The mid-morning sun filtered through the dense trees as Tatum made her way to the clearing near Wickery Bridge. Her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts—Klaus's manipulation, Damon's protectiveness, and the haunting revelations about her ancestry.

Bonnie was already waiting, sitting on a fallen log with a grimoire open on her lap. She looked up when Tatum approached, her expression softening as she took in Tatum's tense posture.

"Tatum," Bonnie greeted, closing the book. "What's going on? You look like you haven't slept."

"I haven't," Tatum admitted, sitting down beside her. "There's just… a lot. And I don't know where to start."

Revealing Klaus's Influence

Bonnie listened intently as Tatum recounted her encounter with Klaus, her voice trembling as she described his claims about the Solas curse and her potential. By the time she finished, Bonnie's jaw was tight, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Klaus is manipulating you," Bonnie said firmly. "That's what he does. He finds your weakness, exploits it, and uses it to control you."

"I know that," Tatum said, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "But what if he's right? What if my magic really is unstable because of this curse? What if he's the only one who can help me control it?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No. He's not the only one. He just wants you to think he is. You have me, and we can figure this out together. You don't need him."

"But what if I do?" Tatum blurted out, her voice breaking. "Every time I use my magic, it feels like I'm barely holding on. Like it's bigger than me. What if he's the only one who understands that?"

The Cost of Dark Magic

Bonnie took a deep breath, her tone softening. "I get it, Tatum. I do. I've been where you are—scared, overwhelmed, desperate for answers. And I've made mistakes because of it."

Tatum frowned. "What kind of mistakes?"

Bonnie hesitated, her gaze dropping to the grimoire in her lap. "When I first started practicing magic, I thought I could handle anything. I tapped into dark magic because I thought it would make me stronger, give me control. But it didn't. It consumed me. It made me do things I still regret."

Tatum's chest tightened. "You think that's going to happen to me?"

"I think Klaus wants it to happen to you," Bonnie said, her voice steady. "He doesn't care about helping you, Tatum. He cares about your power and what it can do for him."

A Plan for Control

"So what do I do?" Tatum asked, her voice trembling. "I can't just ignore this. If I don't figure out how to control my magic, someone's going to get hurt. Maybe me."

Bonnie placed a comforting hand on her arm. "We'll figure it out together. There's still so much we don't know about the Solas witches, but the answers are out there. And until we find them, I'll teach you what I can. Safe magic. Magic that strengthens you, not the curse."

Tatum nodded, though the knot in her chest didn't loosen.

A Quiet Moment

For the next hour, Bonnie guided Tatum through a series of grounding exercises. They practiced focusing her energy, channeling it into simple, harmless spells.

At first, Tatum struggled, her frustration bubbling to the surface as her magic refused to cooperate. But Bonnie's patience and encouragement kept her grounded, and slowly, she began to feel a flicker of control.

"You're doing great," Bonnie said as Tatum created a small orb of light between her hands. "See? You don't need Klaus. You just need to trust yourself."

Tatum smiled faintly, the warmth of the light in her hands easing some of the tension in her chest. "Thanks, Bonnie. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'll never have to find out," Bonnie said, her tone firm.

A Lingering Threat

As Tatum walked home that evening, the peace she'd felt during her practice with Bonnie began to fade. Klaus's words still lingered in her mind, a quiet, insistent whisper that refused to be silenced.

"Your power is bigger than them. Bigger than you know."

She stopped at the edge of the forest, glancing back toward the clearing. For a moment, she thought she saw a shadow moving through the trees.

But when she blinked, it was gone.

With a heavy sigh, Tatum turned and continued home, her resolve shaky but intact. She didn't need Klaus. She had Bonnie.

At least, that's what she kept telling herself.