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

Chapter Thirty-Two - Winifred Drake

Present day

Outskirts of Albemarle, NC

When Stef woke to the sound of a threat outside, a few things didn't register. It didn't register that she had been blissfully snuggled against Raid's body while asleep on the couch at gone eight o'clock in the morning. It didn't register that Flick was awake and giggling loudly at a few vampire tricks Phoenix was demonstrating to her across the room---specifically how to break his fingers, reset them, and heal them back into place. It didn't register that Adam was in the kitchen cooking makhlama for Zara and, in doing so, had unlocked the secret for getting her to stop insulting him for the past twenty minutes. What did register was that Gabe had opened the front door.

And Winifred had just stepped inside.

Stef stood on the couch, jumped over the armrest, and flew towards her at vampire speed, pinning her up against the wall in the entrance hall. But, to her surprise, Gabe reacted just as fast, pulling Stef off of her, whirling her around, and shoving her own back against the wall.

"How did she get inside?" Stef snapped at Gabe, her bed hair flying in her face as she tried to break free. "It's warded from witches!"

Winifred placed a palm lightly on Gabe's shoulder to gain his attention, then swept her hand backwards, urging him to release her. "I'm not a witch anymore, dear," she said calmly. "You did fine work of that."

Stef huffed indignantly at the regal grace Winifred was displaying, knowing she had Gabe's sympathy for her new, vulnerable human condition. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Traitor!"

"Stop overreacting," Gabe chided, as Winifred strolled leisurely past them both, casting her eyes around their temporary home. "She's not a danger to us. She has no powers."

Stef emitted a short dry chuckle. "No powers?" She glared into Gabe's face before she left him to follow Winifred. "She can still bat her eyelashes at you, can't she?"

Hearing the comment, Winifred turned. It was the kind of turn that stopped others in their tracks. Which it did. She looked first at Stef---the discloser---then at Gabe---the surprising subject. When her eyes softened at him, she quickly concealed this by looking back at Stef. "I hear you are in possession of my talisman."

Stef lowered herself into a curtsy. "Yes, your majesty," she quipped tartly. It wasn't the oddest of responses, considering Winifred both behaved and looked like royalty most of the time. At the moment she was wearing an ankle-length, wine-coloured, cotton coat with embroidered lapels, which was elegant but unnecessary for the current warm weather, and her thick hair was in a high bun above her head, making her appear the same height as Gabe.

Winifred's lips flicked upwards in amusement. "Good, keep it." She turned and continued walking towards the living area, giving a smile and nod towards Flick and Phoenix, the latter taking one look at her and swiftly leading Flick into the library.

Stef remained in the hall, stunned; though not quite as stunned as Gabe. Winifred wasn't here for the talisman?

Gabe strode forward. "In my message, Winifred, I told you that you might be able to use the talisman to regain your powers." It was both a question and not a question.

"I'm aware." She watched Raid rising to his feet cautiously, with the same dishevelled look Stef had after a night cramped together on the couch. Feeling like she had just wandered into a tenement, Winifred decided to head towards the dining area to take a seat. "While it might be possible, I've decided I don't want my powers to return."

Stef was suspicious. "Why?"

Winifred sighed contentedly as she sat down. "I once longed for immortality, but that was during a time when I was happy. I have not been happy for a long time. Even my own children---the many that I have had over the centuries---I watched them grow old and die before me. I have hardened over the years from having lost so much..." She paused, looking directly at Gabe. "So very much." She broke eye-contact with him, blinking the memories away. "And now I am very tired, and what you have done, Stefanie, is release me not just from my magic, but from my immortal curse."