" He was blonde and easy on the eyes, Rose's lips twitched into a charming smile as she eyed the inviting vein in his neck. "We're locals, which means you're the stranger in this scenario since we don't know you."
Damon glared at the flirtatious gleam in Rose's eyes, turning his attention to the newcomer. "Also, I'm Stefan's older brother, Damon Salvatore." Damon had every intention of ending the conversation there, but his blood boiled in rage when Rose put out her hand for the man to shake. "I'm Elena's older sister, an early graduate."
His eyebrows shot into his hairline, his eyes widening in surprise. "So you're Rosabella. I've heard a lot about you." Alaric said, eyeing the girl. "All bad things, I hope." She said biting her plump bottom lip and her eyes lowering to his own, shock coursed through his system along with something else he wouldn't ever examine closely. Quickly, he removed his hand from hers shoving them back into his pocket.
The exchange hadn't escaped Damon's watchful eyes, and the vampire wrapped his arm around Rose's waist pulling her into his side. She frowned at him but didn't move out of his grip. Rose turned her attention back to her prey. "So, you planning to introduce yourself? Or should I guess?" Alaric let out an awkward chuckle for rocking on his heels, "No, I'm the new history teacher. Alaric Saltzman… I'm sort of dating your Aunt which is why I heard about you."
The moment the words left Alaric's mouth Rose's demeanor changed and she leaned more firmly into Damon's hold. "Oh. You should have led with that." Alaric frowned at Rose's sudden change but the girl ignored him in favor of drowning in Damon's liquor.
"I hear Stefan's very bright, not that I've had the chance to see for myself," Alaric said, pushing Rose's behavior aside, she wasn't the target of this meet and greet. "Well, his attendance records a little spotty, family drama," Damon responded, going no further. He was starting to feel itchy, this guy was overly interested in him. Damon shifted his focus fully on Alaric, trusting Rose to keep a lookout for their mysterious delivery vampire. "No parents?" The blonde man asked an expression of pity on his face. It was overdramatized which Damon found disturbing. There was something about the guy that irked him. Maybe it was the jealousy and his protectiveness when Rose was flirting with him, but a glance at the younger vampire put Damon's concerns to rest. The moment Jenna's name left his mouth Rose's smile and body language changed reverting to the neutral expression she wore most hours of the day.
"It's just the two of us now." Damon was about ready to end the conversation with the teacher but the man wouldn't let him go. The blonde nodded in response to Damon's answer. He spared a glance across the hall before speaking again. "You, uh, live here your whole life?" he asked, forcing Damon to continue conversing with him. Damon didn't bother keeping the suspicion off his face, eyebrow furrowing deeply as he spoke. "On and Off. Travel a bit."
Alaric once again seemed theatrical in his expressions and the emotions too bare and plain to see on his face. "Really? Where? Around the states?" The questioning look he received from Damon made the blonde man smile as he motioned wildly with his hands. "I'm sorry. I'm nosy. I… don't mean to pry." For all his interest, the man was quick to walk away. "Look it was nice meeting both of you. Enjoy the dance." Damon nodded, eyeing the man as Alaric patted his shoulder and brushed past him to disappear into the sea of bodies.
"That guy stank." Maybe Rose had been paying better attention to them than Damon had thought. "Yeah…" He trailed off a frown on his face mind whirling to find answers as to why the conversation and the man, Alaric had bothered him so much. Before he could fail to come to any conclusion, Damon was distracted by Rose who planted a kiss on his neck and quickly stepped out of Damon's hold motioning the vampire to follow her to the dance floor.
Stefan watched Damon and Rose, ignoring the ache in his chest that felt distinctly like jealousy. Elena's laugh made him turn to face her. "You really can't take him anywhere, can you?" She smiled shaking her head. Stefan forced himself to mirror her expression. "Uh, No." Elena laughed again, once again watching the pair. "Well, not that Rose is any better. I don't think I've ever seen her smile like she does when she's around Damon." The couple watched as their siblings stood in a waltz stance and split the crowd with massive grins on their faces.
A sudden gasp next to him forced Stefan to look away and face Elena. The look of fear on Elena's face was enough to put Stefan on guard. "Back corner." The brunette said, turning away from that direction. "Get Damon and Rose." Elena didn't argue as Stefan ran off, she simply pushed her way through the crowd going in the direction she had last seen her sister.
She stopped when her phone rang reaching into her pocket to drag it out. "Hello, Elena." The condescending tone was clue enough for Elena. She couldn't help the panic beginning to set in, her breathing was already harsher than a second before. "Here's what you're going to do. There's an exit door behind you. You have five seconds-" She worked up the courage and refused, interrupting the vampire's instructions. "No" The man on the phone didn't falter. "Or your brother dies."
It was easy enough to spot Jeremy, as well as the vampire who stood clear as day behind him phone pressed to his ear. The threats continued, "I can snap his neck so fast I bet there's not even a witness. Now start walking." The life of her brother gave Elena the calm and stability she needed to deal with the lunatic.
"Don't you dare touch him." She said, taking a step back. Elena barely registered his words as the vampire continued speaking. She put the phone down as soon as he passed Jeremy and began running. She reached for the door as it came into view, her heart pulsing wildly as it refused to open.
Elena spared him a glance before she pushed the door to the cafeteria open, she just made it to the doors when he grabbed her loose hair and pulled. Elena couldn't control her scream as the pain bloomed over her body when he threw her onto a nearby table.
There wasn't any time to think, she grabbed the only viable weapon she could get to and stabbed him in the stomach when the vampire thought he had the upper hand. She fought him off long enough to get space so that she could break the mope. But she was weaker than him, and he grabbed her wrist stopping Elena's weak attempt to kill him.
Elena screamed as he exposed his fangs, lunging for her neck, but there was no pain thanks to Stefan who threw the vampire away from her. "Hey, dickhead." Damon called out casually, holding his hand up in a sign of peace. "Nobody wants to kill you, we just wanna talk."
"Speak for yourself. I'm itching to taste his blood." The sinister remark came from the vampire's other side. Rose, Damon, and Stefan blocked the vampire's escape routes. The vampire hissed at her before charging towards Elena who stood behind Stefan. Damon threw the wood in his hand toward his brother who in turn shoved the weapon into the vampire's stomach.
Rose growled a smirk on her face. "Now you feel like talking?" Stefan asked, circling the kneeling vampire. "Screw you." Rose raised her makeshift stake, plunging it through the vampire's back next to the stake Stefan had injured him with. "Try again." She whispered into his ear, not releasing her grip on the stake. "Why are you doing this?" Stefan asked, mirroring Rose's position.
"Because it's fun."
Stefan looked at Rose, she met his grim expression with a bright and sadistic smile. They both twisted and shifted their stakes deeper into the vampire, causing him to scream out loud. Damon shook his head, arms folded across his chest. "What do you want with my sister?" Rose asked, speaking louder this time. "She looks like Katherine."
Rose and Stefan moved in sync straightening up and staring at Damon. The frown on his face was telling enough, "You knew Katherine." The eldest Salvatore said with clear confusion. "Oh, you thought you were the only ones." Rose didn't like his tone and tapped the stake in his back with her foot. "Watch your tongue, or I'll rip it out for you." He groaned in pain, sitting up. "You don't even remember me."
Rose rolled her eyes at the vampire stepping away from him as Damon leaned down. "Tell me how to get into the tomb." He said. The vampire smirked before dropping the smile, "No." Stefan reached down and shoved the wood deeper into the vampire's chest. He groaned out in pain, breathing deeply. "The grimoire."
Rose schooled her expression, biting her tongue harshly. Sheila had explained that a grimoire was unique to a witch for the most part. Sheila had shown Rose her own, which meant that the grimoire this unknown vampire spoke of must have been Emily Bennet's. "Check the journal…! The journal. Jonathon's journal, Jonathon Gilberts." At the mention of her family, both Elena (who had been looking away) and Rose faced each other. Rose clicked her tongue, "So that's why you're targeting her." She reached down to her stake pulling it out of the vampire. She flipped it in her hand, raising an eyebrow at her best friend. "Get this over with now."
Damon nodded, gripping the vampire by his throat. "Who else is working with you?" Stefan questioned. When he didn't answer Damon shook the vampire lightly, "Who else?" He demanded.
"No," the vampire gasped out. "You're going to have to kill me."
"Gladly." Rose waited for Damon to release the man before she brought down her stake stabbing him through his heart. "That felt good." She dusted her hands off, and when she looked up Rose was met with Elena's tear and fear-filled eyes. "What do we… how are you gonna find the others now?" She asked Stefan stepping into his arms. Rose ignored the pang in her heart as Stefan comforted Elena in front of her. "He had to die," Damon said coldly. Elena began to protest but this time Stefan spoke up. "Elena, he's been invited in."
The moment of tense silence was broken by Alaric who stood by the door. When Rose caught him, the teacher moved away. Stefan motioned to Damon and Rose. "Go. I got this." He said waving a hand at the body.
Rose slowed her walk as Damon sped to cut Alaric off she watched as he compelled Alaric to answer a series of questions. When he was done Damon compelled the teacher to forget everything he saw and sent him on his way. "You're suspicious of him?" Rose asked, leaning into Damon's arms as the man opened them. "Yeah, earlier it's like he knew me or something?"
When Stefan appeared in the doorway, Rose kissed Damon before stepping out of his hold. "I'll meet you at home."
She spared Stefan a glance before speeding away.
Rose stood staring at the candles that Sheila had laid out. The woman sat opposite her watching the siphons progress. Rose drew up her magic and focused on the candles, "Phasmatos Incendia.". She felt the magic and focused it, but nothing happened. "Try again." Rose glared at her, before focusing on the wax sticks again. "Phasmatos. Incendia." Rose directed the magic again but still nothing happened. "This isn't working!" She growled feeling the veins growing under her eyes. Rose knew she couldn't hurt Sheila so she wasn't very worried about her control. "Try again." The calm expression on the woman's face irked Rose and something snapped in her. "It's not working!" Rose shouted. The candles burst into flames before they suddenly disappeared and Rose watched in shock as the flame and the candle turned into black roses. "What the hell?" She whispered.
"See, you're a natural. You're powerful child. More powerful than either I or Bonnie. You just need to control it."
Rose slumped down into the chair, "What did I do?" She asked her grandmother. Rose had yet to call the woman this to her face. The raven-haired girl reached for the roses on the table. "It's a form of biological magic. It's something a witch either has or doesn't. It's usually a sign of overwhelming power. Control is commonly tricky for witches who are naturally talented with transmogrification."
Rose looked up, unable to wipe the stunned expression off of her face. "Does that mean I can change?" Sheila nodded her head. "Typically your kind can turn into some kind of animal, it differs for everyone. And for all your power that's something you'll need to train for years to be able to control."
Sheila smiled at her before she stood and turned the kettle on in the kitchen. She was gone once the woman's back was turned.
Rose entered the house to find Damon waiting with a glass of bourbon. "Where did you go?" The truthful answer to his question was on the tip of her tongue but Rose couldn't bring herself to spit the words out. "I just wandered a bit, didn't want to be alone in the house." The lie was poorly told and she knew Damon didn't believe her. Rose was shocked when Damon just motioned to the glass, handing it to her, and turned to pour one for himself.
He began speaking, sitting on his favorite couch, about what she didn't know. All Rose knew was that Damon wasn't prodding her obvious lie. He had let it go.
Rose knew Damon had trust issues of massive proportions, but here he was taking her blatant lie in stride, acting as if he wasn't hurt when she knew he was. She could see the pain of her betrayal reflected in his eyes.
She sipped her bourbon hoping the sting of the liquor would serve to wash the guilt away.
