Vampire Diaries Blood Brothers

~Chapter Forty Three~

My head ached as I rolled over on a firm, squeaky mattress. As my eyes fluttered open I was met with a dank, musty smell mixed with a dim, chilly light. Raising my hand to my head, I peered at a strange, small, box shaped room, hesitant to make any sudden movements for fear of having my head explode.
   Shadows shifted in the furthest corner as I slowly sat up, grimacing as I clutched the back of my head. Surveying the four walls surrounding me, I took in the faded peeling paint and the dust settled over the dark oak furniture and skirting boards. Sliding my legs over one side of the bed, I pressed my hand flat against the ancient duvet embroidered with mismatched colours and wonky stitching. 
   Squeezing my eyes shut, I took a deep breath, trying to remember what had happened to get me here in this frowsty motel room. Patting myself down I stumbled across a few loose coins in the front pocket of my jeans. Mr Sal... Alaric, had given me ten dollars from Jenna for lunch at school. Right. I came from school, but I don't recall ever going home...
   "You humans sure love your sleep," a somewhat familiar voice echoed mysteriously from the shadows.
   "Who are you?" I called, wrapping my fist around the corner of the half-stuffed pillow on the bed. "What do you want? Why am I here?"
   She snorted, emerging from a darkened corner. "And you ask a lot of questions. Why the Salvatore brothers are obsessed I will never understand," she shook her head.
   "What are you talking about?" I frowned, a crease forming on my forehead. "I'm dating Stefan."
   "And stupid," she added. "Imagine being a human," she murmured wryly.
   "What are you talking about?" I demanded, frustrated with her lack of answers.
   "I'm talking about 1864," she hissed, flying across the room until my neck was cupped in her fist. "Damon and Stefan Salvatore, sweet, innocent boys who, like every other guy who'd met her, were head over heels in love with Katherine. She could have chosen one, she knew which one she really wanted, but she didn't. Instead, she strung them both along."
   I gasped for breath, struggling as she pressed my head hard against the stale mattress, the pain growing as the blunt edge of a broken spring dug into my skin. "I hear you're descended from Katherine," she raised her eyebrows. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
   She finally let go and I held my neck, stroking the tender skin as the girl leaned against the far wall, her face barely visible as the heavy drapes cast a shadow over her small, agile figure. "Are you saying that I'm stringing them both along?" I asked in disbelief. "Because if that's it, you've got it all wrong. I love Stefan," I defended raspily as tears pricked my eyes. "We have our issues like every couple, but our love is real."
   "So was Katherine's," she murmured boredly, picking her nails. "Or so she said."
   "I have no feelings for Damon if that's what you mean," I clarified. "I only care about Stefan."
   She chuckled, sinking into an old, worn leather chair I hadn't noticed. "Yeah, whatever."
   "I don't," I urged.
   "Well then I guess it really is just like 1864," she responded, glaring as though she wanted to kill me. I gulped as it suddenly hit me. She was a vampire, she could very well kill me if she wanted.

Before I had a chance to ask any more questions, a small door cloaked by the dark creaked open, a beam of man made light creating a yellow path. The path vanished as two silhouettes stumbled through the opening. I gasped as Bonnie fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as a tall, masculine vampire shoved her into the thready carpet.
   "That's enough, Ben," the female vampire rolled her eyes, glancing up from her nails.
   "But I'm hungry," he whined, the veins on his face slowly turning black. "We need the witch to open the tomb, not this doppelganger chick." Doppelganger? "Can't I just feed on her?" He pleaded.
   "Yes, we need the witch, but the Salvatore's have the Grimoire. Damon won't give it up just for anyone, it needs to be her. Now," she started, grabbing her bag from the closet. "You need to keep her alive, for leverage. If she's dead Damon won't give us the Grimoire and any hope of getting my mother back is lost. I'll be back soon." She opened the door, pausing as she turned back. "Remember Ben, she's with the Salvatore's. They can't be compelled, you'll have to use force to keep them in here. Alright?"
   "Whatever," Ben grumbled, kicking a shoe across the room in frustration.
   "I'll be back soon. Make sure they don't leave."