Ch. 19

Given Miranda's gasp as we descended into the basement, she clearly expected a dungeon. What she found instead was the perfect example of an elegant and luxurious study. The walls were full of books and in the middle of the room were several large comfortable armchairs along with small tables and reading lamps.

Abby was bent over a grimoire I assumed she'd taken from the walls, given that all of the books in this room were grimoires. Sheila was sat in a chair, frowning severely at her daughter as Abby responded to something she'd said before we'd walked in, "Yes well, I don't see you looking for a way out of here, and one of these grimoires might hold the key to our escape."

Sheila snorted at that, noticing Miranda and I before Abby did and tensing up, eyes narrowed. I grin and answer Abby in Sheila's place, "You won't. These grimoires contain nothing that would help you undo the magic on those shackles with merely what you have in this room."

Abby spins around and I regret the loss of the wonderful view of her shapely ass I'd been shamelessly checking out. Enchanted shackles encircle both Abby and Sheila's wrists, and they're the primary reason I was fine with leaving the two alone with all these grimoires. They wouldn't be able to do any magic until I released them. Abby looked relieved to see Miranda alive and well, but Sheila's focus was on me. She gestured around at the lavish surroundings and grimoire filled walls and asked, "What is this supposed to be?"

I grin a bit sheepishly, "An apology of sorts. A taste of what could be to come as well. This is a miniscule part of the magical knowledge I've accumulated over my long life. I am sorry for how I've had to treat the two of you, but I did not want you interfering when I talked to the Council."

As I said this, Abby had rushed forward to awkwardly hug Miranda. Miranda froze like a deer in the headlights and thus couldn't stay out of the witch's grasp. Abby reacted like she'd touched fire, jumping back with wide eyes as she stared at Miranda in horror. Poor Miranda was now trying to shrink in on herself. Sheila seemed to get the general gist on what was going on, because it was her who spoke again, as Abby now had a hand to her mouth and was crying.

"You've turned her."

Trust Sheila to be blunt. I let out a slow sigh and look to Miranda before locking my gaze with Sheila and nodding, "I turned the entire Founder's Council actually. Everyone except the Mayor is now a vampire."

Sheila narrowed her eyes and I could read the hatred she had for me in her eyes as she spoke with scorn, "Then you've doomed this town to a quick death."

I raise a finger at that, "Hey now, no. No condemning me for what was truly me just defending myself and seeking justice for a dead friend. Tell them Miranda. Tell them how you forced my hand."

Miranda shuddered but the order forced the truth from her as she glanced between Abby and Sheila, "As you both know, Grayson's plan was to gather at Mr. Masters' home and spring whatever trap he had prepared, before springing our own ambush. We'd take down the vampires with a combination of wooden bullets and your magic, and then we'd interrogate them to find out what the plan was. When Abby didn't show up, Grayson made the choice to proceed with the plan anyways."

She breathes for a moment before continuing, "Mr. Masters brought us into a sitting room to talk and exposed himself and his companion as vampires. Specifically, he told us that he was the Master he'd said was a myth. Grayson made the choice to attack while Mr. Masters was surprised at our lack of shock."

Her eyes flicker to me and I'm a bit pleased by the fear I see in that small glance before she finishes her tale, "We fired so many wooden bullets that we killed his companion outright. But while we were reloading, Grayson realized that Mr. Masters wasn't even phased by the wood. We watched the wooden bullets fall out of his body as it healed before our eyes. He's more than a vampire, he's something else. A moment later his reinforcements arrived and subdued us. Than he had them snap our necks and force blood down our throats when we woke up."

I smiled, "And what have I done to protect those who are still mortal Miranda? Tell the Bennetts about my precautions."

Miranda shudders, "Mr. Masters can compel vampires. He's compelled all of us to never drink from a living creature. Blood bags only."

Both Abby and Sheila take time to digest this. Abby it seems is the one who prefers to act rather than talk though, as she suddenly cuts her skin on a sharper edge of the manacles around her wrists before stepping closer to Miranda, getting close enough that even an older vampire would have reacted to the blood.

Miranda's face changes and her fangs come out, but she stands at ease, trying her best to give Abby a tentative smile to show she's truly not dangerous. Abby even goes so far as to place the open wound right under Miranda's mouth, but Miranda just stays still, not reacting at all. With a nod, Abby steps away, back to Sheila's side.

Sheila meanwhile has watched this with raised eyebrows, before focusing back on me, "So instead of dooming our entire town, you've merely doomed our town's leaders to a life in the night?"

I grin at that and once again look at Miranda. She doesn't even need verbal prompting this time, immediately reacting to my glance, "Mr. Masters has provided all of us with daylight rings. He has compelled us to continue living our lives as normal, as well as ordered us to refrain from killing anyone, human or supernatural."

She falls silent and I take over with a wide toothy grin, "So you see Sheila, your Founder's Council jumped the gun a bit. I was prepared to deal in good faith. My original plan was to show them what I was, explain that I could not be killed by any normal means, and then help the town prepare for what is to come five years from now on. But Doctor Gilbert destroyed any chance of that when he initiated hostilities and killed a man I've known for over seven hundred years. Now I am forced to take control of this town's defenses, and build it to where it needs to be to survive what is coming."

Sheila frowns at that, "What is coming that you're so worried about on our behalf?"

I grin, "My siblings my dear witch. And I can assure you, none of them are nearly as gentle with mortals as I am."

She continues to frown, but asks no more questions, seeming deep in thought. Eventually it's Abby who gets antsy and speaks up next, "So then what do you want with us now? You've got us right where you want us." She shakes her manacles for emphasis.

I shake my head in response to that, "Entirely untrue sweetheart. I do not want you down here, locked up and muted to magic. I'd prefer you both go free and return to your families."

Here I step forward and move to a nearby wall, pulling what seems to be a random book down and moving to the table nearest the two Bennett Witches. I plop Emily Bennett's grimoire down and smile, "What I want to do is give you Emily Bennett's grimoire. I want to send you home to Bonnie and not take away her mother and grandmother. What I need in exchange is a pledge from the two of you that you will not interfere with my plans or plot against me. In exchange, I will pledge to protect Bonnie Bennett with my considerable resources for as long as you hold up your end of the bargain. What say you?"

Abby immediately says "Yes!" while Sheila answers at the exact same time with a, "No."

As both witches look at each other in clear betrayal, I chuckle, "Well now, you'll both have time to consider it. If you agree, we will need to bind the contract through magic, and for that I need my witches to arrive. They'll be here along with my werewolves as soon as possible."

Now Sheila is truly surprised, not sure how to react to the knowledge of witches working with a vampire. Abby is just as flabbergasted by this. I just chuckle and snap my fingers, immediately being attended by three of my vampires. Looking to them, I gesture at the Bennett Witches, "These two will be our guests for a little while. Watch over them at all times, make sure they have whatever they need. The only visitors they're allowed are Miranda and Myself. Understood?"

I get nods and smile toothily, "Wonderful." Looking to Miranda, I cock an eyebrow, "You may stay if you wish Mrs. Gilbert. I have other business to attend to now. There is much to do now that I am Mystic Fall's primary defender."

She doesn't reply, but seems intent, so I turn and leave, my smile still etched on my face.

Three and a half weeks later when the archivists I'd sent for arrived, both Abby and Sheila consented to the binding. I have no idea who or what convinced Sheila, but the binding was simple enough in its wording. I was to watch over Bonnie for as long as she lived, with a caveat that I could do so by proxy, and both Abby and Sheila promised on pain of loss of their magic to never interfere with my plans.

I threw in Emily's Grimoire as a bonus prize as well as any magical subject the Bennett's cared to study. Sheila was more withdrawn, but Abby quickly became fast friends with my Archivists. My werewolves came with the Archivists and I sent them into the mountains near Mystic Falls to await word from me. I didn't want them living too close to the town, as even with both under me, vampires and werewolves did not mix.

I also didn't want Klaus getting word that a werewolf pack had been living in Mystic Falls for at least five years when he finally arrived. Still, they sent groups in almost every day, and they easily accepted the Mayor and his son into their Pack, though whether Richard or Tyler really got what was going on or enjoyed the acceptance was debatable.

I arranged for accidents to take place over the next few years, keeping them separate enough to avoid suspicion. First, Richard was the victim of a mugging gone wrong while his wife was away. Unfortunately the mugger chose the night of the full moon as his time to attack, and a knife as his weapon. Richard was so enraged that by the time he came back to his senses, the mugger was already dead. He began making monthly trips to the mountains, to deal with the change he had to go through.

Tyler's was even simpler to arrange, as soon as he started driving, he proved to be a bit reckless. He hit a pedestrian who crossed the street without looking and was put on probation for a year because of it. He knew something was different though after the accidental killing, and he began to join his father on the monthly trips to the mountains, once we'd sat down and explained things to him. I thought that the male Lockwoods were actually bonding rather well over their shared ordeal.

My hold on Mystic Falls solidifying, I began to prepare for what came next. 2009 was just around the corner after all.

-x-X-x-

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