The spot turned out to be the house I had broken into when I first came to their world. Nothing had changed since I brok- visited the place. The linen coverings still in place, dust on the uncovered surfaces. Massive painting of Casimir and Dorina from what looked like the renaissance.
"You'll never guess who painted that…"
I looked at Dorina who joined me in the entryway/receiving hall of the house. I quickly scanned the painting for any signatures or artist marks. Noticing none, I turned back to the new vampire.
"Are you going to continue to gloat or are you going to tell me?"
"da Vinci. Leonardo da Vinci painted that portrait. We made friends with the man back when Cas and I were traveling."
"Always wanted to meet the guy… I don't think he existed in my world though."
"How do you know?"
"I don't, I got bored of eating for time to pass so I put myself in a vampire coma and slept till around 1860."
"You slept for a thousand years because you… got bored?"
"Yeah," I sighed. "though I now see that it may have been a mistake on my part. I missed so much history."
"Well, now that you're here maybe you'll avoid taking another nap so that you can actually experience and be part of history."
"I am technically a part of history back in the other world."
"Oh? How so?"
"Yes love, how so?"
I turned around and flinched at the withering glare Nicole was sending my way.
"He took part in both World Wars." I turned to Amelie and sent her a look of betrayal.
"You what?" Both Dorina and Nicole shouted.
"I got bored."
Nicole sighed and shook her head. "Of course you did."
"Hey at least I abandoned my plans for world domination."
"Your what?" I turned to look at Dorina.
"I go-"
"Bored, we know… it seems like a lot of your, actions, are the results of you being bored. Well, seeing that we have quite a bit to do we can make sure that you are thoroughly engaged so that you don't get bored."
"Come on love, I have to help look for Cas."
"Oh you will, you'll also be training Dori, and changing Mina's diapers, and making sure that we aren't noticed in this world."
"Bu-"
"Or no sex from me or Amelie, I'm sure she agrees."
Amelie nodded with a little grin. I frowned. "You seem to be forgetting that I can just go back to our world and leave you here right?"
The two lost their smile, "You're no fun to tease anymore."
"Say what you will, but I refuse to be anyone's servant. And that's what it sounded like you wanted me to be."
"Sorry." Mumbled Nicole.
I rolled my eyes, "Let's just get to cleaning this place. I'm sure Dorina would like to get some rest."
The redheaded vampire smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, I'm exhausted. Despite being a vampire I did just go through one of the worst days in my life."
"Understandable. Get some rest." I snapped my fingers and the entire house shuddered as I used a new spell to vanish all the dirt and dust.
The white sheets covering the furniture disappeared and the fires relit basking the rooms in a gentle orange glow. Nicole and Amelie went with Dorina to find rooms while I searched the grounds for a spot to bury some ward stones. Another thing I had learned from Morgana's powers was the ability to create powerful wards much more powerful than the ones I had in my properties back in Mystic Falls and New Orleans.
The existence of a spell that apparently erased all knowledge of something from the entire words mind and blocked anyone from seeing it further cemented my suspicion of Morgana and Myrddins origins. I was fairly certain the two had been from some sort of Harry Potter world. From what Morgana had told me I could surmise that they had run afoul of some entity, probably death, and had gotten cursed to hell and back.
It would explain the mental manipulation that Myrddin was a big fan of, and the fact that both of them were named after legendary magical figures. The spells and other abilities Morgana possessed added to my evidence of this fact. Without the proper proof I could only suspect. That said, the spells and new abilities were dead useful. There was practically a spell for everything and anything you could think of.
Once I had the ward stones in their spots I pushed a bit of ambient magic into them and let the runes do the rest of the work. They would draw in magic from the world and be self-sufficient. No one would have to power them. After the wards went up I stepped outside of the property and scouted out the area. Other than a few critters I found no signs of anyone else. The village nearby was sleeping and the population had gone down since the last time I was here. I wondered if they had traveled elsewhere or if they were killed by something. Either way I made sure that the wards prevented anyone from finding the home. I needed discretion to use my powers to find Cas. I couldn't have some medieval peasant spotting me and starting rumors of strange people. The last thing I wanted was for legends to form about me or worse, to have a cult started in my name. Satisfied with my work I went back inside the house and found the room Amelie and Nicole had picked. The two women had already fallen asleep. So without another word I stripped down to my underwear and crawled in with them.
[Scene Break]
It was several days later when we had found some sort of normalcy in our routines. Freya and Amelie went out to the town to buy supplies as the food stores in the house had spoiled. Dorina and Mina sat in the garden hidden from view. I practiced with the local language with Dorina as Mina slept in her arms. I sighed as I continued to butcher the language. Eventually I had enough and asked Dorina if I could scan her memories of learning the language as a child. She agreed and I safely lifted and copied the memories from her mind.
"You know, if I had this power much sooner I'd have actually passed Spanish class in high school."
"That's no excuse." We turned to face Nicole who arrived with a basket of fruits.
"He picked up French just fine." Amelie joined in looking at Nicole and Dorina.
"He was too lazy when we were in high school."
"We had a shit teacher who just smoked weed in his car all day. I don't think it's my fault I was shit at Spanish."
"You literally just flirted with me all day if not sneaking off to get burgers with your friends." Nicole huffed.
"Still doesn't change the fact that Snow was a shit teacher."
"Whatever, any news?"
I shook my head when Nicole abruptly changed the topic.
"No sign of him in the area. I used my powers and Morgana's to look. Either someone is hiding him or he's past the detection range."
"We'll have to go on foot then."
"No, you stay here with your daughter and we'll go look for Cas."
"We? You stay and protect Dorina, Nicole and I will go search for Casimir. We're less likely to murder someone and we blend in easier."
I wanted to protest, but Amelie had a point. Despite regaining my full range of emotions I still had a quick temper. There was also the fact that I was itching for a fight after finding out what happened to the kind woman and her family.
"Fine, but if anything happens, come back here. If you do find Casimir observe him, try and get him back here without a fight if possible."
"We know, just stay put. Amelie and I have got this."
I nodded and the two disappeared with a burst of speed and I turned back to Dorina who gave me an amused look.
"What?"
"Nothing, I just find it funny that the oldest vampire I've met can be cowed by two women."
"Those two women are as vicious as I am."
She laughed. "I think you're just a smart man Seth."
"Not smart enough to know how to limit myself to one woman apparently."
"Like you're actually mad that you have a harem."
"It's not a harem."
She raised her eyebrow at me. "Okay fine, it's sort of a harem, there's only two of them though. Evelyn. The third. I think I pushed her into something she wanted no part in."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because she's stopped talking to me. That and the fact that I was drunk on power back then and a majority of my morality and emotions were locked away by Morgana."
"Fair, but did you consider that she may have wanted out of whatever you took her from?"
"Not really, I just acted on the moment."
"You're like Cas in that way. He doesn't like sitting by. He'd rather act first and figure out the consequences later. It's brave, but I'd rather he didn't go about things like that."
"It's stupid is what it is… it's liable to cause unnecessary complications."
She shrugged and I sighed looking out to the town in the distance. We sat in comfortable silence for a moment before I spoke again.
"I'm glad that you're well. I had hoped to get here in time to save you from ever having to have turned into a vampire but nevertheless I am happy that you made it."
"I- I'm glad too, Casimir was gone, and they came and started burning the house down around us. Mina started crying and I didn't know what to do."
"That ordeal is done… you will never have to go through that again. Not if I have anything to say about that." He looked at the softly snoring bundle in her arms. "How is the little one?"
She smiled as she poked her sleeping daughter's face. Mina scrunched her nose and grabbed at her finger while still asleep.
"She's tired out from everything. I think Cas stormed off after he buried us. I woke up not three hours later and screamed my head off for anyone. I thought that little Mina and I would die alone in the dark up until you came. How did you know by the way?"
I frowned at the memory that had surfaced. "The one who made me, Morgana, before she left she told me that the man who sent you two here planned to have either you or Casimir go mad and start slaughtering friends and family."
"Hey- I know that look." She looked over to me. "That's the look Nicole usually has on her face when she feels like she's at fault for something she wasn't responsible for. Don't do that, don't blame yourself for something you had no control over."
"But I am responsible in part for this. I could have told him that the vision I had revealed that I would survive. I- I, it's just for some reason the little voice in my head told me that it was better if he didn't know."
Something about what she said made me realize something. Something that was right under my nose. I had read about it in my mindscape after all. I reached out and lifted her chin gently so that her eyes met mine.
"What are you-"
"Shhh, I need to focus for this. If I'm right then Myrddin has been fucking with your head too."
Her eyes glazed over for a moment before turning back to their normal color. She paled then a look of horror spread across her face. I broke eye contact once I felt her memories shift back to their rightful place.
"W-Why didn't I remember that Sta- Myrddin visited us after you left that day."
"Because he fucked with you memories. It's what he does. That's how he gets people to dance to his tunes. He gets in their head, plants little commands and erases all the knowledge he doesn't want left behind."
"He nearly got me killed! If it wasn't for you I would have died."
"Think nothing of it, that asshole is going down. We need to find Cas. Soon, because if Myrddin was in your head then you can bet your sweet ass that Myrddin has been screwing with your husband's mind for much longer."
Before she could reply the sound of a twig breaking caught my attention. I extended my power and cursed under my breath. There was a group of men closing in on the property. There was the sound of shattering glass as the wards fell. Turning to Dorina I handed her a stone that would hide her presence. I had just completed it a day ago.
"Take Mina and run, the meddling bastard is here. I'll hold him off."
"No! I can fight too." I couldn't help but smile at her.
"Dorina, you've given enough already. Take your daughter and get to safety. I'll be fine."
I reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, before she could protest I sent her away in a flash of blue light. I heard clapping behind me and. I turned around.
Myrddin looked at me with a grin on his face. Around him a dozen armored ottoman Turks with spears pointed at me.
"Seth, didn't anyone ever tell you not to steal other people's toys?"
"Fuck right on off with that, they're people not toys."
"Funny, Morgana said the exact same thing. Right before I blasted her away."
The armored men looked at each other nervously as I took a step forward. Myrddin looked like he could care less. In a burst of speed I tore the Turkish soldiers apart and was about to turn my attention to Myrddin when a burst of pain caused me to fall to my knees. Growling I glared at the immortal mage.
"You're not as powerful as you think… you're just a pawn. Disposable, pathetic, and beneath me. So I am going to do you a favor. I won't kill you. In fact I'll send you right back to the world Morgana left you in. But be warned, interfere with my plans again and I will end you."
"Fuck off."
"Oh don't be like that. I'll even sweeten the deal, I'll leave that world alone."
He snapped his fingers and before I could jump back to my feet I was yanked through a portal that had opened behind me. Colors flashed behind me and I fought a scream as I felt more pain tear through me. It felt like I was being ripped apart and put back together again. My vision flickered before I was tumbled out of the portal slamming into a brick wall with a grunt.
I got to my feet and looked around, I was back in Mystic Falls. Something felt different though. My thoughts went back to Amelie and Nicole. They hadn't been brought back with me. I hoped that they hadn't been found as well and that they'd keep Dorina safe. I tried to access my teleportation but found that I couldn't jump back to the world they were now trapped in. Cursing under my breath I started to walk to where my mansion was. On the way I took in the buildings and streets. Other than looking a bit cleaner nothing seemed to have changed. I remembered the fact that time worked differently between the two worlds and prayed that not too much time had passed.
I decided to test the rest of my powers and to my immense relief they all still seemed to still work. Once I got back to my home I walked through the door and sighed. It seemed that Anna had left judging by the dusty state of the place. I reached out with my mind and did a quick scan of the whole town. An hour later I came to the conclusion that I had missed quite a bit. It seemed that the Salvatores were not in town. Anna and Amara were somewhere downtown in a penthouse and there were a whole bunch of new supernatural creatures. I also found a swirling mass of darkness that I couldn't place.
Pulling out my phone I glanced at the cracked screen and sighed. Taking out the sim I went to my study and took a spare from my drawer. Turning on the new phone I dialed Alaric's number and waited for the man to pick up. On the fourth ring the hunter picked up.
"Seth?"
"Alaric, what's going on?"
"Seth, where have you been!?"
"I was… indisposed for a bit. How long have I been gone?"
"Fuck man, it's been nearly fifteen years."
Cursing I updated the calendar on my phone and blanched at the date. February 10, 2028. I took a deep breath to calm myself before going back to the call with Alaric.
"Seth you still there?"
"Yeah, I've been… out of state. Something happened. Some sort of magical backlash and I was sent through a wormhole of some kind. Do you have a place to meet up?"
"Yeah, the old Salvatore house. I can meet you here in about two hours. I'm out on business right now."
"Alright sounds good. I'll be there."
While not necessarily a lie it wasn't the truth. While I did fall through a 'wormhole' it wasn't because of a magical phenomenon. Not that I would tell Alaric that. Two hours, I had two hours. Thankfully the utilities in the house hadn't been shut off. I took a quick shower to wash off the grime and changed into some comfortable jeans and a shirt. I went into my garage and checked on my cars. It seemed that either Anna or Amara had come by to keep maintenance on them. I thanked the two silently and got into my Maclaren and drove out to town. Once I approached the penthouse I felt Anna and Amara's presence at I got out only to be greeted by a flying hug from Anna.
"Thank god you're back and safe. Where's Freya and Amelie?" Anna said.
"Let's get inside first. It's a long story."
Anna and Amara listened to my recounting of what had happened. For me it had been a few days from heading out with Nicole/Freya and Amelie, finding Dorina, and confronting Myrddin. To them I had been gone nearly two decades. Amara first filled me in about what had happened. Apparently the Mikaelsons had attracted the attention of some malevolent spirit a while ago, before that the Mikaelson parents had returned and attempted to kill the siblings only for the siblings to be saved by Kathrine of all people. Then Dahlia had somehow come back thanks to some ritual. The witch had apparently staked a claim to the first born children of the family. I remember Freya mentioning this detail years ago. They had killed the dark witch again. The malevolent spirit then did some sort of magical curse that they couldn't solve until both Elijah and Klaus sacrificed themselves to end. That really surprised me as I could have never seen Klaus do something unselfish, then again it was for the sake of his daughter, his family.
Anna then told me about how they had come together after I had disappeared with Nicole and Amelie to keep my businesses running. Nothing had changed on that end. I frowned at the detail that the council had apparently been dissolved which only meant one of two things. Either the entire town was now comprised of supernatural beings or they had become obsolete. Seeing that there were still humans in town. I figured that it was the second thing.
"So what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know… I guess I'll try to figure out why I can't jump worlds. Nicole or Freya and Amelie should be able to take care of themselves while I'm working on things here. I need to meet with Alaric in about an hour to find out what's going on."
Anna nodded, "We stayed out of the way on most things. We solely focused on keeping your assets functioning."
"I can't thank you enough for that. I'll check on them myself later. Right now I have to learn what I can about what's going on with my powers."
"We'll give you some time. I'll put out some blood for you in a bit."
I smiled thankfully at Amara who had proven herself to be a blessing in disguise. Anna and her had managed to adapt to modern society despite being out of touch with it and having no one to help guide them. They left the room I was in and I closed my eyes. Focusing into my mindscape I looked through the 'library' and began to search for answer.