Their Raven

Chapter 27

Damon hadn't said a word since he and Stefan stepped into the boarding house. His steps were too measured, too quiet. Stefan followed close behind, eyes flicking to Damon every few seconds like he was afraid he would nearly die again.

Bonnie was already there sat cross-legged on the couch, flipping through an old grimoire until she looked up and froze.

Something was wrong.

"Damon?" She asked, closing the book slowly.

Damon didn't answer immediately. He crossed the room and grabbed the bottle of bourbon from the side table, pouring himself two fingers of liquid courage. Then three. He tossed the glass back, exhaled, and finally looked at her.

"I think something found me," he said

Bonnie straightened. "Found you? How"

"Not sure," he muttered, setting the empty glass down harder than necessary. "But it felt like something was there when Stefan and I were walking. Watching me. Like it was sizing me up. Hungry."

Bonnie's expression tuned stony in a blink. "That's concerning."

Stefan sighed and sat next to Bonnie. Picking up the grimore and placing it on the table. "It felt... cold. The air changed. For the first time in a long time I felt... human, utterly powerless. Everything felt wrong."

Bonnie leaned closer, concern now beaming in her eyes. "Why didn't you call me straight away."

Damon shrugged, rubbing the back of his head. "Because I didn't want to freak anyone out until I knew it wasn't in my head. I'm only finding out that Boy Wonder over there felt something too."

Bonnie walks over and places a hand over his. "You don't need to keep this stuff to yourself anymore Dam." Before Damon could respond, the frond door burst open—and the air shifted again, only this time it was a storm of Original energy.

Kol entered first, his expression unusually grim. Klaus and Elijah followed, both of them eerily quiet, like predators sniffing the wind before a hunt.

"I take it that unnatural chill wasn't just passing wind," Klaus stated, eyes narrowing as he studied Damon.

Damon gave them a dry look. "How do you know? You're stalking me now? Great! I can't even have a few hours without you all up my ass."

"We're not stalking." Kol cut in smoothly voice deceptively light. "We're protecting. Huge difference and if you want anything up your a-"

"Kol! Have some decorum" Elijah sighed just done with his siblings. Kol rolls his eyes.

Bonnie's eyes widened slightly "You felt it too? But how? I didn't feel or sense anything." Stefan lifts his head from his hands "Did it make you feel vulnerable too?"

"No," Klaus said, his voice low. "We felt something brush against our minds, a warning, to leave Damon alone. Whatever it is its very interested in you darling."

Kol moved toward Damon without hesitation, tilting his head. "Did you feel it in your bones, sweetheart? Like it could reach inside and twist something if it wanted to?"

Damon hesitated. Then, nodding, "Exactly like that."

Bonnie looked between them, brows knit. "What the hell is it?"

"We're don't know," Elijah said. "But it's not benevolent."

Stefan stepped in between Bonnie and Damon protectively. "What do we do?" Klaus stepped forward, his usual swagger absent. "We're don't let Damon out of our sights even more now."

"Oh, that sounds extra cozy," Damon said sarcastically.

"Not negotiable," Kol replied, the humor gone from his tone. "We nearly lost you once. None of us are keen on a repeat performance."

Damon looked between them, ignoring his non existent beating heart and the butterflies in his stomach. "You three are getting too sentimental now, it's weird." Klaus gave him a warning look. "You're important to us, Damon. Get used to that."

The silence that followed was heavy—but not uncomfortable. Damon's gaze shifted down, his tongue pressing into his cheek not wanting to admit that if he could he would have blushed.

"Great," he muttered. "I go on one walk and come back with a cryptic supernatural fan boy and three Original bodyguards."

Kol snorted and slung an arm lazily around Damon's shoulders. "You say that like it's a bad thing." Damon leaned slightly away, but not enough to break contact. "You're lucky you're pretty."

Klaus arched a brow from across the room. "He's lucky?"

"Don't push it," Damon warned, shooting Klaus a look.

Elijah moved to Damon's other side, smoothing the cuff of his sleeve. "We'll take shifts, if needed. One of us will always be near you, until we know what this thing is."

"Call dibs on bed shifts!" Everyone glares at Kol who only smirks back and winks at Damon.

"I'm not some fragile human," Damon snapped, but there was no real venom in it—just habit.

"No," Elijah said softly. "But you're still healing. Physically. Mentally, Magically, Emotionally and your magic is attracting something."

Bonnie looked thoughtful. "I'm not surprised really, since the whole Witch business and you nearly dying. I've felt your magic it's been... loud. It pulses. Like it wants to grow."

Damon frowned. "You make it sound like a heartbeat."

Bonnie tilted her head. "Maybe it is."

Klaus came to stand directly in front of Damon, tilting his head as though seeing him for the first time. "We'll up your magic training and start tomorrow. If your magic's going to act like a beacon. You need to know who to actually wield it."

Damon groaned. "What is this, Hogwarts?"

Kol's smirk widened. "Only if I get to be your professor. I'll bring a wand."

"You'd enjoy that," Damon mumbled trying to not think about certain things.

"I would," Kol agreed cheerfully. "Tremendously."

There was a beat of silence.

Then, unexpectedly, Damon let out a small breath of laughter. It broke the tension, if only a little.

Bonnie smiled, relief softening her features. Stefan squeezed her shoulder gently.

"You okay? He asked her quietly.

Bonnie nodded. "I just hate not knowing what's out there. What it wants."

"I know," Stefan murmured. "But we've got him now. And he's got all of us."

From the centre of the room, Damon felt the weight of everyone's attention. Normally, he'd scoff or crack a joke to deflect, but tonight...

Tonight, he let it happen.

He looked at them—his brother, his best friend, and the three ancient vampires who somehow, impossibly, had wormed their way into his life and even his heart.

And he felt, for the first time in a long time, like he might actually belong somewhere.

Even if the shadows were still creeping closer.

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Chapter 27 is out!! I'm so sorry for taking a month break. I didn't know it would be this long. I really hope you like this chapter my darling x