Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or TO

THANK YOU NOTE: Thank you so much everyone for sticking with me for the past 15 chapters. Thanks for all the support and all the comments. They make me want to write more. Recently, I've been having a little writer's block because there's so much setup I need to do before we move on to the plot of the shows. I'm trying to write a bit every day and read other fanfics to get some inspiration. I don't want to drop this and your comments help me see that my story is good because you all seem to like it. I want to get Malivore out of the way since Baby Hope won't exist, so Legacies won't be happening at all in my story. When That's over, we'll be dealing with the Originals and start making plans for Klaus to break his curse. Jenna will play a big part in that.

As a writer, nothing sucks more than knowing what you want to do in your story but not being able to write it down.

Thanks again everyone for the support.

WARNING: there's a lot of violence and mutilation at the end of this chapter.


AGES AND GRADES OF CHARACTERS AS OF MARCH 2007

Lora Heinz - Born June 8th, 1979 - Age 27 - College Graduate - Businesswoman

Jenna Sommers - Born September 12th, 1980 - Age 26 - Harvard Medical School 4th-year graduate - Psychiatry Residence

Phoebe Donovan - Born November 30th, 1989; Age 17 - Graduated - Businesswoman, Glassblower, Artist, Jeweler, Designer

Victoria Donovan - Born August 20th, 1991; Age 15 - High School Freshman, 9th grade

Caroline Forbes - Born October 10th, 1992; Age 14 - Homeschool, 8th grade

Matthew Donovan - Born February 26th, 1993; Age 14 - Middle School, 8th Grade


CAST

Bellamy Wallace - Jussie Smollett


"Narcissists are consumed with maintaining a shallow false self to others. They're emotionally crippled souls that are addicted to attention. Because of this they use a multitude of games, in order to receive adoration. Sadly, they are the most ungodly of God's creations because they don't show remorse for their actions, take steps to make amends or have empathy for others. They are morally bankrupt." - Shannon L. Alder


Chapter 16: An Eventful Year

September 2006

"How many kids in this school again?" Ria asked as they stood before the school campus, watching a wave of red and navy teenage girls and boys. The school was K-12, so there were children of all ages all over the campus, walking into different buildings. The pair walked around the crowd, looking through their schedules and the school map to find their respective buildings. Matthew was a year below Victoria in school, so he was in the middle school building while Ria was in the high school building next door.

They stood out like a sore thumb, reading their maps and schedules as the students simply made their way through the paths to find their classes. Many eyes fell on them, watching and judging, before they simply passed by, uninterested. "I don't think they get many transfers."

"This way," Ria pointed to the northwest end of the campus, not far from the sports fields. "I've heard of K-8, but never heard of a K-12 school before."

Matt shrugged. "It's New York. Does it even matter?"

"Nope." They stopped in front of the high school building with the middle school just perpendicular to it. "Well, this is me." She hugged her baby brother. "Don't do anything I wouldn't."

Matt sighed as he watched his sister disappear among the crowd. Without her with him, he felt more isolated. His sister was entering her first year of high school, which would make it easier for her to make friends, while he was entering his last year of middle school. Klicks and friend groups would have already formed over the past 2 years the students have been together. Matt doubted he had anything in common with most of the kids since he was a small-town boy who spent most of his time with his family practicing magic. The only "normal boy" thing about him was his love of sports and video games.

When he was at the morning assembly to open the new year, he found himself still looking for his sister. He texted her to eat lunch together in the quadrangle, where they talked and exchanged stories about their morning. It turned out that Matt wasn't the only one having trouble with adjusting to the new school.

Ria sighed, "I hate this place."

"Well, we're the ones who chose it. Phoebe wanted us to go to the other school," Matt said.

"Yeah, I know, but that doesn't mean I can't regret the decision I made."

"I remember you went 'No way. New York is already claustrophobic enough. Why would anyone want to go to a school with nothing but stale, polluted air.'," Matt mimicked his sister's voice with a high-pitched tone.

Ria laughed as she bumped her brother's shoulder. "Shut up. I do not sound like that."

"Yes, you do."

"I don'-"

"Hi." They looked up to find a girl standing on the other side of the table.

"Hi," Matt greeted with a smile.

The girl's tanned cheeks suddenly took on a red hue as she continued to stare at Matt, causing Ria to roll her eyes. So many girls fall for her brother's charm. "I, um…" The girl rocked from foot to foot as she looked between Matt and Ria. "Um… I just… Is this seat taken? Um, I mean… I can see it's not taken. It's obviously empty. I… can I…" She stopped when her eyes fell on Ria's face with a mirthful smirk. "Never mind. Sorry to bother you." She turned around and was about to walk away when Matt stopped her.

"Wait, you can sit if that's what you want," Matt said.

The girl turned back toward Matt, lowering her eyes to stare at her plate. "No, I'm sorry I bothered you. I don't want to get between you and your girlfriend."

Ria scrunched up her nose in disgust. "Ew, disgusting."

Matt laughed. "She's my sister, not my girlfriend."

"Oh," her eyes lit up as she looked between Matt and Ria. "Sorry. She just looked like she wanted to rip my head off."

"Don't worry about her. She always has a resting bitch face." Matt gave the girl his seat next to Ria and sat on the opposite bench across from the two girls. "I'm Matt, by the way."

"Victoria." Ria extended her hand to the girl and smiled. "We're not friends yet so don't call me by a nickname. Call me Victoria."

The girl nodded. "Okay. I'm Miriam. I'm actually in your class."

He scanned his memories to find her. "So, are you new?"

"Um, no. I've been here since the 6th grade. It's just that I'm kind of a nerd and not really good at making friends. I'm kind of an introvert. I wanted to try talking to the new kids since I'm pretty sure you guys don't have any friends here either," the girl rambled.

Matt and Ria looked at the girl, their mouths opened slack. They looked different and their personalities were different but they could see the similarities between Miriam and their bubbly blonde friend.

"What? Oh, sorry, I tend to talk a lot and I can't stop when I get going. Oh, wow," she gasped as she looked at the meal in Matt and Ria's multi-tiered lunch boxes on the table. There were slices of salmon in one tier, rice in another, and some type of salad with avocados in another. "Did you make that? Duh, of course, you did, it's definitely not from the cafeteria. That looks so good and it's still hot." She looked at Ria with brown doe eyes that were just begging her to the point where she couldn't refuse. Ria placed the rest of the salmon, rice, and salad in front of Miriam. "Thanks." She took a bite and hummed in pleasure. "Hmm, so good."

When they finished eating, Miriam threw out the cafeteria lunch she brought with her to the table but didn't eat. "That was so good."

"We'll bring lunch again tomorrow so you never have to eat cafeteria slop ever again," Matt said.

"Thanks," Miriam replied.

Victoria placed her hand over Miriam's shoulders and pulled the girl into her. "Miriam, you achieved your goal for today. I think we're gonna be great friends."


October 2006

Sword against sword. Sword against shield. Swords cutting flesh. Spears piercing flesh. The neighing of horses and the cries of men filled the battlefield. She marched through the field with a shield on her left forearm as she held a sword in her right hand, cutting down anyone who stood in her way. As an enemy soldier approached her, brandishing his spear, she brought her shield forward to block the spear as she pushed it aside before striking the man down with her sword. The sword cleaved him clear in half, his blood squirting all over her sword, shield, and armor as his entrails spread over the ground.

She huffed as she tried to find air to fill her lungs. The ground and the sky were stained with blood and the air was putrid with the scent of human fat. Her body moved like a machine, striking each enemy that came into her view. Tears welled in her eyes when she felt nothing at the sound of women and children crying on this battlefield. But, she could not stop. Someone… something had control of her body. She could only stand and watch.

"No, please stop," she begged as she raised her sword again against a man, cutting his head off.

She stared at her reflection in the water, covered from head to toes in blood and other organs as tears continued to well in her eyes. She was a monster. A warmonger who brings nothing but blood and death everywhere she goes. She never wanted this. She never wanted to become this beast who could tear apart a man with her bare hands.

With trembling hands, she removed her helmet, letting her strawberry blonde hair fall down her shoulders. She unclasped the belts over her shoulders, letting the linothorax fall onto the ground, the mail and lamellar plates clattering against each other. She removed the metal plates from her shins and forearms, stripping herself down until she stood in the nude in front of the lake in the middle of the night, the full moon shining overhead. Blood had seeped through the armor and dried on her skin.

She walked into the lake, letting the water overtake her from her toes to the top of her head. She rubbed her skin raw until all the blood was washed away in the water. When she resurfaced, her reflection morphed into that of a person head to toe in armor, with a helmet on her head that overshadowed her eyes. The only thing she could see was the warrior's lips.

"Please stop," she said. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"I have done nothing to you. My essence flows through you. A portion of my power is a part of you. You must not deny it. The more you deny it, the more it will control you. It will cause you to become a monster. You must use it. Do not let it control you. Control, Jenna. Take control. Embrace your power, Jenna. YOU ARE MY CHAMPION!"

Jenna awoke with a loud gasp, her body sheen with sweat. She pulled the cotton sheets from her body and rushed to the restroom. She splashed water onto her face. She inhaled deeply into her nose and exhaled through her mouth as she raised her head to look at herself in the mirror. There was no blood, nor armor. She was just Jenna.

"Jenna, another goddess has given you her blessing. You simply need to continue on your path and she will be pleased." Jenna hadn't thought about Hekate's words in years and she wasn't sure what the blessing was. More like a curse. What kind of blessing brings nightmares? She remembered how the gods messed with Phoebe's and Lora's heads, sending them visions through dreams. Perhaps her dreams were trying to tell her something. "Embrace your power, Jenna."

Power. She had power. But she didn't know what type of power she had or how to embrace it. Her mind wandered a mile a minute, trying to make a plan about what she could do to embrace the power gifted to her.

Jenna returned to her room. She looked at the clock on her nightstand. 5:07 on a Saturday morning is not her usual wake-up call. She crawled back into bed and returned to sleep.

Once she woke up again, Jenna performed her daily routine - food, chores, and shower - before she dressed in a pair of sweatpants, sneakers, and a heated sweatshirt to keep her warm in the frosty October air. She got on the bus to the next town over and walked to the MMA club. The moment she stepped into the building, many eyes turned to her.

"Hi, Jen."

"Hi," Jenna replied.

"Happy Saturday, Jenna."

"Happy Saturday." Jenna dropped her bag on the floor and began her warm-up, stretching out her arms and legs, and her entire body. She threw a few punches in the air in front of her, trying to get into the mindset before she began her workout. The moment she learned about the non-humans that lived in the shadows, Jenna was surprised that humans still controlled the world. Werewolves, Vampires, Witches, Magi, and now Dragons all have increased strength, mind control, and supernatural abilities that humans can't even hope to fight against. Humans were fragile and easy for these species to kill and yet there are over seven billion humans in the world. Supernatural creatures might want to stay in the shadows, but that didn't mean that they weren't a threat to humans.

Enzo taught her that. She was human and fragile. She needed to learn to protect herself. She needed to learn to take down someone much stronger than her. She needed to use not just physical strength but also psychological warfare. Most supernaturals were arrogant because of their abilities, believing that humans could not stand against them because of their superior abilities. But their arrogance made them vulnerable to an attack which was why humans had been successful in hunting vampires. Being a woman, Jenna knew she would be underestimated by both Supernatural creatures and humans alike. She walked with confidence, with her head held high. When she could she dressed in a way that showed off her muscular body to show that she was not to be messed with. She carried wooden batons with her everywhere she went just in case a vampire decided to make a meal of her. She never wanted to be a victim.

She started learning individual martial arts in 1998. Judo, to be able to take down an opponent who is bigger or stronger than her using their own strength and momentum against them and Escrima, which prioritized learning to use a variety of weapons. When she entered grad school, she joined the MMA club and started participating in mixed competitions, allowing her to have real fighting experience.

Jenna punched the coach's glove. "Again," he told her.

One. One. One, two. One, two, three. Kick, kick. And repeat. After her individual workout was sparring. She had been training for a long time so she was one of the best in the club. Members came and went, but she had stayed for the past 4 years. Not many could best her in the ring.

The sun was setting. Jenna gulped down her water, before throwing the bottle in the bag before walking out of the gym. She had worked out for over six hours. Her body was sore and bruised, but it was nothing she wasn't used to. She needed a drink so she made her way to the barbecue restaurant and bar nearby.

"Thank you," Jenna said to the bartender when he placed a drink in front of her. She stared at the drink, her mind wandering back to the dreams she's been having. A blessing. A god's power. But what power. She definitely didn't have any magic or any ability to cast spells or else her friends would have realized it. Phoebe and the others didn't know either. The Greek Pantheon is vast. The only lead Jenna had was the image of the deity who appeared in front of her. It was definitely a she from the sound of her voice and she was in full armor so she was definitely some type of warrior goddess. The only Greek warrior goddess she could think of was Athena. Maybe Artemis, since she's a huntress. She also knew of Eris and Enyo, who always accompanied Ares to war. Ares was known for the more violent attributes of war compared to Athena's more defensive and strategic attributes. A chill climbed up her spine as she thought of her violent dreams. Jenna sighed as she felt helpless to fight against a blessing she might not want. She did not want her life to be constantly filled with death and violence.

Jenna took her glass and sipped her cocktail. One of the charms on her bracelet vibrated against her skin before a shadow slid onto the stool beside her.

"Perhaps I may be of some assistance to help relieve your mind of whatever it is that troubles you."

When she felt the bracelet vibrate, she readied herself for whatever pick-up line he had, but she didn't expect him to be so eloquent. The smooth texture of his voice might have something to do with it too because she simply smiled and turned to face him. Her eyes roamed over his body gloved in a perfectly tailored suit. It wasn't tight enough to be vulgar but she could still see the great contours of his chest and arms. I bet he distinguishes between the different whites of his shirts. Her eyes scanned from his red tie to his perfectly chiseled square jaw, straight nose, and deep brown eyes that looked like molten maple in the soft light of the bar. And his hair. Gods, his hair. His straight black hair perfectly framed the side of his face, making his eyes seem darker than they were.

There was a small curve to his lips as he looked at her, waiting patiently for her to respond. Her eyes returned to meet his expectant gaze that told her he knew she was checking him out and he was waiting for the result of her assessment.

Jenna straightened in her chair as she turned her body more to face him. Her eyes glimmered flirtatiously as she allowed her body in her gym clothes to be in his full view. Thank goodness she had showered in the gym locker room or else she would have stunk of sweat. Her lips curved as she spoke in a mirthful tone, "And how do you know that something troubles me?"

"Forgive me. The moment you walked in, I found my eyes drawn to you. From your slouching posture and the fact that you had stared at your drink for quite a while, should I assume that you have something on your mind?"

"You assume correctly," Jenna replied, mirroring his formal speech.

"I cannot help but wonder if I can be of some assistance."

Jenna hummed thoughtfully. "Should I test that theory?"

"Go ahead," he said as he raised his glass of, what she assumed to be, whiskey to his lips, taking a small sip.

"I was thinking about the Greek Pantheon. More specifically the goddesses. I'm thinking of a warrior goddess, one who dresses in full armor with a sword and shield. The only people who come to mind are Artemis, Athena, Eris, and Enyo. But, I feel like there should be more than just the two of them associated with weapons and warfare."

"All gods are representative of a facet of the physical and metaphysical world that the culture considers important. Fertility, agriculture, the earth, the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars, magic, monsters, and so on. From my perspective and knowledge of the Greeks, I believe that all their gods could be said to have some association to warfare. There have been many wars. All the gods participated in the great wars of the gods, the Titanomachy and the Gigantomachy. Even if the gods do not physically participate in a conflict, they often choose sides and bless heroes with superhuman gifts such as strength and a tactical mind to bring them victory in battle."

Jenna nodded, enraptured in his perspective. She was simply using him as a sounding board to throw some ideas at, but his argument was quite insightful.

"Do you know of the Titanes, Styx?"

"Yes. The Titaness of the River Styx in Hades and the Keeper of Sacred Oaths. Once an oath is made in her name, it must be carried out or else the person may be punished. Even the gods had to uphold the oaths they made in her name." Jenna knew of Styx.

"Styx was one of Zeus' first and greatest allies in the battle against the Titanes. She also brought her four children with her. Bia, Goddess of Force, Kratos, God of Power, Nike, Goddess of Victory, and Zelus, God of Zeal and Envy. Her children are the four-winged enforcers of Zeus and the keepers of his throne," Elijah explained. "Bia and Kratos were the two Zeus called to chain Prometheus down to the Caucasus mountains after he stole fire to give to the mortals."

"What else can you tell me about violent goddesses?"

"The Erinyes: the three Goddesses of Vengeance and Retribution. They are also known as the Furies 'that under earth take vengeance on men, whosoever hath sworn a false oath'. Alekto, the Unceasing One and Goddess of Endless Anger, Tisiphone, the Avenger and Goddess of Vengeful Destruction, and Megaera, the Jealous One and Goddess of Jealous Rage. They live in the Underworld, but are not so much associated with warfare, but moreso, individual revenge on mortals who break the laws of the gods, such as the ancient Greek laws of hospitality or murder. The Furies curse those who break the laws of the gods unless the person can be cleansed or pardoned of their crimes." He looked at Jenna. "Have I passed your test?"

Jenna was thoughtful as she said, "Yes, you have. Thank you. You know quite a lot about the gods."

"I am an avid reader and learner. I find the field of theology quite fascinating."

A smile spread over her face as she listened to the man speak of the stories of the Ancient Greeks. If only he knew that most of the stories were true. Sitting there, listening to his smooth voice, she didn't feel like thinking about her violent dreams. Jenna extended her hands to the man and greeted, "Thank you for your help. I'm Jenna."

He took her hand lightly, turning her hand to raise to his lips. Jenna flushed red when his lips touched her skin as his eyes watched her intently from under his long lashes. Her breath caught and she straightened her back. Heat crawled up her neck to her face. She was certain he could hear her heart beating out of her chest by the smirk that formed on his lips against her skin. "Pleasure," he breathed against her skin. "I'm Elijah." He brought her hand down but he did not release her. "Might I buy you another drink, Jenna?"

Jenna did not go home that night.


November 2006

Phoebe walked through the marble ruins of the Sanctuary of Hekate at Lagina. There was nothing but a few foundations, many broken columns, and loose stones that looked as if they were strewn about the space without a care in the world. Once upon a time, many people, Magi, Witches, and humans alike came to the temple as a pilgrimage. Not only was Hekate the goddess of all magic and witchcraft, that all magic users worshiped, but she was also the goddess of boundaries, doorways, and crossroads, protecting the homes of humans while guiding their dead loved ones safely into the afterlife.

At that time, in a previous life, she was also one of Hekate's priestesses serving in the temple during the time of the Roman Empire.

While Enzo was busy with Slater, Phoebe was the one flying all over the world searching for grimoires. She was also searching for several ritual sites with a lot of magic in search of the Key and the Magic archive. She deduced that since she had created the archive's pocket dimension, it was likely that the archive would be attracted to other sites with her magic, phasing to and from the different locations around the world. Rome, Lagina, Athens, Privas, Kilwa, Cadiz, Alexandria, Gibraltar, Baghdad, and Swansea were all places she had been born and performed great magic.

She had yet to find the key but she had found many of her previous grimoires that she had hidden and sent them back to her home. She could sense her magic in the temple in Lagina as well. Not just hers but the magic of the many witches and Magi who performed rituals and practiced their spells in the temple for many centuries.

The November night was quite chilly but she couldn't walk around the archaeological site searching for magical items in broad daylight. She dressed in warm layers, leggings underneath her jeans, a heated sweater, scarf, and trench coat. In the darkness of the night, there was only silence and solitude in the ruined Sanctuary.

She stepped up into the temple, visualizing the temple when the structure still stood. She found the place of the altar where the flame would burn before the statue of the goddess and sacrifices were made. At that time, the priestesses lived in the sanctuary. She left the center of the temple and walked to the location of the priestesses' living quarters.

She reached out with her magic, scanning the space to sense any concealment spells in the space. The waves of her magic acted as a beacon, searching out objects that hold magic. She had been searching for so long that she wasn't holding her breath for the Key.

Her familiar came forward when she raised her hand, letting it crawl on the ground. Quetzal, like all familiars, was a vessel holding pure magic power. No matter how strong her magic sense, Quetzal's was more precise. If Phoebe missed something, Quetzal found it. She followed Quetzal as she slithered back to the place where the altar would have been. The familiar stood in the middle of the altar space, taking in all the residual magic from the space into its body.

Something came to her attention when she called Quetzal back into its vessel. In the floor of the foundations was a stone lockbox. She bent down to examine it. The moment her hand touched the box, she felt the same recognition she had felt with all her other grimoires from her past lives. The lockbox held something else of hers. "Etativel." The stone box shook itself loose and lifted from the floor into her hands. As she held the box in her hands, she tried to sense the contents of the box with her magic, but there were several spells that were placed on it to protect it for over 2000 years. With the box in hand, Phoebe turned and left.


December 2006

Her blue eyes wandered over the many glittering stones displayed under the glass cases.

"Miss Heinz." She turned to face the older man as he came out from the back door. She took the hand he extended out to her, shaking it strongly. "Welcome back."

"Thank you, Mr. Rosen," she said.

"Ah, no," said the man. "I should be the one thanking you for your business." He turned around and raised his arm to show her to the back door. While the front of the store showcased the different jewels the store had in shock that customers could order, the back was where most of the precious and semi-precious stones were cut and placed in their settings.

"We've recently received a new shipment of high-quality, uncut gemstones," said the man. "Just the way you like it." He showed her through the shop, past the working jewelers in the large warehouse-like space, showing her to a vault. Lora stood in wait as the jewelry store owner and another man unlocked the vault. "Please," Rosen said as he showed her in.

The men pulled out several drawers and placed them on a large table in the center of the room. Different gemstones of all colors and clarity were all placed before her on the table to examine. Her magic hummed in her fingers and her eyes as she picked up a carnelian to examine. Since the stones would be used to make enchanted and magical jewelry, examining the stones she wanted using magic aided her in finding the stones of the best quality to readily accept magic for the enchantments to last. She touched each batch of jewels, focusing her 'magic eye' to examine the other stones.

"I do hope that all of these gems are from mines that treat their workers humanely," Lora said.

"Yes," the man agreed with a nod. "All of our partners have been vetted and run completely cruelty-free."

Lora nodded. "Good." She arranged the stones in separate piles, choosing gems with the highest capacity for magic among what she was shown. "All of these, please. For delivery as usual."

The man led Lora back into the warehouse to the main store to bid her goodbye. "Thank you again for your business, Miss Heinz."

As Lora said goodbye to the man, one of the charms on her bracelet resonated. She thanked the man as she looked at the red crystal dangling on her charm bracelet. She turned around, causing the crystal to point in the direction of the door as a man held the door open for a woman as they were in deep conversation. Her eyes opened wide as she stopped in front of the blonde-haired woman and red-haired man entering the jewelry store.

They both stopped and stared at each other in the middle of the store, paying no mind to the people wandering around them.

"What are you looking at?" the red-haired man asked the blonde woman. He turned to find her eyes glued on the young woman who was looking at them in equal shock.

"Lora?" he asked, taking a step toward her.

Lora blinked out of her stupor as she took a step back from the man as he approached her. Her eyes went to the other door at the entrance as she searched for her escape. She shook her head, "No, no. I'm not doing this." She rushed past the couple to the other double doors and quickly left the store before there would be a confrontation.

"Hang on a minute, young lady," the woman's stern voice followed her. "Lora, get back here." She reached Lora on the sidewalk as she reached her car. "Don't turn your back on me." She grasped Lora's arm and turned her around to face her.

Lora pulled her arm from the woman's grasp as she screamed, "Don't touch me! Don't you dare touch me!" She breathed heavily as tears welled in her eyes as she tried to catch her breath.

"What are you yelling for? We haven't seen you in almost ten years. You just left a note and went to some backwater college and didn't even tell us where you were going. You didn't even call," she said. When Lora said nothing, she asked, "Well, what college did you get to? Did you graduate? Did you go to grad school? Are you working? Where are you working right now? Tell me the name of your company and your boss. Lila, Moreen, and the other ladies from the country club all have children who graduated from Ivy League colleges. They've been talking about their kids, bragging about all their accomplishments. Do you know how bad you made us look? We didn't raise you to be like your sister, who…"

"Stop!" She huffed as she looked at her mother incredulously. "Don't you dare talk about her like that! Never talk about Nora like that." Many people who were passing by stopped to look at the arguing trio before they continued on their way. "It's because of you that Nora left. It took me a while to realize how toxic you were before I finally left. You see your daughter for the first time in almost a decade and you don't even ask how I'm doing."

"Well, you're obviously doing fine," said the man. "You're wearing brand-name clothes. You must have a well-paying job. I'd expect nothing less from my daughter. Nothing like your sis…"

"Don't say it." Lora calmed her heart. Almost a decade had passed and yet nothing about her parents had changed. Selfish, self-absorbed, and narcissistic. She should have realized it sooner. Maybe if she had, she would not have lost her twin sister. When she sensed the vibration from the charm, she was anticipating seeing her sister again. The red charm was just a vial of blood held in a crystal. If someone with close blood relation came near her, the blood would react and seek it out. She made the charm to find her long-lost twin, but it led her to her parents. Two people she never wanted to see ever again. She inhaled deeply and exhaled. Lora took out her business card and wrote a few instructions on the blank back. "Meet me there tomorrow and we can talk. I'm not doing this in the middle of Manhattan." She forced the card into her mother's hands and entered her car, leaving her parents on the sidewalk as she drove away, not bothering to look back at them in the rear-view mirror as tears streamed down her cheeks.


She ate in silence for the first time in a decade. It's what her parents taught her and Nora when they were children. They were not allowed to talk at the dinner table. It was suffocating compared to the animated discussions she had with her peers in college to the Donovan frequent family picnics and barbecues. She could barely taste the food due to the stifling atmosphere so she ordered a spicy soup to try to enjoy her meal.

"Lora, how many times have I told you that spicy food will give you constipation?" said her mother. "You should never eat it in public."

Lora's back straightened in her chair as she looked up at her mother. "Are we done eating now?" she asked. "I thought there was no speaking at the dinner table."

The mother shrugged as she looked at her husband. "What did I do? I just wanted to give you some advice. I don't understand why you always try to see me as the villain here." She sighed as she looked at Lora. "We're finally together as a family again. I just want us to go back to how we were before."

Her father looked at her as he took his wife's hand, caressing her gently. He turned to Lora and said, "Lora, your mother and I are so proud of you. We raised you to be a strong and independent young woman."

Lora sat up straighter, taken aback by her father's words. Never in her life had her parents ever told her they were proud of her.

"We raised you so well that you were able to live by yourself and work to become a successful businesswoman after you graduated." He brought out her business card. "Your mother and I did good when we raised you. Look at you, my daughter, the successful businesswoman. Her own boss. You're even wearing brand-name clothes."

Lora looked down at the clothes she bought at Macy's. She had a fairly high salary and she always made sure she bought good clothes. She was always busy so she always dressed in a semi-business style that would allow her to meet a business partner or a client at any time. As a businesswoman, she always wanted to make a good first impression so she spent a fair bit of money on clothing but she never bought anything overly expensive. Unlike people of a lower socio-economic background, she could spend a few hundred dollars on a dress, a suit, a bag, and some shoes, but she drew the line at a thousand dollars. She would never spend thousands of dollars on a single piece of clothing.

"But you have no sense of style. You need more expensive clothing if you want to attract richer clients," said her mother. "I can even introduce you to some of my friends at the country club. I'll tell you, they'll want custom jewelry. Although your business partner's young. But that doesn't matter. Once I get you on the cover of business and celebrity magazines, the greatest jewelers will want to work with you. Then, you'll be able to drop that little girl, who only got her success because of you."

"No!" How could she possibly think that her parents cared about anyone but themselves? Her success has already become their success. They were only proud of her because she became successful enough to brag about to their friends. They still wanted to control her. To mold her into their image. But, she wasn't going to let them. She had stopped being her parents' little doll the moment she left home and had become immune to their emotional blackmail.

"You know, I came here to give you another chance. It's been a decade so I thought maybe you had changed. Maybe losing your two daughters has caused you to reflect on your life and realize your faults. You're my parents and I thought that if you changed, I would give you another chance and we could start over and be amiable. Maybe I wouldn't have to be 'no-contact' with the people who gave birth to me and raised me." She shook her head. "But nothing's different."

"What are you talking about?" her mother huffed. "We only want to help you. To see you succeed. You're a Heinz and the Heinz family doesn't settle for second best. You have to be the best. We want you to be the best. How will it make us look if our daughter is working with some no-name, small-town girl, playing artist?" Her mother's voice softened as reached over the table to place her hand on top of Lora's. "We only want what's best for you. You were so good at gymnastics and it was me and your father who realized that and made sure you took all your classes and got the best training to be the most successful young gymnast in the country. Although I'm disappointed you didn't continue gymnastics. And I was telling everyone that you were going to the Olympics. You made me look bad, but now you're too old. This time, I'll make sure you become the greatest businesswoman in the country. Your sister was so ungrateful but I know you'll be thanking me later."

Lora's anger flared as she watched her parents talk about her sister. Her magic burst forth against her skin, causing her familiar to react. She could feel Umbra's restlessness as she purred in the back of her mind, begging to be set free. Lora clasped her hands around the locket, sending calming waves of magic through the bond she shared with the familiar. Umbra calmed and sent back calming waves of magic to her, to keep her from reacting to her parents' words.

Mrs. Heinz, not noticing Lora's reaction, turned to her husband. "That girl. Ever since she was born she was a troublemaker and always such a disappointment. No matter what we did for her, she fought against us. Sometimes she was excitable, doing whatever she wanted, arguing and always fighting against us and other times she was so depressive, not wanting to leave her room, she didn't want to eat or go to school or any social events. I could never understand that girl." She turned back to Lora. "Those quacks had no idea what they were talking about. How could I possibly give birth to a child with a mental illness?"

"What? What are you talking about?" Lora asked. Her sister had a mental illness?

Her mother waved her hand dismissively. "Some doctors said that your sister had some type of illness called bipolar disorder. But they were wrong. She had it but you didn't. I mean how could I give birth to a crazy child? It would have been awful. I mean, do you know what people would say about our family, about me, if I gave birth to a freak?"

Lora quickly gathered her things as she looked at the heartless woman who gave birth to her. Her sister was sick and she needed help but her parents did nothing to help her. A freak. She called Nora a freak. Lora simply shook her head as she gathered her belongings. She took her business card as she didn't want her parents to have her number. If she stayed, she would either go crazy or lose control of her magic and kill them.

"What? What are you doing?" her father asked.

"I'm leaving. I can't take this anymore," Lora said. She stood up straight and looked down at the people she used to call mom and dad. "You two are selfish, narcissistic, and vain. Your daughter… your flesh and blood was sick, and she needed your help and you never did anything to help her get better. All you cared about was how you looked to your 'so-called' friends, who couldn't possibly give a shit about you. Or me and my sister for that matter. There are medications for bipolar disorder. You could have helped her." Tears glistened in her eyes and ran down her cheeks. "But you were ashamed of her. My sister. My beloved older twin sister. My other half. You used me, forged me, into a weapon against her. You made me into the perfect, submissive daughter. I shunned her because I believed you when you said that she was a troublemaker and a bad influence because I wanted to please you. I didn't want you to treat me like you treated her." She shook her head. "I should have been on her side. I should have seen you for the monsters you were, turning us against each other. I realized it too late because my Nora was gone by the time I got the courage to cut the string you put on me."

She had everything she wanted in her life. She had her family. And the people in front of her were not family. She hasn't needed them in a decade. And she didn't need them now.

"Lora, how dare you? I am your mother." She stood up with her husband as they tried to stop their daughter from leaving.

"Young lady, stop your blubbering this instant."

"I'm done with the two of you. I am going to find Nora and I will protect her from anyone who would dare to harm her. Even you," she said. Lora wiped her tears as she glowered at the couple. "Don't ever come near me again. Don't even speak my name because if I hear about you using me or my name for any reason, I will sue you until you're left with nothing but the clothes on your backs. Then, you won't have to worry about what your 'friends' think about you and 'the great Heinz family' anymore." She turned to leave the private room in the restaurant, but stopped and turned back to the couple. "And you are not my family."

She rushed out of the room, out of the restaurant, to her car and drove home. Matt and Ria were still at school, Phoebe was across the world searching for magical artifacts. Jenna was still in Boston. Enzo was somewhere in the country with Slater. She was alone. She was alone in this big house. She printed map after map of different parts of the world. She cut her hand repeatedly, casting locator spell after locator spell. She had already tried finding her sister the first time she learned the locator spell, but she was never successful. Her sister was her identical twin and the spell always located her rather than her twin. She cut herself repeatedly until she couldn't cut anymore. She had overused her magic until she fell in her bed, exhausted. She could do nothing but cry as she begged for forgiveness for being unable to protect her sister, for shunning her, for being unable to find her, and all the other perceived wrongs she felt she had committed against her twin.


January 2007

Ria wrote enthusiastically as she listened to the teacher's lecture. She had a laptop, but she preferred to write things down as she found it easier to focus and remember things she learned when she wrote them on physical paper rather than writing them on a digital document. She would also copy her notes into her computer later.

"Alright, you can all start working on your assignments now," said the teacher. "Remember that your code has to meet all these parameters."

Ria opened her laptop and logged on quickly to the coding software. She picked computer programming as her elective because she found that coding was similar to spell casting. Coding was about telling the computer to follow a certain set of instructions to get a result. Her sister had taught her that magic is energy that they manipulated using spells to affect the physical and metaphysical realities. Chants and spells could be in many languages. There was no reason she couldn't make a spell using computer binary. She hadn't found any proof that witches or Magi had tried to use magic to manipulate computers or mechanical objects.

They always did their locator spells with physical maps, so she thought it would be interesting to cast a locator spell on a GPS. One of a locator spell's weaknesses was that it required blood and could only find someone when they were stationary, not while moving. It would also be more accurate than a physical map because she could program the spell to find the person even if they moved positions. There could be so much more. Cloaking spells that stopped cell phone tracking and glamor spells that tricked cameras. Controlling computers and other electronic devices with a thought.

She could do it. And she would.

With every tap of her fingers on the keyboard, she focused waves of her magic into the computer, into the code.


He ran across the field, his eyes completely focused ahead. Whenever someone came into his peripheral, he shifted to the opposite side, dodging them as he held the ball close. Someone dived in front of him, but he immediately jumped over the guy and kept running before he slid to the touchdown. The whistle sounded, marking the end of the game.

Matt opened his eyes, letting go of the visualization as he spun the football between his fingers. He was wearing a heavy coat with a beanie on his head to protect himself from the chill of the January afternoon. The fact that he couldn't get sick didn't mean that he couldn't feel the cold. And the New York January wind chill felt like it was seeping into his bones. It never got this cold in Mystic Falls so he was usually in a light jacket, other than the few days in the Winter.

He looked up to see a few flakes falling from the sky. He focused on the magic inside himself, releasing it to create a small layer over his skin to keep his body heat from escaping into the cold air. A skill he learned from his eldest sister, who also can't stand the cold.

As he looked at the ball in his hands, an idea came to him. Magic was pure energy within his body. It keeps the cold out while also keeping his body healthier than a health nut by supercharging his immune system and his metabolism. The last time he had an infection was when he was ten years old. If magic strengthens his whole body unconsciously, what would happen if he applied magic consciously to a certain part of his body. Even though his spell work was quick and powerful, both Magi and witches were usually long-distance and passive fighters. It's difficult for their kind to fight against vampires when they get in close due to their increased strength and speed.

Perhaps magic could also help increase his strength even a fraction of a vampire's power.

He focused his magic into his right arm. Taking a stance, he held the ball over his head and threw it. The ball flew across the field in an arc over the goal post into the tennis courts. He smiled to himself as he looked down at his hand. He overshot his mark but it worked.

A hot pain shot through his arm, causing him to fall on his knees as he grasped his arm. It was like all the excess magic he applied to the arm's muscles and tendons were burning and ripping them to shreds. He fell to his knees, grasping his arm. "AAAHHH!" he screamed.

"Matt?!" Ria ran to him on the field. She stopped on her knees in front of him. "What happened? What is it?" She looked at the arm he was holding, probing it with her magic as she visualized the damage that was done to the arm. She sensed several muscle tears, dislocated bones in the fingers, and several ripped arteries bleeding into the skin. "What the fuck did you do?" She rummaged through her bag, taking out the Physical Recovery Potion.

Matt took the small plastic vial with his left hand, quickly knocking it all back without minding the taste.

Ria could feel that the bleeding had stopped, but the Physical Recovery potion was not a healing potion. She placed her hands along his arm. "Therapevo." She didn't know enough about biology and regeneration to completely repair his arm, but she could apply some first aid, just as she was taught during her magic training.

When they got home, their sister took Matt to the emergency room to get an X-ray and a cast. They quickly returned home so Phoebe could begin the healing process. "You could've torn your arm off with that stunt," she scolded.

"But it's possible."

"Yes, but you didn't really understand what you were doing." She placed her hands over his heart, using her own magic to probe his magical core. "The human body is a machine. Every piece works together." Matt responded to his sister's magic by sending his own magic throughout his body. "Throwing that ball not only uses your forearm, but also your back muscles, pectorals, shoulders, biceps, and triceps." She moved her hand to his shoulders, kneading the muscle with magic and reinforcing the bone where it had been dislocated. "Not to mention you had to take a stance so you also used legs and abs too. You need to apply the magic little by little to every piece of the body you're using," Phoebe explained. "If you really want to continue doing that, you should look into anatomy. If you can't get it at school, get it online." She moved her hand down his arm, supplying the torn muscle cells with energy to trigger the cells to repair the torn muscles in the arm. Although it is a natural process, applying magic helped the repair to be quick and efficient. "Okay. We'll do this again tomorrow. You'll be good as new by the time you get back to school on Monday."

"Great," Matt said. "The cast is already starting to itch. I can't wait to get it off."

"Oh, you're keeping that on as punishment. We'll only remove it when you get back to the doctor in a month."

"Oh, come on, sis," he whined as she laughed while leaving the room.


February 2007

Phoebe sat in the small coffee shop in the Bronx drinking a cup of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows and a cinnamon bun on the side. She had a notebook opened in front of her as she watched the snowfall outside. She took another sip of her hot chocolate as she thought of a few new spells she was thinking of adding to her grimoire. Ria's attempt at using binary and other coding languages to cast spells to control computers and the internet gave her several ideas about spell weaving. If she thought of spells like a code, she could make one spell have different results based on input. Wards and enchantments would be the best for those types of spells.

She had seen many shows that had given her several great ideas about what magic could do. Charmed, the Book of Shadows could not leave the house without the girls' permission. In a cartoon she watched, the house was almost sentient and could remove threats from the premise. Even in DC comics, the Tower of Fate was protected by powerful cloaking spells, and the House of Mystery could fly and materialize wherever.

She knew it was possible because much like the Tower of Fate, she already had a hidden Magic Archive wandering between the physical and Astral plane, hidden from humans and supernaturals, dead or alive. She also found a pocket dimension, a small purse that could hold a large number of objects, bigger on the inside, like a TARDIS.

It would take a lot of magic and a lot of different types of spells woven together, and a lot of time and study, but she could do it. So long as it wasn't impossible, she would do it.

She noted several examples, real and fiction, in her notes. The one thing all those spells had in common - the TARDIS, The Magic Archive, the Tower of Fate, and the House of Mystery - all have some type of spell that allows them to move anywhere through space-time, between different dimensions. The only things close to that are teleportation spells, transportation spells, summoning spells, and wandering spells. As for the bigger on the inside type things, it's definitely a pocket dimension.

Sometimes, science could be so much more advanced than magic while other times magic was more advanced than science, being able to accomplish things that are only theories according to science.

As she twirled the pen between her fingers, she was suddenly hit with her lightbulb moment. "Oh gods!" she exclaimed as she quickly jotted down her idea before she could lose it.

A deep chuckle resounded above her as a shadow fell over the table. Quickly closing her journal, she sat up straight as her eyes took in the man's full visage. "By the gods…" She took in the beautiful brown man's round face, with some light stubble under his chin with no hair around his gorgeous pink lips, deep brown eyes, and a full head of curly black hair. Her eyes raked down his body, where his winter coat was unzipped, allowing her to see just enough of his chest in his sweater to know that it wasn't too buff, but he was fit enough for the sweater to taper down his trunk.

She didn't know she had a type before, but the way her heart thundered against her ribcage as her eyes ate him up, told her that he was just her type.

"...mind?" His voice pushed through the lustful haze that clouded her mind and made her forget where she was.

"Huh?" Phoebe shook her head, swallowing nervously before she met his eyes once more. She hoped he didn't realize that she had been checking him out and repeatedly undressing him with her eyes. "What did you say?"

"The cafe is full. Would you mind if I sit here?" he asked with a small curve of his perfect lips.

"Oh, yeah, no." Phoebe inhaled to catch herself as she closed her notebook and moved her belongings against the wall. She smiled up at him. "No, I don't mind. The table's not mine so please, have a seat." She exhaled softly as her eyes never left him as he removed his coat, placing it on the back of the chair before he took a seat.

"Thank you," he said.

"No problem," she replied. She raised her mug of cocoa to her lips taking a sip as she secretly took in the movements of his body in his sweater, which fit on him perfectly like a second skin.

He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her journal. "Homework?"

Phoebe looked at the notebook closed beneath her arm. "Oh no, this is just something I do for fun."

"Studying the Greek gods?" he asked.

She placed the journal in her purse on the table before she sat back. "How do you know?"

"You said 'oh gods' and suddenly began writing furiously as though you had an epiphany that you didn't want to lose. I hope I didn't interrupt your train of thought."

"Oh no. You didn't. I already wrote down my idea. I just need to figure out how to implement it. Just need to iron out the small details."

A server came to the table and placed a mug in front of the man. "Here you are, sir," she said.

"Thank you," the man replied.

Phoebe watched the server go before she turned to the man. "Coffee?"

"Um," he said. "And you, cocoa?"

"Yep," Phoebe replied. "I love the hot chocolate they make here." She raised her cinnamon bun up to him before taking a bite. She finished chewing before she said, "And their pastries are good too."

"Are you from around here?"

"I'm not from the Bronx or even living in New York City right now," she said. "I live in Greenwich in Connecticut. Just across the border. You?"

"I live in the Bronx. Just across the street over there." He pointed out the window to the group of brownstone apartments that lined the street. "So, gods?"

"I'm pagan. I worship the Old Gods of the Greek Pantheon."

"Wow, that's interesting," his eyes widened with curiosity as he leaned toward her. "You don't hear about that often. What does that mean? I mean, do you have a doctrine? Practices?"

"We do worship and prayers and we make offerings. You know how Jewish and Muslims have Kosher and Halal farms to make sure their meat is slaughtered according to their holy customs?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, it's similar for me. Once a year, my family makes offerings. Our offerings to the gods have to be the healthiest and strongest animal. It has to be fat and meaty. It's raised like a precious child before the animal is slaughtered humanely by cutting the artery in the neck and removing the blood from the animal's body. The carcass is cleaned and cooked like you would make a feast for a king before it is placed on an altar," Phoebe explained. "Are you religious?"

"No," he replied. "I'd probably say that I'm agnostic. It means that even if there is a god or gods, humans can't possibly hope to know the will or nature of such a lofty being."

Phoebe nodded in understanding. They remained silent for a while before the man said. "Oh, I'm Bellamy, by the way. Bellamy Wallace." He extended his hand across the table.

Phoebe took his hand to shake. "Phoebe Donovan."

They remained silent for a few moments more before Bellamy spoke once more. "I know this isn't really my business, but you look young enough to be in school. How old are you, Phoebe?"

Phoebe smirked as she cocked her head to the side. "I'm seventeen. And before you ask why I'm not in school, I should tell you that I'm technically a genius and graduated out of college when I was thirteen with several degrees in archeology and linguistics. Although I don't use them much."

His eyes widened. "Wow, that is… wow," he repeated. "That's just amazing. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Phoebe replied. "And you?"

"I'm 24. I graduated college with a degree in art history two years ago and I'm currently working at a museum."

"That's great. I find the different styles across different cultures fascinating. From Japanese to Chinese, Persian, Bantu, Egyptian, Classical European and Baroque, and Contemporary art. Even calligraphy can be considered an art style. They're all so different, just like the many languages you find across those many different cultures."

A bright smile formed on Bellamy's face, causing Phoebe's heart to pound. "Yeah, it's amazing, isn't it?"

Phoebe laughed lightly, lowering her eyes shyly as she felt a heat crawl up her body. If her skin was a lighter shade, she would've turned flushed red from the heavy flow of her blood against her skin. She looked up at him through her lashes as she smiled. She wanted to continue her conversation with him but it was already getting late and she needed to return home.

She inhaled sharply as she straightened her spine. She looked at the man as she searched for the courage to open her mouth to ask for what she wanted. Phoebe was not shy by any standards. She had a confidence that bordered on arrogance. She pulled on that confidence as she stood in front of him. "Hey, Bellamy, can I have your number?"

His eyes widened. "What?"

She inhaled deeply and stood tall as she said what she wanted. "I want your cell number so I can call you. I'm asking you out. I'm an emancipated adult and have been since I was 16 and as the age of consent in New York State is 17, I don't see a problem with the two of us going on a date."

His mouth was partially open as he looked at her, unable to find any words. Never in his life had any woman ever asked him out so bluntly. "Wow… you're very brusque." He couldn't find any other words to describe it. His eyes roamed down her body to her tight jeans that went inside her heavy snow boots. Her sweatshirt was tucked inside her pants' waist, tightened by a white belt. Around her neck was a gray knitted scarf. Her full puckered lips, button nose, and almond eyes fit her beautiful round face perfectly.

He was attracted to her without a doubt. It was why he asked for her age because she looked young. He was almost disappointed to find out she was only seventeen and forced himself to remove all the lustful thoughts that filled his mind when he saw her when he entered the cafe. He was not expecting her to suddenly ask him out, showing that she, too, found him attractive as a man. He was at a loss for words.

"Well, if I want something…" Her brown eyes were almost black under her long lashes as she bored her eyes into his. "And I want you. I want to get to know you better, Bellamy."

His Adam's Apple bobbed in his throat.

Phoebe took out her pen and journal and wrote something. She ripped a sheet of paper, folded it, and placed it on the table in front of him. "Here's my number. Call me." She put on her coat and walked confidently out of the cafe. When she stepped into the chill air, she inhaled and exhaled deeply before she smiled and jumped up. "Yes!" she cheered.


March 2007

Jenna was walking on sunshine. Match Day had passed and she had found out that her residency would be in a hospital in New York City, just like she wanted. She was basically done with Med school and had three free months to spend with her friends and family before the start of her residency in July.

Some of her friends from school decided to invite her out for drinks. "Jenna, this is the Boston, Massachusetts, the medical capital of the world. I can't believe you're not staying."

"Sorry, ladies, but I'm tired of paying rent. I have a nice bedroom waiting for me in Greenwich with my family," Jenna replied as she thought back to everyone cheering for her on the video call she made home to tell them about her match.

"So, what do you plan on doing for the next three months?"

Jenna sighed. She looked down at her hands, slowly loosening her fingers around the beer bottle. She placed the bottle on the table and clasped her hands together on her lap. The dreams were still bothering her. Blood. So much blood and death. Eris, Enyo, Athena, Bia, Nike, Alekto, Tisiphone, Megaera. There were so many. But why her? Why did they have to choose her? Why give her this uncontrollable power?

Jenna shook herself out of her thoughts when she realized that eyes were still on her. "Oh, I'm not sure. I'll be doing some more MMA. There's a few competitions coming up. I'll be going back home to be with my friends and family. I'll also be preparing for the residency."

"You're no fun, Jen. You should be going traveling and having fun before the craziness of residency."

"Sorry," Jenna shrugged.

It was already past midnight by the time Jenna said goodbye to her. She wasn't drunk but she was buzzed. She couldn't drive and the buses that went to her apartment were scarce. She couldn't just wait in the middle of the March night for a bus that may never come. Jenna searched the internet on her phone trying to find a hotel nearby where she could sleep for the night. She strained her eyes to read the GPS directions on the small phone screen. She needed a new phone.

The hotel wasn't far so she decided to walk. As the wind whipped around her face, the alcoholic buzz slowly passed during her walk. She could see the hotel at the coming intersection. Jenna placed the phone in her pocket before she picked up the pace.

The charm on her bracelet vibrated and warmed against her skin. She stopped. It wasn't a full moon. Vampires. Jenna quickly took out her Vervain spray. She turned around to look behind her. Nothing. She made a 360-degree turn before she looked up. She searched the low roofs, squinting her eyes to see through the darkness. No silhouettes. The charm was still vibrating. Jenna took a step back, noting that the vibration in the charm lessened. She took a step forward. The charm vibrated more. Another step and another caused the vibration to intensify.

Jenna reached out into the dark with her other senses. Since she began having the dreams, her senses heightened in addition to her increased strength. She hadn't seen anything before so she focused on her hearing. The main street was fairly quiet.

She sensed a commotion coming from an alley. A girl's shrill scream. Without a second thought for her own safety, Jenna took off in the direction of the scream. Her heart was racing as adrenaline filled her bloodstream. Her mind raced a mile a minute as she jumped into fight mode. Fear coursed through her. What am I doing? I'm running toward a vampire. I'm going to die. But a sense of protectiveness coursed through her as well. She could hear the vampires laughing before biting into flesh. They're not just feeding. They're hunting. They're going to kill her. I have to protect her. Help her. Save her.

Her enhanced eyesight allowed her to see a group of three vampires feeding on a young girl they had pinned against a wall. Jenna took a brick on the ground and threw it at the vampire closest to her. She heard the crunching of bones when the brick made contact with the vampire's head. Jenna jumped in with a flying kick at another vampire as she sprayed the third vampire with Vervain. Jenna quickly grabbed the girl's hand and ran back toward the street. I can't believe I just did that. I just need to get to the street. Get to the light.

A rush of wind passed her before one of the vampires came to stand in front of her. Jenna stopped and pulled the girl behind her, shielding the girl with her body.

"You bitch," said another vampire who appeared right beside her.

"That really hurt you know," said the one she had sprayed with Vervain. The third vampire surrounded her at the other end of the alley

Jenna's eyes quickly searched the alley for something wooden she could use as a stake. She hadn't brought her batons with her. "Stay behind me," Jenna told the girl as they were backed against a building.

A vampire pulled the girl out from behind Jenna. The young girl screamed, "No. Please, help me."

"No, let her go," Jenna said. She was about to spray him, but another pushed her against the wall, forcing her to hit the back of her head on the brick wall. She felt the wetness in her hair at the back of her head. The vampire took her by the throat with one hand as he gripped her other hand with the vervain spray tightly. Her bones ground together, causing Jenna to scream in pain before dropping the spray.

"You wanted to save her," he said. He turned around, standing at her back as she faced the girl and the two vampires. "Now, you're gonna watch her die."

"No, please, take me," Jenna begged. "Take me instead. Let her go and you can have me instead."

"She stinks of Vervain," said the vampire behind her.

"We're going to kill her and then, we'll kill you." The vampires laughed as black veins marred their faces and blood rushed into their eyes.

"Hey," Jenna said to the girl. "Look at me. Tell me your name. What's your name?"

The girl hiccuped and cried. "Gabriella ForsYTH! AAAAHHHHH!" The girl screamed as the vampire bit into her neck. He drank her blood messily, causing several trails to fall along her throat, staining her white blouse. Jenna watched, her eyes never leaving Gabriella's as she watched the life leave her. The vampire groaned with pleasure as he dropped her body carelessly to the ground once he drank every drop of blood from her body.

"Whoo! It's always a rush," said the vampire, his face stained with Gabriella's blood.

"Hey, you didn't leave any for us," complained the first vampire.

The one who held Jenna from behind pushed her down onto Gabriella's body. Jenna fell on her knees on the cobbled ground, her tears falling in front of Gabriella. She tried to save her, but she couldn't. It hurt so much. She didn't have any strength. What about the powers? The blessing? The strength that had plagued her for the past few months wouldn't come to her when she needed it most.

'Embrace your power.'

She had denied her power, denied her strength because she was afraid. She was afraid she would hurt someone with her uncontrollable strength. She was afraid of becoming a monstrous creature of blood and violence. 'My champion.'

The vampires cackled like hyenas, circling her. They're going to kill me.

'You will not die, Jenna.'

Tears fell from her eyes, landing on Gabriella's face.

'I have no power.'

'You are my champion. My power flows through you. I have not abandoned you.'

'Power. I need power.' The power to protect herself. Power to protect the innocent. Power to protect her friends and family. 'I want power'. Jenna repeated in her mind. 'I need strength.'

'Then, I will give it to you.' All sounds around her ceased. She could hear the voice clearly as the image of the goddess in her armor flashed behind Jenna's lids. 'Call my name, Jenna.'

Jenna inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. She dug her fingers into the ground, cracking the concrete blocks beneath her. Her heartbeat slowed as power vibrated within her body. She felt herself being lifted by her hair. It was painful but she needed to focus on her body. Power flooded every cell in her body, energizing her. The voices of the vampires were background noises as she centered herself.

Power vibrated through her body. Her power. Her strength. "Give me strength, BIA!" When Jenna opened her eyes, her iris had turned a brilliant violet. Tattoos of a chain wrapped around a sword marked her forearms. With little effort, Jenna pushed her arm forward, breaking the skin and sternum of the vampire, ripping his lung as she grasped his heart. Pulling her hand back, she brought his heart out of his body.

The giggling of the vampires ceased when they saw their comrade fall to the ground as his heart was held in the woman's hand. Her purple eyes landed on one of them and suddenly she was before him. With a swipe of her hand, his head came off. It all happened in a matter of seconds.

As the last vampire registered what had taken place, he tried to run. Jenna grabbed him and pushed him against the wall, before he could even beg, she began ripping his body to shreds, her nails digging into his flesh, removing his intestines from his body, his stomach, his spine. She didn't register her actions as she pulled his arms and legs from his body before she finally removed his heart.

She left the body of the vampire behind as she returned to the body of the young girl. "Gabriella." Jenna fell on her knees before the girl's corpse. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you." She dug through her jacket to find a coin and placed it in the girl's mouth. "Please, Thanatos, take care of her. "

The black gate of the Underworld materialized in the side of the wall in front of her. Wide wings wrapped around Jenna's body in comfort as pale arms reached down and took the girl's soul from her body. "I will," said the God of Death.

Jenna didn't know for how long she remained on the ground, but she only looked up when she heard a familiar voice call to her. "Jenna."

Even in the darkness, she could see his face as he approached her slowly, like an injured animal.

"They killed her," she told him.

"I know," he replied.

She tried to stand up, only to lose her footing. He quickly caught her, bringing her head into his chest as she cried hysterically. He held her close, not minding the blood and tears she was getting on his multi-thousand-dollar suit. He passed his hands soothingly in her hair. She knew what he was.

"I tried to save her. They made me watch. They said they were going to kill me, too. I, I didn't want to die."

"I know. It's alright, Jenna. You did well. You fought to survive. You're alive now and you avenged her." He removed his suit jacket and wrapped it around Jenna's body. He looked into her, still, violet eyes. "Jenna, I need to know. Do you trust me?"

Jenna looked into his eyes, searching for something she wasn't sure of before she slowly nodded. "Yes."

"I'm going to take you to my apartment," he said. "Is that alright?"

"Yes."

He raised Jenna off the ground, carrying her with one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees before he flashed out of the alley.

When he arrived at the apartment, he brought her into the bathroom, to keep blood out of his living area. He washed her hands quickly to remove as much blood as he could. He was used to washing off blood from his own hands, but never from the hands of a human woman. He saw how she tore those vampires to pieces. From her heartbeat, she was human. She was too strong to be a werewolf or a witch. He had never seen any like it before. The purple eyes and the tattoos on her forearms. Where did her strength come from?

He dried her hands and brought her into his bedroom, into the en-suite bathroom with the shower. He turned on the shower to a comfortable warm temperature, letting the drizzle fall on them as they were fully dressed. Her purple eyes and tattoos had disappeared, leaving the woman in a catatonic-like state.

"I'm going to remove your clothes," he said. "Is that alright?"

"Yes." Was all she said to every question he asked her.

He removed her upper layers before he removed her underwear. He remained in his leather shoes, pants, and white dress-shirt. He lathered her body with body wash, scrubbing off all the dirt and blood from underneath her fingernails. He washed her breasts and between her legs respectfully, without lingering in her private parts. He gently washed her face and hair, massaging her scalp with the tips of his fingers, as she sat on the tiles under the shower with her legs up against her chest.

He turned off the shower before taking a large cotton towel to wrap around her nude form. He towel-dried her hair before blow-drying. He returned to his bedroom and changed out of his wet clothes into a cotton sweatshirt, jeans, and a jacket. He took a silk robe and tied it around her waist before he carried her back into the bedroom. He placed her carefully on his bed, letting her head rest on the pillow. He left the room and returned several minutes later with a cup of hot tea. "Here," he said, handing her the cup. "Drink this. It's chamomile and ginger. It'll help you rest."

He helped Jenna sit up, letting her body rest on his chest as he placed the cup of tea in her hands. "Thank you."

Jenna drank the tea slowly. She remained leaning against his body as he softly passed his fingers through her hair. When she finished, she handed him the cup. "Thank you," she said once more. He lowered her back on the bed and turned to leave the room.

"Elijah," Jenna called to him before he could close the door.

"Yes?"

"Are you going to get rid of the bodies?"

"Yes."

"Can you burn Gabriella? She doesn't deserve to rot in a shallow ditch somewhere in the middle of a forest."

"Very well, I will," he said before he shut the door behind him.


We finally know who Jenna's patron Goddess is. It's Bia, the titan goddess of Might and Force, guardian of the throne of Zeus. One of the reasons I chose Bia was because I was inspired by the MYth series by Zelda C. Wang on Tapas, which caused me to gain more interest in the four siblings. I couldn't find many myths with Bia as a prominent character so she's a blank slate I can use however I wish to show her power. Look forward to it.

I know this is a very filler chapter but we're getting closer to canon and the story will become more saturated as I slowly bring in The Originals, the Mystic Falls gang, and the NOLA/ TO plotlines. They're going to school, exploring more magic, and finding artifacts that can help them in the future. And these characters have lives outside of magic and supernatural stuff.

I had so much trouble writing Elijah's first line. He's so erudite and sophisticated that I couldn't find a good flirtatious scene for him. How do you write a pick-up line for a man who oozes so much charisma and sex appeal that women fall all over him without needing him to say a word?

Magic eye/magic sense: increases senses of magic users to detect surrounding magic, people/objects that have the potential for magic.

I'm going to change this to rated M, just in case.

Thank you for reading. Read and review.