(2) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Ninety-Seven

Damon finds Cassandra in their bedroom. She's standing by the window looking out, her arms wrapped around herself. Even from where he is, he can see she's been crying, plus he can feel it. She's feeling pretty low now. With all the information thrown at them. All the clear cut signs that she is not going to make it out of this alive, unlike some. Damon lets out a breath.

"You disappeared" He points out as he closes the bedroom door.

"I didn't want to hear any more" She whispers and runs her fingers through her hair. "At least Klaus will die" She offers, he snorts. "I'm trying to find the benefits"

"To you dying" He reminds her. "There are none"

"Damon" She whispers, moving closer to him. He shakes his head, touching her arm.

"There has to be another way" He argues.

"There isn't. We've tried and now with Elena...." She sighs. "We're out of time. I just...I can't see a way around this...."

"You're going to die, Cas. You're going to die...today" He points out. "I can't lose you" He admits. "I can't...do it...I just..." She kisses him. Mostly to stop him rambling and making her feel worse about this. Because of course, she feels terrible. She's going to die and she is going to leave him.

......

Damon pulls on his shirt, his eyes on Cassandra who sleeps. Finally sleeps. She's exhausted, without her powers, without sleep, with all the stress. He lets out a shaky breath as he moves towards her. He brushes her hair back from her face, then leans closer to her and kisses her cheek, lingering slightly before he pulls back.

"I'm going to fix this" He whispers against her skin, promises her, because he has to find a way around it. He won't lose her. He can't. There has to be another way. Another angle they haven't considered. But he's going to find it. He'll find it. He has to. He kisses her head before he leaves her to sleep.

.........

Damon walks into the Grill and heads towards the bar to order a drink. Dutch courage for what he is going to do. He needs a stiff drink. Alaric arrives and sits next to him.

"I'll have the same" Alaric orders.

"Gentlemen? Why so glum?" Klaus is standing next to them at the bar. Alaric and Damon look at him.

"Ugh. Klaus, I presume" Damon comments.

"In the flesh" Klaus looks at Alaric. "Thanks for the loaner, mate" Damon gets up looking angry, blood boiling over this. This man is going to kill Cassandra. He is going to take her away from him.

"Any reason you stopped by to say hi?" Damon asks him, curling his fingers into a fist.

"I'm told you and your brother fancy my doppelgängers. Just thought I'd remind you to not do anything you'll regret"

"Ha. Thanks for the advice. I don't suppose I could talk you into a postponement, by any chance, huh?" Damon asks him.

"You are kidding?" Klaus then looks at Alaric. "He is kidding, right?"

"No, not really" Alaric answers.

"I mean, come on, what's one month in the whole grand scheme of things?" Damon counters.

"Let me be clear...I have my vampire. I have my werewolf. I have everything I need. The ritual will happen tonight. So if you want to live to see tomorrow, don't screw it up" Klaus then leaves. Damon's jaw twitches with his annoyance and his anger.

"That was fun" He comments.

"You're going to screw it up, aren't you?" Alaric asks. Damon looks at him.

"You think if I took his werewolf out of the equation...." He starts but before he can ever finish that plan, Alaric is there to stop him.

"I think it won't matter, because you'll be dead" Alaric points out.

"But without the werewolf, he can't perform the ritual tonight, which means I would have bought her one month before the next full moon"

"And you'll still be dead"

"Are you gonna help me or what?" Damon asks, Alaric sighs a little and then looks at Damon.

"What do you want me to do?" Alaric counters. He knows that Cassandra and Elena are on the line, he knows what they mean to Jenna. If he can help them, then yeah, he's in.

.........

Cassandra hates waking alone. She hates it. Especially right now. With everything going on. Waking to an empty bed doesn't feel great. But she figures Damon is off trying to think up another way to win. She doesn't think there is another way now. It's too late. They are out of time. She sits on the edge of the bed as she finishes getting dressed. Elena knocks on the door and Cassandra glances at her.

"Can we talk?" Elena asks her.

"About what?" Cassandra counters as she pulls on her boots. "How you have little to no feelings regarding the fact that I am about to die?"

"That's not true" Elena argues, Cassandra gives her a look.

"No?" She asks.

"I know we're fighting"

"No, Elena, you are fighting, you are fighting against us, against me. All you had to do was follow the plan. Just stuck to the plan..."

"And Bonnie would have died"

"But at least she would have made that choice herself. You don't get it, do you? You really don't understand free will. You have to let people make their own way, make their own choices....and the consequences of your actions, you don't care" Elena shakes her head. Wanting to argue. "I have no choice" Cassandra reminds her. "You do. You can take that potion and you'll probably live, or not and die. Me? I have one option, thanks to you, death. You are going to be responsible for my death, Elena....and I hope, from the bottom of my heart, whilst it still beats in my chest...I hope you live a very long life, Elena, and I hope that every single day you are reminded that you killed me" Cassandra shrugs. "That you have to look into the eyes of your children and explain to them why Auntie Cas isn't around....that will be your prize for wanting to control everything and everyone....that'll be what you get when things go your way. Now excuse me, I have some letters to write....some goodbyes to pen"

"Cas, please, I didn't...." Elena argues.

"What? Elena? You didn't what? Care...that's obvious"

"Elijah told me you couldn't be saved, so I didn't add you to the deal. It wasn't because we fought. It was because I knew it wouldn't help. I don't want you to die, of course, I don't....but I don't know how to fix this for you"

"You can't" Cassandra points out. "No one can. This time tomorrow...I will be dead"

"I don't want you to die hating me" Elena whispers. Cassandra lets out a breath.

"Elena, you are my sister, and I will always love you, but I can be mad at you....and right now, I am...and I can't just let that go because I am going to die"