(1) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Sixty-One

Cassandra taps her fingers against the wheel of Jenna's car. Something about Stefan's call is bothering her. It just doesn't sit right. That niggling at the back of her mind telling her there is something else going on. She reaches over and fishes around her bag for her cell phone before she dials and sets it to her ear. There is only one person that will know what is going on that might actually tell her. The phone clicks.

"What's going on with Stefan and Elena?" She asks.

"That's not exactly what I expected" Damon complains. "No hello? No how ya doin'?"

"Damon" She warns. "Tell me what's going on....please" She begs of him. He lets out a breath and sighs.

"Elena's missing," He tells her. "Stefan's been looking for her all night" She closes her eyes and presses her fingers to her head.

"He didn't tell me" She whispers. She should have known there was more to that call. "Where is he?"

"Probably out looking for her again" Damon answers and then pauses. "You okay?" He whispers. Her lip quivers a little and she closes her eyes. "Cas?"

"I'm fine" She answers but her voice does break. This is just more batshit. First the crash, then the dance, and now this. Damon sighs a little, more in irritation of himself than with her.

"Meet me at the town square," He tells her. "I'll help" He offers, she sniffles and nods.

"Thanks," She tells him.

"Yeah, don't mention it" He grumbles and then hangs up. Cassandra closes her eyes and takes a deep breath calming herself down before she starts the car again.

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

At the town square, Anna is walking through the central green when Jeremy sees her from the Grill and runs over to her.

"Anna! Hey-uh, what happened to you last night?" Jeremy starts.

"Sorry, I had to leave. I told your sister to tell you" Anna answers, Jeremy frowns at her.

"I haven't seen her"

"Well, I gotta run, so..." Anna turns to leave.

"Hey, do you wanna go to a party tonight?" Jeremy asks her.

"Go to what?"

"Oh, the guy who's throwing it is a total douche, but it's supposed to be fun. I figured, you know, safety in numbers" Jeremy offers, Anna chuckles.

"So, you're finally ready to go out with me, are you?" She asks him teasingly.

"It's been a while since I've been to a party, and I kind of want to get back out there. And not be such a - a loner. And, uh, I like you. You're fun, and you're also kind of strange and lurky but, uh, I guess I like that, too. So, yeah, you should come to the party. With me. It's in the woods by that old cemetery" Jeremy admits

"Oh. It's there, huh? That sounds cool. Uh, I'll meet you"

"Oh. Okay! Great" Anna starts to walk away. Jeremy watches her. "Cool."

"Okay." Anna looks glances back at him as Jeremy leaves. Anna sits down on a bench, waiting and looking around. Suddenly, Damon appears next to her, sitting on the bench.

"Got a hot date or are you just plan on nabbing the entire Gilbert family?" Damon asks.

"A party, right next to the old cemetery. Isn't that nice of them? Lots of warm bodies for starving vampires" Anna answers.

"I told you. I work alone." Damon argues.

"Yeah, so do I. But your minus a witch and I'm minus a spellbook. So what do you say?" Anna asks him.

"Stefan will come after you, you know that. For messing with Elena" Damon points out.

"Then he won't be too happy if I kill her when I don't get what I want." Anna then cocks her head. "Or if I were to go after...the other one" Damon clenches his jaw. "Cassandra, right?" She smirks a little, stands up and starts to walk away. Damon scrunches up his face and sighs.

"When do you want to do this?" Damon asks. Anna smiles and turns around, laughing at Damon, but he does not that her eyes are glowing red.

"God, it's like 1864 all over again. You Salvatores are truly pathetic when it comes to women. Tonight. After sundown. Meet at the church" Anna leaves. Damon glances behind where he is sat and finds Cassandra watching him, her eyes glowing red but fading. He raises an eyebrow at her and she nods back at him before hurrying away.

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

In a motel room, Elena and Bonnie are sitting on a bed together, watching Ben McKittrick who paces in front of them. The two girls look scared. Are scared. Terrified really. It wouldn't take much for him to snap and hurt them.

"Witches don't have eternal life, right? So you guys can die" Ben asks of Bonnie.

"Yep. We can die" Bonnie answers.

"Ah. That sucks." All of a sudden, the door splinters open with a burst of red mist. Ben screams as the sunlight starts to burn his skin. Cassandra steps into the room and uses her powers to rip the curtain open, allowing more sunlight to pour in. Ben hides in the dark between the two beds.

"Cas!" Elena greets, Cassandra looks at her.

"Let's go, come on" Cassandra orders them. Bonnie and Elena don't have to be told twice. They scramble up and out the door. Cassandra walks over to Ben, looking down at him. He is terrified. She snorts and rolls her eyes. "Pathetic" She mumbles. "When the sun goes down, leave town. If you ever come near my sister again, I will kill you" She threatens him and holds up her hand, using her powers to make her point, then turns and hurries out of the room after her sister and her friend.

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

Stefan is comforting Elena when Cassandra approaches them but the road. Bonnie has her arms wrapped around herself.

"Cas" Stefan starts, she shoots him a look to not start with her right now.

"Keep something like this from me again" She steps closer to him. "And I will kill you" She adds and smiles at him before moving to Bonnie. "Are you okay?" She asks, Bonnie nods and then suddenly hugs Cassandra tightly, Cassandra hugs her back, comforting her friend. Two threats in the space of five minutes. She is on fire. But she means it. Stefan should never have kept this from her. Elena is her sister. Bonnie is her friend. She should have been involved. She would have found them long ago. "Let's get you back to your Grams" Cassandra offers as she pulls out of the hug, Bonnie nods and gives her a grateful smile.