(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Daphne sits on the porch of the old witch house, her sunglasses over her eyes as she talks on the phone to Elena. She wanted to fill her sister in everything that happened. She is part of this and this does affect her. And she is the only one that can help put an end to it. Because the spell she needs to do now, involves that ugly ass necklace Elena has. Pad is laying on his back between her legs, her fingers scratching at his belly. He'd somehow managed to hitch a ride, likely having snuck into her pocket on the way out of the door. She's going to have to keep a closer eye on him. But with everything else going on it's hard to remember to keep a check on the mischievous little creature.

"How do we do that?" Elena asks. Daphne lets out a long breath and then pulls her hand back from Pad.

"Apparently the old witch can draw power from this side because of her talisman" Daphne explains as Pad pulls at her hand, wanting her to go back to giving him attention.

"Talisman...My necklace?" Elena asks.

"I know you're not going to like this, but I need to destroy it" Daphne offers, Elena sighs a little but she doesn't sound as upset as Daphne thought she would be.

"I just walked in on Jeremy kissing the reason I'm completely okay with that" Elena admits, Daphne frowns a little.

"Anna?" She asks.

"Yeah" Elena answers. Daphne shakes her head. She thought Jeremy would have learnt his lesson after the last time. That Anna was the reason he broke up with Bonnie. Daphne might not have been their biggest fan, but Bonnie definitely beats dead girl. Any time.

"What is wrong with our brother?" She asks. Elena snorts a little and shrugs.

"I have no idea, Daph" She answers and then sighs. "Look, I don't have the necklace. Damon has it somewhere. Text him. I'll call you right back"

"Sure, thanks" Daphne then hangs up and then looks down at Pad who has found a shiny coin, likely from Daphne's bag or her pocket or somewhere. She shakes her head with a small amused smile as she pulls her cell phone out to text Damon about the necklace.

.........

At the Salvatore Boarding house, Caroline rummages around for the necklace where Damon had told them the necklace was. But surprise, surprise it is not there. Caroline shakes her head at Bonnie and Daphne. Daphne reaches into her sleeve and pulls her wand from the holster against her forearm.

"Accio necklace" Daphne casts but nothing happens. She pulls a face and then swishes the wand again. "Accio!" But again. Nothing. She shakes her head.

"What's wrong?" Bonnie asks.

"Because it's a talisman, I might not be able to summon it, but...it also might not be here...." Daphne slides the wand into her sleeve and instead pulls her phone out. "Nothing is ever fucking easy" She complains as she dials Damon's number before setting her phone against her ear. It rings and rings and rings. Before it beeps. Not going through. Daphne sighs and pulls the phone away. "One of you keep trying Damon," She tells them and Caroline nods, using her own phone. Daphne dials for Elena instead this time. Brushing her hair aside before she realises. She hangs up the phone before it starts to ring. "Pad" She whispers and pulls the niffler out of her bag at her feet. She crouches, holding him in her hand. "Okay, bud, this is how it's going to work...I need you to look for a silver necklace. Okay?" Pad nods. "I am officially giving you permission to go fucking nuts" She sets him down. Pad looks up at her, as if to see if this is a trick but it's not. She is actually giving him permission. She motions with her hand as she stands. Pad hurries away, to get stuck into this whole new huge house that he is being allowed to rummage around. Daphne dials Elena's number again, this time letting it ring through.

"Hello?" Elena asks when she picks up.

"So the necklace isn't where Damon said it would be and now we can't reach Damon"

"Listen, I need you to hold off on sending the ghosts back" Elena argues. Daphne frowns a little and tilts her head in question.

"You said you were in full support of getting rid of them" Daphne reminds her.

"I was. I am" Elena assures her. "Look, Lexi's here and she's helping with Stefan" Daphne hums a little, whilst she is working on finding a magical way to help Stefan, there might not actually be a way to do it. She has no idea who this Lexi is but if she can help, then they should take the shot. 

"Okay, let's just find it first and then we'll choose between boyfriend ghost dramas" Daphne comments and then hangs up with a sigh. Bonnie raises an eyebrow at her.

"What are you talking about?" Bonnie asks.

"Um...someone called 'Lexi' is with Elena, so she wants us to hold off on destroying the necklace" Daphne explains, Bonnie hums a little but knows there is more to it.

"You said boyfriend dramas. Plural. What is it, Daph?" Daphne glances at Caroline who raises an eyebrow, curious herself. Daphne sighs.

"Elena caught Jeremy kissing Anna" Daphne blurts out.

"What?" Bonnie asks, her features showing how much that statement hurts.

"I'm sorry" Daphne offers quietly. She's not really a bringer of good news for Bonnie. This is twice she's dropped a bomb on her relationship with Jeremy.

"He kissed her?" Bonnie asks, Daphne nods.

"She's got a foothold now, so she probably thinks that she's here to stay. But you and I, Bonnie, we're going to find that necklace and we're going to send her back. Okay?" Bonnie nods a little, unsure now. "Okay" Daphne shares a look with Caroline who nods in agreement.

.........

Later; Daphne throws her head back with a groan. They've searched the entire house for the necklace, as much as the girls can with the time and reach they have, they have still come up with nothing.

"Ugh! I give up. It's not anywhere in this house" Caroline complains.

"Which means it isn't here, which means I might be able to summon it" Daphne figures out and then nods. "I could fly over the town.." Caroline and Bonnie both turn to give her a look. Confused by that statement.

"Fly?" Caroline asks. Daphne looks at her. Whilst she doesn't often use her wings to fly, she does still have a broomstick and she can still fly that way.

"Yeah, I'm a witch, I have a broomstick" Daphne points out and shrugs out of her bag, she taps the edge of the bag and takes a breath. "Accio Nimbus" a broomstick flies out of the bag and Daphne grabs it out of the air. "I'll do a sweep of the town...then meet you guys at the witch house..." She pulls her bag onto her back and then adjusts her shoulders. It's one problem with backpacks. Her wings. She has to make allowances for them. She lets out a breath. "Ah, and Pad hates flying" She looks down at Pad who is clutching to one of Damon's expensive-looking watches. "That's not a necklace" She points out. Pad shakes the watch at her and she sighs, reaching down to take it from him. "Good job, bud" She offers and tucks the watch into her pocket. Bonnie holds out her hands for Daphne to set him in when she picks him up.

"I'll take him back to the witch house with me" Bonnie assures her. "But then we're going to have to have a talk about what exactly Pad is" Daphne snorts a little and nods. She probably should have explained it.