To Love A Sociopath

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Bonnie stirred awake and she was surprised to blink back the familiar ceiling. The chamber was empty and she realized the pain had finally left her body. She felt like all her systems were shutting down and thanks to Nora's warning, it wasn't over. Now it was time for her magic to go off the charts.

On cue, when she started to cough, the walls started to tremble. Bonnie couldn't control the fits, blood spewing everywhere. The walls to the once strong cell started to crack, the glass shattering. Elena was there in seconds, Kai and Caroline behind her as well. "Bonnie."

She panted as she glanced up. "Next phase has started."

Kai pushed past Elena, approaching Bonnie at the bed. "I can siphon the magic out--"

"No. You're not taking my magic again," Bonnie stated, wiping the blood away from her lips.

"If it's to protect you, he has to," Caroline said, rubbing the sides of her arms for comfort. Distress was not the best look on the barbie.

"My magic regenerates," she answered, taking in the shock of the room. "It's not going to work if it keeps coming back."

"But if I siphon, it might buy us time," Kai tried to reason.

"I said no. If I'm meant to die, then I will die." Silence engulfed the room as Bonnie pulled herself into a sitting position, back resting against the headboard. "Judging by your faces, Valerie's found nothing?"

"She has but the odds are stacked in your favour. The options aren't the best." Elena sighed, pacing around.

"What are they?"

"Valerie suggested we use black magic to heal you but that has its own consequences. She said we should try and electric shock parts of your mind but the process is painful and long, according to Kai," Caroline explained, utter annoyance in her voice. Bonnie turned to Kai, remembering when he had to go through the shock himself as a child. "The last option used to be the best but Nora screwed our plans for that. But it was basically trading your life for another."

"You know that I would never accept my life to be traded out for another human, right? That option better be off the board," Bonnie said.

"It is but for a different reason." Elena gave a pointed glare at Kai.

"Okay. Good. Then the choices are clear." Bonnie nodded to herself, shocked that they had managed to find a solution. "Black magic."

"I don't know, Bonnie. There is a chance that you'll turn to the dark side," Elena said in low voice.

"Well, there aren't any better options. I don't know about you but I'm not going to have my brain fried for months. This...if the black magic heals me, the rest will be up to me to fight the influence. You just have to have faith," Bonnie scoffed.

"I do," Elena said. "But--"

"It's not just that," Kai injected, speaking for the first time in a while. "Once black magic is inside you, it'll find all the tunnels to your weakness and make you break. It'll twist truths and it will bend you to its will. It won't be fighting it, just surviving it."

Caroline hissed under her breath, balling her hands into fists. Bonnie shook her head. "It's okay. Once it heals me, I'll be strong enough to be able to handle anything." That didn't assure anybody, they all still looked worried. Bonnie sighed. "There's no other choice. It's either this or let me die. I've already accepted it, I've cheated death way too many times."

Elena nodded slowly, accepting her choice. "Okay. We're using black magic."

Everyone else nodded in agreement except Kai. He still wanted to trade lives, he just had to figure out how to do it.

Caroline cleared her throat. "Great, I'll let Valerie know."

*

The next hours brought chaos, thunder, rain, and the weather losing control thanks to Bonnie's magic going haywire. She was brought to a cavern that was underground. The walls were reflecting energy, engravings marked in them. It was lit by the golden candles and stations of salt circled the room.

She was wearing a thin robe, her undergarments see-through under the white sheet. Kai stabilized her into the cavern, leading her to the center where Valerie, Nora and Mary Louise stood. Elena and Caroline tried to follow in but they were bound at the lip of the entrance.

"Only witches are to enter this tunnel," Mary Louise answered their silent question.

Bonnie inhaled deeply, shortage of air and her breath became crisp cold. Ever since the next phase had started, all the elements of nature collided against each other, reaping havoc. It made sense, magic's source and roots were in nature itself. Her frost breath took a toll in the room, flushing out the candles. The Heretics were immune to the cold, their vampire flesh protecting them but Kai felt the instant change.

Bonnie started to shiver, an upcoming sneeze erupting from her nose. The walls of stone trembled, rocks falling out of place.

Nora tilted her arm. "Incendia." The candles were lit again. "Things are progressing even quicker, we must start the procedure now."

Kai nodded, bringing Bonnie to the dip in the floor. It was like an in-ground bathtub, the water translucent. She paused, glancing up to Valerie. "What is this?"

"Saltwater," she answered and waved her hand, 6 objects placed horizontally across from each other around the room. Each candle stood behind each device. "These instruments have a dose of its own black magic."

Kai glanced around. "You've amplified it. One artifact is enough, not six."

Mary Louise held her hands out, Nora placing hers in it. Valerie followed, prepared. "Not only does Bonnie's magic regenerate against the will of nature, the illness has tripled for every minute we've missed. We can't afford for the black magic to not be enough, more is better than less and six will suffice."

"It might overwhelm her--"

"Kai," Bonnie rasped, sniffling. "It's nothing I can't handle." The droplet of the cold seeped to the floor, the cloudy water bubbling frantically. She stepped into the saltwater quickly, laying down. She stared up at the ceiling, nodding to Nora.

"Step back," Valerie ordered Kai, closing her eyes. Elena, a couple of others and Caroline stood at the door, watching in closely. "Sorbere magicae tenebris."

Nora and Mary Louise joined in, eyes closed as they chanted. "Sorbere magicae tenebris."

Bonnie felt the spell call to her and her chest rose, a gasp escaping her lips. The water sloshed, the Heretics raising their voices for the incantation. Bonnie's body started to hyperventilate and Kai watched her, prepared for any signal that something had gone wrong. "Sorbere magicae tenebris."

One candle blinked out and Kai felt the toxic energy leave the first object and dive right for the saltwater. One by one, all the black magic joined and plunged into the water, turning it black. Bonnie had stopped writhing, eyes wide as she stared straight up. Her eyes flicked completely red, mouth wide open. "Sorbere magicae tenebris."

They finally stopped, watching as Bonnie sank to the bottom of the inkwater. Elena tried to peer in further. "What's happening? Is it working?"

"All the black magic has been transferred and now..." Mary Louise circled the water. "It's commencing the process to heal her. When she rises, she'll be corrupt."

"Damon and Stefan are working on the cell," Caroline inputted. "Do we have a plan on how we're going to save her then?"

"One problem at a time," Valerie sighed, approaching the entrance. She gave a nod to both vampires. "I'll be in touch."

Kai sat on his ass, holding his legs crossed as he stared at the water, waiting. Nora paced, anxious as well. Mary Louise tucked her hands in her pockets, taking a deep breath. "Let's hope Bonnie doesn't have to fight this battle alone."

*

"Did you think you could keep screwing people over and there wouldn't be any consequences?"

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