The Chosen One

Thirty One: Bound

Jessica

           I was frozen in fear, trapped by a scorching ring of fire and rooted in place by the intense blue grey gaze fastened on me. My heart thundered in my chest and my breathing was shallow and rapid realizing that my human life was drawing to a close. The thick heavy curtains were being lowered on this stage of my life, even as I fought for a way to draw them back once more.

          Movement and shouts caught my attention, directing my gaze towards the edge of the small clearing. Two figures blurred forwards, attacking two of the hybrids on that section of the clearing. When they finally stopped, the two hybrids lay lifeless on the ground with Damon and Stefan standing over them triumphantly. Before either of them could rush forwards, Damon and Stefan fell to their knees, holding their heads and gasping in pain.

          "Damon!" I cried out to him, fearful of what could happen to him and wishing desperately that somehow he could manage to get me safely away from here despite the odds.

           More movement and a new voice crying out in pain had me looking towards the direction of Hunter. Apparently Caroline had tried to covertly launch an attack on the otherwise preoccupied warlock, but Hunter had been able to stop her before she could even get to him. Caroline was left lying on the ground, a hand to her head and crying in pain.

         "No! Stop! Don't hurt them!" I shouted, hating to see people that I cared about in pain. When I made a move forwards trying to go to them, the fire encircling me flared and the blazing heat had me retreating from it to stand in the center of the circle.

          Three out of the remaining four hybrids each went over to Stefan, Damon and Caroline. The hybrids shoved stakes into their backs, immobilizing them and further inflicting them with crippling pain. Now with them rendered unable to intervene, Hunter turned back to Klaus and I. Closing his eyes he began to chant.

          "Did you not think that I wouldn't be prepared for an attempted rescue?" Klaus tauntingly questioned Damon.

           "I will find a way to kill you!" Damon growled.

            Stefan raised his head to look at Klaus. "Let her go Klaus. She doesn't deserve this."

            "Don't do this to her! It is not a life that she wants!" Caroline interjected between gasps of pain.

             Klaus's eyes swerved away from them and back to me. "It is the life she will have none the less."

             Tears made my eyes water and threatened to spill, no longer able to ignore that my life was coming to a close. I was losing my life and fixing to be forced to accept a new one. I held the tears at bay for now, but for how much longer I did not know.

            Hunter's chanting took on a new cadence. The ring of fire that encircled me and the one that encircled Klaus slowly merged to create an oval fire boundary that enclosed us together within it. Klaus started to take even and determined strides towards me, each step he took fueled my overwhelming desire to want to be anywhere else but here. As he came closer, his eyes flashing with purpose, I backed away as far as I could go. Until the heat of the flames and the invisible barrier were at my back, preventing escape.

            Stopping before me, Klaus reached up to run his fingers across my cheek almost lovingly as he gazed into my eyes. "Ready, love?"

             I shook my head no. I knew my eyes had to be glistening with my tears that I was withholding, but now one escaped making a slow trail down my cheek.