(1) Emotional Shifting (D.Salvatore)

Chapter 34

August has his eyes closed. Still in his lotus position. He's trying his best to concentrate. Trying to pull on something. A thought. An emotion. Maybe a vision. Nothing. Even if it doesn't save him, he needs something. He doesn't like this powerless feeling. He doesn't even know why he is here. Did he have some involvement in the ritual that he didn't know? That Elijah didn't tell him about? Elena paces in her circle and Jenna is kneeling in hers. Each of them coping with their current situation in a different way.

"How are you feeling?" Elena asks Jenna.

"I feel like myself. Only not. Everything is brighter The fire's hotter." Jenna takes deep breaths in. "Part of me is terrified but there's another part of me that doesn't want to feel anything.

"Vampires can turn off the part that's human. That's the part that hurts." Jenna nods as tears pool into her eyes.

"I'm gonna die, aren't I?" Jenna asks.

"No! Jenna, I'm not going to let that happen. I don't care what I have to do." August scoffs.

"What are you going to do, Elena?" August questions her. "I don't think sucking up to him will work. Or maybe you'll bat your eyelashes at him?"

"Can we not do this now?" Elena scolds slightly. "We're about to die."

"I know. Maybe the feeling of me dying has made me a bit more sarcastic." He smiles sarcasticly. He then runs his fingers through his dark curls. In the distance, the sound of twigs snapping and Brady groaning is heard by August, Jenna and Elena. Jenna's head snaps towards the sound.

"Who's that?" Jenna asks.

"That must be the werewolf." Elena answers. Greta pushes Brady down to the ground. August sends him a glare. This man was Jules' boyfriend. Brady clutches at his stomach, groaning in pain.

"What's happening to me?" Brady questions.

"I cast a spell to slow down your transformation. Your insides are trying to tear themselves free." Greta moves away, waving her hand, a fourth ring of fire encircles Brady.

"Greta, witches are supposed to maintain the balance in nature. It's your duty to them to keep this curse sealed." Elena attempts, again, but it's not working.

"My duty is to Klaus! The new order." Greta argues. Klaus then arrives, August looks over the man and snorts.

"Not what you expected, love?"

"I was expecting some big buff guy." Klaus chuckles. "Hey, while you're in the talking mood, why am I here?"

"My brother didn't tell you." August gives Klaus a confused look. "The curse was placed on me using the blood of the doppelganger and the heart of the psychic, Loki. An ancestor of yours." August scoffs, with a bitter smile. It all made sense now. The Addams curse. What was that? A liquid sliding down his face. Was that a tear? It was all new to him. His heart had shattered into a million pieces. He trusted Elijah. He loved him. Klaus smiles at the display of weakness.  "Now then, are we ready my lovelies?" Klaus moves to join Greta at the small ledge altar. He retrieves the moonstone from his pocket. "I've got the moonstone. I spent 500 years looking for this. I hate to part with this." Klaus hands the moonstone to Greta, who takes it and looks up at the sky.

"The moon has passed its apex. Remember everything you need to do?" Greta asks him.

"I remember." He assures her. Greta drops the moonstone into a stone bowl filled with flames. Sparks fly as the moonstone is destroyed. Greta begins chanting in Latin. Klaus approaches the rings of fire. Brady still lies on the ground, moaning in pain, but looks at August.

"Everything I did. Jules did...We were just trying to help Tyler." He tells him. However, August ignores him. Staring down at the ground. Klaus looks down at Brady.

"Shall we?"  The ring of fire disappears from around Brady. Brady's eyes turn yellow as he uses his werewolf speed to rush at Klaus. Alas, Klaus gets the upper hand and pins Brady to the ground, plunging his hand into the werewolf's chest and ripping out his heart. Brady takes a final breath, and dies. Klaus breathes heavily as he holds the bloody heart in his hands. Elena and Jenna look on. August sits there with a nonchalant expression present on his face. Greta continues chanting while Klaus holds Brady's heart over the ceremonial bowl, squeezing the blood into the flames. "Does that mean its working?" Klaus asks Greta.

"Its working." Jenna looks at Elena, eyes glistening with tears. Jenna begins telling Elena sometime but August drowns it out.

"Hello Jenna." Klaus greets Jenna. August looks up. The ring of fire had disappeared from around Jenna. Elena pushes herself to her feet.

"Let her go. I understand that I have to die, but she doesn't!" Elena begs of Klaus. Elena walks closer to the flames, causing them to flare up. She retreats.

"Careful."

"Elena, don't." Jenna stops her.

"No, Jenna! We can't leave Jeremy without a family." Elena counters. "I followed your rules; I did everything that you asked. I didn't run. Please." August doesn't understand why Elena tries so desperately. He looks down at the ground.

"Well, well" Klaus looks up at the top of the quarry. "I don't recall you being on the guest list." Elena and Jenna turn to look up as well.  Stefan is standing atop the cliff looking down upon them.