𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧.
Bonnie Bennett woke with a gasp, scooting backward on her bed until her back smashed against the headboard. As she looked around the softly pink-accented room, her eyes widened as everything, except for the bed she was in, was floating, threatening to fall and slam against the floor.
Just as her grams had taught her, she forced herself to calm down, hoping that would release her magic's hold on the items. Closing her eyes, she inhaled, slowing her heartbeat.
After a couple of seconds, she peaked her eyes back open, realizing that everything was still suspended in midair.
Nothing had changed.
"Bonnie?" She heard a voice call from behind the door. "May I come in?" Bonnie sighed and agreed. The door creaked open, revealing the cousin she had been getting to know for the last three days. With a head tilt displaying nothing much confusion, she whispered a quick spell, and everything landed on the ground softly.
"Same nightmare," She said simply, deciding not to explain. Bonnie had decided to confide in her cousin, revealing what was in her nightmare.
"I see," Mina nodded. She had tried every spell she knew, but nothing would take away her little cousin's nightmares.
Bonnie sighed, pulling her covers tighter on her body. She didn't want to talk about it, speaking that she had done just that every day for the past three days. "Did you find out anything?"
Mina sat across from her little cousin, setting her coffee cup on the counter before speaking. "Actually, yes. My grandmother assured me that if you brought anyone back with you, they would wake at the place they died... Do you know where this Harry person died?"
Bonnie shook her head. She wanted to kick herself for not pressing him for more information. "Every time I brought up his death, he changed the subject."
A knock on the hardwood door interrupted the two witches' conversation. "Mina, Bonnie," The woman started. "I have news." Walking over to the nightstand by Bonnie's bed, she picked up Mina's cup and placed it on a coster before taking a seat in the chair adjacent to the bed.
Rolling her eyes at the elder, Mina focused on the bigger picture. "Auntie? What's happened?"
The woman sat up, looking Bonnie in her eyes. "A couple of days ago, there was a report about a boy merely appearing from what seemed to be a grave. His clothing was torn and old, but bystanders say it's like he's quote risen from the dead."
Mina's eyes widened. "Oh damn, he's real?"
"Yes!" Bonnie cheered. "Wait, where is he? I need to see him, Eleanor."
Eleanor Bennett shook her head. "Witches talk Bonnie. We're positive he was last seen with Rebekah Mikaelson. That lot..."
Bonnie tossed her covers off, her pajama pants dangling past her ankles. "I've dealt with the Mikaelsons before, and I can do it again."
Mina paused. She knew that Bonnie was passionate about finding her friends, but surely this wasn't a declaration of war between the Bennetts and the Mikaelsons.
What would happen to Elyza? "Bon–"
"No, Mina. We've found him. I know where the Mikaelsons live. We can go–"
Eleanor held her hand up, silencing her niece. "As much as I would love for you to get your friend back, Bonnie, you are in no position to fight."
"Eleanor–"
"You said it yourself, darling. Your magic has been haywire since you've returned. The Mikaelsons are a powerful family. I've even heard that they have a witch on their side, helping restore all members of their clan."
Mina cleared her throat, reaching over and taking a long sip of her coffee. "Let me," She spoke eventually. When she watched her aunt's eyebrow fur in confusion, she clarified. "I'll just peek inside and see if they have someone who meets Bonnie's description."
Bonnie smiled. "Actually, I have one better." Reaching under her pillow, she pulled out a jar with a single piece of hair. "It's his. If you do a locator spell on him and it leads you to the Mikaelson's residence, it's him."
"Quick question in this little plan of yours," Eleanor started. "How do you know where the Mikaelsons live?"
"Bonnie told me," Mina lied quickly. She nodded in her cousin's direction.
"Very well," Eleanor started, getting dressed. "Mina, a word while Bonnie gets dressed?" Mina nodded and followed her aunt out of the door. Once it closed, Mina raised an eyebrow. "I'm aware of your attraction to vampires. Your eagerness to go to the Mikaelson residence did not slip past me. If I find out, Mina Alisa Bennett, that you are involved with any of the Mikaelsons, I will not hesitate to seek to disown you from this family."
Mina couldn't help the sarcastic chuckle that escaped her lips, her eyes remaining fierce. "Your accusations are beneath me, Aunt. I'm merely helping out my cousin after you left her with our pathetic Aunt Abigail; a feat worthy of praise, not lectures."
Eleanor scoffed. "Remember my words, Mina."
With that, the older witch was gone. Mina took a breath of relief before rolling her eyes. She shoved the jar in her purse before getting ready to start her walk down the stairs.
"I'm coming with."
Mina groaned. "No, you're not, Bonnie. No chance in Hell."
"Which Mikaelson brother is it?" Bonnie started. "You lied. I've never told you where the Mikaelsons lived. Elijah seems like your type."
"Bonnie–"
"Our gracious aunt wouldn't like it if you were dating a vampire, right? You wouldn't want her to get a little tip..."
Mina tried to ignore the urge to jump off of the nearest bell tower and snap her own neck like a twig. That'll make her the third person in their family to commit suicide. "Damn it, Bonnie." Staring at each other, Mina sighed at Bonnie's unmoving expression. "Fine. But I'm driving."
The ride to the Mikaelson estate was silent for the most part. Bonnie twisted her fingers around the jar of hair she had accidentally pulled from Henrik before as they were yanked from limbo.
"Why does Eleanor hate you so much?" Bonnie finally asked.
Mina laughed, leaning back and holding her stomach as she did. "Aunt Eleanor doesn't hate me, per se. She hates that I don't despise vampires as much as she does – as our family does."
"And why don't you?"
Mina glanced at Bonnie, noting the jar in her hands. "Why don't you?"
Bonnie only nodded and sat back. She knew exactly why she didn't hate vampires. Because all of them weren't bad. "You said you were a siphoner..." Bonnie started, trying to change the subject. "I've never seen you siphon anything."
"Before he died, my dad gave me an ankle bracelet with his magic in it," She confessed. "So I never have to siphon outside objects because I have one attached to it."
Bonnie frowned as she thought of her father. "I'm sorry about your dad."
"Don't be... I've gotten over it."
Sitting back, the younger witch twisted the jar in her hand more. She had more in common with the witch than she thought. Maybe having her as a cousin wouldn't be so bad after all.
**
Mina Bennett pulled up at the Mikaelson residence quietly. "Listen, I know you want your friend back, but there's a friend of mine in there that I would die to protect. Let me talk to her, okay?"
"Harry took care of me. He protected me. He's the only reason I survived in Limbo, Mina," Bonnie started, sitting up in her seat. "Regardless of what your friend has to say, I'm getting him back. With or without you."
Nodding, Mina unbuckled her seatbelt and made her way out of the car. "Give me ten minutes."
The journey into the house was uncomplicated, speaking that Kol let her in as soon as he saw her walking up on the doorpost.
"You two are quite the inseparable duo, aren't you?" Kol joked, guiding her to where Elyza was.
Mina smiled, scanning around the house looking for any sign of Bonnie's friend. She said he was young, no older than about fifteen years old. However, the only thing she noticed what how clean the house was to be housing majority men.
"Mina?" Elyza called out before her husband and best friend couple passed her coming out of the bathroom. She had just finished touching up her curls. "What do I owe the pleasure?"
After Kol walked away with a wink to his wife, Elyza gasped as she was pushed into the bathroom. Mina waved her hand, putting a silencing spell in place. "We need to talk."
Elyza rolled her eyes. "If this is about Adrian–"
"It's not about him. Wait, has he shown up?"
"No!" Elyza rushed out. "And if you ask again, I'll punch you."
The Bennett witch rolled her eyes. "Do you have a boy name Harry here? Did Rebekah kidnap someone?"
"What?" Elyza questioned, confusion evident on her face. "Rebekah did not kidnap–"
"Swear it on my life, Elyza," Mina cut her off. "On my life, you don't have a previously dead boy here that Rebekah kidnapped."
Elyza shook her head. "Okay, when you say it like that, you're describing Henrik. But, Rebekah did not kidnap him. She saved him, and that's her brother. What the hell else was she supposed to do? Let him get trampled to death by reporters or snoopy humans?"
"Henrik Mikaelson?" Mina questioned. "I thought he died?"
"He did. I was going to tell you but I thought you were busy with Bonnie. But when your family brought Bonnie back, she also brought Henrik back. Apparently, they were together in limbo?"
"Bonnie!"
Mina's heart dropped at the sound of someone calling out her cousin's name. She snatched the door open, leaving Elyza to catch up behind her. However, the heretic raced down the stairs faster than Mina could.
"Kol!" She shouted.
Time slowed as she watched Bonnie channel her magic in the direction of her husband. Without another thought, Elyza raised her hands before dropping them, an action that sent Bonnie soaring into the brick wall behind her and crashing onto the floor. She moaned in pain as she clutched her side. "Mina!"
The other Bennett pushed her arm out in Elyza's direction, but before she could get a spell, she yelled out as her arm broke. "Ad Sodum," He whispered, rending the witch unconscious.
Klaus sped in front of Henrik's body, shielding him from whatever spell either Bennett might cast next.
"Stop, please!" Henrik cried out.
"Harry?" Bonnie called out, hearing the familiar voice. She smiled, remembering when he came to her rescue on her first day in limbo.
Henrik only stood still. He clung to Klaus's arm, watching as his brother's dead body lay underneath his wife's. Kol had just started to teach him more complex spells and now here he was, hurt by the hand of someone he thought was a friend. A sob threatened to rip through his throat as he watched the family he spent days getting to know lay damaged below him.
Klaus's eyes flashed as he readied himself to flash over to Bonnie and end the witch once and for all. Henrik stepped in front of him. "Please, Nik. No."
Bonnie slowly sat up, looking around the room for Mina, but instead, she met Harry's eyes. "Harry? It's me."
"You hurt Kol... You hurt my family."
Bonnie shook her head. "Family? They're bad people, Harry–"
"Henrik," He stopped her. "My name is Henrik. Henrik Mikaelson." Bonnie let a tear slide down her face. "I want you to leave." He waved in Mina's direction effortlessly, waking her up. Her eyes fluttered open. "Take your friend and leave."
**
first of all: thank y'all so much for all the love and support on this book. I'm not sure why or how, but so many of y'all showed support yesterday and it made me so happy. Seeing y'all comment and vote really does make me want to update.
i love that you all love this book as much as I do. so, again, thank y'all so much! chapter eleven came early because of y'all.
second: I know this chapter had a bit of a sadder aura but I mean, kol said it himself the last chapter. + I felt that as much as Henrik bonded with Bonnie, he would stick with his family no matter what.
hopefully, they get across this little bump.
but, of course, please be sure to tell me your thoughts/opinions on this chapter. what did you think?
remember to vote and comment.
until next time,
numinousx