Salvation

Chapter 44

Damon

We advanced towards our humble abode, feeling unexplainably defeated. The council was slowly dying down with nothing left and the only thing keeping them afloat was an unknown witch. As she stormed out, I managed to catch a glimpse of ash blonde hair—nothing else was traceable. I hadn't concluded to what I wanted to do with them. The old me would have killed them and had been done with it. This version of me, he wanted to approach it with a less diabolical solution. "We need to come to a decision quickly regarding the council." I mumbled, jogging up the steps after Stefan, into the house.

"Let's inform everyone else before we do anything." He advised after a long exasperated sigh.

"There you boys are!" Caroline jabbered. "We've got a lot to discuss."

"Yeah, you and me both sister." I swaggered in and passed her. She opened her mouth to speak, then her face dropped.

"GET IN THE HOUSE!" The voice ordered from outside. I paused, cocked my head to one side and listened on. Pattering footsteps. A runner. I vamped to the door and pulled it open. Sophia stumbled in, letting out a yelp as she spun back around and crashed into me. I held her firmly till she calmed down and saw my face.

"E-Elijah is still out there somewhere..." still heaving. "We were being followed." She finally managed. She turned back looking into the darkness waiting for him to return safe. Finally he re-emerged into the stream of light.

"What happened?" Stefan questioned, pushing past us.

"A vampire. Whoever it was is long gone." He focused his attention on Sophia. "Are you okay? What did he say to you?"

She trembled and hugged me tight. "He said my name. He knows my name."
A hand yanked her away from me. I lifted my head up to see Kol hold her to his chest, tangling his fingers in her hair and kissing her head. "I'm fine." She mumbled, sinking into him.

"Thank god Elijah was with you!" Care bear began.

"I'm fine, I'm just going to head to bed and forget this all happened. It's probably a silly vampire playing tricks on us."

"Wait." Stefan called out after her. Her raised foot hovered above the step then she placed it back down and turned to face us. "We ought to be careful. There could be more," he turned his head to me. "We'll keep an eye out."

She rubbed her arm in thought. "I'm sure it's fine.

"Hopefully it means nothing, but everyone be on alert. We don't know who's working with them or who they are."

"Bitsy, I hate to be controlling but can you please just not do anything without telling us?" I insisted, well pleaded more like.

She shared a nod.

"Find out what you can, maybe this vampire that came for our Sophia is related to Jameela." Elijah concluded. Once it was all settled, we headed for our respective rooms waiting for the new day to arrive. A feeling in my heart settled deep. It was panic and obsessive worry. Why was I feeling that way? It sparked a rage in me, a restlessness. I struggled so hard not to let my mind venture into the what ifs, into fear of losing her. I couldn't ignore it though, could I? Bonnie snuggled closer, tucked away safely under my chin.

~

He peeled his heavy eyelids open. It took moments for him to adjust to his surroundings but the grogginess ruled over him. Feeling heavy weights around his wrist and arms stretched out, he lifted his head with what little strength he had left. When his sense of being chained hit him, he thrashed violently, desperate to break free. Adrenaline soared through him. Every fibre in his body urged him to run, to break through the chains and flee. His eyes darted from corner to corner. The room dark, the only light source coming from the various candles lit and scattered around the echoing room.