CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

"You two really suck at finding​ a job lately." Nyx says,​ and the boys both look up at her.

"Well, I don't see you coming up with anything." Dean says, and she narrows​ her dark eyes as she glares​ at him in the rearview mirror.

Her phone starts ringing again, and she actually answers it this time. "What?"

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?" Stefan questions.

"Typically people don't answer their phones because they don't want to talk to the person who's calling." The brunette says.

"Isobel's in Mystic Falls." He tells her, and her heart sinks into her stomach.

"What?" Her sudden shift in attitude makes both boys in the front seat turn their heads.

"She showed up last night and threatened Ric. She said that if he didn't arrange a meeting between her and Elena, then she'd start killing people."

"Wha— Is Elena— I mean—" She sighs, unable to form an entire thought, let alone a full and coherent sentence.

"Elena's going to meet with her today at the grill. I'm going to be inside, but not with her. Isobel said that if either Ric or Damon come inside, she'll kill someone." He says.

"But she... She said that she didn't want..." Nyx closes her eyes. "She compelled that guy to make sure that we didn't look for her. I don't understand why she's there now."

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out soon." He says, and she nods.

"Should I... I mean, do you guys need... Does Elena need..."

"Stay with Sam and Dean for now. I'll call you later and tell you what's going on." He says, and she swallows the lump in her throat.

"Okay."

Their conversation ends there, and the boys in the front seat are both looking at her. Sam's turned around, and Dean's looking back and forth between the road and the rearview mirror.

"Isobel's​ in Mystic Falls. She's demanding​ to see Elena." She tells them,​ and they​ glance at each other. "Stefan's gonna call later with an update."

—

Nyx's phone rings, and she immediately looks down at it. She and Sam are in their motel room, and Dean went to get them all some pizza for dinner.

"It's Stefan." The brunette says as she stands up. She then walks outside before answering​ the phone. "What's​ going on?" She asks​ as soon as she knows Stefan can hear her.

"She's working with your Uncle John. They want a device that your ancestor — Johnathan — made back in 1864. It's a device that can help them kill vampires." He tells her.

"Why would Isobel want a device that can kill her?" Nyx questions.

"Actually, we don't think she wants​ it for herself. We think she wants it so that they can use it to kill the tomb vampires." He explains. "If Elena doesn't give it to her, she's going to kill people."

"She uses that threat a lot." She mumbles to herself. "So, where is this device?"

"Damon has it." He says, and she nods. "We want Bonnie to take away the spell that makes it work. Her ancestor, Emily, spelled it so that Johnathan could use it. So, only a Bennett can undo the spell for us. Elena thinks that she'll do it."

"It sounds like you've got everything all figured out."

"We're working on it."

"Has she... Has Isobel said anything about...me?" She asks.

"No." He sighs, knowing that that's gonna hurt her. "I'm sorry, Nycole. All she cares about is this device. We think she's working for Katherine."

"Let me know what happens." She says, and then hangs up before calling John Gilbert.

"I'm surprised to hear from you after the way you avoided me while you were in town with your friends." Her uncle says.

"Are you working with​ Isobel to get this device to kill the tomb vampires?" The teenager questions.

"I am." He says. "If we don't kill them, they'll come after us. It's only a matter of time."

"I agree." She tells him. "They already tried to kill me once, almost succeeded too. I want them dead. When are you planning to do​ it?"

"Founder's Day. Why?"

"I'll help you with this, but you have to promise me one thing." She says.

"And what's that?" He asks, clearly skeptical.

"Stefan, Damon, and Anna are all left out of it when you kill the tomb vampires." The brunette tells him. "Elena and Jeremy have lost enough. Promise me, or I'll make sure you don't get what you want. And if Isobel hurts anyone, we'll come for her. The guys I'm with — they're hunters. I'm a hunter. Killing her won't be hard. It'll be a hell of a lot easier than other jobs we've worked."

He hesitates for a second. "Okay. Anna and the Salvatore brothers won't be hurt when we kill the tomb vampires."

"If you're lying to me, John... So help me God, I will make you regret it."

"I promise." He says, and she hangs up. Nyx takes a deep breath and then calls Bonnie next.

"Nycole?"

"Are you alone?" She asks.

"Yeah, I'm alone. I'm about to meet Elena, Stefan, and Damon at the Boarding​ House to get rid of the spell on the Gilbert device." She tells her.

"You can't get rid of that spell, Bonnie." She says. "Those tomb vampires​ have to die."

"What?"

"Make it look like you got rid of the spell, and make it look convincing. I'll be there when John plans to use the device." Nyx quickly tells her. "And I'll make sure that Stefan and Damon aren't hurt too."

"Are you sure about this?" Bonnie asks.

"Those tomb vampires kidnapped me and Stefan and tried to kill us. Bonnie, I died in that basement. If Stefan hadn't saved me..." She shakes her head, not wanting to think about that day. "Trust me, Bonnie. I can do this. This is what I do."

"Okay." The witch agrees.

"And Elena can't know." She tells her.

"I won't say anything." Bonnie promises, and their conversation ends.

Nyx slides her phone​ into her back pocket and she stays outside the room. She has tears in her eyes and she's trying so hard to keep from crying. She doesn't want to lose control over her emotions because of Isobel. She's a vampire, and she doesn't care about the twins.

"Nyx." Sam walks up behind her, and she puts her hand over her mouth. "Nycole."

He moves so that he's standing in front of her, and she reluctantly looks up at him with dark, glassy eyes. "Why do I care so much?" She asks, her voice just as quiet as when she was on the phone before. "Isobel doesn't give a damn about me. She doesn't care about me or Elena. She's only in town​ working with John for Katherine. So, why... Why does it hurt so much?"

"Because she's still your mother." He says. "And you want her to care about you."

"But I don't want to care about her." She tells him as tears run down her cheeks. "I don't want to care, Sam. It hurts too much."

He pulls her to him and wraps his arms around her shoulders, and she starts crying even harder, sobbing into his chest. "I'm sorry, Nycole." He says as she wraps her arms around his torso.

"Why doesn't she care?" Nyx asks, though she knows that he doesn't have the answer to her question. He just hugs her as she cries.