(3) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Seventy-Four

Damon leads the way through the cellar caves, he has an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to believe that he's just being paranoid, after everything they've gone through that wouldn't be unreasonable, but he feels like it is a bond thing, that he has every right to be worried and concerned about Cassandra. It's a niggling that is warning him.

"Let's hope big witch, ghost witch, little witch and the ex-witch got that coffin open" Damon comments and then looks back at Stefan as they enter the side cavern where the witches were working on the coffin.

"Something's gotta make this night worthwhile" Stefan mumbles, Damon hums in agreement and then turns to look around the dark room, no candles lit, nothing to give them any light, except they are vampires, and they can see through the dark. Immediately, Damon's eyes land on Cassandra who is sprawled on the ground, unconscious. Damon rushes to her, kneeling next to her whilst Stefan checks on Bonnie and Abby who both lay unconscious close by.

"Cas" Damon whispers and reaches for her neck to check on her. But she's alive. Just out cold. He lets out a breath and leans down to press his forehead to hers.

"Bonnie's still breathing" Stefan offers.

"Mama's still breathing, I can hear her" Damon adds and then lifts his head to look for Sophia, Cassandra had told him that she was here, helping them, working with them to get that coffin open.

"Coffin's open" Stefan points out.

"Well, it's not gonna do us any good. Whatever was in it is gone" Damon argues as he brushes Cassandra's hair back from her face. Twice in three days, she has fallen unconscious. And there is no sign of Sophia anywhere. He's starting to really distrust that dead witch. Cassandra's ancestor or not, there is something foul afoot here. There are the charred remains of a book close by, Damon can hazard a guess at what book. There was only one that Cassandra was interested in using, there is nothing to tell him that she brought another book down here to use. He pulls it closer before he lifts it up. Stefan's gaze drifts over from Bonnie to see what his brother is looking at.

"What is that?" Stefan asks. Damon lets out a breath.

"What's left of the spellbook Cas found" He turns the charred book around. He assumes that neither Bonnie nor Cassandra did this, they wouldn't have any reason to, so this was Sophia. Why she felt the need to utterly destroy a spellbook is beyond him, but it just adds more to the concept that they can't trust her. Whatever usefulness she had, it's over. He's starting to think that she didn't help bring Cassandra back for altruistic reasons, that she herself has something to gain here. She did it for personal gain, he just can't figure it out. What could she possibly gain in being this involved with Cassandra? He lets out a breath and sets the book down before touching Cassandra's cheek. "Buttercup" He whispers, drawing his fingers over his cheek. He has no idea what they've gotten themselves into, and he has no idea how long it is going to take to bite them in the ass.

......

Sometime later, the moon fully in the sky, Damon leaves the boarding house and crosses the back porch towards the lounge seats set up. Cassandra is already sitting in one, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders to keep her warm from the slight snap in the air. Both of them needed some space from the others after the disappointment of the day. Damon hands her a drink and she lets out a breath as she takes it. She feels exhausted. Utterly wiped. The day started out so promising too. They had a good lead, a good plan, and for once, it wasn't Elena that screwed it up. They don't really know what screwed it up. Cassandra knows that they opened the coffin, she can remember that much, but whatever was in it, whatever crawled out of it, she doesn't know. She leans back in her chair and stares up at the stars above. Damon takes the seat at her side and closes his eyes. The two of them just let the day wash over them. They got a win with Elijah and the others, but a loss with the coffin and its contents. She downs the drink, setting the glass down before she stands from her seat without a word. Damon watches her as she moves from her seat to his, giving him a look. He lets out a small laugh and shifts slightly so there is space for the two of them. She climbs into his lap, curling into his chest, he wraps an arm around her and kisses her head. The two of them just take a moment to themselves out here. They never seem to find any peace. Every time they find that something goes their way, something else comes along and destroys it.

"Is it always going to be like this?" She whispers, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He could lie to her, assure her that brighter horizons are in front of them, that they might actually get a chance to really enjoy their relationship, but he doesn't know that, and recent history points at more of the same in their future. That would be the truth. And they have made a thing about not lying to one another.

"Yes" He admits, she lets out a breath against him. "I think it will" She looks up at him, his fingers soft on her neck.

"Yeah" She whispers. "I do too" She agrees sadly. He draws his fingers up and over her cheek then down to her chin which he holds between his fingers before he leans closer, brushing his nose over hers and then kisses her softly. No matter what though, whatever is thrown at them, they will have one another to stand with. That they can make it through whatever happens, as long as they are together. Damon pulls her closer, letting her curl up tightly against him. They both need the comfort right now. From the trees, a pair of eyes watch them. Hidden in the dark. Kol Mikaelson. He curls his fingers into his palm, pressing his nails against his skin until it breaks. Anger courses through him as he watches the two of them together. All curled up and loved up. It makes him angry.