A Lost Redemption

Chapter 5 - Daniel?

When I arrived at the tomb, the atmosphere was thick with tension. The entrance loomed ahead, its stone facade cold and unyielding, hiding centuries of darkness beneath the earth. Elena, Stefan, Bonnie, Sheila and Damon were already gathered there. The air crackled with anxiety. Bonnie was fidgeting, her hands clasped together as if she could wring the tension from her fingers, while Sheila stood steady, her eyes never leaving the entrance to the tomb. Elena was pacing, her face pale but determined, while Stefan stood close by her side, his face tight with worry.

And then, there was Damon.

His eyes darkened when he saw me approach, suspicopm and anger flickering across his features. His posture was defensive, his jaw swt in a rigid line. We hadn't met before, but he clearly didn't appreciate a stranger being involved in something so personal. He stepped forward, cutting off the distance between us in an instant.

"Who the hell is she?" Damon demanded, his voice laced with irritation.

"Why did you bring someone I don't know here? This is my business?" Stefan tried to calm him down, but Damon was too wound up.

"I am here to make sure things go as planned." I said, my voice calm but unyielding.

"You want Katherine, Damon? Then you will have Katherine, I will keep my end of the deal?" Damon's eyes narrowed, distrust clear in his expression.

"I don't trust you. How do I know you won't just lock me in there with her?" I met his gaze, unblinking.

"If you want Katherine, then you will get Katherine. But be careful what you wish for. Katherine is danger, she will not hesitate to betray those who love her if they are getting in her way." I warn him but he didn't seem to care.

There was no way Damon could know what I had planned. He didn't need to know. He was too blinded by his obsession with Katherine to see anything beyond his need to have her back. It was all consuming for him, and I could see the danger in that. For a brief moment, I almost pitied him.

I moved closer to Sheila and slipped the paper with the spell into her hand. When our skin touched, something unexpected happened. Her eyes glazed over for a split second, and I knew that she had seen it, a glimpse of my 1378 years of existence. She saw the horrors I had committed, the battles I had fought, the people that I have lost and the pain I had endured. Her hand trembled slightly as she pulled away.

There was no judgement in her eyes, only sadness. She pitied me.

"I am sorry." She whispered, barely loud enough for anyone else to hear.

I didn't respond. But a part of me hated that pity. I didn't deserve it. I didn't need it. I had lived too long, done too many terrible things, for pity to do me any good. What I needed now was action.

Sheila and Bonnie joined hands. The two of them focusing their energy on the spell. The tomb responded to their power, the ground trembling slightly as ancient magic began to stir. Slowly, the entrance to the tomb opened, a gaping maw of darkness that seemed to stretch on forever.

The only reason why I didn't join hands with Bonnie and Sheila in doing the spell is because it is a very powerful spell, and in order for me to have enough strength to do it, I have to drink human blood. The more I drink, the stronger I am. But it has been more then 800 years since the last time I had a drop of human blood.

"There you go. You can enter now. Katherine's in there, waiting for you." I said, turning to Damon.

Damon's distrust hadn't vanished, but his desire to find Katherine overpowered any hesitation he might have had. Before he could move though, he grabbed Elena by the arm, pulling her close to him.