A couple of days later…
After we secured the Moonstone, not much happened. The school held a car wash fundraiser in memory of that annoying teacher, but aside from that? Things have been quiet. Well—mostly.
There was one thing worth noting: Vicky.
She actually listened. Both to me and Elena. She stopped using drugs. I've been watching through my birds—she's been training with Jeremy, and I'm pretty sure they're in a relationship now. Not sure how long that'll last, but I'll admit… she impressed me. She looks motivated. I don't know what's fueling her, but whatever it is, it's keeping her clean and pushing her to train hard.
Then there's Bonnie. She's been getting better with her magic—crazy fast, actually. Like fish to water. She's still not on her grams' level, but she's no longer defenseless. That's a win.
...Still won't get a gun, though.
I'm just saying: for someone who gets completely drained after casting big spells, it'd be smart to have a backup plan. But hey, what do I know? I'm just the thousand-year-old curse spirit.
Anyway.
Besides Vicky and Bonnie, Elena's been training too—and something great came out of it.
She finally learned to control cursed energy on her own.
Now, she doesn't need me guiding her every step. She can borrow energy from me when she needs it, but otherwise, she's holding her own. I have to admit... I'm proud of her.
At this point, her cursed energy control is about Yuji level—early season one Yuji, but still. She's on the right track to becoming strong.
What I'm really hoping for, though... is that she develops her own cursed energy. Something independent of mine. Because when the day comes that we finally separate, I don't want her to be helpless.
But... only time will tell.
Right now, Elena and Jenna were stretched out on the couch, talking. Jeremy was in the kitchen, doing homework.
"You know he was a jerk, right? You deserve way better," Elena said.
"I know," Jenna sighed. "Still sucks. Even worse—he dumped me over an email."
"Come on, there are way better guys than him," Elena said, trying to lift her spirits.
"Could you keep it down? I'm trying to do homework," Jeremy called out from the kitchen.
Both Elena and Jenna turned over on the couch to look at him, surprised.
Me? Not so much.
I've been watching Vicky for a while now, and that training with Jeremy? It's turned into something more. They talk, they connect—and I think seeing Vicky getting clean made Jeremy want to do the same. He even stopped taking drugs just so he could be with her.
"What do you think he is—some kind of alien?" Elena whispered.
"My guess? Replicant," Jenna smirked.
"You do know I can hear you, right?" Jeremy called.
They both laughed.
I stopped paying attention after that—because something interesting was happening at the Salvatore house.
Lexi.
It's Stefan's birthday. That's the only reason I can think of for her showing up now.
And this? This could be good.
Lexi and her boyfriend are strong. If I play it right, I could gain two more vampire allies. It won't be hard to convince them— Lexi cares about Stefan, and from what I can tell, they don't have daylight rings. Lucky me... I know two witches who could help with that.
All I need from them is simple: find out anything about my fingers. Who has them. Where they were last seen. Any lead they can get me.
Seems like a fair trade.
'Elena, go to the Salvatore house. Someone interesting just showed up,' I told her mentally.
She didn't react on her face. Smart. She didn't want to alert her family that anything was up.
"Hey, I'm going to head out for a bit," Elena said casually as she stood.
"Oh? Where to?" Jenna asked.
"To a friend's house. I won't be long," Elena replied.
"Well, tell Bonnie or Caroline I said hi," Jenna said with a smile.
Elena smiled back, nodded—without correcting her—and walked out the door.
It took a couple of hours for Elena to get to the Salvatore house—she still didn't have a car, and she wasn't exactly power-walking either. While she was walking, I used the time to tell her what little I knew about Lexi: that she was older than both Salvatore brothers, and that she could be a very useful ally.
When we finally made it to the Salvatore place, Elena didn't bother knocking. She just walked right in and made her way to the living room, where Stefan and Lexi were talking. She didn't say anything at first—just slumped down into a chair.
"I seriously need a car. Do you know how long it took me to get here?" Elena muttered.
"Elena? What are you doing here?" Stefan asked, clearly surprised.
"And walking in without an invitation? Kinda rude, don't you think?" Lexi added, raising a brow.
"Sorry, I know," Elena said. "But I'm tired—and the real reason I'm here is because Sukuna wants to talk to you."
After she said that, she let me take control. Just like before, the cursed markings appeared across her face and her eyes turned a deep scarlet.
"I could've healed her legs, you know. But she seriously needs to stretch them more often," I said casually.
Lexi instinctively backed up a step, eyes narrowing.
"What the hell? What's going on?" she asked, clearly on edge.
"Nice to meet you. Name's Sukuna," I said with a small grin. "But I already know you've heard of me. Please, sit. I'd like to talk."
Lexi's eyes widened. "Sukuna?! That's impossible… you disappeared over a thousand years ago."
"I did. And now I'm here. I'll explain all of that later, but for now, I want to make a deal."
To drive the point home, I let a bit of my cursed energy leak out—nothing overwhelming, just enough for her to feel it.
She felt it immediately. Her first instinct was to bolt—I could see it in her eyes—but it was daylight, and she knew she wouldn't make it far in the sun. Smart vampire.
So, she did the only thing she could: she sat down.
"Good choice," I said.
"This deal is simple," I began, locking eyes with Lexi. "It'll benefit you and eventually me. All you have to do is travel, search the world, and find my fingers. I don't care if it's the last known location or who might be holding them—just bring me information."
She looked wary but curious.
"In return," I added, "you and your boyfriend get daylight rings. Think of all the time you two could spend together, in the sun, happy. While you hunt for my cursed relics, you can actually enjoy life for once."
Lexi's eyes narrowed slightly. "How do you know about Lee?"
I chuckled. "I know a lot of things, Lexi. More than you'd be comfortable with. But that's not important right now. What matters is: do you accept the deal?"
Her fear was obvious, but she wasn't trembling—yet. Smart girl. Thinking it through.
"So all you want is information?" she asked slowly. "Where your fingers were last seen, or who might have them?"
"Exactly," I said, grinning. "I suspect some witches still hold a few, but I don't know which covens. And there's a good chance some vampires have stolen them too. If you find one, bring it to me. If it's guarded by someone too powerful? Call me. I'll take care of it personally."
"And you'll give us daylight rings?" Lexi asked, still suspicious.
"Yes," I said plainly. "That part of the deal is solid."
"I need to talk to Lee before I give an answer," she said carefully. "This is... a big decision. I'm not making it without him."
"Fair enough," I nodded. "In the meantime, enjoy your stay. Make sure Stefan has a good birthday."
Lexi smiled faintly. "I always do."
Stefan smiled at her, soft and grateful. Then Damon walked into the room—and, the second he laid eyes on me, the fear hit him. He tried to hide it behind a smirk. It didn't work.
"Sukuna," he said, forcing confidence. "I'm guessing you're here to check if I've infiltrated the council yet. Not yet, but I'm getting close."
"I've been watching you," I said flatly. "You haven't gotten anywhere."
That knocked the smirk off his face.
"But," I said, leaning back in the chair, "I'm in a generous mood. I'm going to help you."
I turned to Stefan. "Go get Zack."
Stefan didn't waste time. He vanished and returned in seconds with Zack in tow. Zack froze when he saw me.
"You're him... Sukuna," Zack whispered, visibly shaken.
"Yes," I said. "Though this isn't my original flesh, obviously. Still, I need you to do something for me."
He swallowed hard. "W-What would that be?"
"Nothing too serious," I assured him. "Just tell Sheriff Forbes that Damon will be taking over your vervain operation."
Zack's eyes widened in fear, and Damon shot him a murderous look.
"Easy," I said, shooting Damon a warning glare. "Don't give him that look. He's under my protection. Family or not, if you try something—"
"I know your rules," Damon said quickly, raising his hands. "I won't lay a finger on him."
"You really expect me to believe that?" I said coolly. "You've killed family before. But this time... you won't. Not while I'm around."
Damon held my gaze, but he didn't argue. He knew better.
"And one more thing," I added, glancing between him and Stefan. "Don't mess with Lexi today. It's Stefan's birthday. He deserves at least one day of peace."
Damon put on a lazy smile. "Of course. I wasn't going to ruin anything. Not today."
I didn't believe him. But for now, he could lie all he wanted. He knew the consequences.
Stefan and Lexi ended up going to the Grill. Apparently, Caroline threw a party there. And no, it wasn't Damon who compelled her—she actually did it on her own. Still, I'm keeping a close eye on him. He's been behaving too well lately, and that makes me even more suspicious.
The party itself went smoothly. No fights. No deaths. Just loud music, drunk teenagers, and Lexi trying to keep Stefan from brooding in the corner.
But later that night, one of my birds caught something interesting—Matt driving Caroline home. She was completely wasted, and he made sure she got back safely. Didn't try anything, just... took care of her. I'm starting to hope those two end up together. They could be good for each other.
Right now, Elena's back at school, sitting in history class—and finally, finally, Alaric Saltzman has shown up. We already know why he's here. After class, we're going to talk to him.
You might ask, "Why so soon?" Easy. I don't see the point in waiting. Alaric can be a very useful ally if we bring him in early. And honestly, I'd rather skip all the drama of him trying to kill Damon. That whole subplot? Waste of time. If anybody's going to kill Damon, it's going to be me.
Oh—and let's not forget the little bombshell we can drop on him.
His wife? Still alive.
And not just that... she's a vampire.
And Elena's biological mom.
Yeah. We've got a lot to talk about.