Chapter 23: Haunted By A Vampire Beneath the Salvatore Boarding House…
[Maximus Westphall-Bennett POV]:
It was dark and cold, and the air smelled old, forgotten and stale. And rot — So much of it — that went hand in hand with the surrounding darkness. Even with Max's supernaturally enhanced vision, he could feel his vision hindered by the dark. A result, no doubt, to the magic he sensed surrounding whatever or wherever he was.
Outstretching his right hand, Max chanted a spell he once saw Hope cast in season 2 of Legacies. "Post tenebras spero lucem."
An orb of white light floated up from the palm of his hand, rising and pausing just a few inches beneath the ceiling, shimmering faintly and bright. It was more than enough for Max to take in his environment better.
Max stood in a forgotten cellar or basement of some sorts. It was clearly underground, as the ground, walls, and ceiling were concrete. A set of stairs (also made of concrete) led upward, though the door to it was sealed shut—and from the magic Max was sensing coming from it, the room was magically sealed off. And near the center of the room was a normal, average-looking ugly casket, its top nowhere to be seen.
'Though I've never been here before, I've got a decent idea of who's in that casket,' Max thought privately, eyeing the casket with a strange sense of déjà vu. 'If this is where I think it is, then—'.
"So you're a witch," a voice spoke.
As if summoned by the thought, Max turned around and saw an immensely handsome young man dressed in late 16th century Elizabethan-era clothes—a wool-blend doublet with stand-up collar, front button closure, dark-colored breeches and a white top, and dark-colored mid-ankle boots. He had to have been in his early 20s when he was turned, as he looked only slightly older than Kol, maybe 20 or 21 years old. He had a slim but toned physique, with a sharp jawline and an aura of predatory grace to him. His dark hair was longer than average, with the front parted and falling slightly over his forehead. He had sharp, piercing eyes of silver-blue and an ever-present smirk that was as mischievous and suggestive as it was dangerous and flirtatious.
'Gods, I'm such a sucker for a mischievous smile,' Max thought privately, proactively shielding his thoughts from the mind attempting to bind with his own. 'I'll let him connect, but my thoughts, memories, and feelings will remain shielded.'
Max knew this vampire was a 600+ year old vampire, and had access to rare abilities, such as dream manipulation, a potent compulsion and advanced mind manipulation techniques that came with an elder vampire. Hell, he knew this form before him was a telepathic projection of his own making. Max wasn't too sure how far this vampire's mental powers went, but he did know that he didn't want this particular vampire to have complete access to his mind.
Max fixed him with dead eyes that only showed a hint of interest as he gave the vampire a once-over in curiosity. It was a purposeful display of interest—one Max deliberately gave to seed a thought —-- A bait, if you will.
And the vampire took it.
"Hello, there, young warlock. Oh, where are my manners?" the vampire's plastered smirk widened on those sinful lips as he bowed in greeting, his face facing Max even as he bowed down. "You may call me Sebastian."
"Sebastian…" Maximus said, feigning ignorance briefly before giving a smirk of his own. "As in Sebastian the Merciless? Sebastian of Roanoke? That one?"
Startled, Sebastian's smirk vanished swiftly, replaced by genuine surprise. "You… you know who I am?"
"I do. We seers are great at divining important, significant enough past events… Events such as the Tragedy of Roanoke, while one not many of my more modern kind has the power to peer into, I am more than powerful enough to have seen the event with my own magic alone," Max said, his voice dead except for a tad bit of the pride that escaped into the tone. "Condolences for Cassandra. She didn't deserve that."
Sebastian's eyes briefly widened. He was speechless for a second before recovering, fixing his ever-present smirk and lifting his mask in practiced ease. "Much appreciation… However, color me curious or a flirt, but what if I were to say you've garnered my attention? You've beguiled me, little warlock."
'He must be a powerful warlock if he can look so far into the past so easily. If I can get him to release me from my confines… And maybe even court him,' Sebastian gave Max's athletic form a glance over. 'He's not bad looking at all. In fact, dare I say, I've never met a more breathtakingly beautiful man…'.
As Sebastian's eyes rooved over Max like he was a delicacy he couldn't wait to devour, Max had heard the 600+ year old vampire's thoughts, and the familiar warm feeling of arousal started sprouting from the pit of his stomach outward, as if summoned by the vampire's words.
And when he locked eyes with the silver-eyed vampire, taking in the older man's sharp, sculpturous face, lean athletic build, and handsomely brooding features—particularly his defined cheekbones and prominent lips—he was briefly reminded of a certain vampire Original…
'Both are handsome,' Max realized. 'Both are dangerous, clever, and have a history of brutal, heartless violence… And yet… I've never been one to run away from these types of men. In fact, Sebastian was always on that list of mine. I just never expected to deliver himself unto me so swiftly.'
"Hey, eyes up here," Max snapped his fingers at Sebastian., flawlessly making Sebastian flustered as he dissuaded his own thoughts to the best of his abilities.
"I have a favor to ask," Sebastian began, walking up to Max to stare his silver gaze deep into Max's own hazel-green. "Can you free me from this entombment? I– I will be forever in your debt…?"
"Maximus," Max said, completing his request for him. "My name is Maximus, or just Max."
"Maximus…" Sebastian tried his name on the tongue, then smiled. "What a lovely name."
Max fixed him with a pair of unimpressed eyes. "Is that supposed to get me to let down my guard and let you out, Sebastian? Complimenting my name? What am I, a 1400s princess in distress? Is that the best you've got? You're gonna have to try better than that, you know, if you want something from me."
Max's response surprised the elder vampire, if his raised brows was anything to go by— Well, that and the vampire's thoughts: 'This witch… is not ordinary. Most his age aren't this capable at resisting my charm and suggestions. Could he be… psychic?'
Max smirked at that, alerting the vampire that Max was tuning into his thoughts.
'A coincidence, perhaps?' Sebastian thought, pausing for a moment before shaking his head as if to clear himself the thought. 'No, I doubt that. Something about this young witch tells me there's nothing coincidental about him. Even his looks are vastly superior to any witch, werewolf, or vampire I've had the pleasure of meeting in my long life. I'd have mistaken him for a vampire had I not seen him perform magic with my own two eyes.'
Max listened in on Sebastian's inner rant, merely watching as the vampire paced back and forth, lost in thought, before pausing in front of Max, his smirk resurfacing. "What have you decided to convince me with this time?"
The two locked eyes, Sebastian's silver, fixed deeply on Max's own hazel-green, as the vampire decided on his decision of offer.
"My beguiling Maximus," Sebastian said slowly, seductively, never once losing eye contact with Max, even as those prominent lips parted into one of the most seductive smirks Max has ever seen on a man. "If you let me free, out of this…tomb, I'll follow you, court you, make you mine. You'll want for nothing. You'll be satisfied at night, with yours truly to be called your own. I prom—."
Max unleashed a mischievous laughter, startling the vampire into silence. Max laughed and laughed. And laughed. And when Max found it in himself to stop, he looked at the older man.
"I am, how you say? Ahh, yes—noble born. I'm not your average, low-income witch, Sebastian, and I certainly don't lack suitors who're more than willing to throw themselves at me. But you can join the harem list."
"The… what?" Sebastian was taken aback briefly, before thinking in consideration his next actions.
"Tell you what," Max, deciding to take mercy on the vampire, spoke up, garnering the vamp's attention. "I'll set you free, but when I do, you become mine. You can have no other mate except me. I'll own you, mind, body, and soul."
"What do you say?" Max outstretched his hand in offering.
Sebastian paused, eyeing Max's outstretched hand, and then Max's own plastered smirk. 'I have nothing against male-male relations. I have my own history of courting men and women alike. And yet this young witch's deal feels so… restrictive and final…'.
Sebastian was feeling that, if he agreed with the deal, he would be signing something he would not be able to back out of. 'And yet, not shaking the hand meant staying stuck in this place for who knows how much longer,' Sebastian thought, finally making a decision. 'At least this witch is somewhat interesting. And witches aren't immortal, so what is another 80 years of life in such a deal, especially if taking it means my freedom eventually?'
Seeing his loophole, Sebastian shook Max's hand, surprised that his ghostly frm was able to make contact with the witch, completely unaware that he had just pledged a much, much, much longer sentence as Max's plaything than a mere 80 years.
'Quileute shifters from the Twilight universe are effectively immortal after the age of 25, Max thought privately. So long as I phase regularly, I'll never die of old age. Which means, Sebas, you will be forever mine.'
I'll unseal your little basement tomb…" Max said, feeling his consciousness begin to pull him back. "…but only after I return to Mystic Falls— And on my own time."
"Wait, wha—" Sebastian began, face full. "No!"
With that, Max vanished, returning to his physical body with a gasp, fully awakening to a bed within two shirtless men on either side of himself.
Both Kol and Kai were asleep, their shirtless, muscular bodies giving the room a scent of fresh masculinity, even in slumber.
As Max observed their fully peaceful faces, he realized not many could attest to being witness to such serene expressions on such dark individuals. It tugged at something inside Max, the thought.
"They must've changed my clothes while I slept," Max thought aloud, noticing he was dressed in pajamas he wasn't wearing before. He was certain he wasn't wearing it before he passed out
"So this is your so-called harem," a male's voice caused Max's heartbeat to quicken.
Looking at the foot of the bed, Max saw the vampire ghost, Sebastian, looking his dashingly delicious self, sharp smirk curving his lips as he took in the sight before him. "If this is how you want me to wake you up every morning, my beguiling Maximus, then I won't mind fulfilling the contract."
"Sebastian," Max whispered—growled—at the ghost. "What are you doing here?"
"Why, I am here to make sure you fulfill your end of the deal," Sebastian said, taking in the room, and the devilish smirk deepened. "Does your little road trip have room for one more charming little vampire?"