"After you."
Bonnie doesn't move; Elijah chuckles.
"I'm not a heathen, Bonnie. Please. Sit in the passenger seat."
Her feet fall forward, still dizzy from the supernatural speed that he carried her. The Original catches her arm, but not her fear. That claws its way up her stomach and, almost, in a whimper out her mouth.
You're a witch. Do something!
He sighs like he can read her mind. Maybe he can? There doesn't seem to be much in the way of limitation to these super-vampires. Definitely not death. "I do hope you're not considering trying to outwit me. Or…" he half-smiles, fondly, nearly, "Using magic against me."
Do it now. But her power has dried, what little she can feel in her fingertips has gone limp. She could barely lift a leaf, let alone stall a gazillion year old vampire.
"No?"
"No," she answers, the word heavy, like shame.
Elijah gestures again at the open door. "Shall we?"
"Do I have a choice?"
His dark eyes flare at her indignation. "No, I suppose you don't."
As far as abductions go, Elijah's methods are… unusual. And Lord knows, this town has seen enough to recognise a strange one. Still, the suit, his charm, that power: she's shaking as she climbs into the car. The vampire closes the door like a chauffeur and, in a blink, is in the driver's seat. And Bonnie, like a fool, turns to the window in desperation, looking for him.
"Men like Damon are notoriously unreliable." He turns the key in the ignition; the car (fancy, silver, Mercedes) roaring to life. Bonnie tries to match her breathing to the engine, her pulse deafening even to her, let alone the vampire. "He strikes me as having a rather obsessive personality. And," the car animates, "evidently you aren't one of them. A pity."
"Where are you taking me?" Bonnie rushes, refusing to look at him. His handsome features only intensify his danger, like a snare or trap, seduce the women, drain them dry. (And even now she thinks again that stupidly hot must be a pre-requisite for the un-dead.)
"To my home. Well, temporary home. I have yet to secure somewhere suitable for my needs."
Her magic simmers, restoring its strength in bubbles beneath her skin. "You want the moonstone, right?"
"Yes, but you so expertly dropped it, didn't you?"
Fear swells. "What do you mean?"
"I've lived on this earth for over a millennium. It will take more than that to fool me, I can assure you."
The silence only magnifies the dread so she asks the question every dumb girl in every dumb thriller does: "Are you going to kill me?"
Elijah releases a long breath, "Killing you would be counter-productive to my purpose." He turns his head to regard her - Bonnie dares to meet his eyes - "Besides, I rather respect witches."
/
Loaded with Alaric's various vampire-destroying utensils, and six and a half ripe AB blood-bags (he got peckish whilst packing), Damon kicks his car into reverse, scattering the gravel from his drive. It's been almost two hours since the bastard snatched her and he's finally equipped to face the dragon and rescue the irritating, probably ungrateful, princess.
Now, where the fuck could he have gone?
This is where Bonnie is at her most useful: location spells.
"Well this is just brilliant," he snaps aloud, "The only person who could find you is you."
Still, he pulls out onto the highway, speeding towards destination wherever, hoping the Original has pulled into the hard shoulder to have a piss in the shrubbery. Right, because vampires need to pee.
"You better open the damned tomb tonight after all this, little witch," he growls (because he will find her, and it will be tonight).
About fifteen minutes into frantic, but aimless, driving he gets a call from Elena.
"You okay?" In lieu of hello.
"Damon?"
"Yeah?"
"Where are you?"
She sounds stressed, her voice strained. "Elena? What's happened?"
There's a beat before she responds, "I got a text. I… I think it's from Elijah?"
What is this shit? Pretty Little Liars? "Was it about Bonnie!?"
Another beat. "I think so. He said he has someone I care about-"
"Let me guess, he needs you to come save her?"
"I don't know what he wants. Me or the moonstone… or both?" Her words thicken; breathing shallowed.
"Hey, hey, it's okay-"
"No, it's not Damon! With Stefan in the tomb and now this?" She's really crying now – Damon holds the phone a further distance from his ear.
"Elena, it will be okay."
"Of course, you would say that! You hate her!"
He right hand tightens on the steering wheel. "Who?"
"Bonnie, Damon! And now she's gone because you didn't protect her like you promis-"
And for the first time in his Elena-centric life, he cuts her off. Ends the call.
He shoots off a text:
Bad signal. Send me the address Elijah gave you.
And then another:
By the way, I never hated her.
/
"Would you like something to drink?" The vampire looks up from his novel lazily, as if just now remembering her presence.
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure? Dr. Jonas gives an admirable attempt at English Tea."
The tall man in the kitchen raises a brow. Bonnie had recognised him immediately, received the same chill as that one in Grill. Unflinching, the older witch merely stepped aside for Elijah to sweep into the apartment.
"Very kind of you, Elijah," Luka's dad remarks, then, finally, addresses Bonnie, "I have Diet Coke, if that's more to your liking."
She wants to scream at him why!? What do you get out of this? What about your son? Where is he? But under Elijah's waiting stare, she only declines again.
Elijah's gaze slips back to the page, his mouth tracing the words as he reads. Bonnie shifts on the chair, making it creak, willing the Dr to look at her. She's pretty certain witch telepathy isn't a thing but she was also pretty certain vampires weren't before Stefan and his dick of a brother came to town.
Damon's betrayal shouldn't hurt, it's Damon after all, but it does. It really fucking does. He used her – walked her home in all his Little Witch this and Little Witch that only to hand over to an Original. She knew this would happen when she dropped the stone. She gave him what he wanted; he'll find another plaything of a witch to undo the tomb spell. And she'll become the project of Elijah's 'purpose'… like her Gram's was Damon's.
The vampire slams his book shut; Bonnie jumps. Then she hears what he must have: a whistle.
"You said he wasn't home until late tonight."
The Dr. moves lethargically, evidently unbothered by the Original's irritation. "He's a teenage boy, I can't control him."
Luka. Naïve as it may be, her heart leaps.
"He can't see her," Elijah warns, "Get rid of him."
"Relax. Luka doesn't know her."
The door unlocks before the vampire can respond, and Bonnie process the Dr's lie. Luka unhooks his earphone to greet his dad, his eyes shifting immediately to the compelling presence of the Original, then, to her.
Bonnie's not sure what her face does in that moment but it communicates something because Luka frowns and says, "Why is there a girl in our living room?"
"She's with me," Elijah announces.
Luka nods. "Well, I've got some homework to do so…." He eyes flicker, pulling on hers, "Nice to meet you."
"Can I use the bathroom?" Bonnie hurries, as Luka turns out the room.
Elijah inclines his head to the Dr. "Can she?"
"Down the corridor, on the left."
Her legs feel borrowed when she stands. "Thank you."
"Bonnie?" The power in the Original's voice makes her turn.
"Yes?"
He smiles; a warning. "Hurry back."
Luka's door is ajar as she passes it, his sneakers hanging off the bed. Praying he's listening, she turns the handle of the bathroom door, and closes it firmly behind her. Unlocked.
Come on, Luka.
She flicks the faucet on to dampen Elijah's inevitably tuned in vamp-hearing. Whilst Luka and his dad have shown no signs of knowing her… 'It will take more than that to fool me, I can assure you.'
The bathroom door opens and closes in a motion; Luka brushes past her to turn on the other tap. "We don't have long," he whispers. "He's keeping you here, right?"
"Yes, and my magic-"
"He's an Original. It will take more than just our magic. We need to be smart."
"No," Bonnie reaches for his arm, "He'll kill you."
"Not if we're smart." His eyes dart around the bathroom, then to the window. "There's a fire escape just the other side."
"I won't have time. He'll find me."
His fingers find hers, warm… and buzzing with magic. "I'm going to the seal door. My dad will open it and when he does, I'll be lying against the bath. Like you knocked me out, okay?"
"Luka?"
The voice startles them both, Bonnie's eyes rounding in terror. Luka closes his eyes, a spell tumbling from his mouth.
Move.
Bonnie flips the toilet seat shut and hitches her foot on the lid. The window is jammed, a little rusty, and she huffs with the effort of wrangling the latch.
The Dr. calls again for his son, closer this time. Outside the bathroom door.
Move!
Magic darts from her fingertips; the window swings open; the outside breeze swells in the room. Luka is still murmuring the spell when she pushes over the ledge. Her boots meet the clang of metal, the sound reverberating up her legs. Bonnie twists to the window – shuts it on Luka's encouraging smile, the Dr now calling her name as he tries the bathroom door.
Move.
A/N: Was planning on continuing but needed to go to bed oop (and wanted to get something uploaded tonight). I'm sorry there wasn't any Bamon interaction this instalment but there will be LOTS in the next (and probably final?). Besides, Elijah is the basically the joint love of my life next to Damon Salvatore so writing him is always super fun.
Thanks for the support. Please keep it coming.
Tumblr: perpetualimaginings (ask box open for requests)
