Opal POV
I woke up to sunlight slipping through the curtains and the sound of Damon humming somewhere downstairs. The scent of coffee and blood mixed together in a way that only my husband could make work. I stretched, already smiling because today wasn't about fights with his brother, secrets, or teen drama. Today, I got to practice witchcraft again with the help of the Bennett's.
It had been too long since I'd worked with another witch, let alone a Bennett. Bonnie had this raw spark that reminded me of my younger self, and Sheila, well, she carried wisdom like it was stitched into her very bones. It felt right to share my magic with them.
I got dressed and headed downstairs. Damon was leaning against the counter, cup in hand, with his trademark smirk as he waited for me to enter the kitchen.
"Morning, Mrs. Salvatore," he said with a grin that should've been illegal. "How did you sleep? Also what are your witchy plans for the day? You planning to burn down my kitchen or are you just enchanting the toaster?"
I rolled my eyes and stole a sip of his coffee. "I slept well thank you for asking. As for my witchy plans Bonnie and Sheila are coming over to help me put up that protection spell you suggested around the house. I want to make sure no uninvited supernatural guests wander in. I can't do anything to keep out unwanted humans though."
He took back his mug and raised an eyebrow. "I hope I count as an invited in, I do live here after all."
"That depends," I said sweetly. "You planning to behave today?"
He chuckled. "Define behave."
I laughed despite myself. That was Damon. He gave me room to breathe, to live, to be my own person. But I also knew that if anything ever went wrong, he'd be between me and danger before I could blink. It was the balance that made us work well together, me with my spells, him with his chaos.
By the time Bonnie and Sheila knocked on the door, Damon had cleared the space in the parlor for us and even set out tea. He had always been thoughtful when it came to me. I knew it was because he just liked seeing me happy.
Sheila smiled the moment she walked in. "You've made this place feel like a home already Opal."
Bonnie's eyes widened at the shelves of books and jars of herbs I'd been collecting. "This looks like something out of a museum. A really cool museum, but still a museum."
Damon smirked from his spot on the couch. "Yeah, try living with it. The candle budget alone could bankrupt a small country."
I ignored him and gestured for the witches to join me near the fireplace where we'd set up the circle. We placed small bowls of salt by each window and door, anchoring the spell to the structure itself.
Sheila led the rhythm of the chant, her voice smooth and even. Bonnie followed her cue, and I matched their tone.
Together we said,
"Domus mea, lumen stet.
Ab hoste, umbra, et sanguine vetat.
Murum magicum circumdabo,
pax et tutela manebunt."
The air shimmered faintly, as the sunlight in the room began bending just enough to make the edges glow. Then, just like that, the shimmer faded, leaving the house feeling lighter and more secure.
Damon clapped. "Well, the ceiling didn't collapse. That's a good start."
Sheila chuckled. "It's holding beautifully. Anyone who means you harm won't make it past your front step."
Bonnie grinned. "So, like a supernatural no-soliciting sign."
"Exactly," I said with a smile.
Damon leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets. "I like it. Now if only we could get one for unwanted teenage drama."
I shot him a look. "Don't tempt fate, love."
He raised both hands in surrender, still grinning.
Damon POV
If someone had told me a few months ago that I'd be standing in my parlor watching three witches perform home improvement spells, I'd have laughed them right out the door. But there I was, enjoying every second of it.
Opal glowed when she worked with them. She wasn't just a powerful, talented witch, she was at peace when she was practicing her craft. I leaned against the doorway, taking it all in. Bonnie and Sheila argued over whether rosemary or sage smelled better, and Opal just laughed at them while shaking her head.
"You're staring again," she said without turning around.
"I'm appreciating," I corrected, walking over and brushing my fingers across her waist. "There's a difference."
She looked up at me with that teasing sparkle in her eyes. "You're incorrigible."
"And yet, you married me." I said with a chuckle.
She huffed, but I saw the smile she tried to hide. I could never get enough of her smile.
Opal POV
Once the laughter died down, Sheila looked thoughtful. "You mentioned wanting help with something else."
I nodded, pulling a small photograph from the pocket of my dress. "My brother... Jasper Whitlock. I don't know if he's alive or dead, but I need to know."
Bonnie blinked. "You have a brother?"
"Yes," I said softly. "He was a soldier. The last I heard, he disappeared during the war. I've been dreaming about him lately. I can't explain it, but something in me knows he's out there."
Sheila exchanged a quiet look with Bonnie before she nodded. "Then let's find him."
We set up the locator circle on the floor. A shallow silver bowl filled with water sat in the middle, the photograph floating on its surface. I pricked my finger, letting a drop of blood fall in. The ripples spread, glowing faintly.
Together, we chanted,
"Per sanguinem et spiritum fraternum,
iter ostende, vinculum aeternum.
Vita abscondita, lux revelata,
cor vocat sanguinem suum."
The water shimmered and twisted, then burst into flashes of movement. We saw pine trees, snow, the glint of sunlight reflecting like diamonds and something gold. My breath hitched as the image shattered and the bowl cracked clean down the middle.
Bonnie's hands flew to steady me as my knees gave out, the strain from the magic making my head spin.
Sheila crouched beside me, voice calm but sure. "He's alive, child, but he's not what he was. The spell hit something different, something not like us his magic was faint and he wasn't a vampire like you or Damon either."
I nodded weakly. "So he's changed."
"Yes," she said gently. "But he's out there, that much I'm sure of."
Damon POV
I carried her upstairs after the spell ended, ignoring her half-hearted protests that she could walk. She'd drained herself more than she realized due to taking more of the load of the spell to ease Sheila and Bonnie's burden.
When she woke a little later, I was sitting beside her, a drink in hand and a smirk ready. "Remind me to never get between you and a spell again. You nearly turned the living room into a snow globe."
She groaned but smiled. "I couldn't find him but he is out there, Damon. He's alive."
I brushed my fingers through her hair. "Then we'll find him in the real world outside of your visions. Just tell me where to start."
She looked up at me, eyes soft but determined. "You'd do that?"
"For you? Always."
Her hand found mine, squeezing lightly. "I don't know what he's become, but he's still my brother. I have to try."
"And we will, he's one of my best friends as well as my brother-in-law after all." I said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I've got a friend who can help us track him down. He's good at finding people who don't want to be found."
She tilted her head curiously. "A vampire friend?"
I smirked because J. Jenkins wasn't a vampire but he sure did have a lot of vampire clientele. "Let's call him a man with very useful connections."
She gave a quiet laugh and leaned against me. "I like it better when your plans don't end in explosions, or dead people."
"No promises," I said, wrapping my arm around her. "But I'll do my best for you, sweetheart."
She yawned, already falling back asleep, and I whispered more to myself than her, "We'll find him. I don't know how long it will take us but I will find him for you."
1. House Protection Spell
Purpose: To ward the house itself against supernatural intrusion or harm.
Style: Three-voice incantation.
Tone: Calm, resolute, protective.
Incantation
Domus mea, lumen stet.
Ab hoste, umbra, et sanguine vetat.
Murum magicum circumdabo,
pax et tutela manebunt.
Pronunciation guide (for rhythm in dialogue):
DOH-moos MAY-ah LOO-men STET
Ahb HOSS-teh OOM-bra et SAN-gwee-neh VEH-taht
MOO-room MA-jee-koom CHEER-koom-DAH-bo
PAHKS et too-TAY-lah mah-NAY-boont
Rough meaning:
My home, let the light stand.
Keep out enemy, shadow, and blood.
I raise a wall of magic;
peace and protection shall remain.
2. Locator Spell for Jasper Whitlock
Purpose: To find Jasper's location or essence across realms of death and transformation.
Style: Shared-power chant with escalating tempo.
Tone: Emotional, hopeful, slightly unstable as the energies clash.
Incantation
Per sanguinem et spiritum fraternum,
iter ostende, vinculum aeternum.
Vita abscondita, lux revelata,
cor vocat sanguinem suum.
Pronunciation guide:
Pair SAN-gwee-nem et SPEE-ree-toom frah-TER-noom
EE-ter oh-STEN-deh VEEN-kool-oom ay-TER-noom
WEE-tah ahb-SKON-dee-tah looks reh-veh-LAH-tah
KOR WOH-kaht SAN-gwee-nem soo-oom
Rough meaning:
By blood and brotherly spirit,
show the path, the eternal bond.
Hidden life, revealed light,
the heart calls to its own blood.