Book Two: Aquiver (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Thirty-Three

"I got your text," Elena tells Bonnie as she and Jeremy follow her through the boarding house and into the main room where Alaric, Damon, Stefan, Derek, and Caroline are waiting with Artemis.

"What's going on?" Jeremy asks looking around the room.

"Is that?" Elena asks looking at Bonnie.

"Artemis" Artemis offers as she steps closer to Elena and Jeremy. "You are Diana's brother and sister, I recognize your faces from the photos" Elena nods. "She spoke of you both with great fondness...."

"Oh, urm....thanks" Elena whispers.

"So now everyone is here" Damon sets his drink down. "Let's get this thing over with....fix the Watchdog" he turns to Artemis. "What is this ritual thing? How do we do it?"

"There are two stages" Artemis admits. "Diana must first consume a specific tea brewed by herbs from the base of Mount Olympus itself which will begin the process of purifying her"

"Herbs?" Stefan asks. "Are you saying Diana has to get high?"

"Cool," Jeremy whispers.

"Then she must be cleansed by mist" Artemis continues. "Formed by breaking the crystal that the demon will be placed into, a crystal forged by Hades' himself"

"You have to break a crystal?" Elena asks. "Is that what got us into this mess?"

"When the mist clears, the demon has been removed and the crystal is whole again" Artemis assures her. "The mist cleanses her body of the darkness and retreats with it into said crystal, securing it away"

"Surely the more pressing issue, Elena, is the crystal forged by Hades?" Caroline asks her. "Do you have one of them?" Caroline adds.

"I will provide the crystal," Artemis tells them. "Diana is unique, one of only two of her kind, or...the only one of her kind now, after Eva's death" Artemis continues. "This ritual had to be created for this specific reason...Hades is the ruler of the underworld and considering the nature of the demons, it made sense that he be part of it....and there are many crystals formed by him, they were created for his wife, Persephone who enjoys making jewelry from them and gifts them out to the demigods, meant to pay for their way into the underworld upon their deaths"

"Will it hurt?" Caroline asks Artemis.

"You are asking if ripping out a part of your soul is painful?" Artemis asks Caroline who then nods. "Yes, very, but Diana has done this before." They all appear concerned with that answer. "Your concern for your friend's well being is admirable. I already know you all care....you would not have called for me, for this, if you did not care about her...about who she really is...I will see that it is done"

"Let's do it then...we're wasting time talking about it," Damon tells them.

"It takes time" Artemis counters. "Preparations for the ritual, tributes to be made, ingredients readied...."

"How long?" Alaric asks her.

"A couple of days...." Artemis answers. "And I will teach this ritual to your witch" Artemis nods to Bonnie. "So if it were to happen again, you will not need me to come" Bonnie nods.

"You think it will?" Alaric asks.

"It's contained in a necklace" Artemis points out. "It's not exactly the most secure....."

"Can't we put it somewhere else?" Damon asks her. "Like dropping the crystal down a 10ft concrete hole in the ground?"

"Then Diana will be trapped wherever that hole is" Artemis answers.

"What?" Alaric asks.

"When you remove a part of someone's soul, it is gone, but they are still connected, there is a magical link between them, a link so great that it restricts movement, they cannot be apart without it causing physical pain to the body that holds the rest of the soul, so...Diana.....but with it in the necklace, she is free to move around as she carries it with her"

"Do you need any help getting ready? I can skip school" Caroline asks Artemis and Bonnie who share a look.

"I'll stay" Derek offers, having been quiet through the whole thing. "I'll help them get ready"

"Look, Derek..." Elena starts, intending on talking him out of it.

"Diana's my best friend" Derek argues. "I know I'm not a vampire, or a werewolf, or a witch, or a hunter, or a demigod...but I can help here. I can do something. I owe this to her. To help her. To save my friend." Derek and Alaric share a look.

"Okay," Alaric tells him. "But...stay away from Diana, she's not exactly safe to be around right now" Derek nods. "And if you need anything..." Derek holds out his hand to Alaric who takes it and shakes using his other hand to pat Derek's shoulder. "Call one of us..." Alaric assures him. They are both here for the same reason. They both love Diana, even if in different ways. They both want to save her. They are here for her.

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

Alaric knocks on the room door and steps inside, Diana sits on the bed with the deck of cards he left her. She takes a breath and looks at him.

"I heard" Diana states. "So it's over?" She asks as she shifts on the bed a little.

"Almost" he promises her.

"It's not going to be easy," she tells him. "When I come out of this..."

"I figured" he assures her as he steps closer to her. "But we'll get through it....together" she smirks a little and chuckles as she stands from the bed.

"Wish I'd never said that" She argues. "If you're going to use it against me" he shrugs.

"It was a good line" He teases, they share a look. "I have to go to work, but I'll be back after...."

"You don't have to keep coming around" she scolds him.

"Yes, I do...you're my girlfriend, and I love you, and you are going through something, and I am going to support you through it"

"Were you this supportive of Isobel?"

"No" He admits. "And that was...one of my many mistakes, I'm trying really hard not to repeat them with you because I don't want to lose you" She steps closer to him and kisses him softly, he closes his eyes and smiles softly.

"Then I'll see you later" She assures him and then moves back to the bed. Alaric smiles to himself and then leaves. 

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

"I have to go to school," Bonnie tells Artemis who removes her cloak. "But I will be back later"

"Yes, of course," Artemis counters. "Your education is an important part of your growth...and I have the young....man...here to help" There is a tone to the goddess' voice.

"Derek's a good guy" Bonnie assures her. "And he cares about Diana...they've been friends since they were like...8 years old...." She grabs her book bag. "Do you need me to pick anything up?"

"I will assume that these vampires do not have a teapot" Artemis starts.

"I will bring one with me" Bonnie assures her before she leaves. Artemis glances at the door and then up the stairs. 

"Alright, Diana" She states to herself. "Let's see how infected you are"