𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐀 | 𝐬. 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞

42

Stefan slams her against the wall again, stealing the breath from her lungs that he doesn't allow to get back in as he presses his arm down on her throat harder. "Nothing you ever do will ever compare to Athena, so just give it up. I'll rot in this tomb before I let you touch me again."

With a stiff sigh, he drops her and lets her get air back into her lungs with a heady gasp as he returns to the uncomfortable, bed-like slab he'd spent his time on. He relaxes onto his back once more and closes his green eyes, missing the hurt that flashes in Katherine's eyes as he dismisses her.

──────

Elijah's smug eyes drift between Elena where she's seated on the couch, eyeing him warily, to Athena where she stands a few feet away from him with a knife that glimmers when it catches the sunlight.

"Forgive the intrusion," He eyes Athena purposefully. "I mean you no harm."

Elena lets out a shaky sigh, her eyes dragging from Athena to Elijah. "Why did you kill those vampires when they tried to take me?"

"Because I didn't want you to be taken," Elijah states simply, earning a suspicious look from both girls. "Klaus is the most feared and hated of the Originals, but those that fear him are desperate for his approval. Word gets out that there's a doppelgänger out there, there will be a long line of vampires eager to take you to him and I can't have that."

Athena narrows her eyes. "Isn't that what you're trying to do, though?"

Elijah raises a hand, tilting it back and forth nonchalantly. "My goal right now isn't to necessarily break the curse,"

"So what is your goal?" Elena questions.

"Klaus's obsessions have made him paranoid, he's a recluse," Elijah shrugs. "He trusts only those in his immediate circle."

"Like you?"

Elijah shakes his head at Athena. "Not anymore,"

She huffs a laugh, realization dawning on her. "You don't know where he is, do you? You don't want anyone to take Elena because you want Klaus to come to you, which means you obviously want him to trust you again, but why? Why would you care so much?"

Elijah clenches his jaw, redirecting his gaze to Elena to hide his shock and slight irritation with Athena. "In order to draw him out, I need you to stay put and stop trying to get yourself killed."

Athena steps forward, once again garnering his attention. "Why should I trust anything that comes out of your mouth?"

Elijah smirks slightly, regaining the smugness he'd arrived with. "You tell me, Athena. You're the one that undaggered me, after all."

"What?" Elena's gasp comes from behind Athena and she rolls her eyes at Elijah before glaring at the doppelgänger.

"It's not like he would've died if I'd left him anyway, so try not to get too far up on your high horse, Elena. All I did was speed up the process," Athena huffs and turns back to Elijah. "What do you want from me? Or her?"

Elijah clasps his hands together, looking at the two. "I'm here to make a deal with Elena. You," He gestures to Athena, shaking his finger slightly. "I'm just curious about you."

Elena stands, sending a quick glare to Athena's profile that Elijah doesn't miss. "What kind of deal?"

"Do nothing," He shrugs. "Stop fighting and just live your life. And when the time is right, we will draw Klaus out together, and I shall make sure that your friends remain unharmed."

"And then what?" Athena butts in, not trusting a bit of what Elijah said.

"And then I take care of Klaus."