(1) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Sixty-Six

Pearl and Anna go back to the motel room. Anna turns on the light and gets a shock when she sees Damon sitting in a chair in the corner of the room.

"You knew Katherine wasn't in there." Damon accuses Anna who nods a little. He's right. She knew. She knew all along. 

"You wouldn't have helped me." Damon vamp-runs at Pearl and grabs her by the throat. "No! No!" Anna begs.

"Why do you get a happy ending?" Damon asks. Anna rushes towards him to stop him from hurting her mother.

"Damon, please! You wouldn't have helped me, you know you wouldn't have!" Anna admits. Damon grabs a hold of Anna, restricting her movement.

"Why do you get it and I don't?" Damon asks.

"The guard," Pearl informs him. "The one at the church. The one who locked us in. She promised to turn him. He was obsessed with her. She had him under her spell, like everybody else. He let her go." Damon releases Anna and Pearl. Anna wraps her arms around Pearl and looks up at Damon.

"Last I saw her was Chicago, 1983" Anna adds. "Sorry," She tells him, and she actually seems to mean it. Damon spent so long trying to get into the tomb, to get Katherine, to get back at her for what she did, but she was never in there. Anna embraces Pearl. Damon goes to leave but Pearl stops him.

"Damon" Pearl states, Damon looks at her. "Ally..." She offers. "She is in the tomb" Damon frowns at her.

"What?" He asks.

"The guard....he swapped them..." Pearl informs him. "Swapped Katherine for Ally...." Damon lets out a breath. Ally was so close. She was right there. And he left her behind. There is no way he is getting the witches to bring down the spell again. He looks away from Pearl who presses her head to Anna's, holding her daughter closer as Damon then flees.

........

Down in the tomb, golden eyes glow through the dark to the sound of feet shuffling forward. A hand appears in the stream of light first, dainty, female hands, clawing along the wall, pulling her body through the tunnel. She opens the door of the tomb and is able to walk out. She tilts her face into the light and lets out a soft breath, breathing in the fresh air, finally free. She shuffles forward, revealing herself to the light. Ally. She smirks and holds up her other hand, golden yellow mist wrapping around her digits before her eyes turn red.

..........

Across town, back at the Gilbert house. Cassandra sleeps in her bed, curled up and burrowed into her blankets. Her eyes open but she doesn't wake. Her eyes start to glow golden yellow before she closes her eyes again. Damon sits on the edge of her bed staring down at something in his hand, so he doesn't see the change in Cassandra's appearance. He lets out a breath and turns to her. He picks up her hand, turning it over to check on her wrist but his blood did it's job. All good. All healed. He tucks whatever was in his hand into his pocket before he lays at Cassandra's side, she turns her head slightly, sensing him there. His fingers brushing through her hair.

........

Cassandra pokes at her cereal with her spoon, not sure if she's hungry. Her head is fuzzy. Like it feels smaller than usual and she's not sure why. She didn't overdo it yesterday, she barely used her powers at all. She holds up her hand and watches her mist swirl around her fingers. Nothing out of the ordinary there. But she feels like she's been mind probed. Like someone has been routing around up there. It aches. She sets her spoon in her mouth and hums a little. She can't imagine how much pain Bonnie is currently in. Elena had texted her during the night but Cassandra hadn't gotten it until she woke up. Informing her that Sheila had died. Cassandra always liked her. And it's horrible. Losing someone that loved. Cassandra glances to the doorway as Elena shuffles in, setting her spoon back into her bowl.

"Hey, how is she?" Cassandra asks, Elena shrugs and sits next to her sister.

"Upset..." Elena whispers, Cassandra nods because of course, she is. Her grandmother is dead. Elena then suddenly bursts into tears. Cassandra touches Elena's shoulder and then wraps her arms around Elena, letting her cry against her shoulder. It's been a rough few days for her, she's allowed to cry.

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

Cassandra's reflection watches her as she moves around her room. The clothing out of place and doesn't match the current outfit Cassandra is wearing as she paces, her phone pressed to her ear. She just wanted to leave Bonnie a message, to let her know she's thinking about her, that she's sorry, because she is, this is all their fault, it's all her fault. She talked Damon into working with them.

"Hey, Bonnie, it's Cas, I know you're probably getting a lot of these, but...I'm really sorry about your Grams. If you need anything....you know where I am" She then hangs up and puts her phone down on the dresser before moving to stand in front of her mirror. Her reflection is weird. She tilts her head one way, but the reflection goes the other way, the wrong way. Cassandra frowns.

"Hello, Cassandra" The reflection states, Cassandra's eyes widen and she stumbles back with a yelp, tripping over her own feet, falling to her backside. She stares at the reflection as she crouches so she is eye level with Cassandra. The reflections eyes begin to glow golden and Cassandra's turn red in response. "We have a lot to talk about" The reflection smirks but there is something a little crazed about it.