Interlude: Collision
Stop the Travellers.
It had come to the point where Luke didn't know how much danger they posed. He'd never seen a Traveller before, never been in a trade-off of spells with them, and yet it didn't stop this irrational fear that he had for them.
Myth said they were the first creators of Immortality. Then they had gone by different names by they had been a lot more powerful then, than they were now. Which was a not something he felt at ease about. People in power liked that power and they were willing to do anything to keep it or get it back; for people that had been able to create true immortality, the things they could do with that power was endless.
He might not know about the Traveller. He might not have known about the true danger they posed. But he could guess, and the hypothetical situations in his mind were all bleak.
Which was why, when Harry's ritual had worked. When he'd used his the compass to find the puppy and pull it from Silas. A plan had formed. But he would need to act on it quickly, that much he was sure about.
"I'll call Meredith," said Alaric, taking out his phone and his fingers moving quickly over his phone. "See what's wrong with him." He moved to another room.
Luke took a quick glance at everyone else, taking stock. Lee was in a panic, pacing at the edges muttering the same question Luke was asking himself at the back of his mind, of all things that he could have summoned why a puppy? He would be easy. Adrian and Tim had gone upstairs, looking over someone Luke thought they considered their leader. Five seconds at most before they came downstairs. The hunters, Galen, Mark and Ezekiel were conversing in whispers, looking at Stanley who stood within the circle and the compass. They would pose something of a problem, though Mark would be easier with his attachment to Stanley. Stefan had gone to talk to Alaric, they too speaking in whispers. A last look at Stanley before he took a breath and prepared his mind.
"Motus," said Luke. The spell was violent, taking Stefan and Alaric off their feet, pushing them outside the room and slamming them into a wall.
"What are you doing?" he heard Stanley ask but he was already capitalising on the confusion. A spell hit Lee, dropping the man to his knees. Luke closed his eyes and said a quick boundary spell. It went up, but not before Alaric had stepped into their room.
Seven shots in total and the man dropped, his expression twisted in pain.
Mark had a gun out and so did Galen and Ezekiel, and all of them looked exceptionally confused.
"Do you mind telling me what's going on?" asked Galen.
Luke turned to Stanley. "This seems like the perfect opportunity don't you think?" he asked. "With everything we have?" Tim and Adrian appeared, smacking against the Boundary along with Stefan.
They looked with confusion at Stefan and after a few quick words were exchanged, the two disappeared upstairs.
"I'm as confused as everyone else at this point," said Stanley.
"Everything," Luke said with an amount of annoyance. "Why we came here in the first place."
Stanley's eyes flashed so briefly at Mark that Luke might have missed it were he not watching for that exact thing. They had talked about this, about the boundaries between assignment and the cause, and Stanley had said he knew them. It would all come to fruition now. The truth would be known. But just in case, he needed to prepare himself in the eventuality that he had to fight someone of his own coven.
"Right," said Stanley, his features sat. "Right. But I'll need you," he said. "Harry's got some enchantment on the compass. No one can use it expect him and Galen."
Luke nodded and looked at who was still on the floor, clutching at his head. He searched his mind and found the spell, with a flourish of the hand Lee's head snapped to the side and he slumped on the floor.
"Anyone care to fill us in?" said Galen with a look that was reflect by Galen and Ezekiel. Mark's own look was something Luke couldn't read, directed at Stanley.
Galen had the knives in conjunction with his gun. Dodgeable, but the moment they hit, he would be out for a few seconds. The rest had guns. He could take care of those.
Galen must have noticed his look because his gun rose. A violent flourish, "Expelliarmus," and three guns left the hands of their owners. "Motus," but Galen and Mark had already jumped to the side. The spell missed them but slammed into Ezekiel. He slammed against a wall with enough force that he slumped, his slow breath the only sign that he wasn't dead.
Mark was trying to hide his hulk of a body behind a small table. "Motus," said Luke and the table was lifted off the floor and slammed into the hunter. A brief look at Stanley and the note he had turned away before he turned towards Connor, a knife spun towards him, not enough time for a shield and it was headed for the heart—it rebounded as it hit a shield. Luke capitalised. Both hands shot out and the force of the spell hit Galen harder than it had Ezekiel, there was a sickly crack as he hit the wall.
"You didn't need to be that violent," said Stanley as he looked at Mark.
"They would have killed us if they knew what we're trying to do," Luke answer without looking at his coven mate. His gaze instead had turned to Alaric. "That shot should have killed him," he said. "Wood to the heart."
"Protection Spell?"
Luke shrugged. "Either way we need to restrain him in case he waked up. What's that spell you said you knew?"
"Petrificus Totalus," said Stanley and Luke repeated. Nothing happened. "Intent," said Stanley. "It's more than just knowing the spell."
Luke nodded and focused. "Petrificus Totalus." It worked. Alaric's body seized, arms coming to his side and legs together, there was a brief flash and the man was immobile. He turned the spell to Lee and the Hunters. "Let's get this started," said Luke. "They might bring that Bennett witch, at which point we'll be in very big trouble."
"Or Harry might wake up," said Stanley with a shaky voice.
If there was one thing Luke didn't understand it was the fear for Harry Potter. It was amazing that the guy had managed to come back from the dead, that he could teleport and that he could turn into a bird, but at the end of the day those abilities didn't exactly do well in a fight, and fighting was something Luke hadn't seen Harry Potter do.
"Yeah, sure," he said. He took out his phone and texted, 'About to get all the doppelgangers. Find mini-van. Mikaelson place.' and then stepped into the circle.
A small spell muttered in tandem and their minds were linked. Luke began a spell to locate the first of the doppelgangers. Without a map it was supposed to be impossible getting a hit on the location, but power trumped impossibility. A flash of the first doppelganger, the nearest one, talking with frustration to his phone. The image was quickly passed to Stanley and the witch managed to pull Stefan into their midst, a quick spell and they had him incapacitated.
They went for the next and they got Elena. Another go and Stefan's doppelganger—Stanley's reaction was surprising, using the power from the circle he sent a spell at the doppelganger. He flew out of the circle and rebounded off the wall, hitting the floor so hard that he caused a dent.
Luke didn't ask, he looked for another doppelganger and found another that looked like Stefan, this one though, was human and he looked confused. He was incapacitated. Another pull and an Elena doppelganger—incapacitated—another pull and a statue of a stone woman appeared in front of them. Both were momentarily stunned, but they still had a task to attend to.
Luke looked and this time came up with nothing.
"I think we're done," said Luke. "Let's pack up."
The phone buzzed from somewhere in the room, but Bonnie couldn't answer it. Every time her attention wavered he could feel the creature that they had summoned become powerful, stretch its power beyond their means.
Anymore of that and they would all be dead, and the balance wouldn't regained.
Bonnie pushed the buzzing to the recesses of her mind.
It was drawing closer.
All of them were on alert as they moved. Every police car they suspected would stop them, every runner was a vampire that had disregarded the masquerade and was chasing them.
"This," said Hazel, her voice rising up a few notches. "Was unplanned, but ultimately good. We get out before they gather their forces. Before the wizard wakes. We'll call your father and have him have a think on this ritual that the wizard performed."
"It was basic," said Luke in explanation. "Circles to magnify, drawn three times over with three rare supernatural species. No cloaking spell except something from a very rare astronomical event can stop that."
"Which means we don't stop," said Hazel. "Keep moving. That ritual isn't mobile, which means we can outrun it."
"Except that the wizard can teleport," said Liv in a bored drone. "Locator spell hits us. He teleports to out location and we're done."
"Between the three of us, we can take him," said Luke. He was confident about this.
"Not if he has that witch with him," said Hazel. She shook her head. "Of course she would dip into the well of forbidden power," she muttered with disgust. "She's an enemy we can't hope to defeat. Especially if we're all not participating in the fight. The Bennetts are not to be trifled with." There was something to that, but Luke didn't ask, keeping a firm grasp on the now.
Luke glanced at Stanley. The boy sat at the back of the van with the doppelgangers, his eyes downcast and lost in thought.
"He'll get over it," said Liv. She grinned as she looked at Luke, and he couldn't help but feel guilty. In a way he had wanted this exact situation, except now, seeing the pain Stanley was under, he regretted wanting it.
Hazel's breath hitched as a figure appeared in the middle of the road. Caroline, and she looked pissed.
Liv and Luke were hit by the same idea. "Modus," they said in unison. They window of the car flew off. Caroline took a massive leap and a second later she landed on the roof of the car. A hand tore through the metal at the back, rending it apart.
Stanley reacted he flicked out his hand and said a spell. Caroline was thrown off the roof.
"Should have sat at the back," Luke muttered as Hazel drove faster. "More space to work."
"What can we do?" Liv asked Hazel, but the woman's attention was sat firmly on the road.
"Nothing," she said. "We stop and more might come."
"I don't think that should be our most pressing problem," said Liv. Luke followed her eyes and saw something he didn't like. Clouds had started forming in the sky, thick and ominous, flashes of lightning breaking out.
"Their witch," Luke said somewhat disbelievingly. "Stanley said that the last time something like that happened it ended up with an island destroyed."
"More reason to get out of here," said Hazel.
"With power like that," said Liv. "I've got the strongest feeling that it isn't unfeasible to expect a barrier spanning the entire town."
The car lurched as they hit a barrier.
All of it happening too fast for Luke to take it all in.
"Plans formed since my death and they're all ruined by the wrong people being in the right place." Markos sighed, looking out to the dozen of his people that were lending him their power. "The doppelgangers have reunited. We need to get to Mystic Falls."
The sky had darken further and an immense amount of pain radiated from Luke's everywhere. Liv sat beside him, her face read with blood and her features scrunched in pain, Luke let out a small breath of relief as he saw her rise and fall. A glance at Hazel and the same could not be said for her.
"Liv," he said and the pain doubled from the small action. "Liv, wake up."
She groaned, but she did wake up. Her hand went to her stomach, blood Luke hadn't noticed. A gash, he guessed, judging from the amount of blood. His mind searched for healing spells, it was stupid to not know them, and he found himself disappointed that he didn't.
"What happened?" Liv asked, her voice shaky.
"I think it was that barrier you were talking about," said Luke. "This is the reason people don't tempt fate, sis."
"Noted," she said feebly.
"We need to get at the back," said Luke. "Hopefully Luke and the doppelgangers are still there. Disgusting as it is, I wouldn't mind some blood right now."
"Not about to complain," said Liv. She moved and winced, but she grit her teeth and pushed the door open. She got out and Luke followed her to the back. A spell and the door popped open.
The collision had been enough to drop blood. The place was a mess of blood—Free Silas—and jumbled limbs. All the strength left Luke as he saw Stanley, arms and neck at odd angles, there was no chance that he was alive.
Free Silas.
So much blood.
Free Silas.
Blood everywhere.
Free Silas.
Anger spurred in Luke. The Bennett witch would die. That he would make sure off. He ended the spell on Silas, the man didn't even have a chance to stand before Luke shot at him another spell. "Kill Bonnie Bennett," he told the man.
Silas nodded and bent to the ground, picking up one of the doppelganger. He paid this no attention. He had more important things to do. He pulled a vampire, found a jagged rock and cut her wrist. Liv drank without complaint and Luke did the same.
Three spells and the three remaining doppelgangers were under his thrall.
"Let's find Harry Potter," said Luke to Liv. "He brought people once from the Other Side, he can do it again."
A worried look from Liv, but she nodded nonetheless.
"Silas?" the voice was much like he remembered it, if not scared.
"It's me, my love," he said.
"But how?" she asked. "She—she told me you were dead."
"A lie Qetsiyah is particularly fond of," said Silas. "But you don't need to worry now, my sweet Amara. I will protect us. Our love will last for eter—"
"No," Amara interrupted. "I want to die. Please kill me."
Those words were like a slap to the face. But she continued.
"Too long I've lived. Too long I've felt the pain. Please kill me. I don't want to die. If you love me, Silas—"
"Stop," said Silas, his voice breaking even from that one word. "Whatever you want will be yours." He took her hand and they started walking.
Amara stayed close, clinging to his arm and her eyes looking down. "Stay away from me," she kept muttering. "Please. Just go away."
If there was one thing he would do in this life, it would be to show Qetsiyah more pain than she knew existed.
Amara screamed.
The feeling ingrained itself deeper.
"Searched the perimeter," said the vampire who had said her name was Katerina. "No one except some kid vampire. Killed him."
Luke nodded. "Cut your palms and draw a circle wide enough for both of us to fit inside," he said. The three doppelgangers worked at the command.
"They'll be powerful," said Liv as they looked at the house.
"We're a lot more powerful," said Luke. "Let's not under-estimate ourselves."
Liv took a breath and nodded. When the doppelgangers finished they stepped into the circle. "Protect us," said Luke.
They began. "Merabas Hic Libatal. Confrenum Signas. Omus Quisa Tentum Exalis. Merabas Hic Libatal.
A dark skinned witch was outside the house, wind whipping around her in storm.
"Leave," she said, her words punctuated by power.
"No," said Luke. "Not until we speak to Harry. Let us in and we won't kill you."
The woman said a spell, but Luke and Liv were ready. Hands entwined they said a spell and formed a barrier around them and their vampires. A gong-like sound reverberated as the two spells met, the wind scaled up a notch.
The twins said a spell and the ground began to shake, rocks stirring from the ground and finding the air. They whistled as they headed towards Bree. She cobbled together a small shield, many of the rocks passing her and slamming through the house. A light flashed golden and when it ended, the woman was no longer within the house's property but outside.
Luke didn't give the confusion time to set, rocks stirred up and rocketed at the woman only to be intercepted by a blonde vampire.
"Harry's not here," she said, her eyes dark. "If he were, you'd be dead."
Luke snorted. "You all like hyping the guy up too much," he said. "I want to see him and I'm not willing to believe he's not in the house until I see it for myself."
The blonde shrugged. She took a last look between Stefan and Elena, before he grabbed the witch and disappeared.
"She'll come back with help," said Katerina.
"Let's check the house," said Luke. "You three go ahead."
The doppelgangers disappeared. Luke and Liv followed only to be stopped by the golden barrier.
"Fuck," he muttered.
"Should we break it down?" asked Liv. She looked a little disconcerted.
"His spells are strange," said Luke. "It could have adverse effects."
"We wait, then," said Liv. "But let's wait in the circle. I feel a lot more powerful with that thing around."
Luke nodded.
The rush of wind was abruptly cut off and Bree found herself deposited harshly on the ground. Lexi didn't spare her a look, which was no less that she deserved, as she strode towards the Mikaelson house.
For a long moment Bree sat, looking at nothing in particular and reeling as emotion she had kept pushed away suddenly came back. She'd given Harry to Silas, kidnapped and threatened to kill her friend and more than those were the countless spirits she'd tortured for her ritual.
She felt a sob start up her throat but she stifled it, trying to reign herself in less she break down.
"No one here," said Lexi after a while. "I'm thinking Harry's with Liz." She spared Bree a cold look. "Leave town. Make sure I never see you again," she said and the she disappeared before could say anything.
An image of Lee spirit wandering into the property flashed in Bree's mind. This time she couldn't hold it all back.
"Luke, Liv," said a stern voice.
They both reeled, eyes focusing on the woman who stood within the Potter property. "Hazel?" said Liv with the same shock and surprise that was overwhelming Luke. "How—"
"No time for that," she said, her voice chiding. "You're smarter than this. Both of you. Spells have loopholes. The same can be said for the spell you used on the vampires. They can still think and more than anything they want to escape. What's to stop them if you don't tell them to stop?"
"Crap," the twins muttered in unison.
"Stanley," the woman said. A pang of an emotion settled at the bottom of Luke's stomach. "Come in here and teach them that spell of summoning."
A moment passed and Stanley appeared on the property. For a long moment Luke could do nothing in his stupor.
"I'm sorry," he managed after some time. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have started all this. I'm really sorry."
"We all do things we regret for this coven," said Stanley with a small smile. "Don't worry about it."
"I'm going to get you back," he said, his voice breaking. "I promise you that."
"You're treading a fine line," said Hazel. "But the rules are being remade. Act quickly, before the Other Side is fully destroyed."
Luke and Liv gave a curt nod.
Amara still clung to his arm. Eyes downcast and mutters coming from her. Silas stayed quiet, traversing the wilderness to their little cabin. Hopefully the Shanes would still be there and he would have the Cure.
They walked in without much trouble, but the moment they turned, surveying the car that had mysteriously slammed into thin air, they hit a barrier.
Markos looked up, sliding his hand over the surface of the barrier.
"Well, this certainly makes things easier," he said. "They're locked in it seems."
"Markos," said one of his Travellers. Markos turned in the woman's direction. "One of the doppelgangers is dead."
"Truly easy indeed," he muttered. "A team of three will come with me. People adapt with the Locating Charm. The others, find yourselves bodies. This is as good a town as any to settle down after so many centuries travelling."
Something hit the wards. But getting deeper into the spell, Bonnie found it was easier to ignore distractions.
"Atticus," said Silas through his mind. He might not have been able to see the man but his mind was audible as ever. "Come," he said again pushing the thought out with his mind.
It was a few moments before the man walked through the cloaked grounds with a small smile on his face.
"You're," he said with relief. "What happened?"
"I've been caught in the schemes of lesser witches," Silas muttered with disgust. "But at the moment that is not of importance. I'm here for the Cure."
Slight shock showed itself on Atticus, his features then turning into anxiety and disconcertion. "You—the Cure?"
"Yes," said Silas a bit too sharp. "You knew this day would come didn't you?"
"Yes," said Atticus. "Yes. I did, but there were concessions. You said by the time you would need the Cure our son would be back from the Other Side."
"Plans have changed," said Silas and then he focused. "Stand Still."
Atticus didn't move. Slowly Silas detached himself from Amara's grip. Her eyes showed panic. "Don't worry my love," he said. "Soon this torture Qetsiyah has put you under will end."
Silas cleared the small distance between himself and Atticus. He found a sharp rock and cut the man's wrist before proceeding to drink his blood. The effects were instantaneous, he could almost feel immortality seep from his bones, his blood and his body. Everything opened up and his access to Nature's power was renewed.
He didn't give himself a moment to enjoy this before he turned the rock on his own wrist. "Drink," he said to Amara and the woman didn't need to be told twice.
Silas hated it, but within moments of her drinking his blood. He slit her throat.
Silas watched as the woman he loved died.
"One of the doppelgangers disappeared," said a Traveller.
"Change target," said Markos. "We'll investigate later. But just in case, the first pair of doppelgangers we meet we don't kill. One of them could be dead."
Chanting began as they walked.
The world shifted. All at once every spirit to walk the earth felt a massive pull into the great beyond. Some fought, using magic to protect both themselves and others but ultimately it was for nought, these were forces beyond their understanding.
But there were the few who were both powerful and knowledgeable. Who knew of the loopholes of magic and how to abuse them. It was like this that a precious few survived while everyone was pulled.
A creature of depression could not say the same. The void claimed it with particular viciousness, throwing it back into the Place of the Fallen. The creature tried clawing its way back from the small rip in space and time only to be pushed back by a cousin. A golden being with a multitude of wings and faces and carrying a burning sword.
Back, it said. Return to your perdition abomination.
The words were filled with such power that it couldn't help but be pushed back. The golden creature plunged into the small rip and into Nature's domain.
"It's here," Bonnie couldn't help but mutter.
Grams nodded. "And now we bind it to our will," she said. "Quickly. Begin."
"—pull." Stanley stopped and Luke looked up.
"Stan?" he said looking for the boy who had disappeared. "Liv?"
She shrugged. "He was just here. Hazel?"
No one appeared.
Luke shook his head. "It can't be," he muttered. "We had at least a month before it fell. How could this have happened?"
A hand settled on his shoulder, he turned and engulfed himself in Liv's open arms, eyes already clouded by tears.
He felt it. He was no longer on the Other Side, but he was still stuck in the damned circle the wizard had drawn.
But, he thought, now he wasn't as weak as before. He could affect the outside worlds without much trouble.
He expended power and the binding shattered.
"I have other things to do," said Silas not hiding his annoyance. He didn't turn back as he trudged through the forest muttering a spell under his breath.
"But you said," Atticus started but was interrupted by Silas.
"I know what I said," the witch snapped. "But at this point that's impossible. The Other Side is gone."
Atticus stopped. "What?"
Silas didn't stop, continuing his walk, his expression set in a scowl.
"Silas!" said Atticus, voice hot with anger. "You promised me I would have my son!" Silas said ignored him. Atticus ran and quickly caught up. He took Silas' shoulder and turned the man around, pinning him to a tree.
Silas' features twisted. He flung out his arm and Atticus was thrown into the air slammed through a thick branch that pierced his stomach.
"Your usefulness came to an end the moment I found my Amara," he said. "You should have seen that and ran."
Silas continued walking until he found a road.
It wasn't long after that he borrowed a car and its driver.
"You know," Markos said with smile that he just couldn't lose. "I don't want to jinx this, but, don't you feel we're having a particularly good day?" he asked. "Or night, I should say."
"Markos, right?" said a curly haired hybrid. Three hybrids stood in front of the house all of them harbouring looks that might have intimidated a lesser man. Markos was not phased. He gave the hybrid a nod. "What are you doing here? Harry said you were looking for your coven."
"Luckily I've found my coven, but I'm looking for a few people," he said. "Maybe you can help me out. I have a feeling they're in that house behind you."
"Let me guess," said another, a scowl set as he said this. "You're looking for Elena and Stefan."
"Right in one," said Markos. The door opened from behind the hybrids and Markos grinned further: Lexi and Alaric, along with a vampire he didn't know, stepped out of the house.
"Why do I get the feeling you're not long for this life," said the unknown vampire, grey eyes shining with an intent to kill. "Oh right, that's because you're not."
The man rushed forward but Markos lazily flicked his hand aside, pushing not only him but the others aside as well.
"Barrier," he ordered and his Travellers started chanting.
Markos strode forward without a particular car. He stopped though as the vampires started gathering themselves. He muttered a spell and all six heads looked to the side with such speed that they snapped their necks. Markos continued, opening the door—three shots reverberated but the smacked harmlessly against his clothes.
"Protective Enchantments," he said looking at the blonde woman who held no emotive expression. "It'll take more than a few bullets to do any damage. He took a step but someone stepped out from a niche, stabbing a wooden stake. Markos only had a moment to dodge, not that the stake missed him, it pierced his shoulder and the man held back a scream.
He flicked his hand and the boy, no doubt a hunter, was thrown back.
"Jeremy," a voice said and an angry vampire appeared beside the boy. The woman, the doppelganger, glared at him and lunged forward. Markos threw her aside with a flick of the hand. Another doppelganger appeared and faster than he could react, she pulled out the stake—hissing as she did—and plunged it into Markos' heart.
He fell to the ground.
"I'm hating how popular I've become these days," the doppelganger muttered. She skipped over Markos. "How do we take care of those guys?"
A male doppelganger appeared from somewhere. "Keep calling Bonnie and hope she answers," he said.
"Or hope that Harry answers," said blonde. "Can't we do anything about that? If I go missing, people will notice. The agents are still in town."
"Vampire blood didn't help," said the male doppelganger said. "Not that he can do much in this case. He was trapped before, remember?"
"Which means that teleporting compass of his won't work," said the other female.
The blonde sighed. "This is turning into a mess," she muttered.
"And it's about to get worse," said Markos finding his feet. He took advantage of the shock, pulling out the stake and plunging it into the female doppelganger. She dropped to her knees, trying, her face losing colour and smoke coming from her stake. A snap of the fingers and the woman was set a flame.
"What part of Protective Enchantments don't you understand?" Markos asked with a jovial tone. He chuckled. "I don't think you know the full power that witches have," he said. "You've seen sign of it, yes, but you underestimate it. You think just because you're faster and stronger, you're more powerful." He shook his head. "It doesn't work that way, because at the end of the day you're of magic while I…I bend magic to my will."
Markos spread out his arms and said a spell. A surge of power blasted through room, pushing everyone back and sticking them onto walls.
"You have no chance at defeating me," he said as he walked towards the male doppelganger. He pulled a knife from his jacket and cut the man's wrist. Blood poured out, Markos smeared it over his hands and said a long spell, drawing symbols on his arms. He moved on to female and did the same, drawing a symbol on the other arm.
"Done," he said. "Expect my call in a few hours. And if you don't answer." Markos blew between his fingers and rubbed them together, both doppelgangers screamed, blood coming out of their eyes, ears and nostrils. "Let's just say a lot of pain."
Markos walked out the house with a large smile.
"Let's find the immortals," he said to his travellers. Amara was gone, he soon learnt, but that was all the better.
"Silas," said Atticus before his head fell forward.
Caitlin screamed.
A bolt of lightning struck Mystic Falls and it was quickly followed by more.
For some reason the wards around the house had let them in. Luke didn't understand it, nor did he care. He found himself a couch and just lay there. At this point he didn't care about anything.
Two bangs and the car swerved to the side and rolled, going off the road and towards a tree. An airbag formed stopping him for slamming harshly into the dashboard, a small concession seeing as the crash itself was jarring.
It took a few moments to get his mind working before he had enough presence to push the door open and stagger out.
He noticed motion and muttered a spell. Seven shots in total but the all slammed ineffectively against his shield. His head swivelled in the direction of the motion to find that there was no one there.
The witch muttered an oath before he broke into the language of old. Waves of magic swept away from him, three points returning faster than the others. He quickly said another spell and a gale force wind broke out, stripping every tree of its leaves and turning them into sharp projectiles. A tall man with blond hair was the first to go down, a multitude of small cuts over his body and through his clothes, leaves through his eyes and some in his mouth and nose.
The man dropped and didn't move.
"I give you this one chance," said Silas his voice carried by magic. "Leave. Go against Qetsiyah's wishes and you will live another day."
No answer.
"You were warned," he said and he said another spell pushing out both his arms, waves of fire materialised and rolled out in every direction. Two screams and two humanoid figures within the flames but the screams abruptly stopped and the fire twisted and coiled into the form a large wolf.
The wolf lunged but Silas banished it with a wave of the hand.
"Harry Potter," Silas said.
The wizard appeared with a rush of wind, a cold look directed at Silas.
"Silas," he said. "You're a wizard again."
"That I am," said Silas. "Which means I can kill you without the aid of others." Silas flicked his hand but the wizard acted with deft and swift motions, he slashed his wand, forming a transparent shield in front of him and the two hunters. Silas' spell hit and caused ripples to pass outward through the shield. "You have your wand," Silas noted.
"Whoever had been cloaking it before seems to have other things to attend to," the wizard said. "She's striking the town if you didn't know."
"Yes, I noticed," said Silas. "But it's not important. You're not important. None of this important. All I want is my revenge Qetsiyah."
"After which you die?" the wizard asked.
"Yes," said Silas. The wizard waved his wand and from one of the hunters there came a compass. He threw it and Silas caught it.
"You have an hour," the wizard. "That will take teleport you to Qetsiyah. Do what you have to do, but after an hour ends and you're not dead. I'll kill you."
Silas only snorted but as he found Qetsiyah's image in his mind, the compass began to glow and he felt a tug at his navel.
It was like being hit in the head and all of a sudden the internal sense that told her of Silas' position pointed in the opposite direction. Almost as though the man had teleported. Caitlin let out a groan. Harry Potter.
A rush of wind and the wizard stood before him wand in hand.
"Leave me, Harry Potter," her voice dripping with anger.
"The spells you have over this town," he said. "I want you to dispel them."
"What right do you have giving me orders," she said. "I know what you've done. I know it is your fault that the Other Side is falling."
"Fallen," the wizard corrected. "Someone, and I'm guessing Silas, quickened its end."
A flash of lightning and the far of sound of a building collapsing. Caitlin noticed as the wizard's hand gripped his wand tightened, she mentally prepared for a fight, prepared the spell that would hit him with a bolt of lightning, not that she couldn't direct it with solely her mind, with the contempt he felt for the man.
"He took the Cure," the wizard said. "He'd have no other reason at being this vulnerable less the Other Side didn't exist anymore. But that's not why I'm here. You're endangering Mystic Falls. That storm you have overheard and your emotions, they're going to destroy this town."
"I don't care about this town," said Caitlin. "I don't care about anything save getting my revenge on the man who killed my husband. Who fed me false promises." An idea hit. "And you're going to help me get him or I kill everyone in this town."
The night's sky flashed with lightning, it didn't bolt down, but instead drew itself across the sky.
"Killing you would make all this a whole lot easier," said Harry Potter. "But I don't want to do that. Leave Mystic Falls," he almost sounded as though he meant, Caitlin thought, but that could all be a lie, for the man's face showed no emotion. She couldn't trust his voice, it could all be a spell.
A mirthless laugh left Caitlin's lips, tears filling up and fogging her vision. "Leave? Leave all that has cause me mystery? Leave you and Silas alive?" She shook her head. "If I'm going down, then I'm taking those that you love most."
Caitlin raised her hand, picturing the house of the sheriff of Mystic Falls she just as quickly brought it down. In the moments she had done this the wizard had said words and a green spell was headed for her.
It hit.
The wizard appeared in front of Markos with a rush of wind. "Silas will be dead in the limit you had for me," he said. "You will keep to your word?"
"Yes, friend," said Markos. He expected the man to show a sign of anger, but as usual he saw the man's façade in full effect. Ever-stoic Harry Potter was.
"Don't call me that," the wizard did say though before he disappeared again.
Sheila let out a tired breath as she let go of the spell. "And so the imbalance will be cleared," she said as a humanoid figure shrouded in a golden light briefly passed by their window.