~~ Beely . Alive, thank you so, so much for your reviews! They made us very happy!
When Bonnie emerged from her bedroom after half an hour of preparations, Kai gave her an appreciative up and down and a smile. She had changed into a clean tunic and fresh pair of jeans, her hair was pinched with some glittering butterfly clip on one side, and there was a thin golden chain around her neck, gleaming secretively as she moved, as though betraying a secret. It gave him a little unexpected turn-on.
"I gotta tell you something," he said, sobering up.
"What's that?" Bonnie asked, suddenly self-conscious, wondering if something else had happened while she'd changed. You never knew. Things changed on a dime. "What's the matter?"
"Well," he began, strolling slowly across the parlor, pretending to be seeking the right words and enjoying the worry flickering on her face. She had to learn sometime to chill a little. Or, maybe, it was the trust issue — she still believed any trouble could come from his side of the equation. "See, my coven all died, as you know. And I've been officially dead since nineteen-ninety-four, because my daddy decided it was time to forget I ever existed. Basically, there's no one left. And my family was very well off, and I mean really, really well off. Given our families' connection, the alliance you and I have learned too late about, I thought the most appropriate thing to do is to pass all that crazy-ass fortune to the only living witch of us all. You."
He stood before her, holding an open palm to her where a bank card lay with her name on it. He smiled.
"Nice time to be alive in Vegas, huh."
"What?" Bonnie asked as if she'd heard him wrong, looking down at the bank card. She waited for it to disintegrate and then closed her hand around it. It was real. She didn't think her friends would ever let her go utterly broke, but this was amazing, something of a gift that she never would have asked or let alone consider. It's not as if she'd been poor by any means, but with her father's death, her grandmother's and her own death, everything in between those had been a little iffy and complicated. A slow smile crept onto her mouth, one filled with appreciation. "It's amazing, thank you!"
She threw her arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug, and then drew back, trying to overcome the surrealism of the moment.
Her reaction, so endearingly girly and a bit childish in its emotional simplicity, amused him. "If you're gonna hit some casino, a shopping spree should be in order, don't you think?"
Bonnie considered his suggestion and the fact that it was such a casual thing. Her mind ran away from her, spiraling, telling her that playing games was stupid. There was a lot going on. Serious issues! Did they have time to be pretending they were in Pretty Woman? Her guilt didn't allow her to fully accept that. Not without help.
"You're right," Bonnie said, trying to remain and sound cheerful. She couldn't help her overthinking. "We should treat ourselves. We could die tomorrow."
"We'll do our best not to," he retorted carelessly. "And today you need a few new dresses." He grinned and opened the door for her. "There gotta be some cool stores in this building. Guess we should check them out."
"A few dresses?" She didn't want to overkill it. Where would she keep them? And why did it feel right but also so wrong?
She allowed him to guide her nto the elevator. They rode it down with animated babble, observing and discussing what they could see of the hotel, its fountain, the lights and other parts of Vegas they wanted to visit. As other hotel goers joined them on the elevator, it did nothing to dim Bonnie's enthusiasm. Some welcome to the young couple's excitement, others stoic and businesslike. Any doubts or guilt she'd had falling away with every floor they passed.
When they reached the ground floor and made their way out with the few remaining guests, Bonnie asked for directions from someone that looked to be working in the hotel, and was escorted to Missac.
"Oh my—" Bonnie said as she entered the store.
There were mannequins in the center of the room holding hands like two lovers preparing to float away on a cloud. One of them was wearing the prettiest dress that Bonnie had ever seen. Even prettier than her prom dress had been. She touched the end of the dress, rubbing the fabric between her fingers before moving onto the next one to catch her attention. There were rows and rows of cocktail dresses on hangers spread and showcased throughout. There was even a simple black one that reminded her of Jackie-O. She thought of Caroline. Mostly her style. She missed the blonde in this moment. She was always the best to go shopping with. "Are you getting yourself something? A tux? Maybe a better shirt?" Bonnie asked, distracting herself from the thought by seeking Kai out again.
"Why, something wrong with my shirt?" he teased, trailing after her, casting idle glances around the store.
"It's a shirt," Bonnie said. "You should get something with buttons. If I'm going fancy, then you should too. We'll match." She plucked one of the dresses off the shelf, held it against her chest for show and gave a half pose.
"What's so special about buttons," Kai murmured, watching her closely as he followed, drinking in the joy in her face that was so different from the constant worry he had been tired of seeing there. It stirred some unexplained excitement in him he couldn't quite place.
"They can be opened easier," Bonnie teased.
She took one dress off a hook, exchanged it for another, holding each against her chest trying to gauge the color against her skin in the side mirrors. She didn't see anything that pulled her in so much that she wanted to try it on, even with a manager's gracious help.
When she did, it was as if she'd been summoned to the dress by innate magic. It was simple, black, had a long train that would run the length of one leg, sparkling with beads sewn to it and a neckline that was made for a queen. An evil queen. She never would have looked at something like that for herself. It was too in your face, too sexy. She stroked the fabric, felt the beads beneath her fingers, smiling as the manager reached past her to free it of its hook.
"I'll need some shoes, too," Bonnie said, having lost sight of Kai for the time being. She didn't blame him for disappearing, shopping for dresses wasn't exactly the most thrilling event for a guy. The manager nodded, declaring she had the perfect pair as she headed for the shoe rack, returning a few seconds later with two options. Bonnie pointed to one and took both shoes and the dress to the change rooms.
Kai found his way back to her less than ten minutes later, and Bonnie was still busy behind the curtain in her changing room. Kai was wearing a new black jacket with a dark button-down shirt with a reddish tinge and a pair of slick black jeans. He caught appreciative glances from the manager who was waiting on Bonnie, a couple more dresses hanging over her arm to offer them next.
"Any particular occasion we're looking at?" she asked, either bored or just eager to attract his attention. "Perhaps, I could offer a more productive consultation if I know…"
"No special reason," he shrugged. "I would enjoy her wearing nothing just as much as any other piece here, but think of it as that Pretty Woman flick." He flashed her a nonchalant smile. "She'll spend an amount as obscene as she feels like spending, and all that really matters if whether she enjoys the process and results."
The manager offered a smile that came across a bit sheepish. "Of course, it's what we're going for."
Bonnie had to smile to herself as she overheard them talking on the other side of the curtain. It did feel like they'd been transported into a movie. Everything was so surreal and beyond her comprehension, and yet, she was going through the motions on auto pilot as if watching another version of herself live a little.
What next? She might… feel happy?
She peered at herself in all the mirrors, at the slit above her right thigh, and the train that nearly touched the floor and felt herself grow hot. The curved neckline and the built in bra helping to accentuate her breasts.
For a minute she had a feeling of not being herself, of being a joke, of taking things too far, and then it disappeared. With a hem, she whirled away from the mirrors and peeled back the curtain, her gaze immediately drawn to Kai.
"You look hot," she praised, flashing an almost carefree smile.
"I can try but I'll never reach your level," he grinned. And she looked brilliant. Absolutely stunning, and he wanted to drink her in fully and in every possible way however offensive for a public place. "We'll definitely take that, I figure."
"This is the one," Bonnie said without breaking eye contact with him, turning in place, her one hand on the train as it swished and swayed. The manager hemmed her agreement, happy to make a sale, and handed over all the other dresses she'd had on standby to another assistant. They ran up their clothes at the till, letting them walk directly from the store wearing them. Bonnie paid them extra, asking to return their other clothes to the penthouse. She hadn't remembered the number off the bat—leaving Kai to fill in that detail—but the managers assured them they'd do it immediately, and ushered the two outside to go have fun at the casino or a restaurant should that be their choice.
Bonnie had tucked the card between her breasts for safekeeping and took Kai's arm, slowly walking with him, admiring everything they passed as they moved through the Venetian's massive territory, garnering attention given their state of dress. A few days ago they wouldn't have been able to do this. At least Bonnie wouldn't have wanted to in case they got recognized by someone.
"Where should we start?" she asked.
They strolled the artificial street, admiring the replica of the canals with gondolas gliding through them like magic made for St. Valentine's Day.
"We could've been enjoying the real thing right now," Kai mused. "Had you not gone to meet Damon. Funny, how things change, right?"
"Don't remind me," Bonnie said, her eyes on the gondolas, on the way they moved through the water so freely. "I've always wanted to go on one. Maybe we should?" She was beginning to drag him in the boats' direction, hoping one of them would be free.
Kai didn't mind if she needed to grasp at this new experience as well, as though it would fix things that might have been but couldn't be. Even if it was a sort of a fake, perhaps, it wasn't all that bad.
"We won't ride it very long," Bonnie assured. When would she next get the chance? If she had to take what happened yesterday as her staple for the future, then she wasn't convinced she ever would. She smiled at the gondolier who'd guided the boat to where they could step down into it. She peered back at Kai, keeping a tight hold of her hand. She didn't want to fall in and then ruin the dress she'd only just bought.
They settled on the padded bench, and the gondola pushed forward and glided on, delicately steered by skinny man in a striped shirt.
Kai turned to survey Bonnie's face, wondering whether the turmoil of her life has lessened its grip on her yet. At least temporarily.
She kept her arm linked with his, closing her eyes, pretending for a time that they were in fact on one of the canals in Venice. That perhaps they were even in love. She didn't even let herself linger on how weird that would be or how wrong. All she wanted was for them to be two normal people playing dress up and enjoying a night out in a city they'd never been. She was free. He was free. She opened her eyes to look at him, observing his handsome face in the lights that surrounded the canal. She smiled, arching a brow when the gondolier started singing a song. She assumed it was something he often did to set the mood. "That high-school girl you told me about. Was she your first and last girlfriend?"
He laughed, surprised by the question. It was actually funny and a bit exciting that she still could surprise him. "Yes and no."
"What's that mean? You weren't into one another, you never made it public or your dad wouldn't allow it?"
"That means I answered your respective questions." He offered her a jocular smile. "She was my first, but not the last."
"So it wasn't love. It wasn't about love. It was just… sex," Bonnie said, whispering the word as if she didn't want the gondolier to overhear and be scandalized. "I should have suspected as much." She thought it over and then regarded him again. "Then why was your father so upset with you about it? About her? Assuming it's the same girl?"
"Because I was a fourteen-year-old siphoner, a part of a secretive coven my dad wanted no one to ever find out about, and God forbid I'd be closer to some outsider girl than to my dearest freaky family who forbid me to ever touch them. And — oh horror — what if that outsider girl gets pregnant. He viewed it as an uncontrollable situation and insisted on establishing the level of control he deemed appropriate. The girl was told off, and I got a broken arm among of many other bones, and a few other painful spells thrown my way while he was yelling at me until I stopped understanding where I was. I guess I owe it to Jo that he stopped before frying my brain or snapping my spine to fake an accident to prevent me from going back to school, like, ever."
"He sounds deranged and like he's the one in need of a prison world," Bonnie said, her voice relaying the disgust she felt for the man who thought he could dictate the entirety of his family's life. Part of her felt sad for Kai. It must have been horrible to be ostracized from your family and then told to steer clear of anyone who might make you feel normal. It almost sounded as if his prison world had started before he'd even been delivered to one. Tears came to her eyes, wondering if, had his father showed him a little love, Kai would have turned out differently. Would it have been that simple? Did one man possess that much power? She knew the answer was yes. Her mother had a similar hold on her for many years. She'd always wondered why she hadn't been enough. "Why did your mother never intervene?"
Kai's mouth twitched in a fleeting sad smile. "He was the coven leader. She never intervened. He always knew best. Enforced the rules. Taught the lessons. Delivered punishments. He could do nothing wrong — because look up the rule number one: he's the leader and he knows best."
"That's a cult," Bonnie said, her mouth twisting darkly. She'd never liked her witching experience, but she couldn't have imagined going through the same as he did and coming out the other side sane. She couldn't bring herself to agree with what he'd done to his siblings, but she felt, if she thought about it, she could see how — if treated the way he'd been — you'd eventually snap. She didn't want to pry into it any longer and she didn't want him thinking about it either. They deserved a good night. "I'm sorry I brought it up," Bonnie said, noticing that the gondolier had stopped singing. She didn't know when that had happened. He was looking past them, making sure they didn't collide with anything.
"Why? I realize you know nothing about my family, and you got questions. You just never really had them before."
"I didn't think they were important before. I had my mind set about you. About what you did. I couldn't see past what I knew. If I had looked closer, it might have been different."
He suspected as much, but it was still a bit of a stinging revelation to remind oneself of. Another what-if he had been denied. "And why now? Because we sort of kidnapped each other and got stuck on a save-the-world mission that could kill us both?"
Bonnie laughed softly "There's no better bonding than sort of saving the world together. Kind of forces you to let go of the stuff that usually hold you back. That drove you to stupid decisions." She was talking about herself, of course, her arm tightening on his as if to offer him a sort of side-hug.
"But I'm still the same guy you swore to never let out of the prison world," he reminded, simultaneously playful and serious. "Same guy who shot you and stabbed you, who murdered his family and bound your life to your friend's. Same guy you claimed to hate."
Those reminders stung and made her arm loosen, fighting with herself not to push away from him. Not because of what he'd said, but because of how she was supposed to feel about the situation. How she'd promised to feel. When did she become so fickle? When did it become okay for him to do what he'd done and for her to accept it? She hadn't excused it, not by any means, but she also didn't want to dwell on it anymore. There was nothing they could do about the past. They needed to move forward, and she was trying. She was doing her best, and if she admitted it, his actions the last few days and his lack of hesitation to rescue her had made her forget about those things. She'd needed help and he'd helped her, no questions asked. Not many people did that for her. Not many people remembered her.
She smiled slightly, her hand stroking his arm gently. "I still hate that guy. I don't appreciate what he did," she said, looking up at him. "But I like to think I understand him a little better. That maybe I can even relate and sympathize with certain things."
"It's not an abstract guy from a thriller novel," he said, narrowing his eyes. "That guy is me."
"I know," Bonnie said, still meeting his gaze. "You think I don't see you?"
He smiled. "I think you're trying to trick you mind into liking me. Which would be totally cool with me if it were genuine."
"It is genuine," Bonnie said and furrowed her brow. She didn't like having to defend herself against him when she was constantly battling her own thoughts. "You're not the heartless monster I thought you were."
That was curious. A thin ice, but tempting nevertheless. Too tempting to pass on. "What am I?"
"You are… infuriating," Bonnie said, her tone without heat or annoyance. "Challenging, interesting, sometimes funny and a showoff. Despite that, and if I dig really deep, I think you can also be sweet."
His mouth stretched in a wider smile. "Mmm. Wonder how deep you dig for that one."
When they finally made their way past the canals and stores and the luxurious lobby and came outside to the street, Kai turned to her, serious. "I gotta tell you something." When her eyes snapped wider in an instinctive jolt of anxiety, he dangled a key in front of her. "You didn't think I'd make you walk in those shoes, didja?"
"I wonder," Bonnie began, lowering her voice, allowing her own face to become serious like his had, "how many times you've been called a hero?" Two could play that game. She snatched the keys from his hand and pressed the unlock button. The lights flashed on a pretty, shiny brand new blue car parked very close to them. "What didn't you think of?"
"I think revealing one's cards is a wrong move when in Vegas," he played back, tipping her a wink.
"Or maybe you like keeping me in the dark," Bonnie retorted with a wink of her own. She jogged the short distance to the car, hoisting the train of her dress up so she wouldn't trip over it accidentally. She made sure to claim the wheel even though she had no idea where they were going.
He claimed the shotgun and stared at her with a cunning expectation. "Well, wherever you take us, Cinderella. The carriage is yours."
Thankfully, there was a navigator in the car. She wouldn't know where to start. All she wanted was to drive. She removed her shoes, setting them down on his side of the car so they wouldn't get in the way of the pedals, and began to drive. She had no direction in mind. They would simply go until something struck them as their next destination.
"How'd it go?" Caroline asked as Stefan exited the bedroom where they held Damon. She could hear him still yelling after his brother.
"As well as expected. You?"
"About the same," Caroline answered, sounding despondent.
They walked down the hallway side by side, taking a seat at the top of the landing where her research was still spread. Stefan looked at one of the titles, picked it up, flipping through the pages idly to see if she'd added more notes.
"Did Enzo offer up anything useful?" Stefan asked.
"Aside from aggravating remarks about speaking to Lily directly? No."
Stefan snapped the book shut and set it down to his left out of the way of being kicked down the stairs. Caroline copied his action, closing the remaining books one at a time, stacking them tidily beside her.
"Do you think maybe we should try to talk to her?"
"I already tried," Stefan answered, his features taking on a look of wretchedness. He hadn't bothered to tell her of his effort because the interaction hadn't garnered anything relevant. "She's catatonic."
"What if we—"
"She isn't someone we can rely on," Stefan interjected lightly. He smiled to let her know he wasn't shooting down her suggestions, but that he'd thought of them and come to terms with the fact that Lily was a dead end.
"What do we do then?" Caroline asked, her voice sounding panicked. "Did Damon give you anything?"
Damon had stopped yelling at the door, leaving them to be able to think a bit more clearly.
"Actually yeah," Stefan said, facing her attentively. "He mentioned the Gemini Coven and reminded me of something from before. When I first looked into them. When I couldn't find them. Joshua was alive then, but now—"
"—they're gone," Caroline finished, hating the flicker of excitement in her voice as the realization of what he was saying dawned on her.
"They're no longer cloaked," Stefan added, confirming her thoughts.
"The information's just sitting there," Caroline finished for him, their thoughts running a mile a minute. "We have to go to Portland."
Stefan smiled, grateful that she was on the same page and that he didn't have to explain everything grain by grain.
"One of us has to go."
Caroline frowned, confused before remembering their slew of prisoners. She sucked in a breath and slumped.
Stefan added, "I think I should stay. If anything happens and Lily or Damon get free—"
Caroline nodded without him needing finish the thought. Lily would rip her heart out and Damon might do so for the simple sake of revenge. One of the many fears Stefan still harbored where his brother was concerned. He loved Damon, he wanted the best for him, but he was well aware of Damon's flaws and their history. Damon wasn't going to let what Stefan had done to him slide. Not without a little punishment.
Caroline placed her hand over his, smiling softly as she gave it a gentle squeeze. "All I need are directions on how to get there."
Stefan glanced at their hands, turning his over to lace their fingers. "I wish you didn't have to go alone. That Alaric could help."
"Me too," Caroline said, her eyes dipping to their hands, to the way their fingers seemed to curl into one another so perfectly. Stefan was studying her features, drinking in the subtle changes on her face as she went through the varying emotions of what was to come. "I'll be okay."
"I know you will be," Stefan said confidently. That had never been his concern. He reluctantly released her hand and got to his feet, heading for his bedroom so that he could gather together the information she'd need to get to the Parkers house.
There was so much to see in Vegas, so many lights that pulled Bonnie in every direction that she had to slow down to see what they were passing. There was so much to do at night.
They drove past the Trevi Fountain outside of Caesar's Palace, past a theater advertising the Burlesque, a selfie museum that made both Bonnie and Kai laugh with delight, before stopping to watch the Fountains at the Bellagio from inside the car. She wanted to find her way up there, to run through the sprays, to watch their patterns as the water shot up and touched what it could of the sky. All of it was so beautiful. When they'd had enough, they slowly continued on their way, until eventually Bonnie steered them into the parking lot for Excalibur.
"I'm cheesy," she stated as she cut the engine, peering at the structure meant to replicate the Disney palace.
She put her shoes on, got out, waiting on Kai to do the same before starting toward the entrance in search of directions to the casino. Like the Venetian it had shops, restaurants and everything on display, beckoning you to buy. She paused beside the souvenir store, peering at the teddies and keyrings, most riddled with the MGM logos while others had cute sayings. She considered buying one for Caroline. Perhaps even Kai.
He'd done so much for her over the last few days and she had no idea how to repay the favor. Was a T-shirt really enough, though?
"See anything you like?"
"They're just useless trinkets," he said. "Gotta keep your eyes on the bigger prizes."
"You don't like trinkets? He the sentimental one who couldn't leave nineteen-ninety-four without his collection of CDs and otherwise?" Bonnie smiled softly. "What's the bigger prize?"
"That was different and you know it," he retorted with a mock defensiveness. "And we shall see how big a prize you get tonight. Who knows, maybe gambling is your secret talent."
"Maybe," Bonnie said, turning away from the store, heading back out so they could make a slow trek inside. They needed to draw money and get cards. "What's your preferred game?"
"Heck knows, I've never done that before. Besides, it's your night. We'll see how lucky you can get."
"What do you mean? You've never gambled? Never tried?" That surprised her. He could fly. He could do cloaking spells galore, and yet he didn't know how to play blackjack or poker?
"There's only so much you can do in a prison world where you're the only living being. But if you're such a seasoned gambler — by all means, teach me, oh sensei."
"I wouldn't say I'm seasoned," Bonnie clarified, guiding him through the tinkling of coins dropping in slot machines and excited chatter from the tables. She found the card machines they needed toward the back. She paid the deposit, loaded one grand onto each of their cards and handed Kai his.
Kai paid little mind to it, observing people around the hall, some torturing the slot machines, some crowding the tables, but each face held the same sort of desperate, morbid hopefulness that made Kai's teeth ache. Gambling without magic must suck.
"Wanna start with the slot machines?" Bonnie asked, scanning the pictures in passing, trying to find two open seats where they could quite literally sit and spin. Some eyes pulled toward them, taking in their attire, her dress. She smiled in return before claiming one of the seats with excitement. She was exactly like those hopeful suckers wanting to win. "Do you want a drink?" Bonnie asked, inserting her card into the machine, peering around in search of a waitress.
"Not the kind they serve in the open." He regarded her curiously. "Go ahead. Test your luck."
"What do you mean? The open?" Bonnie asked. Did he know something she didn't? That made her hesitate about ordering something and focus on the machine. She set her lines, set her bet, and pushed the go button. She kept a hand there, pushing as it stopped, watching her money dip down with every spin and then push back up fractionally. She loved the sound, the emotion attached to the simple action. She wouldn't say she was losing, but she also wouldn't say she was winning. "They say that if you hit a certain number of wins on a spin, then it's supposed to uptick… like there is a science to it…"
"Rumors," Kai shrugged with a smirk. "Rumors, theories and possible explanations make people more hopeful. It's comfortable to think so."
He reached around her to pull the handle. The pictures spun, then clicked into their fixed positions, one by one. All sevens. The lights blinked, and coins began to pour from the slot.
"Like magic," Kai whispered into her ear, and straightened.
"Whoa," Bonnie said, her heart leaping into her throat, overcome with the excitement winning brought. The people also flocked to watch as the money flicked above, over and over in bright red lights, announcing she'd won half a million. She was grinning from ear to ear. He'd given it away, and yet, it didn't diminish how she felt. She peered at him, throwing her arms around his neck to make sure he could share in her joy and she could whisper in his ear over the noise. "That's cheating."
"That's what I am," he smiled, holding her tighter. "Vampire with magic. The cheat of all cheats."
She opened her mouth against his neck, pretending to bite him, doing so only superficially before drawing back. The workers had come to stand by her side to, congratulate her and to call the floor managers to escort her to the VIP while they looked into her winnings.
"Well, Bonster, you just got even richer," Kai remarked as they proceeded to the VIP room. "How do you feel about that?"
"Like I don't deserve it," Bonnie answered, again keeping her voice low and between them. She didn't fully mean that though. She'd never used her magic in that way. Never thought to.
"Of course you do. You're the Bennett. The good one. The righteous one. The one who always saves everyone and pays with her own power and life. If anyone deserves it — it's you." He turned to catch her eyes. "And I mean it. Really. No jokes."
Considering he'd been on the receiving end of all of those personality traits, she had to admit she was surprised he thought so highly of her. She had to wonder if he was being genuine. She wanted to trust he was, and smiled softly. "Thank you."
After under forty minutes all formalities concerning Bonnie's new money were settled, and it was to be delivered to her now new account Kai had made for her earlier. They returned to the gambling hall, and Kai watched her with the sly gleam in his eyes, waiting to see what she chose to do next.
She took a hold of his hand, moving him first to blackjack, then poker, and lastly, the roulette. They didn't win in the same manner they had with the slot machines, but they won a few rounds legitimately and had fun boosting each other. Bonnie had started drinking again, being careful this time in what she was consuming, making sure she didn't get too drunk. She made to stand back, blowing into Kai's hand for good luck as he prepared to throw their next winning round.
He deliberately held back the power that itched to participate, and the round was lost. He glimpsed disappointment on Bonnie's mien and hid a smirk. Next round he toyed with the dice in his palm, fingers wiggling, before throwing, and gave Bonnie a wily look.
"How about that special touch? Wanna try your hand at it?" He leaned in to whisper in her ear, "How subtle you think you can be?"
She pressed herself against his body, as all the ladies did to encourage their partners, once again smiling as she made to take his hands in hers. She brought it to her lips again as though to blow, but instead, pressed a kiss to the inside of his palm and the dice, whispering the tiniest spell.
A slow smile claimed his lips as he hungrily watched her. The spot she kissed tingled, all the way through his arm and every whichway, up and down. That was uncomfortable and thrilling at the same time.
He flicked his wrist, throwing the dice without taking his eyes off hers. He wanted to prolong this contact, the feeling of his blood warming up all over his body. He heard the dice rolling and turning, but didn't care. It was another dimension.
Her gaze was locked on his as well, unable to look away, an acceleration charging between them as if she'd somehow cast a little magic on them. They heard the dealer announce seven and those that had joined in on their numbers and colors begin to cheer. Some men patted Kai on the back in thanks, women seemed to drag nearer, briefly averting her attention. She reached for him again, subtly claiming his space in a way she hadn't thought she ever would. She'd blame it on the alcohol and euphoria a little later. When the dealer started requesting their next line of bets, she broke the spell, did as requested and placed the dice in his hand again. This time she took her time to favor him with her magic, leaving no room for any of the other hopeful ladies beginning to crowd around him to push in on the action. This was about them and them alone.
He shook the dice on his palm, listening to them clicking against each other, then leaned in to Bonnie. He kissed her, and threw the dice on the table as their lips fused and jolts of magic and excitement shot through their bodies.
She had wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss, ignoring the sudden rupture from the crowd around the table as they hit another seven. Her hands found his hair, tugging gently, pulling him down with her until someone started clearing their throat next to them. Bonnie drew back from the kiss with a laugh, still looking at him, still in awe of their shared energy and how good she was feeling.
A shaky breath escaped Kai as she withdrew. His body felt as though she had pushed him into a room full of hot steam. He wished they could just zap to their penthouse and ravish each other.
He blinked, trying to focus on the rest of the world around them, on people celebrating and the casino manager who was talking to Bonnie.
They congratulated her for what appeared to be another winning streak. She thanked the manager for their effort, saw him trade out the dice they'd been using and set it back in her hand. They were testing her. They didn't say so, but she could tell that they suspected that the two might be cheating. They were. Only not in a way that anyone would ever be able to pick up. Feeling bold and like she was ready to step through fire, she gave a shake to the dice in her hand, placing them in Kai's hand again. A whisper and another kiss to his palm and everyone around them waited with bated breath for him to throw the dice again.
He jingled the dice in his hand again, leaning to her ear. "Someone's getting an appetite. I like it."
He grinned at her and tossed the dice on the table, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her closer.
"I'm having fun," Bonnie said, leaning into him. Again, the people around them went crazy, their excitement picking up a few hundred degrees. The management didn't appear too pleased with their winning streak, saddling up to the two again. They offered to take the two back to VIP and to get them some champagne, a polite way of asking them to step away from the table. Bonnie peered at Kai, letting him decide.
Kai was staring back at her with a question. "Whatever you want. Play or go?"
"Let's go," Bonnie murmured above the din. She didn't want to push their games further than she already had. The manager looked pleased, two other people arriving to escort them. Another round of congratulations and the compliments of a free stay in their penthouse suite. Bonnie smiled her thanks, not bothering to let them know that they didn't need it. "How was your first run at gambling?"
Kai sipped the champagne, not really wanting it. Another kind of thirst was gnawing at him, and not just blood. Not just any blood, either.
He pretended to enjoy the drink nonetheless. Pondered her question, and cracked a smile. "I think it was a very nice run. How much did you add to your wallet?"
"In total? Almost eight hundred thousand. I think. I lost track and was just throwing money around. I guess that's what happens when you have enough to throw around," Bonnie said, giving a twirl as she sipped at her champagne. "Any idea on where you'd like to go next? Maybe we should go dancing—unless, you uh, you're tired. I slept for awhile, but did you?"
Kai narrowed his eyes at her in a conspiring way. "I have one idea I could woo you with before the night ends. But if you want to slot in dancing, I'm not gonna stop you, Hurricane Bennett."
"Hurricane Bennett," Bonnie repeated with a lopsided smirk, draining her glass, setting it back down on the middle of the VIP table. "That's new." She didn't hate it. She very rarely made an impact to that extent on anyone anymore. It felt liberating. "I think you've done an excellent job at wooing me already, but what else do you have in mind?"
"You'll know when the time comes." He winked, and finished his champagne.
"It's a surprise?" Bonnie asked, her smile widening with interest, her hands moving to extend in front of her so she could take his hands and guide him out of the hotel. For a moment, she was overcome with insecurity that belied the dress she was wearing or the confidence she'd been portraying. "You know you don't have to keep giving me gifts, right?"
"I'm not a djinn from a bottle you rubbed, Bonster. It's not like I'm not participating in it alongside you." He shrugged off his jacket and put it on her shoulders. It was chilly outside.
"Pretty sure I did rub you the right way," Bonnie teased jokingly, winking at him as she slid her arms through his jacket sleeves. She hugged it to her chest, finding herself lifting one side of the collar to inhale his scent. She paused when she realized what she was doing, her cheeks warming, hopeful he hadn't noticed. She brushed off the action, fell into step with him and made her way to the cashiers so they could exchange their chips and leave.
He watched the gambling crowd idly while he waited for her. Even knowing he was in the real world, and those people were real, feeling, raging, enjoying and indulging, he still couldn't quite sense the connection. There was still a sort of a looking glass between him and them. Constant tugging hunger didn't inspire to get closer to anyone warm and living, either. Kai thought of Lily Salvatore and wondered what would become of him if he let go and followed the urges. He knew magic was getting you drunk. He believed vampire hunger could be worse. Which made sense in Lily's story. Even though Gemini were serving themselves by locking up their siphoners-turned-heretics, Lily's madness was a big part of the reason as well.
The manager smiled his face off, congratulating endlessly and inviting to come by again (but maybe later, much later), while the lucky couple strolled towards the exit. The air outside breathed its cold against their faces. Bonnie hugged the jacket tighter around her on their way to the car.
"So, what's with the dancing?" Kai asked. "Or maybe you're hungry, too?"
The exchange had taken its toll on her, dragging her down from the high she'd been on. "Maybe we should skip it. I could eat." She paused as she thought it over, searching his pockets for the keys. She'd had to give it to him earlier as she didn't have any place to put it herself. She pulled them free, twirling it around on her index finger once or twice. "I haven't asked—I didn't even think—but are you hungry?"
Her question elicited a soft laugh from him. He wondered whether she deliberately ignored or couldn't quite grasp the same answer he kept giving her. The only answer there was to it. "Always. It's how life — or, well, afterlife… undeath… whatever — is now."
She moved to his side of the car, pressing her body into his, her hands gliding along his chest and up to the sides of his face. She asked all the time because he didn't help himself or make the suggestion. "I want to help take some of that edge off."
His hands glided down along her sides to rest on her waist; his gaze was simultaneously of adoration and sadness. "The bitter point is that it can't be sated. As for the edge, I'm not there yet. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I'd be able to be around you if there was an edge…" He chuckled. "I guess you and I both are lucky I'm a born addict and not a ripper. I guess it coulda gone so much worse… Can't complain, really."
A bitter, nervous laugh escaped her at the idea of him being a ripper or going off the handle like everyone of her now vampire-friends did. Part and parcel of taking that next step into immortality. "That's a blessing really. Doesn't mean I can't make things a little bit easier? You just have to want it. To take it."
He leaned in to her neck, planting a tingling kiss under her ear, and whispered, "I always want it. But you have to want to give it up…"
Her scent was overwhelming, tugging at him with a swelling desire that nearly screamed at her skin touching his lips. A shiver ran through him as his teeth sank in her neck smoothly, and his arms tightened around her.
Her arms found their way to his waist, nails digging into his clothed sides as she held onto him, moaning softly as he fed. She was getting used to the sensations his bite elicited in her, feeling unashamed of body's reactions and the tingling that had started between her thighs.
He pulled away reluctantly, licking his lips. He stroked his fingers over the wound, murmuring a spell, and it skinned over. He kissed the corner of her mouth, and nudged her to the passenger's door. "I'll drive this time."
"Do you think that I should maybe take Enzo with me?" Caroline asked when she heard Stefan enter his bedroom behind her. She was in the middle of packing a small bag with clothes. She sat down heavily on the edge of his bed, her hands coming to rest between her knees as if she were expecting to be scolded.
"Why Enzo?" Stefan asked.
"Well, he's holed up doing nothing but watching paint dry. No matter what we do, he won't crack. Torture is the one game he plays at a pro level. Not that either of us planned to torture him beyond a little starvation. And that's only to keep the group weak," Caroline pointed out, using her hands as she spoke, feeling nervous and as if she wasn't sure she was making the right decision. "There's also his interest in your mother. I think he genuinely cares for her since she saved him from dying. If he understands how bad the Heretics are, he might even help us."
"We can't be sure of that," Stefan said, not at all believing that Enzo gave a fuck about anything but his own needs.
"I know, but it'll be worth a try, don't you think?"
Stefan paced back and forth, mulling it over, mentally cursing his brother for being so unreliable. If he'd be on their side for once and stopped needing to take control, things would have been different.
"Maybe," he answered after a long moment of silence.
"He won't hurt me," Caroline mused, her voice soft, cutting through something that was a huge concern for him. He fixed her with a soft glance, a look that spoke volumes of his disbelief. "I think he likes me." Stefan arched a brow. "Not likes-likes… but likes." She was saying that as if Stefan knew the three different variations of what should be one emotion. Girls could complicate everything. She got to her feet, moving to stand in front of him with a bit more confidence. "What I mean is he… we're sort of friends."
"Enzo is no one's friend," Stefan stated, his gaze begging Caroline to see the truth.
"He was there for me before when I needed someone. At least he tried to be. I have to assume that means something," Caroline said.
Stefan looked shamefaced, his eyes drifting to the floor. Since their friendship bump, he'd been doing his utmost to be there for her and prove that he valued her. That he loved her.
Caroline smiled tenderly and took a hold of one of Stefan's hands, his eyes shifting to her face.
"I can handle Enzo," Caroline assured.
Stefan didn't doubt that. Caroline was more than capable of taking care of herself. But Enzo was unpredictable and couldn't be trusted. He only hoped she wouldn't fall for his bullshit. He pushed aside his feelings and offered her a smile.
"I'll load him into the car for you," he said, removing his hand from hers, curling them into fists. "I would suggest untying him only once you get far enough away from Mystic Falls that he can't come back to try and free Lily. Or don't untie him at all."
"I doubt that will help get him on my side," Caroline said, laughing softly.
"I had to try," Stefan said jokingly, heading toward the door to go collect Enzo. "We'll meet you at the car."
She jumped into action, heading to his bathroom to freshen up and gather the last of her toiletries. She stuffed them into her bag, heading first to the basement to get blood bags for the cooler before heading to the garage.
Stefan was already there, setting Enzo into the backseat of Damon's car as though he were a child in need of being tucked in. His wrists were still bound, along with his legs, his mouth having been gifted a gag. Caroline peered down at him and frowned slightly. Enzo was glaring at Stefan. Caroline sighed softly, wondering if there would ever come a time when they weren't at odds.
Why did that even matter?
"Call me every couple of hours," Stefan said.
"I will," Caroline assured, showing him her phone proof that she had it before tossing the bag on the passenger's seat. They stood staring at one another for a while, unsure of what to do next, before Stefan inched forward and put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She returned the strength of the hug and breathed him in.
They parted a minute later, both smiling as she backed Damon's car out of the garage and slowly started to head out of town.
Bonnie's eyes narrowed suspiciously as Kai rolled up the driveway to what looked like a small private airport and parked on the near empty lot with just two other cars. He gave her one of his hallmark wily smiles and asked to wait a second while he jogged away towards the hangar. Bonnie stood hugging his jacket to her, rubbing her arms, and eyeing rows of small planes in the distance by the hangars, and a jet sitting on the runway. There were lights inside, she was certain the door was cracked open.
"What is this?" she asked when Kai finally returned.
"Hit me with your best guess," he grinned and jerked his head inviting her to follow him. He headed for the jet.
"You're flying me somewhere?" Bonnie asked as she fell into step behind him.
"You think?" He stopped by the ladder and gestured for her to climb. "Mind those heels. Although I'm pretty sure I can catch you if you decide to take a flight on your own."
"Appreciate it," Bonnie began, chuckling. "I think I'll save both of us that hassle." Using the ladder to keep her balance, she undid her heels and dropped them to the ground. Making sure the train of her dress was out of the way, she began to climb, pausing as she reached the top, looking down at him. "You sure of this? You know if we crash, we both die, right?"
He laughed, picking up her heels, and followed her up and inside, closed the door behind him. "I'm not sure I'd die, but I assure you I'll try my best to keep you alive."
The inside looked a bit on the posh side, making Bonnie think of it being a jet for VIP rent. There was a table in front of one of the chairs, and there were a couple of dishes covered with cloches and a bottle of champagne sitting in an ice bucket.
"We'll get you to that Bellagio restaurant next time — if we survive this trip, of course. So for now this is your dinner, tuck in. Hope you don't mind dining in the air." He flashed her a grin and proceeded to the pilot's cabin. After a few moments, the jet rumbled to life.
Bonnie raised the cloth to take a closer look at her supper and found a steak topped with a creamy mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes, cauliflower and basil.
She leaned down to take a deep lungful of the inviting aroma, licking her lips as she set the cloche back down, moving to join him in the front of the plane as she felt it begin to move beneath her feet.
She didn't want to sit in the back as if he were a chauffeur.
She dropped into the co-pilot seat, struggled with her harness for a second and watched the passing lights on the runway.
"Have you flown since you've been back?"
"Nope. Are you scared?"
"Just wondering if you know there are other planes out there too," she said, flashing him a smile.
"It makes it all even more interesting now, doesn't it." He returned her smile, and the jet accelerated, rolling faster down the runway, preparing to take off. "You sure you wanna let your food go cold?"
"I'll wait until we're in the air," Bonnie said, her hands coming up to grip the straps on either side her body as if they were about to take a long dip on a rollercoaster. Her gaze was fixed ahead, watching the runway, checking the sky for anything he might have missed.
Her attempt at watching every direction at once and anxiety gleaming through in her expression didn't escape him and added to his amusement. He slowly pushed the lever forth as the jet rolled faster and faster, and eventually its wheels came off the ground, and they began to ascend.
As the plane pushed her back in her seat, she tensed, excitement building in her chest until the lights that had been there vanished. She expelled a breath when the plane evened out and the rattling stopped.
"You did it," she murmured as if she'd had a doubt, her gaze fixed on the windows and the night sky. The longer they remained in the air, the more at peace she felt, as if they were capable of doing anything, of going anywhere, and as if they were safe.
He felt her excitement and shared it — it was hard not to feel a rush of thrill when taking off. Grinning, he peered at her to appreciate her amazed expression. Seeing her with that childlike wonder unguarded in her face added to his high. "It surprises you?"
"Best surprise I ever got," Bonnie said as she faced him, smiling brightly. She looked ahead again as if she wanted to make sure they were still alone, still sailing through the sky to nowhere. They could do magic, but this was the real magic. She undid the buckle she'd put on, sitting forward in her seat so she could peer past the nose of the plane to the city below where the lights twinkled like stars.
He wondered if she ever actually believed that he had flown them to Oregon. Perhaps, her mind simply refused to fully give in to such thought and kept brushing it away as too bizarre to handle. This astonished joy she was bathing in was totally worth it. It tickled him just the right way.
They sat quietly with one another, appreciating the atmosphere and the lack of pressure that came from being on the ground. At least for Bonnie. Another ten minutes passed before she eased out of her seat and disappeared into the back of the jet. When she returned it was with two glasses of champagne. She held one out to him, raising her glass to clink against his.
"To us surviving another day?"
It struck him as ironic as he took the glass, eyeing the bubbles skittering upwards and sticking to the walls. He didn't really feel quite alive since the turning. He missed it, really missed being a normal witch. He'd had so little time to enjoy it before it ended with another prison world.
He gave her an appreciative smile nonetheless and clinked his glass against hers. "To living in the now."
"To second, third and fourth chances," Bonnie added, tapping her glass against his before taking an appreciative sip. She savored the taste, glancing down at the instruments. "Be honest. How many times did you crash before you were able to keep the plane in the air?"
"Some mystery, remember? There should remain some mystery." He sipped his champagne, gazing at her cunningly. "Besides, I did more of that on purpose than for any other reason."
"Right," Bonnie said, unable to laugh at what she knew he was talking about. He'd mentioned trying to kill himself a half a dozen times and failing.
"And you know what? There's not quite any other feeling that comes any close to the sensation when you're going down from that crazy height. It's… exhilarating."
"Yeah, if you survive that fall, then that feeling must be amazing," Bonnie said, not really wanting to find out herself. She didn't hold out for her good luck. "It's all about perspective. The fact that we're up here is already good enough for me."
"Fair enough. Get that dinner, Bon. Before it's cold and no longer worthy of you."
"I don't mind a cold dinner," Bonnie quipped, taking his glass so that he didn't have to worry about it while flying. She shuffled off to back, cut her meat into smaller pieces and returned to the cabin so he wouldn't be alone. "How long do we have the plane for?"
"Time doesn't bind us, but we'll return when we're done. Don't worry your pretty head. You got me for it."
"I'm not worried, I was just… curious," Bonnie said, stabbing a piece of steak with her fork, offering it to Kai. "Want to try it? Does food even taste the same anymore?"
"No, it doesn't," he answered honestly. One of the forever reminders of how he was no longer alive in the full sense of the word. "It tastes… bleaker. Washed out. Sometimes with some wrong aftertaste. Like I'm not fully in this world anymore. A bit on the freaky side."
Bonnie's face went slack with stunned realization, her hand with the fork lowering back to the plate while she thought about it. She looked down at the piece of meat on the tip of her fork and tried to imagine it tasting different from what her watering mouth expected. Tried to imagine all her favorite foods and desserts and treats, the fancy coffee with cinnamon she liked to order at the Grill with her friends, her Grams's apple pie tasting anything but spectacular, and felt a ghost of devastation she would've felt. Damon had never really talked about it, nor had Caroline or Elena ever mentioned it to Bonnie. She wondered how bad it was for them. She would have to ask sometime. And she felt aching sympathy for Kai as well as her best friends. It had to be awful to be robbed of that reprieve of favorite comfort tastes that had to boost your mood when nothing else could.
"I'm so sorry," she muttered, eyeing the steak uncertainly.
"Me too," Kai said, and offered her an encouraging smile. "Enjoy your food, Bonnie, because it's worth it while you can. And don't ever become a vampire."
She chuckled despite herself, suddenly shrilly grateful for still being herself, still being alive. The steak was delicious, vibrant in its balanced spices and facets of flavor, and she did her best to focus on the taste to enjoy every smidgen of it. She didn't get to do that much in that madhouse her life had turned into in the recent years. She missed simple moments like this one where she could allow herself to think of nothing but the feast of flavors on her tongue.
"But if choosing between life and death," she tried, curious, "being a vampire can't be that bad?"
Kai pondered it. "Well, I guess it's not the worst thing if you're not alone. Because otherwise I guess I'd say it's not much fun."
"Damon enjoys it," she blurted out before she thought to stop herself. And stuffed another piece of meat in her mouth, chewing self-consciously.
"It suits him," Kai commented. "It becomes him, like it's the very thing he was made to be. But for someone like me, it's adding another addiction to keep battling every moment of every day, and after twenty-two years of that misery it doesn't feel like a fun eternity to look forward to."
"The hunger," Bonnie specified in a murmur. She thought of Stefan and his affliction, of Lily and the frenzy in her eyes. Caroline's first hours as a newbie vampire flashed in her memory in morbidly sharp colors. And then there was Kai who had not once tried to rip her throat out with his brand new fangs. "How come you're in control? Not ripping heads off? Not trying to drain me?" She set her eyes on his profile as though attempting to read the answers from his expression.
"Habit of knowing I have to control it," he said, and it sounded as though it was the simplest thing. "When you're a magic addict surrounded by witches all your life, and you're forbidden to touch them, and the penalty is cruel, you just have to work on your willpower." He chuckled. "It's like I should thank my dad for that school, as morbidly funny as it sounds."
The irony indeed, Bonnie thought to herself, smearing the piece of steak in the sauce before picking it off the fork with her teeth. She couldn't imagine how hard it all was, but she knew it wasn't fun. Every time he bit her, she was so encompasses in her own sensations that she never tried to feel for his. And now she wondered.
"I've been there, you know," she said after a bit, peering ahead in the dark. "On the brink of life and death where no one has any business ever being. I've been the anchor to the other side. A ghost— I've been a few things." She wasn't entirely sure what Kai knew about her and what he'd overheard. She and Damon had spoken about a lot.
He bestowed a simultaneously curious and bewildered glance on her. "Let's start with the ghost. How did that happen?"
"The first time? I overwhelmed myself with magic," Bonnie said, shrugging lightly. She didn't often speak about her trauma, although her almost every action or how she viewed things stemmed from trying to avoid her previous mistakes. It's as if that was all she did. "The second time a bunch of Travelers tried to overwhelm me. Have you heard of Travelers?"
"Their spell gave me a hell of a boost when I needed it, but other than that… not sure. Were they trying to snuff out all supernatural creatures with that?"
"They were trying to destroy the other side. Trying to help their big bad slip through without my knowing since every dead had to pass through me. He was trying to… I don't even know for sure. All I know is he succeeded, which is how I ended up in the prison world. My Grams… she made a deal…"
He frowned, trying to keep the train of thought, but her tale felt jumbled. "Wait. You're saying every dead one had to pass through you?" He blinked, stupefied. "Like, everyone? What…"
"Yeah, like everyone. Everyone supernatural, that is. Witches, vampires, werewolves, you name it. If you were something woogity-woo and died, you had to swoosh through me," Bonnie said, using her fork-holding hand to motion with. "Not the most pleasant thing either."
"But why? To what end, to come alive again?"
"No, to cross over to the other side. It's an in-between to heaven and hell. Like Purgatory, I guess. It's gone now, though, so if you die, you just die. I don't think you go anywhere," Bonnie said, trying to figure it out. She had spent so much time as the anchor, and so much time in denial, that she hadn't fully focused on making it her life. She couldn't afford it to be at that time. She'd have gone mad. All she knew was that she was alive. It was only after the Travelers that it started going to hell.
"And you were like… a gateway? For everyone and their dog to walk through you like you're some… like at all times?"
"Yeah, exactly. I was a door. I just don't know why it had to be so painful. Every time someone passed through me, it was like having my guts ripped out. You'd think that as a ghost I would have missed out on that event, but like, not even a little. You couldn't even get used to the pain."
He winced, side-eyeing her in a sort of awe. "And how many were there? Why did you even have to do all that?"
"You'd be surprised how many people die per day. Even supernatural. I didn't really have a choice. Either I act as the gateway or I don't live. Easy decision. It's not as if my life was any easier before."
"How did you even get yourself into such mess? It sounds like something impossible, even in the world with vampires and werewolves."
"Me? I didn't. I was dead. My friends thought I was with my family," Bonnie said, setting the unfinished plate in her lap. She glanced at the outside, at the big nothing that was ahead of them, and was thankful for the peace she felt. She didn't like thinking about those times. Didn't like sitting in the background watching her friends move on. "Damon came up with the idea. Or not really. An evil guy named Silas gave him the idea. His lady love used to be the anchor, she wanted to die, and… I was tagged in. There wasn't really much thought to the consequences. I don't think they mattered anyway as long as I was around."
Kai tried to mull it over. "Technically, for you to be tagged in for this after someone, you gotta be a descendant of that someone."
"I was… I believe. I never actually got to meet her or anything. The person who created the other side, she was like some crazy hardcore witch…"
He cracked a smile, turning to her. "I think you quite take after her, if not more."
"How is that?" Bonnie asked, genuinely curious.
"I don't know any witch more badass than you," he said without a shadow of doubt or flattery. "At your age and with near no training, you're quite incredible. Unbelievable, is the term."
"No, I'm not," Bonnie said, unable to see that herself. She appreciated what he was saying, what he was trying to do, but she didn't believe it. "You missed the part when I said I died? More than once? That's the opposite of badass... that's pathetic."
"You're missing the point, Bonster." His tone was one of a patient parent directed at a confused child. "You might've died. But what matters is that you're alive. You're here, and not a vampire or whatever, but a living witch with powers beyond your comprehension that come from your long and powerful family line, and you managed things that are impossible for just one young witch with your lack of training. You're a walking-talking miracle."
The fact that she'd come back from the dead a handful of times was a miracle. Who could say they'd had three chances to dodge fate? But she had to wonder if she'd come back wrong. If the magic she drew from still stemmed from more than her family line. How did it even work? Kai died and became a vampire and was severed from his bloodline. If he hadn't been, then his coven wouldn't have died. She knew the magic he had now came from inside him, from his vampirism, but were there still elements of his family line attached to it? Could he recreate the coven if he wanted to? Did it now solely live in him? And what about her? She'd been dead for months before finding some semblance of normalcy again.
She'd never really sat down long enough to brood about her past situations. She liked to pretend they never happened and that she was strong enough to handle anything, and so did her friends. It made both their lives and her life easier. It was the way it would always be.
Her lips curved into a smile, one that drew her from her seat and over to his side so that she could press a grateful kiss to his lips, thanking him for his kind words and support.
Another thing she hadn't done on a plane.
"Thank you. I've never felt that way about myself or what had happened in the past," Bonnie murmured, pulling back so he could fly unhindered. "I needed to hear that." She touched his chin, then briefly his cheek as if she was loath to let him go. "You're pretty extraordinary yourself."
She was coming to realize that more and more every day.
"I'll get us a little bit more champagne," Bonnie said, picking up her plate from her chair, disappearing into the back of the plane again.
Shortly after the dawn broke across the western sky, their jet successfully landed and rolled down the runway to a stop. Bonnie didn't recognize the place until one of the workers of the airport said welcome to LA. She was still processing when she climbed into the Toyota Kai had rented. Soon enough, she glimpsed palm trees and the ocean framing one side of the road.
For the first time in Bonnie's life she didn't want to ask what was coming next, she wanted to be surprised, to see what else he had planned. She couldn't believe that he'd flown her all the way to LA. What didn't he think of? For awhile she watched the scenery passing by, and then him, wondering how she could have been so wrong about him. How she could have been so wrong about many, many things.
Kai pulled to a curb and turned to Bonnie, a playful smile teasing his lips. "Hurricane Bennett meet the ocean. Ocean meet Hurricane Bennett, the luckiest witch in Vegas." He jerked his chin towards her door, inviting to step out and enjoy the empty beach in the early hour.
"You brought me all the way here for the ocean?" Bonnie asked, her cheeks flushed with pleasure. She gifted him her biggest smile and slipped from the car. Grabbing the trail of her dress she ran across the curb in the direction of the waves, giving a hoot as her bare feet touched the sand, childlike and gleeful in her excitement. All her troubles disappearing.
"No, not just for that," Kai murmured, stepping out as well, and watched her dance on the sand.
She ran back and forth through the waves, getting deeper and deeper until her dress started to cling to her side, the train floating on the top of the water like glittery seaweed. The water was cold, but she barely felt it. She disappeared beneath the waves, swimming a few short lengths, using her arms in ways that she wouldn't have been able to the day before if he hadn't come for her. As she eased onto her back, floating, riding the waves, silencing the rest of the world, she stared up at the sky as it began to brighten, thanking whatever God was keeping an eye on her for starting her day off in the most amazing way. When the chill started to creep in and she remembered she wasn't alone, she glanced in the direction of the beach, offering Kai another smile when she found him, slowly making her way from the water toward him.
He observed her with a delighted grin, gave her an up and down. "Hope you know a spell to spare yourself a cold. That would suck."
"A cold is the least of my worries," Bonnie said, her feet digging into the sand as she came to stand in front of him. She smiled, staring, considering, and then threw herself at him, fusing her mouth to his for a long moment.
A surge of heat traveled through Kai's body, contrasting with the wet cold of hers. He held her tight, reciprocating the sudden passion she infused her kiss with. Her lips still tasted of the ocean, its scent mixing with hers. When she broke away from him, panting, he once again put his jacket on her shoulders and rubbed them. "You're such a reckless mess," he laughed.
Her hands were resting on his shoulders, holding him close before sliding lower to beneath his shirt as he rubbed at her arms, pressing her cool palms to his warm skin. "Isn't that what you were aiming for?" Bonnie asked, arching her brow playfully. "Mission accomplished."
"Think I'm trying to make you reckless?" He narrowed his eyes at her in fake suspicion, acutely aware of her icy palms on his skin, as though burning through it.
"Reckless, no. Carefree, yes," Bonnie said, crawling her fingers playfully up his chest as far as her position would allow. "It's been a good night. A great night," she corrected, feeling as though good wasn't a decent enough descriptor.
"I merely wanted you to remember who you really are." He leaned in to her ear and nipped at it. "Because it felt you long forgotten your true self."
"I haven't had much time to be myself over the last couple of years," Bonnie retorted, her lower lip trembling slightly, remaining close to him. "You seem more relaxed yourself. How are you feeling? How's the spell to the heretics?"
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Same old. When they break free, I'll tell you."
That was a relief, one she wished she didn't have to think about and that dimmed things the tiniest bit. If she could have more mornings or evenings like this, life would be so different — better. She closed her eyes and leaned into him, letting herself pretend that it was different. An image of Caroline's face springing to mind. Bonnie missed her. Was she okay? How was she doing with Damon? What about Lily? Was she still desiccating and if so, what did they decide to do with her? She squeezed her eyes tighter, hating that she let her usual concerns intrude on her good feelings.
He closed his eyes, enjoying the closeness of her body, holding her to him. It felt too good to be true: the whooshing lull of the ocean, the beginning of a great day, Bonnie clinging to him and already beginning to generate heat between their bodies. Her coldness began to dissipate.
"There's something else you could do while you're here," he said.
"What's that?" Bonnie asked, peering up at him playfully.
He raised a hand with her cellphone in it, and smirked wilily.
"What's this for?" she asked, taking the phone from him. She was already unlocking it, her fingers scrolling to find the only number it had saved. "I thought I wasn't supposed to contact her anymore."
Kai produced a cell SIM card, still in its package, and wiggled it before her. "One-time thing. New number that you'll throw away after you're done. If anyone tracks it down to LA, we're not here."
She jumped at the opportunity, flipping the phone over, making quick work of opening it up.
She tore open the packaging for the new SIM card and inserted it into the phone, registering the new pin and everything she needed to do to set it up. She handed him the empty torn package to hold and pressed dial on Caroline's name. She waited for her friend to answer, her eyes on Kai, grateful for his thoughtfulness and ability to read her mind. At least it felt like it.
"Just remember," Kai said while she waited, "no details that the Heretics could read from her mind. Nothing to use her against you. Be careful. Spare her that trouble."
With that, he turned and strolled away towards the car to give her privacy.
At least what she perceived as privacy.
"I'll be careful," Bonnie murmured, watching him go, her eyes following him back to the car before settling on the ocean again. She planned to enjoy the view, the sound of her best friend's voice and the feeling of what could only be described at joy for as long as possible.
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Chapters 23 and 24 are on Early access on our Boosty and will eventually be posted here.
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