Book One: Panacea (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Back at the motel room, Anna walks back towards her room, notices that the door is wide open and Elena and Bonnie have escaped.

"You've got to be kidding me." Anna walks in and looks over at Ben, who is dead between the two beds. Anna's eyes widen, she turns and looks at the message on the glass.

.................

At the tomb, Stefan climbs up from the tomb with a shovel in hand, he glances at Diana who stands going through her weaponry. She lifts her eyes and glares at him before grabbing a box of arrowheads.

"Cleared the debris away. Set the torches like you asked. We can get down now." Stefan offers Sheila. Bonnie notices a few bottles of gasoline that lie near by.

"What is that?" Bonnie asks turning to Diana behind her.

"It's everything I need to destroy them." Diana answers as she twists an arrow head onto a shaft.

"Where did you even get them?" Bonnie counters, Diana smirks at her and shrugs. Stefan hands Sheila a flashlight.

"Are you sure that Damon will come back with her?" Sheila asks Stefan just as Damon whistles. They turn and look at him.

"Brother" Damon greets. "Witches...." he looks at Diana. "Little Hunteress," Diana pulls her bow tight, arrow aimed at him before she lowers it again. She can't shoot him....right now. Damon strides past them with the grimoire, Elena trudging along behind him. Damon descends the stairs into the tomb. Elena walks over to Stefan.

"Everything okay?" Stefan asks her.

"I just want to get this over with." She admits quietly. "Are we ready?" she asks louder.

"I guess so." Bonnie offers. Diana frowns and turns her head listening to something. "Diana?" Bonnie asks her noting her. Sheila places a hand on Bonnie's arm.

"Just give her a minute" Sheila offers. Diana closes her eyes and lets out a breath.

"Anna's here" Diana answers. "She just approached Jeremy at the party...."

"How are you doing that? How do you know that?" Elena asks watching her sister.

"Hate teenagers" She mumbles and presses a finger to her head trying to concentrate and filter to find Anna's mind through the crowds of drunk and high teenagers. "I got her" She states and lets out a breath. "But.....She's too far away, I can't..." She cringes and lets out a breath. "Keep hold" she finishes as her mind slips from Anna's.

"We should deal with her" Damon points out.

"No....she'll come to us before the night is over" Diana admits as she adjusts her bow. "She's here for the tomb and she's hoping to use Jeremy as a bargaining chip" she glances at her bow. "I'll deal with her..."

................

A short time later, Sheila is lighting the torches at the tomb. Bonnie stands next to her, Diana is placed strategically between the two witched and the door, and Stefan, Damon, and Elena watch from the entrance.

"Air. Earth. Fire." Sheila comments.

"Water." Bonnie holds up a water bottle and Sheila takes it, sprinkling the water on the floor.

"That's it? Just water from the tap?" Elena asks.

"As opposed to what?" Sheila counters.

"I just figured maybe it would have to be blessed or mystical or something." Sheila smirks at Elena. Damon pulls out a blood bag and unravels it.

"What's that?" Stefan asks him.

"It's for Katherine. Gotta have something to get her going. Unless your girl's offering a vein to tap." Damon looks back at Elena, who looks at him, unamused. Stefan sighs and Damon whispers his next sentence to him. "Admit it - you can't wait to get rid of me."