𝕍𝕒𝕞𝕡𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕤 𝕊𝕦𝕔𝕜 ⦉ᴛᴠᴅ⦊

Ch 22. The Tomb

The morning sun peeked through the thin curtains of the shabby motel room, illuminating the space in a soft glow. Ben McKittrick stood near the mini fridge, his eyes fixed on Elena with a hard gaze.

"Don't try to escape. Don't even move. Do you understand?" Ben's voice was low and threatening.

Elena swallowed hard, fear gripping her heart. She nodded her head slowly, her eyes never leaving his. Ben scoffed and turned around to grab a bottle of blood from the fridge. Elena saw her chance and bolted towards the door.

But her escape was short-lived. A petite, beautiful Asian woman, blocked her way. Elena's heart sank as she realized she had walked right into a trap.

Anna grabbed Elena by the hair and pushed her back into the motel room. "Seriously?!" she exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief.

Ben turned around, his eyes flashing with anger. "I told her not to move! I did that eye thing that you taught me!" he protested.

Anna rolled her eyes. "And forgot the lesson about vervain! She dates a vampire, Ben. Duh!"

Elena's head was spinning with confusion and fear. "Who are you? What do you want?" she stammered.

Anna's eyes bore into Elena's. "Does it matter?" she asked, a wicked smile curling her lips.

Without warning, Anna pushed Elena up against the wall and opened the bathroom door. "Get in there," she ordered.

Elena stumbled into the small bathroom, her heart pounding in her chest. She heard the door click shut behind her and leaned against the wall, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She flips the light switch and calmly searches the room for another exit. When suddenly she looks over towards the bathtub and sees Bonnie lying in it, unconscious. Panicked, Elena rushes over to her.

Outside, Anna turned to Ben with a look of annoyance. "What are we going to do with her?" she asked.

Ben shrugged. "I don't know. We'll figure something out."

Anna sighed, her eyes scanning the room. "I had told you to kidnap the Blonde instead, she's the one we could use for our plan. We need Damon to cooperate and the blonde is the only one he seems attached to," she explained, frustration evident in her voice. "With the Blonde, we could get both the young witch and Damon to cooperate."

"It would be like hitting two birds with one stone," Anna added, her tone dark and ominous.

Ben rubbed his forehead, feeling the weight of the situation bearing down on him. "I know, I know. But she was with the older Salvatore for most of the night," he replied, trying to defend his actions.

"Whatever, we can't just let Elena go now," Anna snapped, her eyes glinting with determination. "We'll keep her here until we figure out our next move."

♤♤♤♤♤

Damon sat in the dimly lit study, surrounded by the weight of history and the scent of old parchment. The only light in the room came from a few flickering candles, casting shadows that danced across the walls. His eyes were fixed on the ancient pages of Emily's grimoire, a book that had been passed down through generations of witches. The book was a treasure trove of knowledge and magic, filled with incantations and spells that could bend the very fabric of reality.