Evoke

Chapter Eighteen

Mystic Falls,
September 1st, 1864

"Damon!" I yelled, running out of Veritas house and towards my brother, beaming. He was emerging from his carriage, looking smart in his uniform, grinning himself.
"Nella," Damon sung, opening his arms. As I reached him, he picked me up and spun me around. "I've missed you."
"I missed you too, D," I said, resting my head on his shoulder as he put me down, his left arm still curled around my shoulders.
"Damon!"
"And here's our baby brother," Damon smirked at Stefan, who was coming down the steps to us.
"He's not such a baby any more," I said. Damon hugged Stefan with his free arm.
"I am compared to you both," Stefan grinned.
"Yeah," Damon agreed. "Nella's getting old."
"Stop it," I chided playfully, squirming out of Damon's grip as my brothers laughed at me
Our smiles dropped quickly, though, when our father emerged from the house. He didn't look happy. Damon fell solemn and took of his hat.
"Father," he greeted, stepping forward.
"Son," Father nodded, before turning to me. "You shouldn't run, Nella. Very tasteless."
I didn't argue with him – it wasn't the right place or time. "Yes, father."
"Oh come, Giuseppe," I heard Kenneth say as he stepped out behind father. "It's not every day you have a soldier turn up on your doorstep. Hello, Damon."
Kenneth descended the steps and shook Damon's hand. "It's good to have you back."
"It's good to be back," Damon smiled tightly. Stefan and I exchanged a look – it always made us uncomfortable knowing that father and Damon didn't get along. I reached for his hand and gave it a subtle squeeze. However, Stefan didn't acknowledge me as Katherine stepped out of the door next, her handmaid Emily behind her.
Since Katherine had arrived in Mystic Falls, it would be an understatement to say that Stefan had become absolutely smitten with her. I didn't mind that. She was nice and pretty and we got along rather well. What more could I ask for?
However, what I did mind was the way Damon's face dropped into awe as he noticed Katherine too. Everything around him seemed to stop mattering except her. And that bothered me a lot.
Katherine's behaviour did nothing to placate my irritation. She decended the steps, looking directly at Damon and avoiding everyone else. It gave me a very uneasy feeling about her earlier excitement about Damon coming home.
"Nella," My father called for me. "Why don't you and Kenneth see how the lunch is coming along?"
I frowned, wondering why father wanted to send me away, but before I could question it, Kenneth's arm was around my waist and he was guiding me into the house.
As I passed the door, though, I stopped us both. "Emily?"
The handmaid was startled that I had called her. "Could you come with me, please?"
"Of course," Emily said graciously and she followed Kenneth and I inside. I asked Kenneth to give me a moment with Emily and he agreed, leaving us alone in the parlour.
"Emily, may I ask you something rather... personal about Katherine?" I asked carefully. She smiled and nodded. "Do you know her feelings for my brother?"
"Stefan, m'lady?"
"Yes."
"Miss Katherine enjoys Mr Salvatore's company greatly, Mrs Di Pierto," Emily told me.
"And Damon?"
"Why, she's just met her, m'lady," Emily said almost scandalously.
"Thank you, Emily," I smiled, before leaving the parlour to find Kenneth in the dining room.
"What was that all about, Nella?" Kenneth questioned.
"I am suspicious of Katherine's intent with my brothers," I told him. "I don't want to see a girl come between them. They have always been so close - I don't want anyone to mess that up."
Kenneth laughed. "Nella, love, they're boys. Of course girls are going to come between them, especially one as pretty as Katherine."
I looked at him and rolled my eyes. "Thank you, Kenneth, for your insightful and helpful advice. That was exactly what I was looking for."
"Oh come on, Nella, it's really not that big of a deal," Kenneth said. "Stop worrying about it."
I rolled my eyes again but stopped my mouth running off as my father walked back in. He would have a fit if he heard me cheeking Kenneth.
"Lunch should be ready in just a few minutes, Giuseppe," Kenneth smiled at my father.
"Good," father said, taking his seat at the head of the table. Stefan and Damon filed in next and took their seats too. There was an awkward tension between the two. I didn't like it.
Katherine came into view then, but instead of taking her seat at the table, she paused in the doorway. "Nella? May I speak with you a moment?"
"Of course," I smiled politely and left the room after her.
Since I had agreed to be her friend, Katherine and I had spent a fair amount of time together. I would even hesitantly say that we were rather close. She had shared information about vampirism with me, and informed me that the reason why I didn't panic after she revealed she was a vampire was due to something called compulsion. All vampires can do it - its like a manipulation of the mind - but only over humans. I asked if there were any other types of people other than human and vampire, and she explained that there were also werewolves and witches - both of which exist in this town. She said names would come at a later date.
But despite this apparent closeness, I was nervous about being alone with her. Another of a vampire's traits - Katherine had told me - was heightened senses, meaning she could hear much more than an average person. And therefore, she must have heard my comments to Kenneth and my questions to Emily.
"I understand that you are worried about my influence over your brothers," Katherine said after she had shut the door to the parlour. Emily was still here.
"I am," I replied. "They are my brothers, after all. I don't like the idea of someone getting between them and ruining their relationship."
"I can assure you that I have no intention of ruining the relationship between Damon and Stefan," Katherine said. "However, your brothers are very handsome. Stefan has already fallen for me and I don't doubt that Damon will too. But don't mistake this for me using them as playthings."
"What is it then, Katherine?"
Her voice and face became very wistful. "I think I love him."
"Who?"
"Stefan," Katherine smiled.
"You do?" I questioned. "Then why bother with Damon?"
"Ask me that in a week and I will answer it fully. Right now I can only say that there's something intriguing about Damon," Katherine smiled again, only this time it was less lovestruck and more... mischievous.
"I just want to see both of them happy, Katherine. You understand that, don't you?"
"Of course," Katherine replied. "Completely. I want them to be happy, too. I will not lie to them and I will not decieve them in any way, Nella. You can trust me."
"How do I know that?"
"Would you like to meet a witch, Nella?" Katherine asked me, like she had anticipated my question.
I felt a smile stretch across my face. "Yes."
"Emily," Katherine said, and her handmaid stepped forward. "Is a witch."
"You are?" I turned to her, surprised.
"I am," Emily smiled. She raised her hands, and the candles that were spread about the room suddenly burst into flames.
"Wow," I muttered. "That's impressive."
"Thank you," Emily said, still smiling happily.
"You can trust me, Nella," Katherine repeated. I looked at her for a moment, trying to judge her face, her mood, her expression to see if she was deceiving me. But I decided that she wasn't, and smiled.
"We should get back to the dining room before anyone gets suspicious," I said. Katherine beamed and linked her arm with mine.
Just before we left the room, she stopped us. "Thank you, Nella, for trusting me. It means a lot."
"It's not a problem, Katherine. I'm being your friend, and that's what friends do," I smiled at her.
"Thank you," Katherine said again and we left the room to join my family.
Over lunch, Damon told us stories of the war - much to father's disdain. Father and Kenneth disappeared after lunch to attend to some work, which left Damon, Stefan, Katherine and I to enjoy ourselves. Katherine and I sat on the steps of the house, talking, as we watched my brothers play with a football. It didn't take us too long to join in with them, though.
When I left Veritas with Kenneth in the evening, I was tired but content in knowing that Damon was home and safe and that Katherine had no intention of getting in between my brothers. Today was undeniably a good day, even though it began with suspicion.