Through the Darkness

Chapter 9: Through the Darkness

After learning that Freya would be prepared to perform the spell at midnight that would activate her powers, Cami went home to be alone with her thoughts. She decided to pour herself a drink to calm her nerves. As she went through her mail, she noticed the wedding invitation laying on the table. The date was the day before the lunar eclipse. The irony of it almost made her laugh, noting on the map that Lake Monticello was not too far from Mystic Falls. The only thing she could think of to do was research, so she went to her uncle's apartment and began delving into any documents she could find that talked about anything to do with witchcraft. She had hoped to find something that discussed the Ascendant or the prison world where Sean was, but she came up empty-handed. After spending the rest of the day there, she went to Rousseau's and continued to drink. Vincent walked in and sat next to her. She wanted to tell him everything, but Freya swore her to secrecy, just in case anything went wrong with the spell. He drank with her and she welcomed the companionship of someone other than Klaus. The more she thought about how close they were becoming, the more she felt the urge to run. They had not had a therapy session in quite a while, which amused her because it seemed that she was the one needing therapy as of late and he was the one that seemed normal. Before she knew it, midnight was fast approaching and she gathered up every ounce of courage she had to face her future.

Klaus assisted Freya in gathering all she needed for the spell. They had chosen a remote area in the woods, away from the city, where the only light source would be the moon. Once he returned to the compound, he called Gianna to see how things were progressing with his plan.

"Gianna. Have you done as I instructed?"

"Yes, Klaus. I was planning to contact you this evening. I ran into a slight complication, but it is all taken care of."

"Where are you?"

"In Mystic Falls, just as you wanted."

"Good. The spell will be cast tonight. Be ready."

"I will know when it happens. Your Camille...she still does not know about this?"

"No. You are the only person that I have entrusted with this and it will stay that way."

"You realize that this woman you care for so much may not forgive you once she finds out what we are doing?"

"I appreciate your concern, but I have every confidence that I can convince her that it is for the best. What of the heretics?"

"I managed to capture one temporarily and filled two vials with his blood."

"Well done. Keep me informed."

"I will." They hung up. He was satisfied that his plan was being carried out, but did not like having to keep it from Cami. If she knew that he had been plotting behind her back, she would be angry with him. However, he knew that it was for her own good, as well as his, and he would just have to convince her of that.

Cami met Freya in the woods at midnight, carrying a backpack and sleeping bag. Freya had told her to be prepared as if she were going on a 3-day hike in the woods. Cami took a leave of absence from work and put her studies on hold. She walked over to the bonfire in a clearing among the trees. Freya was casting various herbs into the fire, causing the flames to react instantly, while chanting quietly. Once she was finished, she looked at Cami in a very serious manner. "Welcome, Camille. Once we have restored your powers, the first thing you will learn is mastering the four elements of the world: earth, air, fire, and water. Then, you will discover your natural talent. Every witch has one. It's a power that comes from within – an innate ability that sometimes takes on a life of its own. Are you ready to begin?"

"Is Klaus going to be here?" The last thing she wanted was to sound like a scared little female who needed her man to protect her, but the truth was that she did feel scared and he was the first person that came to mind when she thought of feeling safe. "How ironic is that?" she thought to herself.