Chapter 7: New World

Selene was sitting alone in the armchair. Alice abandoned her because she had to help Teresa with something.

"Hello... again." she heard a familiar voice above. When Selene looked up, she saw Eleazar smiling friendly at her.

"Hey." she replied easily.

Eleazar crouched down beside the armchair so that could hear her well.

"I would like you to tell me something... Why back then, in the cafe, were you looking at me with such horror when I turned towards your table?" he asked in surprise.

"Oh God, he noticed that..."- it flew through Selene's head. "Eh..." she sighed. "I mean... It's kind of embarrassing." Selene stuttered, rolling her eyes.

"Go ahead." Eleazar encouraged her with a warm smile. Only now did she realize how handsome this boy was, and his eyes were blazing with some strange light. He took her hand lightly now, waiting for an answer, and his touch made Selene shudder slightly. What was wrong with her?

"Will you tell me, please?" Eleazar urged her pleadingly, breaking Selene out of those thoughts.

"Ah, well... Sorry. I was thinking." Selene replied slightly distracted. "I was just having some hallucinations. You looked like..." she hesitated for a while before continuing. "...like the guy who haunts me in my nightmares. But when you came to our table you looked completely different." Selene finished, looking uncertainly at the boy.

"Really? Are you having nightmares?" Eleazar didn't seem offended that Selene mistook him for the guy in the nightmare. He seemed to be thinking of something else now.

"You're not angry?" Selene asked him.

"No, not at all. I wouldn't be able to... Sorry, but I have to talk to my sister." Eleazar got up and walked away, smiling to her as a goodbye.

~~~~~~

Damon followed Alistair confidently toward the palace, the lord's bodyguards following closely behind them. They passed an excited crowd that slowly made its way back to the caves. Damon looked at them all much more haughty than usual. What pleased him most, however, was to rub Salvatore's nose in it again. It was his greatest joy to see the anger and humiliation on the face of this demon, who considered himself Alistair's successor just because they were cousins, forgetting that he had a brother, Johann, who was far more suited to be ruler, at least in Damon's eyes. But overall, he has thought many times about how great it would be if he could sit on the throne. Damon was sure most demons wouldn't be happy about it, after all, no one knew his roots exactly, but it was a nice thought anyway.

"How much I hate him." Salvatore grunted to himself, looking at Damon from a distance. "By what right did he get this mission? Damon screwed it up once, instead of the daughter, he killed the mother because could not make it in time... Damon had failed Alistair, and yet he entrusted him with this task. I never screwed up, if I was supposed to kill, I did it perfectly, after all, I finished Nathaniel Monroe. But still I am treated worse... Even though I'm the one related to Alistair, as his cousin, I have inside of me the blood of the family ruling the Underworld for centuries. I won't let a stray like Damon take this away from me." he squeezed his fist tightly, crushing the stone held in it.

"Brother." Johann said, putting a hand on his shoulder, but he immediately pushed it away. Johann, undeterred by this gesture, sat down next to him. "I don't think you should be so concerned about it. Nobody knows for sure who Damon's father is. His mother died shortly after his birth, and didn't even tell Alistair about it. She just put her son in his care." he continued. "What we do know, since it's been showed many times, is that Damon is stronger than the two of us put together. Think rationally... Don't do anything foolish." Johann added pleadingly.

"You do not have to worry so much about me. I hate him, that's true, but I'm not suicidal." Salvatore snorted, got up and entered his cave.

~~~~~~

Teresa walked over to Selene sitting alone in an armchair, grabbed her hand and pulled along.

"What are you doing?" Selene asked, surprised.

"I want to move you a little... You sit alone in this chair and you won't even talk to anyone, and I'm dying of curiosity. You are the first "chosen" I see with my own eyes, and I am not the only one who feels like that." Teresa replied, taking Selene to the kitchen and sitting with her at the table.

"Ah yes... Let's say I understand what you mean." she replied with a slightly awkward smile.

"It's obvious. You don't even know how interesting you are to everyone in this house that is under a thousand years old. As you know, only your aunt, Elisabeth, and Rita meet that criterion. The rest meet someone like you for the first time." Teresa explained.

"Ah, I understand." Selene laughed. "Am I a kind of attraction?" she added playfully.

"Yes, exactly." Teresa confirmed, amused. "Even Tess is intrigued by you, though she won't admit it." the girl added almost in a whisper and chuckled. "But it cannot be denied that Isabelle is most interested in you." she admitted at the end.

"How do you know? She's not talking to anyone." Selene looked at her questioningly.

"It's true, but her head is full of thoughts." Teresa replied. "Alice searched her mind today and was so nice to tell me about everything." she explained.

"Well, I should have guessed." Selene smiled. "This gift of hers can be annoying, right?" she asked.

"To be honest, I don't know about it myself..." replied Teresa with a little sadness.

"How is that?" Selene asked, frowning slightly.

"Tess keeps blocking my mind from her. She just doesn't want Alice to read something in my head about her. Tess is like that, does not let others know her heart. Maybe it is due to shyness, or maybe malice? I don't know... Even I, as her sister, have limited contact with her, let alone someone else. But I'm sure she's a little jealous." Teresa replied, sighing softly.

"I know, Elisabeth mentioned it when she explained to me the charm of sorceresses from famous families." Selene interrupted.

"So you see." Teresa shrugged.

"Just tell me how it happened that you took all the charm?" asked Selene.

"Our mom thinks it might be caused by a demon attack, which happened while she was pregnant with Tess. Mom defeated him, but he managed to cast a spell on her and apparently, it blocked the flow of magic and therefore Tess did not take over the family charm." Teresa replied uncertainly. Selene just nodded to show that she understood, at the same moment Alice peeked into the kitchen.

"Here you are. Come on, the other guests want to talk with Selene a little too." she said to Teresa.

They both got up from the table and left the kitchen.

~~~~~~

After Damon had discussed the details with Alistair, he made his way to the portal leading to Earth and left the Underworld quickly. For the first time in several years, Damon came back here. Last time he was here also with a mission to eliminate the "chosen one" but unfortunately, was too late then, mother managed to put this damn seal on her, therefore, instead of the daughter, he killed her. Damon hoped that this time would be able to fulfill the mission that he should have carried out sixteen years ago.

He walked slowly down the park alley. After being in the Underground for so long, the California sun disturbed him a lot. Damon used to be here often at one time, but after a failed mission, he hid himself in his cave for sixteen years. He didn't felt like leaving the Underworld after that, and Alistair didn't reproach him for that at all. That was why Damon could spend this time in peace without having to worry about anything, just waiting for the time when the seal given by the mother of the "chosen" would finally stop working. Now the time has finally come, and Damon couldn't wait to finish the mission he had started sixteen years ago.

The women, as they passed Damon, turned and looked at him with considerable interest. He was attractive and was fully aware of it, however, had no time to deal with romances now, although had to admit that he would have liked to seduce a mortal woman, for it was a nice pastime for demons. Now, however, Damon had to concentrate on his mission, perhaps after doing it he would allow himself a moment of entertainment. Damon then thought of the trick Alistair had advised him to use.

“The demon who killed the former chosen one thousand years ago did the same. Make her fall in love with you and trust with unlimited confidence. When that happens, take her away from home and kill..." he was playing Alistair's words in his mind.

It was undoubtedly a very good idea. Additionally, it would definitely be successful, Damon never doubted his charm, he knew how it affected women. The aura of mystery around him drew them like a magnet, but he laughed at his thoughts.

"First, I'll try to kill her normally, right out, and if I fail, will go to plan B." Damon said quietly to himself, just passing by the charming blonde sitting on the bench, staring at him with delight, so he winked at her. She almost fainted from the sensation and Damon smiled mischievously, making the girl blush. When she looked down, he walked on.