I'm a small-town mother of two, who enjoys reading and writing. I am a huge nerd at heart and am a part of many different Fandoms. Including but not limited to: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Sherlock, Marvel, Twilight, Vampire Diaries, TO, House Of Night, Lord Of The Rings, and The Hobbit. If you read my stories please let me know what you think. Feedback - whether it be constructive or otherwise - is greatly appreciated. I adore all my readers and really enjoy being able to provide ya'all with a few more stories to add to our beloved Fandoms. I write for the Vampire Diaries, Star Wars, Sherlock, Supernatural, and Harry Potter. You can find me on FFN, Wattpad, and AO3 under GeekOfManyForms. Masterlist
Style: Multi-Chapter (Around 4000 Words a Chapter)
Rating: Mature
Content Warning: N/A
Summary:
They shouldn't trust you. You wouldn't trust you if you experienced what they did. You know things you shouldn't - you know names, places, and events that hadn't even happened yet and something dumped you in a strange forest, face-to-face with a trio of trolls and a company of armed strangers.
Stuck in the middle of a king's quest to reclaim Erebor, you're now navigating a world both familiar and foreign at the same time. Not to mention the growing tension between two brothers who are far too invested in your presence amongst the group. Every step toward the Lonely Mountain is a choice you're making but are you important enough to rewrite a story that already has an ending?
Can you choose between the two Durin brothers? Do you even need to?
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Whatever you expected the afterlife to be, it didn’t smell anywhere near as terrible at this.
Well, you didn’t know for certain that you had died but it was a possibility that fluttered through your mind when you woke up with a start.
There had been a storm before you went to bed that night. You remembered the thunder that shook your bedroom window and the lightning so bright it illuminated the night sky. It kept you up for a few hours before sleep had stolen you away.
But then you awoke to the lightest drizzle on your face and no roof above your head.
Instead, you stared up at an endless dark sky.
The remnants of a rain cloud hung overhead, moving slowly away to reveal thousands upon thousands of stars as far as the eye could see. Great trees framed your view, their broughs hung heavy with moss as they reached for the moon.
The wind brought smells of the forest – peat, wet moss, and a stench so horrific it made you bolt upright.
You reached for your blanket but grabbed at naught but air. The pillow beneath your head had long disappeared and when you reached for the back of your head, your fingers came away muddy and wet.
Somewhere nearby, a bird cooed and you jumped to your feet.
A dream? You didn’t feel as though you were dreaming. The ground squelched beneath you as you stepped. A mosquito flew past your head and you batted at it automatically. But this had to be a dream. You hadn’t been outside when you fell asleep and there wasn’t a forest like this anywhere near your house.
Beneath you, the ground trembled and your heart kicked into gear. A thick lump formed in your throat as you spun to see what could have caused it.
Through the thick bristle of the fir trees, you could make out a faint amber flicker. Like a miniature dancer caught behind the bars of a jail cell, a fire burned in the distance. Its warm glow made you bitterly aware of how cold you were. The water on your skin sent a freezing chill deep into your soul.
The wind brought the smell over you once more and you balked. Rot and death hung heavy in the air here and you covered your mouth in a vain attempt to ignore it.
You didn’t want to walk closer to the smell but the first was the only sign of life around and, in the case that this wasn’t a dream, you had no other options. It would do you no good to stumble around in the forest with no direction.
Still, you pinched yourself twice to make sure you wouldn’t wake up before you took a wary, muddy step forward.
This forest was strange. You knew it and you didn’t at the same time – like a dream you’d passed through once before. As you walked, you stared at all the small plants and great trees as though they’d share their secrets. A moth fluttered past your face, light green and gold and you stopped to watch it in awe. Never had you seen a moth quite as beautiful as that.
The branches above you creaked with concealed threats and you watched them uncertainly.
Had somebody stolen you from your bed? Kidnapped you just to abandon you in the woods with nothing but your clothing? The thought panicked you but it simply didn’t make sense. How had you not woken up before then?
But if it was a dream, how were you not waking now?
Sleep still lurked in the corners of your brain and you shook your head to get rid of it. You didn’t know where you were and predators may well hide amongst the trunks so you hurried up and started for the fire with renewed invigoration. A fire meant people and whoever they might be, they were probably a far cry better than standing alone in the woods and freezing to death.
That assumption was quickly proved wrong because apparently a fire didn’t mean people anymore.
A fire meant monsters.
And you had never seen monsters like this before.
Deformed abominations with massive, hulking frames and heavy-ladened limbs that resembled humans in the vaguest sense of the word. Three of them stood in the small clearing – gathered around a large campfire with grotesquely-mutated forms.
Right where you would have broken free from the forest, the body of what might have been a horse once lay. It had been pulled in half and its head lay abandoned on the ground before you, bones stripped free of flesh.
You gagged and one of the creatures turned its head.
Thankfully, the great rock you were standing beside was close enough that you could hide from its disgusting gaze. Its face was smashed in a malformed like somebody had hit it repeatedly with a large rock at some point. Beady, hungry eyes scanned around the clearing and you crouched lower with a whispered prayer in your mind.
A smaller, higher voice spoke and it looked away, allowing you to release the breath you’d been holding.
“Well, what are we going to do with them then? I don’t want parasites.”
There was something uncomfortable about hearing it speak in a voice you could understand clearly rather than the grunts and grumbles you’d expected. Parasites? What was going on?
Something about the entire scene scratched an itch in your brain. You felt like you knew what these creatures were though you had certainly never seen them before. Or had you? Not in real life but somewhere else?
Their fire had been made in a small clearing, pushed up against a great rock and surrounded by fallen trees. At the feet of the monsters, you heard a cacophony of shouting but you couldn’t see the source and over the fire itself, there were several people – far more fitting of the word than the monsters but different enough to give you pause – lashed to a great spit and being rotated slowly as they yelled.
It was familiar. You’d seen this before but not from this angle, hunched against a stone with trees to your back.
A brief memory of a movie, played in the background while you did something else, flashed in front of you. You remembered these creatures while they hulked over their meal and tried to decide how to cook it.
You pinched yourself again, hard enough to bruise this time, but you still didn’t wake.
This couldn’t be happening. This was a movie. Monsters like these weren’t real and they didn’t lurk around forests, discussing how best to eat people. You wrinkled your nose at the stench of burning hair and rotting flesh and fought against the urge to run away.
The group over the fire were yelling in a language you couldn’t quite understand or maybe it was because they were all speaking over one another. You had a pretty good idea of what they were saying though.
What was this movie called again? The more you thought about it, the more certain you were that it hadn’t been in the background. You’d been watching it pretty actively with snacks in your hand and a blanket on your lap but still, the name kept eluding you. Weird because it hadn’t been that long ago but you could barely remember the room you were in.
What was happening?
Memories – or lack of – faded as you came back to whatever reality this was. The problem before you was far more important than anything else.
The trolls – and that’s what they were called, trolls, you remembered – weren’t looking at you. You could easily go back the way you came and find your own way home. Wherever home might be. Or you could wander around until you woke up from this dream.
Unless it’s not a dream
The troll who had been guarding the fire stepped away and you stared at the group on the spit, debating. If this was a dream, you wouldn’t be in any danger. If it wasn’t, going forward would be the stupidest idea you had.
Close to where the bodies of the ponies had been dumped, various items had been left strewn about. Saddlebags and broken carts; likely once owned by previous groups that had unfortunately found themselves in the grasp of the trolls. And luckily enough, the rain from earlier must have filled some of those items with water.
You debated with yourself for far too long before you crept forward.
Every step you took was carefully placed to ensure you didn’t step on a twig or cut your foot on the splintered bones that littered the ground. You weren’t dressed for this but now that you looked, you hadn’t been wearing leather pants and boots like this when you climbed into bed. You frowned at your feet.
Just a second ago, you had been sure you were barefoot and able to feel the mud under your toes.
Where had these boots come from?
A snort from the trolls made your head snap up. They hadn’t turned back to you but you were exposed now. If you stayed in this clearing for much longer, it wouldn’t be long before they caught sight of you.
You hurried along, hopped over a small log and grabbed what looked like a large bucket that had filled.
It burned your shoulder muscles as you picked it up. The water sloshed and you strained to drag it free from the rest of the broken wood around it. This clearing felt far too small.
You could smell the trolls themselves. A disgusting, unwashed scent permeated from their skin as they moved. They were absolutely enormous – far larger than they had seemed from a distance – with heads too small for their bodies and mud caked onto skin as thick as a rhino’s hide.
You dragged the bucket closer, your heartbeat increasing with every step you made toward the fire and then with a great shove, you pushed it over as one of the trolls turned its lazy head back to you.
The flames disappeared with a great woosh of water and a flurry of steam that plunged the area into darkness and chaos erupted between the trolls.
“Oi! Who’s there?!”
“Weren’t you watching the bloody fire? Why’d you let it go out?”
“I didn’t let it go out! Somebody must have put it out!”
“Which one?”
“How am I supposed to know?!”
Their footsteps made the ground tremble and though you couldn’t see, you had a vague enough idea of where the base of the spit had been. You leaned your shoulder against it and with a mighty shove, it gave, sending the dwarves who’d been tied up crashing to the ground instead.
Before you could do much else, a massive hand grabbed for you and you barely managed to jump back before it closed around air.
“Hey, there’s somebody running around here!” the troll called. “That’s what put out the fire!”
“Catch it then you idiot!”
You stumbled back, disorientated by the lack of light and hoping that their clumsy grabs and steps didn’t end with you squashed into paste. If one of them stepped on you… you dived to the ground as one came far too close for comfort and scrambled toward the edge of the clearing where the trees and thornbushes could give you cover.
The sky was beginning to lighten and with it, you became more and more exposed. You dropped into one of the bushes and winced as a thousand brambles snatched at the skin on your arms and tugged at your clothing and hair.
One of the trolls stubbed his foot against a rock and howled in pain, jumping up and down and sending rumbles through the ground that almost knocked you over.
You could barely see but it looked like the dwarves were starting to wriggle their way free from their confines in all the chaos. The only danger was that now they looked as though they might get stepped on by fumbling oafs.
At least they weren’t cooking anymore.
“Is it another one of them burrahobbits?”
“Must be! There must be more of thems sneaking around.”
“Good. They’re too small to make a meal on their own.”
“Hang on, our meal’s getting free over here.”
One of the trolls leaned down and grabbed the spit. You cursed as he lifted it up, aiming to put it back on the fire. You had bought only a precious few seconds of distraction and it still wasn’t enough.
“Just ignore it,” he said. “We got enough food here anyhow. Let’s get them cooked and get out of here – I don’t want to be here when the sun’s up.”
“We can’t start the fire now. It’s all wet!”
“Well what else are we supposed to do?”
You frowned and tried to reach for a memory that wasn’t quite there. How had it gone in the movie? You vaguely remembered a rock being broken in half and a man with a long, white beard. A wizard? What had had name been?
Gan… Gandalf!
“The sun’s coming up. Let’s just cook ‘em in the cave.”
You cursed under your breath. That wasn’t what you wanted to cause. If they moved into the cave, they wouldn’t be exposed to the sun at all.
You grabbed a rock off the ground and threw it as hard as you could towards the trolls. It hit one in the leg and you stood to allow them to see you. The three of them turned slowly and frowned in your direction.
“Wait, there it is.”
One of the trolls lumbered toward you faster than you thought they could move and your distraction worked far too well for its massive hand closed around your body before you could scramble away. He lifted you off the ground with ease and you left your stomach behind as you hurtled toward the sky.
“Hey, this isn’t a burrahobbit,” he said. “It hasn’t got the big feet or nothing. It’s just a human.”
“Oh good, I much prefer human to dwarf.”
The trolls appeared to have abandoned their previous meal as they clustered around you curiously. Sweat rolled off their faces and you thought that if this was a dream, it would be an ideal moment for you to wake up. Unfortunately for your sense of smell and for your ribs (which were being rather crushed by the troll holding you), you remained firmly in the situation.
“There’s only one of them though,” complained the troll not holding you. “Maybe there’s more around. Most humans stopped coming here after we moved in. Where’d you come from?”
“Really wish I could answer you,” you said and your voice shook from the panic of being held up to a monster’s mutilated face. “I don’t know where I came from though.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’ll taste just the same,” grunted the other.
The more you thought of it though, you didn’t actually know the name of your home street. Or more like you knew it but the information danced tantalizingly outside your reach, just barely on the tip of your tongue. That was weird because you were sure that a few minutes ago, you knew exactly where you lived.
Not that it mattered when you were a few minutes away from being eaten by trolls in some forgotten forest.
“Do you have parasites too then?”
“What? No!”
Your reflexive, offended answer came too quickly and seemed to please the trolls who looked at each other and grinned.
“Then we don’t even need to cook ya.”
Shit.
“I’ll eat this one then and you two can has my share of the dwarf. Too tough for me anyhow.”
“Hold on, it’s me that spotted it in the first place!”
The voice sounded like the trolls though from where they held you, you could see none of their mouths move. You frowned but you had no time to tell what might have happened for immediately, they began to bicker and you flailed around in his hand not unlike a ragdoll.
“No, you didn’t!”
“You let it put out the fire!”
“How was I meant to see it when you were standing over there blocking my view!”
Through the arguing, you heard a very clear clicking sound, like a piece of wood smacking against a rock. The trolls stopped flinging you around and you fought the urge to throw up as you saw a scene that fit with your memories all too well.
Gandalf stood atop the large stone, the earliest morning light streaming past him.
“Who’s that?”
“No idea.”
“Can we eat him too?”
The wizard brought his staff down and with a mighty crack, the great boulder split in half and sunlight erupted past. The trolls bellowed in pain as their skin turned to stone and the hand around you loosened just enough for you to slip free.
You hit the ground with a huff of effort and barely managed to stay standing as the great monsters froze to rock.
For a moment, there was silence and then the dwarves began to cheer.
You took a step away from the scene, your ribs tender and your head spinning from being thrown around. This was exactly as you’d seen in the movie and names mixed together as you looked at the people around you, some shoved into bags that smelled like rancid meat and others freeing themselves from the great spit they’d been lashed to.
At the same time, you knew where you were and forgot it all. This had to be a dream. It didn’t make sense otherwise because this was a movie.
This was not reality. Reality didn’t have trolls and wizards and…
You reached out to touch a scratch on your arm. It wasn’t very deep – likely caused by your earlier dive into a thorn bush – but it burned where you touched it. The red on your finger was too real and the panic settled like a vice around your throat.
When you looked up again, there were far too many eyes watching you. You realised with a start that maybe you should have left before questions began – questions you didn’t have answers for.
“Who in the blazes are you?”
The question came from one of the dwarves though as you looked over them, you found you couldn’t think of any of their names. You knew them though. Or at least, recognised them. Small facts came through as you studied their expressions, knowing that you didn’t have much of an answer.
Though one you recognised in a second.
The king under the mountain. You knew his title but not his name – knew why he was important but not quite how he would. You recognised his regal aura, the strength of his stance and the distrust in his brow. He regarded you as if you were nothing more than an insect before him but you stared at him with knowing.
Because you’d seen his death.
You remembered it in flashes. It played across a screen in front of you. A blade thrust forward with hatred. It pierced through his skin as somebody screamed a name, the sound muffled within the memory. Him and the others.
You spotted them next. Young dwarves who regarded you with curiosity and distrust equally. One blond, the other brunet, but both clearly related.
They had all died in a great battle against a creature your mind had forgotten. A war or a fight high in the mountains. You remembered the feeling of loss but even as you reached for it, the feeling fled from you and left you standing with an unanswered question.
“I… really don’t know,” you admitted truthfully. “Well, I know my name but I don’t know why I’m here or how I arrived. I woke up a few minutes ago not far from this camp.”
They stared at you and you stared back because you’d already provided them with the knowledge you had. There was nothing more you could say if you didn’t even know yourself.
The wizard approached you then with a gaze that made you shift uncomfortably. He stared straight through you as though he could see right to the very bottom of your soul – like he knew something even you didn’t.
“You are rather curious,” he said. “I certainly don’t think you’re meant to be here but where you might be from, I’m not sure I could say.”
“I know you,” you blurted out. “You’re Gandalf, right?”
“That I am.”
The knowledge was uncomfortable. If he really was Gandalf and you knew him from a story, not from reality, then why did he stand in front of you. Even in your most realistic dreams, you hadn’t been able to see so many details in the world like the way the sun played over the grass or the tight crow’s feet around the wizard’s eyes.
“I don’t know where I come from,” you reiterated. “But it’s not from this world.”
How else could you explain it? You had no idea what you were doing here or what to do now that you were standing before a great wizard but the best option you had was magic. After all, what else could have dragged you here in th first place?
You should return home. You knew you had reason enough for it – a responsibility of some kind – but you couldn’t remember quite why you had to be back.
“Perhaps not,” Gandalf agreed. “Though I might not know where you’re from nor what brought you here, there is reason enough for it. Magic works that way sometimes, frightfully annoying though it may be. It doesn’t always tell anybody exactly why it does things, not even us wizards.”
“What would I do then?”
He thought about it and rested a hand upon his beard. “Perhaps the reason you are here is to join us on our travels until such a point that you find what it is you’re looking for.”
“That’s ridiculous.” The king spoke and his voice rumbled like thunder across you, rich with authority and distrust. “You don’t even know who she is.”
“She provided your company with valuable assistance today Thorin. Why, her distraction kept the trolls’ attention long enough that not one member of your party carries so much as a scratch on their head.”
“We did not require her assistance nor did we ask for it.”
“I can’t travel with you if I don’t know where I’m going,” you hurried to say. “I’m ill-prepared for it anyway.”
“And why shouldn’t you?” the wizard asked. “Do you have somewhere else to be?”
You hesitated on the truth. You did have somewhere else to be but that place was quite out of reach at the moment and what little you knew about where you were came through memories of a story. Wandering off by yourself seemed a bad idea.
But what would happen when the story ended?
“Well, no,” you admitted. “I don’t.”
There was a twinkle in his eye when he smiled at you. “Then I see no reason why you should not travel with us until we figure it out.”
“But I don’t even have a weapon,” you said.
“Though it may be small, a blade is still a weapon.”
You frowned and turned your attention down to your belt where, sure enough, the hilt of a sword glinted vaguely in the light. You reached for it and drew the blade slowly. The steel shone brightly, well-forged and polished to perfection. You flexed your wrist and watched the way the sunlight glittered across the metal.
That hadn’t been there earlier.
Neither had the rest of your outfit, which appeared to be rather robust travel gear, crafted from hide and laced over your chest. A green cloak made from thick wool sat on your shoulders, fur-lined and durable. Even your gloves, so comfortable that they were practically invisible, were new.
“Gandalf, we cannot be collecting strays at every step of this journey. There will be no further split in the treasure nor provisions to spare.”
“Come now Thorin, you trusted me with the burglar and you shall have to trust me with this one. Now, I do believe those trolls had a cave nearby that we should take a closer look at.”
Thorin’s eyes didn’t slip from you as Gandalf walked away and you tried your hardest not to wither beneath his furious expression. You opened your mouth to… you didn’t know. Defend yourself? Warn him about his death which you kept getting vague flashes of? Would he believe you if you did tell him?
Or would he deem you insane?
“He’s awfully demanding for a wizard. You’ll find that once he’s made up his mind about something, he’s quite difficult to convince otherwise.”
The man who spoke to you startled you quite substantially. You jumped a little when he appeared beside you, his steps completely quiet. This one was another whose face you remembered – and his name now that you thought about it. Bilbo. Yes, that seemed right.
“He speaks in riddles,” you said.
“You get used to it. Rarely makes any sense at all, if you ask me,” Bilbo huffed. “Thank you for your intervention. Though you won’t hear it from the others – these dwarves have awful manners – I certainly appreciate you stopping the trolls from eating us.”
You gave a breathy laugh. “It’s no problem though I’m afraid I didn’t do a very good job of it. I nearly ended up getting eaten myself.”
“Well, you didn’t,” he said. “Having a wizard on our side is good for that at least.”
You laughed a little and turned your attention away from the hobbit to see if you could spot where the wizard had disappeared but instead, you caught the eye of one of the younger dwarves you’d spotted earlier.
Blond with hair like a lion’s main and the faintest furrow to his brow, he very obviously looked you over before he looked away with a small smirk on his face – whether of approval or he was humoured by your strange appearance, you had no idea. It sent a flush over your cheeks regardless and you quickly looked away again.
What was going on?
He said something to his dark-haired brother whose attention immediately snapped to you. You turned away purposefully to stare into the forest instead.
This could end poorly if it wasn’t a dream. The smell of the troll’s breath still lingered around you – too real to have been crafted in your mind. You had no idea what this world had in store and not even the faintest clue on how to use the sword on your hip.
“Where are we heading toward?” you asked Bilbo. “Seems rather silly for me to join without even knowing what we’re doing.”
He looked a little miffed then, his lips pressed into a fine line as he answered. “It would seem we’re going to be killing a dragon,” he said. “Or robbing one at any rate.”
I’ve noticed lately that it’s really, really, hard to find fanfiction stories. Like actual stories instead of one-shots, so I’ve decided to create a list of various fanfictions that I’ve read through the years that I really enjoy and will re-read. I’m hoping that this will help anyone out there looking for some stories to read and enjoy also. This list is made up of a bunch of different fandoms and different pairings. All of these stories can be found on Fanfiction.net
I Do Not Own Any Of These Stories. All Credit Goes To The Original Creators/Authors. These Fanfictions Are Mature, 18+.
AVENGERS
Avenger Goddess - Reyel (Avengers crossover Wonder Woman) Steve Rogers/Diana Prince
Phoenix is Born - Psycho-Barbie16 Steve Rogers/OFC Sequel- The Phoenix Will Rise
Savage - awalkerlifeforme Bucky Barnes/ OFC Sequel - Savage: The Avengers
Zenith - Lift the Wings ( X-Men crossover Avengers) Logan H/OFC/Wade W
Thunderstruck - BlueEyedWolf33 Thor/OFC Sequels - War Machine, Back in Black
“So your brother, the one who likes to kill everything, gave Elijah to an evil vampire with a witch.” You mumbled as you wandered through the large, empty, apartment you had been sharing until Elijah had vanished. Eventually you reached your car, pulled out of the car park, and sped down the road.
AN: Sorry for the long wait. I hope you guys like this update. I changed a lot, and plan to continue on that route. I will still go by episodes but will be putting a lot more of my own spin on them. I plan on skipping ahead a bit, but it won't be a time skip kinda thing. I promise it will make sense and go, pretty smoothly, I think. I am beyond ready for the Originals to get here! Also, I don't know if any of you are as excited as I am for the reveal of how El breaks her curse, but I have officially decided how she is going to be doing that. It's not exactly how I had originally planned for it to happen, but I had a dream a few weeks ago and just loved the whole idea. It's a bit sad; I think it may piss a few people off, but that's part of the appeal:) As always, please review and let me know what you think. Don't be a silent reader. I swear I don't bite! Also, this story has thirty some chapters on AO3 and Fanfiction.net. Edited by my Beta Casey.*
A steady buzzing pulled me from my fitful slumber. My neck ached as I rolled out of the tight ball I found myself wrapped up in. The muscles in my back burned, searing in protest as I sat up and stretched my body. An unhealthy popping sound made me wince as I moved my neck from side to side. I pulled my red hair from where it had become stuck to my cheek and was once again thankful that there was no one else here to witness the side of me that was more troll than human.
My phone buzzed incessantly again, and I glared dangerously at the little black machine that was responsible for my being awake at the ungodly hour of five a.m. Before I could even consider seeing who dared to wake me, I knew I needed to get out of yesterday's clothes and find some sort of caffeine.
I grabbed myself a change of clothes before slipping out of my room and tiptoeing to the bathroom. Once I was safely inside, I went about my business, allowing the hot water to rinse everything away. As I scrubbed at my skin, I imagined the water washing away the metaphorical stain on my soul, as well as the visible grime from the day before.
After my skin was sufficiently rubbed raw, I left the shower and dried my hair, weaving it into a loose, side french braid. Aside from the lotion I rubbed into my parched skin, I left my face natural and headed back into my room to grab my phone and purse. Shutting my door on the way out, I skipped over the squeaky step and stealthily made my way downstairs as I pulled out my phone to check who had tried to call. My head cocked to the side when I noticed I had an oddly large number of missed calls, all from Damon. What the hell did he want? Just as I was placing my finger over his name, there was a knock on the front door.
Dammit!
Jenna, Elena, and Jeremy were still sleeping, for God's sake! I quickly headed to the door and yanked it open, a few strands of hair blowing out around my face as it passed me by. Cerulean blue orbs and a familiar cocky smirk greeted me. I narrowed my eyes, grinding my teeth together. I could feel my cheeks warming and hated myself for it. Damon smiled wickedly and leaned against the door frame, one arm lifted above his head. His usual button-up shirt was absent today, instead he wore a long sleeve black t-shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His raven hair fell into his eyes as he moved closer to me. I bit my tongue, my traitorous fingers itched to brush the hair from his forehead. His smirk widened as if he could read my thoughts, and I stepped away from him, flexing my fingers, which only made him chuckle.
I hated his face. His stupid, cocky, yet oh so sexy face.
His right hand moved into view, and I noticed a large coffee cup. My whole body reacted to the sight. Every ounce of my annoyance bled away at the thought of getting the fix I needed. My face lifted into a grin, and my heart raced with joy.
"You bought me an iced frappe?" I squealed. "Those are my favorite!"
I grabbed the cup out of his hands and took a large, dramatic sip, moaning as the chilled espresso beverage satisfied my raging urge for caffeine. Caramel; he even got my favorite flavor.
"Wish I could say I bought it out of the kindness of my heart, but," Damon laughed mischievously. "It's a bribe."
I stepped outside, the cool morning air brushing over my skin, and goosebumps pebbled up my arms. I locked the door behind me, pulling my shirt sleeves down to cover my arms. "What do you want, Day?"
I took another sip of the caramel frappe and started down the porch steps. Damon followed beside me, his hands in his pockets.
"Well, it seems that your sister spent the night doing the naughty with my brother."
His face turned up for a moment, an unpleasant hateful expression marring his usually attractive face. Jealousy isn't a good look on Damon, and I found that knowing it was my sister that brought forth that sort of reaction, made me feel physically ill.
"So," he continued, "I want you to join me in interrupting their morning. To throw them off. I also want your take on Stefan's whole 'let's work together' spiel.'"
Damon used bunny ear quotations when he talked of Stefan's idea and I huffed out a laugh, sliding into his car and leaning my head back against the seat in frustration. When he got in, I turned towards him, my eyes hard.
"Fine, but I'll tell you right now before we even get there, I won't be involved in anything to do with damaging their relationship. I know this is hard for you, seeing them together, but she is happy, and I won't help you ruin that."
Damon's eyes scanned my face, his own expressionless as he focused on reading me. I was an open book, at least at this moment. I didn't need to hide anything from him. In fact, he needed to see it. He needed to know he could trust me, but he also needed to know my limits. Elena and Stefan's relationship; the game he wanted to play with his brother, that was one of them.
Once he had seen what he needed to, he nodded, moving back into his seat. He pulled out of my drive and drove towards the Boarding House, only slowing when I took out a coin to throw over Wickery Bridge.
"Why do you do that? '' he asked.
I rolled up my window and looked at him, shrugging. "It's silly, but it's my way of remembering my parents. People throw coins in fountains and wells to make wishes, well I throw them over the bridge and into the water where my parents died as a way to remember them. I want to make sure that they know I haven't forgotten them, and that I wish they were still here."
My voice cracked, and I cursed myself for allowing emotion to poke through my normally stoic exterior. Damon brushed a strand of hair from my face, placing it behind my ear, a real, none sarcastic smile gracing his lips.
"There's my Elandra," he whispered as we left the bridge behind. "Always so soft-hearted,"
I looked away from him, trying to ignore the way his hand had felt on my skin. Finally, we arrived at the house and I all but jumped from the car the moment he stopped. I stepped into the house and headed upstairs towards Stefan's room. I could feel Damon following me but decided to sip my coffee and ignore him. When I reached Stefan's door, I stood to the side and allowed Damon to take the lead.
"This is so mean," I sighed.
Damon smiled, opening the door and taking my hand, effectively cutting off my protests. He approached the bed, slowly sitting down at the foot and smirking at the vision our siblings made curled up together, unaware of the world around them. They were snuggled up, spooning. It was an unsettling image. Not just because it was my sister I was watching, likely after she had just had sex. Which was just...disgusting. It was also like I was watching a vision of the past. I was finally able to see, first hand, what it had been like when Katherine was with Stefan, all while Damon was in the wings, pining and devastated that the woman he loved was with his brother, always just out of his reach. It made my stomach roll. Was that the sort of thing Damon imagined every time he looked at my sister?
I turned away, feeling more like my past self then I wanted to admit. My heart hurt; this whole situation was starting to bother me more than I expected it too. Katherine would love to know that, and I couldn't let her see it. I couldn't let her use the pain of my past to get what she wanted from me. Elena started to wake, and Stefan joined her seconds later. He wrapped his arms around her tightly as he kissed her on the cheek, a bright smile on his face. I swallowed roughly, averting my eyes from their private moment.
"Mmm. Good morning," Elena sighed contentedly.
This was so wrong. I am the worst sister ever.
Stefan pulled her closer and looked down at her flushed face. "I could get used to this,"
Damon sneered, tilting his head and choosing that moment to make our presence known. "Rise and shine, sleepyheads," he cheerfully said, slapping the bed with gusto.
I winced, turning my head away as they both jumped, my sister revealing her lacy black bra in the process. I quickly walked over to them, yanking the sheet over Elena with a growl in Damon's direction.
Elena narrowed big brown accusatory eyes at me. "Damon, Elara! Please!" she yelled, turning to face him and taking hold of the sheet.
Stefan, on the other hand, let the sheet fall, his bare chest in full view. Elena lifted the sheet to cover him again, glaring in my direction. I scoffed lightly, which turned into a full-on laugh when she bared her teeth at me in anger.
"Please, Lena. Do you know how many times I used to watch them swim in the lake with my brothers? I have seen both Salvatores bare-chested many times. Besides, Stefan is a brother in my eyes," I sighed, stepping next to Damon, who smiled up at me.
"You've seen a lot more than my bare chest, Miss Miller," he mock-whispered.
I blushed profusely and smacked his chest, avoiding my sister's fiery gaze. Stefan tried to reign in a laugh, turning it into a mild cough, which only made Elena grumble in anger.
"What are you two doing in my bedroom?" Stefan asked.
Damon scoffed, his face playful. "Oh, stop being smutty, Stef,"
Stefan pulled the sheet further up on Elena, making sure she was appropriately covered.
"Seriously, get out of here!" Stefan hollered.
I jumped lightly and grabbed Damon's arm, he shrugged me off with a laugh and leered at Stefan and Elena.
"If I see something I haven't seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it," he smirked.
I blinked several times at this and took a step back, my mind whirring at the oddly scientific idea he proposed. I wasn't entirely sure that's what he had meant, but the seed had been planted in my head all the same. Are Elena and Katherine COMPLETELY identical? It's a disgusting thought but an intriguing one. While all these weird ideas were flying through my mind, I didn't notice when Damon stood and leaned down, placing his hands on the frame at the foot of the bed.
"Now listen, we have some very important business to discuss," he said.
Elena sat back and sighed. "And it has to be right now?" she asked.
Damon sneered, crossing his arms. "Well, we have lots to do, now that we're all friends and working towards a common goal," he smirked.
Stefan and Elena exchanged a look, one that made me uneasy. I narrowed my eyes and stood side by side with Damon, crossing my own arms. Yeah, if they were working with Damon than Katherine was gonna win Miss Congeniality at the next Miss Mystic Falls pageant.
"So, to open the tomb, we need to find the journal to get the grimoire to undo the spell. First things first — since as you are Elena Gilbert, you're on journal duty," Damon said.
Elena huffed, pointing her bony finger in my direction. "Hello! Elara G-I-L-B-E-R-T!" Elena spat, spelling out our last name hatefully. "Why can't she do it?" she asked.
Damon turned towards me and shrugged. "Miller," he enunciated slowly. "She'll always be a Miller to me, and besides, I need her for something else. She is an all-powerful witch; journal duty is below her pay grade," he said with a cocky smile.
Elena glared at me, and I slapped Damon on the arm. "Damon, cool it. You're getting me into trouble," I whispered.
Damon turned to me with a wicked smile, and I raised a brow in question. "Since when am I helping? Elara I get, you bat your eyes and somehow convince her to help you," she petulantly said.
I placed a hand on my hip and ground my teeth together, ready to let loose on my childish little sister, but Damon placed his hand on my arm, stopping me before I could blow up on her. I let out a deep breath and tried to cool off, turning away as Damon continued with his little drama fest.
"Well, since Stefan's helping, and you have taken up residence in Stefan's bed, ergo…" he trailed off suggestively.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing, my cheeks burning from the effort. Stefan looked at Elena, ever the knight in shining armor...or sheet as it may be at the moment, and smiled warmly at her.
"You don't have to do anything that you don't want to," he said.
Elena sighed in acceptance, looking at Damon with a gleam in her eye, one that had my spidey senses tingling. Something was definitely going on. I tried to catch her eye and knew for sure they had some sort of plan the moment she guiltily avoided my gaze. I shook my head and turned away from her. She could look for the journal all she wanted, but she wouldn't find it. I would borrow it from Jeremy myself, then use it to locate the grimoire and take it before either of them ever had the chance. I wasn't going to let them stab Damon in the back, not this time. He needed to know that Katherine wasn't in that tomb.
"I'll look for it tonight," she said.
I stood straighter, lowering my chin and staring them both down in anger and defiance. Elena laid back in the bed, pulling the sheet over her face in annoyance.
"Good," Damon said.
Stefan looked down at Elena in amusement and then glanced at Damon and me. "How do we know that this journal will hold the location of the grimoire? We're really going to take the word of this vampire? He seemed like a bit of a dimwit," Stefan said, obviously hoping to stall Damon a bit.
I placed a hand on the back of my neck and rolled my eyes.
"In lieu of any other options," Damon said
I looked at them both and shook my head. "The location is in there. Don't worry. We'll get the grimoire," I said, staring at Stefan with heated eyes.
He watched me closely until Elena pulled the sheet from her face and sat up. "Ok, what exactly is a grimoire, anyway?" she asked.
Damon shrugged his shoulders and looked at me with a smile. "A witch's cookbook," he said.
I started giggling, my chest shaking with the force of it. Stefan sighed, laying back on the bed as Elena had.
"Every spell that a witch casts is unique itself, so every witch would document their work," Stefan explained, speaking towards the ceiling.
Elena watched him, her brows raised in surprise. She looked at me in excitement. "Do you have one?" she asked, voice rushed.
I lowered my head, my laughter dying down. "Elena, I'm not really that kinda witch, but yeah, I have had a few. They were more like journals, though, with memories and thoughts. They did have a few of my own spells that only witches of my kind could ever hope to cast. But they have all probably been lost to time," I said thoughtfully. "Even if they hadn't, with as many different names as I have had, and lives I have lived, only I would even know it was mine."
I refused to tell her that there were a few people that could probably distinguish my handwriting enough to discover if a journal belonged to me. She didn't need to know that the Mikelasons were some of the few people who probably knew me well enough to piece together the different facets of my life.
Elena looked disappointed for some reason, probably hoping I would loan Bonnie a bit of my past. When would she learn that Bonnie would never be able to do what I can? We were two very different incarnations of the witch. She was one of nature: and bound to everything that goes with that. I am a witch of creation: my ancestors were chosen, created to be what we are. My magic was not a gift from nature, so I will never be bound to her or her rules. Nor, will I ever be forced to bow to my ancestors or any other witch for that matter, dead or alive. I felt lucky knowing my ancestors would never force me to do their bidding. I was free to make my own mistakes, and if or when I needed their help, I would always have the option of asking for it, free of fear. Whether they accepted, it was another story. I had been taught long ago that my family line of magic came from deep within our cores. Our very souls were infused with ancient magic, the magic we can draw from. That's how I can channel everything through myself, and am visibly able to show my own magical signature. I can push it outward, and use the force of it as a weapon.
The true story of how my family became infused with magic had long been lost. My mother did tell me as a child that the first of our line, Ashilda, had come across a stone arch after our family settled on their land. When she approached the arch - one she was sure had been there since the time of the old Gods - she found a peculiar script written across it. When she placed her hand on the jagged edge of the stone, she cut the palm of her hand. When her blood seeped onto the rock, a bright light engulfed her. It spilled into her body, lighting up her core, infusing it with the power that we carry within us today. My mother said the old Gods found our line worthy, and now every firstborn daughter is blessed with the gift of magic.
Who knows if that is what truly happened, all I know is, that I'm grateful to not be beholden to anyone, let alone mother nature. I had warned Bonnie once already of what could happen to witches that went against their ancestors, and I was glad to not be one of her kind. I shook myself from my thoughts and focused on the conversation unfolding in front of me.
"And I don't like that disadvantage, so…." Damon clapped his hands together. "Chop, chop."
He grabbed my arm and escorted me towards the door backward. I stumbled dumbly; wait, what had I missed while I was daydreaming?
"You know, I really like this whole menage a foursome team thing. It's got a bit of kink to it," he chuckled, and I rolled my eyes. "Don't screw it up," he said, pointing at them both as he pulled me out the door.
Damon slowly walked me down the stairs, once we hit the bottom step, I yanked him to a stop, my finger on my lips. I used my other hand and pointed at my ear and then the ceiling. He rolled his eyes, their blue depths staring upward where I knew Elena and Stefan were probably trying to act all innocent. After a second, his face screwed up in disgust, and he took my wrist, dragging me outside towards his car.
"What?" I snapped
I figured I probably didn't want the answer if the look on his face was anything to go by. He pushed me into the car, and I huffed in annoyance. I was really getting tired of his pushy behavior.
I watched him warily as he slipped into the car, slamming on the gas and speeding out of the driveway like a man possessed.
"He knew I was listening. Whatever Elena was about to say...he stopped her. Then she decided to...change the subject," he said through clenched teeth.
I crossed my arms and glanced out the window. "Well, good for her. Seems like Stefan may be more fun than I give him credit for," I said under my breath.
Damon, of course, heard me and made sure to hit every bump in the road on the way to my house. By the time he was back in my driveway, at the speed he had been going, my head was quite sore from hitting the roof of his car, but it was worth it. I was sick and tired of him fawning over my sister. I turned my head towards him with a sigh.
"Listen, Damon, I hate to say this, but I don't trust either of our Saint siblings. They obviously have a plan of their own. But what they don't know is, I have insider info."
At my words, Damon's head finally shot towards mine, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. When I saw he was no longer harboring anger towards me, I continued,
"I already know where the journal is. So, I'm going to go get it, and when I have it, I'll recover the location of the grimoire. Then I'm gonna put the journal somewhere they can find it, and they'll never be the wiser."
Damon's eyes clouded with confusion, and I smiled wickedly, leaning closer as if my next words were a closely guarded secret. I lowered my voice,
"I thought you might wanna have some fun with them. We could see exactly what they planned to do. Play with them a bit," When I saw his eyes spark, I quickly added my amendment. "But gently," I added.
His full, pink lips pouted playfully, but his eyes never lost their spark. "You really are amazing, Ellie," he said.
I laughed lightly and decided to taunt him a bit. "And just think I could have been all yours. Elandra Salvatore."
His eyes darkened, and my smile became predatory.
"Too bad, eh. If only I had been born a Petrova," I sighed, my green eyes hardening for a moment.
Damon leaned away from me, his pale face slackening, and I almost felt bad for a moment, but then I remember the pain I had felt watching him as he lusted after my sister all morning, and the guilt vanished. Rebekah would be so proud.
"I'll text you, Damon. Do not make them suspicious of us," I said, pointing my finger at him.
He pushed back his emotions, his mask slipping back into place as he nodded. I slid out of the car and headed inside to find Jeremy and the journal.
Jeremy was pretty easy to locate; like most teenage boys, he was lounging on the couch playing video games.
"Hey, Jer,"
He smiled at me and I plopped down beside him. His eyes never left the TV as he continued rolling the joystick on his controller in a circular motion, a determined expression on his face. I leaned my head on his shoulder and watched him play for a moment.
"I have favor kiddo. Well more like a question," I said.
At this, Jeremy paused his game and spun around on the couch, lifting one leg onto the seat as he turned to face me.
"What's up, Ellie Bean?" he asked in concern.
My heart lifted at the love his expression showed, and I vowed to make sure Elena never forced him into anything again. At least for as long as I could. I felt my stomach sink and tried to forget, for now, that I wasn't going to be around for much longer.
"You remember that creepy monster journal you were reading of our ancestors? Can I have it? I am doing research for a story I'm writing," I said quietly, biting my bottom lip as if I were embarrassed.
Jeremy blinked at me, briefly surprised. Like everyone else, he didn't know that I was into writing (which I am, just never in this life), then smiled brightly. "You're a writer, El?" he asked excitedly.
I nodded quickly with faux enthusiasm, leaning in after looking around the room. "I like to write fiction, but since writing is Elena's thing, I've never nurtured it until recently. Please don't tell anyone, especially that I asked about the journal. I don't want anyone to know I'm into that sorta stuff, Jer," I flushed. "It's kinda embarrassing..."
Jeremy grinned, slapping a hand on my shoulder. "Deal, but I gave the journal to Mr. Saltzman, so you'll have to wait until I can get it back,"
My eyes narrowed into slits. What the hell is Alaric doing with a hunter's journal?
"That's ok, Jer. Just keep this between you and me," I smiled, rising to my feet. Jeremy nodded, pressing start on his game. I waved goodbye and raced out the door, pulling my keys from my bag.
Well, it looks like I'm making a trip to the school.
I pulled into the school, only a few cars lining the mostly deserted parking lot. I spotted the exact one I was looking for and felt my tight jaw tick. I didn't know what to expect, but Alaric Saltzman was proving to become more and more interesting, and not in a good way. It seemed he was going to be a problem, something I never wanted him to become. I had never gotten a bad vibe from him, and I had always been able to trust my vibes or 'sixth sense' about people. That was the only reason I wasn't calling Damon right now and giving him the green light to go in fangs blazing.
I shut off my car and held onto the strap of my purse tightly as I walked up to the entrance, silently praising whichever God was listening when the door was unlocked. I was saving my magical reserve just in case. I was still building up my stamina. The more magic I used, the weaker it made me. I needed to train so that I could cast longer without weakening myself. Who the hell knew what I was walking into. I had never been alone with Alaric or gotten close enough, to get a good read on him. I knew he was human, but that didn't always mean weak. Humans had the potential to be quite powerful with the proper training. As I entered, I squinted in the darkness, glancing around. When I knew I was alone, I cast a low-level spell on myself so that I would blend in with my surroundings. I grimaced as the cold feeling of an egg breaking atop my head slithered over me. I exhaled in relief. I should be sufficiently hidden from all except those who were either trained in the craft or at least knew what to look for.
I tiptoed towards the History classroom, all the while keeping my ears and eyes peeled. As I neared the room, I could see a faint warm light shining in the darkness.
Hello...someone is home.
I peeked into the room and found Alaric sitting at his desk bent over the journal, pouring over its contents with avid interest. His eyes were strained with exhaustion, and I felt a pang of pity for the poor man. What was going on with him? I watched him read for a few minutes, just taking in his mannerisms, trying to understand a bit about him. When he stood quite suddenly, I gasped, stepping away from the door as he burst through. I followed behind him, noticing with interest when he stopped in the middle of the hallway, his back rigid. He spun around and quickly scanned his surroundings in a defensive position, that of a trained hunter. I knew that look. I had seen it many times before. Hell, I had used it myself after Kol taught me.
I've got you now, Mr. Saltzman. Interesting, very interesting. Do the council members know he is a hunter?
I held my breath while his eyes passed over my near-invisible form. I knew that to the trained eye, a shimmer could be seen, but unless Alaric knew a lot about witchcraft, he wouldn't know what to search for. I kept my breath held deeply and watched him wait, head twitching left then right. Finally, he gave up, feet smacking against the tile floor as he headed back the way he had started. Air escaped my lips as my lungs thanked me for the oxygen they so desperately needed. I gulped down a few lungfuls and followed after my mysterious hunter/history teacher. I would seriously need to pay better attention in class from now on. Who knows precisely what type of supernatural beings he hunts. No need to piss him off unnecessarily. I found him in the teacher's lounge, making copies of the journal. The glow from the copier illuminated his still form, and I bit my lip, unsure if him having a copy of the journal was such a good idea. I stood next to him and watched as he finished rather quickly. When he was done, he shut off the light, and I followed him back to his classroom, this time without any oxygen deprivation. He lightly tossed the original journal on his desk and slipped the copy in a drawer beside him. Sitting back in his seat, he covered his tired face with his hands. I saw a quick glimpse of the purple bags under his eyes and felt the pang of pity in the pit of my stomach again. I wasn't entirely sure what exactly it was about this man, but I had a bit of a soft spot for him. I could see he was a good man and that he would be suitable for Jenna. Still, he seemed to be just as stuck in the supernatural world as Elena was, and that would just put my family at further risk.
Would it be worth it to help this man? As he pulled his rough hands away from his face, his blue eyes locked with my invisible green orbs, and I felt my shoulders slump in defeat. Something was telling me Alaric Saltzman was meant to become involved with the Gilbert family. I could feel a firm sense of resolve fill me.
Ok, Alaric, I'm going to help you.
I nodded as a plan started to form in my mind, and watched him grab a handful of papers from a tray on his desk. Leaning over them he began to grade, with much less enthusiasm than he had before when reading the journal. A sudden movement outside of the classroom caught both Alaric and I's attention, our heads snapping towards the disturbance. I stepped away from Alaric and moved towards the journal, using his captured attention to my advantage, my hand reaching out to it. When Alaric stood, heading to the door, I took the journal from the desk, slipping it into my bag with ease. Alaric stepped outside the room, his back ramrod straight. I watched him closely, ready to step in if he needed me to.
"Hello?" he called out.
I rolled my eyes. Really?
I almost wanted to tell him how very teenage girl in a horror flick he was right now. When he left the classroom for the hallway, I slipped my hand into his desk, where he had stashed the copy he had made and grabbed it as well.
Sorry, Alaric…
I stepped out of the room and slid past him as quietly as possible. I could sense a vampire here with us, and it wasn't either of the boys. I didn't plan on staying to find out who it was. I cast a quick protection spell on Alaric, hoping it would be enough to give him the shot he would need to take care of himself. I couldn't stick around all day, protecting him. I looked back at him one last time, he was still calling out into the darkness and exited the school. As I hopped into my car, I sensed a familiar presence in the air. Stefan? How did he find out about the journal? I put my car in drive and fled the school before Stefan got the chance to see me. I drove as quickly as I dared, and pulled into my house ten minutes before I would have driving the speed limit. I grabbed the journal and scanned the pages rapidly, searching for anything that would tell me what I needed to know. When I found what I was looking for, my eyes ignited with hatred.
That stupid son of a bitch!
I should have guessed. I pulled the copy from my bag and stepped out of my car, walking beside the house. I grabbed Aunt Jenna's tin bucket from the garden and sat it on the ground in front of me, placing the copy of the journal inside. I stood, brushing the gravel from my knees and snapped my fingers, setting the pages on fire. I stood in front of the bucket, watching the pages curl and burn as the smoke swirled in circles. Once the pages were ash, I took the pail to the curb, dumping the remains in the trash can with a smirk. With the original journal in hand, I headed inside. I could hear voices coming from the kitchen but chose to ignore whoever it was for now. I sat down next to Jeremy, who was still lounging on the couch.
"Hey, Jer. Did you tell Stefan about the journal?" I whispered.
Jeremy looked up at me oddly but shook his head. "No, why?" he asked in confusion.
I frowned slightly, hoping I could believe him and sighed. "Who did you tell?" I asked.
Jeremy looked more confused than ever at my strange questioning and blinked slowly before realization dawned on his face. "Stefan was here earlier when I was talking to this girl Anna about the journal. She wanted to see it, but I told her I needed it once I got it back from Ric. He probably heard me," he said, shrugging.
I leaned against his shoulder and smiled. "Ahhh. Well, that makes sense. Cause see, I went and borrowed it from Alaric, but Stefan was there asking about it. I was nervous and didn't wanna bother them, so I just took it. I'll explain it to Alaric later. I was just curious why Stefan wanted it. Could you tell Stefan you went and picked it up if he asks? Just tell him that when you grabbed it, Alaric wasn't around," I pleaded with puppy eyes.
Jeremy must have sensed my need and thought it was because I was a bit nervous around Stefan. His brotherly instincts kicked in.
"Yeah, of course, Ellie. You don't have to say shit to Stefan!"
I grinned broadly and kissed his cheek, giving him the tightest hug I could. "Ok, I'm gonna leave this here on the table for now. Remember, this is just between you and me, ok?"
Jeremy winked at me, and I left him to the TV and his lazy day. I felt bad for using my baby bro like that, but I knew he would understand when the time came. I just couldn't wait until we could really team-up. I wanted to tell him everything. I headed into the kitchen and was shocked to find Aunt Jenna planted on the counter, her legs swinging happily, a glass of red wine in hand. Damon was standing beside her, cutting into a tomato. I held the swinging door open, my lashes batting in amused confusion.
"My father never approved of anyone I dated, which only made me want them more, of course. What about you?" Damon was saying.
I scoffed lightly, releasing the door, the breeze of it swaying back into place blowing strands of my air around. I placed a hand on my hip. What an utter crock of shit. His father approved of our union until I was found to be a witch. Of course, by then, he had known Damon had basically dissolved our courtship in favor of Katherine. It had strained their relationship even more than it already had been. He had thought it a stain on their family honor, a broken courtship was a massive faux pas after all.
Damon spun around to greet me, the sharp blade pointed in my direction. "Have something to add there, Ellie," he asked, brow raised in a dare.
I held my jaw together tightly. "No, I was just under the assumption that there was one girl your father had approved of, once upon a time. At least for a brief period," I said tightly.
Damon cocked a grin, his eyes blazing in triumph. Had he been goading me? Jenna looked between us momentarily before watching Damon go back to cutting up the tomato.
"Yeah, there was one, but I screwed that up royally, so she doesn't really count," he said in an almost whisper.
Jenna handed him her glass of wine and patted him on the back in a gesture of solidarity. I giggled under my breath when Damon chugged down the last of her wine before pouring her more, when he tried to stop in the middle of the glass Jenna took the bottle, filling the cups to the rim. Damon chuckled, going back to his chopping.
"There were a few guys. Logan isn't the only loser I've dated," Jenna said mournfully.
Damon looked at me and pointed the knife in my direction again. "What about you?" he asked.
I choked on my tongue and started coughing. Jenna laughed joyfully. "Yeah, El, what about you? I'd like to hear about this. You have always been so secretive, and Elena won't ever spill about you," Jenna said.
I leaned against the island and sighed deeply. Damon was such an ass.
"Umm. I don't really date. I have had flings," I said, avoiding Jenna's eyes.
Jenna spluttered, wine flying onto my face. I wiped the liquid from my cheek and bit my lip, wincing at her surprised expression.
"Elara Marie!" she gasped.
I raised my hands in the air and shook my head. "Hey, no judgment. I am not...I have no time...I just don't want a relationship, and I'm not stupid. I'm careful," I said, stuttering painfully.
Jenna observed me weighing her words, with a resigned sigh, her shoulders slumped as she smiled weakly. "At least tell me who?" she asked.
I laughed uneasily. "Um, Tyler Lockwood and a guy from the football team. No one that you know. After Tyler, I decided to keep things casual. No close friends. It's my rule," I explained, twisting my fingers.
"Well, at least it's not someone like Logan Fell. I hope..." she said.
I shook my head, and she smiled. Damon, who had been oddly quiet throughout our conversation apart from the savage sound of chopping, bit out a few words. "Did they ever find him?" he asked.
I turned away, rolling my eyes. That asshat had deserved everything he got.
"He's not missing. He's in the Bahamas working on his tan. Very entitled, that one. Marches to his own drum." She drained the remainder of her glass. "He's a Fell. They're all snooty," she added.
Damon chuckled and poured some more wine in Jenna's glass. Was he helping her get drunk? She smiled brightly at him and headed towards the living room. I watched her go, hoping Jeremy would make sure she didn't get too smashed. I stepped beside Damon and leaned next to his ear, in the guise of reaching for a slice of tomato. He made to slap my hand, but I growled at him.
"I found it," I snapped next to his ear.
He froze before he held a chunk of tomato against my lips with an expectant expression on his face.
"The journal?" he asked.
I opened my mouth and let him feed me with a roll of my eyes. I finished my mouthful and nodded before adding onto my sentence.
"Yeah, but that's not what I'm talking about. I know where the grimoire is. Also, our plan involving the Saints squared is in effect in the living room," I said with a wink.
Damon's brows raised, and he dropped the knife with a hearty laugh. "The Saints Squared?" he asked in amazement.
I shrugged with a nod. "Suits them, don't ya think. Everyone thinks they're so damn perfect. Can you imagine what that must be like? I'd go mad under pressure!" I said, placing my hands on my cheeks.
I'd hate to live life feeling like I had to be perfect all the time. He shuddered dramatically, and I couldn't help but laugh. Damon drew my attention, my laughter ceasing when he spun on his heel, facing the doorway with a smirk.
"Hello, Elena," he said.
I stepped away from him and looked at my sister, whose arms were stationed across her chest, her big brown eyes judging me harshly. I groaned and maneuvered around my sister.
"I have an Aunt I need to make sure has sobered up, and then I have to pick up something from the store,"
Damon smiled at my excuse but kept his eyes firmly on Elena; it was enough to let me know he would keep her preoccupied. Not that he would find his job all that hard. I stepped out of the kitchen and found Jenna seated next to Stefan and Jeremy on the couch. My eyes zeroed in on the coffee table, where I was pleased to see the journal missing in action. I bit my lip to keep the smile from my face and patted Jeremy on the shoulder.
"Hey kiddo, get Jenna some Advil and a bottle of water. I need to get something from the store," I sighed.
Jenna protested, but Jeremy laughed, ignoring her half-hearted swats and semi-slurred words. Stefan looked up at me, eyes curious and a bit weary, but I smiled brightly.
"I saw someone got Damon to cook dinner. It's been a while since he put his skills to a less homicidal use," I whispered with a giggle.
Stefan's lips twitched, and he looked away, focusing on the TV again. "I'll be back in a bit," I said, grabbing my keys and jogging out the door.
Time to go dig up an asshole.
I drove as quickly as I could, heading towards the old cemetery where I knew Giuseppe Salvatore to be buried. As I pulled up beside the gate, I cut the engine and popped my trunk before I slipped out of the car. Digging in the back, I pulled out a flashlight and winced as I slammed the trunk closed, the sound echoing and seeming louder in the darkness. I pulled my jacket around me, listening to the crunching of the wet grass below my feet as I journeyed into the graveyard. I slowly repeated a silly mantra in my head to keep myself calm.
Zombies are not real, zombies are not real.
As the old fashioned tombstones came into view, I clenched my teeth and tried to keep the Thriller music video out of my head.
Come on, Elandra, you're over a thousand years old. Get a grip!
I pushed myself forward, shining my light on the tombstones as I came across them, heading deeper and deeper into the graveyard. Finally, towards the back, I found a worn stone, the edges chipped and words faded. I bent down, brushing my hand along the aged stone, dirt and crumpled leaves falling to the ground. It read; Giuseppe Salvatore.
Asshole extraordinaire is a more fitting moniker.
I sat my flashlight down and sighed, thinking over exactly what spell I needed to use. I needed to dig him up and then put all the dirt back, making the whole grave look once again undisturbed.
I nibbled on my bottom lip thoughtfully, then with a huff decided I would just pull the dirt up, then refill it and flattened the earth, making it look as it had before. It would exhaust me, but I had my Blackwood branch so I would be ok. I lowered my hand over his grave and scrunched up my face in disgust. This was not my idea of fun. I took a deep breath and let my power flow, slowly turning my hand as I felt my core flair with magic, a warm burning deep within. I opened my eyes and saw the electric blue light glow through my skin. The ground in front of me started to quake, breaking apart as the earth flew skyward. My other hand shot forward, stopping its travel, and I took a heavy breath as the dark soil froze in mid-air. My hands shook slightly as I began to maneuver it to my right so that I could have it all together for when I needed to return it later. I lowered it into a massive pile and looked at the hole I had successfully made with glee. I had done it. I stepped next to the hole, looking down.
A light brown wooden coffin rested below, a smattering of dark wet earth still covering the lid. Jumping down, I landed next to it and brushed off the dirt, the cold rough wood rubbed against my skin uncomfortably and I tried to ignore the sensation. I felt around the edges until I found a spot I could grasp, and started yanking up the side. Holding my breath, I pulled it open, moaning when I looked down at the skeleton of the man who had once helped kill me. In his arms was Emily's grimoire. I looked away, a thick lump in my throat, and gently pulled the book from his grasp. I tried to ignore the cold, slimy feel of the hard bone but couldn't hold back a gag. When I finally had the grimoire in my grasp, I sat it on the edge of the coffin and rubbed my hands down my jeans with a shudder.
Ugh...so disgusting!
I quickly slammed the coffin lid shut, shivering as I slipped out of the hole. I sat the spellbook next to me and lifted my hands, watching the dirt fly into the air again, and fill the hole. Once the coffin was covered, I waved my right hand, flattening the soil and making it appear as if I had never been here. I nodded in satisfaction when my work was done. I sent Damon a text, smiling and rolling my eyes when he sent back a bunch of heart emojis. I picked up the book and my light as I headed back the way I had come. My prize in hand.
On the way home, I stopped by the store and picked up a few things we had run out of as a way to maintain my cover story. So by the time I pulled up at my house, I had been gone for a little over an hour and a half. I quickly ran my hand over my clothes to cleanse them and placed the Blackwood branch back in my purse. I made sure the grimoire was in my bag and stumbled out of my car, closing my eyes as I shook my head roughly. I was a little weak from overexertion, but the branch had helped to restore most of my magic, and I was determined to fight through the rest of my weakness. I was getting tired of feeling so useless. I was supposed to be strong and powerful, and I needed to be. Shit was about to hit the fan. I was going to start training again. I ran inside, tossing my keys into the bowl by the door. I released a relieved breath when I noticed Elena and Damon were just now bringing the food in from the kitchen. I hadn't missed dinner. Hell yeah! I was starving. I took the groceries into the kitchen and rolled my eyes as I watched Damon deliberately bumping into Elena every chance he got. Well, I could have done without the flirting.
Was she the one digging up his father for him?
I grumbled under my breath as I went back into the dining room and slumped down into my seat, glaring at my sister as she laughed at Damon's actions. Damon placed a bowl on the table next to me, completely ignoring my existence as he focused on Elena. His eyes were hard as steel, and I realized they had been having a conversation right next to me. What was with me and zoning out today?
"Then you understand what I will do if anyone gets in my way," he threateningly told her.
Elena visibly gulped, and I couldn't stop the giggle that escaped me. They both shot me a look, Damon raised a brow and smiled while Elena glared hatefully. Damon walked away, leaving Elena alone with me.
She placed both hands on her hips and stared me down. "What are you doing, Elara? This game you are playing with him is going to get people killed. People we love!" she snarled.
I stood from my seat and placed a hand on the table, leaning closer to her. "No, what is going to get people killed is you and Stefan standing in our way. He needs to get in that tomb, Elena. It is the only way. I'd ask you to trust me, but it wouldn't make a difference, would it?" I asked, my eyes tearing up despite my anger.
Elena looked away, her hair falling into her face. The fact that she couldn't look at me was all the answer I needed. I had felt a smidgen of guilt for tricking her and Stefan. Still, the way they were going about things, and the fact that she was refusing to even trust me, her own sister, was enough to wipe it all away. I sat back down, my head falling forward.
"We're done here, Elena. You have made up your mind. Chose your side in this, and I've done the same. It's a pity really, all this time we're wasting," I said, my voice breaking off as I lowered my head into my hands.
Elena stood beside me in silence for a moment before turning around and walking away. I shook my head, frustrated tears spilling from my eyes. I brushed them away and placed my hands on my knees. There was nothing more I could do about our relationship right now. I had to do things this way. I knew what needed to be done to ensure the future went as smoothly as possible. Damon had suffered long enough. He deserved freedom, and this course of action would give him that. I shook off my melancholy as Damon and Elena brought out the rest of the food. Dinner was a stressful affair, my anxiety, and I held hands throughout the entire meal. Damon made sure to poke at Stefan and Elena the whole time. I basically inhaled my food just for the chance at a quick escape. As soon as I was done, I stepped out onto the front porch, the grimoire, still hidden in my bag. I sat down on the porch swing and held my bag against my chest, the massive indent of the grimoire, an oddly reassuring presence.
I pushed my legs back and forth as I swung. I let the cold night air clear my head, the breeze blowing the smell of honeysuckle and roses towards me from the garden at the back of the house. I slowly swung back and forth, the rhythm almost lulling me into a coma-like state, until I noticed a dark shadow blocking the light beside me. I turned my head and sighed when I saw Damon, Stefan, and Elena all huddled together near the open window. I inwardly groaned as I listened to Damon pestering Elena and Stefan about the journal. I couldn't help but smile when Stefan mentioned Alaric. Looked like he made it out of his encounter with the vampires alive. Good for him. I would need to introduce myself for what I really am sooner rather than later. I stopped swinging, the toes of my shoes scraping against the wooden porch when Stefan brought Jeremy into the conversation. I stood quickly and stepped back inside the house just as Damon was heading back towards the couch where Jeremy was sitting alone, Aunt Jenna having gone upstairs.
"No. Damon, leave him out of it!" Elena panicked, her eyes revealing the fact that she knew Jeremy had no idea where the journal was.
I wanted to pounce on her Ala cheetah and rip her to shreds. She had the nerve to accuse me of being the one who would involve the people we love. Yet, here she was willingly allowing Jeremy to be pulled into this even though she knew exactly where the journal was. I stood towards the back of their little group and crossed my arms, jaw tight.
"Why, what's the big deal?" Damon asked, shrugging his shoulders.
He was definitely enjoying this little game. I caught his eye for a moment and smiled briefly when their blue depths twinkled with mischief. I let out a relieved breath and lowered my arms, my defensive posture loosening. As long as he wasn't really planning on pulling my brother into the thick of things, I could let him have his fun. They deserved it, after all. I stepped up beside Jeremy, and Elena froze momentarily, her brown eyes widening.
"Damon, Elara!" she whisper-shouted, as only she could.
I cringed my ears protesting as my mind conjured up images of nails on a chalkboard. "Elena, calm down! Get a grip. Jeremy is going to be fine," I said.
I plopped down on the couch next to our brother, my arm draping over the back, and shared a loaded look with Damon, reminding him to tread carefully. Damon sat on the arm on the sofa, leaning close to Jeremy with his best attempt at a brotherly expression on his face. I chuckled under my breath, and placed a hand on my forehead, adding a new item to my mental checklist, 'Teach Damon how to be less creepy.'
"So...I heard you found a really cool journal from back in the day. Who else did you show it to?" Damon asked, trying (what I hope was not his best) attempt at nonchalant.
My chest shook lightly as I silently laughed. I was sincerely hoping this wasn't Damon really trying to gather intel because if it was, I felt terrible for him. I kept my eyes off my brother and was beyond proud when he didn't glance my way once. I had to give Jeremy credit, he had one hell of a poker face.
"Huh?" he asked, playing dumb.
Damon rolled his eyes, face hard. "Don't ask questions, just spill," he said.
I leaned across Jeremy and slapped Damon on the knee. Jeremy chuckled and looked between all four of us with guarded interest. "You're kidding me, right?" he asked, looking directly at me.
Elena started to speak, I assumed to ask Jeremy who else he had shown the journal to, but I held up my hand, stopping her mid-sentence.
"It's ok, Jeremy. You can tell us it's not a big deal. It's just…I guess that come to find out...that journal was a little more valuable than we originally knew." I half-heartedly explained, trying to convey with only my eyes that he shouldn't tell them about me.
Jeremy looked at me for a moment, his eyes scanning my face before he turned his head to look at Damon and Stefan, expression protective. He took my hand and gave it a tight, reassuring squeeze.
"Just this girl Anna," he said.
I released a breath I hadn't known I had been holding and squeezed Jeremy's hand in thanks. I could tell he no longer trusted the Salvatores, and I wasn't sure how I could remedy that right now, or if I even wanted to if I was being honest. The Salvatores had the potential to be extremely dangerous, and although I loved them, I didn't entirely trust them to protect my human family. In immortal years, they were young, and sometimes the decisions they made were lethal.
Jeremy's trust in the Salvatores wasn't my main concern right now, I had too many problems to deal with at the moment to add another, so, onto the mental checklist, it would have to go. At this rate, my list was going to be a few feet long.
Damon cocked his head in question. "The hot, weird one?" he asked.
I blinked a few times and tilted my body around so that I could see Jeremy. "The what?" I huffed.
Jeremy blushed and nodded quickly, a hand on his neck. "Yeah," he said.
Elena took the lapse in talking to step in front of Jeremy. She looked down at him in curiosity. "Wait, who is Anna?" she asked.
I leaned towards Jeremy and patted my knees excitedly. "What she said," I smiled, pointing my thumb at Elena.
Jeremy looked at all of us again, noticing all eyes on him, two sets of them anxiously awaiting his answer and huffed in exasperation. Before he could open his mouth, Elena's phone rang, and she yanked it out of her back pocket, glancing down at the screen. Her brown eyes blazed with annoyance for a second before softening as she answered, quickly catching my eye and pointing to Jeremy and Damon. I rolled my eyes and gestured for her to leave.
"How do you know her?" Damon asked Jeremy as soon as Elena headed up the stairs.
Jeremy looked away from our retreating sister and leaned against the couch. "I just know her. She wants to meet me at the Grill tonight," Jeremy said.
I smiled brightly and covertly winked at Damon. This would be the perfect way to meet Jeremy's mystery gal and get away from Elena and Stefan.
"Perfect," I said, clapping my hands.
Jeremy blinked rapidly, looking at me in shock. Damon stood, taking my hand as he did. "I'll drive. Come on," he said.
I grabbed Jeremy's hand and pulled him towards the door. "O-Okay," he said in shock.
I pushed Jeremy out the door and looked behind us, catching Stefan heading up the stairs towards Elena's room. I shook my head, a flare of betrayal stinging me. Even without super vamp hearing, I knew he was heading up there to tell Elena he was going to read through the journal and find out where the grimoire was. I looked away from the stairs and buried the feeling of betrayal, he was doing what he thought was best. Just as I was. I followed after Jeremy and hopped into Damon's car.
"You still with me, El?" Damon asked.
I turned my head towards him in confusion and saw the flash of fear and uncertainty in his eyes before he closed himself off again. I checked the backseat where my brother was staring out the window before I took Damon's hand and sent him a confident wink.
"Of course, I am. There's nowhere else I'd rather be," I chuckled.
Damon squeezed my hand, his cold skin raising the hairs on my arm. I cocked my brow and used my other hand to motion towards the ignition. "We gonna go?" I whispered.
Damon rolled his eyes and gave me his best cocky smile as he started the car. I moved my hand from his and placed it in my lap. I really didn't need to blur any more lines with Damon. Once we reached the Grill, Jeremy headed inside to find Anna. Damon and I stayed towards the back of the bar and waited. After a few minutes, Jeremy was joined at the pool tables by a short, long-haired brunette girl. Damon growled in recognition, and I froze in fear. If he recognized her, that could only mean one thing; she was a vampire. I focused on the girl and was shocked when her smiling face turned towards me, recognition instantly ignited within me, and my back became rigid with stress. I had seen her before, back in 1864. I knew her and her mother, Pearl, which was obviously why she was here now, flirting with my very human brother. Katherine might not be in the tomb, but I knew Pearl was.
Anna had another thing coming, though, if she thought she could use Jeremy to get her out. A Gilbert or not. She would not be using him for her revenge. I stood next to Damon, a silent sentinel throughout Jeremy's entire 'date' with Anna. When the night winded down, I texted Jenna, making sure she was sober enough to pick Jeremy up. I told her I had a few things I needed to do before I would be home. She was surprisingly ok with my late night to-do list, and for that, I was grateful. She told me she was okay to swing by to get him and I was glad to have at least one thing easily handled. Damon and I followed Anna's scent to a dingy Motel where Damon quickly stole Anna's room key. Once we were safely inside her room, I sat down next to him on the edge of one of the rumbled beds and waited, my eyes glued to the door.
"You know I could do this part on my own," Damon said.
I rolled my eyes towards the heavens and looked at him in annoyance. "Yeah, cause I'm just gonna leave you to deal with a much older vamp all on your own. That's not gonna happen," I said.
Damon smiled briefly, then held a finger to his lips, his blue eyes crinkling as he stood zooming behind the door. I slowly stood and crossed my arms. A low clicking sound came from the door, and Damon pressed his back against the wall, just as Anna came inside. Damon sped in front of Anna, taking her by the throat, and slamming her against the wall, taking her by surprise for only a moment. Before I could take control of the situation, Anna had grasped Damon by the throat, turning the tables on him, and she started to squeeze. Damon gasped in pain, choking from the strength of her grip. I sighed deeply and waved my hand, ripping the two vampires apart. They both went flying in opposite directions, slamming into the walls with loud gasps of pain and annoyance. I shook my head with a laugh and stood directly in the middle of the two. Damon was the first to sit up, leaning against his knees with a groan.
"Damn," he said, rubbing his neck. "You're strong for a little thing,"
I smirked, glancing at Anna, who was looking at me in pure shock. "How?" she finally managed.
I pointed at myself and shrugged. "Original witch, cursed, Reincarnate. Very long story," I said, shaking my hand in a blasé way.
Anna looked at Damon and started to laugh, her whole body shaking. Damon's face scrunched up in anger as he stood, moving towards the little vampire. I held up my hand, putting up a magical barrier between the two. It pulsed briefly, in a thunderous flash of light, before disappearing. Anna and Damon flinched, covering their eyes.
Damon banged his hands against the invisible wall of magic in anger, his blue eyes furious. "Whoa, moron slow down. I'm not gonna let you get yourself killed just because you're mad that she is laughing at you," I sighed.
Anna stood up and stepped closer to the barrier with a grin. "So, how are you enjoying having your ex-fiance around while you're trying to get your lover out of the tomb?" she sneered.
I lowered the barrier slowly, and stepped right next to Anna, tilting my head expression blank. I focused on her mind, smiling when she crumbled to her knees, screaming in pain.
"Listen here bitch, I already know why you're here and what you want. I know Pearl is in the tomb, but ya see, you have nothing we need, so if you don't want me staking your mother the first chance I get, then you need to stay the hell out of our way. That means leaving my brother alone," I said, letting up on the witchy migraine I was giving her.
Anna gasped, her pained sobs letting up. She looked up at me in confusion. "Your brother?" she asked.
I leaned closer to her and smiled. "Oh yeah, you don't know who I am this go around. Elara Gilbert at your service," I said, waving brightly.
Anna's face whitened considerably, and I could hear Damon chuckling darkly behind me.
"Yeah, Jeremy is my baby brother. Now I get your anger at the Gilberts, I do. I mean, Jonathan Gilbert helped kill me, but ya see, they are family now so I can't let you exact your revenge on any of them," I said, my voice firm.
I stepped past her and opened the door to her room. Damon joined me and looked down at Anna. "You heard everything she said, Anna. We work alone, and if I see you anywhere near the Gilberts, I will kill your mother myself," he said, stepping outside.
I glanced at Anna one last time and bit my lip. "I'll get her out, Anna. As long as you don't cross me. I never had anything against either of you, and your mother was a nice woman, but you go against my family or me, and you will regret it," I said.
Anna looked up at me, her brown hair falling into her eyes. Finally, she nodded. "You have a deal. Just save my mother," she whispered.
I placed a fisted hand over my heart and lowered my head. "Agreed. I'll call you when we open the tomb," I said, before turning and leaving the girl behind. I just hoped I made the right decision.
Once we were back in the car, Damon looked at me in confusion. "Are you really going to help her save Pearl?" he asked.
"As long as she keeps to her end of the deal. It's the right thing to do, Damon," I said, turning away from him. "Now, let's go deal with our Sainted siblings," I sighed.
Damon and I stood just out of view, watching Stefan shovel the dirt out of Giuseppe's grave. Elena stood beside the deep hole, the beam of her flashlight the only source of light in the darkness surrounding us. We were both shielded from detection by a magic barrier I had placed between our siblings and us. I watched in disappointment as Elena used the situation to joke with Stefan. She smiled down at him shaking her head.
"What?" Stefan asked.
Elena continued to shake her head in amusement. "Not many girls can say they've done this," she said.
I scoffed lightly next to Damon, tapping my foot on the ground. "Get a room, Elena," I whispered.
Damon placed a hand on my lower back and snickered. Stefan continued to dig until a loud thud interrupted his low grunting. I rolled my shoulders in anticipation.
"Finally, it's about damn time. It didn't take me nearly this long," I ranted.
Damon stepped closer to the barrier, his shoulders squared and watched his brother toss the shovel out of the grave. Stefan quickly started to wipe the dirt from the coffin as Elena knelt down, leaning closer to the hole to get a better look at what Stefan was doing.
"Hold the beam steady, Elena," Stefan said.
Elena nodded and held the light towards the grave with both hands. Stefan found an edge and started to pry the coffin open. Breathing heavily, Elena leaned forward with a gasp as the lid creaked open. I looked at Damon, and we both shared a smile.
"What? No, that's not possible. The journal said it would be here," Stefan sputtered.
I lifted my hand and lowered the barrier stepping out from the shadows with Damon by my side.
Well, what do you know?" Damon playfully said.
He cocked his head to the side and smiled down at his brother. I stepped up beside him and watched Elena closely, her brown eyes narrowed as she took me in with distaste. Stefan slammed the coffin lid closed and pulled himself from the hole, speeding in front of Elena. Damon sneered at his brother and turned to me with a smile.
"This is an interesting turn of events, wouldn't you say, Elandra?" he asked.
I looked at my sister with a frown, my head tilted. "Very interesting, Day. But sadly, I can't say I'm all that surprised," I said.
Stefan lifted his hands in supplication but kept himself firmly placed between the two of us and Elena. I wanted to laugh as if I would ever allow Elena to be hurt. Yet here he was, acting as if I were the enemy, all because I was siding with Damon.
"I can't let you bring her back. I'm sorry," Stefan said.
I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling gently in exasperation. I stepped closer to Stefan and leaned near him. "Listen to me, Stefan. Katherine is not in the tomb. She has never been in the tomb. Damon just needs to see that so he can move on. You need to give him that," I angrily said.
Stefan looked at me sadly as if I were a small child being tricked into believing in a fairy tale. "I'm sorry, Elandra, but I can't take that chance," he sighed.
Damon stepped in front of me, pulling me away from Stefan with a growl. "I can't believe I ever, for even a second, considered trusting you," he spat.
Elena whimpered lightly from behind Stefan, and I rolled my eyes in annoyance.
"Oh. You're not capable of trust. The fact that you're here means that you read the journal, and you were planning on doing this yourself," Stefan said triumphantly.
I tried to step around Damon but was held back by his tight grip on my shoulder. Both Elena and I were being pinned behind the feuding Salvatore brothers, and I was beginning to lose my patience.
"Of course, Elandra and I were going to do things on our own, because the only people we can seem to count on is each other! You made sure I couldn't count on you many years ago, Stefan." Damon stepped closer to his brother, blue eyes rolling with emotion, and pointed his finger at Elena. "But you...If I hadn't had your sister...you would have had me fooled," he sneered, a thick pain in his voice.
Elena turned away, hiding her ashamed and hurt expression behind Stefan's shoulder. I shook my head and took Damon's wrist, pulling him away from our siblings and hopefully offering him what little comfort I could.
"So what are you going to do now, Damon? Because you know I can't allow you to open the tomb," Stefan said, stepping closer to us.
Damon laughed, smirking at his brother as he watched Elena follow carefully behind Stefan.
"What are you going to do, Stefan? All we need to open the tomb is a witch, and that won't be too hard to accomplish," Damon said, watching his brother with an intensely hateful expression.
As Stefan inched closer and closer to Damon, I held my bag tightly against my side. I silently cast a spell that would prevent anyone but me from touching it. I knew Stefan was planning something, and I was getting antsy. Stefan and Damon continued to dance around each other, each fighting for dominance. I slowly tried to inch away from them, unknowingly giving Stefan the shot at me he had been aiming for.
Stefan vamp sped in my direction. Before I could even take a breath, he was biting into his wrist and bringing it to my lips, feeding me his blood. The coppery taste ran across my tongue as I tried to fight against him. But it was to no avail, and before I could think to use magic, I had given in and started to swallow. The blood falling down my chin as I gasped for air. The thick liquid inched down my throat, and I gagged, trying to turn my face away from him, but his fingers held my chin tightly. I could feel bruises starting to form and just prayed for him to stop. When I had accepted enough, he pulled finally away. I quickly wiped the remainder of the blood from my chin and mouth, disgusted by the man I had seen as a brother. I didn't think I would be able to forgive him for this. At least not for a very long time. Before he could make another move, I twisted around in his arms, smacking him as hard as I could, allowing the hurt and disappointment to show in my eyes. Stefan looked away quickly and without an ounce of emotion, wrapped his cold hand around my neck, pulling me beside him. My feet lifted from the ground as he dangled me in front of Damon.
"Give me the grimoire, or I will snap her neck, and we will see first hand if her curse is affected by vampire blood," he threatened. "Are you ready to play Russian roulette with El's life, Damon?"
I clawed at Stefan's fingers but otherwise tried my best to hide the fear that was welling up inside of me. I could see everything I had been working for swirling down the drain.
I didn't want to die. That was a heady thought for someone like me to have, someone who usually had no choice but to accept death. Now though, all I wanted to do was fight...and live.
Damon stood in front of me, helplessly watching as his brother held my life ransom. I caught his blue gaze and followed it to my bag and then back to Stefan. I could see his resolve grumble as he started to give in. After everything, he was going to give in to save me. A small whimper of fear and disbelief caught Damon's attention, and flickering of hope started to grow in his blue orbs. Stefan's body froze in fear, and I watched his eyes darken as he realized that unless he released me, there was nothing he could do to save her. His shoulders stiffened, and I was sure he hoped that he could somehow still save Elena and get the grimoire out of this whole ordeal.
He was a moron.
Hopelessly I watched as Damon sped over to my sister, taking her by the throat. He quickly ripped into his own wrist, feeding her his blood. Elena's face turned to me, eyes round with fear, her lips stained red, as Damon's blood spread through her system. I could see the moment the realization of what it could mean for her finally clicked. Tears began to well in her brown eyes, as her whole body began to shake.
Damons hand held her steady as he stared down his brother, crystal eyes moving from Stefan to me in quick succession. "I can do one better. Give me Elandra, or you will have a vampire girlfriend, brother," he sternly said.
I watched the whole scene play out in horror, Damon had fed Elena his blood. He had made the decision to do to her what had been done to him. It was so easy for them to play with immortality; for me, it wouldn't work, but for Elena, it would, and it would be an eternity she never asked for. One that would cause a monumental disaster.
Oh God! There was so much that would be lost if Elena became a vampire. I could see the death and destruction of everything, and everyone we loved flitter across my vision, and panic began to set in. I could feel power start to course through my veins, sending a burst of magic across my skin. The bright blue burst of light caught Damon off guard, and he dropped Elena in shock. My skin glowed, a beacon in the darkness, and Stefan gasped in pain when his skin started to sizzle as if he had touched an open flame. I felt my feet connect with solid ground and caught myself as I fell forward, my hands landing on the soft grass in front of me. Stefan stepped away from me as I stood, my whole body still glowing with light. I turned towards the vampire that had held me captive, and I raised my hand, closing my palm into a fist, pulling him towards me. Stefan flew through the air, his eyes wide with shock. I lowered him to the ground next to Damon and he collapsed onto his knees. I quickly made my way to Elena, the glow of my skin dimming into nonexistence. Elena, still shaking, watched me in fear, doe eyes large. It was so reminiscent of the time I had once healed her when we were children that I froze momentarily, my eyes burning with unshed tears. I raised my hands with a smile, trying to reassure that I never wanted any harm to come to her.
"Lena, I am so sorry. I never wanted things to go this way. We were supposed to talk and nothing more. Stefan went too far tonight," I said with a wince.
My head was beginning to pound, one of the least fun side effects of vampire blood.
Elena shakily stood and backed away from me, heading closer to Stefan. "Elara, this whole thing has gone too far, and nothing will change until Damon leaves town. He can't be allowed to get into the tomb," she said, as she lowered herself down next to her vampire.
I ran my hands across my forehead and felt a cold hand against my neck. I glanced behind me and found Damon staring at Elena and Stefan with disgust. I shook my head and let out an aggravated breath.
"Elena, you really have no clue how very wrong you are. Damon isn't going anywhere, and the tomb will be opened." I took Damon's hand and started towards the car. I turned my head back, watching my sister help Stefan stand, checking him over for injuries. "Maybe when the tomb is open, and you both see that what you should be worried about was never inside it, then we can all work together again. Because we will need to be united for what's to come." My eyes connected briefly with Stefan's, and I tried not to show precisely how saddened by his behavior I was. "Please make sure she is safe tonight. She cannot become a vampire," I said.
Elena's head shot towards me as Stefan's eyes filled with a mixture of fear and curiosity. Turning away, I allowed Damon to lead me to the car.
"You gonna explain what you meant by that?" he asked me.
I glanced up at him and shook my head. "Not until you're free of Katherine," I said, slipping into the car. I leaned against the cold glass of the window beside me and closed my eyes. Tomorrow I would be heading to the Bennett house to procure us a witch.
A/N: I know it's been a while since I have updated and I'm sorry about that. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think. That way I know there is still interest in this story. This chapter has been edited by my Beta Casey.
Jeremy's pencil scratched its way across the paper as he sketched yet another picture of a Bram Stoker-Esque vampire. I laid my cheek on the palm of my hand, my elbow sitting on the dining room table as I watched him. Inwardly I sighed, knowing it wouldn't be long before he started piecing together the missing memories that Damon had ripped from him. This was something I still found myself hating my own sister for from time to time, so I had no doubt Jeremy would feel the same for a while.
A small creak from the floor above caused both Jeremy and me to raise our heads, narrowing our eyes at the ceiling briefly in disgust and annoyance. We were both avidly avoiding the upstairs where Elena and Stefan were doing God only knows what.
Truthfully, I was grateful he was here, especially after he had shown me his little box of treasures — one which held vervain jewelry. Stefan had allowed me to pick out a green and black beaded rope bracelet for Jeremy. It would keep him safe from every mind control obsessed vampire that seemed to run rampant in this town. Still, I didn't like the idea that my sister could be getting her freak on only a floor above us.
My head jerked towards the door when a loud knock interrupted my thoughts. I laid my head down on my arms in silent protest. The door was just too far away, and I really wasn't in the mood to interact with the outside world. Jeremy laughed at my display of laziness and stood from his seat.
"I'll get it, Ellie,"
I stuck a thumb in the air and heard his feet move across the floor as he left the dining room. The front door opened, and the low deep voice of a man told Jeremy the total for the pizza. I ignored them and stood, heading into the kitchen to grab the plates. I could hear Jeremy yelling for Elena and shook my head with a smile. Everything felt so normal for once. When I came back, Elena was bounding down the stairs, her ponytail swaying as she all but hopped towards the door, money in hand. Jeremy brought the pizza to the table, and I helped him fill the plates, my mind a million miles away. I turned my head towards Elena and smiled when she came into the room with Stefan in tow.
They both had the most obvious expressions of satisfaction on their faces. I bit my lip, trying to keep to the laughter from my voice as I spoke.
"Ready to eat? I'm sure you both have worked up an appetite by now," I asked smoothly.
Jeremy, who had been taking a drink, coughed loudly liquid running down his chin as he tried to breathe. Stefan raised a brow as Elena sputtered indignantly, a patchy pink blush starting at her hairline and working its way towards her neck. I smirked at them both, watching Elena's face darken by the second. I pounded Jeremy on the back and caught my sister's eye.
"Remember, Lena. If you're too embarrassed to talk about it, then maybe you're too young to be doing it," I said firmly, in my best motherly voice with a smirk on my face. I reached beside me and handed Elena two plates with a smile. "We'll talk later. Maybe then you can tell me all about Stefan's sexual prowess," I whispered with a dramatic wink.
As I had expected, Elena gasped and shook her head at Stefan. As if he would ever believe I would want to know anything about their 'extracurricular' activities.
I giggled, and Stefan rolled his eyes at me. "Stop torturing your siblings, El."
I sat down with my pizza and watched Elena shoot Stefan loving and thankful glances for the rest of the night.
The next day sped by quickly despite my mind still being a complete mess. The news that Elena and I were adopted had really done a number on her. Along with having to deal with my own jumble of emotions, I had Elena's to deal with as well. It wasn't that I was all that surprised by it. I mean obviously, she is related to the Petrovas, not the Gilberts. It was the fact that I honestly hadn't the foggiest idea who our parents could be. I wasn't used to not knowing things. This whole ordeal was new to me. Usually, I lived, and then I died. Simple as that. But not in this life. In this life, I had a doppelganger sister who was in love with my vampire Ex's brother, and now come to find out we were both adopted. I was at a complete loss. Honestly, not knowing something for a change was really rattling me. What good was being a Reincarnate Original witch if I was as clueless as the rest of them? I despised the feeling.
When Elena and Bonnie had mentioned going to the Grill, I was actually all for the idea, the noise and mundanity of it would help me stay out of my head. I had been nothing but quiet and contemplative all day, and I could tell it was starting to bother Elena. That was until Elena decided to tell Bonnie the whole sordid tale. Now I was being forced to listen to Bonnie express her surprise and sympathy.
"I can't believe you guys are adopted. I never saw that coming."
Elena nodded, taking my hand. "And it gets weirder. We looked at our birth certificate. It lists Miranda and Grayson Gilbert as our birth parents. None of it makes any sense."
Bonnie placed her hand on Elena's, her eyes soft. "Which is why you should ask Jenna," she said.
Elena leaned back in her seat and groaned in annoyance. Bonnie noticing her hesitance leaned in for the kill before Elena could shoot her down. "First of all, the Elena I know would always want the truth, good or bad," Bonnie said.
I looked over at Elena and watched her visibly cave. Her shoulders slumped, and she sighed, all of the air leaving her body as if she were a rapidly deflating balloon.
"And second of all?" she asked, defeatedly.
Bonnie leaned forward, her eyes scanning our surroundings. "You just found out your boyfriend's a vampire, so unless your birth parents are aliens…how bad could it be?"
Elena and I shared a laugh, some of the stress we had been carrying finally melting away. Bonnie leaned away, a triumphant smile on her face. Elena shook her head and shared a glance with Bonnie before bumping shoulders with me.
"Hey, I need to go to the store. My outfit for the dance is severely lacking accessories," Elena said, "Since I know you have a closet full of junk, I decided to force Bonnie along instead."
I placed my hand on my heart and fell against my seat with a massive gasp. "So, is Mistress saying Ellie is a free elf?" I dramatically choked out.
Elena shook her head while Bonnie covered her flushing, embarrassed face with her hands. "You are such a nerd. Yes! You are free. Go!" Elena laughed.
I quickly stood, clutching my bag as if it were an article of hard-won clothing. "Ellie is free!" I gasped loudly with a smile.
Bonnie sunk down in the booth as I jaunted merrily towards the door smirking at my twin. I waved with a wink before I slipped outside. I smiled brightly, having enjoyed the small embarrassing display that I knew had helped distract my sister, even for a moment. I took a deep breath, glancing at the beautiful blue sky above me. It was a perfect day. I cocked my head to the side for a moment and decided I would enjoy it today. No drama, just fun. After all, tonight was the 50s dance. It might actually be nice to enjoy it with my friends for once.
Pulling out my phone, I sent a quick text to Caroline before hopping into my car. It wouldn't hurt to check on Damon before I tried to have any fun. I knew that if anyone could ruin a drama-free day, it would be Damon Salvatore. I might as well head off his plans before they ever had the chance to come my way.
I didn't bother knocking, knowing they would be alerted of my arrival as soon as my tires had hit their driveway. I bounded into the front room and frowned when I didn't find anyone. Usually, at least one of them was there to greet guests. I raised my hand and cast a quick detection spell, finding Damon in the library. With a raised brow, I fixed two tumblers of Bourbon and headed that way. As I rounded the corner, I could hear the heavy thumps of something repeatedly hitting the floor. I slowly glanced around the corner and found Damon standing in front of one of the large wooden bookshelves. I stepped up beside the couch that sat a few feet away and watched him for a moment. He was looking through each book intently, obviously searching for one in particular. The sleeves of his black dress shirt were rolled up to his elbows, his raven hair messy as if he had run his fingers through it repeatedly in agitation. If I didn't know better, I would have thought he was unaware of my presence only a few feet away from him. However, I did know better, so I just stood still and waited, giving him the time he needed to collect himself.
I could tell he was angry and losing his patience. His long pale fingers ran across the titles of a few books before he pulled them from the shelf, looking through their pages quickly. He then tossed them to the floor, where they joined the rest in the pile that surrounded his feet. My inner bookworm winced at the many haphazardly strewn books now scattered across the floor. It made me angry to see books treated so disrespectfully. Still, something told me now was not the time to pull out my inner librarian. His searching slowed, and his rigid posture started to slump as he turned on his heel towards me.
I raised one of the crystal tumblers of Bourbon and smiled. "Take a break. The books will still be there for you to abuse later," I teased lightly.
His blue eyes warmed briefly before they once again hardened as he locked down his emotions. Stepping down the stairs, he headed in my direction, taking the proffered alcohol and downing it in one swift motion before leaning against the bookshelf behind him.
"Are you looking for a lead on Em's Grimoire?" I asked.
He nodded his head in an affirmative, and I walked up beside him, downing my own drink; the harsh burn more than welcome.
"I'm looking for my father's journal. I know he had something to do with what happened to you and Emily. If anyone knew what happened to her Grimoire, it'd be him."
I ran my tongue across my teeth and shook my head. I had no clue where Giuseppe would have hidden Emily's Grimoire, but Damon was right, I'm sure he had something to do with our burning. He had taken it as a personal slight against him and his family when he had found out about me. He not only helped murder me but from what I heard, he had destroyed my family as well.
"I completely agree. If anyone can help us find it, it'll be him." I said.
Damon turned around and headed back up the steps towards the bookshelf he had been rifling through. He reached up and pulled another book from the shelf. He let the cover fall open — flipping through the pages, before tossing it to his feet and grabbing another. I tried to keep my features from contorting in annoyance, but as soon as the book landed with a small thumb, the spine cracking open — pages fluttering. I knew it was to no avail. I quickly stomped up the steps and snapped my fingers, watching the books on the floor gently fly through the air and land in neat piles beside the shelf.
"You could at least show the books the respect they deserve. Don't take out your annoyance on them, Salvatore," I snipped.
I pulled off my jacket and sent it and my bag flying over to the couch, kissing my drama-free day goodbye. There was no way I could leave these books alone with the disrespectful vampire. Damon smirked, his blue eyes crinkling.
Very slowly, he deliberately pulled a book from the shelf with both hands, as gently as possible. "So, I take it you're staying to help then?" he asked.
I growled at him and started on my own section, taking a book and examining it before catching his eye as I bent down slowly, gently placing it on the stack near my feet. Damon snickered at me but followed my lead. We worked in silent comradery for another hour before we heard someone walking into the room. Stefan casually stepped up the stairs, his hands in his jean pockets — the perfect picture of ease. He glanced down at the ever-growing stack of books at our feet with a raised brow and cocky smile.
I took a step away from the shelf and crossed my arms. "Can we help you, Stef?" I asked with a polite smile.
Stefan approached me with ease, and I narrowed my eyes. He was going to push his luck again. I could feel it. Why did he always insist on pushing Damon? Yes, most of the time, his brother deserved it after everything he had done, but really it only made things worse.
"Just wondering what you're both looking for?" Stefan looked over my shoulder at Damon, who had stopped his search, his back still turned away from his brother. "Besides, aren't you supposed to be at school, Ellie?"
Damon turned towards us and stepped beside me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "She is welcome to stay as long as she wants, Stef," he said, enunciating Stefan's nickname with narrowed eyes.
Stefan's eyes fell on Damon's hand on my shoulder and then to all the books on the floor, his eyes hard. "Damon, she has more important things to do than be here, helping with whatever this is," he said, waving his hand around at all our hard work.
I growled menacingly at Stefan and took a step towards him. "Stefan Salvatore! You and I both know I can learn nothing knew at that ridiculous excuse for a High School that I haven't already learned in the hundred I have attended before it. So don't you dare treat me like some helpless teenage girl. I am over a thousand years old! If I choose to spend my time here with your brother, then that is what I will be doing. You will do well to remember who you're speaking to!"
My voice wavered between a high pitched screech and deadly calm. Stefan's eyes were wide and almost fearful as I took a few deep breaths.
One.
Two.
Three.
I stepped away from him and took another book from the shelf, effectively ignoring them both.
"I'm sorry, Elandra. You are right. I just don't like you being involved with all this," he said calmly.
I scoffed lightly, and Damon raised his brow beside me, but I kept my eyes on the books in front of me. "Stefan, my twin sister is the Petrova doppelganger. I am a Reincarnate. I'm pretty sure my life is already dangerous and insane as it is. So what is adding a bit more craziness gonna do?"
Stefan chuckled and looked at Damon with his brow raised. "What are you guys looking for Damon?" he asked again.
Damon leaned next to me, and I continued looking through the books. I had no intention of getting involved in their sibling drama. I had enough of my own. Besides, theirs tended to end with stakes shoved in painful places, and I don't heal as quickly as they do.
"Not your concern," Damon said.
Stefan leaned towards him, his arms crossed. "No, but putting Elena and Elandra in harm's way, that is my concern," Stefan said, his voice hard as steel.
I was shocked to hear my name added on to his little display of Alpha male possessive behavior. I turned around quickly when Damon growled, pushing past me to attack his brother.
"Elandra is not your concern, brother!" Damon growled.
I stood in front of Damon, my hands on his chest as Stefan came up behind me. What was he playing at?
"Don't act like you care, Damon. You're just using her. You're bitter because one of us gets to be with the person that we love, and poor Katherine is just out of reach. Unless there's another way for you to get into that tomb. Is that what Bree told you? Is that what you have El here helping you with? If so, then that's pretty sad, Damon. That you would force her to help you get back the woman you chose over her," Stefan weakly said.
Damon took a few steps back, his breathing ragged. For a moment, I wasn't sure what to do. Stefan had taken things too far, and he knew it. His eyes were clouded with regret, but I could tell he was fishing and hoping that one of us would reveal something to him. Damon was in no mood to fight with Stefan right now, so it was up to me to handle him. I turned slowly and tossed my hair over my shoulder. My lip curled with distaste, and I narrowed my eyes hatefully at Stefan.
"You're pathetic when you're fishing, Stefan. Damon hasn't forced me to do a single thing. I have and always will choose him because I want to. Now go. I think you're missing school, and we all know how dreadfully important these human experiences are to you," I sneered.
Stefan's face fell and I could, once again, see the regret, especially after the moment we had so recently had. He had pushed me, and we both knew it was too late to take back what he had said. He had used my past with Damon against us both, and that's not something I will so easily forgive or forget. He moved towards me, but I raised my hand, motioning for him to just leave it. Thankfully, he didn't push me and slowly backed away, leaving Damon and me alone. I turned around and wrapped my arms around Damon as soon as I knew Stefan had left the house. I ran my fingers through his hair, hoping that I could give him some comfort.
"Don't listen to him, Day. You're not forcing me to be here. Don't forget we have already left the past in the past, where it belongs. All is forgiven," I whispered.
I could feel Damon's warm breath on my shoulder and tried to control my heartbeat. All I needed was to make a fool of myself. Before things could get too awkward, Damon pulled away. I looked into his crystal blue eyes and smiled, running my fingers across his jawline.
"Let's find this stupid journal. Before Saint Stefan gets home from school," I said. Damon smirked the worry that had been etched across his beautiful features smoothing into his usual flawless cocky demeanor. "This is why you're my favorite, Elandra."
I spent the rest of the day searching the Library with Damon to no avail. The journal was nowhere to be found. Before Stefan got home, I decided it would be best if I wasn't still sequestered at the Boarding house. I didn't feel like going home yet and knew if I did, I would most likely be hounded by Elena, so instead, I decided to just get dinner at The Grill. As per the norm, it was reasonably busy. I was more than a little annoyed to find my plan of avoiding Elena had flown right out the window when I noticed her and Bonnie at a table in the corner. I quickly slid past them and headed towards the bar, hoping to sneak some take out and then pull a daring escape. I found Matt sitting at the bar and slid beside him while I waited patiently for attention from the bartender.
"Hey, Ellie. What are you doing here?" Matt asked.
I smiled brightly and leaned against him. "I am going to attempt to get some food and pull a runner without my less beautiful twin noticing my existence," I whispered conspiratorially.
Matt leaned back and looked behind us, glancing around until he caught sight of Elena. Leaning forward again, he raised a hand until the bartender, Ben, caught sight of us. Ben slid up to the bar and leaned forward, tossing his dingy off white rag over his shoulder with a smirk.
"What do you need, Matt?" he asked, eyeing me up and down.
Matt shot him a glare before he pointed his thumb at me. "Think you can help out, my friend?"
When Ben smugly smiled, leaning down onto the bar to get closer to me, Matt quickly put his arm around my waist, clearing his throat roughly.
"With the menu and taking her order," he quickly clarified, eyes narrowed.
I grinned, loving Matt's brotherly protective side. I knew he definitely needed to have someone to protect since losing Vicki, and if that was me, then I had no issue with it. Matt had always had a bit of the white knight syndrome, and maybe if he felt like he had someone to call family again, he would feel less alone in the world. I had always loved Matt, anyways.
Ben stood back and shrugged, not a care in the world, as he handed over a menu. "Fine, don't get your panties in a bunch," he sighed.
I quickly looked over the menu and ordered something for both me and Matt, much to his dismay.
"You didn't have to do that, Ellie," he said, not meeting my eyes. "I have some money." he finished.
I bumped his shoulder with my own. "I know. I just wanted to repay you for your chivalry, Mr. Donovan," I said, placing my hand on my heart and batting my eyes excessively.
Matt laughed, rolling his eyes in amusement. "Well, thanks."
Ben brought Matt a plate of food and handed me a to-go container with a cheerful wink. "Thanks," I said as he walked away.
Matt glared at his back, and I shook my head with a smile. "I-I just want you to know that I don't need help, Ellie."
He looked down at the job application he had been filling out since before I had arrived. I hadn't wanted to draw too much attention to it. I knew Matt wasn't the most financially stable, and he was really touchy about the subject of money.
"I know that. I would never treat you like a charity case. You're just Matt to me," I said, stealing one of his fries. "One of my dearest friends."
With that said, Matt took a deep breath, and I could see a lot of the stress he had been holding in finally let up a bit.
"So you're gonna be working here then," I said, easing him into the subject.
Matt took a drink of his soda and nodded. "Yeah, busboy," he grimaced.
I spun around on my stool and leaned against the bar, facing the rest of the restaurant. "So? It sounds like a good job for me. Easy way to make some cash. Plus, you'll still be able to see your friends since we all basically live here," I chuckled.
I leaned in and gave Matt a kiss on the cheek, grabbing my take-out box.
"You'll do great," I whispered.
His blue eyes shined as he smiled at me. "Thanks, Ellie Bean," he said.
I scrunched up my nose and pushed his head down roughly with a grumble. I hated that nickname, and he knew it. I could hear his laugh as I headed stealthily towards the exit. All the while trying to keep Elena firmly in the corner of my eye. I hoped she and Bonnie would remain focused on their own conversation.
I felt almost as if luck was on my side when I heard my sister's chipper and surprised voice.
"Elara?"
I stopped in my tracks and let my head and shoulders fall as I turned to meet her gaze.
"Hey, Elena. I didn't know you were here," I said, my voice dripping with false surprise.
Elena's doe eyes squinted in disbelief as they raked over my body, stopping at the foam box in my hands. As soon as she saw it, her lips thinned, and she huffed in annoyance.
"Elara Marie Gilbert, you little liar. You were trying to escape like some prison inmate," she whispered, screeching as she did so.
I swear my sister could make herself sound like a banshee even when she was whispering. It was a great skill.
I winced and slowly opened the box. Showing her the bacon cheeseburger and fries inside.
"Wanna fry?" I asked, trying to appease her as if she was some Greek Goddess.
Elena reached out and picked up the bun from my burger, lifting it and setting it aside before removing the top piece of bacon. She replaced the bread and closed the lid. Narrowing her eyes at me, she ate the bacon. I scoffed loudly in disbelief.
"I said a fry, Elena!"
Elena sidestepped me and headed outside, still nibbling on my stolen bacon. I spun on my toes and followed her.
"I did not say that I would apologize, Elena. I did not kill someone. I just tried to avoid you. That's a minimum of two fries kinda punishment. NOT a slice of bacon. The punishment should fit the crime, Lena," I said.
Elena wiped her hands on her jeans and shook her head. "I picked the punishment, and I wanted Bacon. So deal with it,"
I was about to harass her again when her cell rang, interrupting our sibling squabble. She answered it quickly, holding it to her ear as we walked toward her car.
"Hello," she said.
I made it to my car, which was nearer than Elena's, and placed my food in the passenger seat. I watched Elena for a second, and my stomach plummeted as she froze in fear. I forgot everything and rushed towards her. She stood in the middle of the parking lot, her mouth gaping open as she looked frantically around her.
Her eyes found me, and she dropped her hand from her ear, clutching her phone tightly.
"Ellie, it's the vampire I hit with my car!" she frantically said.
I looked in front of us and saw a man in a hoodie walking towards Elena. Without thinking, I pushed her towards her car and shoved her inside.
"Go to the Boarding House, Elena,"
Elena stared at me, her brown eyes wide with fear. "No! What about you?" she yelled.
I growled in anger and looked up at the man that was still approaching us at regular human speed. Obviously, he was just playing games. I looked around, making sure no one could see what I was about to do and let my hand filled with a blue ball of electric light. I flung the ball of magic at the vampire and watched as it threw him back a few feet. Elena gasped in shock, and I slammed her car door shut before I ran to my own. Once I was safely inside, I honked my horn, alerting Elena that I was ok. She ignited her engine and started out of the lot. Once I saw her leave, I quickly threw my car into reverse and pulled out of the parking lot after her, speeding down the road towards Damon and Stefan.
I was pacing back and forth in front of Elena and Stefan, where they sat on the couch in the Boarding House Library. I couldn't believe I was back here after already spending my entire day scouring through every book in this room. I was pulling on my fingers nervously as Elena explained everything to Stefan, who was as always, the pillar of support everyone needed.
"Why me? What does he want with me? A-And if he's trying to kill me, then why call first?" Elena asked.
Stefan stood and walked around the couch so that he could face her. "That's because we're predators, Elena. We hunt, We stalk; It's often as exciting as the kill," he said, sitting on the table behind him and handing her the vampire compass. "I want you to take this,"
Elena lifted it from his hands and sent me a weary look. "This is Jeremy's pocket watch. How did you get it?" she asked, ever the dutiful sister.
"I found it after Logan Fell died and gave it to Damon," I said.
Elena raised a brow but thankfully didn't ask me any questions. She opened the lid and observed the inside in confusion.
"What happened to it?" she asked.
"Well, it's not just a watch. It's a...it's sort of a compass, but it points to vampires," Stefan stuttered out his explanation.
I sat next to him and looked at my confused sister. "I used it to help Damon find Logan Fell after he turned. It pointed me right towards him. You'll be able to know exactly who is a vampire by using this," I said, touching the cold metal of the golden compass.
Stefan gently took Elena's hand in his own, showing her how the compass worked. The needle began to whirl around in a circle before it finally clicked into place, pointing directly in Stefan's direction. Elena looked up at him in shock and then met my eyes.
"Why did dad have this?" she asked.
I turned my head towards Stefan and let out an audible sigh. "The Gilberts were one of the founding families, and back in 1864, they were among those who sought to eradicate the vampires. The compass was used to find us," Stefan said with a wince.
Elena looked at me in fear. "If we were hunters, then that means we hunted more then just vampires. Did we...did we hurt you?" she whispered.
I closed my eyes and looked away from her. "Elena, it doesn't matter. That was a very long time ago," I said.
Elena took my hand and squeezed it tightly. "It matters to me," she said, voice tight.
I could feel Stefan's eyes on me, and I avoided him altogether. I had never told anyone who all had been there the night Emily and I had burned.
"The Gilberts were a part of mine and Emily's burning," I finally said.
Elena's eyes filled with tears, and I took her face in my hands. "Elena, it's ok. That was so very long ago, and I wasn't a Gilbert then. I was a Miller,"
I took Elena in my arms and allowed her to cry for a part of me that she would never know or fully understand. "How can you love us after what our family did to you?" she sniffled.
I pulled away from her and shook my head. "Because their sins will never be your own. Just as I do not blame Stefan or Damon for what their father did that night," I said.
Elena's eyes widened, and she looked at her boyfriend in shock. "Your father was there?" she asked.
Stefan looked away from us and nodded slowly. "He was the one who started it all," he said hatefully.
I looked down at the compass and pressed it closed. Stefan looked at Elena again, he reached up and caressed her cheek. "I want you to keep this. That way you'll know if you're ever in danger," he said.
Elena smiled at him, and I could tell they needed a moment. I stood quietly and stepped out of the Library. Memories of the past following close behind me.
Somehow I had been roped into helping Jenna clean the living room before the dance. "Ya know just cause we are dressed like we are from the 50s doesn't mean we have to act like it," I pouted as I adjusted my 50s style yellow polka dot dress.
Aunt Jenna, who was dressed up in her own 50s gear, rolled her eyes at me. "Oh, please, you'll live, Cinderella," she smirked.
I raised my hand across my forehead, careful not to hit my hair, which had been a terrible hassle, and gasped. "Oh, stepmother, please release from this prison of manual labor!" I said dramatically.
Aunt Jenna laughed and helped me fix the yellow ribbon that was holding my hair up and keeping the two tight curls atop my head in place. I had forgotten how much I had hated 50s hairstyles. "You are sure the red of my hair doesn't clash too much with this yellow dress?" I asked her, feeling a bit self-conscious.
Jenna smacked my arm and sighed. "You look amazing."
Before I could respond, Elena bounded down the stairs in a cute yet simple outfit. She had on a blue shirt that she had paired with a red belt that wrapped around her middle, capris, and white snickers. Her hair was teased so that it looked fuller on the top, and she wore a blue headband. She looked adorable.
"You look great, Lena," I said.
Elena spun around with a giggle and eyed me up and down. "So do you." She walked closer to me and leaned next to my ear. "Not fair that you have all that previous experience, though. That is so cheating!" she said.
I pulled away with a laugh, and Jenna shot us a questioning glance but chose to ignore our odd behavior as she turned towards Elena and heaved out a massive sigh. "I spoke to the insurance company, Cars totaled. You'll have to share with Elara or use mine for now," Jenna said.
Elena and I both nodded. "So, you're coming to the dance?" Elena said, looking at Jenna's clothing choice.
Jenna smiled a bit smugly, and I crossed my arms and tapping my foot. "Alaric asked me to help chaperone," she said.
I clapped my hands and let out a little whoop. "Yes, Jenna! Get it!" I said.
Elena glared at me, but I had my eyes on Jenna, who had crossed the living room and was now leaning against the couch, acting as casual as she could. Elena grabbed an apple from the bowl on the dining room table and took a bite.
I could feel the atmosphere in the room change, and Elena finally let the question she had been dying to ask out. "Why didn't you tell us, Jenna?"
Jenna, who had been taken back by the sudden change of topic, looked a bit startled. I felt bad for her. It hasn't really been her decision to make, and then she had lost her family. Who would want to drop that bombshell on someone after they had lost their parents?
"Your mom was gonna do it eventually. I never thought I'd have to," she said, looking at us both with grief plain on her face.
Elena looked down at the apple she had been eating as if it held the answers to the universe. "If our mom was here right now and I asked, she'd tell us the truth," Elena said.
Jenna stepped forward and held her hands close to her chest. She took a deep breath and started from the beginning; the day Elena and I had been born, the day our mother had handed us over to Miranda and Grayson. I listened carefully, although it really didn't matter to me why she had done it or how. She would never be my mother. I had one already, and she had been a lovely woman.
"What else do you know about her? The girl?" Elena asked after Jenna had finished her tale.
Jenna looked at us and sighed. "Just her name. Isobel," she said.
Jenna left after our talk, and I anxiously sat with Elena, deciding I didn't feel like arriving at the dance alone. I really don't care if I was third-wheeling, and neither did Elena, not after what we just found out. This whole day was supposed to be stress-free. So much for that. Elena patted down her pants and sighed.
"I forgot my phone upstairs. I'll be right back,"
I watched her go and felt a strange sense of foreboding in the air. Something was coming. I stood quickly and listened to Elena on the stairs.
"Where is he?" she said, speaking to someone on her cell. She stopped in front of me, and I could tell she was listening to whoever was on the other end of the phone.
She held the compass in her hand, and I could see the dial spinning rapidly. Something was definitely wrong.
"Oh, thank God. This compass was spinning. Stefan must be here," she said.
I looked at the compass and started to panic. I looked around quickly, my eyes rapidly scanning our surroundings. Elena still hadn't noticed my reaction yet. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck lift as if someone was watching us, and my head involuntarily started to rise. Above us, I saw the vampire from the road braced on the ceiling. His eyes red with hunger, fangs bared and ready for the hunt, black veins growing under his eyes. I gasped in shock and my hands rose, sending a wave of magic at Elena on instinct. She dropped her phone with a scream and fell to the floor. Her body flew across the room and away from the hungry vampire. He growled menacingly at my interference and fell from the ceiling, landing behind me. I spun around, just as he went for my neck. I sent another wave of magic at him, and he fell to the floor.
Before he could get up, Stefan came bolting inside from the kitchen. "Elena!" he yelled.
The vampire looked between Stefan and me, and with a hiss, vamp sped out of the house. Stefan looked at me in shock, but I raised my hand and pointed towards a seriously freaked out Elena. As he helped her to her feet, I swayed on the balls of my feet. The shock and sudden use of powerful magic, making me feel weak. Before I could sit down and rest, I was assaulted by a doe-eyed doppelganger.
"Oh my God, Elara! You saved me." she cried into my chest.
I ran my fingers through her hair and whispered nonsensical words to calm her. "It's ok. We are ok," I said.
Elena looked up, and I wiped the tears from her face. "You are seriously strong. You have to teach Bonnie how to do that!" she said excitedly.
I ran my hands down my face and shook my head. "Lena, normal witches can't channel their magic the way I can. They can't just shoot it out of them like that," I said, trying to explain it in the simplest of ways.
Elena pouted for a moment and then placed a hand on her hip. "Well, I'm sure there is plenty of other stuff you could teach her. She would really benefit from someone as powerful as you mentoring her,"
I clasped my fists tightly and tried to reign in my temper. Now was not the time for this. Ever the peacekeeper, Stefan stepped forward and held up his hands.
"Let's table this discussion," he said. "for now."
Elena grumbled but conceded. Thank the Gods. A rustling could be heard at the front door, and Elena immediately jumped behind Stefan. I glanced at him quickly, my hand raised, but he shook his head with a natural expression.
Damon bolted inside at vamp speed and engulfed me in his embrace. I tried to breathe but was being crushed by his enthusiasm.
I reached up and ran my hands through his hair. "I'm ok, Damon," I reassured him.
He pulled away quickly, finally realizing we were not alone in the room. He turned towards Stefan, his face hard.
"How the hell did he get in?"
Damon stepped away from me as he started to pace in front of the couch.
I brushed my dress off and watched him as he tried to reign in his temper. His face was hard and almost empty, but his eyes were crackling with emotion, a storm ready to break at any moment.
"Damon," I said.
He stopped his frantic pacing almost immediately and turned towards me. I raised both my hands in the air and took a deliberate deep breath, raising my hands up as I inhaled and down as I exhaled. "Breathe," I said with a smile.
He rolled his eyes and took in a deep and annoyed breath of air, then gestured with a smirk, as if to ask if I was pleased with the way he had taken in oxygen.
I giggled and raised my eyes to the heavens in exasperation. "He posed as the pizza guy last night, Day," I explained, catching his eye before looking at Stefan, who laid his head in his hands.
Damon chuckled darkly. "Well, he gets points for that. Did he say what he wanted?" he asked.
Elena raised her head and glared at Damon, her hand on the back of her neck. "No. He was too busy trying to kill Elara and me," she said.
I raised my hand in the air, twirling my index finger. "Actually, he didn't show me all that much interest. I don't think he wanted me. Elena seemed to be his primary target. I was just in the way,"
Damon raised his brow and glanced at Elena in annoyance. "Well then, maybe you should stay home tonight, El. You've used up too much juice as it is," he said, eyes scanning me.
I felt my mouth drop open and my hands folded into fists. "Hell no, Damon. There's no way I'm staying here. I will be going, and that's final. I will be there to protect my sister. She is too important in more ways than you know,"
I could see Elena's eyes cloud with tears, and I sat down beside her, taking her hand in my own. She may have thought it was purely out of sisterly devotion that I wanted to protect her, but that wasn't the only reason. She had a purpose, and I would be damned if she got herself killed or turned into a vampire before she could live up to it. Because if she did, then Jeremy and everyone we love would go down with her.
No, I would figure out a way to save her and help Niklaus. This time everyone would get what they wanted. From the corner of my eye, I could see a ghostly grey figure come down the stairs and take a seat, a cocky smirk on her face as she twirled her blonde hair around her finger.
"Oh, you've become awfully protective of your sister, Elandra?" Rebekah cackled in glee.
I tried to keep my face straight and ignore the specter of my best friend. It had been a while since I had seen her.
"Do we have any idea who he was?" I asked the brothers, trying to stay on topic and keep my mind away from the Original.
"No," Damon said.
Stefan glared up at him, an unconvinced look on his face.
Damon scoffed in annoyance, tossing a hand in the air. "Don't look at me like that. I told you we had company," he spat
Rebekah stepped down the stairs and beside Damon, placing a hand near his shoulder. "He looks like he is telling the truth, El. You know I have a knack for being able to tell when someone is truthful. Comes from years of Nik's utter bullshit," she said with a smile.
I coughed through a laugh, the boys looked at me with narrowed eyes. Elena patted me on the back and glanced at Damon in fear. "You think there is more than one?" she asked.
Damon looked at me, eyes soft and full of warning. "We don't know," he said, blue eyes never leaving my green as he sat on the arm of the couch next to me.
Stefan took Elena's hand and leaned over, looking at his brother. "Damon, he was invited in," he said, voice hard.
Damon nodded in understanding as Elena looked between them, not yet grasping their meaning. I patted her hand and glanced at Rebekah.
"You'll have to make sure they kill him, Elandra. Then make sure your family stops inviting people inside. It could become a problem," Rebekah said.
I let out a sigh and nodded. Rebekah was right, things would only get more dangerous, and I didn't want to have to worry about random vampires popping in on me at all hours of the day and night.
"Then we go get him tonight," Damon said.
He looked down at me with a half-smile. "Since you're so determined to go, are you sure you're up for it?" he asked.
I bit my bottom lip and stood, placing my hands on my hips. "Are you, Mr. Salvatore, because I was born ready," I said with a playful sneer.
Damon scoffed, lifting himself from the couch. "I'm always ready," he said, widening his eyes with a smirk.
Rebekah gagged from the corner of the room, and I ran my eyes over her form with a grin. "God, he is so annoying. What did you ever see in him?" she asked, glaring at Damon's oblivious form.
As soon as Elena drew the attention of the brothers, I stepped closer to the corner of the room that held the invisible specter of Rebekah Mikaelson. I crossed my arms, keeping my eyes trained on my sister, who was taking in the plan for the night, her brown eyes wide as Damon filled her in on what she would need to do to draw out her vampiric stalker.
I casually lifted my hand and cast a silencing spell, as to not be overheard by the sensitive ears around us and leaned against the wall behind me.
"Where have you been, Beks?" I asked, my voice betraying the worry I have felt in her absence.
Rebekah's grey face turned towards me, the prominent veins covering her beautiful features puckering as she smiled brightly at me. I hid my wince with a smile and watched Stefan comfort a terrified Elena as Damon rolled his eyes, turning around to catch my eye before sticking his finger in his mouth and gagging dramatically. I laughed but stopped as soon as Stefan scrunched his eyes up at me. He gestured toward a saddened Elena. To mollify him, I sighed and stuck out a shaming finger towards Damon, rolling my eyes. When he laughed loudly, I grinned and sent Stefan a shrug.
Rebekah shook her head next to me, and I grumbled at the way the two brothers interacted. Sometimes I felt like they would never be the way they used to be. It was sad the way they had allowed Katherine to destroy their relationship.
"I was with Elijah," Rebekah finally said. I casually turned my head in her direction, her blue eyes were bright against her grey skin. "He plans on killing Niklaus. We cannot allow him to betray Nik like that. It will damage their relationship beyond repair,"
I gasped, the air leaving my lungs in one swift burst. I felt like she had punched me in the stomach. "What? Why would he do that? He of all people knows of Nik's paranoia. He would be heartbroken if 'Lijah betrayed him in such a way," I said, my voice broken.
Rebekah nodded slowly, and I swallowed the betrayal I felt at Elijah's actions. I would let her explain before I passed judgment on my brother.
"Nik told him that he buried all of us at sea. Elijah thinks he has lost us all, Elandra," she said.
I wanted to scream in anger at Niklaus. I felt my magic swirl through me, as I fought with my emotions. My skin glowed brightly with power, and I forced the surge down, biting my tongue until I could taste the coppery tang of my own blood. I felt the static of my magic flitter across my fingertips as my nails bit into the palms of my hands. I took in a few deep breaths so that I wouldn't reveal my outburst to the brothers and Elena. They were all still only a few feet away from me, in an in-depth discussion about our latest vamp attack. I shook my head and rubbed my forehead roughly. I just couldn't understand why Niklaus would do something so cruel to the one person who had always been there for him. Elijah had even been the one who had helped after he had murdered me when he had thought I was some sort of Doppelganger. He had saved him from himself more times than even I cared to know.
I casually turned my head towards Rebekah, my back straight, face firm. "I will take care of this, Rebekah. When he gets here, I will make sure he knows the truth. I won't let him do anything that gets him daggered...or worse," I said.
Rebekah's shoulders slumped in relief, her grey face falling forward as she sighed. "Thank you, El. I honestly don't know what my brothers and I would ever do without you,"
Rebekah's hand came to hover beside my left cheek. I smiled weakly, my memory conjuring up all of the many points in time where the Mikaelsons had proven how very easily they had moved on without me.
Her blue eyes crinkled in annoyance, her lips pursing.
"Don't do that to yourself!" she snapped, slipping in front of me. "We never forgot about you, Elandra Rioult!"
The corner of my eyes stung as tears threatened to escape, my chest tightening in protest as I fought down a broken sob. I leaned forward and stepped away from the troublesome specter. I knew that if I stayed near her any longer, the dam I had so painstakingly built up over the centuries would break. All the emotions I had hidden away would pour out of me, and I couldn't have that. Now was not the time to reevaluate how I felt about the Original family. I ignored her pained protest and stepped closer to Elena.
"So, are we ready to go?" I asked.
Maybe taking out the vampire who had it out for my sister was exactly what I needed.
Elena and I entered the dance each on the arm of a Salvatore, which of course, caused quite the little uproar. Several of our fellow students had gasped dramatically as if we had arrived naked and draped across them. I rolled my eyes, laughing at how stupid they all looked. I stepped past the students, all dressed in their best 50s getups. "This Magic Moment" was echoing through the gym as I took Damon's hand and swayed my way across the dance floor towards Caroline and Bonnie, who danced together near the refreshment table. I smiled brightly at them and pulled Damon into a dance.
"Hey, ladies. We have a mini issue. So I want you both to stay inside and away from Lena until I find you, ok?" I told them, leaning closer as Damon spun me.
The girls looked at me oddly, fear on their faces. "What's going on, El?" Bonnie asked.
I shook my head in exasperation and caught Damon's gaze. He rolled his eyes and spun me into Caroline's arms as he took Bonnie.
I giggled madly but took Caroline in my arms and spun her around with a flourish. "Listen, witchy poo. We had a little surprise visitor earlier. He is here trying to get his paws on Elena. Stefan and I need to deal with this because he has been invited into the Gilberts. Got it?" Bonnie frowned, her mind obviously whirring with the new information.
I stopped dancing with Caroline and stepped closer to Bonnie. "I want you and Caroline to keep an eye on Jeremy for me and stay here. Please. We have this handled. But I need someone I can trust to protect everyone else, Bon," I said, searching her eyes for understanding.
I knew she was powerful enough to protect my brother and Caroline. She just needed to believe it. Finally, it clicked with her, and her green eyes hardened with emotion. She nodded her head sharply and took Caroline's hand, walking towards Jeremy, who was standing by the far corner of the room, next to Alaric. I sighed and leaned against Damon, but tilted my head as I noticed the sharp look Alaric was shooting at my raven-haired ex. What the hell was that about? His dagger filled glares stopped as soon as Jenna joined his side, and I decided to file it away for later perusal.
"Dance with me?" Damon asked.
I glanced up at him and smiled. "Hell yeah! Show me some moves from Grease! I regret not being able to see what you were like in the 50s," I giggled.
Damon rolled his eyes, pulling me further onto the floor, and spinning me into his chest. "I am not showing you any moves from Grease. I left the 50s in the 50s," he said.
I stuck out my bottom lip and tried my best puppy dog eyes. "Come on. I had very boring parents in that time. I never got to go out dancing and having fun. I was very much a Sandy without the sexy transformation at the end," I sighed.
Damon's eyebrow raised, and he smiled. "So you wore poodle skirts and dated athletes?" he asked with a smirk.
I laughed lightly, laying my head on his chest. "No, I never even got to date that go around. I pretty much studied until I died. It was all very boring," I said.
Damon lifted my chin until I met his eyes. "Damn, Ellie. How many times have you died a virgin?" he asked in shock.
I pulled away from him, chuckling madly. "Damon! Only you would ask someone that." I slapped his chest and started looking around for Elena and Stefan.
After finding them dancing with bright smiles on both their faces, I took Damon's hand and started pulling him towards the punch table. "And the answer is...too many times," I sighed regretfully, glancing back at him with a grin.
He laughed, shaking his head. He let my hand go and took two plastic cups, filling them both with fruit punch. I scrunched up my nose in distaste but took the drink with a simple nod of thanks. "Well, what about this time El? Do you need a little assistance?" he asked cockily.
I sputtered coughing lightly, the sticky punch running down my chin. I picked up a napkin from the table and wiped it away quickly, ignoring Damon's laughter. I raised a brow and narrowed my eyes. "Nah, not this time. Tyler Lockwood took care of that ages ago. Did a pretty good job of it as well," I smirked.
Damon growled lowly, crushing his empty plastic cup in his hand with a glare, blue eyes flashing in anger.
I bit my bottom lip, my eyes never leaving his. Our little stare down was interrupted as Alaric stepped up next to Damon.
"Hey, Elara. Are you having a good time?" he warily asked, obviously catching on to the tense atmosphere.
I kept my eyes trained on Damon, who was still fighting against his anger, pale pink cup crushed in his hand. "Yeah, Alaric. I'm having a blast. Just reminiscing here with Damon," I moved my eyes away from Damon. I smiled at the History teacher I knew was hiding...something. "I was just about to remind him that the past is better left in the past. As he should already be aware. Don't you agree, Mr. Saltzman?" I said, watching his reaction with interest.
His shoulders tensed, all emotion that had been previously bubbling in his eyes was shuttered immediately. He shut everything down, quickly becoming an empty shell of the man we were all coming to know, and I now knew it had something to do with Damon Salvatore. Great, just great. I internally sighed, rubbing my teeth together in irritation.
"Yes, I agree. The past should stay in the past," he said, his voice robotic.
I rolled my eyes and took Damon's arm in my own.
"You know, I don't recognize you. How'd you get roped into chaperoning?" Alaric asked, reaching out his hand towards Damon with a fake smile on his face. "Alaric Saltzman. I'm the new History teacher," he said, taking Damon's hand and shaking it.
Damon's eyes narrowed as he took in the History teacher that had taken over for the man he had murdered. "Ah, the, uh, cursed faculty position," he taunted.
I leaned my head on his arm and sighed. "If anyone cursed the position, it was you, Day," I grumbled, knowing he'd hear me.
"So I've been told," Alaric said, watching my interaction with Damon closely.
I could tell he was ill at ease with the way I was standing so close to him. It was so undeniable that Alaric knew exactly what Damon was, I could see it in the worry that lit up his eyes. It was more than just the fact that Damon was older. It was sweet that he was worried about me. I knew he was a good man, but I needed to know more, especially if he was interested in my Aunt Jenna.
"Damon Salvatore," Damon introduced himself, brushing my hair from my shoulder, his eyes firmly on Alaric's.
Alaric looked towards Stefan and Elena and lifted his thumb in their direction. "Salvatore, as in, uh, Stefan?" he asked.
Damon looked at his brother before looking back at the man in front of him in ever-growing interest and irritation. "He's my little brother. I'm his legal guardian, hence the chaperoning," he answered.
Alaric nodded, then once again looked down at me, watching Damon as he wrapped a strand of my hair around his finger. "I hear he's very bright, not that I've had the chance to see for myself," he said.
Damon easily maneuvered around the new aspect of the conversation, brushing my hair down my back and standing straighter as he answered. "Well, his attendance records a little spotty. Family drama," he said.
I coughed out a small laugh, running my tongue across my bottom lip as Damon handed me another glass of punch. Alaric frowned down at me, probably guessing I knew more than he had thought. Maybe he feared I was compelled? I drank my punch swaying to the new change of music. Damon smiled at me, shaking his head.
"No, parents?" Alaric asked.
My face fell, and I stopped dancing, my own anger starting to mount at his intrusive behavior.
"No, Ric, their parents are gone," I said through clenched teeth.
I sat down my cup on the table and took Damon's hand, giving it a squeeze.
"I'm going to go dance with Stefan and Elena. Find me when this little Spanish Inquisition is over," I whispered.
I spun on my heel and glared at Alaric as I swayed towards Stefan and Elena. I smiled when I saw Stefan spinning my sister around in the middle of the floor. Coming up behind him, I took Elena's wrist and pulled her away, yanking her against me. Elena yelped in surprise, and I laughed brightly at her. Stefan stood behind me, and I danced backward until I was against him.
"Dance with us, Stef! Come on. I never got to do anything like this with you or Damon as Elandra. Make it up to me," I pouted.
Elena tugged on a piece of my hair, and I gasped. "Damn, Lena! Gentle on the merchandise," I said.
Elena put her chin on my shoulder and looked at Stefan. "You don't have to dance with her, Stefan. She's terrible and trying to guilt you," Elena laughed.
I spun her around, her brown her smacking me in the face as I did. "She lies, Stefan! I would never!" I gasped, my eyes wide in faux shock.
I made my chin wobble comically as I spun around Stefan with my sister in my arms.
"It's just...you owe me, Stefan. You're supposed to be my brother, and yet you've only danced with me twice Stefan...twice. Not to mention you were mean to me earlier today," I pouted.
The corner of Stefan's mouth turned up as he watched me pulling Elena around in circles, my head snapping in Stefan's direction at every turn. "We don't have time to dance, Ellie. We are supposed to be keeping our eyes open for Elena's little admirer," Stefan said, his eyes sweeping our surroundings.
Elena slowed our spinning procession around the dance floor and swayed closer to Stefan. "Maybe he's not gonna show," she said hopefully.
Stefan looked down into her big doe eyes and smiled at her innocent and hopeful expression. "You mean I've been forced to watch Ellie dance for nothing?" Stefan snarked, winking at me.
Elena threw her head back in laughter. I spun her into Stefan's arms with a smirk, laughing as she squealed in surprise. Still, Stefan caught her with ease, her hands landing on his broad chest, once the shock cleared from her expression she ran her hands down his chest, her full pink lips spread into a bright smile. "Elara, dancing! Ahh, the horror," Elena joked.
I scoffed beside them, swaying by myself. "I am an amazing dancer!"
I could see an intense moment was beginning to brew between them, so I casually made my way off the dance floor. Blowing out an annoyed huff of breath, I decided to once again head to the punch bowl and grab myself another disgusting cup of punch. Other than dancing and making out in dark corners, what else is there to do at functions like this?
Scooping out the disgusting sticky liquid and pouring it into a clear cup, I leaned against the table and scanned the crowd for Damon. I wasn't all that surprised when I found him quickly. Internally I groaned at his ridiculous display. It seemed he had quickly found himself a distraction. I watched in disgusted interest as he groped the girl's ass, effortlessly gliding them across the dance floor. She was pinned against him in a fashion that was better suited for a nightclub than a High School dance. I took a sip of my drink and sighed when I found it had yet to be spiked. Damn High Schoolers needed to get their act together. Where were the troublemakers when you needed them? I heard a familiar giggle and looked up to find my sister and Stefan standing next to me.
"You can't take him anywhere, can you?" she asked.
I looked back at my scandalous ex and shook my head as Stefan answered for me.
"Uh, no," he said.
I sat down my cup on the table behind me and looked up at Elena when she let out a low gasp. "Stefan, the back corner," she whispered.
Stefan looked in the direction Elena had denoted and then down to me. "Get Damon. Stay together," he said.
I nodded quickly and took Elena's wrist firmly in my hand. Stefan took off seconds later across the dance floor, pushing students out of his way as he went. The man in the hoodie that Elena had noticed exited the dance quickly, leading Stefan away from us. I looked away from Stefan's retreating figure and pulled Elena towards Damon. Before we could get more than a few steps away, Elena's cell rang. We both looked down at the silver device as if it were a ticking time bomb. Elena lifted the phone to her ear and swiped her finger across the screen. I leaned closer to her and put my ear next to her's.
"Hello, Elena. Here's what you and your sister are gonna do. There's a door behind you. You have five seconds," the man said.
I pulled away and started looking around us, searching for him.
"No," Elena gasped.
I looked at her and noticed the moment she gave in. He had obviously said something to her, her face paled. She spun around on her heels towards the punch bowl where I saw Jeremy, our Jeremy, and behind him was the vampire.
Elena looked at me in pure fear. "If we don't go, then he is going to kill Jeremy, Elara!"
My stomach fell, and I stepped up beside her, taking the phone from her grasp. I kept my eyes on the vampire a few yards ahead of us as I deliberately placed it against my ear.
"I can snap his neck so fast I bet there's not even a witness. Now, start walking. Both of you. No magic," he spat.
I nodded, taking Elena's hand, pulling her forward slowly, my eyes never leaving our very human brother. "If you touch our brother, I swear to the Gods there is not a place on this Earth you will be able to hide," I said with venom.
I guided Elena backward towards the door, feeling her body shake in fear behind me.
I heard him laugh, and it made my blood boil. "Keep walking. Through the door," he said.
The vampire started past Jeremy, who was oblivious to all that was happening around him. Thankfully the vampire decided not to touch him, but my eyes never left him as I hung up Elena's phone. When I could no longer see the vampire, I turned towards Elena and pulled her quickly past the exit.
"Run, Elena!" I shouted, pulling her behind me.
Our feet pounded against the glossy tile floors as we fled down the corridor, I glanced behind us to see if the vampire had followed us out yet but found no one. Elena's red face stared back at me in fear. Her brown eyes were red-rimmed and glassy. I pushed her into the next corridor, and we started to run until we came across a set of double doors. Elena pushed at the doors, but I stopped her when I saw the chain wrapped around the push bar.
"Elena, it's locked!" I said.
She nodded, her breathing ragged. I took her hand and squeezed it tightly.
"We're gonna be ok," I whispered.
She gasped out a cry and looked behind us. I turned around and found the vampire calmly stalking toward us. I pushed Elena behind me, ready to take him on my own if I had to.
"No, Ellie," she cried, pulling me into the next corridor.
I ran behind Elena, letting her lead me. I tried to ignore the eerie feel of the empty school. The only sound coming from our haggard breathing and the squeaking of our shoes. Finally, we made our way to the double doors of the cafeteria. I helped her push open the doors, and we both ran inside. Elena rushed to the other side of the room, where another set of doors led to the exit but yelled out in frustration when she found them locked. I stood in the center of the room, watching the entries we had come in through, waiting for the vampire to burst through, my hands lifted in expectation. I was just about to ask Elena if she was ok, but was stopped by the double doors bursting open. I didn't even have the chance to move my hands before the vampire sped towards Elena.
Elena attempted to bolt away from him, but he was faster. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her towards him. She screamed in pain and utter fear, struggling to get away. I let my hand filled with a bright cloud of magic, tossing it at the vampire. It flung him back against the wall and gave Elena the moment she needed to stand and run towards me. I pushed her behind me and bent my knees, lowering myself into a fighting stance. Elena sniffled behind me, I could smell blood and knew she was injured somehow.
The vampire stood, extending his fangs, and sped towards me. I lifted my hands in the air and pulled them back against myself before pushing them forward, yelling out in anger as I cast a large force of pure magic against him, sending him spiraling into the air. The vampire flew skyward, his arms flailing out around him as gravity took effect and started to send him back towards the ground. Elena and I watched him fall, our mouths open in shock as he landed hard on a table. He was shockingly impaled by several pencils that had been stored in a container right where his chest now lay. Of course, with our terrible luck intact, none of them hit his heart.
As he started to remove the makeshift stakes, Elena looked around us and ran behind me, finding a bucket and mop. She quickly grabbed the mop handle and snapped it against her knee until it broke in half, creating a very poor but semi-useful stake. I wanted to laugh, but I was still a bit of shock from my excessive use of magic. Elena rushed forward and realizing what she was planning, I ran to join her. The vampire stood, and when Elena tried to shove the stake in his chest, he grabbed her wrist, reaching for the stake.
I took it before he could and jammed it in his stomach. He yelled in anger, grabbing a handful of my hair and went for my neck. Elena screamed and shoved the stake further into his stomach with her other hand. Still, before he could sink his teeth into me, Stefan came from outta nowhere and ripped him away, tossing him to the ground. Elena ran towards me, tears falling from her eyes, and wrapped her arms around my neck. The vampire stood, yanking the makeshift stake from his stomach and tossing it to the ground with a growl.
"Hey, dickhead."
The vampire looked behind Stefan to where Damon was standing, holding a real stake in his hand.
"Nobody wants to kill you. We just want to talk," Damon finished with a smirk.
He looked down at me, eyes scanning my form. When he saw nothing concerning, he walked up beside Stefan, eyes on the vampire. Before either brother could speak again, the vampire smiled and sped at Elena and me. Damon threw the stake at Stefan, who grabbed it and staked the vampire in the stomach, almost directly where I had gotten him only moments before. Elena winced beside me, and I stood bringing her with me. I stared the vampire down, not feeling an ounce of sympathy for the asshole who had tried to kill my sister and threatened my brother. The vampire grunted in pain, falling to his knees. Damon walked over towards Elena and me, taking my hand and leading me towards Stefan.
"Now, you feel like talking?" Stefan asked.
I let go of Damon's hand and leaned over the vampire with a sneer.
"Screw you," he spat.
I lifted my hand and saw Stefan's fascination as the bright blue flames flickered across my fingertips. I placed my hand on the vampire's chest, just above his heart, and watched in satisfaction as his back arched off the table. His face scrunched up in pain as wave after wave of my magical signature shocked him. It was the equivalent of being in the electric chair. When I thought he had finally had enough, I lifted my hand and stepped away as he gasped for air, little whimpers leaving his lips against his volition. Damon watched me, his face blank. Elena turned away, disgust in her eyes as Stefan continued his bought of questioning.
"That was the wrong answer. Why are you doing this?" Stefan asked.
The vampire sneered, turning his head and looked at Elena, eyes taking in her face. "Because its fun,"
Stefan wrapped his hand around the stake and dug it in a little deeper, the vampire groaned deeply in pain. "What do you want with Elena?" Stefan asked, his voice beginning to fill with annoyance.
The vampire lifted his head and glared at Stefan in hatred. "She looks like Katherine,"
All at once, all of our heads snapped towards the vampire impaled on the table. How could I not have seen it? Of course, this had something to do with Katherine. As soon as Katherine's name was mentioned, Damon was alert. I shook my head and looked away from him.
"You knew Katherine?" Damon asked.
The vampire laughed, his eyes hateful. "Oh. You thought you were the only ones." he laughed through a cough, a painful gasp causing his head to fall back against the table. "You don't even remember me," he said.
Damon leaned over the vampire, and I walked closer to him, tilting his face in my direction. The longer I looked at him, the more familiar he looked, but I just couldn't place him. "What's your name?" I asked.
The vampire looked into my eyes and smiled at me. "Noah; you look just like the Miller girl I helped burn," he laughed his teeth covered in his own blood.
I let go of his face roughly, my memory of him coming back in full force. I remembered Noah, he worked right alongside the Sheriff, rounding up vampires and witches alike. I backed away from them and stood next to Elena, who wrapped her arms around me.
Stefan watched me sadly, his green eyes filling with anger.
"Tell me how to get in the tomb. Hmm?" Damon asked, his head tilting in my direction briefly.
Noah lifted his head from the table and spat at Damon. "No," he said.
Stefan leaned back and drove the stake deeper, am an extreme look of satisfaction on his face. Noah gasped in pain, his voice gasping out in fear. "The Grimoire."
Damon looked down at him in disgust. "Where is it?" he asked.
Stefan twisted the stake, blood starting to cover his pale hand. "Check the journal. The journal. Jonathan's journal. Jonathan Gilbert's," Noah pleaded.
Damon stood up and grimaced in annoyance, catching my eye. I nodded, letting him know without words that I would help him get ahold of that journal. In fact, I knew exactly where it was. Jeremy had it. Stefan took over the questioning as Damon took a moment to compose himself, finally realizing how close he was to getting into the tomb. The tomb that held absolutely nothing for him.
"Who else is working with you?" Stefan asked.
Damon stood next to him and looked back down at the vampire. "Who else is there?" he reiterated Stefan's question.
Noah panted in anger and shook his head. "No. You're going to have to kill me," he said in desperation.
Damon looked at Stefan, rolling his eyes with a nod. Stefan removed the stake quickly, looking at me as he raised it above Noah's heart, green eyes bright. I understood that he was doing this as much for me as he was for Elena. I smiled at him and nodded. Curling his lips into a half-smile, he shoved the stake into Noah's heart. Elena gasped in shock as he fell to the floor, his skin greying as he desiccated.
Elena stepped forward, her hands pulling on the ends of her hair. "What do we...how are you gonna find the others now?" she stuttered in shock.
I placed a hand on her shoulder with a sigh. Damon looked at her as if she were a frightened colt. "He had to die. Besides, he helped burn your sister alive once upon a time," he said.
Elena looked at me but quickly looked away. Stefan took pity on her. "Elena, he's been invited in," he said.
The sound of a door opening, had us all tuning in time to see the reflection of Alaric through one of the doors windows. Stefan looked at his brother. "Go. I've got this," he said.
Damon nodded, heading out of the cafeteria. I just hoped Alaric didn't do anything stupid enough to get himself killed. I'd hate to lose out on the opportunity to learn his secret. Not to mention he and Jenna made such a cute couple.
I watched Elena and Stefan curl up together on the couch from my place on one of the top stairs. She was telling him how nice it felt to fight back, how much more powerful she had felt. I tried not to think about the fact that she would be feeling more and more like a victim soon. There was no doubt in my mind that Katherine would have fun trying to torture her in any way she could. Then Niklaus would come along and force her to help him break his curse. I stood from my seat and headed up the stairs, passing by Jeremy's room where I could hear him talking on the phone with someone, a girl by the sound of it. At least somebody was able to have a bit of normalcy in their life. I shut my door behind me and plopped down on my bed beside Rebekah, meeting her blue eyes.
"I will help you with Elijah when he gets here, Beks. Tonight though, I'd like to be alone."
Rebekah's eyes clouded over with remorse, and I watched as she slowly faded away. Not even bothering to change into my pajamas, I rolled on my side and closed my eyes, wishing for the oblivion that came with a peaceful night's sleep.
* A/N: Let me know what you think. This chapter has been edited by my Beta Casey*
The rumbling of the car engine and the slow breathing of Elena was the only sound in the small confines of the car I was now trapped in. I had never been one to handle silence well, not when so much was being left unsaid. I tended to blabber insistently until what needed to be said was finally out in the open. So, instead of starting that battle, I forced myself to keep my eyes on the passing countryside, every field the mirror image of the one before. Elena laid in the back, still unconscious, her hair falling over the side of the seat. When Damon finally spoke, I almost cried with relief, even if what he said had only to do with my sister.
"So you're saying she woke up long enough to say four words, and then passed out again?" I asked.
Damon turned his head and looked at me. "I. Look. Like. Her," he enunciated, lifting one finger for each word.
I placed my head in my hands with a sigh. "Well, that explains why she was out there. She must have found Stefan's picture of Katherine and completely freaked,"
I massaged my forehead and winced as I adjusted my legs. Damon looked down and pulled one of my knees towards him with an angry frown. He used one hand to pull my jeans up over my knee, revealing the small gashes.
"When did you do this?"
I bit my lip and took in a sharp breath. There were several small slashes across my knee where the glass had dug into my skin.
"When I pulled Elena from the car," I said, pulling up my other pant leg and looking at the similar injury. "It's not that bad."
He pulled away and gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Yeah, well, I need you in tip-top shape. You're gonna be the one who wrestles with Elena. Bringing her was your idea," he said, rolling his eyes.
I smiled brightly as he bit into his wrist and offered it to me. I scrunched up my nose and sighed, leaning in and drinking down a few gulps. I moved away with a grimace and groaned. "How fair is it that I've been forced to drink so much blood here lately, and yet, I still don't get any of the extra benefits?" I whined, wiping my face with the heel of my hand.
Damon smirked, his expression darkening. "Which of the extra benefits do you want the most, El? The insatiable thirst or the eternal life filled with death and betrayal?"
I rubbed my newly healed knees, rolled my eyes, and sighed. "Oh please, yes, you have to deal with the bad side effects, but it's not all doom and gloom. I'd gladly take it."
Damon shook his head, angrily. I avoided looking at him by unbuckling my seatbelt and turning around to face Elena.
"So, what should I say to her?"
I set my chin on the seat and bit my lip in thought.
"Hey Elena, sorry you look identical to your boyfriend's ex, but I must say, that isn't exactly the worst part. She was also a raging bitch who slept with his brother and sired them both. Wanna know more?" I chirped.
I slammed my head against the seat with an annoyed groan.
"This is going to go super well," I added, mumbling.
Damon chuckled beside me. I reached out to slap him but was stopped when he pulled me back into my seat, slipping my belt over my shoulder. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he smiled with a wink.
"Safety first,"
I heard the click of my belt and crossed my arms.
"So what do you recommend? It's not just Stefan's story to tell, Damon. Should we just allow him to tell it, or would you like to? Because I would love to avoid this conversation."
Damon tapped the steering wheel with one finger, and I sat quietly. I knew this wouldn't be easy for either of them. I watched his expression, looking for any change, but there was none. His eyes remained clear and impassive, his face never crinkled nor changed from its smooth pale visage. He looked at ease as if this was a typical road trip, just some fun with his ex and her sister.
Or to be more exact, his reincarnated ex and the doppelganger of his ex—who happened to become his reincarnated ex's new sister.
My nose twitched, and I laid my head back with a sigh, my eyes closed. My life was what nightmares were made of. I would need a morphine drip just to handle all the migraines this simple road trip would create.
"I think you should just let Stefan handle this one, El. Give her just the information she needs and let him go from there,"
I opened one eye and lifted my brow. "He does handle these situations best."
I brushed my bangs from my face and sighed heavily. Damon nodded and flipped on the radio, letting the sweet sound of music take away the need for more discussion. I let out a deep breath and leaned my head against the glass of my door, the cold breaking the tension that covered my forehead.
I squinted my eyes tightly as the light of the sun tried to seep through my eyelids. Running the back of my hand over my face, I felt something vibrate in my back pocket. I reached underneath me and pulled out my phone, blinking a few times as my eyes adjusted to the day. When I could finally see, I found Stefan's picture flashing across my screen, along with a large number of missed calls. I laid the phone in my lap and sighed in annoyance.
"How long has my ass been vibrating, Day?" I asked, my voice raspy from sleep.
I ran my fingers through my disheveled hair then lifted it into a ponytail, before looking at the vampire beside me. I growled lowly when I found him as perfect as he had been the night before, not a single hair out of place.
Damn perfect vampires.
He shook his head and brushed his thumb across my cheek, pulling away to show me the way its pad glistened in the light, wet with my drool. I choked out a gasp and quickly wiped my face in agonized embarrassment. Damon laughed, wiping his thumb on his jeans.
"Oh El, you drooled in my time too," he said with a snicker.
I smacked his shoulder and grabbed my bag, pulling out some gum. I tried to ignore the blush that still covered my cheeks and was thankful when Stefan interrupted, my phone buzzing to life again in my lap. Damon's eyes narrowed as he glanced down at my phone, eyes burning with fury.
"He has called you more then he has Elena. I wonder why that is?" he said tightly.
My brows furrowed and I reached over, patting his jacket down until I found the lump I was looking for.
"Where did you find her phone, Damon?"
He pushed my hand away and fixed his jacket. My phone let off a cheery ding, and I followed Damon's gaze as it lowered to my lap. He reached for my phone, and I smacked his hand away quickly.
"Oi! My phone, thank you. I will read my own texts."
He sat back, and I huffed when I noticed his tightening jaw.
"Damon, he is worried sick. Give the man a break. He has every right to text and call me all he wants," I said.
Shaking my head, I unlocked my phone and skimmed the text as my heart hammered in my chest.
Elandra, please call me. Please. I need to know you guys are safe. You can't do this to me. I promise I will tell her everything. I'm sorry. I love you both. Please call me.
I swallowed hard and stared at the message until my screen went dark.
"We need to call him," I said.
Before I could blink, Damon took my phone and unlocked it. His eyes darted back and forth as they scanned the message. I could hear a faint crack as he squeezed my phone. I pried it from his fingers and breathed a sigh of relief when I found it still worked. Damon's chest moved slowly, his jaw tight. I unbuckled my seat and moved next to him.
"Damon, calm down. There is no need for you to freak out."
I ran my fingers through his hair gently. I could hear him grind his teeth together as he tried to keep himself under control.
"So, I take it you've told him you love him," he whispered.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and ran my tongue over my dry lips. "Yes, I have — as a brother," I said slowly, "which is exactly what he is to me,"
It felt like I was walking through a minefield. Damon turned his head away, and I scooted back over, moving away from the mercurial vampire.
"A brother, huh," he sneered, a mirthless chuckle lilting from him.
I bit down on the gum I was chewing, using it to remain composed. "Yes, Damon. That's all he has ever been. You know that." I said with a small, weak smile.
I wasn't sure what was going on. Was this jealousy or just latent possessiveness? I had heard that since Katherine, both Salvatores were always edgy about the woman they fancied. They had a tendency to become wrathful if they thought one of them had any feelings for the other's lover. Even if Stefan hadn't seen me as a sister, he would have always known I was off-limits. So why then was Damon acting so jealous?
A small rustling saved us both from furthering the conversation. I glanced at Damon and he nodded, pulling the car to the side of the road. Elena was pushing herself into a seated position, the right corner of her forehead caked in dried blood, although she was fully healed. She ran her hand over her head, eyes still squeezed tightly shut. I watched in sympathy as she swayed from side to side, wincing slightly as she moaned, her voice cracking. Very slowly, she opened her eyes, and her pupils dilated when they focused in on me.
"Elara?" she said, voice breaking off.
I started to nod, and her brown eyes filled with tears. I lifted my legs into the seat and forced myself over the middle console, ignoring the hand that covered my lower back protectively. I wrapped my arms around my sister and felt warm tears seep into my shirt as she cried. I ran my hand over her ruffled brown hair and directed small soothing sounds into her ear.
"I look just like her, Ellie," she mumbled.
I brushed her hair over one shoulder and nodded slowly. "I know. I should have told you, but I didn't think it was my place. Please know that if I had thought he was dating you for that reason alone, I would have," I murmured into her ear.
I could feel her stiffen and braced myself for her wrath. She sat back and looked into my eyes, her own full of confusion and anger. "What do you mean?" she asked slowly.
I sucked on my bottom lip and took her hand. "Elena, I've met Katherine. Many times," I said, wincing when she glared at me.
She yanked her hand away and looked around the car, suddenly aware of her surroundings. She pushed herself against the seat when she noticed Damon smiling at her from the front. I tilted my head in annoyance and smacked his headrest, my teeth partially bared.
"Where are we, and why are we with him?" she said, spitting out the last part with venom.
I sighed and scooted closer to her, scrunching up my face in apprehension. "Um, well, that's the thing, Elena. When we found you, we were planning a little road trip, and I had a feeling you and Stefan had a little spat… so…" I trailed off, turning my head away and brushing the hair from my eyes.
Elena blinked quickly as she minutely lowered her chin towards her chest, her eyes starting to bulge as she began to understand. Her shoulders shook, and she began to chuckle, shaking her head.
"No… No. There's no way you would take me on a road trip with Damon," she said, reaching for the door and jumping out.
I crawled across the seat and quickly followed her. She walked behind the car and started down the road, her hands fisted beside her as she mumbled angrily to herself. She stopped suddenly and bent over groaning, her hand on her knee. She ran her fingers over her head and winced slightly. Damon sped beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He smiled down at her, his patented half-smirk fixed on his face.
"You're ok. No broken bones. I checked." He winked.
Elena sneered and pushed his hand away from her.
"Listen, Lena, we are all the way in Georgia. Take the opportunity to clear your head. I have already talked to Jenna, no one thinks we are dead. Live a little. You will only get to do it once," I winked.
With a roll of her eyes, Elena ran her hands through her hair, sighing. "I have a life, Ellie. We have a life, we can't just run away. Why would you even go along with this?" she said.
Damon groaned loudly and sped back to his car, irritatedly slamming the door closed, and leaning against it. "I told you this was a bad idea, Elandra," he grumbled.
Something snapped in Elena. Her brown eyes large as she spun around, quickly walking up to Damon, poking her finger into his chest.
"That is not her name. Maybe you need to remember who you're talking to. She isn't the same girl from your time." She moved her finger to me but kept her eyes on Damon's. "Her name is Elara, not Elandra. She is my sister, not your fiance, and you should try to remember that," she spat.
"Why are we here, Elara?"
They both looked at me, and silence filled the air, only permeated by the sound of the wildlife surrounding us as they waited for my answer. My eyes darted from my sister to Damon, and I covered my face with my hands.
"Because he needed my help, and he is my friend,"
I moved my hands through my hair and down to my neck. Elena watched me, her face stern.
"Regardless of how you feel about him, he is important to me and always will be. So, if he needs me, I will be there," I said, letting out a rush of breath. "I have a thing about family. You should know that."
Damon stood silently by the car, his hands in his pockets. Elena approached me, her head lowered to her feet.
"How can you feel that way about someone like him, Ellie?" she whispered.
I shook my head at her and sniffed in annoyance. "No one is perfect, especially when they have lived for so long. Everyone can be dark, even you, so I would hold back the judgment." I whispered,
I ran my thumb across her chin, then wrapped my arms around her and sighed deeply.
"Just for me, please be open-minded. Besides, I could have Damon make you enjoy this trip," I joked.
Elena pulled away and touched her neck, eyes wide. I laughed,
"It's ok. I won't let him control you,"
She narrowed her eyes and continued to rub her neck self consciously. A loud ringing came from Damon's pocket, and Elena and I both turned to look at him. He stood against the hood of the car, arms crossed. I smirked as Elena rounded on him.
"That's my phone?" she huffed irritably.
Damon reached into his pocket and pulled out her phone, looking down at the screen. I stood next to him and watched his expression. His blue eyes hardened like glass for only a second before he looked up at Elena with a sly smile. "Mmm, it's your boyfriend."
Elena turned away, shaking her head, her hand still on her neck. I reached out and took her free hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before releasing it just as Damon looked back down at the phone with a sneer.
"I'll take it." He lifted the phone to his ear and gave me a quick wink. "Elena's phone!" he chirped enthusiastically.
I stepped closer to Damon, and he leaned down, lifting the phone slightly so that I could hear Stefan speak.
"Where are they? Why do you have Elena's phone, and why is Elandra not answering me? Are they ok?" he barked angrily.
Damon looked down at me, and I raised a brow.
"Slow down, brother. They are both right here. And yes, they are fine," he said calmly.
I shook my head and sighed. Elena kept her eyes on her feet, almost guiltily, as she transferred her weight from one foot to the other. I kicked her foot, and she looked at me with a shrug. I straightened my back and flipped my hair over my shoulder with confidence. She laughed silently and leaned against the car with a sigh. I nodded, satisfied, and looked back at Damon, who was lowering the phone towards Elena.
"He wants to talk to you,"
I crossed my arms and nudged my head towards the phone, urging her forward. After all, I was on Stefan's side. He really did love her.
Elena eyed the phone for a moment but looked away quickly, her mind made up. "Uh-uh," she said, shaking her head.
Damon pulled the phone back with a self-satisfied grin, and I looked away, heart sinking on Stefan's behalf. "Yeah. I don't really think she wants to talk to you right now," Damon said, shaking his head.
I could hear the anger in Stefan's voice as he spoke on the other end of the phone, and almost felt afraid for what would be waiting for Damon once we got home. Then I remembered I would be there to help defuse the situation, and Elena wouldn't stay mad at Stefan forever. Love was a mighty thing. No one knew that better than I did.
"Damon, I swear to God, If you touch either one of them…" Stefan spat.
I felt a warmth spread through me at his protective behavior. Caroline was one of the only other people who showed such a protective response over me, and I loved it. I was the same way, willing to kill for those I loved.
Damon smirked and nodded his head slowly. "You have a good day. Mmm-hmm. Bye now,"
I stepped away from him and pulled out my phone. I slipped into my messages and found the last one Stefan had sent me. I typed out a quick response and sent it just as Damon took the phone from my grasp.
"Naughty. Who are you texting?"
I yanked my phone from his grasp and shook my head. "Stefan. Someone needs to assure him you don't have us tied up in your trunk." I sighed, placing the phone back in my pocket. "Even if that is a ridiculous assumption. Like you could ever get the jump on me,"
"What did you say to him?" Elena asked, opening the car door and slipping inside.
I followed her and hopped into the front seat. "Basically, I told him we were both here because we wanted to be and that we would be home soon. End of story," I said, shrugging.
Damon slid into the driver's seat and slapped the wheel with a grin. "Well, now that we have taken care of my poor brother's feelings, let's get moving. We're almost there."
Elena sighed deeply and sat back in her seat. "Can't we just go home?"
I looked back at her and frowned. "No, we're going to a little place right outside of Atlanta,"
Elena groaned.
"Come on, It'll be fun!" I beckoned, throwing my hands in the air "Remember, what fun?"
Damon looked at her in the rearview and rolled his eyes. "No. I don't think she does. Come on, Elena. You don't wanna go back right now, do you? What's the rush? Take a time-out. Five minutes. All your problems will still be there when we get back."
I clapped my hands and nodded, smiling brightly. This was one of the reasons I had always loved Damon. He could be so spontaneous and fun. I leaned my head on his shoulder and grinned, watching for Elena's response in the mirror.
She looked out the window briefly before slapping her knee with a sigh. "Ugh. Are we gonna be safe with him?"
I looked up at Damon and shook my head. "Probably not, but I'm a badass witch, so you'll be safe with me," I smirked.
Elena scoffed and laughed lightly. "Ok. No mind tricks, and it's a deal,"
Damon looked back at her reflection and smirked. "Deal," he agreed.
I gave them both a toothy grin and turned around in my seat, keeping my head on Damon's shoulder.
"Atlanta, here we come!"
Damon pulled into the parking lot of a small bar, parking directly in front of the entrance. The sign above the front door read Bree's Bar in bold blue letters. Damon slipped from the car at the same time I did, and I fixed my leather jacket as I waited for Elena to exit the back seat.
"You brought us to a bar?" she indignantly asked, her hair blowing wildly around her face.
Walking around the front of the car, she tucked her hands in her pockets. "We're not old enough. They're not going to let us in," she said, tilting her head in my direction.
I popped a piece of gum in my mouth with a chuckle. "You're not old enough. I'm about a thousand years old, dear sister," I said, tucking the wrapper in my pocket.
Elena stomped her foot lightly and grumbled. "Well, right now, your about 17, dear sister."
I stepped closer to her and brushed my bright red hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. I smirked and blew a giant bubble in her face, popping it loudly before twirling on my heel and taking her hand. "Come on,"
Damon shook his head and started forward. "They'll let you guys in. Trust me," he said over his shoulder.
I could hear scoffing behind me and laughed. "As if," Elena whispered.
I followed behind Damon, pleasantly surprised to find the bar was actually nice. It wasn't fancy, but it wasn't dingy or run down. Bree was taking care of it. Considering the time of day, there were very few people inside, just a few men playing pool. Elena lagged behind as I let go of her hand. I pulled my hair over one shoulder and stood in front of Elena as Damon approached the bar. The woman behind it was running a white rag over the dirty counters, her black curly hair bouncing as she moved.
"That's Bree," Damon whispered, "She owns the bar."
When Damon clapped his hands together, Bree turned her head towards us and smiled at Damon, shaking her head.
"No. No, it can't be. Damon?"
She hopped over the counter, spinning around to jump onto the other side. She landed gently on the ground, sauntering in front of Damon, her hips swaying.
"My honey pie," she said saucily.
Leaning in, she placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him. Pulling him closer, she deepened the kiss, humming in satisfaction. She ran her hands down his body, squeezing his ass with a firm grip. My eyes widened, and I had to pinch myself just to maintain my focus and keep my jaw wired shut. This was definitely something Damon had forgotten to mention.
I looked away and found Elena watching me closely, her face full of concern. I managed a grimace that was supposed to be a smile and looked down at the floor. When Bree finally pulled away, I looked up, exhaling in relief. She took Damon's hand and led him to the bar. He sat down on a stool, and I pushed Elena in the one next to him, sitting down beside her. I didn't really feel like being near him if they planned on going at it again. Bree took out four shot glasses and lined them up in front of us, taking out a bottle of Tequila and lifting it into the air.
"Listen up, everybody! Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances of happiness!" she shouted, placing a shot in front of each of us and picking up her own. "Drink up," she said, downing her shot.
I lifted the glass to my lips and poured the nasty liquid down my throat, wincing at the deep, warm burn. I slammed the glass down and stuck my tongue out in protest. "Ugh, I hate Tequila!" I shouted with a laugh.
Bree chuckled and refilled my glass. "So, how did he rope you in?" she asked.
I looked up at her and leaned my head back with a sigh. "Oh, now that is a long story," I said, downing my newly refilled shot.
"Well, my advice is just to enjoy the ride," she said with a long sigh that spoke of previous enjoyment.
My stomach rolled, and I flipped my glass upside down, waving my fingers over the top. She smiled knowingly and moved over to Elena, filling her glass.
Damon stood and walked next to me, leaning on his elbow. "Having fun, El?" he asked, looking at my upended glass.
I glanced at my fingers and forced a smile. "Loads," I said, grimacing and flipping my glass back over, tapping it on the bar.
"There we go, girl," Bree said, filling it.
Elena observed me and narrowed her eyes when Bree filled the glass again.
"So, how do you two know each other?" Elena asked.
Bree leaned against the bar and smiled at Damon. "College," she said.
Elena's eyes widened, and she looked at Damon in astonishment. "You went to college?" she asked.
Damon leaned his head on his hand and rolled his eyes, smiling. "I've been on a college campus, yes," he said.
I laughed and covered my face with my hands. "I can definitely picture you stalking the sorority girls," I snorted.
Damon winked at me and curled a piece of my hair around his finger as he listened to Bree speak.
"About twenty years ago, when I was a sweet, young freshman, I met a beautiful man and fell in love. And then he told me his little secret, made me love him more. Because you see, I had a little secret of my own that I was dying to tell someone," she said.
Damon leaned in next to us and whispered smugly. "She's a witch," he said.
I widened my eyes and looked her over with new interest. When I finally focused on her and not my feelings towards her, I could feel it, her power.
"As are you," she said, lowering herself onto her elbow in front of me.
I glanced around quickly, making sure I wouldn't be noticed, then lifted my hand and allowed my fingers to twinkle. I smiled smugly when Bree gasped, bowing her head in reverence. It had been a long time since someone had shown such respect.
I nodded in acceptance and felt Elena place her hand on my arm. I patted her gently and closed my hand, canceling the glow.
"When did you start hanging out with an Original witch, Damon?" Bree asked a tremor of fear in her voice.
I placed my hand on hers and looked into her eyes. "I'm the only Original he has met, Bree," I assured her.
I knew she feared who else may be walking through her door. Her face softened, and I could see her breathing calm. Bree looked at Elena and smiled again. "He changed my world, ya know," she said, looking at Damon.
He smirked and nudged his head at Bree. "I rocked your world," he said.
Bree lifted her shot with a smile, looking at me. "He is good in the sack, isn't he." I raised my glass and clinked it with hers.
She chuckled and looked back at Damon. "But mostly he's just a Walk-Away Joe," she said.
I drank my shot, keeping my head lowered, and sat down my empty glass.
"See, she agrees," Bree said with a laugh.
I flung my hair from my shoulders and rubbed the back of my neck, avoiding everyone's gaze.
Bree laughed brightly and turned towards Damon, now more stern. "So, what is it that you want?" she asked.
Elena's phone rang, and Damon took it from his pocket, looking down at the screen before handing it over.
"Its Jenna," Elena said softly.
I patted her on the back and smiled. "It's ok. I told her you passed out at Bonnie's and then went straight to school. I'm sure she just wants to check-in," I assured her.
Taking a deep breath, she answered the phone and started out of the bar, her hand in her hair. Damon and Bree found a table off to the side of the bar and sat down to discuss Katherine. Not knowing what else to do, I followed. I moved to take the chair beside Bree, but Damon pulled me next to him, placing my feet on his lap.
Bree watched us closely, her brown eyes were curious. "So, what's the story here?" she asked, using two fingers to point at us.
I snickered and laid my head on Damon's shoulder briefly. "Like I said, long story," I answered.
Bree threw her head back and laughed heartily. "What part of our dear Damons life story isn't long. I have all the time in the world," she said.
I smacked Damon's arm and looked up at him. "Your turn," I said.
He rolled his eyes and took a beer from the table. "El is my ex-fiance. She was the woman I was with before Katherine. She is a Reincarnate," he said simply.
I looked up at the ceiling and then back at Bree. "Well, I guess that really does sum it up," I shrugged.
Bree watched me, her eyes scanning my face, before trailing down to where Damon's handheld my knee. "After all these years, it's still only Katherine, huh. How do you know she's still alive," she asked.
Damon gripped my knee tightly and leaned towards Bree. "Well, you help me get into the tomb, and we'll find out," he said, touching her elbow.
She pulled her arm away and turned her head towards him. "I already did. Twenty years ago. Remember? Three easy steps: Comet. Crystal. Spell," she said.
I could feel Damon's grip tighten on my knee, and I placed my hand on his, his iron grasp loosened, and I could feel him calm slightly. "There's a little problem with number two. I don't have the crystal," he said.
Bree raised her hands in the air and shrugged. "That's it, Damon. There's no other way. It's Emily's spell."
I ran my fingers over Damon's hand and smirked at Bree. "In Witchcraft, there's always another way, Bree," I said, my eyes flashing angrily.
"What about a new spell with a new crystal that overrides Emily's spell?" Damon asked.
I bit my bottom lip and shook my head. That wouldn't work.
Bree placed her hand under her chin and looked at Damon, her black curls bouncing slightly as she spoke. "It doesn't work that way, baby. Emily's spell is absolute. You can't get in that tomb without her crystal," she said.
Damon's face fell, and his distant eyes glazed over. I moved my legs from his lap and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Watch us," I said, standing to my feet, and pulling Damon with me.
I led him outside and saw Elena standing by the car, her phone to her ear. "And I'm supposed to believe that?" she said.
I could hear a low mumbling on the other end before she swiftly hung up, spinning around to find us standing behind her.
"You ok?" Damon asked.
Elena looked down at his shirt and smirked. "Don't pretend to care. I know your gloating inside," she said, looking up into his eyes.
Damon smirked, but before he could come up with some snotty remark, I stepped in between them.
"Lena, I'm starved. Can we just go inside and get something to eat? All that liquor on an empty stomach was a bad idea..."
Elena's eyes widened, and she smacked Damon on the chest, her face scrunched up in disbelief and anger. "You didn't feed her? Witches still eat, ya know," she said, smacking him again.
I gave her a side hug and smiled. "Three points for bravery. Smacking a vampire, Lena — very dangerous," I laughed.
Elena pulled me forward, leading me back inside. We found a seat at the bar, and all three ordered a burger and fries. Damon handed me a beer, and we drank silently as we waited for our food. By the time it came, I was feeling sufficiently sloshed. My vision was starting to blur, and I was glad to get something in my stomach. I started on my fries, enjoying them more than I usually would. Damon watched me in amusement, his crystal blue eyes full of unfulfilled laughter.
"Let's just say that I'm descended from Katherine… does that make me part vampire?" Elena asked.
I giggled, waving a fry in the air. "Nope. Not at all," I sang.
Damon shoved a fry in my mouth and ran a finger over my cheek. "Eat my little drunk,"
I finished my fry and stuck my tongue out at him.
"Vampires can't procreate, but we love to try." he picked up a fry and tossed it in his mouth, running his fingers against one another to dust the salt from them. "No, if you were related, it would mean Katherine had a child before she was turned," he said.
I pushed the fries around on my plate and mouthed one word.
"Bingo,"
Neither one noticed me, and I was glad for it. There was no way I would reveal something Katherine had told me in complete confidence. It was the worst part of her human life, and I wouldn't repeat it.
"Did Stefan think he could use me to replace her?" Elena asked.
I raised my hand in front of Damon quickly and looked at Elena, my eyes hard. "Never," I said firmly.
Damon moved my hand and looked at Elena with fake concern. "Kinda creepy if ya ask me," he said.
Elena took the pickles from her burger and moved them to the side.
Damon scoffed and took them from her plate, placing them on my burger and his. "Come on, what? You don't like pickles? What is wrong with you?"
I rearranged the pickles on my burger and smiled over at my sister, who was watching Damon with unease. She was clearly trying to figure out how she was actually enjoying his presence while also getting some questions answered. Questions she was too embarrassed to ask her boyfriend.
Damon elbowed me, offering me the ketchup, I nodded, and he spread some on my bun. I pointed to the mustard, and he repeated the process. Scooting away a bit, I lifted my hair into a ponytail and then sat forward to eat. I felt something tickling my neck and looked over to find Damon playing with a strand of hair I had missed. I raised a brow, but he continued unperturbed.
"How can you even eat? If technically you're supposed to be…" Elena asked.
I looked up at Damon and sent him a cocky questioning look. Damon leaned in and gave her a faux nervous look. "Dead?" he whispered with a chuckle.
My shoulders shook as I laughed silently. "It's not such a bad word. As long as I keep a healthy diet of blood in my system, my body functions pretty normally," he said, tossing a fry in his mouth to demonstrate.
Elena's face lifted and she laughed prettily. "This nice act. Is any of it real?" she asked, her expression turning wary.
I took a drink of my beer before Damon took it away, swishing it, revealing it to be half empty. He motioned for Bree, who brought over another and a glass of water. He took the beer and handed me the water, smirking when I pouted. "Sorry, Elandra. I'm cutting you off, baby," he whispered.
I took the glass and sighed, drinking deeply. He watched me for a second before turning away.
"I'll have one of those," Elena said, pointing at Damon's beer.
I sat down my water and leaned in front of Damon to look at Elena.
She smiled at me and shrugged. "Time out, remember? For five minutes. Yeah, well, that five minutes is gonna need a beer," she said.
I looked at Bree and motioned at Elena. "Get the girl some alcohol," I said.
Bree handed Elena a bottle, winking at me. "There ya go," she said.
When Elena was more than a few beers in, Bree brought out the whiskey and some shot glasses. The bar was beginning to fill with people, and a small group joined us for shots. Damon made sure I opted out, so I stood to the side, just watching my sister cut loose for once.
I drank another glass of water and smiled as Bree sat out another set of glasses, filling them with whiskey. "Ready…Go!" she shouted.
Damon, Elena, and a few others all took their shots, Elena being the quickest, when she got going she was a machine with a hell of a tolerance. She slammed her glass down and clapped her hands, dancing in a circle in celebration.
"That's three," Damon said, wiping his chin.
Elena leaned down next to him and laughed. "Aww, do you need a bib?" she asked, a fake pout on her lips.
Damon pushed away from the bar and snickered. "We can't all unhinge our jaws like a snake, like the Gilbert girls, to consume alcohol," he said, finding me off to the side with a smile.
I sent him a wink, and he turned back to Elena, who was waving her hand in the air, describing her tolerance. The atmosphere changed as someone entered the bar, and my instincts went into overdrive. I looked around me and saw a man I had never seen before walk passed Damon and Elena towards the other side of the bar. After Bree served Elena and the others another set of shots, she followed him. I kept my eyes away from her but watched from my peripheral. She said something to him before motioning to us, her face hard. I closed my eyes and ground my teeth together, anger coursing through me. Of course, she had to betray us. Now Damon would kill her, and it would be yet another betrayal to drag him down. She better at least have a damn good reason.
I started towards Damon when my phone rang, I looked down and saw it was Jenna calling. I sighed deeply and took one last look at Damon before grabbing my jacket and starting outside. I opened the door and winced at the biting cold. I slid the phone in my pocket, planning on calling Jenna back as soon as I got my jacket on. As I slid one arm in someone came behind me at lightning speed, grabbing me from behind and wrapping their hand around my neck, covering my mouth with unnatural strength. They began dragging me away, and I struggled, tugging at their hands. I momentarily forgot that I was a witch, and no vampire could hold me against my will.
Before I could remember that I wasn't helpless, I felt a pinprick in my neck and winced in pain. It took me only a moment to realize it had been centuries since I had felt this pain — the pain of Witch Hazel. Such an innocent plant, one so many humans use as a remedy, was my poison.
I screamed through the pain, but the sound was blocked by my attacker's hand. Slowly my body began to shut down, and I could no longer move. I felt the agonizing pain that ripped through my body like wildfire at a magnified level. It felt like a million scalding hot knives cutting every inch of my body. Through the pain, I could sense the man moving my body away towards the back of the bar. My eyes were open, and I could see the night sky above us as he lowered my body to the ground near a ladder beside an electrical building. The man leaned over me, blocking my vision of the building, his eyes red.
"Bree said not to use too much, so you should be able to move soon," he said.
The pain was still shooting through me, and his words did little to relieve it. The only thing it did was make me want to kill Bree myself. He stepped away, and when I could no longer see him, I tried to think through the pain, to make out the sounds around me. After what felt like hours, I could hear quick footsteps. I knew the poison was wearing off, so I forced myself to turn my head. It took every bit of strength I had, but very slowly, I turned to find Damon running towards me.
"Damon, No!" I choked out.
Damon stopped, his face falling as he saw me sprawled out on the ground. I knew what I must look like. I had seen myself after I had been poisoned with Witch Hazel, it wasn't pretty. My skin shadows with red veins darkening to black — like sickly vines wrapping around my body. The poison heats my blood to boiling as it destroys me from the inside out.
"Elandra!" he shouted.
The man who had attacked me flew towards him at supernatural speed with a wooden plank, knocking him to the ground, and beating him repeatedly as hard as he could. Once Damon was on the ground, he sped away, coming back with a can, and covering Damon with gasoline. Breathing deeply, I turned over just as Elena came running from the alley, shouting.
"No!"
Using my elbows, I pushed myself up and crawled over to the edge of the concrete, where the vampire was still beating Damon.
"Elena, stay away," I said weakly.
Elena covered her mouth in horror as she looked at me, tears covering her face. "Ellie…" she said.
I lifted my finger to my lips and shook my head as slowly as I could, still feeling weak. My skin felt like it was on fire, and I could barely breathe, but I couldn't stay still. My sister and Damon both were in danger.
The man turned towards me, revealing his red eyes and vampiric teeth.
"Why are you moving? Bree said you could die if I moved you too much," he spat.
I laughed with a wince and sat up on my knees.
"Who are you?" Damon asked in confusion.
The man shook his head and adjusted his jacket with a sneer. "That's perfect! You have no idea," he said.
Elena stepped towards them, and the man growled menacingly.
I raised my hand and shook my head at her. "Elena, don't."
The man turned his head back to me and looked me over, the color returning to his eyes.
"What did he do to you?" I asked.
The vampire scoffed pain covering his face. "He killed my girlfriend," he softly said.
He turned back to Damon, covering him in more gas. I shakily stood, my whole body aching in a way that foretold nothing but death.
"What did she do to you, huh? What did she do to you?!" he shouted, shaking the can over Damon until every last drop covered him.
I took several deep breaths and took a step forward.
"Nothing," Damon panted.
"I don't understand," Elena said.
I shook my head and tried to remain upright, as I swayed back and forth. The man looked over his shoulder at Elena, his eyes were glassy. "My girlfriend went to visit Stefan, and Damon killed her. Got it?" he spat.
He hit Damon again, and I winced as he shouted in pain. As much as he deserved this, I couldn't stand watching it.
"Lexi, was your girlfriend?" I asked.
The man looked at me again, watching the way I swayed. He nodded gently, and I smiled. "She told us about you, but she said you were human."
He turned around to face me, eyes clouded with tears. "I was."
I walked towards him and raised my hands in surrender. "Did Lexi turn you?" I asked.
Tears fell from the man's red eyes, and I could feel my own heartbreak for him. "If you want to be with someone forever, you have to live forever," he said, voice breaking.
I nodded in agreement. "Yes, you do. I am sorry you lost you're forever. What Damon did was unforgivable. I loved Lexi too," I touched my chest and tried to ignore the stab of pain that shot through me. "But regardless of how horrible he can be, I'm begging you not to kill him," I said.
The man turned away from me and back to Damon, who still laid on the ground, moaning in pain. He kicked him in the head in anger. I cried out and placed a hand on my knee.
"Lexi loved you. She said, "When it's real, you can't walk away," Elena said, her hands in her hair.
The man turned to me and shook his head. "Well, that's a choice you're going to have to make," he said.
I fell to my knees and gasped in pain, my eyes never leaving Damon. "Don't. Don't, please don't hurt him," I begged.
I hadn't felt this weak in ages. I had always had my powers to lean on, now though, I was as human as Elena, and I hated it. The man reached into his pocket and took out a book of matches. I gasped in fear and agony. Lighting the match, he lifted it into the air above Damon.
I raised my hand in one last burst of effort. "Lexi was a good person, and she loved you. Which means you are good too. Don't do this, be better than him. For Lexi," I begged, touching the ground, my vision blurring.
The man took a few angry breaths, his nostrils flaring, and he glanced down at Damon with pure hatred.
Shaking the match, the man bent down and picked Damon up by the scruff of his shirt, eyes blood red. Damon's face was pale and drawn with pain, and what I could tell was regret, whether that be for what he had done, because of what it now costs him, or what pain it had inflicted on the poor man in front of him, I wasn't sure. His head lolled against his chest, and the man looked at him, shaking with rage. I could see the pain and torture in his eyes, he wanted nothing more than to kill Damon, but his love for Lexi was fighting against that impulse. The red in his eyes darkened, and his chin quivered slightly as he lifted Damon higher into the air, tossing him into the building a few feet away. Damon landed hard, his arms spread out, causing him to bounce off the building and land on the ground flat on his chest. I stayed on my knees, palms on the cold concrete in front of me.
Elena looked at the man her face ashen. "Thank you," she breathed.
The man stopped and looked at her, eyes hard. "I didn't do it for you."
As he passed by me, he lowered his head and cast sympathetic eyes down on me.
"He will only lead you to death," he said.
I glanced up at him and smiled. "It's not him I'm worried about, but thank you. Lexi would have been proud of you,"
The corner of his mouth turned up, and he closed his eyes briefly before speeding away. When he disappeared, Elena ran to me, helping me to my feet. We both made our way to Damon and helped him stand. When he was finally able to do so on his own, my strength gave out, and I fell. Elena sank with me as she tried to cover my weight. Damon pulled me from her arms, eyes scanning me quickly.
"What did he do to you, El? I don't know how to help you, baby."
I smiled weakly and reached up to stroke his cheek. "He poisoned me with something, something I didn't think anyone really knew about. Guess I was wrong, huh," I laughed, coughing deeply when my chest started to fill with blood.
Damon lowered me to the ground, and I could hear Elena crying somewhere beside me.
"What do I do? Just tell me what to do," he said.
I chuckled and lifted his wrist, shaking it gently. "Come on, you're more than just a pretty face," I wheezed.
Damon quickly bit into his wrist laid it on my dry lips. I drank deeply and felt my blood start to cool instantly as the effects of the poison left my body. I knew the change was occurring on the outside as well when Elena's tear-choked sobs turned into relieved gasps of air. I could feel her running her fingers through my hair, and I smiled when Damon pulled his wrist from my mouth, running a finger over my lips to rid them of any evidence of his blood.
"There's my, Elandra," he whispered as he helped me to my feet.
I smiled up at him and sent him a wink. "You stink," I said.
Lowering his nose to his shirt, he groaned in disgust. "This shirt is ruined," he moaned.
I shrugged as Elena came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
"I've always preferred you in blue anyways," I said with a smile.
My eyes hardened as I felt Elena cry against me. I looked at Damon, his face a perfect replication of my own.
"Lena, let's get you back to the car. Damon and I need to talk to Bree one more time before we leave," Elena looked up at me in fear, and I smiled down at her. "It's ok, sis. There's nothing to worry about."
I led Elena back to the car, reassuring her time and time again that I was ok and then met Damon at the entrance of the bar.
"You sure you want to come in with me?" he asked, eyes moving to my face.
I flicked some imaginary dust from my jacket and sneered. "Please, as if this will be my first time," I said with a smirk.
Damon smiled and took my hand, taking me inside. Bree was alone at the bar, taking a shot, her back to us.
"We were just leaving. We wanted to say goodbye," Damon said.
Still facing the other direction, Bree answered, her voice flat. "Good to see you again, Damon."
I crossed my arms and tapped my foot. "What about me. You showed me such respect before, Bree. I am one of the first of my kind, am I not?"
Damon approached her slowly, his face hard. "And no kiss?" he asked.
Bree turned around, fear covering her face, shoulders stiff. "I'm full of vervain. I put it in everything I drink," she said.
Smiling evilly, I stepped closer. "Vervain doesn't bother me, Bree," I said.
Tears started to pool in her eyes as she looked at Damon.
"And you're telling us this why?" Damon asked.
Bree's shoulders started to shake as she began to cry. "Lexi was my friend. How could you?" she asked as she turned around.
Damon sped in front of her, and she gasped in fear. I came up behind Damon and placed a hand on his shoulder, trailing it down his arm, and looked at Bree with pity.
"She was mine as well. I loved her, and honestly, I'll probably never truly forgive him for what he did. But he is still my Damon and always will be." I stepped closer to her as her breathing began to speed up. "And you tried to get him killed. No one hurts what's mine. Not to mention, you poisoned me. That's a betrayal I just can't allow," I said, my voice raw.
I stepped behind Damon as he moved closer to her. She gulped in fear.
"Did you think you could send someone to kill me and poison someone I care about without consequence?" he asked her, his eyes darkening.
"The tomb can be opened," she quickly spouted.
Damon tilted his head menacingly. "Your lying," he sighed in annoyance, turning his head.
Bree backed away her hands, outstretched behind her. "Emily's Grimoire, her spellbook. If you know how she closed the tomb, the reversal spell will be in the book. You can open that tomb," she said, eyes wide.
Damon spun on his heels and looked at me.
I nodded, my expression guarded. "It should work," I said.
Turning back to Bree, he stepped closer again. "Where is this book?" he asked.
Bree's shoulders shook, and she pushed her hands out towards Damon's chest. "I… I," she said.
Damon sneered, lowering his head in disappointment. "You have no idea," he said.
Bree shook her head and waved her hands in front of her. "No. I'm telling you the truth," she promised.
Damon stood intimately close, his hand on her face, caressing her cheek. He ran his thumb down onto her chin. "And I believe you. My dear, sweet Bree. That's why I'm almost sorry," he whispered.
I stepped closer and tilted my head, watching the fear fill her eyes as Damon plunged his fist into her chest. I felt sorry for the poor woman, but my pity for her could only go so far after what she had done. She gasped, mouth falling open, her breath catching in her throat. Her eyes bulged as she looked into Damon's eyes, their ocean depths the last thing she would ever see. My lips turned down, it could have been worse. Damon pulled his wrist from her chest, heart in hand, and her eyes began to flutter closed. My cold eyes followed her body as it fell to the floor, almost gracefully. Damon looked down at her heart before it fell from his hand, sliding across his fingertips. When it landed on the ground with a small thud, he grabbed the towel from the counter — using it to clean the blood from his hands. Grabbing his jacket, he slung it over his shoulders, pulling his arms through.
"You ok?" he asked.
I smiled brightly and fixed the color of his jacket, "Yep. You ready to go home and find a Grimoire?"
He looked into my eyes deeply, most likely checking for shock or hatred. When he saw nothing to concern him, he twirled a piece of my hair and took my hand in his, leading me outside.
In the car, Elena leaned forward, her chin on the edge of my seat. "Are you sure your ok?" she asked.
I laughed, my voice still a bit rough. "Yes! Please don't ask again, Lena," I smiled.
Pulling my hair towards her, I could feel her braiding it with a sigh.
"Well, I have to award you at least ten points for avoiding death like a champ," she said.
I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "We can't keep awarding points for non-prank related things. It's against the rules."
Elena grumbled loudly, yanking my hair gently. "We make the rules, and I say with how messed up our life has gotten, awarding points for its craziness is a-okay," she said.
When she finished braiding my hair, I turned around and nodded. "Fine. It's a deal. We can award points for life's craziness," I said.
Damon pulled my braid and looked at me in confusion. "What the hell are you two going on about? I remember Stefan and I were awarded points recently," he said.
Elena shot me an amused look, and I pointed at her, letting her fill him in while I texted Stefan, telling him we were on our way home. Damon eyed me warily, but I ignored him.
After several hours we finally arrived back at the Boarding House. I slipped out of the car and stretched — my whole body cracking with the strain. Elena stood next to me, her eyes on the house — watching it uneasily.
"Go. He won't bite, unless you ask," I snarkily said.
Elena pushed me away, a disgusted expression on her face. "Hey, don't knock it till you try it, sister," I said, raising my hands in the air with a smirk.
She stuck her tongue out and headed inside.
Damon rounded the car and stood behind me. "Think she'll forgive him?" he asked.
I placed my hands on my hips and turned around. "She loves him. So yeah," I wrapped my hands around his neck and smiled wickedly. "Wanna give me a ride?"
With a smirk, he wrapped his arms around my waist and sped me away from Elena and Stefan.
We stopped in the woods behind my house, and I brushed the hair from my face. "That is fun but so nauseating," I laughed, holding my stomach.
Damon looked down at me with interest, his blue eyes piercing. "Thanks for saving my life today, Elandra,"
I brushed my fingers through his raven hair and shrugged. "While I'm around, I'll always save you, Damon."
His eyes closed and he took in a deep breath. "I thought I was going to lose you today, El. I can't go through that again. You have to live," he said.
Opening his eyes, he took my face in his hands. "Once we open the tomb, we will figure out what to do about this curse. Maybe Emily's Grimoire will have something in it that will help?"
I stepped away from him and smiled weakly. "Maybe." I looked at the house and then back to him. "I better get inside,"
He watched me go before speeding away into the night.
I ran inside and found Jenna sitting on the couch. "Hey, Ellie. You ok?" she asked.
I touched my head and frowned. "No. One of my headaches," I lied, bounding upstairs.
I tossed open the door and sat down on my bed, placing my head in my hands. I didn't understand why every mention of the tomb was like a punch in the stomach, but it was. Before I could overthink it, I heard the front door burst open, and Elena's angry voice floated up the stairs. I lifted my head just as she exploded into the room.
"Did you know?" she shouted.
I sat back and widened my eyes. "Know what? Your gonna have to be more specific," I said plainly.
Elena slammed my door closed, locking it behind her, and I stood quickly.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Did you know about Stefan saving me that night, and what he found out about us later on?" she asked.
My brows furrowed in genuine confusion. I had always wondered how Elena had survived the crash, and I had my ideas about us, but no one had ever told me anything.
"No. I don't know what you're talking about, Elena. Your gonna have to fill me in," I said.
Elena's eyes filled with tears, and she threw herself into my arms. "We are adopted, Elara. We're not really Gilberts," she whispered.
I held her as she cried — my own mind full of questions. If Miranda and Grayson were not our real parents, then who were they?
A/N: Please review and let me know what you think, whether it's good or bad. I hope you guys enjoy it. REVIEW, YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! :) This chapter has been edited by my Beta Casey.
Elena stood in the bathroom, her back to me, staring into Jeremy's room. I leaned my chin on her shoulder and looked in on him. He was sitting at his desk looking through his old sketch pad, a reminiscent grin on his face. His eyes held so many memories; happy ones.
He took a pencil from his supplies and found an empty page. He tilted the yellowing pages toward him and began to sketch, his face focused and at ease. I could feel Elena take a deep calming breath beneath me, and I smiled. Watching Jeremy sketch again made us feel at home like things were normal and happy. I reached for Jeremy's door and quietly closed it. He didn't need to see us peeping on him. I wrapped my arms around Elena and hugged her briefly, before pulling away and flouncing out of the bathroom, my mood greatly improved. I bounded down the stairs, flinging my hair into a messy bun as Jenna was pulling her bag over her shoulder in a hurry, her hair getting caught in the straps.
"Jeremy has his sketch pad out," I whispered excitedly as I hopped over the last step.
Jenna looked up from rescuing her hair and smiled brightly, her eyes shining. "You're kidding?" she said, beaming.
I shook my head and grabbed my bag from behind the door.
"Nope, she's not," Elena said quietly, coming down the stairs. "But don't say a word. The moment we encourage him, he'll put it away."
I looked over my shoulder and pointed at her. "Yep," I nodded in agreement. "For once, I agree with her," I said, gasping in fake shock and holding my heart.
Elena rolled her eyes and ignored Jenna's laughter.
"Psychology major. Check that!" Jenna said, check-marking the air with her finger, laughter still in her voice.
I grabbed my new jacket from the rack and slipped it on, smiling at the way it fit my shape perfectly. The silver studs on the shoulders and wrists stood out beautifully against the black. After I finished zipping it up, I looked up to find Jenna smiling at me. "What?" I asked, raising my hands in the air.
Jenna shrugged, the corners of her mouth pulling down. "Nothing. You've just developed a taste for leather jackets recently," she said, smiling.
I narrowed my eyes at her and hoped she didn't notice the way they darted to the thankfully oblivious Elena and back. All I needed was her getting the wrong idea.
I lifted two fingers and pointed to my eyes and back to Jenna. She huffed dramatically and turned to Elena, who had her phone out, staring at it pitifully, her brows furrowed. She walked up beside her and looked down at her phone, questioningly.
"You and Stefan? Update?" she asked.
Elena looked at me over Jenna's shoulder, and I gave her a sad sorta smile. She started buttoning up her jacket and looked at Jenna with an air of indifference. "He knows how I feel and where I stand, and I know where he stands, but it doesn't matter. He's leaving, moving away," she said, finishing the last button and grabbing her bag.
I stepped up onto the last step and looked up the stairs. "We are leaving, Jer!" I hollered.
I didn't wait for an answer before hopping off the step and following Jenna and Elena outside.
I walked a few feet behind them, allowing Elena her space. This was harder for her than it was for me. I could depend on myself, and I had Rebekah. Elena had lost our mother, the only woman she had ever depended on for relationship advice. Not that she could have discussed this relationship with our mother, but I understood that she felt like she had nowhere to turn and vent her feelings.
Elena and Jenna parted ways at her car, and I slipped into the passenger seat.
"Not taking yours today?" she asked, leaning down and looking at me with a quirked brow.
"Nah, don't feel like it. I'm leaving the driving to you today, sis," I said, laying my head back with a smile.
Elena swiftly slid into the car and sighed. "You barely talk to me, and now I've been reduced to chauffer. Great sister, you are," she snipped.
I rolled my eyes and slipped in my headphones, slapping my hands together, and snapping my fingers. "Onwards!" I obnoxiously shouted over my music.
Elena leaned over and took my phone, glancing at the title of the song that was playing before putting my volume on full blast with a mischevious smile. I yanked my headphones from my ears with a yelp of startled pain, and jumped, hitting my head on the top of the car.
"Now we can go," she said smugly, pulling out of the driveway.
I rubbed my ears and squinted my eyes at her in surprise. That was sneaky.
"Five points to Elena," I said wryly.
Elena turned her head and looked at me in confusion, her eyes scanning my face. She turned her gaze back to the road, her knuckles white as she gripped the steering wheel with force.
"Are you sure, Ellie?" she whispered.
I watched the side of her face, the tension in her forehead, causing wrinkles. I laid my cheek against the seat and sighed. "Expect a war, Lena. I won't go easy on you, my dear twin,"
Her face smoothed a bit, and she inhaled, holding it in for a brief moment. "I am sorry," she whispered, almost to low for me to hear.
When I chose to ignore her nearly silent apology, she smiled and fisted the air in triumph. "Team Elena for the win!" she shouted.
I giggled and rolled my eyes in exasperation. It had been years since we had played our little game. It wasn't something our parents had ever approved of, but it had always helped us solve even our worst fights. Our childhood therapist had called it a very unhealthy form of sibling rivalry. We chose to put pins in her seat as retribution. Well...that had been my idea; mine and my imaginary friend Rebekah.
We had been about six years old, shortly after the whole fixing Elena's broken arm with magic and then breaking her nose incident. Even though Elena and I were not very close, we still fought and had the little sibling games we shared together. Ours were just a little rougher than your average family. We would torture each other, the only rules being, it had to be a surprise attack, and there could be no bodily harm nor anything cruel. So it would end up being things like nightly haircuts, hair dye in the conditioner, white-out on our less important homework, salt in the sugar container.
Little things, and in the end, whoever had the most points won. The person who was hit with the attack, awards the points, based on the level of cleverness used. If the attacker thinks the points aren't fair, they can go to a third party who is chosen at the time the game is started. Once the game is over, the fight that had started it all was never allowed to be mentioned again. The battle was supposed to be punishment enough.
It was a silly childish game, but to be honest, I missed my sister. I hoped that what Jeremy would do to her when he found out the truth, would be enough to help her learn her lesson, not to mention, everything that was to come. Plus, I really didn't have much time to waste on fighting.
"Don't get too excited Lena, you're only five points ahead, and we both know who the real master of this game is," I said with a cruel smile.
Elena pulled into the school and grinned madly. "Not this time. We're older now." she took the keys from the ignition as I hopped out of the car. "Who is the third party? Same as always?" she asked as she exited the car.
I walked up beside her and placed my hands in my jacket pockets. "If he'll do it. He is the best," I said with a nod.
Elena and I started inside side by side. "Always fair," she agreed.
"Ok, we will ask him then. Truce until then?" I asked, facing her as if we were about to duel.
She eyed me warily, scanning me quickly before slowly reaching out her hand. Bonnie and Caroline joined us but stood quietly when they noticed our position. "Truce until our third is called," Elena said seriously, eyes on my hand.
We joined hands, and immediately Elena's shoulders loosened, and she breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Truce," I giggled, pulling away.
"Oh...God, no!" Caroline called out her hands on her mouth.
Bonnie rubbed her face and rolled her eyes. "Seriously, guys? The Gilbert Twin Wars? I thought those days were behind us?" she said in exasperation.
I put my arms around Elena and smiled brightly, my eyes shining with evil. "It's time. War has returned my fellow friends. Prepare yourselves," I said in my best movie trailer voice.
Tyler came up behind me and pulled me against his chest with a feral grin. "Did I just hear what I think I did?" His eyes lit up as he placed his chin on my shoulder.
Elena's nose twitched as she took in our position with distaste.
"Did Bon just say The Gilbert Twin Wars was back?" he asked.
I pulled away from him and matched his feral grin. "Yeah. You're team Elara, right?" I asked with a wink.
He clapped me on the back, and I winced, only slightly.
Damn wolf strength.
"Aren't I always? Have been since we were six," he said with a grin.
I clapped my hands together and laughed, sticking my tongue out at Elena.
"Remember the rules, Ellie. Moral support, ideas, and supplies. That's all they can help with," she said, shaking her finger.
I sighed, my shoulders slumping. "I know that, Lena. I don't cheat. Set up and execution is Gilbert only ground," I said, my voice sing-song towards the end.
Bonnie laid an arm on Elena's shoulder and winked at me. "Team Elena, as always. Sorry, El," she said.
I shook my head and grabbed Caroline. "That's ok. Sounds fair, to which I think you'll agree. It'll give everyone exactly the same advantages to use. If you catch my drift," I said with a wink.
Bonnie shook her head with a laugh. "Yep, my thoughts exactly," she said.
I turned to Caroline and narrowed my eyes. "Caroline?" I asked.
Caroline backed away slowly. "Last time I lost an inch of hair. I think I'll steer clear this time. I love you, though," she said, walking swiftly into class with Matt.
Tyler sighed and chuckled maniacally. "That was her fault. I tried to tell her that the conditioner was contaminated," he said.
I bit my lip when everyone started laughing around me, Bonnie covering her bright face with her hand.
"She always did leave her conditioner on too long," I said with a giggle.
Tyler pushed me, and I gave him a quick wave as we all went our separate ways.
—-
Elena and I walked outside after our classes ended. I was happy to see her look so much brighter than she had the last few days. This whole ordeal with Stefan was really hurting her. That's why when I saw him sitting on the table outside waiting for her, I was more than a little irritated. I pushed past her, pulling away when she tried to take my arm and stepped right in from of him, my eyes hard.
"Stefan Salvatore, you seriously better have a perfect excuse for being here. You're breaking my sister's heart, pulling away from her like this. And to just show up again, that's cruel," I whispered harshly.
Stefan looked down at me, his eyes soft, and smiled gently. "I see someone has forgiven her," he said.
I elbowed him in the stomach as I turned around, enjoying his light groan. "You've chosen for that to be none of your business, Stef, because, ya see, you're not just leaving her...brother," I said as I walked away.
I could hear his soft intake of breath but kept walking. I didn't need to turn around to know I had gotten my point across. Elena was waiting for me a few feet away, I took her hand in mine and gave her a hug.
"Call me if you need me," I whispered in her ear.
She pulled away with a nod, and I watched her join a newly darkened Stefan. I walked home quickly, using my magic to give myself a natural boost, using the woods as cover. By the time I had hit the front porch, my hair was windswept and clothes ruffled. I looked like I had stood in the back of a truck while it went 90 down an old country road. I pulled a few leaves from my hair and clothes before I slipped inside. Jeremy was lying on the couch, his sketchbook in his lap.
"Hey, Ellie. What do you think?" he asked, lifting the pad into the air.
I stepped beside him and took the sketch from his hands. On the page, he had drawn an image of a vampire, mouth opened wide, fangs bared. I could even see the hunger in his black eyes.
"Nice. Really creepy. What made you choose a vampire?" I asked nonchalantly, handing him the pad.
He looked back down at the drawing, a smile on his face. "I found this old journal in dad's stuff, Jonathan Gilbert from the 1800s. He's kinda a freak show." I sat down on the edge of the couch beside him and placed my elbow on my knee, resting my chin on my open palm.
"Yeah, I remember reading that. He wrote about demons, right?" I asked, edging him on.
Jeremy nodded quickly, sitting up, his eyes wide with excitement.
"He was a writer...short stories fiction stuff," Jenna said, coming in from the kitchen with a smile.
She sat down on the back of the couch and leaned over to glance at Jeremy's drawing. "Wow, definitely creepy," she said.
"Oh. He writes fiction? I figured he was just a lunatic or drunk," Jeremy said, leaning back against the couch pillow with a grin.
Jenna stood and took a book from the shelf behind her. "Well, he was a Gilbert, probably a little bit of both," she said, handing him the book with a smile.
Jeremy laughed, his eyes lightly sparkling with mischief. I shook my head at them both. If they only knew. My phone rang, startling all three of us, and I jumped, falling off the edge of the couch. Jeremy tried to reach out and stop me, but he was too late. I landed with a huff on the floor, my ass stinging.
"Ow, my ass," I whined, my red hair falling out of its elastic prison.
I ran my hand through it, ruffling it a bit, and pulled the elastic band back around my wrist. Jeremy laughed loudly, and Jenna helped me to my feet. I pulled my phone from my pocket, rubbing my stinging backside. I answered without even glancing at the name.
"Whoever this is better to be dying. My ass really hurts now, and it's all your fault," I said in greeting.
Jeremy laid his head back, still laughing, and Jenna swatted me on the arm, her eyes wide.
"Well, your ass hasn't been my problem in a very long time, Elandra. But I'm sure I could find some way to help you out," Damon said, his voice doing little to hide the smirk I could practically see through the phone.
I smiled and took my bag from the floor, winking at Jeremy with a wave. As I stepped onto the porch, I sighed. "What do you need, Damon?" I asked, getting straight to the point.
"You can take this," he said, the voice coming from beside me.
I jumped, spinning around and pushing him against the house, my hands fisted in his dark blue shirt. I chuckled in anger. "Don't. Do. That," I enunciated.
Damon pulled himself away from the house and dusted off his button-up shirt. He noticed me looking him over and smirked; I looked away quickly and shrugged. "What? You know blue is one of my favorite colors on you, Damon," I said nonplussed.
He approached me slowly and looked down at my jacket and skinny black jeans. "Loving your new look. Especially the messy hair," he said, running his fingers through my tangled mane.
I pulled away and took the golden compass from his hand. "This is the one I found in the woods, right? It's a Gilbert family heirloom. I was too distracted that night to recognize it, I just felt its power," I said, flipping it over in my hand and opening it.
Damon eyed me warily, and I frowned up at him. "I'm assuming you know what it does, and you're not here to return it to its rightful owners," I said, closing it with a snap.
Damon looked away, his eyes focusing on everything around us. "There's another vampire in town. Sheriff Forbes showed up asking for my help finding it earlier today. Of course, my ever heroic brother wants to make sure everyone we leave behind is safe. So I need your help finding it," he looked back down at me and opened the compass that was still resting in my palm. "Using this. Figured it was the quickest way," he said.
I looked down at the compass, its needle focusing solely on Damon. "I can see your problem," I smirked. "Sure, I'll help. You run along. I'll wander through town until I get a hit, then I'll call you," I said, closing the compass and pulling my bag over my shoulder.
I reached inside it and pulled out the little black pouch I kept the Blackwood bark in, sliding it out and placing it in between my lips like a toothpick. I might just need the boost.
Damon took my wrist roughly. "You will not approach it," he firmly said, eyes hard.
I took my wrist, pulling away from his grasp, and narrowing my eyes. "And you won't treat me like an idiot. I'm not going to just jump into anything, but I will prepare for the worst," I said.
He leaned in and lifted my chin, looking into my eyes. "Be careful, Elandra," he said.
I brushed his cheek with my fingers and smiled. "I will be. Witches honor," I said, lifting two fingers and placing them on either side of my nose with a giggle. "I've always wanted to do that," I said with a gleeful grin.
Damon's confused and exasperated expression made me smile as I hopped down the porch steps, opening the compass as I did. I stood at the end of the corner and shooed him away. When he finally left, the needle on the compass faced north and stayed there as I walked towards the center of town.
—-
I stood in front of the warehouse, the cold screen of my phone pressed against my ear. "Just wait. I'll be there in a minute," Damon said.
I tapped the toe of my boot on the concrete as I waited. Damon popped up behind me, and I huffed in irritation, at least this time, I had prepared my senses for his sudden appearance.
"You sure?" he asked.
I handed him the compass and tilted my head. "Of course I am, Damon. When am I ever not?" I said.
Damon rolled his eyes and stepped into my personal space. I took a deliberate step back and twirled around him towards the door. "Let's go, Mr. Vampire. There's another one of you inside, and we gotta kill him," I said with a giddy voice.
Damon vamp sped in front of me with a snarl. This would be so much easier if I could just compel you," he groaned. "You can't come inside. I don't know who is in there. It's dangerous," he said.
I crossed my arms and, without even the tiniest movement, forced him to the ground, pinning him in the sprawled eagle position. "I think I can handle myself," I said.
I kept my body still and lifted Damon with my magic, enjoying the way his arms and legs flailed out around him like a rag doll. I gently lowered him to his feet with a smile.
Palms out, I pushed my hands in front of me. "After you, dearie," I said.
Damon yanked his shirt down and took the stairs leading to the door two at a time. He looked around us and quietly broke the handle, opening the door. I entered directly behind him, and he held his hand out, motioning for me to stay at a reasonable distance. I rolled my eyes and kept them on him as we went deeper into the dark warehouse. A squeak of someone's shoe was the first thing I heard before the sound of a gunshot. Damon fell to his knees in front of me as he was shot multiple times by someone in the shadows.
"I have a ton of these wooden bullets, so nothing funky," Logan Fell said.
Damon sat up and tried to remove the bullet from his arm. "You don't want to do this. Trust me," he said.
Logan shot him in the chest with a smile. That's what ya get," he said.
I stepped out of the shadows with an angry growl, red framing my vision, and flung him into the wall as hard as I could.
"Told ya," Damon gasped.
Logan groaned, standing and pointing the gun in my direction.
I lifted my fingers and smiled. "Go ahead. Try me," I said, beckoning him.
Damon cursed, but I ignored him. Red and anger was the only thing I could see. Logan took the shot, and I lifted my palm out in front of me, stopping the bullet in its tracks. It shook in the air between Logan and myself, shaking to move towards its target. He took a shocked breath, and I saw a fear flash in his eyes as he watched the wood start to disintegrate in midair as I slowly closed my hand.
"Just think of what I could do to a vampire, especially one who has shot someone I care about," I lowered my hand and stepped away from him, standing beside Damon, who was removing a bullet from his leg.
Logan followed me, and I narrowed my eyes. "Don't look at me like that, you witchy bitch. He did this to me," he said.
Damon growled, but I laughed and sat down, avoiding the blood.
"I killed you, I didn't make you," Damon said.
I reached over and tried to help remove the bullets, but Damon caught my gaze and shook his head. I blinked a few times but moved away, crossing my arms. Dropping the round he had removed from his chest with a groan, Damon leaned against his knee, and I watched, my teeth clenched. I would enjoy killing Logan.
"See, I know what you and your brother are. I've been watching the two of you, I knew you'd show up here, and I'm glad you did because I have some questions," he said, bending down next to Damon and patting him on the shoulder.
I sat straight and tapped my fingers on my knee with a firm warning in the way I narrowed my eyes in his direction. Logan stood, stepping away from us, his hands in the air.
"Whoa, you might want to watch yourself, little witch. You forget, I know your weaknesses and where to find them," he said with a smirk.
I stood in a rush of rustling fabric and flung him as hard as I could against the metal door behind him. The loud crunch of his bones meeting the hard surface a welcoming sound.
"And you forget who your threatening, vampire," I snarled.
The witch in me called for his swift demise. I felt Damon's hand on my leg and looked down.
"We need to know who created him, El," he said.
I yanked my leg away and looked down at his bloodied shirt. "I swear to the Gods, Damon…"I trailed off, pointing at his shirt.
He smiled briefly as Logan pulled himself from the floor and hobbled his way towards us. I kept my back to him, my shoulders stiff. I could feel him staring at me, but I knew if I looked at him, if I saw the way he kept staring at Damon like he was some superior God just because he had gotten the drop on him, then I would kill him where he stood. I focused instead on the feel of my nails digging into the palms of my hands, as I clenched them tightly. Logan began to speak about the night Damon had killed him, and my ears perked up in concentration. I had an inkling of who had turned him, but I couldn't be sure, not yet.
"I'll answer your questions when you answer mine. Who turned you?" Damon asked.
I could hear Logan lower himself next to Damon, his shoes scuffing the floor as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. "How should I know? The last thing I remember is, I had just shot my ex's pretty little niece, and I am about to stake your brother when you grabbed me,"
I turned slowly and sneered when Logan jumped slightly at the growl that emanated from deep within Damon's chest.
"That's it! Until I wake up in the ground behind a used car dealership on Highway 4. Somebody buried me," Logan snarled.
Damon pulled another bullet from his leg and leaned his head back, eyes scrunched up in pain. "Ow, it happens," he said, breathing heavily and wobbling slightly, blinking a few times.
Logan bent down and leaned into Damon's face. I took a step closer and dug my nails deeper into my flesh to control myself.
"You bit me," Logan spat.
Damon looked at the wooden bullet in his hand, his teeth bared. "Damn it," he angrily said, tossing it to me.
I opened my bloodied palm and ignored the different expressions on each vampire. I looked at the bullet and held it tightly in my palm. It was dipped in vervain, which made this whole situation worse.
"It had to be you," Logan said eyes hard.
Logan leaned closer, and Damon, who I could see, was losing his patience, narrowed his eyes to slits, and sneered. "You have to have vampire blood in your system when you die. I didn't do that. Some other vampire found you, gave you their blood," he spat.
Damon groaned heavily and fell back onto the ground. I lowered myself to my knees and sat behind him, pulling him against me.
"We're not going to be able to play this game much longer, Day," I faintly whispered in his ear.
I could feel him chuckle and see the small smile they briefly crossed his face. It had been a very long time since I had used that nickname. It was something my brothers had called him often, much to his displeasure.
"Who?" Logan growled.
Damon sat up further, wobbling from side to side, and looked at Logan in annoyance. "That's what I wanna know," he said.
Logan waved the gun around in front of him as he bounced lightly on his heels.
"Dude, it's not like the welcome wagon was waiting with a bundt cake and a handbook. It was a learn as you go process. You know, one minute, I'm a small town on the rise news guy, and the next thing I know, I can't get into my own house, because my foot won't go through the door," Logan said.
I snickered lightly, and Logan swung the gun in my direction. Damon's eyes flickered black, and I covered my face and frowned. "That's terrible, Logan. You have to be invited in, ya know," I said matter of factly.
I patted Damon's arm as he continued to pry the rest of the bullets from the various parts of his chest and legs.
"I know. I live alone," Logan said.
Damon chuckled weakly and leaned onto my arm. "That sucks," he said.
I bit my lip as a small giggle escaped me again, and I could feel Damon's chest shaking against my legs. Logan pointed the gun at us, and Damon sat up quickly, his body shaking with the effort.
"So now, I'm at the Ramada, watching Pay-Per-View all day, and eating everything in sight, including housekeeping," he said. I held onto Damon's shoulder and smiled at Logan with ease.
"It could be worse," I said, shrugging.
"All I can think about is blood and killing people. I can't stop killing people,"
Logan moved closer to us and smelled the air, smiling at me. Damon shifted his weight and moved closer to me, his body pressing against mine, the blood from his shirt sticking to my skin.
Logan laughed menacingly. "And I like it. I'm conflicted," he said.
"Welcome to the club," Damon sarcastically said, shaking his head in annoyance.
I snorted lightly, and Damon slapped my leg. I inhaled sharply and rubbed the stinging skin with a wince. Logan stood and looked down at us with amusement.
I tilted my head and looked up at him in confusion. "Wait a minute," I said.
Damon frowned and looked away from me and up towards Logan. "Cops only found one body," Damon finished.
Logan shrugged and sighed in exasperation. "I left one. I was tired. But I've been hiding the rest of the bodies. They're right back there," he said, using the gun to point towards an area behind his left shoulder with a grin.
I stood to my feet and walked behind Logan to find a small caged area, you could see the bloodied legs and arms of several bodies piled on top of each other. I covered my mouth and turned away, my eyes closed. I swallowed hard and recollected myself, trying to keep my emotions in check, this isn't over yet, and if I lashed out now, I wouldn't be able to stop, not this time.
"You're kidding," Damon said, looking over Logan's shoulder.
I could hear the laugh in Logan's voice and slowly walked next to Damon, reminding myself of the reason we were here.
"They're just piling up!" he said.
I looked down at Damon and sighed, sitting down next to him, and leaning my head on his shoulder. My phone buzzed lightly, and everything happened so fast I barely had time to blink. Logan had jumped, his attention turning on me, and vamp sped in my direction. Before he could reach me though, Damon reached up and grabbed his shoulders, pinning him to the ground, teeth bared and growling deeply, his vampire features masking his face.
"Don't!" he warned.
I pushed myself away from them and stood to my feet. "Hey, it's ok. It's just Elena. She's wondering where I am. I can just tell her I'm running late," I said, my hands raised.
Logan pulled away from Damon and ripped the phone from my hand, looking down at the screen. I sat down on my knees and took Damon's chin in my hand. "I can handle myself, Day. You have got to remember that," I said firmly.
He pulled away from me and kept his eyes on Logan, following his every move.
"Why aren't you at the school, Elara? Do you not plan on being human for college? You and Damon seem close," Logan smirked.
I plopped down next to Damon and laughed loudly. "I have no plans on becoming a vampire, Logan. Though, If I could, I would take it, believe me," I sighed, leaning my head towards the ceiling. I heard the shuffling of his feet as he lowered himself in front of me, and slowly let my head slump towards him, my eyes narrowed.
"Can witches not become vampires?" he asked in confusion, eyes curious. The corners of my mouth twitched, and I suddenly felt terrible for the guy. This wasn't his fault, and he was dealing with it the only way he knew how. I lowered my face into my hands with a groan and felt Damon moving closer to me.
"No, it's not that I can't become a vampire. I'm cursed," When he opened his mouth I held up my hand and placed one finger to my mouth mockingly. "Long story. So, when I said it could be worse, believe me, it could be," I leaned forward and got as close to him as I dared, one arm on my knee. "At least you get to live," I said.
Logan sat back and looked thoughtful. "Why am I so overly emotionally? All I can think about is my ex-girlfriend. I wanna be with her, and bite her, and stuff," he said, face full of childish confusion.
"The girl talk is all yours, Darling," I told Damon mockingly, patting his knee.
Damon sighed deeply and smirked. "Well, you probably love her. Anything you felt before will be magnified now. You're gonna have to learn to control that,"
I nodded in agreement. If Logan thought he was going to get within an inch of my Aunt Jenna, he was sorely mistaken.
"What about walking in the sun? I'm a morning person." he cocked his head, and I could feel Damon move his hand across his Daylight ring. "You can walk in the sun, which, by the way, is pretty cool. The council will never suspect you. That's not in the journals," Logan said with a smirk.
"The journals?" Damon asked.
I tilted my head and looked at Damon. "The founding fathers, they passed down journals to their children," I said with a crooked smile.
Damon narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Did they now?" he asked.
I bit my lip and looked away.
"Come on, man. Ya gotta tell me. How can you walk around in the sun?" Logan asked.
I could feel the tension in the room rising and stood to my feet.
"Who turned you?" Damon asked with a smirk. I paced in a small circle as they argued back and forth for a few minutes before Logan finally stood, his gun pointing at Damon again. "You know, I've been really nice so far, but I will kill you," he said.
I stepped beside Damon as he stood, taking my arm and pulling me behind him. "Then, you'll never know. You're not answering my question," he said.
I tried to pull my arm from his grasp but winced when my effort was matched with pain. He jerked my arm, and I stilled.
"You first!" Logan shouted, pointing the gun in my direction.
Damon's posture stiffened, and he backed me further behind him.
"Damon. I'm ok…" I whispered.
"It seems we're at a bit of an impasse then, doesn't it," Damon said, ignoring me.
Logan shifted and ground his teeth together. "I have things to do, people to kill. Guess I'll be needing a little head start," he said, firing the gun.
Damon let go of my arm as he groaned in pain and fell to the floor, several new wounds littering his chest and side. I looked up, glancing around for Logan, my breathing heavy. When I knew he was no longer here, I dropped to the floor next to Damon and slapped him on his uninjured shoulder.
"You stupid vampire!" I shouted.
His head fell back, and he groaned again, breathing heavily. "I could have killed him, Day. Then you wouldn't be lying here in pain and covered in bullet holes," I said, lifting my hand above him and slowly closing my palm.
The wooden bullets began pulling themselves from his wounds, he yelled in pain as the extraction blazed through him. Still, I continued on, sniffling past the tears that were trying to escape. Once the last bullet flew into the air, I flung them across the room and yanked my sleeve up.
"Here. Drink," I said, lying my wrist on his mouth.
He sat up and pushed me away, his eyes dark. "No. Don't you think I've ripped into you enough," he spat, standing up.
I shook my head and helped him steady himself. "And now you're going to start acting self-righteous about it? Ok, Stefan. I think the blood loss has gone to your head," I said, bending over and pulling my pocket knife from my boot.
I stood and quickly slid open the blade, slicing my wrist in one swift motion. Damon's eyes zeroed in on the blade and pushed me away. "What the hell, Elandra?" he yelled.
I raised my wrist and walked over to him, offering it up to him with a shrug. "You lost too much blood, Damon. Just take some, heal me, and let's go," I said.
I pressed my wrist against his lips, and he took hold of me, drinking deeply. I held myself still until he pulled away, lifting his own wrist to his lips and biting down. I pulled my arm back and cradled it against me as I drank from his wrist until the long red slash I had made was gone. I stepped away from him and wiped my mouth. "Now, let's go kill that bastard," I said.
Damon smirked mischievously and took me in his arms, ready to speed away. "Agreed."
"What were you thinking, Elara?! He could have gotten you killed!" Elena hollered from the other end of the phone.
I squinted and pulled the phone away from my ear, rolling my eyes in Damon's direction. He stood in front of his bedroom mirror, pulling his blood-covered shirt from his chest. He hollered into his own cell phone, where Stefan spoke calmly on the other end. Much calmer than my sister who was still yelling at me. Something about my untimely death? As if that wasn't imminent anyway.
I flicked my wrist with a heavy sigh and laid back on Damon's bed, my cell phone floating in the air near my ear.
"Listen, Elena. I can handle myself, really I can. If I want to help Damon, I am going to, and there really isn't a thing you can say that will change my mind. Yelling at me only makes me enjoy helping him," I said truthfully.
She scoffed on the other end, and I winced.
"That sounded childish, but it's true. I've never liked being told what I can and cannot do. Goes back to the days when I had no rights as a woman,"
I smiled when no sound came from Elena, and I looked up to find Damon standing over me.
"Listen, Lena. I'll see ya in a few. Bye," I said, reaching for my floating phone and hanging up.
"No rights, huh?" he asked, leaning down, one arm on each side of me.
"Yep. I hated it. So I don't really like reminders,"
He smiled down at me, and I opened his unbuttoned shirt, running my hands over his healed chest.
"Are you feeling ok?" I asked in concern, my brows furrowed.
He watched my hands move across his chest, and his eyes fluttered closed when my hands slid across his stomach.
"Much better," he said.
I leaned forward and rolled him over, sitting astride up. I slowly buttoned his shirt, keeping my gaze on his. His blue eyes glimmered in the firelight.
"Good. Next time, don't try and protect me. I don't need you too," I said, fastening the last button with a wink and a small flourish.
I tried to move away from him, but he held my hips tightly, a strange glow in his eyes. "You could come with me," he whispered.
I held my breath, unsure I had heard him right. "What?" I asked.
He sat up and held me close to his chest. "I'm leaving after this. I came here, for one thing, Katherine. Now that I can't get her, I'm leaving,"
He ran his hands through my hair, and I stayed still, shell-shocked.
"You could come with me, we could find a way to break your curse together, just us."
He watched me closely, and I felt tears run down my cheeks. "So, what you're telling me is, now that you can't have Katherine, you want me to run away with you, knowing full well that I am going to die?"
Tears fell onto my shirt. I slid off of him, and, thankfully, he didn't fight me. I wiped the tears from my face and chuckled.
"Damon, I told you I would not play second fiddle,"
I turned around and faced him. He had stood and started towards me, his face ashen.
"I also will not run away from my family. I will spend my last days here, Damon. Not playing Katherine's understudy,"
I wrapped my arms around myself, my heart dropping to my feet. Damon stopped his journey towards me and ran his hands over his exhausted face, his eyes hardened as he shook his head.
"That's not what I want…" he started.
I raised my hands and stepped past him.
"You don't even know what you want, Day. So please, spare me."
I stopped in my tracks and turned on my heel, meeting his oceanic gaze with a dry laugh.
"God, ya know, I'm being completely hypocritical. I don't really know what I want either,"
I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration, another pair of blue eyes flashing in my mind's eye. I squashed the thought before it could fully form.
"All I know is, every time I'm around you, I get lost. After all this time...and even after everything you have done...I still love you." I gasped out, shocked by my own words.
I grasped my hair in my hands and closed my eyes for a moment taking in the words and the meaning behind them. When I had finally opened my eyes again, it was only after coming to terms with the truth. I did still love him, as bad an idea as that was, it wasn't something I could help. I looked at the man I loved, his dark hair disheveled, face pale as he stood as still as a statue, expressionless. His eyes never left my face, but I wasn't sure if he was seeing me. There was so much fear there, so much anger. His eyes were the only thing not blank. So many different things swimming through them and then just as quickly sinking back towards the bottom. I shook my head and brushed my hair away from my wet face.
"I should be over you, but I'm not, and it's killing me," I said, my hands fisted in front of me.
I closed my eyes tightly and enjoyed the way they burned. When I finally opened them again, Damon stood in front of me, his eyes cold.
"You can't love me," he said.
I stepped closer to him and shook my head. "Fine. I don't love you, then. Let's say I never did, does that make you feel better," I said flatly.
He took my wrists in his hands, and I looked away from him. "Don't say that. Never say that," he said.
I yanked my hands from him and walked swiftly towards his door. "That's what you want, isn't it? My hate?" I asked over my shoulder.
I didn't wait for a response; I just kept walking. I stood by the door and waved my hands over my feet before speeding away into the night.
—-
The intersection was clear as I stood in the middle, waiting. I felt a slight breeze and smiled. "Hello, Stefan," I said.
"What are you doing here, and how did you figure out where to be?" he asked, taking my hand and pulling me to the side of the road.
I inhaled deeply and sighed. "Well, I watched him kidnap my best friend and sped off ahead of him." I looked at Stefan in anger. "I'm going to fucking kill him, Stef," I said, my eyes blazing.
"I think we should let her have her fun, brother," Damon said.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Stefan narrowed his eyes at me, but I just shook my head. "Not now." I mouthed.
He nodded, and I smiled thankfully. Damon tilted his head and smiled.
"Here he comes," he said.
I stepped closer to the road and looked at the bright headlights that we're barreling towards us with an evil sneer. Stefan took my hand and pulled me back. "Let's allow the indestructible ones to go first, shall we?" he asked.
I bowed lowly and motioned for him to go ahead. "After you then," I said.
He grinned broadly, and I shook my head in amusement, clapping my hands. "This is going to be so much fun!" I giggled loudly.
Damon and Stefan watched me with odd expressions as the car slowed to a stop at the intersection. Stefan sent me a wink, and vamp sped to the driver's side, pulling Logan from the car and slamming him into the pavement as hard as he could. I stepped in front of the car and looked down at the startled Logan.
"Eh, 7 points, Stef," I said.
Logan stood and inched towards me, Damon came out of the woods, gun in hand and shot him in the chest. I smiled as Logan fell to the ground in a groan of pain.
"As much as I hate saying this; 10 points to Damon for flair," I sighed.
"Paybacks a bitch isn't it," Damon said, bending next to Logan.
I ran around the car and pulled open the passenger side, taking an unconscious Caroline into my arms. "Oh, Care Bear," I said, checking her pulse.
Stefan joined me, and I slipped her into his arms. "She's ok. Get her outta here," I said, brushing her hair from her eyes.
Stefan kissed my forehead and sped her away. I walked back around the car and found Damon talking to the Sheriff. "She's ok. I'm on Elm Street," he said, hanging up.
He tossed the phone into the car and walked to the back, opening the truck and removing the tire iron. I smiled brightly down at Logan and lowered myself to my knees. "We're gonna try this one more time. Who turned you?" I asked.
Logan looked at me and then back to Damon, who swung the tire iron like a baseball bat. "You better answer her. We've had an awful day, and I'm pretty sure taking some of our frustration out on you would make us feel a whole lot better," he said with a smirk.
I swung my hair over my shoulder and looked down at my nails. "I have to agree. I could definitely use a mood booster," I chirped.
"I told you I don't know," Logan panted.
Damon swung the tire iron again, and I applauded, running my eyes up and down his body. "Good form, dear," I said cheekily.
Damon smiled and looked down at the tool thoughtfully. "This tire iron here could take your head clean off." Damon held the iron over his shoulder, ready to swing, and looked down at Logan. "Is that your final answer?" he asked.
Logan looked between us, propping himself up on his elbows and shook his head at Damon in disgust. "How can you side with them?" he asked.
Damon arched his shoulders, preparing himself for an excellent swing, and sneered down at him. "I don't side with anyone. You pissed us off. We want you dead. Who turned you?" he asked.
"I don't know!" Logan yelled.
I stood and walked behind Damon, smiling at Logan over his shoulder. "Oh well. You're screwed," I said.
Damon winked at me and lifted the tire iron over his head and swung it towards Logan, who immediately raised his hands in surrender. "Wait, wait! I do know!" he pled.
Damon lowered the iron and rolled his eyes. "Your lying," he said.
Logan stood slowly, his hands raised. "Do you think your the only one who wants to get in the tomb underneath the old church?" Logan said quickly.
My eyes darted between the two. "Damon...don't…" I said.
He looked at me and shook his head. "If you're lying to me, I will end you," Damon said roughly.
Logan looked at him in fear. "I'm not lying. There's another way to break the spell. We can help you. Meet me at the old church," Logan said, breathing heavily.
Blue and red lights flashed in the distance, and I covered myself with a thick cloaking spell, my heart as dense as the cloud of magic that had begun to cover my body. I had known this was coming, but it still didn't make it any easier. Damons heartbreak was inching closer and closer.
Damon stepped next to Logan, the tire iron raised above his head. "Take me down. Make it look real. Make it look real!" he snapped.
Logan pushed Damon as hard as he could, lifting him into the air and tossing him into the car before speeding off. Despite knowing he was perfectly ok, I lowered myself next to Damon and looked him over. His blue eyes were bright and excited, even hidden under the fake mask of exhaustion and sadness he had placed there specifically for Liz. The Sheriff's car stopped, and Liz stepped out, rushing towards Damon.
"Where is she?" she asked.
Damon sat up with a groan. "She is ok. My brother has taken her home. I'm sorry, Sheriff. I just wasn't strong enough," Damon said, his voice raw with sadness.
I felt something soft brush my hand as I stood, but I ignored it, instead, heading exactly where I shouldn't.
I sat on one of the stones at the old Fell church, my eyes closed, the souls of the vampires beneath me calling out. I could feel them seeping through the dirt and stone.
"I thought I would find you here. You just can't seem to stay out of the thick of things, can you?" Damon asked.
I raised a finger to my lips and shook my head, eyes squeezed tight. He sat down next to me as I rubbed my temples gently. "There's so many of them down there. Sometimes it gets a little overwhelming. That's why I always avoided this place," I said, opening my eyes.
I placed my hands flat on the cold stone below me and took a deep breath. "I promise I will reunite you with her one day, Damon," I said, my eyes staring at the treeline straight ahead of me. "You deserve to find peace," I whispered.
Damon's phone buzzed, interrupting the silence that followed my statement. I listened to Damon's end of the conversation and understood more and more the bleaker his expression became. When he finally hung up, he looked at me in shock. "Someone killed Logan. Liz found his body," he said, standing.
He reached down and took my arm, pulling me away from the church. "Come on. We're going to figure out exactly how to get into this church," he said.
I lowered my eyes to my feet. "I'll help you in any way I can, Day," I said.
He stopped walking, and I bumped into his back, stumbling over a few rocks that had found their way in my path. He pulled my face up, brushing the hair out of my eyes, and smiled at me weakly. Moving his hand down my arm and into my own, he clasped his fingers around mine.
"Thank you, El," he whispered.
I returned his smile and gripped his hand tightly. "Let's go," I said with a firm nod.
He looked behind us at the church he so believed held the woman he loved, and gently pulled me forward. He sped us towards the Boarding House, the roads empty and quiet until we stopped suddenly. A few feet away, a car was lying upside down, and a man was inching towards it.
A Vampire.
I looked down at the car, and recognition spilled within me.
"NO!" I yelled, running forwards.
I moved my hand back and allowed it to fill with bright blue magic before flinging it at the Vampire. He stood still in shock, his eyes zeroing in on me, as the ball of blue hit him in the chest, flinging him backward. Damon sped past me after him. I flew to the driver's side of the car and slid onto my knees, the glass digging into my jeans. Elena was hanging upside down, unconscious. I tried to unfasten her seatbelt, but my hands wouldn't stop shaking.
"Lena?" I cried, feeling for a pulse.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I found one. I shook my hands profoundly, squeezing some life back into them before laying them on her belt and whispering a spell to release her. The belt clicked loudly, echoing through the car, as she slumped to the hood, her body limp. I took her by her shoulders and pulled her from the car, laying her on the concrete outside. I ran my fingers through long matted hair and checked the small head wound, relieved to find it didn't appear to be anything serious. I laid her head in my lap and cradled her as if she were a child.
"It's ok. You're ok," I said, running my fingers through her hair.
Damon came from the woods at vamp speed and lowered himself beside us. He leaned over Elena and checked her pulse before biting into his wrist and lowering it into onto her lips. She shook her head, trying to pull away, but I held her head still, forcing her to ingest some of the blood.
"Just drink," I whispered.
Once she had ingested enough to heal any internal injuries she might have had, he lifted her into his arms, maneuvering her over his shoulder. He then took my hand and helped me to my feet.
"Let's go. We gotta get on the road. I have no clue who that was," Damon said.
I looked around us and frowned. "I think he knew me, Damon. He had recognition in his eyes, but I can't seem to place him," I said, closing my eyes with a grimace.
Damon lowered Elena into his arms and nudged me. "Let's leave the strolls down memory lane for later, El,"
I rolled my eyes at him and winced as we moved forward. I looked down at my knees and noticed the blood seeping through my jeans. Nice. I ignored the pain and pushed forward.
"Can you get back yourself?" he asked.
I nodded and watched as he flashed out of sight. I looked down at my knees again and wrapped myself in magic.
A/N: I kinda lost my inspiration at times throughout this chapter, so I really hope it turned out ok. Let me know what ya think. As always, I would love to hear your opinions good or bad. This chapter has been edited by my Beta Casey.
My head lulled to the side as the teacher drawled on in front of the class. Her voice was drowned out by the pounding of blood in my ears as I yawned.
"Today we're going to talk about shadow reckoning," I finally heard her say.
I rubbed my face and looked around me, finding Bonnie to my left in a similar comatose state. She was yawning and leaning back against her seat to stay awake, before finally giving up and laying her head on her arms. I tried to catch her attention, but couldn't find the will to move my hands. I was just too tired. I kept my eyes on her, it was odd, but I couldn't look away. I was unsure why, until I saw her sit up and look over her shoulder, staring at something in the hallway, just beyond the open door. She looked back at the teacher briefly before she stood and started to move out of the room. I turned and looked around me, unnerved to find no one had even noticed Bonnie stand to leave. I felt a tug in my chest, and before I knew it, I was standing to follow her against my own volition. I tried to stop my feet but I couldn't, I was a passenger in my own body. I walked out of the oblivious class. No one seems to care that two students had decided to leave.
Bonnie stood just outside of the doorway, her back to me. She was staring off to her right, and from the rigid set of her shoulders, I knew something was wrong. I tried to move my mouth to ask her if she was ok, but it was like my jaw was wired shut.
I stood behind her, waiting. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw something move to our left, and my body turned at the same time Bonnie's did. Breathing heavily, she slowly started to head in the direction we had seen the flicker. This was precisely what scary movies taught us not to do, but I wasn't in any position to try and tell her that.
My body obediently followed behind her, and I noticed that her shoes clicked against the tiles as she walked. I listened carefully and heard nothing from my own — it was like I was a ghost. I tried to catch my reflection in the glass of the classroom doors next to me but could see nothing in my periphery, and my body was still not in my own control.
As we approached the side door that led to the back parking lot, I felt a familiar presence. Bonnie tensed in front of me, her ragged breathing becoming erratic. She froze, and my body avoided colliding with her by circling around and coming to stand on her other side, right next to Emily Bennett. The tension from my body started melting immediately, it was like someone had cracked an egg on the top of my head. I could feel it trail from my scalp down to my feet. I sighed and squeezed my hands tightly, enjoying the feel of my body once again reacting to my commands. I squinted my eyes at my dearly departed friend, and took her in from top to bottom, for the first time in over a hundred years.
Standing against the wall between the door and the lockers, she patiently waited for Bonnie to accept that she was there. I was unsurprised to find that she still wore the same light-colored, checkered gown and bonnet she had worn the day we had died.
But somehow, even though I wasn't surprised that she still looked the same, my stomach rolled at the sight of her. Although her skin and hair were both uncharred and as beautiful as I remembered, I could still smell her burning flesh. I tried to push the thought from my mind as I cocked my head to the side and placed a hand on my hip.
"Was the puppet master routine really necessary, Em?" I asked in a huff.
Emily smiled briefly before turning her eyes towards Bonnie. Until that moment, I hadn't realized she had still yet to acknowledge me. I stepped in front of her and tilted my head when her eyes never focused in on me. I stepped away when Emily quietly huffed and realized I was not meant to be seen or heard. I was only supposed to observe. Emily turned around and walked out the door, and Bonnie followed silently behind her. I stayed directly beside Bonnie as Emily led us into the woods, the further we got the surer I was of exactly where Emily was leading us. As soon as I saw the piles of moss-covered stones, I stopped in my tracks.
She had led us straight to the tomb.
In all the years I had lived here as Elara, never once had I ventured here. I had avoided it completely, until now. Emily stood in front of the entrance, and Bonnie watched from the treeline, her hands fisted at her side.
"Please help me," Emily said, tilting her head to look at us.
I shook my head and looked away. This was completely unnecessary, Emily should know me better than this. No idle threats or little reminders of what was at stake would stop me from helping Damon. If it came down to me helping, or something far worse happening, then I would help him. If my sister was perpetually self- sacrificing, then I was perpetually heroic. I always had to try and save everyone. It was as much my curse as the one that kept me forever seventeen.
"Who are you?" Bonnie asked, breathing heavily.
I chuckled at her attempt to act oblivious. Everyone here knew that Bonnie was as gifted as any Bennett witch before her. I smiled at Emily and looked down at my feet. I knew Emily understood that I had caught on to the reason for my being here. My part in this was over. Message received. I know what was at stake if the vampires in the tomb were released, pulling me into Bonnie's dream was overkill. Then again, the Bennetts always did have a flair for the dramatic. They liked to make statements.
"I'm Emily. You know that." Emily said with a sly smile.
Bonnie clenched her fists and took a step back.
"We're family," Emily said.
Bonnie looked at the ruins in front of us in fear. "Where am I?" she asked.
Emily tilted her head up, motioning towards the crypt. A jolt of fear, panic, and hunger flickered down my spine, and I bit my tongue. The souls of all those trapped inside were crying out all at once, and Emily was kind enough to let them filter their way into Bonnie's dream to find me. I narrowed my eyes at her and pushed them out of my mind with force. Yet, I could still feel an echo of their presence imprinted on my subconscious, another reminder of what danger lay waiting in the tomb. Not cool, Emily.
"This is where it started. And this is where it has to end," Emily said, turning towards Bonnie.
Bonnie shook her head in disbelief, her hair flying out around her, eyes glistening with frightened tears. "This isn't real," she squeaked.
She took off, running away from Emily and the ruins. I followed behind her slowly, knowing she wouldn't be able to get away that easily. Emily stopped her less than a foot from where she had tried to run, appearing right in front of her, her dark brown eyes stern and annoyed. She didn't say a word as Bonnie jumped and spun on her heels, trying to run in the other direction. This time, she didn't even get five steps before Emily appeared again. Anger was present in her brown eyes.
"Help me," she said sternly.
Bonnie's gasp was the last, and the first thing I heard as my head shot up, and I felt my hair sticking to my face. I quickly moved it from the corners of my mouth and looked around me, I was in class again. The startled eyes of my nearby classmates looking at me in shock. I looked around the room, and my eyes found Bonnie on the other end, she was breathing heavily, her hands firmly pressing against her desk. Our eyes met, and she looked at me questioningly before saying something snarkily to a girl next to her. I steadied my breathing and wiped the rest of the drool from my face.
Great, that's super attractive.
I turned to try and catch Bonnie's attention again and noticed Emily sitting next to her. I sighed deeply and ground my teeth together.
Really? A dream within a dream?
She was really lucky I had liked Inception.
Of course, who doesn't like Leo?
Bonnie turned her head and screamed loudly, her voice ringing in my ears. The dream shifted again, and I sat straight up, air escaping my lungs in a rush. I moved my hands and felt the cold earth beneath my fingers. Opening my eyes, I saw Bonnie slowly sitting up directly in front of me. She was in her pajamas, a pair of pink cotton pants and a white top. Her feet were bare, and a tiny jacket was all that was protecting her upper body from the cold. I let out a steady breath, and stood carefully, brushing off my mostly bare legs. I was only wearing blue silk shorts, a silk top, and socks. I never wore much to bed; my magic always left me feeling overheated most of the time. I looked behind Bonnie and noticed where we were. The cemetery. We had woken up directly in front of the Salvatore family crypt. How nice...
Bonnie shakily stood and brushed her self off.
"Its ok, Bon, we're ok," I said, rushing towards her.
I wrapped her jacket around her, zipping it up quickly. I wasn't sure how well her body dealt with the cold.
"What the hell happened?" she asked.
I looked around us, scanning the area for potential danger, and took her hand before starting towards the cemetery exit.
"That was Emily trying to contact us. She wants you to assist her with something, and the longer you ignore her, the worse things will become," I explained.
Bonnie pulled her hand from mine and took her hair in her hands. "This is insane. You're telling me some dead relative is trying to get me to do something for her? And if I don't, she will keep mentally torturing me?" she asked, her hands still clenching her hair roughly.
I wrapped my hands around hers, slowly removing them from her hair, careful not to get her fingers caught in the tangled mess. I cupped her face and took deep deliberate breaths, nodding for her to follow my example. "Listen, Bonnie, I know you didn't ask for this and that it is a lot to take in all at once, but you are a witch, and this is part of it," I let go of her face and stepped away, lighting my fingers up with tiny blue flames. "So, you can either accept this wondrous gift, or you can run from it. It is truly up to you, but I will warn you. You cannot run from a piece of yourself forever. It will always find you,"
I had lifetimes of experience with this, and I hoped Bonnie would take my advice. She watched the tiny flames of my magical signature dance around my fingertips for a moment before sighing.
"I just want to go home," she said softly.
I nodded and closed my hand, the color disappearing, and took her hand in mine again. She didn't flinch away from me, and I took that as a good sign. I hoped that Emily linking us together like this would end up being a good thing for us both. As we walked home, I smiled down at her in thought.
"At least this isn't one of the nights I chose to sleep naked. Now that would have been a fun walk home," I said lightly.
Bonnie looked up at me in mild shock and then burst into a fit of stressed giggles. I hugged her close to me and warmed her with my magic.
A large group of football players rushed past us, and I pushed an oblivious Caroline and Elena out of the way. They both looked at me in shock, and I sighed at their one-sided view of the world around them.
"Hello, focus, please. I really don't want to scoop your sticky remains from the bottom of my new leather boots," I said, picking up one foot and showing off my new white leather Guess boots. They were heavenly. They had three belted straps spaced out evenly over the top with small silver balls covering the straps. It had been a pleasant surprise to come home to after the horrible dreamsaster with Bonnie.
"Sorry, Ellie, thank you for saving us. And again, your boots are amazing!" Caroline gushed, placing a hand over her mouth and fake gasping.
I pushed her shoulder with my own and smiled brightly. Elena watched us with a smile on her face, moving her books from one side of her arms to the other. "So, what were you saying about Bonnie, Care?" she asked.
Caroline huffed and shrugged. "Just that she has totally been avoiding me in the last few days. Every time I try to talk to her, she blows me off,"
Elena frowned and shook her head. "Caroline, I don't think she is blowing you off, I just think she has been swamped and stressed out,"
Caroline crossed her arms with a huff. "Well, I am not talking to her until she finally decides to talk to me. It's a matter of principle," she said, a hint of annoyance in her tone.
I blinked several times before deciding to just stay out of this one. Bonnie would deal with this when she saw fit. Her business was just that — hers.
"Well, I tried," Elena said, ever the peacekeeper. "I'm officially out of it," she sighed and looked at me with an eye-roll.
I shrugged and ignored the hurt expression on her face at my abrupt brush off.
"Good. Your turn. Where's Stefan? Have you talked to him?" Caroline asked, her blonde curls bouncing as she turned her head to gaze at my sister.
Elena's expression was hard as she kept her eyes ahead of her. "He's avoiding me," she said, still not meeting Caroline's gaze.
I bit the inside of my cheek and tried to forget the last night I had seen Stefan. He and I had both been a wreck. I had cried on his shoulder for a good hour and had tried my best to convince him not to give up on Mystic Falls and Elena just because of what happened to Lexi. It hadn't worked. He had been adamant that he would end up getting Elena killed. He had promised he would still try and search for a way to help me, but that he would not have anything to do with Elena, for her own good. I wanted to tell him the truth of what was to come, but something told me it wasn't that time, and as always, I had to trust that instinct.
"Why?" Caroline asked in confusion.
Elena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I stepped closer, my arm brushing hers, and I could feel her mood steady. "It's complicated," she said.
The bell rang, and Elena pulled me forward. Caroline waved us away with a quick "Bye." as Matt exited the side doors. I saw her turn around and brush her hair away from her eyes with a sexy smile before Elena yanked me inside.
I might just become a Maroline fan. Hmm…..
Elena pulled me into History, leading me to a seat in the second row, something she knew I hated. I pulled off my bag, sliding it onto the back of my chair and lowering myself down, just as Bonnie rushed in, looking harried and worse for wear. Her head was lowered, and she avoided eye contact with everyone, fidgeting, and continually looking over her shoulder. She had dark circles under her eyes and a sickly complexion. Emily was pushing her over the edge, and I felt terrible for her.
I sat my hands on my desk and closed my eyes, sending her a rush of calming vibes. I could see them wash over her as her shoulders slumped just a bit, making her posture appear less hunchback and more college student with a heavy book bag. I faced forward as the last of the students filed in followed closely by an attractive man, maybe in his early forties. He was tall and well built, obviously into athletics of some kind.
"Good Morning, everyone," he said,
The man walked to the chalkboard and casually picked up a piece of chalk. I raised an eyebrow and leaned forward suddenly, very interested in the subject of the history I already knew by heart. Something was interesting about this one.
"Alrighty, let's see," he said, writing a name on the board.
ALARIC SALTZMAN.
Such an odd name, I automatically liked him. He had used the word alrighty and had a weird, unique name — therefore, he was cool in Elandra's book.
The cruel things people could make up with a name like that. I cannot count how many times I had to pronounce my name for someone.
E-Lan-druh.
While I was watching the new sexy brunette History teacher write his insanely cool name, Elena was mouthing something to Bonnie from across the room. I turned my head just long enough to see Bonnie shrug before tuning back into the interesting specimen in front of us. He was making my instincts dance exciting little flutters. There was seriously something up with him, nothing bad, but...something.
Mr. Saltzman turned around and clasped his hands together in front of him. His blue button-up dress shirt revealing just a peek at his chest, much more than most teachers would dare show. A bright white-toothed smile appeared on his face. I'll admit my breath caught, and I quietly cleared my throat. What a silly response.
"Alaric Saltzman. It's a mouthful, I know. Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue." he glanced around the room, including everyone in his welcome, and I tried to keep my eyes on my hands. "Saltzman is of German origins. My family immigrated here in 1755 from Texas. I, however, was born and raised in Boston. Now, the name Alaric belongs to a very dead Great-Grandfather. I will never be able to thank him enough."
He smiled sarcastically, and I couldn't help but nod and smile right along with him, I could feel his pain. My name had come from a grandmother. He grinned at me and looked at the chalkboard again.
"You'll probably want to pronounce it Al-ar-ic, but is actually, A-lar-ic, okay? So, you can call me Rick, and I'm your new History teacher."
After a thoroughly confusing History class (where I actually found myself interested in the History I had already lived) followed by a few standard uninteresting courses, I found myself outside sitting at a table eating lunch with Bonnie and Elena. Bonnie was filling my sister in on our weird ancestor induced dreamsaster. Elena sat in front of a thoroughly freaked out Bonnie, who, no matter what I said, decided to fight Emily off instead of listening to what she wanted her to do. A very, very stupid idea.
"And you always see your ancestor Emily?" Elena asked, her hands folded in front of her bottle of water.
I poked my fingers through the holes of the green metal picnic table where we sat. I tried several times to interrupt and put in my two cents, but apparently, the woman who had lived for over a thousand years didn't know what she was talking about. Bonnie nodded quickly, her face frightened and exhausted. Elena looked at me next and bit her lip.
"Why did Emily want you there?" she asked me.
I leaned my head toward the sky and sighed. "Like I said before because she wants to remind me what at stake if we do not help her,"
Bonnie took my hand and gave it a squeeze. "What does she want with me?"
I shook my head sadly. I wanted to just spill the beans, but I couldn't. Certain things needed to be handled in a certain way.
"Emily has to be the one to tell you. She is the person who has to tell you that story, not me. It's not mine to tell,"
Bonnie tossed my hand on the table with a huff. Elena jerked, touching my shoulder.
"So, I'm being haunted then, and all because of this stupid medallion you gave me," she snapped.
I reached my hand out and tried to touch her, but she pulled away quickly.
"Bonnie, have you called your Grams? Maybe she can tell you something about it?" Elena offered.
Bonnie sighed and shook her head defeatedly. "I can't call her. She will tell me to embrace it. I don't want to embrace it. I want it to stop,"
I slammed my hands on the table and looked at Bonnie in anger.
"Dammit, Bonnie Bennett, you are a fucking witch! You may not want to be, but you are. This is not something you can just brush under the rug, at least not right now. You need to pull your head outta your ass and deal with this."
Elena gasped in shock and slapped me on the arm as hard as she could, but I stood my ground, my eyes never leaving Bonnies. This was something she needed to hear before she got herself killed. Bonnie looked at me in both shock and anger before settling on acceptance.
"That may be how you feel, but this isn't what I want, and I am going to do whatever it takes to get my life back," she said, her weak and tired face set firm.
I shook my head and stood from my seat, bending to lower myself next to her ear. "Bonnie, you're my friend, and I love you, but this is a bad idea. When you come to your senses, call me."
I walked out into the parking lot and altogether avoided everyone else, not caring to interact in anyone else's storyline. I only made it to the back of the school before someone caught me, despite my 'talk to me and I'll kill you' posture.
"El! Hey!" Jeremy shouted.
I spun around on my heels and saw my brother rushing towards me, his bag slapping him on the back as he ran. His hair poofed out around him, and all I could picture was sneaking upon him with a pair of scissors. He really needed a haircut. I waved him to me with a smile and laughed when he finally stood in front of me, his face beet red, bent over, one hand on his knee, and breathing heavily.
"See, this is why smoking is bad, Jer," I said.
He lifted his hand from his knee long enough to flip me off and then resumed his knees hugging position. I patted him on the back and laughed at his predicament. I took his bag from his back, and he lifted himself up.
"Thanks," he took the bag from my grasp and ran a hand through his hair. "Have you met the new teacher?" he asked.
I tried to keep the blush from my cheeks as I continued in the direction I had been going before he had stopped me. "Oh, um, Alaric?" I asked, trying to appear nonchalant.
Jeremy pulled me to a stop and looked at my face thoroughly with a bright smile, a very bright smile. I looked away quickly, and Jeremy jumped in the air before letting me go. "Oh...oh..no way. You totally think he is hot. What is this? Like your first crush?" Jeremy asked, his voice, baby, like.
He leaned in and patted my cheek. I covered my face in extreme embarrassment and pushed him away from me. He was completely insane. I had plenty of crushes, and this was definitely not a crush. I was intrigued by the new guy. That was all.
"Dammit, Jeremy! You know that's not true. I do not have a crush; he is just...nice to look at," I said, my face heating up.
Jeremy leaned onto my shoulder and started laughing loudly. The people around us began to stare, and my face heated up even more. I pushed him off me and noticed he actually had tears in his eyes.
"Oh, Ellie. You never act like this. I can't wait to tell Jenna and Elena,"
Jeremy stepped backward as I stepped towards him, my face promising murder. He winked at me and started running in the opposite direction before I could even blink.
That ass!
I stood gobsmacked.
What had just happened?
He was right, though. All my relationships had been swift and private, and a cute face usually had little to no effect on me. I had seen many an attractive man in my lifetimes, but there was something different about Alaric. I think that was exactly what intrigued me. He was wrong about one thing, though, I did not have a crush. I just thought my teacher was utterly delicious, and my instinct told me he had quite the story to tell. Something new, and I rarely saw anything new. I would figure him out, and all the fuzzy feelings would swiftly go away.
Jenna had decided that none of us were up to cooking that night after I had tried to boil water for pasta, and it had foamed over, spilling everywhere. After I hopped around in front of the stove in a frightened panic, Jenna had declared it a Grill night, and I wasn't about to object. Elena and Bonnie were sequestered up in her room. Bonnie, still mad at me for my earlier display, had decided to ask Elena to speak to me about steering clear for a while.
"Listen, Ellie, what you said was out of line. This whole lifestyle might be ok for you," she waved her hand out in front of me, gesturing toward my body as if my magic was apart of my physical appearance, "But she didn't choose this and doesn't want it. For you to just tell her to accept it as if she should just deal with it, well, that was hateful and wrong,"
I ran my hand through my hair and nodded. "Ok, I was only trying to be the person who actually talked some sense into her. Playing this game, running like this, it's dangerous. Be careful," I said firmly.
My eyes looked towards the ceiling where I knew Bonnie to be. I didn't like this feeling, it was like I could feel Emily right below the surface, trying to claw her way out.
I followed Jenna out, waving goodbye to Elena, and left them to whatever trouble they would find.
As we waited for a booth at the Grill, before I had a chance to scan the room, Jeremy tugged on my shoulder with a smirk.
"Oh, well, would you look at that, Ellie?" he said,
He turned his head towards a table in the center of the room. Alaric Saltzman sat at the table entranced in a book. His hand on his head, eyes never straying from the words on the page. I quirked an eyebrow and admired him from afar. He still looked incredible in that tightly fitted blue dress shirt. Dammit, Elara!
"Who? Is? That?" Jenna whispered in my ear.
I turned my head and smiled at her. "That is our sinful new History teacher. He seems really nice, but he is entirely too attractive, don't ya think," I sighed.
Jenna scoffed lightly before laughing. "Well, look at you? You never crush on anyone. I have to meet him now!" she whispered.
Jeremy elbowed me with a triumphant laugh as the waiter led us to our table. We passed the new bane of my sensory existence, and I grumbled when I smelled his enticing cologne. Great, he even smells nice. Stupid teenage hormones, the worst part of living over and over again. I sat down with a huff, and Jenna laughed. Jeremy sat beside me and we all expertly ordered our food and drinks, having been here time and time again.
"What?" Jenna asked.
I shook my head and placed my elbow on the table, leaning my cheek onto my open palm.
"He smells good too," I grumbled so only she could hear.
Jenna giggled madly and leaned in close. "I know, I smelt it too. Not fair is it," she agreed.
She sat back and looked over at our quiet History teacher with a thoughtful expression on her face. "I like a man who can dine alone. A quiet strength,"
I followed her gaze and watched him read for a second. "I like a man who can read a book in a crowded room without getting distracted. Shows me he really enjoys reading. I love nerds," I said with a smile.
Jeremy gagged, and I kicked him in the shin, letting out a giggle when he groaned in pain. Jenna laughed at our little show and shrugged. "I have to agree. Smarts on a man is a very attractive quality,"
I reached over and gave her a high five. Jeremy leaned back up after rubbing his leg and looked at Jenna with a smile. "I thought you were still in the whole Logan-depression phase," he said.
The waitress brought our order and our conversation paused as she laid everything out on the table. I smiled her away and rolled my eyes deeply. "Logan Fell was an asshole," I said, taking a swig of my Coke.
Jenna tilted her glass to my own, and we shared in a toast to her former lover's title. When our glasses clinked together, Jenna glanced at Alaric again and shared a smirk with me. "I've sworn off men forever, but it doesn't mean we can't observe him from a safe distance,"
Jeremy looked over at his History teacher and sighed. "Poor guy doesn't even realize he's on the menu tonight," he said.
I snorted and giggled madly, leaning against my brother with my hands covering my newly red face. I had not blushed this often in ages. What was wrong with me?
"So, Jeremy, have you picked a topic for the paper your writing for Mr. Saltzman?" Jenna asked.
I sat up and picked at my food as Jenna and Jeremy discussed his topic for the paper Alaric had been so kind as to grant him. Without it, there could have been no way Jeremy would have been able to pass History.
"That's easy. You have all your dad's stuff," Jenna said.
I dropped my fork, it clattered against my plate loudly. Jeremy's attention snapped to me, and I smiled weakly. "Sorry, it slipped," I mumbled.
He scoffed with a smile and looked back at Jenna, who was watching me closely, her eyes slightly guarded.
"What stuff?" Jeremy asked.
"How the Gilberts came over on the Mayflower, all the family lineage. Your dad loved that stuff. It's all boxed up in the closet," Jenna said and pointed at me. "Ellie looked at it all once," she included.
I swallowed hard, a thick lump in my throat. Jeremy turned towards me and frowned. "You did?" he asked.
I looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah, uh, I didn't figure you'd find it very interesting, but it should help you now. You'll find everything you...need," I said.
He would either start to remember, or he would just figure it all out. Either way, Jeremy would know now, and I didn't plan on telling Elena a single thing. I would be getting Jeremy on vervain. Jeremy tilted his head and looked lost in thought as Jenna's attention was caught by something in the distance. Alaric. I looked down at the table and cursed my stupid reddening face.
"Mr. Saltzman," Jeremy exclaimed, giving him a fist bump.
Alaric smiled brightly, his eyes crinkling. "Jeremy, what's up, man?" he asked.
I kept my head down, staring at my lobster-like it was about to jump up and sing me a Disney song. Jeremy kicked me in the ankle, and I gasped loudly, covering it up with a cough. "Mr. Saltzman, this is our Aunt Jenna," I said, my voice pained.
I lifted my ankle and reached down, rubbing it under the table with a wince. Jeremy winked at me and watched Alaric shake Jenna's hand, his face even brighter than before, as was Jenna's. I dropped my ankle and sat up quickly, looking between the two.
Interesting.
Jeremy was watching them as well, his face unreadable.
"Jeremy was telling me about his paper. Thank you for giving him another chance," Jenna said, her eyes twinkling like bloody Dumbledore.
I bit my lip mid-smile, trying not to make it obvious that...well...they were obvious. Jeremy looked at me, his eyes wide, and they darted back and forth towards the flirty duo. I moved my lips into a fake frown and over-exaggerated a shrug, before slipping out of the booth.
"Excuse me, Aunt Jenna, Mr. Saltzman. I'll be right back," I said, motioning to the bar and my empty glass.
Jenna smiled at me, nodded, and motioned at her hair when Alaric looked away. I winked nonchalantly, and she sighed in relief.
"Please, call me Rick," he winced slightly, gently grinding his teeth together. "Mr. Saltzman makes me feel old,"
I shook my head and kept my eyes on his face, even though I wanted to look him over and tell him how very not old he really looked.
"How about Alaric? I love unique names," I said.
Alaric nodded with a grin. "If you must. At least someone likes it," he said with a laugh.
I lifted myself on the heels of my feet and clapped my hands together once. "Ok, that's a deal. Well, I'll see ya later, Alaric," I said, spinning around and walking away, my hair bouncing around me.
"She sure is a different breed," I heard him say.
I smiled to myself as Jenna and Jeremy agreed with him, laughing joyfully. How very right they all were. As I approached the bar, my steps started to slow. Dammit, were there always vampires everywhere?
Damon and Stefan sat at the end having, what appeared to be a friendly conversation, which could only mean it wasn't.
I took an annoyed breath and turned the tip on my shoes in their direction, making my strides slow and steady. Maybe if I was lucky, I could catch a bit of their discussion, and gage if an intervention was necessary before actually making my presence known.
"So, Stefan...you know, I've been thinking. I think we should start over, give this whole brother thing another chance. We used to do it oh-so-well, once upon a time," Stefan said, his voice playful.
I stopped in my tracks, my breath catching in my throat. What the hell were they doing? Damon turned his head and looked at his brother with a sincere, silly, brooding expression, brows furrowed.
"I don't, Damon. I can't trust you to be a nice guy. You kill everybody, and your so mean. You're so mean, and…"
Damon's expression changed abruptly, and he smirked with a shrug.
"You're really hard to imitate, and then I have to go to that lesser place…" he said.
Stefan tried to keep his face steady, but his eyebrows rose and fell as he tried to keep a straight face. I started silently laughing behind them, my chest shaking with the effort to not make a sound. What was this? It was so similar to...before.
"Uh, huh. Can I get a coffee, please?" Stefan asked, his face still alight.
"And a Coke," I said from behind them.
Both boys turned to face me, and I smiled brightly. "Loved the voice, Damon. It was a charming reminder of a past life," I said, sitting down in between them.
Damon watched me for a moment before looking down at his glass. "I live to please," he said.
Stefan leaned across me and looked at the bottle beside Damon. "What's with the bottle?" he asked.
Damon blew air through clenched teeth, his face returning to a semi-cheerful smirk. "I'm on edge. Crash diet. I'm trying to keep a low profile," he said.
Stefan frowned and shrugged as if he didn't have a care in the world. What was up?
"You could always just leave, find another town to turn into your own personal Gas 'n' Sip," Stefan said.
Damon looked at him closely, and poured himself another drink, looking around us before he poured another, pushing it towards me. I sighed deeply and glanced around as I picked it up and drained it quickly. I looked up into his blue eyes and gave him a half-smile as thanks. He frowned and looked at Stefan.
"I'll manage. You don't have to keep an eye on me," he said.
Stefan shrugged and looked at me briefly. "I'm not here to keep an eye on you," he said.
I narrowed my eyes at him, and he avoided my gaze.
"So, why are you here," Damon asked, rolling his eyes.
Stefan snagged the bottle of liquor from the bar in one swift motion and started off. "Why not?" he said.
Damon turned around on his stool, slightly disarmed by Stefan's change in attitude. "What is he doing, Ellie?" he asked.
I stood from my stool and crossed my arms, thrumming my fingers against my arm. "I don't know. But whatever it is, don't you think you probably deserve it?" I asked, following after Stefan.
As I passed the other end of the bar, Jenna took my arm quickly, pulling me to the side. "Listen, Jeremy took off. And I need you to do the same, please," she said, eyeing Alaric, who sat on a stool a ways away.
I smiled excitedly and then pulled it back a bit. "Sure, Aunt Jenna, You get him, girl," I whispered.
When Damon walked past, I joined him, briefly turning around and giving Jenna a thumbs up. Damon eyed me weirdly, and I just smiled knowingly.
"What was that?" he asked.
I watched Jenna join Alaric and sighed lightly. "My Aunt Jenna and the insanely gorgeous new History teacher are sorta on a date," I said.
Damon turned around slowly and looked at Alaric, his eyes hard. "Insanely hot?" he asked scoffing.
I looked at Alaric and sighed again, this time dragging it out just to irritate Damon. "Yes. He is enjoyable to look at," I said, my eyes raking him over.
Damon pulled me to the pool tables and took a handful of darts from Stefan. "Stop ogling your old History teacher and play some darts," he said, handing me a few.
I took the darts and looked at him like he had grown an extra head. "What makes you think I can play darts? I died once because I tripped over my own feet and broke my neck!" I whisper yelled.
Stefan laughed loudly as he threw a dart, hitting the middle on the first try. "Just try it," he sighed.
I scrunched up my nose and huffed, turning towards the board that looked itty bitty and twenty miles away. I lined up my shot and tried not to watch Stefan, who was laughing silently and eyeing my shot with a wince from the corner of my eye. I pulled back and let go, my dart flying beside the board and hitting the brick wall, falling towards the ground. I followed it with my head, watching it land on the floor.
"Whelp, that blew," I slowly said.
Stefan laughed loudly again, and I imagined making him eat the remainder of the darts that I held in my hands. I walked in front of him, slapping him hard in the stomach as I passed. He leaned over with a groan, and I smiled. Damon watched me with an appreciative smirk, and I rolled my eyes at him.
"Well, Stefan thinks he will beat me," Damon said.
I grinned at him and shrugged lightly.
Stefan took a swig from his beer and raised a hand in the air. "Yeah, because I'm better than you," Stefan said.
Damon paced in front of the board for a moment, a dart in one hand, before lifting it and pointing it at Stefan. "I'm onto you. Reverse Phycology. It's a little transparent, but I admire the effort. Getting little Ellie here to help, now that was where you really went wrong, thinking she is my weakness," he said.
I sat down my drink, my eyebrows furrowed and blinked several times. "What?" I asked.
Stefan stepped beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Ellie being here is purely coincidental, Damon. Do you honestly think she would pick sides?" he asked.
I pushed his hand from me and stood up.
"Would you prefer the brooding forehead?" Stefan asked.
I looked between the two, and it finally clicked. This had all been a game. Stefan had been buttering him up for information. Most likely for Elena. I placed a hand on my head and shook it. I had gotten sucked in yet again.
Dammit.
It had been so nice to see them treating each other like brothers again.
"Seriously, what game do you think you're playing?" Damon asked, his eyes hard.
I walked away from them and stood, back turned, as my eyes welled up in frustration.
"That's a funny question because I've been asking you that for months. Frustrating, isn't it?" Stefan said with a very Damon-Esque smirk.
Damon smiled and tossed a dart at the board. "Touche," he said.
I wiped the tears from my eyes and turned, walking away from the familiarity that now made me uncomfortable. The differences in their behavior were planer to see now that I no longer wore my rose-colored glasses, and it made me sick. I stepped outside and took a deep breath of the fresh night air. I let it soothe me. I wiped my face a few more times, bouncing on the heels of my feet.
"Wanna go play some ball?" Stefan said from behind me.
I jumped, slapping him on the chest with force. "Would you stupid fucking vampires stop sneaking up on me," I whispered with each slap.
He lifted his hands in the air, and I laughed in annoyance. "Fine, I still can't go home yet. So I might as well." I leaned against the cold stone of the Grill and looked into Stefan's eyes. "You realize this is mean and will bite you in the ass, right?" I asked, unable to help myself.
Stefan looked away and ran a hand through his ruffled hair. "I will do whatever it takes to protect the people I have left," he said, voice firm.
I leaned my head against his shoulder and sighed. "I understand that. Just...don't forget he is your brother," I said, pulling away.
Damon met us outside with a bottle of Bourbon and a smirk. "Let's go," he said.
I shook my head and took the bottle from him, waving them forward.
—-
I sat in the grass, the cold ground seeping into my jeans, as the boys tossed a football back and forth. Stefan had driven us to Mystic Falls High, where he had insisted Damon and he play a little football, to bond. This was such a bad idea, and it was cruel. Damon's face had been almost hopeful a few times, and that had been enough for me to finally accept the truth, he was still in there.
My Damon.
All this death, mayhem and pain, was an act. He was pissed off and sad, and it was shit like this that didn't exactly help matters. What could I do, though? If I pulled him to the side and warned him, then things would only get worse. So I had to sit here, in the cold grass, and watch Stefan toy with his brother for information. Yes, to an extent, Damon deserved this. And no, I didn't trust him, nor did I forgave him, but now that I had seen the chink in his armor, I would save him. At least I would try. While I still drew breath, I would try. Suddenly, there was a bit of a commotion on the field. The boys were standing apart, speaking lowly, eyes hard, then Damon vamp sped into Stefan's face speaking with spite. I stood quickly, dusting my jeans off, just as Damon walked away, turning around once, saying something while backing away with a smile. I ran onto the field and came up behind him. He spun around, and vamp sped right in front of me, his eyes morose.
"What happened?" I asked.
Stefan sped towards us, face ashen. "How can you bring Katherine back?"
I closed my eyes and sighed. Seriously? Did none of them listen to my story at all? Did they not hear me mention knowing Katherine? Damon walked past us towards the parking lot, and Stefan and I followed behind him.
"Before Katherine and the others were killed in the church, do you remember what it was like in this town?" Damon asked, turning towards Stefan, his hands in his jean pockets.
Stefan stopped and shrugged lightly. "I remember the fear and the hysteria. It's what got Elandra killed," he said, looking at me. I nodded and shivered lightly.
Damon narrowed his eyes at Stefan and shrugged off his jacket. Townspeople were killing vampires and witches one by one." he stepped beside me. He pulled his jacket over my shoulders, still looking at Stefan. "When they came for Katherine, I went straight to Emily, said I'd do anything. Name your price. Just protect her. She did," he said, his eyes never finding my own, yet his hands still on my shoulders. I stepped away from him, his century-old betrayal too fresh at this moment to allow for his touch.
"How?" Stefan asked.
He stepped closer to me, and I smiled when he looked at me for reassurance. "Emily performed a spell that locked every vampire who had been in the church at the time, in a tomb below it," I said.
Damon looked at me in shock, and I rolled my eyes. "Although, as both of you should know, I have mentioned Katherine many times before. But as I told Damon I will help him get in there, so he can see for himself," I said.
Stefan's eyes narrowed, and he frowned at me. I shook my head and looked away.
"But, I saw her go inside…" Stefan said.
I stepped in front of Stefan and looked in his eyes. "The tomb is under the church, the spell sealed everyone inside it," I explained.
Stefan froze, and he looked at Damon in shock. "Are you telling me Katherine is alive?" he asked.
Damon shrugged and looked away. "Well, if that's what you wanna call it. She's been trapped in a mystical holding cell for the last century and a half, but you're an expert on a starving vampire, so how do you think she is doing, Stef?"
I sighed and tapped my foot on the pavement. "I'd say she is fine, seeing as she is well fed and doing her own thing, has been since that night," I mumbled.
They both ignored me, and Damon continued his useless ramblings. "Did you know that witches can use celestial events to draw energy into their magic?"
Stefan looked at me, and I nodded, looking at the sky. Damon watched me for a moment before continuing. "Me either. But to give the crystal its power, Emily used the comet that was passing overhead. And, for the crystal to work again…" Damon said, trailing off.
Stefan looked at me again, and I nodded. "The comet had to return," I said.
Damon folded his fist and clicked his tongue. "Downside? Long-time in between comets. And, a couple of hiccups along the way with the crystal, but the comet passed, and I got the crystal. Then Caroline got the crystal, and now Bonnie has the crystal, and here we are," he said.
I narrowed my eyes and watched him smile with fake ease. Stefan looked at me in confusion. "Why would Emily do this for him?" he asked.
I smiled weakly and looked at my feet. "Because she was a witch, and everyone suspected it. She knew they would come for her too. She wanted her lineage protected," I looked at Damon and ran a hand through his hair briefly. "And she knew, despite it all, despite Katherine, I trusted him," I said, pulling away quickly.
Damon's eyes widened, and I looked back to Stefan and shrugged. "Emily trusted my instincts, they are never wrong,"
Stefan looked at Damon and nodded. "I remember, you saved her children," he said.
Damon tore his eyes from me and shrugged. "It's the only thing keeping me from ripping that little Bonnie girl's throat out to get my crystal back. Oh well, a deal's a deal. So...wanna throw some more?" Damon asked with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes and rubbed my temples. My head was beginning to throb. I felt a chill sweep over me, and the air stiffened. I could feel magic pulsing around us. I heard Stefan and Damon bickering, but it was as if they were miles away. Someone was using magic in town, powerful and unintentional, and as far as I knew, the only witches in town were the Bennetts, and this wasn't Grams.
I closed my eyes and pushed deeper, I felt the warmth within the user, but there was also doubt, so much doubt and fear. As I drove further, I could see more, it was definitely Bonnie, and she was trying to contact Emily. I could feel blood dripping down my lip, but I ignored it in favor of trying to block Bonnie. I could feel her magical signature pushing through the veil, and I knew Emily wasn't far. What was Bonnie thinking? I tried to push her back, but she was too far, and I wasn't close enough, I decided to reach her mind instead-but Emily was there, and she was blocking me. I tried one more time and felt a snap like a rubber band pushed too far. I felt myself fall backward and felt arms wrap around me.
"What the hell was that?" Damon fearfully asked.
My eyes shot open, and I found fearful blue eyes scanning my face rapidly. His pale features were screwed up in a mixture between freight and amazement. I stood up and found Stefan stood beside him, his forehead wet, eyes wide. He handed me a handkerchief, and I looked at it in mild shock for a moment (I mean, who still carries those?) before taking it and wiping the rest of the blood from my face.
"What happened?" I asked.
Damon stepped in front of me and held my face in his hands.
"Your nose started bleeding, and your eyes went white. Before we could do anything, some weird magical force field popped up and knocked Stefan on his ass when he tried to touch you. We couldn't get near it without getting zapped," he moved my head up into the light of the streetlamp above us.
"Your eyes are green again, but you looked dead El," he said, his voice shaky.
I moved his hands from my face and nodded. "It's ok. I was in the in-between following the signature of another witch, so the eye change can happen. She was calling out to a witch who is dead. It was Bonnie. I think she may be in trouble," I said, turning to Stefan.
He froze for a moment before snapping into action with a shake of his head. He vamp sped away, obviously heading to find Elena. I stuffed the handkerchief in my pocket and ran my hands through my hair, lifting it into a bun, and snapping it into place with the red elastic band I always keep on my wrist, a permanent faux bracelet. I turned on my heels and placed my hands on my hips.
"Sooooo…" I said, my voice lilting.
He narrowed his eyes and leaned in with a smirk. "So? What?" he asked.
I rolled my eyes with a scoff. "Yeah, ok, Damon. So, are we just gonna head to the church now? Or act like we don't know where she is heading?" I said, my hands waving around in the air.
Damon laughed lightly and took my hand. "As always, you are one step ahead, My lady," he said.
I covered my heart and acted affronted by his statement, my eyes broad. "But of course. I am the hero of this story," I said, leaning into him and slapping him on the ass. "Getty up," I said.
He looked down at me and sighed. "You'll be the death of me, kid," he said.
I laid my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around him. "Kid? I am so far from a kid, Salvatore. Now let's go get your girl," I whispered.
Even if I knew the truth, I didn't want to hurt him, so I would play along for now. "Yeah...my girl...lets go," he said, wrapping his arms around me.
I closed my eyes as the newly familiar feeling of flying rushed past me. Cold air spilling over my sensitive skin, the rush of adrenaline, and the feel of falling in the pit of my stomach. It was an addictive thrill, and it really gets the blood pumping. Damon stopped suddenly, and if he hadn't been holding me against his leather-clad chest, I would have fallen backward immediately. He let me go, and I looked around us. The atmosphere was so different from what I had seen in Bonnie's dream. The trees around us were dead and bare, the sky dreary and dark, it was perfect for a scary vampire and witch face off.
How very dramatic.
I stepped away from him and saw Bonnie round the corner, well...Emily. I could see it in her eyes. Bonnie never held herself the way Emily had. It wasn't her posture, it was the confidence in her eyes. Emily was secure in her powers, in what she could do. She was a mature and powerful witch who believed in herself. Bonnie was not. This woman, her eyes were powerful, full of emotion, strength, and knowledge.
"Hello, Emily. You look different," Damon cockily said.
I rolled my eyes and sent him a glare that said 'shut up and stop antagonizing the powerful witch.'
Emily looked at him in annoyance and shook her head. "I won't let you do it," she said.
Damon leaned his head forward and glared at her in anger. "We had a deal!" he yelled.
I stepped closer to him and watched Emily closely. Her eyes clouded, and she frowned. "Things are different now. I need to protect my family," she said, her voice thick with power.
Damon looked away in disbelief, and I closed my fists in anger. She had no right to go back on her deal this way, especially since she knew when she made it, Katherine never really loved him.
"I protected your family. You owe me," he snarled.
Emily lowered her head and nodded. "I know. I'm sorry," she said.
Damon growled, and I stepped forward, knowing he was about to make a mistake.
"You're about to be a lot more than that," he said, rushing forward at vamp speed.
"Damon, NO!" I said, too late.
As soon as Damon was close enough, Emily pushed her hand out and thrust it towards him, knocking him forcefully forward with her magic. Damon went crashing into a tree, one of the limbs impaling him in the side of his stomach. He groaned in pain, blood pooling around him. His face was pulled up in pain. He wasn't able to heal fast enough and could feel every second of the pain she had inflicted. He had been feeding on animals since he had killed Lexi. Yes, he could be an evil jackass, but he was my evil jackass. He was family. Something in me snapped, and every single instinct to protect took over. I was a Mikaelson for a reason, after all. I growled loudly, my hands tingling, glowing brightly. I spun around and faced Emily down my teeth bared in anger.
"Emily!" I shouted, my voice a rumble of uncontrolled anger.
Emily stood a few feet away from me, her hands outstretched beside her, palms out. "Elandra, my fight is not with you. I cannot let him hurt my family. Is Bonnie not your friend, your family, as well?"
I flicked a spell at her and watched her avoid it with precision. I wasn't trying to hurt her, I was just pissed off. She knew better than to injure Damon when I was right here to protect her. That was unnecessary, and she knew that.
"Do not patronize me, Emily Bennett. I would not have allowed any harm to come to your family, but now you have pissed me off. You do not harm what is mine for no reason, Em, and you know that." I sneered, tossing another spell, one I didn't intend to allow her to miss. As I planned, this one hit her square in the chest, throwing her back.
She landed on her back, her breath leaving her in a startled gasp. It wasn't enough to hurt Bonnie, but it was enough to get my point across. I stood, watching her lay where the spell had left her, breathing heavily and smirked. "Remember, Emily, I don't play nice when you mess with my family. That's something you should understand." I stepped closer to her and bent down. "The Bennetts are under my protection now, as long as I'm living. Do what you must with the crystal. But Damon Salvatore is off-limits, and you will not lay another finger on him," I said.
I stood up and snapped my fingers, lifting her to her feet. I ran over to Damon, who Stefan was helping out of the tree. He fell to his knees, blood still pouring from his wound. "It hurts. This is why I drink from humans," he said.
I scoffed and pulled him to his feet, handing him a wrist. "Well?" I asked with a shrug.
He looked at me, his eyes shining with doubt and pain, and shook his head quickly. "No, not now. I'll hurt you," he whispered.
"Ok," I said, pulling his arm over my shoulder.
"Stefan." Emily greeted with a nod of her head.
Stefan stepped forward and noticed the black scorch marks on the grass from our semi battle.
"Emily. I see you and Elandra have become reacquainted," he said, looking at a nearby patch of black grass.
Emily smiled and winked at me. "She never did share her toys well," she said.
Damon scoffed and pulled his arms off my shoulder. "We're here for a reason, Emily," he said.
"These people don't deserve this. They should never have to know such evil," she said.
I stood next to Stefan and looked at him. "To save Katherine, she would have to unleash all of them," I explained when I saw his confused expression.
I had guessed he hadn't understood Katherine wasn't the only one who had been saved. Stefan's face fell into shock and disgust. "You saved everyone in the church?" he asked in fear.
Emily nodded. I placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort.
"With one comes all," Emily said.
Stefan stepped away from me and pushed Damon against a tree. "I knew I shouldn't have believed a single word that came outta your mouth. This isn't about love, is it? It's about revenge," Stefan spat, his hands fisted in the neck of Damon's shirt.
Damon pushed him away and straightened his shirt. "The two aren't mutually exclusive," he said.
Stefan ran into him again, pushing him back into the tree, away from Emily, who had picked up a large stick and started to make a pentagram in the dirt. Stefan breathed heavily, his face centimeters from his brothers. "Damon, you can't do this," he said.
I watched Emily work, knowing full well that this entire debacle was unnecessary. This wasn't the only way to open the tomb. I stood just outside of the pentagram, my head tilted, and watched Emily finish. "This won't matter in the end, Em," I said.
She stood in the middle and looked at my face. "We shall see," she said.
Damon rushed forward and stood beside me, his eyes deadly. "Don't do this," he hissed.
Emily looked at him one last time. "I can't free them. I won't," she lifted her hands in the air as she shouted. "Incendia."
Fire circled the pentagram, and Emily took the chain from her neck. As she did, her real features finally flicked into view, her dark eyes glaring at Damon. When she held the necklace in her cupped hands, she was once again Bonnie, she tossed it into the air with a jump, the crystal bursting into sparks.
I heard a commotion behind us and turned around to see Elena. How had she known where to go?
"NO, please!" Damon shouted beside me, drawing my attention.
His eyes were full of pain, and such hate. I was scared for Bonnie. I wasn't sure how well my Bennett protection program was going to fare after this. I had an idea, but it was utterly insane. I knew he would flip when Bonnie returned to her body, but I couldn't just let him kill her. Not after I had told Emily I would take over for Damon. The final spark of the, now destroyed, necklace fell to the earth, and the magic of the circle ended, leaving Bonnie dispossessed and defenseless. She looked around her in horror and confusion her eyes wide. I ran forward just as Damon did, using my magic to match his speed, and pushed Bonnie to the ground, spinning into his arms as she fell. I felt his fangs enter my neck and scrunched my eyes closed in pain. My head jerked as he fed on me roughly, weeks of no human feeding and anger making him vicious and ravenous. He hadn't even realized what had happened or that he wasn't actually feeding on Bonnie. Elena yelled loudly, and I could feel Stefan pull Damon from me. I fell to the ground and looked up at the night sky, it was dark and black. Breathing heavily, I listened to the slow beating of my own heart.
"No...No...No," Bonnie said, crawling next to me.
Stefan rushed over and looked at my savaged neck. "She's alive, but barely," he said, biting into his wrist.
I opened my mouth, and he helped me drink from him. Elena fell down beside me and cried into my hair. "What the hell, Ellie?" she asked.
Stefan rubbed the side of my neck and looked at Elena in relief. "Her neck is healing," he sighed.
He lifted me up and looked at me in anger. "Don't do that again," he said.
I wobbled slightly and smiled. "Well, the Bennetts are under my protection now, so I sorta had to," I said.
I looked over Stefan's shoulder and saw Damon standing behind him, my blood covering his mouth, eyes dark and hard. His mask was gone, and shock and disbelief replaced it. He looked so lost and alone. Bonnie pulled me away and took my arms, wrapping me in a hug. "You are the most incredible witch and friend. Thank you," she said.
I squeezed her tightly and kissed her head. "It's all in a day's work, Bennett," I said.
Bonnie looked up at me and frowned. "I don't understand what happened…" she stuttered.
I looked at Elena, and she nodded. She would handle the explanation better, and they were so much closer. She took Bonnie by the wrist and pulled her towards the car. I gave her a reassuring smile when she looked back at me. I scanned my surroundings and found Stefan standing by a stone structure a ways away. Damon sat on the large rock, his hands on his knees, eyes lost in another world. I slowly stepped in front of him.
"I could have killed you," he whispered.
I touched his face and kept my eyes on him. "Yes, but I couldn't let you hurt Bonnie," I said.
He looked at his hands. "Katherine never compelled me." he looked up and met my eyes. "I knew everything. Every step of the way. It was real for me," he said, his voice breaking, tears in his blue eye. I bent down and placed my hands on his knees. "I'll leave now," he rasped.
I laid my head on his lap and just sat there in silence, even after Stefan left, even after I heard Damon cry. Tears that were for someone else.
A/N: Please, let me know what ya think of the development between Elara and Damon. When I write I only plan out the basics of my story line, the rest just flows from me. So, sometimes what happens comes as a surprise to even me. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, you all rock! Keep it up, please. It helps me understand how the story and Elara are being perceived I want to make sure that everyone understands who she is and her history. This chapter has been edited by my wonderful Beta Casey.
I pulled into Caroline's driveway my eyes swimming with tears. I could barely breath, every intake of breath came with a strangled moan of pain. I gripped the steering wheel forcefully, my knuckles turning a pinkish white. Slowly, I let go and lifted my hand, striking the wheel over and over, screaming until my throat felt like it was blistering. I'm not sure how long I sat there before I heard the door open beside me, but suddenly I was no longer alone. I leaned into Caroline’s embrace her hair sticking to my wet face.
"Oh, sweety, what happened? Elena called to make sure you were here and I looked outside to find you like this," she whispered holding me tightly against her chest.
I shook my head wildly, gasping out a wet cry, soaking her shirt with my tears. I clenched my fist tightly, trying to control the torrent of tears that refused to stop. Caroline reached behind my seat and pulled my bag past us, sitting it on the ground outside.
"Ok, let's get inside. We don't wanna freak out my mom," she said, gently wrapping her arms around my chest.
I let her pull me from the car, keeping my face on her shoulder, needing her comfort like I needed air. Everything was catching up with me, Vicki, Damon, and Jeremy. It was all too much. I kept my arms wrapped around Caroline's waist as she led me into her darkened house.
"Moms in her room for the night. So, try to stay quiet. Bonnie is in my room though, she decided to spend the night, lucky right," she whispered.
I didn't have the strength to make a sound. Normally, I would have scoffed at the serendipitous turn of events, but all I could think about were my last words to Elena. They had been cruel. Caroline opened the door to her room and Bonnie rushed to our side, her arms outstretched.
"Oh my god! What happened to her?" she asked, looking me over.
She pulled my hair out of my face and ran her thumbs over my puffy eyes. I sniffled pitifully and tried to keep the waterworks at bay. "She did it. She took them from him. She didn't even ask for his permission," I said my voice raw.
I looked at both of them and slowly walked to Care's bed very reminiscent of a zombie. I plopped down and raised my hand closing my fingers against my palm. The door swung closed swiftly, Caroline's hair floated around her in the breeze it left behind. She squealed loudly, her face coloring pink. I turned my head and watched her closely, this would determine the rest of our friendship, it would make or break us. I could have handled things better, but to be honest, I had no strength left in me to coddle anyone else.
Caroline backed away from me slowly, her pink cotton nightgown bunching up around her thighs, she hit the wall and her hair frizzed out around her, almost looking as panicked as she did. She looked between me and Bonnie, who stood off to the side of the room, her hands firmly at her side gripping her blue shorts tightly, and pointed her manicured finger at me. "You did that with your hand," she stated firmly.
I blinked twice, giving her a minute to think and nodded. "Wanna see something else?" I asked twirling my finger around and around like Matilda, with a smile.
Caroline placed her palms on the wall behind her and pushed herself forward, stepping closer to me. "You can do more?" she hesitantly asked.
I stayed seated, treating her like a mare, I didn't want to startle her. "Yes, I can. I'm a witch, Caroline. One of the first witches ever created," I said.
Bonnie stepped closer to me and sat down on the bed near my knees. "One of the first? How is that possible" she asked in confusion, her face incredulous?
I patted the spot on the other side of me and Caroline slowly sat down. I leaned my head against Care's shoulder and smiled so brightly my cheeks hurt when she placed her cheek on my head. So far so good.
"Well to be completely cliche. It all started with a love story," I said with a long-suffering sigh.
The next two hours were spent filling Caroline and Bonnie in on my entire story; minus the Original Vampires, Nik's curse, and Katherine, some things were better left till later. When all was finally said I threw myself backward and landed with a loud 'humph' of breath. Both girls remained seated where I had left them. I looked at Caroline's popcorn plastered ceiling and let my mind wander, making shapes while they processed all the information I had given them. Hell, it's a lot to take in. Caroline placed a hand on my knee and I tried not to go stiff with the stress of the moment.
"So, Damon and Stefan are Vampires? And you were once engaged to a human Damon?" Caroline asked laying down next to me.
I turned my head and brushed my hair out of the way so I could look at her. "Yes, and Yes. Also, Stefan doesn't drink from humans, and Damon is an ass, yes, but deep down he is still a good man," I said, not completely sure if I still believed that.
Her eyes filled with tears and she sniffled loudly. "I am so sorry, Ellie! I totally broke girl code!" she cried cuddling up close to me.
I shook my head lightly and kept still. What was happening? How was she not scared? Then it hit me. Damon had still not fixed his little compulsion trick. Dammit. I hugged Care and kissed her head laughing. "Caroline, that was centuries ago. It's ok, I forgive you," I laughed.
Bonnie laid on my other side and looked at me. Her face was serious. "Damon needs my necklace. He tried to take it tonight," she quietly said.
I leaned my head to her shoulder. "I know. You need to speak to Emily. She can tell you why," I said.
Bonnie's eyes widened and she nodded slowly. "I can't believe Elena did that to you and Jeremy, but she really was only doing what she thought was best El," Bonnie whispered.
I turned my head from her and rolled over. I didn't want to hear anyone defend her right now. "I don't want to talk about Elena, ok. Please," I told them both.
There was silence and I let out a sigh of peace. "Watch this, Care Bear," I said into the silence.
I lifted my hand and placed my thumb and finger together, with a quick snap her room fell into darkness, except for the faux stars that covered her ceiling. We all looked up at the colorful lights that fluttered across her ceiling just as the stars did the night sky.
"How?" she gasped in awe.
I looked at her face and watched the awestruck expression shine in her blue eyes. I wanted to capture this moment and preserve it in my memories. I would need it when I could no longer have her. She watched the stars twinkle, her pale skin blue in the starlight. These were the moments that made it so impossible to let go, to allow the curse to take effect. As they watched the stars I watched Caroline. In the many centuries, I had lived I had found many friends, but Caroline was different. She was faithful and loved me no matter what. She had found me when I had locked myself away, trying to just get by until the end, and she had forced me to live. She had saved me when no one else could. I would miss her and the idea of never seeing her again was like losing a part of me. I felt something slide into my hand and looked down to find Bonnie's hand in mine. I looked into her green eyes and felt tears spill down my face.
"Magic," Bonnie said.
I laid my head on Caroline's shoulder as a shooting star passed across her ceiling and closed my eyes.
"Magic," I whispered.
We all watched the stars in comfortable silence for a while, which naturally, Caroline was the first to break. "What does it feel like, having this sort of power?" Caroline turned her head and looked into my eyes. Her face was blazing with curiosity. "Do you feel all powerful and badass all the time, like, untouchable?" she whispered reverently. I took her hand in mine and ran my finger across her silver bracelet, the heart clinking against my fingernail.
"There's something you need to understand, Care," I said leaning onto my elbow and looking down at her face. "There is always a price for using magic and it isn't a cure-all for everything. There are many things even I can't do, and there is no other witch like me," I said
I looked over my shoulder at Bonnie, she needed to remember this, new witches always tried to test the boundaries of magic and it always ended up biting them in the ass. Even I had gone through a 'magic is might' phase, and I nearly killed myself when I burnt through too much of my power at once. I had tried dipping into magic that was too dark. I wasn't the same type of witch as Bonnie, so I didn't always have the same limitations, but when it comes to magic some things are always the same. One of those things is, you don't mess with the powers of the dark.
"There are consequences when a witch tries to delve into things she shouldn't, Mother Nature can be a cruel bitch, and her creations were meant to keep balance. So, when a witch decides to break the rules she is punished. Harshly," I said making a fist and placing it in my other palm for emphasis.
I laid back down between them and looked at them both. Bonnie had a thoughtful expression on her face, but I could also see the fear in the way the corner of her eyes crinkled. Caroline leaned into me and placed her chin on my collarbone. "Well, I recommended none of us piss off Mother Nature, she already curses us once a month, and I for one don't intend to get on her bad side," she said.
I laid my hand on my forehead and giggled madly. "You are insane," I said in between gasps.
I spent the next few days at Caroline's house. I told Jenna I needed some time away and she seemed to understand. I decided not to speak to Elena or Jeremy. I didn't want to see her, to hear her try and justify what she had done, and I was afraid of exactly what Jeremy had been compelled to believe. I knew that eventually, I would need to come to terms with what had happened and move on, but that wasn't right now. Finally, Bonnie and Caroline put a stop to my hiding out and I was forced to concede. So, I decided to start with Caroline's compulsion.
"What are you talking about?" she asked her teeth clenched together.
I grasped her wrist and pushed her out of her bathroom, smiling serenely. "Give me a minute first, Care. I sorta have been...drugging you, "I said.
Her face turned cherry red and I raised my hands in the air when she took a deep breath to start yelling at me. "In the best way possible, I promise. It's only vervain," I said opening her water filter system and showing her the clumps of wet vervain.
Caroline paused, the color of her face receding. "That's the stuff that is supposed to protect us, right?" she asked.
I nodded quickly and she sighed in resignation.
Bonnie slid into the bathroom and scrunched up her nose in distaste, but I could see she was intrigued all the same. "Clever," she said.
I smirked and shrugged. "I thought so. No coffee anymore either, at least not at home, Care. We have to wean you off the vervain so Damon can fix his fuck up," I said dropping the vervain into a small jar on the counter.
I spread it out so it could dry evenly and froze when I looked up to find two sets of eyes watching me. "What? Something is telling me we may have a shortage soon," I said rubbing my temple.
Bonnie's eyes narrowed and she touched Emily's amulet.
Caroline slid into the bathroom and huffed deeply. "Ok, can I take care of my business now?" I smiled sweetly and slipped out of the bathroom.
"Let the water run for few minutes before hopping in," I called out as she closed the door.
I turned to Bonnie and noticed she was still holding Emily's amulet.
"Can you hand me my purse?" I asked her.
She reached behind Caroline's door and handed it to me. I took out my phone and was about to make a call when I saw the date. "Damn," I said with a deep sigh.
Bonnie looked over my shoulder and frowned. "What?" she asked, confused.
I looked at her and pouted. "It looks like my next stop is the Salvatores," I looked at the date one last time and placed my phone on my forehead. "Ugh, I might as well give him his gift a day early. It gives me an excuse to make up with him...sorta," I said, placing my phone into my bag and pulling the strap over my head.
Bonnie narrowed her eyes at me and cocked an eyebrow. "What?" she asked in irritation.
I ran for the door and looked over my shoulder. "Stefan's birthday present. I'll catch up with you guys later," I said.
I hopped into my car and drove to the boarding house. I slid into their drive humming along to a Bon Jovi song a smile on my face. Snapping my finger a jet black gift bag and card landed in the seat next to me. He was lucky I had already ordered him a gift a while back before he had helped pull the stunt with Jeremy. I lifted it into my lap and fiddled with the Over The Hill tissue paper, making sure it was all fluffed up. I leaned over the middle console and popped open the glove box grabbing a pen. I wrote in big cursive letters "Do Not Open Until Your Birthday!" on the envelope and then quickly signed the joke card that was in the shape of a tombstone. I slid the card into the side of the bag, leaving the edge sticking out, and gripped it by the handles, slipping out of the car and walking up to the door. I stepped inside without knocking and started off towards Stefan's room. I didn't really care to see Damon. Outside his door, I could hear movement inside and stopped in my tracks.
Voices.
Who was the birthday boy playing with in his room?
"Boo." the voice said.
Was that Damon?
I grabbed the doorknob and pulled open the door slowly. Before I even had the door open halfway I heard his next words.
"Hello, Lexi."
Lexi!
I swung the door open with force and squealed loudly. "Lexi?" I said, running inside the room.
Lexi flung herself from the bed, her long blonde braid flying out behind her. Her eyes were round, her silver hooped earrings swinging wildly.
"Elanor?" she said walking towards me.
I nodded with glee. It had been so long. I had seen her with Stefan a few times but never had approached them. I hadn't wanted Stefan to see me. But I was going on my last year in the life before this one and had run into her in New York. She had made my last year one of fun. Before I left her in Italy, I had decided to tell her everything. Lexie was trustworthy. She had been quite shaken when I had told her everything, but then she had decided it was fate that I had known Stefan, her Stefan.
"Your hair is so much longer," she pulled my hair out towards her. "Still bright red, though. So, I see you couldn't run forever, huh," she said laughing.
I pulled her into a hug and shook my head. "No, they found me this time," I pulled away and looked at her closely my face serious. "You haven't aged a day," I said.
Lexi laughed hard, her face bright red. I stepped away from her and dropped Stefan's gift on his bed. The black bag blending in with his headboard. I sighed and picked it up moving it to his bedside table.
"Vampires and the color black." I shook my head with mock irritation. "Of course, I can't say much, it is my favorite color. Always has been," I said turning around.
Damon was laying on the other side of the bed watching me closely. His eyes moved up my body, stopping at my eyes, and then moving to the gift bag I had left on the table. I looked away from him and he sat up quickly.
"So, I take it you two know each other?" he snarkily asked.
I smiled at Lexi and snapped my fingers, starting Stefan's CD player. Lexie spun into to me, wrapping a leg around my waist, dancing dirtily. She dropped her leg and I bent over giggling madly, before matching her move for move.
"Yeah, I know Ella. We met in New York about a century back. We spent a year traveling together, drinking and dancing. One of the best years of my life," Lexi said.
Damon stood from the bed and pointed at me. "You spent a year partying with...Ella here?" Damon asked his eyes narrowed, he spat out the foreign name with contempt.
I shut off the music and leaned against Lexi. "Oh get that judgy look off your face Damon. I was a year off from dying and I had no family. So, when Lexi came along and offered me exactly what I needed, I took her up on it." I wrapped an arm around Lexi and smiled up at her. "She offered me fun, something I didn't get very often." I said and glared at Damon when he scoffed and rolled his eyes."Fun Damon, ever heard of it? Or are you too busy with revenge?" I asked my voice stiff.
Damon leaned in and smiled down at Lexi. "Maybe not Lexi's version. Teach me to have fun, Lexi," he said with a smirk.
I jerked back as Lexi flew forward, pinning Damon to the bed, her hand on his throat. "Im older, and that means stronger," Lexie spoke close to his face her breath fanning his hair.
"Sorry," Damon rasped. He laid still his face scrunched up with pain.
"Don't ruin my time with Stefan and Ella, cause I'll hurt you," she leaned down to his ear and I shuddered on his behalf, she was terrifying in her own right. "And you know I can do it," she whispered yanking her hand from his throat and stepping away from him.
"Yeah," he groaned.
She stood next to me and brushed my hair from my shoulder with a smile. "Sorry, I know what he meant to you," she said.
I watched Damon as he rubbed his neck, he looked at me and I closed my eyes, tilting my head down shaking it gently.
"Things change. People change," I whispered.
I turned around and hugged Lexie one last time. "I have to go deal with some of my own petty family drama. Try not to get in between the drama here, it's thick," I said.
Damon stood and started towards me but I was already out the door. I had no time or energy for him.
I stared at my own front door and sighed in irritation. I should not feel so scared of going into my own home. This is completely insane. I took a deep breath and opened the door. Elena and Jenna were both sitting on the couch facing the kitchen, where Jeremy sat at the dining room table, a few books in front of him, blue pen in hand. I dropped my bag by the door, placing my keys in the designated bowl, and stood by the couch. They all turned to look at me for a second before turning back to their conversation.
"I gotta finish this. I'm way behind, and I have a quiz tomorrow, so…" Jeremy said looking down at the several different books in front of him.
I sat down on the couch beside Jenna and stared Jeremy down in suspicion. My eyes narrowed and a slack-jawed expression took over my face.
Elena leaned closer to us. "What do you think? Alien?" she said.
Jenna's eyes moved between Elena and me then zeroed in on Jeremy. "Some sort of Replicant," Jenna guessed.
Jeremy lifted his head and rolled his eyes, his face a picture perfect blend of annoyance and amusement. "He can hear you," he grumbled with a flash of a sarcastic half smile.
Elena looked at him worriedly and met my eyes from behind Jenna's back. I bit my lower lip and looked away, back at our heavily studying brother. What had she done to him? What had Damon done to him was the more accurate question? His eyes moved quickly from page to page, scanning the information before writing something new down in his notebook, flipping through the pages quickly. He was focused and motivated. A completely different person then he had been only a few short days ago. I gave Elena one last look and stood up, taking my bag upstairs to my room.
That night I was pulled from my plans of hot cocoa and a good book, by a text from Caroline telling me she had planned a party. There was no way I could refuse, especially since it was also officially Stefan's birthday. I stepped into the crowded Grill, the music was playing loudly, people were dancing, drinks in hand in the middle of the room. My eyes scanned the layout looking for the hostess, Caroline stood on the other end of the room by the pool tables. She wore a beautiful purple silk dress, a bright satisfied smile on her face. She looked proud and content which made her positively glow. I felt my lips slid across my teeth as a bright smile split my face. That was my girl, she was going to set the world on fire. I fixed my plaited ponytail and looked down at my outfit. I had wanted to wear something pretty but simple, so I had just thrown on my black knee-length cocktail dress and gold kitten heels. I felt pretty and figured it was a Caroline approved look. I braced myself for a night of karaoke, pool, and, avoiding Elena. I started towards her, confused when she changed her direction and made her way to the bar. Something had caught her attention. I stood on my tiptoes, even in my heels I was still too short to see over the heads of the people crowded around me. Once I hit the toes of my heeled feet I could see messy jet black hair and my teeth bared instinctively.
Wow, when had that become my response to him?
Dammit, Damon.
I pushed past people, slapping at someone who grabbed my ass and stepped next to Caroline, huffing in anger and exhaustion. I could feel sweat beading on the back of my neck and prayed my makeup stayed in place. I brushed the end of my ponytail from where it had stuck to my neck and narrowed my gold shadowed eyes at the vampire in front of me.
"Damon, I'd hate to believe that you had anything to do with this little shindig," I said taking his bourbon from his hand and downing it, my head falling backward.
I squeezed my eyes closed and pursed my red-tinted lips. I felt his fingers on my throat and slowly opened my eyes, keeping them narrowed.
"Of course not, baby. But, I did hear something funny," he said emphasizing the last word with a sarcastic laugh.
I leaned into him and nonchalantly pushed Caroline behind me feeling her stumble. "Oh you did, did you?" I said my voice sultry and low. "What was that, Mr. Salvatore?" I asked caressing his last name with my tongue. Damon continued to trail his fingers down my throat. He wrapped his fingers around my neck, slowly, and pulled me towards him, squeezing gently.
"You gave Bonnie my crystal, Elandra. I want it back. Tonight," he growled, squeezing my neck a little tighter.
I could smell the Bourbon on his breath. I leaned into him and laughed lightly in his ear, my voice rough from his grasp. "Emily won't let you have her crystal, Damon. You should know that babe," I emphasized the pet name, knowing it would irritate him, and brought my magic forth focusing it in my fingertips. You could see the small flickers of blue light, almost like metallic nail polish and ran them across his face zapping him with the electricity. He winced, air whistling through his clenched teeth. "Don't presume you have any effect over me. I don't fear you. I have nothing to fear. I'm already dead, remember," I said ripping his hand from my neck.
To anyone around us, it would have looked like we had been two lovers in an embrace. I inched backward away from him and took Caroline by the wrist pulling her to the other end of the bar. I grabbed us a drink and tried to shake off the whole encounter. I would be lying if I said being so close to him hadn't left me feeling uneasy and more then a bit flustered. Even with the neck grabbing. I tended to like things rough anyways. Caroline watched me closely seeming a bit dazed herself.
"The party is amazing, Caroline, really," I said.
Caroline pouted slightly her eyes glazed over. I held her head close to my face and looked into her eyes. Her vervain should not have worn off yet, should it? I pulled her bracelet from my purse and took her wrist sliding it on quickly. I knew I shouldn't have taken it off her, but thought it would make the detox quicker if she wasn't constantly leaning down and inhaling vervain several times a day. I couldn't trust Damon as far as I could throw him. I knew he had something to do with this damn party.
Caroline looked down at her bracelet with a sigh. "Thank you," she said.
"Keep it on until I can get your compulsion reversed and vervain you up, girl," I said.
She smiled at me her eyes seeming to clear. "Sure thing," she agreed.
I handed her another drink and patted her on the arm. I looked around us and found Lexi and Stefan dancing awkwardly. "I'm going to say hi to Stefan and his friend," I said.
Caroline nodded, drinking deeply I watched her closely making sure it was safe for me to leave her. "Your a wonderful person, Caroline, and I love you," I said, kissing her on the head.
She sat down her drink and looked up at me. "How do you do that? You always know what to say. Is that a witchy thing?" she asked.
I smiled at her, biting my lip and shaking my head. "No, it's a best friend thing. I have CareDar, I just know what you need to hear," I said
I kissed her head again, I knew she would be ok, she just needed to let go a bit, Caroline had a tendency to be a tad uptight. I saw Matt at a table nearby and caught his attention, motioning to my eyes and back to Caroline. He gave me an enthusiastic nod and I smirked.
Hmm, Caroline and Matty? I liked it.
I slid onto the dance floor and giggled at Stefan's weak dance moves, he was a lot like Caroline, way too uptight.
"I'm going to need to see some more footwork," Lexi said with a grin.
"Yeah, I'm not really interested in making a fool out of myself," Stefan laughed dancing in a circle around Lexi.
Lexi turned around and danced into his chest snapping her fingers and laughing at his unease. "Come on. You're not that bad," she said.
I danced up next to them and twirled around Lexi. "Hey, Sexy Lexi. Are you torturing our Stefan here?" I admonished.
She tossed her hair back and laughed. "He needs to be tortured a bit. Someone's gotta take that stick out of his ass," she hollered trying to speak over the music.
Stefan blushed and bumped her with his hip, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Ok, just do me a favor. Tell me if you see Damon with his camera phone," he said.
I took one of his hands and one of Lexi's and pulled them further onto the dance floor. "Don't worry. Im sure we can find plenty of our own blackmail material," I giggled.
I spun Lexi into his chest and then began twirling in front of them, my hips moving with the beat, my hands in the air. The lights above us pulsed purple, green, and red, making it seem like we were in a club in the city instead of a small town bar. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, it was perfect for forgetting your troubles, so that's what I did. I danced with Stefan and Lexi, choosing to believe that we were all normal people having fun on our friends birthday. I continued to dance smiling at Lexi conspiratorially every time we saw the light in Stefan's eyes shine. He was finally having some fun.
I closed my eyes and let my body take over until I felt a familiar pounding in my head. Sweat beaded on my forehead and the air changed from warm to hot, too hot. I could feel the blood pulsing in my veins, much too quickly. Images flashed in front of my darkened eyelids, blood, and screaming faces, something was happening.
I stumbled, my ankles protesting as my feet slid the wrong way in my heels. I opened my eyes and tried to focus. The world was much too bright now, and it appeared blurry like everything was covered in cellophane. I could still see the frightened faces as if they were printed on my retinas. I looked around me and saw Stefan and Lexi dancing, oblivious to the world. I made my way up the steps and past the pool tables into the back of the bar.
I slipped into the bathroom breathing heavily and felt something drip onto my bottom lip. I lifted my hand, running it over my mouth and upper lip, glancing down I saw thick red blood. I quickly leaned against the first sink I came across. I grasped the handle, turning the cold water on full blast. I placed my hands under the water and scrubbed roughly, watching the red fall down the drain. I sniffled and tried to keep the tears at bay. I took a paper towel and wet it, cleaning the blood from my face. I was so sick of feeling this way. It was so unfair. This was the price I had spoken to Caroline of. Magic could be as much a curse as a gift. I never asked to see these things.
I looked at myself in the mirror, my face was sickly pale and my hair appeared almost brittle, the magic in my veins was weakened because my body was too tired. That vision had cost me. I lifted my purse from my hip and grabbed my blush, lathering some on my cheekbones. It would at least help a little. I reapplied my lipstick next and then tried to fix my disheveled hair, all the while taking deep steadying breaths.
"Ok, ok, Elara. Your ok, everything's ok," I repeated.
Something had obviously happened and I needed to figure out what, but I refused to ruin Stefan's birthday, so I would have to do it alone. I shook myself mentally and tried to remember the images I had seen. I remembered a couple kissing, then something bad had happened something bloody, the man had been attacked. I leaned over the sink breathing heavily. I felt sickness rising in my throat. No, I wouldn't be weak. I refused. I pushed away from the cold marble sink and gripped my hands together in front of me. I was fine. I shook my hands out beside me and let out a deep sigh, that sounded more like an angry shout, and left the bathroom. My head still felt fuzzy but I could manage.
I flattened my dress and tried not to wince at the volume of the music. When I rounded the corner I could hear Stefan and Lexi shouting in excitement. They were playing pool and laughing, Stefan leaned across the table smacking Lexi's hand in a high five. Lexi pulled away and shook a fisted hand in the air in triumph. I smiled fondly and stumbled down the steps towards the bar, my body still fighting small tremors. I hoped they were not as noticeable to others as they were to me. I heard a chuckle and looked over my shoulder, Damon was watching Elena with a smirk plastered on his arrogant face. Elena was posed next to a pillar across from the pool tables, the very definition of despondent, watching Stefan like a lovesick puppy. I ground my teeth together and changed direction.
Damon circled her like a vulture, a Cheshire grin on his face, chuckling lightly, "Stefan smiles. Alert the media," he said.
I called on every bit of my mental and physical strength and clicked my tongue in disapproval, stepping up beside him. "Now, now, Damon. Your petty little pokes at Stefan and Elena's relationship are getting tiresome," I said throwing an arm on Elena's shoulder. "So, shoo," I said flicking my fingers.
I kept my eyes on him and tried to steady the tremors that coursed through me. Instead of acknowledging me, he kept his face trained on Elena.
"You haven't given him a lot of reasons to be happy lately," Elena snipped.
Damon pursed his lips and sighed. "Oh, you're right. Poor Stefan. Persecuted throughout eternity by his depraved brother," Damon said shaking his head and smacking his tongue against the top of his mouth.
I moved my arm from Elena as another tremor shook through me. I braced myself against the pillar in front of Lena and arched my back. Damon's eyes narrowed as they crossed over me. I kept my face forward and was proud when only my hands shook, something I hoped he hadn't noticed. He turned his head and zeroed back in on my sister.
"Does it get tiring being so righteous?" he asked her.
I giggled without meaning to and covered my mouth. He was right, though, she could be a righteous little nitwit sometimes.
"Humph, it flares up in the presence of psychopaths," she said taking my stiff hand and pulling me away slowly.
I was starting to feel pliable, really, I was too tired and weak to care.
"Ouch. Well, consider this psychopath's feelings hurt," Damon snarkily said from behind us, his hand on his heart.
I turned my head and rolled my eyes in his direction, He narrowed his and looked me over again from top to bottom, his nose twitching. Elena pulled me behind her swiftly, I stumbled and took her shoulder to stay upright.
When did she get so strong?
I leaned in and casually sniffed the air around her, well she didn't smell like vanilla and honeysuckle, so she wasn't Katherine.
Elena placed a hand on her hip and tilted her head questioningly. "What did you do to our brother?" she asked.
Damon rolled his eyes to the ceiling and then back to her. "I'm gonna need a less vague question," he said.
I huffed and stepped beside Elena my feet and head aching. "She means when she stupidly asked you to invade his mind and take away his memories, what else did you do?" I said.
Elena looked at me in annoyance and pushed her hair behind her ear. "When you did what you did to Jeremy's memory of Vicki," Elena mumbled and Damon looked around us, stepping closer. "What else did you do to him?" Elena finished.
Damon looked down at Elena and shrugged lightly. "You asked me to take away his memory of fangs and roar. You wanted me to take away all the bad stuff" he reminded her.
I scoffed loudly and looked at him in shock.
"But he's acting differently. He seems ok with everything, a little too ok," Elena said.
I stepped into her eye line and looked at her. "Of course he does, Elena. Damon took away all the bad. Which means all the pain Jeremy has felt since mom and dad is just...gone," I said turning my head to Damon. "That was a really sweet and terrible thing to do, Damon. Terrible more than sweet," I said my eyes stinging. "Yes Jeremy is fine now, but he isn't healed, all this is just a band-aid. If, god forbid, something happens, what he felt like before is going to snap back and hit him harder then ever," I raggedly said.
Elena rubbed my arm and I jerked away from her. "Don't, Lena. I still haven't forgiven you, I'm just being civil. For Jeremy's sake," I whispered.
Elena's face fell, but she must have decided not to let my attitude get to her because she ignored me and turned back to Damon. "Are you sure you didn't do anything else?" she asked.
I shook my head and crossed my arms.
"Elena, she's right. I took away his suffering," he said.
Elena nodded and tried to take my hand again, I gently pushed her away. "Elena, go get a drink. I need to speak with Damon, and Im really tired so i'm probably going to go home when i'm done," I said.
Elena looked at me closely and placed a palm on my forehead. "Oh my God, Elara!" she said her eyes wide.
I pulled her hand from my forehead and smiled reassuringly. "It's ok. Really, it's normal. Im just tired," I said pushing her towards the bar.
She shook her head. "That's not normal, Elara," she said. I smacked her butt gently "Go!" I said with force.
She looked at Damon and narrowed her eyes running them to my head and back to him. I laughed lowely and watched her walk to the bar. Turning around I took Damon's hand and pulled him away to the hallway leading to the restrooms. I reached into my bag and took out my cell, sending a text to Caroline and slid it back inside.
"Why did you pull me away? And why was your sister so concerned?" he asked touching my head before I could stop him.
His mouth fell open and he pushed me against the wall, lifting my chin, he met my gaze. "You feel like a corpse, Elandra! I knew something was wrong when I smelled the blood and seen you shaking." He leaned down and listened to the steady beating of my heart for a moment before standing up straight again. What the hell happened?" he asked.
I closed my eyes and counted to three. He smelled differently than normal. Why did he smell so different? I opened my eyes and looked at him. "You smell like roses, Damon. Why?" I asked stepping away.
He kept his face neutral but I could still see the stress in the way he held himself, stiff and defensive. "You answer my question first, El," he said leaning into me.
I pulled away and stumbled backward my hands flailing out in front of me, but before I could even register the sensation of falling I was still again, the feel of leather against my cheek. I took a deep breath and could smell roses again.
"Elara?" Caroline's voice called from behind me.
I pushed Damon away from me, immediately missing his warmth, and turned around. "Care. Hey, um, I...it's just...I almost fell," I inarticulately mumbled.
Caroline raised a brow and frowned. "Ok, what did you need?' she asked.
I wobbled as I walked towards her, and Damon was at my side in an instant. I kept my gaze on my feet and slowly kicked off my heels.
"That's better," I sighed.
I kicked them away and took Caroline's wrist, removing her bracelet. "Ok, now you're going to fix your compulsion, Damon. I want her free of everything you've done," I said.
Damon grumbled and yanked Caroline towards him. He wrapped his hands around her neck and held her still. I watched in amazement. Compulsion was so cool, yet completely terrible.
Looking deep into her eyes he spoke seductively. "You will forget every command I have ever given you. You will return to exactly the way you were before we met," he said.
Caroline blinked a few times and he let her go pushing her away. I took her wrist and quickly snapped on her bracelet. I patted her on the shoulder and sighed. She looked slightly dazed, her eyes glazed over as she, once again, viewed the world without the filter of Damon's compulsion.
"There, that's better. Now, go to the bar and take this," I said handing her a clear gel capsule.
Damon leaned down and sniffed the pill before pulling away and letting out something between a sigh and a laugh.
"What is that?" Caroline asked taking the pill.
I patted her shoulder and started pushing her towards the bar as I had Elena. I was feeling very pushy tonight. "Vervain. I'll explain later. Now go take it," I said.
Caroline smacked my hands off her shoulders and tossed her hair with a huff. "Fine, you pushy hag," she huffed.
I smiled at her as she sashayed to the bar. My knees began to buckle and I threw my hand out to catch myself on the wall. Damon caught my hand and helped me to the couch hidden in a darkened alcove in the corner of the room.
"What's going on, El?" he asked.
His face was full of concern and fear, so similar to the way he had once looked at me. I could always lose myself in those eyes. He had been so kind and funny. I never wanted to truly accept that I had lost that side of him forever because if I did, it would mean I had lost a piece of me. As I saw all he had once felt for me and still did, buried in his deep blue eyes, I started to forget that I was mad at him and that he could be an arrogant asshole who liked to flirt with my sister. In my weakened state, all I could see was the man I had loved.
"I had a vision. It weakened me. Someone was attacked by a vampire. I don't receive visions like that unless something bad is about to happen," I said. I was scared and just wanted to feel safe again and, at this moment, Damon could give me that.
I touched his face gently my fingers caressing his cheek. His breathing quickened and he closed his eyes, leaning into my touch. He kissed the palm of my hand and my breath caught in my throat. He nuzzled into my palm and I found myself leaning closer, my heart pounding in my chest. My nose brushed his and I could feel his breath, as it swept across my face, bourbon, and mint. I licked my lips and ran my fingers through his soft hair, eliciting a moan from him, which reverberated through his chest where my other hand lay, tucked gently under his shirt, covering where his heart had once beat for me. I smiled against the edge of his lips and tugged on the hair at the nape of his neck. I ran my tongue across the seam of his lips and he gasped, giving me the opening I desired. My tongue found solace in his warm mouth as I kissed him deeply, tasting the bourbon I had previously smelled. He pulled me tightly against his chest, but it suddenly wasn't enough, I needed to be closer. I lifted my leg and slid over his lap, to sit astride him. He moaned into my mouth and I pulled away long enough to send him a sly smirk, rolling my hips against his. His head fell back as he groaned and bucked upwards with me. I leaned down and kissed his neck, nibbling roughly at his pulse point.
He growled fiercely. "Don't do that, baby," he begged.
I sat up and looked at him, his face was desperate and hungry. I met his eyes and bit my lower lip as I brushed my nose against the edge of his jaw, trailing down to find his pulse point again. I bared my teeth and bit him roughly, my own animalistic desires coming to the service. He growled again, this time his arms wrapping around me, nails digging into my flesh. I ran my tongue across the red indentations I had created and left a wet trail of saliva as I ran my tongue back up his neck. He turned his head away from me quickly, his breathing labored. I reached out and took his chin in my fingers, pulling his head towards my face. The sclera of his eyes almost appeared to be bleeding, like the blood that he was forced to feed on swam through his eyes. Stunning black veins snaked underneath. He was a frightening yet beautiful image. I ran the pads of my fingers across the black veins, his skin was soft and warm, I watched in fascination as they appeared to move. I had seen vampires change before, but never this close, and never in this intimate of a setting. I kissed the veins that had grown on his skin like ivy, a sharp intake of breath was the only sign of life from him. He was still as a statue beneath me. I laid my head on his chest and felt him breathing deeply. The smell of rose filled my senses.
Rose.
Like Caroline's bracelet.
Like...vervain.
I inhaled again and it was there, the exact smell of vervain. My body and mind stiffened. What was he up to? In my befuddled state, I had missed that, and then I had succumbed to my baser instincts.
Oh, God!
I had just made out with Damon.
I sat up slowly and looked at him, his features were back to normal, but his eyes were guarded. Had he felt the change in my demeanor?
"Vervain?" I simply asked.
He looked away from me and, very carefully, sat me beside him. "That doesn't concern you, Elandra. I'm going to do what I have to. Even if that casts me as the bad guy," he said his face hard.
He ran a hand over my braided hair and felt my forehead. "You need to go home, now. You don't need to be here," he said.
I stood up and placed a hand on his chest. "Whatever your planning. Please, don't. I'll help you, Damon. I'll help you open the tomb. Just...no more death. Please," I begged.
I hated how weak I felt, but I didn't want to lose anyone else and I felt like that was exactly what was going to happen. He turned away from me his shoulders rigid.
"That's all I bring...death. I can't give you what you want, El. The only thing I can do for you is protect you, save you," he whispered.
He was gone with a quick burst of air. I sat back down on the couch and took a deep breath. Well, that just made things more complicated. After I composed myself I stepped out of my little hiding spot and quickly found Lexi at the bar. Her head moved up and down as she checked me out.
She looked at the bartender and sighed. "Make that four," she said.
The bartender leaned in and chuckled. "You know I need to see some ID," he said.
Lexi's face became a blank slate. "No, you don't," she said plainly.
The bartenders head jerked lightly and he took a short breath. "That'll be, uh…" he stuttered.
Lexi tilted her head, leaning back. "Free."
The bartender blinked and smiled brightly. "On the house," he said.
Lexi laughed happily and bounced in her seat. "Thanks," she said.
I sat down next to her while the freshly compelled bartender poured our shots and smiled. "That is such a cool trick," I said.
Lexie took my hand and gave it a squeeze. "You know if I could I'd offer you the whole shebang, right?" she said.
I closed my eyes and tried not to cry. "Yeah, Lex. I do," I said.
Lexi let go of me and took three of the shots in her cupped hands, leaving the other for me, and stood up, motioning for me to follow with her head. I obeyed like a well-trained dog. Ignoring my protesting body, which was telling me I needed sleep to recuperate my magic. Lexi stopped suddenly and I tried not to fall on my ass behind her.
"Ah, the famous Elena," she said.
I looked over her shoulder to find my sister sipping on a drink. I wiggled my nose, the protective sister side of me wanting to inspect her glass. How was she getting home?
Elena straightened her posture and looked at Lexi with suspicion. "Towel girl," she said.
I blinked rapidly and wanted to scoff. Towel girl? There was totally a story there.
Lexi shrugged and handed Elena a shot. "I've been called worse," she said, sitting down, what I presume would be Stefan's shot, at the table beside us and took her own in hand.
I stood next to her and casually inspected Elena's drink. Coke, ok. Good girl.
Elena looked at Lexi with shock and curiosity in her big brown eyes. "I didn't know you guys could drink," she said.
I pushed my braid off my shoulder and nodded.
"Oh, yeah. It helps curb the cravings, but makes for a lot of lushy vamps," Lex said bumping hips with me.
I winked at her, several memories of her drunk and passing out in our hotel room coming to mind. She clinked shot glasses with me and we both downed ours at the same time.
Elena looked between us and pointed her finger at me and then Lexi. "How do you two know each other?" she asked.
I leaned in closer so I could speak in her ear. "I know Stefan told you everything about me, and my curse so that I didn't have to explain." I sat back and looked into her eyes with regret. Hoping she would know that despite my anger I regretted how I had revealed everything. Elena laid a hand on my cheek and I sighed in relief. "I met Lexi a century ago, in another life," I said moving away from my sister.
Lexi, hearing every word, nodded and smiled at me brightly. "We're good friends, Ella and I," she said.
Elena's face darkened and she lowered her eyes. "Her name is Elara," she said.
Lexi watched her closely and then looked at me, moving my hair from my ear, winking at Elena as she angled herself closer to me. "This the family drama you mentioned?" she whispered in my ear.
I shook my head 'yes' and she stuck out her bottom lip as a symbol of sympathy.
"You know, I've never seen Stefan drunk," Elena said, changing the subject.
Lexi smiled and looked down at the table an expression of love on her face. "He's uptight," she said.
Elena laughed and nodded quickly her hair falling into her face. "But not with you," she said.
I put my elbow on the table and rested my head on my hand.
Lexi lifted her head and looked at Elena with rounded eyes. "Well, that's the benefit of knowing someone for over 100 years," she smiled in thought for a moment. "You can just be yourself," she said.
Elena's eyes clouded over and she moved her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, he can't be himself around me," she said despondently, looking away.
Lexie placed a hand on hers and rubbed circle on her skin. "Well, not yet. The first step was him telling you. The rest comes with time," Lexie said in a whisper.
Elena's eyes teared up and she looked at Lexi, hope flickering in her eyes. "You seem so sure," she said.
I brushed the hair from her face, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Because she is, Lena," I said.
Lexi looked at me as we both got lost in the same memory. Lexi had told me her love story before, it was beautiful and had given me so much hope. She had told me that whoever I was waiting for would come back to me.
"The love of my life was human. He went through what I imagine you're going through...denial, anger, et cetera." Lexi took a deep breath and took my hand. "But at the end of the day, love really did conquer all," she said grinning at Elena.
She gave my hand a squeeze and looked at me again, this time she didn't smile or laugh, which was very unLexi like. "We all need to remember what love can do for a person. If they just let it," she said.
She looked away and back to Elena. "Are you gonna drink that?" she asked looking at Elena's shot.
Elena lifted her shot and scrunched up her face, shaking her head. "Uh, no go for it," she said handing the drink to Lexi, who downed it immediately.
Elena looked at Lexi with a new found respect and then down at her hands. "I'm scared."
Lexi shook her head a bit and leaned in. "But your here...because you're crazy about him. I get it, ok. I mean, what's not to love." Lexie turned her head and looked at Stefan who was leaning over the pool table, lining up a shot, his eyes steady and focused. "Take it from someone who has been around a long time. When it's real, you can't walk away," she said, taking another shot, the one I had assumed was for Stefan.
Downing the shot quickly she scrunched up her face and shook her head. Elena laughed, watching her in amusement, the stress melting from her features as she thought over what Lexi had said.
"Whew!" Lexi hollered as the liquor went to work.
She stood from the table and placed both hands on my shoulders.
Elena sat back in her seat and smiled up at the beautiful vampire. "It was really nice meeting you," she said.
Lexi feigned blushing, fanning her face with her hands. "I know," she said, pulling me from my seat. "Let's go get some more shots," she said.
I hung my tongue out of the corner of my mouth and cocked my head at Elena. Lexi yanked my braid and Elena laughed at my plight.
"Come on, your keeping me from Tequila," she said.
I followed her to the bar and stood to the side as Lexi order a few shots and then started to make her way to the other side of the bar. I didn't realize who she had sat down next to until I heard her speak. Looking down I noticed crystal blue eyes, staring at me in anger.
"The shots are a bribe. I need to know, what are you really doing in Mystic Falls?" she asked Damon.
I walked up beside her and took her arm. "Lexi, this isn't necessary," I tried.
She brushed me off quickly and I stumbled again, my equilibrium for shit.
Damon stood taking my arm and sitting me on the stool he had vacated. "You're supposed to be at home," he whispered in my ear as he pulled away.
"Keep your hands to yourself Lexi or we might have trouble," he said his voice stiff.
I chuckled and pushed him away from her. "Damon, you know she didn't do anything. I am clumsy tonight, my magic is weak," I said in a whisper.
Lexie leaned across Damon and frowned at me in annoyance. "Why didn't you say anything? I have a medicinal baggy in my purse. A witch in New Orleans had this weird bark that she gave me for helping her out, said it was worth a fortune to the right witch. Apparently, if you suck on it, it helps restore your magic when your exhausted and it can be reused," she said reaching into her purse and pulling out a small silver bag.
Inside she had small vials of blood, a container of Witch Hazel, that I tried to not jump in fear from. To my breed of which, it is poison. It burns like acid and renders us immobile, aside from all our senses which remain active. It is the worst form of torture. Luckily, since my mother's death, I am the last of my kind, and not many people know of that particular weakness. She had a few other things I didn't recognize, but the last item she pulled from the bag was wrapped in clear plastic. It was a Blackwood branch. The Blackwood tree was one of the most potent trees in Witchcraft. I took the small branch from her and peeled it from the plastic, placing it between my lips with a sigh. The bitter taste immediately made me feel better, my magic recognizing that relief was in sight.
"Now, back to business," Lexi said.
I nibbled on the branch nervously as Damon leaned against the bar watching me carefully. "Ok, I have a diabolical master plan," Damon said his expression one of pure boredom.
Lexi nodded, her lips pursed. "What is it?" she asked.
Damon sneered at her in exasperation. "If I told you it wouldn't be very diabolical, now would it?" he said.
I motioned for the bartender, he was new and obviously covering for the one who had been serving us before, and I grimaced, great and I can't compel him.
"What can I get you, love?" he asked.
I narrowed my eyes at him and bit my tongue. It's a common pet name, Elara. You can't yell at someone every time they use it.
"Vodka?" I asked biting my lip.
He winked at me conspiratorily and grabbed a glass filling it with Vodka. I smiled brightly and winked at Lexi, who had been watching the whole encounter, with a grin.
"Here ya go," he said handing me the drink and a napkin. "If you need anything else I'll be here," he said smiling and walking back to the other end of the bar.
I took a sip of my drink, keeping the Blackwood on the other end of my mouth like a toothpick and looked down at the napkin.
It had a messaged scribbled on the corner, "Call me, Brad." and at the bottom in a messy scrawl, a number.
I handed it to Lexi with a small laugh. "Huh, Brad," I said.
Lexi waved the napkin in the air with a whoop and I covered my face with both hands. Damon took it from her and looked down at it and then back down the bar, where Brad was sending me quick smiles.
"Yeah, I don't fucking think so. How old is he?" Damon said, crushing the napkin in his hand and placing it in his pocket.
Lexi laughed loudly and shook her head. "The more important question is how old is Ella?" she said.
I choked on my drink and spluttered my face red. "Ugh...well...uh.. a..a...thousandish," I said quietly.
Lexi's jaw dropped and despite Damon knowing the round about time frame he started coughing, his bourbon obviously going down the wrong pipe.
Lexi started giggling madly, her face bright red. "Wow, I feel so much better about my age," she wiped her eyes and pushed my shoulder gently. "Now stop distracting me," she said, turning back towards Damon.
I sipped my drink as they talked and I watched Damon dance around her questions. Then he tilted his head towards the entrance and I could see a gleam in the corner of his eye, just as I felt something fall into my drink. I looked down, to see a drop of red floating towards the bottom of my cup, the color spreading out through the clear liquid. I scooted next to Lexi and looked around us. Everyone was still drinking and having a good time, but, by the entrance, Sheriff Forbes was turning a woman away from the building, the same woman from my vision. I started breathing heavily and Lexi turned to me. "You ok, Ella?" she worriedly asked. The Sheriff and her men were steadily getting closer and I was starting to understand what they were here for.
"Lexi," I said, as Sheriff Forbes shot her in the hip with a syringe.
"Sheriff, what?" I said, trying to get ahold of Lexi who was gasping for air.
"What are you doing?" Damon asked.
The Sheriff looked at him steadily. "Thank you for the vervain. Now if you'll excuse me," she said.
Her men lifted Lexi by the shoulders and began to carry her from the Grill. I tried to follow but Damon held me by the wrist. "No, El," he said.
I ripped my wrist from his hand and pulled away from him. "I asked you…I begged. I've never once asked you for anything, Damon," My voice was gruff. "She's my friend, Stefan's friend," I said.
I looked around the room, spotting Stefan and Elena leaving and gave Damon one last glare before following after them. I saw them get turned away at the front door and stopped, turning around and running ahead to the back. I slipped through the door and heard gunshots. I took the branch from my mouth and slipped it into my purse. I run towards the noise and saw the Sheriff shooting Lexi in the chest. Lexi smiled after every gunshot and I almost laughed. Thank goodness, she was ok. Of course, she was. She was old and strong. I heard movement behind me and saw Stefan and Elena heading up the ally. I stepped out towards Lexi, to see if I could help and the Sheriff saw me out of the corner of her eye.
"No, go back!" she yelled.
I put my hands in the air and was just about to knock her out when Damon approached Lexi with a stake.
"NO!" I shouted.
But, I was too late, he shoved the stake in her chest. I fell to my knees, the hard pavement a welcome pain compared to what was playing out in front of me.
"Why?" Lexi gasped her voice weak and pitiful.
Damon looked at her for a split second, no remorse on his face, "It's all part of the plan," he said, before twisting the stake, a sickening crunch floating through the air.
Lexi's skin began to grey as she gasped, taking her final breaths in this world. I could feel her fear and pain, having died so many times before, but she wouldn't come back. I sat on my knees, no tears coming. Not even anger was there to keep me warm.
When Lexi fell to the ground Damon rushed to the Sheriff, his face innocent and sweet. "You ok?" he asked.
She placed her gun back in its holster and nodded. "Yes, thank you. Place it in the trunk quickly. I need to talk to her. I think she's in shock," she said pointing to me.
Hearing her mention me snapped me out of my stupor. Shock? I wasn't in shock.
I was…what was I? Angry? Sad? Both?
I wasn't sure.
I stood up and brushed off my bleeding legs with a wince. "No, im ok. I already knew about all this, Sheriff. Runs in the family remember. They were on the council," I whispered quickly remembering the journals I had found of dads. I was only worried about Damon. We are friends, and I guess reading about vampires and facing them are two entirely different things," I said smiling.
Liz patted me on the back with an understanding sigh."You did well. Just please remember. You can't talk about this with anyone," she said.
I knew she meant Care and nodded my head fiercely. "Of course, Sheriff. I would never," I said.
Damon watched me from where he had dumped Lexi's body and I avoided his eyes.
"Go home and get some rest," she said.
I gave her a quick side hug and ran back to the Grill. I looked around and couldn't find Elena or Stefan anywhere. As I was going to my car my phone started to ring. I pulled it from my purse and saw Elena had sent me a text.
"Stefan is going to kill him. You have to do something." I tossed my phone in the passenger seat and pulled out of the Grill as fast as I could.
I jumped out of the car at the Boarding house, the front door was wide open and I could hear fighting going on upstairs. I ran through the open door and took the stairs two at a time. My head spinning. I pushed my way into Damon's room and saw Stefan had him pinned to the wall, a stake in hand.
"Stefan no, don't. You're better than this!" I shouted.
He didn't acknowledge me but his shoulders stiffened as he shoved the stake right below Damon's heart.
I gasped and ran forward, keeping a safe distance. "Stefan," I sobbed my hands in my hair.
"You missed," Damon grasped his brother's shoulders, eyes wide as he gasped.
Blood poured from the wound as Stefan continued to shove the stake deeper into Damon's chest. "No. You saved my life. I'm sparing yours. We're even," he said twisting the stake as Damon had done to Lexi.
Stefan removed the stake and shoved it back in, this time with more force. "And now we're done," he finished.
Damon grunted in pain, the grip he had on Stefan's shoulders faltered and he slipped down the wall as Stefan let go of the stake and stepped away from him. He walked towards me and I flinched involuntarily, afraid that if I said the wrong thing I would make him feel worse. He froze mid-step and stuck his hands out in front of him, noticing that they were covered in his brother's blood.
He scrunched up his face in discomfort and lowered them to his sides. "I'm not going to hurt you, El,' he said.
I tilted my head and tried to understand what he meant. "Of course your not," I slowly said.
Stefan cocked his head and blinked a few times. "Ok, so your not afraid of me?" he asked. I shook my head and looked around him at Damon who was trying to get the stake from his chest. One part of me wanted to help and the other wanted to pop some popcorn and watch a replay of what had just happened.
"I was only worried I would say something wrong and make this whole night worse. I...I'm going to miss her too, so please remember you not alone," I said, the tears finally coming.
Stefan's face fell and he approached me at light speed, pulling me into a hug. Blood be damned. I cried on his shoulder and he lifted me into his arms and sped me away, away from Damon and everything that had happened that night.
*******Giant chapter for ya'all. I hope you enjoy it. Please review and let me know what you think. Don't be shy:) This chapter has been edited by my Beta Casey.******
I stood outside Elena's room with a cup of coffee in my hands. I had just finished adjusting Emily Bennett's amulet, hiding it under my pink t-shirt when Jeremy exited his bedroom in a rush of mint. His face was firm and resolute as he noticed me.
"Listen, don't even say a word," he demanded.
I lifted my one free hand in the air and leaned against Elena's door. "Hey, I'm the Mystic Falls mime," I said playfully.
He raised his eyebrow and chuckled. "Really? That's what ya got?" he said.
I leaned my head against the door and sighed. "Give me another shot. Just let me get a hit of caffeine," I said, taking a sip of Elena's coffee.
He smiled and moved his hand in a circle as the go-ahead. I remained silent and just stared at him, my eyes innocent. When he finally realized I wasn't going to speak, he rolled his eyes as hard as he could.
"That was lame."
I smiled brightly and took another sip of Elena's coffee. At this rate, she wouldn't get any.
"What? I just wanted to demonstrate how un-naggy I was going to be. You know what your doing and me nipping at you isn't going to change your mind," I said, tilting my head and narrowing my eyes at him. "Just be safe," I said in my best mom voice.
He grinned at me and leaned his forehead against mine. "Thank you, Ellie," he said.
I pressed my head against his and sighed. "Of course, baby brother. Anytime."
He pulled away and rushed down the stairs two at a time. I shook my head and opened Elena's door, stepping inside. She was standing by the door, her back pressed against the wall.
"You hear that?" I asked,
She seized the coffee and took a large sip, making me wince.
"Yeah. I caught him in the bathroom. It didn't go that well for me," Elena said.
I sat down at her vanity and brushed imaginary lint from my black jeans to avoid looking her in the eye.
"He's just worried, Lena. We need to tell him the truth. He will find out eventually," I said heavily "especially with what I have to tell you,"
My heart hurt at the idea of the complete truth, but I knew it was time. Elena looked at me in shock and anger.
"We can't tell him about vampires, Elara. He could get himself killed," she said, throwing her hands in the air. "It's too dangerous,"
She walked to her closet and started to get dressed in a huff. I rose to my feet, staring at her in shock.
"Too dangerous, Really? So you don't think it's too dangerous for him to not know how to defend himself against them? Or that they are real at all? You want him defenseless then?"
"Do you not even care that what I have to tell him about myself will reveal everything supernatural anyway? I don't want him to hate me for lying, Elena," I walked away from her, slamming the door shut behind me. She could be completely ridiculous sometimes.
Well, the truth of the matter was, she couldn't stop me from telling Jer the truth all on my own. I ran downstairs and grabbed my bag from the table by the door. I hugged Jenna goodbye and headed outside. I would tell Jeremy tonight, no matter what. I took my keys from my pocket and opened my door just as Elena bounded down the steps. She huffed lightly and crossed her arms, covering her black jacket. Her silver necklace gleamed in the light of the sun.
"I'm sorry, El. You are right, but I just don't feel like now is the right time to tell Jeremy anything. Anything. I think you and I should talk," she said, her voice pinched.
I narrowed my eyes at her. "What do you mean by anything?" I asked, trying to not jump to conclusions.
"I mean, I don't think he needs to know about you either. It's just too much for him right now, Elara, and really there is no reason he needs to know your a witch...or whatever,"
My mouth dropped open, and I turned my head away from her. "You can't be serious. He has every reason to know, and you will be eating those words when I'm finished with you, Elena," I said,
I opened the car door with more force than necessary. I got in and started the car before turning and beckoning her to get in.
"Well, you wanted to talk, didn't you?" I said tightly.
My voice was sharp and tight to accompany the firm expression on my face. Elena moved quickly, sliding into the passenger seat swiftly. I slipped on my sunglasses and pulled out of the drive.
"Let's go to Stefan's, I need to check on Vicki anyways," Elena said.
I scoffed and shook my head. "Yeah, sure," I said.
We drove to the Salvatore's in silence, neither one of us ready to speak to the other. I wasn't sure what to say to her. I had never expected her to ask me to leave Jeremy out of my revelation, and quite frankly, the idea made me angry and sick. This was one of the most Petrova things she had ever done. She acted like it was for Jeremy's best interest, but it wasn't. It was all for her. She wanted him in the dark so he wouldn't object to the things she did. At least amid my anger, that's the way it felt to me.
I pulled into the drive of the Salvatore Boarding House and followed behind Elena to the front door. As I always have with Elena, I felt like second fiddle as she remained three steps in front of me. I silently stood back as she knocked on the door. A few seconds after her knuckles had hit the wood, Damon yanked open the door. He leaned against the edge of the doorframe and smirked. His black shirt stood out against his pale skin, and short sleeves showcased his muscular, toned arms. I couldn't help but smile at his expression.
"Always so cocky, Mr. Salvatore," I said playfully.
I shook my head and stepped inside, then looked back to find Elena still outside. She took a deep breath and looked right a Damon. Her body rigid, frozen like a deer freezes in front of a predator.
"Is Stefan here?" she asked.
Damon's eyes looked her up and down. "Yep," he said, one arm still on the door frame.
I elbowed him in the ribs and frowned. "Stop ogling my sister, creep,"
He looked at me and smiled. God, I loved his smile — I silently cursed him for making my stomach flutter and flip flop the way it always did around him.
Elena ignored me and continued on. "Where is he?"
Damon pulled his arm from the door and stood up straight. He smirked and rolled his eyes at her. "And good morning to you, Little Miss, I'm on a mission,"
Elena crossed her arms and tilted her head at him. "How can you be so arrogant and glib after everything you've done?" she asked, her eyes incredulous.
"Elena," I said in a sigh.
Damon leaned back against the door on one arm and looked at her as if she were an annoying fluffy kitten. "How can you be so brave and stupid to call a vampire arrogant and glib," he asked.
I looked between them and bit my tongue. Elena scoffed and rolled her eyes. "If you wanted me dead, I would be dead," she said.
He raised his brows and nodded. "Yes, you would," he said.
Elena leaned forward and smiled, causing me to lean back in turn. "But, I'm not."
Damon smirked. "Yet."
I sighed and turned around, walking away from their petty flirtations. I already knew were Stefan would be. I headed upstairs towards his room and found him on the stairs. I quietly walked towards him and smiled when he turned around. He gave me a weak half-smile in return, and I tried to keep the look of pity from my face.
"Should I start the conversation off with a 'Hey Slugger?' Or is that too much?" I asked.
He looked rough — well, as rough as Stefan ever looks. His dress shirt was wrinkled, and his hair more ruffled than usual. He was in mourning for his relationship. I pitied him, instead of reading Shakespeare and Austen, he had to help Vicki, a compulsive liar, and drug user.
"Yeah, I think I can do without the 'how are you holding up,' talk," he said, brushing his hand over the back of his hair.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Ok, well, if you need a junk food and terrible movie night, call me. We've known each other for a very long time, Stef. I want to be there for you, regardless of who my sister is in this time," I said. I leaned in and gave him a hug, whispering in his ear. "You were my brother, Stefan. I may have never said it, but you were. I love you,"
He choked on a silent sob, and I held him close until a voice from the hallway below interrupted us.
"Stefan?" Elena said.
I stepped back and looked away as Stefan rubbed his tired eyes. He took my face in his hands and kissed my nose gently. "I love you too, Elandra. You will always be my sister," he said, his voice rough.
The sun coming through the window reflected off the glass and made his face shine. His loving smile was blinding. Something inside me clicked together, and I felt tears on my face. He used his thumbs to wipe them away, and I giggled. I always wanted to tell him what he meant to me as Elandra and doing so now allowed a piece of me to snap into place.
"Go on, Stef, she's waiting for you,"
I hugged him one last time and then slipped away as he leaned over the banister and talked to Elena. I walked down the adjacent hallway, sending a quick text to Tyler and Elena, and slipped past them as they discussed Vicki. Elena was too wrapped up right now for a discussion of my kind, and I just needed some normalcy. I stepped outside and leaned into the car. I inserted the keys into the ignition before taking my bag from the back seat.
"You really look good, El," Damon said from behind me.
I stepped out of the car and shook my head. "Sure, but not nearly as good as Katherine's doppelganger, huh," I said, arching an eyebrow.
Damon stepped closer and opened his mouth just as Tyler's loud truck started pulling into the driveway. He stopped behind my car and leaned out of his window, whistling loudly, he flipped his sunglasses onto his head. "Look at that!"
I stepped away from Damon and did a quick spin, my hands up in the air, bag dangling from one finger.
"Well, well, well, Miss Elara Gilbert. Need a lift?" he asked suggestively.
I laughed at his gall and tossed my bag over my shoulder, saluting Damon. "Later, Salvatore," I said.
I ran over to the passenger side of Tyler's truck and jumped in. Damon watched me from beside my car, his eyes hard. He stepped to my window and looked up at me, his black hair fluttering in the gentle breeze. "What are you doing with him, El," he asked.
I frowned at him and leaned out, my voice hard as steel as it challenged him.
"I'm going to school with my friend. You have fun with my sister," I pulled away from him and twirled my forefinger at Tyler. "Let's go."
He nodded and flipped his sunglasses onto his head. "As you wish, milady," he said.
We pulled out of the drive, and I lifted my leg, sitting it in the window. My firey hair blew around me, and I enjoyed the peace that came with being around Tyler. Yes, he was supernatural, but as of right now, he didn't know that. Right now, he was normal, and I craved that. He flipped on his radio and blasted some rock music as we sped through the streets of Mystic Falls. I bobbed my head in time to the beat and laughed at as Tyler used his invisible drumsticks. He slowed his car for me, handing me a coin as we passed over Wickery Bridge. I tossed the coin out the window and smiled into the sunlight, it was utterly ordinary. It was pure bliss. As we approached the school, he lowered the music, and we both started to sober up.
"So, I heard they are putting together a search party for Vic," he said, as he pulled into the parking lot.
I looked right ahead of me and pushed down the word vomit that wanted to erupt and tell him everything, including what he is, and carefully looked at him.
"Yeah, Jeremy is skipping today to join,"
Tyler's face scrunched up, and I quickly hopped out of the truck. I joined him on the other side and gave him a swift peck on the cheek.
"Thanks for the ride, Ty,"
He gave me a crooked smile as I waved goodbye and went in search of Caroline. It felt like I hadn't seen her in forever. I made my way inside, jumping away from fake spider webs and skeletons that lined every part of the hallway around me.
Really? Where did the school find the funding for decorations like this?
I slipped past a skeleton on a gurney and found Caroline and Bonnie. I jumped up and down, waving as I approached. Bonnie saw me and smiled brightly, Caroline, on the other hand, sniffed and turned away, typical spurned Caroline behavior. I slid in beside her and took a deep breath. I had decided I was sick of secrets amongst my friends.
"Listen, Caroline. I'm so sorry about not talking to you for the last few days. But It's because I've been keeping something from you, from everyone. And I'm tired of the secrets," I said.
That caught her attention quickly, and she spun around to face me, her blonde hair slapping me in the face. She placed her hands on her hips as I sniffled, trying not to sneeze.
"What secrets?" she huffed. "How could you keep secrets from me? I'm supposed to be your best friend!" she said, dangling the vervain bracelet I had given her in my face. "Did this seriously mean nothing to you?" she asked in a rush of irritated breath.
I leaned my head on Caroline's shoulder. I lifted my own wrist into the air showing her my identical(minus the vervain) bracelet. "Of course, it meant something to me, Care Bear. You are my best friend, and that is why I want to tell you everything,"
Bonnie watched me worriedly, and I gave her a knowing gaze. She frantically looked at me, and I shook my head, easing her worry. I had no intention of revealing her secrets.
"Caroline, I am planning on telling Jer and Lena tonight and would like you and Bonnie to come over too. My house at 9?" I asked.
She looked me over and must have decided she could wait because she nodded and looked at Bonnie next. "You coming over for the big reveal, Bon?" she asked, raising her hands and performing bunny ear quotations.
I rolled my eyes dramatically.
"Of course, I've gotta know this secret," Bonnie said.
I leaned my shoulder against the locker and nodded my chin at the black bag Caroline was carrying.
"What's in the bag?" I asked.
Bonnie took the bag from her hand and looked at me nervously. "It's my costume, for tonight,"
I clapped my hands together and leaned over the bag excitedly. Caroline took my arm and pulled me into a hug. "See, at least someone is excited for tonight. I knew you were my best friend for a reason," she said, wrapping her arms around my neck.
I looked at Bonnie as she pulled her costume from the bag, the brownish-gold, and black dress catching my attention. I stepped beside her and took the dress from her hands.
"Seriously?" she said, lifting the hat to my face.
I looked at the pointed monstrosity with glee, my eyes tearing up with laughter.
"You're a witch, Bonnie," I said, straight-faced.
Bonnie narrowed her green eyes at me and looked at Caroline, who had her back against the lockers. "Come on. Can someone other than Ellie and me be excited for Halloween?" Caroline turned her head towards Bonnie, her eyes were pouty. "I just wanna have fun, ya know, just some silly, fluffy, Damon-free fun," she said.
Bonnie fidgeted with the witches hat her mouth cast in a frown. I felt a warm weight on my chest and knew it was Emily trying to tell me something. I looked down at the dress in my hand and noticed the brownish-gold coloring matched the amulet perfectly. It would give me just the in I needed to pass it on to her, and Caroline would never remember having it, not since I clouded her mind.
"Hey, Bonnie, I have the perfect necklace for you to wear with this dress. I was actually going to donate it sometime today. It's just not something I wear very often, but it would look great on you," I said, pulling the necklace out from under my shirt.
Bonnie looked at me strangely as I unfasted the clasp and handed it over. She dangled it in front of her and eyed it speculatively; the amber color stood out beautifully against her skin. I could feel Emily calling out to her and wondered how she couldn't.
"Oh that's pretty Bonnie, El's right, it'll look perfect!" Caroline said, smiling at me. "Ok, you next Ellie bean. Your costume is in there too,"
Bonnie smiled evilly and handed the bag over to me, one eyebrow raised in triumph. I huffed dramatically and reached inside, pulling out a black garment bag. I looked a Caroline suspiciously and unzipped it quickly. I gasped when I saw a knee-length blood-red tutu dress, spiky red and black devil horns, and a bright red pitchfork. I started laughing brightly and looked at Caroline with glee.
"This is perfect, Care, absolutely perfect," I said.
Bonnie laughed beside me and touched the soft fabric of the dress, running her fingers across the sparkling bodice.
"It really is, Caroline. Our Elara is the perfect fiery little devil," she said, pulling me into a one-armed hug.
Caroline giggled, and they helped me put everything back into the bag and zip it up.
"Hey, have you seen, Elena? Do we know what she's wearing?" Caroline asked her face serious.
Bonnie shrugged and folded her costume over her arm. "I was with Grams all weekend. I haven't talked to her. Maybe she's with Stefan," she said. I avoided their eyes and followed Bonnie's shrug. I pulled Caroline away before she could mope.
After school, I avoided every Vampire I knew. I wanted to go to the Halloween party with Caroline and have regular everyday fun. I stepped into the house and heard people in the kitchen. When I made my way inside, I saw Elena watching Jeremy on the phone, a worried expression on her face. She saw me watching her and came over to me.
"Where have you been, Elara?" she asked her eyes running over my face. I shook my head and looked at her incredulously.
"School, Elena. I figured you had things covered. There was no need for every Gilbert to be absent," I said, walking away.
I could sense her eyes on my back, but I didn't care. I needed an average day, sue me. I took water from the fridge and looked at both my siblings. My average day was about to end.
"Jer, Lena. I need you both home at 9 tonight. I have Caroline and Bonnie coming too,"
Jeremy looked at me in confusion, his cup stopped halfway to his mouth. His expression morphed into concern in an instant, and he put his mug on the table beside him, stepping next to me.
"What's going on, El?" he roughly asked.
Elena shook her head, her eyes wide. I ignored her — my mind was already made. I looked at Jeremy earnestly and took a deep breath.
"I have a secret Jer, a big one. I've been keeping it from you all for years, and I can't take it anymore. I have to tell you, and I want to do it all at once,"
He brushed the hair from my face, his jaw set in determination. "I'll be here, Elara," he said.
I exhaled and smiled at him. "Thank you," I turned to Elena and saluted her with my water. "Now, I say we hang out tonight, like family. We could go to the, uh, Halloween thing at school,"
Jeremy took a drink and shrugged lightly. "Cool. Sounds fun," he said, none too convincingly, turning toward the living room.
Elena moved towards him, and he stopped trying to leave as she spoke.
"Look, Jeremy, I know your upset about Vicki. I heard she called Matt. But you can't be with her. She needs to get better,"
I remained off to the side, sipping my water aimlessly as I watched her continue to push him away. When the argument got further heated, I decided to leave them to it and went upstairs to change into my costume. I finished sliding on my black leather boots and checked my horns to make sure they were entirely in place before I decided I was good to go.
"You look good,"
Rebekah sat on top of my bedspread, twirling a blonde curl around her index finger. I gave her a mischievous cackle and a thumbs up before grabbing my car keys and heading downstairs. I excitedly hopped into my car and drove to the school.
The party was in full swing by the time I arrived. Everyone was decked out in either full gore or slutty costumes, with a few managing to straddle in between the two. I never quite understood the appeal of dressing as something like a sexy Freddy Krueger. Still, a few attendees managed to make that costume work.
I carefully slid out of my car, afraid to rip my fragile dress. I was pleasantly surprised when I turned more than a few heads with Caroline's costume choice.
"Whoa, look at you!"
I turned around to find Tyler, bare-chested and donning a red cape. My head fell back as I laughed. Raising my hands out beside me, I gave him a quick spin. Tyler clapped, whistling in appreciation. With a slight blush, I motioned to his minimalistic version of a costume.
"Check you out. Someone has been working out. Nice," I said, waving my hands over my chest.
He grinned, flexing his arms, and offered me a cup with something smokey and green. I took it gratefully and drank the odd tasting beverage with a bright smile. It tasted of apples, cinnamon, and something tangy and possibly acholic.
"You really do look great, El," he said over the music.
I followed him towards the school and smiled.
"Thank you. It's all Carolines doing," I said with a small sway to my hips.
He watched me with a small grin, and I bowed, tossing my hair over one shoulder. Looking over at the entrance of the school, I saw nurse Elena and Jeremy heading inside.
"Hey, I see Elena. Thanks for the drink, Ty," I said.
I waved goodbye, then slowly walked over to the entrance and waved at Caroline and Bonnie on the way, running my hand down the dress and winking, they both gave me a thumbs up. Inside I passed by walls covered in sliced up sheets and spider webs. The music blared at top volume, and everyone seemed to be having a blast. Ahead I could see Matt and Elena talking, both in last year's costumes. A cute Doctor and his nurse. They really did make such an adorable couple, but she was happier with Stefan. Before I had made it halfway there, Elena's breathing had changed, and her body profoundly bowed in stress. I rushed forward, grabbing her wrist.
"Elena, what's wrong?" I asked
She turned to me, her eyes panicked. "Vicki is here...with Jeremy," she gasped.
I dropped her hand and spun around, looking everywhere for them. Oh god, how could Stefan let her out of his sight? I had trusted him. My breathing became erratic, and my heartfelt like it was going to pound its way out of my chest.
"We've gotta find him," I said urgently
"Guys, what's the matter?" Matt asked.
I looked at him and took his face in my hands. "Go home," I said, backing away into the crowd with Elena.
I pushed through the warm bodies, Elena's hand in mine, and tried to remember to breathe. He would be ok.
"She's dressed as a Vampire," Elena said.
I stopped in my tracks and scoffed, raising my hands to my face.
Of course, she is.
Shaking it off, I pushed us into a less crowded part of the room, lifting the large white sheet. Elena shook her head, removing the stethoscope from her costume. Just as I was about to text Stefan, he came bursting into the room with Vicki in a skimpy purple vampire costume.
"Thank God," Elena said.
Stefan pulled Vicki closer to us and looked us both over swiftly. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"I lost track of Jeremy. I was worried," Elena said, stepping closer to him and watching Vicki from the corner of her eye.
Matt walked into the room next, and I closed my eyes. My senses were on overload, and the shit was about to hit the fan. I stood close to Matt and kept my eyes on everyone in the room.
"Hey, Matty. Everything is fine. Just some Jeremy drama," I said, taking his arm.
He pushed me off him and stepped into Stefan's face. Vicki, clearly noticing the sudden change in the air, swiftly took advantage of it, pushing Stefan away and stepping behind her clearly confused and frightened brother.
"I told you to quit bothering me," she spat, looking at him in anger.
The warm room took a sudden sharp turn to cold as Vicki glared at Stefan in anger. Stefan's posture stiffened, and he took a step beside Elena, looking over at Vicki in shocked understanding. Elena raised her hand.
"No, Vicki, don't do this," she said.
I stepped closer to Matt and tried to keep him calm, but he pushed me off again.
"Matt, he won't leave me alone," Vicki said tearily.
She played the victim well, having had years of practice. Matt got in Stefan's face. "You need to back off, man," Matt said, his eyes a mixture of anger and worry.
I moved in front of him and pushed him away from Stefan. "Matty, it's ok, it's ok," I said quickly.
He looked down at me in disappointment, disturbed by the fact that I was siding with Stefan. He shook his head. "No, it's not ok," he said.
Elena glanced over Matts's shoulder and pushed past me. "Elara, she's gone," Elena frantically said, heading in the direction she had went.
Stefan tried to follow her, but Matt grabbed him and held him back. Stefan twisted himself around and pushed Matt against the wall.
"I'm trying to help her," he growled.
Stefan's face was just inches away from Matt's as I took his shoulder and pulled him back, standing between the two men.
"He's right, Matt, he is only trying to help," I insisted.
Stefan took my hand and led me in the direction Elena and Vicki had fled. We rushed through the school, the bright, flashing lights were disorienting, and I blinked rapidly, clearing the spots from my vision. I pushed through the crowd ahead of Stefan, somehow losing him somewhere amongst the large groups of people. My breathing became heavy, and my pulse quickened, the walls closing in around me. I slowed my walking and took a few deep breaths to focus, and pushed through. A few feet away, I saw a door that led outside and ran forward, pushing it open. As soon as I stepped foot outside, the cool air slapped me in the face and I strained to focus. I made my way toward the back of the school and caught sight of Elena. I watched in horror as she dug through a pile of rubbish, grabbing a piece of plywood. She lifted it in the air and ran towards Vicki, who I only just noticed was holding Jeremy by the throat a few feet away.
"Vicki, Nooo!" she screamed.
Vicki dropped Jeremy to the ground, her teeth bared, face covered in dark black veins, and started to run towards Elena. Elena swung the wood, using as she would a baseball bat, but Vicki was quicker, she picked Elena up by her throat, and tossed her. Elena soared through the air, feet kicking against nothing. She landed hard on the pile of rubbish and wood, her head lolling to the side.
"Elena!" I screamed.
I charged towards Vicki, my hands already glowing. I flung them forward, my magic knocking her back a few feet. She landed on her knees, an angry growl rising from her throat. I skidded to a halt next to Elena, falling down beside her, my hands hovering above her bleeding side, just as Stefan showed up. Vicki stood to her feet and speed toward him. They collided with one another, and Stefan reared back, hitting Vicki into the front of a nearby school bus. The bus groaned as Vicki slid down the side, her face scrunched up in anger and pain. Stefan stood in front of her, his hands bunched up at his sides in preparation for another attack. Jeremy slowly walked from around the other side of the bus, his face shocked and tear-stained.
"Vicki?" he asked.
Placing her hands on the pavement, Vicki heaved herself up from the ground. Her dark eyes narrowed in on Stefan. Stepping closer to Vicki Stefan tried to take her arm, but she quickly pushed him off and disappeared, leaving nothing behind but a burst of wind. Breathing heavily, we all frantically looked around. I quickly helped Elena to her feet and herded her toward Jeremy. She was beaten up and bloody, and when she moved, she winced in pain. Stefan looked at me in fear. He knew as well as I did that Vicki wasn't gone.
"Get them inside," he commanded.
I pushed them ahead of me towards the door and kept my eyes on our surroundings.
"Let's go, come on, Jeremy," Elena said, pulling him with her.
Elena made it inside just as Vicki grabbed me by my hair, yanking me to the ground. I screamed in pain as my head collided with the concrete. My vision blurred as I tried to lift myself up, holding my weight using my elbows, but I was too dizzy and slipped, my head hitting the pavement again. I winced, darkness surrounding my vision. I watched helplessly as Vicki grabbed Elena and Jeremy next. Roughly tossing Jeremy behind her, she took Elena by the neck, digging her fangs in with zero remorse. Elena screamed, her voice raw with fear. I shakily stood, my head pulsing with pain, and lifted my hand, flinging Vicki from Elena with everything I had. She went flying backward, her hair whipping around her. My legs shook as I watched Stefan pick up a jagged piece of plywood and vamp speed toward where he knew Vicki would land. Lifting the wood, he caught her; piercing her heart. Vicki stood motionless, her hand shaking near the bloody end of the wood that protruded through her chest. She looked at us, her face full of pain and fear. Her skin began to turn grey, and blood-red tears fell from her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Vicki," I said shakily.
I watched as she collapsed in a heap on the ground in front of us. Jeremy wailed for her from where he had watched the whole thing. I slowly wobbled over to Elena and pulled her hair out of the quickly drying wound on her neck. She flinched as her hair reopened the bite, and her eyes began to water.
"Are you ok, Lena? Did I hurt you?" I asked.
Elena looked at me in surprise for a moment before shaking it off.
"No, you saved me. Thank you, El," she said, looking at Jeremy, who stood, staring at Vicki's gray corpse.
"Get him out of here, Stefan," she said quietly.
Stefan wrapped his arm around Jeremy's shoulder and led him away. He pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed a number. Elena lowered herself down next to Vicki's body, holding her stomach. Her whole body shook, releasing the pent-up adrenaline. She gasped for air, sobs trying to escape her. I ran my hand down her hair and attempted to offer her comfort. Other than our parent's death, this was the first violent experience she had ever witnessed. I bent down beside her and held her while she cried for Vicki, for Matt, for Jeremy, and for her lost innocence. We heard a sound coming from the other side of the bus and tensed. Elena's crying slowed when Damon came around the corner.
"You should go. I got this," Damon said, almost apologetically.
I shook my head and helped Elena stand.
"You did this," Elena spat, her tone laced with venom and expression full of hate. "This is your fault,"
I felt so bad for her. She was so young and saw the world with pretty rose-colored glasses.
"Elena, let's go. You need to be healed," I insisted.
She pushed me away and looked at me with the same disgusted expression. "How can you be so calm?" she asked.
I closed my eyes and exhaled. "This is so very far from the worst thing I have ever seen, Elena. I am angry, and I feel sorry for her and the ones who loved her, but that's all I can muster," I said truthfully.
Damon looked at me with something akin to interest and shrugged.
"You confuse me for someone with remorse," he said, looking down at Vicki with expressionless eyes.
Elena took a deep breath and shoved Damon as hard as she could, grunting with the effort. She lifted her hand to slap him, and Damon caught it, grasping it roughly, his eyes never leaving her face. Elena breathed deep in discomfort.
"Damon, you are hurting her. You've made your point," I said.
"None of this matters to me, none of it," he said, looking at us both.
I nodded and looked into his hard eyes. "As I said. You've made your point...to us both," I said, voice strained.
He dropped her wrist roughly, and Elena held it against her chest, trying to keep her tears at bay.
"People die around you. How could it not matter? It matters, and you know it," she said, raising her hand back and connecting with the side of his face.
I covered my mouth and jumped in front of her quickly. Damon turned his head and looked at me. I breathed deeply, my hair blowing out in front of me with every breath. I could feel the blood pooling on the back of my head from where Vicki had tossed me to the ground, but I didn't care. Elena was trying to get herself killed tonight, long before even I was due to die. Damon jerked forward a bit, and I could feel Elena move behind me. Damon smirked.
"Mmm," He looked at me again and nodded quickly. "She needs to leave. Your wounds are bleeding, and she needs to leave," he said, tilting his head with a sneer.
I could feel Elena back up slowly behind me, but I continued to face forward, my eyes on Damon.
"Come on, Elara," she begged.
I turned to face her, my eyes scanning her critically. A large wound was present on her shoulder, neck, and side. She needed to see Stefan.
"Find Stefan, ok? I will see you at home,"
Elena looked at me in fear.
"I'll be ok, Elena," I said. "I'll see you at home."
Nodding, she backed away slowly. I watched her until I could no longer see her white costume in the darkness. I turned around and looked at Damon warily.
"What the hell was that?" I asked him, placing my hand on the back of my head with a deep groan.
With a mild sigh of annoyance, he bit into his wrist and held it out for me to take. I rolled my eyes and drank from him until I couldn't feel the ache in my head.
"Better?" he asked.
I bent down next to Vicki and looked her over. With a flick of my wrist, she was covered in a white tarp from the dumpster next to us.
"Handy," he sarcastically said.
"What was that about, Damon? The whole 'none of this matters' junk," I asked, waving my hand in the air.
He bent down and pulled the tarp-covered Vicki over his shoulder. "I needed her to know that she may have my brother wrapped around her finger, but not me. I came here for one reason — Katherine. You need to remember that too. I'm not the same as I was before,"
I placed a hand on my hip and smiled. "I know who you are and no amount of hurtful words, sneers, or this," I motioned to Vicki. "Will make me forget. It will only hurt me," leaned in and touched his face for a mere second before pulling away. "Thanks for healing me,"
I waved goodbye and left the same way Elena had. Before I headed home, I decided to quickly check in with Bonnie and Caroline, telling them I would need to change our visit to the next day. Finally, I got into my car and slowly drove home, afraid of what I was going to find. Something was telling me it wasn't going to be good, and I always trusted my instincts. When I arrived home, Elena and Stefan were on the porch. I got out of my car and carefully walked to the steps.
"How's Jeremy?" I asked.
Stefan turned away from me, his eyes filled with pain and doubt. Elena approached me swiftly.
"Listen, Elara, it had to be this way. I couldn't watch him go through this again," she said.
I looked up at her for second unsure of what she meant, until Damon stepped outside.
"It's done," he said.
I looked at him and then back at Elena. "You didn't. Tell me you didn't," I said, pushing her away from me.
I didn't want to touch her.
"He's just a kid, Elara. He needs to be normal and happy," she said.
I backed further away and scoffed loudly at her, completely blown away by how she was justifying her actions. The fact was: she had Damon compel away Jeremy's memories. She could say it was for his sake all she wanted, but I was sure he would see it the same way I did. It was all for her so that she could feel better. I was positive he would prefer the truth and any the pain that might come with it, over lies and lost memories.
"He won't forgive you for this, Elena. I won't forgive you for this. Any of you," I said, looking at each of them.
Stefan tried to approach me, and I pushed him back with my magic.
Damon stood next to Elena, his eyes empty. How fitting. I smiled at him and shrugged. "I guess you were right," I said.
I snapped my fingers, and a small travel bag appeared in my hand with a change of clothes and my school supplies.
"I'll be at Caroline's. Don't worry, I'll call Jenna,"
I stepped off the porch and ignored Elena's heavy crying. "Please, Ellie."
I turned around and looked her dead in the eyes, no emotion on my face. "You have no right to call me that! As of right now, I want nothing to do with you, Elena," I tossed my bag in the car and turned back to her with a hateful sneer on my face. "Oh, and by the way, I wanted to tell you and Jeremy I'm dying, but it seems you've taken that option from me now. Goodbye, Elena," I sneered, slipping into my car.
I looked straight ahead and pulled away, leaving her behind to be coddled by the Salvatores.
My boots squished into the earth as I leaped from the last porch step and took off into a run. My mind was already becoming that of a hunter, something I was grateful to have experience in. I was taught to hunt by the best; Kol Mikaelson was a force to be reckoned with, and if you got on his wrong side, there was nowhere you could hide.
During one of my many short lives, Rebekah, Kol, and I had teamed up in an attempt to cure me. Of course, it didn't work, and when we realized nothing would stop what was coming, we decided to enjoy our time together.
I joined Kol in the hunt for a vampire who had betrayed him. It had been exhilarating, and I learned a lot. Kol had been a brilliant witch. I was never allowed to practice with him when he was human, I was separated and taught on my own. Esther never allowed me to practice with the family.
Yet, I had still found time to spend with Kol even without practicing magic, and we got along very well. I loved his attitude and adventurous nature. When I had the opportunity to see him again, I was overjoyed. Although he was no longer able to practice, he was still able to teach and was just as talented in that.
I stood in the front yard, my senses heightened as I took everything in. I could smell Vicki in the air, her perfume and sweat mingling with the scent of the damp air around me. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. In my mind, I could see her stumbling down the stairs of our front porch, her shirt partially tucked into her jeans, her mascara smeared. She was wild and unfocused, reminiscent of a trapped animal. I zeroed in on her and watched as she looked left and right, her hair swinging around her, green eyes frantic. She took out her phone and dialed a number, speaking to someone I could not hear, before running down the street to her right. I started to follow her, my eyes still closed, until something hard took my wrist and stopped me. My eyes shot open, and I circled, wrapping myself around the back of whoever had tried to pin me, squeezing their neck, my ineffective teeth bared threateningly. My body and mind were both still feeding off Vicki's fear. I snarled menacingly, my magic swirling around me, waiting for my command. When I finally focused and came back to myself, I realized who and where I was. I looked down and saw Stefan in my arms, my teeth near his jugular. I could hear someone growling lowly and looked around us, trying to identify who was making the sound before I realized it was coming from deep within my own throat. I quickly dropped him and stepped away, wholly mortified.
"Wow, Stefan, I am so sorry. I was mirroring Vicki," I explained, toeing the ground.
The moon shined brightly above us, casting Stefan in an otherworldly glow his skin opaque, his eyes shining brightly with mirth. "It's ok, Elandra. I'm still getting used to the fact that you're a witch. You've just never pegged me as the magical type. You were always so demure. I should have known you were casting," he half-heartedly laughed.
I frowned at him with a huff and placed my hands on my hips, narrowing my eyes and motioning towards the direction Vicki had escaped towards. "Use your puppy nose and sniff her out, Bingo," I said.
Stefan ignored my weak dig, but his nose twitched, and we both followed Vicki's trail. I reached in my pocket to pull out my keys when Stefan retook my wrist. I looked up into his green eyes and narrowed my own. "Listen, Mr grabby. If you like that hand of yours where it is, I would move it. Now,"
Stefan bit his lower lip and shook his head with a smile. "I'm sorry, El. I was just going to say we don't have time to drive. It's dark now, which means Damon is out. I can take you. It's faster," he said, motioning towards his back.
My mouth popped open, and I scoffed loudly. Caroline would have fainted in delight. "Like hell, you will, Edward. I am not riding you," I said, blushing after I realized that I was shouting.
I tightened my hair and tried to ignore my reddened face, positive he could smell it. "I can manage without you. I have an idea of where she went,"
I raised my hands, now sparkling in the night like blue-tinted fireflies. Stefan looked at my hands in astonishment and reached towards them. His hand hovered near my own, and he moved around them, feeling my magical signature. To him, it would feel like a mild electrical current.
"That's incredible. It feels like I'm standing near an electrical storm," he said, his eyes shining.
I smiled at his wonder and shook myself out of it. "Stefan, I understand my craft is different from what you have seen before, and I'll show you whatever you wish to see, but it'll have to be some other time, okay?"
His eyes focused, and he snapped out of it, quickly stepping away from my hands. I lowered them to my feet and whispered an incantation. A blue glow spread from my ankles to my knees and then disappeared with a bright flash of light.
"Okay, I'm ready,"
He eyed me distrustfully and reached for my hand. I brushed him aside and raised my eyebrows with a smile.
"She's at the cemetery," I said soberingly.
I looked ahead of me and put one foot forward, and with a flash, I was gone, moving at speed I had only seen vampires go before me. I mentally thanked Kol for the spell and hoped he could hear me in the in-between, where Niklaus had him trapped along with Rebekah. I just wish he could visit me as she did.
I mentally shook myself and focused on the image of the shocked vampire beside me. He made a funny picture. His spiky brown hair was blowing in the wind, his mouth hanging open as he stared at me, green eyes wide in shock. I pointed ahead of us and back at his eyes, hoping he understood. All I needed was for him to smash into a tree. The wind swept across my face as the world blurred around me. Houses, cars, and people becoming nothing more than flashes of distant light. It was beautiful and hypnotizing. This wouldn't be such an adverse side effect of vampirism.
We both slowed down as we neared the cemetery. I stopped in front of the gate abruptly and swept my right hand across my legs. With a swift incantation, the spell was gone, and I was back to regular human speed. I hoped we hadn't wasted too much time. I didn't want to be responsible for Vicki killing someone. If she was going to become a vampire, and chose not to use blood bags, I at least wanted to make sure she chose some terrible murderer to eat.
A burst of air beside me revealed Stefan's presence. "It's going to be ok, El,"
He ran his finger across my cheek gently. I took his hand in mine and shook my head, moving it from my face. Hinges groaned as I pushed the massive wrought iron gate open. I avoided Stefan's concerned expression as I stepped through the threshold of the cemetery.
"Let's go find her," I said calmly.
I could hear the leaves crunch beneath Stefan's feet as he followed directly behind me. The air around us was still, no sound came from surrounding nature, as if every nearby creature knew a stronger predator moved amongst them.
I could feel Vicki was here — her pain was palpable. She was scared, her memories were finally flooding back. I stopped a few feet from a crypt where I saw Vicki, sitting with her forehead against her knees. I turned around to face Stefan, who had dutifully stopped behind me. I placed my hand on his chest and pointed to her location through the trees.
"She needs you, Stefan. I don't think I will be able to do anything for her right now,"
If she needed to be hunted down and killed, or if she needed to be taught to hunt herself, that was something I could help with, but Stefan was better with the touchy-feely stuff.
"She needs a friend Stefan and her, and I never got along. I was friends with Matty," I explained with a shrug.
I nibbled on the inside of my cheek and pushed him forward. I watched as he slowly inched towards her through the trees. He was perfect for the job, even from this distance he looked kind and gentle. No one would know that underneath his handsome exterior, he could be a ripper — a stone-cold killer. Vampirism could really be a curse if not handled correctly. The person had to accept who and what they were, or it would go horribly wrong. Maybe not right away, but eventually, they would break.
I watched closely for any signs that she would attack and was satisfied until I heard a sudden ruffle of leaves. I looked around. That sound hadn't come from Vicki or Stefan; he was still talking with her, and she was still crying uncontrollably. I looked around quickly, someone was here, someone who shouldn't be. I walked towards Stefan, who was busy with Vicki and hadn't heard a thing.
"Will you take me home?" Vicki asked, her voice thick with tears.
I looked down at her, her face was smeared with dirt and tears, and her hair in disarray. Stefan sat next to her, his face a mask of pain. He was always so emphatic and kind; her pain was becoming his own.
"Ok," he said with a nod.
I looked around us and tried to figure out what had changed. I knew someone was with us, but who — and why? I could feel a pending disaster. My breathing became ragged, and I couldn't focus. Pictures were forming in my mind, and I was having trouble grasping what they meant. Stefan moved to stand, and suddenly, I knew what I had to do. I moved my hand towards him and pinned him to Vicki's side with my magic. He looked up at me in shock, and my eyes widened in panic. This was going to hurt.
"I'm so sorry, Stefan," I said.
I heard the rustling before the gunshot but kept my eyes on Stefan and my hand outstretched. Before the shot went off, I looked into his stunned eyes and then to Vicki.
"Don't let her feed," I said, my voice monotone.
The sight had taken over, and I was no longer myself. It was the worst part of being an original witch. I hated having the smattering of visions. It was like seeing through a view-master toy. I could only see pictures and only for a moment before the next one sped by. The loud gunshot echoed around us, and I felt a familiar white-hot pain rip through my chest, right near my heart. I tried to gasp for air but couldn't. I peeled my eyes from Stefan's and looked down at the blossoming burst of color on my shirt. The red was staining the black quickly. I lowered my hand and released Stefan from my spell just as another gunshot echoed. I turned my head to see the shot hit Stefan in the shoulder.
I fell to my knees and looked at Vicki, who was looking at me in agonizing hunger. I wanted to laugh. Was this going to be how I died this go around? Death by baby vamp? With intense strength, I forced myself to look away from her and find Stefan. A few feet from me, he was lying on the ground. The man who shot us lowered himself beside Stefan. He had a wooden stake in his hand and placed it directly above his heart. Vicki was shouting, but I couldn't hear a word. I pushed myself to my feet, and with all the strength I had left, I wielded my magic and flung it at the man. The stake in his hand lit on fire with one bright burst of light. He screamed and dropped it to the ground. He looked at me in shock, and I waved lightly as I fell to the ground. He took another from his jacket pocket and positioned it above Stefan's heart again. I was done. There was nothing more I could do to help. Vicki moved to take the man's hand, but there was no need. With a flash of black, someone was on the man's neck feeding on him roughly. I smiled and closed my eyes. I was fading, I knew what it felt like. Death and I were good friends. Heck, I've died more than the Winchesters. Loud panicked voices filled my senses, but I couldn't make out who they belonged to.
"Elandra! No, No, baby, please! I can't do this without you, not again."
I wanted nothing more than to reach out to that voice, but I couldn't move. My arms were dead weight, lying somewhere beside me. My entire body felt like lead. I felt something wet against my lips and moaned softly. Was I already being reborn? That was quick.
"Drink baby, please."
I knew that voice, didn't I?
"You can't leave me. Not yet. I just got you back," the voice sternly said.
I kept my mouth closed, refusing to allow the rebirth. I was too tired. I shouldn't feel this tired. I hadn't even been allowed to see Niklaus in my last life. They dangled the idea in front of me and then killed me, and they had tortured me with the sight of Damon. I guess that was their gift to me. I felt angry and cheated.
"Please, Elandra. Baby, please drink," the voice pled.
That voice, I knew it.
Damon.
Damon was the only person who ever called me baby. I could live for Damon. Slowly I opened my mouth and drank the bitter liquid, coughing when my throat refused to swallow. I felt a tug at my chest as something was ripped from me and screamed as the pain rippled through me.
"What the hell!" I shouted, sitting up quickly.
Colors morphed into images, and I saw I was still in the cemetery where I had been shot. Where Stefan had been shot. I turned my head and saw Stefan lying on the ground where I had last seen him. He appeared to still have the bullet in his shoulder, and he had lost a decent amount of blood. I looked down at myself and saw my shirt was ripped open and blood was smeared all over my chest, stomach, and arms. I looked around me until I found Damon standing behind me. His face was morphed into a painful image of grief. His eyes were twin pools of sorrow, his hands covered in blood, a bullet in his right palm. I stood slowly and allowed him to help me when he rushed forward.
"Easy Elandra," he whispered, looking me over.
I laid my head on his shoulder and hummed lowly. "I feel weak," I lifted my head and looked into his oceanic eyes.
"My magic is spent," I said.
He placed his thumb and forefinger on my chin and lifted my head. "You just need rest. I fed you my blood, so you need to be careful, but you almost died, El," he said his voice breaking.
I ran my fingers across his cheek and pushed away from him.
"I'm ok, Damon, but you won't always be able to save me," I said quietly.
I rubbed his shoulder and slowly walked to Stefan, who was groaning on the ground where Damon had left him. I lowered myself to my knees and leaned over him.
"Oh, Stefan. I'm so sorry," I said.
I looked over at Damon and pointed at my bag. He picked it up and gently tossed it to me. I pulled out a black water bottle and handed it over to him, shaking it gently. Noticing the light swish, he eyed it warily.
"I don't drink human blood," he said, laying his head on the ground.
Damon stood above us, his eyes cold and hard. "Did you seriously drain yourself just in case Stefan ever needed a blood boost?" he asked between gritted teeth.
I sighed. My head throbbed painfully, and I stuck my fingers into the bullet hole on Stefan's shoulder, earning a pained hiss. "No, I did not. That is animal blood," I said, digging around for the bullet.
They both looked at me in shock, and I shrugged. "This would be so much easier with magic." I felt something and ran my fingers around the edges, getting a good grasp, and pulled up, yanking the bullet from his wound.
He lifted his head, squeezing his eyes shut in pain. I stood and walked away to allow Stefan a moment to drink his blood in peace without human blood in his grasp.
"Where did you get the animal blood, El?" Damon asked.
I watched closely as Stefan gasped, fighting through the final spasms of pain. I wiped the blood from my hands and onto my jeans and looked at Damon. "I'm resourceful, and I knew he would need it eventually. I am not planning on dealing with Ripper Stefan in this lifetime," I whispered.
His eyes shot up into his browline. I walked back over to Stefan, who had the bullet in his hand.
"It's wood. They know," he said gravely.
Damon leaned against a tree behind me and folded his arms against his chest. "Well, if anybody is going to kill you, it's going to be me," he said, wiping the remainder of the blood from his face.
Damon pushed himself from the tree with his foot and moved to Stefan, who was still lying flat on the ground. I stood next to him, ready to stand in between them if necessary, despite my powers weakened right now.
"My ring?" he asked his outstretched hand palm up.
Stefan looked up at him, his face still pained, and lifted his lower body enough to get into his pocket. He pulled out Damon's ring and handed it over. Damon snatched it quickly and placed it on his middle finger with a crooked smile on his face. He looked down at its placement as if seeing it for the first time. I rolled my eyes and looked away just as Stefan did the same.
"NOOOOO!" he yelled, rolling over and reaching towards Vicki.
I looked over at her and sadly shook my head. She made the exact picture I had seen in my mind. She was using both her arms to hold her upper body weight as she leaned over the man, her hair hid her face as she drank heavily from his neck.
"Nooooo Vicki," Stefan said, his voice full of regret. He looked over at me and laid his forehead down on the grass. "I'm so sorry. I failed you all," he said.
I walked over to him and sat down, running my fingers through his hair. "No, you didn't. Vicki is a vampire. Nothing can change that now," I said.
When Vicki heard her name, she slowly looked up. Her mouth and chin were covered in dark red blood. Her face was shocked and pale, she had blood caked in the ends of her hair. She ran the side of her hand over her mouth, her body swaying.
"I'm sorry," she gasped, her hands shaking.
She stumbled to her feet and ran in the opposite direction, startled sobs wracking her body. Stefan rolled back over and looked up at me, his green eyes glassy.
"Oops," Damon cockily said, looking the very picture of ease.
He had known precisely what spilling that much blood would do to someone on the brink of the change, and he couldn't care less what he had done to the poor girl. I looked at him, not hiding any of the anger I felt and stood, slapping him in the face.
"Damon Salvatore, I am ashamed of you. You should be ashamed of yourself. Whatever happens to that girl is on you. This game you are playing with Stefan has come to my doorstep, and I swear to god if it gets my sister killed, I will hunt you down and put a stake through your heart myself,"
My voice was full of anger, and I stood foot to foot with him staring up into his eyes. His face was angry and wrathful, but I wasn't scared of him. I had met worse, and the man before me had been one I loved and wanted to spend my life with.
"No matter what you mean to me. Even if I have to wait centuries to find out the outcome. Elena is my sister, my family — and you better damn well remember that."
I helped Stefan to his feet and looked into his eyes as well. "Everything I said to him goes for you as well. You knew what would happen when you took his ring and started this whole thing,"
I walked away from them both and stepped on something hard. I looked down and noticed a gold watch below my feet. It looked familiar, but my mind was too fogged to place it. I leaned down and picked it up, flipping it over in the palm of my hand. It was cold against my skin, and even with my weakened magic, I knew it was more than what it seemed. I pushed it into Damon's chest with a sigh.
"Something tells me this will come in handy eventually," I said.
He took it and looked it over as I walked away from them. I waited at the gate, holding my torn shirt closed against the wind. Finally, Stefan stepped beside me, my bag in one hand and the black water bottle in the other.
"Thank you for this," he said, shaking the empty bottle.
I nodded, my eyes drooping slightly. Noticing, he bent down and put both hands on either side of my face.
"You ok? Damon's blood should have worked better than this," he said worriedly. I leaned into his embrace, too tired to care, and sighed. "I'm ok. His blood worked on my wounds, but my magic is half my life force, and I'm weakened on that front as well," I explained.
Damon walked up from behind Stefan, his face brooding.
"Is there any way I can help?" he asked.
I looked over his shoulder at Damon and watched his expression as he eyed his brother thoughtfully. "I either need to be with my own kind, or I need sleep. I think the easiest to accomplish would be the latter," I said with a half-smile.
Stefan released me and stood up straight. "Ok, let's get you home,"
I stood shakily, using Stefan's muscular forearms to brace myself, and then held my shirt to me. Damon noticed my plight and grumbled lightly. "Here," he said, taking off his black leather jacket and handing it over.
I smiled and took it from him, pulling it on and holding out my hands. "I've wanted to wear this since the first day I saw you wear it!" I excitedly said, unable to care or hold back at that moment.
Stefan coughed lightly and put his hands on the back of his neck, looking away. Damon chuckled, and I frowned before looking down and noticing my shirt had fallen open, revealing my black lace bra again. I closed the jacket around me and laughed.
"Sorry," I said.
Damon stood next to me and put his arm around my waist. "That's ok, El. I didn't mind one little bit," he said, leaning into my ear.
I bit my lower lip and slowly pulled away, swatting his arm.
"Let's get you home, Elandra," Stefan said, pulling me away from Damon.
I looked up at him and worried my hands. "I'm going to need help this time, Stefan," I groaned.
Stefan smiled brightly and laughed. "That's ok. I got you," he said, placing his hand behind my neck.
In a flash, Damon had him pinned to the gate his hand around his throat. "Don't think I won't kill you, brother," he snarled.
I rushed up behind them and took Damon's arm, pulling him off Stefan. "What the hell was that?" I barked
"Do you honestly think I would let him carry you anywhere dressed like that?" he asked his face inches from my own. "You're half-naked and weak. There's no way he is taking you away. You'll be unprotected. And don't think I haven't noticed how touchy you two have been with one another," he spat.
He pulled me closer, lifting me into his arms and wrapping the jacket around me tightly. He looked over at Stefan with a smirk. "I'm taking my Elandra home. I'm sure I'll see you there," he said before speeding us away.
The world flashed by us quickly, and I buried my face into his chest and closed my eyes. What the hell had happened back there? My body and mind were too weak to process anything. This was no time to try and register the details, so I decided to go with it until sleep could bring back cognitive Elara. The wind around us slowed, and the loud whooshing sound left only ringing behind as we stopped in front of my house. Elena was sitting on the porch swing, her feet underneath her. I watched her swing back and forth for a minute before I pushed myself forward and slid out of Damon's arms. I shakily stood almost feeling as if I were on the swing with Elena for a moment. Damon held my elbow to steady me, and I squeezed his other hand in thanks. The wind changed, and Stefan was behind me, his hand on my shoulder.
"You ok, Elara?" he asked.
Elara?
He rarely called me that.
"Yeah, I'm ok, just woozy. Lena needs me. She is worried sick," I said, heading for the porch.
Damon huffed and followed Stefan, who was only a hand's reach behind me. Elena had her hand on her forehead, her face stained with tears. She obviously had been sitting there worried for a while. Her head turned as we approached, and she noticed Stefan's blood-stained shirt. She jumped from her seat and ran to Stefan, gasping.
"You're bleeding, Stefan,"
She ran her hands over his chest, checking him for injuries. I stood back beside Damon and watched them, almost envious of their relationship. I sometimes missed having someone to love.
"No, it's ok. It's ok, I'm ok," Stefan reassured her.
Elena took his arm and pulled him into an embrace, holding him tightly against her. "I couldn't stop her. I tried," Stefan whispered.
Elena pulled away and looked up at him aghast. "What does that mean?" she asked.
Stefan looked down his hands still in hers. "She fed, and then I lost her," he said.
Elena's mouth fell open, and she gasped in fear. "Oh, my god," she said, turning away from him.
I knew what that look meant, she was already formulating her own plans, plans that would end up putting her in the path of danger. I put my hands on my face and silently moaned. Damon rubbed my shoulders, and for once, I didn't worry about what it meant, I just let it happen. I was so tired.
"It's ok, I'll handle it. I'll find Vicki, and I will show her that she can live like I do. I will make sure that she does not hurt anybody, Elena. I promise you," Stefan said.
Elena turned back towards him and almost laughed her nerves on edge. She pulled her hair away from her face. "What do I tell Jeremy and Matt?" she asked.
Matt?
Oh, Matt, he was going to lose the last bit of his family.
I stepped away from Damon and walked up to Elena. I pulled her away from Stefan and into my arms. "It's ok, Lena. We will protect them," I promised.
She hugged me tightly, and I looked over her shoulder at the brothers who had started it all. I knew what Elena wanted to say to Stefan, and I hated it. For them both. They really did need each other, and regardless of his part in everything, she would be safer with him in her life. Niklaus would be here soon, and she would be in even more danger then they knew. I could only do so much when he showed up. I wouldn't have much time, and with our past, I would be less of an asset and more of a liability. At least when he showed up, she would have someone to protect her. I looked away from Stefan's eyes and met Damons. I tried to express what needed to be said, and when he closed his eyes and backed away, I was sure he got it. I looked back at Stefan and gave him a pained smile.
"I will always be here for you," I whispered so only he could hear.
I leaned down to Elena's ear and told her that I would be waiting in my room when she needed me.
"Thank you, Ellie," she gasped, tears in her eyes.
I glanced one last time at Stefan and stepped inside, allowing my sister to break his heart.
***Sorry it took me so long to update. I'll try to get the new chapters out more quickly next time. Please review and let me know there is still interest in this story. As always this is still being posted on both AO3 and fanfiction.net***
The music was played loudly through the intercoms of every room in the Manor. I absentmindedly wondered how the loud music didn't hurt Damon's heightened hearing but shrugged it off.
Vicki's hair bounced as she swayed dangerously close to the edge of the table I had just vacated. I watched her from my position on the couch, needing to cool off for a moment. I, after all, didn't have Damon's blood giving me an extra boost of energy.
It had been two hours, Stefan was still MIA, and I was beginning to lose my patience — he should know better than to goad Damon like this.
I made my way to the window and slowly pulled the heavy drapes back just enough to peek outside. The sky was still blue, the sun still shining. I glanced at the tree line, hoping to see Stefan, but saw nothing. I bit the inside of my cheek and grumbled in frustration. I turned around and put my hands on my hips as I watched Damon dance with Vicki, his body pressed against hers, and shook my head. This was not my idea of fun.
"Oh man, what did you give me?" Vicki murmured, her face inches from Damon's.
His answering smile was vicious and calculating. "Some blood. You loved it," he said.
I scoffed lightly and walked over to the bookshelves on the right side of the room. I ran my fingers across the spines of the first few books. I was reading the titles when Vicki spoke next.
"I did? Wait. I'm confused," She asked, stepping back one step, "How did we get here?"
I looked over my shoulder and watched a shocked and confused expression flitter across her face as she moved her head from left to right, taking in her surroundings. I pitied her and hoped Damon kept his cool. The books in front of me caught my attention again as Damon chuckled darkly.
"We met in the woods. You were drunk. I attacked you. Then I killed all your friends and brought you here, and gave you some blood. You loved it," Damon said, pulling her closer. "And now we are going to play until the sun goes down,"
I sneered in his direction and took a black leather-bound book from the shelf and glanced at the cover; Dracula, how perfect. I giggled and shook my head at the image of one of the Salvatore brothers buying this specific book. The absurdity of the situation had to have been very amusing. I made my way back to the couch and sat down. I lifted my legs up and crossed them underneath me, snuggling down with the book in my lap.
"Find something to pique your interest, El?" Damon called from across the room.
I peeked over the top of the book and eyed him warily. He was still pressed against Vickie, his hands on her hips.
"It's better than watching you fondle a zombified version of Vickie. Does it even bother you that she isn't really aware of what's going on?" I asked, with real interest. "The idea of messing around with someone you've tricked into wanting you turns my stomach."
He smirked before taking Vicki's wrist in his mouth and biting sharply. I scrunched up my face and grimaced as she took his wrist into her own, biting down and then drinking heavily.
"That answer your question? Believe me El, she knows exactly what she is doing,"
His lips were stained crimson from her blood. I ignored him and looked back down at my book, hoping it gave me the escape I needed. The music faded into the background, and I barely noticed what was happening around me as I sunk myself deeper and deeper into the pages of the book. I didn't look up again until I heard a loud thump as something fell to the ground. I closed the book and found Vicki on the floor a few feet away from me. Damon stood beside her, his expression was bored and carefree. I flew from the couch and looked down at her body, noticing the unhealthy angle of her neck.
"Dammit, Damon! You knew what she meant to Mattie and Jer," I said in exasperation, kneeling down beside her.
I knew that she wouldn't be dead for long but waking up as a vampire wasn't much better, not for her, at least. She wasn't the kind of person that could survive immortality. She was an addict for a reason — she had a rough life, and I was damn sure she didn't want an eternity of it. I leaned back onto my feet with a sigh and looked up at Damon, who was leaning comfortably against the bar looking at the clock on the table beside me. He looked completely at ease, and it irritated me to no end. How could he be so cavalier about ending someone's life? I stood and pulled my shirt down, this whole ordeal was becoming more than I could calmly handle. I was about to blow up on someone, and the closest person was a vampire hell-bent on destroying his brother and, in turn, my family. I stomped over to the cocky vampire in question, and with one swift motion, slapped him firmly across the face.
"This is your mess Damon, and you can deal with it on your own," I spat, my shaking hands balled up into fists. "But so help me, if someone I care about gets hurt in the process, I will make you pay!"
I turned on my heel and walked swiftly to my car. I'd officially had all I could take of Damon Salvatore.
I drove back home with one thought on my mind. What do I tell Jeremy? Deep down, I knew Vicki wouldn't make it, and it would break Jeremy's heart. I slipped out of the car and slammed the door shut as hard as I could. The car creaked and groaned with my effort, and a significant dent was clearly visible. I swore under my breath; how was I going to explain that to Jenna?
I placed my hand on my forehead in frustration. I couldn't help but think how much easier things would be when I started over. I grimaced at my thoughts and felt terrible. I headed into the house, pulling out my cell and dialing Elena's number. Where the hell were they, anyhow? As I was walking up the stairs, I reached her voicemail once again.
"Listen, Lena, I don't know what you and Stefan are planning, and frankly I don't want to. But you should both know that whatever it is won't end well — for anyone. Call me back," I said in one breath. "please."
This day just kept getting worse and worse, and I had yet to live through the hardest part — my conversation with Elena and Jeremy. I made my way to my room and threw open my closet door. I grabbed a change of clothes, something I wouldn't mind being ruined. Once I was redressed, I pulled on my black biker boots and refastened my hair into a braid; I had a feeling things were about to get dirty.
I checked my hidden black backpack of supplies, the one that I hoped I would never need. I loaded the bag with a few extra items, a pocket knife, a few tangles of nylon rope, and a couple of stakes coated in vervain — these I really hoped I didn't need to use. When I had first found out that the Salvatores had returned to Mystic Falls, I had started putting together supplies, things I thought might come in handy: wooden stakes, vervain, baggies of human and animal blood. Anything that I thought might help when shit inevitably hit the fan. I ran the bag to the closet under the stairs and hid it away, still hoping that I wouldn't need to drag it out later.
Returning to my room, I sat down at my vanity and quickly reapplied some facial moisturizer as the doorbell rang. I closed my eyes and visualized the front porch, my brow furrowing when I sensed Vicki. I stood up and ran out my door and down the stairs just as Jeremy opened the front door. I flew in front of him and gently pushed him away from a slightly hungover looking Vicki.
"Hey. The sun is killing me. My eyes are on fire," she moaned, placing her fingers on the bridge of her nose.
Jeremy fought his way in front of me, and I struggled to stay between the newly minted Vamp and my very human brother.
"Where have you been?" he asked, his voice rushed.
I chewed my bottom lip between my teeth and looked at the two. What was I supposed to do? She probably had no clue what she had become.
"Hey Vicki, how are you feeling?" I finally asked, defeated.
She walked past us into the house and headed straight for the kitchen. "It's good. Everything is good," she said, waving her hand dismissively.
Jeremy and I followed her into the kitchen, and she took hold of the back of Jeremy's neck, pulling him into a swift kiss. I raised my hand ready to knock her through a wall if necessary. As their kiss deepened, I looked away, feeling awkward and intrusive. I cleared my throat and tapped my foot, thanking every God in the book when they finally pulled apart.
"Did something happen?" Jer asked when she pulled away from him, heading for the fridge.
She ignored his question as she pulled open the door, peering inside our fridge for something to help satisfy her ravenous hunger. I felt terrible that she wouldn't be able to find anything — at least not in our fridge.
"I'm hungry, what do you got to eat?" she asked, leaning into the fridge.
Jeremy looked at me, and I tried to keep my face from showing the regret I felt.
"You're high?" Jeremy said, inching closer to her. "Vicki, its the middle of the day,"
I pulled him away and shook my head. Where the hell was Elena and Stefan? I pulled out my phone and send a quick text to Matt. When this all went bad, I didn't want my family to be implicated in her disappearance. As she raided our fridge eating anything she could get her hands on, we patiently waited for Matt. About twenty minutes later he burst through our door, his face bunched up with worry. I greeted him in the living room and pulled him to the side.
"Something is wrong with her Matty," I said softly.
His blue eyes widened, and he rushed past me into the kitchen. I stayed back in the living room, giving them some space but keeping my ears open. I was pacing in front of the T.V. when they brought Vicki into the living room. She had her hands hovering near her ears, pain marring her features. Matt and Jeremy babbled over Vicki's moaning. I continued pacing back and forth, trying to remain calm. It wasn't until Jeremy mentioned the police that things turned sideways.
"No!" Vicki screamed, shoving Jeremy away from her "Don't call the cops, you can't call the cops! Get away from me! DON'T TOUCH ME!"
Her screams were shrill, desperate, almost out of control. She grew violent, throwing silverware at Matt and Jeremy and knocking the dining room chairs into their path as they tried to restrain her. I was about to restrain Vicki with magic when thankfully Elena and Stefan arrived,
"What's going on?" Elena said, moving beside me and placing her hand on my shoulder.
I stepped away and leaned towards Stefan. "A gift from Damon," I whispered so only he would hear.
His head snapped towards me and then back to Vicki in a nanosecond. He slowly looked her over and closed his eyes in anger.
"I told you this wouldn't end well," I accused, again for his ears only.
Logically I knew it wasn't really his fault, but I still held a grudge. He knew what provoking Damon would do and yet here we were.
"She's really messed up," Matt worried.
He stood next to where Vicki had sat on the floor. Her body curled into itself. Elena walked towards her, hands outstretched.
"Elena, back up," Stefan said.
I took Elena's wrist and pulled her away as Stefan took her place in front of Vicki. "Vicki, look at me. Focus. You're gonna be fine. Everything's gonna be fine. Take her up to bed. Shut the blinds. She's gonna be ok," he said, directing his last few sentences to Jeremy and Matt.
They lifted her, taking most of her weight as they helped her up the stairs. When I knew they could no longer hear us, I lashed out, not caring who could see. I flung my hand outwards, using my magic to knock the lamps from the tables beside me. They landed on the floor with a crash, the glass flying across the room. I could feel the air sparking around me, but didn't care. I was so angry, at Damon for his stupid grudge against Stefan, at Stefan for antagonizing his brother, and at Katherine for creating their feud in the first place. A tiny intake of breath caught my attention, and I slowed my ragged breathing long enough to remember my surroundings. I clenched my fists and fought back the rush of magic that was crackling around me. Elena was standing behind Stefan, who had felt the need to shield her from me. As if I'd ever hurt her. The ridiculousness of his action snapped me out of it, and I ran a hand over my face.
"Ellie?" Elena whispered.
She was peering out from around Stefan's shoulder, her big brown eyes surprised and frightened. I cracked a half-smile and shrugged.
"Well, this was not how I wanted things to go. But it's too late now, I guess."
Stefan snorted and stepped away from Elena walking towards me. "You in control, Elandra?" he asked slowly.
I nodded and looked at the damage I had caused, with a flick of my wrist the broken lamps lifted into the air, the glass reforming. Once the work was finished, they lowered back onto their respective tables. Elena was still standing on the other side of the room, completely shell-shocked. She shook herself out of it; literally, her brown hair flinging around her.
"Can someone please tell me what is going on," she squeaked.
I fiddled with my braid, trying to come up with a way to explain. "I'm a witch, Lena. I was born this way. There is a lot more to it, but for right now that's the easiest part to explain," I said.
Stefan stayed beside me, making sure I wasn't going to lash out again. I felt a bit put out by his behavior. He was acting like I was a danger to Elena. When I inched towards her, he flinched and started following behind me, right on my heels.
I swung around and used my magic to push him away a few feet. "Come on, Stefan. You and Vicki are the most dangerous people here. Back off," I spat.
His face fell, and I immediately felt like crap for reminding him of what he was. I started to apologize, but Elena's strangled groan interrupted me. "What?" she said.
Both Stefan and I turned towards her. "Vicki is in transition, Lena," I explained. Her face paled, her doe eyes frantically flittering to the stairs where our brother and Matt had disappeared. I put my hands up and tried to reassure her.
"They are ok. Stefan and I are both keeping an eye on the situation," I said.
She looked at me in confusion. "How can you be keeping an eye on them?" she asked.
I stood beside her and brushed her hair off her shoulder. "I can't hear them but if I focus I can sense where they are in the room and what they are doing," I said.
Stefan joined us and watched me intently. He was just as curious about what I could do as she was. I sighed and folded my arms. I had never tried to explain this to someone before.
"It's kinda like X-ray vision. If I focus on their auras, I can almost see them." I closed my eyes and inhaled. "Like right now, Jeremy is sitting on the edge of his bed, Vicki lying beside him,"
I focused on Matt's blue aura. It was almost the same color as his eyes. I could see him standing by Jeremy's door speaking to him. His lips moved, but no sound came. That was one thing I couldn't do, hearing distant speech wasn't in my repertoire.
"Matty is standing in the doorway speaking to Jer. I can't tell what he is saying," I finished, opening my eyes.
Stefan titled his head slightly and listened. "He is worried. He's never seen her like this before," he said.
Elena looked between us and shook her head. "How is this possible? We were born minutes apart. We're twins! Am I a witch too?" she asked.
I exchanged a knowing look with Stefan and clamped my teeth together. She wasn't a witch, but a doppelganger and Stefan still hadn't told her.
"No, you're not a witch. I promise I will explain the rest later. Right now we have bigger problems," I said, looking to the ceiling. "What are we gonna do about Vicki?" I asked, directing the question to the only other vamp in the house.
"Right now she doesn't know what she is, but soon she'll have to decide whether to feed or not," he said.
Elena looked at him her face set in sadness. "The same choice you made?" she asked.
I looked away, unable to meet his gaze. The same choice he had taken away from Damon. Before Stefan could answer, a loud yell echoed down the stairs. Seconds later, Matt bounded down and to the front door. "She was fine, and then she just...freaked out and left," he said, huffing for breath and heading out the door.
I ran towards the closet and grabbed my recently packed bag. I pulled the strap over my shoulder and looked at Stefan.
"We can track her," I said.
He nodded and eyed my bag.
"I'll do what I have to, Stefan," I said.
I didn't want to use the vervain stakes that resided in the bag, but I would if I had to.
"Go," Elena said.
I pulled my eyes from Stefan's worried gaze and ran out the door. It was time to hunt.
**A/N: Please let me know what you think. I hope the discussion Damon and Elara have at the end isn’t confusing and too hard to believe. It just popped into my head and I went with it. Let me know if you have any questions. Just so you know, we will be getting to Elijah and Klaus - just not yet. I know, I know - we all love the originals, but we have to get through a few more plot points before then. So until then, as always, please review. This chapter has been edited by my Beta Casey.***
My screeching alarm clock woke me from a dreamless sleep — one I was extremely grateful for.
A tickling sensation on my cheek alerted me that Elena was still sleeping next to me. I brushed her hair off my face and wiggled my nose to rid it of the annoying itch. I gently pulled my arm from underneath her and slid from the bed silently. I couldn’t help but smile as I looked down at her sleeping, hair a tangled mess and mouth ajar. She drooled onto the pillow, and I contemplated taking a picture to use as blackmail at a later time.
There was no denying that she was a Petrova. With that came acts of selfishness and an incredible ability to pit brothers against one another. On the other hand, she was still my sister and had the potential to be an astounding person. She just needed a little help, that’s all.
I removed the hair that had started to cover her face as she tossed and turned. There was something more than last night’s dream bothering her, and I was going to find out exactly what that was. I sighed as her face scrunched with sadness and shook my head at the misfortune of what life had brought us. Sleeping in front of me was a beautiful young woman whose life was about to change drastically. She would be thrust into the supernatural, no matter how much I wished to prevent it. Even if I cruelly asked Stefan to leave, she would still be entangled in the supernatural world.
As I watched her, a feeling of resolve settled within me — I would try to protect her from what was coming. There was only so much I would be able to do, but I would still try. I almost laughed out loud when I realized she had gotten to me, the little Petrova brat! Admittedly, she had always had me wrapped around her finger, but now, I was simply no longer fighting it. She was my sister in this life, after all.
I grabbed some clothes from my closet and headed into the bathroom for a shower. When I was finishing up, I heard someone close the door to my room, and I peeked my head out of the bathroom. The steam followed me as I exited, and I tightened my hold on the towel that was wrapped around my body. My wet hair stuck to the side of my face as I peered around my empty room. Elena must have woken up, I’m sure that was all I heard.
I locked my bedroom door and pulled the towel from my body. I was just putting on my black underwear when I noticed someone on my bed. I screamed and grabbed the towel, covering myself in panic. I growled loudly when I saw it was just Rebekah, smiling at me mischievously.
“Damn you, Rebekah Mikaelson,” I panted, “Damn you to the pits of hell!”
I controlled my breathing and reached for my bra, which I had dropped in my rushed attempt to cover myself. Rebekah was perched on the end of my bed, her legs crossed and curly blonde hair bouncing slightly as she threw her head back in laughter.
“I can’t say I’m sorry El, that was hilarious. Besides, it’s not like you have something I’ve never seen before,” she giggled.
I hid in my closet and quickly threw on some jeans and one of my favorite band tees, the fantastic, amazing Linkin Park. I sat down at my vanity a moment later, looking at myself in the mirror. I brushed my fingers across the dark circles that had formed under my dull green eyes. The night before had taken the brightness from not only my eyes but my skin as well. I looked paler than typical, dry, and dehydrated.
I ran my hairbrush quickly through my knotted hair, wincing when I met a particularly rough patch. I grabbed a black hair tie and threw my hair up into a messy bun, too exhausted to care what I looked like.
“You look as bad as I do,” Rebekah said.
I sent her an artfully evil glare, one her Hybrid brother would be proud of, and stood, grabbing my jacket.
“I feel like death Beka. You should pity anyone who stands in my way today. I think I could even take on an Original if I had too,” I said, my voice dry.
As she stood, I couldn’t help but notice how her gray skin matched by carpet almost exact. My stomach rolled, and I knew I’d never been able to get that image from my head.
“Well, someone is in a mood today,” she said, looking into my eyes with worry.
I brushed past her and grabbed my dirty clothes from the floor, “I had a strange dream last night and then woke up to Elena in bed with me. Something similar happened to her, she had a nightmare of my death…on my birthday…”
I was unable to finish my sentence. Rebekah froze, her face a picture of pure shock,
“She saw your death? But how is that possible? You haven’t told her, and if someone else had she would have freaked and blown up!”
I nodded in agreement. If Elena had found out, I would have had an outraged sister on my hands. There was no way she could hide knowing about my curse from me.
“I agree, and that proves that something else is going on. I don’t think she had a premonition but the idea that she saw my death happening on my birthday—” I paused for a moment as I tossed my clothes into the hamper. “that is too close for comfort. Something is going on, and I need to find out what before she starts asking questions.”
I crossed arms and looked down at the floor.
“I don’t want anyone else knowing what is going to happen. I don’t want them being forced to live with that knowledge,”
Rebekah tapped her foot on the floor her face scrunched up in thought, “Oh my God! The Salvatores, they know about your curse!” she exclaimed, snapping her fingers. “What if they put the thought in her mind? You know that’s something vampires can do.”
I found it odd she could still snap her fingers, even though she was all but transparent. I thought over her idea, and the more I did, the more it made sense. It would be the perfect way for them to tell her without breaking the promise they had made to me. My lousy mood worsened at their potential betrayal.
“You’re right, that is something they would do, especially Damon. The dream I had was more of a memory — one starring him of course,” I hit my forehead with my hand repeatedly, “Stupid, stupid. How did I not even consider that?” I said in exasperation.
Rebekah picked at her white flapper dress, lost in thought.
“Well, I say you go to their house and find out. If they did this, you can’t let them get away with it,” she said.
I looked at my adopted sister, smiling at the determination in her expression. She surprised me, even after all these years she was still so strong.
“That’s exactly what I plan to do. I’m gonna get some answers. I don’t have time for all this extra drama,” I growled, “I swear if it was one of the Salvatores, I will not be very kind.”
I grabbed my car keys and headed towards Elena’s room. Her room was dark and empty,
Great, where had she disappeared too?
I walked downstairs and found the rest of the house empty as well. I took my bag from the table beside the door and left the empty house behind.
I drove to the Grill after receiving no answer when I called Elena and Jeremy. The Salvatores and any of their little tricks were just going to have to wait until I knew what had Elena so on edge.
I pulled into the Grill and hopped out of the car. Heading inside, I was greeted with the familiar smell I had come to associate with Mystic grill — food, alcohol, and tobacco. They were fairly busy, even though it was still early in the day, but this was a small town. For the younger crowds, it was pretty much the only place to hang out on a Saturday.
I looked around and noticed Damon wasn’t at the bar. He must still be missing his ring, something I knew would have him in a violent rage. At least I had a pretty good idea where I could find him. My eyebrow rose when I noticed Elena and Stefan speaking earnestly in a booth towards the back. Elena looked about as bad as I did, her face stressed and pale. I gave Stefan a once over and could see the fear he was trying very hard to hide. After growing up with him, it was easy to catch all the telltale signs that he was barely hanging on — whatever it was that he was discussing with Elena was a big deal. There was only one thing that could be causing this much stress on both sides — she had found out.
I had to admit I was a bit relieved. I had begun to fear it had something to do with Katherine secretly lurking here in Mystic Falls. I casually put my hands in my jacket pockets and strolled towards their table. When I was close enough to hear a bit of their conversation, I lowered myself to the floor and started messing with the shoestrings of my pink converse.
“You said you would explain everything — that’s why I asked you to meet me here,” Elena asked harshly, “When you google vampire you get a world of fiction. What’s the reality?”
So, they hadn’t gotten very far into everything… yet. I stood up and looked around; neither of them were being very careful, and I was afraid the wrong person would hear something they shouldn’t. When I was satisfied that no one was listening, I quickly sat down next to Stefan with a fake smile plastered on my face. Time to get this over with — it would do no one any good if she tried to hide the world I already knew about from me.
“Hey, Lena, everything ok? You both seem stressed,” I said, throwing my arm over Stefan’s shoulder.
He gave me an ‘Are you serious’ expression, which I, of course, ignored. Elena looked at Stefan in fear and tried to smile at me, but her nervousness shone through her doe eyes.
“Elara, this is actually a private conversation… could you wait at another table for me?”
I pulled my arm away from Stefan and kept my eyes on hers. I tilted my head to the side and gave her a sarcastic half-smile.
“Oh, Lena. No, this isn’t a private conversation, because I could hear everything you were saying as I walked up,” I said, turning towards Stefan. “You should use those enhanced senses to make sure no one is listening if you plan on having such an important conversation in a public place.”
Elena’s eyes widened in fear as her cheeks inflamed. She pulled her brown hair from her eyes and tried to act casual, “Ellie, that was a joke between us. You can’t honestly believe any of it,” she laughed sarcastically.
I leaned back in my seat and smiled at her. She had a sheen of sweat covering her forehead — she was anxious. Stefan kept his face down, but I could see him fighting a growing smirk.
I leaned my head against his shoulder and whispered low enough for only him to hear, “I’m going to tell her the basics later today, say anything else, and I’ll make sure I show you how good I am at giving a witchy migraine.”
A thick promise of pain was layered in my voice; I would deal with his possible betrayal later. He stiffened beside me and gave me a questioning look. I squinted my eyes at him and shook my head. I turned back to Elena, who was watching us with annoyance and concern.
“Elena, I know about Stefan and Damon. I’ve known since day one,” I said.
Her brown eyes filled with anger, and I watched several expressions fight for dominance on her face. Her jaw was tight, and she was opening her mouth to speak when I held up my hands and stopped her,
“Listen, I told Stefan to tell you. I never planned on keeping you in the dark, and you should know on my end that there is more to this than just their secret,” my voice was firm as I spoke. “but I can’t discuss it here, and I’d rather do it with Jer present as well,”
Stefan turned towards me in surprise. I frowned at him until I realized he thought I meant to tell her about the curse. I bit my lip and ignored him for now.
“So, I’ll let you finish your conversation,” I said motioning for the nearby waitress. “But when you’re done, I want you to call me, and we will go home for our own.”
A bleach blonde waitress sauntered up, staring at Stefan in admiration. “What can I get you?” she asked sweetly, still keeping her eyes on him.
I gave her an annoyed expression and turned towards Stefan smiling sweetly. “Could you get me a shot of Vodka, please?” I said, sticking my bottom lip out. I used my best sisterly puppy dog eyes. “I’m gonna need it today,” I said.
He sighed loudly and avoided Elena, who was staring at us with her mouth hanging open.
He looked at the waitress with a smile and spoke slowly and softly. “You’re going to get my friend here two shots of Vodka, no questions asked,” he said.
The woman blinked once and repeated what he had told her in a monotone voice. She walked away, and I watched as she poured my shots. I bounced lightly in my seat and smiled at him brightly. Compulsion was one skill I’d love to have.
“What the hell was that?” Elena scoffed.
I looked at her and shrugged. “It’s called compulsion, Lena. It’s a very handy little skill that all vampires possess. Stefan will explain more.”
The waitress brought over my shots, handing them to me with a blank expression. I looked down at them lovingly and downed the first with only a slight grimace. Before I could pick up the second, it was gone. I looked at Stefan and scrunched up my nose at him.
“That was evil!” I gasped.
He sat down the empty shot glass and smirked, “One is plenty for you. Its early, Elandra.”
It took a second for my brain to realize what he had just said. I had started to get used to them using my old name, but my eyes widened when I realized he had used it in front of Elena. I ground my teeth together, and his face paled when he realized his mistake.
“Elandra? Who’s that?” Elena asked.
I looked down at the table and inspected the worn wood like it was the most exquisite table in the world.
“Elara…?”
Elena’s voice rose an octave as she spoke. Stefan kicked my shin, jerking my head upward and forcing me to look at her.
“Nothing,” I said dismissively, “something we can talk about later.”
I hoped this would deter her from thinking about it right now. I looked at Stefan with a blank face.
“You’re paying,” I said with a matter of fact tone. I rose from the booth and looked at my sister “Call me when you’re done, Lena,”
I walked towards the exit as fast as I could. Damn those loud-mouthed Salvatores! I got in my car and sat back for a minute, contemplating what had just happened. With a small sigh, I started the engine and drove towards the Boarding House — I might as well get this conversation over with too.
When I arrived at the Boarding House, I immediately knew something wasn’t right. I could sense it. I had always had a second sense about these things — one the perks of being a witch for so long.
I got out of the car and looked around. The atmosphere was eerie and stiff, like something out of a horror movie. What had Damon gotten himself into now? I rubbed my forehead and closed my eyes tightly. I should just force him to listen to me about Katherine — at least then he would consider leaving. My eyes opened slowly as the thought crossed my mind. Was that what I wanted, really?
I pulled off my jacket and tossed it through my open window and into the back seat of the car. While I walked up to the front porch, I pulled my shirt down and tightened my hair. Fidgeting had always been one of my tells, but it was something I couldn’t seem to stop doing when I was nervous. Even though I knew I could protect myself, I still felt utterly terrified of what I might find inside. I didn’t want to see Damon as the monster he claimed to be. I had already seen him attempt to hurt Caroline; I wasn’t sure how much more I could see without hating him, and I was more afraid of hating him then of what he had become. I sometimes feared that accepting what he was and that he sometimes killed people made me a horrible person, but truth be told, I’m a firm believer hat vampires shouldn’t fight their true nature. They were natural born killers, and as long as they killed for food and not fun, I was perfectly fine with it.
When I reached the door, my hand hovered over the knob as I debated whether I should knock or just go in. Damon probably already knew I was here anyway, and without his ring, he couldn’t answer. I shook my head and mentally slapped myself, then grabbed the knob and pushed the door open. I walked through the entryway and looked around, but didn’t find Damon until I walked into the living room. He stood in the adjacent dining room with his back to me. His cell was against his ear, and he was jabbering, his voice firm and angry.
“Where are you, Stefan? I’m trapped at the house — I’m getting really bored and really impatient, and I don’t do bored and impatient,” he growled. “Bring me my ring,” he walked back into the living room, his phone held tightly in his hand.
“Damn it!” he spat.
He walked over to the bar and filled a glass with bourbon, downing the amber liquid in one swift motion. I toed the rug with my shoe and was just about to speak when I noticed someone on the couch. I could smell something coppery in the air and my stomach twisted. I rushed over and bent down beside the couch — it was Vicki Donovan.
She was lying still, barely breathing, and smelling of blood and gasoline. I scrunched up my nose and removed the hand towel that was being used to cover her neck. The blood was starting to dry in places, so her skin pulled when I moved it away. I winced on her behalf, but she didn’t make a sound. Honestly, she looked too weak to care.
“What is this, Damon? Why are you playing with her?” I said, placing the towel back on her neck and applying pressure. “She looks like death! What were you thinking?!”
I yelled loudly, fury in my voice. He placed his glass on the bar and calmly walked over to us.
“Aw, don’t get blood on the couch!” he said exasperatedly.
I looked at him in horror. He took the towel and moved it away; this time, Vicki tried to protest.
“Please?” Damon asked with false politeness. “I got you good, didn’t I?” he said, eying the deep wound on the side of her neck.
My mouth was still agape as he sighed deeply and stared down at her in boredom. Would he seriously go this far just to have something to occupy his time? This was exactly what I was afraid of. I’ve been around many vampires in my time, but never long enough to deal with acts like this. I had witnessed them feed and taunt, but never had I seen one play with their food — not like this.
“What the hell, Damon?” I asked, throwing my hand in the air, still in shock. “Why did you do this to her?” I questioned.
He looked at me, his face empty of emotion. Even his crystal eyes were vacant, almost like he had flipped the switch. If I hadn’t known him for as long as I had, that would be precisely what I thought. Luckily, I knew that he was pushing everything down, but it was still there — he just wanted people to believe he was an unfeeling monster. No, I could fight for his humanity, not only for his sake but for Stefan’s as well. I wasn’t able to save them the first time, but I could now— I had to at least try.
“What? I had to feed, and for some reason, this girl just didn’t seem to want to die. So, I brought her here,” he shrugged. “I’m bored, Ellie,” he finished, his voice lacking any emotion.
I sat back on the table behind me and lifted my head to the sky as if asking for divine intervention. Honestly, at this point, I sort of was asking for divine intervention.
“Well, you’re not gonna be any fun today,” he whispered to Vicki.
I lowered my head and watched him closely as he stood up and walked to the side of the couch where her head rested. I tilted my head to the side, shaking it in disappointment. I knew trying to intervene wouldn’t make a bit of difference. If he wanted a plaything, he would have one.
“I’m so gonna regret this,” he sighed and bit into his wrist.
There was a ripping sound when his teeth met his flesh, and I shivered. He bent down and placed his now bleeding wrist to Vicki’s mouth. I looked away in slight disgust as she struggled.
“Drink up. Drink up. Don’t drip,” Damon said gently, running his other hand over the side of her face in an almost loving manner.
After a few seconds, she finally gave in and drank from him deeply.
“There you go, good girl, that’s it,” he praised softly.
I felt sickened, and I was sure that’s exactly what he wanted. Instead of running from the room, I decided to play along. At least then I could keep an eye on them.
I remained on the table with my arms crossed and watched as her wound healed almost instantly. When her eyelids fluttered, I stood and walked over to the bar. I grabbed a glass and filled it to the brim with Damon’s Bourbon. I heard him compel Vicki to go upstairs and take a shower, but I kept my gaze on the glass in my hand. I listened to her footsteps recede as she headed upstairs. I took a drink and enjoyed the burn as it slid down my throat. Sometimes I still couldn’t believe that this was what my life had become.
I sensed Damon behind me but ignored him.
“You gonna stick around for the party, love?” He whispered in my ear, his breath was warm and smelt of blood. The coppery scent made my stomach swirl.
I turned around and meet his heated gaze. He was testing me, and I knew it.
“Yeah, I think I will. I have nothing else to do today. It’ll give me the chance to make sure you don’t fuck this up even more than you already have,” I said, sitting my glass down without breaking eye contact. “Oh, and don’t call me love,” I leaned into him and ran my nose across his jaw. “You have no right.”
I pushed past him with a rough shove and sat down in an armchair by the couch. I crossed my legs and watched him make himself another drink, then pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to Stefan.
“You need to bring Damon his ring NOW! Things are getting out of hand. You should have never tried to interfere with his plans, it only made things worse.”
Damon sat on the arm of my chair and leaned over me. “Who are you texting El, Boyfriend?” he asked, putting his hand behind my head. “Lover? Or…ohhhh girlfriend?” he abashedly said.
I slapped him on the chest as hard as I could. He fake pouted, and I narrowed my eyes at him. “Your brother, actually. I told him he needs to return what belongs to you. I also told him how stupid he was to try and get in the way of whatever your planning. What is that, by the way?” I asked, raising my brow.
He patted my head as if I were a small child, and pulled me out of the seat before taking my place. I scoffed loudly and started to walk away before he pulled me onto his lap.
“What makes you think I’m planning something, Elandra?” he asked.
I laughed sarcastically and tried to pull myself away from him.
“Because, I know you, Damon — probably even better than Stefan does,”
I finally got out of his tight grasp, then walked behind his chair and put my hands on his shoulders. I rubbed his muscles with a firm touch, smiling at the low groan that escaped his lips.
“I was only asking out of courtesy Damon, or did you forget that I was very close with Emily Bennett?”
Before I could even blink, he was out of the chair and beside me. “What do you know about any of this, El? You weren’t around when it happened.”
Damon looked at me in confusion. I had gotten exactly what I wanted by bringing up Emily — Damon did have a shred of emotion left.
“Just because you and I were no longer speaking when you made your deal with Em, doesn’t mean I never knew about it,” I rolled my eyes and stepped away from him. “Emily and I burned together, after all. We were pretty close,”
I cleared my throat and decided to just do it — to tell him. He needed to know.
“I never wanted to tell you this Damon, but I knew when you returned,”
I closed my eyes at the sound of his gasp. I didn’t want to open this old wound, but it was necessary.
“I knew that you were back in town and I knew that you fell for Katherine. I knew that she had you under her spell. I just didn’t know that you had fallen so hard for her. It wasn’t until someone told me that you loved her, that I finally realized the truth. You had chosen her,”
I sat down, wringing my hands, and looked up at him. His eyes were squeezed shut, his face pained. I looked away and frowned. After he returned on leave, I’d expected him to come to find me. When Katherine visited and told me he was back and had been spending his time with her, I knew he had fallen for her. She had captured his attention, and I had been forgotten. It’s a hard pill to swallow, knowing you weren’t good enough for someone you loved.
“How…did…” the anger in his eyes was hard as steel. “…was it Stefan?”
I shook my head and let out an irritated tisk. Not everything was Stefan’s fault.
“No, it wasn’t Stef — it was Katherine, actually. She told me you were home on leave. She and Emily visited me a lot. I trained with Em, and Katherine was never far behind,” I said, looking down at my hands.
He had started pacing while I spoke, and I could see the guilt in his eyes. I wasn’t bringing it up to hurt him, but he needed to know everything. I had mentioned to him several times now that I had spoken to Katherine in another life, and if I had, then it should be evident to him that Katherine wasn’t in the tomb. He had either heard me and refused to believe it, or had selective hearing.
“Katherine told you about us, and you never showed up and confronted me?” he asked in disbelief.
His face was a mixture of anger and something else, something I wasn’t able to place. It was almost as if he felt betrayed that I never tried to regain his attention.
“No, but she loved mentioning that you and Stefan fought over her. She never told me that you were sleeping with her, but it wasn’t hard to guess at, Damon. Besides, I figured if you didn’t want me to know you were home and hid away from me when I was around, then why bother with you at all?”
I sighed and stood from the seat. I walked over to him with my hands on the back of my neck — this whole conversation was tiring. I could feel the stress covering me like a lead blanket. Standing in front of him, I could see how hard this conversation was on him too. Yes, he was the one who cheated on me and had thought it was something that had been lost to time, but it wasn’t hard to see it was one of his biggest regrets. I guessed he hoped I’d imagined their relationship had started after I died, that he had returned to find me dead and gone, only moving on after grieving the appropriate amount of time. When I didn’t speak for a moment, he looked at me, running his hand through his hair. Not knowing what more to say at that moment, I let out an audible breath and let a half-hearted smile ease his worries.
“Listen, Damon, it was a long time ago. I got over it. I was told everything I hadn’t already known from an old friend in my next life. I also heard it from Katherine just a century after that,” I said, hoping he would bring up the fact that I was trying to ease him into the idea that she was living her life, and not stuck in a tomb.
When he didn’t mention it and just walked away towards the curtain covered window, I let out a loud growl of annoyance. He didn’t turn around or even acknowledge my outburst, possibly thinking it had to do with our past. In anger, I lifted my arm and opened my palm, and with one swift motion, I focused on Damon and pulled him towards me. A loud shocked gasp filled the silence as his whole body lifted into the air and came flying in my direction. I twirled my index finger, and his body twisted around and faced me. Without caring how much it would hurt, I closed my hand into a fist and dropped him. He landed directly in front of me, I smiled down at his crumpled form.
“Now that I have your attention, you are going to listen to me,” I sternly said.
He pushed himself onto his hands and knees and lifted his angry oceanic eyes to mine. “Damon Salvatore, I know how much she means to you, but you have to know she isn’t where you think she is. She never was. I - Have - Seen - Her!” I said enunciating the last part of the sentence.
He was breathing heavily, his eyes clouded. I bent down to his level and gently laid my palm on his cheek. I ran my fingers across his tense brow and bit my lip. I was past everything that happened between us, it was long since forgotten. I chose to only remember the good and to be honest, I didn’t blame him. He was a weak human man. How could I expect him to win against a beautiful vampire Goddess? She used all of his insecurities to make him believe she loved him and wanted him for eternity.
“Damon, you have two choices. One, you can remember that I would never lie to you. Or two, you can continue to try and find a way to open the tomb and see for yourself. Either way, I will be there to help you. No matter what, you are still my friend,” I whispered with a small sigh.
I stood, pulling him to his feet and leading him over to the couch he had placed Vicki on. We sat in silence, the only sound between us my slow breathing. He had long since sat still enough to remind me of a statue, not a single breath or movement to make him appear even slightly human. I watched him with concern for his mental wellbeing. I wasn’t sure what I could do or say to make any of it better. His body was slouched forward his head in his hands, elbows pressing into his knees. Tension filled his whole body, I wanted to touch him, to give him at least a small reminder that he wasn’t alone. I was buried so deep in my own thoughts that his sudden intake of breath caused me to jump so high the couch rattled beneath me.
“I’m so sorry for the way our relationship ended. If I had been around and not pushed your safety onto Stefan, then I would have been there to protect you. Instead, I was in Katherine’s bed as you burned to death,” he said, his breath hitching.
I licked my dry lips, unsure of what I was supposed to say to that. “No matter what, I would have died Damon, I’m cursed,”
He lifted his head and glared at me. “I blamed Stefan for so long, even though I should have been the one there. He knew everything, yet he kept it from you, even after I tried to get between him and Elena. He truly is the better man,” he whispered, so low I could not be sure that’s exactly what he said.
He gripped his hair tightly in frustration as he stood from the couch and paced in front of me.
“I have to know for sure. I have to see it for myself. After everything, loving her cost me, I can’t believe she would do that,” he mumbled, in an almost crazed fashion.
He walked over to the bar and grabbed the glass container of bourbon, lifting it to his lips. He started chugging it like a dying man finding an oasis in the desert. I shook my head in sympathy.
“Ok, Damon, ok. We will open the tomb,” I said slowly.
As much as I hated the idea of how broken he would be once we opened the tomb, I would help him. Until then, we both needed a distraction. Making a quick decision, I walked over to the stereo and turned it on. Loud music filled the room, and I made my way to the bar. He looked at me in confusion his brows raised in question.
I pried the bourbon from his tight grasp and filled a glass, raising it in the air with a sly grin. “We’re stuck here, for now. So we might as well have some fun!” I said, lifting the glass to my lips.
He softly chuckled with a small smile on his lips, but it wasn’t enough to reach his eyes.
“All is forgiven, Damon. But if you want to, you can make it up to me by showing me a good time. I’ve heard your good at that, Mr. Salvatore,” I playfully said.
He grabbed the small silver stereo remote and switched the song to something with an excellent beat. “That I am Ms. Miller,” he said with a tired smirk.
I sat my empty glass down and started dancing a circle around him and was quickly joined by Vicki. I hadn’t even noticed her return. I looked down to find that she was only wearing a bra and panties. I turned towards Damon, who was eyeing me expectantly. I almost laughed at the challenge and shook my head with a shrug. I connected hands with her, and we both lifted ourselves onto the table in front of the couch. I grabbed the bottle of Vodka she was holding and took a swig. When in Rome, I guess.
For those wondering: my story New Beginning is still ongoing and currently has 31 chapters. I have not been updating here because I was unsure if there was interest. If I was wrong, and there are readers awaiting an update, you can find me on A03 and Fanfiction.net. In the meantime, I will try to post updates here soon.
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