AFTER WATCHING ELIJAH BLOW UP A COFFEE SHOP WITH A COIN, INDIGO WAS DONE WITH THE SUPERNATURAL FOR A WHILE. So the next morning, she'd woken up at her usual time, ploddingly going through her morning routine in an effort to regain some sense of normalcy. Bonnie had left earlier than her, probably to go see Elena or one of the other members of the Mystic Falls supernatural club, which left her alone in her thoughts.
On the drive to school, Indigo promised herself that she was not going to get sucked into any more shenanigans for a while. The originals had already left her head spinning, and she was going to need time to regroup if she was going to get herself out of the mess she'd involuntarily been included in.
Indigo was almost in the school when her day started going downhill. She paused in her steps as she felt magic flowing all around her. The wind suddenly picked up, the previously burning sun being overcome with dark, stormy clouds. Indigo squinted up at the sky in confusion, trying to place where the energy was coming from. Bonnie wasn't strong enough to do this — was she? Indigo's eyes darted around the courtyard, landing on Bonnie talking (more like flirting) with an unfamiliar boy.
"You know him?" Jeremy Gilbert's voice interrupted her thoughts. Indi glanced over her shoulder, finding the tall boy closing in on her with a frown.
"Nope," Indigo replied suspiciously. "Do you?"
"He's a new kid. He's been lurking around Bonnie a lot. He's weird — I don't trust him." Jeremy eyebrows furrowed deeply.
"Right," Indigo shot him a knowing look. "And your lack of trust has nothing to do with your feelings for her?"
"What feelings?" The tall boy's cheeks were dusted with a rosy pink blush.
"I'm an empath, little Gilbert. I can feel how jealous you are." Indigo informed him, her lips twitching upwards. She didn't know him all that well, but she knew that he made Bonnie happy, and that's all that mattered to her.
"So you can tell if he's trustworthy or not?"
Indi shrugged, returning her attention to the giggling duo. "Right now I'm not getting any ill feelings from him. Have you considered the possibility that he doesn't have any ulterior motive? Maybe he just thinks she's cute."
"That's what I'm worried about." Jeremy muttered, stalking towards the pair with determined strides.
Indigo let out a short breath, making sure to follow closely behind him. She didn't want Jeremy to cause a scene or making things uncomfortable for Bonnie, and she was prepared to step in if she needed to.
"Crazy weather, huh?" Jeremy hiked his bag higher over his shoulder, peering at the boy with a heavy gaze.
"Yeah, man, global warming..." The boy lamely replied. He glanced at Indigo, his eyes lingering on her curiously as the wind slowed back to its normal speed.
"Luka, this is my cousin Indi. Indi, this is Luka." Bonnie gestured between the two with a warm smile.
"Nice to meet you." Luka offered his hand for her to shake.
"Likewise." Indigo raised her eyebrows in surprise as they touched. He was a warlock. And judging by the starstruck gaze in Bonnie's eyes, she was fully aware of it.
"I gotta get to class," Luka shoved his hands into his pockets, backing away from the group. "But I'll see you around, Bonnie."
"Yeah." Bonnie nodded, lifting her hand to wave at his retreating figure.
"That guy's weird, huh?" Jeremy scoffed once the warlock was out of earshot.
"No. He's not." Bonnie defended him.
Indigo awkwardly shifted on her feet. "As much as I would love to stay here and listen to you two argue, I have a Euro test to make up. Bonnie, I'll see you at lunch?"
The loud ping of a text notification interrupted whatever Bonnie was going to say. Her lips parted open in confusion as she pulled her phone out, reading the text message with concern. "Uh...I don't think so."
"Why? What's wrong?" Jeremy inquired.
"It's Damon."
That was Indigo's cue to leave. She gave her cousin's shoulder a squeeze before whisking herself into the school.
Her day dragged on, and as much as she tried to focus, she couldn't think of anything but Editha. During lunch, instead of eating, Indigo decided on spending her free time in the library as she read over Editha's journal. Despite the disastrous day, Damon had surprisingly kept his word, slipping the items to her just as she'd gotten out of the car. Indigo had it tucked carefully into a copy of The Great Gatsby just in case someone happened to be paying attention to her.
She wanted to hate Editha, but honestly, Indi couldn't blame her for her actions. Life in the old times seemed like hell on earth — wolves roaming around, reckless and untamed, vampires killing people in droves, and witches turning against each other in order to survive. At the center of it all was Niklaus Mikaelson and the rest of the Mikaelson family; they were untouchable and made sure it was known.
She chewed her lip as she stared at the pages in front of her. While she was horrified reading about some of the monstrosities Klaus had committed (slaughtering entire villages out of spite seemed to be his forte), it only made her all the more curious about what was the final straw for Elijah. She hadn't seen the dapper man since he proposed that deal.
Indigo figured that he would find her whenever he wanted to.
Her back tensed as she felt a pair of eyes on her. Indigo glanced up from her book, curiously observing her surroundings. Standing at the check out desk was the boy from earlier — Luka, she remembered Bonnie saying. He was subtly looking at her through the library window as the librarian checked out his books.
"Weirdo." Indi muttered under her breath, slamming the grimoire shut. Maybe Jeremy was right about him. Her phone blared just then, causing the teens who were studying at nearby tables to give her the evil eye. She glared back, gathering her things louder than necessary.
"Hi, mommy." Indigo answered, ducking out of the warm library. She easily stepped into the flow of moving students.
"Hi," Irene's voice filled her ears. "I was just calling to check on you. How are things going?"
"They're...going." She answered vaguely.
Irene let out a small hum. "Has Rudy been home lately?"
"Nope." Indi scoffed. Even though they were family, she couldn't stand both of Bonnie's parents — they'd both abandoned her in one form or the other. Indigo didn't think Rudy was any better than Abby, even despite his political position in Richmond. "I don't think he'll be here anytime soon, either. The biweekly checks are nice, though."
"Maybe I shouldn't have let you move to Virginia," Indi could practically see the frown on Irene's face. "Bonnie would've been better off in Manhattan. I mean, you two have no supervision."
"Mom, it's fine. I'm eighteen, Bonnie's seventeen...there's nothing to worry about." Indigo tried her best to soothe her mother's worries, even if she was telling a bold-faced lied.
"I just don't feel comfortable with you two being all alone in that house," Irene stressed. "Mystic Falls is not a safe town for people like us. I'll be calling Rudy later on today."
Indigo rolled her eyes at her mother's mention of people like us. Irene had always hated being a witch, and made it a point to diminish her heritage to Indigo any chance she got. If it weren't for Grams and Indi's unique abilities, she was fairly certain that Irene would've never told her that she was a witch in the first place. Irene didn't have much of a choice but to teach her daughter about what she was — an emotional pre-teen with unpredictable magic was a recipe for disaster, emphasized by several accidental fires over the years.
"I'm sure you will." She muttered as she approached her locker. "I have to go. I'm at school."
"Oh, I'm sorry honey, I forgot. I'll talk to you later, okay? I love you."
"Mom, wait!" Indigo squeezed her eyes shut.
"Yes?"
Did you know about Klaus? The question hung on the tip of Indigo's tongue, barely containing itself. But the words wouldn't come out, and she found herself resigning. "How's Dad doing?"
"He's doing fine. He just misses you a lot, you know. All the more reason to come back home."
"There's only two months left until graduation. I'm sure he can survive." Indigo opened her locker with a grunt. A small, white object fell out of it as soon as it opened, and she curiously picked it up.
Meet me at your car after your classes have been completed. - E.M.
Indigo stared down at the note in disbelief. How had he managed to get inside of her locker? Her neck prickled uncomfortably as she crumbled the note, shoving it into her pocket carelessly. She glanced around the crowded hallways, not sensing a trace of the original vampire.
"...Indigo? Indigo? Is everything okay?" Irene questioned hurriedly.
"Yeah, I'm just — I have to go." Indigo hung up before her mother could say anything else.
She spent the rest of the school day in a daze, silently praying that the note was just a figment of her imagination. But with every step she took, she could feel it in her pocket, weighing her down as if it were an anchor. As the final bell of the day shrilled, Indigo slowly gathered her belongings, prolonging the meeting with Elijah for as long as she could. She tried to convince herself that he wouldn't even be there, but as she exited the building, his presence hit her like a ton of bricks. She trudged to her car in defeat, the cold chill of death getting stronger with every step.
Low and behold, there he was, leaning against her convertible arrogantly. He looked out of place in the crowd of high school students, but everyone just skirted past him as if he wasn't even there — no doubt the result of compulsion. Despite her cool demeanor, Indigo was barely resisting the urge to sprint far, far, away from the man.
"Okay, I'm here." Indigo gripped the straps of her book-bag, pausing to stand in front of him. Elijah towered over her, and she had to crane her neck uncomfortably to look him in the eye. "Let's talk."
"Good afternoon, Ms. Bennett." Elijah's dark brown eyes pooled into hers. "I'm glad you received my note."
"Just Indigo." The witch corrected him with a forced smile. "How'd you manage to do that, anyways?"
"I have my ways." He replied ominously. "Have you had enough time to consider my deal?"
Not really. She didn't even have time to process the fact that she'd been kidnapped yet. But Elijah didn't look like he was going to take anything other than yes for an answer, so for the second time that day, she found herself lying. "Yes."
"And?" He raised an eyebrow.
"And I don't want to die. So I guess that means I'll have to help you, right?" The words bitterly spilled from her mouth.
The shadow of a smile crossed his lips, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. "I don't need much. All I ask is that you keep Elena and the rest of your friends under your close protection."
"Why? I mean, why do you care if Elena lives or dies? The only person who knows she even exists are Trevor and Rose, and Trevor is dead." Indigo gave him a pointed look, flashes of the recently deceased vampire's head rolling off of his shoulders filling her mind.
"I have my reasons for wanting the doppelgänger's whereabouts to remain a secret." Elijah paused. "Klaus is the most feared of the originals, but people are also desperate for his approval."
"So you want to draw Klaus out of hiding." Indi concluded, looking away from him. "Elena is your bait."
Her eyes landed on Luka, who was hovering next to his car, which was only a few parking spaces down from her own. Luka was engrossed in texting on his phone, but if Indigo didn't know any better, she would assume that he was following her on purpose. The warlock glanced up, noticing that she was looking, and quickly got inside of his car. Indigo made a mental note to ask Bonnie where exactly Luka had come from.
"When the time is right, Elena and I shall draw Klaus out together," Elijah's voice broke her out of her stare. "You'll make sure her friends are protected, my witches will undo the spell binding you to Klaus, and then I'll kill him."
"And this spell...you're sure it can be undone?" Indigo raised her eyebrows. "It's centuries old."
"Yes."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"I'm a man of my word, Ms. Bennett. When I make a promise, I always go through with them." The underlying threat did not go unnoticed by her.
The sound of Indigo's phone ringing interrupted their conversation. Indigo gratefully slid out out of her pocket, not recognizing the number that was calling. She reluctantly pressed the bright green call button, bringing it to her ear.
"Hello?" She answered cautiously.
"Indigo, it's Jeremy. I need you to meet me at the tomb underneath the church." The boy rushed out.
Indigo immediately swiveled around so that she wasn't facing Elijah, concern drawing her eyebrows together. Jeremy Gilbert never called her, and she had a nagging feeling that it had something to do with Bonnie. "Why? What's going on?"
"It's Bonnie," Jeremy confirmed her thoughts. "She's about to do something really stupid."
Indigo's temples throbbed in irritation. So much for having a stress-free day.
"I'm on my way." She hung up with a groan, turning to sheepishly speak to Elijah. "Can we finish this conversation later? I have to go save my cousin's ass."
"Of course," Elijah reached out to place his hand on her shoulder. Her stomach lurched in fear, but she kept her gaze leveled, not wanting to seem like a coward. "But do keep in mind, Ms. Bennett, that the doppelgänger is not the only thing Klaus is searching for. Keep yourself protected as well."
And then, with the blink of an eye, he was gone.
┏━━━ ━━━┓
After getting lost three times, Indigo finally made it to her destination. The tomb was dirty, old, and dusty — the last place in earth she wanted to be.
"She's so lucky I love her." Indigo cringed as she navigated through the tight space, narrowly avoiding getting centuries old substances on her sweater. She didn't know exactly where she was going, but she could distantly hear Bonnie chanting. The walls shook just as Indigo broke through, her eyes landing on her cousin, whose nose was dripping blood.
"What the hell is going on here?" Indigo hissed, moving to grab Bonnie. Stefan blurred in front of her, stopping her midway.
"She's in the middle of a spell." Stefan explained anxiously.
"What spell?"
"A spell to temporarily break the seal. Katherine wants her freedom in exchange for the moonstone."
"You're letting her do the same spell that killed Grams? Are you out of your mind?" Indigo sidestepped the vampire, grabbing Bonnie's shoulders and shaking them erratically. Bonnie remained unfazed, continuing to chant methodically. "You have to stop, Bonnie!"
"Yes, because I'm still in here." Katherine growled from her place inside of the tomb.
Indigo tucked her hand inside of Bonnie's, channeling her cousin's emotions as she performed a spell of her own. She was going to stop her, even if that meant purposefully weaning her strength. A few moments later, Bonnie quickly dropped to the ground, clearly exhausted. Indigo squatted beside her, helping her rise to her feet.
"You are in so much trouble." Indigo snapped.
"I'm sorry," Bonnie's eyes watered as she stared at Katherine and Jeremy. "I can't do it. Even with help, I'm not strong enough..."
"Well, that's too bad, because I'm still hungry." Katherine let out a bored grunt. In the blink of an eye, the vampire cornered Jeremy, slamming him into the tomb wall before sinking her teeth into his neck.
Stefan immediately sprung into action, entering the forbidden area and yanking Jeremy away from his murderous ex-girlfriend. Stefan pinned Katherine against the wall as Jeremy hobbled into the safe zone, realization slowly clouding his face as he realized the weight of his actions.
"You're all idiots." Indigo broke the deafening silence. "Every single last one of you."
"I...I'm sorry." Jeremy guiltily spluttered as he leaned on Bonnie for support.
"You better be," Indi growled in annoyance. "Because this is just another problem for Bonnie and I to fix."
"Don't rub it in," Stefan pursed his lips. "He's had a long day."
"That makes two of us." Indigo snapped, shoving the couple towards the entrance of the tomb. "Let's go."
Indigo grumbled underneath her breath the entire trek back to the car, her anger leaving both Bonnie and Jeremy on edge. It was clear that her emotions were accidentally leaking into theirs, which was a sign that her control was slipping. She tried to reel in her fury, but every time she looked at Bonnie, she got pissed all over again.
"I'm sorry," Bonnie weakly apologized as they got into the car. "I was just trying to help."
"Oh, shut up!" Indigo furiously slammed the car door. "Grams practiced magic for decades and the spell was still too strong for her to handle. What made you think you had even the slightest chance?"
"I wanted to ask you for help, but I knew you would've shot me down." Bonnie shrunk into her seat.
"Yes. Because that spell is the reason our grandmother is dead," Indigo pointed at her accusingly. "And I could've lost you, too. What was I supposed to tell Rudy, huh? Or worse, my mother."
"Then help me," Bonnie's lips parted desperately. "I want to be as strong as you — I need to."
"Then ask me to teach you. You can't just throw yourself into situations like this and hope for the best."
"Luka has been teaching me, sort of. I was channeling him earlier...it worked. I wasn't strong enough to do it, but it still worked."
Indigo's lips curled at the mention of Luka. His pseudo-stalking didn't sit right with her, and she didn't want him anywhere near Bonnie until she figured out what he wanted from them.
"I don't trust Luka." Indi shook her head. "At all."
"What changed since this morning?" Jeremy spoke up from his place in the backseat.
Indigo tapped her fingers rapidly against her steering wheel. "He's been following me."
"You think it has something to do with Elena?" The youngest Gilbert wondered aloud.
"I'm pretty sure everything that happens in Mystic Falls has something to do with Elena." Indi snorted, starting the car. She was eager to get home and forget this day had even happened.
"Which is why I need to be stronger. I have to protect her, Indi. She's my best friend." Bonnie interjected.
"Fine," Indigo narrowed her eyes. "I'll help you. But only if you promise not to put your life at risk again."
"Indi..."
"I mean it, Bonnie. Your life isn't any less valuable than Elena's or Jeremy's or anyone else's. Promise me you'll look after yourself first."
Bonnie gave her cousin a solemn nod, rubbing the back of her neck tiredly. "Okay. I promise."
Indigo was holding her to it.