Beauty and A Beast (ON HOLD)

Chapter 18

I slammed my feet against the stone steps as I sprinted for the door; my lungs labouring from the adrenaline, steepness of the steps as well as fear. I burst through the door, shouting for Ric as I sprinted down the corridor towards the sitting room.

'It's me,' I breathed just as I rounded the corner. I let my eyes scope the room as I panted heavily, my eyes meeting Ric's confused eyes as he spoke to Damon, Stefan, Elena, Bonnie and Caroline.

'What's you?' Ric asked. 'And why are you panting? Have you-' He looked behind me before his eyes widened. 'Why is the dungeon door wide open? Have you been downstairs to see Kol?

'That doesn't matter right now!' I breathed as I tried to get the words out of my mouth but Ric stopped me.

'What the hell were you doing down there? You know he's after you and is a brilliant manipulator!' he shouted before walking over to me; a frown rising to his forehead as his eyes landed on my neck. 'Did he bite you?'

'Ric that's not-'

'Well well; the little witch has a taste for fangs,' sang Damon from his place by the drinks cabinet.

'Haven't you got another bottle of bourbon to drown yourself in?' Ric snapped; his eyes still focused on my neck. I watched as Damon held his hands up in surrender before shrugging his shoulders and turning his attention to the alcohol on the shelves. 'Tell me what happened downstairs,' Ric muttered as he gripped the tops of my shoulders.

'Ric, we don't have time!' I stressed as I tried to shrug myself out of his grip.

'What are you talking about?' His eyes searched mine as I still tried to regain my breath. Suddenly, his eyes clouded over with anger mixed with worry. 'Did he tell you something about his family?'

'Probably that they're over here to rip your parental head off,' Damon commented as he downed a shot of bourbon.

'Damon you're not helping,' Ric replied, this time turning to face him, giving me enough time to rip myself from his grip and take a few steps away.

'Will you just listen!' I shouted causing both men to turn to me with shock on their faces, though Damon's had a mixture of admiration in his. 'All the girls that have died were because of me,' I breathed; my voice sounding strained.

'What are you talking about? Of course it wasn't you,' Ric said as he walked towards me.

'You don't understand!' I shouted. 'They're being killed by witches!'

'Why would witches kill a bunch of harmless teenage girls?' asked Damon with disbelief in his eyes. 'Other than the fact that they have temper tantrums and like murdering people,' he said with a smirk before turning to Bonnie.

'Could be for sacrifice. Some covens run on dark magic. There are bound to be spells that they need virgin blood for,' Bonnie replied with a harrowing look in her eyes.

'Marcy Adams was one of the girls and there is no way in hell that she was a virgin,' said Caroline with a disapproving look which was dispelled by Elena's glare at her inappropriate timing.

'Maybe they're looking for someone and just haven't found her yet,' said Stefan; his penetrating eyes causing me to shiver despite being halfway across the room from him.

The others in the room followed his gaze; each of their eyes widening in surprise in realization. 'But why would a coven of witches be after you?' asked Caroline in an almost insulting way which I would have found funny if it wasn't for the situation we were in.

'They want my blood.' At my comment, the entire room froze. 'I don't know why but that's all I know.'

'And who told you this, hmm?' said Ric as he walked closer to me. 'Kol?' At my silence, he released an angry sigh, running his hand through his hair as he turned away. 'Stefan; why don't you and Caroline go downstairs and check on him.' At his command, the vampires fled down the stairs towards the dungeon, leaving a brief moment before Ric turned back to face me. 'This is probably a lie to try and distract us from his family coming to rescue him.'