Isolation [BOOK THREE]

friends

chapter eighteen
" friends "

   "You want to help Kai, right?" Tyler's voice was muffled as it echoed out of my- Kai's- phone's speaker. I had no idea how Tyler got the number, let alone knew that he could get a hold of me by calling it. I had the volume as low as it could go, hoping to avoid waking Maggie who was asleep next to me.

   After leaving Damon and Elena, I had no other option but to return to the dorm. Maggie didn't say anything when she watched me walk through the door, but she held her arms out nonetheless, letting me crawl into her small bed. I forgot to answer Tyler while watching Maggie's chest rise and fall to confirm the phone ringing hadn't woken her. "Blair?"

   "Sorry, what?" I whispered as I climbed out of Maggie's bed. I glanced at the two empty beds in the room, noting that Elena didn't come back last night. I snuck out of the dorm, turning the volume on the phone back up.

   "You helped Kai when he was attacking Liv." Tyler stated, my breath got caught in my throat as I waited for the scolding. Tyler and Liv were definitely something, and I doubted he was going to completely ignore the fact that I was going to let her die. "Kai came to me last night. He offered a deal. I thought you might want in on it."

   I let out a shaky breath, slightly shocked that Tyler would be willing to help the man who almost killed Liv. "What was the deal?" I asked, my voice still quieter for Maggie's sake.

   "We just have to help him get Jo's magic back, so he can merge with her instead of Liv and Luke having to merge." Tyler explained, "if you want to help-"

   "I do," I interrupted, maybe too quickly. The urge to help Kai is stronger than ever, after being so openly judged by Elena and Damon yesterday. "What do I have to do?"

   My fast response must have caught Tyler by surprise, because he didn't respond right away. "Stay near the border, stop anyone who tries to stop the process."

   The plan seemed easy enough. It didn't seem like the worst option, either. While it would be ideal to keep all four of the Parker siblings alive, it was impossible. Even if Liv and Luke merged, it would push Kai into a killing spree again, killing the survivor of that merge and Jo, anyways. This way, only one would die. It was sadly the best option.

   "Okay." I nodded, fully accepting the fact that I would be involved. "I'll be there."

   Tyler said his goodbyes after telling me where I needed to be, and when. I used my free hand to open the dorm's door again, planning on stealing some clothes and a blood bag from Elena. I tried to be quiet, but it was pointless, as Maggie was already awake. She was shuffling through her own clothes. "We'll be in the woods, right? Darker clothes would be safer." Maggie spoke, her back towards me.

   I reached into the mini fridge, "you heard the call?"

   Maggie nodded, she glanced at me as I started sipping the blood. The veins under her eyes growing, and fading away as quick as they came. She quickly turned back towards her clothes, ignoring her urges. "A single door isn't thick enough to block out noise, Blair."

   "Sorry." I muttered quickly, both for waking her and for not protecting her yesterday. "This is a- It's a me thing, Mags. You can stay back."

   Maggie shook her head, pulling out a pair of dark jeans and holding them up against her legs. "I didn't realize how much Kai meant to you. He's important to you, and you're important to me, so I want to help."

   "Thank you," I blinked away the tears that formed, distracting myself with the blood bag long enough to will the tears away. "But, no. You should stay back. You haven't been to class in days, and I haven't seen you do homework once, so-"