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"My peace has always depended on all the ashes in my wake."
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BLAIR POV
I don't think as I run. I'm all too familiar to the dangers thinking can have on a person seeing as I had myself convinced I was dead for 145 years.
All those nights spent in the tomb I was confined with nothing but my thoughts. With my mind being the only company I had, I began convincing myself of the craziest things. Once I had myself convinced I was a mummy, buried alive. But the worst was when I had myself convinced I was dead.
Of the 52,925 days I was in that hell of a tomb, I learned that our greatest weakness is our own mind.
Just yesterday, as I almost watched my best friend get her heart ripped out of her chest I felt the tiniest sliver of emotion, my thoughts getting the best of me. At that moment I wanted nothing more than to save my best friend, but my body wouldn't allow it.
It was if my feelings were stacked away in a house of cards, and suddenly one card jumped out of place, threatening to send the rest of them tumbling down.
That's why I ran away. That's why I'm still running. With my emotions off and my mind in a haze, I don't even think of where I'm going, and next thing I know, I'm standing at the front of Klaus's mansion in the early hours of the morning.
Without even thinking, I open the door and storm through the house which is filled with at least a dozen of Klaus's newly turned hybrids, one of them being Tyler Lockwood.
"Blair, sweetheart, what a pleasure it is to see you. I'll have you know that by pleasure, I mean a complete intrusion of my days events, that include everything but you," Klaus snickers as he notices my presence.
"Don't flatter yourself Klaus. A day with you is another day I want to kill myself," I fire back, my mind still numb.
"You know, your attitude Blair is the one thing I haven't missed in our days apart from one another," Klaus remarks.
"Yeah well the one thing I haven't missed is your face," I say with an equal amount of sarcasm.
"Okay Romeo and Juliet, if you two would please conclude this derisive reunion, I could get back to whatever my master pleases," Tyler apathetically says, earning him a glare from Klaus.
Klaus clears his throat. "Yes Blair, please tell me what you are doing here. I thought you would be watching Elena."
I hesitate, not wanting to tell Klaus I was seconds away from turning it all back on. When I don't answer Klaus snaps his fingers viscously. "Sweetheart?" he presses.
"I ah, was just bored," I say.
"So Blair Salvatore goes to a murderous vampire's house when she's bored?" Tyler asks, baffled.
"Watch it Lockwood," Klaus growls.
"Don't you have some puppies to watch over?" I snap, forcing a smile on Klaus's lips. Tyler shakes his head in anger before walking off.
"So Blair, how's Elena doing? Are you and Stefan following through?" Klaus asks.
"Oh you mean the Elena protection program? It's going great," I sneer. In all honestly I haven't seen Stefan in days, nor have I seen Elena but they're not my main concern. Knowing Stefan, he's probably glued to Elena's side.
"Now Blair," Klaus says seriously, "You and I both know there's another reason you came here. Tell me," he compels me.
Ever since the night I turned it off, I kept a small bottle of vervain in my leather jacket pocket with me at all times for moments exactly like this. Each day I've taken a sip, making me invincible against Klaus's compulsion. So I conger up an excuse before Klaus suspects anything.
"I've been informed that Mikael has been awakened," I spit out.
Klaus raises an eyebrow, his full attention now on me. "Really? And how do you know this?"
"Blair?"
James's voice suddenly speaks up in my mind. It startles me, but I quickly compose myself.
"I overheard my brothers and James talking about it," I say, ignoring James's call.
"Blair, I need you to come home. We need to talk," James says.
Klaus places his hands gently on my shoulders, his blue eyes staring directly at mine. His gesture takes me back to reality. "Be a darling and find out more please. Report back to me by tomorrow," he compels me.
I smile and nod, pretending to be compelled before I make my way out. I borrow one of the dozens of cars parked outside the mansion seeing as my car was blown to pieces a month ago.
Out of boredom and curiosity, I speak back to James in my mind. "Where is my twin?" I demand.
"Why?" James asks, almost instantly.
"Klaus needs him," I lie. I'm the one who needs him. I know basically nothing about Mikael.
"Your lying," he says. I almost forgot how good James is at detecting my lies. Its almost as if he's my personal lie detector. I guess that's how well he knows me. It's a shame I can't reciprocate. I know absolutely nothing about him.
"I need to know about Mikael," I sigh.
"Why don't you stop by the house so we can chat," James suggests, although I know what awaits me. As soon as I open the door, either Joel or Damon will be standing there with a vervain needle in hand, prepared to enlist me into vampire rehab.
Vampire Rehab.
It suddenly dawns on me where Stefan might be. The reason I haven't seen him is because he's been taken. Stefan wouldn't voluntarily leave without an explanation, especially when Klaus is constantly hovering above us. If he were to go AWOL, he would've told me. I would've most likely gone with him.
I quickly think of all the places in Mystic Falls where they could be hiding Stefan, and my mind lands on one spot; The Forbes Dungeon.
I remember James telling me Caroline was taken there by her father a while back. It's the only place I know of built to torture a vampire.
"Not going to happen Jay. Talk to you later," I say.
Smirking to myself, I press harder on the gas sending the expensive sports car zooming down the road.
∆ ∆ ∆
Dark places never use to scare me. I actually liked the feeling the dark gave me; it was like a high. The feeling of lurking and hiding in the shadows, the adventure and mystery of what creatures lurked through the night was a feeling I couldn't get enough of as a kid.
Now, its as if things have completely flipped. I can't stand dark places, nor can I stand enclosed spaces either. Everything and anything dark reminds me of the countless days I spent in the tomb. I see enough of the tomb in my nightmares, and random flashes that cross my mind. Although the flashes have become less common, they're still there.
As I walk down the steps of the dungeon, I can't help but feel anxious as I feel like the whole roof is collapsing on me. The cobweb brick walls and the gravel floor makes me feel like the walls are closing in creating a great pressure on my chest.
Just when I feel as if I'm going to pass out, I come across a cell door.
Without even thinking I open it, the loud squealing of the rusty hinges making me wince. I just don't seem to have ninja skills anymore. Apparently it's one of the many things I've lost of myself.
Much to my luck, Stefan sits in a chair, chained up by several steel chains around his body holding him in place. His skin is pale, and his eyes are bloodshot like he's done nothing but smoke in the past twenty-four hours.
"Jesus Steff, you look like shit," I laugh.
My voice seems to surprise him, as his lifts his head quickly at the sound of my voice. "Expecting someone else?" I ask.
Just as he's about to respond, he looks over my shoulder as if someone is there. I instantly tense up, and spin around, prepared to attack only to be face to face with my older brother.
"Blair-Bear!" he exclaims, his arms outstretched, preparing to engulf me in a hug.
I refuse and back away, still unsure how to respond. Last time I saw Damon I had him chained to a chair, pumped up with vervain and stabbed with stakes with his long time enemy Mason Lockwood.
"No," I growl.
His face contorts in confusion, his brows scrunched together. "Why are you so grouchy? Do you need to go back to your trash can Oscar?" he jokes, but I don't understand.
"Who the hell is Oscar?"
"Oscar the Grouch? No? Oh right, you wouldn't have seen it," he says in disappointment.
"And you have?" Stefan croaks out humorously.
"Okay, I get it," Damon admits, his hands held up in defence.
Soon all the forced humour dies out, and the mood changes back to all seriousness just as fast as it left. Damon scoffs, and turns to me. "We've been looking for you Blair. What are you doing here? Frankly, I'd like to know how you knew Ripper over there was even here."
I shrug. "James mentioned Vampire Rehab, and I put the pieces together."
"Once a detective always a detective, right?" Damon asks, his voice filled with nostalgia at all the times they teased me of being 'Detective Salvatore'.
"I came here for Stefan, and Stefan only. Klaus is expecting us, so I hope you make the wise choice and let us go, or so help me god I won't hesitate to rip off your arms, and sew them onto your chest so you can walk like the dog you've always been," I threaten.
"I'd like to see that," Stefan says with a small, fatigued smile on his face.
"Calm down Blair-Bear, no need to be so blunt. I've come here for a reason too," Damon says, as he cautiously walks over to Stefan. He smirks before swiftly ripping the chains that bound Stefan to the metal chair, freeing him from his confinement.
Stefan and I exchange perplexed glances before glaring at Damon who seems to be enjoying the confusion sink into our heads.
"I don't care for this Lexi crap, so instead I suggest we calm things down by heading to a bar and having a drink. What do you say?" Damon suggests.
The thought of a nice glass of bourbon or a couple shots of tequila is an offer I can't quite refuse. The look on Stefan's face assures me he is thinking the same thing.
"I'm driving."
∆ ∆ ∆
For some reason Damon requests that we go to a bar outside Mystic Falls, and I can't shake the feeling that this is all one big set up. I know Stefan senses it too, making me even more on edge of what's to come.
That's why I requested to drive instead of Damon. I don't quite trust him yet, no matter if he did break Stefan out of the chains.
"I'll have three shots of tequila, and a glass of your best bourbon," I say to the bartender.
She looks at me suspiciously. "May I see some ID."
I smirk, and cock my head to the side. "You don't need to see ID. Now give me your wrist," I compel her.
She robotically holds out her wrist, allowing me to indulge into a few merciless seconds of heaven before I feel Damon tapping on my shoulder.
"If you kill the bartender, you'll never get your drinks," he points out.
I shrug, and release the girl before compelling her to forget.
Moments later the girl comes back out and hands us our drinks. I waste no time before raising the glass to my lips, pouring all three burning toxins down my throat. I sigh and lick my lips before turning to my brothers who stare at me in awe.
"What?" I snap.
They shake their heads and continue to sip their drinks at a more reasonable pace. I just can't keep thinking about what I'm suppose to tell Klaus, or what Damon is really planning by bringing us here.
"So Damon," I begin, "What's the catch? Is James hiding behind the bar, or is Joel under one of the tables?" I ask.
"No catch sister. Just some good old bonding. A time to reflect," he says honestly, but I don't believe him.
"I might not be a real detective, but I'm not a dumbass either," I snap, before finishing my second glass of bourbon.
"Yeah, I'm with Blair. How stupid do you think we are? We may be emotionless, but we're not dumb. Are you planning to drunk us up? Guilt us into turning back our humanity?" Stefan agrees.
"I'm actually very hurt you think we're that stupid," I say, dramatically placing a hand over my heart.
"I'll have you know, we're compelled to do whatever Klaus says, and that won't stop until he's dead." Stefan says grimly.
"Which is precisely why I plan to end him," an unknown voice says from behind us.
Startled, the three of us turn around at the sudden voice, our eyes growing wide at the recognition of the man in front of us. Although I've never met him, I can sense a powerful vampire when I see one.
"Mikael?" I gape.
"Well done Ms. Salvatore. It's a pleasure to meet you," the old vampire says, before placing an eerie kiss on my hand.
"Klaus has mentioned you- the vampire that hunts vampires," Damon says, eyeing the vampire hunter.
"Oh yeah? And what else has Niklaus told you? Is he in town?" Mikael asks Stefan and I.
"I can't say," Stefan gulps.
"Has he spoken to you?" Mikael asks.
"We can't say," Stefan repeats.
"He has them compelled," Damon whispers.
Mikael ignores Damon's side comment and turns to me instead. "Blair, do you know anything about Klaus?"
I clench my jaw. "No."
Mikael only laughs. "I have been a vampire hunter longer than any of you have been alive. Now, someone is going to tell me something, or Damon here is going to lose his heart."
Mikael forces his hand into Damon's chest, enclosing his fist around Damon's heart making my brother groan in agony.
"They're emotionless right now. They won't care," Damon grunts.
"Are your ties to Klaus so tight, that you would let your own brother die? Speak!" Mikael bellows.
Stefan and I exchange glances, but neither of us speak. Mikael only sighes before twising his hand. Damon cries out in pain, and just before Mikael can do any more damage, I speak up.
"I know where he is. I can bring him back to Mystic Falls," I say suddenly, stopping Mikael from hurting Damon any further.
"Great!" Mikael says before gladly removing his bloody hand from Damon's chest.
"Bring him back to Mystic Falls, and I will gladly drive a stake through his heart. Fail, and I shall drive it through yours," Mikael says, before giving us one last nod, and walking off.
"Could you have cut it any closer?" Damon growls, straightening out his leather jacket.
"How were you able to tell him that?" Stefan asks.
I smirk and pull out the small glass vile of vervain from my jacket pocket.
"Like you said; I may be emotionless, but I'm not stupid."
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[completed & edited: 08/16/2021]