An Elemental Difference - AIR - Book 1 (Stefan Salvatore)

Chapter 85 - ...how?

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

Stefan placed his book down as he heard familiar steps enter the house and head directly to him. He stood up and met Aella as she reached the doorway. "Hey, how's Elena."

Aella let him pull her close, and she tiredly wrapped her arms around him, "She better. She's with Caroline and Bonnie."

Stefan looked down at her tired eyes, "And you? It's been a long day."

"Long, draining, emotional... just to name a few." Aella listed off and snuggled close to Stefan. Stefan lifted her into his arms with ease and walked to the sofa he'd abandoned to greet her. As soon as she was sitting on the leather seat, Aella snuggled up close to Stefan and let out a tired sigh.

Stefan twirled a piece of hair from her ponytail. He questioned what had been on his mind since the meeting with Isobel, "So at the Grill, I've never seen you that drained before... what did you actually do to her?"

At the 2 am meeting following Ric's revelation, Aella had told them of an idea she'd had and had used beforehand. She could bind a person to the spot as if they were tied up with rope. At the time, they had agreed to use it, needing something on their side. But after taking her form in then and now, Stefan worried they hadn't asked enough about it.

"It's hard to explain how," Aella twisted her lips. "When I've tried it in the past, it was on Jeremy or Caroline, and I kind of imagined a rope bound them, but instead of the rope, it was my connection with the air. One day, when I wanted them to stop, my hand just moved without me thinking, and they were stuck."

"So you haven't tried it on a vampire before," Stefan stated rather than asked, realizing how much Aella had left out the night before. He tried to soothe his thoughts, the consequences of it backfiring on Aella when she had pushed Isobel a little too far. However, it seemed Aella had realized too how lucky she was that it had worked without practice.

Aella's mouth twisted as she shook her head, looking up to him apologetically, "I just needed you and Elena safe. It seemed my magic knew that too."

"But it was draining on you?" Stefan summarised, his forehead puckered. "It felt different than when you'd accidentally used it on Caroline and Jeremy?"

"Way less draining," Aella nodded. "It honestly felt like I was keeping a lion bound in rope with just my own hands. I've never had to focus so hard; that's why I feel so tired."

Stefan nodded and chuckled to himself, "Well, like most things with your magic, I've never seen that be done. I had no clue it could be done."

Aella's eyes shimmered playfully, "Got to keep you on your toes."

Stefan kissed her softly and pulled back a fraction as he whispered, "Only you."

Aella leaned to kiss Stefan again when Stefan's brow furrowed at another set of steps. He turned to the doorway, Aella following his movement to see Damon enter the study in his usual attire, but underneath his leather jacket, he was bare-chested.

The corner of Stefan's mouth turned up, "Did you lose something?"

Damon smirked as he entered the room, a glass of blood in his hand, "Strip poker... I guess I lost."

Aella chuckled, "Against who?"

Damon fell onto the sofa opposite the couple, "Isobel's minions."

Aella's eyes widened as she and Stefan leaned forward; Damon's eyes glistened at their interest. "Yeah," Damon nodded. "I found Isobel's hideout."

"Is it like an evil person's lair?" Aella questioned eagerly. What did evil vampires live in?

Damon raised a brow over his glass as he took a sip of blood, "She's a vampire, not a Bond villain. She's in a foreclosed house; it's one of the tricks I showed her when she turned."