For nearly three days, my system has been flooded with magic, magic of another person's pure willpower mixed with my own, running through my veins.
Expression is purer, more potent, than any power that I have ever felt, and it didn't even originate from me. I can't imagine what it would feel like if I had generated it myself.
Through some careful study, I suspect that the recent rise in missing persons around Whitmore confirms the theory. Expression always requires the completion of an expression triangle, a ritualistic worship of thirty-six individuals. I don't think I would stoop to creating my own triangle unless I was properly motivated, but I have no qualms with using this power myself. After all, I was only trying to save Shane's wife from an early death and to prevent the rise of Silas; I didn't kill the people to get that power myself.
I've been very busy, using the power to complete a few projects, projects that will hopefully come in handy later. For example, I made three of the charm bracelets that will automatically create a temporary threshold barrier in any room. Hopefully, I'll only have to use them as a last resort, and they don't require any magic to activate.
I've spent most of my time at work, doing nothing but enjoying the feeling and ingratiating myself with the locals, while the magic slowly drained from my system. Thankfully, it's so potent that I've got quite a bit left.
I suspect that it will run out by the end of the week, but that's plenty of time.
"Bonnie, I want you to pull this pen toward you."
The pen hovers at around chest level before me, slowly spinning at my influence. I'm holding it in place with as much focus as I can muster.
The girl nods, determined, and Elena cheers from the sidelines. Wonder if she's missing her actual cheerleadi- Nope, not gonna qualify that thought. Don't want to spend any time on teenage bullshit.
"Don't feel discouraged if you aren't able to manage," I say after a moment of her expended effort, her hand waving through the air to focus her effort. I've never understood the need to gesture wildly at things; it feels natural, and feels more badass, but in a fight with a vampire, precious moments are wasted even moving your hand to knock one unconscious or activate the aneurism spell that every witch seems to know.
I don't really expect Bonnie to succeed. Expression is a significant upgrade over my normal skills. But struggling against adversity is what all this is about.
She waves once more, and I feel the tug of her effort on the pen, mentally probing against my control, but I hold it in place easily. "Ugh, I'm just not getting it. I don't even know if I've aim-"
I shake my head. "No, your targeting is just fine. I felt your magic affecting it, but you've gotta try harder."
"I am trying!" she says, frustrated, before trying once more, only to fail again. It's… really unfair. Under my normal abilities, she'd have probably succeeded by now.
Sheila seems to be enjoying these little sessions, though Elena's presence seems to irk her. Don't get me wrong, she probably loves the Gilbert girl, but this feels like a witch thing, and her presence is decidedly not.
"Can I get any of you some water?"
I nod toward the doppelganger as I let the pen fall toward the table. Bonnie grabs it with her magic, levitating it toward her, just to prove that she can do it. It's slow, methodical, and utterly useless if she can't grasp the basic concepts sooner. I've… had an entire lifetime of practice with this.
"Logan's right," Sheila states, demonstrating the lesson that I'm trying to impart on her granddaughter, as the pen yanks from Bonnie's control and floats over to center over her. "You've got the control down, to a certain degree, but you've gotta feel it. Your emotions are your conduit to your humanity, to the natural instincts that drive you. Therefore, they are your connection to nature, and the stronger you feel, the more impactful your spells can be."
"So what?" she asks. "I'm supposed to get angry?"
"Not necessarily," I answer. "Emotion is a key component, but you need a balance between emotion and calm, or your spells will lack the effort. Furiously creating a barrier spell, for example, might make the whole thing stronger, but more unstable."
Elena hands me the glass and I thank her, before I lift the water to my face directly with magic, drinking it. Elena nearly drops her own in shock at the display.
"This is awesome."
"I know, it's pretty great."
"It'll be great when I can do that," Bonnie says, jealous. She lifts the water from her own glass, gesturing wildly to hold it in place, and then manages to drink some of it, before it collapses onto her shirt. She curses, earning an admonishing glare from Sheila.
"I can dry that if you want." She must have inherited that look on her face from her grandmother.
Elena apologizes, despite not needing to, and goes with her to grab a washcloth and try to salvage her new top.
"You're showing off."
I glance up, perhaps the first time the old woman has actually addressed me in quite some time. "Err, probably, but I feel like it's worth-"
"No. Showing her what magic is capable of does not require showing her how skilled you are at every turn," the woman says. "You should change your strategy a bit. Work with her, not against her. It shouldn't be a competition."
"But competitions are motivating circumstances," I argue. "When she starts having to protect this town, she's going to end up in conflict, naturally. Preparing her for that conflict with this in mind helps her to grow toward that mentality all the time."
"It's unhealthy," Sheila admonishes.
"So is the world we live in."
I pick up my things just as Bonnie enters the room. "Where are you going?"
"Let's call it a night. Don't want to tire you out too much. I can tell that your grandmother needs the rest." She actually does look a little woozy.
"Let me drive you home," Elena offers, but I shake my head.
"No, I'll walk. New place isn't far."
After three more bank robberies, I put the down payment on a house and have several thousand dollars of savings. I'm not anywhere near struggling now. It was surprisingly fast to get all the paperwork taken care of, but once I got the key, that was all that mattered, basically.
Sure, I'm sleeping on the floor, but I'll buy furniture eventually.
I wave them goodbye, hoping that some time to think on our discussion will help Bonnie move past whatever block she has holding her back. Practice makes perfect.
The gentle breeze is welcome, the streetlamps creating an eerie vibe. But then again, I'm sitting in Mystic Falls, so it's just more of the same.
I'm nearly in front of my home when I hear their approach from behind me, the whoosh of displaced air. I knew that it was a sham; they don't want to kill me, whomever it is, or else I wouldn't have heard their approach before they snapped my neck.
As I turn, the face of Lucien stares down at me, nearly six inches taller, face half-obscured with shadow. He has no back-up, though honestly, he normally wouldn't need any.
"Can I help you?" I say with no actual concern.
The CEO grins, a suit jacket over his shoulder, giving off an air of relaxation that is totally an act to get me to drop my guard.
"I believe that you may," he answers. "A powerful seer such as yourself makes waves among the magical community."
Powerful is an overstatement. Most of that knowledge comes from other means, but I won't let him know that. "I didn't realize that my reputation was so good that a vampire of nearly one thousand years would want anything to do with me."
He nods slightly, smirking. "According to one of my own seers, you aren't supposed to be here. I can't make sense of her statement, but you seem to be in the middle of major conflicts, directly diverting the natural flow of time. Bunch o' magical nature nonsense." He steps closer, and I let him, trying really hard not to let my attraction to him actually impede my judgement here. The moment that I feel ready to attack, I'll attack.
He's referring to my out of universe travel, I believe. That redheaded witch must have sensed me somehow, must have sensed that I'm getting in the way. And here he is to off me, to keep things from going south for him and the rest of his sire-line.
"Tell your witch that the feeling's mutual," I answer finally. "You aren't supposed to be in Mystic Falls either."
Lucien laughs, a false one, but as he does, he moves slightly closer. Mere inches apart, and I can smell him, my heart beating faster. "You've got spunk, talking back to someone like me." A hand on my arm. "I admire that."
Oh my god, he's seducing me. This… can't be happening, can it? He's not actually interested? Oh man, I'm interested-
No- that doesn't matter, he's clearly trying to take advantage. He can probably tell my body is reacting to his presence in close proximity.
I back a half-step away, but he moves gracefully in the same moment, now even closer. A mere inch separates us now, and his body heat is so alluring. A finger lightly traces my chest, a second circling my hip bone.
"What are you-"
His lips cut that sentence off, and for that ever-present moment, I give in, already regretting it, as the lust takes over. Head tilting to follow his lead, he places a hand on the small of my back, inching ever so slowly down.
Oh god, I can't actually let this happen.
Magic pushes him away from me, shoving him back and throwing him on his ass several yards away. His expression changes to one of rage in moments as he stands in half-a-second. I can't help but partially match his sentiments: I could have let this sexy bastard have his way with me, but no.
I prepare another spell. I have to convince him that he doesn't have control over me, I have the cards here.
"What are you doing in Mystic Falls?"
"It's cute, honestly," he states after a time, his body still tensed. "You actually think you can make demands of me."
"I'm more powerful than I look," I answer. For the next week, perhaps. "I don't know what you're here in town for, but whatever it is, you aren't going to get it while I'm around." I have several theories already.
Lucien appraises me for a moment, but I continue. "Leave if you don't know what's good for you."
I'm ninety-nine percent sure that if he wanted to kill me, I'd already be dead. So whatever it is that he wants, he needs me alive and on his side to get it. That whole seduction act was just a ploy to get me to side with him.
He merely laughs. "I'll humor you, for now, Logan, out of sheer appreciation for the bollocks it takes to stand up to someone my age. But trust me, you won't be able to stop what I'm planning. Might as well just tag along for the ride. A man of your... capabilities would be welcome at my side."
Ominous. And fucking sexy.
As Lucien disappears in a moment, I hurry inside the house and shoot a text to Bonnie, warning her to make sure Elena sleeps the night at their home. A modicum of protection, just in case he's after the doppelganger.