章 47: Ch.2
Mikael and Esther returned with grim but determined faces and I passed the torches to them. I yelled for Rebekah who came running out and we all became solemn as Mikael said the prayers to send our little brother on his way to the halls of the gods.
They lit his pyre and we all watched as it burned his body to ashes. I drew my sword as did the others while we stood guard until it finished. It was a tradition meant to fight the frost giants off while securing his place in the halls of the gods as a fallen warrior.
He'd been barely more than a boy but just turned thirteen so he'd been considered a warrior soul instead of a child's soul. When it finished Rebekah went to finish the feast with Esther's help.
A while later we drank and feasted until some strange shit went down. Mikael turned his blade on me after I finished my goblet and slit my throat. That I hadn't been expecting as my back was to him. I woke up with an undeniable thirst and saw the wolf inside myself was free at last. Whatever they'd done broke the previous spells they'd placed on me.
Still groggy and with a gnawing ravenous thirst in the back of my throat I tried to speak as someone tilted my head back and poured something down my throat. I latched on and drank it all as I opened my eyes and saw a now very dead girl in pieces in front of my face. I released her as her head fell off and jumped back in horror asking. "What in Hel's name have you done to me?"
Mikael went to speak first. "The wolves wouldn't agree so we were forced to make a desperate attempt to make ourselves their equals."
I growled as I felt veins on my face act up shook in horror and told him. "You've doomed me to an eternity of cold and rage."
I fled but was stuck from the sunlight. It burned me for a moment before the wolf in me merged with my mental self and all of my previous life's memories came rushing back. I stepped into the sunlight and when it failed to do anything I turned telling Mikael. "You've freed my trapped pieces and for that I won't kill you like I planned to. You've paid back what you owed when you had your witches curse me as a babe. I'm your son no longer."
I turned to Rebekah and the rest who were looking at me wearily. "I never intended to harm you all only Mikael, Esther and Ayana. They placed a curse on me and now they've broken it."
I smiled and touched the ground and a giant flowering rose grew at my command. "A gift to you sister and brothers. A petal from this rose on your tongue will quench your bloodlust until you have control. My last gift to you as Kol Mikaelson dies and Ryan Masters is reborn. I was once a god, but after a certain war, well, let's just say even gods fall. Always and forever though? Maybe not. I'll see you all when you need me most to protect that which you cannot live without."
I blurred and ran faster than their enhanced vampire senses could track. I ran until I felt where I needed to go. I reached for my magic's and like a glove they responded though not nearly what I expected. I'd sacrificed my magic's before to give my mates a fighting chance and while I do not regret it what was before me made me want to roar.
A small puddle in place of my once profoundly deep and powerful living magic planet and moon. My mind scape itself was still that of my god level only stripped of magic and essence that made up what I was as a god.
I needed life essence and I now knew where and when it would be. Sighing I headed for what would later be known as New Orleans. With any luck I'll be able to kill the hollow now and absorb her distilled magic's. It would at least go a long way to returning my magic to a decent enough level.
As it was the magic planet was actually just a floating puddle in the space of my mind. Luckily the magic's of this world worked similar to my previous one so the spells were relatively the same as well. Though this world had a spell I still needed and would absolutely have in time.
I felt the urge and reached for it as I shifted into my pure wolf form. I was the same as before but it all felt much weaker. It was like I was a mere human hybrid all over again as the earths magic's flowed into me strengthening my form somewhat.
Sighing I found a cave big enough to hold me and curled up to rest while I pulled in magic's from this world. It was slow going as this body wasn't meant to handle that much. The magic itself effected the curse the bitch Esther put on me to make me a vampire.
My body grew stronger as it aged to the spells understanding. The more magic I drew in the stronger the body became as it was basically rapidly strengthening the vampire physique like it would've naturally happened over time.
I spent a month in that cave swatting away spells from this body's mother. She could scry all she wanted I want nothing to do with her. I closed the cave with trees grown rapidly around it and went into hibernation while I continued to grow back my strength.
In the blink of an eye I'd gotten back a tenth of my magic as five hundred years had passed. Growling I decided it simply wasn't time yet as certain events needed to happen for my own power to come back easier. As it was I didn't have enough to open a portal to another universe and wouldn't until I was stronger than before I'd died.
It took power and knowledge and while I had the knowledge my power was severely lacking. I did however have enough to open and sustain a pocket dimension and there were things I wanted and needed. Nuts again it simply wasn't time. I went back into hibernation and kept an eye on the world with my senses.
I was awoken in the mid eighteen hundreds by humans cutting down the trees in front of my cave. I decided to give them a scare and waited when the last tree fell I revealed myself, a giant wolf and they ran screaming. Having the first real sensation of happiness in a while I decided it was time to act.
I regrew the trees they'd felled on a whim and headed for mystic falls. My magic had another near tenth restored so I was feeling pretty confident now. I arrived and was reminded of the era as the locals of the new penal colony frowned on my nude body.
I didn't really care much so I just stole some close and grabbed a bath in the river. That along with a thorough washing was enough it seemed, not to grab anyone's attention. The entire small town hadn't been entirely settled yet so I decided to act and reclaim my old land.
At times things were simply to easy as I just pulled precious metals and things I needed out of the ground. I opened an apothecary of sorts with my unique gifts and almost immediately I became a hit. Plants of all kinds from all over the world were sold here.
I didn't have every necessary tool but I had the knowledge and skill I needed to whip up a few real antidotes and ointments along with ten or so cures that made the shop famous for not being the fake snake oil type.
Nothing fancy just treatments for gout, syphilis and a few smaller things like sun burn oils mind you. Towards the beginning of eighteen sixty I'd already established my wealth and family name as Masters. As a way to avoid my siblings I went by the first name I'd ever had, Zach.
It would hold water as I glamoured myself to age like the rest of the humans around me. I was helped found the town in actuality and everyone knew it. The Lockwood's of course made their dominance among the founding families known but they dared not try anything with me even as werewolves.
Money and town fame went a long way with humans and so did the fact that, on a few rare occasions I healed some of the more influential family members. I stuck to potions and ointments but healed all the same.
On occasion I was invited to give my opinions on the war brewing on the horizon. When asked I simply said. "War is inevitable when people gather. While I'm not a slave owner and abhor the thought of being such, I'm also not a farmer who needs the money bad enough to do such. So long as man can wave their arms and get angry over dumb things there will always be one for one reason or another."
Giuseppe Salvatore wasn't very appropriative of my words saying. "Spoken like a true pacifist."
I snorted. "I've been to war, I've fought in battles in the old world. I know what war is silly Salvatore. I speak as one who knows it takes strength to protect what you have. I also know that while the north doesn't necessarily understand the need for slaves, the south could always find another way to do such things. Slavery, the idea that someone's life is purchasable after they've been captured beaten and chained is always wrong no matter the reasons. As for the other reasons the north wants to push this war through, in the end it's always the greed or need of man that causes them to fight."
He shut his mouth then and Lockwood seemed interested enough to try egging me on. "So you're a north sympathizer then?"
I shook my head. "I'm for neither side. Both sides are just greedy idiots refusing to listen and pay heed to wisdom. It is the folly of man to assume his way is right and best. Humans as a society or whole are stupid, but we try and change for the better so there's hope for us at least."
Damon Salvatore spoke up with a raised glass. "Hear hear."
I I raised mine as well while his father looked at him with a frown. Thomas Fell asked. "Should we go to assume then that you won't be supporting either side?"
I snorted. "That would be idiocy of the highest sense. I'm a business man, and like for all businesses, war is good for mine as well. I'll sell all the ointments and medicines either side can afford because in the end it costs to live in this world. It always has, ever since man learned to trade."
Giuseppe snorted. "You'd make a profit off of your fellow mans misery?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Says the slave owner? Ironic isn't it that when it's people you sympathize with that are getting hurt you get all offended. I have to ask, where was this offense when you inherited your family's lumber business? Were the slaves to cheap to pass up? Or did it simply not occur to you that while they don't share the same skin color, they are as human as the next man?"
I watched him fume in impotency whole the other families there with us thought on my words. I chuckled when he didn't answer back. "Perhaps next time you doubt my words you'll simply ask yourself, do they not bleed the same? A man is a man is a man. In the end we're all guaranteed only one thing out of life, that we'll die all the same in the end. The rest is just window dressing."
William Forbes proposed. "Perhaps that's why you seem so untouched by it all then. You find it all too drab to continue fighting when it all seems so pointless from that perspective?"
I shrugged. "Mayhap you're right, but then, it isn't I who will be fighting when this war inevitably breaks out. It'll be the young Salvatore and anyone out there seeking to argue their point. Good luck to you all by the way. I hear it'll be a bloody one after all, man doesn't truly understand the horrors of war until they've been their themselves."
After that they broke out into smaller arguments while occasionally asking my opinion on lowering prices during the war. Sighing I simply told them I would not, but in fact raise prices as it'll begin to get hard to make enough bandages and salves to supply them all. This way it'll be lucrative enough to make more as needed.
Arguments broke out on occasions but otherwise it was a very formal and refined evening. Needless to say I was asked by a few of the families to hear my views again in a more private setting. They didn't blink twice when I walked into their house without asking for an invitation as I ran the shop and worked during the day.
While my abilities and skills from my previous body remained I was still greatly weakened and not at all close to even half my previous power and that's not including the small moon shaped world of magic that had once been in orbit around my planet of magic.
Other than a few glamours here and there along with my plant growing abilities, the rest I wasn't willing to waste the magic and energy on. With my own nature blessing I could circumvent the need to as for permission to come inside because to me all buildings were apart of nature. Whether they be wood or stone they were made from the earth and as such they were apart of me.
Even still I felt the limitations of the spell that made me this world's equivalent of a vampire. While I was immune to most of the weaknesses inherent in vampires, I too was bound to the white oak tree and as such I knew it could kill me or at least this body.
While I also knew I could come back eventually I was also aware I'd be trapped on the other side until it collapsed then I might end up in this world's hell dimension until I escaped or overcame the psychic that made it. All of which sounded while not so boring, but more trouble than it's worth.
I still hadn't a real clue why I was free from the utter destruction I'd called down on myself from praying to Chaos. Either way I was just glad to have the chance to find my way back to my mates. I'd been so lonely over the years, cold even.
While my body had rested during those hibernation periods my mind was still active and fully aware of the years and centuries I'd been like that. I had only one real goal and that was to find my mates again and get back to them.
I knew instinctively I still had a chance as time ran differently in different dimensions and that's not including the possibility I'd been flung back in time by Chaos itself. I just knew I had to do everything in my power to get back.
Sighing I left the dinner and headed back to my estate that I'd bought from the Lockwood's like all others had. They may not like me but they certainly responded well to money. I did notice though that the werewolves that'd activated their curse knew I wasn't human.
I hadn't been careful with my scent because I knew they could do nothing to harm me. Vervain did fuck all as my body grew stronger and while there was a white oak tree on the Salvatore lands the wolves were unaware of what it could potentially do to me.
As for the Bennett witches, well, Katerina and Emily weren't in town just yet and even if they were one witch, no matter their power was nothing for me to fear. This world has the same magic principals as the last only it had far less magic in it.
It seems the magic gathered and manifested better in items and plants than in witches or other powerful beings like demons. I knew of course that Malivore has consumed and trapped those creatures that were more potent in magic than most and I had a plan for that as well.
For now though I continued peddling my wares to those in need. Three years went by and like I'd predicted the war broke out and Damon Salvatore was sent as per his father's demand to fight for the south. On the day he was to ship out I loaded up a bag of my best healing herbal remedies and gave it to him as a parting gift.
He and I had long since become friends as he'd constantly come to the shop to get advice and seek my opinions on things. I drew out many arguments with his father as he'd begun to form his own opinions on matters.
When I gave him the bag of things I told him while he looked at me confused. "It's my best stock of every herbal remedy and healing salve I have. Use it wisely and sparingly and remember, at times you'll want to flee or be too scared to fight, in those moments it's the choices we make that deems us men or cowards. You may not have had a lot of choice in the side you fight or whether to fight at all, but you do have a say in whether you come back at all. War changes men and even the best of us can become bitter with regrets if they fail to act in those moments."
He nodded and gave me a rare smile. "I'll remember that, thanks, you're a true friend."
I nodded. "Just remember to come back in the end. Death has no morals or feelings, it'll take any and everyone equally. So if you're going to go out I suggest it be on your own terms. Don't let fear or anger lead your decisions, look at it all from a birds eye view sand deem it either your time or time to retreat. Rushing headlong into certain death is for fools and heroes."
His smile widened. "I'm no hero."
I nodded. "Then don't be a fool either and you might just survive."
He nodded and strapped the bag on his back. "What do I owe you?"
I shook my head. "I made those for a friend in the hopes I'd see him again, not a customer I could give a shit about."
He clasped my arm saying. "Then I'll Take it as such. Do me a favor and look after my brother?"
I nodded. "Easy enough, though I can only do so if he lets me. Your fathers a tricky bastard and will see it as interfering so Stefan will have to come to me with his problems if I'm to do anything. Take care my friend and if the gods be willing may we meet again."
He smiled and left it at that as he knew my words to be true. "Take care."
He left and I sighed as I hoped the bag I made for him did it's job and made sure he didn't catch a stray bullet. I'd had to sow diamond ward stones into the lining and enchanted it to make all things coming at him faster than a simple knife strike divert away.
It was all I could do at the moment as making talismans was harsh on the magic and I didn't want to waste to much on simple healing spells that only did enough to ease discomfort. And so the months passed and turned into two years until one day I'd seen Stefan sneaking around with a witch and a siphoner to be more precise.
With a thought I decided to get a DNA sample and try to replicate her powers or at the very least gain the ability to siphon magic easier from objects. I'd been doing so before but it was a dark spell and I had to use cleansing rituals after each time plus it wasted large amounts of power just to take little more than I expended.
One evening when she was alone and came into the shop I took my chance and offered. "Young witch, might I interest you in a trade?"
She stilled in fear as I knew her secret but still found the words to ask. "How do you know I'm a witch?"
I shrugged and my eyes flowed green. "I can see magic like you feel it. Now, about the trade."
She sighed. "What is it that you want?"
I smiled. "Some of your blood in a phial and for you to try using your unique gifts on me. I need to see how they work as I've never seen a siphoner like yourself actually take the magic in."
She hesitated about something and I sighed. "If it helps I'd only need a little of both. In exchange I'm willing to make you a talisman with enough power to bring back even the dead with the right spells."
I was already giddy and more than willing to trade a full tenth of my magic for the opportunity to potential drain magic without spells or wasting energy or even the need to cleanse the dark magic's out. She frowned. "What would I need with such power?"
I shrugged. "It's always wise to keep an ace up your sleeve. Protection after all is key to survival. Besides, the magic you draw from me will be a bonus as well. It's pure and clean if that's what you're worried about. I don't touch the dark stuff and cleanse it annually to keep such magic's out."
She finally agreed. "Alright, your words have merit. What is it you truly gain from this anyway? Don't tell me you want my curse."
I chuckled. "I wouldn't consider it a curse girl, to be able to take in any and all magic's freely and not worry about wasting it all sounds to me like a gift."
She shook her head. "It is a curse. I cannot retain magic of my own. I'm a leech and no better than a vampire."
I snorted. "Child, I've been around longer than vampires have existed on this planet. Take it from me when I say you are not cursed. You are a child of magic and it comes to you in all forms. The very air has magic in it and the earth beneath your feet. I don't know who put those words in your head but I assure you, you aren't cursed. So what if you can't retain magic of your own, you don't need to. Everything, from the smallest pebble to the largest mountain carries magic in it as magic is life itself, and as such, apart of nature itself."
She frowned and thought it over while holding out her arm. I cut her palm and held it over the phial. After putting it away I took her hand saying. "Take what you need and heal yourself. I'm sure you know the spell so go ahead. After you've done so I'll begin on the talisman."
She absorbed magic from me and I saw it. Like a black whole that appeared in my mind scape and started pulling magic to it. When the sheer purity and power of my magic hit her like a drug I withdrew my hand and she healed herself before asking. "What are you? No being I've ever met has magic that pure or strong. It was distilled and purified like wine."
I chuckled. "Perhaps one day I'll tell you, but for now I've a talisman to make. Come back in a two days after the full moon and it'll be done. It's a super moon so I'll use the celestial event to power the talisman's creation."
She nodded and paid for her wares before leaving. I closed the shop and began working on her life saving tool. I didn't cast any hard magic's other than turning it into a basic ward stone diamond necklace and pouring magic into it. I'd used what I deemed to be around half of my current magic and all the magic I could draw from the super moon to fill the bottomless pit of a gem.
I put it on a nearly pure gold chain and socket smiling. The diamond was green and red from the magic's inside and in the right lighting it swirled with power. I spelled the necklace to be nearly unbreakable and to only come off by the hands of the wearer. Other than that it was a simple yet powerful talisman now.
When she came to the shop the next day right after I opened it up I presented it to her saying. "It doesn't have a lot of spells on it as it's just there to supply power but if used properly you could do many great things with what's stored inside. What's more once you've siphoned off something you can continue to fill the gem. I put about half of my magic inside along with a good amount of power I drew from the moon so our bargain is complete now."
She took it with a smile and asked about the spells on it. I told her all I'd done to it and left it at that. She finally asked. "Was it worth it? The talisman I mean. I didn't even give you much and I got so much out of it."
I smirked. "Trust me when I say this bargain has gone in my favor. Even if I'd poured all but a little magic I have into it I'd still be getting the better end of this deal. Now that we're square I guess it's fair to say I learned quite a bit from you and I found I didn't actually need your blood to start with."
I took out the phial and tossed it back to her. "Take it and consider us even, but I must warn you girl, tell no one of me or not even the male siphoner that's been following you around will be enough to make a difference. My own magic is protected and he nor you would be able to take it without me letting you to."
She looked more freaked by the news that she was being followed by the male siphoner than anything else. I sighed. "Congratulations by the way and take care of the little one. It's a rare thing to be blessed like you are. I can't help but hope the child shares your gifts."
Her eyes widened and she left in a hurry not evening commenting back. Shaking my head i freshened up the stock before meditating while waiting for customers. What I'd gained was understanding from the girl's powers.
Siphoners had a predisposition for magic in all it's forms and inside their mind scapes where the magic is or would be stored is a white hole where the magic they take comes into them while they need skin contact to initiate it and create a black hole in the victim or along their skin to pull the magic in.
It was an obtuse explanation as it wasn't really black holes or white ones but more of the mental and magical equivalent of them. Grinning like a fool I began to experiment and form my own farther away from my magic marble that had yet to recover into a world of magic again.
It took a few tries as I had to have the exact makeup and understanding of what made up black and white holes to create a more stable and smoother connection to it all. Once I had it down pat I moved the white hole closer to the magic world to rotate around it's orbit instead of inside it like I assumed it was in a natural siphoner.
I practiced making and absorbing things with my new and improved abilities and found I really got more than I'd bargained for. Hell I would've given her all the magic I had before twilight fucked my world up for this ability.
It still took some practice and I'd have to purify myself more often but it was really just to great to pass up. I knew it wasn't yet time so late in the fall I took a trip to New Orleans and placed a powerful binding spell on a witch's boarding house and left.
I headed to Africa and slaughtered Silas's worshippers after draining them of magic. It wasn't much as they weren't very powerful but it needed to be done. I swept the world clean of his influence where I could find it before heading back to mystic falls.
I got a letter from Damon asking me to look in on Stefan and found the young Salvatore depressed and heartbroken. I brought him back to the shop and passed him a glass saying. "There's very little I can do for you with these herbs but I do have something that does ease the pain."
I poured him a glass of whiskey saying. "To women and all their wretched heartbreaking. Love them to death but when there gone it's then that you realize what you've lost."
He downed it and I poured him more before passing him a joint. "It's not tobacco and it's a hell of a lot healthier. The natives called it peyote, I call it Faith. A reminder of one of those women I spoke of. Take a hit and life will seem a little less dull."
He lit up with me and we spent the day getting baked in the shop. After a few customers asked about it, I decided to start selling it as well as a natural pain reliever and all around fun thing to do. I grew a full stalks in the back before filling jars with it and putting them on the shelf for twenty bucks a half pound.
Stefan was still a bit depressed but he got his kicks out of it while reminiscing. I wrote Damon about what had happened and hoped he'd get it before his leave from the army. Life went I guess. The next time I heard back from my friend was in person as he came to the shop when he got back from the army.
I sighed when I saw the battle scarred man. Not physically but the mental strain it had put on him. When he walked in I pulled out our usual glasses and had him sit. "Damn good to see you alive and well my friend. Sit, drink and tell me of your troubles."
I passed him a joint and we lit up as he began. He told me of the battles and the death all around him. He told me he'd given all his supplies to the effort except enough to see him through. He went on to tell me of the worry he'd had of his brother and the letter he'd received from him.
Sighing I asked. "Did you receive my letter in time then?"
He shook his head and I told him what had happened. I told him I'd done the same for Stefan as I'd done for him a million times. I listened and gave advice. I told him about Stefan's girlfriend he'd been courting and her sudden and abrupt departure.
He seemed to understand what had transpired and thanked me. I shrugged and poured him another round before he finally told me what he'd done to earn his leave.
I grimaced and sympathized. "You May feel bad about it, but understand that while it was an accident, it doesn't condemn you. You were there to retrieve the deserters and they'd have suffered far worse if you'd succeeded. It was a matter of duty and principle. They fucked themselves by deserting and they deserved their fate."
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
I sighed and poured another round saying. "When you join a war, no matter the side you are on, you are giving your loyalty and your strength to the cause. Without it you are neither a man nor should be on the battlefield in the first place. If they hadn't joined as is voluntary then they would've never deserted."
"They were cowards and fools to do such things and put that family at risk by their actions. Treason no matter the place is punishable by death. To harbor traitors means you yourself take them on as your responsibility and as such their crime is yours. It was an accident to go down like that, but it was not your fault. They knew what they were getting themselves into and they fucked you into a corner by doing so."
Sighing now tired of the topic I told him. "A warrior no matter the cause is honor bound to stand by it. If you feel bad do so for the lives needlessly lost and not by the actions you've taken. While not entirely blameless you are not the cause of that incident, merely the tool that carried it out."
I grabbed the good brandy I kept on the bottom shelf behind the counter and poured him another glass while he thought over my words. Sighing I told him. "You are a warrior, never doubt that. But this was never your war. Think little of what's happened and hope you are prepared for your own battles."
A clap rang out and I turned to see Katherine and Emily in the doorway. Katherine asked. "Is this a bar or an apothecary?"
I snorted. "Whatever you deem to call it girl it is mine. I'd offer a glass but I fear you'd reject it anyway as not being your cup of tea."
The witch looked me over before whispering to Katherine. I didn't need to know what she said but I heard it anyway. "He's a powerful witch, be careful. I'm not his match and you may find you're unable to win against him. He exudes magic like a beacon of power. He's wearing a glamour as well so he could be very old and powerful."
Katherine frowned and looked me over as I ignored them. I told Damon. "It's probably best you be getting home to see your father now. Remember my words as they are as true as any."
He nodded and stood up collecting his pack and cap. He left after introducing himself to Katherine. Another two vampires came in after he left. I chuckled. "All we needs a werewolf and it'll be a proper party. Perhaps I should invite Lockwood over and you could introduce yourselves."
The Asian vampire and her daughter wondered the shelves looking over my inventory while Katherine asked. "What's it to a witch like yourself what we are."
I smirked. "Careful vampire. I'm no mere newbie. Try me and you'll find I can do a hell of a lot worse than giving you a simple migraine. I've tussled with the original family and come out in one piece, can you say the same?"
Katherine stilled and looked me over before moving. I slammed her and her two vampire friends against the walls with simple telekinesis while Emily tried to draw power with her amulet. "Try a spell, any spell and their hearts will be on the floor before the last syllable leaves your lips."
She went to do so and I raised a hand as all three vampires screamed. I told her. "I'm not joking little witch. Ask your ancestor Ayana if I play around."
She stilled and released the magic she had gathered as Katherine shook her head. When she did so I released my hold on them and they landed on their feet before falling to their knees. "Wise choice. Now, what are you here for because if you plan to try to kill me it'll only end in a very painful and violent death on your part."
Emily looked to Katherine who stood up wobbly saying. "Pearl here wanted to run an apothecary and we thought you might be easier to kill."
I chuckled. "Well ain't that something. Well Pearl, if you want a job I've been meaning to hire someone. But if you want the store I'll burn you alive, daylight ring or not. I see no reason why we can't be friends but if you try something like this again you'll wish I'd have ended you. Vampires can be skinned alive and still live after all."
They all paled and Emily shook her head while Katherine sighed. "I'm that case I'll leave it between you and Pearl."
I nodded as she and Emily left. Pearl stood up and helped her daughter up as well. I sighed when she asked. "Do I at least get to see the real face of the person I'm working with?"
I closed the door with a wave and lowered my glamour. I looked young, in point of fact I was twenty one when I'd become a vampire in this world. Still, I looked young even by those standards. Pearl frowned. "How old are you?"
I smirked. "Older than any vampire or even werewolf. I'm a little under ten thousand years old."
They both looked at me with stunned expressions and Pearl asked. "How is that even possible?"
I smirked. "Power. Real unfettered power. I have more power and magic than any other being you'll ever likely meet. Hell, when the original family was still human I spanked them around for fun. Even with their little immortality spell they don't even come close to what I am capable of."
I put the glamour back up and told her. "You'll find you won't be able to tell your little friend even with her witch's help. The Bennett witches may be powerful but they aren't my equals. A simple spell to keep my secrets in exchange for the job of course. You start tomorrow. I'll train you how to work the counter and show you where the supply stock comes from when you've mastered the art of showing up on time. Ten o'clock, don't be late or it's not worth my time to try teaching you."
I turned and unlocked the door, removing the barrier I'd thrown up. "All employees get a twenty percent discount on all purchases. And you'll be paid three bucks an hour till you've finished training then it'll be six. Best I can do until the war ends. I've had to send most of my stock to both sides as they've promised good pay once it's over."
They both were still very stunned and looking at me I fear and anxiety. They finally left and found my little hex to be true. I'd tied it to my secrets. Anything I deemed a secret that I've told or shown them cannot be shared to others in any way.
The next day Pearl was right on time. I ran her through how to work the register and take back orders and shipping fees if they wanted it curried to their houses. After that I spent the next three days showing her the fields of plants I grew on my lands along with the potions lab I used to make the pastes and ointments.
I ran her through making some in case she needed to make a batch while I wasn't in town. A year passed in average ambiguity while Pearl worked the shop. I very rarely ever had to do more than keep the stock full as she handled it all.
On occasion I simply hung out there and watched as she interacted with the humans. I found it amusing how human she seemed to act around Johnathan Gilbert. On occasion Annabelle and I made small wagers to see when one of them would admit their lust for each other.
Anna had become a sort of friend as time passed as she knew my true appearance was younger than I appeared to be by several years. I mentioned her looking for a man a few times and each one all I got was a blush. I wasn't blind but I wasn't about to act on it just leaving it be.
Damon came around a few times before he'd been sent back to the war. He came back once more and we had a completely different talk. He told me he left the army and had even informed his commander his time there was done. Said commander had tried to shoot him but missed and he told him after he discovered himself still alive. "You've just proven time me you've no honor. why would I willingly tie myself to your cause?"
I smirked and clinked glasses with him. "Amen. So long as you didn't slink of like a coward and left with your head held high you'll never hear shit from me."
Damon smiled and grew far more cheerful now as he knew he'd earned my respect. He went on to mention how it was weird he hadn't been shot and mentioned asking Emily about it as he knew her to be a witch.
He finally asked me straight out. "Are you a witch? I asked Emily and she wouldn't say anything once she saw the pack."
Sighing I nodded. "Among other things, I wanted my friend to come back alive and I was unaware you knew about magic and witches. I spelled the pack. Anything faster than a knife would be reflected away from you. It's the best I could do for someone who wasn't in the know, sorry friend, I didn't want you to find out like-"
He hugged me before releasing me and saying. "That's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me. I don't care if you're a witch I'm just damn glad you cared."
Chuckling I patted his shoulder. "In that case you'll be happy to know the pack is lined with diamonds. I used them to hold the spells in. If you ever need cash you can sell them and it for some extra cash."
He stilled. "How many diamonds?"
I shrugged. "Nothing fancy or to heavy but around a hundred fingernail size diamonds. Each one has magic charged in them to keep the pack's spell going."
He was stunned by my admission and looked the pack over a few more times. He didn't say anything more and that was the last time I saw the pack itself.
A few months later the Fell's brought a tincture made of vervain to the apothecary to be sold there. I'd agreed as a member of the founding families at the meeting to help sell it. The vampire problem in town had been getting out of hand and they hadn't been eating bunnies.
I warned Pearl and Anna about the tincture and told them they could stay in the shop as it was warded and would hide them while at work. A couple months later the first founders day party was held at the Lockwood's mansion.
I'd taken Pearl and Anna telling them to stay at my side. We walked in without invitation to their surprise and I smirked. "Remember what I said, power makes a difference."
I slide two wooden bracelets on their wrists saying. "Wear these. They'll only work once but they'll let you enter a residence without invitation. No I will not make them permanent or make more of them. This is to enjoy the party without having to stay at my side all night."
Pearl thanked me before heading off to find Johnathan while Anna and I danced a few times. Sighing I told her. "You and your mother might want to skip town soon. The founding families will act soon and they've something they're keeping secret to get rid of vampires. Heed my advice Anna, it'll get bad if you don't."
She nodded and asked. "You'll protect me wont you?"
I smiled before saying. "For a friend, yes, I'll protect you if it comes down to it but your mother and Katherine are playing dangerous games. They're getting to distracted and wily for their confident britches. It'll bite them if they don't leave soon."
She thought on my words and I left her to dance with Damon while I went to the meeting in the back room. Gilbert was there now and promising a way to locate and end these vampires. I sighed and he looked to me and asked. "How are sales going?"
I shrugged. "All the founding families have purchased enough but those without the means are the ones being picked off now. If they can't afford it or don't know about the vampires they'll be less inclined to buy it. How goes it on your part? Last I heard you'd found some invention or some such."
He told me about the compass and showed it to me. It spun around as I'd cloaked myself from all little spells like it. I picked it up and shook my head. "So long as it works."
I passed it back to him and told him. "Just be sure you're ready to use it when the time comes."
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