(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Seventy-Three

In the ballroom, everyone is gathered with the respective partners. Daphne glances over at Stefan and Elena who appear rather uneasy with one another. Awkward. Which, considering, isn't that surprising. Damon takes her attention when he slides himself closer to her, taking her waist and her hand in his with a smirk, she glances at him, letting him pull her up against him, her arm wrapping around his shoulder. There is something intimate about the position. The very little space between them. The fact that they can feel the heat coming off of one another. The music starts and everyone descends into dance. It's fast but even. A waltz wasn't something Daphne thought she would have to do outside of school but here she is. Waltzing with a vampire in the mother of all vampire's house. Literally. That's the crazy. Damon can't seem to take his eyes off of her, not when they move around the room, not when they pass everyone else. It's a little unnerving. And she fights the urge to look into his mind to find out just what he is thinking about. It makes her a little nervous actually. He's thinking about a lot of things. Mostly her. Mostly trying to work out if this is the right place to talk to her about things. It probably isn't but if he doesn't try he knows he will chicken out of it.

"Look, I..." He starts, keeping her close. He thought he wasn't ready to admit it to her how he felt, but with the dancing, and the whole ball thing, he's feeling a little emboldened. "This time that we've spent together...around one another..." She hums a little, waiting patiently for him to get it out. He could simply tell her to read his mind, that would be easy, but part of him, a big part of him, wants to say it out loud to her. But it seems as though the world has other ideas. Someone clears their throat, interrupting Damon who turns a glare on whoever it is. Kol. He smirks at the two of them and then holds out his hand towards Daphne.

"May I have this dance?" Damon moves to step between Kol and Daphne, to place himself as the barrier, but it is not going to help, in fact, it is likely to start a fight. Damon and Kol starting someone isn't going to help them right now. Daphne presses her hand to Damon's chest to stop him. Giving him a look.

"It's just one dance" She whispers to Damon, brushing her hand over his heart, trying to comfort him. "It would be rude to our hosts" Damon's eyes flick across to meet hers, she gives him a look. To not let this kick-off into a fight within the first hour. That if they want information, if they want to find out just who these people are, then they need to behave. Damon's eyes plead with her not to go with him, but it's one dance and he can keep his hands to himself long enough for that. "One dance" She repeats and he lets out a breath through his teeth. "Then I'm all yours" She promises and his eyes darken a little with that promise. She slides her hand into Kol's and he pulls her away from Damon, spinning her and pulling her closer with an arm around her waist. "Don't look so smug" She scolds noting his victorious expression. "Why me?" She then asks him, he shrugs a little, dancing with her.

"You're the witch" He points out. "That puts you right at the top of my list, darling" She narrows her eyes at him.

"What sort of list?"

"I haven't decided yet" He answers, eyes smirking down at her, she scoffs and rolls her eyes though. Not impressed by him at all. She is only dancing with him to save Damon from making a scene, from Kol making a scene. The two of them feel like they would be volatile if they clashed. And this is not the place for that to go down. They are outnumbered and outgunned in a sense. The dancers all start to pull away from the dance floor, scattering to find drinks, party food, conversation. As soon as Daphne realises, she pulls away from Kol, intending on finding someone she actually likes. But he grabs her wrist. "One drink," He tells her, keeping hold of her wrist. He's pushing. She knows that Damon isn't going to sit on his hands for long. But Kol could easily kill her and probably Damon too. She needs to be polite. For the time being.

"Fine" She whispers. "One..." Her eyes land on Elena as she walks away with Esther. Which was the plan to allow her to talk to the woman, but it doesn't help the sudden influx of nerves and fear for her sister that hits Daphne. This whole place is getting to her. These people worrying her. They are dangerous and they seemed to have enough trouble with Klaus, let alone all of his siblings and his mother in the same place with them. Kol pulls her away from the crowds and towards a waiter with a serving tray in hand, glasses of champagne stacked on it.

........

It's harder for Daphne to get away from Kol than she thought it would be, he keeps her close and she knows it is on purpose. He's up to something and she doesn't feel good about it. She feels like a pawn in whatever game it is that he's playing. Elena is standing alone, drinking from a champagne glass. Daphne raises an eyebrow at her sister who nods back subtly, trying to reassure her that things went the way they want it to go, that Esther is on their side and is planning on destroying her own children. That they might just be able to free themselves of the threat of the Originals. Hopefully. They both look at Elijah as he approaches Elena to talk to her, but Daphne's attention is stolen back by Kol who touches her arm, overly affectionately, she pulls away and glares at him. He just smirks back at her. Completely unconcerned by her look.