When I found out I had a twin sister I thought that my life would be like a fairytale. That we would bond over things we had in common, learn about where we came from, talk about boys, have sleepovers, and braid one another hair, that sort of thing. What I didn't expect was to be trapped in some cave with my twin sisters boyfriend, and our evil doppelganger, but that's just my luck, right?
It's been at least twelve hours since I made the stupid, and rash decision to trap myself in here. I didn't stop to think about the consequences. I recognised the look on Elena's face, I knew that she was about to do something dumb because I've seen that face in the mirror countless times. She's human. I had to protect her. It seems that everyone in this town risk's their health and sanity for my sister. It kind of sucks knowing that she has people that would go out of their way and risk their own lives to help her. Has she always had that? Because I sure as hell didn't. I have marcel. He will protect me, but she has an entire village - Color me green because the jealousy monster sure is trying to climb its way up from my stomach.
"Are you okay?" comes from my left and I glance over to find Stefan who's hero-hair is still in perfect condition. I wish I could say the same about my own. I raise my brow giving him a silent answer.
"Listen -" Stefan is cut off by the sound of footsteps outside of the tomb. As soon as Damon comes into view I make my way towards the back of the tomb. I don't really care about what he has to say. I know I got myself into this mess, but for some stupid reason, I find myself blaming him. Which I know is unfair, but I never claimed to be Keira the rational thinking vampire.
"Somehow you're much prettier."
I roll my eyes, turning away from Katherine. I'd rather be alone with my own thoughts than force a conversation with her. We may have the same face, but we are nothing alike.
As though she can read my mind, Katherine smirks, "We're going to be stuck here for a while so we may as well get to know one another. I'm extremely curious about how you come to exist. When Isobel told me there were two of you I almost didn't believe it."
Who the hell is isobel? And what does she have to do with this? I turn back around to face her and let my eyes roam over her body for a moment. I can tell that she is weak from the lack of human blood, but she is trying her best to hide it. Her stance screams "I'm a warrior," But if you look closely enough at her eyes you can see the hint of weakness that she tries so hard to hide. Her arms are crossed protectively over her chest and all of her weight is on her left leg forcing her hip to pop out. She looks like an alpha female. Suddenly I realise I'm looking in a mirror. Not an actual mirror, but we are standing the exact same way. Our faces mimic the same expression. I refuse to be anything like her. I may not know her, but I know that she is treated as though she is the villain everyone must defeat.
Clearing my throat with a laugh, "Aren't you like five hundred years old? Shouldn't you already know about the birds and the bees?"
Katherine tosses her head back and lets out a laugh, like a real laugh, not the sarcastic giggle I usually hear, "I think I like you."
I take two steps towards her so that we are less than an arm's length away from one another, "The feeling isn't mutual." I step around her and make my way towards Stefan.
As I get closer towards Stefan and Damon I focus on their conversation, "You trapped her in the house?"
"It's for the best trust me." Damon says "Elena is on a martyr that rivals your greatest hits. You should be glad that the witch and I are getting along." Damon looks towards me, "I brought you both this." He tosses a bag in our direction, "A care package: candles, lanterns, And -" He takes a bottle from his back pocket that instantly makes the blood in my veins pump.
"If you give that to us we are going to have to share with her." My head snaps towards Stefan and then I look behind me to Katherine.
"So we have to starve because of her?" I shriek "I don't bloody care if I have to share give me the bottle Damon." I hiss, the veins in my face are now prominent.
"Keira-"
"You know you guys are surprisingly calm considering Klaus will hunt you down and kill you if you mess with his little plan," Katherine says making me want to rip her head clean off her body. Considering we sound exactly like it's surprising how much her voice irritates me.
"I've been dead before. I got over it." Damon retorts. He looks back towards Stefan and I, "Once we deal with this moonstone, we'll get you both out."
"Don't worry about me. Just make sure Elena is safe."
Damon turns to leave, "Damon wait!" I shriek looking towards the bottle. My throat is burning, and I can feel my eyes bulging out of their sockets. I need a drink. Damon must sense what I'm about to ask and shakes his head and looks towards Katherine. I follow his gaze and almost growl at the smirk that is spread across her face.
"You'll soon learn, Keira, they only care about Ele-" Before Elena's name can leave her mouth I rush towards her before she even has the chance to see me coming and quickly snap her neck. I turn towards Damon with a smug look across my face and hold out my right hand, "Give me it. before she wakes up." Damon lets out a throaty laugh and tosses me the bottle. I salute him before he turns and leaves.
"You know she's going to be insufferable when she wakes up now, right?"
"I'm sorry, was she not already insufferable?" I cock an eyebrow towards him before handing him the bottle, "Here, you better have a drink first because I will likely suck the bottle dry." He looks towards the bottle before shaking his head, "You can have it." He probably expected me to protest, but he should probably learn now that I'm a selfish bitch. I put the bottle to my lips and gulp down every last drop before tossing it outside of the tomb.
"Well at least now one of us is stronger than she is," I say nodding my head towards the lifeless Katherine.
"Psychically, maybe."
I cross my arms across my chest protectively, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I've known Katherine a long time, and I know how her mind games work. She will try and twist her way into your head. You can't believe anything she says."
I tap Stefan on the chest twice, "Don't worry, hero-hair. If she tries to converse with me I won't hesitate to snap her pretty little neck." Stefan narrows his eyes towards me as though he is trying to figure me out. I can't help but internally scoff, good luck.
I walk towards the wall of the tomb, and slide my back down it trying to get comfortable on the dirty ground. Why on earth did I put myself through this? Such an idiot.
"We're going to be here a while, so why don't we get to know one another?" Stefan asks sitting down next to me placing his arms on his knees.
I hate talking about myself. When people get to know you they know your weaknesses. And one of the first things Marcel taught me was to show no weakness, but thinking about it now I only have one weakness and from the look in Stefans eyes when he looks at Elena I think it's fair to say that he and I share that weakness. I didn't have anyone or anything that I cared about until I learnt about Elena Gilbert, my twin sister. Growing up in foster care moving from home to home because of abusive foster parents left me with nothing. At one point I didn't even care about myself, but Elena? She's my blood. I never thought I would ever have a place to call home until Marcel, but I might have just found myself a permanent one in Elena, so what's the harm in opening up to the one person who maybe cares about her more than I do? "What do you want to know?"
"Where were you living before you came here?"
"You mean before I was kidnapped and forced to live here?" I laugh, and hell I even made Stefan let out a giggle which I didn't think was possible. "I was in New Orleans. I met some other vampires there and they quickly became my family."
"Did one of them turn you?" He asks with concern shining in his eyes.
"One of them saved me."
"What do you mean?"
"Life for me wasn't a fairytale. I've been through things that a normal teenage girl wouldn't even deem possible, so I gave up." I look into Stefan's eyes and I can see it. I can see the one thing I hate: Pity. I playfully slap his shoulder, "So anyway, Marcel made my life worth living again."
"Marcel?"
"He's like a brother to me."
"I'm glad you have someone like that."
I let out a deep sigh, "Me too." We both go silent for a moment. I'm sure his mind is in overdrive trying to figure me out to make sure it's safe to let me around his precious Elena. "She's my family," I say looking towards him. His head snaps in my direction, "The only family I've ever truly had. I will protect her." He looks into my eyes as though he is looking for a lie and whatever he saw must have satisfied him enough because he nods. I close my eyes praying for sleep to come, and there must be a vampire caring god out there somewhere because my prayers are answered.
**********
I must've only been asleep for an hour or so when I'm abruptly awoken by Stefan jumping up next to me gasping for air. I follow his gaze towards Katherine standing across from us behind a metal fence, "Stay out of my head." Stefan snaps.
"Maybe I can do eternity in here after all" Katherine says smugly.
I look back and forth between the two. What did I miss? Whatever it was unsettled Stefan. I slowly turn towards Katherine, "How's the neck?" I smirk causing her to let out a low growl. Throwing my head back I let out a loud laugh, "Come on Katherine I thought you would have a better come back than that. I mean everyone around here makes you out to be the devil and yet here we are."
"I take it back." She starts, "I don't like you after all."
"Ah, now we're on the same page I see." I stand up making my way towards her, "Actually I take that back because you and I Katherine, we aren't even reading the same book. You see, I may be a bitch, but I'm a bitch with purpose and that makes me at least a little bit likeable, but you?" I point towards her, "Is there anyone that actually likes anything about you?"
She stares at me for a moment with a hard look on her face. I can't read her. Reading people usually comes easy to me, but she has a wall up and at the top of that wall is a barbed wire fence with electricity shooting out of it. I know that wall because It looks like mine. Her face turns softer before she says, "You and Elena may share my face, and you and her may share a birthday, but Keira? I'd say you share more with me than you do your twin sister." God how I wish I could wipe that smirk off her face.
"It's best you ignore her." comes from Stefan's voice behind me.
I turn in his direction and make my way to sit next to him, "You're probably right."
"Are we seriously not going to talk?" Asks Katherine causing me to scoff.
"We could talk about how you regret all you've done to make my life miserable."
I haven't been told about Stefan's and Damon's history with Katherine, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out it wasn't a platonic relationship that she shared with the brothers.
"What do you want me to say, Stefan? That I'm sorry for everything I've done? Well, I'm not okay? It's called self-preservation. I've been looking out for myself for five hundred years."
A laugh escapes my throat before I can stop it causing both vampires to look at me, "It's called being a selfish bitch. You can word it any way you like to make yourself feel better at the end of the day when you rest your pretty little head, but everyone knows the truth, kit-kat." I added Damon's little nickname for her in there out of spite and by the look on her face I'd say I got the reaction I desired.
Stefan ignores my little rant and looks back towards Katherine, "Look where it's gotten you."
"Yes, I've done terrible things and I know that, but I do love you, Stefan. Even if you believe I don't." Katherine says making her way towards Stefan and I, but I get the feeling that to her I am no longer in the room.
"You want me to believe you?" He asks with a glare. "Show me. Do something. Prove to me that there is something inside of you that is actually worth trusting." He asks turning his body towards her leaving me to look at his back.
"And then what?" She throws her arms out, "You'll still hate me." She sits down in defeat.
"Maybe." Stefan starts, "Or maybe I'll see that there is still hope for you after all."
Katherine looks towards Stefan in disbelief and I can only imagine that's exactly how my face looks right about now because I genuinely can't believe what I am hearing. After everything these boys have said about her, I can't believe they will ever forgive and forget no matter what Katherine does or says.
"You're playing me."
"Am I?" Stefan retorts.
Katherine considers Stefan's words for a moment before sighing, "You want to find Klaus? Kill him so that you can protect your precious Elena?"
"Let me guess you know where he is?"
"No, but I could help you find him"
Stefan lets out a short laugh, "For a price I'm sure."
Katherine rolls her eyes, "Start with Isobel." She looks towards me, "Your birth mother." I inhale a short breath sharply, "She was a research expert. She found me" Katherine continues.
"My birth mother?" I ask in disbelief and snap my head towards Stefan who was already staring at me, "You guy knows who my birth mother is and you didn't tell me?"
"It's complicated," Stefan says sympathetically.
I bounce to my feet, "Complicated?" I let out a bitter laugh, "You have got to be kidding me."
"You're welcome," Katherine says, but when I look at her I don't see the same smug expression I expect. She almost looks as though she feels sorry for me which makes me even more infuriated, but before I can act there's a loud noise at the entrance to the tomb. The three of us cautiously make our way towards the noise, but before I can see what caused it I hear Katherine gasp loudly from in front of me. I step around her and follow her line of sight, and my dead heart almost skips a beat at the man in front of me. Somehow he always looks so put together, and well, I may be a vampire, but I'm still a teenage girl and I can't deny he makes my stomach dance.
"Elijah" Comes from behind me.
Elijah looks from Katherine and then to me as though he is trying to solve a puzzle. We lock eyes and stare at one another for what feels like a lifetime before he pulls away and locks eyes with Katherine making me the tiniest bit jealous. God, what is wrong with me. Get a grip, Keira.
"Good evening, Katerina. Thank you for having the good sense to be frightened." His voice echo's like a song my body wants to dance to for eternity.
Elijah looks towards Stefan and me, "Your release has been requested."
"What? By who?" Stefan asks causing me to roll my eyes.
"Who cares let's get out of here," I say walking towards the exit, but before I can get close Stefan grabs me by the wrist causing me to winch, and I swear I heard a low growl coming from Elijah, but it was probably my imagination, "What are you doing?" I ask Stefan.
"The lovely Elena drives a hard bargain. However we reached a peaceful agreement, she and I." Elijah says, "Please" He gestures towards the exit "Come." His eyes are locked with mine.
"We can't." Stefan says from behind me.
I follow Elijah's line of sight and notice that his eyes are narrowed in on Stefan's hand which is still wrapped tightly around my wrist, "I've had the spell lifted." Is all he says and I yank my hand free before walking slowly towards the exit with Stefan.
Katherine tries to take advantage of the situation by attempting to rush out, but Elijah must have seen it coming because in an instant he is in front of her blocking her freedom, "As for you, however, you should not exit until I say so. When Klaus comes he'll want to know exactly where you are." Elijah turns to walk away as though his word is bible? What's stopping her from running? Is everyone around here lacking education?
I run towards Elijah leaving Stefan at the tomb entrance, "Hey, wait up!" I yell after him causing him to stop dead in his tracks. He slowly turns around to face me and it suddenly hits me that this man towers over me. I am pretty sure he could snap my neck with his pinky and index finger. I gulp and take a big step back before building up the courage to speak, "What's stopping her from leaving and coming after my sister? If you haven't noticed she seems to hate her guts despite the fact she shares her face and not to mention I already snapped her neck, so I'm probably on the she-devil's hit list as well. Not that you should care or that I am asking for your protection or anything, but....yeah." I stop quickly realising I'm ranting like an insane person. I look into Elijah's eyes and again he is looking right back at me as though he is trying to find the square root of seven hundred thousand and eighty-three.
"What is your name?" He steps closer and the hairs on my neck stand.
"I believe I already told you that."
He slides closer again, his eyes cutting to my feet and slowly trail my body before hitting mine again, "It wouldn't hurt to be reminded."
"Keira Fleming." I tell him, my eyes zeroed in on his.
"Well, Keira Fleming, you do not have to worry about Katerina it is physically impossible for her to leave her confinement of the tomb."
His eyes give nothing away. Great another closed book, did he and Katherine go to the same school on how to build a wall around themselves? "And how is that?" I ask crossing my arms across my chest and giving him a doubtful look.
He moves his hand as though he is brushing me off, "She cannot break my compulsion."
Wait, did he say compulsion? Did he compel her? But how the hell is that possible? Marcel taught me how to compel people, but he specifically said that it will only work on humans. As though he can see me trying to work it out in my eyes Elijah continues, "I'm an original vampire, and that means I have the power to compel others."
I look into his eyes for a moment, "You compelled me to tell you the truth back in that abandoned house when you thought I was Katherine, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"And that's why you dismissed me. You knew I wasn't Katherine."
"Correct."
I look at him for a moment, and I mean really look at him. God, he's so handsome. He has the kind of face that would stop you dead in your tracks. His eyes are a deep brown with a flicker of gold. I swear I could get lost in them if I stared long enough, and that's exactly what I am doing... staring. I quickly shake my thought process away, "If you know I'm not Katherine then why do you look at me like that all the time?"
"And how do I look at you?"
"Like you're trying to solve something."
His eyes meet mine and we look at one another in pure silence. I'm not even sure I'm breathing at this point, but who cares about that when you're technically dead. I would do anything to be inside that head of his to know everything about him and know what makes him tick, but why? What would I do with the information? Use it against him? Nah that's not it...For some reason unbeknown to be I know that's not why.
"Your existence intrigues me." He states.
I let out a giggle, "Not you too." I throw my hands up playfully, "Apparently everyone around here needs to have the talk. Boy meets girl. Girl and boy have a special cuddle etcetera etcetera."
Elijah throws his head back and laughs.
He laughed. Oh, my god, he actually laughed and it was the most attractive thing I have ever seen. He's always so emotionaless and in the two times I have met him I have yet to even see him smile, but my god that laugh? I will repeat that luxurious sound in my head for the rest of my existence. "Wow." slips out before I can stop.
He looks back at me with the same cold expression, the light-hearted smile on his face long gone and lost in the wind. "I'm sorry, but I didn't know original vampire actually knows how to laugh. I was shocked for a moment." I say trying to get the same reaction as before, but nothing. the Robotic side of Elijah is back.
"Good night, Keira."
**********