Wicked Schemes

Chapter 25

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The age of man is over
A darkness comes at dawn
These lessons that we've learned here
Have only just begun
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Caroline stared out at the lake, wondering how exactly her and Rebekah were supposed to find the safe inside of it and how they'd be dragging it out of the water. From the incredulous look Rebekah was directing her; she knew the other girl had deduced her unspoken questions. "We're vampires, Caroline," Rebekah reminded, already wading into the water.

As much as Caroline had adapted well to being one, it still took her by surprise at times. She figured that was because she'd clung so tightly to her human ways for so long, going to school, eating food, keeping up with her routines. Hell, when she'd been attacked by Alaric she hadn't even thought of flashing out of the school and to safety, she'd gone to her car, dropping her keys and gotten herself caught. She knew it was a mindset thing and one she needed to alter, though part of Caroline didn't want to alter it too much, worried that doing so would change her.

But then again, wasn't growing up all about change? She may have been stuck looking seventeen forever, but that didn't mean her mindset would stick to that year. Her desires, her needs had changed and so would so much more about her, but that wouldn't change the core of her who she was.

Caroline shook her head, not wanting to think about any of that, her focus needing to be on finding the safe and hoping it was the key to locating Stefan. If Silas was out there still and Stefan was the last person to see him-and that had to be why he was wearing his face, right?-then that meant Silas had disposed of him in the watery grave they had meant for him. Hopefully without a stake through his heart. Not that drowning repeatedly for the last six weeks seemed like that much of a better alternative.

She hadn't given Damon time to ask questions after getting him to disclose where Stefan was going to drop the body off, not wanting to go into the argument he was ready to start over telling Elena about Bonnie as well as her own relationship with the Original. Caroline had gotten the location and hung up on him, reminding Matt not to let anyone inside and that Jeremy would be accompanying Elena and Damon over. Hopefully Silas couldn't make him see three people instead of one.

"I think I see it," Rebekah murmured, pointing off toward one of the cliffs and Caroline turned that way, ducking into the water and blinked as her vision adjusted to the darkness. She spotted the box in the distance and popped back up, nodding. Rebekah placed a hand on her arm, stopping the other girl from heading off. "You need to remember that he'll have been without any form of blood for weeks now and if he is alive he'll have been drowning. Dying over and over again."

"I know," Caroline replied, hating the very thought of that.

"We have no idea what his state of mind will be," Rebekah reminded, and Caroline could only nod, sharing the same worry with the other girl over how volatile Stefan might be once they opened the lid.

Without another word they swam to where the object was and worked together to pull the safe out of the water and onto one of the rocky banks. They were drenched by the time they'd gotten out and glanced at one another before looking down at the safe. Rebekah moved forward, ripping the door off by its hinges. Stefan lay inside, his skin greying but there wasn't any wood protruding from his chest and that had to be a good thing. Tilting the safe, the two let the remaining water pour out of the coffin, waiting to see what would happen, how long it would take for the vampire to wake up.