(2) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Katherine, Damon and Stefan are trapped in the room together. Damon tests the boundary spell and pulls a face when he still can't get through. He lets out a breath and shakes his head. This is annoying him already. Being this close to Katherine. Especially now he knows he can't kill her like he wants. Killing Katherine would kill Elena which would hurt Cassandra. Which defeats the object of killing Katherine. To keep the girls happy and safe. Cassandra would be a wreck if anything happened to Elena. He lets out an annoyed breath and wrinkles his nose.

"The three of us together just like old times" Katherine offers with a smirk. "The brother who loved me too much and the one that didn't love me enough"

"And the evil slut vampire who only loved herself." Damon counters as he turns to face the room again.

"What happened to you, Damon? You used to be so sweet and polite."

"Oh, that Damon died a long time ago" Damon informs her.

"Good. He was a bore" Katherine comments, Damon clenches his jaw in annoyance.

"Oh, why don't you two stop antagonizing each other?" Stefan complains.

"Where is the moonstone?" Katherine counters.

"What do you want with it?" Stefan asks her, she holds up her head a little and looks between the two brothers.

"You know...I just don't see it" Katherine comments, Damon frowns at her.

"What?" He asks her.

"You and Cassandra together" She answers as she leans an arm over the back of the couch. "What does she even see in you? What could you possibly have in common?" She cocks her head. Stefan looks at Damon and then looks at her.

"That was really desperate, Katherine" He scolds. "Don't you think that we can see right through you?" He asks her.

"So it doesn't bother you that Damon's in love with your girlfriend's sister?" She counters.

"Oh, stop it," Stefan complains.

"Or what? You'll hurt me?" Katherine mocks as she gets up. "Come on, Stefan. Everything that I feel, Elena feels, so go ahead" She looks at Damon. "Or better yet, kiss me, Damon. She'll feel that too." Damon just glares back at her. He doesn't like that she brought his relationship with Cassandra into this, but it is not exactly a surprise. It is what she does. Manipulates.

"You know, this whole Mason thing has me a bit confused" Stefan admits changing the subject. "Why a werewolf? The moonstone can break a curse that would help them destroy all vampires so what's in that for you?"

"Sorry about your pet wolf, probably should have kept him on a tighter leash" Damon adds.

"I'll have to remember that for next time. He's not the only wolf in town" Katherine counters with a smirk. Damon moves back to the doorway and tries to peer through it with a scowl.

"Damn it! Where is that witch?" He complains.

"We could play charades" Katherine offers.

"You bargained the moonstone." Stefan mumbles, more to himself than the others.

"What are you mumbling about over there?" Damon asks, turning to look at his brother. But Stefan's attention is on Katherine.

"When you struck a deal with George Lockwood, to help you fake your death, to help you lock away Ally..." Stefan lists off. "You told me that you gave George something that he needed. It was the moonstone, wasn't it?"

"Good for you, Stefan. Two plus two...And it would have worked except that people found out that I wasn't in the tomb" Katherine turns and looks at Damon. "Thanks to you, by the way. Have I mentioned how inconvenient your obsession with me has been?"

"You and me both, honey" Damon counters.

"Why do you need it back?" Stefan asks Katherine who ignores him, chooses to play with his tie instead.

"I love you in a suit, so dashing." She comments.

"What were you doing with it in the first place?" Stefan continues.

"You're wasting your breath, Stefan," Damon warns him.

"Unless it wasn't yours to begin with" Stefan realises. "In 1864 you faked your death. Who were you running from, Katherine?" Stefan's eyes flicker to the bracelet around Katherine's wrist, the matching one to the one they took from Mason. He grabs her wrist and pulls the bracelet from her wrist.

"Now!" Damon states knowing that Cassandra can hear him. Katherine's eyes begin to glow red but flicker and then fade again. Katherine laughs and shakes her head.

"I learnt how to block out those powers a long time ago" Katherine points out and rips her hand from Stefan's grasp. "I didn't need the bracelet" She takes it from Stefan and then throws it into the fireplace. "My sister has the same powers, remember, and my sister is more powerful than your baby psychic" She drops onto the couch again and smirks at them both. "Where is she anyway?" She asks them. "Where did that insect scurry off to?" Damon takes a step towards Katherine but Stefan stops him. "Touchy" Katherine mocks him with a smirk before she looks at Stefan. "In 1987 you were in Chicago, at a concert of all places with that wench, Lexi. Come on Stefan, don't look so surprised. Of course, I checked in on you over the years. You were standing in the front row, dancing all night. You were watching Bon Jovi and I was watching you"

"Who were you running from?" Stefan repeats. Katherine doesn't answer but mouths 'I love you' to Stefan. Damon lets out a breath and moves to pour himself a drink, he really needs a drink. "We're missing the party." Katherine comments. "I'll have one of those"

"Right away, Miss Katherine" Damon mocks, mimicking the voice of a servant boy as he gives her the glass.

"Thank you" She drinks. He grabs her and pushes her against the wall. He tries to stake her but Stefan stops him.

"No, no! Damon, don't!" Stefan tells him.

"Yes, Damon, please" Katherine counters. Stefan and Damon share a look.

"Killing her hurts Elena and that hurts Cassandra" Stefan reminds Damon who blinks a little. His eyes move back to Katherine.

"The second the spell is lifted, I'm gonna drive a stake right through your heart" He threatens her as he lets her go.

"God, you're hot. When did you get so hot?" Katherine asks him as he moves away, curling his fingers into his palm. Lucy appears in the doorway, she has the moonstone in her hand.

"Katherine, the spell on this room has been broken, you're free to leave," Lucy tells Katherine.

"Thank God"

"When I hand this over my debt to you is over." Lucy continues, trying to make her terms clear, trying to make sure that she hears what she wants to hear. Katherine would manipulate the situation in her way, Lucy wants to make sure that doesn't happen here. 

"Done" Katherine assures her.

"I owe you nothing"

"I said done. Give it"

"I wouldn't do that" Damon warns but Lucy gives her the moonstone anyway, the second it lands in Katherine's palm, she can't breathe.

"You should have told me another witch was involved. She's a Bennett witch, Katherine, but I'm sure you knew that" Lucy then leans closer. "And the..." She stops and leans back, glancing at the brothers. "You should have told me about the psychic too," She tells Katherine.

"Wait, Elena?" Stefan asks her.

"Elena's fine" Lucy assures him as Katherine falls on the floor. "The spell is broken. She'll heal quickly, her sister is with her" Katherine is suffocating on the floor. "I apologize for my involvement" Lucy then leaves as Katherine falls unconscious. Damon lets out a breath and looks at the stake in his hand.

"Damon" Stefan starts.

"I have a better idea" Damon starts and looks at his brother. "A little eye for an eye sort of thing" Stefan raises an eyebrow at him.