Clair de Lune - K.M.

c h a p t e r t w e n t y f i v e

I wake up in a bed that's not mine. My head pounds like I'm nursing the world's worst hangover and I groan as I sit up, examining my surroundings. I'm in Elena's room, fading afternoon light streaming in through the open window and illuminating the neat space. I push myself shakily up, waiting for my legs to solidify beneath me, before I head downstairs. When I reach the bottom step I pause for just a moment as I listen to the sound of voices in the kitchen.

"That is the sound of a Klaus free life," I hear Tyler say and everyone laughs.

"To a Klaus free life," Elena's voice echoes. "And to all of you. Cheers!"

Everyone laughs and I hear the clinking of shot glasses. I enter the room to find all my friends standing around the kitchen island, smiling and celebrating. Tyler notices me first and the smile on his face fades instantly.

"Hey Stells," he says hesitantly. "Wanna drink?"

"We're celebrating?" I ask them, my voice low and dangerous. A chill passes through the group and I can tell that I'm making them nervous. They're scared of what I'm going to do.

When no one answers me I let out a slow laugh, absolutely no humor contained in it.

"I cannot believe you. Any of you. Where is he?"

"Stella," Caroline says slowly, reaching forward to grab a shot and handing it to me. "Everything is going to be alright. Just- just drink with us."

"I don't want a fucking drink!" I yell, flinging the shot glass across the room so that it shatters against the wall, causing everyone to flinch. "What did you do?"

"He's gone," Tyler says, stepping in between me and his girlfriend. "Stefan and Damon are on their way to dump his body right now. It's over."

I take a step back as what he says fully connects in my brain. His confirmation of my worst fears stirs up the rage that is always right beneath the surface of my emotions, threatening to push past the barrier that I've built to try and keep it at bay. I'm so angry that I begin to shake and when Tyler notices this, he takes a quick step away from me.

"We were leaving town," I say quietly in disbelief. "We were literally on our way out the fucking door. How could- how could you do this?"

"Stefan and Damon saw an opportunity and they took it," Elena tells me.

"You don't talk anymore," I snarl at her. I begin to look around for my phone, not sure the last place I had it. Knowing what I'm looking for Caroline steps forward to hand it to me. I snatch it from her with a glare and dial Damon as quickly as I can.

"I'm not turning around," the vampire says as soon as he picks up the phone.

"The fuck you are," I growl at him.

"This is the way it has to be."

"If you do this and I ever get my hands on you I swear to god I will make your death so incredibly painful-"

"We can't turn back," Stefan's voice says from the other end of the line. "What's done is done."

"Oh great," I sigh. "Now I get to hear from the self proclaimed moral compass of the group who's spend half his life slaughtering just as many people as Klaus and the other half pretending that he's a good person. Just so you know, a guilty conscience doesn't make up for the horrible shit you've done in your life, Stefan. Get the fuck over yourself."

"Look she-wolf, I'm sorry," Damon says. I'm surprised to hear his voice come across as genuine, even though it does absolutely nothing to make me feel any better. "I know how you feel about him but-"