It didn't take long to walk, it just seemed far for the silence and the paranoia. It was slightly awkward as neither of them knew what to say to each other, should they speak normally? Should they address the now bigger elephant in the room? Carry on the conversation and give a better explanation? Or should she come clean?

No.

Cassandra knew Elijah would have a billion questions when he saw where they were going. Her feet stopped above a few bricked steps that lead down to a chipped, oak door. There were two baskets hanging on either side, quite high up, they held half melted candles that hadn't been lit in a few weeks.

She tiptoed and linked her index finger underneath a loop with a wad of black, iron keys attached. Cassie lifted one and used it to open the door, it creaked loudly, and it revealed a long, prison like room. Barred cages attached to each side, and huge brick walls separating each cell.

Cassie flicked her wrist and every candle lit up the entire room, showing the huge cracks in the wall, indentations on the yellow-ish wall from where people have tried to claw out. But what was most disturbing, was that there were dried blood splatters all over the walls and floors, and a hefty amount aswell.

"I haven't been here in a while" she looked on and sighed, Cassie didn't think Elijah heard that, she said it subconsciously, without control. She hoped he didn't, she said it so sentimentally, like it was a good memory. In fact, it was not.

"What is this place?" He stood beside her and looked at every odd thing in the room, trying to take it all in. How come he had never noticed a prison under his city? Was it built when his family had left for a few months? They came back a few weeks ago and that's when everything started to happen, when his vampires were murdered.

"It's a witch prison" Cassandra said as if it was only common sense, she walked down running her hands along the bars, making a sound that echoed slightly. "This is where those who murder, torture, maim and everything in between were housed as punishment"

"And how have I not known?" Elijah asked in so much confusion

"Don't worry, most of the coven do not know, and I only know because of my mother and father" she shrugged "there are a secret group of elite witches in the coven, they were the only ones who knew. I say there are, most of them are dead"

"Basically, a few weeks ago, something got in here, or someone got out" Cassandra walked to a specific cell, looking up at the back wall of it and looking at the word written in blood help she then looked at the latch on the cage door, broken. "Everyone inside died, prisoners, guards, everyone. You should have seen their fac..."

She got carried away with herself again. Cursing herself, again. Cassandra coughed "I, uhm, found this place when I followed my mother into the bayou when she went to investigate, that's how I know"

"I cannot believe this has happened so recently" Elijah went to look where Cassie looked, but she walked along, so he followed.

"The bars are infused with labelia flower, so it paralyses their powers indefinitely, until they got out, which nobody did" She carried on. Each cell had a small, rugged shelf attached by chains, a small and thin mattress on top to create the illusion of a bed.

"It seems like animals were housed here" Elijah looked at everything, they must have committed the worst of crimes to be spared death and to live their life here.

"My mother said that they were all animals" Cassandra looked towards the ground "though I believe some of them were undeserving, this group of witches weren't particularly people of their words, they were traitors too, and that's why I believe they're all dead"

"Is that what you believe?" He asked, wanting her to explain, feeling something in her aura that he couldn't put his finger on. Should he have been scared?

"What I believe is that the witches created something beyond their power" she snapped "and when they realised, they had to get rid of it, causing it to backfire to save itself"

Elijah had to step back, it seemed like she was really passionate about the subject, either that or she just really hated this group of witches.

"My mother, father and everyone in my family before them were involved, they said they were making the world a better place for us witches, I didn't think so" she shook her had "and that's why, when I turned eighteen, they asked me to join them, initiate and become part of the greater good, I refused"

"And, is that why you were shunned?" Elijah asked, linking the story to her past, and also wondering why he did not pick up on these secret groups. Was he living under a rock? Were they plotting against him?

Cassie looked at him "yes" she nodded "they hated me because of it, making my differences seem a big deal, hating me because I siphoned power from others"

"If they're all dead, why can't you live back in town?" He asked

"Because they've spread, like parasites" Cassandra replied, not realising she'd be confessing so much, showing Elijah more than she realised. "Eloise is the last original member but the rest have been recruited, but everything now points to her as the creature, but she was my friend, I can't watch her die"

"Maybe she doesn't have to" Elijah wrapped his hand around a bar and tugged with all of his strength "the keys you hold, are they for this?"

Cassie nodded.

"Well maybe she doesn't have to die"