Lightbringer | Kai Parker Fanfic

Seventeen

Mystic Falls, Virginia – February 2013

I am about to enter the Salvatore house when Jeremy Gilbert comes up next to me. "Hey," he says in an awkwardly soft tone, "what are you doing here?"

"Making sure my new witch doesn't go astray," I mutter.

He frowns while taking in my combat outfit and cocks his head. I toss my phone for him to catch and he enters with me after one glance at it. We walk up to the pool table, hearing Damon and Elena talk about some battery loaded with magic that Bonnie could use to escape prisonland, and we pause when seeing him.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Jeremy is the first to ask.

Kai looks up from what he is doing on the pool table – fixing some clockwork pieces apparently – and gives us a smile. "Hi."

Hi? I raise my brow, folding my arms, as I lean against the wall. No blood, no screams, no fighting; I take it this isn't a crime scene. Elena slips between the witch and her brother and tries to explain, "He's helping us, actually."

"Really," I say, not buying it.

"He is," Damon confirms, pouring himself a drink; then another one, "Big bad Gemini leader here is having some issues handling his brand new emotions..." I frown at that and look at Kai; he seems to focus even more on the pieces he's working on. "...and we agreed that if he helps us send a message to Bonnie today, then we'll give his apology letter to Jo."

Jeremy snorts in disbelief and Damon walks up to me, offering me the second glass. He doesn't say anything but we share a glance and it's enough. I really don't need all the 'I'm so sorry' crap right now. I need a solid plan.

"What are you saying, that he stopped being a sociopath?"

"More like he absorbed all of Luke's empathy and is now trying to live with all the new feelings inside him."

"People don't just change like that," Jeremy objects.

"People don't usually merge with their siblings either," Damon counters before taking a sip.

"Uh, for the record," Kai rises up, "I would have been fine with any of Luke's qualities, you know..." Elena and I share a blasé glance. "...The hair, the whole gay thing," he eyes me and tilts his head, "well– maybe not the whole gay thing, actually, nor the height."

"You seriously buy this," Jeremy wearily asks his sister.

"Look, I'm not saying that we have to like him; but if there's a way for us to tell Bonnie how she can get out–"

"We should trust the guy that changed personalities overnight?" Jeremy finishes for her.

"Think of it like Elena in reverse," Kai suddenly says.

Damon and I share a very blasé glance as we have to listen to the witch explain how Elena went from being human and pure and dating the good brother, to turning into an undead, blood-lusting, killing machine that doesn't care about right or wrong anymore, and started dating the bad guy. Whereas he went from the dark side of the force to the light one. Like that's comparable. Jeremy stares at him and shakes his head, heading for the console to pour himself a drink as well.

"What about you, Andy?" Damon sort of cautiously asks. "You haven't said a word."

All faces turn to me and I take a sip, still assessing the witch. His smile playfully stretches and I distractedly tap on my glass with my fingers in order not to snap. How does he get to smile or even enjoy a moment of satisfaction while my friend lies six feet underground? I clench my jaw, exhorting myself to calm. I cannot harm him now; he is coven leader and his life is linked to everybody else's in his family, but since killing him is not an option anymore, I need to find a way to use his power and his newfound feelings in order to bring Luke back. There actually might be something to do here. "Though I can't believe I'm about to say this... I think you're right."