Not About You

Chapter Eleven

It didn't take much longer for the other vampires in town to make their presence known in a big way by kidnapping Elena and Bonnie. Apparently, they wanted to trade Elena for the Gilbert journal so they could find Emily Bennett's spell book and they wanted Bonnie to perform the spell needed to open the tomb.

Unfortunately for them, the Salvatores had already dug up the grimoire and handed it over to Sheila, Bonnie's grandmother. If anything, she wanted the tomb opened even less than they did. The brothers rescued the damsels in distress and thought that would be the end of it.

When Anna, one of the vampires in question, started threatening mass murder, an arrangement was made. The Bennetts would open the tomb and Anna would retrieve her mother. The rest of the vampires would be burnt to ensure the safety of the town. It was a better plan in the long run anyway, Lucy thought. They wouldn't have to worry about someone else figuring out a way to release them.

That was how Lucy found herself leaning against a stone wall watching the Bennetts open the tomb. The boys had tried to get her to stay home, but she refused. Like hell was she letting them enter a dangerous situation without her there as backup. Idiots. Caroline had come with Bonnie. Her and Stefan were almost a couple so it didn't bother Lucy. The girl was worried about Stefan. Lucy had simply tugged Caroline's arm as she passed and pulled her to lean against the wall, too.

What did bother Lucy was that Elena had followed along as well. Her whimpering and mewling lasted about ten minutes before Damon snapped at her. "Why are you here, Elena?"

"Caroline's here," she whined as if that answered the question.

"She has a purpose," he said.

"What could her purpose possibly be?"

Well, that was a shitty way of phrasing that. Lucy grasped Caroline's hand and gave it a little squeeze. "She's keeping me company."

"Well, so am I," Elena argued.

Lucy snorted. "No. No you are not."

Caroline let out a startled giggle before covering her mouth with her hand. Lucy's smile faded as the tomb opened. Anna dashed inside with the blood bag Damon had brought with them. He glanced at Lucy and held out his hand. "Want to see what a bunch of desiccated vampires look like?"

"How could I refuse?" she slid her hand into his and pulled the small flashlight from her pocket with the other. She snapped it on and let him drag her into the dark. Stefan came in behind her, gas cans in hand.

Lucy's eyes darted around taking in the bodies scattered through the tomb. Living mummies whose only sign of life was the slightest movement or a whisper from dry lips. When Anna passed by heading toward the exit with a nod of her head, Stefan started splashing the gasoline around.

"She's not here," Damon muttered as they entered the last chamber.

"Who?" Lucy asked then immediately coughed from inhaling the fumes. She tried to cover her mouth and nose as she continued to cough.

"Get her out of here," Stefan ordered as he spread more fuel on the bodies.

Damon picked her up and raced her from the tomb and into the clear night air. He sat her on the steps and rubbed her arms as he looked her over. She coughed a few more times causing him to frown. He produced a bottle of water from somewhere and handed it to her. She drained it and felt better. "I'm fine," she said to reassure her vampire, but he continued to scowl in worry.

Stefan stepped from the darkness and grabbed one of the torches to toss into the tomb. The flames caught instantly, flaring brightly as they consumed the fuel. A high-pitched keening filled the air: the desperate screams of two dozen dead.