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

Chapter Eighteen - Cristian Balescu

Three and a half years ago

Mystic Falls, VA

New Year's Day, 12:55am

Cristian didn't like being kept waiting. He wouldn't even need to be here if it weren't for Winifred finding out he'd taken photos from her grimoire. For crying out loud, why did she behave like she invented the damn spell? She had come straight to the hospital to try to put a stop to it. Luckily Lyle had already messaged him that he'd arrived here first, so hopefully everything went through as planned. Not that he'd heard from Lyle since.

He remained in the car, parked outside the hospital, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel rhythmically. Once again, he did not like waiting. How many of them were in the hospital? Stef, Adam, Raid, Lyle and Winifred. But not a damn one had left yet. He'd left Ava in charge of wrapping up the party. His infatuated little step-sister, always good at doing what he told her to do. Once upon a time, Stef was like that: devoted, attentive, and eager to please. What had gotten into her tonight? The transition was already changing her, turning her into one of those fucking monsters. There was no way he could continue loving her like that. A vampire didn't deserve his love. This was completely messing with his plans for his future with her. Of course, if he managed to kill the vampire who fed her their blood, then his future could be even better than he'd planned. She would become a witch. She could be part of the Coven.

There were a few things he had to do to ensure that would happen. First, he'd have to detox that stupid shit, Lyle. Looking back, he probably wasn't the best witch to take part in this ritual considering it was a miracle he hadn't overdosed on his own supply yet. But he was convenient because he was the weakest witch he knew, he lived in a complete shithole, and his foster parents didn't give a damn about him. Nobody would care if Cristian kept him warded in a room for the few weeks or months it would take to find this vampire. He wasn't a strong enough witch to break down the wards and he'd probably appreciate sleeping on a bed that wasn't infested with bed bugs for once. The next thing he'd have to do is make sure whatever Vaziri acted as the human in the ritual was kept safe. It was unfortunate they were Stef's friends. Unlike Lyle, she would be protective of her friends; she wouldn't allow him to control them, and he couldn't risk pissing her off. There was the compulsion he had to think about: her ability to compel witches as a vampire-witch. He bet Winifred didn't like that at all. No doubt she was going to inform his father of it before the night was over.

Speak of the devil. Winifred was now leaving the hospital, wrapping her long coat around her as she stepped outside into the cold. She stopped when she spotted Cristian's car. His headlights were on, so she could only see his outline inside the car, but she still shook her head at him in disappointment and then carried on towards her own vehicle, which she then drove away.

Soon afterwards, he noticed Stef.

About fucking time.

He sounded the horn aggressively to get her attention. She didn't flinch like he'd expected. He felt mildly disappointed by that. Sometimes it was amusing to frighten her.

As she opened the door and sat down in the passenger seat next to him, Cristian felt a sudden headrush. He put his fingers to his temples. Her presence caused a wave of magic to infect him, a power far greater than his own, making him feel like he was about to enter a dreamlike state. But it lasted only a second before that sensation was gone and he was left extremely uncomfortable with the unwelcome introduction to her new capabilities.

He didn't need to ask her if the ritual had been completed: he already knew. "Where's Lyle?" he asked, irritated. If he had to track down that stupid piece of shit, there would be hell to pay.