An Elemental Difference - FIRE - Book 2 (Stefan Salvatore)

Chapter 18 - ...dead, psychos, or not worth it

LOCKWOOD MANSION

"How is she?"

"How is she?" Aella raised a brow at Elena as she watched the brunette sort through costumes and masks, "She's bossing people around; she's fine."

Elena raised a brow that had Aella sighed heavily, "Ok, she's not feeling the best. Liz was savage; even Damon called her out on it."

"I just can't imagine," Elena sighed heavily. "I don't know what I'd do if my mom said all that to me. I know they haven't had the best of relationships, but to wish your daughter dead just because she's changed. I never would have expected that from Liz."

Aella picked up a mask and held it in front of her face, "Yeah, not gonna win, mom of the year with that attitude."

Elena smiled sadly at the witch, "And you? It must have been hard when you showed her what you were."

"I don't care," Aella lied, tossing the mask down and shrugging a shoulder. "Liz just made Caroline, even more, a part of our crazy friendship group. Our moms are either dead, psychos, or not worth it."

Elena stared down at the mask in her hand, "That is scarily true."

Aella's lips twisted into a crooked smile, "Liz just pushed away the only person she has, while Caroline will always have us. It's Liz that should be worried about because Caroline will never have to worry about being alone.

As the two girls continued organizing the costumes and masks, Caroline stood outside the door. She had seen the two talking and was about to order them back to work when she heard her mom's name mentioned. A tear fell silently down her face at her best friend's words because Aella was right. Mom or no mom, vampire or human; she would always have her best friends.

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

Damon walked into the library to see Ric and Jeremy pulling out documents from the box he recognized from Isobel's office. He narrowed his eyes at the young Gilbert, "What are you doing here."

Jeremy rolled his eyes, "We need to talk to you."

"Uh, obviously," Damon pointed to the box they'd brought in. "But Ric could do that; why do you need to be here? Does your sister know you're here?"

Jeremy didn't answer him, and it had Damon smiling. Before the vampire could say anything, Ric looked to Damon, "I told him it was okay. After all, he helped me find what we were looking for."

Damon was intrigued, "You found something in Isobel's research?"

Ric picked up a book, "I told Jeremy what Isobel's assistant told us, the old Aztec curse."

"Mmm, Vanessa," Damon hummed as he poured himself a drink. "The hottie with the crossbow."

Jeremy snorted, "I thought she shot you."

Damon shot a glare in Jeremy's direction as Ric just nodded his head at the vampire, "Yes, Vanessa. Do you remember what she said?"

Damon nodded after he'd taken a big gulp of his drink, "Scarily similar to Pixie's bedtime story, Sun and the moon, blah blah blah blah blah."

"Yeah," Ric nodded, opening the book to a specific page. "Well, Jeremy saw this when we were looking through her books. Unlike Aella's story about a witch and two brothers, supposedly vampires and werewolves used to roam freely until a shaman put a curse on them to limit their power. Since then, werewolves can only turn on a full moon, and vampires are weakened by the sun."

Damon wiggled his fingers, showing his daylight ring, "Most of them, anyway."

Alaric carried on, ignoring Damon's comment, "According to the legend Isobel discovered, the werewolf part of the curse is sealed with the moonstone."