The Power Field

Chapter 16

Hope carefully wipes her face and leaves the toilet. She still doesn't look as fresh and confident as she used to, but at least her face doesn't seem as haggard as it did after the fight with Alyssa. Hope is still shaking. She doesn't quite know if it's out of anger or out of fear. There are so many emotions in her, and they are so closely intertwined that Hope can hardly determine what bothers her the most.

The conflict with Alyssa unsettled her, and she doesn't quite understand why. After all, Alyssa is just a vile creature that should not be paid attention to at all. Hope despises herself for showing too much emotion towards such a pathetic and insignificant creature as Alyssa.

Hope only now realizes that her fingers are tightly clenched into a fist. Feeling the warm blood trickle down her arm, she finally loosens her grip.

Hope walks slowly down the corridor, periodically catching strange glances from other people. For a second she thinks it's the blood-smeared palm that attracts their attention, but then she remembers their run-in with Alyssa. Probably, the witch has already told everyone about her bond with Josie.

«Damn it!» Hope swears to herself.

She should probably go to her room as soon as possible. She turns a corner, but when her gaze catches sight of familiar retreating figures, Hope immediately stops. Her family, Caroline, Alaric and... Bonnie Bennett are hurrying somewhere in an unknown direction to her.

Hope freezes for a moment, but when she comes to her senses, she immediately calls out loudly to them.

"Mom! Dad!" She shouts.

The adults turn around. Hope notices some nervousness on the faces of Josie's parents. Something squeezes in her chest. Hope clears her throat and comes closer.

She hadn't seen her parents for several days. Surprisingly, looking at them now, Hope doesn't feel the same joy that usually overwhelmed her at any sudden meeting. To be honest, she hadn't felt any joy at all in the past few days.

"Hope." Her mother says uncertainly.

Hope carefully observes the expressions on the faces of her relatives. Almost all of them, with the exception of Freya, look as usual. There are shadows under her aunt's eyes. The same goes for Bonnie Bennett. The witch looks like she hasn't slept in the last few days.

"Did you find out something?" Hope asks directly.

Klaus and Hayley exchange glances. They are just about to open their mouths when someone's blond head rushes past them, shouting loudly.

"Aunt Bonnie!"

The figure bumps into the incomprehensible witch Bennet, wrapping her arms around her. Hope staggers slightly. Finally, her vision focuses, and she recognizes her as Lizzie Saltzman. Bonnie stares at her niece for a second, but then she smiles warmly and hugs her tightly.

"Lizzie, how you've grown up!"

"How do you like Australia? Did you find Josie? Why have you been gone so long?" Questions are pouring in one after another.

Some of them are addressed to Bonnie herself, and to Caroline and Alaric standing next to her.

Their faces are burning with anxiety, and their eyes are looking for someone. The vampire carefully avoids her daughter's gaze. She, like her friend, looks worried and tired, as if she hasn't been feeding on human blood all this time.

Finally, Lizzie pulls away and stares at her parents with a searching gaze.

"So?"

Caroline exchanges nervous glances with Bonnie, then lowers her head and looks at her shoes. Hope follows her gaze carefully, but then abruptly turns her attention to the witch, who again stares awkwardly at Lizzie.