The Bourbon Diaries ✢ The Vampire Diaries FanFiction ✢ TVD FanFic ✢ TVDU FanFic

Chapter Nine - Stefanie Salvatore

Present day

Atlanta, GA

A man Stef instantly recognised took a step away from the group of witches surrounding him. She quickly scanned the numbers: there were eight, not their entire coven. While there was a good chance the entire coven could overpower her, eight was at least manageable.

It was just unfortunate Winifred was among them, since she was the most powerful. Though, strangely, Winifred was also the most considerate, particularly to Stef. She'd recognized that Cristian hadn't treated her well while they were dating. She was well aware of her stepson's flaws and had tried to protect her from him. So Winifred wouldn't harm her if she could avoid it, but defending the coven, especially her husband, would always be her priority.

"Stefanie Salvatore," Dimitri declared, moving closer. "What a hold you must have over my own son to get him to lie to me."

The mall was emptying, news of the gunman had likely spread, the bodies of the two vampires falling had probably scared many others away. However, some shoppers were bold enough to stop at a distance and watch the new confrontation unfold, gasps arising as the two fallen vampires got to their feet, snapping their broken bones back into place.

Stef, arms stretched apart, protecting Raid and Adam, was suddenly flanked by Gabe and Zara.

Dimitri laughed. "Three vampires protecting these young boys, why could that be?" He paced, taunting them, scratching his nails into his scalp. His receding, shoulder-length black hair, peppered with grey, fell in front of his face as he pretended to ponder this. Suddenly, his head shot up, fingers splayed in the air, dramatizing a eureka moment. "Could it be that these are the ones who really took part in Stefanie's ritual?"

"They're Stefanie's friends, Dimitri, nothing more," Gabe replied, his voice tense.

"Good enough friends to take part in the spell, no doubt," Dimitri mused, "since they conveniently left the country around the same time."

"They're human, Dimitri, go confirm it with your son. They were his friends too." Stef gently pressed her palms against Raid and Adam's shoulders, urging them to slowly move. They side-stepped away from the stairs, Gabe and Zara advancing in front of them, ready in case of attack.

Dimitri followed their pace, increasing the volume of his voice, stopping them in their tracks. "It takes three in the ritual, Stefanie, as you well know: the vampire who turned you, a human to complete the transition, and a witch to power the cure that---until now---had been running dormant in your veins, courtesy of your father." Dimitri swished his finger around in a circle. "Round and round it goes. Your witch powers fuelling the cure that lives in your veins, which destroys the vampirism that's killing the magic that fuels the cure..." He pointed a finger towards Gabe. "That lives in the house that Salty Jack's built."

Zara narrowed her eyes at Dimitri. "Very cute," she uttered sarcastically.

Dimitri ignored her. "One of those boys is human, I have no doubt about that, but the other? Well, if the other were a vampire, my son wouldn't be protecting him. But a witch? Yes, that's very possible." He stepped closer; Gabe and Zara on high alert, causing Dimitri to hold up his hands in peace. Stef stood firm behind Gabe's and Zara's shoulders as Dimitri smiled at her. "Tell me, Stefanie, are you protecting them because of the prophecy?"

She lurched forward in anger, Gabe and Zara holding her in place. "Keep the prophecy out of this!"

Dimitri backed away laughing, his hands clasped together in joy. "Oh, how wonderful! So they don't know that you're destined to fall in love with one of the ritual participants, like you haven't already destroyed their lives enough. Another reason to be glad it wasn't my son."