[*Chapter Forty-Two*]

All I can say is brace yourself 😈

"Are you sure you're okay?" Elena asked from the passenger seat in Darcy's car as the dusky huntress drove them to school.

"I'm fine, Elena. You don't need to worry like a child's mother all the time. Take a chill pill, relax."

Nimble fingers clicked down on the indicator, turning into Mystic Falls High School parking lot. Searching for a vacant space, she found one nearer to the back. Darcy manoeuvred the vehicle into the slot and switched off the engine.

"Besides, I'm indestructible," she winked, shifting around to grab their bags from the back seat and exited the Range Rover.

"Yeah. Like that's possible," Elena snorted out a laugh, rolling her eyes.

"Don't be surprised, El. There's a lot we don't know about our world."

"Like vampires and witches?" Elena said, creasing her brows.

"And whatever other mystical creatures there are out there."

Handing Elena her bag, they begin to make their way across the parking lot before pausing as a vintage red car swerves in, parking beside Darcy's.

A whistle slips past her lips as Stefan climbs out. "She's a beauty. What is she?"

"She's a 1963 Porsche 356B Karmann Coupe," Stefan smirks, stroking the glossy red paint.

"Nice car," Elena commented, smiling at him.

"It was a waste to leave it in the garage," Stefan said, bending down to kiss her.

Darcy frowned and looked away, not liking the current feelings churning her stomach. What the hell is wrong with me? Am I sick? She thought before lifting her hand and slapping herself hard across the face.

The sound of skin slapping against skin had Elena and Stefan exchanging bewildered glances. "Did you just slap yourself?"  Stefan asked, the vowels flowing out slow in case she was about to have a mental breakdown.

Darcy waved them off, shaking her head. "Just an internal crisis. Never mind that," she raised a perfect plucked brow at the vampire. "Finally decided to play "I'm a regular teenager"and not mope around the house writing sappy entries in your journal?"

Stefan shot her an offended look, straightening his broad shoulders. "I do not mope around and write sappy entries in my journal."

"Hmm, sounds like a confession to me," she said in a sing-song voice, flashing him a teasing grin.

"Ignore her. She's been in a weird mood since she woke up," Elena said, rolling her brown orbs and pushing Darcy's shoulder. "I didn't know you were coming back today."

"You know, I woke up this morning, and I was feeling great, and I figured it was time for me to get back into things," Stefan shrugged, shouldering his bag pack.

"Does that mean you're okay now, with all the cravings?" Elena asked after looking around to make sure no one was in hearing distance.

Pocketing his hands, he permitted a slight nod. "Yeah. I mean, the worst part is over. So now, all I want to do is spend as much time with you as possible," the vampire mumbled, giving the brunette a side hug. His gaze subconsciously wandered to the girl at her side, looking away when she met his stare.

Darcy coughed, rubbing her ear. She smiled shamelessly when their attention was on her. "May Bambi and Thumper rest in peace."

Stefan frowned and took a few steps forward. Raising his hand, he felt along her forehead. "Are you okay? Are you broken? You're oddly perky today... It's kinda creepy."

"What's that supposed to mean? Wait, are you calling me a boring bitch?" Darcy gasped offensively, smacking his hand off her head. "And stop petting me. I'm not a dog."

Stefan chuckled, stepping away, dropping his hand to his side. "There she is. For a second there, I thought someone had switched bodies with you."

"Oh, baby, I'm irreplaceable," Darcy smiled impishly. Her crystal blues twinkled with glee.

Stefan pointed his finger at her face, globes narrowed into a playful glare. "I'm gonna have to keep an eye on you, aren't I?"

The Protectress winked, her aura giving off vexatious currents. "Who knows what trouble I'll cause."

"Okay, you're seriously freaking me out now," Elena said, butting in, but she couldn't conceal her smile. It's been a while since she's witnessed this side of Darcy. And if it means it provides a distraction from what transpired the other night, she'll gladly accept the change.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Darcy taunted, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "You're just jealous."

Stefan snorted, whilst Elena scoffed, making Darcy flick her ear. "I'm not jealous."

It was Darcy's turn to scoff. Lifting both hands, she spread out all ten digits. "I can point out those to you if you would like?"

Stefan coughed back his laugh when Elena glared at him. He raised his arms and turned his back. "Please don't," Elena grumbled, red hues blossoming the apple of her cheeks.

"Fine," a pout caressed the inky haired plump red lips before smoothing out into a smirk. "Only because we'll be standing in this parking lot all day if I did." She cackled when Elena shoved her.

Elena scowled, crossing her arms. "I'm ashamed to be your sister."

"Don't lie to yourself, El. You love me, and you know it," Darcy continued to let out little cackles before winking at the irate faux girl and turning on her heels. "I'm out bitches!" She pauses one last time, tossing the words over her shoulder, hiding the vast smirk covering her face.

"Oh, and Stef? Give my prayers to Bambi and Thumper. God knows they need them with you munching on them."

*•*•*•*•*

Walking out of the bathroom, Darcy strolled down the hallways, relishing the silence in the absence of students loitering the corridors. Untwisting the bag strap on her shoulder, her sight narrowed on the familiar figure standing outside Mr Saltzman's classroom.

A grin beamed; she'd recognise them anywhere.

Alaric's voice sounded as her steps quickened, approaching the door. "This week, we're gonna set aside our regular curriculum for a lesson on local history as we approach Founders Day. The community lead feels that it's more important than World War II. But, hey, what do I know?"

"Bonnie Bennett! Your ass is mine! You've got two seconds to run," Darcy grinned devilishly upon seeing the Bennett girls head whipping in her direction. A look of horror spread across her face before she booked it into the classroom.

The huntress ran after her, cutting off Alaric's speech as she barrelled inside and jumped onto Bonnie, making the girl stumble and fall on her back. Their bodies and items clattered to the floor as they became a pile of twisted limbs.

The students gasped at the scene in front of them whilst Elena slid down in her seat, hiding her mortification as Darcy proceeded to faux sob, wrapping the shocked girl into a choking embrace.

"I forbid you to leave me ever again! By no means can you leave me with these horrid people. I'll glue myself to your ass if you abandon me again," Darcy claimed, hugging her with a death grip.

"C-Can't b-breath. Please l-let go, I-I'm dying," Bonnie gasped while wiggling underneath the bulk of Darcy's weight. Her brown eyes bugged out of her skull when the girl squeezed tighter before loosening her grip.

Darcy climbed to her feet, laughing as she hauled up Bonnie by her arms. "I missed you, BonBon,"

Bonnie rolled her eyes, returning the laugh fondly. "I missed you too!"

A cough disrupted their moment, causing them to turn their attention to Alaric, wearing sheepish smiles.

"Well, it looks like we will be on full occupancy today. Welcome home, Bonnie, and you're late, Miss Gilbert," Mr Saltzman greeted before turning to the board.

The raven head saluted his back with a grin. "Be grateful you didn't have a puddle on the floor."

The girls shared another hug before making their way to their seats.

•*•*•*•*•

The two best friends walked to down the school's hallway after exiting their History class. To Darcy, even though Bonnie had been gone only for a few weeks, to her, it felt like a lifetime - sure, she has her family, Care, Matt, and her somewhat-growing-she-doesn't-know-what-relationship with the Salvatore brothers, but a girl needs her best friend too. And with everything that's been going on with her lately, she really needs Bonnie more than ever now. Knowing the girl will never judge her, and would willingly listen without hesitation.

Hooking their arms together, the girls' continue their walk. "How are you now? How's your family?" Darcy asked.

Bonnie sighed; a look of sadness washes upon her face. She looks at Darcy at her side, offering her a timid smile. "It's hard... Grams... as crazy as she was. She wasn't just Gram. She was my best friend. The woman who raised me as who I am today. Apart from you, she was there, every step of the way when I discovered I was a witch. She helped me when I thought I was going insane, encouraged me on the right path. She's my light in the dark."

Darcy smiled sadly. "She was an amazing woman."

Bonnie chuckled, brushing a strand of her behind her ear. "Yeah, she is. Without her, I feel a piece of me is missing. Like I'm a lost wandering soul seeking for something, never be found."

Darcy stopped in her tracks, eyes staring vacantly ahead. Bonnie's words... that's how she exactly feels. Lost, empty, a part of her is missing. There's a deep longing in her heart and soul that tugs at her strings, pulling her in blind directions. And then it's gone. The connection cuts, and she's back to the beginning—a dark lonely spirit, begging to be set free.

Only she's trapped, bind to the relentless iron chains clamped around her core.

It's funny how facades can deceive others around them.

A person may appear the happiest in the world. They could be full of smiles and laughter or even love and joy. But behind all that is an empty mask.

Nothingness. A deep-rooted catastrophic hole and a long road of suffering.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Darcy turns her attention back to Bonnie. Shaking her head, she held the girl by her shoulders and stared into her spited eyes with determination.

"No, Bon, you insane is not true. You are not a lost, wandering soul. Grams was a wise lady, way beyond her wisdom. She knew you are special; knew you were ascended for greater things. She believed in you and will continue so from up above. Your Grams will never be far away," she paused, placing her hand on Bonnie's chest, above her heart.

"She will be in here, always. Whenever you feel sad and alone, look there, and that's where she shall be. It's okay to mourn, you may be a witch, but you were a human first."

She smiled softly at her olive eyes clouding over with tears and grunted when Bonnie's body collided with hers; arms wrapped tight around her middle, head buried into her shoulder as the girl cried into her neck.

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Darcy. You don't know how much I needed to hear those words." Bonnie pulled away, her smile watery, matching the look in her eyes. "I've been feeling so alone, but you come along with your wise words and suddenly make things seem a little brighter. I don't know how you do it, but know I'll always be grateful for having a friend like you."

Darcy grinned, squeezing the girls shaking hands. "I will always be here if you ever need me. Never doubt that."

"Bonnie!" they jumped at Elena's voice, yelling further up the corridor.

Darcy sighed and squeezed Bonnie's hand a second time before letting go and shooting her an encouraging glance. You can do this.

"Hey," Bonnie said as Elena's figure appeared beside them. She adjusted her bag onto her shoulder as the three exited the building and walked outside.

"Hey, I tried to grab you after class, but I can already see Darcy has stolen you away," Elena glared at the huntress, getting a smirk back in response. The brown head girl rolled her eyes, turning back to the Bennett witch. "How are you? How's your family?"

Bonnie adverted her gaze to her feet as they cut across the lawn. "We're dealing. It's been hard."

Elena smiled sympathetically. "Everyone here really missed you."

"No one more than me," Darcy cried out, spreading her arms up to the sky. She dropped them with a sigh. "But then you had to leave me with these idiots. How could you, Bonnie? How could you leave me to suffer from these horrible people?"

"Sorry, Bonnie, she's been acting like this morning," Elena stated, pushing Darcy off Bonnie when she clung onto the girl.

"No, it's fine. I'm grateful for this. It's a welcome distraction," Bonnie brushed off her words with a grateful smile. "I just had so much to deal with after Grams' funeral. Honestly, after you told me the tomb spell failed, I didn't really want to come back.

Darcy sent her an apologetic smile. "No one can blame you for that-"

Elena cut the rest of her sentence, making her glare at the interruption.

"I hope you'll understand why I called... I wanted you to know before you came home," Elena continued despite the glares stabbing her face.

"I understand why. I just... shouldn't know," Bonnie mumbled, avoiding looking in Elena's direction.

"I know, it's been really hard- Ow! What the hell, Darcy?!" Elena exclaimed, rubbing her right arm where the huntress had punched her.

"Shut your mouth," Darcy mouthed, glaring whilst nodding her head at their friend, causing Elena to look and witness the sorrow seeping from Bonnie's pores.

The stress and unshed tears clouding the young witch's eyes made Darcy's hackles rise. Hasn't this girl been through enough? Yet, Elena felt the need to phone and tell Bonnie about the Tomb vampires escaping, the very tomb her Grams died by opening the seal.

Before Elena could open her mouth to respond, another voice was heard behind them. "Bonnie! Bonnie! Thank God, You are home!"

Bonnie, Elena, and Darcy paused and turned to see Caroline pulling Bonnie in for a hug. "I know we talked every day, but I missed you," the blonde said, pulling away and admiring her face. "How are you doing?"

Darcy noticed the hurt tinge marking Elena's face and gathered the two hadn't been in touch, or rather one was ignoring the other. Apart from the week, she had stayed with Bonnie's family. They had kept the contact to the minimum. Knowing the Bennett girl would need time to grieve appropriately and bombarding her with questions about her doing would not be beneficial. The logical answer would be no; they are not okay with their loved one passing away.

Darcy swerved back into the conversation at the mention of wardrobes and founder's courts. Her eyes widened before she let out a miserable groan. "Ahh, you're kidding me? Miss Mystic Falls?"

"How are we friends?" Caroline questioned with a giggle, hugging the girl's arms. "I love dressing up, and you hate it."

The three girls giggled at Darcy's distraught face, making a pout embrace her ruby lips. "What? You know I don't like it. Besides, I don't have a date. So, I can't go," she let out an ecstatic cheer. Her steps became more extensive as she approached her car, eager to get in and away before they roped her into playing dress-up.

"If I have to go, then you bet I'm dragging your butt, too," Elena stated, causing Darcy to halt and let out loud expletives. "Dammit, Elena! Why? I was so close to tasting freedom."

*•*•*•*•*

After dropping Elena at home, Darcy turned the car around and drove to the boarding house. Parking the black vehicle, she shut the door just as Stefan pulled up beside her. She waited until he departed the vintage car before following him inside the large beautiful, intimidating house.

The two continued their path into the lounge, Stefan dropping his bag on the chair in the hallway and then sitting on the three-piece red sofa, his gaze locked on Darcy as she sat in the armchair next to the lit fire, plopping her bag at her feet.

"Any reason why your eyeballs are digging into my skull, Stef?" she asked, turning her head and raising a brow as she caught Stefan looking away.

"Don't know what you're talking about," he mumbled, standing up and walking around the sofa. He paused, his back to Darcy as he peered out of the window, eyes staring thoughtfully at the tall trees surrounding the front of the property.

"The tone of your voice changed," Darcy stated confidently. She leant back into the chair and crossed her legs, car keys spinning on her right index finger. "You're lying."

The muscles in his back tensed, he cast a quick look over his shoulder, forest green clashing with blue in astonishment. "How do you know that?"

"You pick up on people's mannerisms and actions after a while. You're not hard to decipher." Darcy shrugged nonchalantly, diverting her gaze to the amber flames of the roaring fire. "Care to share what has you so curious? Or is my beautiful face too mesmerising for you to function correctly?"

A grin quirked at his mouth. He didn't deny, Darcy's beauty will always floor him. To him, she's a whole different sort of creature that continues to surprise him every day.

Stare still transfixed on the raven girl's head, he moved from the window and sat on the arm of the chair she sat on, picked up her hand and began playing with her fingers. His shoulders sagged in resignation.

"I'm just wondering how you're really feeling. I know you keep saying you're fine, but the other night was traumatic. I can't help feeling you are covering the truth. I mean, should we be worried the episodes are taking a toll on your sanity? They are oddly perplexing."

Darcy sighed, closing her eyes, and rested her head on his arm. The heat of the flames tickled at her face. Usually, she would lie and bury her most sacred secrets deep in her core, protected from prying hands. Yet, she doesn't know what it is about these Salvatore brothers that strip down her walls and compels the words that want to flow from her tongue. What is it that makes her want to bare herself and release the shackles bound around her essence?

So she gave in and bared her soul.

"I'm tired and confused. I'm not ashamed to admit that they don't scare me because they do. I've had them for as long as I can remember. Only recently, they have become worse and did not always accompany so much pain... and blood. I can only put that down to the intense flashbacks and the screaming voices in my head. Another part feels like something is trapped and trying to claw its way out... but it can't."

Hands caressed her face making Darcy open her eyes and stare into the icy blue eyes roaming her face cautiously. She didn't hear his footsteps enter the room, nor did she feel as he crouched in front of her. His presence, now coupled with his brothers, soothed the growing ache in her bones.

"Why can't it?" the raven head vampire asked, hands still stroking her delicate skin. "Why can't whatever it is claw its way out?"

"Because it remains detained, rooted far down," closing her eyes and, she rubs at her heart, trying to erase the spike of pain. "I can feel it here as if we're one, split into two trying to form a connection... But we can't."

"Why?" Stefan asked, appearing behind Damon.

Darcy furrowed her brow, looking between them. "I don't know... I don't think I'll ever know the cause."

"Intriguing," Damon hummed, standing to his feet. He glanced at Stefan, and after receiving a nod of his head, he returned his determined gaze onto the young woman in front of them. His gaze flickered down to the necklace clasped around her neck, scowling at the memory of it burning them.

"What? What is it?" Darcy asked, sitting up straighter upon noticing their peculiar looks.

They are aware Jeremy had said Darcy was immune to the burn, but they wanted to test it for themselves. "Colour our curious minds and touch your necklace," Stefan said, his left arm wrapped around his chest, the other, his hand cupped his chin in thought.

"What's my necklace got to do with anything?" Darcy asked, her face screwing up in the odd direction the conversation was going.

"Don't question, just touch it," Damon ordered. He threw up his arms, releasing a frustrated groan at the smirk that broke free on her lips. "You know what I mean, and put those filthy eyebrows back down."

Darcy rolled her eyes and looked down at the jewellery affixed on her body. She wondered what was wrong that had them glaring down at it as if it had personally insulted them.

Nevertheless, she lifted a hand to the threadbare black chain.

"No, the pendant," Stefan stated, faltering her actions.

Her nimble fingers skimmed down the rough material, tips brushing against the engraved medallion before settling on the ellipsoid glassed pendant. She gripped and lifted it off her chest. The tawny flames from the fire made it appear a dark, gloomy crimson red.

Nothing happened. Not even a scratch.

"Of course," Damon scoffed, throwing out his arms stubbornly when the stupid necklace did not cause the same effect. He turned to his brother and pushed him forward. "Stefan, you're next."

"But it'll burn me," Stefan protested, digging his feet on the floor.

"Yeah. That's the point," Damon said sarcastically and pushed Stefan harder, causing him to stumble before righting himself.

"Hold on, did you say burn you?" the huntress asked before chuckling at the absurdity. "A necklace can't burn you."

A series of claims of 'it does' and 'it did' exclaimed out of the brothers' mouths.

"Alright. What's going on? What has you two shitting your pants?" Darcy asked.

"We're not shitting our pants," the two vampires let out snorts of denial.

"Stef, just touch the damn thing already," Damon continued in an exasperated tone of voice.

"I don't see why I should. You're the one who wants to prove the point so desperately," Stefan quipped back, crossing his arms smugly. "Go on, Damon. Touch it."

It didn't stop there, the two continued arguing back and forth for the next five minutes, and quite frankly, Darcy was done with the idiots ten minutes ago.

Jerking Damon's aggregated waving arm, she placed his open palm directly onto the pendant and held it down for a few "long" seconds, according to the grumpy bloodsucker.

A sizzle sounded, and the smell of charred flesh perfumed the tensed air around them. "Shit!" Damon exclaimed, yanking his hand away, mouth blowing on the raw, blistered skin. "Fuck, that hurts like a bitch," he continued to curse, watching as his skin healed over the burn.

Darcy froze before blinking away the shock. "Well, would you look at that? It does burn."

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Darcella,"

Damon snarked, rolling his eyes, holding his now healed hand to his chest as if he's afraid to get scorched again.

"See why I didn't want to test it again?" Stefan snickered, face lit up with wicked glee.

Damon glared and bared his fangs at him, causing the younger Salvatore to turn Darcy and notice the perplexed gaze on her face. "We discovered this the night of your episode. Jeremy said you had left your necklace in your bedroom that morning, and he went to return it to you, only it burnt him too and not you."

Darcy shook her head, mouth set into a firm line. "But that's not possible, right? An object. Well, a piece of jewellery can't physically burn you like that. I just saw Damon's hand become blistered as if he touched vervain." She looked them in their eyes. "It's not vervain, right?"

"No, definitely not. Vervain wouldn't burn Jeremy since he's human," Damon said, shooting the idea down. "I'm telling you that thing is cursed... Oddly reminds me of something familiar."

They watched as the Protectress began pacing around the lounge, her brows creased in thought, limbs working a mile a minute. "What can burn a human and a vampire? But not me?" Her head snapped to the side; the suddenness brought a spike of pain to her head. "Wait. Have you tried it with Elena?"

Damon and Stefan glanced at each other and shook their heads. "No, we figured if Jeremy had the same result, Elena would too. The only being we haven't tried is a...." Stefan trailed off thoughtfully.

"Witch," Damon clapped his hands in sudden delight.

"Have I ever told you how much I dislike witches and their scheming ways?" He turned to Stefan, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "What do witches not like most?"

Darcy walked back over, gripping the back of the armchair, eyes narrowed. "Vampires. Because they defy against their beliefs on all living creatures must die."

Damon looked at her with an inkling of pride and surprise. "Someone's been doing their homework."

Darcy's mouth ticked up, body radiating with smugness. "It's not hard to work out why Sheila Bennett scorned your existence."

The raven-haired Salvatore rolled his eyes before his face became vacant and abruptly jolted as something had physically struck him. His gaze thwarts, snapping back down to the necklace wrapped around Darcy's neck, the crescent stared into his face, mocking him. "Of course, what else would it be," Damon mumbled bitterly.

Stefan frowned, glancing between his brother, Darcy and the object that had struck a chord in them. "What is it, Damon?" He asked, stepping closer to him when Damon went to grasp the jewellery before jerking his hand back to his side and spun on his heels.

A growing cobalt storm drilled into the vampire's back, watching him stomp over to the bar, anger leaking from his pores as he poured three tumblers of Bourbon. "Drink up. We're gonna need these before I tell you the bad news," he muttered, handing two glasses to Darcy and Stefan before draining his in a single gulp and slamming the glass down on the table.

The room began to feel like the walls were closing in on Darcy, taut airways restricting her ability to use her words. The hair on the back of her neck and along her arms rose to a standpoint, sending a cold shiver down her spine. The sensation of being watched didn't help the overload of paranoia and anxiety churning her gut.

Setting the glass down on the table, Darcy looked around the room knew she wasn't actually being watched because it was just her, Stefan and Damon in the house and that it was just her subconscious playing mind tricks.

"What is it, Damon?" Stefan repeated his previous question. He took a glance at Darcy and stepped closer to her side, taking hold of her hand, not liking the distress colouring her face.

Damon turned around, back resting against the wooden bar and crossed his arms and feet. His eyes connected to their joined hands before staring deep into Stefan's cautious eyes. Damon knows he should feel jealous of them physically touching and not him, but he finds the opposite. A warmth flows to his un-beating heart.

"Do you remember Emily Bennett's talisman?"

Stefan's eyes widened, head bobbing up and down at a rapid pace. "Of course, it was supposed to be used to unseal the vampires in the tomb."

Damon nodded. "Right. Emily used it to possess Bonnie." He paused, switching his stare to Darcy.

"When I attempted to snatch it from her... it burnt me too."

Stefan squeezed Darcy's hand, feeling the sweat dotting her inner palm. She lifted her head, meeting his conflicted gaze and swallowed past the lump in her throat.

"So what you're saying is that my necklace could also be a talisman?" Darcy murmured, releasing Stefan's hand to rub her face and pull at the roots of her hair. Her heart thumped behind her ribcage, racing against her whirling mind.

How is everything even possible? If It is indeed a witches talisman, then how does she have it in her possession?

Damon tilted his head in thought, gaze slipping to the ruby crescent. Using his enhanced sight, the natural light shining in from the windows made it appear something was reflecting from behind the opaque glass, almost like a body of water casting ripples in its wake.

Damon's head jerked up, eyes wide with confirmation. He connected the dots.

Darcy and Stefan stepped forward, noticing his startled expression. The huntress reached out to stabilise Damon as he stumbled closer, stopping as his boots met hers.

Darcy's fingers tingled.

Stefan finally caught on, attention snapping to the girl at his side. Talisman. Witch. Magic. "But who? We don't know any other which," he said, brows drew in concentration.

"No, the correct answer is who's protecting—"

Four things happened next.

Darcy's chest began to burn; her hand snapping to the necklace with a gasp.

Damon's mouth stopped moving, faltering his following words.

Unintelligible words flowed from Darcy's mouth.

Damon's body locked into place, rendering him immobile before dropping to the floor.

Darcy remained rooted to the floor as Stefan dashes to his brother's side, dropping to his knees and gripping his jaw. "Damon! What's happening?"

Damon couldn't reply. His body was paralysed, words refusing to let free; only his moving eyeballs expressed his inner panic.

"Can you move?" Stefan asked voice soothe, masking his alarm.

Damon's eye shifted to the left, signalling a negative. 

A strangled gasp had Stefan snapping his head over to Darcy as she came back to her senses.

"Damon!" She exclaimed, seeing him on the floor. Releasing the necklace, she joined their sides and placed her hands on his cheeks, eyes roaming over his body, checking for anything that could explain what had just happened. "What the hell just happened? And why is Damon on the floor?"

Stefan's gulped, his Adam's Apple bobbing with the movement. "He's paralysed and can't talk."

Darcy snatched her hands away as if she had been shocked. "What? How? How's that possible?" she jumped to her feet, arms waving around. "Why the fuck is all of this happening?!"

"I don't know," Stefan shook his head, just as confused and freaked out as she is. He blinked his stare back down to his brother and frowned, catching sight of Damon's eyes moving to the right. He followed the motion connecting with the now glowing necklace.

Stefan's face hardened in anger and a matter of bad judgement. He sped over Damon's prone body and snatched it by the threadbare chain, and slipped it over Darcy's head. His movements were too fast for her to grasp what had happened until he tossed it in the fire behind him.

"Stefan!" Darcy exclaimed, her hand gripped at her chest, a stab of pain striking at her heart as the glass pendant smashed, colliding inside the fireplace. She watched as shards of glass sprinkled on the flames, eyes trailing to the odd-looking red liquid sliding down the marbled wall. "What have you done?!"

Stefan rounded on her, eyes glazed with flame. "Stopped whatever that cursed thing is! Look what it's done to Damon."

Darcy shook her head and stumbled back, pulse racing. "I think whatever you just did....you've made a big mistake."

~

Updated*

Darcy now has her own playlist. If you use Spotify, be sure to check it out;

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3plySzZoiXkIMFgwIF5vp7?si=97506b7ddf364363

Any questions?

Do you want to hunt me down and kill me yet?I'm not sorry 😂 all done is for a good reason. All will be explained in the end ♥️

Still, love me? 🥺

This chapter is not edited. So if you spot any mistakes, could you kindly point them out for me? Thank you! 🖤