Black Magic ▹ The Vampire Diaries [1]

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
PICKING A SIDE

"Some people just need a little coaxing to choose a side."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

     "My, you two took the vampire aesthetic rather seriously, didn't you?" Henrik asked, strolling around the length of the Salvatore brother's living room as he took in the decorations. The others were gathering their friends, and Bonnie was calling her mother, so Henrik was left alone with Stefan and Damon. It seemed neither of them trusted him enough to leave him alone inside their home, though Henrik couldn't imagine what he would even want from them. He ignored their suspicious stares and continued to take in the red carpets and dark shadows of their house. "Would it kill you to put in more than two lamps? There's hardly any light in this place. It's said that sunlight heals the soul, you know, and god knows you two need it."

"I'll get my interior decorator on the phone right after we kill the thing your mother created," Damon responded, voice flat and bored. Despite his tone, Henrik turned to smile at him. Seeing it, Damon saw it was time to get closer. Henrik didn't mind. "What are you up to, huh? Why are so willing to help us?" Henrik raised his eyebrows, surprised, then glanced over at Stefan. Seeing that Stefan was also suspicious, he huffed out a small breath.

"Wouldn't you help your enemies if it meant your family was safe?" Henrik questioned, tilting his head. Damon still didn't look convinced, but Stefan relaxed slightly and let out a soft sigh, turning to leave them alone. Henrik watched Stefan leave, then glanced at Damon again. "Stefan doesn't want Nik to die, either, you know. Despite what he says."

"One of the many reasons my brother is an idiot," Damon huffed out. Henrik just shrugged his shoulders. A loud truck had pulled up to the boarding house as they had been talking, so Henrik went to the front of the house, arriving as soon as Bonnie did. Even though Henrik knew who had arrived, it was still a shock to see Abby Bennett walk into the Salvatore Boarding House. He tilted his head as he took her in, ignoring the way Bonnie greeted her and proceeded to explain the situation. This was the woman who had managed to put down Mikael, something even Henrik hadn't been able to do. He had tried, but it was always catching him that was the problem. He always managed to escape on time, never once underestimating just how powerful Henrik was and avoiding him whenever he could. It was why Mikael had started to attack Klaus only when he knew Henrik wasn't with the rest of their family. Knowing that this woman had managed to catch his father in a trap, his respect for the Bennett line heightened.

Abby noticed him staring and shifted on her feet, uncomfortable.

"Uh, hey," she greeted, making Henrik blink, then smile and raise his hand in a small wave. Abby's lips twitched before she looked at Bonnie. "Who is this?" Bonnie frowned.

"A friend," she said shortly, not bothering to explain anything further than that. Henrik appreciated that. The last thing he needed was a newly turned vampire knowing who he was and running off to tell the world. "We called you here because we need your help with a spell." Abby's eyebrows raised in surprise, prompting Bonnie to explain further. "Esther created a vampire that can't be killed. We need to put him down, but to do that, we need the desiccation spell you used on Mikael." Abby's face twisted before it went hard and cold. Henrik shared a look with Bonnie, then he stepped closer.

"Bonnie, it's too dangerous," Abby told her. Henrik didn't particularly care about dangerous spells. He practiced dark magic. If need be, he would cast the spell without Bonnie. He was certainly strong enough, and besides that, he wouldn't mind having a desiccation spell at his disposal. It had never occurred to him to create one himself. His enemies were usually easy to deal with, and if he wanted to desiccate a vampire, all he needed to do was snap their neck and leave them to starve somewhere underground. Abby, unaware of his peaked interest, kept going. "Your magic comes from the earth. It's pure. This spell asks you to tap into dark places. Places of temptation. Places you can't handle." A delighted laugh left Henrik's mouth.