Cosmic Love

“Brother. Witches,” greeted Damon to everyone. He was walking at a crisp pace as he descended into the area before the tomb. I followed after him, leaving the others up on the surface.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Damon?” I asked. He gave me a hard, cold look.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to try and stop me,” he said. The words held an unspoken threat that if I tried, I would regret it. I was taken aback.

“Have you not listened to anything I ever said?” I asked back. “I want you to be happy.” I crossed my arms over his chest waiting for him to argue. He didn’t but simply turned back to look at the arrangement of torches. His gaze lingered on the door before he moved aside. I heard the steps on the stairs behind me and moved aside to stand next to Damon.

The older witch, the young witch, Elena, and then Stefan descended into the small, enclosed area. “We’ll need that,” said the old witch to Damon. She held out her hand for the book. Damon placed it in her palm and with a surprising amount of strength she ripped it out of his grasp. She then turned and walked back into the circle where Bonnie stood.

Elena and Stefan stood along the sides just as Damon and I had. We weren’t allowed to be in the circle. And frankly, I didn’t want to be. I will never like witches. Bonnie’s grandmother, as Damon quickly explained to me, took out a lighter from her pocket. With the lighter she began to light each one of the torches.

“Air, earth, fire,” she said lighting three of the four torches.

“Water,” said the witch glumly and held out the bottle to the grandmother. She took it and poured it around the last torch before lighting it.

“That’s it, just water from the tap?” questioned Elena.

“As opposed to what?” asked the old witch.

“I just figured it’d have to blessed or mystical or something,” said Elena. I opened my mouth to tell her to shut up but then closed it quickly. Now was not the time or place to start that. The old witch smiled at Elena amused.

Damon then took out the blood bag from his jacket and wrapped the string around it. “What’s that?” asked Stefan worriedly. He shined a flashlight on it. Were his senses really that bad?

“It’s for Katherine,” said Damon. “Got to have something to get her going. Unless you’re girl’s offering up a vein to tap.” He gave a cheeky smile to Elena before turning back to the witches. They didn’t seem to be doing much.

“Admit it,” whispered Damon to Stefan. He leaned across me to talk to Stefan. “You can’t wait to get rid of me.” Damon wore an amused and playful expression but apparently Stefan wasn’t having it.

“I can’t wait to get rid of you,” said Stefan seriously. He then turned to watch the ritual ending the conversation. I put a sympathetic hand on Damon’s back knowing that even that small sentence had hurt him. Damon put an arm around my waist. His touch sent chills through my body but he quickly removed his arm. He crossed his arms and stood to watch the ritual.

“We’re ready,” said Bonnie, looking up at us. I could see the slight fear in her eyes.

“Well, get the show on the road,” said Damon. “We don’t have all night.” Slowly the witches stood in the center of the circle. They clasped hands and then began to chant in a language I couldn’t understand or even decipher.

Damon moved to stand in front of the doorway. He was ready to go in as soon as that door opened. Elena moved down the stairs and stood next to Stefan. She was obviously worried and scared. “What are they saying?” Damon asked Stefan.

“Sounds Latin,” said Stefan.

“I don’t think its Latin,” said Elena.

“I think it’s the witch’s own language,” I grudgingly agreed with Elena. The witches continued to chant for a couple minutes. Luckily as a vampire you learn to be patient. Suddenly the flames burned higher and stronger. Elena stepped back scared. I simply raised an eyebrow, expecting something to happen soon.

“What’s happening?” asked Elena as she clung to Stefan. Before anyone could answer the tomb door gave a loud bang. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched as the door slowly dragged its way open.

As everyone peered inside the tomb I watched the witches closely. I didn’t trust them. They were descended from Emily and they were witches. That’s double trouble. “I’m going to get the gasoline. I’ll be right back,” said Stefan. He practically ran up the steps to the surface.

“You ready?” Damon asked Elena. He was eyeing the witches carefully.

“What?” asked Elena completely taken off guard and terrified.

“Think I’m going to go in there by myself so you can seal me in?” Damon asked the witches. I grabbed Elena’s arm and pulled her to Damon.

“Don’t take her in,” threatened the older witch. “I’ll bring the walls down.”

“You’ll bring the walls down if I don’t,” challenged Damon. “Think I trust you?”

“As much as I trust you.”

“Enough both you,” said Elena. “Look he needs leverage. He needs to know you’re not going to shut the door when he gets inside. I get it. I’ll go.” Damon didn’t need any further prompting. He grabbed one of the torches and taking Elena’s arm went inside.

I watched as they disappeared into the darkness. “Aren’t you going to go inside?” the older witch asked me.

“Are you nuts?” I asked. “There’s no one I want in there and plus I don’t trust you.”

“Neither did Damon,” she pointed out.

“He shouldn’t have,” I mumbled under my breath. I turned back to the tomb door, awaiting his return.

Suddenly Anna came running down the stairs. “Hey, you’re not going in there,” said Bonnie.

“You think you can stop me?” asked Anna.

“No, but I can,” I said moving off the wall.

“I don’t want a fight,” spoke up the old witch. “Let her go in.” I remained tense but moved aside. Cautiously Anna picked up a flashlight and then entered the tomb.

“Why did you let her go in?” asked Bonnie incredulously to her grandmother.

“Trust me, baby,” said her grandmother gently. I didn’t like the look in her eyes and found myself watching her every move.

Stefan came back down a little later and instantly looked worried. “Where’s Elena?” he asked immediately.

“Damon took her inside,” I supplied. Immediately he moved to go in after her.

“Stefan,” yelled the gran witch, catching his arm. “If you go in there you won’t come out.”

“What’d you do?” I growled.

“Opening the door didn’t remove the seal,” explained the old witch. It wasn’t for my benefit but Stefan’s. “It simply opened the door.”

“What’s the seal?” asked Stefan. His voice was worried.

“Some seals keep vampires from entering. This one keeps them from coming out.”

“Elena’s human she can leave,” said Stefan with tears in his eyes. “Anna and Katherine can’t.”

“Damon can’t,” I said completely shocked.

“You never were planning on breaking the spell were you?” asked Stefan.

“I told you,” said the witch. “I will protect my own. Elena can get out. That’s all that matters.”

“You locked Damon in there. You’re going to let him die?” I growled.

“I will protect my own,” she said firmly again. With a hiss I lunged for her throat. I was inches from grasping her skinny neck when I was pulled back and slammed against the wall. My eyes were bloodshot and my fangs had extended from the fury I felt. Stefan tried to hold me firmly against the wall but he was quickly losing. I was fighting with everything I had, blind in my anger.

Just then as I struggling to rip her throat out there was a huge pain in my head. I stopped fighting immediately and grasped my head at the intense pain. I chocked trying to get in air past the pain but I was losing. I fell to the ground and just as my head hit the stone floor, I blacked out.