Upon receiving an Important message, my brother and I hastily made our way to the provided coordinates. As we arrived, we found ourselves standing at the open front door of a house, where a familiar woman approached us—Rose-Marie.
"Is there a place where we can talk?" I inquired, maintaining my signature smirk.
"Yes, inside here. Please forgive the state of the house," Rose-Marie mentioned.
"Oh, no worries. A little dirt doesn't bother us. We completely understand," Elijah stated. I nodded in agreement as we walked in, closing the door behind us. "So, tell me, what prompted you to call me?" he asked.
"I wanted my freedom. I am sick of the constant running," the short-haired vampire explained. "Do you have the authority to grant me that?" I continued to walk around with my back turned.
"You should be directing that question to me, Rose-Marie," I turned around to face her. "I possess the complete authority to pardon both you and your companion. What's his name these days? Trevor, if I deem it appropriate."
"Katerina Petrova," I said as I moved to walk closer to her, but Elijah quickly grabbed my arm.
"We're listening," he insisted.
"She didn't burn in the church in 1864," she continues as I make eye contact with Elijah with a big smirk.
"Please continue, darling," I urged her.
"She survived," she revealed, and I rolled my eyes at her. "So where is she?" I asked.
"You don't seem surprised by this."
"Oh, when you called and invited us into this armpit of civilization, which is a mere three hours from Mystic Falls, I surmised it had everything to do with Katerina," Elijah stated as he took a seat on the closest chair. "Do you have her in your possession?"
"No, but I have something better," she declared, and Elijah and I exchanged intrigued glances. "I have her doppelganger."
"That's impossible," I remarked, walking closer to her. "Her family line ended with her. We know that for a fact."
"Then the facts are wrong."
"Well then, show her to me. Athena, you are to stay here," Elijah said, standing up and walking away with Rose.
"If anyone should stay put, it is you, Brother," I replied, following them.
"Athena, you're a woman of honor. You're to be trusted, but I want to hear you say it again."
"Sweetie, you have my word that I will pardon you."
"Follow me," she said, leading us towards the exit. As we walked through a door, a girl with straight hair came into view. She quickly turned around, revealing her face. Elijah stopped in shock as I sped toward her, leaning down to her jugular to confirm if she was human.
"Human. It's impossible. Hello there," I said, and suddenly my brother was by my side.
"We have a long journey ahead of us. We should be going," Elijah stated.
"Elijah, we have one last piece of business," I reminded him.
"Yes, then we are done," Elijah said, walking towards Trevor.
"I have waited so long for this day, Elijah. I'm truly very sorry."
"Oh, no, your apology is not necessary," I called out to him.
"Yes. Yes, it is. You trusted me with Katerina, and I failed you," he admitted. I began walking closer to the man.
"Well, yes, you are the guilty one, and Rose aided you because she was loyal to you. That I honor," Elijah started.
"But, honey, where was your loyalty?" I asked the trembling man.
"I beg your forgiveness."
"So granted," I said, and with a wave of my hand, Elijah severed Trevor's head from his body. Rose started to speak, but Elijah cut her off, saying, "Don't, Rose, now that you're free."
"Come on, darling," I said, grabbing the human girl's arm.
"No, what about the moonstone?" She protested. I quickly turned her around to face me.
"What do you know about the Moonstone?" I asked her.
"I know that you need it, a-and I know where it is," she stammered out, panicking.
"Yes," Elijah said, intrigued.
"I can help you get it," the brown-haired girl offered. Seizing her shoulders, I watched as her eyes widened.
"Tell me where it is," I demanded.
"It doesn't work that way!" she quickly retorted.
"Are you negotiating with us?" Elijah asked, dumbfounded, glancing towards Rose for clarification.
"It's the first I've heard of it," the younger vampire stated. I stared directly into the human's eyes, checking for her pupils not dilating.
"What is this vervain doing around your neck?" I asked her, pulling the piece of jewelry from her neck, tossing it behind me, and grabbing the back of her head. "Tell me where the moonstone is."
"In the tomb underneath the church ruins," she complied, answering the question.
"What is it doing there?" I asked her again.
"It's with Katherine."
"Interesting," Elijah commented. Then he looked towards the roof. "What is that?" he added, walking away.
"I don't know," responded the third vampire.
"Rose, who else is in this house?" I inquired, taking slow steps towards her.
"I don't know," she repeated. Elijah seized the doppelganger, dragging her back towards the stairs, with me close behind.
"Move!" Elijah ordered, shoving her up the stairs. Suddenly, another vampire flashed around us. Elijah quickly pushed her away from us and into Rose's arms when there was another flash around us. "Rose?"
"I don't know who it is," she said quickly. I began to walk towards her when there was another flash in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. Suddenly, there was a clash to the left of us. Up the stairs, we heard someone saying, "Up here." Elijah quickly flashed up the stairs. "Down here," the same voice said. Suddenly, a wooden stake shot through the air and planted into Elijah's palm. Elijah pulled it out, and then suddenly, Rose and I were grabbed by someone, being pulled away and pressed against a wall, with a hand over my mouth, making eye contact with bright blue eyes.
"Excuse me, to whom it may concern, you're making a grave mistake if you think you can beat me. You can't. You hear that?" I heard my brother call out. "I repeat, you cannot beat me, so I want the girl and my sister on the count of three, or heads will roll. Do we understand each other?"
"I'll come with you, just please don't hurt my friends. They just wanted to help me out," the human girl pleaded.
"What game are you playing with me?" Suddenly, there was a scream from my brother that made me wonder what a human could do to make an Original scream like that. There was a lot of banging suddenly, and then none. Rose and I walked around the corner to see Elijah pinned up to the wall with a wooden object through his heart. I let out a heart-wrenching scream.
"What did you do?" I screamed, running to my brother. I stood up to see Rose disappear, and the raven-haired boy tried to go after her.
"Just let her go," the doppelgänger said. She started walking towards the vampire when another one pulled her in for a hug. I decided it would be a good idea to escape before they remembered I was there when all of a sudden, the vampire grabbed me and pinned me by my throat to the wall.
"What is your name?" he asked, cutting off my air.
"Athena," I managed to pull his hand from my throat and pinned him to the floor. "And yours?"
"Damon Salvatore."
"Pleasure.
~~~~~~~
At the Salvatore house, I hear Rose's voice cautioning Stefan about my brothers and sisters. "She's right, you know. My siblings won't stop looking for Elena. You're going to want my help," I declare, walking back the way I came.
