Whatever It Takes {Two | Alaric Saltzman}

What Lies Beneath

The feeling that came through contact with Alaric faded rather quickly into an overwhelming sense of dread. So, Abigail did the only thing she could think to do. She called Bonnie.

"Hey, Abigail." The loud music that often floated in from down the hall was clear, letting her know that she was alone. "Abigail?"

"Are things getting worse on the Other Side?"

"Why?"

She turned her hand over in Alaric's, allowing him to trace the lines on her palm. "Because Alaric is here and I-"

"You can feel him?"

She repeated her question as an answer, "I can feel him."

Bonnie took a breath, one that Abigail was sure was going to lead them to silence. "Grams knocked a lamp right off my desk this morning."

"What does that mean?"

"Things are getting worse, the veil is thinning, people are getting swept away into oblivion..." When Bonnie trailed off, Abigail pressed her phone harder against her ear. "And when the Other Side goes, I am going with it."

"But you said Liv is working on a spell to keep you here."

"She is." Her tone was falling quickly, not giving either of them much to hold onto. "We are."

"We're running out of time, aren't we?" Staring into the empty space next to her, she shook her head. "God, why is it that we are always running out of time?"

"No, no. Don't panic. We're going to figure it out, and I am going to get you Alaric back." She paused, but not for long. "Just don't tell them. No one else needs to worry about this."

The boarding house was not still, but it also was not in a flurry of action. Luke was performing a locator spell, Abigail was watching him, and Damon was making drinks. There was little patience left in the room, and that was never more clear than when Damon threw an ice cube at him.

"That's not helping," Abigail sang.

"Well, he's been failing now for an hour." He threw another ice cube across the room. "So, at this point, I can't imagine it's hurting."

Stefan sat down next to Abigail. "Damon, I know you're out a friend, but, uh, I'm not sure this guy's the best replacement."

"I don't think this guy's the best anything if his locator spell skills are any indication." His attention found its way back to Luke. "Yo, Wonder-Twin! Where's your sister?"

"She's tired of being almost murdered." He opened his eyes. "Look, I can find any person anywhere on the planet, okay? There's just something weird with your friend Enzo. I can't get a read."

Stefan turned his head to look at Abigail. "Enzo? Didn't he, uh, go to Cape Horn?"

"He flipped his humanity switch," she said. "There should have been a body count all the way to the airport."

"Why are you looking for him?"

"Gee. I don't know, Stefan." Damon furrowed his eyebrows. "Vampire with no humanity who has tried to kill the only living Gilberts on the face of the earth and wants me dead for killing his girl? Hm, I wonder."

"Well, maybe he hired a witch to block whatever Luke's doing. Is that possible?"

"A cloaking spell?" Luke looked up from the map in front of him. "I guess."

"That would mean that he doesn't want to be found, so, uh, why don't you just drop it?"

Tyler came in through the front door. "We have a problem. Markos turned Sloan into a vampire, had her drink doppelgänger blood, and after some chanting ritual thing, she turned human again."