Faint Secrets- A delena fanfiction

Spilled Ink

The rain pounds on the roof of the cottage, the air crisp and thick. Elaina sits upon one of the velvet armchairs in front of the fireplace, a woolen blanket wrapped tightly around her body. Damon had to leave, but did not tell her where he was going. Elaina knows Sarah Elizabeth came over last night, for she heard them whispering. As she ponders this, a small book catches her eye, and she reaches to get it. Thumbing through the pages, she notices the pages are aged and the handwriting strangely familiar, and also that the writing is in entry form. She flips to the beginning and starts to read quietly to herself.

Damon, Sarah Elizabeth, and Stefan stand outside the door to an old house in Richmond. The air is cold and cuts their cheeks, tousles their hair. Stefan pulls Sarah Elizabeth slightly closer, and even though he is not physically warm, warmth spreads through her body with his touch. Stefan speaks. "Brother, you think this woman will be able to help us?" His voice is tinged with unsureness. Without looking back at him, Damon responds.
"I do not think she will help us," he pauses. "I know she will.

Elaina reads the first entry:
September 22nd, 1784
Dear Diary,
Our bodies are changing. I cannot speak for Stefan, but I have a strong appetite that persist no matter how much I eat, and the sight of blood... I don't know how much longer I can take this. Alexandara is attempting to help us through it, but every nerve in my body is on fire, and it never stops. Stefan killed our father last night, said the blood was too much for him, that he didn't mean to do it, but his body took over. Either way, we are without parents now. Every emotion within me is heightened, yet I do not mourn them. Our bodies are changing, and I am deeply afraid for not only our safety, but also those around us.

The woman is middle aged, but could very well pass as young with her sunburned hair that just reaches her shoulders, but it it concealed today with a white lace bonnet that matches her day dress. She invites them into her home, and Damon and Stefan enter under the threshold slowly, one foot at a time. After they are in, the woman smiles and brings Damon into an embrace. She smells of citrus fruit, and is a bit shorter in height than Damon. "Ah, it certainly has been a long while!" She exclaims as she steps away from him and smooths down her dress as if it were wrinkly. She then regards Stefan and Sarah Elizabeth. "Hello, my name is Rose."

October 3rd, 1784
I am not the man I once dreamt I'd become. I am a monster and so is my once innocent brother. I would've chosen to die, but Stefan made me like this, my own brother made me a monster. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to keep him under control, and everyday no longer feels like a new day, I am dwelling in a constant nightmare that goes on for eternity. I suppose I have to face the facts. We are vampires, monsters forever.
Elaina's breathing hitches. The Salvatore Brothers are vampires, Damon, her one true love, is a vampire, and he lied to her.

"Tea?" Rose asks. They nod, Sarah Elizabeth curtsying respectively. "Please, have a seat and I will join you in a second. They sit, and wait for her.
"So Damon, how do you know Rose?" Damon's signature smirk forms upon his lips, and even Sarah Elizabeth knows the answer that goes with it.
"Of course." Stefan says, not the least bit surprised. Rose returns with a platter of cups and saucers, and a small silver pitcher of cream, as well as a tiny China bowl of sugar. Carefully, she sets it on the wooden coffee table and sits in an upholstered armchair.
"What may I assist you with?" Damon reaches into his suit and retrieves the silver pendant adorned with dark rubies and places it next to the tray. Roses eyes light up with danger, and she immediately picks it up, gently fingering the jewels. "Where did you get this?" Stefan eyebrows knit together.
"You answer our questions, and will answer yours." She nods slightly, but doesn't release the necklace. "Very well. What do you inquire from me?" Sarah Elizabeth begins to talk timidly, but keeps her eyes trained on Rose. Carefully, she removes her cloak and Rose gasps.
"The necklace burned me last night." She grabs Sarah Elizabeth's hand in her own and closes her eyes. Suddenly, she inhales sharply, and releases her hand.
"That is because you my dear, are not meant to have this necklace worn around your neck. You are a Parker witch, and a very powerful one at that. If you continue to wear this, my clan will hunt you down and kill you, for they-" her eyes glance around the room, as if she expects someone might be there, and then lowers her voice slightly, moving in closer. "They want that necklace for themselves. That necklace is the key to making something that will bring death to all other witches besides the ones in our clans, and all other supernatural creatures." She points to the burn on Sarah Elizabeth's chest. "They must already be trying to locate it, which means they are one step closer to completing the spell." Damon interjects.
"So what do we do Rose?" Her face says it all.
"You must give this necklace to a non supernatural being, and not Elaina." Damon tries to speak. "Damon, I know everything. Elaina's mother was the keeper of the necklace before you," she nods towards Stefan, killed her. You must find someone else to carry it now. If you do, the witches of my clan will not be able to find it, and therefore not be able to complete the spell. Once they have it, you must compel them to never take it off. One more thing; you have exactly 24 hours before they come looking for you." Stefan stands.
"Well then I suppose we must be going." Sarah Elizabeth also stands and Damon follows suit.
"Yes. Thank you very much for your help. It was nice seeing you again Rose." She rises and embraces him once more. "Likewise Damon." She turns to Stefan and Sarah Elizabeth. "I am glad I could assist you." She shakes their hands and leads them to the door, waving at them as they walk off into the sunlight.

Elaina reads the rest of the diary in spite of herself, and when she comes to the last entry, her heart skips a beat as she begins to read.
March 30th, 1863
My heart is heavy tonight. Stefan and I went on a raid in a small village in northern Italy, I thought maybe if I could just let go, maybe my internal pain would just go away. That was a folly idea, tonight just made it worse. I was looking for my brother, when I came upon a darkened alleyway. There was Stefan, with what looked in the dark like a middle aged woman pinned up against the wall, and a young woman beside them, hiding her face in her knees, sobbing. In that moment, I did what was probably the most horrible thing I've ever done in my life. I stood there and watched from a distance as he tore her neck open, the Crimson blood washing over the stone pavement, and when I could clearly see that he was finished, I approached him. He was going after the girl next, and before he did, she looked up, her warm brown eyes locking onto my ice blue ones with a look that simply said 'please' and I knew in that moment, that I couldn't let her die. I pushed Stefan out of the way, and helped the young woman to her feet. Then, as I looked at her beautiful face, into those gorgeous innocent eyes, I did what I had to do. I compelled her to forget who it was that murdered her mother, and ultimately, forget who it was that saved her life, and I told her to run away and find some place safe. She nodded, and ran, and I watched her skirts billow and the wind tousle her long, dark ringlets as she went. I am a monster, a monster that could never be loved.
Elaina closes the diary slowly, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. Suddenly, she hears the door begin to open and she quickly puts the book down and dabs her tears from under her eyes, just in time for Damon to appear. "Hello, Miss Elaina-" she turns to face him, and he notices her eyes are puffy and red, like she has been crying. He then catches a glimpse of what looks like his diary under the armchair, and he knows that she knows.