(2) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Eighty-Three

Damon walks into the Boarding House carrying John's body over his shoulder. He dumps him on the floor. He has blood on his hands and all over his shirt so he goes in the bathroom and washes his hands, clearing away the blood. He takes off his shirt when his phone starts to ring. He glances at the caller ID and then answers it.

"Stefan? How'd I beat you and the girls home? What?" He rummages through the soap bowl and realizes the moonstone's not there. He throws the bowl on the ground angrily and storms out of the bathroom.

..........

Cassandra watches out the window as Isobel drives, she's trying to make a mental map so she can plot her way back home. Elena leans against the other side, dozing slightly. It's been a couple of hours. And still driving. It doesn't help anxiety levels. Though Cassandra is pretty sure Damon and Stefan have figured out something is wrong, if the secondary anger and fear she is feeling is anything to go by. Isobel's phone rings and she reaches over and picks it up.

"Are we good to go?" She asks, her eyes flickering to the rear view mirror to glance at Cassandra who gives her a look back. "We'll be long gone before that. I'm sorry, Katherine. I had to do what I was told. He wanted the moonstone and he wanted you" She then hangs up. Cassandra frowns a little, that implies that Isobel's betrayed Katherine. She thought they were all working together to destroy Klaus.

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

At Isobel's Residence, Stefan and Damon pull up outside in a car and both climb out, marching almost towards the house. They are both worried. Both desperate. Both want answers here. Both are blaming each other and themselves.

"Think this is the house?" Stefan asks his brother.

"Better be. It's the nicest foreclosure in town"

"Swear to God if they're not here...." Stefan warns.

"Don't be such a pessimist" Damon counters as they enter the house. The place seems empty of people but there's a piano in an adjoining room.

"I got upstairs" Stefan offers and disappears upstairs. Damon looks around the first floor. But the house is empty. Damon sees Isobel's luggage as Stefan comes back down the stairs.

"This is Isobel's stuff. It's definitely the right place" Damon tells his brother.

"Then where are they?" Stefan asks.

"I don't know, Stefan" Damon snaps back before they leave, knowing they are going to get no answers here. Every single time he thinks he has a hold of his girlfriend someone else comes along and tries to either kill her or kidnap her. He thought he was going to be the most dangerous thing in her life, oh boy, was he wrong.

..........

Isobel's car drives inside a cemetery and then stops. Isobel gets out of the driver's side, walking through a row of headstones. Elena and Cassandra share a look before they get out of the car and follow her.

"You found Klaus, didn't you?" Cassandra asks her. "He knows where we are now" Cassandra points out. "Are you taking us to him?" Isobel doesn't answer but instead walks to a tombstone and crouches down in front of it. Elena and Cassandra share a look, Cassandra nods a little and steps closer to Isobel, her eyes start to glow red as she produces a small ball of red mist, just in case.

"What is this?" She asks. Isobel clears some leaves from the tombstone. It reads 'In loving memory - Isobel Flemming - Jan 18, 1978 - May 4, 2007'.

"My parents, your grandparents, they put it here when it became clear that the police weren't gonna find my body. They visit every week, and they bring flowers, even though there's no one buried here. The Isobel they knew is dead. So maybe there's a part of me that's buried here, the-the human part, the part that I abandoned when I-when I choose to become a vampire, the part that used to dream about the day that she'd know her daughters"

"What?" Cassandra whispers. Isobel shrugs.

"And instead you got to meet the other part...The part that would betray her own flesh and blood" Isobel phone rings. She answers. Elena and Cassandra share a confused look. Neither sure what is happening. Isobel is silent a moment as she listens to the person on the end of the phone. "Yes," She starts and then frowns. "Let them go?" Cassandra steps closer to Isobel. "I'm done?" Isobel then hangs up with a look of relief.

"Who was that?" Cassandra asks her. Isobel looks at the two girls.

"I'm so sorry. I was such a disappointment to you both" She pulls off her necklace and starts burning in the sunlight. She screams as she bursts into flames, and falls to the ground in front of her grave. Elena's shocked, she moves closer to Cassandra.

"What just happened?" She whispers, Cassandra lets out a breath.

"Klaus" She looks at Elena. "He must have compelled her to do it"

"He really knows where we are" Elena states, as if only just believing it. "I know Ally said....but...."

"Yeah" Cassandra agrees, understanding what she means, she lets out a breath. "Come on, I'll drive us back" She turns and heads towards Isobel's car. Elena pauses to pick up Isobel's necklace before she follows her sister.