Devil in Disguise (Kai Parker)

Chapter Forty-Three: Surprise!

Meg slumped against the sofa, too tired even to adapt an expression of incredulity as Elena hauled balloon after balloon from the trunk of her car. Birthday banners soon followed, as well as polka-dotted table cloths, string hats, and confetti. It was a birthday party... for someone that wasn't even here.

Bonnie was still stuck in the prison world, unable to get out, but that hadn't stopped Elena and Caroline from taking charge and organising a birthday bash for her. Meg personally found it quite grim and depressing. But the alternative was not acknowledging Bonnie's birthday at all, and that was even more depressing, because then she may as well be dead. And, after leaving her there by herself with no goodbyes, Meg didn't want to think the little witch had died.

So she remained silent, as she so often did now, as Elena dragged the party equipment through the open door. Not saying anything against it but not exactly helping either.

That pretty much summed up her involvement in Damon's team now. Her magic had finally hit rock bottom, leaving her lethargic and moody at the best of times, and unable to move at the worst. Right now, she was somewhere in between. There was strength in her muscles still, but she didn't have the force of mind to move them.

And then there were her emotions... oh, she didn't even know where to begin anymore.

Shaking her head, she rolled over on the sofa and stared at the ceiling with her legs in the air. Her clunky black trainers showed the strain of the last few weeks more than her face did. They were all tattered and worn. It wasn't surprising, really. She continued musing far too deeply into the torn shoes until she was interrupted by a knock at the back door. Funny, but over the last few days, she had come to hate that noise.

"Hello!" a voice shouted through the mostly empty rooms.

OK, it was official. Knocking on doors was the scariest noise she could ever hear.

From the kitchen she heard Elena's sharp intake of breath. "No." she shook her head, curled hair swaying wildly. "That's not possible. He's... Why would he..."

"He wouldn't. He's all merged and he's packed and on his way to Portland!" Damon's voice got steadily louder as he went on, and Kai found his way to the kitchen easily.

"Ooh! Forgot how massive this house was." he whistled, knocking on the oaken doorframes and grinning from ear to ear. His face became even more insufferably cheerful as he beheld a platter of fairy cakes. "Oh, yum. Cupcakes. Sorry, am I... interrupting something?"

"What are you doing here...?" Damon groaned slowly, as if he feared the answer.

"Funniest thing..." for once, Kai didn't sound annoyingly chipper. In fact, he sounded quite worried. "I need your help."

Meg had been listening so intently she had been subconsciously leaning off the sofa. At this astounding news she actually fell off, landing with a muffle yelp on the shaggy carpeting of Damon's living room. Kai looked automatically through the open kitchen door and his face went blank at seeing her gracelessly sprawled across the floor. "Meg..." he tilted his head, taking in her pale face and rather sickly air. He took a step forward as if he couldn't help it, and Damon immediately stepped in his path.

"Sorry, buddy, but little Meggie isn't feeling her greatest at the moment and really can't deal with whatever crap you're about to unload."

"What's... wrong with her?" he asked slowly, face twitching as if it went against everything in his DNA to ask. "Oh..." he realised slowly.

"Her magic." Damon and Kai said at the same time, and they both scowled at each other.

"Good, you're acquainted with her problem." he said shortly. "So, you know that she can barely move, never mind deal with you right now."