(2) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Fifty-Six

Later, Damon is sitting on the couch when Ally joins him, her blanket wrapped tightly around her as she just sort of stares off, her lip quivering slightly as she deals with the whole werewolf bite thing. That would be a pretty crappy way to die. She's not ready. Not without seeing Kol. She can't die before she gets him back.

"I talked to Caroline. She said Tyler was all locked up" Damon informs her. Ally nods a little.

"So it was Jules. The other werewolf, the one who attacked you" She points out.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I picked a fight with her. She was coming after me" He whispers sadly. He got his friend hurt. Yet again something he's done has come back around to bite someone he cares about in the backside. This time, literally a bite.

"All's well that ends well." She comments.

"You're all healed?" He asks her. She nods.

"Yeah. Seems that way"

"Ally...uh...I'm happy that the legend was fake. Maybe the werewolves made it up to keep vampires away" He offers, she smiles at him.

"Lucky me" She comments sadly. Damon reaches over and rubs her back a little. She cringes and shifts away from him. "Ow," She complains. He frowns at her and brushes her blanket aside to push away her shirt to reveal her shoulder. There are open sores and blisters where she was bitten, and the veins and arteries in the area look blackened and diseased. They look at each other. She closes her eyes and lets out a defeated breath.

.......

Cassandra pours out a mug of coffee in the kitchen, she didn't really sleep very well, worried about Ally. Whilst, yes, it sucks that Damon cancelled their date, it was for a good reason. She knows how much Ally means to him. And a werewolf bite is a big deal. Elena enters the room, sets her bag on the island counter and glances at Cassandra, knowing what she is about to say will not help their situation, but she is trying to keep them all alive and safe. She lets out a breath.

"I made a deal with Elijah" Elena admits. Cassandra turns a look on her but doesn't say anything, just takes a drink from her mug. Elena shifts nervously a bit. "He promised to keep us and everyone else safe as long as we play by his rules" Elena adds. Cassandra lowers her mug and licks her lips a little, still just staring at her. "He urm...got Stefan out of the tomb...." She adds, getting more nervous the longer Cassandra just watches her.

"Right" Cassandra offers. Elena frowns a little. She was expecting a little more...something from her. "As long as you play by his rules" She points out and sets her mug down. She has no intention of doing anything that Elena says, in fact, right about now, she'll do the opposite just to spite her. "I made no deal, Elena, so I'll do whatever the heck I like....because I don't answer to him and I sure a shit don't answer to you" She moves closer to Elena. "I put up with a lot because you are my sister. No more. You don't make deals on my behalf. You don't talk on my behalf. You don't even think on my behalf....got it?" Elena stares at her before she nods. "Good..." Cassandra picks up her mug again and walks out of the room. Elena is left stunned by her sister's....hostility.

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

Ally is in the Salvatore library, she seems really sick now. Pale. Sweaty. Damon enters her carrying a blood bag and moves towards where she is sat. She is staring into the lit fire and seems to be in a whole other world. Damon grabs a glass from the sideboard as he passes it.

"I was born in 1473, that makes me 537 years old" She admits a little. He doesn't know if she's actually talking to him or herself.

"Well, if you were a bottle of wine..." He offers as he pours blood from the bag into a glass for her. "Come on, it's just a little werewolf bite" He tries to perk her up as he sits next to her.

"Just a little, fatal to a vampire werewolf bite." She argues.

"Well, according to a legend which is notoriously unreliable source. Drink up" He gives her the glass of blood. "Blood heals" He touches her knee and she nods before taking a drink.

"Yeah, it does feel like it's working" She lies to him. They both know it but neither wants to talk about it.

"Let's have a look, come on. Let me see." She turns slightly and he pulls the blanket away so he can look at the bite. It has gotten much worse and has spread further down her back.

"How is it?" Ally asks him.

"Definitely...better" Damon tries. "Right, Cas?" Cassandra is in the room and seems shocked by Ally's wounds. Ally turns to look at her.

"Um, it's not bad" Cassandra tries but Ally raises an eyebrow.

"You're a terrible liar" She scolds weakly. The two of them sharing a look before Ally turns away first, looking down at the open journal in her lap. Elena then walks into the room, Damon looks at her.

"Where's Stefan?" Damon asks Elena

"He left. I need you to talk to him. He's convinced that he has to find Isobel but I think that's gonna upset Elijah" Elena comments. Cassandra rolls her eyes and shares a look with Ally who smirks.

"No, can do. I'm with Stefan on this one but if you could play nurse for a little while..." Damon tells the girls, whilst actually meaning more Cassandra here. He trusts her to take care of his best friend.

"It's not necessary" Ally scolds him.

"It is necessary" He adds firm giving her a look. She nods a little. He nods and then leaves the room. Cassandra looks at Ally for a second, then follows Damon out of the room.

"Damon." He turns to face her. "Is she gonna die?" She asks him, he shrugs a little and moves closer to her, can see she's actually upset about this.

"Probably" He answers and touches her cheek curling his hand around it. "The wolf bite caused some kind of infection and it's getting worse"

"Like poison?"

"I don't know, Buttercup. I'm not an expert in the field"

"I'm sorry."

"Death happens. We come, we go. Sooner she dies the better. It's gloomy as hell in here" She gives him a look and he shrugs a little. "It's gonna suck," He tells her. "But what can I do..." He pulls her closer and kisses her forehead. "I don't know what to do" He whispers sadly. "Just keep her comfortable" He adds when he pulls back. "Keep her fed...keep her inside" She nods.

"I will" She assures him.

"Good girl" He gives her a sad smile and then leaves. Cassandra lets out a sad breath and closes her eyes.