Devil in Disguise (Kai Parker)

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Magic Camp

It wasn’t that Meg wanted to shatter a Ming vase. It just… happened.

The boarding house was alive, full to bursting with more people than it had rooms for. Jeremy was walking topless around the house, drinking cup after cup of coffee, Jo was in the living room, adjusting to being a witch again, Liv was trying to help her and wincing as her top caught fire, Alaric was supplying the two with alcohol so they wouldn’t think about how utterly Jo was failing right now, and Meg…

Well, Meg was trying not to blow up the house.

The only positive to the eternal hell she was facing in her head was that her magic was weak. It kept spluttering, a candle about to go out after being lit too long. The super charge it had had was dissipating, leaving Meg with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and a distinct light-headedness where there had once been a sense of empowering control. But her magic was stubborn. If it wanted to blow up the house, it was going to try its hardest.

“I’m sorry about the vase,” Meg winced as Stefan came into the room, beholding his once private house with a sense of bemusement. “I hope that wasn’t expensive.”

“Well, I don’t know, but the Smithsonian would. You should give them a call.” he nudged a shard of porcelain with his toe and watched Jo as she sprang to her feet, looking imploringly towards the door. Meg turned; Alaric had come back, and he was baring gifts.

“Please tell me that you brought mimosas.” Jo said, hopping over the mess of pottery to meet Alaric halfway.

“You actually think I’d watch this sober?” he pulled a green-tinged bottle from his brown paper bag and Jo sighed in relief.

“And what, exactly, are we watching?” Stefan interrupted, clearly fearing for the safety of his house.

“Today, we make s’mores. In a month, I win the merge, and become leader of my coven, guaranteeing its survival. Liv has me on a thirty day regiment between now and the next celestial event.” Jo explained, clutching the bottle of booze as if it were her lifeline. Meg bit her tongue and looked at her lap. Kai had always been the stronger of the two twins. Though Jo was older now, her magic wasn’t. Meg seriously doubted her capability to win this. But she had her own problems without adding to theirs, so she bit her tongue and just let them practise.

“And that regiment has to happen in my living room, why?” Stefan looked between the two of them.

There was a pause, and then Alaric said, “Damon was feeling guilty.”

Stefan rose an eyebrow. “Well, that’s new. And… where the hell is he?”

“At the hospital.” Meg said, not looking at him. She was too busy keeping from making his feet burn. “He spent the night with Caroline’s mother.”

Elizabeth Forbes, the town sheriff, had been diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago, near Christmas. Damon had been spending nearly every night by her bedside. “Ah.” Stefan said, attention drawn to Meg for the first time in a while. “And what are you doing here? I know you live here now, but… why are you breaking vases and staring at the ground like it’ll explode if you look away?”

“Because it will explode if I look away.” she said ironically, a humourless smile reaching her lips. “You know how my magic works. It may be weak right now, but it’s out to get your house.”

“Great. Now, we’ve got a trainee witch and some temperamental magic in my house. It’ll be lucky to survive the night.” he muttered as he left, trying not to step on the spot of carpet Meg was staring at.

“Meg, what –” Jo started, and Meg yelped.

“No, don’t distract me! Ah…” she groaned as a small flame danced across the carpet. “Where’s a fire extinguisher?”