(1) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Sixty-Three

Cassandra and Damon arrive at the party in the woods and see over a dozen students drinking and chatting together. The Duke party is underway and roaring. Teenagers are already drunk. It's loud. Cassandra walks to a stop so she can look around.

"The Duke party," Cassandra whispers. "I kind of forgot" She catches up with Damon. "I hope they stay clear of the church." She mumbles, Damon looks at her.

"Your hope, not mine" He mumbles and then rolls his eyes as Tyler walks towards them, and by them, it is likely that Tyler is only here for Cassandra. "Ah jeez, this guy" Damon complains.

"Hey, Cas, was hoping you'd be coming tonight. Where have you been?" Tyler asks, his eyes firmly on Cassandra. Damon curls his arm around her waist and leans closer. Tyler's eyes flickering to him, acknowledges this action from Damon.

"Long story, no time to tell it" Damon answers instead.

"I wasn't talking to you" Tyler growls a little.

"Well, this is all great and all" Cassandra shakes her head and pushes Damon a little and gives him a look. "You and I are going that way," She tells him, he gives Tyler a glare but walks away from them. Cassandra turns to Tyler and gives him a dirty look.

"Really? That guy?" Tyler asks her.

"Yeah, that guy or that guy" She points to a guy at the party. "Or that one" She points to another. "It doesn't really matter which one it is because it would be none of your business" She points out and follows Damon. Cassandra catches up with Damon. He throws his arm over Cassandra's shoulders and sends a smug look back at Tyler who clenches his jaw in annoyance.

.................

Stefan climbs up from the tomb with a shovel in hand and joins Sheila, Elena, and Bonnie who are waiting near the entrance of the tomb.

"Cleared the debris away. Set the torches like you asked. We can get down now" He assures them. Stefan places the shovel against a rock. Cans of gasoline lie nearby and Bonnie looks at them.

"What is that?" Bonnie asks.

"It's everything I need to destroy them" Stefan hands Sheila a flashlight.

"Are you sure that Damon will come back with her?" Sheila asks Stefan. Damon whistles. They turn and look at him and Cassandra as they approach the tomb.

"Brother" Damon greets. "Elena. Witches" Damon strides past them with the grimoire, Cassandra trudging along behind him. Damon descends the stairs into the tomb. Elena walks over to Cassandra who lets out a breath.

"You okay?" Elena asks her, Cassandra nods and gives her a small smile.

"I just want to get this over with" Cassandra answers. "Are we ready?" She turns to Bonnie who nods.

"I guess so" Bonnie offers.

...........

Sheila is now lighting the torches at the tomb. Bonnie stands next to her as Stefan, Damon, Elena, and Cassandra watch from the entrance. Cassandra folds her arms over her chest and takes a breath. This is by far the weirdest thing she has ever done.

"Air. Earth. Fire" Sheila points out.

"Water." Bonnie holds up a water bottle and Sheila takes it, sprinkling the water on the floor.

"That's it? Just water from the tap?" Elena asks.

"As opposed to what?" Sheila asks.

"I just figured maybe it would have to be blessed or mystical or something" Sheila smirks at Elena. Damon pulls out a blood bag and unravels it.

"What's that?" Stefan asks his brother.

"It's for Katherine. Gotta have something to get her going. Unless your girl's offering a vein to tap" Damon looks back at Elena, who looks at him, unamused. Stefan sighs and Damon whispers his next sentence to him. "Admit it - you can't wait to get rid of me" Stefan chuckles humourlessly.

"I can't wait to get rid of you" Stefan admits. Bonnie looks up at them from the ground.

"We're ready" She announces.

...........

Bonnie and Sheila are reciting a spell at the tomb, their eyes shut and hands interlocked. Damon leans closer to Cassandra at his side.

"What are they saying?" He asks her, she glances at him.

"How would I know?" She counters, he wiggles his fingers at her and she shakes her head amused. "That doesn't make me a witch" She argues. "I'm a psychic, it's different."

"Sounds Latin" Stefan offers.

"I don't think it's Latin" Elena argues a little. After a few more seconds of the witches reciting the spell, the torches flare-up. Elena grabs onto Stefan's arm. "What's happening?" She asks. The door to the tomb creaks open. Sheila and Bonnie stop chanting and look up.

"It worked!" Bonnie points out.

"Of course it worked," Sheila tells her. Damon turns to Stefan.

"We have some fires to build" Damon points out. Stefan touches Elena's shoulder.

"I'm gonna go get the gasoline, I'll be right back," He tells her, Elena nods and Stefan ascends the stairs out of the tomb. Damon looks from Bonnie and Sheila to Cassandra.

"You ready?" He asks her. Cassandra turns and frowns at him.

"What?" She asks him.

"You promised to help, remember?" He reminds her, she glances at the tomb, she didn't really think that meant going inside of the creepy tomb filled with vampires was what would be in store for that promise. She swallows a little. Damon looks at the two witches. "You think I'm gonna go in there by myself so you can seal me in?" He takes Cassandra's arm and she glances at his hold.

"Don't take her in. I'll bring the walls down" Sheila warns him.

"You'll bring the walls down if I don't. You think I trust you?"

"As much as I trust you"

"Enough. Both of you." Cassandra scolds a little and tugs herself out of Damon's hand. "Look, he needs leverage. He needs to know that you're not going to shut the door when he gets inside. I get it. I'll go" She assures Damon. He turns and grabs a torch from the circle.

"May I?" He asks, not really looking for permission. Elena touches Cassandra's arm and the sisters share a look. Cassandra nods reassuringly at her before she follows Damon into the tomb.