(1) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Eighty

Back at the house in the wood, Alaric is walking towards the house alone, with no sign of Damon or Cassandra. He raises his fist when he reaches the door, and knocks it against the wood. The door opens to reveal Frederick on the other side, he raises an eyebrow in question.

"Oh, good, someone's home." Alaric offers with a small smile. "Uh, could I use your phone?" He asks and then motions behind him" My car broke down a few miles up the road. This was the first house I saw"

"Well, lucky you" Frederick comments with a growing dangerous smirk.

"Yeah. Lucky me. It's no trouble, is it?" Alaric asks.

"Not in the slightest."

"Great. Whew," Alaric offers and then enters the house. "Hey, man, I really appreciate it. It's rough out there" Frederick glances to another man behind him.

"Billy, show our visitor where the phone is in the kitchen. And get me something to drink"

"Yeah. Sure thing." Billy answers and leads Alaric into the kitchen just through a door to the right. Miss Gibbons is already in here, preparing food at the kitchen counter. "Hey, Miss Gibbons, this guy wants to use your phone"

"Oh, sure, honey. It's right there" Miss Gibbons shows Alaric to the phone.

"Thanks" Alaric walks towards the phone, when Billy comes at him with a stake. Alaric is too quick for him and grabs the stake and stabs him with it. He then turns on the faucet and starts the blender to create noise so that the vampires in the house can't hear what he is doing. Miss Gibbons watches him as he moves around the room towards her.

" What's happening?" Miss Gibbons asks as Alaric takes her arm and pulls her across to the door.

"I'm really sorry. But you're gonna need to invite a friend of mine inside." Alaric opens the door and Damon is standing outside with Cassandra.

"Oh, I'm sorry. He's not allowed in the house" Miss Gibbons argues.

"I know that. But you've gotta make an exception" Alaric counters.

"Get her out of the house" Damon snaps.

"Wait" Cassandra grabs Damon's arm, she knows where this is going. And she won't stand and watch a little old woman die. "Let me try something" Damon looks at her. "Please" He lets out a breath but then nods. Cassandra enters the house and holds up her hands on either side of the woman's head. Her eyes begin to glow red as her mist flows into the older woman's mind.

"What are you doing?" Damon asks.

"Hmmm trying to undo it" She answers as she tilts her head. She scrunches up her nose and then stops, pulling a hand back from Miss Gibbon's head. "Why don't you invite him in?" Cassandra asks her softly. "It's okay" She assures the woman who then nods.

"Hi, honey, would you like to come in?" Miss Gibbons asks Damon who tests the door and then steps through without issue. Damon looks at Cassandra.

"Nicely done," He tells her softly, she glances at him and then turns back to Miss Gibbons.

"Do you have any family you can go and stay with?" She asks her, Miss Gibbons who shakes her head. "Friends?"

"There is Adele Eastwood" Miss Gibbons. "She lives in town"

"I think you should go and stay with her. It'll be like Golden Girls, you'll have fun, gossip about the neighbours" Cassandra offers. Miss Gibbons nods and then leaves the house, walking away. Cassandra pulls back her powers once she is sure that Miss Gibbons is going to do exactly what she has been told. Damon looks at Alaric.

"Get back to Elena," Damon tells him, Alaric leaves out the back of the house and Damon steps closer to Cassandra. The two of them sharing a look, he nods and touches her arm. "Give me time to draw them out" He whispers, she hums and nods in agreement before turning and placing herself against the wall out of sight. Damon is suddenly out of sight as another vampire enters the kitchen. He turns off the sink and blender. He approaches the pantry, ready to open the door when Damon opens the door first and plunges a stake into his chest. Killing him.

........

Alaric runs back to the car, he flings opens the door and notices Elena isn't there, where she is supposed to be. He grabs his bag from the back seat and sighs.

"Damn it, Elena!" He complains and then hurries off.

..........

Elena jumps onto the porch and keeps crouched by the wall to keep herself hidden. She starts to move on, but hears Frederick from inside.

"Billy, Jacob, get back in here!" Elena runs past the door and goes down a staircase that leads to the cellar. She tries to open the door, but it is locked. She busts out one of the windowpanes, unlocks the door and opens it. A man is standing guard by a door at the end of the hallway. Elena gets her vervain syringe out and is ready to attack, but red mist tugs him away from Elena, pulling him along the hall. Cassandra then twists her hand, pulling out his heart. She lifts her head and gives Elena an annoyed look.

"Are you insane?" Cassandra hisses at her. "I told you to wait in the car"

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

In the cellar of the house, Stefan and another vampire, Harper are restrained and trapped. Neither of them looks very good. There is a cold, dark, deathly feeling about this room. Stefan lets out a breath and glances at Harper.

"Thank you. For trying to help me"

"They just needed somebody to blame. Someone to punish" Harper offers Stefan. The door to the cellar then opens with a burst of red mist and Elena and Cassandra enter the cellar. Stefan appears surprised to see them both.

"You shouldn't be here..." He tells them.

"She was supposed to stay in the car" Cassandra complains and holds out her hands. "Let's get you down." She uses her powers to release Stefan from his restraints, Elena catching Stefan, stumbling a little when he falls into her. Cassandra then moves closer to Harper. "What about this one?" Cassandra asks and tilts her head.

"Let him go" Stefan answers. She hums a little and holds up her hands, pulling and twisting her powers to pull the stakes out of Harper's legs.

"Can you walk?" Cassandra asks Harper. He nods as he turns to sit up.

"Yes, thank you" He offers as he stands, Cassandra hums and turns to Elena.

"Get him to the car," Cassandra tells Elena as she motions to Stefan.

"What about you?"

"I can't just leave Damon up there" Cassandra answers and then starts to walk away. She can't in good conscience leave Damon to deal with the rest of the vampires alone.