A Tree Called Life

Chapter 9

Katherine crept up behind him, and raised up on her toes to whisper in a low voice, "Visiting young girls in their bedroom? How improper, Lord Elijah." Of course, she got a dirty look in response, but it was enough to plaster a wicked grin on her face for a few moments before the door opened. Behind it was pretty girl with dark hair, golden skin, and rosy cheeks, clad in a light green dress.

"Hello, Elijah. I hadn't expected to see you here today." Davina said, making way for them to step in. "Who is this?" She asked, clearly surprised that she did not have to invite Katherine in.

"Katherine Pierce, formerly known as Katerina Petrova, but only Elijah calls me that, so just stick with Katherine." Katherine sauntered in the room after Elijah, offering a hand to shake, which Davina took, shaking Katherine's hand lightly. "And since you're going to get weird vibes from the witchy juju reading thing, I'll just go ahead and clear a few things up for you. I am a doppelganger, a former vampire now turned human, and in general just a complete badass. That about cover everything you wanted to know?"

Davina shook her head for a second, clearly still taking in the vibrant and stiletto-clad Katherine Pierce. "What witchy reading thing are you talking about?"

"Wow. You weren't kidding when you said she was unskilled in magic." Katherine commented to Elijah, before turning back to the young witch. "With every witch that I've ever met—and trust me, I've met more than my fair share—they can get a general reading on a person my making skin contact. I don't know how it works, but I know that it's possible."

"Um, okay." Davina blinked a couple of times. "Did you bring me any more pages?" She asked Elijah.

"As a matter of fact, I did." He pulled two folded papers out of his jacket pocket and handed them over. "Those should challenge you sufficiently."

She snatched them, and smiled. "Thank you! It's dreadfully boring in here, so this should amuse me for a bit."

"How much longer do you have to wait out the witches?" Katherine asked as she browsed some of the artwork on display. "These are pretty good, by the way."

"A few months, I guess. I don't know how long, exactly. I guess one day it'll just... Happen. And thank you." The younger girl shrugged. By now Elijah had taken a seat on one of the chairs in the room while the ladies talked.

"I was wanted for a blood sacrifice, once." Katherine turned to look at the girl that was perched on the bed. "Of course, that was back in 1492, and it was to break a curse on Klaus. I got the short straw, being born a doppelganger. It's a curse, really. Everyone wants you to die because you look like some chick from five hundred years ago."

"What happened? Because clearly you aren't dead." Davina asked, intrigued. It wasn't often that you met someone who had been in a situation like this before.

"I killed myself." Katherine said nonchalantly. "And then I woke up a vampire. I had intended to stay dead, but there was vampire blood in my system and, well, the whole staying-dead part didn't work out. Of course, I suppose I didn't have to go through with it, but considering I didn't know what the hell I was doing... Anyways, here I am, five hundred and twenty years later!"

"The whole point of me waiting the witches out is so I don't die." Davina pointed out, crossing her arms. "So don't even think about turning me."

"It's not like I could anyways, cupcake. Plus when your kind get turned they're always so annoying. Blathering on about 'the loss of their connection to nature' and all of that bullshit. I made the mistake once. I won't do it again." The older girl went and sat on the opposite end of the bed from Davina.