Heartlines ▹ Elena Gilbert [1]

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
VAMPIRE RESCUE SQUAD

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     Rowan stared down at the glass of water Stefan had pushed into her hands, lip curling at the slight green tint of the liquid. She had watched Stefan put liquid vervain into both of their drinks. Even though it was a shot glass and it was only filled of quarter of the way, she was still hesitant to drink it, knowing that she would have to keep it down. The last time she had swallowed vervain, it had felt like acid down her throat. She knew she had to do it, but it didn't mean she had to like it. Elena trying to martyr herself revealed one thing in their favor, and it was that the Original Elijah was still alive. It was only confirmed when he arrived at the tomb entrance and announced that Stefan was free to go. His witch had lifted the boundary spell.

Stefan had started consuming vervain weeks ago, after he learned that Katherine had built up a tolerance to it. Rowan had refused to do the same then, foolishly thinking the pain wasn't worth it. Now, knowing that Elijah had compelled Katherine to stay inside the tomb—knowing that Originals could compel vampires in general—made her change her mind.

"Well," Rowan sighed, hand trembling a little as she held the glass up toward Stefan. "Bottoms up." Stefan clinked their glasses together. Rowan took a deep breath before downing the vervain-laced water like a shot. She had taken many shots of alcohol before, was used to the burn that followed, but that was nothing compared to the pain that flared down her throat now. She was brought to her knees in her effort to keep the water down, going so far as to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep it in. She hunched over and pressed her other hand against the hardwood floor, heaving until her body stopped trying to force the thing causing her pain out of her. She glanced at Stefan, who had also dropped to his knees beside her, and coughed until she felt the burns heal inside of her.

"Will that ever get better?" she croaked, letting Stefan help her to her feet. He grimaced at her question, letting out a grunt as he cleared his throat. She reached down to straighten the skirt she was wearing, then reached up to smooth out her hair as Stefan went to wash down the burn still in his throat with water. Rowan didn't have that problem. She fed on at least three blood bags a day—three meals a day was healthy, right?—so she healed much faster than Stefan seemed to. As he drank plain water this time, Rowan added, "Are we even sure this actually works? I mean, maybe Katherine just recovered faster because she's older, and she only said it didn't hurt her anymore so we would take it and weaken ourselves."

"It can't hurt to try," Stefan said simply, which was fair enough. Rowan scowled.

"Yes, it can," she argued. "My throat burned like a bitch." Stefan didn't respond, just gave her a flat look before tossing her a blood bag. She thought about telling him that she had already had her breakfast, but then thought about Rose and decided to eat what she could. Rose had been scarfing down blood relentlessly the last time Rowan had seen her, constantly hungry because of the wolf bite festering at her arm. Rowan had taken one look at it before she had twisted on her heel and promptly left the room. She didn't plan on getting involved with whatever was going on there. Rose was gone now—either dead or on the run—but their suddenly low stock of blood bags was very much still there.