𝑾𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒛 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍𝒔 & 𝑫𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔 | 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒋𝒂𝒉 𝑴.

|𝟒𝟒| |𝐅ᴀᴍɪʟʏ 𝐃ʀᴀᴍᴀ... 𝐇ᴇʟʟᴏ, 𝐀ɢᴀɪɴ.|

𝐎ʟᴅ 𝐖ɪᴛᴄʜ 𝐇ᴏᴜsᴇ.

𝐒ʜᴇɪʟᴀ 𝐃ɪᴅ 𝐍ᴏᴛ 𝐋ᴏᴏᴋ 𝐇ᴀᴘᴘʏ.

"We will speak of this at home, young lady," she hissed and put the candles out with a wave of her hand. She acquired the grimoire and a few more things before walking towards the stairs. "I shall wait for you outside." She eyed the Gilbert boy, blankly. "As for you Mister, do mind that your actions can actually break someone's heart. And in this case, my Granddaughter's... so be careful from now on."

She left, leaving the couple alone.

"Bonnie..." He made an effort to explain himself to her.

"Just go away, Jeremy," she mumbled, with tears in her eyes.

"I owe you an explanation."

Her eyes fired up.

"You could see Vicki since after Elena's sacrifice, Jeremy! And not only you took advantage of the privilege that 'powerful witch' gave her and you could touch each other, but I came to learn today that you had kissed her too! You know what you owe me? The respect of not making me listen to you explain yourself."

"I am sorry, Bonnie."

"You need to go."

"But-"

"Just... go... Jeremy."

He had no other choice but to do so.

Once he left, there was a noise in the fireplace that drew the witch's attention and made her look towards it.

Magical sparks like small fireworks began shooting out from it, startling her.

When they stopped, she carefully walked towards the fireplace and froze upon seeing the talisman perfectly intact.

The shock consumed so much, that she had no energy to scream for her grandmother to come.
___________________________________________

𝐎ʟᴅ 𝐋ᴏᴄᴋᴡᴏᴏᴅ 𝐂ᴇʟʟᴀʀ.

Alexandra had entered the cave that Rose and Damon were unable to, her witchlight guiding her through the darkness.

They were silent for the time being, giving the Nephilim a chance to take a look at her surroundings and also think about her conversation with Ayana...

𝐁ᴀᴄᴋ 𝐓ᴏ 𝐓ʜᴇ 𝐎ᴛʜᴇʀ 𝐒ɪᴅᴇ...

"Why did Esther create the Soulmate Bond in the first place?" Asked Alexandra as she and the Bennett witch she'd just met walked in the forest.

Ayana seemed doubtful about answering this question. There were things about Esther, that Alexandra (and through her, her soulmate and his siblings) shouldn't learn now.

"After little Henrik's death, Esther had grown desperate. So desperate, that she ended up praying to the Angels for a solution to her children's salvation. She prayed daily and hard. So hard, that one night an Angel revealed before her and told her that she had the solution right in front of her eyes. Two solutions, to be exact."

"And what were those solutions?" Frowned the Nephilim.

Ayana looked at her with a small smile. "Two friends. Two lovely young girls... Angelique and Tatia."

The half-Cretan's eyes widened in shock and her steps automatically ceased as did the witch's.

"I don't understand..." She shook her head. "How did Angelique and Tatia transpire to be the source of redemption for Esther's children?"