Verendus

Chapter 2

Bonnie entered the church with her dad, hatred filling her eyes as she spotted Damon and Stefan sitting in the pews. Only a few people were present, yet why did they have to come? She watched as Elena and her family approached her, offering a sad smile before Jenna pulled her into a tight hug. Bonnie relaxed slightly before assuring the woman that she was fine.

However, her attention was diverted when Elena gasped. Turning to the entrance of the church, she paled. Braelyn walked in, dressed in a form-fitting black dress. Her hair was styled in a braided bun, and their great-grandmother's pearl hair comb stood out. Around her neck, she wore a pearl choker, and her lips were painted a deep red. As she stepped inside, murmurs spread rapidly among the attendees.

Bonnie's grip on her father tightened as she noticed the man staring at her sister in shock. Braelyn, however, walked straight past them, heading towards their grandmother's casket. Placing a hand on it, she whispered, "I'm here, Grams." The whispers grew louder, but Braelyn merely sighed before glancing around and nodding at the pastor, who soon announced that the service would begin.

The Salvatore brothers raised questioning eyebrows at Elena, who merely rolled her eyes before explaining, "That's Braelyn Bennett, Bonnie's older half-sister. She attends some fancy university in New York."

Stefan was the first to respond. "Elena, she's a witch—a powerful one. I could sense her approaching from miles away. She wanted us to know she was here."

Elena's expression hardened as she glanced at Damon. "Don't even think about flirting with her. We want her to go back to New York."

Damon narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze to the woman now seated in the family section of the church. He was about to retort when a group of witches and warlocks entered the room. One by one, they approached Sheila's casket, placing a hand on it and whispering in a mix of French and Latin.

It was surprising to see the witch who had once aided Katherine present, yet all of them deferred to Braelyn, not Bonnie. Even more shocking was the moment the large group took their seats in the family section.

"Did you know her family was this huge?" Stefan asked, lowering his voice.

Elena shook her head, but Caroline, smiling knowingly, nodded. "Yeah, I asked Braelyn once about their family. She told me that Bennetts come together for weddings, pregnancies, a special Bennett coming-of-age event, and funerals, but they never stay long."

Damon suddenly paled and stepped back. "Shit."

Bonnie, noticing his reaction, walked over. "What's wrong?"

Damon turned to her, lowering his voice so only their small group could hear. "You never told us you were part of a family coven. And from the way they're treating your so-called sister, it looks like she's the new head of it."

Bonnie blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Damon sighed, realisation dawning. "Your father isolated you from your coven. That means you don't know half of the things you should."

Bonnie turned sharply to her father, who had gone pale, his expression betraying guilt. Several of the women in the pews turned to glare at him, their eyes filled with quiet fury. Had she really been excluded from something so important?

The tension only thickened when Abby Bennett entered the church. Ignoring her husband and both daughters, she strode up to her mother's casket, whispered a few words, and then allowed a teenage boy to escort her outside. Elena pulled Bonnie into a hug as Rudy angrily chased after Abby. The funeral, however, proceeded as planned.

Both Salvatore brothers watched the proceedings closely. Meanwhile, Bonnie clung to Jenna and wept, while Braelyn sat silently, tears slipping down her face as she observed everything.

The pastor eventually fell silent and gave Braelyn a nod. Taking a deep breath, she rose and gripped the microphone tightly.

"My grandmother was a kindred soul. Some of you thought she was crazy, but in truth, she was remarkable. She traced our genealogy all the way back to its origins, so every time she said she was a witch, she was technically correct. We Bennetts came by way of Salem, and before that, we were of Norse origin—a family of healers. She loved to tell stories and often visited New Orleans to see her nieces and nephews.

"There was a song she requested for her funeral, and I never thought the day would come when I'd have to sing it without her."

A young man, likely around Damon's age, stepped forward with a microphone in hand. The two exchanged small smiles before the music began. As they started to sing, tears glistened in Braelyn's eyes.

"Quando sono solo e sogno all'orizzonte e mancan le parole
Sì, lo so che non c'è luce in una stanza quando manca il sole
Se non ci sei tu con me, con me
Su le finestre
Mostra a tutti il mio cuore che hai acceso
Chiudi dentro me la luce che
Hai incontrato per strada"

Unbeknownst to Braelyn, Lucy had begun playing a slideshow of photographs from their youth. Bonnie's breath caught in her throat as she saw a picture of Lucy, Braelyn, and Grams in New Orleans—clearly taken before she was even born.

"Time to say goodbye
Paesi che non ho mai
Veduto e vissuto con te
Adesso sì li vivrò
Con te partirò
Su navi per mari
Che, io lo so
No, no, non esistono più
It's time to say goodbye."

Photo after photo revealed Sheila with her family and students. Each image made Bonnie feel smaller. How much had she never known about her family? She glanced at her father, who was staring at the pictures, his expression filled with regret.

Then came an image of her Grams, Abby, and an unfamiliar man holding a baby. 'That must be Braelyn's father,' Bonnie realised. Now, she understood why her father looked so uncertain. The man was tall, handsome, and clearly well-off. A small part of her wished he had taken Braelyn with him—wherever he had gone.

As the song continued, Bonnie was transfixed by an image of her grandmother in her youth, holding a book, eyes alight with joy. Another photo emerged, one from before Abby had left. It showed Sheila throwing a party, little Bonnie clutching her teddy bear, seated between Elena and Caroline on her Grams' lap, all of them smiling.

Finally, the song reached its end, and the last slide appeared—a picture of Sheila and Braelyn at a formal event. Braelyn beamed widely, a certificate in hand, while Sheila looked on with pride.

Bonnie clenched her jaw. During that summer, her Grams had supposedly gone on a trip, but this photo suggested she had been with Braelyn instead. Once again, her sister had stolen attention that wasn't hers.

As the casket was carried to the burial grounds, Bonnie cast a glance at her father, who remained expressionless. The pallbearers lowered it into the earth, and she felt something shift as Braelyn stepped forward, carrying a container and a large cloth. The men carefully draped the cloth over the casket.

Stefan recognised the emblem imprinted on it. "The Bennett crest," he murmured, recalling it from Emily's spell book.

Braelyn was the first to scatter soil over the grave, followed by each family member, including Bonnie.

Once the burial was complete, the Bennett family formed a quiet circle around the grave, performing a ritual Bonnie couldn't quite see. When they finally turned to leave, they paid the others no mind.

The will reading was scheduled for tomorrow. Perhaps, once it was over, Bonnie could finally claim her Grams' grimoires—without interference