Pernicious | Kai Parker

Chapter 14

The Travelers were menaces.

For some bizarre reason, the idiots had offed themselves to overwhelm Bonnie, and leave her helpless on the floor.

Well, the reason wasn't bizarre. Bonnie had been able to contact her Grams, and as it turned out, the Travelers' sacrifice had helped someone from the Other Side escape— the kind of person that witches didn't want out and about.

"I'm glad we had already planned to get back to Mystic Falls," said Amelia as she drove them back. Bonnie was curled up in the passenger's seat, a pensive look on her face. "Did your Grams say anything else?"

"Other than the fact the Other Side is gloomy, shaky, and unstable? No. I don't know what's happening over there, Amy, and I'm supposed to know. What kind of anchor am I if I'm not in tune with the supernatural occurrences? I was powerless against the Travelers."

"Don't blame yourself, Bonnie, you couldn't possibly have known this was going to happen."

She huffed, crossing her arms. "If it's got the witches scared, maybe I should have been listening closer."

"What would you be listening to, the sound of dead whispers? No one living was talking about it, and if they had concerns, they would have told you. It's not your fault, trust me."

Whose fault it was exactly was left undetermined. Amelia was itching to blame someone— anyone— else. Maybe she'd blame Liv, who at the moment was recruiting Jeremy, Matt, and Tyler into helping expel Travelers from townsfolk who may already be inhabited. Or maybe she'd blame Jeremy and Matt for keeping everything so hush hush. Honestly, she just felt she had to blame someone for the sake of helping Bonnie not feel guilt.

"Home sweet home," said Amelia when she and Bonnie pulled up in front of the Lockwood Mansion. "Come on, let's see what they're up to."

Deflecting, apparently.

"Bonnie," said Jeremy, not having expected to see either of them there.

"Surprise," the Bennett witch said (mostly without enthusiasm). "Actually, not really. I left you a voicemail and I texted."

Jeremy rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I know. Sorry, I um, I've been busy moving and stuff."

The girls didn't believe that for an instant. "Right," said Bonnie slowly. "All your stuff. Anyway, Amy and I need your help. I think something's going on on the Other Side."

"What do you mean?"

"My Grams says the witches are worried someone got out, and I thought since you could see ghosts—"

"Jeremy, come on, back to work!"

Amelia's mouth dropped open as Liv walked up behind Jeremy, arms crossed. Bonnie choked out a gasp. "Liv's here? Are you kidding me?"

"It's not what it looks like," Liv told her, "Jeremy hired me to help him with math."

"Yeah, right," snorted Amelia. "The Anthropology major, a math tutor?"

"Question, Liv," Bonnie asked, glaring at her. "Was the 'hiring' before or after you lied to my face and tried to kill Elena?" She faced her boyfriend. "Tell me what's going on."

Jeremy shifted uncomfortably. "I can't, I'm sorry. We have this handled. I just need you both to trust me, okay?"

Amelia stepped forward, grabbing Jeremy by the shirt. "Listen here," she snapped, "we all care about Elena and if we're all in danger, then there's certain shit we need to be aware of. Don't want to tell us? Fine, we'll find out some other way. I don't appreciate you being all secretive and ghosting your own girlfriend." She shoved him back so she and Bonnie could leave.