The Beginning | Damon Salvatore #1

Chapter 17

Alex could feel the sting from the fresh cut on her face. Instead of feeding on her as usual, Elias's vampires took their time in exposing her flesh and making her weak before Elias would come to interrogate her. She let them. She even asked for Elias. She willed them to get it over with so he would come out, but they didn't. Her prayers were going unanswered in the moment, but she stood her ground as well as she could, being tied to a chair in the middle of the building.

"You're not gonna tell us anything, are you baby?" One vampire, who she'd known to be Arthur because he was Elias's right hand man, said as he leaned over her with his hands on her forearms. She almost laughed at him, tasting the blood in her mouth as she swallowed.

"Got that right, honey," she said, making the vampire smirk before his hand connected with her oozing cheek, further ripping the skin toward her nose. She didn't hide the wince, but she smiled through it.

"Enough, Arthur," a voice said. She sat up straight as the man she'd loathed her entire life came out of the shadows and into the light pouring from the vent in the ceiling; his skin remained intact and without singe. The whirring fan above them cast rectangular shadows that moved across their faces and the floor as is turned. He must've had a witch cast some spell to help him walk in the sun, and by the looks of it, he'd shared it with his vampire minions. "Elias," she said, still smiling. It was genuine now, though. She knew what he wanted and she knew she wasn't the one to give it. She knew he would probably kill her for "leading him on" to the information, "making" him think she was the one to free him from his vampirism.

"Alexandra Wilson," he said, returning her smile. "My darling girl."

Alex had never noticed before, but she was almost certain that his eyes had a softness to them. Before she could have any sympathy for him, a film of her dead family's faces flashed in her mind and she stiffened.

Don't.

The voice came from within her and she almost forgot about the vampires surrounding her.

Have mercy.

She almost started crying as the words were spoken in her heart. Elias noticed and inched toward her again. His shoes slid across the concrete floor as if being near her was pulling on him.

"You know now, don't you?" He asked with a wish in his eyes. She blinked a tear away and nodded. He relaxed. "Tell me please. Can you make me human again?"

She shook her head, seeing emotions flash over his face so fast she couldn't keep up: anger, grief, fear, desire, need, and whatever else he could manage.

"I can't make you human, but I know Who can," she said. He shook his head as if she narrow his emotions to one: curiosity.

"Who?" He asked, but she knew he already had an idea. She smiled, not in a malicious way, but she smiled warmly. He nodded slowly and stumbled back.

"He won't," he said, staring down at the floor in front of them.

Alex remembered Gabriel in the woods.

"What do I do after I believe? I'm sure you didn't knock me out just to remind me of my lost faith," Alex said, imploring Gabriel to tell her exactly what he wanted, precisely what God wanted to do with her or through her.

"It's not by accident that Elias found your family. No, he shouldn't have resorted to killing your loved ones, but you must forgive him. He is lost and he knows it. All he wants is to know he will live forever," Gabriel explained.

"He's already living forever if you haven't noticed," she said. Gabriel's face never changed, his emotions masked.

"He wants to die, Alex. When Elias was human, he had strong faith. After some unfortunate events, as you can tell, he has become something he never intended to be. He's walked the earth for centuries, thinking redemption was impossible and it's not. You have to reassure him. Once he accepts the Father again, you will lay your hands on his chest and pray. His faith and your obedience will free him of vampirism," he explained. Alex felt hot tears on her cheeks; she couldn't see the angel's face anymore because of the tears, but she knew he wasn't lying.

"Why would I want to do this? He killed my family," she whimpered. Gabriel stepped toward her, allowing one emotion to appear on his face: pity.

"Do you remember how your father reacted when you accidentally scratched his new truck after he specifically told you to not ride your bike until he could be outside with you?" He asked. With her mouth ajar, her eyes couldn't tear away from his. When she was silent, he continued.

"He forgave you and he showed you mercy. You must do the same to those who have hurt you," he said. All at once, his hand rose to her face. As his finger touched her forehead, she was sitting up facing Damon.

"He will," she said to Elias. His eyes watered and she felt grief in her chest for the girl she once was, for her family, and even for Elias who thought he had to be evil and walk away from God. She'd grown to love God and how even when his people walked away from Him, time and again, He was always willing and ready to save them from themselves. She understood. Even when Elias had done all he did to her and her family, she understood.

"Accept Him again, Elias," she pleaded, hearing the sob in her voice. He met her eyes.

"I've killed so many people, your family. How can you have compassion for me?" He asked, his tears staining his frozen cheeks.

"God cares about you enough to change my heart and willingly be taken by your men so I could come here to help you. Accept Him," she pleaded again. His breath caught in his chest and his eyes moved from her to the floor and his hands ran down his chest as if he was uncomfortable in his own skin. He didn't want to be the person he'd become. He wanted to be free.

Just when Alex thought he wasn't going to listen to her, he dropped to his knees and put his head to the floor in a heap of sobs. She felt the tears on her own face as she watched him in the same position she'd seen her father in countless times in the altar at church and in the floor of his office and bedroom.

"Abba," he said and Alex nearly gasped. "Forgive me."

In that moment, Alex weeped, but when she did, she felt the ropes on her wrists loosen. Looking up, Arthur, with tears in his eyes, was untying them for her. Once she was free, she crawled over to Elias, lifting him from the ground. His red eyes peered into hers with agony and conviction.

"Are you going to kill me now, my dear?" He asked with a sob. She shook her head and placed her hands on his chest.

"Pray with me," she said softly. His chest heaved again as sobs escaped his mouth and his head moved up and down in a nod she barely detected.

And she prayed. She forgave him. She forgave herself. She prayed for a clean heart and a clean soul, unsure of which words would change him into his former human self. She prayed until she had no more words, but when she opened her eyes, Elias was almost choking. She moved out of the way and watched as the man heaved onto all fours and wretched until blood was pouring from his mouth: his last meal. She almost laughed in shock. It worked.

"Holy crap," a voice said from the door. Alex looked up to see Elena, Dean, Sam, Stefan, and Damon. She caught his eyes first. He was crying.

"He's human," Stefan said, brows furrowed, and Elias looked up at Alex with a small smile. His expression had completely changed and his eyes were glassy.

"I'm free."