Book: Kindred Spirits
Chapter 55 (1x05)
Word Count: 1403
Cassidy lay on her bed with Davina lay in between her legs, her head on the siphon's chest, positioned so not much weight was being pushed onto Cassidy's stomach. Davina turned slightly to rest her hand on her mate's small bump that had finally started to show.
"I can't wait to meet them." Davina whispered softly. Cassidy smiled, combing her fingers through her mate's brown locks.
"You'll be an amazing step-mom." Cassidy paused for a moment. "Vina... you practically know my life inside and out by now. You know about my family, my past, my friends back in Mystic Falls, all of my mates... and yet, I barely know anything about you. Why is that?"
"It's not that I don't want to tell you everything." Davina slowly sat up. "My iife is just... complicated."
"Gee, like I haven't heard that one before." Cassidy teased with a small smirk, reaching forward to take Davina's hand in hers. "You know you can trust me, right?"
"Of course I can, it's just..." Davina drew in a long breath before releasing it. "What do you wanna know?"
"Why don't we start with... how you and Marcel became so close." Cassidy shrugged. "I really love that my two mates were so close before I even met either of you, it's just you two treat each other like family. I love it, and I want to know how it came to be."
"The witches." Davina spat those words in disgust. "Marcel saved me from them. The witches made me and my friends do this Harvest ritual. They said our participation would bring our family strength, health... that we'd forever be celebrated as saviors of the community. But all they really wanted was more power. So, I left before they could get it. Now, they're running out of time, because after the Harvest, comes the Reaping. And if they don't complete the Harvest, there won't be a Reaping. Soon, all the witches in the Quarter will start to lose their power. Eventually, they will cease to be witches altogether."
"A ritual? How do you complete it?" Cassidy questioned, already intrigued in the story. Davina let out a sigh.
"I have to die."
"What?! Die, as in you'd be dead? What the hell?!" Cassidy's eyes widened, outraged at the news.
"That's what the Harvest was." Davina responded as calmly as she could, her voice wavering slightly. "They said they'd put us four girls in a state of, like, peaceful limbo as part of the offering. And then later, at the Reaping, we'd awaken and be reborn. I never got as far as the limbo part, which means the Harvest isn't complete. That's why the witches are so freaked out. The Reaping is just around the corner, and if they don't finish it before then, it's over. All I have to do is wait it out."
"And then what?"
"They're punished, and I'm free of magic. All our power will drain away. I'll be normal." Davina smiled at the thought, but Cassidy let out a chuckle.
"Look at the world we live in, Vina. With or without magic, everyone has a past. No one is normal."
"True." Davina agreed with a small nod of her head. "But I don't wanna be what I am, beautiful. I can't control it sometimes. Magic. I... hurt people. Even when I don't mean to." Her eyes began to shine with tears. Cassidy reached forward and took her hand.
"I'm so sorry. You... must miss your friends."
"My best friend, Monique. She was a part of the Harvest, too. She's lucky. No one ever fought for me, but someone fought for her. The only one who ever spoke out against the Harvest was Monique's aunt." Davina stated.
"And who is that?"
"Sophie Deveraux."
Cassidy gaped at her mate in shock.
"That crazy witch bitch that I'm linked to?!"
"Yep, that'd be the one. No one but Sophie ever questioned the Harvest. Not even my own mother. So, neither did I. We thought it was such an honor, we had such faith. We were so stupid." Davina scoffed in disbelief at how pathetic she thought she was. Cassidy stayed silent for a moment before digging further to discover more about the interesting Harvest ritual.
"So, how did it begin?"
"We were led out like princesses. My mother was so proud." Davina smiled a small smile. "Bastiana, one of the elders, called upon the four elements to bind our past and future magic together. Earth, to connect us to our ancestors. Water, to heal the community. Wind, to carry us to our ancestors and back. Fire, to purify. After all our preparation, we knew exactly what to expect. For weeks, they told us that the magic in the knife they used to cut our palms would put us to sleep, and that later at the Reaping, we would all be resurrected. They said we'd awaken, and all be together and more powerful than ever. And it was just like we rehearsed it. All that was left was a little cut on our palms for the blood sacrifice. Even after Sophie tried to stop it, we didn't suspect anything... until we watched as Bastiana slit one of the Harvest girl's throat. Abigail. Everyone involved in the ritual knew that this would happen. Except the four of us. They weren't putting us to sleep, they were slaughtering us! I begged for someone to help. My own mother turned away from me. Sophie screamed and screamed for her sister, anyone, to do something. But no one did."
"And yet, you survived." Cassidy grinned. "Whoever helped you, I owe them big time."
"I think you've already owed them enough." Davina chuckled. "It was Marcel, actually. He saved me, but he was too late to save the other three involved in the ritual. Abigail, Cassie, Monique... they all died. Every girl who died released her power on to the next. When I was the last one, I suddenly had all of it. All the power that was supposed to be released back into the earth to appease our ancestors."
"So... the Harvest was actually working?" Cassidy muttered, too invested in the story.
"Something was working. And I knew that I was supposed to be killed so the Harvest could be completed and we would all be resurrected. But, they lied to us about how they were killing us. How do I know they weren't lying to us about coming back?" Davina paused. "But mostly, I just didn't want to die. So, I let him save me. Marcel saved my life." But as she uttered these words, the room started to shake, Cassidy's bedroom window flew open, and some books slipped from her book shelf. The mates looked around in shock, and Davina shook her head in fear, scooting closer to Cassidy.
"Vina..." Cassidy gently squeezed Davina's hands, and the contact snapped Davina's attention to her, the room beginning to stop shaking. "Let me help you."
"How...?"
"This power will slowly eat away at you. M-my friend from Mystic Falls, she's a Bennett witch and she has trouble controlling her magic sometimes. I could call her, she can help you figure out how to control it, manipulate your magic to fit you. Because of all the magic you have..." Cassidy paused sadly. "I don't think you'll survive."
"Neither do I." Davina admitted shakily. "So, this Bennett witch... she can help me?"
"Of course. I've just found you, I'm not about to lose you at the hands of magic." Cassidy nodded with a small smile. "My Bennett witch friend, her name is Bonnie. She's a bright witch, and unlike the witches here, Bonnie is the most loyal person I know. I'll give her a call soon and get her to send me over a few of her grimoires and some tips on how to keep your magic under control."
"Thank you, beautiful. I really appreciate this." Davina announced, leaning forward. She looked like she wanted to kiss Cassidy's lips, but she must've gotten a bit shy and decided to plant a soft kiss on Cassidy's cheek instead. "You are the first person I've told about my past."
"I'm one lucky girl then." Cassidy chuckled quietly. She pulled Davina closer to her, the two settling into their position that they were in before their deep conversation.