Ties That Bind- Klaus Mikaelson

1

"She had tasted the sweetness of his lies, and now, she was addicted to the poison that bound them."
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The flickering candlelight cast long shadows across the dimly lit room, dancing over the worn surface of the map sprawled on the table. A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the slow, deliberate breathing of the figures standing over it.

With a sudden, sharp motion, the blade slid across the palm, releasing a thin stream of crimson. The blood pooled for a moment, shimmering darkly in the wavering light, before it began its descent—dripping, then flowing in slow, steady drops onto the map below.

As the first drop struck the brittle parchment, it seemed to hesitate. Then, as if driven by some unseen force, the blood began to spread. It seeped into the intricate lines, darkening them, finding a path to the desired target. The blood stopped moving once it reached a certain place on the map.

"There. She's there." The Bennett witch concluded, pointing a finger to the spot where blood stopped.

"That's 300 miles away." The brunette boy said, his voice laced with worry.

"No, Bonnie. We need more exact location for that." The vampire insisted firmly.

"That's as close as I can get." The witch said in a tired voice.

"We can map it, aerial view will show us what's around there, help us narrow down the area." Jeremy suggested.

"Perfect. Call me with whatever you find." Stefan hurried to leave the room.

"No, no, I'm coming with you!"

"No, Jeremy, you're not."

"No, I'm gonna just sit here. What if she's hurt, okay? Or worse? What if she's...?"

"She's not. You two go back to your house just in case. I'll call you the minute I find her." Stefan reassured him while going to exit the room.

"Well, you can't do this alone."

"He's not. Let's go." The raven haired vampire appeared at the door, nodding his head towards the exit.

"Wait!" The guys turned their attention to the witch that was holding her hand under her nose, trying to stop the blood from dripping. "You're going to need help."

"Bonnie, you can't-" Jeremy protested.

"I wasnt't thinking me."

The look of realisation crossed the younger vampire's face. "No. You know what happened last time."

"Stefan, you need her. You and Damon still don't know who has Elena. You don't know who you're up against. She could help you." Bonnie tried to reason with him.

"But if it happens again-"

"It won't."
...

On the edge of Mystic Falls, there stood a grand, white house. The house was pristine, with tall columns and a grand, double-door entrance that loomed over the gravel pathway leading up to it.

The Salvatore brothers stood in front of the big white house, the older one adjusting the collar of his black leather jacket with a smirk. His dark hair fell just over his eyes as he glanced sideways at his younger brother, who was nervously glancing around.

"Alright, little bro," Damon said "How about you take the lead on this one? You're her classmate. Also, she'll probably find your hero hair distracting and agree with whatever you say."

Stefan shot him a glare. "You're the one with all the smooth talk. Besides, you promised you'd do it."

The older vampire rolled his eyes, placing a hand dramatically over his heart. "Promised? Did I say 'promised'? I think what I meant was... you're the one who really wants to ask her to save your missing girlfriend. I'm just here for moral support."