Damon wiped blood from the hardwood floor in the room, the coppery smell still hanging in the air. Elena and Stefan went to God knows where, probably back to Stefan's room.
Damon straightened up and rolled his shoulder.
Just then he heard a movement from behind him. He looked up while narrowing his eyes, "Oh, come on," he muttered. "I am really not in the mood for round two of supernatural nonsense tonight."
Silence.
Damon set the rag aside and stood, moving slowly toward the doorway. He checked the hall and saw nothing.
"Yeah, that's reassuring," he muttered. He turned back, crouching to gather the shards of a broken vase from earlier and then he felt something shift infront of him. Damon barely had time to inhale before a fist slammed into his face cracking his jaw bone.
The world spun as he flew backward, crashing back to the floor, the impact knocking the air clean out of his lungs. His vision blurred, stars exploding behind his eyes then, darkness took him.
———————————————
Rebekah walked along the side of the Grill with her arms folded tightly around herself, boots clicking sharply against the pavement.
She then turned around suddenly and stopped.
"…Go away," she said flatly. Michael stood a few steps away, hands in his pockets with his head tilting slightly, "You know, it's funny," he said casually, "when two immortal beings have an angsty moment and start avoiding each other like children a thousand times younger than they actually are."
He took a step closer.
"I know you're angry at me for leaving you, Bekah—"
"Don't call me that," she snapped.
Her voice shook despite her effort to steady it. She stepped toward him with blazing eyes, "You know what? You bloody left us, Micheal. We were just turned. We didn't even understand what we were going to face or the weight of what we'd become and you simply walked away."
Michael's expression softened, but she didn't stop.
"Did you even realize," she continued, tears beginning to rim her eyes, "that after we found out you were like us… the joy I, Elijah, and Nik felt?"
He looked at her face as it flushed red with emotion then his gaze dropped.
"We thought," she said quietly and painfully, "hey… at least we have someone we can trust with this. Someone we can talk to. Someone who understands this apart from ourselves."
Her voice cracked as she looked at him and continued, "It devastated us when Ayana told us you left," she said, nodding bitterly. "But I suppose what else should we have expected, right?"
She let out a hollow laugh. "You were already immortal. You'd already made a habit of leaving things behind. So why should we be any different, hmm?"
Michael opened his mouth.
"Don't," she said sharply, raising a hand. "Just—don't. Okay?"
She swallowed. "Please just… don't."
Michael nodded once.
When he looked back up at her, she was gone. He exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over his face, then looked up at the night sky. "What a mess," he murmured. "And somehow, I get the feeling it's about to get worse."
As if on cue, his phone rang.
He answered. "Yeah." Brandon's voice came through, tight. "Sir. We've got new information from Tamara's witches."
Michael straightened immediately. "What do they have?"
"Some of them managed to contact their ancestors," Brandon said. "And they were warned that the veil is at its thinnest right now. Soon… if not already… souls will start making contact."
Michael closed his eyes. "…Ohhhhh shit."
"Sir?" Brandon asked.
Michael spoke slowly now, dread threading his voice. "Let me guess. The banshee and Ankhar are already here as well."
There was a pause before he heard an answer, "Yes," Brandon said quietly.
"And you're telling me the veil is down," Michael continued, "which means—"
There was another pause.
Then Brandon breathed out in realization, "Ohhh… fuck."
Michael stared into the street up ahead, "All those souls."
Brandon swallowed, "It's the perfect harvest."
Brandon's voice tightened over the line. "I'll deploy the Death Dealers and the Order immediately."
Michael didn't hesitate. "No. No need for that."
A pause. "Sir, with respect, you should at least have backup."
Michael exhaled slowly then his eyes sparkled with an idea.
"…Actually," he said, tone shifting, "you're right. Send in—"
——-1———————————-
Damon sat with chains around him, he sat on a heavy wooden chair in the parlor, thick iron links coiled across the floor like. Stefan stood a few feet away, arms crossed, staring at the restraints in disbelief.
"How the hell did this even happen?" Stefan demanded. Damon took a long pull from a blood bag as he tore the seal with his teeth. "Well, let's see. I was minding my own business, being devastatingly handsome, when Casper the homicidal ghost paid me a visit."
Elena frowned. "You think it was another ghost?"
"Oh, I'm not thinking," Damon said dryly. "I'm betting. And I'm willing to put my money on Mason Lockwood."
"Why Mason?" Elena asked.
Stefan answered without hesitation. "Because that's exactly how he killed him."
Damon rose up from the scene of attempted murder. Elena looked up at him, "Where are you going?"
He grabbed his jacket. "I need to talk to the witch."
Without another word, he headed for the door. Stefan and Elena exchanged a look then followed suit.
———————————-
Damon's car slowed as he spotted two familiar figures on the sidewalk.
He rolled down the window. "Well, hello there, Miss Wonder Witch," he drawled. "Tell me something, when you vanquished Vickie Donovan, did you maybe… accidentally do a swap job on that spell?"
Caroline blinked. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, nothing major," Damon said lightly. "Just got tortured yesterday by a ghost wielding a poker. And judging by the method, I'm pretty damn sure it was Mason Lockwood."
Bonnie stiffened. "What?"
"Oh yes," Damon said. "Very personal. Very painful. Very dead-guy-with-unfinished-business."
Bonnie shook her head. "That's not possible. I did the spell right."
"I'm sure you did," Damon said, already putting the car in gear.
"I'm not your personal witch," Bonnie snapped as he started to pull away. "I did my best with Vickie. I didn't mean for this to happen."
Damon stopped.
He looked at her, really looked at her then sighed as his shoulders dropping just a little.
"…Please."
Bonnie hesitated and looked at Damon in shock before she nodded once.
"Thank you," Damon muttered, barely audible, before driving off.
Caroline watched the car disappear. "What was that about?"
Bonnie shook her head slowly. "I don't know."
——————-
The witch house.
"Yeah, well," Caroline said, pacing slightly, "Tyler's different now. I mean he's calmer and more focused now."
Bonnie set candles carefully around the room. "This is the same Tyler we know? Because he's always been… I don't know brash."
"He's changed," Caroline insisted. "He said training with Michael's people taught him more control than anything else. And Michael gave him a gift."
Bonnie glanced up. "A gift?"
"Yeah," Caroline said. "Something about being able to turn whenever he wants. Full moons don't own him anymore and he's got actual control over his powers now."
Bonnie paused, then smiled faintly. "Huh. I'm happy for him."
She knelt down on the wooden floor. "Alright. Let's start."
Bonnie closed her eyes and started chanting. After a few seconds the candles flared and the air shifted. The wind rattled the windows, chandeliers swaying as shadows. Caroline stepped back looking at the room "Uh… Bonnie?"
Bonnie felt it something or someone touch her hand and she gasped and opened her eyes.
"Oh my God," Caroline whispered. "Is that your—"
Bonnie saw her, "Grams?" Her voice broke.
Sheila Bennett smiled gently. Tears welled up in Bonnie's eyes as she looked at her dead grams, "I can't believe you're here."
Sheila touched her cheek. "Now's not the time for tears, baby. We don't have much time."
She glanced at Caroline. "Nice to see you again, Caroline."
Caroline smiled nervously. "Hi, Miss Sheila."
Sheila's expression turned serious as she looked back at Bonnie. "We've got a mess on our hands."
Bonnie swallowed. "Because of Vickie?"
"It began there," Sheila said. "When your friend performed that ritual to bring her back."
"But I fixed it," Bonnie said quickly.
"I know," Sheila replied softly. "But something else was waiting. That force used the crack Vickie slipped through and shattered the other barriers."
Bonnie's breath caught. "What force?"
Sheila shook her head. "I don't know, baby girl. But wants dominion over the souls that linger here."
Bonnie's voice trembled, "What's it doing?"
Sheila's eyes darkened.
"Its agents are already here," she said quietly. "And they've begun harvesting souls bit by bit.
Sheila's expression hardened before she answered her, "And not just that," she continued quietly. "There's a witch here. One who took advantage of the crack between worlds. She used it as a free pass, opening the way for anyone with unfinished business."
Bonnie's breath hitched. "You mean… all of them?"
Sheila nodded. "Some have already crossed. And some of those have already been harvested by those things."
Caroline swallowed. "Okay, then how do we stop them?"
Sheila didn't hesitate. "The Hound."
Bonnie stiffened. "Michael."
"Yes," Sheila said firmly. "The one of fire can stop them. But he has to be quick. The more souls those creatures absorb, the weaker the barrier becomes. And once it collapses…" She trailed off.
Bonnie frowned. "How do you even know all this?"
Sheila smiled faintly. "Witches talk, baby girl. Who do you think makes all the rules?"
Bonnie hesitated. "What does this witch want?"
Sheila's gaze sharpened. "That," she said carefully, "is original vampire business. Not yours. And I don't want you anywhere near the middle of it."
She softened slightly. "But we do need to close that door and we need her talisman for it."
———————
Jeremy definitely didn't expect this to be happening. I mean logically this is impossible but then again it's a supernatural world and because of that, he was staring at a familiar pixie vampire.
He was staring at Anna.
"You—" His voice cracked. "How are you here?"
Anna shook her head, just as confused, just as awed. "I don't know. One moment I was watching you… and the next, you could see me."
She stepped closer, hesitant, then lifted her hand and touched his cheek.
Her fingers were warm.
Her eyes widened in pure joy. "I—I can touch you."
Jeremy laughed, breathless. "Oh my God."
They stared at each other, something fragile and electric humming between them. Anna's smile trembled and then she leaned in and kissed him.
Jeremy knew it was wrong, he was with Bonnie. But for some reason , this felt right and familiar. Like something that had been paused and suddenly pressed play again.
He kissed her back.
"What the hell?"
Jeremy froze.
Anna pulled back just as Elena stood in the doorway, eyes wide with disbelief.
Elena's gaze snapped to Anna. "…Anna?"
Then to Jeremy.
"What have you done?"
Before he could answer, Elena's phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and saw it was Caroline and answered.
———————————
" And now We're going to need that necklace. Bonnie has to destroy it to send the wandering souls back." Caroline said
Elena's stomach dropped. "Okay, but another thing is that I just walked in on Jeremy kissing Anna."
There was a stunned silence. "What?"
"Damon has the necklace somewhere," Elena said quickly. "Call him."
She hung up and turned back around.
And looked at Anna, " look I don't know what this is but you need to leave or disappear or evaporate. Whatever it is you ghosts do." She said and as she looked up, Anna wasn't there anymore.
She was just… gone.
Elena exhaled sharply and looked at Jeremy. "What the hell, Jeremy? How could you let this happen?"
"I don't know, okay?" he shot back, panicked. "She was just there. Flesh and blood and she kissed me."
"Yeah," Elena said, hurt bleeding into her voice. "And you kissed her back."
Jeremy rubbed his face. "I know. I know. But please Elena don't tell Bonnie."
Before she could answer, a voice drifted in from behind them.
"My, my," it said smoothly. "How scandalous of you Jeremy."
They turned around to see Michael standing in the doorway, smiling faintly, eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.
"Of all the moments to walk in on," he continued, then glanced at Elena. "You have someone who would very much like to see you."
Elena frowned and followed him outside.
Her breath caught.
"Stefan?" she said then her eyes shifted. "Is that… Lexi?"
Michael's smile widened. "Oh yes."
Lexi stepped forward, grinning. "Miss me?"
Behind her stood a tall man in a long overcoat with a calm and observant expression.
"Oh right," Lexi said, turning. "Stefan, this is Harry. Harry—Stefan."
Harry smiled and extended a hand. "I've heard a lot about you. All good things."
Stefan shook his hand, still stunned. "Uh—thanks."
Lexi pulled Elena into a tight hug. "Hey."
Elena laughed softly. "Hey, Lexi. How are you?"
"Good," Lexi said easily.
Stefan stepped closer. "Where have you been? You just… left without any warning."
Lexi shrugged. "Yeah well, I kind of had work to do."
"Well," Stefan said, trying to smile, "good thing you are ok. But why come back now?"
Michael stepped forward with a serious expression.
"Because," he said, "there's a rift between this world and the Other Side. And it needs to be closed now."
"Otherwise," he finished quietly, " things are going to get bad and ugly and fast."