Months after Kai and Damon mysteriously vanished from the Armory vault, Bonnie struggles to hold on to hope that they will be found. Meanwhile, after following some mysterious clues, Stefan realizes that whatever has a hold of Kai and Damon may have a more damaging grip over them than he could have ever imagined.
All he had ever known was pain and agony. His pride over the years had been tattered. Lately, on most days, Kai was drifting and playing it by the books to stay alive long enough to get back to his loved ones.
But tonight, he was in the middle of the road. In all its darkness, with a grey cloud above him. The rain was pelting him as he walked between the white line; the gravel crunching beneath his feet. The heretic faced an oncoming SUV. He could hear a woman from the car shrieking as her partner almost hit him. The truck screeches and swerves before the driver hits the brakes. But by then, Kai was no longer on the road.
Listening to the couple quarrel before driving off again. Not even minutes into their drive, Kai watched as they unavoidably hit another man in the road with full force. He watches their victim roll over the truck's roof before landing hard on the pavement behind them.
The driver stopped the SUV. Kai could hear the terror in their voices. The girlfriend rushes out of the truck to check on the victim, who was lying motionless on the ground.
"I think he's dead."
Her boyfriend looks devastated by the news, and panics even more.
"No… no."
Kai decided it was time to make his appearance known. He moodily stuck his hands in his pockets as he appeared behind them and spoke.
"Damn, dude." His voice startled them. They were completely unaware of him. "I'd applaud you on your quick reflexes. I mean, the way you whipped around me. Shame about this guy." Kai could now hear Damon groaning on the ground before he sat up and began snapping his broken bones into place.
Kai chuckled, seeing the fearful look on the couple's face as Damon arose from the dead.
"What the hell is going on?"
A low rumble sounded from the sky in the distance.
"Besides the fact that you ran over my buddy here," Kai stated bluntly. "It's a slow night for us. We thought we'd do the old guy in the road trick."
"It's how we catch our meals." The couple huddled together, trying to back away from Damon. He was still snapping his cervical bones into place and rolling his shoulders. "Although, I prefer not being the bait." He gave Kai a grave and unamused expression.
"Hey, this is your game." Kai interrupted, not unkindly. "I'm just along for the ride."
Their human victims were anxious.
"What do you two want?" The blonde girl sounded earnest about it. It should probably bother him more than it did.
"We need a ride." Kai's brows furrowed. "It's the least you can do for us."
"And I'll drive." The couple became even more uneasy, especially at Damon's Norman Bates smile.
For the past several months, Kai and Damon's lives had turned into a slasher movie. Even though growing up, Kai was a massive fan of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre film, he never actually wanted to be Leatherface. But once again, here he was, walking yet another pair of victims into an abandoned slaughterhouse. He could hear the soft whimpering from their casualties predicting their dilemma.
"It's only fair that I confess why we brought you here." Kai looked up, blue eyes twinkling as he smirked. "My friend and I are under a little mind control, forcing us to be good little soldier boys."
Damon eyed him with a smile. "More like slaves."
"Our job is to bring the worst of humanity here, to meet the big boss." Kai sneered, while their guest looked uncomfortable. "So, I need to know, what's the worst thing you've ever done?"
Neither of them said anything. Instead, they simply shared a horrified look with one another.
Damon sighed. "The winner gets a prize." He moved closer to the blonde. "Tell us, sweetheart, what's the worst thing you've ever done?" He laid an arm around her thin shoulders.
The blonde looked over at Kai. "I stole makeup from a drugstore once. It was just some cheap lipstick and blush."
"Great, a fucking kleptomaniac." The heretic rolled his eyes. "Think harder. What's the worst thing you've ever done in your life?" Kai asked, silky, looking at the girl with sharp eyes. He used his compulsion on her.
"I slept with my best friend's boyfriend." She stopped and bit her lip in the pensive way that meant she was assessing how honest she had to be to get her point across. "We've been having an affair for the past three months." Her boyfriend gave her a look of disgust.
Kai's mouth broke into a vague grin. "Holy shit, naughty little girl aren't you." Damon gave him a tight-lipped frown. "What about you? What's the worst thing you've ever done?"
"I stole my Nana's pain pills to sell to my friends… while she was dying of cancer."
"You sick fuck," said Kai, as he walked closer to the other man.
"I think we have a winner." Damon smiled then, a dangerous glint in his eye. "Should I take the girl?"
"No, I think I want to have some fun with her, first," Kai muttered, without making any effort to move.
"That's my girlfriend you're talking about, man." Her boyfriend said as he yanked his hand from Damon's grip.
"Who's cheating on you, because your stroke game is weak." Kai rolled his eyes and glanced away as Damon ran a hand through his hair. "Unlike with you, we're granting her mercy."
"What are you going to do with him?" The blonde whimpered, a tear slipping down her cheek when Damon shoved her towards Kai.
"He's getting an excruciating death," Kai told her dryly. "I'll be quick with you. It'll be over before you know it." Kai raised his hand to her and chanted. "Le specto tre colo ves bestia."
The spell was compressing his victim's heart. Kai and Damon both watched as she collapsed to the floor, lying there, dead. Her boyfriend cried out for her; his face covered in grief. "I'll deal with her. Hurry up with him. You know it doesn't like to be kept waiting." With that, Damon grabbed the other man and exited out the back room.
Kai looked down at his dead victim. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I got no pleasure out of it." He felt unease talking to the dead body, his head still bowed. "I won't let your death be in vain. But I need to get a message to my girlfriend, and you're the perfect person to deliver it."
Not wasting time, Kai grabbed a hold of the dead girl, throwing her over his shoulder. He had to get a message out; he had to escape this hell.
Dear Elena,
The search for Kai and Damon goes on and we're no closer to knowing where they are, or who or what took them from the vault. It's been so hard on all of us, Stefan made me promise that I'd steal small moments of normal every day. I think he's worried about my mental health. But just between us, I need to tell you that this has been the most soul-crushing experience of my life. I never thought I could feel this low again, like when I was alone in the prison world. Yet that's exactly how I feel. The loneliness there made sense. But living with Lucy and Enzo, or constantly seeing Valerie and Stefan together, or worse, getting updates from Caroline on her happy life with Alaric and the girls. Every day is a reminder of how alone I am. Kai promised me a trip to Paris after everything was over. Yet here I am months later, seeing everyone else booed up and content. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep going…
Bonnie sat around the dinner table, writing her weekly diary entry for Elena. As she was wrapping up, Lucy and Enzo both appeared from their bedroom. The couple hand in hand, whispering to each other, all smiles and giggles. Bonnie rolled her eyes at the scene before her.
"Morning, Bon," Lucy perked up. "You made coffee?"
There was never a time where there wasn't a fresh pot of coffee in their cabin, mainly because of her. "Yeah, the water should still be hot."
Lucy went into the kitchen to make herself and Enzo a cup. Meanwhile, Enzo joined Bonnie at the table, looking at all the newspaper clippings scattered down.
"How are you feeling, love?"
"Exhausted and stressed. Stefan and I are getting nowhere." Her voice was calm and indifferent; it was quite obvious that she was annoyed.
"Valerie still can't get a location," Lucy asked, opening a cupboard to retrieve two coffee mugs.
Bonnie shook her head. Valerie has been trying for months to use a spell to find Kai. Nothing worked. It's like he cloaked himself and Damon off their radar. But Bonnie knew Kai didn't have that kind of power to keep a spell-like that going. Whoever has them is immune to magic, like Rayna Cruz.
"I'm sure you'll get a breakthrough soon," Enzo said, smiling fondly.
"We are striving with the armory's vault." Lucy poured two large mugs of coffee, adding cream and sugar.
"Yeah, how's that going?" Bonnie asked, nose screwed up.
A ghost of a smile graced her deep red lips. "Dorian just texted us an hour ago." Lucy snuck up behind her. "He figured out how we can walk through the stone wall of the vault."
Bonnie paused, frowning. "Wait, what?"
"Dorian4 said it was like a simple illusion. The kid's a fucking genius, Bon." Dorian was a paid intern that Lucy and Enzo hired a month ago. He was looking to earn some college credits and quick cash. And they all needed the extra help at the Armory, now that Enzo inherited the place since everyone else was dead and Virginia St. John went AWOL.
"We should probably get a move on, then. The sooner we know who or what took them, the easier it gets to find them," Enzo said brightly, reaching out to take the coffee mug.
Lucy ran a finger up his chin to his nose before whispering into his ears. Whatever she said, Enzo nodded to her before he quickly waved at Bonnie and departed the cabin. Leaving the cousins alone together.
"Bonnie, are you okay?" she asked anxiously.
Bonnie stared blankly into space, trying to keep her tears from falling.
"I'm good," she said, voice dull and vacant of emotion.
"You are far from it," Lucy mumbled, shoulders tensing a bit. "You can't keep your emotions bottled up. Talk to me."
Shaking her head, wanting nothing more than to forget her troubles. But Lucy was right, she couldn't keep everything bottled up anymore. "I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up," she cried, admonished. "Kai and Damon might be gone forever. I'm just waiting for Stefan to give up." Quickly wiping her eyes, she sucked in a deep breath, trying to steady her pounding heart.
"Stefan would never give up on Damon, you know that," Lucy said, taking a sip of her coffee. "And I won't give up on Kai. We're going to find them, Bonnie. I promise you I will bring Kai home for you."
Bonnie smiled grimly, trying to forget what it felt like looking into Kai's blue eyes, but couldn't. "Even if we find them, whatever happened to them in that vault changed them into cold-blooded killers, with no conscience."
"Look, we've all done awful things," Lucy said suddenly, eyes resting on her coffee mug. "Kai murdered his siblings, killed off his coven, and ruined your friends' lives. Yet somehow you forgave him. I only know Kai as this brave, fearless guy who saved my life. And I owe him," she said proudly. "I also owe Abby, and she wants you to be happy, and if your happiness is being with Kai, then I'm willing to do everything in my power to bring him back."
She nodded mutely, understanding too well every word Lucy said. She knew it was best to just go with this, for everyone else's sake. But Bonnie couldn't help the nagging feeling that something terribly wrong was going to happen. There was no way she could keep doing this.
It was midday before Kai returned to the abandoned slaughterhouse. When he arrived at the butcher room, he found Damon sitting in a chair on the metal grate above the tank. Kai scoffed when he noticed Damon was reading Fifty Shades of Gray.
Damon sulked. "You were gone for hours. Did you really have to dump that girl's body out? We could have snacked on her."
"Do you even understand our situation?" Kai huffed, a pained expression on his face. "We're not here for fun. We're enslaved to a monster who wants us to hunt immoral humans so that it can feed on."
"I didn't think the job would be this complicated." Damon rolled his eyes, not taking his attention away from his book. "If only we can just stumble across some guy who murdered his siblings or promise his brother an eternity of misery." Now he was projecting.
"I don't plan on living this way forever." Kai snapped, crossing his arms over his chest angrily. "If you'd put that stupid book down and actually try to help me, we could escape."
"This is a fantastic book." Damon blinked and smiled apologetically. "Anyway, it can hear you."
"Yeah, it also invades my mind and knows how I feel about being trapped here."
That got him a mischievous grin. "There's no reason to aggravate it even more."
There came a low chuckle that made Kai shudder. "What's going on with you, man?" he hissed, walking forward to lower his voice. "Is your self-control really gone? It's like you've given up these past couple of months."
Damon looked defeated. "If we were getting out of here, you would have used your magic to save us by now."
"I told you, I'm only on ten percent," Kai said with conviction in his voice. "Last night, that spell took a lot out of me. The huntress curse mark drained me, and the only way to recharge is with a coven, which I don't have."
Kai and Valerie had prepared to restore the Gemini Coven. With Kai as the leader, and Valerie as his right-hand woman. They planned on somehow convincing Alaric and Caroline that once the twins were of age, Kai should teach and train them. Of course, that would probably never happen now. Not after this.
"Kai, there's no way out of this," Damon spoke sternly. "My free will is gone, and guess what? I flipped my switch. Humanity off. I'm on cruise control. I recommend it."
"Do you forget who I was when you met me?" there was a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"All the more reason you should flip the switch," Damon replied, teeth clenched as he tried to keep his voice below a whisper. "In fact, I prefer the sociopath version of you, rather than this heroic and chivalrous act you've been putting on."
Kai sucked in a deep breath. Before he could argue with Damon some more. The bloody water in the tank started a gurgling bubble, showing that they displeased the monster with their conversation. Kai was so riled, really enraged.
Turning towards the tank, extremely frustrated. "I'm sorry, did I wake?" he asked like a child scolded. "When is this going to end? How many more people are we going to have to kill for you?"
"Yelling never gets you anywhere?"
Kai no longer cared. "Phasmatos superous em animi…" he knew it was stupid to try magic against it. So, it did not surprise him at all when he fell face-first into the tank. Kai gasps as he tries to get his head to break through the surface of the water. The monster grabbed Kai by his face with its skeletal hands.
The contact caused him to scream in agony as it delved into his mind before yanking him under the water. Damon was still above ground, nose deep in his book, doing nothing to help his friend. After what felt like an eternity, Kai gets spat out by the water. He grabs onto the edge of the tank's opening, glaring in Damon's direction.
Damon, however, was completely unconcerned as he finally lifted his head up from his book, giving Kai a cheeky smile. "Find what you were looking for?" Damon held his gaze without further comment. Kai straightened his shoulders and scowled.
Kai knew Damon would be no help. The vampire gave in to the darkness and had no sudden urge to leave. Kai was on his own now. He would have to figure out how to break free of this mind control. But he couldn't do it alone. He'd need help. He needs his witch.
Squinting at the sky, locating the sun and its angle, Bonnie found herself on a forest pathway with Stefan later that day. The two walked in tranquility as they roamed out into the woods. Leaves floated as the breeze carried them through the air before finally landing on Bonnie's head.
"I know it's not much, but it's a lead," Stefan said knowingly. "I mean all those missing people along the trail we've been following, and this has been the first time a body has surfaced."
"Who's to say it's even them?" was all she could manage.
The vampire stopped in his tracks and turned towards Bonnie so he could face her. "I can't let myself think like that." He continued because Stefan had never been good at knowing, or rather caring about when to stop. "Any clue we get has to be taken seriously, and this might be the one that leads us to them."
She brought her head up to look at him. "Stefan, I'm tired of this." Bonnie immediately jumped on the defensive, knowing very well where he would take that conversation if she allowed him. "Every time I let myself hope a little, we end up back at zero and my heart crushes in on itself a little bit more." Her voice shook, tears of betrayal welling up in her eyes. "I don't know much more I can take."
They locked eyes for a few seconds, staring at each other with a sudden heavy atmosphere. "Bonnie, no one… not Caroline or Elena. Knows how to fight longer or harder or better than you. If you give up, I have nothing left to hold on to."
Bonnie felt her blood run cold. "I'm tired of always being the strong one, Stefan." She felt her anger flare. "It's always me. I'm the one who always has to save everyone, including myself. And for once, I'm sick and tired of having to carry everything on my shoulders."
Stefan's eyes wide with discomfort and agitation. "I know that, and I'm sorry that we've neglected and mistreated you in the past." His green eyes stared at her imploring. "But this isn't about us, this is about Kai. Bonnie you're all he has left, beside his nieces."
That was the truth. Kai had no other family but Lizzie and Josie, who were only four years old. Bonnie was afraid of having another relationship situation like with Jeremy, where she has to give her life up for a man and get nothing in return except more pain. It shouldn't be like this.
"Right now, Valerie is searching for Virginia St. John." His rough voice caused her to jump involuntarily. "Lucy and Enzo are trying to figure out what was in the vault and how they escaped. You and I are going to check out this lead. Bonnie, you're not alone in this. We're all in this together." Stefan had no plans on giving up on Damon.
She places her hand on the back of her head and sheepishly says, "Fine, but don't ask me to have any hope." She hated herself for the weakness in her voice. "Hope hurts, and I don't want to hurt anymore."
Bonnie didn't have the heart to walk away from this. Not now, at least.
In the secret vault passageway, Lucy made her way inside with Enzo and Dorian, the intern. The three of them were removing their sensory-deprivation aids to look around the stone cavern in wonder. Lucy was especially in awe at their discovery.
"Dorian, you are really a genius." Lucy admonished, before hugging the boy.
"Thank you, Ms. Bennett," the kid said, surveying Lucy. "It's just an optical illusion, you can't see or hear your way out, but your sense of touch has to be completely isolated."
Neither Lucy nor Enzo could really understand what the young man was explaining to them. "So where does the tunnel go?" the vampire asked, batting the air around.
"Not sure yet, that's why I called you guys back here."
Lucy looked alarmed for a moment at the prospect of investigating the tunnel. No one knew the dangers that could await them. Dorian didn't know the truth about Lucy and Enzo being vampires. What if they put him in danger?
Enzo also looked uneasily at Lucy's own hesitation. "You alright love?"
She turned to face him, forcing a weak smile. "Yeah, let's walk."
Lucy, Enzo, and Dorian set off down the tunnel to begin their investigation. They walk through the cave for over thirty minutes, exploring. Enzo looks at Lucy with concern. He looked back, seeing that Dorian was several paces behind them, before speaking up.
"Should we have taken him with us down here?"
Lucy took a deep breath. "Probably not, but the kid is studying to be an archaeologist and far less afraid of exploring this tunnel than we are."
"That's because we know the truth." Enzo said softly, his eyes narrowing slightly. Lucy froze. "Last thing I want is for us to risk our lives for Damon."
"We're doing this for Bonnie and Kai." Her nostrils flared. "I can't just abandon them."
"What about us?" Enzo asked, his voice taking a bit of a hard tone. His eyes, which had been warm and friendly, became cold. "I don't want to lose you to the endless violence that comes with Damon Salvatore and being in Mystic Falls. I want us to be smart about this, about our future."
A questioning glimmer was in Lucy's eyes, yet no words rolled from her tongue. She only stared at him.
Before she could continue, Dorian caught up with them. They made their way to a dead end, where they found a seam in the stone wall, which Lucy kept her eyes on. "Watch your step." She walked closer to the seam, which was created by a wall of large stones stacked together.
Enzo moved forward to pull the stones away to reveal a secret wooden door hidden behind them. The vampire kicked down the door, allowing himself, Lucy, and Dorian to walk inside to another hidden chamber.
Dorian used his flashlight to look around. Lucy gasped, causing both men to turn around. All of their eyes widen in shock and awe at the sight of tables and shelves full of artifacts.
"A fucking geek gold mine." Lucy pointed out with a smirk.
Dorian laughed happily, taking in everything. "This room is uncultivated. I mean, anything subterranean should have evidence of erosion. The moisture from the earth alone should have eaten through most of these artifacts, but everything is perfectly preserved."
"Dorian, could you please get us the oil lamps? We might be down here for a while." Lucy asked. Dorian nodded and scampered off to fetch Lucy more lamps.
The couple was looking around the room, Lucy noticed her lover was being quiet. She could sense something still aggravated him about their situation.
"I love that you're worried about us, but I can't turn my back on Bonnie. I owe her my life." She said, smiling. Lucy reached for his hand and squeezed it.
Enzo sighed, turning around to look at the pained expression on Lucy's face. "Alaric and Caroline had the right idea when they left town for good. Maybe we should do the same once we find Kai and Damon."
"You want to leave Mystic Falls behind?" she retorted impatiently. "What about the Armory?"
Enzo lifted his head a little and muttered, "It was never my home," he said, straightening his back and giving her a little smile, he hoped looked genuine. "And now that I have you, I want us to make our own way. Let me show you what the world has to offer."
"I don't know what to say to that."
"Marry me." Enzo told her, suddenly overwhelmed by the feeling of letting her know it all. The adoration he'd always held towards her... his gratefulness, the sudden attraction.
The tunnel was spinning, or at least that was what it felt like. "What?" Enzo reached in his back pocket and took what was a little black ring box. "Oh, my god. What are you doing?"
"I bought this ring the day after we got this vault open. I thought to myself, life is too short to wait anymore. I've been trying to plan for the right moment, but we haven't had a break in months." He looked so disgruntled and disheveled and adorable all at the same time.
Lucy's mouth opened in surprise. She knew what was happening, and her eyes welled with tears. "Lorenzo."
"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." Enzo kneeled down and opened the box to reveal a Victorian styled oval opal ring. "Lucy Bennett, will you marry me?"
"Yes. Yes. I will marry you, Lorenzo." Lucy spoke each word slowly, savoring them as they spilled from her lips.
After Enzo slipped the ring on Lucy's finger, he got up off the ground. She threw her arms around him, kissing him fiercely. "I love you, Lucy Bennett-St. John," she smiled, biting her lip to keep from laughing. This was just the beginning of what could come.
It only took five hours to get to South Carolina. Bonnie and Stefan arrived at the crime scene of the murder. Valerie informed Stefan about earlier that day. The two found an investigator and immediately walked over to him. The old, balding gentleman did not look pleased by their intrusion.
"Sir, excuse me." The investigator, who was on his knees in front of the front bumper of the truck at the center of the crime scene, just groaned at Stefan's presence.
Getting to his feet as Stefan approaches him, with Bonnie right behind him. "Come on! It took me hours to get control of the scene from the local idiots. How did you two get past the tapes? Are you reporters?"
Stefan impatiently stares into the other man's eyes and compels him to comply with their demands. "We're not press, just tell us what you know so we can leave."
The investigator looked annoyed, but he does what is asked of him. He led them towards the vehicle, where the female victim was bound to the front of the SUV. Her wrists were tied to either side of the hood, and her legs were bent so that her knees were on the ground with her legs tucked under the truck.
Bonnie could see the blood covering her chest, and fang marks on her neck from where she was fed on.
"The victim seems to have had a heart attack, then exsanguinated, or maybe vice versa. We found blood on the hood of the car, not matching her type… blood in the road over there, also not her type. Her car is dented, like she hit a deer or a mountain lion."
Bonnie's face drops when she realizes the similarities between this case and how her friend stalks his victims to feed. "Damon…" she muttered. Only Stefan could hear her.
"Teeth marks above the collarbones, and her spleen was cut out."
Bonnie gasped as she remembered something. I had a soft spot for one of my sisters. 'Cause otherwise, I would've cut her lungs out, and not just her spleen. You can survive without a spleen. Kai had cut out Jo's spleen.
Bonnie inspected the victim. Her voice was barely a whisper. "Kai and Damon were here. It's them."
This made her hopeful, which scared her shitless. Stefan moved over to the side to call Valerie for some more information. While Bonnie was still staring at the crime scene, looking for more clues.
"We think they're at a nearby slaughterhouse. It's about three miles away, let's go check it out." Bonnie heard Stefan call out.
There was a puzzled pause. "I'll catch up with you in a bit. They are still processing the scene. I want to get more deets before wrapping up here."
Stefan nods to agree with Bonnie, before rushing off to the slaughterhouse to see if he could catch his brother and Kai.
Hanging around for another twenty minutes before the investigator called her back over to show her something.
Bonnie frowns when she sees the investigator pull out a white object out of the female victim's ear. "What is that?"
"Candle wax," the bald man chuckled. "You read about these things in high school. Sirens couldn't lure sailors who were plugging their ears with wax." He laughed some more. "Some old century myth."
Bonnie stared at the piece of wax as she tried to connect the dots. This was a message from Kai. She just knows it. He was trying to reach out to her, and that's all she needed to hold on to.
As he walked towards the doorway of the slaughterhouse, Kai could hear a loud conversation. It was only a matter of minutes before he recognized the second voice speaking to Damon. It was Stefan Salvatore.
"Don't do anything you might regret. Think about Elena."
Kai sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. It was going to be that sort of night for him.
Entering the other room to see Stefan standing in the middle of the chamber with his back turned to the doorway, Damon stared at his brother, his glance slightly off. Stefan was clearly here to reason with Damon to return home. Sadly, his begging wouldn't work.
"I ripped the switch off the wall." Damon sighed, smiling sensitively down at his brother. "Elena no longer matters to me. My fate has been sealed."
"What the fuck does that even mean?" Stefan hissed quietly, now searching Demon's gaze for—what? An opening? A soft spot?
"There's no hope for him." Kai finally made himself noticeable to Stefan. The other vampire barely looked back to acknowledge Kai, only groaning in frustration at his words. "Damon and I have been murdering hundreds of people. Our paths no longer align with yours. It's time for you to go, man."
"So that's it then." Kai wasn't sure how he missed the sounds of her footsteps. But there she was. Bonnie Bennett appeared behind all three of them. She looked over at Kai with concern. "We're not leaving without you two. And I'm definitely not leaving you here."
"Well, if it wasn't Bon-Bon to the rescue." Damon's smile was a little too tight around the edges. "Don't you ever get tired of trying to save me?"
"You'd do the same for me," Bonnie chimes in, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.
"Would I, though?" he replied evasively, glancing at Kai, who was fixing a stony expression on his face. "The only reason I let you live this long is because I was afraid of upsetting Elena. Now that I no longer care about her, I care even less for you."
With tears in her eyes, Bonnie tries to cloak her face away. But her breathing was harsh and frightened. Kai's breath caught in his throat as he saw the state of her.
Suddenly, Damon vanishes from the room. Only to reappear behind Bonnie. Kai's heart raced as Damon held Bonnie in a headlock. The witch struggled against her friend's grip.
Kai's eyes slant into a glower. "Stefan, get Bonnie out of here."
"We're not leaving without you guys," she said, hardly able to speak. "Let me go, Damon." The pain in her voice, her eyes; was unbearable.
"Ah." He tilted his head to the side, an arrogant smirk on his face. "Don't you get it? We're bad guys again and it's all your fault, Bonnie." Damon's grip was squeezing tighter on Bonnie's throat.
Kai got tired of waiting for Stefan to make a move. Instead, the heretic uses his vamp speed to grab the mop up and break the handle in half before stabbing it in Damon's back. This knocks him out unconscious onto the floor.
Kai walked over to her, his eyes blazing with anxiety. "You two need to leave before he wakes up and does something he won't live long enough to regret." Kai didn't want to have to kill Stefan's brother, but he would if Damon laid a hand on Bonnie again.
She looked down at her hands; her face clouded with emotions that were unreadable to him. "Let me save you."
He looked taken aback at the pain in her voice. "That's not an option for me," Kai said hoarsely. "I went into that vault knowing I wasn't going to win against the monster. I did that so that you didn't have to." His voice sent a shiver down her spine. "My life is over now. And Damon isn't going back, Stefan. It's over." Bonnie looked at him, suddenly captivated, as if she couldn't believe what he was saying.
"Let's get out of here," Stefan remarked strangely. He extended his hand out to Bonnie.
Bonnie looked up again into his blue eyes, which were deep and magnetic. They were standing so close; there was hardly any distance between them. Kai bit his lips, his eyes gazing down at her mouth. Her breathing quickened despite herself.
Abruptly, he frowned, pulling back, bringing to a standstill the powerful attraction between them still remains. He cleared his throat loudly, and Bonnie stepped back, blushing, looking away. Anxiety coursed through his veins, doubling tenfold as she latched onto Stefan's hand.
Taking one last glance at him before Stefan swiftly pulled her out of the slaughterhouse, ever so reluctantly.
Kai closed his eyes, breathing deeply. There was that ominous fear for his life if Bonnie didn't realize the clues. He left her at the crime scene. He realized with a grin that he was actually looking forward to doing something dangerous with Bonnie again. Now that the roles were reversed.
It was just like where their relationship had turned into another exciting, thrilling addiction once more.
Her initial reaction was to talk some sense into him, to do a quick rescue mission. Then have her happily ever after. But nothing was easy for Bonnie Bennett. Instead, she was faced with the truth of what happened that day when Kai made his choice to go and save Damon. It was to protect Bonnie from risking her own life. This was her fault.
Bonnie sat in Stefan's car with him, right outside the cabin. Both of them looked absolutely devastated at their losses. She had no words to comfort Stefan; she was afraid to even speak.
"What Damon said wasn't true. This isn't your fault," Stefan stated feebly, breaking the silence between them.
"Isn't it?" her voice shook, quiet and barely audible. "Kai knew I was planning to rush into the vault and put myself at risk to get Damon out. You know Kai would never do something so careless."
"Wouldn't he?" Through a strained voice, Stefan continues. "Think about everything he's done for the past four years. He's been atoning for every bad thing he's done to us and his family. He'd never let anything happen to his nieces, Lucy, Val, or you, hell he even likes Damon a bit, enough to risk his freedom for him."
None of this made her feel better. Kai should be here with them, with her. Not enslaved to a monster. "Kai left that body for us to find." She holds her arms close to her, uncomfortable. "I think he wants us to save him, and I'm not sure what's going on with him and Damon. But next time, we'll get them back from whatever it is that has a hold of them."
He looked out the window, feeling more desperate as he looked at her face. He mumbled. "I don't know if we can save Damon from this." Their eyes meet, and the uncharacteristic coldness of his stare goes over her head. "He might be too far gone already."
"There's hope, as long as we keep fighting, together."
Stefan gave Bonnie a faint smile before Bonnie got out of the car and headed inside the house. Enzo's car was parked out front, and when she entered the cabin, she heard chattering.
Laughingly, Enzo places a chaste kiss on the former witch's forehead. Bonnie frowned at the scene before her. She cleared her throat to get their attention. The couple whipped their heads in her direction.
"Bon, how was your day?" Lucy asked with a smirk.
Not in a good mood, Bonnie stomped over to the couple, taking a seat in the middle of the couch. "We found Kai and Damon." Her retort came out in a hissed whisper.
Lucy's jaw dropped, and Enzo's eyes shot up. "What, where?" Enzo asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
"They're living in a slaughterhouse in South Carolina. Whatever was in the vault is holding them hostage." Bonnie's voice trembles. The heartache has dimmed over time, but it remained lodged inside her chest until something, like now, revived it. "Kai left a body for us to find. I think he was sending us a message."
Lucy glanced discreetly at Enzo and then back at Bonnie. Brow creased in thought.
"Which is?" Her cousin's tone reeks of alarming concern.
"He cut out the victim's spleen and then stuck wax in her ears." That brought a shadow over Bonnie's face.
"There are mystical tales about what sailors did to avoid being lured by sirens," Enzo remarked, an emphatic expression on his face.
"The investigator mentioned that. He said he read it in some old book." She replied with indignation, jutting her chin out defiantly.
"The Odyssey," Lucy mutters with a sly smile. "Enzo's favorite love story."
"An incurable romantic." Her tone became taunting. "What is it about?" she asks, stress building up again.
"Sirens trying to lure sailors into shore with a song, then eat them." Enzo started, folding his arms across his chest contemplatively. "One sailor took a large round wax, cut it up small, and took his men in turns to plug their ears with it. The sirens then bound the sailor hand and foot, stood him up by the steps of the ship's mast, and then lashed him to the mast itself."
Lucy assumes her dominating aura, holding her chin up as she looks down straight into Bonnie's continuously deadpanned eyes. "There are different origin stories, but they based all the legends on the same idea. Sirens use mind control to lure their victims to their death."
Enzo sat up and rubbed his eyes. "We also know them as the messengers of the devil."
"I think a siren might have control over them," Bonnie's voice was clipped and hostile. "I think that's what we're dealing with."
Lucy looked deep in thought, but all she said was, "We'll do everything to bring them home."
"Luce…" Enzo's gaze melted with her, "Don't you think you're being rash about this. You almost died a few months ago." He retorted.
She gave him a lethal glare, "I owe Malachai my life, and Bonnie deserves to be with the man she loves." Her voice was serious, making Enzo gulp. "I'm not turning my back on them. And that's final."
Enzo nodded understandingly, his dark brown eyes filled with concern, and at once, he gave Lucy a look, telling her she needn't say anything more. It was like they could feel each other's thoughts.
A smile suddenly broke on Bonnie's lips radiantly. The cold pain that had pulsated through her was going away, now that she had the support of her family and friends. She had hope, Kai left her clues. He led them to figure out who the enemy was. And he wants them to help him fight it. All isn't lost. She would soon get her man back.
It was another one of those nights. If he had any say in the matter, he'd be back at his motel room, asleep like any other sane person. Instead, he was at an Art Show, scoping out victims for his master. Kai was standing among an artist. Both men were staring at a red and white painting on the wall before them.
"My friend is quite fond of the homegrown art community," Kai pointed out to Damon lurking a few feet over from them, flirting with a server, drinking wine. "I, however, am not big on the art world, but I couldn't help but notice your work. I see you were expressing a certain… inner struggle."
"Yeah, the darkness and light," the artist says nastily. "A burdened intellect, if you will."
"You really enjoyed exploring themes of sin and redemption." The heretic replied carefully, tilting his head. "But you should know, redemption is far more complex than people think. You can never do enough good to outweigh the bad. Trust me, I know." Kai added as an afterthought, inwardly smirking at the tick in the other man's jaw.
"You seem very astute." His reply was simple, a smug smile reaching his lips.
Damon popped up beside them both. His face was worn thin. "Is this really necessary?" he asked with a tone of weariness.
"I'm just trying to pick his brain," He responded before turning back to the artist. "See, here's the thing. My friend and I have an innate sense of smell, especially for blood. So, we couldn't help but notice that the red you use in your art had a… familiar scent." Kai stared into the eyes of the artist, compelling him to tell the truth. "Care to explain to us why you're painting with human blood? And more importantly, where did you get it?" he asked sardonically, throwing him a saucy smile.
"My best friend and I kidnapped some sorority girls during spring break," he answered back smugly. "We lure the girls back with us, and we drug them, had our way with them before bleeding them dry…. Slowly." His eyes blanked in reliance.
Damon stares into the artist's eyes and compels him as well. "Don't move, I'll be right back." He ordered, motioning for Kai to follow him.
The two men walked together, turning a corner for some privacy.
"What is it, Damon?" he asked, his tone slightly bored.
"Little surprised by that visit we got today. Considering we've been so careful with covering our tracks." He held Kai's gaze, the silent challenge obvious in those deep blue eyes.
Sighing, resigned to the fact that he was going to have to deal with the vampire's uncertainty, he pushed aside his annoyance at the intrusion on his time to go back to his motel and relax. "Bonnie is a smart girl. It was only a matter of time before she found us."
Damon furrowed his brow and shook his head. "No, I know you, Kai. You led her to us, you want to be saved."
"And you don't?" he asked simply, lifting his eyebrows in emphasis. "You really want to be doing this for the rest of your immortal life."
"That thing can get in our heads. It can figure out who we care about and what we're trying to get home to. You know the risk, Stefan and Bonnie deserve better than us luring them into this. I'm begging you to let her go." Damon barked at his friend.
"Like you let Elena go?" Kai looked into those dark, sad eyes and couldn't help but feel completely helpless.
"Yeah," Damon said slowly. "We're ruthless, cold-hearted killers again, there's nothing for us to go back to after this."
"Elena will understand, Bonnie already does." He answered at once, brow scrunched in confusion. "We have to keep fighting, that's the only way."
"I'm done fighting, Kai." With that, Damon walks off, ending the conversation and heading back to the artist to drag him out the back door.
They rode back in silence to the slaughterhouse. Kai tried his hardest to keep his thoughts empty. Damon returned to being his robot self. And they tugged the artist towards the tank. Damon shoved the steel hook dangling from the ceiling on a chain into the artist's back. Before dropping the man into the tank to feed the monster.
Kai pressed the button, pulling the hook out after several minutes. The only thing left on the hook was a few strips of flesh. Both men shared a look before deciding to head back to their motel across the street.
However, before they could make their way towards the door. The water in the tank gurgled. Kai froze when he heard a voice singing. "What the fuck is that sound?"
He and Damon turned around to see a blood-soaked woman standing nude before them on the platform, staring at them seductively. The sight of her caused Damon's jaw to drop.
"Seems like she finally had enough to eat," Damon said after a while of staring. "I have a feeling that fun times are just beginning."
With a heavy sigh, Kai stared at both men blankly, with a perplexed expression on his face. He didn't have time to question what the hell was going on, other than the monster finally had a form, and things were just getting started for her.
AN: The sequel is finally here. This story will follow the season 8 plot but with Kai and Bonnie as the main characters, Damon, Lucy, Enzo, Valerie and Stefan as secondary supporting characters. Bonnie is setting out on a rescue mission for Kai and Damon, but it will be more complicated and she'll be forced to choose between her new boyfriend and her old friend. Next chapter, Caroline Forbes return, and another surprise guest.