Chapter 2

Tori was dreaming.

She knew she was because it was the same dream she'd been having for months now. It always started and ended the same way. In the big, familiar field, Tori found a dark corner to stand in, looking on the same exact scenery she did every time she had this dream. It wasn't long before a woman, clad in ancient clothing, ran into said field, her laughter so melodic it sang with the wind. Her dress never changed colors, it was the same red as in the other dreams, with a cut resembling the way the women of the Viking era dressed. Two men, also clad in Viking attire, chased after her, this clearly being a flirty game to the three party. Tori had no problems with that, whatever suited people's fancy except ... as she looked at the woman's face, her gaze probing, she saw the same thing as ever. Tori was the woman. The woman was Tori. For some reason, Tori could never get close enough to hear what the trio was saying but she knew it was something that made her ... or dream her weep with joy, constantly nodding her head. Dream here's gaze then focused on something behind Tori and she knew the dream was almost coming to an end. As she turned around, she could only catch a glimpse of two more manly figures walking towards the trio before she felt her gut tighten, a feeling that she was being ejected out of her own dream.

Tori's eyes snapped open, looking at the unfamiliar ceiling in a daze before her dream could catch up on her. Heaving a sigh, she didn't even try to understand it anymore, she'd tried countless spells, none of which worked and Tori's spells always worked so she'd given up. She would let fate do its thing.

≛

Tori rushed downstairs in a long black dress and heels to make herself some breakfast before she went over to mayor Lockwood's wake. She'd decided to stay in Grams' house for the time being, the older woman had left it in her name anyways. She would have to decide if she wanted to keep it in the family or sell the childhood home she'd spent majority of her life in. After a quick breakfast, she put on a simple leather jacket, her cross-body bag, took her car keys and was soon on the road. She was expected a bit earlier than the set time because she was a close friend of the family. Historically, the Bennetts never had a seat on the town's Council, but it all changed with Tori. Humans were so easily deceived anyways, all she'd had to do was steal one of the founder's journal and then act like she'd discovered it in her family's attic. The Council reluctantly opened their ranks for her, that hesitance becoming wide open arms when she started supplying them with vervain, the plant lethal to vampires. Even when she'd been out of town, Tori made sure to keep her connections to the Council tight. She was nosy like that.

Before long, she parked in front of the Lockwood Mansion, letting herself in the door after she heard workers' voices. "Carol?" She called out, her voice a nice echo in the wide house.

The older woman came out of the late mayor's office, also dressed in a black dress, and showed a tired smile. "Hello, Victoria," they hugged. "You were dearly missed around town."

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Carol," Tori expressed. "If you need anything, you know I'm here." She wasn't really sorry the world lost such a shitty husband and father but these words were customary. After a few more minutes of chit-chat, Carol informed her of the next Council meeting and both women set to work. Tori was in charge of the buffet so she entered the wide kitchen, introduced herself to the staff and started giving alcohol instructions. A wake needed the appropriate amount of alcohol for one to get buzzed but never enough for one to cause a scene.

≛

Two hours passed by in a heartbeat, Tori mingling with the townsfolk, each as curious as the next on her come back. It was when she was talking with the apothecary director that she felt a tingling sensation, as if someone was watching her. Her gaze snapped to her right, green eyes clashing with brown ones.

Katherine.

Tyler let the woman in, thinking it was Elena but Tori would recognize the traitorous bitch in a crowd of Elenas. Something flashed past her eyes when she saw Katherine evading her so she excused herself and followed the other woman in a darker hallway of the house. The vampire rushed at her, pushing her against the wall, her hold strong. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Victoria Bennett."

Tori silently flashed her dimples before she grabbed Katherine by her jaw. "Katerina Petrova," she murmured. "You always loved to offer yourself up on a platter." Before Katherine could escape, she lost her strength and started to slowly desiccate by the mere touch of the Bennett witch. Her eyes finally showed the appropriate amount of fear.

Victoria Bennett was not an ordinary witch. She belonged to a class that had long been cast out of the witch communities — siphoners. She was born with no magic of her own, but with the ability to siphon any and every thing that held magic and vampires were inherently magical. Because of this slight ... handicap, she'd learned to hone her magic, not with the help of the spirits, but with the much more complex art of traditional witchcraft. Nobody could cast out Victoria Bennett. She made herself, she was known and she was respected. Her siphoner nature was a secret known to only a few people, including the traitorous vampire her cold eyes were staring at. It was only when she heard more people entering the Lockwood's house that she let go of Katherine, the vampire drawing quick bursts of air in while glaring at her.

"You're in luck, Katerina," Tori ignored the other woman's anger. "As I've told Damon, I'm not that bored as to interfere with your petty affairs," she dusted her dress. "Besides, I'm on the brink of figuring out who you're running from." Tori showed her teeth when Katherine staggered back. "I can't wait to deliver you to them. So have fun ... for now."

Leaving the vampire behind, Tori returned to the crowd with a practiced social smile. It was only when she had a small break that she pulled out the necklace she'd stolen from Katherine. It was a thin, gorgeous gold chain with a name engraved on it.

Tori walked out in the garden, her eyes catching Stefan's. She ignored the startled vampire, not wanting to engage with him anytime soon and pulled out her phone. She held her pendant near the receiver to keep her conversation private and dialed a number.

"I need you to look up someone."

"... His name is Klaus."

≛

Thousands of miles away, a man in a suit was sitting in the shadows, his eyes strained on a painting when he received a call. "Speak."

"She asked for information about Klaus."

Finally. A twinkle in his eye, he hummed. "Give it to her. Include information on my whole family."

The man's eyes wandered back to the painting, his eyes as usual resting on the beautiful woman's face, beaming with joy as she was surrounded by hers.

See you soon, elskan mín.