Eska ~ The Forgotten Gilbert

10. The Turning Point

Stefan's POV

I watched Eska carefully as my blood started to heal her. Her lips gradually went from a grey-blue back to their normal pink, and I noticed her breathing start to even out, and her heartbeat start to strengthen. I was aware of Elena and Bonnie watching me closely with morbid curiosity as my blood healed her, and I tried to ignore them, and what seemed to be a look of jealousy on Elena's face, as I lifted Eska easily up into my arms so that she'd hopefully feel safe when she woke up.

I looked up angrily at Damon, who, much to my surprise, was still standing where he'd been when I'd pulled Eska from his grasp, his face tense with concern and regret – something I'd not seen for a long time.

"What the hell, Damon?!" I demanded, noting how his face, now he knew he was being watched, once again slipped into his typical nonchalant smirk, his eyes glazing over, his pupils dilated.

"Wrong place, wrong time," he shrugged, seemingly unaffected by what he had just done. 

I decided to ignore him, not deigning to reply to his arrogant answer. "Are you girls okay?" I looked up at Elena and Bonnie who were still clutching at each other, clearly terrified. 

Suddenly, Bonnie's face turned from one of fear to one of anger. "You could have killed me, Damon!" she yelled in his direction.

"Still can..." he jeered back at her. 

"Enough!" My voice was louder than I'd intended, but this wasn't the time for an argument between a witch and a vampire. There were things that needed to be done now that Eska was starting to come round. "Damon, you need to compel Eska to forget all of this." 

The smirk on my brother's face intensified, as if gloating that he knew something we did not. "Oh yeah, about that..."

"Damon..." my voice was laced with warning. 

"She can't be compelled."

"What?!" Elena's voice was shrill and almost made me jump.

"Tiny Gilbert, here," he gestured to the unconscious girl I was still holding in my arms, "cannot be compelled." He spoke slowly and patronsingly, as if spelling it out.

"So you didn't compel her last time I asked?" Elena was flummoxed. 

"What bit of 'she can't be compelled' is not clear to you, Elena?" My brother was in full 'Damon-mode' now, and I could feel Elena bristle with indignation. "Oh don't worry," he continued, waving a hand in the air as if to bat away any issues. "Tiny Gilbert and I came to an understanding should she feel the need to share our little secrets."

"Why can't she be compelled?" Elena demanded, her hands on her hips.

"I think she's a witch." Damon's statement made Elena gasp in shock and Bonnie's head snap up to meet his sneering gaze. "What's the matter, Bon-Bon? Afraid you're not the only witch around any more?"