Priceless jewels. #10p2

[ 10h25 ]

As they reaches the opened office, Alec stares from behind it the monster they've been hunting for.

Crouched down, the thing doesn't turn back despite their presence, it seems much more focus on the glass casing protecting the knife. It's arched back is topped by a pair of wings which have talons at the extremeties and a leathery appearance. Its skin gray as rocks is filled with imperfections, marks left by blades and arrows that draws mountains and crevices all over its body.

" Phesmatos Incendia ! " Hope immediately goes offensive, Alec feels the amount of magic she supplied to the spell, enough to immolate anything or anyone.

If he wasn't totally sure before, at sight of its front he becomes fully convinced. They are facing a gargoyle, as improbable as it is.

The gargoyle is unaffected, to their shocks Hope's attack has seemingly no effects, the spell is nullified as it tries to latch on its intended target.

" Why isn't it burning ?! " Hope shout in surprises and anger while the historical monster opens its maw and glares at them aggressively, it's slitted pupils and red iris adding to its intimidating looks.

" I suppose gargoyles are resistant to magic." Alec answers the abruptly pulls them back out in the hallway and push Hope against the wall to take cover, he himself comes crashing against, her breasts squashing on his chest as a torrent of water surges violently from inside the office.

The strength of the wave is such that the wall couldn't absorb the kinetic energy and crumbles under the weight and speed of the elemental wordless act of magic of the gargoyle.

" They were principally used as gutter outlet, makes sense I guess.. " Hope says ironically, her words elicits a light-hearted chuckle from Alec who's strangely pleased she knows a fact as forgettable as that.

The brief moment of respite is interrupted by the gargoyle rushing outside, his pace extremely fast as it flaps its relatively small wings to propulses itself slightly faster. It comes close to fall downstairs from the gigantic hole in the wall but stops with unpredictable agility considering its tall stature.

A gesture from Alec's hand slightly pushes it close to the edge but it requires him to use a lot of his stamina and reserve to moves the gargoyle because of its extremely high resistance. He exerce so much magic that the amber dots in his iris starts to glow with how much he uses magic, the color begins to overcomes the gray, a change Hope finds deliciously beautiful as well as worrying.

With their closeness, holding hands is unnecessary the contact is already established, she joins her magic with his to successfully push out the gargoyle. She have always done this exercise of cooperation with the twins, Lizzie amd Josie. Furthermore she has grown up with them, so even if they don't see eye to eye on many things, she know them. But with him, with Alec it is completely different, the experience is unique for her as well as for him.

Hope sees flashes and feels the strong emotions associated with every memories she perceive thanks to their connection surpassing the physical realm.

A young boy, running through the woods, a big happy smile illuminating his cherubim face, behind him a woman chasing after him with a content expression. Hope can literally feels the joy and nostalgia associated with this flash of memory belonging to Alec. The next one is more somber, he's curled up in a ball under a makeshift cardboard roof, he's older but not by a lot, as he tries to fall asleep with an empty stomach and the rain ruining his home acting as his lullaby she feels it. Envy, a mad jealousy directed at the world mixed with a burning determination tinged in selfishness.

On the other side of the psychic mirror bridging their minds, Alec also gets his share of flashes and sensations. A smart little girl sneaks her way in a barn, once inside she discovers three coffin probably assembled by the most competent undertakers possible. Delicately the young Hope takes of the bracelet from her wrist then with a wave of her arm the three coffins lids lifts up and reveals their hidden contents. Deep waves of longing and feelings of powerlessness assault him as the flash changes. This time it's in a church, Hope is a teen and her eyes glows a menacing electric blue, rage, sadness, anger, the ever present longing, every feelings she bottled up, everything she buried is releases in a deafening cry of release which is accompanied by a blue whirlwind of magic ending permanently the undeads vampires standing all around her.

The phenomenon is abruptly stopped when Alec takes a step back, it last for an instant but Hope needs a second to regains a clear mind, his little experiment on the Empu'sa was similar so he isn't as notably disoriented as her.

" Wh- " Hope begins to speak while pushing herself up from the wall with the help of her hands but Alec interrupts. " The gargoyle is not dead. " He says before jumping down in the hole.

" Aer tardus ruinam. " He hurriedly cast and reaches the floor gently, like a feather carried by air currents. Hope follows behind and fall beside him, less gracefully and with noise.

" Where is it ? " Hope asks while taking a sword fixed on the wall as decoration.

Alec focus on the gargoyle magical signature, he stops moving before closing his eyes. Suddenly his eyes opens and his hands makes motions, as if he's grasping something invisible he stretches his hands behind before making a throwing gesture towards the left corner of the high ceiling. Hope who's been watching him trace back his eyes to the ceiling and sees the gargoyle perched on the corner, the claws on each four ends of his members allowing it to hold itself despite the contortions required.

The gargoyle dive to the floor to avoid the small dresser that crashes violently at its previous position. Unfortunately for it, Hope didn't lose a second of the actions and she's ready to strike it with her sword. She tries to behead it, the blade becoming a razor sharp blur moving towards its neck.

Sidestepping, the beast evades the slash but it's right wing gets clipped rendering it useless, the blunt force is what's done the damage as proved by the unscathed gray skin. Alec relentlessly continues the charge, he makes from a chandelier dangerous projectiles that forces the gargoyle to gets back in Hope's range. It wouldn't have been possible if the beast was more intelligent, it would have see the obvious way Alec used his makeshift projectiles to direct its trajectory.

Accounting for it's strange resistant skin, Hope don't tries to slash it this time but pierce, she aims for its leg and plunge the sword as deep as she can just below its kneecap.The gargoyle takes the hit without an ounce of pain, the sword pined its leg to the floor and it struggled to get free but Hope seems to have really outdone herself with the medieval weapon.

It opens its maw as it did earlier. Hope and Alec exchanges a knowing and complice look. " Hold it Hope ! " He shouts and runs directly in front of the gargoyle while Hope's holding back the monster and the task is perilous, as evidenced by the perspiration gliding along her strained face.

Alec arrives and outstretched his hand to cover the maw of the gargoyle, its ragged teeth still tainted with the blood of the innocent Pedro.

" Ambustum ! " He cast the spell, the devious idea work. The spell is successful, the gargoyle burn from the inside, it screeches and expresses pain for the first time.

" Get away ! Quickly ! " Alec says loudly to Hope while doing the same.

The gargoyle screams out a last time as its red eyes gets carbonized from the inside, leaving two empty blackened eye sockets. It falls on the floor with a thud, the impaled sword stopping it from fully fall.

" Is it dead ? " Hope asks nervously then lightly kicks the body of the gargoyle.

" I think so... seriously, a gargoyle. Are yo-" Alec sentence is interrupts by the twitching corpse, they both stares at it in shock as the gargoyle seems to melt into a viscous goo puddle that seeps through the wooden floor.

" Another one..." Hope whispers to herself while Alec observes her with an eyebrow raised.

" Hope ! Your alright ? " Their moments of surprise is cut short as Alaric asks while running towards them, his daughter absent.

" Yes Ric, we did it... we got rid of the monster. " She answers while looking thankfully at Alec.

" Where's Lizzie ? " He asks the older man after offering Hope a compassionate smile in response.

" Her and Josie stayed in a sealed classroom with Emma, our third teacher. " Alaric explains then pace around the hall, inspecting the ravages left by the monster, his oldest and newest student.

" What was it ? " He asks the both of them as he looks at hole upstairs, on the wall facing his office.

" A gargoyle. " Alec and Hope answers simultaneously, one more enthusiastic than the other.

" Okay... Anyway it's finally over, thanks to you. You did a good job. " Alaric says while looking proudly at Hope.

[ 16h33 ]

Pedro's disappearance and death hasn't gone unnoticed, after Alec and Hope killed the gargoyle the classroom were opened and the students numbers checked. Fortunately or not, Pedro is the only victim of the monster attack.

The repercussions are already here, Alaric had to announce an extremely if not the most atrocious news to a mother and father. The death of their precious child.

Since this morning, Alec saw parents coming to the school pulling back their supernatural children out of the private school. The numbers of students which was not very high therefore reduce further and overall the atmosphere of the school is gloomy.

" Alec ? Are you with me ? " A gentle voice brings him back to the present.

" Yes counselor Tig. " Alec responds to Emma Tig, a teacher and psychological counselor he met this afternoon. A beautiful woman surely but, her smooth dark skin, long brown hair straighten out and the white professional top she's wearing, all her natural and artificial beauty masks for a lot of men the perspective mind behind the facade.

" Emma, you can call me that if you prefer. " Emma adds, her tone still soothing as she tries to establish a first contact with Alec who seems particularly closed of to her.

" Why am I here Emma ? It's not my first fight and certainly not the first tragedy of which I'm a witness... " Alec asks, wriggling on the caramel-colored couch facing Emma who's sitting in a leather armchair.

" I've no doubts about that, but you'll agree with me that it never get easier to digest. " She clarifies while observing his reactions. " However nothing force you to talk about it, it's your right. " Emma adds, adjusting her approach to have better talks with him, maybe not today, she thinks as Alec stays silent.

" There is another reason for us to meet Alec, I don't want to hide it from you so... Headmaster Saltzman asked me to schedule at least an appointment per week for you, just until you've fully adapted to your new environment. " She says while Alec glances around the small room decorated with neutral, dull artworks.

" He don't trust me. Logical.. " Alec retorts as his fingers drums on the only colorful thing in the room, the sofa.

" Indeed... Mainly because of the growing dangers threatening his school. " Emma responds, her brown eyes watching him curiously. " You don't seem upset about it ? " she questions him immediately after.

" What do you want me to do ? I'm not idiot, If i want to stay I have to play ball with you. Carrot and stick... I'm aware of the game so. " Alec quips back, making the question and the answer.

" Then in this you are more mature than a lot of your peers Alec. " Emma says softly.

" Everything seems to have been said Emma, are we done for today ? " Alec asks, he's frustrates about the arrangement made for him despite his tacit agreement with it.

" I disagree but it is your decision to make. I'll see you tomorrow Alec. And by the way, I am enchanted to meet you. " She exclaims kindly and smiles at him.

" I am too. Good afternoon counselor Tig. " Alec answers smoothly, a polite smile om his face. Emma waits for him to leave her sight to close the door then she grabs her notebook to write her thoughts on her new student or as she starts to see them for as she roams these walls years after years, her patient.

[ Mystic Falls, Police Station ]

Pete Endelton walks decisively to his hierarchical superior office, his complexion is tannes and short black hair hiding part of his forehead frame a round chubby clean-shaven face. He is 31 years old, a freshly promoted sheriff's adjoint and recently informed of the unbelievable truth of his world. That everything he thought to be true, is false. At first he was categorical, Sheriff Donovan was testing him in the best cast or was a lunatic in the worst. The execution of a vampire responsible for the death of a Mystic Falls citizen made a believer out of his nihilistic soul. God is dead, all the vampires are on earth.

This is why when the sheriff later asked him to trace a car, a cab of all vehicles , Pete complied and executed the order.

" Sheriff I may have something of interest for us. " Pete says as he enters Matt's office without knocking, a dirty habit his father never beat out of him despite the attempts.

" I'm listening. " Matt answers while standing up from his comfy chair.

" I managed to get back on its tracks until the edge of the forest, I think... I'm convinced that the individual have fled by it. " Pete says, proud of his work he considers exemplary.

" Good job Pete, really it's great. We're going to crisscross the area then search for this damn cab. " Sheriff Matt responds, satisfied by the work of his junior deputy.

[ Salvatore Boarding School, Alec's new bedroom ]

[ 22h12 ]

After a light meal taken in the refectory, Alec was accompanied to his new room by Emma, she also gave him everything he needs to properly attend the classes. A school uniform, books and a pamphlet giving a line of conduct, clear rules to follow in the private institute.

Stretching his sore body, Alec walks around the bare room. No posters, decorations or personal touch. Just a bed, a and a small bathroom equipped with a shower. All the necessary for someone as nomadic as him, more would have been superfluous.

He undresses before quickly going in the shower to wash away all the accumulated grime. As the hot water loosens the tension in his swimmer muscles, Alec runs a hand over his neck like if the phantom pain from the bite is persisting. He cannot explain it to himself, just like his capacity to travel with reflective surfaces as medium, he heal unnaturally fast, he can only assume it is connected to the night his life changed irrevocably.

Once the pleasant moment is over, Alec gets out of the bathroom filled with steam and walks to the bed. He jumps on it before covering his nakedness with the eiderdown.

Twenty minutes later, when he finally is almost embraced by sleep someone's knock on the door of his room.

" Who is it ? " Alec asks while reaching for his only disposable clean clothes, school uniform.

" Liz. " He hears the quiet voice of Lizzie, an ounce above a whisper. Simply in pants, without t-shirt, underwear or socks, Alec goes open the door for her.

Standing in front of him, Elizabeth in a red dressing gown with a sad expression and her arms crossed. Words are unnecessary, meaningless, he silently invites her in amd close the door behind her.

She sits on the edge of his bed and lowers her head. Joining her, he lift it by her chin with his fingers and looks at her, her eyes usually crackling with humor are red from despair, a few fresh tears glides down her cheeks. Salry pearls that he hastens to delicately wipe then he embraces her, squeezes her tightly while stroking her golden hair with one hand.

" Don't blame yourself Elizabeth, it's terrible what happened to this boy but that's how it is each time someone you love dies, it always tear out a small part of you. " Alec says mildly to her, his voice low, so low that she only hears it because his mouth is beside her ear. She miss the looks of guilt passing by his eyes, he didn't say to her that killing also have this unwanted feeling but the thought of it came. " As awful as it may seem to you, he is no longer here, all the prayers, all the supplications ... it won't change anything. He is dead. " He suddenly feels colder to Lizzie, she releases slightly her tight her hold on his waist to see his face.

" How can you say that ? I can't forget, not now and maybe never... So how can you phrase it as if it is simple as that ? How many dead peoples have you seen for you to be so... so okay with it..." Lizzie retorts, her voice gradually building up until it falls back to a low tone as she finishes.

" You think it's easy for me because I'm not a fucking blubbering mess in a corner ? Everything dies, sometimes it hurts and others it feels.. Anyway, I'm not telling you to forget him Lizzie, I am saying that there is nothing you could have or could do to rectify this absurdity. " Alec begins angrily, his eyesbrows raises as they typically do when something displease him but he gets calmer as Lizzie caresses his hand apologetically for her agressive words.

" Can I.. can I stay with you tonight ? " She asks while blushing and avoiding Alec's gray eyes.

" Of course. " Alec answers confidently. Warm under the duvet, they fall asleep after these last words, their heads full of dreams and nightmares as their bodies get closer and closer as the night goes by.