✩

unwelcome arrival

❝ she was a dangerous creature. one to be feared. ❞

✩

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍'𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓 crosses through the obscure shimmering center, her body is encompassed by warmth and her eyes blinded by light. It had only last a few seconds, however, it felt as though hours had passed. When the brightness finally disperses, her body is flung to the ground roughly, her limbs sore. She has no time to keep her face from smacking against the cold wooden floor.

There seems to be a recurring theme today, she thinks to herself dryly.

The scent of sandalwood and spice fills the air, soothing the sting of her face. As she adjusts her eyes, she notices a mid-sized chandelier casting a warm golden hue over the room, its light accentuating the dark wood beams of the ceiling.

Slowly, she pushes herself up and takes in her surroundings. Dark mahogany furniture and maroon accents adorn the room, with antique armchairs and floor-length curtains. A large fireplace dominates the far right wall, while decorative rugs and old paintings of unknown landscapes accentuate it.

This room is a stark contrast to the sleek modernity of the Elphyne high courts. Yet, despite the unfamiliarity, the feeling of home overpowers any sense of confusion gracing her mind, and for the first time in days, she feels a sense of comfort.

That feeling lasts all but two minutes.

Having been so immersed in her surroundings, she fails to notice the four individuals behind her. They had been arguing earlier but now stand in stunned silence, their confusion and alert visible.

...

"Who the hell are you?" a confused voice breaks the silence.

Snapping around in surprise, Caelemin finally realizes she wasn't the only one in the room.

Who the hell are YOU?

Her initial surprise quickly turns to wariness. These aren't the familiar guards from Elphyne, but that doesn't ease her tension. Fae are masters of disguise, and now that she is aware of their presence, she senses an unknown magic emanating from the four of them.

With a quick motion, Caelemin draws a thin golden dagger from her pocket, its weight familiar and reassuring in her hand as she waits for them to move.

The man on the outer left cautiously steps forward. Before he can speak, Caelemin lunges, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and roughly slamming him to the ground. Straddling him to prevent any movement. Faster than any of his friends can blink, she presses her dagger against the man's throat, not stopping until a small bead of blood forms, gliding down the pointed edge.

"Stefan!" a frightened voice calls out from the brunette who is now being pushed behind a dark-haired man. His blue eyes have darkened, a murderous glare fixed on Caelemin.

The air is tense, each waiting for the other to make the next move.

"Now—" the dark-haired man begins with faux calmness. "—I don't know who the hell you are or how the hell you manage to voodoo your way into my house. But I suggest you let my brother go before I rip your heart out," he continues with a devilish smirk.

He begins to step forward, ready to strike, but halts abruptly, his smirk disappearing when he notices what Caelemin is doing.

"You'd be very wise not to threaten me," she replies. The hand holding down her hostage's arm now hovers over his heart, her nails in their natural form, elongated and sharpened. Increasing the pressure, she hears him hiss in pain as they pierce his skin.

The steady thump of his pounding heart beneath her hand and the fresh scent of blood taunt her. Her eyes flicker gold before returning to deep brown, the struggle to restrain herself becoming evident. It has been so long since she last fed, and her body aches for a hunt. A kill. Yet she knows not to give in; she needs to remain in control.

The sound of footsteps breaks her thoughts, and she notices the blonde who has remained silent, slowly walking toward the dark-haired man. Her hands extend outward, showing she means no harm.

As the two begin to fiercely whisper—terribly, she might add—Caelemin realizes her hostage has yet to say a word, besides the occasional grunt of anger, and has even ceased his restless fight. She hasn't glanced down since bringing him to the ground but can feel his burning stare of displeasure and hatred. This causes a smirk to curl her lips as she catches the end of the heated exchange.

"Let's not escalate this further. We need to figure out what's going on," the blonde says, her tone firm.

The dark-haired man's eyes narrow. "Yeah, and I'm supposed to just sit here while she's got a blade to my brother's throat?"

His frustration is evident, and the tension in the room thickens as his words ring out.

After a moment, he lets out an annoyed scoff, and the blonde turns to Caelemin before speaking.

"I bet you're confused," she states calmly.

Unbeknownst to Caelemin, she had been carefully watching the strange girl from the moment she mysteriously pummeled onto the floor. The way her eyes flickered wildly across the expanse of the Salvatore House and the rigid, tense posture she still holds.

"I'm sorry about Damon; he has an irreparable tendency to speak before thinking. Actually, the thinking part never really comes," she grits out with a tense smile and quick side glance at Damon, who rolls his eyes in disinterest.

"I'm sure we all have questions, and I think it's best to ask them without the, you know, impending threat of death looming over anyone's head," she says, gesturing to a trapped Stefan and Damon, who still seems ready to strike.

"I promise we won't hurt you," she ends gently.

Caelemin senses the truth in the blonde's words. Besides, she has already concluded they aren't a serious threat. For as the girl was nearing the end of the her spiel, Damon began lazily pouring himself a drink, before plopping onto the couch.

A moment passes, and she finally pulls her fingers away from Stefan's heart, returning them to their shortened form. She looks down at her hostage, who sighs in relief, and quickly gets off him.

As he rubs his chest, she drags her finger against the now-stained blade and brings it to her lips, her eyes flashing gold as the taste hits her tongue. She doesn't remember blood ever tasting this good. She pockets her dagger before she decides to snatch another taste.

Slightly tilting her head to the side, she watches amusingly as Stefan hurriedly gets up, refusing to meet her eyes, and walks back to his friends. The anxious brunette quickly rushes to his side, her hands inspecting his chest and whispering questions of concern.

"You're right," she states, watching the two closely.

After a few seconds, she turns her attention back to the blonde, Caelemin's accented voice ringing through the room. "I am confused, and I have a number of questions that I want answers to," she says, striding over to the opposite couch and sitting down. She no longer feels the need to place herself away from them in caution.

The blonde girl follows suit, sitting between Damon, who hasn't taken his piercing gaze off Caelemin, and the quiet brunette, who now sits with crossed arms and a look of apprehension.

They wait for Stefan, who is leaning against the wall, to sit down. However, the only available seat is near Caelemin. He glances at the empty spot with disdain before bringing his gaze to her own. She was already been watching him with a smirk, causing him to roll his eyes. The wall it is.

Silence seizes the room.

Finally, with a huff, the blonde speaks up. "Okay, this whole glaring in silence thing is really annoying, especially since we're here to talk!" she quips loudly with frustration.

She turns to the quiet girl beside her with pleading eyes, urging her to speak. After their silent conversation and some hesitation, the brunette caves. "We, um, didn't catch your name... I'm Elena," she says with a small smile.

Caelemin breaks her glaring contest with Damon and turns to the sound.

"Right! And I'm Caroline," the blonde says with a bright smile. "The obnoxious one beside me is Damon, and the guy you almost killed is Stefan."

Caelemin doesn't want to give them her name yet. She is still wary of their intentions, and trust is something she has very little of.

Yet, before she can respond, Damon speaks.

"Forget the introductions. I still want to know how and why she got into my house," Damon says irritably, loudly placing his now empty glass on the side table.

"Damon!" Caroline hisses.

"We seem to be on the same page when it comes to lack of information," Caelemin interrupts. "I have no clue as to why I was sent here or where exactly here is. I was simply running and stepped through some type of portal when all of a sudden-" she continues casually, resting her chin on her hand.

"A portal?! Like in Narnia?" Caroline interrupts in shock.

Where the hell is Narnia?

"Yes, sure...I thought it was obvious that was what caused my arrival," Caelemin replies boredly, raising an eyebrow.

She needs no answer as to how she ends up here. She is familiar with the concept of portal magic, although now illegal in Elphyne, it had made an appearance in the commonly told tales of the Ancient Ones she heard as a child.

"So then, you can use magic? You're a witch, like Bonnie?" Elena asks, her confusion evident. The only people she can think of who can conjure portals are witches, and in a town like Mystic Falls, nothing is truly unheard of.

"I'm not sure what a Bonnie is, but no. I am not a witch," Caelemin replies with a hint of irritation, giving Elena an unimpressed glance. It seems these people aren't going to be of much help.

"But if you're not a witch then what are y-" Elena begins to ask with furrowed brows.

"Enough," Caelemin interrupts roughly. Her patience is wearing thin, exacerbated by hunger and fatigue. Despite having let their friend go, these slightly tiresome girls seem to forget that she is still dangerous, and it's becoming clear they might be of no use to her.

She lifts her head from her hand and looks pointedly at Caroline. "I let your friend go because I thought it would provide me with answers. I sat here and humored you because you had a purpose. However, it's starting to seem like I may need to shed a bit more blood to get what I want," she states calmly, moving her gaze to Elena. Who, now frightened, leans back into the couch while Stefan straightens off the wall.

"You're not going to touch a hair on her head, psycho," Damon growls.

"I won't have to if I get my answers, blue eyes," she counters.

It's easy for even Caelemin to notice how protective the brothers are of Elena. It's even easier for Stefan to notice how quickly his brother came to his ex-girlfriend's defense. After an already long day of dealing with Klaus and multiple attacks against his life, Stefan can't handle this. He is exhausted, mentally and physically. So without a word, he walks out of the room and up the stairs, while Elena's pained eyes linger on his departing frame.

Caroline knows Stefan deserves a break, so she decides not to comment on it and rather try to deal with the situation at hand.

"You're right. I said we'd answer your questions, and we haven't really been able to do that yet. I guess curiosity just got the best of us," Caroline states, subtly elbowing Damon's side.

Caelemin pauses, pondering which question to ask first. Letting her gaze drift, she once again takes in the antique decor, a stark reminder of the distance between herself and Elphyne.

"Where exactly are we?" she asks, still looking around.

"Mystic Falls, Virginia."

Caelemin freezes, her face set in a puzzled daze. Whipping her head back towards the trio, she waits for further explanation.

"You know, home to the presidents. Historical hotspot. Great food," Damon speaks up sarcastically before taking a sip from his cup, which he, to no one's surprise, refilled at some point.

Still, after his extraordinary clarification, her face only displays confusion. "And what court is Vr-ji-nyuh located in?" she asks, trying to make sense of Damon's words.

"What? Court?" come the confused responses.

Damon leans forward, wearing a stern expression, lowering his voice in a whisper.

"Hey, what the hell are you? Some kind of extraterrestrial?" he asks seriously.

Idiots.

Before anyone can respond, Caroline slaps his shoulder, causing some of his drink to spill. "God, Damon, grow up!"

"Geez, relax, little miss priss, no need to get violent."

"Seriously, Damon?"

I'm surrounded by idiots.

While the trio bickers, Caelemin realizes she is nowhere near Elphyne. Her home is all she has known, and now she is in a strange place with peculiar strangers and possibly no way back. Yet, there is a bounty on her head in Elphyne. The royal family and most of the courts are searching for her, and the person she was once willing to die for has commanded it all.

She isn't sure how to feel.

The trio's persistent voices fade as the stress, lack of sleep, and hunger catch up to her. Her hand grips the armrest, claws tearing into the fabric.

"Hey, are you okay?" Elena asks, concerned. She momentarily stopped playing peacemaker only to see pain on Caelemin's face. Despite the previous threat against her life, she can't help the genuine concern bubbling up.

Caroline is on the verge of wiping the dumb smirk off of Damon's face when she hears Elena's question. Turning to look at Caelemin, she can see why Elena is concerned.

Her eyes have flickered again, and her skin has faintly paled.

"Let's just stop here for now. We won't get anywhere until you get some rest," Caroline suggests gently, standing up. She hesitates, then reaches out to help Caelemin, only to stop short when Caelemin's hand shoots out to grip her wrist tightly, eyes blazing. Damon, though uninterested, can't help but tense up at the hiss of pain Caroline lets out.

"Don't. Touch me." Caelemin's voice is a mix of desperation and warning. She releases Caroline quickly, feeling the strain in her own muscles.

Caroline rubs her wrist, wincing slightly. "Look, I get it. You don't trust us, and we're not exactly thrilled about the situation either," she says, softly yet still stern. "But right now, you're hurt and exhausted. Let us help you."

Caelemin glances down, her vision blurring at the edges. She can sense the sincerity in Caroline's voice and knows she's right. She feels like she might pass out at any moment.

"Okay," she murmurs. "Just for tonight."

Caroline lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and gives a nod. "Good."

She spins to face Damon. "We're using one of the guest bed-"

"No, no, no, no, and did I mention no?"

"Damon," Caroline grits out.

"Caroline," he mimics.

A silent staring battle ensues, and his ability to care begins to fizzle.

"Fine. But so help me, if she throws up on my sheets, I'm killing YOU," he ends with a tight smile as he stands up. He quickly snatches his bottle of bourbon and spares one last look of indifference at Caelemin before walking away and out the front door.

Elena watches as he leaves, wanting to say something to him, but it's too late as the door shuts with a resounding thud. She stands up and places her hand on Caroline's shoulder, drawing her friend's attention.

"I'm going to call Bonnie...see if she might know anything about...all of this," Elena says, strained, before sending Caelemin a small smile. She grabs her phone from her purse and hastily makes her way down the hall, already dialing.

Caroline claps her hands together as she faces Caelemin, who winces at the loud noise. "Now! Let's get you upstairs."

Caelemin stands up and slowly follows the blonde, who is already headed towards the stairs, her loose curls and white sundress flowing behind her.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓✩༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Once upstairs, Caroline leads them down a hall before opening what would presumably be Caelemin's new room. Walking inside, the room is spacious yet cozy, featuring a large, inviting bed against one wall and a full bookcase flanked by tall windows draped with dark blue curtains.

She walks further into the room but still stands close to the doorway while Caroline rummages noisily in the bathroom to her left. After a few minutes, she returns with two brown folded towels, placing them on the bed. She turns towards Caelemin with a warm smile and carefully begins walking towards her.

"I set out some essentials in the bathroom—toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, etc., and some of Elena's clothes should still be in the closet," she explains, pausing in front of her. "If you need anything, I'll be downstairs, and Stefan's room is across the hall, so just say the word and one of us will hear you." She finishes, chuckling to herself.

Caelemin doesn't reply, so with a parting smile, Caroline walks past her towards the door. However, before she can fully leave, Caelemin grabs her wrist once more, only this time without as much pressure, making Caroline look at her in shock.

She releases her and steps back before clearing her throat. "I didn't say it before, but my name is Caelemin."

Caroline smiles wide, then turns around and walks down the hall. As Caelemin goes to shut the door and finally gain some privacy, she meets a pair of familiar green eyes from across the hall. He holds her gaze with a look she can't quite decipher, and for some reason, she can't look away.

But as quickly as the moment comes, it passes, with the shut of his door, leaving her to briefly stare at the now empty space before closing her own.

Turning around, she shuts her eyes, leaning against the door in complete exhaustion.

Fuck me.

✩✩     ‧͙⁺˚*･༓✩༓･*˚⁺‧͙.    ✩✩

( 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞! ) wow...it's been so long. i'm sorry for the late upload, i had a lot going on and i wasn't able to put my full focus into the story but i'm back and better than ever!

i made almost fifteen different drafts of this chapter trying to find a suitable way to introduce caelemin within the group and finally decided on this one although it's not super entertaining. i know this chapter is a bit boring but i promise it will get better!

thank you so much for reading <3 leaving a vote or comment is always appreciated, i'd love to hear your thoughts and any constructive criticism is welcome!