Chapter 28: Swapping One for Another

Salvatore Boarding House

[Damon's POV]

We ported Stefan here after he fell asleep in the cave with the runes, to protect him from Silas. He is in one of the underground cells. He isn't going to be happy when he wakes up. The girls insisted he have a bed and a cooler full of different types of animal blood. A small table and with a battery operated reading lamp is included with some books to occupy him while he waits. My concession is a bottle of my best bourbon. Stefan is annoying but he is my brother and for the most part he deserves the protection.

I settle down into couch next to the liquor cabinet in the great room and wait for him to wake up. We know Silas has been eavesdropping on our conversations about our plans to free Amara through his truth stone. I'm glad to know that he can only hear that particular frequency that Charlotte allows through her truth stone. She is a long time user of 'Astral' energy. She and Charlie have the most control of Leylock energy and can do many things us 'newbies' can't. We would not have been able to save Stefan from the safe at the bottom of the lake otherwise.

I pull out a book from the shelves. I can't help but grin. I recline on one of the couches in a sunbeam. This will be so much fun.

Mystic Falls: Cave with Runes

[Silas POV]

Katerina/Katherine is very easy to compel. She followed me to the cavern without protest. I will use my magic to help bind her to the 'other side' as the anchor once Amara is free. I have used the 'truth' stone to listen in on Leylocks plans to free my mate. I am impressed that that they are true to their word and seem to care for Amara, even though they don't know her. They even have a guarded respect for me.

Salvatore Boarding House: Great Room

[Charlotte's POV]

I enter the room. Damon is perched on the couch reading 'Dracula' aloud using different voices and inflections. I can't resist a snort at his choice of reading material. He glances up at me and smirks. His left eyebrow raises as he queries, "Can I help you with anything?"

"Not at this time, thanks though. Why are you reading that particular book?"

He shrugs, "It seems appropriate since we have a vampire locked up downstairs."

"You are worse than Pete. You are just tormenting your brother and he can't retaliate at the moment."

He grins at me. "I resemble that remark."

I shake my head. "Careful what goes around comes around."

Damon channeling his inner child sticks his tongue out at me. I laugh at his antics. I am just glad Jasper and Pete are out hunting or they would join him in pestering Stefan also.

Stefan gets some relief. Bella walks into the room going over to sit in Damon's lap. "Are you aggravating your brother again?"

"I plead the fifth."

I laugh out loud, "That only works in the courtroom." Damon looks up at me and shrugs.

Bella kisses him distracting him from his antics.

Both of us hear it at the same time, two faint little fluttering heartbeats. Damon pulls Bella closer to him and emits a low warning growl: like I would do anything to Bella or her babies.

"Bella pops him on the arm. What's got your shorts in a wad?"

Damon grabs a piece of paper and pen from the coffee table and writes, Charlotte and I can hear our children's heartbeats.

Bella looks at me in shock as she reads the note. She quickly writes on the back of the note: You hear more than one?

Damon and I nod back at her. I hold up two fingers. Her eyes widen.

Her eyes start tearing up. Damon rushes her out of the room and probably the house so they can discuss this new development privately. Thank god the bedrooms are shielded for privacy. The rooms on this level including the kitchen and dining aren't shielded from conversations from the rest of the unshielded rooms in the house or the cells downstairs in the basement; so Stefan got the brunt of his brother's wicked sense of humor with Damon's rendition of Dracula.

I will get together with the others with 'Astral' affinity. We can do something with Bella's truth stone to hide the babies' heartbeats from other supernaturals. That or Damon will find a 'safe' place for Bella and we won't see them until after the babies are born. He is in full protection mode at the moment.

Mystic Falls Lake

[Charlie's POV]

I was angling by the lake enjoying the view of the falls and the slight breeze in the early morning air. I hear Damon's 1967 Camaro pulling into the parking lot of the lakeside campground. A sigh escapes. It looks like I will have to calm some 'new' daddy jitters, before I can resume my fishing for the rest of the morning.

I cast my fishing line again, Damon is standing behind me. I give him a moment to gather his thoughts. I feel the pull on my line and reel in a large mouth bass. I pull it off my hook and toss it into the cooler beside me. "Damon can I help you with something?" I glance over to the parking lot. Bella is leaning against the car under a shady tree waiting for Damon to talk with me. Damon looks into my eyes and clears his throat. "Twins, Bella is having two babies." I bite my lip to keep my amusement in check. I am thrilled, but Damon needs reassurance. The vampire daddy thing is messing with his head.

"Damon, there is an old saying that says it takes a village to raise a child. You and Bella are collecting a huge family of Leylocks to help you with your children. You have Original vampires, one Original Hybrid, regular vampires and experienced witches added in. Your babies will be well protected from anything coming our way. Heck even Silas and Amara will probably be considered family one day. If you think my daughter will let anything happen to you or her babies, you need to rethink some things." Damon blinks at me for a moment. His face clears and he grins at me. "We are having two babies." I nod back at him. "Go celebrate with my daughter she is waiting for you." I watch as he vamps back to Bella. She hugs him and waves back to me. One day it will be Damon reassuring one of his kids that is about to be a parent. I can say I'm really looking forward to that day.

Salvatore Boarding House

[Charlotte's POV]

Freya and Henrik have all the materials they need for their spells and have ported to the cave with the runes to set up a magic circle. Silas has placed the captive Kathrine there also. They are creating the circle around her. Charlie, Angela, Rebekah, Damon and I will port there in a few minutes. The others will channel their Leylock energy from here. The boarding house will serve as an anchor for our Leylock energies. We will port Amara back to the boarding house as we complete the transfer. She will be safe here until we can port Silas and Amara to the caverns in Texas. Peter, Kol, Bella, Sage and Elżbieta will be here for her. Elijah and the rest of the family will meet us in the caverns. I close my eyes and port to the cave for the freeing Amara ritual.

Mystic Falls: Cave with Runes

I open them to see both Henrik and Freya within the witches circle, along with Katherine. She is standing there quietly. I can tell from her eyes she is conscious and knows what is going on. I can't feel sorry for her she has done everything in her power to alienate the people that currently have the powers to help her. The other 'Astral' Leylocks port into the cave with me. We are standing just outside the magic circle. The runes on the cave wall are glowing with magic. Silas is standing leaning against the cave wall opposite our position, staying out of the way.

Freya nods to me, we are ready. I hear both Freya and Henrik chanting. I concentrate on bringing Amara to us outside the magic circle. Flames gush up along the magic barrier. I feel the power of Leylock energy reinforcing the transfer between Amara and Katherine. Releasing one and binding the other as the anchor to the Other Side. Katherine disappears, in her place is Amara. The flames around the magic circle cease to exist. Amara is standing still but shivering as if she is freezing. Silas utters a spell under his breath. It sounds like he is linking Katherine to the Other Side. Then he shifts his weight as if to grab Amara and run. "Silas give us a minute and you will be with Amara." He gives me an affirmative nod and doesn't move from his position. "Amara my name is Charlotte. My family is here to help both you and Silas. We need to relocate to a safer location. I mean you no harm. I will need to touch your arm to transport us there." She appears to be catatonic, but I detect a brief nod from her.

Angela offers Silas her arm for teleport. He nods and places his hand on her arm.

The Other Side

[Katherine's POV]

My body is wrapped up as a mummy in some derelict warehouse petrified. My psyche is here in the Other Side with three werewolves, two vampires and four witches waiting to enter through me to the Other Side. As they pass through me I feel their deaths every agonizing nerve endings worth. I experience their last seconds of life. I see now this is payback for all the shit I stirred up this lifetime. It doesn't look like I'm going to get out of this life sentence until the Other Side is destroyed. Yay me.

[Charlotte's POV]

Salvatore Boarding House

We transfer to the drawing room. "Silas we are going to port one more time to the caverns on the Whitlock ranch. There is a transformation pool there which we will use to remove the negative magic that surrounds both you and Amara. Hopefully it will also help heal Amara."

"I accept your offer." He places his hand on my arm as I touch Amara's. I shift us to the cavern.

Caverns near the Ranch TX

[Sage's POV]

All the Leylocks in the family port into the cavern with the transformation pool. Silas and Amara are looking around at all of us. "Amara and Silas, we are going to help remove some of the negative magic that has entrapped both of you. For your wellbeing we ask that you refrain from using Expression magic again. Freya and Henrik will help both of you learn healthier magic in its stead." Silas nods an affirmative.

"Silas we need both you and Amara to lay down in the pool. You don't have to submerge just relax and float." He nods to me again and helps Amara enter the pool and lay down beside him. He keeps holding onto one of her hands.

Each Leylock participating in the ceremony sits on the edge of the pool cross-legged like we are sitting around a campfire equal distance apart facing the center of the pool. We start to channel our energies. The pool starts to brighten up as if it the giant underwater pool light was flipped to a higher setting. A small spherical electrical ball floats about six feet over the center of the pool. A Fire ring is created around the circumference of the pool about five feet over our heads. It is being held there by a mini circular jet stream of air. Mist starts overflowing from the pool. The chamber is filled with the sound of crystal chimes. Then the magical spectacular stops. Amara and Silas sit up in the pool still holding hands.

Amara starts crying and through her tears she softly speaks, "Thank you for saving me."

Silas nods and says his 'thanks' quietly as not to upset his mate.

Every member of our family responds with, "You are both welcome."

Silas looks at me, "Is it permitted for Amara and I to reside with you while we learn 'healthier' magic?"

I smile and nod.

Charlotte speaks up, "the ranch will be a safe place for you and Amara. Some of us will stay here at the ranch to help you. I wouldn't recommend being in Mystic Falls. We need to confront Esther and Mikael. At some point we will need to deal with Qetsiyah."

Silas narrows his eyes. "I want to be in on anything you plan on doing about Qetsiyah. She needs to answer for her crimes. Let me know when your plans for Mikael, Esther and Dahlia are in place. I will help with them also."

I blink with surprise. "Thank you for your offer. I know you will be watching over us as we make arrangements." I glance over at Amara. "There are some clothes for you in your suite back at the Hacienda. Freya and Henrik will be around to answer your questions. Some of us will be popping in and out at various times. We keep the kitchen stocked and there are blood bags in the cooler, that can be warmed up in the water bath located in the pantry. We ask that you don't hunt close to the ranch. We like to stay incognito."

Silas and Amara both nod in agreement to my stipulations.

"Please touch my arm and I will port us back to the Hacienda." Silas and Amara touch my arm.

Whitlock Ranch TX: Hacienda

I port both of them to their suite. "I will be in the library if either of you need me for anything." Silas nods at me. I leave them to go back to my research. I hope our ability to remove most of the 'dark energy' surrounding them helps heal Amara. She looks like she is afraid of her own shadow.