After I finally drag my tired body out of my very comfy and warm bed and I slowly walk to the bathroom to wash my face. I grab my outfit for the flight and go back into the bathroom to change. I quickly put on a pair of my very comfy jeans which are light wash curve enhancing jeans with one of my favorite tops which is a long sleeve dark burgundy scoop neck top that hugs my hips. I smile as I think back to last night talking with Freckles while I slip on a pair of platform Vans. I grab my necklace that Freckles gave me and I make sure it stays in its' spot on the hollow of my neck. I walk out of the bathroom I see Melody sleeping in her bed with one of the Red nose pit bull's' that she named Cerberus that we rescued cuddling under the comforter. I giggle lightly as he wakes up and tilts his head before turning to go back to sleep before I go into the bathroom to put on some makeup, but only enough to make it look like I'm not a zombie. I tame my curls with Melody's curling iron while I put all my makeup away since Melody and I packed everything last night before the party. After I tame my curls enough I pin them up in a messy bun with a couple small curls out framing my face. I come out of the bathroom with my makeup box packed and locked up to see Riptide waiting on my bed, so I can put him in his carrier.
"You are so impatient." I tell him and he meows at me which has me roll my eyes before he yawns as he stretches.
I think he said in Cat-nese, 'So are you mom.' I giggle to myself about my little joke.
"Don't back talk me you're my son." I say as I put my makeup box in my suitcase and close it and lock it up. I grab Riptide's carrier and put him in it with some food, water, and some toys. I start taking everything down to the main floor before going back up to my room to put my stuff in my carry on, so that I can easily tune out and do whatever. I grab the Polaroid and put it with my sketchbook with all my other stuff to keep me from being bored. I put my ticket, wallet, and student id on top of my headphones, MP3, and sketching stuff. I hear a little text ping and I tilt my head, 'who would be texting me so early in the morning?' I think to myself. I grab my phone and see that Freckles texted me.
To: Me
From: Freckles
Good morning, Wonder. Enjoy your flight back home. I think you're going to love it even better than the last time.
Love, Freckles
P.S. Call me when you get my surprise.
I tilt my head as I can practically see the smirk on his face and I am very confused as to what he is trying to allude to. I keep trying to figure out what he has planned for me and I put my phone into my bag as I sling my back onto my shoulder. I walk down the stairs seeing my Uncle Toby with Mom in her signature pink batman t-shirt with black boot-cut jeans and her wedding ring around a chain. I walk down more and go into the kitchen to see Markus waiting for me with a package of pop-tarts, my medicine, and a bottle of water. I groan as I quickly take my pills dry and then I start scarfing down the pop-tarts before I finally wash it down with the bottle of water.
"Tired?" Uncle asks as mom finishes up braiding his long raven black hair and ties it off.
"Yeah I am. Yesterday's party wore me out." I say as Markus takes Riptide's carrier and we start walking out to the jeep. I walk over to the back and tie down my suitcase next to me.
"Probably doesn't help that you, Melody, Addie, Wyatt, Hunter, and Tyler mixed peyote into your sheesh bowls, the whole night. And that is after drinking with the rest of the family." Markus teases and I playfully kick his butt.
"Shut up. You were too." I see a glint of something across the valley and a shiver rolls down my spine.
"The difference is that my body has gotten used to me smoking the Peyote mixed with whatever sheesh we get, so they don't affect me like they used to anymore." He says as he jumps in while my body tenses up and my magic stirs in my veins at feeling the unfamiliar presence. I tune everyone out as I whip my head to where I saw the glare coming from and I squint my eyes before release my magic on my vine tattoo. I becomes it's natural form again and I let it slide into my hand before grabbing the end of it. I then will it to grow and stab its roots into the ground. I smile as I envision it surrounding the property line and I see it pulsing with my magic.
"Trap those who dare cause harm to my family and all those within this line. If they have ill intent then you may swallow them whole." I whisper before breaking it off at the roots and have it return as a tattoo onto my skin. I wave my hand pretending to only fix my hair, but I infuse the rest of the plants around with my magic to enhance the spell. I smirk as I jump into my spot and put my headphones into my MP3 player before buckling up so we can head out to the airport. I message everyone letting them that I'm coming back, so that some don't worry. Which I know is Ty, Matt, Jer, and Stefan since I know the girls are probably trying to get Elena out of trouble for some reason. I swear she's a danger magnet and I know that everyone else is thinking it too. They are just too chicken to actually admit it to themselves.
When we finally get to the airport because of all the casino employee traffic of them getting into work and down the hill and we walk to our gate. It's so early that we can actually have a sit down breakfast in the food court instead of the little snacks that we had at the ranch. We all take our time as I text with Freckles and actually show him that I'm eating. I look at the time and see that we have ten minutes before they start calling for our seating section, so we pay and head back over there. "Flight 6039 From San Diego Airport to Richmond International with a layover in Dallas Love Field is now boarding." I smile and pop my back with Markus helping me keep my hips still.
We stand up afterwards and stretch our legs as we wait for our section to be called out we double check our ticket numbers and section. "May a Miss Rayen Harjo-Maxwell, Rebecca Harjo-Maxwell, and Markus Harjo, please come up to the boarding line?" I hear a different ladies' voice say over the intercom and I grab my carry on and Riptide's carrier as my mom and Markus look at one another in confusion. As we walk over to the gate and the boarding line, I see a couple of men wearing the latest Stuart Hughes Diamond edition suits. One in navy blue while the other is wearing a midnight blue suit with their hair slicked back and black sunglasses hiding their eyes. I hold my head high and I walk over to them as I walk up behind them as quietly as I can. I clear my throat and the two suited guys turn around and look down at me.
"My name is Rayen Harjo-Maxwell and this is my mom and cousin is there a problem?" I ask as the taller of the two gentlemen takes his glasses off to reveal a pair of dark hazel eyes and a woman that looks about between my mom's age and Markus' walks up holding a picture. The woman has choppy short blonde hair with brown highlights and she herself is wearing a professional black pencil skirt with a flowing turquoise colored peasant top that's partially tucked into the skirt to make a little poof and a pair of black stiletto heels that are possibly Louis-Vuittons. Her nails are a matte black with turquoise tips and have a little silver calligraphy 'M' on her ring fingers.
"There's no problem ma'am. Just someone offered their private jet to you three." She holds her hand out and I notice a lapis lazuli David Yurman Bracelet in 18 karat gold. I take her hand and shake it when I release her hand that's when the familiar jolt hits my system and she slightly nods as if knowing that I know what she is. "My name is Anya Levitz, director of private transportation here in San Diego, and I am here to escort you to the jet at the request of…" she looks at her paper and she looks back up trying not to chuckle at something, "Freckles. Since you were unhappy with having to deal with two hours at the Dallas layover he wanted to make sure that you were happy this time around."
"Wait, wait. Your boyfriend is so rich that he easily got us a private jet, so we wouldn't have to worry about a layover?" My mom asks and I blush profusely as Markus chuckles at me. "If you don't marry this man I will."
"One, he's not my boyfriend; he just did this because he knows how much I was complaining when we flew last time. Two, he's just my friend. And three, I am only 17 why would I want to get married right now?" I say blushing and they chuckle at me. I turn and look back at Anya, "Okay, sorry about that. Where do we go for the jet?" I ask and the two guys come over and gently take our luggage tickets.
"Peter and Nikolai will get your luggage out of that plane and transfer it over to the jet while I will escort you three to Mr. Mikaelson's jet." She says as she gently weaves her arm with mine while taking us to a little golf-cart. We all pack into it and she drives us to a jet that has its stairs down waiting for us while a baggage cart drives over. We park next to the baggage cart and the hazel eyed man walks over holding his hand out to me. "Nikolai will escort you over to the stairs Rayen." She says and I nod.
I take it before he helps me out of the golf-cart and he and I walk over to the jets' stairs before he helps me onto them. "In the jet Mr. Nikalus said that you can have Riptide out of his carrier so he doesn't get anxious during the flight back to your home." He says and I smile as I see that my smile makes him tense up as Markus and mom come walking up.
"Thank you." I say to him as I walk into the jet seeing that the interior is kind of like my room well at least with the colors. The seats and the carpets are a nice crimson red with gold and black appliances while the walls are a very calming cream color. I sit down in a big barcalounger type of chair and I moan lightly at how comfy it is. I buckle up and let my hair down out my plastic pins and my hair tie. Markus and mom take their seats as they look around and I see that Markus has found the TV and game system while mom has chosen a seat that's close to some books. I close my eyes and I wait to hear the door closing, so I can let Riptide out before I know it my phone is going off while the door closes and we start our ascent into the sky.
"Hello?" I ask into it as I open Riptide's carrier and let him out to wander the plane since Freckles said that it would be alright.
"So Wonder, I hear that I'm your boyfriend now?" I hear a familiar accented voice trying to stifle a chuckle and I roll my eyes as I open my eyes as two Flight attendants come walking out with trays of snacks, drinks, and for me another present.
"My mom was just trying to embarrass me." I say as I grab the box off the tray and I smile up at the Flight attendant with naturally red hair that barely hits her shoulders before curling up a bit. "Thank you..." I look at her name tag, "-Breuckelen." I say making sure that I don't mess up the Dutch enunciation which makes her smile and her freckled cheeks pink up for some reason before she walks away.
"Did you get embarrassed cause if you don't like it I can take what I got you back to the store?" He asks teasingly and I blow raspberries into the phone as I unwrap the gift. I open it to see a new camera with all of the accessories, a black card with my name on it, and plane tickets. My jaw drops as I look up at the other Attendant with short black and green to pink ombre hair seeing her stair at me with a knowing smirk. "I'm guessing by your silence you saw my gifts? Don't worry those tickets don't expire, but for your 18th birthday I would like us to go on a trip, so you can get some new pictures with that new camera. And the Black card is linked to your business and your personal accounts along with my account so you can spend whatever you'd like." He says as I pull the camera out and start messing with it.
"Fre- Nik, a-si-u-le e-hu, this is too much." I whisper slipping into my father's native tongue as Riptide jumps on my lap and I tear up slightly. My hand covering my mouth as I try not to let the tears fall. (my love)
"Don't cry Ray. I want you to get better in your photography studies, you're taking wonderful pictures, and I know that you want to go to college and travel. I know that you're already on track for a scholarship." He says as a woman wearing a black and white striped dress with a pair of thigh high boots walks up with a tissue box in her hands. "Now catch those tears before they leave tracks. You look even more beautiful when you haven't been crying." I nod as I catch my tear, so I don't ruin my natural makeup. I take her in and she that she has dyed crimson hair is straight down to the middle of her back with a little Hawaiian flower holding her bangs behind her right ear to show off her dark brown eyes. I see her name and notice that it has both her first and last name, 'Trinity Jackson.' She smiles as Markus starts flirting with her as I'm on the phone.
"You are too sweet." I say as a loving smile lifts my lips up and I put the gifts back into the box so I don't lose any of it. She gently takes the box and puts it with our suitcases. "Thank you."
"You're welcome Darling. Now get some sleep I know you didn't go to bed till late since I called you later than normal." He says and I giggle before as if on cue my body decides to answer and let out a yawn.
"Okay. I'll call you when we land." I say as I unbuckle and get comfy as I put an earbud in my ear while I hear him chuckle in the other. "You better not have any other surprises for me."
"Sleep well, my little Wonder. I don't that's why when you land at Richmond Airport, you will have a driver and a limo at your service to drive you all the home. Since you had one of your friends drive you up there." He says as I doze off and turn off my phone.
Niklaus's POV:
I smirk as we hang up and I watch her through the camera's that I placed on the jet when I bought it so long ago. I type to the flight attendants computer to cover her and her cat up with a blankets, so they don't get cold since she gets cold easily. I smile as they quickly do what I say covering her up in one of my personal dark blue blankets and I nod as Tyson walks up with a frightened look on his face. "What's the status of her family's home?" I ask as my smile falls and he pulls out his phone to show me something.
"It's being protected when three unknown people tried to get onto the property when suddenly they were just gone. The only trace of them near the property line was their footprints and maybe a shower." He says as I watch a video of plant vines shoot up and pull the three people into the ground. My eyes widen as I look up at him and the wheels in my head starts turning.
"What about our people that I sent to put protections stone around their land?" I ask as I hand his phone back to him and he moves to another video as far as I can tell.
"They were let in, but I believe that the girl you've had us put under surveillance has something to do with the plants fighting back." He says as he hands the phone back to me and I see Rayen at her uncle's Jeep actually looking like a teenager. I bite my lip slightly as I look over her skin tight top and jeans that conform to her curves with her hair curled nicely so that hey don't look like her morning lion's mane. I notice a slightly glare out of the corner of the camera and I see her quickly turning her head to look straight at the camera. Her body glows slightly as she squints her eyes at the camera before I see her vine tattoo glow before I see it slide down her hand before she grabs the end of it. Then it grows thicker and impales itself into the ground before there's a wave a green and gold pulse through the land before settling where their land ends. I look back up at her eyes as they glow a very bright shamrock green instead of her normal half and half eyes which make my heart clench.
"Trap those who dare cause harm to my family and all those within this line. If they have ill intent then you may swallow them whole." I hear her whisper before she breaks it off at the roots and it returns as a tattoo onto her skin. I watch her wave her hand as if she's fixing her hair, but I notice the plants glow a light green before it moves into the ground. I see her smirking as I watch her cute lithe body easily jumps into her seat and put her headphones into her MP3 player before buckling up.
"My my my, seems as though my little goddess as a little magic running in her veins." I say as I look at her eyes glowing and I look up at him. "Send me all updates about her family when they leave her home and I want them protected at all costs." I stand up and grab a bottle of scotch before pouring it into a glass filled with half ice. "Am I clear?"
"Sir, if I can ask? Why is this one teenager such a big deal?" He asks as he texts my contacts watching the Harjo family in California and I turn back at him lifting up the glass to my lips.
"Because this teenage had the gall to crash one of my parties and now I know she has magic that's different than our dear little Greta's that might be stronger than natural magic." I say before taking a sip of my scotch. "How's the application process for the casino?"
He looks down at his hands with a genuine smile on his face, "I have an interview in a couple weeks for a casino floor manager. I'm going to leave to set up my housing in three days."
"Good." I say as I turn around and drink my scotch as he looks up at me. "I'll transfer money over to you so you can buy a comfortable house and car of your liking." I say as I dismiss him with a shocked look on his face and I see he emailed the video over to me. I freeze the video at the close up of her eyes being illuminated by her use of magic and I start researching what she could be if not a witch. "What powers are you hiding from me, my beautiful little one?" I whisper as I quickly skim over the websites.
Time Jump Rayen's POV:
When we finally get home and unpacked with the new snapshot on my mirror with the other ones, I text Freckles telling him that I'm home. I call Steffie and I get an update on what the hell has been happening since I've left on vacation. I lay down as Riptide starts wandering around the room as if he's looking for the dogs that he kinda got attached too. It starts with after Elena finds out that she's a doppelganger and that she's adopted. Damon takes a trip with Elena after her little accident to Georgia, where he surprises an old flame to enlist her help to figure out how to open the tomb that's underneath the old church in the woods. After they get back home after meeting Lexi's turned love of her life, Steffie actually opens up to Bonnie's Grams in his effort to help Bonnie overcome her fears and accept her witch-y powers. That's barely out of the new year *insert eye roll here* and of course Elena had to get in the middle of it. I can feel the difference of Bonnie's magic in the air and I smirk as it barely tickles my nose. She isn't at her peak just yet.
My stomach growls and I bite my lip as I sneak downstairs passed mom and Markus' room since I can hear them snoring. I quickly go downstairs and I grab some chips and dip with a Mike's hard lemonade before sneaking up to my room, so mom doesn't confiscate it from me. As I eat my chips, he updates me on them finding out that there was a new vampire that's been running around town. Apparently Steffie and Elena are together again and he gave her some vervain filled jewelry to help protect her and those she decides to protect. After he and I get off the phone Mattie calls me and tells me that he got a job as a busboy at the grill to help with his finances even though I told him that he could've come to work at my studio, but he says that he's not really creative enough to work in a photography studio with me. I try to hold back a yawn and I fail, after he laughs at me for being tired at 3 in the afternoon he tells me to take a nap and we argue for a little bit before he tells me to or he's gonna tell Freckles on me. I pout for a little bit and whine before we both hang up. I turn my TV on and turn it on Hunchback of Notre Dame. I lay down after taking my shoes off along with my bra so I can be super comfy and I cover up with a blanket as I push a little bit of my magic into the house as I fall asleep to hearing the opening with Clopin's singing voice.
No One's POV:
As the last Nunnehi sleeps in her bed with her cat wandering around her magic flows from her hands and her hair before slithering down her bed posts into the ground. Her magic from her hands seeps into the cracks of the floorboards and strengthens her home while the magic from her hair goes into her necklace from Niklaus. Halfway around the world a certain Hybrid King gets a jolt to his heart as he starts hearing his other half's music playing in his ears. He smiles in his meeting, but to his lackeys his smile looks evil and he shakes it off as he talks to them about his business dealings. His body relaxes after the meeting he goes out for a walk to get some blood and he pulls out a moonstone version of what he gave to his little one. He walks to a bridge looking over where lovers go for dates and he hears a part in the movie that he resonates with.
"So many times out there
I've watched a happy pair
Of lovers walking in the night
They had a kind of glow around them
It almost looked like Heaven's light," He looks over them as he sings which he hasn't done since before he was the most powerful being in the world and he holds the pendant tightly as he can see his other half laying on her bed. The picture is fuzzy but he can see the cat he gave her laying on her lower back, "I knew I'd never know
That warm and loving glow
Though I might wish with all my might
No face as hideous as my face
Was ever meant for Heaven's light," He thinks back to seeing his mothers' disgusted face when she bound his werewolf half inside of him after his first kill, "But suddenly an angel has smiled at me
And touched my face without a trace of fright
I dare to dream that she
Might even care for me
And as I ring the bells tonight
My cold dark tower seems so bright
I swear it must be Heaven's Light." He finishes the song off as the vision of his beautiful sleeping girl disappears from his sight and he looks up at the night sky with the stars shining down on him. He smiles as he put the pendant on one of his longer chains and he hides it under his shirt before he spots a thief waiting in the shadows to prey upon a young teenage couple that aren't paying attention to their surroundings. He smirks as he sees him about to attack the couple, "A perfect meal to end the day." He whispers before his eyes change to his predatory vampire ones and he blurs behind the thief before he reveals his fangs. He covers the thief's mouth and pulls him deeper into the alley before biting into his neck. He drains the body and tosses it into a dumpster before cleaning his lips as his fangs retreat into his gums.
Rayen's POV:
I feel a weight on my bed and I open my eyes to see a familiar ice blue eyed vampire that's a pain in the ass. I wave my hand and my vine grows and wraps around his neck pressing vervain thorns against his neck threatening to pierce his skin. He rolls his eyes at me, "What are you doing in my home Salvatore?" I ask as I look down at him.
"I need your help finding a grimoire, so I can open the tomb under the church. Your powers can easily find it." he says as I sit up and look at the emotion he's trying to hide behind his eyes. "I don't trust my brother and Elena to tell me where it is if they find it." I tilt my head as he sits up with me and I pull my vine back into my skin.
"Why do you trust me then?" I ask as I wave my hand to have my vine wrap around my bra to bring it back to me and I easily put it on without taking off my shirt. "I thought you'd try to get Elena on your side." I say as I recall what Care has said about the sparks coming off of them.
"She doesn't like me enough to trust me." he says as he rubs his neck and looks as my vine moves back into my skin to get back into it's original position. "I trust you enough that you won't take a grimoire that won't help you with your own powers." He motions to where I have my book hidden from everyone and any vampire that dare try to grab for it.
"That's true. Do you have any clues as to where it is?" I ask as I stand up to put on my shoes again before I see him blur over to where my new camera is. He picks it up and looks at it as I grab my phone.
"Yeah the location of it should be in the Gilbert Family Journal." He says as he looks to see that I have a new snapshot on my mirror before putting the camera back on my desk. "When did you get this camera?"
"So why not ask Elena to grab it? After all it is her family's journal." I ask as I pull my hair up into a messy bun with my bangs out and I look back at him as he looks me over, "I got it on the way back. Freckles got it for me as a gift." I say as I sigh happily that he didn't see the tickets or the black credit card that I have in my wallet.
"Elena said that Jeremy has it and he gave it to your vampire hunter of a history teacher, but the teacher lost it and you're coming with me to find his little girly friend Anna. He must have connections considering that this hasn't even been released yet." He says as he walks over to where I am and looks down at me with his eyes looking icy than before.
"Vampire hunter? Don't be jealous Damon let's go talk to the teacher then." I say as I think of the history teachers in the school and I furrow my eyebrows when one named pops into my head. Alaric Saltzman, the teacher that has bravery for facing Tyler's dad at the career fair, he has to be the hunter but then why is he here there's no mention of vampire in the news when it came to the attacks at the beginning of the year when I was in my mini coma. "Anna? She new in town? I've never heard of her." I say as we go down stairs and he makes me go to his car since he doesn't exactly hide his glare to my baby.
"I have no idea, but she might be an old friend." He says as he drives us to an old motel on the edge of town. We park across the lot and I try to use the plants to feel for a vampire presence.
"So did you know her?" I ask as I follow Damon across the parking lot while I feel my entire body wash over with my magic while I try to use the plant's that have roots underneath us. "Who is she?"
"Someone I knew a long time ago."
"What do you think she wants with the grimoire?"
"That's what we're going to find out." He says as he stops at a door and he starts picking at the lock. "Now go inside and sit on the bed."
"Excuse me?"
Damon rolls his eyes as he opens the door and tries to push me in. "Just sit." I roll my eyes and walk passed in before sitting on the ground with my palms on the ground with my eyes closed pushing my magic down.
"Anna will see you first so don't let her know I'm here."
I lick my nervously drying lips, "What are you going to do to her?"
"Just want to talk."
"Who is Anna, Damon?" I ask as I feel another presence coming to us at a normal human rate, but it's not a human.
I can feel Damon lean against the wall. "Anna and her mother, Pearl, were vampires that were close friends with Katherine and Emily. Far longer than I had known her. They came to Mystic Falls around the same time she did."
"Is her mother in the tomb?" I ask softly as I open my eyes feeling my magic flare slightly.
"Yes." He says as he presses his lips while I feel footsteps coming closer. I close my eyes again as I pull my magic from the ground back into my body while the door opens and I feel her freeze slightly.
"Um…What are you doing here, Rayen?" She asks as I open my eyes and stand up slowly, so I don't provoke her into attacking me.
I tilt my head as I see even with my platform shoes on she's taller than me. "How do you know my name?" I ask as I look into her eyes as I pull my magic into my veins again.
Before she can answer, Damon catches her and spins her around with his hand wrapped around her throat. In a surprise twist, Anna reacts instantly and wraps her own hand around his throat. Damon begins choking as I stand there ready to unwrap my vine and make it into a vervain vine. "Okay, I give." Damon rasps out. "Damn, you're strong for a little thing."
"I was wondering how long it would take you to find me." Anna says as she's catching her breath. "And I see you've brought the little unknown element witch with you."
I roll my eyes, "Don't lower my kind to the title of witch. It's an insult to us considering the spirits blessed us first." I say reciting what my great grandfather taught me back in California.
"How long have you been here?" Damon asks Anna before she lets him go and he moves to stand in between me and her.
"Arrived around half-past comet, watching you screw up every chance you had to open that tomb." Anna replies mockingly and looks at me. "Sorry about that, that's what the whispers have been said through witches circles around the world.
"How did you know about the spell?" Damon asks regaining Anna's attention from me.
She smirks up at him as I pop my knuckles. "I didn't say much back then, which means I heard everything."
"So if you've been here the whole time, the why are we just crossing paths right now?" Damon asks and I roll my eyes feeling like they forgot about me, so I move and go to the mini fridge to grab a little glass of grey goose.
"I like to use others to do my dirty work." The female vampire replies while looking at her nails which makes her look like a normal teen like me.
"Like Logan Fell?" Damon asks with narrowed eyes and Anna nods at him. "Yeah, thanks for that by the way. Little bastard shot me." Damon glares down at her and he tries to look scary.
"Logan was an idiot." She rolls her eyes at the simple mistake that Steffie told me about. "We slipped him some blood when he started getting all poser slayer with that compass. I needed his family's journal... I couldn't let him die."
"What did you want with the Fell journal?" I ask tilt my head at her as my bangs cover my right eye.
"I thought it contained the location of the witch's spell book. I was wrong." She sighs as she runs her hand through her hair. "According to her journal, Honoria gave the grimoire to Jonathan Gilbert. And, according to this..." She points to the Gilbert journal next to me. "He gave it to your father. So now you're going to help me find it."
"Why would I help you?" Damon asks lowly.
"Cause you and I both want that tomb open." She replies strongly and opens up the journal, showing him what she had already read. Damon took the journal from him and I try to look over his shoulder at the pages. But once I get a glimpse of the writing Damon snaps it closed and wraps the string back around it before tying it off.
"Sorry." He says shortly and he grabs my arm before he pulls me out of the room, "I work alone."
"Bye, Ray. I'll see you later." she says waving at me and I hesitantly wave back at her.
"What did she mean by that?"
"Nothing." He replies shortly clenching his jaw.
"Damon, what aren't you telling me? What's going on?"
"Just come on." He drags me away as quickly as he can without blurring. "We have a grave to dig up."
"A grave? We have to dig up a grave Damon?" I ask as I pull my arm out of his hand. "I don't want to do that."
"I don't remember asking." He growls at me and I growl back.
"You either ask or I wrap you in so much vervain that you won't be able to get out of it for a meal." I glare at him letting the vine I have wrap around his wrist letting some vervain brush against his skin.
"Fine, may you please help me dig up my father grave?" He asks irritated with me and I smirk as I retract my vine back into my skin.
"There now that's the proper way to ask." I say as I get into the passenger side and he gets in before he starts driving into the woods. We stop somewhere and we walk into the woods.
"Can you help? My father was probably buried in an oak coffin can you use your plants to find out exactly where?" He asks and I nod before I sit down cross-legged with my hands in the ground.
My eyes closed, "Oak trees mighty and tall, please help me find one that was lost. Sadly buried in the ground in a coffin made from one of you." I chant in my father's tongue and I hear creaking all around me while I push my magic from my body into the soil. I take a deep breath and I open my eyes feeling a massive wave of peace and ease. I look around and I see Steffie and Elena digging where the oak trees showed me where the coffin is. I gasp as I pull myself back into my body and I look up at Damon, "2 and a half miles to the left of where we are now." He nods and he picks me up before blurring me to where I said. We stop when he hears Steffie and Elena while he puts his hand on the back of my neck. He looks at them with a furrowed brow and we just watch while I make sure the ground doesn't make any sound as we walk.
"What?" Stefan asks as he takes a break from shoveling to look up at Elena and she shrugs.
"Not many girls can say they've done this." She jokes and I roll my eyes as I watch him smirk at her a little and he goes back to shoveling. Suddenly he hits something hard with his shovel and he looks up to Elena before dropping the shovel to wipe dirt away to reveal the coffin. He digs his fingers into the sides and starts to pry it open.
"Is that it?" Elena asks softly while I feel Damon gripping my neck slightly as he opens the coffin. I use my magic to use some roots to look inside and I see the skeleton of Giuseppe Salvatore and in his skeletal arms he is holding a rather thick book. I pull my magic back before I watch him take the book from his father's long dead arms and then he closes the coffin. He climbs out and sets the book down before tearing the protective covering off. Stefan flips through a few pages and Elena leans in closer to the open grimoire.
"Well, what do you know?" Damon says making his presence known and making them turn around turning their light at us. "This is an interesting turn of events." He growls as he tightens his grip on my neck in anger at them betraying him.
"Damon, let go of my neck. You're hurting me." I try pulling his hand off my neck while I see Steffie looking at me worriedly while Elena look between us.
"I can't let you bring her back. I'm sorry." Steffie tells him seriously as he closes the book.
"So am I." Damon spits out feeling hurt and anger, but only letting them see how angry he is and he moves me so I'm against his chest with his arm around my neck, "For thinking for even a second that I could trust you."
"Oh. You're not capable of trust." Stefan hisses and I look at him as he glares at his brother. "The fact that you're here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself."
"Of course I was!" Damon growls in response. "Because the only one I can count on is me! You made sure of that many years ago, Stefan." He looked down at me making me look at him. "But you…You had me fooled. Did you know?!" He demands of me.
"N-No, I didn't, Damon. I swear I didn't even know about anything until you woke me up." I say as he keeps me close to his body while I try to activate my vine but he breaks my wrist.
"You're lying to me, you little anomaly." He hisses out at me as my tears fall down my face while I cradle my broken wrist to my chest and I see that my bone is sticking out of my skin.
"She didn't know, Damon." Elena steps forward and takes his attention away from. "We made the decision not to tell her when we updated her on everything when she came back home."
"So what are you going to do now, Stefan?" Damon asks while still holding me captive. "Because if you try and destroy that, I'll rip her heart out." I try to get out of his hold but he moves his hand to rest against my back while he holds onto my throat.
"No, Damon. Please. I didn't know. Let me go." I say as I try to squirm out of his grip but he tightens his hold on the side of my windpipe and that makes me stop working.
"You won't kill Belle." Stefan shakes his head confidently.
"No, you sure about that?" He strokes his fingers along my throat and I stiffen up as I try to look up at him.
"You won't, because you need her."
"Excuse me?"
"Oh really?" he says as my magic builds up in me and I glare at the ground as my blood spills onto the root that is barely underneath me. I focus hard as I try to get the tree behind us to move closer.
"Yes, you need her just in case the witch magic doesn't work to open the tomb." Stefan says as I feel the tree behind us slowly moving to us and I close my eyes trying not to let anyone know what I'm doing.
"But if you destroy that book I can always find someone else." He says as he shoves his hand into my back and I let out a gasp as I feel him gripping my heart as my eyes flash open a small shock-wave pushes through the ground making the tree warp slightly trying to reach me. "The book." Damon snaps at Stefan as he squeezes my heart. "The book or I rip her heart out, Stefan, so help me. A witch can cast the spell easily. There's no need for a backup."
Stefan swallows hard as I look at him my tears freely falling now and it breaks my concentration making me stop the trees movement. "I'm not going to give you this until she is standing next to us."
"Problem is, I no longer trust that you'll give it back!" Damon yells as he grips my heart painfully making my vision flicker in and out. "Now put the damn book down or I go for Elena next."
Stefan drops the book to the ground and Damon strokes my neck before pressing his lips to my head. "See? How hard was that?" He asks as he shoves me towards the two of them and I feel my blood flowing freely as Stefan catches me.
"Did I tell you two I got a letter from two school that have seen my work?" I ask softly as I look up at Stefan while he cradles me to his chest. "They're keeping an eye on me since Markus put my portfolio on the website." I say softer than before.
"Hey hey stay with us." He says as he bites his wrist while I close my eyes as my body is getting colder and lighter while I feel something against my lips. "Come on swallow." I open my eyes and I see he's holding his bleeding wrists to my lips. I open my mouth a bit more and hold his wrist softly as he keeps his eyes locked on mine while I drink his blood. He pulls my hair out of it's bun and starts petting my curls as I feel my muscles and skin pulling together healing itself with more blood I take. I tap his hand and he pulls his wrist away from me before he wipes my lips and chin with my shirt.
"Thank you, but I don't forgive you for not telling me Stefan." I say as I stand up while I feel my wrist snap back into place while I use my other hand to create a staff, so I can easily walk home.
"We were trying to protect you." Elena says as Stefan looks at me actually using his name not his nickname.
"See where that got you Elena? I'm back in town for about 7 hours and I've already been used as leverage with my heart literally on the line." I say as I take a deeper breath and wave my hand to have a tree branch wrap around me. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to get home before my pills wear off." I close my eyes and use my powers to carry me home. I get as close as I can and I use my oak tree dragon to set me on my roof next to my window. I climb in and groan as I see Damon on my bed looking through my sketchbooks. "Get the fuck out of here Damon. I don't want to see you." I say as I walk into the bathroom and strip down to my bra and underwear. I walk out and groan as I see him looking at a surrealistic version of myself. I drew myself with broken wings, bleeding black eyes, my skin cracking, sitting on a lake with trees coming to protect me.
"I'm sorry." I scoff at him as he looks at me while I get a pair of my black silk shorts that have a red, purple, and green tribal pattern on the sides and Tyler's old football jersey.
"I don't care. Get out before I make good on my promise and starve you." I say as I break off a piece of the staff I made in the forest and I use my newly healed wrist to have it shoot out and scrape his heart. "This time since you tried to rip my heart out. You get your heart scraped. We are now even. " I walk into the bathroom and turn on my shower as I look at myself in the mirror. I turn and see that my back is scarred slightly if you're really looking at it. I shake my head and strip down to nothing as I get into my shower letting the heat relax my body. I hear Hunchback of Notre Dame music playing in my head as I close my eyes and I see a Freckles getting on a plane. I smile as I see a little pot with dirt in and I actually feel myself there before I walk over to his seat. I wave my hand over the pot making the plant grow into a combination of Moonflowers, Forget me nots, and Viscaria and I quickly write in calligraphy,'I can't wait for us to have a trip together.' I see him and his associate look at the plant before I kiss his cheek. I hear him take a deep breath in and he turns around.
"Vanilla and Passionflower." He whispers and I smile before I move my body back to the shower while I keep my eyes there while I wash up using exactly what he said.
"Looks like someone wrote to you sir." The guy says as he points to the pot and Nik turns to the unattended pot.
He looks it over and smirks, "Well looks like my little Wonder surprised me." He whispers and turns to where my eyes are tilting his head slightly. "And I can't wait either." He says especially to me before I close off completely.
"I don't know if You can hear me
Or if You're even there
I don't know if You would listen
To a gypsy's prayer
Yes, I know I'm just an outcast
I shouldn't speak to you
Still I see Your face and wonder
Were You once an outcast too?
God help the outcasts
Hungry from birth
Show them the mercy
They don't find on earth
God help my people
We look to You still
God help the outcasts
Or nobody will" I start singing and let him sing the other sides of the song as they close up and start lifting off. He starts whisper singing as I start lathering up my body with my soap.
"I ask for wealth
I ask for fame
I ask for glory to shine on my name
I ask for love I can posess
I ask for God and His angels to bless me." I hear his sing clearly in my head while I start working on washing my hair imagining his hands massaging my scalp and I close my eyes.
"I ask for nothing
I can get by
But I know so many
Less lucky than I
Please help my people
The poor and downtrod
I thought we all were
The children of God
God help the outcasts
Children of God." I sing out as I finish washing up and shaving before I wrap up in a towel. I walk out and lotion up my legs before I get dressed into my pj shorts and jersey. I wrap my hair in a towel as I put a leave in mask on my face before I lay down and turn on the TV before I fall asleep to watching Nik look over me as I sleep.