Witches Give Stitches

He nodded his head at her simple ‘thanks’ and refocused on his own glass. He drained it and was reaching for the bottle to refill his own when he caught her wordless request for more. An eyebrow raised slightly but he didn’t speak. Instead, he complied and tipped the bottle over it, filling her glass about half full the second time. He was pretty sure she could use it. He knew damn good and well that he could.

He should have expected the answer, honestly. Davina was absolutely every bit as strong willed as he was. It’s what made them fit so well together, and at the same time it’s what made them butt heads a lot. Neither liked to admit that they couldn’t do something, or that something was wrong. His own stubborn pride is what more or less drug out the inevitable just a few days before. Because he was convinced he could fix it without her death.

It was accurate, the statement about failing Davina. And marcel nodded his head in response. What could he have done? Denied it? It seemed pretty impossible given the fact that he was well on his way to wasted and was content with secluding himself before the witch had approached. He was glad that she seemed to be fine with being the one to mostly do the talking because he really wasn’t in the mood. But he could listen

His eyes narrowed slightly at the harsh words. The ones that told him how close he was to not getting the little witch back. How she could have very easily just stayed gone forever and been nothing more than a ghost. A memory. “I don’t need the reminder.” The words came out a bit snapped and he set his empty glass down, lifting his hands to rest against his face before he shook his head, sighing heavily as though it would remove the tension from his shoulders.

“I’d like to tell you that I’m doing ok.” He finally spoke, dropping his hands and turning to look at Bonnie. “But I’m clearly not. I know it isn’t my fault and that I couldn’t have done anything and blah blah blah..” he trailed off with the shake of his head and looked back to his empty glass. “But it doesn’t mean I still don’t think it. I should have been able to protect her. Or done something different along the lines. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to intervene at all in the beginning. She would have died and come back, lived a normal life without a vampire fucking it up.” He frowned slightly, fingertips gently tapping the bar top

The sharp edge of his tone made her pause with the glass halfway up to her mouth. She cut a glance at Marcel and felt her chest crumble with sympathy. Davina dying, her resurrection... it was a close call. If the Ancestors didn’t just freaking love to string the living along like marionettes Davina would still be dead. It hurt to think about, and it didn’t hurt anyone more than it did Marcel. But it was the truth. 

They couldn’t ignore it, or pretend like the little witch’s continued heartbeat didn’t come with strings attached. So, yeah, maybe Marcel didn’t need the reminder, but he also kinda did. They all did. It was a conversation for another day, though. Rain check for two weeks after the cold front in Hell, perhaps. They’d pencil something in. 

She lifted the glass to her mouth and took a long, measured sip, savoring the way the smooth liquid warmed her throat and chest before settling in her belly. “But you’d be a liar if you did, and you respect me too much to lie to me?” completed Bonnie, cup still raised near her face as she stared over the lip to the vampire slouched over the bar beside her. 

“It is your fault.” Bonnie set her glass down on the bar before turning partially to face Marcel. She grabbed a gentle hold of his forearm, muttering, “It’s all of our fault, Marcel. We all failed her. If I tried harder to understand what was happening here, I might have figured out a way to save her. I might’ve been able to figure out a way to sidestep the Harvest altogether. There are so many things that any of us could have, and should have done differently that might not have ended up with Davina dead, and now enslaved to the Ancestors’ whims. But what good does that do any of us? What good does that do her?”

Her grip on his forearm squeezed tighter, full of compassion and urgency and heartbreak. There were tears silvering her eyes when she stared at him, unshed and useless. “There’s no going back to fix the should haves and could haves. Who knows what would’ve changed if we’d done things differently, if anything at all. But if there’s one thing I know beyond any shadow of doubt, Marcel, it’s that Davina loves you.” Her other hand reached out to his face and touched him lightly on his jaw to hold his gaze prisoner to hers. 

Kira looked to her bed and sighed as she saw all the pile of different clothes she had tried on to find a suitable dress to wear for this party. She’d decided to go for something pretty but not too done up, after all, it was a Uni party and some students wouldn’t even be dressing up at all. Kira liked to make an effort though so after quite a while, she finally settled on a patterned skirt that flared a little about four inches from the hem–which was above her knees. There was a small heel to the mustard coloured shoes she was wearing and matching in colour, a tight-fitting jumper accompanied them. 

This was the perfect opportunity to get chatting properly with some of the students. She really didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of it before. It was far better than the so-called bright idea of meeting people in Rousseau’s because that had resulted in accosting a rather tired waitress named Elena and leaving her little choice but to chat with her.

“Okayyyy then…”

Giving herself just another once over in the mirror, Kira headed out.

—————

At least it looked as though she had arrived at the right time, not too early so she was stood around waiting for the party to get going and not too late that everyone had paired off or got into their own small exclusive groups.

“Woah….”

Kira did everything she could to not choke on the weird concoction of liquid she had just sipped from the red disposable cup.

“That was….different….good….but different…not really sure whether my tongue is having a party or a seizure….”

She wasn’t really talking to anyone in particular, just anyone that was listening. Kira had a habit of doing that–thinking out loud and if nobody was nearby, she could come across as a bit of a geek.

While Bonnie knew she should be more careful, she was also bored out of her mind. With everything that had happened with Davina, she’d been hurting for some palette cleansing normalcy. And what was more normal than a college frat party? She was supposed to be playing beer pong with Caroline and Elena against Kapa-Delta-Whatever’s elite, but both of her besties had flaked faster than half-burned croissants, leaving Bonnie to people watch. 

A large part of her had hoped to at least run into Stiles, but he and Scott were probably up to werewolf shenanigans in the Bayou. Cora was probably street racing stolen cars, and Derek was most likely busy glaring at someone to death. Bonnie didn’t think that frat parties were really Marcel’s scene, and Hayley had traded in her “fun” side for an Alpha position. If Bonnie was going to run into anyone it was probably Kol and, while he’d certainly liven up the night, that was gonna be a firm “no thank you” from her.

Expelling a long, bored sigh, she pushed away from the railing she’d been slouched on and entered the house for another serving of god-knows-what. It was fruity, tart, and kind of syrupy. There was definitely rum in this concoction, vodka too, with fruit punch to account for the sweetness and she couldn’t begin to guess what else. It was sweet enough to mask the alcohol, which meant it was the kind of drink that snuck up on you if you weren’t careful. Without anyone to hold back her hair, blasting a beer bottle with her magic was as careless as she was willing to be tonight.

Bonnie wove between partiers, side stepping dancers and skirting around couples making out against the walls, stopping short when frat boys leaped onto surfaces or knocked into each other in an uproar of testosterone, and moseyed all the way over to the drink station. A flash of flaring yellow skirt caught her attention and relief washed over Bonnie so hard her knees almost gave out. She rushed over to the dark haired beauty frowning, curiously into her solo cup. 

Throwing her arms around Kira from behind, Bonnie perched her chin on her shoulder and squeezed her middle. “Kira! I’m so happy to see you!” She released the kitsune and spun her around to hold her by her shoulders. She looked the girl up and down and grinned. “You look so cute. I love your shoes.” 

Davina was gone less than 24 hours. Which was honestly 24 hours than she should have been, but still far less than it could have been. She could have just not come back at all, which wasn’t something he really wanted to think about and yet it was a notion that plagued his mind. She’d been back a few days and so far, he’d kept her with him. And she hadn’t really given much fuss about it. Though he was sure it was coming. 

Davina was fiercely independent. The little witch had more than proven time and time again that she could take care of herself. But honestly it didn’t matter much. He was planning to keep her back tucked under his metaphorical wings for as long as she’d allow.

He’d spent the better part of the evening tucked away in his study. The city had more or less resumed it’s normal activity after the chaotic interruption and things were mostly back to normal. Davina had been working with the bennett witch, something like testing her magic. Which left Marcel to do nothing but drink. 

He considered pulling the hood over his head, but honestly it seemed a bit too gloomy and moody. So instead, he leaned back against the little bar in his office, one hand slipping into the pocket of his jeans and the other loosely gripping a half filled glass of bourbon. He heard the movement in the hall of the witch leaving, and before he could really turn to even try to give some kind of goodbye, she knocked and entered the room. 

A dark brow lifted and he turned slightly to face her, watching as she made herself comfortable in the spot near him, grabbing an empty glass and looking at him expectantly. A small smile ghosted his lips at the sight. Shaking his head, he sighed and pulled the hand from his pocket, grabbing the bottle and pouring some of the liquid in her glass. Setting it back down, he looked back to her. 

“How is she doing? Anything new?” 

A sigh eased out of her as Bonnie settled into the bar stool, watching bourbon pour into her empty glass until it was about a quarter of the way full. Since she could only manage a weak twitch of her lips, she followed it up with a tired, “Thanks,” before picking up the glass and shooting back the contents. Even though the smooth burn made her wince, when her glass came back down onto the bar top, she tapped the lip of the cup again in wordless request for another round. 

Observing as more amber liquid was poured into her cup, Bonnie’s gaze lost focus as she recalled the last few hours in Davina’s company. “You know how she is,” she answered, lips bunching to the side as her brows narrowed. “Davina’s too stubborn for her own good. She’s going to pretend that everything’s okay --that she’s okay-- until it breaks her, just so that we don’t have to feel bad about failing her.”

Another sigh left Bonnie’s nostrils and she reached for her freshly filled glass. Lifting it off of the bar, she peered sideways at the handsome vampire next to her. “That’s what this is about, isn’t it?” She lifted her glass, swishing the oaky, caramel colored contents within. After a light sip of the sweet bourbon, she clarified, “Us feeling bad about failing her?”

Another slow sip warmed her chest before settling in her belly, spreading heat into her tired limbs, and dulling the jagged edges of her thoughts a sip at a time. When Bonnie set her cup down in front of her she held between both hands and stared through the bourbon into nothing. Seconds passed uncounted, it could have been minutes that Bonnie sat there, staring through her cup like answers to questions she didn’t know how to ask were waiting at the bottom. After a while she shook her head, blinking herself back into focus as she remembered the man beside her. 

He only chuckled at her attempts to displace him, really it was incredibly entertaining to simply irritate other people. He supposed it was the little brother in him; he’d got a taste of it with Elijah and Niklaus and had never quite fully grown out of it. Kol could practically see the little witch having to force herself to keep that positive mental attitude going and it only made him want to chuckle some more.

Kol watched her watch him and only smirked in return, wondering where this was going to go next and at her suggestion he cackled, bending forward a little as he dealt with a very rare first for him: a witch dirty talking her cauldron. “Darling, the subject of metaphor strikes me as unfamiliar to you. Though if you want a potion you can love to I may happen to know a rather interesting recipe.”

“Besides, this is a classy potion, treat it with respect to open it up. Unlike you it has good morals and unlike me it has a functional relationship with its parents. Be sweet, be seductive, don’t be dirty.” he finished with yet another smirk.

It was easy enough to see he was winning her over.

He needed witches in his corner if he was going to be successful in bringing chaos to Marcel and his bestie Derek. He was going to rip this place down simply because he could and magic was something he needed to have that they didn’t. Seeing that little smile on Bonnie’s face he was beginning to think he was on to a winner.  

“No, you probably can’t. Don’t get bitten by any of my fellows whatever you do.” he said wryly, “Yes. The touch of magic is perhaps the one lover who got away from me. Still, I find moments to feel her tender embrace however . I can.“ he gestured at her spell-work, “Moments like this.”

“Oh don’t be sorry, you didn’t do it.” he shrugged, “Though, if you’re ever willing to take some magical advice from an old vampire, or even with to learn a few new tricks.” he spread his arms and smirked, “I’d be at your service.”

Side eyeing Kol, Bonnie rebuked, “Even classy ladies like getting their hair pulled, bud. And don’t talk about my morals like you know anything about me.” Her eyes narrowed on him before she huffed a displeased breath and returned her attention to the bubbling potion in front of her. 

Bonnie knew he’d been teasing, but that wasn’t his place and she wouldn’t let him think that it was. They weren’t friends. He didn’t get to call her immoral when he was the one trespassing on her space. Plus, he was a vampire. An older one, if she was going to guess based on the way he talked. Spirits only knew the kinds of amoral malarkey he got up to, and how many innocent people had suffered because of it. 

She didn’t have to know him to know that he did more harm as a vampire than he did as a witch. Was she basing that assumption entirely on how he was talking about what he’d lost? Yes. Did she have an unfair bias toward vampires because of Damon, Kathrine, and Caroline’s rocky first few days as one? Also yes. But Bonnie’s intuition was pretty good, and Kol didn’t exactly give off Boy Scout vibes. And his fangs played only a small part in that presumption. 

“As a general rule, I try to avoid being bitten by vampires whenever possible,” she stated flatly, still stirring her cauldron. Glancing up at Kol, Bonnie shrugged. “I find it does wonders for one’s life expectancy.”

When Kol talked so heartfully about magic, she felt something in her soften the slightest bit. She really couldn’t imagine being cut off from magic or nature. It might kill her if she ever was. Tapping the wooden spoon against the cauldron’s edge, she offered the vampire a small, teasing smile. “You’re not a terrible teacher. I guess if you’re gonna have a head as big as yours it may as well be filled with useful information on magic. And, if you’re willing to share I’d be pretty dumb to pass up the chance to learn more. Do you have grimoires you’d be willing to let me borrow?”

To hear Bonnie state she thought she was okay, came as a relief to Kira. She might not have really meant it, but the fact she was coherent and seemingly over the worst of it, made her breathe out heavily.

“I have never seen anything quite like that before.”

She had witnessed things in the past relating to what she was, but Kira was somewhat at a loss when it came to what she had just witnessed. This didn’t mean she wanted to steer clear of it all, not at all. To be fair, it made her want to help Bonnie all the more and get to the bottom of it.

“Right yes…okay….no that’s fine…that’s alright.”

She nodded seriously and let Bonnie know she had her full attention. There was a sincerity that the witch seemed to give off which made Kira feel like she could trust her. She might not be a witch herself, but some things she did sense and was a good judge of. It would be stupid to assume there was no apprehension there–even if it was just a little, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to do it. This was something that interested the hell out of Kira and she was definitely willing. So she followed Bonnie’s lead and stepped into the circle, not doing anything unless she was told to do so. The was a certain degree of intensity to it and Kira made sure she kept her gaze on the other for as long as she was meant to. She could see the flame flickering and there was a temptation to look at it, but Kira didn’t want to screw anything up and someone’s eyes were always going to be seen as the windows to something else–they always showed when there was a problem long before the body physically showed it.

There was a small confident nod as Kira took the smudge stick and wafted it through the air so that the smoke from it filled their surroundings within the circle. When done she placed it into the dish liked Bonnie had stated, then sat down opposite her on the floor and took hold of her hands.

She wanted to say something and opened her mouth to do so, but it looked like Bonnie was deep into what she was doing and so she closed her mouth again, not wanting to ruin anything or make the witch lose focus.  Kira knew there was a lot of energy inside of her due to her Kitsune and needed to explain it, but figured it could be a good thing if Bonnie needed it and Kira would never let anything from her own side of things get out of control.

Breathing deep, slow breaths in through her nose, out through her mouth, Bonnie found her center. The smoky, woody scent of Yerba Santa filled the space as Kira waved the smudge stick around the lit circle. It helped her dive deep into that quiet place in her mind, that warm, welcoming space that connected her to her magic and her magic to the world around her, to the ley lines and energies, to life itself. 

.It was a nurturing quiet, the comforting embrace of a womb. Whatever fear she’d felt before was set aside. It felt distant, like it hadn’t belonged to her at all. In this safe place where her magic was a blanket that swaddled her, Bonnie knew that she was okay. She knew she was strong enough to find out what had caused the assault. She knew she could face it. She was ready. For her friends, she had to be.

Soft warm hands slid into hers and she sucked in a surprised inhale. The jolt of energy was something like static shock. Except that it wasn’t physical, not a spark of crackling atoms that lit up between their hands as Kira grabbed a hold of her. It was more than that, deeper. Kira was energy. She was a tempest, an electrical storm trapped in the body of one of the sweetest girls she’d ever met. There was no end to it, to her, just spears of lightning, bursts of electricity, an infinite charge that Bonnie was almost afraid to harness. 

“Kira,” she whispered, breathless, amazed. “You’re beautiful.” Since here eyelids were shut, Bonnie didn’t mean physically --though Kira was that too. She meant truly, genuinely beautiful. Down to the crackling core of her being. She was a spring storm on the horizon, grey clouds strobing with bursts of light. She was breathtaking. 

Still not opening her eyes, Bonnie gave Kira’s hands a gentle, reassuring squeeze, muttering, “Whenever I need to channel someone you’re going to be my first call from now on.” Sucking in a deep breath, she refocused herself to the task at hand: communing with the Spirits. 

Diving into that dark heat in her mind was kind of like diving into a cave that dropped into the center of the Earth. She fell and fell, and fell… and fell. Deeper and deeper, and deeper still, with nothing but Kira’s sparking energy to both tether her and propel her further. Bonnie let herself fall, waiting for the Spirits to catch her, cradle her, whisper their secrets into her ear. 

She didn’t know how long she fell, or how long they sat like that, hand in hand, crossed legged on the glass speckled floor of Ida Maes. All Bonnie knew was the dark and the warmth and her desire for answers. 

When the whispers started in her head she thought she might have squeezed Kira’s hands again, but her mind was too far from her body for her to be conscious of her actions. She listened intently, trying to make out the words, frowning as she made sense of their hushed tones. They poured into her senses until the words were screaming inside of her head.

Possessed by the energy of the ancient forces of nature and divinity, and magic itself, Bonnie threw her head back with a gasp. “The Nemeton… She hungers… blood… blood… blood… She demands more blood…” The flames of the candles surrounding them surged up, up, up, burning tall and furious as Bonnie’s layered voice speaks for the ancients. “The last sacrifice will not satiate Her. The Harvest is completed but the Nemeton still hungers…”

Another gasp and Bonnie was suddenly released from the Spirit’s hold, no longer their mouthpiece or vessel, just a hollow shell and cold to the bone. Not because she was empty, but because of what they’d said. The last sacrifice... The Harvest is complete… That could only mean one thing. It meant. Oh, Spirits, it meant…

Kol knew how charming he was. The benefit of existing for as long as he had was that one learnt an awful lot about who they were and how they appeared. Despite the reputation he’d so carefully built up ‘The Wildest Mikaelson’ he took pleasure in subverting it every now and then and worming his way into a person’s good graces.

The good graces of a witch most of all. Having been cut off from that most pure connection with magic he’d striven to access it different ways and found himself able to do that quite nicely. He smirked as the young witch followed his instructions to the letter and poked his head over her, resting it on her shoulder like an old friend would to get a better look… And to try and further irritate her a little bit.

“That’s more like it. There’s still hope for the little witchling yet.” he chuckled, moving his head off since he’d likely get smacked and while it wouldn’t hurt it would hardly appear dignified. “Pour in a little more of your energy, be intimate with the brew. Make it yours and when it finally opens its legs gives it everything and leave nothing.” He said lowly, managing to make the words silly yet intimate all in one go.

At her question he sighed languidly and lent against the wall, “Oh more than anything.” he told her, keeping his voice light, “Imagine you’re a singer. Born with the talent and worked for years to hone it further until you’re a master of the art and then… you wake up one morning to find your vocal cords have vanished.” he honestly doubted anyone could fully comprehend what he’d lost to his parents’ need for vengeance.    

When a chin sat heavy on her shoulder, Bonnie wriggled to shrug him off, not stopping her incantation as she did so. A deep inhale pushed back her annoyance. More deep breaths were meant to refocus her. She needed to keep her energy positive and focused. While she didn’t think that a little spicy hostility would ruin the brew, the instructions had been very clear. KOL’s instructions, which were working; damn him.

She started to follow his directions, pouring more of her energy into the mix, until he turned the tutorial into a some kind of sexual seminar. Eyebrow cocked, she glanced at Kol sidelong. Still stirring the contents in slow, clockwise motions, she wondered, “Sh-should I talk dirty to it?” Bonnie dropped her gaze onto the bubbling concoction, murmuring, “You like that, don’t you, you little slut?”

Despite herself, Bonnie laughed. She really didn’t want to be having a good time when Kol was an entitled, arrogant prick that thought he could get anything if he flashed his smile bright enough. Because he couldn’t. And just because she laughed it didn’t mean she liked him. 

He was helping, and she was letting him, and that was all there was to it.

The light air of amusement faded from her greenhouse --hovel-- when she asked about his being a witch. Not looking up from her potion, Bonnie felt her heart break for him. She bunched her lips and sighed, resigned to that part of herself that didn’t really like to see people in pain. Glancing up, she offered Kol a sympathetic half-smile. 

“I can’t imagine what that’s like.” Shaking her head, she returned her attention to the potion, not looking up as she said, “I can’t imagine not being a witch. I didn’t always know what I was but, now that I do, I don’t ever want to lose that. I don’t ever want to lose this connection.”

Maybe she should have come out with her age, but over the years Cora had just got used to skirting around the edge of those kinds of questions, which is ironic really considering she can be quite blunt and honest with most other things. She didn’t change her mind though, instead, the wolf just offered Bonnie one of those familiar grins that most who knew her had witnessed far too often.

“We Hales are well known for being a pain in the ass when discussing ourselves. You should have met my Uncle…he was far worse…frustratingly worse actually.”

Even Cora used to get irritated by his answers sometimes. 

“It ain’t personal though, Bonnie…I’d be the same with everyone…so you could look at it in the sense of…well…you’re part of this dysfunctional circle of….people…friends..family.”

She gave a casual shrug as if to say ‘you decide which one is appropriate’. Cora knew which one she would categorise her as, but never followed it up with her opinion. 

“Is it a compliment?…oh….my mistake..”

Amusement flickered in her dark hues and there was a playful expression that lit up her face because yes, it could be seen as a compliment. Cora definitely thought Bonnie was a looker who could easily hook plenty of guys. She was very aware that looks weren’t the most important thing, but first impressions were what tended to draw most guys in and Bonnie admittedly had a friendly and warm personality. 

“Derek knows some of what I have gotten up to…not all though. He’s bailed me out a few times when I was young. Far better asking for him than my parents.”

It wasn’t that her brother was a soft touch–far from it, it was just that they had always had this close relationship and she knew even when she had done wrong, things would be cool again shortly after, or at the very most, the next day. Whereas her parents would have grounded her and been pissed off for longer. Derek never could stay annoyed with her for very long. 

As far as Caroline was concerned, Cora was pretty sure she would never have the same sort of relationship–friendship, that was progressing with Bonnie. She and the blonde vampire were two very different types of personality and they clashed. 

“Oh, I am definitely familiar with getting rid of a body.”

She made sure she side-eyed Bonnie in a way that indicated she was looking serious but clearly wasn’t, because let’s keep the conversation playful, that was the best way. In truth, she had got rid of bodies in the past but it wasn’t because she was a really bad person, it was just far more complicated than that. 

“Looks like we’re gonna be friends anyway. I have never played games with anyone else. Special, right?”

There was a pretend smug look that was present, but she was only teasing in a light-hearted sarcastic way. 

After her character died on the screen, Cora let out a loud sigh and sat forwards a little as she was getting more involved in the game.

“You think they’d be happy to have people test-drive the damn jets….make sure they’re safe and stuff.”

Cora was back to the banter and treating this night like it was meant to be–which was fun.

“Okay, ‘Bonnie radar’ is on…and I am now looking for you….or whatever the hell your character is….mine’s Trevor I think….great name– a bit of a dick though.”

It took her a few minutes but before long, Cora had found the car on-screen that Bonnie was driving and right behind her. 

She froze, every muscle going stiff as her heart tripped over her ribs and her breath caught in her throat. The words were bouncing, pinball-like, inside her head… you’re part of this dysfunctional circle of….people…friends..family. Slowly, she panned her gaze to the wolf seated beside her, like any sudden movements would ruin the moment, scar Cora off, or worse, make her take it back. 

A button press pulled up the options menu, pausing the game, and Bonnie made a wide, confounded, heartful face at Cora before she launched herself at her and wrapped her arms around her neck. “You just called me family,” she exclaimed, squeezing her tighter, forgetting whether or not werewolves needed silly things like oxygen. “Family gets hugs. No take backs, no returns, no refunds.” Arms still a tight circle around Cora’s neck, she wriggled them both in a happy dance typically reserved for food. 

Forget everything she’d thought earlier. The only way for Cora to get used to her was full on immersion therapy. That meant hugs, casual touches, and cheek smushing. If they were going to be friends --or family, squee-- Cora should get used to getting loved on. A lot. Starting now. 

After actually squeeing an excited, happy noise, Bonnie released Cora. She was beaming widely as she sank back into her seat and picked her controller back up, wiggling in place with joyful energy she didn’t know what else to do with. Her blood was pumping warm and bright, bubbly from an excitement she still hadn’t figured out to subdue, distracting her a little as Cora explained the few times she’d needed Derek to bail her out from a bad spot. 

Clearing her throat and licking her bottom lip between her teeth, Bonnie refocused on the game as she replied, “I wish I’d had someone like that growing up. I’m an only child, so no big brother to come to my rescue. I mean, I have Elena and Caroline, but they were usually right there with me whenever I got into trouble. The closest thing I have to a brother is Jeremy Gilbert and he’s… so not my brother.”

Bonnie’s grin returned in force when the female beside her admitted to knowing how to hide a body. “Careful, Cora,” murmured Bonnie, eyes on the television screen. “Keep talking like that and you’re gonna end up getting hugged again. Oh, what am I saying?” She tossed the controller to the side again and threw herself at Cora, arms wide. “You’re definitely getting hugged again. This is nice. Isn’t this nice?” 

Kol pouted, it could’ve been an endearing look had they not already spent time conversing; he knew he had the skills to appear as a sweet young man but where was the fun in that? “Very well, we’ll just have to settle for Darling then. The endearment holds a special place in my heart.” he told her lightly, fluttering his eyelids teasingly.

There were few things that turned him away from the appeal of sadistic violence; magic was one of them. The skill needed to correctly brew a concoction, the intricacies of rituals from all over the world, they enthralled his mind with their potential and what he could add to them. Even if he could no longer know the thrill of magic new and old, he could at least experience it vicariously through others.

His eyes flicked back to her, surreptitiously watching her watch him; he could understand the fascination (not only was he fascinating) but he was a vampire who could think like a witch and like attracted like; he didn’t compel his way into the coven’s of the world, he proved himself in spirit as much as in intent. Chuckling quietly as her heckles raised again he settled back to watch.

He grin only widened as he finally got a reaction from the other, just one little in was all he needed to worm his way to good graces; from there several opportunities opened. “Repeat the second verse once more and focus your energies on the bottom of the mixture then move them up.” He said quietly, no tease this time as he looked intently at her work.      

While Bonnie wanted to be the kind of person who was patient, kind, understanding, and compassionate to everyone she came into contact with, the simple truth was that she wasn’t. Not by a long shot. There were personalities that grated against her nerves from the get go. Lookin’ at you Mr. Darling. 

It was really the fact that he was so damn self important. Coming into her space, acting like some kind of magical authority, it all rubbed her wrong and she was still leaning heavily on the idea of burning his eyebrows off of his face. But, between the slicing, innuendos, and knowledgeable instruction, she had to admit that he maybe, possibly, kind of knew his stuff. Just a little. Fine. She was loath to admit it. He was good. 

As Bonnie repeated the second verse, focusing her energy on the bottom of the mixture and moving it up, the concoction began to boil like the grimoire said it was supposed to. She hadn’t gotten this far on her own and, as she grinned up at Kol, Bonnie begrudgingly acknowledged gratitude that she wouldn’t give voice to. His ego didn’t need any more stroking, especially not from her. 

Kira was panicking and yet trying so desperately hard to remain calm. She wasn’t the sort of person who would run away when fear hit her. It was okay to be scared, but you had to harness the fear and try and use it to your advantage–at least that was what she had learned along the way. It was difficult though when your new-found friend looked like she was dying in your arms–and that was in no way an exaggeration. Bonnie appeared to be struggling to breathe as though something was obstructing her airway, her eyes looking but not actually focusing on anything as they seemed to glaze over slightly.

A noise left Kira’s lips that vaguely resembled a squeak-come-gasp, as the windows of the store suddenly blew and shards of glass flew everywhere. She had to protect both of them whilst Bonnie was going through whatever it was, so instinctively her body covered the other girl more.

The screaming from Bonnie seemed to echo through Kira like a sickening wave of nausea that found its way into the hollowness of her lungs and crushed them until she found it hard to breathe herself. She quickly inhaled deeply and exhaled, then inhaled again through her nostrils so that it was more controlled.

“It will pass…and I am here. Just focus on my voice.”

Kira really didn’t know if she was doing right from wrong but she had to try and do something. So when Bonnie arms gripped her, she continued to talk just to let her know she was there and she could hopefully find her way back.

She remembered how her mum would soothe her when fear took hold and Kira found herself stroking Bonnie’s hair, not in a way that was to a small child, but more like a friend would that was trying to stop another from crying. She was pretty sure her own heart would break free and leap out of her chest if this was to carry on any longer. 

When things started to return to normal, or should it be when Bonnie started to, Kira let out a sigh, but her expression was quickly supportive of the witch.

“Hey no. Don’t be sorry. W-What happened?….but more importantly…are you okay?”

Slowly, she loosened her hold on the other girl, though if she was honest, it was reluctantly done. It felt as though as long as she held her then nothing like that could happen again, which of course was untrue.

“Powerful magic….as in bad magic?”

Okay, so she knew what NOLA had to offer but now she was finding out there was far more to be concerned about than she first thought.

“W-What?…oh yes…of course….of course…”

Kira was up and on her feet, swiftly looking around and grabbing all the candles she could hold and placing them in a circle. There was a gap so she went and grabbed a couple more. Quite discreetly she touched the bulb that was in the lamp on one of the tables. She tried to light it up but it didn’t work due to the element inside being totally burnt out.

“Is there anything else you want me to do?”

She walked to the storefront for a moment and looked out onto the street, carefully observing whether there was anyone nearby, before turning back around again.

Wiping her face dry with both hands, Bonnie shook her head. Not as an answer but as an absence of one. Was she okay? Physically, yeah, she was fine. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually? She didn’t know what she was other than confused and exhausted, and determined to get to the bottom of whatever that flash flood of power had been. 

“I think I’m okay,” she answered, sniffing, rubbing the streaks of mascara out from under her eyes. Checking to see if her fingers were coming back clean, and that she didn’t look like an emo band album cover, Bonnie’s thoughts raced as she absently explained, “I don’t know what happened, only that it was powerful magic like I’ve never felt before.”

Following her lead, Kira loosened the circle of her arms, then dropped her protective embrace entirely. Cold filled the absence of Kira’s arms around her shoulders. Bonnie had to stop herself from curling up beside the younger girl, needing the comfort of a friendly touch more than she could say, but there were things that they needed to do if she was going to understand what the hell had just happened to her. 

Bonnie shook her head, this time in a straightforward answer to Kira’s question. “No, just powerful. Not good or bad, just nature. It felt kind of like a reclaiming but…” she shrugged, “I don’t know how to explain it. The energy in town has been off for months now. Whatever the heck that was, I know it’s related.”

Pushing up onto her feet, Bonnie ran for the door, intent on locking up Ida Mae’s so that they could work in privacy. Glass crunched under her feet and she realized that the glass had exploded. Not just the windows but the display cases, too, the containers and vases. All the glass in the shop was now glittering on the floor and she had to stifle a groan. It was going to take a month’s pay to reimburse the damages, maybe even two. She’d worry about it later. Right now they had bigger concerns. 

Sign flipped and Yerba Santa in hand, she walked over to the space where Kira had arranged candles in a circle and nodded her approval. She stepped into the circle’s center and motioned for Kira to step in, too. “I need to commune with the Spirits. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to channel you to strengthen my connection.” The candle encircling them lit up with barely a thought from Bonnie. 

Gaze locked with Kira’s, she opened her palm and another flame flickered there, blooming like a cherry blossom in spring. She used the fire to light the Yerba Santa smudge stick. Once it was smouldering, smoke streaking for the ceiling. Curling her fingers into a fist again, the flame disappeared from her palm and Bonnie handed the smudge stick over to Kira with the instructions, “Use this to cleanse the circle. Just wave the smoke around the space and, when you’re done, put the smudge stick in this dish. It’ll work like incense while I commune. After you’re done sit across from me in the center of the circle and take my hands, okay?”

“This place is unreal…”

Kira’s visual shifted from one thing to another in the store as her interest went into serious overload until she didn’t really stay with one thing too long before her line of vision was caught by something else.

“..I mean….not unreal as in it isn’t here because it is…but it’s amazing. We never had anything like this back home.”

Kira loved the stores on the main street, some were unique and you had to believe that magic was true to really invest any time in them, but she knew about healing crystals and herbs, she’d always been interested.

“You’re lucky to work here….”

Her dark hues looked over to her friend and she offered her a warm smile, not really taking much notice whether she had been listening to her the past few minutes. It was only as the last customer left the shop, Kira smirked when she realised her error.

“Sorry…I was just talking out loud. Well, I was talking to you but I got too carried away and didn’t notice you were dealing with a customer.”

Slouching down a little in the seat she had just plonked herself in, Kira interlaced her fingers so that her hands were clasped together.

“I’m doing good, thanks. I think I am really starting to find my feet here.How are you?”

She hadn’t been too sure at first when her family came to live there, especially with some of the stories she had heard, but with each passing day, Kira had started to settle, even more so since making friends.

“Righteo….lets get started then.”

This was in no way boring–this was brilliant and she had no problem at all looking through the papers.

“Nature has the answer to many things if we look close enough and understand.”

She picked up a pile of papers and started to read and digest what was on them. Then something happened…..

Kira felt the energy…well she felt something, but what really made her jump up from her chair was when Bonnie appeared to look like she had just been hit by a ten-tonne truck.

“B-Bonnie??”

Within seconds she was at her friend’s side but not in time to stop her falling from her seat, only enough to perhaps soften the thud as her body found the floor. Panic filled her body and she didn’t know what the hell was going on but knew she needed to just be there until it hopefully passed.

“It’s okay. I’m here…look at me, Bonnie….it’s going to be okay.”

She joined her on the floor and wrapped her slender arms around the other girl like a mother would with a child, squeezing enough to let her feel the sturdiness and protection she was offering. The store was in darkness as the power seemed to have gone out too and that was something she could help with, but for now, she needed to make sure Bonnie was okay.

Her senses were being assaulted. All of them at once by something she couldn’t grasp with any of them at all. The scent of earth, of smoke, of blood. The taste of earth, of smoke, of blood. The sound of a leaves shifting in the breeze, of chanting too far off for her to make out the words, of wet coughing and gurgling. Her vision was blurred, lights so out of focus they were nothing but flickering orange motes, a flash of white, the vacuum of black. She was cold, then shocked with draining heat, then colder than she’d ever been. 

It was too much. Her body couldn’t handle the attack, her mind couldn’t process it. As power flowed through her all that registered was pain. Something in her chest broke into a million pieces. Fear flash froze her blood. Regret punched her in the gut and ripped it out through her navel. Sorrow hollowed out her insides. A thousand emotions that weren’t hers tore at her like a flock of condors right out of an Alfred Hitchcock film. 

She only realized she was screaming when she tasted blood. She only realized she was crying when her hair clung to her face and her shirt stuck to her chest. Bonnie only realized she wasn’t alone when a pair of arms squeezed her with a kind of reassurance that didn’t need words for her to feel their meaning. ‘You’re okay. You’re gonna be okay.’ Throwing her arms around the other person, she clung to them like they were the only life raft in a storm tossed ocean. Her fingers curled into their shirt, into their back, and she squeezed them right back with a desperation that didn’t even belong to her. 

As the last of the overwhelming, mind muddling power washed through her, a final sob broke loose from the empty cage of her chest. Bonnie sniffed and panted, trying to orient herself again after that crippling assault. She blinked rapidly, clearing the tears from her eyes. After careening through that white water rapid of magical energy, she felt exhausted and confused. 

What the hell was that?

Refocusing on the world around her, she realized that she was crushing Kira in the circle of her arms. “I’m sorry, Kiki,” sniffled Bonnie as she pulled back and wiped the moisture from her face. More confused blinks and she realized that none of the lights in Ida Mae’s were on. She must have blown them out during whatever that magical surge had been. 

Unfocused gaze staring through the occult shop, she shook her head, murmuring, “Something happened.” A blink and her focus was on Kira. Bonnie explained, “That was magic like I’ve never felt before. It was… terrifying. That kind of power…” she shook her head, paused for a pensive moment, then pushed onto her feet so that she could run for the door. 

The conversation halted as the server returned to the table and he leaned back in his seat, looking up as the drinks were set down and giving a small, polite smile that also held the underlying appearance of a dismissal. He had no plans on being rude, but he also was pretty sure that the questions weren’t done from the witch and honestly he’d have rathered they all be out and in the open.

She couldn’t be mad at him for being dodgy, and she wasn’t going to waste her energy beating against a brick wall, either. As far as deadly sins went, Pride wasn’t her Achilles’ heel. Bonnie could let this go and find her answers elsewhere. She was resourceful like that. 

A nod acknowledged his reassurance. The motion wasn’t brimming with confidence, but she believed that he was making an effort. Only time would tell if it would help. 

The huff that burst out of her nostrils was agreeing. The witches were their own group. And, like she’d mentioned before, she wasn’t a French Quarter witch. I.E. She wasn’t in on the coven’s dealings. “Welcome to have drinks and dinner with you,” she amended, the disappointed set of her lips giving way to a quiet, teasing smirk. A smirk that was hidden by a long sip of the drink in question, then stretched a little further when she set her glass back down. “Hey, establishing boundaries is important in new relationships. Now I know that discussing the source and cause of impending disaster is one of yours.”

He should have anticipated the bite in her words, she seemed to keep him on his toes, constantly at the top of her game. His eyebrows raised as she more or less chastised him and an amused smile slipped over his lips. Her friends were clearly a touchy subject, which sat well with him. He was a big fan of loyalty. Real loyalty. It was hard to find.

He stared at her for a few moments before nodding his head, deciding to toss her a bread crumb but not at all revealing his hand. “Ok,” He sat forward, resting his hands before him and quirking a brow up. “Ever heard of a Nemeton?” He almost whispered the words before motioning around them. “Ancient sacred place for witches. Turns out I pissed the one around here off. I don’t have a good resolution yet, but honestly I’m working on it. Got a hand in with the wolves, and the witches.” He shrugged, keeping a neutral face.

Except for she couldn’t force it. After having said her piece, the inferno of her impatience and irritation had cooled to a smoulder. She was still annoyed with him and his non-answers, but deep down she got it. They didn’t know each other. If this was Mystic Falls and some weird stuff was happening, chances were that she wouldn’t confide in a stranger either. 

That part had never been the misunderstanding. It was the dismissal that rimmed her vision red. It was fine if he didn’t want her help. It was also fine if he didn’t want to help her. But she’d rather he just come out and say that than tell her that the situation was handled and not to worry about it. Not only was it demeaning, but it went against her very nature. Bonnie wasn’t the kind of witch that sat back and let other people try to stop the sky from falling. Not when doing so couldn’t ensure her friends weren’t crushed in the process. 

A sigh left her when Marcel nodded, a decision made after considering her for seconds that felt forever long. He leaned forward and so did she. At the mention of the Nemeton she cocked her head to the side, intrigued. The brief explanation that followed was the highest shine gloss job she’d ever seen it deserved a brand name and to be sold in car washes across the nation. Maybe even internationally. 

At least it wasn’t a ‘don’t worry your pretty little mind about it.’ He’d given an inch, she wanted a mile. But she supposed they could work their way up to that. If New Orleans as they knew it didn’t implode before then. 

“Fine,” stated Bonnie, leaning back in her seat again. She brushed her hair over her shoulder and sighed a resigned breath, peering up at the ceiling to suppress the groan and regather herself. Confident that her frustration was tucked away, when she looked back at Marcel it was to comment, “You have connections but it’s not under control. Not from what I felt. Clearly we need to do some trust building exercises before you stop dancing around a straight answer, so I’m not going to push it.” She lifted a finger. “But, fair warning, I’m not going to drop this. My friends came to New Orleans to avoid this kind of crap. We needed a fresh start. If the Nemeton’s pissed I won’t let it touch them. I’ll do what I have to to keep them safe.”

As if on cue, their server came back to their table, balancing a tray of drinks on a shoulder. A glass of water was placed in front of each of them before their drinks were set down. After a reassurance that their food would be out shortly, they left her and Marcel to their conversation once more.