Nothing Dark Can Stay, Either

Chapter 56

She awoke on the cold floor of the crypt.

Beside her, Damon was still desiccated. It was morning now, and she groaned, sitting up and going over to Damon, bringing out a blood bag from the air and shoving it into his mouth, her hand on his forehead as she murmured a quiet spell to revive him.

He shot up with a loud gasp, and downed the rest of the bag, growling as he sat up. "No way, he knocked you out, too?"

"Unfortunately," she muttered. "We have to find him."

"He gave Elena to Cade," said Damon, standing up and gesturing to the empty space where the coffin used to be. "Damn it..."

"How do you know he gave her to Cade?" said Beatrix, perplexed. "Also— fact check me if I'm wrong but I'm assuming this Cade guy is the Devil?"

"Yes, Arcadius or whatever his fucking name is. He came to me in limbo. Kai still has this dagger that can kill Cade, and he wants me to get it back."

Beatrix groaned and rubbed her forehead. Damon made a face, and when she looked down, she saw her hand was looking significantly worse. More black veins had gone down. She lifted up the hem of her jeans and saw it had spread to her legs. "I need to get this stupid shit out," she sighed. "I can't get him out of hell unless I'm in front of him, though."

"Let's go get Stefan," Damon said. "And let's hope that idiot didn't steal my car..."

Thankfully (for Damon), Kai hadn't stolen his car. They drove toward the Salvatore Boarding House, which felt considerably empty compared to how Beatrix recognized it. Damon beckoned her upstairs to where Stefan was packing several things into a bag.

"Careful, brother," said Damon. "I can hear you popping a hernia over here. Need a hand?"

"Nope, I'll manage." Stefan turned and saw Beatrix. He nodded respectfully. "Good to see you. Things have changed in New Orleans, I hear."

She bit her lip. "Yes, they have. But your help was much appreciated, and everything that transpired after wasn't your fault or anything, I hope you know that." She shifted on the balls of her feet. "Are you going somewhere?"

He nodded grimly and faced Damon. "Look, you're not gonna talk me out of leaving town so you might as well just save your breath."

Damon shook his head, indicating that was not what he was going to say. "Cade has Elena, Stefan."

"What?" Stefan said. "How?"

"Long story," sighed Damon. "Cliff notes: I had a nasty run-in with our old friend Kai Parker. Didn't end well."

Stefan looked appalled. "What're you talking about? Kai's dead."

"Eh, not as dead as he was four years ago," said Beatrix awkwardly.

"He's alive enough to screw me over and kidnap Elena's coffin," Damon noted.

"And he turned her over to Cade?"

"Apparently. But Kai being Kai tried to cheat the Devil. Kept an ace up his sleeve and now Cade wants that too."

"In exchange for... Elena."

Damon nodded. "Putting aside the fact that you were gonna blow out of town without having an epic bro moment, I hope wherever you're going can wait. 'Cause I need your help, brother."

Stefan nodded. "What's the game plan, then?"

"I'll try a locator spell on him," said Beatrix. "You find out if anyone's seen him around."

There was one thing about the modern world that Beatrix loved and it was the way that technology had progressed in order to make finding people much easier.