~ Chapter Four ~
To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fight- Sun Tzu (The Art of War)
Sunday, 3rd January 2010
Bonnie looked around in amazement of the vast Bennett library. Even though she had seen it briefly but now seated in the room, it was incredible to be surrounded by the books of the old. Footsteps walked down towards her causing her to look to her right and watch her cousin walk down the long wooden spiral staircase with a folder in his hands.
He carefully placed it on the wooden desk table that Bonnie was seated by "Sorry that took awhile had to get it out of the storage room upstairs" he said.
"There's another room upstairs?!" she exclaimed in surprise.
"It's not as big as this library. Just a small storage room. Usually, you'll find Robbie and his mom up there working on translations of any old documents or grimoires we find during our missions" he explained as he opened up the yellow file folder with the tab reading 'Mark Johnson-Adara/Demon Slayer.'
Bonnie looked down to see a plastic sleeve the protect a small A5 sized paper. The page looked to be old from the slightly torn and burnt edges and slightly faded writings yet still readable to the naked eye.
"This is taken from one of the journals of Mark Johnson. He is one of the founding members of this assassin coven along with Micah Bennett and Daniel O'Donnell" Bonnie nodded taking in this new knowledge about the coven. A Bennett, Johnson, and O'Donnell started the coven. Michael continued his explanation
"Over the years the coven expanded and moved around, developing all over the world; hence a lot of the old documents, grimoires, and artifacts got moved around a lot with the families. Then witch trials happened and well a lot of burning going around. This page is one of the many pages from Mark's journal the Johnson's family were able to preserve."
He pulls out another sleeve that contained an A4 paper with handwritten notes placing it besides the folder that still had the journal page "This page translated is by Robbie and Alexis's great-great grandfather" he skimmed through the page and found Adara's name and tapped on the paragraph for Bonnie to read.
Leaning in closer to read Bonnie read out loud,
"I fear that our coven may not be robust enough to defeat this evil that has been hovering in our lives. At times I can't help but think of the story about the demon slayer. I often wonder if this weapon indeed existed and if it was as powerful as stated in the stories. Powerful enough to at one time defeat the Original hybrid, maybe now it wouldn't be much of a battle for such a weapon to win this fight for us. It'll be hard to convince Micah to go search for the Adara, he never quite believed in the story or of such a weapon could exist…"
Bonnie paused and looked up to Michael "Adara is a weapon?"
"The name of a weapon or in this case the demon slayer's name is, Adara."
"I still don't get the connection between the weapon, Adara, and the Adara in me?" Bonnie asked truthfully.
Placing the translated page underneath the journal page, Michael closed the file folder and sat on the edge of the table looking down to his seated cousin.
"There's this old belief that the spirit of a weapon will take on the mentality of its maker. The mind of the weapon forged the exact moment the heated blade gets plunged into the water. For example, if the maker wants the sword to be strong enough to kill 1000 men, then the spirit of the sword will be powerful enough to do just that" seeing his cousin still a little confused he continued "Now apply that belief to our world of magic. A powerful witch can be mighty enough to-"
Catching on to Michael's thoughts she finished his sentence "To raise a spirit out of a weapon. You think Adara is that spirit from this weapon Mark writes about."
Michael nods waiting for Bonnie's thought on his theory.
"I still don't get why the spirit takes on traits of a vampire."
Michael raised his hands "Hey, one theory at a time. Maybe Marcus can answer the next one."
Bonnie laughed and leaned back in her seat "So what's next for me? Will I finally start my training?" she asked.
"Are you sure? We can wait till you're ready."
She smiles in thanks for the thought "I'm ready, Mike. I need to keep myself distracted, and I need to keep moving in my life for Dad and Grams. You get that, yeah?"
He nods in understanding "Well your training will be the foundation training. It goes for two weeks of just laying the foundation of our coven but also to assess your strength and weaknesses. There will be very limited contact with your friends in Mystic Falls for the next two weeks so that you can message them about the lack of communication. Derek will teach you how to control the blood lust. Ray and Scott will be showing you combat. Scott will also be teaching you about weapons and train with Marcus of fighting with them. Dad and Amerie will be teaching you the history of our coven-"
"Amerie?" Bonnie questioned
"Oh, that's Robbie and Alexis's mom," he said continuing "Mom will be teaching you meditation until you can reach that space in your mind to meet Adara again."
Bonnie blinked in surprise "That's a lot."
"We know you'll pick up combat training fast since I am aware that uncle taught you self-defense, and I'm hoping we may be able to tap into some of your demon power. We don't expect you to be a pro assassin witch, but you learn as you go. Once we start on missions, that's when you'll truly learn."
Bonnie sighed feeling a little overwhelmed "Don't worry you're going to be okay" he said in an assuring tone that brought little assurance to her.
Sunday, 9th January 2010
"Stop holding back!" Ray yelled out as he circled the fallen Bonnie.
Bonnie spat out blood and pressed her hands against the mat. Pushing herself up and silently glared at her trainer in front of her. Six days. It has been six days of training in the coven. She thought high school was hell. Well, she was wrong. Training made high school look like purgatory. Six days of soaking in the coven's history and the Bennett history with her uncle and Amerie. Six days of learning different types of weapons with Scott. Six days of practicing attack and defense with Marcus and Michael. Six days of meditation with her aunt and lastly six very hard days of learning restraint from ripping apart Derek every time he trained her about controlling her blood lust. She had it under control. She knew she did, but she couldn't help but feel a sense incompletion of her thirst. She wanted more vampire blood in comparison to the blood bags she got from Derek's blood. Not only was the blood lust training harsh on her; it was her six-day training with the most arrogant, condescending wolf she has ever met in her life that made the practice brutal. He wasn't family so he didn't ease up on the taking it easy on her [she wonders if that was why her uncle agreed for Ray to train her], but it was a narrow-minded concept that he had in his head that her strongest was when Adara was in control.
"Don't glare at me, Bonnie. You know why I stopped telling you on the whereabouts of Klaus."
"Because you're an idiot," she thinks.
"Because you're not ready to take down a vampire like that!" he walked towards her continuing to taunt her "You may have the fangs, the speed, the strength and the magic but you're still not strong enough. You're not even ready to take on Adara. Now I can see why your father didn't want you in this coven."
With a scream, she swung a closed fist at him only for him to catch it in his fist and twisted it behind her back "We can't have Adara controlling you. You control her" he released her continuing "You need to learn to balance using your magic with your hybrid power. Your eyes are still green meaning you haven't even reached your full potential."
"Full potential?!" she laughed her opened mouth revealing her fangs "The last time you made me tap into Adara's powers I nearly killed you!"
"But you didn't! You stopped yourself from killing me" he reminds her.
She turned away from, with a sigh Ray placed his hands on her shoulder, and turned her around to face him.
"Is that why you're holding back?"
Bonnie looked up to him "What if my soul is too weak to handle her power?"
Ray shook his head and placed his hand on the side of her face "You may be the most stubborn woman I have ever met in my life-" Bonnie frowned in disagreement to his words as he continued "but you are far from weak. That's why I'm pushing you because after seeing your perseverance in all the shit you've been put through in life tells me you are going to one strong hell of a hybrid."
She looked at him unconvinced.
"I'm serious," he said then stepped back questioning her "Now that last time you almost tapped into the powers of Adara you were angry. Is that the only emotion that awakens her."
Bonnie nodded "Seems to be" she paused wondering if it was Adara or her at the moment
Seeing her uncertainty, he asked, "Is there another moment when you're not angry?"
"My blood lust. When I was near Derek; instead of blinded my anger, My hunger and desire to kill. To kill, to survive."
Ray nodded in understanding "A predator."
"Yeah" she whispered looking to Ray of the correct word to describe it.
"Let's take a break" he motioned to the mat "Take a seat. I'll be back" he said.
Following his orders, she sat cross-legged on the mat and watched Ray go to the mini fridge in the training room and grab a bottle of water and a blood bag. Walking back to her, he tosses the blood bag. On reflex, she catches the bag and straightens the tube. Ray sits cross-legged on the floor across from her and opens the bottle of water.
Taking a gulp of water he swallows and slowly places the opened bottle on the mat.
Looking to hybrid sipping the blood bag he can't but think of her improvement 'At least she stopped greedily drinking the whole bag.'
"Anger and blood lust are the two factors that help you tap into Adara's powers," he said. Bonnie just simply nods to what they already know as he asks "How's the training going with, Derek?"
She stops and removes her lips from the tube. Her tongue wets the bottom of her lips tasting remnant spots of Derek's blood now underneath her tongue.
"Okay," she says.
Bonnie knows that isn't a satisfactory answer for Ray the moment he raises his eyebrow at her "I'm doing a hell of a lot better from not giving into the urge of wanting to drain all the blood out of Derek."
"So you're holding back" he mumbles thinking he may have figured out a way for Bonnie to tap into Adara's powers.
"How did you feel when felt the powers of Adara take over? Truthfully Bonnie" he reminded her.
"I never thought about it," she said, "I'm always worried about the aftermath."
"Well, now you have to think about it. Close your eyes" Ray said.
"Ray…" she started, but he orders her again.
"Close your eyes, please."
"Fine," she said compliantly "Only because you said please" she mumbled afterward and closed her eyes waiting for Ray's next words
"Now think back to the moment Adara takes over when Derek was on his way down to the room. When you couldn't resist any longer…"
Taking a deep breath in and out, she thinks back to that moment. Silence fell between the two. Panic. Yes, she felt fear, but that was the feeling that she felt after- she opens her eyes "Free."
"Free?" Ray repeated if he heard right.
"I felt panic and stress when my brain caught up to the notion that Adara had taken control but for a split second," she paused thinking back to that rare moment "I felt free. No more thinking, no more holding back just for that moment I felt powerful and…myself" she finished softly.
She scoffs softly in realization "That's why I am holding back."
Ray stayed quiet allowing Bonnie to continue her explanation "I know everyone is saying to control Adara or not to let her control me, but you all keep forgetting that Adara is me. I am Adara. If I defeat Adara, our powers will become one and because of that I'm scared of the type of person I would become if I were to tap into the full potential of my powers."
"I don't think you would allow yourself to do something you'll regret," he said.
She smiled a little at the idea that a complete stranger had so much faith in her "We've all done things we regret later…including myself." she says in thoughts of the events leading to her Gram's death.
Ray wanted to respond back but couldn't in agreement with her statement. He wanted to help her, truly did. At first, Ray wanted to help her only because of the Bennett family. They had been good to him, and he liked that he was finally able to do some good in the world by getting information to help the coven. Now Ray wanted to help Bonnie for her. Michael updated him on Bonnie's life so that he would get an idea of the girl's mindset and what will drive her to get better. Knowing the full details of the Prophecy, he was aware of how to train her. A little. There was still so much that the Prophecy didn't state, like the outcome of Bonnie's life, or the nature of the Original hybrid that is supposedly meant to fight.
Closing the lid on his water bottle, he watched Bonnie go back to drinking from the blood bag. Thinking back on her words, of her concerns, he realized that she shouldn't be afraid. It is her fears that will make her lose against Adara and that makes him stand up catching Bonnie by the surprise of his sudden movement.
Putting out a hand towards her "We are training you to become stronger. The moment you give into your fears, your powers will control you, and you will become the person you don't want to. Know your strengths, embrace them."
Swallowing the blood, she moves the bag away from her lips and looks up to Ray "What if embracing it means killing?"
"Then kill the ones that deserve such a death."
With a smirk, she places a hand, into his hand and he helps her up "Now put the blood bag away and let's get back to training."
Sunday, 10th January 2010
Bonnie looked around the table of the conversations flying back and forth on a Sunday tradition. Yes, she had these traditional Sunday dinners back in Mystic Falls, but it was usually her Grams and herself [and at times her dad when he was back from his trips]. It was small, but it was moments like those that made Bonnie feel at home like right now. Even with so many people here, she felt at home while her heart ached to wish her father and Grams were here too. To join in the conversations, the waves of laughter, the memories they were making right now.
"Here," Marcus said putting a piece of pork ribs on her plate "I dished out too much on my plate. I blame your uncle and aunt's cooking" he said.
Bonnie looked to her left and laughed to make room for the meat on her plate. It had become a habit between Marcus and herself of sharing each other food she didn't know when it happened, but she had gotten a lot closer to Marcus the last time she was around here.
"You get around to answering Matt back?"Michael asked seated on the right of her.
"Yeah I did. It was a short reply compared to Elena's which I need to sit down and respond back to," Bonnie said before sticking a fork into the potato salad.
"Matt..." Gabriel started seated at the head of the table.
"Donovan" Bonnie finished before placing a forkful of the salad in her mouth.
"Donovan…Donovan" he mumbled in repetition that he would remember him and realized whose kid he was "Oh Kelly's boy."
Bonnie nodded swallowing her food "Yeah apparently she's back in the picture."
"She wasn't before?" questioned Rosario
Bonnie shook her head "She left town with her boyfriend about three years ago."
"What?" a woman voiced out. Bonnie looked across to the table to Amerie Johnson.
The dark-skinned thirty-six-year-old woman stared at Bonnie asking in disbelief "You're not joking are you?" she asked no longer paying attention to her meal.
She shook her head from side to side "No, it happened."
"How could a mother desert her children like that?!" Rosario said getting agitated
"Exactly!" Amerie exclaimed in agreement
"He has an older sister, yeah?" Gabriel asked not at all bothered by the women getting fired up on the Donovan situation as he remembered a baby girl in Kelly's arm the last time he was in Mystic Falls all those years ago.
Bonnie stuck her fork into the meat nodding "Yeah her name is Vicki. It was just lucky that she was working at the Mystic Grill. It was enough to help pay the bills and school, but now I guess with Vicki gone, Matt has now taken up the role of the job to keep up with paying now."
Seated beside her mother, Alexis said "Gone? As in…" she paused and with a closed fist used her thumb to motion across her neck.
"No!" Bonnie blurted out only to cough from her food.
Michael and Marcus immediately patted her back as Bonnie swallowed her food down properly and nodded in the motion of being okay as the boys stopped patting her back.
"No. According to Matt, she skipped town" she recalls.
Rosario looked to Gabriel who immediately said "No. We barely know the kid. We are not offering him to stay here. This house has been a household to the supernatural. No humans."
Bonnie imputed to help her uncle out "Matt would see this as charity offer, and he doesn't like people pitying him. Besides he did just start a relationship with Caroline, so he will not want to leave her soon."
Rosario looked between the two and said in a huff "Fine. You let that boy know if he needs a place to stay because it's getting too much with the bills, our house is open."
"Yes, aunt," said Bonnie smiling a little to her aunt's caring nature.
"You said Elena e-mailed you too. Nothing serious that has you running back to Mystic Falls" Michael noted afterward,
Bonnie rolled her eyes at his comment "It sounds complicated with Elena."
"Complicated?"
"My history teacher, Alaric Saltzman's ex-wife, Isobel turns out to not be dead. It turns out she was turned a vampire by her wish. Guess who turned her?"
"We're going have to guess that the only vampires that you and Elena know are the Salvatore brothers," Gabriel said and narrowed his list "From what I know about the Salvatore brothers, this sounds more like a Damon job."
Bonnie nodded "Damon turned her, but that's not the biggest twist of it" she paused for the effect that aggravated Alexis "Bonnie you're killing me here" she exclaimed.
Bonnie chuckled "Isobel is Elena's biological mother."
"No fucking way!" Alexis said followed by Robbie's response beside her "What the fuck?"
"Language," Ameria said.
"Sorry mama" the twins replied back.
"Tell Elena to be careful. A small world could also mean a set-up. Isobel being Elena's mother and then Damon being responsible for turning Isobel. Too many coincidences."
"The man doesn't believe in coincidences" Michael recounts.
"Yes, uncle," Bonnies says then remembers "Speaking of Damon, according to the e-mails he has been acting out too, so Lena has no idea what to do to help him since finding out his one true love has been alive all this time."
Michael scoffed "And what? Did she expect you to know the solution to stop Damon from acting out."
Bonnie rolled her eyes "No" with a shrug of her shoulders "We tell each other everything, even the things on our mind."
"Well, what do you want to say to her?" Rosario asked catching Bonnie by surprised
"Huh?" she said looking at her aunt.
"What do you want to say about her Damon situation? Truthfully not the around the bush lie you're going to type to her."
"How did you-" she paused allowing her aunt to answer
"Because you don't like hurting people's feeling unless it is necessary. Your uncle and I hope that you won't be like that to us or this coven."
Bonnie looked around to see everyone in agreement. It was strange being here. Being on the side where people were genuinely concerned and looking out for your wellbeing. Strange but heart-warming.
"Truthfully, I worry about how much Elena worries about Damon" she stopped and defended Elena "Yes, she is a caring person. Almost motherly at times but he is her boyfriend's brother, and he doesn't need people feeling sorry for him. Yes, he got screwed over by the love of his life. He waited centuries for Katherine but at least she is alive, and he can find her to get answers," she stabs her fork into her meat.
"I've lost my father, and my Grams. They left me with all these questions of why they never told me about the Prophecy or my powers!" she finished loudly. Her eyes widen, of how loud she spoke.
"Are you feeling better?" Ray asked causing Bonnie to glare at the man across the table only for her glare to soften in the realization of what she was feeling now "Actually, yeah I do feel better."
"Good" Gabriel said causing Bonnie to look to her uncle as he continued "We're a coven, but we're also family. If something troubles your mind then talk to us, never feel like you have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore. You no longer have to do that. You're a part of the coven, we all bear the burden with you."
Bonnie nodded overwhelmed.
Sensing her mood change, Rosario changed the subject "At least we know Mystic Falls isn't burning to the ground without you. Besides Damon, who is not of our worries but Elena and Stefan's, our priority right now is not only to find out more about this Prophecy and Bonnie's hybrid nature. We also need to know more about this moonstone that connects to this sun and moon curse-"
"And if it's the reason for my brother's death."
Observing her uncle she asked, "You think dad found out something about the sun and moon?"
Gabriel nodded "I don't know what Zachariah found out, but it's the theory that makes sense of why Klaus went after my brother. Either he wanted answers or something hidden but until then I need to get a better idea of this curse and Klaus. Only then will I have closure on why that vampire murdered my brother."
"We should start drawing up a profile on Klaus" Amerie suggested
Gabriel nodded in agreement "Let Eric know while on his mission to keep an ear out about Klaus or the sun and moon curse."
Eric Johnson, thirty-eight years old. Husband to Amerie and father of Robbie and Alexis. He was currently in England. In Manchester to be precise helping a coven with their latest vampire dilemma that was leaving trails of bodies that cops were investigating it as a serial killer case but looking over the evidence sent over from the coven, Gabriel sent Eric to assassinate this vampire before the exposure of supernatural become a public issue.
Amerie nodded "I'll let him know as soon as I can. I'll him know to ask. Riccardo's coven as he said they seemed to have quite an informative collection of past journals so I wouldn't be surprised if they have some information on Klaus."
"Good, good" Gabriel said looking to Rosario "We should probably enroll Bonnie into Haven High after her training is over."
"Ugh," Bonnie said as Marcus nudged her "Don't worry we'll all be there."
"Except me," Michael said
Bonnie rolled her eyes "You dragged the whole family to for a two weeks road trip. Trust me it's hard not to forget you graduated two years ago."
Marcus laughed remembering that Michael had attempted to drag him but he was in the early stages of his training, and he wanted to put his focus on it. He smiled in memory of how eager he was to make his parents proud when he began his training in the assassin coven."
"Hey! It was a good Bennett road trip, we all needed it" Michael said in his defense
"Yeah hearing dad and Uncle Gab argue back and forth on which is the quickest way to get to our location," Bonnie said only to giggle happily at the memory
"Or the no magic rule Grams put on the trip-"
"-then the car broke down. Dad and Uncle Zachariah would not stop arguing, so Grams broke her rule and used magic to fix the car," Michael finished.
He and Bonnie along with Rosario and Gabriel couldn't help but laugh at the memory that was joined by the others knowing Gabriel and Zachariah's personalities of always wanting to be right.
The chatter continued, and Bonnie couldn't help but look around the table again.
She knew bad things were going to happen in the future but for now, she was happy living in this moment.
Late at night seated by his desk, Gabriel looked around to the individuals sitting in his office while the rest of the teens slept in their respective room.
"How is the blood lust training going?" Gabriel asked Derek.
Derek leaned back against the couch, looking to Gabriel "She's getting a better handle on the blood lust, learning a lot about restraint-" he paused unsure to speak his next thought out loud.
"But?" Gabriel said knowing there was more
"I just wonder how much stronger her lust for vampire blood will be when she merges with Adara. Vampire blood bag is settling for now, but I want to get her back into hunting."
"No, we should just keep her on the blood bag," Rosario said seated across from him.
Derek leans forward "With all due respect, Mrs. Bennett in the life we lead she will be surrounded by vampires that will tempt her. If she has better control of feeding, it will make her life a little easier."
Rosario bit her bottom lip unsure as Derek looked back to Gabriel "The first time I took her hunting, she drained three vampires on the spot. I had to get Michael to place a sleeping spell on her just to stop her. Now, imagine her combined with Adara. If she doesn't have control of feeding off vampires now, we're going to have a massacre on our hands and the way I saw her feed was different-" he paused thinking back to her first hunting training
"How?" Gabriel asked.
"Blood is our survival. For ripper vampires, blood is all we think about, and we don't care how bloody the hunt. For Bonnie it's different. She wants the vampire to suffer. She reveled in their suffering as they bled. I don't think she realizes how much anger she has for vampires" he looks to Scott seated beside him "It reminds me a lot of Marcus."
Rosario looked to Gabriel knowing what he was going to say next.
"Then should we train them for interrogation positions?" Gabriel asked
Derek nodded "You'll for sure get your answer."
Scott speaks up "We know they are in sync elementally, and they are scarily creative in tactic classes-" the man leans forward in his seat remembering one of the classes "-it was Bonnie's idea to start oiling the weapons in vervain oil. I started doing that, then she and Marcus started thinking of some very creative, deadly tactics to be used on vampires during interrogation."
"Like?" Gabriel asked for an example.
"She suggested vervain in a needle and little by little inject it into the vampire."
Derek couldn't help but shudder in fear of such an interrogation as Scott continued "Marcus began to wonder about hallucination spells and if it could be his strength due to his element."
"They are only seventeen. Should we be putting Marcus and Bonnie in such a position?" questions, Rosario.
"Zachariah and I were only fifteen when our father began to teach us interrogation tactics" seeing his wife's sullen expression he compromised "But I can ask them if they wanted to specialize in interrogation training. We are still finding out Bonnie's strength and weaknesses."
"One thing for sure is that if you give Marcus and Bonnie free reign, you'll get your answers but I'm not so sure the vampire getting interrogated will be alive," Derek states.
Gabriel hummed now thinking seriously about his niece's place in the coven. She had quickly picked up training like she had been training from young. He wonders if it is her hybrid nature that had given her the advantage to ease through the training a lot quicker then past assassin trainees. Should they be pushing Bonnie into this lifestyle they lead? Should he be protecting her like his brother did?
It seemed like his wife's thoughts were along the same thought line as she asked: "Should we be pushing Bonnie into this assassin life?"
'Yes,' Gabriel mentally assures himself. He knows he can't stop her from going after Klaus, and because of that he wants Bonnie to know how to fight. Gabriel needs her to be able to protect herself when no one else can. He needs her to be strong. Physically and mentally.
He looked to his wife and assured her "Yes, Bonnie needs guidance into the world that is still new to her. What she learns is what will help protect her."
Friday, 15th January 2010
Bonnie took a deep breath in and out to calm her jitters. She got used to being in a crowded area but tonight at this frat party at Whitmore college, she was feeling claustrophobic. Derek said it would be good for her to keep getting used to locations that may be vampire-filled. Especially during coven missions, where they were caught off guard and couldn't control the number of vampires wherever Bonnie went. Thankfully there weren't many vampires tonight, just a couple here and there but enough for her nightly feed.
Earlier this morning Gabriel got a call from Whitmore's occult assistant teacher that stumbled upon some her Gram's stuff while cleaning up the office for the new Occult teacher. Information about the moonstone, which had nothing to do with the course which was why the TA had called her uncle to pick up the filed documents. Gabriel and Rosario were going to go, but Derek volunteered for him and Bonnie to also try and get her to feed on vampires at a frat party he was sure that vampires would attend.
Bonnie was unsure about being in a crowded room trying to feed with humans around, but Gabriel thought it might be good for Bonnie to work on her self-control when feeding and to practice stealth when being around humans.
So here she was in the midst of drunken college students, loud music blasting loud enough in her ears that would've made her have a splintering headache. Thank god she mastered tuning her senses.
"Are you ready to go?" Derek asks standing beside her.
"Please," she said as they left the party making their way across the campus to the occult studies office at a vampire speed.
"The downside of heightened hearing is that the music sounds like a mosh pit concert in your head," Bonnie said wincing causing to Derek to laugh at her accurate description as they walked into the lightened building.
"Didn't the TA say he would meet you here?" Derek asked to see no one by the reception desk.
"Yeah," Bonnie said suspiciously looking around the foyer.
"Bonnie!" Derek exclaimed rushing to end of the reception desk.
Following behind Bonnie sees Derek crouching over a passed out man "Is he okay?" she asks immediately.
The stranger winced "Yeah, he's fine" Derek said watching the man open his eyes.
Derek stands up while Bonnie stepped back watching the twenty-four-year-old looking, brown-bearded man sit up. His white hand rubbing the back of his neck muttering "What the hell?" as he looks up to see Bonnie and Derek staring down at him.
"Uh hi?" he says to the unknown individuals.
Bonnie and Derek look to each other briefly then at him. Derek and Bonnie hold out their hand for him to grab, onto and both helping stand up. Before the man could get his bearings, he was pushed against the wall and looking down to the tiny girl with a firm grip around his throat.
Her eyes bright red "Who the hell are you?" she questioned the vampire.
"I'm Jos-" he grabs her wrist twisting it and flips them over to have her against the wall "Don't even think of attacking," he says warningly to Derek "I will rip her heart out before you get to me."
He groans when he is kicked in the stomach then tackled to the ground causing Derek to step back to give them some room. He screams when Bonnie angrily rams her untwisted hand through his chest and clutch his heart.
"Next time break both wrists," she says she squeezes his heart causing his him to groan in pain "Now, who the hell are you?"
"Joshua" he sputters out.
Bonnie releases her hold on his heart in confusion "The TA?"
"Yeah," he winces and gets a better look at the girl straddling him.
Her face looked familiar, "Bon...Bonnie?" he says remembering the photo Sheila had sitting on her desk.
"Shit" she mutters taking her hand out of his chest "Sorry" shaking off the blood.
Licking Joshua's blood off from her wrist she feels her left twisted wrist healing.
Biting into the cleaned part her wrist, she moves her bleeding wrist over his mouth "To heal" she says motioning to the hole in his chest.
He nods as Bonnie places her wrist over his mouth causing her take a deep breath in and out from the suction she felt when vampires drank from her. The man grabs onto her wrist taken by surprise of the taste of her blood. Never in his years had he had this type of blood before. A witch's blood yet sweeter. What was she?
"Okay that's enough" she whispers but loud enough for him to hear.
He lets go of her wrist. Bonnie looks down to see his healed chest through the hole in his shirt. She stands up with the help of Derek, and again they both help Joshua stand up.
"Sorry about that" Bonnie says "I wasn't expecting my Gram's TA to be-"
"A vampire," he says knowingly and still amazed at his accelerated healing from Bonnie's blood.
"It's okay. Your Grams knew-" he pauses in remembering how he was knocked out "They're in Sheila's office" he exclaims speeding away.
"Huh?" Bonnie and Derek said before speeding off in the direction of Sheila Bennett's office.
Derek and Bonnie stand behind Joshua to see three individuals making a mess in the room.
"Why are you here, Chiara?!" Joshua yelled out.
His vampire face appears as he angrily steps towards the door only to bump into an invisible barrier.
The short light brown skinned woman in the office giggled from behind Sheila's desk "Sorry no entry vampire" and continues to rummage through the desk drawer. The tall male witch was by the bookshelves on the right end of the room. His dark brown hands raised magically searching through the books. A fair-skinned witch that looked to be younger than Chiara tossed her red hair back as she searched through the pile of folders.
Bonnie chuckled looking to Joshua "I got this."
Joshua's vampire face disappears as he steps back allowing Bonnie to stand in front of him.
"Three witches," Bonnie thinks sensing their powers. She zeroes her attention on the woman behind her Gram's desk "The leader" she looks to the witches on either side of the room "the minions."
"Sweetheart, I said no entry for vampires," Chiara said walking around the desk walking towards Bonnie "But please go ahead," she said challengingly.
Bonnie placed her hand on the barrier "No vampires" her demon face appears causing Chiara's eyes to widen in fear.
"Sadly I'm not a vampire" finishes Bonnie and speeds into the room. She twists the neck of the red-haired witch before moving to the tall male witch she kicks him in the stomach causing him to lean forward. Giving her the reach to twist his neck. She speeds to stand by the entrance door.
"Witch demon" Chiara states looking to the now dead witches.
Joshua raises his hand to place it on the invisible barrier only to fall through allowing entry for Joshua and Derek.
Bonnie chuckles looking back to Joshua and Derek now standing behind her then to Chiara "Really, you got one of these two" she motions to the dead witches "to do the barrier spell. Not a good idea."
"You weren't supposed to be here!" she yells out.
Bonnie looks taken back from her words "Uh but I am here. I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be here."
She moves to attack Chiara but is suddenly frozen.
"What the hell?" Bonnie thinks seeing Chiara's eyes turn black. Black veins creep along her neck. Still staring at Bonnie, she raises her hand and sends Joshua and Derek flying on either side of the room.
Walking to Bonnie, she stands eye-leveled with her "This moonstone is none of your concern."
Bonnie shrugs her shoulders "See you going through my Gram's stuff makes it my concern."
"How about you give me the information, and I won't kill you all."
"How about I don't give you the information and just kill you" Bonnie compromised with a smile.
Derek and Joshua both moved in to attack but were brought down to their knees. Both of their hands holding their heads as they screamed in pain from an aneurysm inflicted on them.
Bonnie bared her fangs at Chiara, their painful screams making her angrier.
"Let…me…go!" Bonnie cried out and broke out of Chiara's hold. The witch panicked and before Bonnie could reach her she disappeared. Bonnie placed her hands on the desk gripping it tightly.
"Bonnie?" Derek weakly said seeing her breathe slowly in and out.
"I'm…okay" she said in between breaths trying to calm herself.
"Are you sure?" Joshua asks approaching but stops when Bonnie holds her hands up "Stay away from me…please."
She closes her eyes taking deep breaths in and out she feels her power simmer down and put to rest. A blanket over her powers. She opens her eyes once calm and turns around to see the observant Joshua staring at her.
"Are you okay?" Derek asks approaching her.
Bonnie nods slowly.
Derek smiles at her "You're getting better at controlling your demon side."
"Demon?" Joshua question.
Bonnie glares at Derek who just puts his hands up in defense mouthing "My bad."
Rolling her eyes, she stands up straighter putting out her hand "Hi, my name is Bonnie Bennett. Granddaughter of Sheila Bennett"
Joshua accepts her handshake "Joshua Carter. I was the TA for your Grams."
Derek watches the two hold hands for a lot longer than they were supposed to as they stared at each other. Joshua was staring for curiosity while Bonnie may have been staring at his throat for his blood.
Clearing his throat he gets their attention and sticks out his hand to Joshua "My name is Derek Connor."
Joshua lets go of Bonnie's hand and shake Derek's hand in greeting then lets go.
"So how did you know the witch's name?" she asks about the with that just disappeared.
"Chiara? It helped that she introduced herself before snapping my neck, but truthfully I don't know her. I only know of her reputation. She's a well-known witch that works with Domenic Maestri."
"Domenic Maestri?" Bonnie said confused.
"Domenic Maestri, a dangerous vampire" Derek explains.
"How dangerous?" she asked intrigued.
Derek rolled his blue eyes at Bonnie's piqued interest "Dangerous enough that nobody knows what he looks like and even if they did, it was because he wanted them to know what he looked like before they died."
Bonnie takes a seat on the edge of the desk "Okay, how long has he been around for no one to know how he looks like?" she states in disbelief.
Derek looks to Joshua who shrugs his shoulders saying "Rumor has it he has been around for 200-300 years give or take, but everyone knows enough to fear him. There are rumors that he has a twin brother, but nobody has yet confirmed that."
Derek takes over further explaining, "Domenic is the business man hosting private parties for vampires. When there is a threat against his business or even himself, the word is that it's his twin brother that takes the lead in all the killings. He's the monstrous type of vampire. Then again all rumors. When Chiara is hurt, that is when Domenic should be feared."
"So Chiara is his girl?"
Derek nods "Yep and every vampire that has ever crossed path with Domenic knows it. I didn't know how she looked like until tonight."
Bonnie eyes follow Joshua's movement walking around the desk.
Opening up the first drawer he speaks his mind "What I don't get is why they would need information on the moonstone-" he reaches for the envelope taped to the top of the drawer "-if they have Chiara. She's powerful enough to create a daylight ring for him. I would think he'd have one."
He pulls out the A4 envelope and hands it to Bonnie "It never really bothered me" he said waving his hand to show off his silver daylight ring.
"Thanks" she mutters.
"Not going to open it?"
Bonnie shakes her head "My Grams trusted you enough so I will too. Besides, if you lied, I'll have to come back and hurt you."
Joshua chuckled then say sincerely "I'm sorry for your loss. Sheila was an amazing woman and witch. I mean she gave me a job without me having to compel someone."
Bonnie smiled a small smile "Grams always knew who were the good ones" she looks to the two dead witches "We better bury them" she says to Derek.
"I know where" Joshua said.
Domenic Maestri. In his mid-30's but was indeed a 500-year-old vampire. In his dim-lit office, papers were laid out on his desk. His sturdy brown eyes skim over the words on the pages of the latest information collected on possible locations of the moonstone.
Crash!
He lifts his head up from where he is, letting his ears pick up on the commotion downstairs. He hears Chiara screaming angrily. It seems like it didn't go well tonight. Gathering the papers he places them back in the manila folder, already hearing her angry footsteps making her way towards his office. Hopefully, she didn't destroy all the drinks at the bar downstairs. The door bursts open and in walks in his 5ft 2' very pissed off witch girlfriend.
Domenic watches Chiara begin pacing left to right in front of him. It seemed she didn't even know where to start.
"I see it didn't go as plan" his deep Italian accent seep through his words.
She paused in her pacing and glares at him "That…witch demon!" she exclaims angrily causing a fire to ignite in his fireplace.
"Klaus said I would only be facing two witches and two vampires. Not two vampires and the witch demon!"
Domenic stands up speeding around the desk to her.
Cupping her cheek, he asks calmly "The hybrid didn't hurt you?"
"Besides her ego" Chiara rolls her eyes to the male Italian-accented voice that entered the room.
She hears him walking into the room taking a seat on the edge of the couch in the office to get a view of Domenic and Chiara standing by the desk.
"Awww did the big bad witch demon hurt the little witch" he teases.
Shut up, Sebastian" Chiara snapped at the younger twin of Domenic. Identical twins. Besides personality difference, Sebastian had a scar across his right cheek ending at the top corner of his lip. An injury Sebastian received centuries ago from a witch. It seemed the witch cursed never to heal no matter how much human blood he drank. It never bothered Sebastian if anything the witch earned his respect.
Sebastian laughed manically at the witch's response falling back onto the couch.
"Now I want to meet this hybrid," he says between his deep laughs.
"I don't think she would let you live long enough if you met her" Chiara quips at him before wrapping her arms around Domenic's waist. Chiara leans her head against his chest; his presence was calming her down.
Sebastian sits up immediately intrigued "She?" he says "The witch demon that has every vampire shaking in their boots is a she" he laughs only to begin coughing from the sudden suffocation.
"Do you think a woman can't be powerful?" Chiara questioned still leaning against Domenic's chest, while one hand is raised magically choking Sebastian.
"Easy" Domenic whispers kissing the top of her head.
She releases her hold and in a blink of an eye she is standing behind Domenic to stop the angry Sebastian from attacking her "Easy brother" he says.
"Tell that to your pixie girl. I will kill her."
"I think she's made her point of being powerful enough to handle herself," Domenic states chuckling at how accustomed he had become to this banter between Chiara and Sebastian.
"Walk away," Domenic says with a smile.
The smile falls when he calmly repeats himself "Sebastian, walk away." Sebastian's eyes flicker to his older twin.
Out of the two many would say Sebastian was the more unstable, sadistic vampire and he is, but what people failed to remember it's the quiet vampire that is more dangerous. That is exactly the type of monster he was. While he reveled in the blood, the screaming, the crying, the pain of those he inflicted his torture. Domenic knew where to hurt an individual. Not only physically but mentally. That's why he would always say his brother was scariest between the two, and it was why he was searching high and low for this moonstone because that's precisely the type of person Klaus was.
Sebastian raises his hand up in surrender and steps back, taking a seat back on the couch.
"Do you happen to know the name of this hybrid?" Domenic asks turning around to face Chiara.
"No I didn't have the time for intro-" she pauses remembering Bonnie's words "Bennett. She said that Sheila Bennett was her grandma."
Domenic chuckled at the irony "A Bennett hybrid" looking behind to see Sebastian instinctively run his finger along his scar.
Sebastian chuckles lowly of the irony that he would have to cross path again with a Bennett witch.
Looking to Domenic, he repeats his brother's word "A Bennett hybrid."
In the middle of the woods, away from Whitmore College, three individuals spent most of the night burying the bodies of the witches. During their time, Bonnie and Derek learned more about Joshua Carter. A 105-year-old vampire. After being around witches so long, he decided to study Occult. From there he met Sheila who took him under his wing which soon led him to become her TA. Joshua too learned about Bonnie and Derek. Almost losing his shit when Bonnie confirmed the assassin coven was real then found a new understanding of Sheila's protective nature of Bonnie when he knew she was the one spoken of in the Prophecy. Bonnie was surprised the vampire knew of it and thought her Grams had told him. He shook his head and explained he had heard whispers of it in the early year of 1992 from a coven in Ireland. The witches were making sacrifices for saying it was the beginning of the end that would soon fall into the end of the beginning. Joshua never got all that babble but had got the gist of the Prophecy from their ranting.
Bonnie wipes away the sweat from her forehead and tiredly open the car door parked just outside of the woods. She stops when she hears Joshua call her name.
She turns to see him holding the three shovels "Will I see you again?" he asks her.
Bonnie breaks out into a smile "If you happen to find any more of my Grams things."
Joshua smiles back equally "I'll search that office thoroughly."
She bites her bottom lip smiling to his words and gets into the car.
Derek rolls his eyes to their interaction and starts the car. Bonnie waves goodbye.
He chuckles with a smile "What a night" he says watching the back of the jeep.
Sunday, 17th January 2010
Bonnie moved her head away from the knife coming towards her and grabbed Marcus's arm. With a turn of her body, she ducked under his arm and tightened her grip around his wrist causing the boy to yell in pain and let go of the short army knife. With her vampire strength and speed, she kicked the knife away and flipped Marcus over. His back against the training mat, Marcus's eyes widened at the sight of Bonnie sitting on top of him with a knife to his throat
"Dead," she said cheekily motioning the fake knife across his neck.
"Cheater," he said back.
"You said no magic" she shrugs saying "I just found the loophole."
He rolled his eyes "That includes your vampire abilities. You know that."
"I can't help it," she said with a pout, but he could see the playfulness in her eyes.
Marcus laughed "Bon, I've trained with you for almost two weeks, and I know for certain you can control those abilities."
About to defend herself her phone rang "Oh Matt" she said in recognition of the appointed ring tone for him.
Dropping the knife aside she quickly got off Marcus and rushed to her phone left on the bench "Hey Matt" she said answering the call.
"Matt?" Bonnie repeated when she got no response.
Marcus sat up and frowned when he heard Bonnie repeat Matt's name.
She sighs in relief when Matt finally speaks "Vicki's dead."
Marcus now begins to stand up worried by Bonnie's expression as she takes a seat on the bench "What? How?" she asks in a shaky tone.
Matt chuckles sadly asking in desperation "Please tell me you didn't know? About her death. About…" he pauses in disbelief of the next word to come out of his mouth "About vampires possibly causing her death."
Bonnie feels breathing shortening and the tears welling up "Matt-" she starts but stops when she hears him yell
"I would have never expected you to hide this-"
She cuts him off "Matt! I didn't know about Vicki's death! I swear!"
"So you knew about vampires in this town?"
"Would you have believed me if I told you" she blurts out truthfully.
Matt stays quiet allowing her to continue talking to him "What happened to her, Matt? You told me she skipped town."
She hears the frustration in his voice "I don't know! That's what I thought happened. That night, Vicki was acting weird like she always does when she's on drugs and just decided to leave, but all this time she was dead in the woods! You know what the worse, part is? Elena knew."
"What?"
"She knew what happened to my sister, but she left me to believe in the worse of Vicki."
Bonnie shook her head in disbelief of what Matt told her, yet no words of comfort to ease Matt's pain could come to mind except "I'm sorry" she says tears welling up in her eyes. She may not have been friends with Vicki, but she was Matt's sister and hearing the pain in his voice stuck at her. The pain of loss. She closes her eyes. She didn't want him to know about the supernatural world, especially not like this.
"I have to go," he says quickly "I just wanted to know."
"Matt wait-" she was only met with the sound of a dial tone.
She bites her bottom lip, shutting her eyes, willing herself to not cry. Marcus hurries to her side and wraps his arms around her.
She let out a sigh of relief and turned her body to let the tears fall on his shirt.
"Shh it's okay," he said running his hand up and down her back.
She shook her head mumbling into his slightly sweaty vest "No it's not."
Moving back he placed his hand under her chin and raised it for her to look at him "What happened?" he asked
Sniffling she said, "I hid the truth about vampires from Matt, and now he knows."
"How?"
"His sis...his sister didn't leave town. Vicki is dead..." she stops only to feel herself tear up. The news of how Vicki's death was finally hitting her.
Marcus placed both hands on either side of her face and with his thumb wiped away her tears "Just like us, he's hurting right now. Give him time."
She nodded.
"Bonnie-"
"I know" she started and began to tear up again causing Marcus's heart to ache for her.
Pulling her into a hug, he kisses the top of her head "Just make sure he knows you're there for him. He's going to be okay."
"Elena knew" she mumbles pulling back she looks up to him repeating "Elena knew."
Marcus looks down surprised "She knew that Vicki was dead. You don't think the Salvatore brothers played a part in her death?" he questions.
"I don't know. I don't think Matt even knows they are vampires. I don't even know how Matt knows that a vampire killed Vicki."
"What happened?" Rosario voices out surprising the two as they separated
"Bonnie," Rosario says walking towards her "What's wrong honey?"
"Matt called. A vampire killed Vicki."
"Oh no," Rosario says in shock opening her arms for Bonnie to go to for comfort.
Bonnie lays her head on her aunt's shoulder, "He knows about vampires now, and I don't even know who would have even told him about them?" she sniffles "I didn't want him to find out about our world. Not like this."
Rosario runs her hand over Bonnie's head smoothing her hair "He knows now. You can't take that back. Let him know you're there and he'll talk when he is ready. It's going to be okay, sweetie."
Monday, 18th January 2010
Late evening deep underground, below the training room was the assassin's coven room that had been there the moment the Bennett line moved to Light Haven. For generations, this underground room has paid homage to all the ceremonies. A welcoming ceremony, initiation ceremony and a funeral. At first sight, you would think you've stepped into a cave. The coven room reminded Bonnie of the Mystic Falls tomb, especially with the flickering flame torches placed on each wall.
With a shaky breath, Bonnie approaches the stone table where five weapons laid. The five weapons she had been training with these past weeks. A set of Kunai daggers, a bow, and arrow garrote and lastly the curved sabre she had her eyes on from the moment she stepped into the underground meeting room.
The flame flickers on either side of the table as she before the table.
"Are you sure you're ready to pick a weapon?" Gabriel asked
Bonnie nods and grasps her hand around the black handled curved sabre and pulled it out of its scabbard. With the circulation of her wrist, she watched the sword move through the air with her movement.
Putting the sword back in its scabbard, she looks to her uncle.
"I knew the moment I first picked up this sword this was my choice" she paused to explain the incomplete feeling "It's not exactly the weapon I need for now, but for now it eases my want" she looks back down to the scabbard.
"Ease your want?" repeated Gabriel confused by his niece's words.
Bonnie looked to her uncle chuckling "I'm making no sense, am I? Sorry. I've fought with all the other weapons but when I fight with this sword I" she stops to correct herself "no Adara feels settled like there's some familiarity. My body is attuned to it as if I've fought with such a weapon. This sword seems like a replacement for now."
"Interesting" Gabriel muttered to Bonnie's words.
"What?"
"Perhaps the demon slayer was in the form of a sword."
"Maybe" she mutters looking to the scabbard as the vision of the massive katana Adara held flashed into her mind.
"Yeah" she mutters.
"The sabre is your final choice?" Gabriel asks shaking her out of her thoughts.
"Yes, sir" she states.
Gabriel grabs the scabbard and tells her "Hold out your hands."
Following his orders, she holds out her hands turning with her palms facing upwards.
Gabriel lays the sword across her open palms and recites the words that had been spoken for generations "May the spirit of this chosen weapon fight with you, for you, guide you and protect you."
Bonnie with a bows her head and closes her hand around the scabbard. She turns around to the sound of applause from the other coven members. Her family.
Gabriel finishes the night off "From now till your death, Bonnie Bennett will live accordingly to our coven's legacy. Tonight we welcome you, witch hybrid, assassin into our coven."