If only | Damon Salvatore

039. CARRY ON LIKE A PRINCESS, BUT MAN I GOT EM FOOLED

Chapter thirty nine

"Carry on like a princess, but man I got em fooled."

The next morning, Beatrix woke up before anyone else in the house. She quickly got dressed in a black dress and her heavy cloak, pulling the hood over her head to shroud her face. Holding a sharp knife, she climbed onto her bed and carefully sliced open the mattress. Inside the hidden stuffing, the spelled box was revealed. Setting the blade aside, she reached in and pulled the container out, waving her hand over it to dissolve the protection charm. The lid clicked open, revealing the glistening moonstone. She took the artifact, left the empty box on the bed, grabbed her knife, and quietly slipped out of the room.

Casting a powerful invisibility spell on herself, Beatrix slipped undetected into the Mystic Grill and waited. A short while later, Damon walked in and took a seat at the bar. Alaric entered right behind him. Beatrix's eyes went wide, wondering if the warlock's possession was still active.

"I'll have the same," Alaric told the bartender. He glanced at Damon with a completely normal expression.

Beatrix let out a quiet sigh of relief; she could tell Alaric was finally back to himself. She prepared to stand up and leave, but the sound of footsteps stopped her in her tracks. A man she had never seen before walked confidently up to Damon and Alaric.

"Gentlemen? Why so glum?" the stranger asked, a distinct British accent dripping from his words.

Alaric instantly stood up straighter, his posture turning tense. Damon turned around slowly, letting out a heavy groan before hanging his head in bitter realization. "Klaus, I presume."

"In the flesh," Klaus replied smoothly. He offered a nod to the history teacher. "Thanks for the loaner, mate."

Damon stood up from his barstool, trying to match his height. "Any reason you stopped by to say hi?"

"I'm told you and your brother fancy my doppelgänger. Just thought I'd remind you not to do anything you'll regret tonight," Klaus shared, his voice a calm but terrifying warning.

Damon furrowed his brows, attempting to sound casual. "Ha. Thanks for the advice. I don't suppose I could talk you into, uh, a postponement by any chance, huh?"

Klaus burst out laughing, completely amused by the request. Beatrix furrowed her brows from the shadows, wondering what Damon had up his sleeve to make him act this bold.

"You're kidding," Klaus said, turning to look at Alaric. "He's kidding, right?"

"No, not really," Alaric muttered, keeping his distance.

"I mean, come on, what's one month in the whole grand scheme of things?" Damon pushed, stepping closer to Klaus.

"Let me be clear," Klaus said, his tone dropping into a deadly whisper. "I have my vampire. I have my werewolf. I am on my way to pick up my moonstone. And I'll have everything I need. The ritual will happen tonight. So if you want to live to see tomorrow, don't screw it up."

Klaus turned on his heel, brushing right past Damon and walking out the front doors. He passed mere inches from where an invisible Beatrix was standing.

Beatrix pivoted quickly and followed him outside. When she stepped out into the humid air, she glanced left and right, but the sidewalk was empty. She furrowed her brows in confusion. Suddenly, a blur of motion slammed her hard against the brick wall of the building, the physical impact breaking her concentration and forcing her invisibility spell to drop.

Klaus smirked down at her, pinning her by her shoulders. "It's not very nice to eavesdrop, love."

Beatrix didn't flinch. Instead, a slow smirk spread across her own face. "I was waiting for you. I just was unsure of how to find you."