Chapter 10

Dedication: This chapter is for gigiaubs who left a really sweet review. Thank you for your support. In fact, thank you to everyone. I've reached 30+ reviews! You guys are the best. I'd also like to particularly thank Alaska and Arabella for leaving long, detailed reviews again. Keep reading, everyone! 3

Note: I'm sorry everything is a little cramped up in this chapter. I just wanted to give you guys some answers. Sorry in advance for the giant cliffhanger at the end! I'm a horrible person, I know, I know... Also, a lot of you have been saying Bonnie's been really badass in the last few chapters, and I'd just like to say, you haven't seen nothing yet ;) ENJOY READING AND PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW IF YOU LIKED IT!

Bonnie's mind was only running on adrenaline as she sprinted out of the house with Damon and Stefan. Everything was a giant blur. First, she'd called Stefan, who luckily had, too, been in London, and even luckier, he'd been with Valerie. Valerie did a locator spell on Damon and helped Stefan get through to him before bolting off. Stefan and her had clearly not ended things well.

Somehow, they'd managed to do all this without encountering the woman who tried to kill her, but Bonnie was sure her return was underway. There was no way Bonnie could have killed this all-powerful-mind-controlling-witch-lady by opening a car door.

But it didn't matter.

They had Damon. He was back. He was okay.

The two of them had barely exchanged a word, but she was sure, in time, they would. How could they not, after everything?

The three of them found the entrance to the house quick. Almost too quick. Stefan yanked open the door. Well – tried to, anyway.

"Locked," he whispered, his eyes widening. "Run." They bolted wildly, searching for another way out. Bonnie knew Damon and Stefan could go much faster than that. They were vampires after all. She was holding them back.

"Sorry, guys," Bonnie said through gasps as she ran. "Haven't been on a treadmill in a while."

Damon snorted, and grabbed her hand, pulling her along as he ran (still at human speed).

They found a staircase and without thinking, ran up it. They'd reached what seemed to be a library. A dead-end. And then Bonnie saw her.

"I've been expecting you," said the lady from behind one of the shelves. "Come," she said. Bonnie's feet obeyed her, even though her mind told her to run. Damon and Stefan found themselves walking toward the lady, too.

"I'm Miranda, by the way. Well, I was."

She was?

"Look, lady," Damon said, rolling his eyes. "It's been a long month for me,"

Bonnie shook her head at Damon. It had been much longer.

"Two months?" Damon asked quizzically.

She shook her head again.

"Three?"

She began shaking her head, but the lady interrupted her. "You've been here for a remarkably short while, Damon. Miranda, for one, has been here for decades," she said, gesturing to herself. "Poor thing, lived a horrible life. A young orphan who happened to be a witch without control over her powers. Naturally, she was tossed out on the street more times than she deserved. Wandered the streets of London and ran into something more awful than she ever could imagine. The same thing that posesses you, Damon."

"The monster," Damon whispered, clearly horrified.

"Well, a spirit, really. It brings out the worst in you and locks everything else away. The darkest part of your soul manifests into, yes, a monster. A monster completely unlike yourself. A monster that you know not of, and that knows not of you," she stated this all as if it were just a fact. "The key to releasing the remainder of your soul is something young Miranda never possessed. Love." She said the word as if it were the most revolting thing in the world. "The monster brings with it power. An enhanced, occasionally inverted version of your former power. For instance, Miranda was a witch who lacked control of her powers; I am a witch who not only has complete control over my powers, but also complete control of other's. Look." Miranda looked over at Stefan, causing him to dart to the end of the room at vampire speed.

"Very amusing, really," she said, bringing a confused Stefan back next to Damon and Bonnie.

"Hold on," Damon said, his brow furrowed. "Were you in the vault?"

"No," Miranda said with a smile. "But up until recently, I wasn't able to use my powers. I was basically turned back into a regular witch when the armoury imprisoned the spirit. But when the vault opened again, it all came back. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to state my conditions."

Bonnie wouldn't admit it, but she was scared of this woman. Her lack of empathy was evident. Bonnie couldn't help but feel for the poor girl who turned into this monster.

"You have two options," she said, turning to Damon. "Either you leave and they die, or you stay and they are free to leave. Simple."

Damon's eyes widened. Bonnie saw his legs struggle to move, but he couldn't.

Bonnie knew he only really had one option.

Damon stared straight in Miranda's eyes, as if he were afraid to look anywhere else. "Go," he said firmly without looking at Stefan or Bonnie.

"Damon, we're not leaving –"

"Stefan, take her," he said, still not looking at either of them.

Bonnie looked at Stefan for help, but instead saw an apologetic expression on his face. "Stefan?" Bonnie said, helplessly.

"I'm sorry, Bonnie," said Stefan, before grabbing her arm tight. "We'll go," he said solemnly, looking at Miranda.

"Excellent! I will insure that all exits are unlocked. You have my word," she said this in a cheerful, but somehow unkind tone.

Bonnie felt tears streaming down her face as she yelled Damon's name repeatedly. He didn't even look back at her as Stefan dragged her out of the room.

"Bonnie, it's okay," Stefan said after they'd shut the room door behind them. "We did what we could. We had to respect his decision."

"No," she whispered, a giant lump in her throat. "We didn't." She could tell that he knew she was right. "God knows he never respected ours," she added, wiping the tears off her face. "Let's just leave," she said quickly, pulling her hand away from his, as an idea popped into her head.

Stefan frowned at her, but kept walking. Once they got to the door, and he turned his attention to the doorknob, Bonnie sprinted as fast as she could in a random direction.

"Bonnie!" she heard him calling once he realised she was gone.

No time.

Bonnie found herself rushing back up the staircase. She found the library. Leading upto the library was a corridor (the staircase at the end of it). There were lots of old, scary paintings on the walls as well as some antique models on tables. It looked rather like a haunted museum. On one of the tables, she noticed a set of old throwing knives. Almost cutting herself, she pulled one out. Had she gone insane? She didn't know, nor did she care.

She opened the door, slowly, not rousing the attention of Damon or Miranda. She looked down at the knife in her hand.

Don't throw it.

Don't throw it.

Don't throw it.

She threw it.