Chapter 8
October 31st, 2009
Thump.
Damon and Evelyn both looked up at the ceiling at the loud sound coming from above them.
"What was that?" The girl asked, setting down her glass of water.
"It's not the cats." The vampire muttered, eyes on the ceiling.
Thump.
Damon got out of his chair, frowning warily.
"Stay here." He said out of the corner of his mouth.
"Like hell." Evie scowled stubbornly and followed him out of the kitchen.
He stopped at the foot of the stairs, listening hard and Evie bounced into his back.
"Hey!"
He turned around. "Shhh." He told her and she shoved him.
"Go."
The vampire rolled his eyes and led the way up the stairs. Evie kept trying to go past him and he blocked her every time.
"Stop that." He caught her when she ducked under his arm. "I'm going first. I'm the most durable out of the two of us." She glared at him and he rolled his eyes.
"Stubborn." He muttered lowly so she couldn't hear.
They continued up the steps, Evie practically glued to his back. He was walking purposely slow, trying to listen as well as keep Evie from bounding up the stairs to whatever was making the sound. He wanted to say it was just a branch of a tree hitting the house, but it wasn't all that windy outside. He couldn't just leave her without finding out for sure what it was though. It could very well be that Troy was waiting for her upstairs. Waiting to finish whatever it was he had been trying to do before.
Thump.
"It's in your room." Damon said lowly. "This time stay here and I mean it."
"No way!" She hissed at him. "If that creep got in my house I'll kick his stupid ugly ass!"
Shaking his head, he moved rapidly up the next flight of stairs to the attic bedroom in a vampire blur of motion. He heard the girl behind him huff at being left and she moved up the stairs behind him. Pressing lightly on the ajar door he made it swing open. Evelyn was right behind him as it finally stopped moving and he could tell she was tense with apprehension.
Thump. Crash.
Poking his head in the doorway, he assessed the room. All appeared normal expect the desk lamp now lay in the floor, light bulb burst from the impact of the fall.
Thump.
Damon's eyes locked on the girl's desk and he tilted his head as it moved slightly. "You got something on in there?" Evie ducked under his arm to see what he was looking at.
"No. I didn't turn anything on before I left and I don't have anything to put in there other than a flashlight."
He raised an eyebrow. "Not even a-"
"Are you serious right now?" She asked, looking revolted and her cheeks reddened from mortification. "And if I did, that is none of your business."
Damon chuckled. "Don't get so defensive, it's just a question."
"A perverted one." She muttered and shoved past him to investigate for herself.
"Hold it, Luke Skywalker." He grabbed her arm. "We still don't know what it is. What if your friend left you a present?"
"Right." She chewed her nails for second before stepping back and raising a hand. "I'll open it from here."
Damon braced himself for whatever the hell was wanting out of the desk and he put an arm out in front of Evie protectively without much thought.
Evelyn motioned with her hand and the desk drawer opened.
In seconds, Evie's book came flying out of the open drawer and it flew into Damon's arm and her chest, knocking them backward. Damon righted himself in time and caught her so that she wouldn't slam the floor.
"So, obviously it doesn't like being shut up." He said and she sent him a glare before yelping as the book flipped open in her arms, pages fluttering as if someone were turning them rapidly. It finally settled on a page and both she and Damon leaned down to look at it.
"Your book wants you to heal yourself." He said and she frowned.
"That's weird."
"Your book flew and turned pages by itself and that's the only weird part?"
Evie scowled at him. "Shut up." She told him and read over the page. She went over to her mirror to see her neck and held her hand over the cut. Like when she had extracted the bullet from Stefan's chest, there was a light glowing from her palm and from the wound on her neck and after a while it faded, and she lowered her hand. There was completely healed skin, no marks. She held her hand up to her face, hovering her fingers over her split lip. It healed quickly and then she healed the bruise under her eye.
Damon watched her blink slowly, her hands falling to her sides, and he moved rapidly as her eyes rolled back in her head.
"Whoa, Eves." He caught her and rolled his eyes. "Wiped yourself out again, didn't you?"
"...sucks..."
He snorted and carried her to her bed, setting her down.
"M'fine." She mumbled and cracked open an eye, swatting at him halfheartedly. "Go 'way."
"You're not fine, you almost passed out." He countered and she scowled, looking more alert now. "Don't look at me like that."
Evie sat up, looking very exhausted and she ignored her spinning head. "Why are you helping me? What do you want?"
"Are you at that again?"
"Yes."
He leaned down, their noses touching. "What do you want to know so bad for? Can't you just let me help you?"
"Everyone has an ulterior motive, Damon. What's yours?"
His eyes sparkled mischievously and then he smirked. "Need help with those laces?"
"No." She said automatically, trying to move away from him. "I'll do it myself."
He rolled his eyes. "Turn around, Eves. You'll never get it off." She eyed him for a second, knowing that showing her back to him was a sign of vulnerability.
Huffing she turned her back to him. Very efficiently he undid the laces of her corseted top and she felt the pressure loosened. His fingers lingered on her bared skin for a few seconds, but she hardly noticed it.
"Heck, yes." She sighed, before stiffening as he moved his mouth to her ear.
"You enjoy that as much as I did?" He asked in a low voice that sent shivers down her spine. She had never felt more aware of the sensations he sent off then right then. And she found herself trying to press backward to feel his hands on her again.
"All right." She scowled and turned to glare at him, holding her loosened dress against her. Hopefully warding off any further incidents. "Out before I maim you."
Chuckling, he held up his hands in defeat and walked backward towards the door.
"By the way. Don't leave the house. This place is safe."
"From everyone but you." She glowered and he grinned.
Giving her a wink, he left the room and she waited until she heard her front door shut before letting out the breath she had been holding.
"Damn it, I have got to get a grip."
November 1st, 2009
Evie finished pinning up the last picture in the dark room and turned to find her bag. She saw something out of the corner of her eye and felt her heart leap in fright. Readying for an attack, she turned rapidly.
"Shit!" She screeched and then narrowed her eyes at the vampire leaning casually against the far wall. "Salvatore. What in the hell are you doing in here?"
Damon's icy blue eyes glittered with mischief in the dim red lighting and he flashed her a smile. "Waiting for you."
"What for?" Evelyn demanded, trying to calm her still racing heart. "To give me a heart attack?"
He rolled his eyes and followed her out of the dark room.
"Seen your ex lately?"
"Nope. Maybe he decided to skip town." She turned to lock the door as he sat on the top of a nearby desk. "How long were you in there?" She looked over her shoulder at him and he just smirked at her.
"Long enough to hear you singing a song from Grease. I could see you being Sandy or Rizzo."
Scowling, she turned back around, heat in her face. "You are such a creep."
"I was just checking in. You didn't stay home like I told you."
Evelyn scoffed. "You expected me to listen to you?"
"Duh."
The girl glared at him and his smirk faded.
"Seriously, Eves. What are you doing here by yourself?"
"I had to finish developing my pictures for school tomorrow."
Damon moved closer, concerned. Well, maybe not that concerned, he reasoned internally. "Did you sleep any at all?"
"A little. I kept thinking about last night. Couldn't sleep." She told him and he brushed against her arm.
"I know it was exciting. So many laces."
Despite his teasing, he really had thought about those laces and the skin he had revealed from undoing them.
"Not that!" She slapped his arm and he grinned. "The whole Troy is not a human thing and that my dad up and disappeared again."
He tilted his head. "You need to relax. Want to go to a party tonight?"
She turned to look at him and arched an eyebrow.
"Who's throwing a party?"
"Caroline. You'll be getting an invite in a few seconds."
As if on cue, her phone chimed and Evie checked her screen.
Caroline: Party tonight at the Grill! Please come or I'll drag you there!
Groaning, she shoved her phone back into her pocket and folded her arms across her chest. "Why the sudden party? I'm guessing it's your idea."
He shrugged mysteriously, and she snorted.
"Right. As if I was going to get a straight answer."
"You coming?"
"I might." She said and then gathered her backpack. "See you."
He took her arm turning her back around to face him. "Come tonight. It'll be good for you." He said lowly, eyes locked on hers. She was too shocked by the sudden turn to realize that she was pressed against his chest.
"Good for me or good for you?" She asked without thinking and instantly kicked herself. His mouth quirked into a small smile and his eyes darkened just the slightest. She couldn't help but notice how his eyes turned a darker shade and how much she liked it.
"Can be good for both if you'd stop being so stubborn."
Evie rolled her eyes, fighting the flush that tried to stain her cheeks. "Oh, shut up."
"See you tonight, my Eves." He said lowly and vamp sped out of the room.
"Damn it." She cursed at her pounding heart. "I'm losing my mind. And badly flirting." She quickly face palmed. "No! Not flirting. Never flirting. No, no, bad Evie!"
At that moment a voice spoke up. "Are you all right in here, Miss Harper?"
She looked up from the floor and laughed embarrassedly. "Uh, heh, yeah...Thanks Joe." Joe the janitor just gave her a smile.
"Well, if you're done talking to yourself. I need to lock up now."
"Right, yeah...I'll be out in a second." He waved in acknowledgement and went back down the hallway.
"Now the janitor thinks I'm weird!"
Caroline practically squealed when Evie was one of the first to arrive.
"Oh, yay! I knew you'd come!" She was wearing a plum purple dress that was tight to her skin. "I love your dress!"
Evie glanced down at her attire. "Thanks." Her dress was peach colored with thin straps that stuck to her top half tightly and then flowed in little ruffles to just above her knees.
Before she could speak, her wrist was grabbed in the tight, excited grip of the head cheerleader and she was dragged through the crowd of partygoers. Evie tried not to trip in her heels.
"Who are all of these people?" She asked as a tall lumberjack looking guy with red hair sauntered past her. "And who invited that guy?"
Caroline rolled her eyes. "I told people and they invited other people."
"Why? Who told you to throw a party?" She already knew, but wanted to see if she'd admit it.
A confused look went across the taller blonde's face. "Um...I did? I think. I'm throwing a party."
Evie scowled. "Salvatore." She muttered under her breath. Of course, he had compelled her instead of asked her to have a party. Caroline, still too bubbly naïve, went flouncing away in the crowd.
"I hope you're muttering about me." A voice said very close to her ear.
Yelping, she almost toppled off the bar stool and a pair of firm, leather-clad arms steadied her. Low snickering came from the person who was now pressed against her back and she could feel his laughter vibrating from his chest. A scent of sandalwood, some kind of spice, and leather hit her nose. It was just something that was uniquely Damon. She tilted her head back to make sure it was him anyway and icy blue eyes clashed with her green ones.
"Comfortable?" He teased.
Shooting out of his arms with a scowl, Evelyn turned around to face the vampire.
"Damon!"
"That's my name." He grinned and she rolled her eyes. "And just what did I do now to provoke your muttered ire?"
Steadying herself, she narrowed her eyes at him. "You compelled Caroline to have this "little" party, didn't you?"
Damon shrugged indifferently, his mouth twitching into a half-smile at her dramatic air quotes. "And?" His eyes drifted lower to peer at the top of her dress.
She smacked his arm, making him blink at her in shock. "Eyes up here! And stop compelling people! It's wrong!" She hissed at him.
"First of all, ow." He rubbed at his arm, more out of habit than actually feeling any jolt of pain. "And second of all it's a lovely sight. And third of all, it's not hurting anyone."
She shook her head in annoyance.
"Shut up. Caroline is already fragile minded enough." Evelyn told him and he tilted his head.
"Why should I stop?"
She made a few of the toothpicks in a bowl from the end of the bar fly into the back of his hand.
"Missed my heart." He said and flinched slightly as he jerked out the little pieces of wood. He was more amused than annoyed when he saw the holes formed a smiley face on the back of his hand.
"I was making a point as to why you should stop." She said and took Damon's drink from him, tossing it back with one go and he watched her swallow. It made his throat dry. "So are you gonna?"
He sighed dramatically. "Fine, if I must."
"And leave her alone." Evie added. "I don't want you bothering her anymore."
"I might bother you then."
She cocked an eyebrow and met his gaze again. "Have you ever compelled me?"
He stiffened slightly, but he couldn't let her know. He shook his head, waving at the bartender to get two more drinks his way.
"Not yet. I've been very tempted to however." He smirked at her. "I still might."
Evie huffed. "Seriously, Damon. You haven't?"
"Eves. Would I lie to you?"
"Yes." She said answered automatically and he chuckled. "Anyway, what's the point of this party? What are you up to?"
He leaned in towards her, whispering lowly into her ear. "Are you sure you want to know? It might be dangerous." His lips brushed the shell of her ear and sent shocks through her body. She flushed red. He could feel the heat from her face and smirked.
"More dangerous than you?" She mocked and leaned away, grabbing one of the drinks the bartender had slid their way when he had picked up the money Damon had left on the counter. "Oh, goodness. Better keep that to yourself."
"Funny." He remarked dryly before looking serious. "Listen, Eves. I'm going to tell you something. I shouldn't, but I trust you."
She relaxed slightly, more curious than anything. He could see her struggling to either forget what she wanted to know and get away from him or stay and find out what this was all about. She got more comfortable on the stool and that must have made her decision. Damon needed a partner to get Katherine out. He needed Evie on his side to use her magic. So he was going to have to tell her.
"So what's this really about?"
"You've heard about Katherine. Stefan's version at least." He stated, not asking. She nodded.
"Didn't she die?"
Damon shook his head. "No. She's trapped."
"Trapped? Where?" Evie asked, eyes widening. She didn't know this vampire girl that had torn the Salvatore siblings apart and she had somewhat formed her own opinion of her from Stefan's story. But from the way Damon's eyes were filled with longing at the mere mention of the girl's name, Evie wondered if Stefan's story had been only half the story. Who wouldn't be bitter about an ex?
"Under the old Fell's church."
A haunted look came over her face and Damon's eyes narrowed in concern.
"Eves?"
"T-the book...It-it took me to the old church this afternoon." She whispered, looking spooked. Before she bolted from her own fears, Damon moved his arms so that they kept her from fleeing the bar stool. He now loomed over her, leaning on his hands which were on either side of Evie on the bar top.
"What?"
She fidgeted, clearly unsure of how to explain and it was then he noticed the bandage on her wrist. The same wrist the numbers had appeared on and Damon felt his curiosity grow. "After I left the school, I went to the cemetery to think...It's quiet." He nodded at her, impatient. "Anyway, I was looking over the book, when something weird happened."
Evie was looking over a page of her spell book, admiring the strange letters upon the page. As she was trying to decipher them, the wind around her began to blow harder and her book shook in her hands. It slammed shut, narrowly missing her fingers, and rose into the air.
"What the-!?" She stood up, frowning and trying to bring her book back down. She gripped the book and then yelped as she was lifted up off the ground.
Like she was on a wire or a really big helium balloon, Evie's shoes barely touched the top of the grass as she floated towards the trees.
She tried to stop, to hang onto low branches and hook her foot around a tree, nothing deterred her book's steady flight. In fact, the book started to speed up and glow an eerie light, pulling her faster and stronger than she could stop.
Before she realized it, she was far into the woods of Mystic Falls and at the edge of the Fell Church ruins. The book jerked to a stop and she fell from the sudden jolt. Sputtering leaves and grass, she got up off the ground and glared at her innocently floating book.
"What was that for?"
The book floated into her arms gently and she scowled down at it.
The wind was still blowing like a storm, making leaves and trees wave in the breeze. Voices spoke in the air and she felt a chill of foreboding. There was something evil about the place, something that filled her with fear. There was a sudden burning sensation in her wrist and she glanced at it to see the numbers back on her wrist, burning hot and red. 1864.
The book in her arms flipped open and showed a picture of a dark figure. To Evie it looked like a Dementor from Harry Potter, but with glowing eyes of yellow. It scared her.
"After that, the wind died down and I walked back home. My Gran said that my ancestors or something like that were trying to tell me something." She rolled her eyes, unknowingly rubbing her bandaged wrist. She glanced up at him again. "There must be something scary in there with Katherine."
Damon's brow furrowed, his eyes showing his anxiousness. His mouth was in a thin line.
"Hm." Was all he replied to that. "Never mind-"
"You still love her, don't you? Katherine."
He didn't answer, but he didn't have too. She looked at him for a moment and then nodded to herself.
"All right." Evie put a hand on one of his, startling him. "I'll help you." She told him firmly.
"What? Why?" He was suspicious and shocked as well.
"Dude, I gotta meet the girl who might actually have feelings for. She's obviously crazy like you are."
Damon rolled his eyes. "You don't know what you're getting into."
"Did I ask?" She retorted. "Besides this might be interesting. She managed to stir you up. I'd like to meet her."
Damon eyed her, seeing if she was serious or not.
"So how do we get her out? I know you have some kind of plan. Is it something with magic?" She asked him.
Damon's fingers twitched around hers. "Something like that." He eyed her again. "It's all part of my scheme."
Her eyebrows rose and then she noticed how he was rubbing his thumb back and forth absently across the top of her hand. She snatched her hand away like she had been stung and cleared her throat.
"Right. Well, fantastic."
He turned in his seat and smirked as Lexi came in the door. Evie followed his gaze to a pretty blonde who had come inside.
"Who's that?"
"Friend of Stefan's." At her raised eyebrow he elaborated. "His old friend."
"Ah. Vampire. Well, at least she seems nice."
Damon snorted and went to talk to her. Bored, Evie slipped off the stool and followed him.
"Where's my brother?" He asked her and Lexi eyed him.
"Said he'd meet me here." She replied flippantly and tossed her hair over her shoulder.
"Buy you a-" He began, but she shoved past him.
Evie burst into laughter. "She so dissed you."
Damon rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Eves."
"I officially need more drinks. Today has been a long day and yesterday was a long night." She moved away from him, still snickering, and he stared after her.
Evelyn moved through the crowd when she spotted Stefan.
"Hey." She said and he turned to her.
"Evelyn."
"You might as well call me Evie." She told him. "We're friends." Stefan smiled slightly and she looked around. "No, Elena, huh?"
"No." He said kind of quietly and Evie patted his arm.
"She'll come around."
Lexi appeared at their sides. "Hey, you're the girl who was with Damon earlier."
"I was following him out of boredom." Evie corrected and wrinkled her nose. "And, no. Damon and I are not together in any shape or form."
The taller blonde laughed. "Fair enough." She smirked at Stefan. "Want to dance?"
"Oh, he claims he doesn't dance." Evie told her and Lexi snorted.
"Oh, he can dance all right. He's just too chicken."
Stefan grabbed her arm and twirled her around rapidly before releasing her. "There."
"Uh, uh." She reprimanded. "That's not good enough." She looked at Evelyn. "He's a better drunk dancer."
"Me too." The human girl snorted. "Have no rhythm otherwise."
"Time for shots!" Lexi smirked and Evie laughed.
"My kind of vampire!"
Stefan only shook his head.
Damon found her again, his eyes automatically seeking her in the crowd. She was dancing haphazardly, clearly very buzzed. Her long light blonde hair was piled up on her head in a ponytail, having gotten hot in the stifling room. She was swaying against Lexi and Stefan, more Lexi than his brother since he seemed distracted.
He didn't know why he found her every time or why looking at her calmed him down from his annoyance at Caroline. His talks with Evie just amused him and left him wanting more. He wondered briefly if that feeling would go away after getting her to submit to him. And honestly, he'd be disappointed if it did.
"Okay, I'm gonna need a little more foot movement." Lexi complained and Stefan rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm not really-not really interested in making a fool of myself."
"Come on, you're not that bad."
Evie snorted. "Where's the fun in that? I can't dance but here I am."
Lexi laughed.
"Do me a favor. Tell me if Damon has his camera phone."
"Right."
Lexi glanced towards the bar again. She had felt Damon staring earlier and was not surprised to find that his eyes were on the human girl. Damon had been looking at her all night. Either she meant something to him or he was just plotting to kill her or something of the sort.
Evie laughed at something else and Lexi smirked.
"He like you or something? He keeps staring at you." She said, gesturing to Damon with her head, disguising it as a headbob.
Evelyn snorted after taking a second for her eyes to follow the direction of the headbob. Damon was eyeing her and she gave him her middle finger with a smirk. An eyeroll was given and she turned back to Lexi.
"Nah...He's just a perv dude."
"Hm." The vampire hummed.
"He's really annoying." Evie continued.
Lexi laughed and patted her arm. "Yeah he is." She turned to Stefan. "Fine, let's just go play pool then. I'll win."
"You're on." Stefan smirked. "You coming, Evie?"
The human girl pulled her phone from her pocket. "Eh, probably in a second. I need to check on something first."
"Your dad?" He asked and she nodded. "He hasn't called?"
"No, but maybe he'll answer this time." Evie went towards the door to the Grill, unware that someone else was watching her leave.
Evie blew out a frustrated breath when the voicemail played again.
"Where the hell are you, dad?" She muttered under her breath and pocketed her phone, not bothering to leave another message.
"Still have an absentee father?"
Rolling her eyes, she turned to face Damon. He was leaning casually against the wall of the Grill with his eyes closed.
"How'd you guess?"
"It's cold out here. You should be inside."
Evie frowned. "Your concern is touching, but I'm fine." She drawled and Damon's eyes opened. He looked at her. "You're the one who is lurking. Why are you following me? And Lexi said you were staring. Knock if off."
He smirked. "I was watching your clearly buzzed dancing skills."
"Shut up. I told you I can't dance."
"Go back inside and party it up."
She scowled. "Why should I?"
"If we're gonna to work together, you're gonna to have to listen." He told her with a roll of his eyes. "Now get inside."
"What's the big deal? Is the outside not big enough for the both of us?"
He zoomed over to her and she gave him an incredulous look, not all intimidated by him which he found amusing. "I'm about to do something and you being out here will interfere. Now get inside and wait for me at the bar."
"Who put you in charge?" She griped and he smirked at her.
"Baby, I'm always the dominant one."
"Shut up, dork." She snorted and he chuckled. "And never call me that again. Ick." Damon smirked at her.
"You liked it." He teased.
"Oh, yeah. It was so great. Please say it again." She rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to call and see if he'd answer. You owe me drinks by the way. For being bossy. And I mean drinks. As in more than one."
Damon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Get inside. Just tell the bartender what you want. It's on me."
"About time you did something useful."
He found himself smiling stupidly at her comment and shook his head to clear it. Obviously, he had drank too much. He heard the sound of giggling teens and cocked his head to the side. Time to get his plan into action.
"I gots a question for...you." Evie slurred, poking Damon in the chest when he came back to find her. It took a few attempts for her finger to find his chest. He tilted his head in amusement at the obviously hammered human. The numerous empty shot glasses were a clue to that. "Are vampires teeth," She showed him her teeth, poking at the canines. "Are like straws? Like-like jab and sip or they punc-puncture holes?" Damon ran a hand over his face, trying not to laugh aloud.
"The second one."
"Oh..." She said and then thought for a moment. "S'it hurt?"
"Does it hurt?" He repeated for clarification and she nodded rapidly. "Me or the other?"
Evie laid her head on the bar. "Both." She muttered.
Damon smirked. "It does hurt a little. Our fangs breaking through the gums can hurt the first few times, but after a while it's not noticeable. As for humans...depends on how hard a vampire gets them."
"Mmm." The girl hummed and then lifted her head. "Where you been? Was waiting a long time."
That reminded him of his previous whereabouts. He had been setting the scene for the police force of Mystic Falls. He needed to get them to stop watching for vampires. If he was ever going to get Katherine free, he needed to make things safe for her.
"So you missed me?" He smirked and she scowled
"Nooo." She folded her arms across her chest. "Just wonderin'." He tapped her nose and her eyes struggled to focus.
"You need to go sleep this off." He stated. "Why don't you find someone to give you a ride, hm?"
"Gotta fi'sh off my drink." She waved a hand at the bar with a wild gesture and almost toppled off her seat. Damon had to catch her. "Whoa, seat moved." He rolled his eyes.
"No more for you. I'm cutting you off."
"Shtop it." She mumbled and reached for the glass he pushed away. "Mine."
Damon clucked his tongue. "What kind of person would I be if I let my partner get too hammered to walk. No more."
Evie poked Damon's arm. "Hey, look. It's a douche..." Damon turned his head and frowned. Sure enough, Troy was waltzing in like he owned the place. "Don't like it." Some of the glasses rattled and he turned back to face her. She looked confused and upset. "No..."
"Hey, take it easy." He said lowly. "He won't hurt you with all these people here, okay?" She turned and put her face on his shoulder, surprising him at the contact.
"Promise?" She sounded scared and not his usual stubborn Eves.
Damon sighed and was glad Stefan couldn't hear them or see them. The girl was practically in his arms and he was probably fixing to sound like an emotional-touching feely vampire that he was definitely not. "Yeah, I promise." He said softly and she nodded.
Evie snorted suddenly and leaned away from him. The alcohol making her emotions jump from one to the other. "Why always smell good? Is not fair."
"You smell me?" He asked in amusement. "Good to know."
"Psssh. You shush up. Now I fi'sh my drink."
He put his hand over hers, pinning it to the bar. "No more I said."
"Get off me." She shoved him. "Don't need you."
"Fine. Fend for yourself then." He retorted let go of her. She gave him an indignant look and defyingly drained the last shot glass in one go.
"Fudge you, Sal-va-tore." She slid off the bar stool and wobbled into the crowd of people.
"Still a charmer, I see." Lexi drawled and he rolled his eyes, turning to face her.
Evie almost walked into a table and she turned to Damon.
"See, 'm fine."
Lexi snorted. "Dude, what'd you give her? I hope you're not taking advantage of her."
"Please." Damon scoffed, eyes still on Evie. "She's a friend." He craned his neck trying to keep an eye on her in the dense crowd as she wobbled to the bathroom.
"You don't make friends. You eat them." She retorted. "Or do you not do that anymore?" She asked and set two glasses on the bar.
He flashed her a brilliant smile of wickedness. "No, no, I still do."
"But not that one." She nodded in the direction Evie went. "You've been watching her all night. What's so special?"
"None of your business."
"Mmhm. Those shots are a bribe. I need you to answer a question."
Damon smirked. "Didn't I just answer a few?"
She gave him a look. "What are you really doing in Mystic Falls?"
"Have you tried the brittle? Wins awards." He sidetracked, spotting Eves talking to her friend Bonnie. Perhaps she would have better luck in getting that necklace.
"Cut the crap." Lexi rolled her eyes.
He drained the shot glasses.
"Okay. I have a diabolical master plan."
"What is it?"
He rolled his eyes. "If I told you then it wouldn't be very diabolical, now would it?"
Lexi scowled at him and he smirked.
Evie groaned from the table top.
"My head hurts."
Bonnie rolled her eyes. "You're the one who smells like they drank the entire bar. How'd you get the drinks anyhow?"
"S'guy. Lurky..."
"Evie, don't let creepy guys give you drinks. You better be glad he didn't hurt you or something."
"Nah." She waved a hand dismissively. "S'all talk. Don't need him. I got this..."
Bonnie shook her head. "Your Gran is going to kill you." The reason she was so drunk came to her then. "Still haven't heard from your dad, huh?"
"Sucks." The girl muttered and the witch patted her.
"Drowning yourself in alcohol won't help."
"Helps me." Evie retorted and then frowned. "We need more pretzels."
Bonnie only shook her head.
"No, trust me. I'm much soberer." Evie stated, splashing her face with water again. Bonnie smirked. They were hiding out in the bathroom until the cops had cleared out. More importantly until Evie sobered up enough to pass Liz.
"Seriously. I didn't drink enough to really be out."
"Yeah, I know." She ansered and perched on the edge of the sink. "Did I tell you what Caroline did?"
"No. What? She drag you through the crowd too?"
"No, she tried to snatch my necklace from my neck."
Frowning, Evie stood from her bent position. "She what?"
Bonnie told her about the exchange and when she mentioned Damon, Evelyn's eyes narrowed.
"There's something weird about him, Evie. I don't trust him." Bonnie continued. "When he touched my necklace yesterday...it shocked him."
Evie tilted her head. "That's weird...Magic?"
"Yeah, my Grams told me about my ancestor Emily Bennett. Apparently it's hers."
"1864?" Evelyn guessed, rubbing at her now stinging wrist.
Bonnie's eyes widened. "How'd you know that?"
"Lucky guess." She muttered.
Damon frowned when his phone buzzed and he moved gingerly across the floor from where Stefan had shoved him.
"Eves?"
He could hear the sound of a struggle and a snarling sound.
"Get off me meathead!" He heard Evie yell and the sound of something screeching.
He sped off without a second thought.
Damon looked at the silent house for a moment, frowning.
He found the gate to the girl's backyard off its hinges. Listening hard, he moved swiftly to the back of the house upon hearing struggles.
Evie was waving a broom handle around and had it been any other time, he would have laughed at the irony of it. A witch holding a broomstick. The end of the broom had been ripped off by something. Suddenly, a gnarly, ugly hand shot out of the dark at the base of the tree and grabbed the offending end of the stick. Evelyn was jerked forward and off the ground, dangling in the air and her feet flying.
She shrieked as she was shook and then thrown. Damon watched rather dumbly as she sailed backward into the nearby shrubbery.
"You ugly, sonofabitch!" Evie screamed in rage from within the huge plant and then she noticed him as she tried to get out of it. "Who called you here to spectate?!"
"You did." He replied and she looked confused before patting her shorts for her phone. "Damn it...Must have sat on it." He rolled his eyes at her mutterings and reached down to pluck her from the hedges.
She smacked at his hands. "Off me-Damon!" She yelled and he turned around rapidly. A grotesque creature with dull, freakish yellow eyes and a mouth full of shiny sharpneedle-like teeth jumped off the side of the house and went towards him, teeth and sharp claws bared.
Evie thrust her hands up and tossed him backwards before he touched the vampire and sent him flying off into the dark where they heard a loud crack as the thing hit a tree.
Damon blinked at the monster for a second before grabbing Evie and moving them away from the backyard. Or attempting too.
He felt rather than heard the creature as it leapt onto his back, sinking teeth and claws into his back.
"Fuck!" He swore at the pain of it and then Evelyn was there, flinging the monster off his back. It came for her then after bashing against a birdbath and Evie tensed. Something zoomed by her, going through the monster's chest and hauling it backwards into the woods.
Evelyn blinked and when she turned Damon was there, grabbing at her.
He sat her on the porch and she opened her mouth.
"Don't argue with me." He warned her, grimacing at the pain in his shoulder. "Now is not the time for attitude. Is your Gran inside?"
"She'll be home soon. Bingo night." Evie's scowl fell as she spoke quietly and he nodded once.
"Keep quiet and stay there."
Damon disappeared around the corner and into the woods to find the monster/thing.
A whining growl came from further into the trees and he glanced up to see the ugly thing pinned to the tree, a branch sticking out of it's chest. Glops of nasty smelling green colored blood gushed from the creature, soaking the tree and the ground around it. His lucky throw had skewered it to a tree.
Step siding the foul-smelling liquid, Damon looked the creature over.
"The fuck are you?" He questioned, tilting his head.
The creature's ugliness began to literally melt off it's body like the rotten skin of a fruit. Damon watched in disgust and mild interest as the creature's features turned human. Like Troy had been wearing a melted disguise. Once the transformation was completely, the vampire bent over.
He took a rock and then threw it at Troy's head. It smacked his skull, but the human/monster thing never moved. And he could hear no breath coming from it. It was dead.
Evie met him at the broken gate, trying not to show anxiousness. Three long scratches on her shoulder had made themselves known while he was gone and blood was dripping soaking her shirt.
"Well?"
"He's dead. He'll never bother you again."
The girl sighed with relief and then frowned. "He had parents...Were they...?" She couldn't finish her own question and Damon's brow furrowed.
"You ever met the parents?"
"No..." She frowned. "Well sort of. I mean we saw each other like once or twice..."
Damon shrugged. "Probably normal then. Guy was a freak all on his own."
"Why'd you kill Lexi?" She blurted before her eyes darted to the left and away from him. She glanced back at him to see him standing there, staring at her. "Well?"
"Had too. It's part of the plan."
"Why? Why was it necessary?"
"This town believed there was a vampire problem. I fixed it."
"For her. For Katherine." Evelyn guessed. He only glanced away.
Evie sighed and glanced at the backyard. "So he's...dead? Right?"
"As dead as can be." He shrugged. "Had a branch through his ribcage. I doubt he's alive."
"But are you positive?" She demanded. "We don't know what the hell it is. It might not be dead."
Rolling his eyes so hard it hurt, he turned on his heels and strode off through the broken gate. Evie followed him.
They reached the tree and the human girl gagged.
"Ugh! That's disgusting." She was eyeing the mess of blood on the ground and the tree.
Damon nodded. "Agreed."
"It doesn't look too good to have a dead human in a tree." She pointed out.
"I'm not getting him...it-whatever-down tonight. I just got my back ripped apart."
Evie scowled. "Well, he can't hang up like a Halloween decoration. What if someone sees?"
"They'd have to walk into your backyard and into the trees, Eves." The vampire retorted, scoffing lightly. "No one is going to see."
She rolled her eyes and then shivered. Damon tilted his head. "You need to go inside now." She was wearing a pair of skimpy black shorts and a now bloody t-shirt. And no shoes.
"I'm fine." She said stubbornly and he rolled his eyes.
They walked back to the house in silence and then she turned to him.
"Give him some space and then try to talk to him again. Stefan, I mean." He raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't have a sibling, but I know that sometimes, you just need space to deal. Like him grieve and deal...then try to talk to him. You're not telling him about Katherine, but maybe you should. He'd get it then." She waved a finger at him. "I don't approve of killing anyone, especially someone as nice as Lexi. I didn't know her really, but all the same..." She went up the porch steps. "You should explain it to him. It's not an excuse or an apology but it's better than leaving him to think you're just that sadistic because it has to bother you on some level."
He opened his mouth to respond and she raised a hand.
"I know it's none of my business." She shifted slightly. "But even a cold-heart maniac has a bit of a heart. Way, way, way deep inside. And he's your brother."
Damon didn't say anything for a few minutes, but her words hit him strongly. Girl was perceptive.
"Go to sleep, Eves. Sleep off that alcohol."
"Shut up, jerk." She retorted and flipped him off before frowning. "Why aren't you healing?"
Damon hadn't noticed, but now he could feel the rivets of blood still pouring from the wounds in his back.
"Dunno."
Evie came back down the porch. "Want me to take a look?"
"If you let me see yours." He stated and she rolled her eyes.
"Fine...but at your house. If Gran sees the gate, I don't want to have to tell her about it. Or why you're here and bleeding all over the place."
He nodded once.
Damon led the way into his bedroom and he shut the door behind her. She ignored her inner voice yelling that being in his room was a very, very bad idea. Being alone with him was a bad idea and that she should turn and run. But she didn't. She felt guilty for involving Damon in her fight with Troy, although through a butt dial. All the same, he came to see about her and she had to help him for that. He could have ignored her and left her to die. She had told him, albeit drunkenly, that she could handle herself, but whatever Troy was-had been-was still a mystery and she might have been killed.
She looked around the room, again admiring the dark furniture and the how it just seemed Damon. It wasn't over extravagant, but it wasn't simple either. It was dark, calming and she felt at ease.
She rolled her eyes when Damon winced while trying to get his shirt off.
"Sit down. I'll get it."
He sat on the bed, smirking at her and she scowled. Evie got on the bed behind him and frowned at his back.
"I'm going to have to cut it off you. It's sticking to you and it will make it hurt worse if I just pull the shirt off."
He didn't remark about it, he just opened a dresser drawer and handed her a pair of scissors. She cut the shirt from his back and he pulled it the rest of the way off. The wounds were angry red and looked horrible.
Damon's head dropped suddenly.
"Damon? You okay?"
"Mm."
That didn't sound good. Evie leaned over his shoulder and tapped his face. "Hey, wake up." He felt warm. Frowning, the girl moved around on the bed so that she was in front of him and leaned him against her, so his head was over her shoulder. Damon groaned, turning is face so that it was against her neck. He was losing too much blood.
Taking a breath, Evelyn held her hands over his back and concentrated. Each wound glowed white and do did Evie's hands. She skimmed her hands over his back slowly, stopping at each spot to heal it. Damon grunted against her neck, his breath sending shivers down her spine as it hit her skin. The vampire's face buried deeper into her neck and she felt his lips brush against her. The wounds disappeared and the heat from Damon's face faded as did the white glow.
Lifting his head from her, he caught her eyes. Neither spoke. And then he offered his wrist to her. She was too exhausted to complain verbally, but her eyes spoke for her. He shook his head.
"I'll live." He stated softly, referring to his ability to heal. He was tired too. More than he had ever been before and it took a lot to tire out a vampire. He just wanted to shut his eyes for a second. Maybe longer. He'd be hella hungry in the morning, but he couldn't find the energy to go get even a bloodbag from downstairs.
Evie nodded and took his wrist when he bit it again and she sucked at the marks. He eyes rolled back in his head for a moment and then felt Evie's grip loosen.
Damon laid back on the bed, watching with heavy lidded eyes as Evie threw her ruined shirt into the floor, now all she had was a sports bra and a pair of shorts. She yawned and laid down too fatigued to be embarrassed or worried that he'd make a move or a joke at her expense.
She settled down and closed her eyes and then felt a light weight of a blanket settle on her before falling into an exhausted sleep.
Damon covered her up and clicked off the light next to them, plunging them into the dark. And then he knew no more.
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