(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Seventy-Four

Daphne breaks away from Kol under the lie of going to the bathroom, he plied her with enough champagne that it was plausible, but she just slipped away to hide for a while. To take a breath away from him. It's not that the conversation is unpleasant, he has been asking her about her magic, and she doesn't mind talking about it, but he just has to have a hand on her, on her arm, her back, her wrist. That's not comfortable. Because his touch is not as comforting as Damon's is. Kol's touch has a possessive danger to it that runs her blood cold. Crystal rings as Esther stands on the stairs to address her guests. Daphne glances up at her, finds that she has a glass of red-tinged champagne in her hand.

"Good Evening, Ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy then to see my family back together as one" Daphne takes a glass from the waiter as he offers it to her before moving on again. "I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Everyone around them agrees but Daphne pulls a face, staring into the glass. She doesn't trust it. She sets it down on a side table, leaving it untouched. She needs a proper drink, she hums a little and looks around before heading towards the bar.

.......

Later; Daphne sets an empty whiskey glass onto a table before she goes off in search of a fresh one. As she passes the balcony, she hears her name whispered at her from the balcony. She stops and then cocks her head. Thinking. Searching. Before she turns and walks onto the balcony. No one is there. She scoffs at herself then turns to leave. Only Kol is now standing there, in her way. Daphne gives him an annoyed look and moves to go around him, but he blocks her exit.

"What do you want?" She asks him.

"You may be aware that I like magic and all things mystical" He points out. She gives him an annoyed look. He purrs as he looks over her, fingers reaching out to touch the fabric of her dress skirt, she shifts away from him, taking a step back to stop him.

"You had your dance and your drink....let me pass" She argues with him. He just smirks at her. "Your family is trying to kill mine" She counters. "Why would I be interested in anything you have to say?" She goes to leave again but he stops her. She lets out a breath and clenches her jaw, then turns back to the balcony. He glances inside at the party before he joins her.

"You know I was rather jealous" He admits. "When I heard about Hogwarts...." He leans on the balcony to look at the gardens below. "Far too late for me by that point" He then snorts. "Though from what I hear, I wouldn't have been welcome"

"As a vampire?" She asks, he shakes his head.

"No, as a traditional practitioner" He argues, turning to face her, leaning back against the stone behind him. "I've heard your kind...you...Ancient...pure....witches....don't like us" She raises an eyebrow.

"I don't care either way" She shrugs, keeping her eyes on the gardens below. She has no interest in talking with him. "I don't like you because your family keeps thinking mine is their chew toys"

"But not me" He points out and she blinks a little. He has a point there actually. Whilst Rebekah, Elijah, and Klaus have tried to kill her friends and family, Kol has yet to do anything other than giving her the creeps. She looks at him. He shrugs a little.

"You give me the willies" She argues, he smirks. "Oh, for fuck's sake" She complains when she realises what she said to him, she turns, moving to leave again, but he vamp-speeds in front of her. Grabs the back of her neck. She frowns a little. Tugging herself back, or she would but his grip on the back of her neck is vice-like. She punches at his chest, a simple warning. But he ignores it. Instead, he crashes his lips to hers. Growling against her lips when he feels her magic flaring. He can feel it prickling the air around them as it works up, threatening to burst. He smirks against her lips and pulls her closer. Damon is suddenly behind him when Daphne shoves Kol back from her with a glare. Her eyes flicker behind Kol, landing on Damon as he glares at the original. Kol turns his head to look at Damon with a smirk, completely unapologetic over what happened. Damon rushes at Kol and pushes him off the balcony and jumps after him. Daphne rushes to the balcony edge, leaning over it so she can watch as Damon beats up Kol, punching furiously at his face before he then snaps his neck. Daphne stares down at Damon. He lifts his eyes to meet hers. The two of them just stare at one another. He's trying to decipher the way she's watching him. Something in her eyes. He mistakes it for fear and horror and it is actually pretty far from it. She feels pride and she feels safe, he stepped in when she was uncomfortable and dealt with the threat. But more than that, she is incredibly turned on. That's the hottest thing anyone has ever done for her. Stefan comes running out of a door.

"Damon!" Stefan scolds. "Are you crazy?" The rest of the Mikaelsons and Elena come out from the opened door and see what happened. Elena looks up at the balcony to see Daphne there. Damon draws his eyes away from Daphne and to those gathered there. Damon turns his back and walks away, not looking back. Elena keeps her eyes on Daphne as her sister watches Damon's retreating back. She has no idea what has just happened with the three of them but she can guess that jealousy is involved. Given what Damon told her earlier, she knows that anyone sniffing around Daphne would end up incurring his wrath. But to Elena, it just proves how deep Damon is in love with Daphne, that someone dared to get close, to touch, to threaten, then Damon is there, all over it.