(3) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Thirty-Four

At the Old Witch House, Cassandra lights the fireplace with her powers as Bonnie opens her grimoire to the right page and moves closer to her. It should be simple enough. Cast the spell. Destroy the necklace. Ghosts go away. Job done. Daily catastrophe over with. Cassandra holds out the necklace and Bonnie takes it from her and then throws it in the fireplace. She begins to cast a spell. Sheila appears alongside her, holds her hand and helps her cast the spell. The necklace burns away in the flames.

........

On the Street, Carol wakes up and sees Caroline fighting with the tomb vampire ghosts. Frederick clutches her neck but he suddenly disappears. She looks around her.

..........

Mason is in a cave in which Damon can't enter, he is fascinated by the wall in front of him.

"So? What'd you find?" Damon asks from the boundary outside.

"It's in..." Mason suddenly disappears.

"No, no, no, no. No, where'd you go?" Damon asks but gets no reply from him. "Mason, Mason!" Damon shouts but he still can't get past the barrier in place. He lets out a frustrated and annoyed growl.

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

Back at the Old Witch House, the necklace has melted down. Cassandra, Bonnie, and Sheila watch it disappear. Sheila turns to Bonnie and gives her a soft proud smile.

"You are stronger than all of this. I'm so proud of you." Bonnie sheds a few tears and Sheila disappears.

"I'm sorry, Bonnie" Cassandra whispers, Bonnie nods and looks at her sadly.

"Me too" Bonnie agrees just as Cassandra's phone beeps away in her pocket. She sighs and pulls it out, reading the message on the screen.

"It's Damon..." She offers.

"Then go" Bonnie assures her. "I'll be okay"

"Are you sure?" Bonnie nods. Cassandra hugs her and then leaves Bonnie alone. Bonnie lets out a breath and closes her eyes, letting real tears fall now.

"Don't cry" A voice behind Bonnie states, she turns and stares into glowing red eyes in the shadows, hidden from view. "You will see her again...." They move, stepping into the light. Wearing a deep red robe dress that flows like the mist itself around her and along the floor behind her. Her feet bare and soft on the ground. And a headpiece glistens and glows red against her hairline. A crown of sorts, maybe more of a tiara. Bonnie stands and turns defensive. "Don't look so scared, Bonnie Bennett" She offers as she fully steps out of the shadows. Bonnie is surprised to find that she looks exactly like Cassandra. "You know you can trust me, I saved your boyfriend...." Bonnie frowns before she realises.

"Sophia" She whispers. "How are you...?"

"Different rules" Sophie offers as she shifts closer to Bonnie. "I pre-date the other side..." She shrugs. "It's not even my place of permanent residence, I just visit the witches..." She smirks. "Different rules" She repeats teasingly.

"What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk about Cassandra" Sophia comments. "About her magic and the Scarlet Witch"

"Cas isn't a witch" Bonnie argues, Sophia gives her a look back and then pokes her nose.

"Oh, sweet little baby witch" Sophia coos. "You know that is a lie..." The two of them share a look and Bonnie looks down. She's had her suspicions for a while now about Cassandra and her powers, but no one to ask about it. No one to talk to about it.

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

At the Old Lockwood Cellar, Cassandra makes her way through the dark tunnels, using a flashlight to illuminate her way when she finds Damon, sat on the floor waiting for her. He stands when he sees her and moves closer to her.

"You're here. It's about time" He teases and then kisses her softly, she hums against his lips and he pulls her closer, arm around her back. It's been a little weird actually, spending the whole day apart. He doesn't like it. "Where'd you go today?" He asks when he pulls back. "Anywhere interesting?"

"Just the old witch house" She answers. "What's going on?" He nods along the tunnel and she raises an eyebrow at him but heads onward, Damon behind her. She steps through into the cavern where Mason was before, but Damon can't follow her still.

"So was Mason screwing with me, or is there something in there?" Damon asks. Cassandra shines her flashlight around the room, her eyes widening. "Cas" Damon pushes. "Cassandra?" Cassandra is looking at the wall and is amazed.

"I found something" She voices.

"What is it?" He asks her back. There are a lot of hand drawings on the wall as she draws her light over it.

"I have no idea" She admits and steps closer to the wall, touching one of the drawings on it. "You should call Ric" She points out, he's got a more academic mind, a history teacher, these are clearly historic, he'll probably have a better chance at knowing what they are. Damon groans a little. Cassandra smirks. "Strap on your balls and call your friend" She adds. She knows how much Alaric being angry at Damon actually upsets him.

"Come out here and tell me what's on the wall" Damon counters. Cassandra smiles and shakes her head, turning she leaves the cavern and joins Damon.

"Cave art" She answers. He frowns. "That's what's on the wall...."

"Meaning?" He asks, she shrugs back.

"No idea" She answers and sits across from him, sliding down the wall, Damon wraps his fingers around her ankle and tugs a little, she kicks his thigh with her boot and smiles. The two of them share a look and he smiles at her. "How was your day?"

"Oh, you know" He waves it off. "Teamed up with Dead Werewolf and found an anti-vampire cave" He teases with a shrug, she hums and rests her head back. "Buttercup?" He asks, she hums again. "Does it feel weird to you?"

"What?" She counters.

"That you can't feel...." He stops and pulls a face.

"Yeah" She whispers in agreement. "I don't like it" She admits. He nods and then scoots over to her side of the wall. "It feels too quiet" She adds and leans into his side, his hand finding hers in her lap. "Maybe we can come up with something" She offers. "Like a way to put it back but take away the danger side of it"

"Okay" He agrees. "Can you do that?" She lets out a breath and shrugs.

"Maybe...maybe I could do it via something else....I'll talk to Bonnie tomorrow...see if there is a spell or something" He nods and kisses the back of her hand.