The Banshee Teacher || TVD [BEING REWRITTEN ON MY PROFILE]

Chapter Forty-Eight

(A/N: Underlined dialogue is spoken in Swedish)

"You must remember,
family is often born of blood,
but it doesn't depend on blood.
Nor is it exclusive of friendship.
Family members can be your best friends.
And best friends,
whether or not they are related to you,
can be your family."
Trenton Lee Stewart

"Everything I did... I was just trying to help Tyler."
"I didn't want him to be alone."
"I should be the one thanking you."

"Thank you."

"I'm really going to die here..."
"Just, please don't let me die in vain."
"Don't let people forget I existed."

"Thank you, Brianna Byrne."

"Don't thank me," Bri cries into the darkness, "You're both dead because of me."

Two blonde corpses appear in front of the woman, their glossy eyes staring right at her—right through her.

The redhead turns, watching as her past self collapses to the ground, tears streaming from her flickering scarlet eyes as they flit between the two dead bodies.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she cries, her hand clenched against her chest.

Everything around her fades away, and the banshee is left standing alone in the darkness, the voices of the dead women repeating their final words.

And all Bri can think is, 'I didn't deserve their gratitude.'

✯✯✯

Skylar, Bri, and Damon settle at the table the waiter leads them to, the two American borns studying the café and its menu with intrigue. 

After Bri helps them order their drinks and breakfast, Skylar and Damon share a glance.

"Did you have a nightmare last night?" Damon asks softly, having noticed the dark circles under the banshee's leaf green eyes.

Bri nods with a sigh, "Which is why I was dressed before you two even woke up."

"Still seeing Andie and Jules?" Skylar questions, her sweet voice impossibly gentle as her hazel eyes meet the redhead's green ones.

"Seeing them, hearing them," Bri grimaces as she continues, "Sensing their emotions and pain, feeling the life drain from them."

The conversation pauses as the waiter arrives with their coffees.

"Tack," Bri thanks the waiter before he walks away again, immediately continuing the conversation, "It is getting a little better, though."

"You don't wake up crying anymore," Damon attests with a nod, Skylar adding, "And you don't flinch when your bones crack."

"Look at you two mothering me," Bri coos with a playful smirk, although her eyes reveal her gratefulness.

Damon huffs out a laugh as Skylar snorts, "Even motherly figures need mothering."

"Words of wisdom," the redhead grins at the strawberry-blonde teen.

Her grin falls away as she recalls the message she received from Liz Forbes, "Liz found another lead, and Rose, Trev, and Kit are following up on it. I should get a message today from them to confirm it."