(2) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Cassandra has a bad feeling. Not one of her usual 'something bad is going to happen' ones. This one is an actual physical bad feeling. Her mouth is all tingly like she's eaten nettles. She pulls a face and cringes wanting nothing more than to itch at her mouth.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asks her, Cassandra shakes her head.

"Mouth feels funny" She mumbles and reaches for her bag on her side to pull out a can of soda. Elena gives her a look as Cassandra opens and guzzles down the soda, trying to clear whatever the hell is happening in her mouth.

"You just carry around soda now?"

"Urm...yeah" Cassandra answers. "These events only ever have fruit juice" She gives Elena a look. "No way I am violating my mouth with that stuff" Caroline smirks a little and looks down.

..........

Mason is lingering suspiciously in the woods as if waiting for something. Or someone. Stefan and Damon approach him from behind. Mason lets out a breath before turning to face them.

"Don't look so surprised" Damon offers. "You knew this was inevitable. Go ahead, run. I'll give you a head start" Mason bends down. Suddenly shots ring out, hitting Damon and Stefan. They both fall to the ground, both writhing in pain.

...............

Cassandra snaps her head around and frowns into the trees. Her eyes begin to glow, a feeling in her head, and her shoulder. A sharp pain hitting her. But it's not her pain. It's an echo of pain. It's.....Damon. She's feeling his pain through that telepathic link. It's never really done this before. Dream sharing, yes. 'Feelings', yes. But shared pain. No. She rubs her shoulder and cringes. Caroline touches her arm and frowns at her.

"Cas?" Caroline asks, Cassandra cocks her head, her eyes glowing.

"It's Damon" She answers. "He's in trouble"

"How do you know that?" Elena asks, Cassandra turns to give her a look.

"The intricacies of my relationship with Damon might actually surprise you," Cassandra tells her. "We're connected, telepathically....it was an accident, just sort of happened, but urm...it's working for us" She turns a little and cocks her head. "It means I can feel when he's in trouble...like he is now" She then motions for the two of them to move. "Come on, we have to help"

"Why would I do that?" Elena asks, Cassandra and Caroline both shoot her a look, because even Caroline gets how much Damon means to Cassandra, and is willing to help, even if she doesn't really like Damon herself.

"Seriously?" Caroline asks and motions to Cassandra, implying that she should do this for her sister who clearly cares for Damon.

"She won't do it for me" Cassandra argues. "We're fighting....but...she'll do it for Stefan"

"What's Stefan got to do with this?" Elena asks. Cassandra smirks.

"Because Stefan was with him" Cassandra informs Elena who lifts her eyes to her sister. "Interested in helping now?" Cassandra draws out slyly. "Of course you are" She adds, not waiting for Elena's answer.

.........

Liz Forbes and Mason, along with a handful of Liz's deputies are heading towards the old Lockwood estate ruins. The deputies are carrying Stefan and Damon into the ruins. Mason and Liz stopping short of the entrance to watch as the deputies head into the ruins. 

"It's down the stairs to the left" Mason informs them. Rather pleased with himself.

"Careful. The wooden bullets and vervain won't keep them down for long" Liz adds. "What is this place?" She asks Mason.

"Old slave quarters from the original Lockwood house"

"Thank you, Mason. I appreciate all you've done. We got it from here" Liz assures him.

"You're gonna kill them, right?" Mason asks.

"Yes. That's why you should go. Here it's the Council, not the law. You can't be a party to this. It's for your own protection"

"Liz, I don't care about..."

"Yes, but I do, and I'm not asking. Goodbye Mason" Liz tells him firmly, leaving no room for argument. 

"Don't take any chances" Mason adds and then walks away.

.......

Cassandra, Caroline and Elena are making their way through the woods looking for Damon and Stefan but suddenly Cassandra stops. She frowns and looks around, her eyes glowing red as she tracks Damon's telepathic signature. Elena steps closer to Cassandra.

"What is it?"

"Damon was here" Cassandra answers and turns a little. Caroline bends down and looks at a plant. There's a blood droplet on it. She and Elena share a look.

"What?" Elena asks Caroline who shakes her head. Mason walks towards them.

"What are you three doing out here?" Mason asks them, causing them all to turn and looks at him.

"Have you seen Stefan?" Elena counters, Cassandra rolls her eyes a little because of course her first thought would be for Stefan, as if Damon isn't also deeply involved in this too.

"Yeah, Elena, I've seen him" Mason answers and then looks at Cassandra. "Seen Damon too." He adds.

"Where are they?" Cassandra demands.

"You don't need me for that. I'll let your friend here sniff them out" Mason comments and then looks at Caroline. "Does your mother know what you are? I'm happy to tell her." He threatens, Caroline goes towards him but he catches Cassandra from behind and strangles her with an arm under her chin. Elena steps forward to help her but Mason tightens his arm around Cassandra's throat. Cassandra's not scared though. How can she be when she's sleeping with a vampire? When her friends are vampires? When her friend is a witch? When she herself is on the supernatural spectrum? She's not afraid of him. "Don't be stupid! Necks snap easy around here" Mason warns, Cassandra and Elena share a look, Cassandra winks and then glances at Caroline who nods, understanding that look in Cassandra's eyes.

"We can take you" Caroline counters, changing to an offensive stance.

"Wanna bet?" Mason asks.

"Yeah, we do" Cassandra answers, then smirks as she manifests a ball of energy and then throws it backwards through her own body and into Mason, pushing him away from her. She turns and throws out another ball, he flies backwards, hitting the ground hard. He pushes himself up onto all fours. Caroline vamp-speeds over to him and then kicks him hard in the stomach which sends him flying against a tree and falls on the ground again.

"Come on," Caroline tells the two sisters and they hurry away from Mason.