The Reset

Chapter Fourteen: Back To The Land I'd Lost

~ 2013 - Portland, Oregon - Manfred Estate ~

Bonnie drained her wine glass when her plate had been taken from her. She wasn't sure if that had been her fourth or fifth glass of wine, but she could feel Kai's gaze on her from across the table. Josette and Olivia were seated on either side of her, chatting together and taking moments to add her to the conversation. Bonnie simply smiled, gave her responses accordingly, but her skin was on fire and she felt like she was going to throw up the dinner she'd been struggling to eat for the last forty-five minutes.

She was an outsider.

Bonnie Bennett, one of the last of the Bennett witches, was an outsider.

It wasn't hard for her to be able to discern this. Even if Kai hadn't prepared her for what was to happen at the dinner, and hadn't already warned her that she couldn't attend the ceremonial rites regarding his transition into coven leadership, Bonnie would have sensed her status from the get-go. She would have sensed that she didn't belong. In fact, there was an inkling that some in the Gemini even viewed her as a threat. It was a look that, usually, accompanied a swift vampire assault to her person. It was strange receiving this same look from witches.

Maybe coming here wasn't such a great idea... At least back in Mystic Falls, she was used to the crazy that came with the package that was her friends. This was uncharted territory for Bonnie.

She felt a hand ghosting across her knee and looked up straight into Kai's face. He appeared to be leaning forward, as if to finish his meal, but his eyes remained locked on hers. Her fingers dipped and twisted, curling into his and she took comfort knowing that he could sense her unease. Josette and Olivia had sensed it as well, but were attempting to move subjects around and distract Bonnie. It was a nice attempt, but it only made her feel more obvious and had her standing out more than she would have ever stated out loud.

Even though this was a ceremony to install Kai as the next Gemini Coven Leader, Joshua Parker sat at the table with the other Elders. There was an empty chair at said table, one that should have been Kai's, but he had refused. Bonnie believed that it was both for her sake and for the simple fact that he wanted to be rebellious against every instance of Gemini tradition that he could muster. But part of her also was secretly grateful that he had chosen to sit with her and his sisters. Olivia had expressed her indifference with him and she could see the ghost of a smile on Jo's face every once in a while when Kai and she would speak in teasing jabs at one another.

It brought Bonnie comfort to know that he and his sisters weren't trying to kill each other, given the unsavory past they had with one another. Perhaps they were seeing the changes in him, little by little, and coming to accept it as Bonnie, too, was slowly accepting it.

Suddenly, Joshua Parker stood up and began tapping the side of his wine glass. Everyone's attention was now zeroed in on him, Bonnie included. However, just out of the corner of her eye she saw that Kai's gaze was still lingering in her direction. She felt his fingers squeezing against her own once more before releasing her. Her eyes glossed over him for one more second before he, too, turned to see what his father was up to.

"First I would like to thank everyone for attending and to Julian for setting this all up. I know it was a last minute request, but I'm appreciative all the same." Joshua looked down at one of the tables near the front and an older man with salt and peppered hair nodded. The others at the table, presumably his family, nodded as well. "This is to celebrate the return of my son, Malachai Parker, as well as to finally hand over my mantle as the Gemini's leader. It has been a long time coming and I apologize that it has, in fact, taken this long."

Olivia snorted next to Bonnie and it took everything she had to resist looking at her. While she could feel the magic swirling all around her from the other witches, Bonnie knew that there was still a lasting resentment from Liv toward her older brother. Because Luke was now inside of Kai. It was a reality that probably burned straight through to her soul. Worst of all? She had no choice but to accept it or she would be cast out from the Gemini. They were all she had left, whether she wanted to admit it or not.