(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Forty-One

Inside the Lockwood Mansion, Damon makes his way through the crowds of students, drinking, partying. Typical. He lets his eyes scan around as he tries to spot Daphne or Klaus or anyone else that knows what's going on. Tyler is heading his way down the stairs and runs straight into Damon, who grabs him and throws him in an empty room, shutting the door behind him again.

"As the host, you should know these hybrids don't make the best first impression" Damon points out.

"Whatever move you're making, Klaus is gonna be ready for you" Tyler warns. "He'll kill anyone at this party if he has to"

"Tell someone who cares" Damon attacks Tyler; they fight, moving around the room, knocking things down. Damon gets Tyler onto his back on the floor; Damon is about to stake Tyler when Daphne walks into the room and sees them fighting she rolls her eyes and then holds out her hands, she curls her fingers into her palm and both of them drop clutching their heads.

"I am sure they are both very impressive wands that you've got, but can this macho wait until after...." She scolds them and then releases them. "We're done here"

"So you know that spell too" Damon complains as he pushes himself up to his feet. "That's great" He grumbles.

"Get lost, Tyler" Daphne scolds him. "We have enough hybrid trouble..." He glares at Damon and then leaves, closing the door behind him. Daphne gives Damon a look. "Like I said, we have enough trouble without fighting each other"

"Tell him that" Damon argues. "He tried to bite me!" The White Oak stake is on the floor, and Damon picks it up.

"What is that?" She asks him. Damon puts the White Oak stake back in his jacket.

"Nothing."

"Merlin's beard, is that the...?" She starts to ask but he rushes at her, covering her mouth with his hand.

"Shh," He scolds a little, eyes meeting hers. Something passing between one another. Pressed against one another. He lets out a breath as he stares down into her eyes. "They're everywhere" He mouths at her. She rolls her eyes and pulls out her wand whilst pushing at his hand, he releases her and she concentrates.

"Muffliato" She casts and a blue layer of magic covers the walls, like a cushion, a barrier. "Now we can talk" She slides her wands away. "Why do you have it?" She asks him.

"You already know why" He argues, he knows she's not dim enough to not have figured it out already. That he's going to use it on Klaus. To end this once and for all.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asks him, he looks at her, pulls a face. He doesn't know why he didn't tell her, so he shrugs. He looks down and now notices her outfit. He wasn't expecting her to dress up. And not to dress up so well.

"What are you wearing?" He asks, voice lower than usual as he takes a deep breath. That dress is something else. She always looks great. There is always something about the way she dresses. But he likes this dress too.

"I'm blending in" She comments. "You don't like it?" She counters, he swallows a little.

"No, you look..." He pauses, trying to come up with the right word to describe how she looks in that dress. But he honestly doesn't think his vocabulary covers it. "Hmmm"

"What?" She asks, he blinks and then lifts his eyes to her face.

"What?" He repeats. She smirks a little and shakes her head.

"Just...be careful" She adds as she pulls away from him, folding her arms over her chest. She doesn't want anything to happen to him. That's not a feeling she enjoys. The thought of him in pain. Just as she doesn't like to think of Elena or Jeremy or any of the others in pain. Her subconscious already thinks of Damon as another one of them. That she feels something more than just attraction to him. Which she does. She is very attracted to him. Damon clutches his chest and smirks at her.