FOOL ME ONCE.
Leya had woken up the next morning to incessant knocking on her front door, she glared at the clock on her bedside table which read 6:00 AM and rolled over with groan to her side. Maybe if she ignored them long enough they would give up.
They didn't, If anything the knocking grew louder. With an agitated huff Leya angrily ripped her covers off and stomped loudly and irately all the way to the front door, to practically rip it off its hinges.
"What?" She hissed angrily to Stefan who stood on the other side. Her eyes widened slightly when she realized she did actually hiss slightly towards the end, but tried to play it off as if it was completely normal for someone to hiss like a snake.
Stefan looked at her strangely but continued on as the urgency of the situation took hold of his mind.
"Anna took Elena."
"Wait, what?" Leya asked wide eyed.
"Elena's gone, I've been looking all night for her but I couldn't find her." Stefan stressed pacing back and forth on Leya's front porch. "The only person I can't think of who would know where she is, is Damon."
"Ok, pause for a minute. Come inside, cool down and start with a clear head while I get ready, then we can go and ask Damon, ok?" Leya stated as calmly as she could.
Stefan nodded his head and Leya lead him in to the living room where he resumed his pacing. Leya looked at him slightly worried, but knew most definitely knew what he was feeling at the moment. So she quickly dashed upstairs to get ready as fast as she could.
When she returned Stefan had gotten worse, only this time he was just sitting on the couch staring blankly at the wall; Leya much preferred the pacing.
When they had reached the boarding house, before she was even able to stop the car Stefan raced in vampire speed, making Leya roll her eyes and walk in at a human pace. Honestly, she was beginning to hate how fast vampires could move.
By the time she reached the brothers Stefan was pleading his case.
"Please. What do you know? You were with Anna; you must know where she's living. Just tell me where I can find her."
Damon remained silent for a few seconds as Leya slowly walked down the stairs.
"Nope." He replied, his eyes flicking to Leya "You can both go, really."
"You know, all I can remember is hating you. There might have been a time when that was different, but your choices have erased anything good about you." Stefan began capturing Damon's as wells as Leya's attention. "But see, I also know that you have just as much reason to hate me. This all began with me. Katherine got taken away from you because of me, and I'm sorry." Stefan ended sincerely.
"Apology accepted."
"So please, just tell me what you know. It's Elena, Damon if you know something tell me." Stefan pleaded.
Damon stood, Stefan following in pursuit. "I mean this sincerely…. I hope Elena dies."
He brushed past Stefan smirking at Leya as he left. He didn't need any of them, he already had the Grimoire all he needed was a Witch, and Damon knew exactly where to find one.
Leya's lips curled into a scowl and she turned to follow Damon to… well she doesn't exactly know what she'd do but it would be infinitely painful for him. How could he say that about Elena?
"Don't." Stefan said, halting her in her place. "You'll only anger him, I don't want you to get hurt."
"What are we gonna, Stefan? How do we find her now?" Leya asked, worried for Elena. She was her first friend in Mystic Falls, she didn't want to let that go anytime soon.
"Don't worry; I think I know someone who can help." Stefan said just as is phone rang. Leya turned away frustrated, why were things so complicated.
"Elena? Are you ok?" Stefan asked worriedly, Leya turned sharply to stare at him as he talked unfortunately she could only hear one side of the conversation.
Leya didn't even realize Damon had joined them until Stefan ended the conversation – which was obviously not with Elena – to turn and stare pleadingly at Damon.
"Go ahead, grovel again. Oh wait! No, I don't care." Damon said smiling sarcastically as he left, already in on the conversation that just happened.
"What happened? Stefan?"
"It was Anna, she wants to meet. She has Bonnie and she wants the Grimoire."
"You said you knew someone who could help, who?" Leya asked desperate now that Bonnie was involved.
"Come on, we don't have much time if we're gonna do this we need to do it quickly." Stefan said rushing to the door.
"Wait, Stefan! You didn't answer my question." Leya yelled running after him.
Leya's eyes constantly roamed the house as they walked up the steps of the porch. A Witch lived in there. She didn't know how she knew, but she could just feel it.
Leya watched warily as Stefan knocked hastily on the door. A caramel skinned woman in her early sixties opened the door, bearing a strong resemblance to a particular Witch she knew.
"Stefan, what's going on? Your brother just came here lookin' for Bonnie but I turned him away." She said her voice shaking slightly.
"Another vampire took Bonnie and Elena, I need your help, please." Stefan rushed.
"Of course." She replied opening the door wider, that's when she spotted Leya. "Who's this?"
"This is Leya, she's Bonnie and Elena's friend."
Leya didn't miss the way her eyes flicked towards her scar. She had seen that action more times and she could count. Leya realized that unlike her granddaughter, she knew.
"Please, come in."
Leya smiled delicately hesitantly following behind Stefan as he walked inside first.
"I'll do a location spell, it shouldn't take long." Sheila explained as she rummaged through her things getting everything set up.
Sheila tried as best as she could to avoid Cattleya Potter, she knew all about her of course and not just from Bonnie's observations. Witches talk, especially about the other kind, the two kinds of Witches didn't like to interact that much since their sources of magic came from two different places.
Sorcerers and Priestesses, Sheila's kind usually lived in the western world while England and all of Europe was strictly the Wand-Wielder's territory. But Sheila shouldn't worry about that now, Bonnie and Elena's safety took top priority.
Leya watched as the elder Bennett Witch started to chant over a map of Mystic Falls, drops of crimson blood dripping from her hand onto the map. Slowly but surely the blood started to move, finally stopping at a motel close to the center of town.
"Thank you." Stefan whispered, already walking out the door. "Stay here, Leya, you'll be safer here."
"Wait, Stefan, I can help." Leya started after him, but he was already in the car speeding off to where Elena was. Slowly Leya let out a breath and turned around to face the elderly Bennett, who stood with her arms crossed.
"My name is Sheila."
"Cattleya."
"I know who you are." Sheila replied eyeing her up and down. "Why are you here is the question I'm asking."
"I – I had some trouble in England, but everything's fine now." Leya explained vaguely as she walked around cautiously observing the pictures on display. Most were of Bonnie as a child, they made her smile.
"So… all that stuff with that Dark Wizard is over?"
"Yes."
"Do they know? That you're a Witch?" Sheila asked referring to Stefan, Elena and Damon (Bonnie excluded because Sheila knew the minuet she would've found out she'd come running to her).
"No, I'm meant to 'lay low' stay out of the limelight and all that stuff, but I never knew Mystic Falls would be an attraction for the supernatural." Leya explained, a strange feeling of relief lifting from her chest as she talked.
"I know what you mean." Sheila replied with a chuckle as she walked to the kitchen to start some coffee, Leya following in her wake.
"Maybe it's time you tell them." Sheila started. "I'm sure it's taking a toll bottling it all up like that, I know I would've snapped at some point."
"Your hand." Leya said softly but so suddenly that Sheila turned around surprised.
"What?"
"Your hand, it's still bleeding." Leya elaborated, pointing to her hand. "Would you like for me to heal it?"
Sheila was about to decline, but she was curious. She had heard all about the Wand-Wielders of course it was something her mother taught her, and her mother before that, a generation thing. The Bennett's were one of the few witching families who knew, all the others didn't, or simply passed it off as a myth, even though they should know better than to pass anything off as a myth.
So she held out her hand, dried blood caked around the wound, she winced slightly as it pulled the skin when Leya grabbed her hand. Then she did the strangest thing, she pulled out what looked to be a stick, it only took Sheila a few seconds to realize that it was her wand.
Leya pointed her wand at the gash on the elder Bennett's hand and muttered a low. "Episkey."
Sheila could feel her skin mend together it was so strange, it looked almost like a vampire healing themselves. Leya pointed her wand yet again at her hand and Sheila heard her mutter another word. "Tergeo."All the blood was gone, as if it just vanished.
Leya smiled amusedly at Sheila's wide eyed astonishment at the little magic she just performed. It had been a while since she saw someone with that expression.
They both turned as the front door slammed Bonnie's voice ringing through the house. "Grams!"
Leya ran after Sheila, her heart clenching uncomfortably as she watched them hug, Sheila comforting her granddaughter.
"Leya." She heard and saw Elena walk towards her and hugged her. Leya smiled over Elena's shoulder at Stefan, it seemed like forever since the last time someone hugged her.
"How did you know where we were?" Bonnie asked as Leya placed the cups of coffee in front of them. Her own cup – albeit it was tea – was in her hands.
"Many things can fuel a witches power, worry, anger... After Stefan told me that they had taken you I had a lot of both. Simple locator spell was easy after that."
"I'm sorry. About all of this." Bonnie said softly.
"Not as sorry as they're gonna be." Sheila answered her, smirking.
"So what do we do now?" Elena asked entering the room with Stefan.
"Well for now you stay here." Stefan said giving everyone a serious look.
"A prisoner? In my own home?" Sheila asked amused. "I don't think so."
"I can't protect you if you leave the house." Stefan admitted.
"We'll protect ourselves."
"We need to let Damon have Katherine back." Elena stated. "He's not gonna stop until he gets her, if we help him maybe that end's it."
"No." Leya spoke up. "He doesn't deserve to get what he wants."
"What other choice do we have?" Elena asked knowing there wasn't another answer.
"Witches being pulled down by vampire problems. As much as we try to stay out of it..." Sheila said, looking from her granddaughter to Leya. "I'll open the tomb. You get your brother's girl and destroy the rest with fire. Then this will be all over."
"We still have to get Damon to agree."
"He already agreed once." Elena pointed out.
"Yeah, and then we double crossed him." Stefan retorted. "So now he's angry."
"He hurt there's a difference." Elena and Stefan silently stared at each other. "I think I know what I have to do."
"Before you go…" Sheila interrupted. "I think you should both know that the spell you asking me to do is a hard one."
"I help, Grams it'll be ok." Bonnie said.
"No, sweetheart this spells gonna need more than just the two of us."
"Well, what do we do now? Damon's not gonna stop." Elena asked eyebrows furrowed.
Sheila said nothing; instead her gaze lifted from the table and met the brightest green eyes she had ever seen.
"No." Leya whispered, but with the silence it seemed to echo.
"I don't understand." Said Stefan walking closer sensing something was happening.
"Grams?" Bonnie questioned looking from Sheila to Leya.
"Look, I'm not exactly as normal as you think I am…" Leya forced out as she turned to face her newest friends, all them stared at her intently confusion clear in their eyes. "I'm – I suppose – well, I'm a Witch."
It was silent, completely and utterly silent. Leya didn't really know what to expect, she had never needed to tell anyone she was a witch, but she did picture a reaction. Stefan would blurt out a loud 'WHAT?', Elena would look at her confused and Bonnie would laugh in denial.
It took all of thirty seconds for her prediction to come true, it happened right down to every little detail Leya imagined that she thought she was somehow channeling Professor Trelawney.
"What do you mean you're a Witch?" Stefan questioned as he paced after moments of silence.
"All this time, I knew there was something different about you" Bonnie muttered to herself.
"How can you be a Witch, Leya?" Elena asked confused and stressed.
"Everybody just calm down." Leya said loudly stressed with all the questions they were asking, once she herself calmed and everyone was quiet she continued. "I'm not the kind of Witch you're thinking of right now. I'm not like you Bonnie; I'm a different kind of Witch."
"What do you mean?" Stefan asked. "I've been alive for a hundred and sixty-two years and I've only come across one type of Witch."
"That's because my kind like to stay secret. People call us - I mean the other Witches call us Wand-Wielders." Leya explained, bringing out the 'stick' Stefan saw the other night. "This is my wand; it's how I can channel my magic."
"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.
"Our kind…" Sheila spoke making Bonnie look at her in surprise. "Channel the earth for magic, but the Wand-Wielders have magic inside of them, and they need a wand to do their spells."
"How can you have magic inside you?" Elena asked her gaze flicking from Sheila to Leya enraptured.
"Each Wizarding child in my world is born with magic, some stronger than others. Sometimes a child from a Muggle family might end up a Witch or Wizard; no one really knows how you come to have magic in you." Explained Leya.
"Muggle?" Bonnie asked.
"Non-magic folk."
"Why do you stay secret?" Stefan asked.
"Well it's obvious, isn't it? Muggles fear what they don't know, and just like with every species out there, there are good and bad people. We don't want to be used."
It was quiet for a moment after Leya spoke; she assumed they were processing the little she's told them about her world.
"We're wasting time." Sheila said speaking up. "Elena, dear why don't you go tell Damon we'll do the spell, Stefan we have to get the place ready as well as the materials to kill the rest of them. Leya, why don't you meet us later, you know where it is right?"
Leya nodded her head and they all went their separate ways to get ready for tonight.
Leya sighed angrily as she weaved through all the party goers walking in the direction of the tomb; she wanted to scream at them all to leave. What if something went wrong and the vampires got out, there would be more than enough people for them to munch on, and after a hundred and something years without blood Leya would bet they were starving.
She was anxious, it felt like her stomach was about to splay the lunch she had all over the earth as she walked closer and closer to the tomb. She didn't know how the bloody hell she was supposed to help with the spell but Sheila was adamant that they couldn't do it without her.
So when she arrived to see the two Bennett witches Bonnie gave her a small encouraging smile knowing how she felt.
Earlier, before Leya had left she talked to Bonnie privately to convey on why she had to keep her supernatural background a secret. Bonnie understood, of course she did being a witch herself she could understand not wanting to be used like they were being used now.
But Leya still had no idea how Elena or Stefan felt, she desperately needed to talk to them both.
"Cleared the debris away, set the torches like you asked, we can go down now." Stefan said as he walked up from underground where a Church used to stand, where the tomb was.
"What is that?" Bonnie questioned as Stefan placed the shovel down.
"It's everything I need to destroy them."
"Are you sure Damon will come back with her?" Sheila asked, and just as the words left her mouth there was a short whistle behind them.
It was Damon dragging Elena behind him. "Brother, witches… Leya." Damon greeted, immediately walking to the tomb.
"Everything ok?" Stefan asked as Elena approached them.
"I just wanna get this over with. Are we ready?" Elena asked.
"Yes." Leya replied eyeing the entrance to the tomb.
They walked down and Leya couldn't take her eyes off the door, she could feel them inside she didn't want to let them out but she couldn't leave Bonnie and Sheila on their own to do the spell. So she walked with them into the circle.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Damon asked as he watched Leya join Bonnie and the elder Bennett.
"Helping." Leya replied shortly.
Damon raised an eyebrow as it finally dawned on him. "Well, well, well looks like the cats finally out of the bag."
"Took you long enough." Leya replied softly smirking as his smile fell glaring at her.
"Air, earth, fire…" Sheila listed lighting the torches, amused at the conversation Leya held with the other Salvatore.
"Water." Bonnie finished handing her Grams the water bottle. Everyone watching as she squeezed water out to the front of the door uninterestingly.
"That's it? Water from the tap?" Elena asked from the steps.
"As opposed to what?" Sheila questioned.
"I just figured that maybe it had to be blessed or mystical or something." Elena replied a little uncomfortable with not knowing anything about witchcraft.
Leya chuckled as Sheila smiled, all three witches bending down over the Grimoire to read the spell. It wasn't in any language Leya knew, and it wasn't Latin either like the spells she learned in Hogwarts but strangely enough Leya could read it just fine.
"I don't think I can do this." She whispered lowly to Sheila and Bonnie hearing Stefan, Damon and Elena start their own conversation.
"Yes you can." Sheila said staring so deep into Leya's eyes she felt like she was examining her soul. "You have great power in you, Leya. Unlike us you were born with magic, you can harness it in ways Bonnie and my kind can only dream of. Just let the magic take over, and everything will be fine."
Leya took a shaky breath in.
"You can do it, Leya. I know you can." Bonnie added grabbing her hand with a confident smile. "We're ready." Bonnie announced.
Stefan, Damon and Elena watched with baited breath as they stood in the center of the circle and joined hands.
Leya didn't really know what was happening, as soon as she joined hands with Bonnie and Sheila and closed her eyes it felt as if she disappeared. It was an out of body experience, like she never had before as the words from the spell flowed from her mouth as if she had known them all along.
Leya could faintly hear Bonnie and Sheila chanting the same words she was, suddenly she felt a warm burst of power from inside her and all around her. The torches flared heating up the already warm hallow tomb. She stopped chanting, Leya eyes snapped open to look at the entrance to the tomb as stone shifted open effortlessly.
"It worked." Leya breathed astonished.
"Well of course it worked." Sheila replied.
"Don't you have some fires to build?" Damon asked turning to Stefan.
"I'm gonna go get the gasoline, I'll be right back." Stefan assured Elena as he raced back up.
Leya eyed Damon dangerously along with Sheila and Bonnie. And he looked back just as cautiously.
"You ready?" Damon asked Elena.
"What?"
"Think I'm gonna go in there by myself so you can seal me in?" Damon questioned the witches as he forcefully pulled Elena closer.
"Don't take her in. I'll bring the walls down." Sheila threatened.
"You'll bring the walls in if I don't. You think I trust you?" Damon said lowly.
"As much as we trust you." Leya snapped glaring at him.
"Enough." Elena interrupted. "All of you. Look he needs leverage, he needs to know that you're not gonna shut the door when he gets inside, I get it. I'll go."
And almost mockingly Damon picked up one of the torches uttering a sarcastic "May I" not waiting for a response as he entered the tomb, Elena in tow.
"Hey you're not going in there." Bonnie snapped as a girl walked down the steps. Anna, Leya presumed.
"You think you can stop me?"
"Bonnie." Sheila warned with a slight shake of her head.
Anna cautiously walked forward grabbing the flash light before she raced in.
"Why did you let her go in?" Bonnie demanded.
"Because she isn't coming out, baby. None of them are." Sheila replied just as fiercely.
"What do you mean they're not coming out?" Leya questioned turning from the entrance of the tomb to face the elder Bennett.
As Stefan raced down the steps to the entrance to the tomb he expected to see Elena with the three witches, but she wasn't there. The hallow area only contained Bonnie, Shelia and Leya.
"Where's Elena?" He asked panicked.
"Damon took her inside." Leya replied reluctantly playing with the hem of her top nervously.
"Stefan!" Sheila's voice rang out, her hand catching his arm as he tried to go in. "If you go in there you won't come out."
"What did you do?" Stefan asked his eyes flicking to each witch.
"Opening the door didn't remove the seal, it just opened the door." Sheila replied.
"What's the seal?"
"Some seals keep vampires from entering, this one keeps them from coming out."
"Elena's human, she can leave. Damon and Katherine can't. Damon can't." Stefan deduced. "You were never planning on breaking the spell were you?"
"I told you, I will protect my own. Elena can get out that's all that matters." Was all Sheila said.
Then there was a bloodcurdling scream and Stefan raced in without a second thought.
"Stefan!" Leya yelled running to the doorway but was block by Sheila.
"You can't just leave him in there, Grams." Bonnie said rushing to Leya side.
"He made his choice." Sheila snapped staring down at the two girls.
"No." Leya said as she walked to the circle to pick the Grimoire up. "Just show me what to do, I'll do it."
"We'll both do it." Bonnie said joining Leya's side.
"We are not strong enough." Sheila stressed. "Even if we were able to bring the seal down there's no grantee that we could get it back up again."
"You said it yourself, many things a fuel a witches power." Bonnie countered. "Help us, or we'll do it alone."
They stood around the book when Elena ran out.
"Elena, Stefan-" Bonnie started but Elena cut her off.
"He's right behind me." She turned around, where Stefan lingered in the doorway. "Stefan, what are you doing?" Elena asked walking closer.
"It's gonna be ok, we'll fix it." Leya voiced.
"What is it?"
"I can't." Stefan said.
"Can't – can't what?"
"The spells still up, we can't get them out; yet." Bonnie said finishing quietly.
"You went in there not knowing if you can come back out?" Elena asked Stefan, as he looked down she got her response. "Oh my god."
"I heard you scream." Stefan explained.
"We can't leave him in there, we promised him both of us."
"I know." Stefan nodded.
"Even if we are able to break through the seal, we won't be able to hold it for long." Sheila said, and with that Stefan disappeared back into the tomb.
They stood once more in a circle, holding hands, eyes closed but this time the spell wasn't as easy. Leya didn't feel the same out of body experience as she did with the first spell, this time she had to force the words out of her mouth and struggle to form her lips for the next set of sentences.
She felt the same burst of power she did earlier only this one wasn't warm and soothing, it was searing and painful. Bonnie wavered.
"Bonnie keep going." Sheila encouraged over Leya's laborious chanting.
They rejoined chanting synchronized but seconds later Leya broke off gasping painfully bending over slightly, it was like someone had punched her in the stomach with a red hot iron.
"I can't." She heaved.
"Yes, you can." Sheila encouraged.
And so she re-joined, she didn't want Elena and Stefan to suffer when she could help them. Their chanting came to an end when Stefan, Damon and Elena escaped the tomb. They dropped hands and flames extinguished Leya was exhausted, physically and mentally.
She had never felt exhausted when she used magic, never. But there was something about that magic that took a toll on her and she most definitely didn't want to use it anytime soon.
Leya left with Bonnie and Sheila back to their house. She wanted to know more about their branch of magic and why it had tired her out so easily. But as they entered the kitchen, Sheila used the counter for support. It was only then did she notice how tired she looked, and apparently so did Bonnie.
"Let me help you." Bonnie said rushing to her Grams side.
"I'm fine. You don't need to coddle me, baby." Sheila replied softly with a grin.
"It was a big spell, Grams I could tell it took a lot on you." Bonnie replied just as softly.
"I'll be fine." Sheila murmured as she walked off. Leya and Bonnie shared a concerned look.
Bonnie picked up her Grams tea. She could see that tonight had taken its toll on her Grams no matter how much she denied it, she was worried.
Bonnie made her way up to her Grams room; she walked in, a small smile on her face. "Here you go Grams." She murmured gently as she made her way to her Grams little night stand. She set the mug of tea down.
Her Grams was positioned down the middle of the bed, both her hands over lapping each other as they rested against her chest. Her eyes were closed and she looked peaceful. Maybe a little too peaceful but Bonnie knew her Grams needed rest. Never again would she let her do such powerful magic like she had done tonight.
Bonnie walked over to the bed, she took the blanket that was at the end of her Grams feet and began pulling it up over her Grams so she wouldn't get cold.
As she pulled it up halfway, Bonnie's eyes rested upon her Grams face. It was then that she had realized the stillness of her Grams. The stiffness.
Her heart began thudding in her ears as her eyes averted to her Grams chest – there was no acquainted rise and fall. Bonnie froze.
"Grams." She whispered softly. Still her Grams laid there, unresponsive.
Bonnie's hand shook her gently as her voice became a little more desperate. "Grams."
She sat down on the bed beside her Grams and shook her again, softly. "Grams wake up." Still there was no response from her grandmother.
Bonnie shook her Grams again as she leaned over her older witch. Her face not far from hers. "Grams." Another shake. Another beat of the young witch's heart.
Her eyes began to sting as they brimmed with tears. "Grams." She repeated again. She refused to believe her Grams could be dead. She couldn't be!
As the tears began free falling down her face Bonnie desperately shouted for the only other person there.
"Leya!" Her hands moved up to her Grams face as she clasped each one on either side of her Grams face. Still, she willed her to wake up.
A chain of sobs parted from the young witches lips as Leya ran up the stairs. She ran into the room, only to stop short at the scene before her.
Bonnie's sobs became more frantic. "She's not breathing…" More tears fell.
She shook her Grams again. "Sh – She's not breathing! Please!" She climbed off the bed. "Wake up!" The tears came fast now, as with each tear she could feel a puncture in her heart. Slowly, it was growing, wider and wider into a hole. It hurt. Still she shook her Grams.
Leya grabbed the phone on the dresser and dialed a number. "Yes –I – I need an ambulance to Oak Street." She stuttered as she spoke down the phone. Her hands were shaking, she had seen death far too many times and Bonnie's reaction was bringing all the pain back.
At this time Bonnie had ran to the other end of the room, grabbing her Grams spell book and rushing back to the bed. She placed it onto the bed.
"It's an emergency... Quick." Leya added on to the operator at the end of the phone as Bonnie began carelessly rummaging through the pages, looking for a spell.
Leya put the phone down and walked up to her friend. Bonnie was shaking aggressively at this point as she kept flicking through pages for the right spell. Leya hesitated as she listen to her friends pleas. "No… No... No!"
"Bonnie…" She said softly as she rested a hand on her back.
"I can fix this!" Was all Bonnie kept repeating as she looked up at her Grams. Her sobs were louder and nanoseconds apart by now, she could hardly breathe.
"Bonnie…" Leya repeated gentler as she took her friend into her arms. Bonnie allowed Leya to hold her, her tears blurred her vision of her Grams, who laid there. Gone.
Knowing there was nothing she would do only made her break down even more.
Leya rested her head upon Bonnie's shoulder as she tried to console her. She was shaking so bad now.