"The End of All Things" by Panic! at the Disco
"Come on, Malia," Ellie's knife pressed against her back, a reminder that she didn't have a choice.
"Donnie told you not to hurt me," Malia tried to remind the witch, "You said he wouldn't forgive you if you did."
"We're past that now."
Ellie dug the knife in a bit more, cutting into skin slightly. Malia winced. Ellie reached around to Malia's lips, shoving something inside. Malia feels a crunch and then a metallic taste fills her mouth. She tries to cough the contents of her mouth out, but Ellie's hand holds firm in front of her lips.
"Keep walking," Ellie snaps, removing her hand.
"What did you just do to me?"
Instead of answering the question, Ellie begins to ramble.
"I fell in love with Adonis before I even knew what he was. When he asked me to join him in his cause, I couldn't believe he had picked me. I was so weak back then, orphaned when Kol Mikaelson tore my mother's head from her body right in front of me. Adonis gave me so much power. I was the first to join the Coven."
"I knew there was something about your hatred for me. Now I know it's just jealousy. Unrequited love."
"Shut up!"
Ellie shook her body angrily, sliding the knife across her back.
"Let her go," Donnie spoke to Ellie in a commanding tone.
Ellie flipped Malia around, holding the bronze blade against her neck. The distraught witch just shook her head at the command.
"I thought that when she went back to the vampires, you might finally understand that she will never love you," Ellie gasped out, a crazed look in her eye. "Now I see just how similar you and I are, Adonis. We never learn."
Donnie took a step toward them, his hands held up to try to de-escalate the situation. In response, Ellie pressed the knife harder into Malia's neck. Donnie froze in place.
"Do you have any idea what it was like for me when I had to watch you with that slut Inas for decades? Can you even comprehend how it felt when she erased me from your memory? Eight hundred years of watching over you, trying to make you feel anything for me, but you never did. And then you met Malia. God, you're so predictable, you fell for her little 'wounded bird' thing instantly. What you don't know is how I created her for you!"
Ellie's jaw clenched and she shook Malia's body again.
"Elora, stop this," Donnie tried again.
"Elora . . ?" Malia whispered.
The name stuck out to her. It was familiar because it was the name of the friend that Kala had made in college.
"I know you better than anyone, Adonis. I knew you would always sweep up a damsel in distress, and I knew which city you would go to next. I made a little pitstop a couple of years early and used Suggestion to kill the parents of the first happy, semi-pretty girl that I saw. I had to create a bit of the distress part, you see."
"You killed my parents?"
"The cruelest part was how easily it worked. I mean, within a year you were completely head over heels in love. And when she fell for you, too, the curse was finally broken. I was so happy. You would remember me, and we could finally be together. But even as all of those memories came rushing back, you still chose her."
"We can talk about this, Elora. Just put down the knife," Donnie begged.
"It's funny how these things work," Ellie shook her head, smiling with spite. "I killed her parents so that you would love her. And she loved you back, so I killed her sister."
"What?" Malia tried to break free of the tight grip, but Elora held her tight. The blade pressed deeper, drawing a thin line of blood.
"I couldn't hurt you because I loved you," Elora still spoke only to Adonis. "And I couldn't hurt Malia because I knew you'd never love me back if I did. But I could hurt her loved ones. . . Sorry. Loved one."
Tears spilled from Malia's eyes. The pain of her sister's and parents' deaths rushed back, hurting anew because now she knew they wouldn't have left her if not for this girl who had pretended to be her friend.
"I started to get into Kala's ear, reminding her of how her parents had died and how empty she had felt. When I finally Suggested she end her life, she couldn't believe that I'd said such a thing. But then she went home and did it. It was almost a shame, I had kind of started to like her by then."
Donnie could see the growing desperation in Ellie's eyes. Her feelings on the matter only heightened as she recounted all she had done to try to earn his love.
"You've done so much for me," Donnie tried to bargain. "I see that now. Put down the knife, and you and I will go away together."
A flicker of hope passed through Ellie's eyes, but it was gone just as soon as it had arrived.
"It's too late for that."
She moved the knife slightly, preparing to slice. Donnie's veins popped and his eyes widened in terror.
"Do not hurt her, Elora, or so help me God, I will kill you."
Elora paused for a second, a smile of respite appearing on her lips.
"Then put me out of my misery."
The witch slid the blade across Malia's neck, creating a deep gash.
"NO!" Adonis threw his hands forward with force. The wind that rushed from his palms snapped Elora's neck in the next second, but it didn't matter. It wouldn't change what had been done.
The slash was so deep and hit all the important spots. Malia didn't even choke on her own blood. She was already dead by the time the blade left her skin.