☽◯☾
𝙰 𝙼𝙸𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝙳𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙼𝚂
[¢hคptēr thirtฯ tຟ໐ -Ɗσ Ɲσт Ɠσ ƓєηтƖє]
[𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍]
☪︎ ☪︎ ☪︎ ☪︎
Early in the morning, I sit in the same spot Damon was hung over, bleeding out, two days ago on the now clean wood floor. I sit in the middle of a circle formed with salt as Klaus sits next to me. Klaus had gotten all the white oak stakes from the Salvatore brothers except one that evil Alaric had hidden, which Rebakah was trying to retrieve now. I've been sitting in the house flipping through my grimoires and mothers until I found another linking spell.
"Love, are you sure this is a good idea?" Klaus asks, and I smirk at his worried tone as I read over the spell again.
"Don't be a wuss Niklaus. I know what I'm doing."
"I'm not a wuss." He mutters. "I'm just trying to make sure you have enough energy."
"I haven't used magic in two days. Longest two days of my life if you ask me, but I definitely have enough energy plus, I'm only linking you, not multiple people."
"To this thing?" He holds up a Ken barbie doll that Caroline gave me when we were little.
"Well, I offered to link myself-"
"-and I said no."
"Then deal with the Ken doll," I state as a bowl sits in front of us with a knife. I grab the doll placing it in the bowl. I hold my hand out, Klaus places his open palm on it, and I use the knife to slice it open. His blood flows out over the bowl until it's completely covering the doll, and the cut closes. I place the knife down before lighting the candles surrounding us with magic. I take a deep breath as I begin to chant. Nothing happens the first couple of minutes, then suddenly, the blood in the bowl starts to evaporate until it's completely empty with no trace of blood. I stop chanting and pick the doll up.
"That's it?" Klaus asks, leaning over to look at the doll.
"Yes, that's it. See, this doll already had a spell placed on it. Caroline kept breaking her dolls, so I tried to help her by putting a protection spell on them, but she was breaking them to get the new ones released. The link will only last temporarily since you are living, not plastic, but enough time until everything blows over."
"Very clever love." He smiles, and I smile back brightly. The sound of the front door opening and slamming closed causes us to jump to our feet as I extinguish the candles. We walk to the foyer to see Rebekah strolling in with the white oak in her hand.
"What took you so long?" Klaus asks when she stops in front of us.
"Alaric didn't want to hand over the stake." She lifts up the stake to show us fully. "Luckily, I'm quite the charmer."
I stare at Rebekah as she avoids my eye contact, only looking at Klaus. "That's it?" I ask.
"The last of the white oak stakes that can kill us. Do you want to do the honors, or shall I?" She states, holding the stake out to Klaus, which causes me to jump as my magic instantly reacts. It snatches the stake out of her hand, bringing it to me, causing my eyes to widen in shock as it lands in my hand. "Well, looks like Carter wants the honor."
I hold the wooden stake in my hand, staring at how it was carved, not sharp like the other stakes Klaus destroyed. There's something off about this stake. I look up at Rebekah and see something goes across her eyes as she gives an encouraging smile. The stake then catches on fire. We all watch the flames cover it before turning into ashes as I open my hand and let it disappear entirely.
"Well, that's that, then." Rebekah smirks before turning to leave the room.
"Pack your bags, we're leaving." Klaus says, turning to walk towards the painting he was working on before the linking spell.
"Today?" Rebekah says, confused...or more like concerned, but hold on, what did Klaus say?
"What do you mean leaving? Who the hell is 'we'" I ask.
"Why not? There's nothing keeping us here. We'll grab the doppelgänger and be off by sunset." Klaus shrugs like it is nothing, ignoring me.
I shake my head in disbelief. He never said anything about leaving hell. He built this big dumb ass house I thought he would be staying in. Especially didn't mention taking Elena, but apparently, she's going...am I even going?
"But tonight is the decade dance." Rebekah states in a panic.
Fuck I forgot I'm supposed to be helping set up.
"So?"
"So, I'm head of the committee. We have to go."
Klaus scoffs, getting annoyed. "I'm not going to any dance."
"Well then, don't go. Rebekah wants to go, and I just remembered I have to participate, so you can stay your grumpy hybrid ass at home with your packed bags while we party." I state, pulling out my phone to text Caroline and see what time she wants me to come help.
"Please, I have big plans for tonight. Just go for me." Rebekah pleads as Caroline texts me back.
I can feel Klaus staring at me, but I ignore him as I text back before hearing him sigh. "Okay, fine. One last hoorah."
"One last hoorah, Nik." Rebekah smirks before turning on her heels and heading towards the doorway. I turn to follow her out before I feel Klaus grabbing my arm.
"Carter-"
"Was I even coming?" I ask, staring at him. He doesn't say anything, but the look in his eyes says enough. "I see." I pull my arm away, walk out the door, get in my truck and pull out of the driveway.
Fuck this day.
☪︎ ☪︎ ☪︎ ☪︎
"So if he asked you to leave, would you?" Caroline asks me as I follow her through the gym with a clipboard in her hand while I have a styrofoam cup of spiked hot chocolate.
"No, Caroline, this isn't some romance movie." I roll my eyes.
"I mean, why not?" She teases as we stop at a table.
"Because I was forced to leave my home the first time, I won't be forced to leave a second time!" I snap, causing a couple of balloons to pop from my magic.
"Ok, ok, I was only joking. I get what you're saying." Caroline says, putting the clipboard down and then putting her hands on my shoulder. "I was just thinking maybe it would be good to get away for a little bit."
"I'm always getting away, Caroline. I'm barely at home, and I'm barely at school because I'm always away. I'm tired of running, and I'm tired of leaving. This is my home, and matter of fact, why does he have to leave?" I vent, and Caroline gives me a sad look before pulling me in for a hug.
"I have seen how he looks at you and how you smile when his name is mentioned...in positive ways. I don't think he was going to up and leave you. Just listen to his reason when he comes to the dance." I sigh as she rubs circles on my back. She does have a point. Klaus wouldn't just up and leave me. I lift up my arm and stare at the birthmark, which I know now is a soulmate mark. I remember the night of the ball and what he said to me in his art room.
"Love is why I can not let you go. Love keeps me waiting to see that mark appear in your line on a doppelganger. It is love that helps me accept everything new and different about you. You showed me a love I have never experienced, and I never want to experience it with anyone but you." He confessed.
He doesn't want to leave me, so why is he going?
"Where do you want me to hang this thing?" Elena asks, causing us to break apart to see her holding a chandelier.
Caroline groans before grabbing it. "You know what, if Rebekah wanted to hang this monstrosity, she should have shown up to do it herself." She then hands the chandelier to a passing student. "Just no. Where is she anyways?"
"I don't know. She left the house a little before me and wanted to stay because of this dance, so I thought she would be here." I state, pulling out my phone. I call her, but the phone goes straight to voicemail.
Weirdly, she was pleading with Klaus to come because of the work she was going to put into it, but she wasn't here to do it. I shoot a text to Klaus saying his sister bailed on planning the dance, and he instantly texts back.
Klaus: I will look for her but can we talk at the dance?
Yes, we can.
I will be the one looking like a hot girlfriend whose hot boyfriend is leaving town.
Klaus: Okay, I will see you soon love.
I place my phone in my pocket as Caroline looks at Matt and Jeremy hanging up stars on the ceiling in pure horror. "What are you doing? You can't just hang them! They're supposed to trickle down."
"Trickle, duh!" Matt and I call out, causing everyone to laugh as Caroline rolls her eyes at us with a smile.
"Look at them all bromancy." Caroline says, still looking at the boys.
Elena nods. "Yeah, I asked Matt to help Jeremy readjust. He got him his old job back at the Grill." As she rearranges stuff. Caroline glances at me, and we both give eachother a look before she turns to look at Elena.
"That was nice of him." She says skeptically.
"Jeremy has got a lot on his mind. The whole thing with Alaric has got him really stressed out." Elena continues to talk, unaware of Caroline's tone.
"You sure it has nothing to do with witnessing you and Damon getting hot and heavy in a skeevy motel?" She asks with her arms crossed.
"Seems like he came back because his sister was making questionable choices." I state.
"I didn't tell you so you could torture me with it." Elena rolls her eyes. "And you told Carter?"
"Of course, she told me. Why wouldn't she?"
Elena looks down at her hands and sighs. "We are not on the best terms at the moment."
"Oh really?" My voice drips with sarcasm. "Why so?"
"Because you want to sleep with a psycho killer."
"Those Salvatore brothers aren't sane, so it looks like we are doing the same thing." Elena glares at me while I give her a sweet smile.
"Alright, let's change the subject," Caroline says, worried between us. "So, who are you bringing to the dance?"
Elena wraps a feather boa around her neck. "What do you mean? I thought you, Bonnie, Carter, and I were going as girl dates."
Oh, I'm included in girl dates, but not about the gossip in motels.
"Hm, Bonnie has a date." Caroline smiles. "Jamie called and wanted to see her, so she asked him."
"Looks like you and Caroline are doing your little girl date." I state, wiggling my eyebrows as Elena hits me with the boa getting feathers in my mouth.
"So here's a thought, why don't you ask Stefan?" Caroline suggests causing Elena and me to look at her crazy.
"Caroline, she just made out with his brother why the hell would she ask him on a date?"
"All the more reason! Look, you're supposed to be figuring out what you want. That's what Stefan wanted you to do, right?"
"Yeah, but-" Elena tries to say, but Caroline interrupts.
"But nothing! I've watched The Bachelor, okay? Fair is fair. It is Stefan's turn."
"This is not a damn tv show Caroline." I roll my eyes.
"Yeah, and you're not biased or anything." Elena says sarcastically.
"I'm sorry, but Stefan is your epic love. And I'm not going down without a fight."
"If he was her epic love, she wouldn't be making out with his brother. She wouldn't feel for whatever she felt for Damon. He's not her epic love. It's just the safer choice. Don't be Katherine, Elena. You already saw what she did to them." I state, organizing the stuff on the table but freeze to look up and see Elena and Caroline looking at me in shock.
"And what you are doing is any better?" Elena scoffs.
"And what am I doing?"
"I see the way Stefan has been around you lately. You dated and fucked his brother. Is he next on your conquest? Pulling the sympathy card about losing your parents and being blind."
"Elena!" Caroline scolds.
"No, Caroline, let her get this off her chest."
"Both of them were wrapped around your finger, always caring for you, but now that they aren't doing that anymore, it's a problem. If you wanted them to still be around your finger, you shouldn't have decided to side with the psycho that killed my aunt and is ruining our lives.
I stare at Elena as she smirks at me like she's won something. I let out a soft laugh that then gets louder.
"I guess I can finally see what Katherine looks like when she's being a bitch." I state when I stop laughing. "Congratulations, Elena, you are becoming someone you didn't want to be. All you are missing is being a vampire." I leave the table as Caroline calls my name, but I ignore her. I really am just done with today.
☪︎ ☪︎ ☪︎ ☪︎
"I can't believe I actually came to this shit still." I mutter as I look around at people dancing under the fairy lights that twinkled above to the upbeat jazz music in the fully decorated gym. I see Bonnie dancing with who I'm guessing is Jamie as they both laugh, having a good time. I crack a small smile. She deserves to be happy with everything going on. I look over to see Caroline and Tyler talking. I didn't know he was back in town, and I bet Klaus doesn't know either.
Note to self make sure he doesn't notice. I walk further into the gym, my heels clicking against the floor while scanning the gym for Rebekah. I called her several times, but her phone still went to voicemail. I'm starting to get worried something was already off about her this morning. Missing the very thing she couldn't shut up about for a week is suspicious. I should maybe find an empty classroom and do a locator spell. I go to do just that when I see Stefan and Elena step in front of me. Stefan gives me a smile as Elena glares, and I stare at them both blankly.
"Well, aren't you a beautiful 20's gal." He complimented, causing Elena to roll her eyes.
"I'm going to get some punch." She walks away.
"What's going on with you and Elena?" He asks.
"She's a jealous bitch who doesn't like to share the toys she's not supposed to have." He looks at me, confused, and I sigh. "Doesn't matter. I'm not talking to you. We aren't best friends anymore." I push past him, but he grabs my hand and turns me back into his arms as a slow song starts.
"One dance then?" He pleads softly, giving me puppy eyes. Doesn't have the same effect as my original hybrid's puppy eyes, but I won't ignore them this time. I sigh as I step towards him and put my other hand on his shoulder while the other one moves to his hand, and his hand moves to the exposed part of my lower back, pulling me closer. A little too close. We begin to sway back and forth as he stares at me, and I roll my eyes as I try to ignore his persistent stare. "Carter, look at me."
"No."
He sighs before suddenly stepping back to give him space to twirl me and then dips me when I come back, forcing me to stare into those deep-set forest eyes very close to my face. "What are you doing, Stefan?" I whisper.
"I don't know." He confesses as he lets me up slowly, looking at me with an unreadable expression. I never denied what Elena said about the way Stefan looked at me because I thought maybe I was overthinking it. Still, as he looks at me now, I feel something familiar in how he looks at me. "Mya, I mean Carter-"
"We need to talk," Damon says as he looks at us, confused. We break apart, following him through the gym into the hallway to see Elena standing out there already. "Ric hasn't been taking the herbs Bonnie made him."
"So let me guess, evil Alaric has been walking around instead of normal Alaric." I state, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"Yep, and it's time to put him out of his misery." Damon says sternly, causing us to look at him in shock. What the hell is wrong with him?
"No. If Alaric is sick, then we need to find a cure." Elena states. "Something."
"The guy that we know is gone. We're talking about someone who not only hates vampires but vampire sympathizers. Which makes one of his most obvious targets: I don't know, you two!" He points to Elena and me.
He can try to come for me again, and it will end up worse than it did the first time.
"No way in hell! You are not killing Alaric!" Jeremy says, busting out the gym doors into the hallway.
"Oh, come on, It's what he would want. It's a mercy killing."
"You are out of your mind!" Jeremy yells.
"Jeremy..." Elena says, but he shakes his head at her before running away Elena running after him.
"Alaric is your best friend, Damon, who's not himself. Instead of trying to kill him, keep trying to help him."
"He's too far gone to be helped."
"So what, you are god? You decide who lives and dies because they can't fit the little scooby group anymore?"
"That's exactly what I'm doing." He states, walking closer to me, and for the first time, my magic is sensing danger from Damon towards me. "You should pay attention. You might be next." My eyes widen at his threat.
"Damon!" Stefan growls.
I didn't even register my hand was moving until it hit Damon's face causing his head to snap to the side harshly. "Go to hell." I sneer.
"Damon, stop taking your anger out on people who don't deserve it." Stefan says.
"Oh, he's known for that." I state bitterly. "Let me guess, you are extra dickish because Elena asked Stefan to the dance, not you. She should have picked you because you have been there while Stefan gets his shit together." He stares at me as I laugh bitterly. "Both of you are fucking stupid because if Elena chooses, and that's a big 'if,' the other will still love her and envy what they could have had. A hundred and something years later, and you still haven't learned your lesson, and when will you? You clearly didn't learn it when you both died, so when?"
"Mya, stop!" Damon yells.
"No, you both are going to fucking die risking your lives over and over because of stupid reasons, and I won't watch it again!" I scream as tears fill my eyes, and the lights in the hallway burst as the lockers fly open. I watch the red hue of my magic fill the hallway as I take deep breaths as we all stare at each other. I close my eyes to center myself before I lose my shit and level the whole gym. I feel my magic pull back reluctantly as the lockers slam shut and the light bulbs repair themselves. "I'm going to have fun. Don't bother me." I state before walking back into the gym.
I push past the students before my hand is grabbed again, then twirl around to face Klaus staring at me with a small smile. My eyes widen at the sight of him. His dark blonde hair gelled back while he wore a white suit that fit him perfectly. Damn, I have no doubt this man dominated the twenties. While checking him out, his piercing gaze traveled down my body taking in my sheer silver dress that shows my complete backside and hugs my shape perfectly.
"You look breathtaking, Carter." He says as he starts to walk backward, pulling me with him, but I hesitate. Now how the hell am I supposed to dance and talk to him when he looks this hot.
"Come on, love. I won't bite." He gives me an adorable smile, but it has a devilish feeling to it.
"The marks from my dreams say otherwise." I blush, causing his smile to grow wider, and he chuckles. He leads me to the center of the gym, grabbing the attention of some students, which I bet was the plan all along. My hybrid is a show-off. Klaus places his arm around my waist possessively as he pulls me close to his chest. My hand goes to the back of his neck while the other stay entwined with his. We start to sway to the music, still staring into eachother eyes.
"When you look at me like this, it is harder to do what I have to do." He confesses.
"Then don't do it."
He gives me a sad smile. "I don't want to, I really don't, love. The only way to protect you is if I leave. Your friends won't stop coming after me. I don't want you to be stuck in the middle making choices you shouldn't have to make."
"Fuck them." I scoff, causing him to chuckle.
"As you said, love, they are your family, and so am I, but one of us has to be the bigger person to spare you the stress and heartache. They aren't willing to give up their hatred, and neither am I, but I am willing to step away from the situation, and hopefully, in time, this will pass."
"They are some petty bitches who are immortal. It's never going to pass."
"Then I would invite you to leave, but you are not ready to accept my offer. I'm not ready to take you away from the life you have. I can't retake you. Perhaps when you graduate, you will turn up on my doorstep in a year or years, and I will take you in my arms and show you what the world has to offer."
"What if I never show up?"
"You will show up, love. Fate will always bring you back to me. I have waited centuries, and I can wait again, knowing that you will certainly love me again."
"And here I assumed you were an impatient man," I state. "An impatient man that would be trying to convince me to come with him."
"I know I can convince you, love, and that's the problem. I want it to be your choice." He states. "I want you to be by my side for the rest of our lives for us to never be apart again. I want to be a part of your life, not take it away."
"Then stay." I plead.
"You can't live your life worrying about what's the next attack your friends will plan against our family. You will get caught in the crossfire."
He's right, and god, I hate that he is. I close my eyes and feel his thumb wipe away the tears falling down my cheeks.
"Carter, do not cry. This is not a goodbye."
"Sure feels like it." I scoff, opening my eyes to stare into his that are tearing up as well. He's about to say something but a cold feeling surrounds me causing me to shiver as it closes in around me.
"What's wrong?"
I looked around the gym at everyone still dancing and having fun. No sign of danger, but I knew what I just felt wasn't right. From across the gym, I look eyes with Stefan, and he tilts his head to follow him as he disappears.
"Something is wrong." I grab Klaus's hand tightly as I push through the crowd and out of the gym. There is no sign of Stefan anywhere as we continue to walk down the hallway and out of the school, and I stumble back as my teeth start to chatter. I feel the magic in the air, and I look around for the source until my eyes land on a white line a couple feet away that looks like it's covering the whole front of the school.
"What is this?"
"Your mother is back," Stefan says, walking up behind us. "And she has Elena."
Fucking great.
☪︎ ☪︎ ☪︎ ☪︎
The cold never goes away, so here I am, shivering with Klaus's and Stefan's suit jackets wrapped around me, sitting on an empty desk in history class surrounded by several candles lit on the desk while Bonnie chants as Damon, Jeremy, and Jamie watch her.
"She does this all the time, right?" Jamie asks, leaning closer to me and staring at everyone suspiciously as I reply with a nod.
"What's taking so long?! All boundary spells have a loophole." Klaus snaps in frustration.
"By the time Bonnie breaks it, whatever Esther has planned will be completed," I explain.
"And why aren't you helping her then?" Damon asks rudely. Of course.
I give him a blank look as I call my magic, and the temperature in the room drops around everyone else as the windows start to freeze and the candles go out.
"Because dick head Esther made sure she froze me so I couldn't break the boundary spell sooner."
The classroom door opened to reveal Matt was coming in. "People are walking right out of the dance, past the barrier."
"Because the barrier only keeps the supernatural in." I state.
"Matt and I can leave. We can stop Esther ourselves." Jeremey says. "We just gotta find out where she is."
"It's suicide, Jeremy." Stefan shakes his head.
Suddenly Klaus rushes over, grabs Jamie by the throat, and starts strangling him. "Suicide would be disappointing me!" He looks at Bonnie. "Now work your magic, witch, or I'll start killing people you fancy."
"Let him go!" Bonnie screams, and I close my eyes, sighing.
"Not until you get us out of here."
"Ah, don't be stupid, Klaus. Bonnie doesn't give a damn about us." Stefan states. "The only reason she's helping us right now is to save Caroline and Tyler. You start killing the people she cares about. She'll tell us all to go to hell."
"Aren't you going to do something?" Damon yells at me. "Your psycho lover is about to kill your best friend's date!"
Now I'm officially done with this day.
My eyes snap open as everyone gasps, and I know it's because instead of my usual meadow green color, two dark pools of pitch black replace them. I jump off the desk, and the red hue of my magic surrounds my hands. I turn towards Matt and Jeremy, who step back, afraid.
"You want to be heroes?" I ask them as they gulp and nod slowly. "Then go save the day." I state before lifting my hand, letting my magic swirl around them in a tornado until it swallows them whole, and they disappear. I float in the air as I cross my legs, using my magic to feel what hotspot Esther is channeling and when I find the old cemetery, I send the boys there.
I hear someone hitting the ground, which I assume is Klaus letting Jamie go.
I watch the boys pointing their weapons. I have them at Esther, who isn't fazed at all. She uses her magic to make them turn both weapons pointed at eachother. See, this is why Stefan told them this was a suicide mission. I watch Elena screams as Alaric creeps out of the tomb and behind a clueless Esther before stabbing her in the back.
I stop watching the scene as I focus on breaking the boundary spell now that Esther is down. I can feel my body getting colder while I chat, ignoring it until I feel my magic blowing away the salt, breaking the boundary spell. My eyes turn back into their right color as I float back to the food and turn to look at everyone's shocked faces.
"It's broken," I state before my eyes roll back, and I collapse.
A/N: Was this chapter long to y'all? I'm aiming to make longer chapters for you all. Anyways I hope y'all Halloween was good. 🎃