The Original

I'm Screaming

The group was busy over the next few weeks trying to track Circe down again. A few of them flew back to Mystic Falls, and New Orleans, then back to Sicily. There were rumors of her movements spreading throughout the supernatural community, but nothing concrete. 

Genevieve hadn't told anyone about her and Damon. Though a few of them had guessed, like Stefan, Caroline, Elijah, and her brother Felix, they were smart enough to keep their mouths shut. 

During the rare moments of quiet, when they had nothing to do, she and Damon would sneak off to have a few moments to themselves. Moments of pleasure, and of peace. She'd heard stories about him from other women she'd met over the years, but it was nice to know for herself that they were true. He was pretty damn good. Sometimes, when they weren't engaged in other more pleasurable activities, they would just sit by the beach, in comforting silence, until someone came to look for them.

"Why haven't I ever heard you sing?" Damon asked one night as they were relaxing on the beach.

She turned to look at him. "Because, Damon, if I used my voice against you, you would have no control over yourself, and it wouldn't be particularly pleasant. I don't ever use my song, and I certainly don't use it just for the fun of it."

"Just once?" he pouted. "Please?"

She stared at him for a moment, before rolling her eyes and turning back to the sea. "Fine. Just once."

There was a moment of silence, before a sweet tune filled the air. Her lilting voice rolled across the waves, calming even the wind with her lullaby. Despite having taken the concoction to prevent being taken under a siren's sway, Damon was captivated nonetheless. His entire body went slack, relaxing even more than he already had. His eyelids began to get heavy, and he fell back into the sand. She leaned over him, running her hand lightly across his cheek, as she continued to sing. Then abruptly, she stopped. His eyes flew open as he tried to refocus, his mind still a haze. 

"And that wasn't even at full strength," she whispered into his ear.

"Wow," he croaked.

She let out a laugh that rolled right through him, bringing him back to reality.

"It's been a long time since-" she began, but stopped suddenly as her head swiveled sharply to face the tree line. Damon sat up with a jolt, expecting someone to come running out, but there was nothing.

"What is it? What's wrong?" 

"I'm not sure. But...I feel something. Something's not right." 

In an instant she was on her feet, holding out her hand for Damon to join her.

"Come on. We should go."

He grabbed her hand and they raced off back towards the house.

It was eerily quiet. Not a single bird, or gust of wind. No voices drifting from the open windows, or the sound of Hope crying. Absolutely nothing.

Genevieve approached the house just as silently, he fingers lightly grasping the door as she pulled it slowly open. The house was empty. Or at least, that's how it seemed. Plates full of food still lay on the table, untouched. A half empty milk bottle was on the floor, next to an overturned chair. 

"Where is everyone?" Damon whispered.

"I...I don't know. They haven't been gone long. And...it feels as though they're still here," Genevieve mused.

She raised her hand as if sensing some invisible force. She waited a moment, before waving her hand in a horizontal motion. Suddenly, the others appeared on the floor in front of them, all of them unconscious. Damon rushed to Elena, attempting to wake her up, before doing the same with Stefan. Genevieve scanned the room, but saw no sign of her brother.

Then, a low clapping sound came from down the hall. 

"I am impressed, sister. I thought it would take you longer than that to sense my magic, but you've proved me wrong," Circe admitted as she stepped into the light.

"What was the purpose of this, Circe? To sniff out what I could do? To test my limits?"

"Yes, it was a test, but not for you. It was partly for me, but mainly for Orcus. Or Felix, as he now calls himself. But he'll always be Orcus to me," she smirked. "Just as you will always be Eirene."

"Where is he." Genevieve demanded.

"He's where the sky meets the sea. You know of where I speak," Circe inclined her head.

"You're insane," Genevieve widened her eyes. 

"Perhaps, but so are you. After all, aren't we all a little mad, here?" She turned and walked out the door, leaving Gen in a stunned silence.

"I don't understand...where did she take him?" Caroline asked.

"There's this spot, out at sea. This plain of rocks that juts out of the water. It's a meeting place for the sirens, but it hasn't been used for centuries, mainly because the sirens are almost extinct. There are only a few left in existence. These rocks are slowly covered and uncovered as the water rises and drops. In the past, surviving sailors were left there to drown slowly."

"But Felix is immortal," Stefan countered.

"Yes, but the magic of the sirens supersedes his immortality, so even though he would usually come back after drowning, this time, it would kill him. Permanently."

"You realize that this is a trap, right?" Klaus argued.

"Yes, I do" she sighed.

"So why are we wasting our time?" 

"I'm sorry, I don't remember her asking for your opinion, so why don't you shut your cake-hole?" Damon sneered.

"As terrible as it sounds," Elena responded, "he has a point. If it's obviously a trap, why are we going to walk right into it?"

Genevieve eyed them all with a hurt look. "Because he's my brother. Is there anything each and every one of you hasn't done for someone you love?"

Everyone was silent, knowing she was right. 

"She's trying to draw me away, distract me. And it's working. If saving my brother means losing this battle then so be it."

"I'm with you," Caroline put her hand on her shoulder.

"So am I," Damon agreed, followed by Stefan and Bonnie.

The others were a little hesitant, but they soon joined in.

"Fine," Klaus grumbled. "But if it comes down to your lives or my families, I think you know what choice I will make."

She looked him dead in the eye, unblinking. "I know. Because it's the same choice I would make."