"I always had this fascination with chef's and fine dinning. My dad actually loves to cook, he's old school of course, he taught me how to measure my eye, season by taste, all that stuff. I mean, it's different now in the restaurant world. I mean, everything's on timers-" Kai said as I slowly opened my eyes and saw a bright light over head of me. "It's like, fires go in, you push a button, ding, you take them out." Kai stated and I sat up looking at him to see fire behind him as we were in the back of the Mystic Grill.. "Technology. Literally, no guess work." He added and I could tell I was sweating. I tried to move my hands that were behind my back as I sat in a chair but I felt a burning sensation and I bit my lip in pain.. Vervain ropes..
"Why am I here?" I asked weakly up at him, obviously annoyed.
"Well, I spent eighteen years in abandoned restaurants.. Now, I'm showing off the fruits of my labor." He shrugged as he cut his steak and I rolled my eyes weakly.
"I don't mean like Mystic Grill." I pointed out narrowing my eyes at him.
"Oh, you mean like 'here' here, in Mystic Falls.. Sorry, I'm nervous.. You're really pretty." Kai said chuckling and I scoffed at him.
"You should see Elena. Or you know, my mom.. But wait.. I killed her." I pointed out and Kai rose his eyebrow at me in amusement. "Why am I here, Kai?" I added shaking my head at him.
"Well, I took the spell that was keeping supernaturals out of Mystic Falls, and I... Like absorbed it, like ate it, I guess-" he shrugged before putting a piece of stake in his mouth and sighing. "It's cool huh? First I eat magic and then eventually I lose it.." Kai said smirking at me and I looked away clenching my jaw. "But a big spell like that, I mean, come on. Magic's oozing out of me. I didn't realize I was out of control until I met the manager a few hours ago." He stated and I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "He was all like, 'yeah, you can't come in here, we're closed and you have an unconscious girl over your shoulder', So then I said 'don't judge me' and I gave him a heart attack, or tried to.. But all I did was make him vomit uncontrollably and so I was like, oh okay, let's stop that. So I tried again and I think I broke his spine.. I'm not really sure because the third time I tried the spell, he kind of exploded in blood." Kai finished sighing in defeat and I clenched my jaw at him.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked through gritted teeth.
"I just told you, I have too much magic." Kai shrugged in reply, drinking coffee and I rolled my eyes. "You know, it wasn't until my test run with the manager that I realized.. If I start to merge with Joe and my gushing fountains of magic turn her into that guy... Then I'm not gonna have a twin for the merge." He stated and I looked around the bar at anywhere but him. "So, Mariana. That is why you are here." He said and I rose my eyebrow turning back towards him. "Because I need to get my magic under control by practicing with you. Or rather by practicing on you." He said and I widened my mouth. "Oh and P.S silver lining.. After the manager finally stopped thrashing around.. I finally managed a cloaking spell. Thank you." He said cheering to an invisible Being. "It's easy to do and.. Undo." He added. "Phesmatos Auculitz." He stated and I gasped, backing my chair up as the manager was laid out on the table in front of me. I stared down at his eyes that were staring back at me. His skin was white from blood loss and I felt myself about to puke so I quickly looked away. "Table for three." Kai stated laughing and I controlled my breaths, clenching my jaw at him.
~~~
I slowly woke up to feel my hands in chains and I growled seeing Kai. "We're in my old high school?" I asked raising my eyebrow as I looked around us.
"Yeah, plenty of restrooms, no flammable surfaces and everyone's on winter break.. Still." He nodded looking at trophies as I looked up at the ceiling the chains around my wrists were attached to. "You know, it's no wonder America got dumb while I was in the prison world. They're never in school." Kai stated in annoyance and I rolled my eyes. "Is that you?" He asked looking at an old cheerleader picture. "Oh, and there's Bonnie!! Looking like nothing bad could ever happen to you." He whispered tilting his head at the frame. "Anyway, do you mind if I try to turn your blood into acid again?" He asked turning back towards me and I tried to free myself from the chains but it wasn't any use.
"Again?" I asked shaking my head at him.
"Yeah, uh, that's kinda how you got here in the first place. I was trying the whole blood-acid thing and I think I burst a few capillaries in your brain.. Because you blacked out." Kai pointed out and I slowly shook my head.
"Kai, you don't have to do this." I countered, sighing as he put his hand up towards me and I shook my head. "Listen to me, you don't have-" I started but he was chanting and in a matter of seconds I was whimpering and groaning in pain and agony as it felt like my whole body was being stabbed with knives. "My necklace." I whispered looking at it. "Kai, your melting my daylight necklace!?" I yelled as I watched the metal drip off of my neck and I shook my head. "Kai, stop it!" I yelled again before I grabbed the chains one last time and pulled as hard as I could. I sighed in relief as the chains fell and I quickly took them off of my wrist before I sped away. I vamped into a science classroom and shook my head as I put my hand under the sink before splashing it around my neck. "No, no-" I said but it was already gone. I groaned turning the water off and holding my hand before I heard steps come in from behind me and I spun around to see Kai.
"I take it that necklace meant something to you? I never understood sentimental attachments to things. Because then it's so upsetting when you lose them.." Kai said smirking at me and I clenched my jaw.
"Phesmatos Incendia?!" I yelled raising my hand at him before fire engulfed him and I quickly ran out of the door connected to another classroom. I ran to a telephone before dialing into it.
"Magic camp, how may I help you?" Damon answered sarcastically and I breathed heavily into the phone.
"Damon, Kai has me at the school, I need your help!?" I said frantically.
"Whoa, Mariana?" Damon asked concerned before I heard a pounding sound deeper into the hall and I jumped hanging up the phone before I ran down the hall, into the cafeteria, only to see Kai. I gasped falling back onto the floor and he gestured his hand towards me and a table flew over me as did everything on it.
"Really?" Kai asked walking towards me as he flung his wrist again but knocked over a cabinet. "Damn it." He said in annoyance as I got up and tried to run before he flung his wrist a final time and I felt a pain in my neck before I blacked out.
~~~
I groaned waking up again and I looked around me. My neck felt sore as my hands were tied with vervain rope once again, this time behind my back.. "Oh, hello." Kai said smirking down at me and I rolled my eyes.
"Nice shirt." I stated looking at the School shirt he wore.
"Oh, thanks. Someone burned my other one.. Which was pretty awesome by the way. I am starting to see why Damon digs you.. You are crazy-pants." Kai said crossing his arms over his chest and I rolled my eyes. "Oh, it sucks about that shirt though." He said sighing.
"So you can care about an inanimate object, but not about the people you kill?" I asked looking up at him.
"Ah, is this gonna be an episode on Ricky Lake.. Where I come face to face with my demons and change for the better?" He countered, crouching next to me.
"Have you really not cared about anyone?" I asked tilting my head at him and he looked down.
"I guess I liked my brother Joey.. We played 'Dr. Mario' together and he'd always win.. Actually, one of my favorite memories is when I finally beat him.. Of course, my favorite memory is when I finally beat him to death." Kai stated and I clenched my jaw at him. "You don't have to waste your energy trying to change me. If Ricky taught me anything, it's that the most important thing is liking yourself." He nodded and I looked away from him. "And I like me." He added in amusement before I looked back at him glaring.
-Time Skip-
"If the spell that you're going for is to creep me out.. It's working." I stated looking at Kai as he sat in front of me before he pointed a finger at me and moved it through the air. I gasped and bit my lip as I felt my cheek start to burn as he traced something into my cheek. "Ah, what the hell are you doing?" I asked angrily before he put his hand down and the wound healed.
"Oh, nothing." Kai said sitting back on his hands before he stood up and walked towards me, wiping blood off my cheek slowly and I watched him.. He sighed standing up before walking out of the room and I rolled my eyes. I winced in pain as I tugged a bit on the rope and the vervain seeped into my skin. I gasped as I felt the rope suddenly break and my hands were free. I rose my eyebrow before I felt a hand on my arm and I looked up to see Damon who grabbed my hand and I sighed in relief at him.
"Hey." Damon reassured and I tightened my grip on his hand.
"How are you here right now?" I asked shaking my head at him in complete shock.
"Joe's invisibility spell." He replied and I laughed. "If you can see us that means you joined the party." He stated smirking.
"Come on, we need to get out of here." Joe warned and I could tell she was weak.
"My necklace-it's gone." I said shaking my head. "Kai melted it into nothing." I warned worriedly, shaking my head.
"Wait, what?" Damon said looking at my neck in confusion and I sighed.
"Not to cut this reunion short but meters running low on this spell." Joe stated worriedly at us.
"There's the tunnels under the school." I stated and Damon nodded in agreement at me.
"Good call, Boiler room, stat." Damon stated helping me up as we ran towards the door but Joe stood there, not moving. "You good?" Damon asked back at her and she slowly nodded.
"I'm good." She reassured before running after us.
~~~
Joe started coughing as soon as we got to the entrance of the boiler room and we turned towards her. "Joe?" I asked in concern as I saw her weak and that her nose was bleeding.
"I-I'm fine." Joe said stumbling a bit. "Three people is a lot harder to cloak than two." She added weakly before she stumbled and almost hit the floor but Damon caught her quickly.
"You're not fine. Why's your nose bleeding?" Damon asked furrowing his eyebrows at her.
"I have a guess. Magic's hard to do, isn't it, Joe?" Kai asked at the end of the hall and we all froze and looked towards him.
"I-I'm so sorry." Joe whispered looking at Damon and I.
"Don't sweat it. I want him to see me while I kick his ass." Damon warned angrily at Kia. "Now, get out of here." He stated and she weakly nodded before walking into the boiler room and I guarded it as Damon stood in front of me also. Before I knew it Damon was looking around for me and he glared angrily at Kai. "Where's Mariana?" Damon asked warningly towards him.
"Oh.. Are we not Cloaking people anymore? I thought that's what this was." Kai answered tilting his head at Damon.
-Damon-
I vamped towards Kai before he disappeared and I furrowed my eyebrows. I heard a whistle from behind me and I turned to see Kai waving at me in amusement and I clenched my jaw. I growled in annoyance and vamped towards a mop that stood in the hall beside me before I broke it in half and threw the other half towards Kai, watching as it plunged into his chest and he gasped, down at it. "Oh, that's got to hurt." Kai said appearing beside the version of himself with the piece of wood sticking out from him and I furrowed my eyebrows. "I'm definitely getting the hang of this." Kai added smirking at me and I looked between both versions of him in complete confusion. "Cloaking spells, illusions, you know it's all the same wheelhouse." Kai stated before he gestured towards the version of him with the piece of wood sticking out from his chest, uncloaking it to show Mariana gasping as she tried to pull the wood out from her and I slowly shook my head.
"No." I whispered looking at as I felt my breath hitch in my throat. Mariana stumbled into the lockers next to her and looked down at her chest as her hand was wrapped around the piece of wood. I walked forward towards her before Kai started giving me an aneurysm and I started clutching my head as I groaned in pain.
Kai smirked at me before dropping his hand and walking towards the entrance that Joe took. I groaned as I now laid on the floor and looked up to see Mariana slide down the lockers, onto the floor across from me.
-Mariana-
I gasped, trying to breathe as I looked down at the piece of wood sticking out of my chest as Damon crawled towards me. "Mariana-" Damon whispered and I shook my head, grabbing his hands and wrapping them around the wooden object.
"Take it out, Damon." I warned weakly as I winced, feeling pieces of the wood shift and go deeper into my skin and he slowly nodded.
"On the count of three." He reassured and I nodded in agreement. "One-" Damon started and I groaned cutting him off.
"Three." I countered and in an instant I gasped as he pulled it out. I groaned shaking my head and his eyes widened down at me.
"What?" Damon asked fully concerned, looking down at me.
"There must be a piece still stuck." I warned, shaking my head as I started to feel my breath lessen from within my chest.
"N-no, I'll get it." Damon reassured me aggressively and I shook my head up at him.
"If there's anything you need to say-" I started, cutting myself off. "Say it now." I whispered closing my eyes at the pain.
"I'll find it, Mariana." Damon countered, arguing as he dig his fingers into where the wood was and I started laughing at him a bit. He looked down at me as I laid on the floor laughing hard before he finally rolled his eyes. "Really?" He asked smirking a bit, probably in relief and I nodded.
"Yeah." I said sighing up at him in amusement. "Oldest trick in the book." I added looking up at the ceiling as I laughed breathlessly. Damon smiled down at me and I reached out towards him, sitting up as we sat face to face. I heard footsteps come in and Damon rolled his eyes looking behind him to see Ric and Joe staring down at us with relief washing over their features.
"Perfect timing." Damon stated sarcastically in annoyance.
"Mariana, are you okay?" Alaric asked worriedly towards me and I looked up at him and sighed, nodding reassuringly.
"Never felt better." I smiled as Damon and I looked at each other again.
~~~
"So, um.. Assuming I don't get kidnapped before tomorrow-" I said laughing as I tried cleaning some of the blood off my shirt as Damon sat in front of me. "Maybe we can, Try for that dinner.. Again?" I asked raising my eyebrow at him.
"Oh, I don't know, I mean every time we try to go on a date, you get kidnapped, I get sent to a prison world or you think I have feelings for your sister.." Damon shrugged, leading off and I rolled my eyes smirking.
"Are you gonna keep sulking or are you going to take me to dinner?" I pointed out, raising my eyebrow and he smirked at me.
"I guess we'll find out tomorrow." Damon countered and I nodded in agreement.
"I can help you clean that out if you want. One part ammonia, two parts meat tenderizer." Joe said looking down at my shirt and I laughed at her.
"You invented a stain remover?" I asked shaking my head at her in disbelief.
"I am not afraid of a little blood." She replied in amusement and I laughed getting up and following her to her room. "You can wear this for the meantime." She added handing me a dark blue tank top and I nodded in thanks, taking it before I heard crying. I smiled as I walked over to the crib and saw Freya laying there.
"Hey, baby girl." I said in a high pitched voice, grabbing her and holding her in my arms before walking into the living room again. "Look who's awake." I stated laughing before both Ric and Damon's eyes fell gently onto Freya and they smiled. Freya laughed as I tickled her nose and kissed her forehead gently. I slowly sighed as I walked over towards the window and looked up at the moon that was shinning down on us. "Your mommy is watching over us, Freya Lune.. She loves you very much." I whispered running my pointer finger down Freya's bridge of her nose gently as I kissed her forehead. I looked back at Damon who averted my gaze and I rose my eyebrow at him before I walked Freya back into the bedroom.