|𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐒|
𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆: Cosmic Love by Florence + The Machine
The slam of my bedroom door echoed like a gunshot, reverberating off the old walls of the Salvatore boarding house. I stared at Stefan, disbelief churning in my chest like a storm.
"YOU'RE KIDDING?" I exploded, my voice rising in pitch and fury. He stood there in the doorway, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, that ever-present calmness plastered across his features. "SHE IS A NEW VAMPIRE AND I'M HUMAN! SHE'LL EAT ME!"
Stefan didn't flinch. He merely shook his head, the corners of his mouth twitching in something dangerously close to amusement. "No she won't." His voice was quiet, but firm. "Damon, Kaiden and me are all going to help her to gain control."
A bitter laugh slipped from my lips as I turned back toward my mirror, tying my hair back into a messy ponytail with jerky, annoyed movements. "Oh because Damon and Kaiden are definitely the best option for that." My tone was soaked in sarcasm. I yanked my hoodie over my head and gave Stefan a flat look in the mirror. "Just do not let her get all vampire with me, alright? I'm already living with three of them."
Once I was dressed and ready, I padded through the hall and entered Stefan's room. It was dimly lit, the warm golden glow of the bedside lamp casting elongated shadows along the hardwood floors. I sank down at the foot of his bed, letting the mattress creak beneath me. Damon was already there, lounging beside me like he owned the place. Kaiden stood silently by the window, arms crossed over his broad chest, eyes distant as he stared out into the night. And there, perched awkwardly on the edge of Stefan's desk, was Vicki Donovan—freshly turned, eyes still wide with the lingering haze of transformation.
"I don't understand why I have to stay cooped up here," Vicki grumbled, her voice laced with frustration as she tossed her head back, letting out a dramatic sigh. "Why can't I go home?"
"Because you're changing, Vicki, and it's not something you want to do alone." Stefan leaned against the dresser, shrugging as if that single sentence could encompass the chaos unfolding within her.
Across the room, Damon lazily flicked through a newspaper, his movements slow, almost bored. Then he let out a loud, exaggerated sigh. "There's nothing about that Logan guy me and Kaiden killed in here. Not a word. Someone's covering it up."
I glanced over as he held out a small metallic object toward me. I took it from his fingers and turned it in my palm, feeling the weight of it—solid, cold, and oddly intricate. It looked like an antique compass, the kind you'd find buried in an attic chest full of forgotten relics.
"What is that?" Vicki asked, eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"This is a very special, very old compass," Damon said as he snatched it back, his tone suddenly serious. He looked between Stefan and Kaiden, his expression sharpening. "What was Logan Fell doing with it? Aren't you curious?"
Stefan stayed silent, his face unreadable. I shared a brief smirk with him as he tried to avoid Damon's probing gaze.
"Well, if you're so worried that somebody's onto you, leave town." Stefan's voice was dry, teasing.
Damon arched an eyebrow. "We should all be worried."
"All?" I repeated, frowning as I crossed my arms. "Oh, honey, no. I'm not a blood-sucking maniac."
Damon leaned in with a smirk, reaching out to flick my ear, but before he could make contact, Vicki's voice cut through the moment.
"Hey? I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat?" Her eyes were already darkening, her body twitching with restlessness.
